# US 12,181,729 B2 · Imaging optical system and imaging apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,181,729 B2 - Document ID: US12181729B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/982,455 - Filed: 2019-03-04 - Published: 2021-02-25 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2018-03-26 - Assignees: Sony Corporation - Applicants: Sony Corporation - Inventors: Kazumasa Kaneda - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12181729B2 ## CPC - G02B 9/12: having three components only - G02B 13/0035: {having three lenses} - G02B 13/16: for use in conjunction with image converters or intensifiers {, or for use with projectors, e.g. objectives for projection TV} - G02B 13/18: with lenses having one or more non-spherical faces, e.g. for reducing geometrical aberration {(G02B13/002 takes precedence)} - G02B 13/22: Telecentric objectives or lens systems - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS ## Abstract An imaging optical system according to the present disclosure includes a first lens, a second lens, and a third lens. The first lens includes an image-plane-side lens surface having an aspherical shape with an inflection point. The second lens has a meniscus shape including a concave surface toward object side. The third lens has a meniscus shape including a concave surface toward image plane side. The first lens, the second lens, and the third lens are disposed in order from the object side toward the image plane side. The imaging optical system is provided as a bi-telecentric optical system. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An imaging optical system comprising: a first lens that includes a lens surface having an aspherical shape with an inflection point toward an image plane side; a second lens that has a meniscus shape including a concave surface toward an object side; and a third lens that has a meniscus shape including a concave surface toward the image plane side, wherein respective meniscus shapes of the second lens and the third lens are oriented in directions opposite to each other, wherein a convex surface of the second lens faces a convex surface of the third lens, wherein the second lens has a positive refractive power, wherein the first lens, the second lens, and the third lens are disposed in order from the object side toward the image plane side, wherein an imaging device is disposed on the image plane side, wherein the imaging device includes a microlens and a light-receiving region, and wherein light is condensed in each pixel in both an on-axial region and an off-axial region without shifting pixels. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The imaging optical system according to claim 1, wherein D(L2)>D(L3) is satisfied where D(L2) is a thickness of the second lens on an optical axis, and D(L3) is a thickness of the third lens on the optical axis. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The imaging optical system according to claim 1, wherein the first lens, the second lens, and the third lens each have positive refractive power in a vicinity of an optical axis. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The imaging optical system according to claim 1, wherein the first lens has an aspherical shape that is convex toward the image plane side at a center part and gradually becomes concave in a direction toward a peripheral part. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The imaging optical system according to claim 1, wherein F-number is less than 6. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The imaging optical system according to claim 1, wherein an aperture stop is provided in a vicinity of an object-side lens surface of the second lens. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The imaging optical system according to claim 1, wherein the imaging optical system is provided as an optical system that relays a primary image-formation image onto an imaging surface of the imaging device as a secondary image-formation image, the primary image-formation image being formed on the object side. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The imaging optical system according to claim 7, wherein the primary image-formation image is an image formed by infrared light. ### Claim 9 An imaging apparatus comprising: an imaging optical system; and an imaging device that outputs an imaging signal based on an optical image formed by the imaging optical system, the imaging optical system including: a first lens that includes a lens surface having an aspherical shape with an inflection point toward an image plane side, a second lens that has a meniscus shape including a concave surface toward an object side, and a third lens that has a meniscus shape including a concave surface toward the image plane side, wherein respective meniscus shapes of the second lens and the third lens are oriented in directions opposite to each other, wherein a convex surface of the second lens faces a convex surface of the third lens, wherein the second lens has a positive refractive power, wherein the first lens, the second lens, and the third lens are disposed in order from the object side toward the image plane side, wherein an imaging device is disposed on the image plane side, wherein the imaging device includes a microlens and a light-receiving region, and wherein light is condensed in each pixel in both an on-axial region and an off-axial region without shifting pixels. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The imaging apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the imaging optical system is an optical system that relays a primary image-formation image onto an imaging surface of the imaging device as a secondary image-formation image, the primary image-formation image being formed on the object side. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The imaging apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising: an image-formation optical system that forms an image of a detected object as the primary image-formation image, wherein the imaging device performs imaging of the detected object via the image-formation optical system and the imaging optical system.