Compact Lens Assembly for High-Resolution Mobile Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile devices are limited by their infrastructure and hardware in taking high-quality pictures suitable for purposes like biometric identification, medical images, and machine vision, often resulting in low resolution, blur, or distortion compared to dedicated systems.
Innovation Solution
A lens assembly with a first lens providing positive optical power, a telephoto stage with a second lens providing negative optical power, and a third lens to increase sharpness and reduce distortion, designed to fit within a mobile device with a track length of less than 6.0 mm and a focal length of greater than 7.3 mm, enabling high-quality image capture.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If a lens assembly is designed to fit within a mobile device with a track length of less than 6.0 mm, then the device can maintain a compact form factor, but the focal length is limited and image quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The lens assembly employs a nested structure where the telephoto stage is positioned within the mobile device housing, and the lens elements are arranged in a compact sequence along the optical axis. This nesting allows multiple optical components to be integrated within the constrained 6.0 mm track length while maintaining adequate focal length for high-quality imaging
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes parameter changes by varying the refractive indices and curvatures of different lens elements to achieve a focal length greater than 7.3 mm within a track length of less than 6.0 mm. The optical design optimizes parameters such as lens thickness, spacing, and material properties to resolve the contradiction between compact size and image quality
2Measurement precision
If a lens assembly uses multiple lens elements to improve image quality, then resolution and sharpness increase, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lens assembly is segmented into distinct functional groups: a first lens for primary focusing, a telephoto stage with a second lens for negative optical power, and a third lens for sharpness enhancement. This segmentation allows each element to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall system manageability and reducing design complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The lens assembly achieves multi-functionality by integrating multiple optical functions into a compact design. The same lens elements simultaneously provide focusing, telephoto capability, and distortion correction, eliminating the need for separate mechanisms and reducing overall device complexity
3Measurement precision
If the focal length is increased to achieve adequate image resolution, then image quality improves, but the track length increases making it incompatible with mobile devices
Solution Approach 1:
The lens assembly employs composite optical design by combining lens elements with different optical properties (positive and negative optical power) to achieve a net focal length greater than 7.3 mm within a compact track length of less than 6.0 mm. The composite arrangement of diverging and converging elements allows extended focal length without proportional increase in physical length
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 lens assembly allows mobile devices to produce high-quality images with adequate resolution, minimal distortion, and enhanced usability, suitable for sensitive applications while maintaining a compact form factor.
Implementation Method 1
a first lens configured to provide positive optical power
Implementation Method 2
a telephoto stage including a second lens configured to provide negative optical power
Data Source
AI summary
Examples of the disclosure enable a mobile device to generate high quality images. In some examples, the mobile device includes a lens assembly that includes a first lens configured to provide positive optical power, and a telephoto stage including a second lens configured to provide negative optical power, and a third lens configured to perform one or more of increasing a sharpness and decreasing a distortion of an image associated with light transmitted through the lens assembly. The lens assembly has a track length that is less than or equal to approximately 6.0 mm and a focal length that is greater than or equal to approximately 7.3 mm. Aspects enable a lens assembly to be used in a mobile device environment, such that a mobile device including and/or associated with the lens assembly is configured to take high quality images.