CAMERA LENS SYSTEM WITH FIVE LENS COMPONENTS

• US 20160313537A1
• Filed: 08/19/2015
• Published: 10/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Mercado, Romeo I.
• Granted Patent: US 9,817,213 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/0045 having five or more lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/0085 employing wafer level optics
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0025 for optical correction, e.g. distorsion, aberration
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 9/60 having five components only
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/157 Structural association of cells with optical devices, e.g. reflectors or illuminating devices

Abstract

An optical imaging lens assembly that may have five lens components. The first, third, and fourth lens components may have positive refractive power. The second and fifth lens components may have negative refractive power. The third lens component may have convex object-side and convex image-side refractive surfaces. The fourth lens component may have convex object-side and concave image-side refractive surfaces. The first lens component may include a wafer lens having a lens element molded on one or both surfaces of a planar substrate or two wafer lenses having a lens element molded on one surface of each of two planar substrates. The wafer lens may include an electrically controlled electrochromic surface having variable light transmittance in response to an applied electrical voltage. The refracting surfaces may be aspheric.

Claims

1. An optical imaging lens assembly comprising, in order from an object side to an image side:

a first lens component with positive refractive power, a convex object-side refractive surface, and a convex image-side refractive surface;

a second lens component with negative refractive power, a convex object-side refractive surface, and a concave image-side refractive surface;

a third lens component with positive refractive power and a convex object-side refractive surface;

a fourth lens component with positive refractive power and a convex object-side refractive surface; and

a fifth lens component with negative refractive power, a convex object-side refractive surface, and a concave image-side refractive surface.

2. The optical imaging lens assembly of claim 1 wherein the third lens component has a convex image-side refractive surface and the fourth lens component has a concave image-side refractive surface.

3. The optical imaging lens assembly of claim 1 wherein the third lens component has a concave image-side refractive surface and the fourth lens component has a convex image-side refractive surface.

4. The optical imaging lens assembly of claim 1 wherein the fourth lens component has a positive meniscus shape.

5. The optical imaging lens assembly of claim 1 wherein the first lens component includes a wafer lens having a lens element molded on a surface of a planar substrate.

6. The optical imaging lens assembly of claim 5 wherein the first lens component further includes an electrochromic surface on one surface of the planar substrate.

7. The optical imaging lens assembly of claim 1 wherein the first lens component includes two wafer lenses, each of the two wafer lenses having a lens element molded on only one surface of a planar substrate.

8. The optical imaging lens assembly of claim 7 wherein the first lens component further includes an electrochromic surface on one surface of the planar substrate of one of the two wafer lenses.

9. The optical imaging lens assembly of claim 1 wherein at least one of the object-side refracting surface or the image-side refracting surface of each of the five lens components is aspheric.

10. The optical imaging lens assembly of claim 1 wherein the object-side refracting surface and the image-side refracting surface of each of the five lens components are both aspheric.

11. An optical imaging lens assembly comprising, in order from an object side to an image side:

a first lens component with positive refractive power;

a second lens component with negative refractive power;

a third lens component with positive refractive power and a convex object-side refractive surface;

a fourth lens component with positive refractive power and a convex object-side refractive surface; and

a fifth lens component with negative refractive power.

12. The optical imaging lens assembly of claim 11 wherein the first lens component has a convex object-side refractive surface and a convex image-side refractive surface.

13. The optical imaging lens assembly of claim 11 wherein the second lens component has a convex object-side refractive surface and a concave image-side refractive surface.

14. The optical imaging lens assembly of claim 11 wherein the third lens component has a convex image-side refractive surface.

15. The optical imaging lens assembly of claim 11 wherein the fourth lens component has a concave image-side refractive surface.

16. The optical imaging lens assembly of claim 11 wherein the fifth lens component has a convex object-side refractive surface and a concave image-side refractive surface.

17. The optical imaging lens assembly of claim 11 wherein the first lens component includes a wafer lens having a lens element molded on a surface of a planar substrate.

18. The optical imaging lens assembly of claim 17 wherein the first lens component further includes an electrochromic surface on one surface of the planar substrate.

19. The optical imaging lens assembly of claim 11 wherein the first lens component includes two wafer lenses, each of the two wafer lenses having a lens element molded on only one surface of a planar substrate.

20. The optical imaging lens assembly of claim 19 wherein the first lens component further includes an electrochromic surface on one surface of the planar substrate of one of the two wafer lenses.

21. The optical imaging lens assembly of claim 11 wherein at least one of the object-side refracting surface or the image-side refracting surface of each of the five lens components is aspheric.

22. The optical imaging lens assembly of claim 11 wherein the object-side refracting surface and the image-side refracting surface of each of the five lens components are both aspheric.

23. A portable wireless communications device comprising:

an outer housing; and

a digital camera integrated inside the outer housing, the digital camera having an optical imaging lens assembly comprising, in order from an object side to an image side;

a first lens component with positive refractive power;

a second lens component with negative refractive power;

a third lens component with positive refractive power and a convex object-side refractive surface;

a fourth lens component with positive refractive power and a convex object-side refractive surface; and

a fifth lens component with negative refractive power.

24. The portable wireless communications device of claim 23 wherein the third lens component has a convex image-side refractive surface and the fourth lens component has a concave image-side refractive surface.

25. The portable wireless communications device of claim 23 wherein the optical imaging lens assembly has a total track length of less than 6 millimeters.