Multispectral Lens Layout for Common Focal Plane Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing camera systems with multiple optical packages suffer from optical aberrations and parallax issues due to misalignment, leading to mismatches in images and varying spatial resolutions, which hinder precise data analysis.
Innovation Solution
A camera objective with a housing and partition element featuring aligned optical filters and lenses, where the primary lens has a longer focal length than secondary lenses, ensuring all images converge in a common focal plane, minimizing aberrations and parallax, and allowing for high spatial resolution in one image.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple optical packages are arranged with spaced optical axes to capture different spectral regions, then parallel image acquisition capability is improved, but optical aberrations and parallax mismatches increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple optical packages (lens, filter, and aperture assemblies) into a single integrated objective structure with a common housing. This merging approach allows multiple spectral channels to be captured in parallel while maintaining precise alignment through a unified mechanical structure, thereby resolving the contradiction between parallel acquisition capability and alignment precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The objective is segmented into multiple independent optical packages, each handling a specific spectral region. Each package contains its own lens, filter, and aperture, allowing independent optimization while maintaining overall alignment through the common housing structure. This segmentation enables parallel image acquisition without compromising precision.
2Adaptability or versatility
If optical packages are spaced apart to accommodate different filters and lenses, then spectral separation capability is improved, but image resolution uniformity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Each optical package within the objective is designed with local quality optimization, featuring dedicated lenses and filters tailored to specific spectral regions. The apertures are positioned and sized differently for each package to optimize light gathering for that particular spectral channel, allowing each component to be precisely engineered for its specific function while contributing to overall image resolution uniformity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent designs the optical packages to achieve equipotentiality in terms of focal plane alignment. All optical packages are configured to focus their respective spectral channels onto the same image plane, ensuring uniform image resolution across different spectral regions despite the physical spacing and spectral separation requirements.
3Reliability
If optical axes are spaced further apart to reduce interference between channels, then channel isolation is improved, but parallax-induced image mismatches worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a nested arrangement where multiple optical packages are housed within a common objective structure. The optical packages are nested in such a way that their optical paths are closely aligned, minimizing parallax effects while maintaining sufficient channel isolation through spectral filtering. This nested configuration allows compact integration with improved image matching accuracy.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution achieves precise, high-resolution images with minimized aberrations and parallax, enabling efficient real-time analysis of multiple spectral images without distortion.
Implementation Method 1
an associated optical filter is arranged on each aperture, for example in front of each aperture
Implementation Method 2
an associated lens is arranged on each aperture, for example behind each aperture... such that for each aperture an optical package is formed by the associated optical filter, the respective aperture, and the associated lens
Data Source
AI summary
A camera objective having a housing extending along a central longitudinal axis between first and second end faces and a partition element located in the housing. The housing has a light inlet opening on the first end face and a light outlet opening on the second end face. A plurality of apertures are formed through the partition element along a central axis that is parallel to or coincides with the central longitudinal axis of the housing. An associated optical filter and lens are arranged on each aperture to form an optical package. One of the optical packages is formed as a primary optical package having a first focal length, and the remaining optical packages are formed as secondary optical packages having a second focal length that is less than the first focal length.