Lens Assembly Electronic Aberration Correction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Lens assemblies in projection and image acquisition systems face challenges due to aberrations, particularly lateral chromatic aberration (LCA) and distortion, which are difficult to correct optically, leading to performance issues and increased costs due to the need for additional lens elements and high-dispersion glass.

Innovation Solution

The method involves simplifying the lens design by relaxing the constraints on optical correction for LCA and distortion, and electronically warping image data for each color component independently to pre-compensate for these aberrations, reducing the number of lens elements and costs while maintaining or improving performance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If additional lens elements and high-dispersion glass are used to correct lateral chromatic aberration and distortion, then image quality improves, but cost and device complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelateral chromatic aberration correctionVSAvoidlens assembly complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical/optical correction system with an electronic processing system. Specifically, it uses digital signal processing to correct lateral chromatic aberration and distortion in the captured image data, substituting complex optical elements with computational algorithms that process the image data after capture.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary processing stage between image capture and final output. An image processor acts as an intermediary that receives raw image data from the lens assembly and applies correction algorithms to compensate for lateral chromatic aberration and distortion, thereby decoupling the optical design from the correction requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Manufacturing precision

If additional lens elements are used to correct aberrations, then image quality improves, but cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedistortion correctionVSAvoidlens assembly cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent substitutes expensive optical correction elements with affordable digital processing. By implementing distortion correction through image processing algorithms rather than additional lens elements or special glass materials, the system achieves the same correction effect at significantly lower cost.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses computationally intensive processing that can be implemented through software or firmware, which can be updated or replaced without changing the physical hardware. This approach is more cost-effective than manufacturing precision optical elements, as software corrections can be modified without replacing physical components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

3Device complexity

If the lens assembly is simplified by reducing lens elements, then cost and device complexity decrease, but lateral chromatic aberration and distortion increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelens assembly simplicityVSAvoidimage quality

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the need for complex optical correction mechanisms with electronic image processing. The simplified lens assembly captures images with inherent aberrations, and subsequent digital processing corrects these aberrations, achieving high image quality without requiring complex optical designs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs correction in advance during the image processing stage. By pre-compensating for lateral chromatic aberration and distortion through computational methods before final image output, the system achieves accurate correction without requiring the lens assembly to be optimized for these parameters during manufacturing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS8116008B2System and method for lens performance optimization using electronic aberration correction

Publication Date: 2012.02.14 GEO SEMICONDUCTOR INC

AI summary

A method for optimizing cost and performance in a lens assembly is disclosed. The method relaxes the constraints of optically correcting lateral chromatic aberration and distortion on the lens assembly and instead electronically corrects for lateral chromatic aberration and distortion. As a result the lens assembly transmissivity and MTF improve dramatically and other aberrations are reduced as a result of re-optimizing the lens assembly merit function. The cost and volume of the lens assembly are reduced as well. The optimized lens assembly could be used in rear or front projection display devices as a well as image acquisition devices.