Optical Lens Assembly With IR-Absorbing Elements to Prevent Flares
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current optical lens assemblies fail to efficiently filter out near-infrared light without causing visible light reflection, leading to petal-shaped flares and reduced imaging quality.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a blue-glass lens element and a long-wavelength absorbing lens element, with specific design factors and coating arrangements, to filter near-infrared light effectively while minimizing visible light reflection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a blue glass plate with near-infrared light filtering coating membrane is arranged in front of the image sensor, then near-infrared light filtering is improved, but visible light reflection increases causing petal-shaped flares
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the near-infrared light filtering function from the blue glass plate with coating membrane and implements it through a dedicated long-wavelength absorbing lens element. This separates the filtering function from the visible light transmission path, eliminating the reflection problem while maintaining filtering effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a long-wavelength absorbing lens element as an intermediary component between the blue-glass lens element and the image sensor. This intermediary element absorbs near-infrared light through its material properties without causing visible light reflection, thus mediating between the need for filtering and the need to avoid flares.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a blue glass plate and near-infrared light filtering coating membrane are disposed on the surface, then near-infrared light filtering is achieved, but the arrangement becomes fixed and difficult to change
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the near-infrared light filtering function into a separate long-wavelength absorbing lens element, independent from the blue glass plate and coating membrane arrangement. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized and adjusted independently, improving adaptability and flexibility of the overall optical system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the approach from fixed coating membrane arrangements to material-based filtering with the long-wavelength absorbing lens element. By utilizing the intrinsic optical absorption properties of the lens material, the system gains flexibility in adjusting filtering characteristics without being constrained by fixed coating arrangements.
3Illumination intensity
If reflected light incidents in the image sensor multiple times, then petal-shaped flares are generated, but imaging quality is significantly reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the potential harm of multiple light reflections into a benefit by using the long-wavelength absorbing lens element to absorb near-infrared light before it can cause harmful reflections. The absorption of near-infrared light by the lens element prevents the formation of petal-shaped flares while allowing visible light to pass through unaffected.
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
Enhances imaging quality by reducing petal-shaped flares and ensuring uniform filtering across various fields of view, maintaining optimal near-infrared light absorption.
Implementation Method 1
The at least three optical lens elements include a blue-glass lens element and a long-wavelength absorbing lens element... to filter near-infrared light effectively while minimizing visible light reflection
Implementation Method 2
when the near-infrared light is filtered out, the visible light will reflect back and forth among the near-infrared light filtering coating membrane, the blue glass plate and the image sensor
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
An optical lens assembly includes at least three optical lens elements. The at least three optical lens elements include, in order from an object side to an image side of the optical lens assembly, a first optical lens element, a second optical lens element and a third optical lens element. The at least three optical lens elements include a blue-glass lens element, and the at least three optical lens elements include a long-wavelength absorbing lens element.