Yi-Chin Fang

Optical design and multiobjective optimization of miniature zoom optics with liquid lens element

We propose an optical design for miniature 2.5x zoom fold optics with liquid elements. First, we reduce the volumetric size of the system. Second, this newly developed design significantly reduces the number of moving groups for this 2.5x miniature zoom optics (with only two moving groups compared with the four or five groups of the traditional zoom lens system), thanks to the assistance of liquid lens elements in particular. With regard to the extended optimization of this zoom optics, relative illuminance (RI) and the modulation transfer function (MTF) are considered because the more rays passing through the edge of the image, the lower will be the MTF, at high spatial frequencies in particular. Extended optimization employs the integration of the Taguchi method and the robust multiple criterion optimization (RMCO) approach. In this approach, a Pareto optimal robust design solution is set with the aid of a certain design of the experimental set, which uses analysis of variance results to quantify the relative dominance and significance of the design factors. It is concluded that the Taguchi method and RMCO approach is successful in optimizing the RI and MTF values of the fold 2.5x zoom lens system and yields better and more balanced performance, which is very difficult for the traditional least damping square method to achieve.

Optical design of automotive headlight system incorporating digital micromirror device

In recent years, the popular adaptive front-lighting automobile headlight system has become a main emphasis of research that manufacturers will continue to focus great efforts on in the future. In this research we propose a new integral optical design for an automotive headlight system with an advanced light-emitting diode and digital micromirror device (DMD). Traditionally, automobile headlights have all been designed as a low beam light module, whereas the high beam light module still requires using accessory lamps. In anticipation of this new concept of integral optical design, we have researched and designed a single optical system with high and low beam capabilities. To switch on and off the beams, a DMD is typically used. Because DMDs have the capability of redirecting incident light into a specific angle, they also determine the shape of the high or low light beam in order to match the standard of headlight illumination. With collocation of the multicurvature reflection lens design, a DMD can control the light energy distribution and thereby reinforce the resolution of the light beam.

Eliminating chromatic aberration in Gauss-type lens design using a novel genetic algorithm

Two different types of Gauss lens design, which effectively eliminate primary chromatic aberration, are presented using an efficient genetic algorithm (GA). The current GA has to deal with too many targets in optical global optimization so that the performance is not much improved. Generally speaking, achromatic aberrations have a great relationship with variable glass sets for all elements. For optics whose design is roughly convergent, glass sets for optics will play a significant role in axial and lateral color aberration. Therefore better results might be derived from the optimal process of eliminating achromatic aberration, which could be carried out by finding feasible glass sets in advance. As an alternative, we propose a new optimization process by using a GA and involving theories of geometrical optics in order to select the best optical glass combination. Two Gauss-type lens designs are employed in this research. First, a telephoto lens design is sensitive to axial aberration because of its long focal length, and second, a wide-angle Gauss design is complicated by lateral color aberration at the extreme corners because Gauss design is well known not to deal well with wide-angle problems. Without numbers of higher chief rays passing the element, it is difficult to correct lateral color aberration altogether for the Gauss design. The results and conclusions show that the attempts to eliminate primary chromatic aberrations were successful.

Study of optimization of an LCD light guide plate with neural network and genetic algorithm

This paper proposes an optimization method for designing a prism-pattern LCD light guide plate (LGP) using a neural-network optical model and a real-valued genetic algorithm to achieve excellent luminance uniformity in the exiting light. This newly developed method is proposed as a way of solving the complicated optimization work for non-image optics due to the numbers of ray tracing. First, a neural-network optical model is based on a back-propagation neural network. Then the neural-network optical model is incorporated into a real-valued genetic algorithm to optimize the distribution density of the prism pattern. The results show that the 13-point luminance uniformity reaches an outstanding 92.09%.

Optimizing chromatic aberration calibration using a novel genetic algorithm

Advances in digitalized image optics has increased the importance of chromatic aberration. The axial and lateral chromatic aberrations of an optical lens depends on the choice of optical glass. Based on statistics from glass companies worldwide, more than 300 optical glasses have been developed for commercial purposes. However, the complexity of optical systems makes it extremely difficult to obtain the right solution to eliminate small chromatic aberration. Even the damped least-squares technique, which is a ray-tracing-based method, is limited owing to its inability to identify an enhanced optical system configuration. Alternatively, this study instead attempts to eliminate even negligible axial and lateral colour aberration by using algorithms involving the theories of geometric optics in triplet lens, binary and real encoding, multiple dynamic crossover and random gene mutation techniques.

A study of optical design and optimization of zoom optics with liquid lenses through modified genetic algorithm

A new concept for the optimization and optical design of miniature digital zoom optics with liquid lens elements is proposed in this research. The liquid lens elements are limited to the discrete configuration in order to obtain the optimal performance for digital zoom. We propose a newly developed digital zoom layout and optimization with a modified genetic algorism (GA) method, in order to meet the demands of a certain specification. The results show that we achieve a successful optical design and the optimization of the digital zoom optics with liquid optics, whose performance is greatly improved up to 48.68%, from the standpoint of on-axis spot size.

A Study of Integrated Optical Design and Optimization for LED Backlight Module With Prism Patterns

In backlight modules, the light guide plate (LGP) is a key component for performance and also facilitates access to develop LGPs on their own. In this research, we propose a newly developed method: LEDs with freeform secondary optical lens as a lighting source are employed to integrate and manipulate the specially designed and optimized 3D-like pattern distribution of the micro features to obtain the required optical characteristics at maximal performance. In this research, a LGP of 3.5 inch dimensions as an example of such an integral optical design and optimization of LGPs is expected not only to remove optical films but also reduce the thickness of the backlight module and increase overall brightness and uniformity. After integral optical design, optimization extended by the Taguchi with principal component analysis method improved the brightness by up to 98%, reduced the thickness by 10% and improved the uniformity by 62.5%.

Prediction of the Thermal Imaging Minimum Resolvable (Circle) Temperature Difference with Neural Network Application

Thermal imaging is an important technology in both national defense and the private sector. An advantage of thermal imaging is its ability to be deployed while fully engaged in duties, not limited by weather or the brightness of indoor or outdoor conditions. However, in an outdoor environment, many factors, including atmospheric decay, target shape, great distance, fog, temperature out of range and diffraction limits can lead to bad image formation, which directly affects the accuracy of object recognition. The visual characteristics of the human eye mean that it has a much better capacity for picture recognition under normal conditions than artificial intelligence does. However, conditions of interference significantly reduce this capacity for picture recognition for instance, fatigue impairs human eyesight. Hence, psychological and physiological factors can affect the result when the human eye is adopted to measure MRTD (minimum resolvable temperature difference) and MRCTD (minimum resolvable circle temperature difference). This study explores thermal imaging recognition, and presents a method for effectively choosing the characteristic values and processing the images fully. Neural network technology is successfully applied to recognize thermal imaging and predict MRTD and MRCTD (Appendix A), exceeding thermal imaging recognition under fatigue and the limits of the human eye.

Optical design and extended multi-objective optimization of miniature L-type optics

In ordinary optical design and optimization, it is difficult to strike a balance between relative illuminance (RI) and the modulation transfer function (MTF); this is even more difficult for special fold optical zoom lenses. We propose a thinning L-type zoom lens design that exploits the reflecting and refracting surfaces that constitute a prismatic lens. However, in L-type designs, the lens RI is comparatively low compared with that in its coaxial counterparts. Attempts to improve the RI also cause MTF degradation. We propose a combination of the Taguchi method and principal component analysis to improve both the RI and MTF in L-type zoom systems. We analysed an orthogonal array L9 using the Taguchi method. The resulting experimental values of the orthogonal array L9 were used as inputs for principal component analysis to obtain the total point value. The total point value was then analysed by variance, revealing that the two most significant factors were (1) the semi-aperture of the front element and (2) the surface 7 to image length. Our proposed method increased the MTF and RI by 0.16% and 0.44%, respectively, in system wide-angle ends.

Eliminating lateral color aberration of a high-resolution digital projection lens using a novel genetic algorithm

Advances in digital image optics have increased the significance of lateral color aberration because it is easily seen in the projected area. The choice of optical glass plays a role in the elimination of lateral color aberration. Current optical software still has difficulty in finding the optimal combination of optical glasses for twelve or more elements in a projection lens, the choice being among at least 300 optical glasses that have been developed. Even the modern damped least squares, a ray-tracing-based method, is limited, owing to its inability to identify an enhanced optical system configuration. As an alternative, this research proposes a new optimization process by using algorithms involving the theory of geometric optics in a projector lens, real encoding, multiple dynamic crossover, and random gene mutation techniques. Results and conclusions show that attempts to achieve negligible axial and lateral color aberration are successful.