DIGITAL CAMERA MODULE

• US 20100265349A1
• Filed: 12/28/2009
• Published: 10/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: Kim, Min-su, KIM, Jin Tae, Ju, Jung Jin, Park, Seung Koo, Park, Suntak
• Application Number:
  US12/648,096
• Publication Number:
  US 20100265349A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/222.100
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4214 the intermediate optical element having redirecting reflective means, e.g. mirrors, prisms for deflecting the radiation from horizontal to down- or upward direction toward a device G02B6/4246 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/43 Arrangements comprising a plurality of opto-electronic elements and associated optical interconnections
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/801 using optical interconnects, e.g. light coupled isolators, circuit board interconnections
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/54 Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils

Abstract

Provided is a digital camera module. The digital camera module includes an image sensor generating an electrical signal including a video signal and a clock signal and an optical interconnection unit converting the at least one of the video and clock signals into an optical signal to transmit the converted optical signal. The digital camera module further includes an image signal processor receiving the video signal restored from the optical signal to the electrical signal to convert the received video signal into a signal that is visually displayable.

Claims

1. A digital camera module comprising:

an image sensor generating an electrical signal comprising a video signal and a clock signal; and

an optical interconnection unit converting the at least one of the video and clock signals into an optical signal to transmit the converted optical signal.

2. The digital camera module of claim 1, wherein the optical interconnection unit comprises:

a flexible optical waveguide providing a transmission path of the optical signal;

an optical transmitting part converting the at least one of the video and clock signals into the optical signal to transmit the converted optical signal to the optical waveguide; and

an optical receiving part restoring the optical signal transmitted from the optical waveguide to the electrical signal.

3. The digital camera module of claim 2, further comprising an image signal processor receiving the signal restored from the optical signal to the electrical signal to convert the received signal into a signal that is visually displayable.

4. The digital camera module of claim 2, wherein the optical transmitting part and the optical receiving part have module type structures separably coupled to the optical waveguide, respectively.

5. The digital camera module of claim 2, wherein the optical interconnection unit further comprises an electrical interconnection outside or inside the optical waveguide.

6. The digital camera module of claim 2, wherein the optical waveguide comprises one of an optical fiber, a core-clad waveguide in which a dielectric is built in an organic or inorganic polymer optical material, and a metal wire waveguide in which a metal wire is built in the polymer optical material.

7. The digital camera module of claim 1, wherein the optical interconnection unit comprises:

a first optical transmitting part converting the video and clock signals into a first optical signal;

a first optical receiving part restoring the first optical signal to a first electrical signal;

a second optical transmitting part converting an operation signal of the image sensor into a second optical signal; and

an optical waveguide providing a transmission path of the first and second optical signals,

wherein the first optical transmitting part and the second optical receiving part are disposed at one end of the optical waveguide, and the first optical receiving part and the second optical transmitting part are disposed at the other end of the optical waveguide.

8. The digital camera module of claim 1, further comprising:

a display visually displaying an image obtained from the image sensor; and

a display module comprising a semiconductor chip controlling an operation of the display.

9. A digital camera module comprising:

an image sensor mounted on a board comprising an electrical connection part, the image sensor photographing an image to generate an electrical signal comprising a video signal and a clock signal;

an image signal processor mounted on the board, the image signal processor converting the electrical signal into a signal that is visually displayable; and

an optical interconnection unit mounted on the board, the optical interconnection unit converting the electrical signal into an optical signal to transmit the converted optical signal from the image sensor to the image signal processor.

10. The digital camera module of claim 9, wherein the optical interconnection unit comprises:

an optical transmitting part comprising a light source and a light source driver chip, the optical transmitting part receiving the video and clock signals from the image sensor to convert the received signals from the electrical signal to the optical signal;

an optical waveguide providing a transmission path of the video and clock signals converted into the optical signal; and

an optical receiving part comprising a light receiving device and a light receiving device driver chip, the optical receiving part restoring the video and clock signals converted into the optical signal to the electrical signal.

11. The digital camera module of claim 10, wherein the optical interconnection unit further comprises:

an optical transmitting connector allowing the optical transmitting part to be separably coupled to the optical waveguide; and

an optical receiving connector allowing the optical receiving part to be separably coupled to the optical waveguide.

12. The digital camera module of claim 10, wherein the board comprises:

a first electrical interconnection providing a transmission path of the video and clock signals from the image sensor to the optical interconnection unit;

a second electrical interconnection providing a transmission path of the video and clock signals from the optical interconnection unit to the image signal processor; and

a third electrical interconnection providing a transmission path of the video and clock signals from the image signal processor to the electrical connection part.

13. The digital camera module of claim 9, further comprising a display module displaying an image photographed by the image sensor,

wherein the display module comprises:

a display board comprising an electrical connector electrically connected to the electrical connection part;

a display mounted on the display board, the display receiving the signal that is visually displayable from the image signal processor to display the signal; and

a semiconductor chip mounted on the display board, the semiconductor chip controlling an operation of the display module.

14. A digital camera module comprising:

an image sensor photographing an image to generate an electrical signal comprising a video signal and a clock signal; and

an optical interconnection converting the electrical signal into an optical signal to provide a transmission path of the optical signal,

wherein the optical interconnection unit comprises;

an optical waveguide providing a transmission path of the video and clock signals converted into the optical signal;

an optical transmitting module comprising a light source and a light source driver chip, the optical transmitting module receiving the video and clock signals from the image sensor to convert the received signals from the electrical signal to the optical signal; and

an optical receiving module comprising a light receiving device and a light receiving driver chip, the optical receiving module restoring the video and clock signals converted into the optical signal to the electrical signal;

wherein the optical transmitting and receiving modules are separably coupled to the optical waveguide.

15. The digital camera module of claim 14, wherein the optical waveguide comprises:

an optical interconnection providing a transmission path of the optical signal in the optical waveguide; and

an electrical interconnection providing a transmission path of an electrical signal needed to operate the image sensor inside or outside the optical waveguide.

16. The digital camera module of claim 14, further comprising a display module displaying an image photographed by the image sensor,

wherein the display module comprises:

a display board comprising an electrical connector electrically connected to the optical receiving module;

an image signal processor mounted on the display board, the image signal processor converting the video and clock signals into a signal that is visually displayable;

a display mounted on the display board, the display receiving the signal that is visually displayable from the image signal processor to display the signal; and

a semiconductor chip mounted on the display board, the semiconductor chip controlling an operation of the display module.

17. A digital camera module comprising:

an image sensor receiving a first electrical signal and photographing an image to generate a second electrical signal comprising a video signal and a clock signal; and

an optical interconnection unit comprising an optical transmitting part converting the electrical signals into optical signals, an optical receiving part restoring the optical signals to the electrical signals, and an optical waveguide providing a transmission path of the optical signals,

wherein the optical transmitting part comprises a first optical transmitting part converting the first electrical signal into a first optical signal and a first optical receiving part restoring the first optical signal to the first electrical signal, and

wherein the optical receiving part comprises a second optical transmitting part converting the second electrical signal into a second optical signal and a second optical receiving part restoring the second optical signal to the second electrical signal.

18. The digital camera module of claim 17, wherein the first optical transmitting part and the second optical receiving part are coupled to one end of the optical waveguide adjacent to the image sensor, and the first optical receiving part and the second optical transmitting part are coupled to the other end of the optical waveguide.

19. The digital camera module of claim 18, further comprising an image signal processor disposed adjacent to the other end of the optical waveguide to receive a signal restored from the second optical signal to the second electrical signal, thereby converting the received signal into a signal that is visually displayable.

20. The digital camera module of claim 17, further comprising:

a display visually displaying an image photographed by the image sensor; and

a display module comprising a semiconductor chip providing the first electrical signal to the image sensor to control an operation of the image sensor.