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AssigneeMatsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
InventorsTomohiko Sasano, Yasuhiro Tanaka, Michihiro Yamagata, Yoshikazu Sano, Tomoko Komatsu, Michiyo Ichikawa, Sumio Terakawa, Hiromitu Aoki
Estimating the term…
In a lens array, a multiplicity of condenser lenses, each in a convex lens form, are arrayed in vertical and horizontal directions so as to correspond to pixel regions, respectively, and each condenser lens, when viewed from a direction perpendicular to a condenser lens-arrayed plane, takes a planar shape formed with a four straight sides along four sides of the pixel region and four circular arcs extending between the respective straight sides. A center of the four circular arcs substantially coincides with a center of the corresponding pixel region. This ensures an increase in area covered with the condenser lens in the pixel region, thereby causing more light rays to enter the condenser lens. In addition, a radius of curvature necessary for collecting can be obtained more easily. Consequently, light rays can be efficiently collected and guided to light receiving sections or the like provided in the pixel regions. Accordingly, sensitivity is improved when such a lens array is used in a solid-state imaging element, while luminance of a screen is improved when it is used in a panel display element. Besides, such a lens array is easily manufactured.
A lens array comprising a plurality of condenser lenses arrayed in vertical and horizontal directions so that the condenser lenses and pixels arrayed in a two-dimensional plane have one-to-one correspondence, wherein:
A lens array comprising a plurality of condenser lenses arrayed in vertical and horizontal directions so that the condenser lenses and pixels arrayed in a two-dimensional plane have one-to-one correspondence, wherein:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.