Six-Lens Imaging System with Aspherical Elements for Compact Wide-Angle Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a demand for imaging lenses that are compact, have a wide angle of view, and high imaging performance to accommodate the increasing resolution and miniaturization of imaging elements in devices like smartphones and tablets, while existing six-lens configurations do not adequately meet the requirements of reduced length and enhanced performance.
Innovation Solution
A six-lens imaging lens configuration with specific refractive powers and surface shapes, including a first lens with positive refractive power and a convex surface, a second lens with negative refractive power, a third lens as a meniscus with positive refractive power, a fourth lens as a meniscus with a concave surface, a fifth lens with negative refractive power, and a sixth lens with a concave aspherical shape, optimized to satisfy conditional formulae for focal lengths and radii of curvature, which allows for a shorter total length and wider angle of view.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a six-lens configuration is used to achieve high imaging performance, then imaging quality is improved, but total lens length becomes too long for miniaturized devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by optimizing the refractive powers, focal lengths, and curvature radii of all six lens elements according to specific conditional formulas. By precisely controlling parameters such as f/f1, f/f4, and individual lens curvature radii (R1 through R6), the design achieves high imaging performance while reducing total length to 3.9mm or less. The conditional formulas establish quantitative relationships that balance optical performance with compact dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes aspherical surfaces on specific lens elements (first, third, and sixth lenses) to correct optical aberrations more effectively than spherical surfaces. The aspherical design allows for better control of light rays at different field angles, improving imaging quality while enabling a more compact lens arrangement. The curvature profiles are specifically optimized to reduce distortion and spherical aberration in the compact six-lens configuration.
2Length of moving object
If the lens system is shortened to meet miniaturization demands, then device thickness is reduced, but angle of view becomes insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent achieves a wide angle of view (60 degrees or more) in a shortened lens system by optimizing the focal length ratios and curvature parameters. The conditional formulas control the distribution of refractive power among the six lenses, with specific attention to the first lens (positive power) and sixth lens (negative power) which are critical for achieving wide-angle performance. The parameter optimization allows the compact design to maintain f/2.0 aperture and 60-degree field of view simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the optical function across six distinct lens elements with alternating positive and negative refractive powers. This segmentation allows each element to contribute specifically to the overall angle of view and focal length characteristics. The first lens (positive) and sixth lens (negative) work in conjunction to expand the field of view, while the intermediate lenses manage aberrations and focus control in the compact configuration.
3Measurement precision
If imaging element resolution is increased to capture more detail, then image quality is improved, but lens manufacturing precision requirements become more stringent
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs aspherical surfaces on the first, third, and sixth lenses to reduce manufacturing complexity compared to highly complex multi-element spherical designs. The aspherical profiles are defined by polynomial equations with controlled coefficients, allowing for precise optical performance with manufacturable surface tolerances. This approach enables high-resolution imaging by correcting aberrations that would otherwise require extremely tight spherical surface tolerances.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes the conditional formulas to balance manufacturing feasibility with imaging resolution. The ratios f/f1, f/f4, and curvature radius relationships are designed to achieve diffraction-limited performance at high resolutions while maintaining reasonable surface precision requirements. The parameter optimization ensures that the sixth lens's aspherical profile, in particular, can be manufactured with standard precision equipment while delivering the required imaging quality.
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 configuration achieves a significant shortening of the lens system while maintaining high imaging performance and correcting aberrations, enabling high-resolution images with a wider angle of view, suitable for miniature portable devices.
Implementation Method 1
An imaging lens consists of six lenses, including, in order from the object side to the image side: a first lens having a positive refractive power and a convex surface toward the object side; a second lens having a negative refractive power; a third lens, which is a meniscus lens having a positive refractive power and a convex surface toward the object side; a fourth lens having a positive refractive power; a fifth lens having a negative refractive power and a concave surface toward the object side; and a sixth lens having a negative refractive power
Data Source
AI summary
An imaging lens is constituted by six lenses, including, in order from the object side to the image side: a positive first lens having a convex surface toward the object side; a negative second lens; a positive third lens, which is a meniscus lens having a convex surface toward the object side; a positive fourth lens; a negative fifth lens having a concave surface toward the object side; and a negative sixth lens, of which the image toward the image side is of an aspherical shape which is concave in the vicinity of the optical axis and convex at the peripheral portion thereof. Conditional formulae related to the focal length f of the entire lens system, the focal length f1 of the first lens, and the focal length f4 of the fourth lens is satisfied.