Five-Lens Imaging System with Inflection Point for Compact High-Performance Optics

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Solution Overview

Problem

There is a demand for imaging lenses that are shorter in total length while maintaining high imaging performance from central to peripheral angles of view, particularly for thinner devices like cellular telephones and smart phones, which current five or six lens configurations struggle to achieve effectively.

Innovation Solution

An imaging lens configuration consisting of five lenses, including a first lens with positive refractive power, a second lens with negative refractive power, a third lens with positive refractive power and a meniscus shape, a fourth lens with negative refractive power and a meniscus shape, and a fifth lens with negative refractive power and a concave surface having at least one inflection point, optimized to satisfy specific conditional formulas for focal lengths and radii of curvature to achieve a shortened total length and improved optical performance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If a five or six lens configuration is used to achieve high imaging performance, then imaging quality is improved, but total length of the lens increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimaging performanceVSAvoidtotal length

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by optimizing the refractive indices and Abbe numbers of lens materials, adjusting the ratio of focal lengths (specifically 0.3 < f3/f1 < 1.5), and modifying surface curvatures to achieve both compact size and high imaging performance. The fifth lens specifically uses a concave surface with inflection points to correct aberrations while maintaining short total length.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs composite material principles by combining lenses with different refractive powers (positive and negative) and different material properties (varying refractive indices and Abbe numbers). This allows the five-lens system to correct multiple types of optical aberrations simultaneously while keeping the total length short, resolving the contradiction between compact size and imaging quality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Measurement precision

If the number of lenses is increased to improve imaging performance, then optical quality is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimaging performanceVSAvoidlens configuration complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and eliminates unnecessary complexity by using only five lenses instead of six or more, while still achieving high imaging performance. The specific configuration removes redundant elements by carefully selecting which lens components are necessary, particularly by optimizing the fifth lens design to handle multiple correction functions simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Each lens in the five-lens system is designed to perform multiple functions: the first lens provides primary focusing, the second lens corrects spherical aberration, the third lens addresses coma and astigmatism, the fourth lens handles field curvature, and the fifth lens with its inflection points corrects multiple higher-order aberrations. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional lenses while maintaining high imaging performance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

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 configuration allows for a lens system that achieves both a shortened total length and high imaging performance across various angles of view, enabling the production of high-resolution images in compact devices.