Patent Description:
Optical devices, for example, cameras capable of capturing images or videos have been widely used, and digital cameras or video cameras with solid image sensors such as charge coupled device (CCD) or complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) have recently become commonplace. Solid image sensor (CCD or CMOS)-adopted optical devices may easily save, copy, or move images as compared with film-type optical devices.

Recently, a plurality of optical devices, e.g., two or more selected from a macro camera, a telephoto camera, and/or a wide-angle camera, are built in one electronic device to enhance the quality of shot images and give various visual effects to shot images. For example, it is possible to obtain images of an object with multiple cameras having different optical properties and synthesize the images to obtain a high-quality shot image. With the capability of capturing high-quality images with a plurality of optical devices (e.g., cameras) equipped, electronic devices, e.g., mobile communication terminals or smartphones, are replacing shooting-only electronic devices, such as digital compact cameras, and are expected to take place of high-end cameras, such as single-lens reflex digital cameras, in the future.

The above-described information may be provided as background for the purpose of helping understanding of the disclosure. No claim or determination is made as to whether any of the foregoing is applicable as background art in relation to the disclosure.

<CIT>, <CIT>, <CIT>, and <CIT> each disclose a lens assembly. Smith discloses the Reference: Modern Lens Design.

A high-performance camera, such as a single-lens reflex camera, may use about <NUM>/<NUM> inch to <NUM> inch-size large image sensor, and the camera performance or the quality of captured images may be enhanced in proportion to the size of the image sensor. Such a high-end camera may prevent degradation of image quality by including a lens assembly corresponding to the size and performance of the image sensor. For example, to enhance field curvature or control aberration while meeting the designed performance of an enlarged image sensor, the lens(es) constituting the lens assembly may be enlarged or the number of lenses may be increased. However, since the number or size of lenses of the optical system may be limited in a compact electronic device, such as a smart phone, it may be difficult to secure a lens assembly that meets the performance of the enlarged image sensor. Furthermore, with a limited number (e.g., about seven) of lenses, the lens assembly may easily be downsized but may have difficulty in securing optical performance, such as brightness (e.g., F-number), image stabilization performance, field curvature or aberration control.

An embodiment of the disclosure aims to address the foregoing issues and/or drawbacks and provide advantages described below, providing a lens assembly which is compact and has proper brightness and an electronic device including the same.

An embodiment of the disclosure may provide a lens assembly having an enhanced image stabilization function and/or an electronic device including the same.

Other aspects according to various embodiments will be suggested through in the following detailed description and would be partially apparent from the description or appreciated through the suggested embodiments.

According to the disclosure, a lens assembly and/or an electronic device including the same comprises at least seven lenses sequentially arranged along an optical axis direction from an object side to an image sensor side. A first lens first disposed from the object side among the at least seven lenses includes a convex object-side surface having a positive refractive power. A second lens second disposed from the object side among the at least seven lenses includes a convex object-side surface having a negative refractive power. A third lens third disposed from the object side among the at least seven lenses includes a convex object-side surface having a positive refractive power. A fourth lens fourth disposed from the object side among the at least seven lenses includes a concave object-side surface having a negative refractive power. The lens assembly meets Conditional equation <NUM> and Conditional equation <NUM>. <MAT> <MAT> where 'Vd1' is an Abbe's number of the first lens, 'f(L-<NUM>)' is a focal length of the second lens from the image sensor side, and 'f(L)' is a focal length of the first lens from the image sensor side.

According to the disclosure, an electronic device comprises the lens assembly according to the disclosure.

The lens assembly may secure a sufficient distance between the lens(es) and the image sensor, providing good optical performance although the lens(es) is/are downsized. For example, as equipped in a downsized electronic device, e.g., a smartphone, the lens assembly may provide excellent optical performance. In an embodiment, in the lens assembly and/or electronic device, the first object-side lens is formed of a glass material having a high dispersion coefficient, leading to an enhancement in bright performance when reducing the total length of the lens assembly or maintaining it in the same total length. In an embodiment, in the lens assembly and/or electronic device, the first lens and second lens on the side of the image sensor may be controlled for their refractive power, so that a good relative illumination may be secured at a point, about <NUM> times away from the diagonal effective diameter area of the imaging plane in the radiation direction. For example, as the operation range for image stabilization may be extended, the optical performance of the lens assembly and/or electronic device may be enhanced. Other various effects may be provided directly or indirectly in the disclosure.

The foregoing and other aspects, configurations, and/or advantages of embodiments of the disclosure will be more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Throughout the drawings, like reference numerals may be assigned to like parts, components, and/or structures.

The following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings may provide an understanding of various exemplary implementations of the disclosure, including claims and their equivalents. The specific embodiments disclosed in the following description entail various specific details to aid understanding, but are regarded as one of various embodiments. Accordingly, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made to the various implementations described in the disclosure without departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosure. Further, descriptions of well-known functions and configurations may be omitted for clarity and brevity.

The terms and words used in the following description and claims are not limited to the bibliographical meaning, but may be used to clearly and consistently describe an embodiment of the disclosure. Therefore, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the following description of various implementations of the disclosure is provided only for the purpose of description, not for the purpose of limiting the disclosure defined as the scope of the claims and equivalent thereto.

The singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Thus, as an example, "a component surface" may be interpreted as including one or more of the surfaces of a component.

Referring to <FIG>, the electronic device <NUM> in the network environment <NUM> may communicate with at least one of an electronic device <NUM> via a first network <NUM> (e.g., a short-range wireless communication network), or an electronic device <NUM> or a server <NUM> via a second network <NUM> (e.g., a long-range wireless communication network). According to an embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may include a processor <NUM>, memory <NUM>, an input module <NUM>, a sound output module <NUM>, a display module <NUM>, an audio module <NUM>, a sensor module <NUM>, an interface <NUM>, a connecting terminal <NUM>, a haptic module <NUM>, a camera module <NUM>, a power management module <NUM>, a battery <NUM>, a communication module <NUM>, a subscriber identification module (SIM) <NUM>, or an antenna module <NUM>. In some embodiments, at least one (e.g., the connecting terminal <NUM>) of the components may be omitted from the electronic device <NUM>, or one or more other components may be added in the electronic device <NUM>. According to an embodiment, some (e.g., the sensor module <NUM>, the camera module <NUM>, or the antenna module <NUM>) of the components may be integrated into a single component (e.g., the display module <NUM>).

For example, when the electronic device <NUM> includes the main processor <NUM> and the auxiliary processor <NUM>, the auxiliary processor <NUM> may be configured to use lower power than the main processor <NUM> or to be specified for a designated function.

The display <NUM> may include, for example, a display, a hologram device, or a projector and control circuitry to control a corresponding one of the display, hologram device, and projector. According to an embodiment, the display <NUM> may include a touch sensor configured to detect a touch, or a pressure sensor configured to measure the intensity of a force generated by the touch.

According to an embodiment, the sensor module <NUM> may include, for example, a gesture sensor, a gyro sensor, an atmospheric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an accelerometer, a grip sensor, a proximity sensor, a color sensor, an infrared (IR) sensor, a biometric sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or an illuminance sensor.

A corresponding one of these communication modules may communicate with the external electronic device via a first network <NUM> (e.g., a short-range communication network, such as Bluetooth™, wireless-fidelity (Wi-Fi) direct, or infrared data association (IrDA)) or a second network <NUM> (e.g., a long-range communication network, such as a legacy cellular network, a <NUM> network, a next-generation communication network, the Internet, or a computer network (e.g., local area network (LAN) or wide area network (WAN)). The wireless communication module <NUM> may identify or authenticate the electronic device <NUM> in a communication network, such as the first network <NUM> or the second network <NUM>, using subscriber information (e.g., international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI)) stored in the subscriber identification module <NUM>.

The wireless communication module <NUM> may support various technologies for securing performance on a high-frequency band, such as, e.g., beamforming, massive multiple-input and multiple-output (massive MIMO), full dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antenna, analog beamforming, or large scale antenna.

The antenna module <NUM> may transmit or receive a signal or power to or from the outside (e.g., the external electronic device). According to an embodiment, the antenna module may include an antenna including a radiator formed of a conductor or conductive pattern formed on a substrate (e.g., a printed circuit board (PCB)). According to an embodiment, the antenna module <NUM> may include a plurality of antennas (e.g., an antenna array). In this case, at least one antenna appropriate for a communication scheme used in a communication network, such as the first network <NUM> or the second network <NUM>, may be selected from the plurality of antennas by, e.g., the communication module <NUM>. According to an embodiment, other parts (e.g., radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC)) than the radiator may be further formed as part of the antenna module <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the antenna module <NUM> may form a mmWave antenna module.

The external electronic devices <NUM> or <NUM> each may be a device of the same or a different type from the electronic device <NUM>. In another embodiment, the external electronic device <NUM> may include an Internet-of-things (IoT) device. The electronic device <NUM> may be applied to intelligent services (e.g., smart home, smart city, smart car, or health-care) based on <NUM> communication technology or IoT-related technology.

<FIG> is a block diagram <NUM> illustrating the camera module <NUM> (e.g., the camera module <NUM> of <FIG>) according to embodiments of the disclosure. Referring to <FIG>, the camera module <NUM> may include a lens assembly <NUM>, a flash <NUM>, an image sensor <NUM>, an image stabilizer <NUM>, memory <NUM> (e.g., buffer memory), or an image signal processor <NUM>. In some embodiments, the lens assembly <NUM> may include the image sensor <NUM>. The lens assembly <NUM> may collect light emitted or reflected from an object whose image is to be taken. The lens assembly <NUM> may include one or more lenses. According to an embodiment, the camera module <NUM> may include a plurality of lens assemblies <NUM>. In such a case, the camera module <NUM> may form, for example, a dual camera, a <NUM>-degree camera, or a spherical camera. Some of the plurality of lens assemblies <NUM> may have the same lens attribute (e.g., field of view, focal length, auto-focusing, f number, or optical zoom), or at least one lens assembly may have one or more lens attributes different from those of another lens assembly. The lens assembly <NUM> may include, for example, a wide-angle lens or a telephoto lens.

The flash <NUM> may emit light that is used to reinforce light reflected from an object. According to an embodiment, the flash <NUM> may include one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs) (e.g., a red-green-blue (RGB) LED, a white LED, an infrared (IR) LED, or an ultraviolet (UV) LED) or a xenon lamp. The image sensor <NUM> may obtain an image corresponding to an object by converting light emitted or reflected from the object and transmitted via the lens assembly <NUM> into an electrical signal. According to an embodiment, the image sensor <NUM> may include one selected from image sensors having different attributes, such as a RGB sensor, a black-and-white (BW) sensor, an IR sensor, or a UV sensor, a plurality of image sensors having the same attribute, or a plurality of image sensors having different attributes. Each image sensor included in the image sensor <NUM> may be implemented using, for example, a charged coupled device (CCD) sensor or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensor.

The image stabilizer <NUM> may move the image sensor <NUM> or at least one lens included in the lens assembly <NUM> in a particular direction, or control an operational attribute (e.g., adjust the read-out timing) of the image sensor <NUM> in response to the movement of the camera module <NUM> or the electronic device <NUM> including the camera module <NUM>. This allows compensating for at least part of a negative effect (e.g., image blurring) by the movement on an image being captured. According to an embodiment, the image stabilizer <NUM> may sense such a movement by the camera module <NUM> or the electronic device (e.g., the electronic device <NUM> of <FIG>) using a gyro sensor (not shown) or an acceleration sensor (not shown) disposed inside or outside the camera module <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the image stabilizer <NUM> may be implemented, for example, as an optical image stabilizer. The memory <NUM> may store, at least temporarily, at least part of an image obtained via the image sensor <NUM> for a subsequent image processing task. For example, if image capturing is delayed due to shutter lag or multiple images are quickly captured, a raw image obtained (e.g., a Bayer-patterned image, a high-resolution image) may be stored in the memory <NUM>, and its corresponding copy image (e.g., a low-resolution image) may be previewed via the display module <NUM> of <FIG>. Thereafter, if a specified condition is met (e.g., by a user's input or system command), at least part of the raw image stored in the memory <NUM> may be obtained and processed, for example, by the image signal processor <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the memory <NUM> may be configured as at least part of the memory (e.g., the memory <NUM> of <FIG>) or as a separate memory that is operated independently from the memory.

The image signal processor <NUM> may perform one or more image processing with respect to an image obtained via the image sensor <NUM> or an image stored in the memory <NUM>. The one or more image processing may include, for example, depth map generation, three-dimensional (3D) modeling, panorama generation, feature point extraction, image synthesizing, or image compensation (e.g., noise reduction, resolution adjustment, brightness adjustment, blurring, sharpening, or softening). Additionally or alternatively, the image signal processor <NUM> may perform control (e.g., exposure time control or read-out timing control) with respect to at least one (e.g., the image sensor <NUM>) of the components included in the camera module <NUM>. An image processed by the image signal processor <NUM> may be stored back in the memory <NUM> for further processing, or may be provided to an external component (e.g., the memory <NUM>, the display module <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM>, or the server <NUM> of <FIG>) outside the camera module <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the image signal processor <NUM> may be configured as at least part of the processor (e.g., the processor <NUM> of <FIG>), or as a separate processor that is operated independently from the processor <NUM>. If the image signal processor <NUM> is configured as a separate processor from the processor <NUM>, at least one image processed by the image signal processor <NUM> may be displayed, by the processor <NUM>, via the display device <NUM> as it is or after being further processed.

According to an embodiment, the electronic device (e.g., the electronic device <NUM> of <FIG>) may include a plurality of camera modules <NUM> having different attributes or functions. In such a case, at least one of the plurality of camera modules <NUM> may form, for example, a wide-angle camera and at least another of the plurality of camera modules180 may form a telephoto camera. Similarly, at least one of the plurality of camera modules <NUM> may form, for example, a front camera and at least another of the plurality of camera modules <NUM> may form a rear camera.

The electronic device according to various embodiments may be one of various types of devices.

Embodiments as set forth herein may be implemented as software (e.g., the program) including one or more instructions that are stored in a storage medium (e.g., internal memory or external memory) that is readable by a machine (e.g., the electronic device). For example, a processor (e.g., the processor) of the machine (e.g., the electronic device) may invoke at least one of the one or more instructions stored in the storage medium, and execute it, with or without using one or more other components under the control of the processor.

According to embodiments, each component (e.g., a module or a program) of the above-described components may include a single entity or multiple entities. Some of the plurality of entities may be separately disposed in different components. According to embodiments, one or more of the above-described components may be omitted, or one or more other components may be added. According to embodiments, operations performed by the module, the program, or another component may be carried out sequentially, in parallel, repeatedly, or heuristically, or one or more of the operations may be executed in a different order or omitted, or one or more other operations may be added.

<FIG> is a front perspective view illustrating an electronic device <NUM> (e.g., the electronic device <NUM> of <FIG>) according to an embodiment of the disclosure. <FIG> is a rear perspective view illustrating the electronic device <NUM> as illustrated in <FIG>.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, according to an embodiment, an electronic device <NUM> (e.g., the electronic device <NUM> of <FIG>) may include a housing <NUM> including a first surface (or front surface) 310A, a second surface (or rear surface) 310B, and a side surface 310C surrounding a space between the first surface 310A and the second surface 310B. According to another embodiment (not shown), the housing <NUM> may denote a structure forming part of the first surface 310A, the second surface 310B, and the side surface 310C of <FIG>. According to an embodiment, the first surface 310A may be formed by a front plate <NUM> (e.g., a glass plate or polymer plate with various coat layers) at least part of which is substantially transparent. According to another embodiment, the front plate <NUM> may be coupled with the housing <NUM> and, along with the housing <NUM>, may form an internal space. According to an embodiment, the 'internal space' may mean a space, as an internal space of the housing <NUM>, for receiving at least part of the display device <NUM> of <FIG> or the display <NUM> described below.

According to an embodiment, the second surface 310B may be formed of a substantially opaque back plate <NUM>. The rear plate <NUM> may be formed of, e.g., laminated or colored glass, ceramic, polymer, metal (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel (STS), or magnesium), or a combination of at least two thereof. The side surface 310C may be formed by a side bezel structure (or a "side member") <NUM> that couples to the front plate <NUM> and the rear plate <NUM> and includes a metal and/or polymer. According to an embodiment, the rear plate <NUM> and the side bezel structure <NUM> may be integrally formed together and include the same material (e.g., a metal, such as aluminum).

In the embodiment illustrated, the front plate <NUM> may include two first regions 310D, which seamlessly and bendingly extend from the first surface 310A to the rear plate <NUM>, on both the long edges of the front plate <NUM>. In the embodiment (refer to <FIG>) illustrated, the rear plate <NUM> may include two second regions 310E, which seamlessly and bendingly extend from the second surface 310B to the front plate, on both the long edges. According to an embodiment, the front plate <NUM> (or the rear plate <NUM>) may include only one of the first regions 310D (or the second regions 310E). According to another embodiment, the first regions 310D or the second regions 301E may partially be excluded. In the above-described embodiments, at side view of the electronic device <NUM>, the side bezel structure <NUM> may have a first thickness (or width) for sides (e.g., the side where the connector hole <NUM> is formed) that do not have the first regions 310D or the second regions 310E and a second thickness, which is smaller than the first thickness, for sides (e.g., the side where the key input device <NUM> is disposed) that have the first regions 310D or the second regions 310E.

According to an embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may include at least one or more of a display <NUM>, audio modules <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM>, sensor modules <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM>, camera modules <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> (e.g., the camera module <NUM> or <NUM> of <FIG> or <FIG>), key input devices <NUM>, a light emitting device <NUM>, and connector holes <NUM> and <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may exclude at least one (e.g., the key input device <NUM> or the light emitting device <NUM>) of the components or may add other components.

The display <NUM> (e.g., the display module <NUM> of <FIG>) may be exposed through a significant portion of the front plate <NUM>. According to an embodiment, at least a portion of the display <NUM> may be exposed through the front plate <NUM> forming the first surface 310A and the first regions 310D of the side surface 310C. According to an embodiment, the edge of the display <NUM> may be formed to be substantially the same in shape as an adjacent outer edge of the front plate <NUM>. According to another embodiment (not shown), the interval between the outer edge of the display <NUM> and the outer edge of the front plate <NUM> may remain substantially even to give a larger area of exposure the display <NUM>.

According to another embodiment (not shown), the screen display region (e.g., the active region), or a region (e.g., the inactive region) off the screen display region, of the display <NUM> may have a recess or opening in a portion thereof, and at least one or more of the audio module <NUM> (e.g., the audio module <NUM> of <FIG>), sensor module <NUM> (e.g., the sensor module <NUM> of <FIG>), camera module <NUM>, and light emitting device <NUM> may be aligned with the recess or opening. According to another embodiment (not shown), at least one or more of the audio module <NUM>, sensor module <NUM>, camera module <NUM>, fingerprint sensor <NUM>, and light emitting device <NUM> may be included on the rear surface of the screen display region of the display <NUM>. According to an embodiment (not shown), the display <NUM> may be disposed to be coupled with, or adjacent, a touch detecting circuit, a pressure sensor capable of measuring the strength (pressure) of touches, and/or a digitizer for detecting a magnetic field-type stylus pen. According to an embodiment, at least part of the sensor modules <NUM> and <NUM> and/or at least part of the key input device <NUM> may be disposed in the first regions 310D and/or the second regions 310E.

The audio modules <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> may include a microphone hole <NUM> and speaker holes <NUM> and <NUM>. The microphone hole <NUM> may have a microphone inside to obtain external sounds. According to an embodiment, there may be a plurality of microphones to be able to detect the direction of a sound. The speaker holes <NUM> and <NUM> may include an external speaker hole <NUM> and a phone receiver hole <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the speaker holes <NUM> and <NUM> and the microphone hole <NUM> may be implemented as a single hole, or speakers may be rested without the speaker holes <NUM> and <NUM> (e.g., piezo speakers).

The sensor modules <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> may generate an electrical signal or data value corresponding to an internal operating state or external environmental state of the electronic device <NUM>. The sensor modules <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> may include a first sensor module <NUM> (e.g., a proximity sensor) disposed on the first surface 310A of the housing <NUM>, and/or a second sensor module (not shown) (e.g., a fingerprint sensor), and/or a third sensor module <NUM> (e.g., a heart-rate monitor (HRM) sensor) disposed on the second surface 310B of the housing <NUM>, and/or a fourth sensor module <NUM> (e.g., a fingerprint sensor). The fingerprint sensor may be disposed on the second surface 310B as well as the first surface 310A (e.g., the display <NUM>) of the housing <NUM>. The electronic device <NUM> may include a sensor module not shown, e.g., at least one of a gesture sensor, a gyro sensor, a barometric sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a grip sensor, a color sensor, an infrared (IR) sensor, a biometric sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or an illuminance sensor.

The camera modules <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> may include a first camera device <NUM> disposed on the first surface 310A of the electronic device <NUM>, and a second camera device <NUM> and/or a flash <NUM> disposed on the second surface 310B. The camera modules <NUM> and <NUM> may include one or more lenses, an image sensor, and/or an image signal processor. The flash <NUM> may include, e.g., a light emitting diode (LED) or a xenon lamp. According to an embodiment, two or more lenses (an infrared (IR) camera, a wide-angle lens, and a telescopic lens) and image sensors may be disposed on one surface of the electronic device <NUM>.

The key input device <NUM> may be disposed on the side surface 310C of the housing <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may exclude all or some of the above-mentioned key input devices <NUM> and the excluded key input devices <NUM> may be implemented in other forms, e.g., as soft keys, on the display <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the key input device may include the sensor module <NUM> disposed on the second surface 310B of the housing <NUM>.

The light emitting device <NUM> may be disposed on, e.g., the first surface 310A of the housing <NUM>. The light emitting device <NUM> may provide, e.g., information about the state of the electronic device <NUM> in the form of light. According to an embodiment, the light emitting device <NUM> may provide a light source that interacts with, e.g., the camera module <NUM>. The light emitting device <NUM> may include, e.g., a light emitting diode (LED), an infrared (IR) LED, or a xenon lamp.

The connector holes <NUM> and <NUM> may include a first connector hole <NUM> for receiving a connector (e.g., a universal serial bus (USB) connector) for transmitting or receiving power and/or data to/from an external electronic device and/or a second connector hole <NUM> (e.g., an earphone jack) for receiving a connector for transmitting or receiving audio signals to/from the external electronic device.

<FIG> is a view illustrating a configuration of a lens assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure. <FIG> is a view illustrating an example of an imaging plane of an image sensor in the lens assembly of <FIG>.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, a lens assembly <NUM> (e.g., the lens assembly <NUM> and/or the image sensor <NUM> of <FIG>) according to an embodiment of the disclosure includes a plurality of lenses L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, L6, and L7. Further, the lens assembly <NUM> may optionally include an infrared cut filter F, and/or an image sensor S (e.g., an imaging plane img). According to an embodiment, the infrared cut filter F may be omitted or replaced with a band pass filter. In another embodiment, the infrared cut filter F and/or the image sensor S (e.g., the image sensor <NUM> of <FIG>) may be described as a separate component from the lens assembly <NUM>. For example, the infrared cut filter F and/or the image sensor (S) <NUM> may be equipped in an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, or <NUM> of <FIG> or <FIG>) or an optical device (e.g., the camera module <NUM> or <NUM> of <FIG> or <FIG>), and a plurality of lenses L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, L6, and L7 constituting the lens assembly <NUM> may be mounted in the electronic device or optical device in a state of being aligned with the infrared cut filter F and/or the image sensor (S) <NUM> on the optical axis O. In an embodiment, at least one of the lenses L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, L6, and L7 may reciprocate along the optical axis O direction. The electronic device (e.g., the electronic device <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, or <NUM> of <FIG> or <FIG>) or the processor <NUM> of <FIG> may perform focusing or focal length adjustment by reciprocating at least one of the lenses L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, L6, and L7. In another embodiment, the lens assembly <NUM> may be disposed as any one of the camera modules <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> of <FIG> or <FIG>.

In this embodiment, the plurality of lenses L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, L6, and L7 include a first lens L1, a second lens L2, a third lens L3, a fourth lens L4, a fifth lens L5, a sixth lens L6, and a seventh lens L7 sequentially arranged along the optical axis O direction from the object side obj to the image sensor (S) <NUM> (e.g., the imaging plane img). For example, the lenses L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, L6, and L7, along with the image sensor (S) <NUM>, may be aligned on the optical axis O. In an embodiment, the lens assembly <NUM> may further include an aperture disposed between the second lens L2 and the third lens L3. "Between the second lens L2 and the third lens L3" may include the image sensor-side surface S5 of the second lens L2 and the object-side surface S7 of the third lens L3. For example, as will be discussed through the lens data of the tables below, either the image sensor-side surface S5 of the second lens L2 or the object-side surface S7 of the third lens L3 may be provided as an aperture. One or more of the plurality of lenses L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, L6, and L7 may be formed of a plastic material and/or a glass material.

According to an embodiment, each of the lenses L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, L6, and L7 may include an object obj-side surface and an image sensor S, <NUM>-side surface. In describing various embodiments below, for the sake of brevity of the drawings, it should be noted that some of the object-side surface(s) and image sensor-side surface(s) of the lenses L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, L6, and L7 omit reference numerals in the drawings. In the following detailed description, the object-side surface or image sensor-side surface of the lens(es) may be assigned the reference denotation 'Sd' while referring to the natural number 'd', and the reference numerals omitted from the drawings may be easily appreciated through the tables described below in connection with the lens data of the embodiments or by referring to <FIG>. In the tables described below, the symbol '*' may be added to the lens surface, which is an aspheric surface, and some reference numbers may not be actual lens surfaces. For example, the reference position of the structure which is omitted from the drawings but disposes a cover window may be denoted by 'S1' in the tables and, in specifying the position of the structure considered in the design of the lens assembly <NUM>, the reference numeral of the lens surface may be given in the tables although omitted from the drawings. In some embodiments, 'sto' may be added to the surface provided as an aperture among the lens surfaces, and 'S17' and 'S18' may denote the object-side surface and the image sensor-side of the infrared cut filter F.

In the following detailed description, the term "concave" or "convex" is used in describing the shapes of the object-side surfaces or image sensor-side surfaces of the lenses L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, L6, and L7. The reference to the shape of the lens surface may describe the shape of the point crossing the optical axis O, unless otherwise stated. "The object-side surface is concave' may describe a shape in which the center of the radius of curvature of the object-side surface is positioned on the side of the object obj rather than the object-side surface. "The object-side surface is convex' may describe a shape in which the center of the radius of curvature of the object-side surface is positioned on the side of the image sensor S rather than the object-side surface. "The image sensor-side surface is concave' may describe a shape in which the center of the radius of curvature of the image sensor-side surface is positioned on the side of the image sensor S rather than the image sensor-side surface. "The image sensor-side surface is convex' may describe a shape in which the center of the radius of curvature of the image sensor-side surface is positioned on the side of the object obj rather than the image sensor-side surface. For example, in <FIG>, the object-side surface S2 of the first lens L1 may be understood as convex, and the image sensor-side surface S16 of the seventh lens L7 may be understood as concave.

According to an embodiment, at least one of the lenses L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, L6, and L7 may be an aspheric lens including an inflection point IP. "Inflection point IP" may mean a boundary between an area where the center of the radius of curvature is positioned on the object obj side and an area where the center of the radius of curvature is positioned on the image sensor S side in one lens surface. For example, the chief portion of the object-side surface S15 of the sixth lens L6 may have the center of the radius of curvature positioned on the image sensor S side, and the marginal portion around the chief portion may have the center of the radius of curvature positioned on the object obj side. The point at which the position of the radius of curvature is changed may be referred to as an inflection point IP. When the lens assembly <NUM> includes at least one aspheric lens or at least one aspheric lens including an inflection point IP, it may be easy to mitigate field curvature.

In the embodiment to be described below, the 'overall length OAL' of the lens assembly <NUM> may describe the distance from the object-side surface S2 of the first lens L1 to the imaging plane img on the optical axis O. In an embodiment, the 'back focal length bfl(LL)" of the lens assembly <NUM> may be the distance between the first lens (e.g., the seventh lens L7) from the image sensor S and the image sensor S (e.g., the imaging plane img) and may be the distance measured along a direction parallel to the optical axis O. In another embodiment, the 'Y-image height YIH' of the lens assembly <NUM>, the image sensor S, or the imaging plane img may be understood as the maximum image height of, e.g., the image sensor S or the imaging plane img. 'Image height" may be defined as the distance between any one point on the imaging plane img and the optical axis O (e.g., a point crossing the optical axis O on the imaging plane img). In an embodiment, when the imaging plane img has a rectangular shape including long edges LE and short edges SE, the Y-image height YIH or the maximum image height may be understood as half of the diagonal length of the imaging plane img.

The first lens L1 which is first disposed from the object obj side includes an object-side surface S2 having a positive refractive power and being convex. When the first lens L1 has positive refractive power, the size of the overall luminous flux is reduced, making it easy to downsize the lens assembly <NUM> and to reduce the f-number to <NUM> or less. According to an embodiment, when the first lens L1 is an aspheric lens, it may be easy to correct spherical aberration. As the first lens L1 has an Abbe's number Vd1 of about <NUM> or more, the lens assembly may be further reduced in size than other lens assemblies having the same brightness (e.g., F-number) and have higher brightness performance than other lens assemblies with the same size. According to the invention, the lens assembly <NUM> has a F-number Fno of about <NUM> or less and is about <NUM> or more. In the invention, considering the refractive power distribution or arrangement of the lenses L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, L6, and L7 in the lens assembly <NUM>, the Abbe's number Vd1 of the first lens L1 is limited to about <NUM> or less. In an embodiment, at least one of the lenses L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, L6, and L7 (e.g., the first lens) may include a glass material in securing conditions regarding the brightness performance or Abbe's number of the lens assembly <NUM>. In another embodiment, considering ease of manufacture in shaping the lenses L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, L6, and L7, at least one of the lenses L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, L6, and L7 may include a plastic material. For example, the material of the lens(es) L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, L6, and L7 may be appropriately selected considering design specifications of the lens assembly <NUM> or ease of manufacture.

The second lens L2 disposed second from the object obj side includes a convex object-side surface S4 having negative refractive power. The third lens L3 disposed third from the object obj side includes a convex object-side surface S7 having positive refractive power. The fourth lens L4 disposed fourth from the object obj side includes a concave object-side surface S9 having negative refractive power. While having the refractive power and lens surface shapes of the first to fourth lenses L1, L2, L3, and L4, the lens assembly <NUM> meets the condition of Equation <NUM> below.

Here, 'f(L-<NUM>)' is the focal length of the second lens ( the sixth lens L6) from the image sensor S side, and 'f(L)' is the focal length of the first lens ( the seventh lens L7) from the image sensor S side. In an embodiment, in the lens assembly <NUM>, the calculated value according to Equation <NUM> may be about -<NUM> or more. According to an embodiment, when the condition of Equation <NUM> is met, the lens assembly <NUM> may secure the relative illumination necessary for obtaining an image in an area that has been enlarged about <NUM> times the Y-image height YIH. For example, in the image stabilization operation, although the lens(es) L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, L6, and L7 and the image sensor S move relative to each other on a plane perpendicular to the optical axis O, the lens assembly <NUM> may obtain an image of good quality. If the relative displacement of the lens(es) L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, L6, and L7 and the image sensor S is allowed by an angle of about <NUM> degrees in a general image stabilization operation, when the condition of Equation <NUM> is met, the relative displacement of the lens(es) L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, L6, and L7 and the image sensor S may be allowed up to an angle of about <NUM> degrees. For example, the lens assembly <NUM> according to an embodiment of the disclosure may enhance the image stabilization performance or quality of the obtained image by meeting the condition of Equation <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the lens assembly <NUM> may have a back focal length bfl(LL) meeting the condition of Equation <NUM> below.

The back focal length bfl(LL) is the distance between the first lens (e.g., the seventh lens L7) on the side of the image sensor S and the imaging plane img as mentioned above, and the unit may be 'mm'. According to an embodiment, by meeting the condition of Equation <NUM>, the degree of design freedom in disposing the infrared cut filter F may be increased. In another embodiment, as a sufficient distance is secured between the seventh lens L7 and the image sensor S, even when the diameters of the lens(es) L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, L6, and L7 reduce, the lens assembly <NUM> may provide optical performance to match the image sensor S of a sufficiently large size (e.g., about <NUM>/<NUM> inch to <NUM> inch size). In an embodiment, the back focal length bfl(LL) may be about <NUM> or less.

According to an embodiment, the lens assembly <NUM> may meet the following condition of Equation <NUM> in the correlation between the overall length OAL and the Y-image height YIH.

For example, as described above, the lens assembly <NUM> may be downsized while the image stabilization performance or image quality is enhanced. In an embodiment, the calculated value of Equation <NUM> may be about <NUM> or more.

According to an embodiment, in the lens assembly <NUM>, the refractive index of the fifth lens L5 may be about <NUM> or more to implement a modulation transfer function (MTF) and control aberration. When the refractive index of the fifth lens L5 is less than <NUM>, aberration control may be difficult or the image quality of the marginal portion may be degraded. In an embodiment, the refractive index of the fifth lens L5 may be <NUM> or less.

According to an embodiment, the lens assembly <NUM> may meet the condition of Equation <NUM> below in the overall focal length f and the focal length f1 of the first lens L1.

For example, in the relationship between the total focal length f and the focal length f1 of the first lens L1, over the upper limit of Equation <NUM>, aberration correction (e.g., correction of spherical aberration) may be difficult due to the refractive power of the first lens L1 and, below the lower limit, it may be difficult to correct the coma aberration and to reduce the size of the lens assembly <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, in the thickness of the first to fourth lenses L1, L2, L3, and L4, the lens assembly <NUM> may meet the condition of Equation <NUM> below. In Equation <NUM>, 'Dd' may be the thickness of the dth lens along the optical axis.

In an embodiment, when the lens assembly <NUM> meets the condition of Equation <NUM>, it may be easy to design the refractive power distribution and arrangement of the lenses L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, L6, and L7 as well as to implement a modulation transfer function or control aberrations. In an embodiment, in the relation between the thicknesses of the first to fourth lenses L1, L2, L3, and L4, the calculated value according to Equation <NUM> may be about <NUM> or more.

According to an embodiment, the lens assembly <NUM> may further include an optical member R disposed on the object obj side than the first lens L1. The optical member R may reflect or refract the external light incident along a first direction d1 crossing the optical axis O to travel in a second direction d2. The second direction d2 may be substantially parallel to the optical axis O, for example. For example, when the optical member R is included, the lens assembly <NUM> may obtain an image of the subject or object obj_r disposed in the first direction d1. In an embodiment, the first direction d1 may be substantially parallel to the Z-axis direction of <FIG> or <FIG>, and the second direction d2 or the optical axis O may be substantially parallel to the XY plane of <FIG> or <FIG>. The lens assembly <NUM> may guide or focus light traveling in the second direction d2 to the image sensor S. In another embodiment, the lens assembly <NUM> may not include the optical member R. When the optical member R is not included, the optical axis O may be disposed parallel to any one of the X-axis, Y-axis, or Z-axis of <FIG> or <FIG>. In another embodiment, the lens assembly <NUM> may further include a second optical member (not shown). For example, the second optical member may be disposed between the first lens (e.g., the seventh lens L7) on the side of the image sensor S and the image sensor S and refract or reflect the light, guided or focused by the lenses L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, L6, and L7 to be incident along the optical axis O direction, in a direction crossing the optical axis O and guide it to the image sensor S. For example, unlike the illustrated embodiment, the image sensor S may be disposed to receive light in a direction crossing the optical axis O shown in <FIG>.

As described above, the lens assembly <NUM> according to embodiments may reduce the F-number and extend the angular range in the image stabilization operation by controlling the Abbe's number of the first lens L1 and the focal lengths of the sixth lens L6 and seventh lens L7. In an embodiment, the lens assembly <NUM> may easily be downsized by securing a distance between the first lens (e.g., the seventh lens L7) on the side of the image sensor S and the image sensor S and have an enhanced freedom of design in disposing the infrared cut filter F. In another embodiment, considering aberration correction, the focal length of the first lens L1 relative to the entire focal length of the lens assembly <NUM> may be properly selected in a designated range.

<FIG> is a view illustrating a configuration of a lens assembly <NUM> (e.g., the lens assembly <NUM> of <FIG>) according to an embodiment of the disclosure. <FIG> are graphs illustrating spherical aberration, astigmatism, and distortion rate of a lens assembly <NUM> according to an embodiment of the disclosure. <FIG> is a graph illustrating the relative illumination of a lens assembly <NUM> according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

<FIG> is a graph showing the spherical aberration of the lens assembly <NUM> according to one of embodiments of the disclosure. The horizontal axis denotes the coefficient of the longitudinal spherical aberration, and the vertical axis denotes the normalized distance from the center of the optical axis. Variations in the longitudinal spherical aberration according to the wavelength of light are shown. <FIG> is a graph illustrating astigmatism of the lens assembly <NUM> according to one of embodiments of the disclosure, and <FIG> is a graph illustrating a distortion rate of the lens assembly <NUM> according to one of embodiments of the disclosure. <FIG> exemplifies the relative illumination according to the distance from the optical axis O on the imaging plane img, with the illumination of the point crossing the optical axis O defined as <NUM>%, on the imaging plane img.

In the lens assembly <NUM> of <FIG>, the image sensor-side surface S5 of the second lens L2 may be provided as an aperture, and the lens assembly <NUM> may further include an optical member(s) (e.g., the optical member R of <FIG>) for refracting or reflecting the incident light. In an embodiment, the focal length of the lens assembly <NUM> may be about <NUM>, the field of view (FOV) may be about <NUM> degrees, and the F-number may be about <NUM>. In the absence of the image stabilization operation, the lens assembly <NUM> has a Y-image height YIH of about <NUM>, and the Y-image height YIH in the image stabilization operation may be extended to about <NUM>. The lens assembly <NUM> and/or the lenses L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, L6, and L7 may be manufactured to have the specifications shown in Table <NUM> while meeting the above-described conditions regarding refractive power, lens surface shape and/or refractive index.

Tables <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> below show the aspheric coefficients of the first to seventh lenses L1 to L7, and a definition of aspherical surface may be obtained by Equation <NUM> as follows: <MAT>.

Here, 'z' may mean the distance from the vertex of the lens in the direction of the optical axis O, 'y' the distance in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis O, 'c' the reciprocal of the radius of curvature at the vertex of the lens, 'k' the conic constant, and each of 'A', 'B', 'C', 'D', 'E', 'F', 'G', 'H', 'J', ' K', 'L', 'M', 'N', and 'O' the aspheric coefficient.

In the lens assembly <NUM> of <FIG>, the image sensor-side surface S5 of the second lens L2 may be provided as an aperture, and the lens assembly <NUM> may further include an optical member(s) (e.g., the optical member R of <FIG>) for refracting or reflecting the incident light. In an embodiment, the focal length of the lens assembly <NUM> may be about <NUM>, the field of view may be about <NUM> degrees, and the F-number may be about <NUM>. In the absence of the image stabilization operation, the lens assembly <NUM> has a Y-image height YIH of about <NUM>, and the Y-image height YIH in the image stabilization operation may be extended to about <NUM>. The lens assembly <NUM> and/or the lenses L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, L6, and L7 may be manufactured to have the specifications shown in Table <NUM> while meeting the above-described conditions regarding refractive power, lens surface shape and/or refractive index and may have the aspheric coefficients of Tables <NUM> to <NUM>.

In the lens assembly <NUM> of <FIG>, the image sensor-side surface S5 of the second lens L2 may be provided as an aperture, and the lens assembly <NUM> may further include an optical member(s) (e.g., the optical member R of <FIG>) for refracting or reflecting the incident light. In an embodiment, the focal length of the lens assembly <NUM> may be about <NUM>, the field of view may be about <NUM> degrees, and the F-number may be about <NUM>. In the absence of the image stabilization operation, the lens assembly has a Y-image height YIH of about <NUM>, and the Y-image height YIH in the image stabilization operation may be extended to about <NUM>. The lens assembly <NUM> and/or the lenses L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, L6, and L7 may be manufactured to have the specifications shown in Table <NUM> while meeting the above-described conditions regarding refractive power, lens surface shape and/or refractive index and may have the aspheric coefficients of Tables <NUM> to <NUM>.

The lens assemblies <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> of the above-described embodiments <NUM> to <NUM> may have a low F-number and an extended image stabilization range by having the following calculation values regarding Equation <NUM> to Equation <NUM>.

As described above, according to the disclosure, a lens assembly (e.g., the lens assembly <NUM> of <FIG>) and/or an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, or <NUM> of <FIG>) including the same comprises at least seven lenses (e.g., the lenses L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, L6, and L7 of <FIG>) sequentially arranged along an optical axis (e.g., the optical axis O of <FIG>) direction from an object (e.g., the object obj of <FIG>) side to an image sensor (e.g., the image sensor S of <FIG>) side. A first lens (e.g., the first lens L1 of <FIG>) first disposed from the object side among the at least seven lenses includes a convex object-side surface (e.g., the surface denoted by 'S2' of <FIG>) having a positive refractive power. A second lens (e.g., the second lens L2 of <FIG>) second disposed from the object side among the at least seven lenses includes a convex object-side surface (e.g., the surface denoted by 'S4' of <FIG>) having a negative refractive power. A third lens (e.g., the third lens L3 of <FIG>) third disposed from the object side among the at least seven lenses includes a convex object-side surface (e.g., the surface denoted by 'S7' of <FIG>) having a positive refractive power. A fourth lens (e.g., the fourth lens L4 of <FIG>) fourth disposed from the object side among the at least seven lenses includes a concave object-side surface (e.g., the surface denoted by 'S9' of <FIG>) having a negative refractive power. The lens assembly meets Conditional equation <NUM> and Conditional equation <NUM>. <MAT> <MAT> wherein 'Vd1' is an Abbe's number of the first lens, 'f(L-<NUM>)' is a focal length of the second lens (e.g., the sixth lens L6 of <FIG>) from the image sensor side, and 'f(L)' is a focal length of the first lens (e.g., the seventh lens L7 of <FIG>) from the image sensor side.

According to an embodiment, the lens assembly and/or the electronic device further comprises an aperture (e.g., the image sensor-side surface S5 of the second lens L2 of <FIG>) disposed between the second lens and the third lens.

According to an embodiment, the lens assembly and/or the electronic device meets Conditional equation <NUM> below. <MAT> wherein 'bfl(LL)' is a distance between the first lens from the image sensor side among the at least seven lenses and the image sensor (e.g., the imaging plane img of <FIG>), measured in mm along a direction parallel to the optical axis.

According to an embodiment, the lens assembly and/or the electronic device meets Conditional equation <NUM> below. <MAT> wherein 'OAL' is a distance measured on the optical axis from an object-side surface (e.g., the surface denoted by 'S2' of <FIG>) of the first lens to an imaging plane of the image sensor, and 'YIH' is a maximum image height (e.g., the Y-image height YIH of <FIG>) of the imaging plane.

According to an embodiment, the lens assembly and/or the electronic device meets Conditional equation <NUM> below. <MAT> wherein 'Fno' is an F number of the lens assembly.

According to an embodiment, the lens assembly and/or the electronic device meets Conditional equation <NUM> below. <MAT> wherein 'N5' is a refractive index of a fifth lens (e.g., the fifth lens L5 of <FIG>) fifth disposed from the object side among the at least seven lenses.

According to an embodiment, the lens assembly and/or the electronic device meets Conditional equation <NUM> below. <MAT> wherein 'f is an overall focal length of the lens assembly, and 'f1' is a focal length of the first lens.

According to an embodiment, the lens assembly and/or the electronic device meets Conditional equation <NUM> below. <MAT> wherein 'D1' is a thickness of the first lens on the optical axis, 'D2' is a thickness of the second lens on the optical axis, 'D3' is a thickness of the third lens on the optical axis, and 'D4' is a thickness of the fourth lens on the optical axis.

According to an embodiment, at least one of the at least seven lenses is an aspheric lens including an inflection point (e.g., the inflection point IP of <FIG>).

According to an embodiment, at least the first lens among the at least seven lenses includes a glass material.

According to an embodiment, at least one lens among the at least seven lenses is configured to move back and forth along a direction of the optical axis.

According to an embodiment, the lens assembly and/or the electronic device including the same further comprises the image sensor configured to receive light focused or guided through the at least seven lenses.

According to an embodiment, the lens assembly and/or the electronic device including the same further comprises an optical member (e.g., the optical member R of <FIG>) disposed on the object side rather than the first lens to receive external light in a first direction crossing the optical axis direction and reflect or refract the light in a direction parallel to the optical axis.

According to the disclosure, an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, or <NUM> of <FIG>) comprises the lens assembly (e.g., the lens assembly <NUM> of <FIG>) according to the disclosure.

According to an embodiment, the electronic device further comprises the image sensor configured to receive light focused or guided through the at least seven lenses, the image sensor being aligned with the at least seven lenses on the optical axis.

According to an embodiment of the disclosure, an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, or <NUM> of <FIG>) comprises at least seven lenses (e.g., the lenses L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, L6, and L7 of <FIG>) sequentially arranged along an optical axis (e.g., the optical axis O of <FIG>) direction from an object (e.g., the object obj of <FIG>) side to an image sensor (e.g., the image sensor S of <FIG>) side, the image sensor preferably aligned with the at least seven lenses on the optical axis and configured to receive light focused and guided by the at least seven lenses, and a processor (e.g., the processor <NUM> of <FIG> or the image signal processor <NUM> of <FIG>) configured to obtain an image based on light received by the image sensor. According to the embodiment, a first lens (e.g., the first lens L1 of <FIG>) first disposed from the object side among the at least seven lenses includes a convex object-side surface (e.g., the surface denoted by 'S2' of <FIG>) having a positive refractive power. According to the embodiment, a second lens (e.g., the second lens L2 of <FIG>) second disposed from the object side among the at least seven lenses includes a convex object-side surface (e.g., the surface denoted by 'S4' of <FIG>) having a negative refractive power. According to the embodiment, a third lens (e.g., the third lens L3 of <FIG>) third disposed from the object side among the at least seven lenses includes a convex object-side surface (e.g., the surface denoted by 'S7' of <FIG>) having a positive refractive power. According to the embodiment, a fourth lens (e.g., the fourth lens L4 of <FIG>) fourth disposed from the object side among the at least seven lenses includes a concave object-side surface (e.g., the surface denoted by 'S9' of <FIG>) having a negative refractive power. According to the embodiment, the electronic device meets Conditional equation <NUM> and Conditional equation <NUM>. <MAT> <MAT> wherein 'Vd1' is an Abbe's number of the first lens, 'f(L-<NUM>)' is a focal length of the second lens (e.g., the sixth lens L6 of <FIG>) from the image sensor side, and 'f(L)' is a focal length of the first lens (e.g., the seventh lens L7 of <FIG>) from the image sensor side.

According to an embodiment, the electronic device meets Conditional equation <NUM>. <MAT> wherein 'bfl(LL)' is a distance between the first lens from the image sensor side among the at least seven lenses and the image sensor (e.g., the imaging plane img of <FIG>), measured in mm along a direction parallel to the optical axis.

According to an embodiment, the electronic device meets Conditional equation <NUM>. <MAT> wherein 'OAL' is a distance measured on the optical axis from an object-side surface of the first lens to an imaging plane of the image sensor, and 'YIH' is a maximum image height (e.g., the Y-image height YIH of <FIG>) of the imaging plane.

According to an embodiment, the electronic device meets Conditional equation <NUM> below. <MAT> wherein 'Fno' is an F number of the lens assembly.

According to an embodiment, the electronic device meets Conditional equation <NUM> below. <MAT> wherein 'N5' is a refractive index of a fifth lens (e.g., the fifth lens L5 of <FIG>) fifth disposed from the object side among the at least seven lenses.

According to an embodiment, the electronic device meets Conditional equation <NUM>. <MAT> wherein 'f' is an overall focal length of the lens assembly, and 'f1' is a focal length of the first lens. According to an embodiment, the electronic device meets Conditional equation <NUM>. <MAT> wherein 'D1' is a thickness of the first lens on the optical axis, 'D2' is a thickness of the second lens on the optical axis, 'D3' is a thickness of the third lens on the optical axis, and 'D4' is a thickness of the fourth lens on the optical axis.

Claim 1:
A lens assembly (<NUM>) comprising,
no more than seven lenses (L1-L7) sequentially arranged along an optical axis (O) direction from an object (obj) side to an image sensor (S) side,
wherein a first lens (L1) first disposed from the object (obj) side among the seven lenses (L1-L7) includes a convex object-side surface (S2) and a concave image sensor-side surface, and having a positive refractive power,
wherein a second lens (L2) second disposed from the object (obj) side among the seven lenses (L1-L7) includes a convex object-side surface (S4) and a concave image sensor-side surface, and having a negative refractive power,
wherein a third lens (L3) third disposed from the object (obj) side among the seven lenses (L1-L7) includes a convex object-side surface (S7) and a concave image sensor-side surface, and having a positive refractive power,
wherein a fourth lens (L4) fourth disposed from the object (obj) side among the seven lenses (L1-L7) includes a concave object-side surface (S9) and a concave image sensor-side surface, and having a negative refractive power,
wherein a fifth lens (L5) fifth disposed from the object (obj) side among the seven lenses (L1-L7) includes a convex object-side surface and a concave image sensor-side surface, and having a negative refractive power,
wherein a sixth lens (L6) sixth disposed from the object (obj) side among the seven lenses (L1-L7) includes a convex object-side surface and a concave image sensor-side surface, and having a positive refractive power,
wherein a seventh lens (L7) seventh disposed from the object (obj) side among the seven lenses (L1-L7) includes a convex object-side surface and a concave image sensor-side surface, and having a negative refractive power, and
wherein the lens assembly (<NUM>) meets Conditional equation <NUM>, Conditional equation <NUM>, and Conditional equation <NUM>, <MAT> <MAT> <MAT>
wherein 'Vd1' is an Abbe's number of the first lens (L1), 'f(L-<NUM>)' is a focal length of the second lens (L6) from the image sensor (S) side, 'f(L)' is a focal length of the first lens (L7) from the image sensor (S) side, and 'Fno' is an F number of the lens assembly (<NUM>).