# US 12,007,557 B2 · Optical system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,007,557 B2 - Document ID: US12007557B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/398,135 - Filed: 2021-08-10 - Published: 2021-11-25 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2019-04-26 - Assignees: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Satoshi Kuzuhara; Tsuneo Uchida - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12007557B2 ## CPC - G02B 26/108: {having one or more prisms as scanning elements} - G02B 17/0816: {off-axis or unobscured systems in which not all of the mirrors share a common axis of rotational symmetry, e.g. at least one of the mirrors is warped, tilted or decentered with respect to the other elements} - G02B 17/086: {wherein the system is made of a single block of optical material, e.g. solid catadioptric systems} - G02B 26/101: {with both horizontal and vertical deflecting means, e.g. raster or XY scanners (colour television using laser beams scanning a display screen H04N9/3129)} - G02B 27/0081: {with means for altering, e.g. enlarging, the entrance or exit pupil} - G02B 5/04: Prisms - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS ## Abstract The present disclosure provides an optical system that includes a prism having an incident surface, an exit surface, and one or more reflecting surfaces. The optical system includes a first scanning element configured to scan a light that enters and has a plurality of wavelengths in a first direction, and reflect the light in a direction of the incident surface of the prism. The optical system includes a second scanning element configured to scan in a second direction the light that exits from the exit surface of the prism, the second direction being orthogonal to the first direction. The incident surface of the prism has a concave shape with respect to the first scanning element. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An optical system comprising: a prism having an incident surface, an exit surface, and one or more reflecting surfaces; a first scanning element configured to scan a light that enters and has a plurality of wavelengths in a first direction, and reflect the light in a direction of the incident surface of the prism; and a second scanning element configured to scan in a second direction the light that exits from the exit surface of the prism, the second direction being orthogonal to the first direction, wherein the incident surface of the prism has a concave shape with respect to the first scanning element. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The optical system according to claim 1, wherein the incident surface of the prism is a rotationally asymmetric surface having a concave shape with respect to the first direction in which the first scanning element scans. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The optical system according to claim 1, wherein the incident surface of the prism has a smaller refractive power in a non-scanning direction than in the first direction in which the first scanning element scans. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The optical system according to claim 1, wherein a first, intermediate imaging position of a light flux of the light in the first direction is located in an optical path between the first scanning element and the second scanning element. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The optical system according to claim 1, wherein a first intermediate imaging position of a light flux of the light in the first direction is located inside the prism. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The optical system according to claim 5, wherein the first intermediate imaging position is different from a second intermediate imaging position of the light flux of the light in the second direction orthogonal to the first direction. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The optical system according to claim 5, wherein an intermediate image is not formed with respect to the light flux of the light in the second direction orthogonal to the first direction. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The optical system according to claim 1, wherein the exit surface of the prism has a concave shape with respect to the second scanning element. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The optical system according to claim 8, wherein the exit surface of the prism is a rotationally asymmetric surface having a concave shape with respect to the second direction in which the second scanning element scans. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The optical system according to claim 8, wherein the exit surface of the prism has a smaller refractive power in a non-scanning direction than in the second direction in which the second scanning element scans. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The optical system according to claim 1, comprising: a laser element configured to emit a laser light as the light to the first scanning element. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The optical system according to claim 11, comprising: a controller configured to control the laser element to shift a light emission timing of the light of each wavelength for each of the plurality of wavelengths in synchronization with scanning by the first scanning element and the second scanning element. ### Claim 13 An optical system comprising: a prism having an incident surface, an exit surface, and one or more reflecting surfaces; a first scanning element configured to scan in a first direction a light that enters and has a plurality of wavelengths, and reflect the light in a direction of the incident surface of the prism; and a second scanning element configured to scan in a second direction the light that exits from the exit surface of the prism, the second direction being orthogonal to the first direction, wherein the exit surface of the prism has a concave shape with respect to the second scanning element. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The optical system according to claim 13, wherein the exit surface of the prism is a rotationally asymmetric surface having a concave shape with respect to the second direction in which the second scanning element scans. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The optical system according to claim 13, wherein the exit surface of the prism has a smaller refractive power in a non-scanning direction than in the second direction in which the second scanning element scans. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The optical system according to claim 13, wherein a first intermediate imaging position of a light flux of the light in the first direction is located in an optical path between the first scanning element and the second scanning element. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The optical system according to claim 13, wherein a first intermediate imaging position of a light flux of the light in the first direction is located inside the prism. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The optical system according to claim 17, wherein the first intermediate imaging position is different from a second intermediate imaging position of the light flux of the light in the second direction orthogonal to the first direction. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The optical system according to claim 17, wherein an intermediate image is not formed with respect to the light flux of the light in the second direction orthogonal to the first direction. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The optical system according to claim 13, comprising: a laser element configured to emit a laser light as the light to the first scanning element. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The optical system according to claim 20, comprising: a controller configured to control the laser element to shift a light emission timing of the light of each wavelength for each of the plurality of wavelengths in synchronization with scanning by the first scanning element and the second scanning element.