Solid catadioptric lens with two viewpoints

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United States Patent

Mandella

(io) Patent No.: (45) Date of Patent:

US 7,268,956 B2 Sep.11, 2007

SOLID CATADIOPTRIC LENS WITH TWO
VIEWPOINTS

Inventor: Michael J. Mandella, San Jose, CA
(US)

Assignee: Electronic Scripting Products, Inc.,

Palo Alto, CA (US)

Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days.

Appl. No.: 11/336,735

Filed: Jan. 19, 2006

Prior Publication Data

US 2006/0132907 Al Jun. 22, 2006

Related U.S. Application Data

Continuation-in-part of application No. 10/721,194, filed on Nov. 24, 2003, now Pat. No. 7,038,846.

Provisional application No. 60/716,890, filed on Sep. 14, 2005.

Int. CI.

G02B 17/08 (2006.01)

U.S. CI 359/727; 359/362; 359/725;

359/726

Field of Classification Search 359/364 366,

359/362, 642, 709, 725-729, 712, 708 See application file for complete search history.

References Cited

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

A dual viewpoint solid catadioptric lens has a first spherical refractive surface SI having a center CI located on an optical axis of the lens and having a radius rl, and a second spherical refractive surface S2 having a center C2 located on the optical axis of the lens and having a radius r2<rl. The lens also has a first ellipsoidal reflective surface El with foci Fl and Fl' on the optical axis of the lens, and a second ellipsoidal partially reflective surface E2 having foci F2 and F2' on the optical axis of the lens. Focus Fl coincides with CI, focus F2 conincides with C2, and focus Fl' coincides with F2'. The points CI and C2 provide dual viewpoints for the lens, which may be used in a variety of imaging applications.

19 Claims, 4 Drawing Sheets

Page 2

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

5,940,222 A 8/1999 Sinclair et al 359/689

6,118,474 A 9/2000 Nayar 348/36

6,118,583 A 9/2000 Rogers 359/432

6,130,783 A 10/2000 Yagi et al 359/627

6,226,035 Bl 5/2001 Korein et al 348/335

6,262,760 Bl 7/2001 Glassman et al 348/36

6,304,285 Bl 10/2001 Geng 348/36

6,333,826 Bl 12/2001 Charles 359/725

6,356,296 Bl 3/2002 Driscoll, Jr. et al 348/36

6,412,961 Bl 7/2002 Hicks 359/846

6,449,103 Bl 9/2002 Charles 359/725

6,462,889 Bl 10/2002 Jackson 359/728

6,542,184 Bl 4/2003 Driscoll, Jr. et al 348/211.3

6,583,815 Bl 6/2003 Driscoll, Jr. et al 348/211.3

6,611,282 Bl 8/2003 Trubko et al 348/36

6,789,908 B2 9/2004 Garcia 359/859

2004/0156132 Al* 8/2004 Garcia 359/859

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