Vehicle Camera Lens Layout for Temperature-Stable Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing optical systems for vehicle cameras face challenges in maintaining consistent optical characteristics across varying temperature ranges, particularly in harsh environments, leading to issues such as aberration and performance degradation.
Innovation Solution
An optical system comprising a combination of glass and plastic lenses with specific power configurations and refractive indices, along with aspherical and spherical lens designs, to compensate for temperature-induced changes and maintain optical performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If multiple lenses are used to achieve high-definition and high-resolution imaging, then imaging quality is improved, but optical characteristics change and aberration increases when exposed to harsh temperature environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by carefully selecting and adjusting the refractive indices of lens materials. Specifically, it uses glass lenses with refractive indices of 1.6-1.7 and plastic lenses with refractive indices of 1.5-1.6, and optimizes the curvature radii and thicknesses of each lens to compensate for temperature-induced optical changes, thereby maintaining stable optical characteristics across temperature variations while achieving high imaging quality
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials by combining glass lenses and plastic lenses in a single optical system. The glass lenses (with higher refractive indices) and plastic lenses (with lower refractive indices) work together to correct different types of aberrations, providing both high-resolution imaging and temperature stability. This composite approach allows the system to leverage the advantages of both material types to solve the contradiction between imaging quality and environmental reliability
2Manufacturing precision
If glass lenses with high refractive index are used to improve optical performance, then aberration control is enhanced, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses composite materials by combining glass and plastic lenses with different refractive indices. The glass lenses (refractive index 1.6-1.7) handle high-order aberration correction requiring high precision, while the plastic lenses (refractive index 1.5-1.6) provide lower-order correction and are easier to manufacture. This division of labor allows the system to achieve excellent aberration control without requiring all lenses to be high-precision glass components
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by assigning different material properties to different lenses based on their specific functional requirements. Each lens is optimized with appropriate refractive index, curvature, and thickness for its particular role in the optical system. For example, lenses closer to the object may have different properties than those closer to the sensor, allowing each component to be manufactured with optimal precision for its specific function rather than requiring uniform high-precision manufacturing across all lenses
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 effectively maintains improved optical characteristics across low-temperature (−20°C to −40°C) to high-temperature (85°C to 105°C) ranges, enhancing MTF, aberration control, and resolution, while minimizing changes in optical characteristics.
Implementation Method 1
an optical system according to an embodiment of the invention includes an image sensor; and first to fourth lenses aligned along an optical axis from an object toward the image sensor
Data Source
AI summary
The optical system disclosed in the embodiment of the invention includes an image sensor; and first to fourth lenses aligned along an optical axis from an object toward the image sensor, wherein a power of the first lens is positive, a power of the second lens is negative, a power of the third lens is positive, at least two of the first to fourth lenses are plastic lenses, a refractive index of the first lens is 1.7 or greater, and an object-side surface and a sensor-side surface of a lens of the first to fourth lenses closest to the image sensor may include a critical point between the optical axis and an edge.