Vehicle Camera Lens Layout for Temperature-Stable Aberration Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing optical systems for vehicle cameras face challenges in maintaining uniform optical characteristics and aberration control under varying temperature conditions, such as high and low temperatures, humidity, and moisture, which affect their performance.
Innovation Solution
An optical system comprising a combination of glass and plastic lenses, including spherical and aspherical lenses, with specific refractive powers, thicknesses, and arrangements to compensate for temperature-induced changes, ensuring consistent optical performance across temperature ranges.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If glass lenses and plastic lenses are mixed in the optical system, then optical characteristics are improved and temperature stability is enhanced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by mixing glass lenses (first to fifth lenses) and plastic lenses (sixth and seventh lenses) in the optical system. Each lens material is selected with specific refractive indices and Abbe numbers to compensate for temperature-induced optical characteristic changes. The glass lenses provide thermal stability while plastic lenses enable aspherical surface formation, together achieving reliable optical performance across temperature ranges from -20°C to 105°C.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by assigning different materials and surface types to different lens positions based on their specific functional requirements. The first to fifth lenses use glass with spherical surfaces for thermal stability, while the sixth and seventh lenses use plastic with aspherical surfaces for aberration correction. This localized optimization resolves the contradiction by allowing each component to contribute its strengths without requiring complete system redesign.
2Reliability
If spherical lenses and aspherical lenses are mixed, then optical performance is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by using spherical surfaces for the first to fifth lenses where thermal stability is the primary concern, and aspherical surfaces for the sixth and seventh lenses where aberration correction is critical. This localized application of different surface types optimizes optical performance while managing manufacturing complexity by concentrating aspherical fabrication only where most needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines glass materials with spherical surfaces and plastic materials with aspherical surfaces in a composite lens system. The glass spherical lenses provide a stable baseline optical performance, while the plastic aspherical lenses add corrective capabilities. This composite approach resolves the manufacturing contradiction by leveraging the strengths of each material-surface combination.
3Measurement precision
If the optical system is designed for high-definition and high-resolution imaging, then image quality is improved, but sensitivity to temperature changes increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses composite materials with complementary thermal and optical properties. The glass lenses (first to fifth) have low thermal expansion coefficients that stabilize the optical path for high-resolution imaging. The plastic lenses (sixth and seventh) have higher thermal expansion but enable precise aspherical surfaces that correct for remaining aberrations. Together, they achieve high-definition imaging while compensating for temperature-induced variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by selecting lens materials with specific refractive indices and Abbe numbers that vary predictably with temperature. The glass lenses have parameters that stabilize the focal length, while the plastic lenses have parameters that correct chromatic and spherical aberrations across temperature ranges. This parameter optimization allows high-resolution imaging performance to be maintained from -20°C to 105°C.
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 system maintains improved optical characteristics, including MTF and aberration control, across a wide temperature range, from -20°C to 105°C, enhancing camera module performance in harsh environments.
Implementation Method 1
first to seventh lenses aligned along an optical axis from an object side toward a sensor side, wherein a refractive power of the first lens is negative, a composite refractive power of the third to seventh lenses is positive
Data Source
AI summary
The optical system disclosed in the embodiment of the invention includes first to seventh lenses aligned along an optical axis from an object side toward a sensor side, wherein the refractive power of the first lens is negative, a composite refractive power of the third to seventh lenses is positive, the first lens has a meniscus shape convex toward the sensor side on the optical axis, a center thickness of the first lens is larger than a center thickness of each of the second to seventh lenses, the first to seventh lenses include a plurality of spherical lenses and a plurality of aspherical lenses, wherein the spherical lenses are lenses whose object-side surface and the sensor-side surface are spherical, and the aspherical lenses are lenses whose object-side surface and the sensor-side surface are aspherical, and at least one of the plurality of aspherical lenses may be made of a different material from the spherical lens.