# US 9,438,779 B2 · Wide-angle camera using achromatic doublet prism array and method of manufacturing the same

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- Number: US 9,438,779 B2
- Document ID: US9438779B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/616,936
- Filed: 2015-02-09
- Published: 2016-08-11
- Granted: 2016-09-06
- Earliest claimed: 2015-02-09
- Assignees: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.
- Applicants: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.
- Inventors: Chuen-Yi Yin; Jau-Jan Deng
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9438779B2

## CPC

- G02B 13/10: involving prisms (G02B13/12 takes precedence)
- G02B 3/0056: {arranged along two different directions in a plane, e.g. honeycomb arrangement of lenses (G02B3/0043 takes precedence; miniaturised objectives for electronic devices employing wafer level optics G02B13/0085)}
- G02B 5/045: {Prism arrays}
- G02B 13/0085: {employing wafer level optics}
- G02B 13/06: Panoramic objectives; So-called "sky lenses" {including panoramic objectives having reflecting surfaces}
- H04N 23/45: for generating image signals from two or more image sensors being of different type or operating in different modes, e.g. with a CMOS sensor for moving images in combination with a charge-coupled device [CCD] for still images
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

## Abstract

A wide-angle camera and fabrication method thereof includes a sensor with a plurality of pixel sub-arrays and an array of optical elements on a first side of a substrate. Each of the optical elements is capable of forming an image from a field of view onto a different one of the pixel sub-arrays. The wide-angle camera also includes an array of achromatic doublet prisms on a second side of the substrate, where each of the achromatic doublet prisms is aligned to provide a viewing angle with a different one of the optical elements. The sensor captures a wide-angle field of view while having a compact format.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A wide-angle camera, comprising:
a sensor having a plurality of pixel sub-arrays;
an array of optical elements mounted to a first side of a substrate, each of the optical elements being capable of forming an image of a field of view onto a different one of the pixel sub-arrays; and
an array of achromatic doublet prisms mounted to a second side of the substrate, each of the achromatic doublet prisms being aligned to provide a viewing angle with a different one of the optical elements;
wherein each achromatic doublet prism of the array of achromatic doublet prisms is aligned to provide a viewing angle with a different optical element of the array of optical elements, such that the sensor captures a wide-angle field of view while having a compact format.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The wide-angle camera of claim 1, each of the achromatic doublet prisms comprising:
a first prism formed of a first material on the second side of the substrate; and
a second prism formed of a second material on a surface of the first prism, the first and second prisms defining a combination surface therebetween.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The wide-angle camera of claim 2, the first prism having a first Abbe number that is lower than a second Abbe number of the second prism.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The wide-angle camera of claim 2, the first material having a first refractive index that is higher than a second refractive index of the second material at a given wavelength.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The wide-angle camera of claim 1, wherein geometry of each of the achromatic doublet prisms depends upon its position within the array of achromatic doublet prisms.

### Claim 6

In a compact format wide-angle camera of the type having an array of optical elements and a corresponding array of single prisms cooperating to capture a wide field-of-view, wherein said array of optical elements is formed on a first side of a substrate and said array of single prisms is formed on a second side of said substrate, and wherein each of said single prisms is aligned with a different one of the optical elements and causes chromatic aberration, the improvement comprising:
implementing the array of single prisms as an array of achromatic doublet prisms formed using wafer-level fabrication onto the second side of the substrate such that each achromatic doublet prism is aligned with a different one of the optical elements, said array of achromatic doublet prisms and the array of optical elements cooperating to capture the wide field-of-view with reduced chromatic aberration.

### Claim 7 (depends on 2)

The wide-angle camera of claim 2, the second material being the same contiguous material between each of the achromatic doublet prisms.

### Claim 8 (depends on 2)

The wide-angle camera of claim 2, further comprising an area located in the center of the array of achromatic doublet prisms including only the second material.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The wide-angle camera of claim 1, wherein each of the achromatic doublet prisms is directly adjacent to at least one other of the achromatic doublet prisms.