Camera modules with autofocus and optical image stabilization functions

• US 10,368,002 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2019
• Issued: 07/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Innotek Company Limited (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Corning Incorporated
• Inventors: Kunick, Joseph Marshall, Mehrotra, Karan, Soulliere, Mark J, Then, Paul Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Haliyur, Padma
• Application Number:
  US16/256,619
• Publication Number:
  US 20190158749A1
• Time in Patent Office: 187 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/646 compensating for small deviations, e.g. due to vibration or shake movement of one or more optical elements for control of motion blur in cameras, projectors or printers G03B2205/0007; image stabilisation in cameras peculiar to the presence or use of an electronic image sensor H04N23/68
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/14 of variable focal length
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/08 adapted to co-operate with a remote control mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/09 adapted for automatic focusing or varying magnification
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/54 Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/57 Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/67 Focus control based on electronic image sensor signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/687 by shifting the lens or sensor position

Abstract

A camera module includes an image sensor, a lens assembly, and a mechanical actuator. The lens assembly is positioned to focus an image on the image sensor and includes a variable focus lens. The mechanical actuator causes relative translation between the lens assembly and the image sensor in each of an X-direction parallel to a first lateral axis and a Y-direction parallel to a second lateral axis. The first lateral axis is substantially perpendicular to an optical axis of the lens assembly, and the second lateral axis substantially perpendicular to each of the optical axis and the first lateral axis. The lens assembly is fixed relative to the image sensor in each of a first rotational direction about the first lateral axis and a second rotational direction about the second lateral axis.

Claims

1. A camera module comprising:

an image sensor;

a lens assembly positioned to focus an image on the image sensor and comprising a liquid lens comprising a liquid interface; and

a mechanical actuator that causes relative translation between the lens assembly and the image sensor in each of an X-direction parallel to a first lateral axis and a Y-direction parallel to a second lateral axis, the first lateral axis substantially perpendicular to an optical axis of the lens assembly, and the second lateral axis substantially perpendicular to each of the optical axis and the first lateral axis;

wherein the lens assembly is fixed relative to the image sensor in each of a first rotational direction about the first lateral axis and a second rotational direction about the second lateral axis;

wherein a tilt of the liquid interface is adjustable to adjust a focal point of the lens assembly in at least one of the X-direction or the Y-direction to perform an optical image stabilization (OIS) function in two or more axes; and

wherein the liquid lens and the mechanical actuator cooperatively operate to perform the OIS function in four or more axes with mechanical motion limited to an X-Y plane.

2. The camera module of claim 1, wherein:

the four or more axes of the OIS function comprise pitch, yaw, the first lateral axis, and the second lateral axis; and

the X-Y plane of the mechanical motion comprises the first lateral axis and the second lateral axis.

3. The camera module of claim 1, wherein

the tilt of the liquid interface is adjustable in response to a relatively small movement of the camera module;

and

the mechanical actuator causes the relative translation between the lens assembly and the image sensor in response to a relatively large movement of the camera module.

4. The camera module of claim 3, wherein each of the relatively small movement and the relatively large movement is, independently, in one or more of the X-direction, the Y-direction, the first rotational direction, or the second rotational direction.

5. The camera module of claim 1, wherein both (a) the tilt of the liquid interface is adjusted and (b) the mechanical actuator causes the relative translation between the lens assembly and the image sensor to perform the OIS function.

6. The camera module of claim 1, wherein the liquid lens and the mechanical actuator cooperatively operate to perform the OIS function in five or more axes with mechanical motion in three or fewer axes.

7. The camera module of claim 6, wherein:

the five or more axes of the OIS function comprise pitch, yaw, roll, the first lateral axis, and the second lateral axis; and

the three or fewer axes of the mechanical motion comprise roll, the first lateral axis, and the second lateral axis.

8. The camera module of claim 6, wherein the mechanical actuator causes the relative translation between the lens assembly and the image sensor and a relative rotation between the lens assembly and the image sensor in a third rotational direction about the optical axis to perform the OIS function in three or more axes.

9. The camera module of claim 1, the mechanical actuator comprising:

a first actuating member that causes relative translation between the lens assembly and the image sensor in substantially only the X-direction; and

a second actuating member that causes relative translation between the lens assembly and the image sensor in substantially only the Y-direction;

whereby the first actuating member and the second actuating member cooperatively cause the relative translation between the lens assembly and the image sensor in each of the X-direction and the Y-direction.

10. The camera module of claim 9, wherein:

the first actuating member causes translation of one of the lens assembly or the image sensor without any substantial translation of the other of the lens assembly or the image sensor; and

the second actuating member causes translation of the other of the lens assembly or the image sensor without any substantial translation of the one of the lens assembly or the image sensor.

11. The camera module of claim 1, wherein the liquid interface is adjustable to perform an autofocus function.

12. The camera module of claim 11, wherein the lens assembly is fixed relative to the image sensor in a Z-direction parallel to the optical axis.

13. The camera module of claim 1, wherein a shape of the liquid interface is adjustable to adjust a focal length of the lens assembly.

14. The camera module of claim 1, comprising a control unit operatively coupled to each of the liquid lens and the mechanical actuator to control (a) the tilt of the liquid interface and (b) the relative translation between the lens assembly and the image sensor.

15. The camera module of claim 14, wherein:

the control unit adjusts the tilt of the liquid interface in response to a relatively small rotational movement of the camera module of greater than 0° and

at most 3°

; and

the control unit causes the relative translation between the lens assembly and the image sensor in response to a relatively large rotational movement of the camera module that is larger than the relatively small rotational movement.

16. A camera module comprising:

an image sensor;

a lens assembly positioned to focus an image on the image sensor and comprising a variable lens that is adjustable to cause lateral adjustment of a focal point of the lens assembly; and

a mechanical actuator that causes relative translation between the lens assembly and the image sensor in a lateral plane, the relative translation limited to the lateral plane;

wherein the lateral adjustment of the focal point of the lens assembly caused by the variable lens and the relative translation caused by the mechanical actuator cooperatively perform an optical image stabilization (OIS) function in four axes.

17. The camera module of claim 16, wherein the lateral adjustment of the focal point of the lens assembly caused by the variable lens and the relative translation caused by the mechanical actuator cooperatively perform the OIS function in the four axes with mechanical motion substantially limited to the lateral plane.

18. The camera module of claim 16, wherein the lens assembly is fixed relative to the image sensor in each of a pitch direction, a yaw direction, and a Z-direction perpendicular to the lateral plane.

19. The camera module of claim 16, wherein the mechanical actuator comprises a two-axis mechanical actuator.

20. The camera module of claim 19, wherein:

the mechanical actuator causes relative rotation between the lens assembly and the image sensor in a roll direction; and

the lateral adjustment of the focal point of the lens assembly caused by the variable lens, the relative translation caused by the mechanical actuator, and the relative rotation caused by the mechanical actuator cooperatively perform the OIS function in five axes with mechanical motion substantially limited to the lateral plane.

21. The camera module of claim 16, wherein:

the mechanical actuator causes relative rotation between the lens assembly and the image sensor in a roll direction; and

the lateral adjustment of the focal point of the lens assembly caused by the variable lens, the relative translation caused by the mechanical actuator, and the relative rotation caused by the mechanical actuator cooperatively perform the OIS function in five axes with mechanical motion substantially limited to the lateral plane.

22. The camera module of claim 21, wherein the five axes of the OIS function comprise pitch, yaw, roll, a first lateral axis of the lateral plane, and a second lateral axis of the lateral plane.

23. The camera module of claim 16, wherein:

the variable lens is a liquid lens comprising a liquid interface; and

a tilt of the liquid interface is adjustable to cause the lateral adjustment of the focal point of the lens assembly.

24. The camera module of claim 16, wherein

the variable lens is adjustable to cause the lateral adjustment of the focal point of the lens assembly in response to a relatively small movement of the camera module;

and

the mechanical actuator causes the relative translation between the lens assembly and the image sensor in response to a relatively large movement of the camera module.

25. The camera module of claim 24, wherein:

the relatively small movement of the camera module is a rotational movement of the camera module of greater than 0° and

at most 0.3°

; and

the relatively large movement of the camera module is a rotational movement of the camera module that is larger than the relatively small movement.

26. The camera module of claim 25, wherein:

the relatively small movement of the camera module is a rotational movement of the camera module of greater than 0° and

at most 0.1°

.

27. A camera module comprising:

an image sensor;

a lens assembly positioned to focus an image of an object on the image sensor and comprising a variable lens that is adjustable to cause lateral adjustment of a focal point of the lens assembly; and

a mechanical actuator that causes relative translation between the lens assembly and the image sensor in a lateral plane, the relative translation limited to the lateral plane;

wherein the variable lens and the mechanical actuator cooperate to maintain a position of the image on the image sensor as a position of the object shifts relative to the camera module.

28. The camera module of claim 27, wherein the variable lens and the mechanical actuator cooperate to maintain the position of the image on the image sensor as the position of the object shifts relative to the camera module in one or more of a pitch direction, a yaw direction, a first lateral direction substantially perpendicular to an optical axis of the lens assembly, or a second lateral direction substantially perpendicular to each of the optical axis of the lens assembly and the first lateral direction.

29. The camera module of claim 27, wherein:

the variable lens is a liquid lens comprising a liquid interface; and

a tilt of the liquid interface is adjustable to cause the lateral adjustment of the focal point of the lens assembly.

30. The camera module of claim 27, wherein the mechanical actuator comprises a two-axis mechanical actuator.