18493844. ZOOM LENS, IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS, AND IMAGE PICKUP SYSTEM simplified abstract (CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA)

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ZOOM LENS, IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS, AND IMAGE PICKUP SYSTEM

Organization Name

CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA

Inventor(s)

Shunji Iwamoto of Tochigi (JP)

ZOOM LENS, IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS, AND IMAGE PICKUP SYSTEM - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 18493844 titled 'ZOOM LENS, IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS, AND IMAGE PICKUP SYSTEM

Simplified Explanation

The patent application describes a zoom lens with multiple lens units that change position during zooming and focusing, providing high-quality images across a range of focal lengths.

  • The zoom lens consists of a first lens unit with negative refractive power, a second lens unit with positive refractive power, a third lens unit with negative refractive power, and a fourth lens unit with positive refractive power.
  • The distance between adjacent lens units changes during zooming from wide-angle to telephoto, with the first and fourth lens units fixed relative to the image plane.
  • The second lens unit is made up of four or more spherical lenses, and a specific inequality is satisfied to ensure optimal performance.

Potential Applications

This technology could be used in digital cameras, camcorders, and other optical devices that require high-quality zoom lenses for capturing images and videos.

Problems Solved

This innovation solves the problem of maintaining image quality and focus accuracy while zooming and focusing, providing users with clear and sharp images across different focal lengths.

Benefits

The benefits of this technology include improved image quality, enhanced zoom capabilities, and precise focusing, resulting in better overall performance for optical devices.

Potential Commercial Applications

The potential commercial applications of this technology include digital cameras, smartphones, surveillance systems, and medical imaging devices, where high-quality zoom lenses are essential for capturing detailed images.

Possible Prior Art

One possible prior art for this technology could be existing zoom lens designs with multiple lens units that adjust position during zooming and focusing. However, the specific configuration and features of this patented zoom lens may offer unique advantages over prior art.

Unanswered Questions

How does this technology compare to other zoom lens designs on the market?

This article does not provide a direct comparison with other zoom lens designs, so it is unclear how this technology stacks up against existing options in terms of performance, cost, and versatility.

What are the potential limitations or drawbacks of this patented zoom lens?

The article does not address any potential limitations or drawbacks of this technology, leaving unanswered questions about its practicality, durability, and compatibility with different optical devices.


Original Abstract Submitted

A zoom lens includes a plurality of lens units that consist of, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens unit having negative refractive power, a second lens unit having positive refractive power, a third lens unit having negative refractive power, and a fourth lens unit having positive refractive power. A distance between adjacent lens units changes during zooming from a wide-angle end to a telephoto end. During zooming from a wide-angle end to a telephoto end, the first lens unit and the fourth lens unit are fixed relative to an image plane, and the third lens unit moves to the object side. During focusing from infinity to a shortest distance, the first lens unit is fixed relative to the image plane. The second lens unit consists of four or more spherical lenses. A predetermined inequality is satisfied.