Planar Optical Lens Array for Wide-Angle Image Capture

The complete optical lens is divided into multiple independent optical lenses arranged in an array. Each optical lens corresponds to a specific region and captures light from a particular direction, collectively forming a complete image. This segmentation reduces manufacturing complexity while maintaining image-capturing capability.

The patent introduces a spatial arrangement dimension by positioning multiple optical lenses at different locations and orientations on a plane. The optical axes of these lenses are inclined at different angles relative to the normal direction, creating a three-dimensional light-capturing structure that projects onto a two-dimensional sensor array, thereby enabling complete image capture without a single complex lens.

Each optical lens in the array is designed with specific local properties, including its own inclined optical axis angle and orientation, tailored to capture light from its specific spatial region. This local optimization allows each lens to contribute effectively to the overall image capture while reducing the need for extremely high global manufacturing precision across the entire system.

The patent systematically varies the inclination angles of optical axes across the lens array, with inner circle lenses having smaller angles and outer circle lenses having larger angles. This parameter gradient approach enables comprehensive light capture from different directions while providing a manufacturable progression of angles that is easier to implement than arbitrary precise orientations.

The patent employs a curved or circular arrangement of optical lenses rather than a linear or grid pattern. The lenses are positioned in concentric circles with gradual inclination angles that increase from the inner circle to the outer circle. This curved geometry naturally optimizes light capture from multiple directions and improves efficiency while providing a systematic, repeatable manufacturing pattern.

The gradual outward inclination arrangement serves multiple functions simultaneously: it captures light from different angles, distributes the optical load across the sensor array, and creates a compact circular form factor. This universal design approach enables the optical lens array to perform comprehensive image capture while maintaining a relatively simple and elegant structural configuration.