Optical air lens system

USRE30804E · kind E · reissue

Inventors

• Harley B. Lindemann · Baltimore, US
• John B. Goodell · Baltimore, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Aug 23, 1978
• Grant date: Nov 24, 1981
• Expiry date: Aug 23, 1998

Classification

• Technology area (CPC —): General

Abstract

In an optical system the use of .Iadd.one or .Iaddend.a plurality of air lenses set in an optical medium of higher refractive index than air at a predetermined distance from an object such that various optical aberrations are minimized or eliminated by using aplanatic optical surfaces. Refraction occurs only for a ray going from the higher to the lower refractive index medium. Rays entering the higher refractive index medium from the lower are never refracted since the optical surface is always chosen to have its center .[.or.]. .Iadd.of .Iaddend.radius coincident with the object or image being optically operated on by the lens. The system can be used to magnify the image of an object, the object being most any two-dimensional representation such as a negative or a positive print. The object might alternatively be a light source or an external object whose rays are imaged onto an embedded light sensor so that the functions of the source or sensor respectively can be enhanced by the optical system.