Method for determining and designing optical elements
AssigneeInray Ltd.
InventorsJacob Rubinstein, Gershon Moshe Wolansky
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for determining or designing the topography of at least one unknown surface of an optical element includes the steps of measuring or prescribing geometrical properties, determining a set of integration equations from the geometrical properties, and determining the topography of the at least one unknown surface from the set of equations. The set of integration equations is determined also from the optical index or indexes of the optical element. The geometrical properties measured or prescribed are the geometric properties of a plurality of rays incident upon the optical element and of a corresponding plurality of rays affected by at least the at least one unknown surface.
Claims14
A method comprising:
- determining the topography of one or more unknown surfaces of an optical element, at least one of said unknown surfaces being non-spherical and non-planar, from a set of equations, said equations relating a) the optical index or indices of said optical element, b) said surfaces and first derivatives of said surfaces, and c) geometrical properties of a plurality of rays incident upon said optical element and of a corresponding plurality of rays affected by at least said unknown surfaces.
A method comprising:
- determining the topography of one or more unknown surfaces of an optical element from a set of equations, said equations relating a) the optical index or indices of said optical element, b) said surfaces and first derivatives of said surfaces, and c) geometrical properties of a plurality of rays incident upon said optical element and of a corresponding plurality of rays affected by at least said unknown surfaces,
- wherein determining the topography of said unknown surfaces comprises:
- detecting whether said set of equations is solvable;
- when said set of equations is solvable, integrating said set of equations, thereby determining the topography of said unknown surfaces;
- and
- when said set of equations is not solvable:
- using said set of equations to determine a cost function;
- and
- optimizing said cost function subject to a set of predetermined auxiliary conditions, thereby determining the topography of said unknown surfaces.
A method comprising:
- determining the topography of two unknown surfaces of an optical element, at least one of said two unknown surfaces being non-spherical and non-planar, from a set of equations, said equations relating a) the optical index or indices of said optical element, b) said surfaces and first derivatives of said surfaces, and c) locations and directions of a plurality of rays incident upon said optical element and of a corresponding plurality of rays affected by at least said two unknown surfaces.
A method comprising:
- determining the topography of two unknown surfaces of an optical element from a set of equations, said equations relating a) the optical index or indices of said optical element, b) said surfaces and first derivatives of said surfaces, and c) locations and directions of a plurality of rays incident upon said optical element and of a corresponding plurality of rays affected by at least said unknown surfaces,
- wherein determining the topography of said two unknown surfaces comprises:
- a detecting whether said set of equations is solvable;
- when said set of equations is solvable, integrating said set of equations, thereby determining the topography of said two unknown surfaces;
- and
- when said set of equations is not solvable:
- using said set of equations to determine a cost function;
- and
- optimizing said cost function subject to a set of predetermined auxiliary conditions, thereby determining the topography of said two unknown surfaces.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.