Five-Element Infrared Lens Assembly for Wide-Angle Miniaturization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional optical systems for home smart electronic products face challenges in balancing high image quality, low sensitivity, proper aperture size, miniaturization, and field of view, particularly in infrared image capture applications.
Innovation Solution
An image lens assembly comprising five lens elements with specific optical configurations, including concave and convex surfaces, refractive power distributions, and material choices to optimize f-number, focal lengths, and Abbe numbers, allowing for improved infrared light capture and image quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional optical systems are used for infrared image capture, then the system structure is simple, but the image quality is insufficient and the field of view is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The optical system is divided into five distinct lens elements with specific refractive power distributions. Each lens element has designated convex and concave surfaces with specific curvature radii, allowing independent optimization of each element's contribution to overall image quality while maintaining a manageable system structure
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the lens assembly are assigned different optical properties. The first lens element has negative refractive power with specific surface curvatures, while subsequent elements have positive refractive power. Each surface is designed with specific curvature radii (R1 through R10) to optimize local light refraction and contribute to global image quality improvement
2Manufacturing precision
If the aperture size is increased to improve light capture, then the image quality improves, but the system size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes multiple parameters simultaneously: the refractive powers of individual lens elements, the curvature radii of all surfaces (R1-R10), the axial distances between elements (T12, T23, T34, T45), and the central thicknesses (CT1-CT5). This multi-parameter optimization allows achieving high image quality with a compact overall form factor
Solution Approach 2:
The five lens elements are arranged in a compact sequential configuration along the optical axis, with minimized axial distances between adjacent elements. This nested-like arrangement allows the optical system to achieve high aperture efficiency while maintaining a short total track length, effectively packing multiple optical functions into a small volume
3Volume of moving object
If the focal length is reduced to miniaturize the system, then the system size decreases, but the field of view becomes limited
Solution Approach 1:
The lens assembly employs asymmetric design in the distribution of refractive powers and surface curvatures. The first lens element has negative refractive power while subsequent elements have positive power, creating an asymmetric power distribution that expands the field of view. The surface curvature radii are asymmetrically configured (e.g., R1 is negative while R2 is positive) to optimize off-axis light reception and broaden the effective field of view within a compact form factor
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 quality, increases aperture size, and miniaturizes the lens system while maintaining a wide field of view, suitable for applications like motion capture, augmented reality, and facial recognition.
Implementation Method 1
Each of the five lens elements has an outer-side surface facing toward the outer side and an inner-side surface facing toward the inner side, with specific concave and convex surfaces that refract light along the optical path
Data Source
AI summary
An image lens assembly includes five lens elements which are, in order from an outer side to an inner side along an optical path: a first lens element, a second lens element, a third lens element, a fourth lens element and a fifth lens element. Each of the five lens elements has an outer-side surface facing toward the outer side and an inner-side surface facing toward the inner side. The outer-side surface of the first lens element is concave in a paraxial region thereof, and the outer-side surface of the first lens element has at least one inflection point.