Aspheric Optical Lens Design for Wide Field-of-View Distortion Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wide-angle lenses often suffer from significant optical distortion as the viewing angle increases, leading to compressed image edges and degraded image quality, making it difficult to achieve a balance between wide field-of-view, low distortion, and low fabrication costs.
Innovation Solution
An optical lens design comprising a first lens group with negative refractive power, an aperture stop, and a second lens group with positive refractive power, including specific aspheric lenses that satisfy certain refractive and focal length ratios, such as 3.5>RT1>2.5 and 3.5>RT2>2.6, and 0.77>f/H>0.6, where RT1, RT2, f, and H are defined by specific lens parameters, to minimize distortion and maintain low fabrication costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a wide-angle lens is designed to increase the field-of-view, then the viewing angle is improved, but optical distortion increases and image quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The lens is divided into multiple lens groups (first lens group with negative refractive power, second lens group with positive refractive power) and individual aspheric lenses within each group. Each segment has specific refractive power and aspheric coefficients that work together to control distortion while maintaining wide field-of-view. The patent specifies that each aspheric lens has different aspheric coefficients (e.g., A4, A6, A8, A10 terms) to precisely correct optical aberrations across different field angles.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the lens have different optical properties. The aspheric surfaces have varying curvature radii and aspheric coefficients at different radial distances from the optical axis. The patent defines specific aspheric surface equations with multiple coefficient terms (A4, A6, A8, A10) that create locally optimized optical paths for different field angles, allowing wide field-of-view while controlling distortion at image edges.
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional spherical lenses are used to simplify manufacturing, then fabrication cost is reduced, but optical distortion increases significantly at wide angles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs aspheric lens surfaces instead of spherical surfaces. Each aspheric lens has surfaces defined by equations containing multiple aspheric coefficient terms (A4, A6, A8, A10). These aspheric surfaces provide the necessary optical correction for wide-angle applications while maintaining reasonable manufacturability through standardized aspheric fabrication processes. The specific aspheric coefficients are optimized to balance distortion control with manufacturing feasibility.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the field-of-view is increased beyond conventional limits, then the viewing angle is improved, but image edges are compressed and imaging quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes multiple optical parameters simultaneously: the ratio of effective focal length to maximum image height (0.3<f/H<0.7), the refractive powers of different lens groups, the aspheric coefficients (A4, A6, A8, A10 terms) of each lens surface, and the thickness ratios (RT1, RT2) of aspheric lenses. These parameter optimizations work together to maintain imaging quality across the entire wide field-of-view, preventing image edge compression while achieving half-field angles of 40 degrees or more.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design achieves a wide field-of-view with low optical distortions and good imaging quality, as demonstrated by optical simulation results showing maximum distortion below 15%, while keeping fabrication complexities manageable.
Implementation Method 1
The first lens group includes a first aspheric lens and a second aspheric lens... an optical lens with a wide field-of-view and relatively low optical distortion
Data Source
AI summary
An optical lens includes a first lens group with a negative refractive power, an aperture stop, and a second lens group with a positive refractive power. The first lens group includes a first aspheric lens and a second aspheric lens. The optical lens satisfies the conditions: 3.5>RT1>2.5 and 3.5>RT2>2.6, where RT1 is a ratio of a maximum axial thickness to a minimum axial thickness within a clear aperture of the first aspheric lens, and RT2 is a ratio of a maximum axial thickness to a minimum axial thickness within a clear aperture of the second aspheric lens.