LiDAR Receiving Optical System Lens Layout for Wide-Angle Thermal Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing LiDAR systems face challenges in achieving ultra-small and ultra-light designs with improved optical characteristics and thermal compensation, particularly in wide-angle applications, which are essential for advanced driver assistance systems and autonomous vehicles.
Innovation Solution
A receiving optical system comprising a first lens, multiple lenses aligned along the optical axis, and an optical filter, with specific distance and refractive power configurations, along with a transmitting optical system using glass and aspherical lenses to minimize thermal effects and maintain optical performance across varying temperatures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the optical system is designed for wide-angle applications, then the field of view is improved, but optical characteristics and image quality deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The optical system is divided into multiple lens groups with different functions: object-side lenses for light gathering and angle expansion, intermediate lenses for aberration correction, and image-side lenses for focus control. This segmentation allows each group to be optimized independently, enabling wide-angle capability while maintaining optical quality.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the optical system use lenses with locally optimized properties. The object-side lenses have specific refractive powers for wide-angle coverage, while image-side lenses have different properties for maintaining image quality. The optical filter is positioned at a specific location (between 1/4 to 3/4 of the optical path from object side) to selectively filter wavelengths without affecting overall optical characteristics.
2Volume of moving object
If miniaturization is pursued for ultra-small LiDAR, then device size is reduced, but thermal compensation capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple functions are merged into a compact optical system: light gathering, wide-angle coverage, aberration correction, wavelength filtering, and thermal compensation all occur within a single integrated optical path. The optical filter serves both wavelength selection and thermal management functions simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses lenses with specific refractive indices and dispersion properties that change predictably with temperature. By selecting materials and designs where these parameter changes compensate for thermal effects, the system maintains optical performance across temperature ranges despite miniaturization.
3Manufacturing precision
If the number of lenses is increased to improve optical characteristics, then image quality is improved, but device complexity and size increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using many lenses for all corrections, the system applies partial correction at each stage. Object-side lenses provide initial aberration control, intermediate lenses add specific corrections, and image-side lenses finalize focus. This staged approach achieves high image quality with fewer total lenses than a single-stage system would require.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical filter acts as an intermediary element positioned between lens groups. It selectively transmits desired wavelengths while blocking others, providing wavelength-based aberration control without requiring additional lenses. This mediator approach simplifies the overall system by handling certain correction functions non-mechanically.
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 improved optical characteristics, thermal stability, and wide-angle capabilities, ensuring consistent performance from low to high temperatures, suitable for vehicle-mounted sensors and LiDAR devices.
Implementation Method 1
the optical filter may be a bandpass filter that passes a range of 890 nm to 960 nm
Implementation Method 2
A receiving optical system according to an embodiment of the invention comprises a first lens closest to an object; an n-th lens closest to an image sensor
Data Source
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AI summary
An receiving optical system disclosed in an embodiment of the invention includes a first lens closest to an object side; an n-th lens closest to an image sensor (n is 6 or less); a plurality of lenses disposed between the first lens and the n-th lens and aligned in an optical axis; and an optical filter disposed in one of regions between the plurality of lenses, wherein an optical axis distance from the optical filter to a surface of the image sensor is D1, and an optical axis distance from a sensor-side surface of the n-th lens closest to the image sensor to the surface of the image sensor is BFL, and may satisfy the following Equation: BFL < D1.