Four-Lens Optical Imaging Layout for Compact Wide-Angle Clarity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional optical systems struggle to balance high image quality, low sensitivity, proper aperture size, miniaturization, and desirable field of view, especially with advancements in semiconductor technology and increasing functionality requirements.
Innovation Solution
An optical imaging system comprising four lens elements with specific surface shapes and configurations, including concave and convex surfaces, aspheric designs, and strategic axial distances, along with an aperture stop, to optimize image quality and field of view while minimizing size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the number of lens elements is reduced for miniaturization, then the device size is reduced, but image quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies aspheric surfaces to specific lens elements (first, second, and fourth lens elements have aspheric object-side surfaces) to locally optimize light ray control where it is most needed. This allows fewer lens elements to achieve the same aberration correction that would require more spherical elements, thus reducing overall system size while maintaining image quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of lens surfaces from spherical to aspheric, and optimizes specific axial distances (T12, T23, T34) between lens elements. These parameter changes enable more efficient light control with fewer elements, resolving the contradiction between miniaturization and image quality.
2Reliability
If the aperture size is increased for better light gathering, then sensitivity is improved, but the device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses aspheric surfaces with specific curvature profiles to more efficiently guide and concentrate light rays onto the image sensor. This improved light routing allows for better sensitivity with a relatively smaller aperture, as the aspheric surfaces reduce light loss and improve illumination uniformity across the sensor.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional spherical lens surfaces are used for ease of manufacture, then manufacturing complexity is reduced, but image quality deteriorates due to aberrations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from spherical to aspheric surface parameters for key lens elements. Modern manufacturing techniques have made aspheric surfaces increasingly feasible to produce, and the patent optimizes specific aspheric coefficients to achieve the desired balance between manufacturability and aberration correction.
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 a balanced performance in image quality, sensitivity, and compactness, supporting various applications with improved light convergence, aberration correction, and wide field of view.
Implementation Method 1
The object-side surface of the first lens element is concave in a paraxial region thereof and has at least one convex shape in an off-axis region thereof, and the object-side surface of the first lens element is aspheric
Implementation Method 2
When an axial distance between the object-side surface of the first lens element and an image surface is TL, and a focal length of the optical imaging system is f
Data Source
AI summary
An optical imaging system includes four lens elements which are, in order from an object side to an image side: a first lens element, a second lens element, a third lens element and a fourth lens element. Each of the four lens elements of the optical imaging system has an object-side surface facing toward the object side and an image-side surface facing toward the image side. The object-side surface of the first lens element is concave in a paraxial region thereof and has at least one convex shape in an off-axis region thereof. The object-side surface of the first lens element is aspheric. The image-side surface of the fourth lens element is concave in a paraxial region thereof. The optical imaging system has a total of four lens elements.