Lens assemblies and methods

Abstract

The present invention generally relates to various lenses, lens assemblies, and devices using such lenses and/or lens assemblies, to various methods of fabricating and/or using such lenses, lens assemblies, and/or devices, and to various processes of making such lenses, lens assemblies, and/or devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to various lenses which may include multiple regions at least two of which may define different magnifications therethrough. Accordingly, various lens assemblies of the present invention may include multiple lenses at least one of which may define multiple magnifications and may translate, rotate or otherwise move laterally with respect to the other lens while overlapping or aligning with different portions of the other lens and while providing uniform magnifications across preset portions of overlapped or aligned regions of the lenses. In addition, the devices of the present invention may employ such lens assemblies and provide various magnifications by moving mobile lens of the lens assembly laterally relative to stationary lenses thereof. The present invention also relates to various methods of laterally moving such mobile lenses with respect to such stationary lenses, various methods of providing or using such lenses and/or lens assemblies in order to provide multiple magnifications by laterally moving such mobile lenses in order to overlap different portions of the stationary lens, and various methods of using such mobile lenses and lenses and lens assemblies to provide multiple magnifications to various devices. The present invention further relates to various processes for providing the foregoing lenses, lens assemblies, and devices.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.