Patent ID: 7038863

Claim:
An imaging optical system comprising: a first imaging structure having a first field of view and including a first lens module having a first-lens-module input end, a first optical axis, and a first focal plane, and an achromatic or apochromatic first prism positioned adjacent to the first-lens-module input end and having a first prism outer face remote from the first-lens-module input end, wherein the first optical axis passes through the first prism, and wherein the first prism has a first normal orientation of the first prism outer face; and a second imaging structure parallel to the first imaging structure and having a second field of view different from the first field of view, wherein the second imaging structure includes a second lens module having a second-lens-module input end, a second optical axis parallel to the first optical axis, and a second focal plane, wherein the first focal plane and the second focal plane are coplanar in a common focal plane, and an achromatic or apochromatic second prism positioned adjacent to the second-lens-module input end and having a second prism outer face remote from the second-lens-module input end, wherein the second optical axis passes through the second prism, and wherein the second prism has a second normal orientation of the second prism outer face different from the first normal orientation of the first prism outer face; and a planar sensor structure lying in the common focal plane, wherein the first optical axis and the second optical axis pass through the planar sensor structure.