Five-Lens Imaging System for Compact High-Resolution Mobile Photography

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Solution Overview

Problem

There is a demand for imaging lenses that can achieve high imaging performance across a wide angle of view while minimizing the total length, particularly in compact devices like cellular phones and smartphones, where existing lenses composed of multiple elements are bulky and inefficient.

Innovation Solution

The imaging lens is optimized with a configuration of five lenses, including a first lens with positive refractive power and a meniscus shape convex toward the object side, a second lens with negative refractive power and a concave shape toward the object side, a third lens with a meniscus shape convex toward the image side, a fourth lens with positive refractive power convex toward the object side, and a fifth lens with negative refractive power and at least one inflection point on the image side surface, along with specific conditional expressions to enhance optical performance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If the imaging lens is composed of five or six lenses to achieve high resolution performance, then the imaging performance is improved, but the total length of the lens increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimaging performanceVSAvoidtotal length of lens

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by optimizing the refractive powers, curvature radii, and axial positions of each lens element. Specifically, it defines conditional expressions for the ratios of focal lengths (e.g., f1/f3, f3/f5) and curvature radii (e.g., R1/R2, R4/R5) to achieve high imaging performance with a reduced total length. The fifth lens is designed with a specific negative refractive power range (-5 < f5/f < -2) and the fourth lens with a positive refractive power range (2 < f4/f5 < -5), creating an optimized balance between performance and compactness

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent utilizes curved surface designs for all lens elements, with specific attention to the curvature radii relationships. The first lens has a meniscus shape with convex object-side surface, the second lens has a meniscus shape with concave object-side surface, and the fifth lens has at least one inflection point on its image-side surface. These curvature optimizations enable better light control and aberration correction within a shorter optical path

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

2Measurement precision

If the number of lenses is increased to 5 or 6 to satisfy high resolution demands, then the resolution performance is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresolution performanceVSAvoidnumber of lenses

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent optimizes the parameters of exactly five lens elements to achieve high resolution performance. By defining specific conditional expressions for focal length ratios (0.05 < f1/f3 < 0.5, -5 < f3/f5 < -0.5) and curvature radius ratios, the design achieves optimal imaging performance with the minimum necessary number of elements, avoiding the complexity of six or more lenses while still meeting 8 megapixel or higher resolution requirements

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Length of moving object

If the total length of the lens is decreased for miniaturization, then the device size is reduced, but the imaging performance deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetotal length of lensVSAvoidimaging performance

Core Design Contradiction:

Length of moving objectVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent achieves compact lens design by optimizing the axial positions and focal lengths of each element. The conditional expressions ensure that the ratio of focal lengths and curvature radii maintain optimal optical performance even in a shortened configuration. The fifth lens specifically uses a negative refractive power design with inflection points to correct aberrations in the compact form factor

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The curved surface designs, particularly the meniscus shapes of the first and second lenses and the inflection points on the fifth lens's image-side surface, enable effective aberration correction within the shortened optical path, maintaining high imaging performance despite reduced total length

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

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

This configuration achieves high resolution performance while reducing the total length of the lens system, ensuring high-quality images from central to peripheral angles of view, and outputs high-resolution imaging signals.

Implementation Method 1

a first lens that has a positive refractive power and has a meniscus shape which is convex toward the object side

Methodology Applied