Wavefront Transfer Functions for Fast Optical Aberration Calculation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for calculating wavefronts through complex optical systems, such as spectacle lenses, are computationally intensive and inefficient, requiring repeated calculations and ray tracing, especially when higher-order aberrations are considered.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the setup of a wavefront transfer function that accounts for higher-order aberrations, allowing for a single operation to transform incident wavefronts into emergent wavefronts, reducing the need for repeated calculations and optimizing spectacle lenses efficiently.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If ray tracing or repeated wave tracing is used to calculate wavefronts through complex optical systems, then accuracy in accounting for higher-order aberrations is improved, but computation time increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-calculates and stores ray tracing results in a lookup table before optimization begins. During the optimization process, wavefronts are retrieved from this pre-computed table rather than performing repeated ray tracing, thereby maintaining accuracy while dramatically reducing computation time for iterative optimization cycles
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a simplified copy of the wavefront calculation process by using analytical wavefront functions that replicate the essential optical behavior. These analytical models approximate complex ray tracing results with computationally efficient mathematical expressions, enabling rapid evaluation during optimization without full ray tracing
2Manufacturing precision
If iterative variation methods are used to optimize spectacle lens surfaces, then manufacturing precision is improved, but the number of calculation steps increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-computes ray tracing data and stores it in lookup tables before the optimization process begins. This allows the iterative optimization to retrieve pre-calculated optical information rather than performing repeated ray tracing, significantly reducing the computational burden of each optimization iteration while maintaining precision
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the optimization problem by changing from direct ray tracing parameters to analytical wavefront parameters. By representing wavefronts through analytical functions with fewer parameters, the optimization can efficiently explore the design space and converge to precise solutions with fewer iterative steps
Data Source
AI summary
Simulating an optical system by calculating wavefronts. The method includes: setting up at least one wavefront transfer function for the optical system, wherein the wavefront transfer function is designed to assign a respective associated emergent wavefront to wavefronts entering into the optical system, taking into account imaging errors with an order greater than the order of defocus; and evaluating the at least one wavefront transfer function for at least one wavefront entering into the optical system.