Optical System for Telephoto Cameras
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorsTakeyoshi Saiga, Yoshikazu Shinohara
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An optical system for a camera may include a lens group having a plurality of lenses, a prism, and an image sensor. The prism may be positioned, optically, between the plurality of lenses and the image sensor along the optical transmitting path of the light. The prism may include at least four surfaces, which may fold the light within the prism at least four times to guide the light from the plurality of lenses passing through the prism to the image sensor. The prism may include multiple prisms joined together using an optical cement. The prism may include one or more aperture masks inside the prism to reduce flare.
Claims20
A camera, comprising:
- a plurality of lenses;
- an image sensor;
- and
- a prism configured to:
- transmit light passing through the plurality of lenses through a first surface in to the prism;
- reflect, at a second surface of the prism, at least some of the light passing through the first surface of the prism;
- reflect, at the first surface of the prism, at least some of the light reflected from the second surface of the prism;
- reflect, at a third surface of the prism, at least some of the light reflected from the first surface of the prism;
- and
- reflect, at a fourth surface of the prism, at least some of the light reflected from the third surface of the prism to pass through the third surface out of the prism to the image sensor.
A device, comprising:
- one or more cameras;
- and
- one or more processors configured to process image signals generated from the one or more cameras,
- wherein at least one of the one or more cameras includes:
- a plurality of lenses;
- an image sensor;
- and
- a prism configured to:
- transmit light passing through the plurality of lenses through a first surface in to the prism;
- reflect, at a second surface of the prism, at least some of the light passing through the first surface of the prism;
- reflect, at the first surface of the prism, at least some of the light reflected from the second surface of the prism;
- reflect, at a third surface of the prism, at least some of the light reflected from the first surface of the prism;
- and
- reflect, at a fourth surface of the prism, at least some of the light reflected from the third surface of the prism to pass through the third surface out of the prism to the image sensor.
An optical system, comprising:
- a plurality of lenses;
- and
- a prism having at least four surfaces, wherein the prism is configured to:
- transmit light passing through the plurality of lenses through a first surface in to the prism;
- reflect, at a second surface of the prism, at least some of the light passing through the first surface of the prism;
- reflect, at the first surface of the prism, at least some of the light reflected from the second surface of the prism;
- reflect, at a third surface of the prism, at least some of the light reflected from the first surface of the prism;
- and
- reflect, at a fourth surface of the prism, at least some of the light reflected from the third surface of the prism to pass through the third surface out of the prism to an image plane.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.