Device for image stabilization of camera module

• US 20060082658A1
• Filed: 02/22/2005
• Published: 04/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Yoon, Young-Kwon, Lee, Yong-Gu
• Application Number:
  US11/063,162
• Publication Number:
  US 20060082658A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/208.700
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/68 for stable pick-up of the scene, e.g. compensating for camera body vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/687 by shifting the lens or sensor position

Abstract

A device for image stabilization of a camera module is disclosed. The device includes a housing; a moving unit for image stabilization, which is disposed in the housing so as to mount the image sensor and causes the image sensor to move horizontally/vertically for the purpose of image stabilization, a guide means disposed in the housing in order to guide the vertical/horizontal movement of the image sensor; and at least one connection means attached to the image sensor. The connection means is freely and multi-directionally deformable according to the movement of the image sensor, while maintaining electric connection with the printed circuit board.

Claims

1. A device for image stabilization of a camera module including an image sensor, an IR filter and a printed circuit board, the device for image stabilization includes:

a housing;

a moving unit that is disposed in the housing so as to mount the image sensor and causes the image sensor to move horizontally/vertically;

a guide means disposed in the housing in order to guide the vertical/horizontal movement of the image sensor; and

at least one connection means attached to the image sensor, the connection means being freely and multi-directionally deformable according to the movement of the image sensor, while maintaining electric connection with the printed circuit board.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing is disposed on a bottom of the printed circuit board and has a top opening and a closed bottom, and the guide means, the moving unit for image stabilization, the connection means and the IR filter are mounted through the top opening.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing takes the form of a rectangle.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the moving unit has an inner space opened for housing the image sensor, and the inner space has at least one ball hole at an outer circumference thereof, the ball hole being capable of receiving balls longitudinally in the direction of a lateral side of the moving unit, wherein the balls are provided so that they are received in the ball hole, are in close contact with the ball hole and can move rotationally according to the movement of the moving unit, while being engaged with and retained by the ball hole, along the longitudinal direction thereof.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the guide means includes at least one guide bar, a pair of guide members and at least one guide groove, wherein the guide bar is disposed along an inner circumference of the housing, the guide members are formed to protrude out from an outer circumference of the moving unit so that they can be coupled movably with the guide bars in order to guide the horizontal/vertical movement of the moving unit, and the guide grooves are formed on the outer circumference of the moving unit so that they can be coupled movably with the guide bars in order to guide the horizontal/vertical movement of the moving unit.

6. The device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the guide members are provided along the length of the lateral side of the moving unit, in parallel with each other on an equal line.

7. The device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the guide grooves are provided along the length of the lateral side of the moving unit.

8. The device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the guide bars are fixed by at least one fixing member disposed at each corner inside of the housing.

9. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connection means includes a main body attached to the image sensor and at least one connection member disposed along an outer circumference of the main body at equiangular intervals, wherein each connection member is connected and fixed to the main body at one end thereof, and remaining end of each connection member is capable of free and multi-directional deformation, while maintaining electric connection with the printed circuit board.

10. The device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the connection member is made of a flexible material.

11. The device as claimed in claim 9, wherein each connection member has a connector at one end thereof, the connector being electrically connected with another connector mounted on the printed circuit board.

12. The device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the connection members are disposed so that they protrude out from an equal line symmetrically as well as crossing each other.

13. The device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the connection members have a curvilinear shape.

14. The device as claimed in claim 9, wherein four connection members are disposed around the main body of the moving unit for image stabilization.

15. The device as claimed in claim 9, wherein two connection members are disposed around the main body of the moving unit for image stabilization.

16. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the image sensor is attached to the printed circuit board by means of an epoxy adhesive.

17. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the camera module is coupled to a phone.

18. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the camera module is coupled to an imaging device.

19. A device for image stabilization of an image sensor comprising:

a housing;

a moving unit, disposed in the housing, that causes the image sensor to move horizontally and/or vertically;

a guide means, disposed in the housing, that guides the vertical and/or horizontal movement of the image sensor; and

at least one connector that couples the image sensor to a printed circuit board.

20. The device as claimed in claim 19, wherein the connector is freely and multi-directionally deformable according to the movement of the image sensor, while maintaining electric connection with the printed circuit board.

21. The device as claimed in claim 19, wherein the moving unit has an inner space for the image sensor, the inner space has at least one hole at an outer circumference thereof, the hole being capable of receiving at least one circular object longitudinally in the direction of a lateral side of the moving unit, wherein the circular object can move rotationally according to the movement of the moving unit.

22. The device as claimed in claim 19, wherein the guide means includes at least one guide bar, a pair of guide members and at least one guide groove, wherein the guide bar is disposed along an inner circumference of the housing, the guide members are formed to protrude out from an outer circumference of the moving unit so that they can be coupled movably with the guide bars in order to guide the horizontal/vertical movement of the moving unit, and the guide grooves are formed on the outer circumference of the moving unit so that they can be coupled movably with the guide bars in order to guide the horizontal/vertical movement of the moving unit.

23. The device as claimed in claim 19, wherein the image sensor is coupled to a phone.

24. The device as claimed in claim 19, wherein the image sensor is coupled to an imaging device.