Five-Element Camera Lens Design for Wide Angle and Thin Profile

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current camera lenses for handheld devices and imaging systems face challenges in achieving a large aperture, wide angle, and ultra-thinness while maintaining good optical performance, particularly due to unreasonable design parameters in five-piece lens structures.

Innovation Solution

A five-piece camera optical lens design with specific refractive power configurations and curvature radii ratios for each lens element, optimizing focal lengths, on-axis thicknesses, and total optical length to achieve a large aperture, wide angle, and ultra-thinness while correcting aberrations and chromatic distortions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a five-piece lens structure is adopted to improve imaging quality, then optical performance is improved, but the lens structure cannot meet the requirements for large aperture, wide angle and ultra-thinness

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoptical performanceVSAvoidlarge aperture, wide angle and ultra-thinness requirements

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by optimizing the focal lengths, curvature radii, and thicknesses of the five lens elements to specific ranges. For example, the first lens has focal length f1 satisfying 0.50mm < f1 < 1.00mm, and the curvature radius R1 of the object-side surface satisfies 1.50 < R1/mm < 3.00. These parameter optimizations enable the lens to achieve large aperture (F/2.0 or larger), wide angle (80 degrees or more), and ultra-thinness (total length 3.5mm or less) while maintaining good optical performance

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses composite lens design by combining five different lens elements with alternating positive and negative refractive powers. The first, second, and third lenses have positive refractive power while the fourth and fifth lenses have negative refractive power. This composite structure with different refractive indices and Abbe numbers enables correction of chromatic aberrations while achieving the required compact form factor and optical performance

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Length of stationary object

If the pixel size of photosensitive devices is reduced to meet thinner dimensions, then device thickness is reduced, but imaging quality becomes more difficult to maintain

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice thicknessVSAvoidimaging quality

Core Design Contradiction:

Length of stationary objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the optical system into five distinct lens elements with alternating positive and negative refractive powers. This segmentation allows each element to be optimized for specific functions: the positive power lenses (first, second, third) contribute to focusing and compactness, while the negative power lenses (fourth, fifth) correct aberrations. This segmented design enables maintaining high imaging quality despite reduced overall thickness and smaller sensor size

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent optimizes multiple parameters simultaneously to maintain imaging quality in thin designs: focal lengths (f1=0.50-1.00mm, f2=1.00-2.00mm, f3=1.50-3.00mm), curvature radii (R1=1.50-3.00, R2=2.00-4.00, R3=2.50-5.00), and thicknesses (d1=0.30-0.60mm, d2=0.20-0.40mm, d3=0.15-0.30mm) are all controlled within specific ranges to achieve the balance between thinness and optical performance

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 design achieves excellent optical performance with a large aperture, wide angle, and ultra-thinness, effectively correcting on-axis and off-axis chromatic aberrations, making it suitable for high-pixel imaging devices like smartphones and webcams.