OPTICAL IMAGE STABILISATION COMPRISING SHAPE MEMORY ALLOY ACTUATORS
First Claim
1. A camera apparatus comprising:
- a support structure;
a camera unit comprising an image sensor and a lens system for focussing an image on the image sensor;
a suspension system supporting the camera unit on the support structure in a manner allowing the camera unit to tilt around two notional axes that are perpendicular to each other and to the optical axis of the lens system with freedom to move along the optical axis; and
at least three SMA actuators each connected between the camera unit and the support structure and arranged, on contraction, to drive displacement of the camera unit along the optical axis relative to the support structure, the SMA actuators being arranged at different positions around the optical axis so that the SMA actuators, on contraction to drive differential displacement, drive tilting of the camera unit.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A camera apparatus capable of providing optical image stabilisation comprises: a support structure; a camera unit comprising an image sensor and a lens system; a suspension system comprising a plurality of flexure elements supporting the camera unit on the support structure in a manner allowing the camera unit to tilt; and a plurality of SMA actuators each formed as SMA wire connected between the camera unit and the support structure and arranged on contraction to drive tilting of the camera unit. The SMA wire may be fixed to the camera unit at its ends and hooked over an element of the support structure. A vibration sensor, whose output is used as the basis for generating drive signals, may be mounted on the camera unit.
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Citations
40 Claims
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1. A camera apparatus comprising:
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a support structure; a camera unit comprising an image sensor and a lens system for focussing an image on the image sensor; a suspension system supporting the camera unit on the support structure in a manner allowing the camera unit to tilt around two notional axes that are perpendicular to each other and to the optical axis of the lens system with freedom to move along the optical axis; and at least three SMA actuators each connected between the camera unit and the support structure and arranged, on contraction, to drive displacement of the camera unit along the optical axis relative to the support structure, the SMA actuators being arranged at different positions around the optical axis so that the SMA actuators, on contraction to drive differential displacement, drive tilting of the camera unit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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6. (canceled)
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9. A camera apparatus comprising:
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a support structure; a camera unit comprising an image sensor and a lens system for focussing an image on the image sensor; a suspension system comprising a plurality of flexure elements supporting the camera unit on the support structure in a manner allowing the camera unit to tilt around two notional axes that are perpendicular to each other and to the optical axis of the lens system on deflection of the flexure elements; and a plurality of SMA actuators each connected between the camera unit and the support structure and arranged on contraction to drive tilting of the camera unit. - View Dependent Claims (10, 17, 19, 20, 22, 23)
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11-16. -16. (canceled)
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18. (canceled)
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21. (canceled)
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24-30. -30. (canceled)
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31. A camera apparatus comprising:
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a support structure; a camera unit comprising an image sensor and a lens system for focussing an image on the image sensor; a suspension system supporting the camera unit on the support structure in a manner allowing the camera unit to tilt around two notional axes that are perpendicular to each other and to the optical axis of the lens system; an actuator arrangement arranged to drive tilting of the camera unit; a vibration sensor mounted on the camera unit and arranged to generate output signals representative of the vibration of the camera unit; and a control circuit connected to the actuator arrangement for supplying drive signals thereto, the control circuit being arranged to generate the drive signals in response to the output signal of the vibration sensor. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification