COMPOUND EYE CAMERA MODULE AND METHOD OF PRODUCING THE SAME

• US 20100225755A1
• Filed: 01/12/2007
• Published: 09/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Suenaga, Tatsutoshi, Tamaki, Satoshi, Imada, Katsumi
• Granted Patent: US 8,194,169 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/78
• 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 25/41 Extracting pixel data from a plurality of image sensors simultaneously picking up an image, e.g. for increasing the field of view by combining the outputs of a plurality of sensors

Abstract

An optical filter array (2) having a plurality of optical filters (2a to 2d) and a light shielding block (6) having light shielding walls (61a to 61d) forming a plurality of openings (6a to 6d) independent from each other are placed between a lens module (7) integrally having a plurality of lenses (1a to 1d) arranged on a single plane and a plurality of imaging regions (4a to 4d). The light shielding block is provided with first sliding surfaces (66 to 69). The lens module is provided with second sliding surfaces (56 to 59) sliding on the first sliding surfaces so that the lens module can rotate with respect to the light shielding block with an axis normal to the plurality of imaging regions as a rotation center axis. Thus, a small, thin, and low-cost compound eye camera module can be realized.

Claims

1. A compound eye camera module, comprising:

a lens module integrally having a plurality of lenses arranged on a single plane;

a plurality of imaging regions;

an optical filter array placed between the lens module and the plurality of imaging regions and having a plurality of optical filters, each transmitting light in a particular wavelength band; and

a light shielding block placed between the lens module and the plurality of imaging regions and having light shielding walls forming a plurality of openings independent from each other, the plurality of lenses, the plurality of imaging regions, the plurality of optical filters, and the plurality of openings corresponding to each other in a one-to-one relationship,

wherein a first sliding surface is provided on the light shielding block, and

a second sliding surface sliding on the first sliding surface is provided on the lens module so that the lens module is capable of rotating with respect to the light shielding block with an axis normal to the plurality of imaging regions as a rotation center axis.

2. The compound eye camera module according to claim 1, wherein the first sliding surface includes at least a part of a cylindrical surface with the rotation center axis as a center axis, and the second sliding surface includes at least a part of a cylindrical surface.

3. The compound eye camera module according to claim 1, further comprising a mechanism limiting an angle of the rotation of the lens module with respect to the light shielding block.

4. The compound eye camera module according to claim 3, wherein the lens module and the light shielding block are fixed to each other with the mechanism.

5. The compound eye camera module according to claim 1, wherein pixels in the plurality of imaging regions are arranged in a matrix in a first direction and a second direction orthogonal to each other,

the lens module has at least first to fourth lenses arranged in a lattice point shape,

a direction connecting an optical axis of the first lens to the optical axis of the third lens and a direction connecting an optical axis of the second lens to an optical axis of the fourth lens are substantially parallel to the first direction,

a direction connecting the optical axis of the first lens to the optical axis of the second lens and a direction connecting the optical axis of the third lens to the optical axis of the fourth lens are substantially parallel to the second direction, and

one or both of a displacement amount of the optical axis of the third lens in the second direction with respect to the optical axis of the first lens and a displacement amount of the optical axis of the fourth lens in the second direction with respect to the optical axis of the second lens is no greater than an arrangement pitch of the pixels in the second direction.

6. The compound eye camera module according to claim 1, wherein pixels in the plurality of imaging regions are arranged in a matrix in a first direction and a second direction orthogonal to each other,

the lens module has at least first and second lenses,

a direction connecting an optical axis of the first lens to an optical axis of the second lens is substantially parallel to the first direction, and

a displacement amount of the optical axis of the second lens in the second direction with respect to the optical axis of the first lens is no greater than an arrangement pitch of the pixels in the second direction.

7. A method of producing a compound eye camera module including a lens module integrally having a plurality of lenses arranged on a single plane, a plurality of imaging regions, an optical filter array placed between the lens module and the plurality of imaging regions and having a plurality of optical filters, each transmitting light in a particular wavelength band, and a light shielding block placed between the lens module and the plurality of imaging regions and having light shielding walls forming a plurality of openings independent from each other, the plurality of lenses, the plurality of imaging regions, the plurality of optical filters, and the plurality of openings corresponding to each other in a one-to-one relationship, the method comprising:

rotating the lens module with respect to the light shielding block with an axis normal to the plurality of imaging regions as a rotation center axis; and

then, fixing the lens module and the light shielding block to each other.

8. The method of producing a compound eye camera module according to claim 7, wherein the camera module further comprises a mechanism limiting an angle of the rotation of the lens module with respect to the light shielding block, and

the lens module is rotated with respect to the light shielding block in a range of the limited angle.

9. The method of producing a compound eye camera module according to claim 8, wherein the lens module and the light shielding block are fixed to each other with the mechanism.

10. The compound eye camera module according to claim 7, wherein pixels in the plurality of imaging regions are arranged in a matrix in a first direction and a second direction orthogonal to each other,

the lens module has at least first to fourth lenses arranged in a lattice point shape, and

the lens module is rotated with respect to the light shielding block so that a direction connecting an optical axis of the first lens to an optical axis of the third lens and a direction connecting an optical axis of the second lens to an optical axis of the fourth lens are substantially parallel to the first direction, and a direction connecting the optical axis of the first lens to the optical axis of the second lens and a direction connecting the optical axis of the third lens to the optical axis of the fourth lens are substantially parallel to the second direction, and one or both of a displacement amount of the optical axis of the third lens in the second direction with respect to the optical axis of the first lens and a displacement amount of the optical axis of the fourth lens in the second direction with respect to the optical axis of the second lens is no greater than an arrangement pitch of the pixels in the second direction.

11. The compound eye camera module according to claim 7, wherein pixels in the plurality of imaging regions are arranged in a matrix in a first direction and a second direction orthogonal to each other,

the lens module has at least first and second lenses, and

the lens module is rotated with respect to the light shielding block so that a direction connecting an optical axis of the first lens to an optical axis of the second lens is substantially parallel to the first direction, and a displacement amount of the optical axis of the second lens in the second direction with respect to the optical axis of the first lens is no greater than an arrangement pitch of the pixels in the second direction.