# US 11,442,255 B2 · Wide angle lens and camera system for peripheral field of view imaging including eight lenses of ---++-++ or nine lenses of ----++-++ refractive powers > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,442,255 B2 - Document ID: US11442255B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/617,277 - Filed: 2018-05-31 - Published: 2020-06-18 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2017-06-02 - Assignees: Owl Labs, Inc. - Applicants: Owl Labs, Inc. - Inventors: Maksim Makeev; Mark S Schnittman; Xiaoyu Miao; Ming-lin Lee; Cheng-Yi Lai; Chien-Hung Chou - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11442255B2 ## CPC - G02B 13/04: Reversed telephoto objectives - G02B 13/06: Panoramic objectives; So-called "sky lenses" {including panoramic objectives having reflecting surfaces} - G02B 9/64: having more than six components - G02B 13/005: {having spherical lenses only} - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS ## Abstract Wide angle lens for imaging objects disposed away from the optical axis towards the periphery of the field of view. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A wide angle lens having an angular field of view, FOV, of more than 150 degrees spanning an optical axis and a central half-field of view, FOV1/2, spanning the optical axis such that a ratio of the angular range FOV1/2 of the central half field of view versus the angular range of the field of view FOV is FOV/FOV1/2=2, the lens being constructed and arranged such that a ratio of a diameter (D1) at an image plane of an image circle of the field of view versus the diameter (D1/2) of an image circle of the central half-field of view is D1/D1/2>2 and comprising a region of interest disposed between the FOV1/2 and FOV, wherein the lens has a longitudinal spherical aberration throughout the region of interest less than half of the longitudinal spherical aberration on-axis. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A wide angle lens of claim 1 wherein D1/D1/2≥2.2. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The wide angle lens of claim 1, comprising a region of interest disposed between the FOV1/2 and FOV, wherein angular mapping of the field of view in the region of interest onto the image plane is substantially linear. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The wide angle lens of claim 1, comprising a region of interest disposed between the FOV1/2 and FOV, wherein the lens has a field curvature for tangential rays on-axis greater than the field curvature for tangential rays throughout the region of interest. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The wide angle lens of claim 1, comprising a region of interest disposed between the FOV1/2 and FOV, wherein the lens has a field curvature for tangential rays throughout the region of interest less than one quarter of the field curvature for tangential rays on-axis. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The wide angle lens of claim 1, comprising a region of interest disposed between the FOV1/2 and FOV, wherein the lens has a modulation transfer function of at least 55% at 187 lp/mm for sagittal rays in the region of interest. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The wide angle lens of claim 1, comprising a region of interest disposed between the FOV1/2 and FOV, wherein the lens has a modulation transfer function of at least 76% at 93 lp/mm for sagittal rays in the region of interest. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The wide angle lens of claim 1, comprising a region of interest disposed between the FOV1/2 and FOV, wherein the lens has a modulation transfer function of at least 36% at 187 lp/mm for tangential rays in the region of interest. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The wide angle lens of claim 1, comprising a region of interest disposed between the FOV1/2 and FOV, wherein the lens has a modulation transfer function of at least 65% at 93 lp/mm for tangential rays in the region of interest. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The wide angle lens of claim 1, wherein the lens comprises all spherical surfaces. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The wide angle lens of claim 1, wherein an effective focal length is 1 mm or less. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The wide angle lens of claim 1, wherein an f-number is 2.4 or less. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The wide angle lens of claim 1, wherein an f-theta distortion is 34% or less at full field. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The wide angle lens of claim 1, wherein a chief ray angle at an image plane of the wide angle lens is less than 4.5 degrees from a normal to a surface at an image plane. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The wide angle lens of claim 1, wherein a back focal length is 1 mm or less. ### Claim 16 A wide angle lens having an angular field of view, FOV, of more than 150 degrees spanning an optical axis and a central half-field of view, FOV1/2, spanning the optical axis such that a ratio of the angular range FOV1/2 of the central half field of view versus the angular range of the field of view FOV is FOV/FOV1/2=2, the lens being constructed and arranged such that a ratio of a diameter (D1) at an image plane of an image circle of the field of view versus the diameter (D1/2) of an image circle of the central half-field of view is D1/D1/2>2, wherein the full field of view spanning the optical axis is 200 degrees. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) A camera system comprising the wide angle lens according to claim 16 and comprising an image sensor having an imaging surface area placed at the image plane. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) A wide angle lens of claim 16, wherein D1/D1/2≥2.2. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) A wide angle lens of claim 16, wherein D1/D1/2≥2.5. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) A wide angle lens of claim 16, wherein D1/D1/2≥3. ### Claim 21 (depends on 16) The wide angle lens of claim 16, comprising a region of interest disposed between the FOV1/2 and FOV, wherein angular mapping of the field of view in the region of interest onto the image plane is substantially linear. ### Claim 22 (depends on 16) The wide angle lens of claim 16, comprising a region of interest disposed between the FOV1/2 and FOV, wherein the lens has a longitudinal spherical aberration on-axis greater than the longitudinal spherical aberration throughout the region of interest. ### Claim 23 (depends on 16) The wide angle lens of claim 16, comprising a region of interest disposed between the FOV1/2 and FOV, wherein the lens has a longitudinal spherical aberration throughout the region of interest less than half of the longitudinal spherical aberration on-axis. ### Claim 24 (depends on 16) The wide angle lens of claim 16, comprising a region of interest disposed between the FOV1/2 and FOV, wherein the lens has a field curvature for tangential rays on-axis greater than the field curvature for tangential rays throughout the region of interest. ### Claim 25 (depends on 16) The wide angle lens of claim 16, comprising a region of interest disposed between the FOV1/2 and FOV, wherein the lens has a field curvature for tangential rays throughout the region of interest less than one quarter of the field curvature for tangential rays on-axis. ### Claim 26 (depends on 16) The wide angle lens of claim 16, comprising a region of interest disposed between the FOV1/2 and FOV, wherein the lens has a modulation transfer function of at least 55% at 187 lp/mm for sagittal rays in the region of interest. ### Claim 27 (depends on 16) The wide angle lens of claim 16, comprising a region of interest disposed between the FOV1/2 and FOV, wherein the lens has a modulation transfer function of at least 76% at 93 lp/mm for sagittal rays in the region of interest. ### Claim 28 (depends on 16) The wide angle lens of claim 16, comprising a region of interest disposed between the FOV1/2 and FOV, wherein the lens has a modulation transfer function of at least 36% at 187 lp/mm for tangential rays in the region of interest. ### Claim 29 (depends on 16) The wide angle lens of claim 16, comprising a region of interest disposed between the FOV1/2 and FOV, wherein the lens has a modulation transfer function of at least 65% at 93 lp/mm for tangential rays in the region of interest. ### Claim 30 (depends on 16) The wide angle lens of claim 16, wherein the lens comprises all spherical surfaces. ### Claim 31 (depends on 16) The wide angle lens of claim 16, wherein an effective focal length is 1 mm or less. ### Claim 32 (depends on 16) The wide angle lens of claim 16, wherein an f-number is 2.4 or less. ### Claim 33 (depends on 16) The wide angle lens of claim 16, wherein an f-theta distortion is 34% or less at full field. ### Claim 34 (depends on 16) The wide angle lens of claim 16, wherein a chief ray angle at an image plane of the wide angle lens is less than 4.5 degrees from a normal to a surface at an image plane. ### Claim 35 (depends on 16) The wide angle lens of claim 16, wherein a back focal length is 1 mm or less. ### Claim 36 (depends on 1) A camera system comprising the wide angle lens according to claim 1 and comprising an image sensor having an imaging surface area placed at the image plane. ### Claim 37 (depends on 1) A wide angle lens of claim 1, wherein D1/D1/2≥2.2. ### Claim 38 (depends on 1) A wide angle lens of claim 1, wherein D1/D1/2≥2.5. ### Claim 39 (depends on 1) A wide angle lens of claim 1, wherein D1/D1/2≥3.