Curved Image Sensor Lens Assembly Aberration Correction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional camera designs with planar image sensors result in insufficient brightness and poor image quality at the periphery due to aberrations like chromatic aberration and distortion, leading to degraded image resolution and size constraints that hinder compactness.
Innovation Solution
A photographing lens assembly with a series of non-cemented aspheric lens elements and an aspheric image sensor, where the lens elements have specific axial distances, central thicknesses, and curvature radii optimized to minimize aberrations and maximize image quality, allowing for a compact and high-resolution optical system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a planar image sensor is used, then the optical system can focus light onto the sensor, but image quality at the periphery deteriorates due to aberrations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies curvature to the image sensor surface, transforming it from a planar to a curved configuration that matches the natural focal surface of the optical system. This curved image sensor surface corrects field curvature and other aberrations, significantly improving image quality at the periphery while maintaining the ability to focus light effectively.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameter of the image sensor from a flat plane to a curved surface with specific radius of curvature. This parameter change allows the sensor to adapt to the optical path and reduce aberrations, thereby improving overall image quality without requiring additional optical elements.
2Manufacturing precision
If sufficient back focal length is provided to focus all incident light rays, then image quality is maintained, but the camera size increases
Solution Approach 1:
By curving the image sensor surface to match the focal surface of the optical system, the patent enables effective light focusing with a reduced back focal length. The curved geometry allows incident light rays to converge properly on the sensor surface without requiring excessive distance between the lens and sensor, thus compacting the overall camera size.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a two-dimensional planar sensor to a three-dimensional curved sensor surface. This dimensional change allows the sensor to accommodate light rays from different angles and positions, enabling effective focusing in a more compact optical path and reducing the required back focal length.
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple lens elements are used to correct aberrations, then image quality improves, but the lens assembly size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The curved image sensor surface acts as an additional degree of freedom for aberration correction, reducing the need for multiple complex lens elements. By matching the sensor curvature to the optical system's focal surface, the patent achieves better image quality with fewer lens elements, thereby reducing the overall lens assembly volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the aberration correction function from the lens elements and transfers it to the image sensor surface geometry. This separation allows the lens elements to be simpler and fewer in number, while the curved sensor surface handles the correction of field curvature and other aberrations, resulting in a more compact lens assembly.
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 solution enhances image brightness and quality at the periphery, reduces the size of the lens assembly, and corrects aberrations, resulting in a compact and high-resolution imaging system suitable for various electronic devices.
Implementation Method 1
a photographing lens assembly includes, in order from an object side to an image side, a plurality of lens elements and an image surface. Each of the plurality of lens elements has an object-side surface facing toward the object side and an image-side surface facing toward the image side.
Data Source
AI summary
A photographing lens assembly includes, in order from an object side to an image side: a plurality of lens elements and an aspheric image surface. Each of the lens elements of the photographing lens assembly has an object-side surface facing toward the object side and an image-side surface facing toward the image side, and each of the lens elements is a single and non-cemented lens element.