Compact Three-Lens Optical System Aberration Correction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional compact photographing lenses fail to provide high image quality and reduce total track length effectively, and are not suitable for infrared optical systems due to material differences and limited aberration correction capabilities.

Innovation Solution

A compact image capturing optical system comprising a first lens element with positive refractive power and convex surfaces, a second lens element with positive refractive power and aspheric surfaces for aberration correction, and a third lens element with positive refractive power and aspheric surfaces for astigmatism correction, made of plastic material to reduce total track length and enhance wide-angle characteristics.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If a two-piece lens structure is adopted to reduce production cost, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but the ability for correcting aberration cannot satisfy the requirements of higher-level camera modules

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproduction costVSAvoidaberration correction ability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The lens assembly is divided into three separate lens elements instead of two, with each element having specific surface curvature characteristics. This segmentation allows each element to contribute differently to aberration correction while maintaining cost-effectiveness through the use of plastic materials and standardized manufacturing processes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Each lens element is designed with specific local surface characteristics (concave or convex object-side and image-side surfaces) tailored to correct specific types of aberrations. The third lens element specifically features aspheric surfaces to address higher-order aberrations that cannot be corrected by conventional spherical surfaces.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Manufacturing precision

If too many lens elements are arranged to improve aberration correction, then image quality is improved, but the total track length cannot be reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimage qualityVSAvoidtotal track length

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSLength of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The lens elements utilize non-spherical surface curvatures, including aspheric surfaces on the third lens element, to achieve superior aberration correction in a compact configuration. The specific curvature patterns (concave/convex combinations) allow for effective optical correction without requiring additional lens elements that would increase track length.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the material parameter from traditional glass to plastic, enabling mass production with tighter tolerances and more consistent optical properties. This parameter change allows for effective aberration correction to be achieved with fewer elements while maintaining compact dimensions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Device complexity

If conventional photographing lens assembly is used, then structure is simple, but it cannot be applied to infrared optical systems due to material differences

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovestructureVSAvoidinfrared optical system compatibility

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

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 achieves reduced total track length, improved image quality, and compatibility with infrared optical systems by effectively correcting aberrations and enhancing wide-angle characteristics while being cost-effective due to plastic material usage.

Implementation Method 1

a first lens element with positive refractive power, a second lens element with positive refractive power and a third lens element with positive refractive power

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectRefraction: Refraction

Data Source

PatentUS8427760B2Image capturing optical system

Publication Date: 2013.04.23 LARGAN PRECISION

AI summary

An image capturing optical system includes, in order from an object side to an image side: the first lens element with positive refractive power having a convex object-side surface, the second lens element with positive refractive power having a concave object-side surface and a convex image-side surface, the third lens element with positive refractive power having a concave object-side surface and a convex image-side surface, wherein the object-side surface and the image-side surface of the third lens element are aspheric. By such arrangement, the total track length and the photosensitivity of the image capturing optical system can be effectively reduced while retaining high image quality. The image capturing optical system can also be applied to an infrared optical system.