Lens assembly and electronic device including the same

Abstract

A lens assembly and an electronic device including the same are provided. The lens assembly includes a first lens array including a first lens having a positive refractive power, a second lens array including a second lens having a negative refractive power, and a third lens array including a third lens having a negative refractive power, wherein the first lens array, the second lens array, and the third lens array are sequentially disposed from an object side toward an image sensor side, wherein the first lens has a lenticular shape that is convex toward the object side and is convex toward the image sensor side, and wherein each of the second lens and the third lens has a meniscus shape that is convex toward the image sensor side.

Description

[0001] This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0167285, filed on December 3, 2020, with the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] The exemplary embodiments of this disclosure relate to lens assemblies and electronic devices and methods including lens assemblies. Background Technology

[0003] With the development of optical and image processing technologies, imaging devices are widely used in fields such as multimedia content, security, and identification. For example, imaging devices can be mounted on mobile devices, cameras, vehicles, and computers to capture images, identify objects, or acquire data for control purposes. The size of an imaging device can be determined based on the size of the lens, the focal length of the lens, and the size of the sensor. When the size of the lens decreases, the focal length of the lens can also decrease. To reduce the size of the imaging device, multiple lenses, including small lenses, can be used. Summary of the Invention

[0004] One or more example embodiments may provide a lens assembly and an electronic device including the lens assembly.

[0005] One or more example embodiments may at least solve the above-described problems and / or disadvantages, as well as other disadvantages not described above. Furthermore, the example embodiments do not require overcoming the above-described disadvantages, and the example embodiments may not overcome any of the above-described problems.

[0006] According to one aspect of an example embodiment, a lens assembly is provided, the lens assembly comprising: a first lens array including a first lens having positive refractive power; a second lens array including a second lens having negative refractive power; and a third lens array including a third lens having negative refractive power, wherein the first lens array, the second lens array, and the third lens array are arranged sequentially from an object side toward an image sensor side, wherein the first lens has a biconvex shape that convexes toward both the object side and the image sensor side, and wherein each of the second and third lenses has a meniscus shape that convexes toward the image sensor side.

[0007] When the total track length of the lens assembly is TTL and the combined focal length of the lens assembly is f', the telephoto ratio of the lens assembly can satisfy TTL / f'<1.0.

[0008] When the field of view of the lens assembly is FoV, the field of view can satisfy 0.25. <tan(FoV)<0.5。

[0009] With the second lens having a focal length of f2 and the third lens having a focal length of f3, the focal power configuration of the lens assembly can satisfy 1.6 < (1 / f3) / (1 / f2) < 2.5.

[0010] At least one of the first lens, the second lens, and the third lens can be an aspherical lens made of plastic material.

[0011] At least one of the first lens array, the second lens array, and the third lens array may have a 3×3 lens arrangement or a 5×5 lens arrangement.

[0012] The lens assembly may further include an aperture stop disposed between the first lens array and the second lens array.

[0013] The effective aperture of the first lens can be smaller than the diameter of the image ring.

[0014] According to another aspect of an example embodiment, a lens assembly is provided, the lens assembly comprising: a first lens having positive refractive power; a second lens having negative refractive power; and a third lens having negative refractive power, wherein the first lens, the second lens, and the third lens are sequentially arranged from the object side toward the image sensor side, wherein the first lens has a biconvex shape convex toward both the object side and the image sensor side, wherein each of the second and third lenses has a meniscus shape convex toward the image sensor side, and wherein, when the total orbital length of the lens assembly is TTL, the combined focal length of the lens assembly is f', and the field of view of the lens assembly is FoV, the telephoto ratio of the lens assembly satisfies TTL / f' < 1.0, and the field of view satisfies 0.25. <tan(FoV)<0.5。

[0015] With the second lens having a focal length of f2 and the third lens having a focal length of f3, the focal power configuration of the lens assembly can satisfy 1.6 < (1 / f3) / (1 / f2) < 2.5.

[0016] At least one of the first lens, the second lens, and the third lens can be an aspherical lens made of plastic material.

[0017] The lens assembly may further include an aperture stop disposed between the first lens and the second lens.

[0018] The first lens, the second lens, and the third lens may be included in a lens array disposed in different layers.

[0019] According to another aspect of an example embodiment, an electronic device is provided, the electronic device comprising: a first imaging device configured to capture first visual information through a first lens assembly in a first field of view; and a display configured to display the captured image based on sensing information corresponding to the first visual information, wherein the first lens assembly may include: a first lens array including a first lens having positive refractive power; a second lens array including a second lens having negative refractive power; and a third lens array including a third lens having negative refractive power, wherein the first lens array, the second lens array, and the third lens array are arranged sequentially from an object side toward an image sensor side, wherein the first lens has a biconvex shape convex toward the object side and convex toward the image sensor side, and wherein each of the second and third lenses has a meniscus shape convex toward the image sensor side.

[0020] The electronic device may further include: a second imaging device configured to capture second visual information through a second lens assembly in a second field of view, wherein the first field of view is narrower than the second field of view.

[0021] The first imaging device and the second imaging device can be disposed on the substrate.

[0022] The first image sensor included in the first imaging device and the second image sensor included in the second imaging device may be disposed on the same plane.

[0023] When the total track length of the first lens assembly is TTL and the combined focal length of the first lens assembly is f', the telephoto ratio of the first lens assembly can satisfy TTL / f'<1.0.

[0024] With the field of view of the first lens assembly being FoV, the field of view can satisfy 0.25. <tan(FoV)<0.5。

[0025] With the second lens having a focal length of f2 and the third lens having a focal length of f3, the focal power configuration of the first lens assembly can satisfy 1.6 < (1 / f3) / (1 / f2) < 2.5.

[0026] According to another aspect of an example embodiment, a device assembly is provided, the device assembly comprising: a substrate; a first imaging device disposed on the substrate and configured to capture first visual information in a first field of view through a first lens assembly, the first lens assembly comprising: a first lens array including a first lens having positive refractive power; a second lens array including a second lens having negative refractive power; and a third lens array including a third lens having negative refractive power, wherein the first lens array, the second lens array, and the third lens array are sequentially arranged from an object side toward an image sensor side, wherein the first lens has a biconvex shape convex toward both the object side and the image sensor side, and wherein each of the second and third lenses has a meniscus shape convex toward the image sensor side; and a second imaging device disposed on the substrate and configured to capture second visual information in a second field of view different from the first field of view through the second lens assembly. Attached Figure Description

[0027] The above and / or other aspects will become clearer by describing specific example embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0028] Figure 1A and Figure 1B The structure of an imaging apparatus according to an example embodiment is shown;

[0029] Figure 2 A sensing element that receives light via a lens element is shown according to an example embodiment;

[0030] Figure 3 This illustrates the relationship between the number of sensing elements and the number of lens elements according to an example embodiment;

[0031] Figure 4 A multilayer multilens array (MMLA) of an imaging apparatus according to an example embodiment is shown;

[0032] Figure 5 The structure of each lens of the imaging apparatus according to the example embodiment is shown;

[0033] Figure 6A Showing includes Figure 5 The lens array of the imaging device. Figure 6B Showing through Figure 6A The low-resolution image acquired by the lens array and the rearranged image;

[0034] Figure 7 The configuration and structure of an electronic device according to an example embodiment are shown;

[0035] Figure 8 The configuration and structure of an imaging apparatus according to an example embodiment are shown;

[0036] Figure 9 Showing installed in electronic devices Figure 8 Examples of imaging devices; and

[0037] Figure 10 An imaging device installed in a vehicle according to an example embodiment is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0038] The following structural or functional descriptions are exemplary and are intended to describe only exemplary embodiments, and the scope of the exemplary embodiments is not limited to the descriptions provided in this specification. Various changes and modifications can be made thereto by those skilled in the art.

[0039] Although the terms "first" or "second" are used to explain various components, the components are not limited to these terms. These terms should only be used to distinguish one component from another. For example, within the scope of the conception of this disclosure, a "first" component may be referred to as a "second" component, or similarly, a "second" component may be referred to as a "first" component.

[0040] It will be understood that when a component is referred to as being "connected to" another component, the component can be directly connected to or combined with another component, or there may be an intermediate component.

[0041] As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular form is intended to include the plural form as well. It should also be understood that when the term "comprising" is used in this specification, it indicates the presence of the stated features, integrals, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integrals, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0042] Unless otherwise defined herein, all terms used herein (including technical or scientific terms) shall have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. Unless otherwise defined herein, terms defined in a general dictionary shall be interpreted as having a meaning matching the contextual meaning in the relevant field and shall not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formalized sense.

[0043] When a phrase such as "at least one of..." follows a column of elements, it modifies the entire column, not a single element within the column. For example, the phrase "at least one of a, b, and c" should be understood as including only a, only b, only c, both a and b, both a and c, both b and c, or all of a, b, and c.

[0044] In the following text, reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Regarding the reference numerals assigned to elements in the drawings, it should be noted that identical elements will be designated with the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions will be omitted.

[0045] Figure 1A and Figure 1B The structure of an imaging apparatus according to an example embodiment is shown. Figure 1A This is a perspective view of the imaging device. Figure 1B This is a cross-sectional view of the imaging device.

[0046] Imaging apparatus 100 includes a lens array 110 and an image sensor 120. The lens array 110 may include lens elements, and the image sensor 120 includes sensing elements. The lens elements may be arranged along a plane of the lens array 110. The sensing elements may be arranged along a plane of a sensing array 121 in the image sensor 120. The plane of the lens array 110 may be placed parallel to the plane of the sensing array 121. The lens array 110 may be a multi-lens array (MLA) for imaging and may also be referred to as an "imaging lens array".

[0047] In this disclosure, an optical sensing element (hereinafter also referred to as a "sensing element") can be an element that senses optical information based on light incident on a corresponding element and can output a value indicating the intensity of the incident light. Optical sensing elements may include, for example, complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS), charge-coupled device (CCD), and photodiode.

[0048] In this disclosure, an image element (hereinafter referred to as a "pixel") is the basic unit of information constituting an image and can indicate optical information obtained by a sensing element that senses light reflected at a physical location on an object corresponding to the pixel position. The pixel position is the location of the pixel in the image and is based on a pixel coordinate system. The physical position may be based on a world coordinate system.

[0049] A pixel constituting a color image may have multiple color values ​​for a single pixel location (e.g., red, green, and blue values ​​in the case of an RGB color system). In the field of displays, a unit pixel constituting a display may include sub-pixels for multiple colors (e.g., red, green, and blue sub-pixels in the case of an RGB color system) to represent the color value at a pixel location. In contrast, in the field of image sensors, pixels are not divided into sub-pixels for each color and typically represent a sensing element that senses a color value (e.g., a photodiode with a color filter disposed in front). Furthermore, in the field of image sensors, pixels can interchangeably represent sensing elements and values ​​sensed by the sensing elements. In this disclosure, for clarity, a pixel is the basic unit of information constituting an image, and a sensing element is a hardware element that outputs the pixel value corresponding to a pixel in response to light being received from an object.

[0050] The following description is based on an example using the value output from a single sensing element for each pixel, but the embodiments are not limited thereto. A pixel can be represented as a combination of values ​​output from multiple sensing elements. Multiple sensing elements grouped together to represent a pixel can be referred to as a sensing element group.

[0051] Image sensor 120 may include sensing array 121, filter 122, and condenser lens array 123. However, embodiments are not limited thereto. Individual condenser microlenses 123a included in condenser lens array 123 may have optical properties that allow light of a predetermined wavelength band to pass through and block light of the remaining wavelength band.

[0052] The condenser lens array 123 may include a plurality of condenser microlenses configured to converge light passing through the lens array 110 onto the sensing array 121. For example, the condenser lens array 123 may include the same number of condenser microlenses as the number of sensing elements included in the sensing array 121. The plurality of condenser microlenses may be arranged between the imaging optical lens and the sensing array 121 to converge light passing through the imaging optical lens and transmit the converged light to the sensing element 121a corresponding to the condenser microlens 123a. For example, as... Figure 1B As shown, a focusing microlens 123a can be disposed above the sensing element 121a of the sensing array 121 to focus light onto the sensing element 121a located below it. Furthermore, as... Figure 1B As shown, the color filter 122a can be disposed between the condensing microlens 123a and the sensing element 121a.

[0053] Filter 122 may have optical properties that allow light of a predetermined wavelength band to pass through while blocking light of the remaining wavelength bands. For example, filter 122 may be implemented as a color filter array (CFA) comprising a plurality of color filters arranged along the filter plane. Color filter 122a may be a filter that allows light of a wavelength band corresponding to a predetermined color to pass through while blocking light of the remaining wavelength bands. As an example, color filter 122a may include a red pass filter, a green pass filter, and a blue pass filter. The red pass filter allows light of a wavelength band corresponding to red to pass through while blocking light of the remaining wavelength bands. The green pass filter allows light of a wavelength band corresponding to green to pass through while blocking light of the remaining wavelength bands. The blue pass filter allows light of a wavelength band corresponding to blue to pass through while blocking light of the remaining wavelength bands. As another example, color filter 122a may be a CYGM filter. CYGM indicates a filter that allows cyan, yellow, green, and magenta to pass through. In the color filter array, color filters that individually allow colored light to pass through may be arranged along the filter plane in a Bayer pattern or other pattern. Other patterns can be, for example, CYGM pattern, RGBE pattern (E is emerald green), RGBW pattern (W is white), CYYM pattern (with two yellows), and Foveon pattern (a layered structure of filters).

[0054] Filter 122 can also be an infrared cutoff filter that allows visible light to pass through while blocking infrared light. As another example, filter 122 may include a color filter array and an infrared cutoff filter.

[0055] The quality of the image captured and recovered by the image sensor 120 can be determined based on the number of sensing elements included in the sensing array 121 and the amount of light incident on the sensing elements 121a. For example, the resolution of the image can be determined based on the number of sensing elements included in the sensing array 121. Furthermore, the photosensitivity of the image can be determined based on the amount of light incident on the sensing elements 121a. The amount of light incident on the sensing elements 121a can be determined based on the size of the sensing elements 121a. As the size of the sensing elements 121a increases, the amount of incident light can increase, which can increase the dynamic range of the sensing array 121. Therefore, as the number of sensing elements included in the sensing array 121 increases, the resolution of the image acquired by the image sensor 120 can increase. Furthermore, as the size of the sensing elements 121a increases, the image sensor 120 can operate more advantageously for capturing high-sensitivity images in low brightness.

[0056] Individual lens elements 111 of the lens array 110 can cover a predetermined sensing area 129 of the sensing array 121 corresponding to the lens size of the individual lens element 111. The sensing area 129 covered by the lens element 111 in the sensing array 121 can be determined based on the lens size of the lens element 111. The sensing area 129 can indicate the region on the sensing array 121 where light of a predetermined field of view (FOV) arrives after passing through the corresponding lens element 111. The size of the sensing area 129 can be represented by the distance from the center of the sensing area 129 to its outermost point or by the diagonal length. Light passing through the individual lens element 111 can be incident on the sensing elements of the sensing array 121 included in the sensing area 129.

[0057] Figure 1 illustrates an imaging device 100 including a lens array 110 with a single layer; however, the embodiment is not limited thereto. In some cases, the imaging device 100 may include multiple layers of the lens array 110. In this case, light within a predetermined field of view can also reach the sensing area 129 through a specific combination of lenses from multiple layers of the lens array. These combinations of lenses can be used as a single lens element 111. Therefore, the description of a single layer can also be applied to multiple layers within an acceptable range. Multiple layers will be described in more detail later.

[0058] Each sensing element in the sensing array 121 can generate sensing information based on light rays passing through the lenses of the lens array 110. For example, sensing element 121a can generate sensing information corresponding to the intensity value of light received through lens element 111. Based on the sensing information output by the sensing array 121, intensity information corresponding to the original signal associated with points included in the field of view of the imaging device 100 can be determined, such that a captured image is generated based on the determined intensity information. For example, a single sensing element 121a of the sensing array 121 can be an optical sensing element including a CMOS, CCD, photodiode, etc.

[0059] Furthermore, sensing element 121a can generate a color intensity value corresponding to the desired color as sensing information by sensing light passing through color filter 122a. Each of the plurality of sensing elements included in sensing array 121 can be configured to sense a color different from the color sensed by an adjacent sensing element arranged spatially adjacent to the sensing element.

[0060] When sufficient diversity of sensing information is ensured, and a full-rank relationship is formed between the raw signal information and the sensing information corresponding to points included in the field of view of the imaging device 100, a captured image corresponding to the maximum resolution of the sensing array 121 can be acquired. The diversity of sensing information can be ensured based on parameters of the imaging device 100, such as the number of lenses included in the lens array 110 and the number of sensing elements included in the sensing array 121.

[0061] In a multi-lens array structure for imaging, the imaging optical lenses and sensing array 121 can be arranged based on a fractional alignment structure. For example, a fractional alignment structure can be a structure in which a sensing region 129 covered by a single lens element 111 includes a non-integer number of sensing elements.

[0062] When the lens elements included in the lens array 110 have the same lens size, the number of lens elements included in the lens array 110 and the number of sensing elements included in the sensing array 121 can be relatively prime. The ratio P / L between the number L of lens elements corresponding to one axis of the lens array 110 and the number P of sensing elements corresponding to one axis of the sensing array 121 can be determined as a real number. Each lens element can cover the same number of sensing elements as the pixel offset corresponding to P / L. For example, Figure 1A The sensing area 129 may include 2.3 (=7 / 3) sensing elements along the vertical axis and 3.67 (=11 / 3) sensing elements along the horizontal axis. Furthermore, the lens element 111 may cover a plurality of non-integer condensing microlenses. For example, each of the plurality of imaging optical lenses may transmit light received from the outside to a non-integer number of sensing elements. Therefore, in the image sensor 120, the number of condensing microlenses may be the same as the number of sensing elements in the sensing array 121. Furthermore, the number of lens elements (e.g., imaging optical lenses) in the lens array 110 may be less than the number of condensing microlenses.

[0063] In the fractional alignment structure of the imaging device 100 described above, the optical central axis (OCA) of each lens element 111 can be arranged slightly differently relative to the sensing array 121. For example, the lens element 111 can be configured to be eccentric relative to the sensing element 121a. Therefore, each lens element 111 of the lens array 110 can receive different light field information. (Refer to...) Figure 2 Describe the optical field information received by the fractional alignment structure.

[0064] Figure 2 A sensing element is shown that receives light passing through a lens element according to an example embodiment.

[0065] A light field can be emitted from a predetermined target point and can be a field indicating the direction and intensity of light rays reflected from a predetermined point on the object. Light field information can be obtained by combining multiple light fields. Since the direction of the principal ray of each lens element can also be changed, different light field information can be received in the sensing area. Therefore, the imaging device can acquire more sensing information optically.

[0066] like Figure 2As shown, the sensing array 220 can receive and detect light rays corresponding to individual points 230 (e.g., X1 to X10). Multiple light rays emitted from each point 230 can form a light field. Light rays emitted from a first point (e.g., X1) can form a first light field and are incident on a first sensing element (e.g., S1), a fourth sensing element (e.g., S4), and a seventh sensing element (e.g., S7). Light rays emitted from the remaining points X2 to X10 can also form corresponding light fields. Each point 230 can be a point on a predetermined object (e.g., an object). Light rays emitted from each point 230 can be light rays such as sunlight reflected from the object. This is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example of an imaging device, provided for ease of description. Figure 2 A lens array 210 comprising three lens elements along one axis and a sensing array 220 comprising ten sensing elements S1 to S10 are shown. However, the embodiments are not limited thereto.

[0067] Sensing elements S1 to S10 can sense light rays passing through multiple lens elements and overlapping with each other. Sensing element S1 can generate overlapping sensing information (e.g., the intensity values ​​of light rays emitted from points X1 to X3). Similarly, sensing elements S2 to S10 can also generate overlapping sensing information. The image sensor can recover the overlapping sensing information.

[0068] According to Equation 1 below, from Figure 2 The sensing information generated by the sensing elements S1 to S10 shown can be modeled as raw signal information (e.g., intensity values ​​corresponding to light rays incident from point 230).

[0069] [Equation 1]

[0070] S = T·X

[0071] In Equation 1, S represents a matrix indicating sensing information (e.g., detection intensity values ​​sensed by each sensing element). X represents a matrix indicating signal values ​​(e.g., color intensity values ​​of incident light) corresponding to the light rays incident on sensing elements S1 to S10 from each point. T represents a transformation matrix and can indicate the relationship between the sensing information sensed by sensing elements S1 to S10 and the signal information corresponding to the incident light. Figure 2 In the structure shown, the light rays corresponding to each point X1 to X10, the lens element, and the sensing elements S1 to S10 can be modeled as shown in Equation 2 below. In Equation 2, each point X1 to X10 can be modeled as being located at an infinite focal point from the image sensor. The distance between each point X1 to X10 and the image sensor can each be greater than a threshold distance.

[0072] [Equation 2]

[0073]

[0074] In Equation 2, for ease of description, the light signal information (e.g., light intensity values) corresponding to each point X1 to X10 is represented as X1 to X10. Furthermore, the sensing information (e.g., sensing intensity values) sensed by sensing elements S1 to S10 is represented as S1 to S10. The relationship between the sensing information corresponding to the sensing elements S1 to S10 included in the sensing array 220 and the original signals corresponding to the light incident from each point X1 to X10 (e.g., the aforementioned transformation matrix) can be determined based on the arrangement of the lens elements and sensing elements, the number of lens elements included in the lens array 210, the number of sensing elements S1 to S10 included in the sensing array 220, etc.

[0075] Equation 2 corresponds to the case where each point X1 to X10 is at an infinite focal point of the image sensor. When each point X1 to X10 is located at a finite focal point from the image sensor, the raw signal received in each sensing element can vary based on the distance between the object and the image sensor and the geometry of the image sensor.

[0076] As described above, the imaging device can acquire multiple low-resolution input images based on various acquired sensing information, and recover an output image with a higher resolution than the low-resolution input images from the low-resolution input images. (Refer to...) Figure 3 This describes a method for generating a single image by rearranging multiple low-resolution input images.

[0077] Figure 3 This illustrates the relationship between the number of sensing elements and the number of lens elements according to an example embodiment.

[0078] As described above, the imaging optical lenses and sensing array can be arranged in a fractional alignment structure. Figure 3 An example is shown where the ratio P / L between the number of lens elements L and the number of sensing elements is 10 / 3.

[0079] Based on the geometry of the lens array and sensing array described above, a sensing element covered by each lens element can receive light field information different from the light field information sensed by a sensing element covered by another lens element. Figure 2 In the structure, the first sensing element S1 can receive light field information including a combination of a first light field at a first point X1, a second light field at a second point X2, and a third light field at a third point X3. In contrast, in... Figure 2 In this structure, a second sensing element (e.g., S2) adjacent to the first sensing element S1 can receive light field information including a combination of a fourth light field, a fifth light field, and a sixth light field. Thus, each sensing element can receive light field information different from the light field information sensed in the other sensing element.

[0080] To recover a high-resolution image, the imaging device and / or image sensor can rearrange the intra-image pixel positions of pixels at the same or adjacent locations on an indicated object in multiple captured low-resolution images based on the correlation between light field information. A pixel is a picture element and can indicate a unit element that constitutes an image. A pixel position is the location of a pixel in an image and can include the pixel's coordinates. For example, the imaging device and / or image sensor can construct pixel information for a high-resolution image by continuously rearranging the pixel positions of pixels corresponding to sensing elements that receive similar light field information to make them adjacent to each other. As described above, each sensing element can receive light field information in which multiple light fields overlap. Regarding two pieces of light field information sensed by two sensing elements, the correlation between the two pieces of light field information can increase as one piece of light field information includes more light fields identical to the other.

[0081] The pixel positions of pixels can be rearranged based on the depth at which the corresponding pixels are captured. As an example, the depth at which pixels are captured can be set to a predetermined depth value estimated through stereo image matching or measured by a depth sensor. As another example, the pixel position rearrangement can also be performed by a neural network designed to rearrange pixel positions based on the depth at which the object is captured, without measuring and / or estimating the depth of the captured pixels. This pixel position rearrangement can also be referred to as pixel shuffle. For example, a neural network designed to output a single output image from an input compound-eye vision image can be used to rearrange the pixel positions of pixels. The neural network can be trained on a training dataset obtained by capturing objects at various depths.

[0082] An image sensor can assume that the point of reflected light is located at an infinite focal point farther than a threshold distance from the image sensor, and determine the light field information to be sensed in each sensing element. The image sensor can determine the point of the light field sensed in each of the multiple sensing elements based on the positional relationship between the sensing element and the light emitted from a point farther than the threshold distance. The image sensor can rearrange the pixel positions of pixels such that the pixel positions corresponding to the output values ​​output by the sensing element, which receives light fields emitted from spatially adjacent points on the object.

[0083] For reference only. Figure 2 Points X1 to X10 are shown in order of spatial proximity at infinite focal length. The first point X1 is adjacent to the second point X2. The second point X2 is adjacent to both the first point X1 and the third point X3.

[0084] In the sensing element 311 that has not yet been rearranged, the light field information sensed in the first sensing element S1 and the light field information sensed in the eighth sensing element (e.g., S8) may include the light fields corresponding to the second point X2 and the third point X3. Therefore, the first sensing element S1 and the eighth sensing element S8 can receive similar light field information. Equation 3 represents the result obtained by rearranging the pixel positions corresponding to similar light field information according to Equation 2 above. According to the example embodiment, the pixel position may be the coordinates of the positioned pixel.

[0085] [Equation 3]

[0086]

[0087] The sensor element 312, rearranged according to Equation 3, can be as follows: Figure 3 As shown in the diagram. The first sensing element S1 may be covered by a first lens. The eighth sensing element S8 may be covered by a third lens. The fifth sensing element (e.g., S5) may be covered by a second lens. Since the sensing information sensed in each sensing element corresponds to the pixels constituting the image, the image sensor and / or imaging device can rearrange the pixels so that the sensing information corresponding to the light passing through the different lenses is adjacent. The reconstructed image 325 may be an image in which the pixel positions of the pixels with sensing values ​​are arranged in proximity, and the sensing values ​​are obtained by sensing elements that receive similar light field information in the low-resolution images 321, 322, 323 and 324 captured by the respective lenses.

[0088] Figure 4 A multilayer multilens array (MMLA) of an imaging apparatus according to an example embodiment is shown. (Refer to...) Figure 4 The imaging device may include an MMLA 410. The MMLA 410 may include a first lens array 411 of a first layer, a second lens array 412 of a second layer, and a third lens array 413 of a third layer. For ease of understanding, in Figure 4 Other components (such as condenser lenses and filters) are omitted, and the lens arrays (e.g., first lens array 411, second lens array 412, and third lens array 413) may correspond to the imaging lens array. For brevity, the imaging lens array may also be referred to as a lens array in the following text.

[0089] Lens arrays 411, 412, and 413 may each include a plurality of lens elements arranged in an array. For example, at least one of lens arrays 411, 412, and 413 may have a 3×3 or 5×5 lens arrangement. However, the embodiments are not limited to this, and the lens elements may be arranged in various other modes. Figure 4A 3×3 lens arrangement is shown. Lens arrays 411, 412, and 413 may be arranged above image sensor 420. The sensing array of image sensor 420 may include multiple sensing elements for sensing light passing through the lens elements of lens arrays 411, 412, and 413.

[0090] Since each of the lens arrays 411, 412, and 413 includes multiple lens elements, the focal length required for each lens element to achieve the desired resolution can be reduced. Therefore, the lens assembly based on MMLA 410 can have a total track length (TTL) within a few millimeters (mm). Furthermore, as an ultra-thin camera device, the imaging unit can capture high-resolution images at various zoom levels. For example, the imaging unit can be mounted in an electronic device with a housing approximately a few millimeters thick.

[0091] Figure 5 The structure of each lens of the imaging apparatus according to an example embodiment is shown. (Refer to...) Figure 5 The imaging device 500 includes a lens assembly 510 and an image sensor 520. The lens assembly 510 may include a first lens 511, a second lens 512, a third lens 513, and a filter 514 arranged from the object O side toward the image sensor 520 side. An aperture stop S may be disposed between the first lens 511 and the second lens 512. The first lens 511, the second lens 512, the third lens 513, the filter 514, and the image sensor 520 may be aligned on the optical axis A.

[0092] The first lens 511 may have positive refractive power. The second lens 512 and the third lens 513 may have negative refractive power. The first lens 511 may have a biconvex shape convex towards the object O side and the image sensor 520 side. Each of the second lens 512 and the third lens 513 may have a meniscus shape convex towards the image sensor 520 side. The filter 514 may allow light of a predetermined wavelength band to pass through or block light of a predetermined wavelength band. For example, the filter 514 may be a low-pass filter and / or a cover glass, and may block infrared light. For example, at least one of the first lens 511, the second lens 512, and the third lens 513 may be an aspherical lens made of plastic.

[0093] The field of view (FoV) of the lens assembly 510 satisfies the condition according to Equation 4 below.

[0094] [Equation 4]

[0095] 0.25 <tan(FoV)<0.5

[0096] In Equation 4, tan represents the tangent function, and FoV represents the field of view of the lens assembly 510 based on the combined focal length of the lens assembly 510. The combined focal length can be obtained by combining the focal lengths of all lenses (e.g., the first lens 511, the second lens 512, and the third lens 513 of the lens assembly 510). High-magnification zoom can be configured according to Equation 4, and the lens assembly 510 can be used as a telescope lens. Compared to the focal length of a wide-angle camera in a typical mobile device (e.g., a smartphone), the field of view according to Equation 4 corresponds to a zoom magnification of approximately 4 to 6.5 times. In this disclosure, Equation 4 may also be referred to as Conditional Expression 1.

[0097] The telephoto ratio of the lens assembly 510 can satisfy the condition according to Equation 5.

[0098] [Equation 5]

[0099] TTL / f'<1.0

[0100] In Equation 5, TTL represents the total track length of the lens assembly 510, and f' represents the combined focal length of the lens assembly 510. According to Equation 5, the lens assembly 510 can have a total track length within a few millimeters, and the imaging device including the lens assembly 510 can be implemented as an ultra-thin camera. Furthermore, for example, the imaging device can be mounted in an electronic device with a housing having a thickness of approximately a few millimeters. If the telephoto ratio is not as small as shown in Equation 5, the telephoto performance of the lens assembly 510 can be increased, but the size of the lens assembly 510 can also increase with the increase in zoom ratio. Therefore, it is necessary to satisfy the conditions according to Equation 5 to achieve an ultra-small and ultra-thin camera module. In this disclosure, Equation 5 can also be referred to as conditional expression 2.

[0101] The first lens 511 may have a biconvex shape to achieve a large positive refractive power. Based on this large positive refractive power, a high zoom ratio according to Equation 4 and a small telephoto ratio according to Equation 5 can be achieved. Furthermore, the second lens 512 and the third lens 513 may have a meniscus shape convex toward the image sensor 520 side to counteract aberrations (e.g., spherical aberration and field curvature aberration) increased by the shape of the first lens 511. With this configuration of the first lens 511, the second lens 512, and the third lens 513, the imaging performance of the lens assembly 510 can be maximized. In addition to aberrations related to imaging performance, distortion aberrations caused by the power configuration of each lens can be effectively reduced by an aperture (e.g., aperture stop S) disposed between the first lens 511 and the second lens 512.

[0102] When condition expression 2 is satisfied by the first lens 511 having a biconvex shape and the second lens 512 and third lens 513 having a meniscus shape convex toward the image sensor 520 side, the effective aperture of the lens (e.g., the first lens 511) of the lens assembly 510 can be smaller than the diameter of the image circle when the focal power configuration of the second lens 512 and the third lens 513 is properly executed. As described below, lenses 511, 512, and 513 may comprise corresponding lens arrays. In this case, the aperture of each lens in the lens array can be smaller than the size of the image, so that the image is effectively imaged onto an image sensor 520 through the lens array. Thus, the lenses can be appropriately arranged in the lens array of each layer. Furthermore, since there is no interference between the lenses, it is advantageous for the manufacturing process.

[0103] Therefore, the focal power configuration of the second lens 512 and the third lens 513 can satisfy the following equation 6.

[0104] [Equation 6]

[0105] 1.6 < (1 / f³) / (1 / f²) < 2.5

[0106] In Equation 6, f2 represents the focal length of the second lens 512, and f3 represents the focal length of the third lens 513. In Equation 6, (1 / f3) / (1 / f2) can be referred to as the power ratio of the second lens 512 to the third lens 513. When the power ratio is less than 1.6, spherical aberration and / or field curvature aberration may increase. When the power ratio is greater than 2.5, the desired telephoto ratio may not be achievable due to the increase in total orbital length. Equation 6 can also be referred to as conditional expression 3.

[0107] Numerical examples of the lens assembly 510 will be described below. In each numerical example, 1 to N (N is a positive integer) represent the number of lens surfaces, and they are sequentially distributed in the direction from the object O side to the image sensor 520 side. The number of lens surfaces is also... Figure 5 As shown in the diagram. S represents the aperture stop, and IMAG represents the image sensor 520.

[0108] <Numerical Example 1>

[0109] Table 1 shows the lens data of the lens assembly 510 according to numerical example 1.

[0110] [Table 1]

[0111] 1 3.6905 1.830 5441.561 2 -18.5617 0.638 S infinity 0 3 -6.643 2.639 671.206 4 -16.3104 1.082 5 -5.4542 0.76 544.1561 6 30.2910 4.022 7 infinity 0.22 516.642 IMAG infinity 1.113

[0112] Tables 2 and 3 show the aspheric coefficients of numerical example 1.

[0113] [Table 2]

[0114] K -0.61268 0.00000 -6.38482 A 3.37988E-04 -9.99243E-04 1.34619E-03 B -1.10522E-04 -4.02458E-04 -3.91113E-04 C -1.50084E-05 -7.61011E-05 -1.57717E-05 D -5.74510E-06 -6.74801E-06 -1.28502E-05 E -6.05371E-07 -2.27738E-07 -6.75299E-07 F 8.69804E-09 5.01396E-08 1.25085E-06 G -4.99430E-11 2.81850E-08 -6.34586E-08 H -5.52733E-09 -1.56288E-09 0.00000E+00 J 0.00000E+00 0.00000E+00 0.00000E+00

[0115] [Table 3]

[0116] K 19.65864 0.00000 0.00000 A 6.13057E-04 -4.09952E-02 -2.74207E-02 B -6.66323E-05 1.47660E-04 4.76042E-03 C -5.78133E-04 3.86970E-06 -1.34052E-03 D 2.10381E-04 -2.54428E-04 5.28384E-04 E 2.21010E-06 8.49155E-05 -8.83582E-05 F -2.40557E-05 1.81361E-06 -1.65705E-06 G 4.85132E-06 5.30627E-06 2.63944E-06 H 9.27095E-08 1.01964E-06 -2.20404E-07 J 0.00000E+00 -3.64815E-07 3.05573E-09

[0117] <Numerical Example 2>

[0118] Table 4 shows the lens data of the lens assembly 510 according to numerical example 2.

[0119] [Table 4]

[0120] 1 1.8591 0.893 5441.561 2 -10.3946 0.321 S infinity 0 3 -3.4331 1.309 671.206 4 -9.3017 0.736 5 -2.4153 0.37 544.1561 6 248.7439 2.011 7 infinity 0.11 516.642 IMAG 0.3717

[0121] Tables 5 and 6 show the aspheric coefficients of numerical embodiment 2.

[0122] [Table 5]

[0123] K -0.62427 0.00000 -5.55572 A 0.00254 -0.01100 0.00453 B -0.00445 -0.01728 -0.02230 C -0.00097 -0.01380 0.00407 D -0.00481 -0.00255 -0.01223 E -0.00256 0.00146 -0.00176 F 0.00084 0.00093 0.02439 G 0.00129 0.00033 -0.01262 H -0.00182 -0.00053 0.00000 J 0.00000 0.00000 0.00000

[0124] [Table 6]

[0125] K 48.25025 0.00000 0.00000 A -0.00523 -0.42569 -0.30571 B 0.01597 0.00425 0.23818 C -0.13181 0.02213 -0.40025 D 0.20499 -0.16787 0.83392 E 0.02557 0.17391 -0.93678 F -0.37489 0.01486 0.37155 G 0.26247 0.17388 0.08649 H 0.01215 0.13365 -0.02889 J 0.00000 -0.19127 0.00160

[0126] <Numerical Example 3>

[0127] Table 7 shows the lens data of the lens assembly 510 according to numerical example 3.

[0128] [Table 7]

[0129] 1 1.8751 0.872 5441.561 2 -17.0825 0.338 S infinity 0 3 -4.2687 1.3531 671.206 4 -18.6149 0.930 5 -2.1426 0.404 544.1561 6 -12.3056 1.827 7 infinity 0.11 516.642 IMAG 0.3

[0130] Tables 8 and 9 show the aspheric coefficients of numerical embodiment 3.

[0131] [Table 8]

[0132] K -0.54958 0.00000 -5.23719 A 0.00390 -0.00414 0.00958 B -0.00296 -0.00706 -0.01212 C 0.00168 -0.00693 0.01256 D -0.00279 0.00195 -0.00779 E -0.00181 0.00402 0.00112 F 0.00104 0.00175 0.02558 G 0.00165 -0.00028 -0.02193 H -0.00101 -0.00210 0.00000 J 0.00000 0.00000 0.00000

[0133] [Table 9]

[0134] K 36.79673 0.00000 0.00000 A 0.00766 -0.30782 -0.22395 B 0.01546 0.02823 0.19828 C -0.11007 0.07174 -0.43913 D 0.22272 -0.34484 0.91634 E 0.00347 0.17391 -1.06105 F -0.41674 0.01486 0.44005 G 0.29294 0.17388 0.08649 H 0.01215 0.13365 -0.02889 J 0.00000 -0.19127 0.00160

[0135] In the numerical examples above, the aspheric coefficients can be defined as shown in Equation 7 below.

[0136] [Equation 7]

[0137]

[0138] In Equation 7, Z(r) represents the distance from the lens vertex toward the optical axis A, c represents the reciprocal of the radius of curvature (1 / R) based on the lens vertex, r represents the perpendicular distance from the optical axis A, k represents the conic constant, and A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, and J represent aspherical coefficients.

[0139] Table 10 shows the variable values ​​for each conditional expression obtained for each numerical example of the lens assembly 510. Table 11 shows the results obtained by substituting the variable values ​​from Table 10 into each conditional expression. Referring to Table 11, each numerical example satisfies all conditional expressions.

[0140] [Table 10]

[0141] Numerical Example 1 13.68 12.3 19.8 5.8 -18.54 -8.38 Numerical Example 2 6.82 6.12 20 2.96 -8.8 -4.7 Numerical Example 3 6.83 6.13 20 3.14 -8.47 -4.8

[0142] [Table 11]

[0143] Numerical Example 1 0.360 0.899 2.212 Numerical Example 2 0.364 0.897 1.872 Numerical Example 3 0.364 0.898 1.764

[0144] Figure 6A Showing includes Figure 5 The lens array of the imaging device, and Figure 6B Showing through Figure 6A The low-resolution image acquired by the lens array and the rearranged image. Figure 5 An example is shown where a lens assembly includes one lens in each layer, and therefore a total of three lenses. In contrast, Figure 6A An example of an MMLA is shown, in which the lens assembly includes a lens array, and the lens array includes multiple lenses in each layer. In an MMLA structure, as the number of lenses placed in a layer increases, the focal length required for the same field of view can be reduced. Therefore, the total track length of the lens assembly can be further reduced.

[0145] Reference Figure 6A Imaging device 600 includes lens arrays (e.g., first lens array 610, second lens array 620, and third lens array 630), filter 640, and image sensor 650. First lens array 610 may include a first lens (e.g., lens 611). Second lens array 620 may include a second lens (e.g., lens 612). Third lens array 630 may include a third lens (e.g., lens 613). At least one of lens arrays 610, 620, and 630 may be arranged based on lens arrangements such as 3×3 and 5×5. Values ​​such as 3×3 and 5×5 are merely examples, and various other lens arrangements are applicable. Figure 6AThis is a side view showing a 3×3 lens arrangement as an example. For ease of manufacture, at least one of the lens arrays 610, 620, and 630 may be formed of a plastic material. In this case, the lens arrays 610, 620, and 630 may have a shape in which each plastic lens is inserted into a plastic plate.

[0146] Lenses 611, 612, and 613 correspond to Figure 5 Lenses 511, 512, and 513. For example, lenses 611, 612, and 613 can satisfy conditional expressions 1 to 3. Similarly, lenses 611, 612, and 613 can have the same characteristics as the reference. Figure 5 Lenses 511, 512, and 513 are described with the same properties (e.g., field of view, telephoto ratio, focal length configuration, and lens data). Furthermore, the effective aperture of each lens in each layer (e.g., the first lens 611) can be smaller than the diameter of the image ring. Therefore, an image can be more effectively imaged onto each region of an image sensor 620 through each lens array. Moreover, the lenses can be appropriately arranged in the lens array of each layer without interference.

[0147] exist Figure 6A In the diagram, dashed arrows indicate the optical paths provided to the image sensor 650. Each path in the path to the regions of the image sensor 650 (e.g., first region 651, second region 652, and third region 653) passes through each lens in each layer. For example, light passing through the first lens 611, second lens 612, and third lens 613 can reach the third region 653. The light can be focused to form sensing information for the third region 653. This is based on... Figure 5 The same principle applies to the light rays passing through lenses 511, 512, and 513 in the example, which are focused to form sensing information in the image sensor 520.

[0148] Figure 6B The low-resolution image 670 can be acquired by the image sensor 650. For example, the first row of the low-resolution image 670 can be acquired by the first region 651 of the image sensor 650, the second row by the second region 652, and the third row by the third region 653. The low-resolution image 670 may include different light field information for each point corresponding to the object. The rearranged image 680 can be obtained by rearranging each pixel position of the low-resolution image 670 based on the correlation between the light field information.

[0149] Figure 7 The configuration and structure of an electronic device according to an example embodiment are shown. (Refer to...) Figure 7The electronic device 700 includes an imaging device 710, a processor 720, and a display 730. The imaging device 710 may include a lens assembly 711, an image sensor 712, and an image signal processor (ISP) 713. The imaging device 710 may correspond to... Figure 5 The imaging device 500 and the imaging device 600 of FIG. 6. The lens assembly 711 may be as follows: Figure 5 The diagram shows a lens in each layer, or as shown in the diagram. Figure 6A The diagram shows a lens array in each layer.

[0150] Image sensor 712 generates sensing information corresponding to visual information. ISP 713 and processor 720 perform processing to convert the sensing information into a captured image. As an example, ISP 713 can perform preprocessing on the sensing information, causing processor 720 to generate the captured image based on the preprocessing result. As another example, ISP 713 or processor 720 can perform all the processing for generating the captured image. In this case, one of ISP 713 and processor 720, other than the executor of the corresponding processing, can be omitted. Display 730 can display the captured image.

[0151] Figure 8 The configuration and structure of an imaging apparatus according to an example embodiment are shown. Figure 8 A first imaging device 810 and a second imaging device 820 are shown. Electronic devices can capture images with different fields of view through multiple imaging devices (such as the first imaging device 810 and the second imaging device 820). Figure 8 Two imaging devices (first imaging device 810 and second imaging device 820) are shown, but three or more imaging devices may be included in an electronic device.

[0152] The first imaging device 810 includes a first lens assembly 811 and a first image sensor 812. The first imaging device 810 can capture first visual information with a first field of view through the first lens assembly 811. The second imaging device 820 includes a second lens assembly 821 and a second image sensor 822. The second imaging device 820 can capture second visual information with a second field of view through the second lens assembly 821. The first field of view may be narrower than the second field of view. For example, the first field of view may correspond to telephoto, and the second field of view may correspond to wide-angle. The first image sensor 812 can generate first sensing information corresponding to the first visual information. The second image sensor 822 can generate second sensing information corresponding to the second visual information. The processor of the electronic device (e.g., Figure 7 The ISP 713 and / or processor 720 can generate a captured image based on the first sensing information and / or the second sensing information. The display of the electronic device can display the captured image.

[0153] The first imaging device 810 can correspond to Figure 5 The imaging device 810 can be either the imaging device 500 or the imaging device 600 of FIG. 6. Therefore, the first imaging device 810 can have a narrow field of view and a small telephoto ratio to achieve an ultra-small and ultra-thin size. Furthermore, based on the characteristics of the lenses, the combination characteristics of the lenses, and the characteristics of the lens array, the first imaging device 810 can achieve an ultra-small and ultra-thin size without using a folding architecture. Therefore, unlike cameras with folding architectures, the first imaging device 810 and the second imaging device 820 can be mounted on the same substrate 830. The substrate 830 can be, for example, a printed circuit board (PCB). Furthermore, the first image sensor 812 of the first imaging device 810 and the second image sensor 822 of the second imaging device 820 can exist on the same plane. In the case of a folding architecture, since additional components or devices (such as reflective members) are horizontally arranged in the electronic device, sensitive optical axis alignment and the arrangement of the lens system, sensors, and wiring are required. The first imaging device 810 can be vertically arranged in the electronic device, thus making it easier to manufacture compared to a folding architecture.

[0154] Figure 9 Showing installed in electronic devices Figure 8 An example of an imaging device. See [reference]. Figure 9 The electronic device 900 includes an imaging device 910. The imaging device 910 includes imaging devices 911, 912, and 913. For example, imaging devices 911, 912, and 913 may include... Figure 8 The first imaging device 810 and the second imaging device 820. Although Figure 9 The imaging device 910 is shown as the rear camera of a smartphone, but this is only an example. In some cases, the imaging device 910 can be the front camera of a smartphone.

[0155] Figure 9 Electronic device 900 is shown as a smartphone. However, in addition to a smartphone, electronic device 900 may also be implemented as a mobile device (such as a personal digital assistant (PDA), netbook, tablet computer, and laptop computer), wearable device (such as a smartwatch, smart bracelet, and smart glasses), computing device (such as a desktop computer and server), home appliance (such as a television (TV), smart TV, and refrigerator), security device (such as door locks and closed-circuit television (CCTV), vehicle (such as autonomous vehicle and smart vehicle), camera (such as virtual reality (VR) / augmented reality (AR) camera, 360-degree capture camera, insect-eye camera, and contact lens camera) and drone).

[0156] Figure 10 An imaging device installed in a vehicle according to an example embodiment is shown. (Refer to...) Figure 10The imaging device 1010 can be installed in various locations on the vehicle 1000, such as those indicated by black dots. Figure 10 The installation location shown is merely an example, and the imaging device can also be installed in other locations within the vehicle 1000. The imaging device 1010 can be implemented in the vehicle 1000 with an ultra-thin structure and / or a curved structure.

[0157] The exemplary embodiments described herein may be implemented using hardware components, software components, and / or combinations thereof. For example, the processing apparatus and components described herein may be implemented using one or more general-purpose or special-purpose computers, such as processors, controllers, and arithmetic logic units (ALUs), digital signal processors, microcomputers, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic units (PLUs), microprocessors, or any other means capable of responding to and executing instructions in a defined manner. The processing apparatus may run an operating system (OS) and one or more software applications running on the OS. The processing apparatus may also access, store, manipulate, process, and create data in response to the execution of the software. For simplicity, the description of the processing apparatus is used as the singular; however, those skilled in the art will understand that the processing apparatus may include multiple processing elements and / or various types of processing elements. For example, the processing apparatus may include multiple processors, or processors and controllers. Furthermore, different processing configurations (such as parallel processors) are feasible.

[0158] Software may include computer programs, code segments, instructions, or combinations thereof, to independently or collectively instruct and / or configure a processing device to operate as desired, thereby transforming the processing device into a dedicated processor. Software and data may be permanently or temporarily embodied in any type of machine, component, physical or virtual device, computer storage medium, or apparatus, or embodied in propagated signal waves capable of providing instructions or data to or being interpreted by the processing device. Software may also be distributed across networked computer systems, enabling it to be stored and executed in a distributed manner. Software and data may be stored on one or more non-transitory computer-readable recording media.

[0159] The methods according to the above example embodiments can be recorded in a non-transitory computer-readable medium including program instructions to perform various operations of the above example embodiments. The medium may also include program instructions, data files, data structures, etc., individually or in combination. The program instructions recorded on the medium may be program instructions specifically designed and constructed for the purposes of the example embodiments, or they may be of types known and available to those skilled in the art of computer software. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable media include: magnetic media (such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tapes), optical media (such as CD-ROMs, DVDs, and / or Blu-ray discs), magneto-optical media (such as optical discs), and hardware devices specifically configured to store and execute program instructions (such as read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), flash memory (e.g., USB flash drives, memory cards, memory sticks, etc.)). Examples of program instructions include both machine code generated by a compiler and files containing high-level code that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter.

[0160] The hardware device described above can be configured to act as one or more software devices to perform the operations of the example embodiments described above, or vice versa.

[0161] While this disclosure includes exemplary embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made to these exemplary embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims and their equivalents. The exemplary embodiments described herein are to be considered descriptive only and not for limiting purposes. The description of features or aspects in each exemplary embodiment is to be considered applicable to similar features or aspects in other embodiments. Suitable results may be achieved if the described techniques are performed in a different order, and / or if components in the described system, architecture, apparatus, or circuit are combined in a different manner and / or replaced or supplemented by other components or their equivalents.

[0162] Therefore, the scope of the disclosure is not limited by the specific embodiments, but by the claims and their equivalents, and all variations within the scope of the claims and their equivalents should be interpreted as included in the disclosure.

Claims

1. A lens assembly, comprising: The first lens array includes a first lens having positive refractive power; The second lens array includes a second lens with negative refractive power; and The third lens array includes a third lens with negative refractive power. The first lens array, the second lens array, and the third lens array are arranged sequentially from the object side toward the image sensor side. The first lens has a biconvex shape, protruding towards the object side and protruding towards the image sensor side. Each of the second and third lenses has a meniscus shape that bulges toward the image sensor side. The second lens has a focal length of f2, the third lens has a focal length of f3, and the focal length configuration of the lens assembly satisfies 1.6 < (1 / f3) / (1 / f2) < 2.

5.

2. The lens assembly according to claim 1, wherein, The total track length of the lens assembly is TTL, the combined focal length of the lens assembly is f', and the telephoto ratio of the lens assembly satisfies TTL / f'<1.

0.

3. The lens assembly according to claim 1, wherein, The field of view of the lens assembly is FoV, and the field of view satisfies 0.

25. <tan(FoV)<0.5。 4. The lens assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, At least one of the first lens, the second lens, and the third lens is an aspherical lens made of plastic material.

5. The lens assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, At least one of the first lens array, the second lens array, and the third lens array has a 3×3 lens arrangement or a 5×5 lens arrangement.

6. The lens assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising: An aperture stop is positioned between the first lens array and the second lens array.

7. The lens assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The effective aperture of the first lens is smaller than the diameter of the image ring.

8. A lens assembly, comprising: The first lens has positive refractive power; The second lens has negative refractive power; and The third lens has negative refractive power. The first lens, the second lens, and the third lens are arranged sequentially from the object side toward the image sensor side. The first lens has a biconvex shape, protruding towards the object side and convex towards the image sensor side. Each of the second and third lenses has a meniscus shape that bulges toward the image sensor side. The second lens has a focal length of f2, the third lens has a focal length of f3, and the focal length configuration of the lens assembly satisfies 1.6 < (1 / f3) / (1 / f2) < 2.

5.

9. The lens assembly according to claim 8, wherein, The total track length of the lens assembly is TTL, the combined focal length of the lens assembly is f', and the telephoto ratio of the lens assembly satisfies TTL / f'<1.

0.

10. The lens assembly according to claim 8, wherein, The field of view of the lens assembly is FoV, and the field of view satisfies 0.

25. <tan(FoV)<0.5。 11. The lens assembly according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein, At least one of the first lens, the second lens, and the third lens is an aspherical lens made of plastic material.

12. The lens assembly according to any one of claims 8 to 10, further comprising: An aperture stop is positioned between the first lens and the second lens.

13. The lens assembly according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein, The first lens, the second lens, and the third lens are included in a lens array that is arranged in different layers.

14. An electronic device comprising: A first imaging device is configured to capture first visual information through a first lens assembly in a first field of view; and The display is configured to show the captured image based on sensing information corresponding to the first visual information. The first lens assembly includes: The first lens array includes a first lens having positive refractive power; The second lens array includes a second lens with negative refractive power; and The third lens array includes a third lens with negative refractive power. The first lens array, the second lens array, and the third lens array are arranged sequentially from the object side toward the image sensor side. The first lens has a biconvex shape, protruding towards the object side and protruding towards the image sensor side. Each of the second and third lenses has a meniscus shape that bulges toward the image sensor side. The second lens has a focal length of f2, the third lens has a focal length of f3, and the focal length configuration of the first lens assembly satisfies 1.6 < (1 / f3) / (1 / f2) < 2.

5.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, further comprising: The second imaging device is configured to capture second visual information in a second field of view via a second lens assembly. The first field of view is narrower than the second field of view.

16. The electronic device according to claim 15, wherein, The first imaging device and the second imaging device are disposed on the substrate.

17. The electronic device according to claim 15, wherein, The first image sensor included in the first imaging device and the second image sensor included in the second imaging device are disposed on the same plane.

18. The electronic device according to any one of claims 14 to 17, wherein, The total track length of the first lens assembly is TTL, the combined focal length of the first lens assembly is f', and the telephoto ratio of the first lens assembly satisfies TTL / f'<1.

0.

19. The electronic device according to any one of claims 14 to 17, wherein, The field of view of the first lens assembly is FoV, and the field of view satisfies 0.

25. <tan(FoV)<0.5。 20. An apparatus assembly comprising: substrate; A first imaging device, disposed on a substrate and configured to capture first visual information in a first field of view via a first lens assembly, the first lens assembly comprising: a first lens array including a first lens having positive refractive power; a second lens array including a second lens having negative refractive power; and a third lens array including a third lens having negative refractive power, wherein the first lens array, the second lens array, and the third lens array are sequentially arranged from the object side toward the image sensor side, wherein the first lens has a biconvex shape convex toward both the object side and the image sensor side, and wherein each of the second and third lenses has a meniscus shape convex toward the image sensor side; and A second imaging device is disposed on a substrate and configured to capture second visual information through a second lens assembly in a second field of view different from the first field of view. The second lens has a focal length of f2, the third lens has a focal length of f3, and the focal length configuration of the first lens assembly satisfies 1.6 < (1 / f3) / (1 / f2) < 2.5.

Images