Seven-Element Optical Imaging Lens for Compact Wide-Angle Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing optical imaging lenses for portable electronic devices face challenges in achieving good imaging quality, smaller size, enhanced viewing angle, and enlarged aperture stop, with conventional designs being difficult to scale down effectively.
Innovation Solution
An optical imaging lens with seven lens elements, featuring specific surface shapes and relationships between lens thicknesses and air gaps, including concave and convex regions, to optimize imaging quality and reduce total length.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the size of the optical imaging lens is scaled down, then the device size is reduced, but the imaging quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The optical imaging lens is divided into seven separate lens elements (first through seventh lens elements) with different refractive powers and surface shapes. This segmentation allows each element to contribute differently to the overall optical performance, enabling high imaging quality in a compact form factor by distributing optical functions across multiple smaller components rather than relying on a single large lens.
Solution Approach 2:
Different lens elements have different refractive powers (positive or negative) and different surface shape configurations (convex or concave object-side and image-side surfaces). This local differentiation of optical properties allows each region of the lens system to be optimized for specific functions, achieving superior imaging quality while maintaining small overall size.
2Length of moving object
If the lens elements are made thinner, then the total length is reduced, but the optical performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The optical system uses seven thin lens elements instead of fewer thick ones. The segmentation of optical power across multiple thin elements maintains the necessary total refractive power while reducing individual element thickness and overall lens length, preventing degradation of optical performance despite the reduced dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
The lens elements are made of different materials with different refractive indices and Abbe numbers. This material diversity allows thin elements to achieve the required optical power through higher refractive index materials, reducing the need for thick elements while maintaining optical performance.
3Illumination intensity
If the aperture stop is enlarged, then the light gathering ability is improved, but the lens complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The aperture stop function is integrated into the lens element structure itself rather than being a separate component. The first lens element has a specific shape configuration that serves both as an optical element and contributes to aperture definition, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining large aperture benefits for light gathering.
Solution Approach 2:
The lens elements serve multiple functions: they provide the necessary refractive power for focusing, control the aperture, and correct optical aberrations. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, maintaining simplicity despite the enlarged aperture requirements.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the viewing angle is enhanced, then the field of view is expanded, but the lens design complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The seven lens elements with different refractive powers and surface shapes work together to expand the field of view. The segmentation of optical functions across multiple elements enables wide-angle performance that would be difficult to achieve with a single element, managing the complexity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The lens elements feature aspheric surfaces with specific curvature profiles (convex or concave object-side and image-side surfaces). These curved surfaces are optimized to control light rays across a wide field of view, reducing distortion and aberrations while expanding the viewing angle, achieving wide-angle performance through sophisticated surface geometry rather than complex mechanical structures.
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 lens design achieves reduced total length, improved viewing angle, enlarged aperture, and enhanced imaging performance, with better fabrication yield and imaging quality.
Implementation Method 1
Each one of the first lens element, the second lens element, the third lens element, the fourth lens element, the fifth lens element, the sixth lens element and the seventh lens element respectively has an object-side surface which faces toward the object side to allow imaging rays to pass through as well as an image-side surface which faces toward the image side to allow the imaging rays to pass through
Data Source
AI summary
An optical imaging lens includes a first lens element to a seventh lens element. An optical-axis region of the object-side surface of the second lens element is convex, a periphery region of the image-side surface of the second lens element is concave, an optical-axis region of the image-side surface of the third lens element is convex, a periphery region of the object-side surface of the fifth lens element is concave, a periphery region of the object-side surface of the sixth lens element is concave, the lens elements included by the optical imaging lens are only the seven lens elements described above, and the optical imaging lens satisfies the relationship: (T2+T6)/T7≤2.200.