Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

The University of Arizona

Circle Optics, Inc.

Jose Manuel Sasian-Alvarado

Andrew Frederick Kurtz

Masatsugu Nakano

Zakariya Niazi

John Bowron

Allen Krisiloff

Eugene Sisto

James Mazzarella

Thomas Bidwell

Robert J Stanchus

Deanan DaSilva

Robert Baldino

Christopher M Muir

Tamer T Elazhary

Charles E Brugger

A low parallax imaging device includes a plurality of imaging lens elements arranged to capture adjacent fields of view. In some examples, adjacent imaging lens elements may contact at datum features to maintain a desired spacing. The spacing may allow for partial overlapping of low-parallax volumes associated with the respective imaging lens elements.

Mounting systems for multi-camera imagers

A lens form for a low parallax imaging device includes a plurality of imaging lens elements arranged to capture adjacent fields of view. The imaging lens elements include a plurality of lens element groups for directing incident light to an imaging plane. The lens elements control a distance between an entrance pupil located behind the image plane and a low parallax point to reduce parallax errors between adjacent of the imaging lens elements.

Lens design for low parallax panoramic camera systems

Opto-mechanics of panoramic capture devices with abutting cameras

An optical system to form an image on an image plane includes, a catadioptric optical subsystem configured to collect light from an object plane; and a refractive optical subsystem configured to form the image on the image plane, the catadioptric and refractive optical subsystems being arranged in order from the object plane to the image plane along an optical axis of the optical system. A baffle to shut off light traveling toward the image plane without being reflected by the catadioptric optical subsystem is placed in the optical system, in order to form a shielded portion in a center of an exit pupil plane of the optical system, and the catadioptric optical subsystem includes a partially transparent surface around the optical axis of the optical system so that transmissivity of a region, other than the shielded portion, at the exit pupil plane varies in a radial direction of the exit pupil plane.

Optical system with catadioptric optical subsystem

A catadioptric system includes a first catadioptric group, a second catadioptric group, and a lens group disposed in axial alignment with each other. The first catadioptric group includes a solid lens having an input surface, a primary reflective surface, secondary reflective surface and an exit surface. The primary reflective surface is a curved surface concave towards the secondary reflective surface. A light flux entering through the input surface undergoes more than two reflections between the primary and secondary reflective surfaces, prior to exiting through the exit surface. At least one of the primary reflective surface and secondary reflective surface has a continuous and smooth topological profile.

Catadioptric optical system with multi-reflection element for high numerical aperture imaging

A catadioptric optical system includes, in order from an object side to an image side and arranged along an optical axis, a first catadioptric unit, a second catadioptric unit disposed in axial alignment with the first catadioptric unit and with a space therebetween; and a lens group disposed in axial alignment with the first and second catadioptric optical units. Light rays arriving from an object plane undergo a first reflection at the image-side surface of the first catadioptric optical unit, a second reflection at the object-side surface of the first catadioptric optical unit, a third reflection at the image-side surface of the second catadioptric optical unit, and a fourth reflection at the object-side surface of the second catadioptric optical unit. Advantageously, the sum the outward Petzval curvatures is cancelled out by the sum of inward Petzval curvatures.

Catadioptric optical system with total internal reflection for high numerical aperture imaging

Growing community of inventors

Tucson, AZ, United States of America

Jose Manuel Sasian-Alvarado