Optical Imaging System with Curved Lens Ratio for Wide Field of View

Solution Overview

Problem

Current microscopic lenses for mobile devices face challenges in capturing clear local details while achieving a larger field of view, leading to difficulties in optical design that balance detail capture with a wider view range.

Innovation Solution

An optical imaging system comprising a planar glass and multiple lenses with specific focal powers and radii of curvature, arranged along an optical axis, which includes a positive first lens, a negative second lens, and subsequent lenses with carefully assigned focal powers, surface profiles, and on-axis distances to achieve a maximum field of view of at least 40°, high image quality, and miniaturization.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If a microscope lens is designed to capture clear local details, then imaging quality is improved, but the field of view becomes narrow

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelocal details capture qualityVSAvoidfield of view

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The optical system is divided into multiple lens elements (first lens with positive focal power, second lens with negative focal power, and subsequent lenses) arranged in sequence along the optical axis. Each lens segment contributes specific optical functions to collectively achieve both wide field of view and clear local detail capture, resolving the contradiction between these two requirements through functional segmentation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different regions of the optical system are assigned different optical characteristics. The first lens provides positive focal power for convergence, the second lens provides negative focal power for divergence, and subsequent lenses are configured with specific focal powers to optimize different zones of the image plane, ensuring both wide coverage and high detail quality in different local regions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Area of stationary object

If the field of view is enlarged to provide wider view range, then usability is improved, but local detail clarity deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefield of viewVSAvoidlocal details capture quality

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The optical system is divided into multiple lens elements (first lens with positive focal power, second lens with negative focal power, and subsequent lenses) arranged in sequence along the optical axis. Each lens segment contributes specific optical functions to collectively achieve both wide field of view and clear local detail capture, resolving the contradiction between these two requirements through functional segmentation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system optimizes specific optical parameters including the focal powers of individual lenses, radii of curvature of lens surfaces, and distances between lenses. By carefully adjusting these parameters, the system achieves a balance between wide field of view and sharp local detail capture, transforming the trade-off into an optimized performance state.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Area of stationary object

If multiple lenses with specific focal powers are arranged to achieve wide field of view, then imaging coverage is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefield of viewVSAvoidoptical system structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The optical system is divided into multiple lens elements (first lens with positive focal power, second lens with negative focal power, and subsequent lenses) arranged in sequence along the optical axis. Each lens segment contributes specific optical functions to collectively achieve both wide field of view and clear local detail capture, resolving the contradiction between these two requirements through functional segmentation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system optimizes specific optical parameters including the focal powers of individual lenses, radii of curvature of lens surfaces, and distances between lenses. By carefully adjusting these parameters, the system achieves a balance between wide field of view and sharp local detail capture, transforming the trade-off into an optimized performance state.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

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 effectively captures microscopic details with a larger field of view, ensuring high imaging quality and miniaturization, suitable for portable electronic devices, while maintaining a compact size and efficient light convergence.

Implementation Method 1

a first lens having a positive focal power; a second lens having a negative focal power; and a plurality of subsequent lenses having a respective focal power

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectRefraction: Refraction

Data Source

PatentUS11789237B2Optical imaging system

Publication Date: 2023.10.17 ZHEJIANG SUNNY OPTICAL CO LTD

AI summary

The present application discloses an optical imaging system, comprising, in order from an object side to an image side along an optical axis: a planar glass, a first lens having a positive focal power, a second lens having a negative focal power and a plurality of subsequent lenses having a respective focal power, wherein the maximum field of view FOV of the optical imaging system satisfies FOV≥40°; and a radius of curvature R3 of an object side surface of the second lens and a radius of curvature R4 of an image side surface of the second lens satisfy −0.5<R3/R4<0.