Folded camera lens designs

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12345943-B2
Application number	US-202318314866-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 10, 2023
Priority date	Feb 23, 2017
Publication date	Jul 1, 2025
Grant date	Jul 1, 2025

Abstract

Digital cameras, optical lens modules for such digital cameras and methods for assembling lens elements in such lens modules. In various embodiments, the digital cameras comprise an optical lens module including N≥3 lens elements L i , each lens element comprising a respective front surface S 2i-1 and a respective rear surface S 2i . In various embodiments the first lens element toward the object side, L 1 and its respective front surfaces S 1 have optical and/or mechanical properties, such as a clear aperture, a clear height and a mechanical height that are larger than respective properties of following lens elements and surfaces. This is done to achieve a camera with large aperture stop, given a lens and/or camera height.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A digital camera, comprising: an optical lens module including 3≤N≤7 lens elements having a first optical axis, wherein each lens element is denoted Li where 1≤I<N, wherein each lens element comprises a respective front surface S 2 i −1 and a respective rear surface S 2 i , the lens element surfaces marked Sk where 1<k≤2N, wherein each lens element surface has a clear aperture value CA(Sk), and wherein 1.04≤CA(S 1 )/CA(S 2 )≤1.23 an image sensor; and
an optical path folding element (OPFE) for providing a folded optical path between an object and the lens elements, wherein the digital camera is a folded digital camera, wherein the digital camera has an effective focal length (EFL) and a total track length (TTL), and wherein 3.69≤EFL×CA(Si)/TTL≤6.31, and wherein EFL/TTL>1.

2. The digital camera of claim 1 , wherein CA(S 1 )≥1.2×CA(S k ) for 3≤k≤2N.

3. The digital camera of claim 1 , wherein the optical lens module includes a cavity that holds the plurality of lens elements, wherein a height of cavity, measured along an axis orthogonal to the first optical axis, is variable along the first optical axis.

4. The digital camera of claim 2 , wherein the optical lens module includes a cavity that holds the plurality of lens elements, wherein a height of cavity, measured along an axis orthogonal to the first optical axis, is variable along the first optical axis.

5. The digital camera of claim 3 , wherein the cavity comprises a first portion in which the first lens element Li is located and a second portion at which at least one of the other lens elements is located, and wherein the height of the first portion of the cavity is greater than the height of the second portion of the cavity.

6. The digital camera of claim 4 , wherein the cavity comprises a first portion in which the first lens element Li is located and a second portion at which at least one of the other lens elements is located, and wherein the height of the first portion of the cavity is greater than the height of the second portion of the cavity.

7. The digital camera of claim 1 , wherein the optical lens module further comprises a barrel with a cavity in which at least some of lens elements L 2 to L N are held and wherein lens element L 1 is located outside of the barrel.

8. The digital camera of claim 2 , wherein the optical lens module further comprises a barrel with a cavity in which at least some of lens elements L 2 to L N are held and wherein lens element L 1 is located outside of the barrel.

9. The digital camera of claim 3 , wherein the optical lens module further comprises a barrel with a cavity in which at least some of lens elements L 2 to L N are held and wherein lens element L 1 is located outside of the barrel.

10. The digital camera of claim 4 , wherein the optical lens module further comprises a barrel with a cavity in which at least some of lens elements L 2 to L N are held and wherein lens element L 1 is located outside of the barrel.

11. The digital camera of claim 5 , wherein the optical lens module further comprises a barrel with a cavity in which at least some of lens elements L 2 to L N are held and wherein lens element L 1 is located outside of the barrel.

12. The digital camera of claim 6 , wherein the optical lens module further comprises a barrel with a cavity in which at least some of lens elements L 2 to L N are held and wherein lens element L 1 is located outside of the barrel.

13. The digital camera of claim 1 , integrated in a mobile electronic device.

14. The digital camera of claim 2 , integrated in a mobile electronic device.

15. The digital camera of claim 3 , integrated in a mobile electronic device.

16. The digital camera of claim 13 , wherein the mobile electronic device is a smartphone.

17. The digital camera of claim 14 , wherein the mobile electronic device is a smartphone.

18. The digital camera of claim 15 , wherein the mobile electronic device is a smartphone.

19. A digital camera, comprising: an optical lens module including 3≤N≤7 lens elements having a first optical axis, wherein each lens element is denoted Li where 1≤I<N, wherein each lens element comprises a respective front surface S 21 - i and a respective rear surface S 2 , the lens element surfaces marked Sk where 2N, wherein each lens element surface has a clear aperture value CA(Sk), and wherein 0.59≤CA(S2N)/CA(Si)≤0.76; an image sensor; and
an optical path folding element (OPFE) for providing a folded optical path between an object and the lens elements, wherein the digital camera is a folded digital camera, wherein the digital camera has an effective focal length (EFL) and a total track length (TTL), and—wherein 3.69≤EFL×CA(Si)/TTL≤6.31, and wherein EFL/TTL>1.

Assignees

• Corephotonics Ltd

Inventors

• Shabtay Gal
• Goldenberg Ephraim
• Dror Michael
• Yedid Itay
• Bachar Gil

Classifications

• H04N23/54

  Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils · CPC title

• H04N23/58

  Means for changing the camera field of view without moving the camera body, e.g. nutating or panning of optics or image sensors · CPC title

• H04N23/45

  for generating image signals from two or more image sensors being of different type or operating in different modes, e.g. with a CMOS sensor for moving images in combination with a charge-coupled device [CCD] for still images · CPC title

• G02B13/0015

  characterised by the lens design · CPC title

• G03B17/55

  with provision for heating or cooling, e.g. in aircraft · CPC title