Miniature MEMS Autofocus Zoom Camera Module

• US 20130258140A1
• Filed: 03/10/2013
• Published: 10/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: DigitalOptics Corporation (Adeia, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: DigitalOptics Corporation (Adeia, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lipson, Ariel, Kriman, Moshe, Kinrot, Uri, Bahar, Dalit, Levy, Moshe, Ward, Ocie, Harland, Mark
• Application Number:
  US13/792,137
• Publication Number:
  US 20130258140A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/240.3
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/009 having zoom function
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0833 the reflecting element being a micromechanical device, e.g. a MEMS mirror, DMD G02B26/0825 takes precedence; micromechanical devices in general B81B
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/09 adapted for automatic focusing or varying magnification
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 13/36 Autofocus systems
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2205/0046 Movement of one or more optical elements for zooming
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2205/0053 Driving means for the movement of one or more optical element
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 3/10 Power-operated focusing
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 5/00 Adjustment of optical system relative to image or object surface other than for focusing
• 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 23/69 Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming

Abstract

An autofocus zoom miniature MEMS camera module includes a housing with an aperture for capturing digital images, an image sensor, and an optical assembly. The optical assembly includes at least one fixed lens group, at least one movable lens group, and a MEMS actuator that is configured to move the movable lens group along an optical axis of the camera module relative to the image sensor and the fixed lens group. The MEMS actuation of the movable lens group automatically focuses an object at a determined zoom disposed an arbitrary distance from the camera module onto the image sensor.

Claims

1. An autofocus zoom miniature MEMS camera module, comprising:

a housing with an aperture for capturing digital images,

an image sensor,

at least one fixed lens group,

at least one movable lens group, and

a MEMS actuator that is configured to move the movable lens group along an optical axis of the camera module relative to the image sensor and the fixed lens group to automatically focus an object at a determined zoom disposed an arbitrary distance from the camera module onto the image sensor.

2. The autofocus zoom miniature MEMS camera module of claim 1, wherein the movable lens group comprises one or more movable lenses disposed nearest an object end of the optical path that are movable along the optical axis of the camera.

3. The autofocus zoom miniature MEMS camera module of claim 2, wherein the fixed lens group comprises one or more fixed lenses disposed between the movable lens group and the image sensor that are fixed in position relative to the image sensor, housing or a substrate to which the image sensor is coupled, or combinations thereof.

4. The autofocus zoom miniature MEMS camera module of claim 3, wherein the image sensor is disposed approximately at a back focal length of the one or more fixed lenses.

5. The autofocus zoom miniature MEMS camera module of claim 4, wherein the one or more fixed lenses are configured to compensate for a field curvature induced by the one or more moving lenses.

6. The autofocus zoom miniature MEMS camera module of claim 4, wherein the one or more fixed lenses are configured to match an associated point spread function to a pixel dimension of the image sensor approximately uniformly over an area of the image sensor.

7. The autofocus zoom miniature MEMS camera module of claim 4, wherein the one or more fixed and movable lenses are configured such that an autofocus distance range comprises 10 cm to 9 m.

8. The autofocus zoom miniature MEMS camera module of claim 4, wherein the one or more fixed and movable lenses are configured such that an autofocus distance range comprises 15 cm to 5 m.

9. The autofocus zoom miniature MEMS camera module of claim 4, wherein the one or more fixed and movable lenses are configured such that an autofocus distance range comprises 20 cm to 3 m.

11. An optical assembly for an autofocus zoom miniature MEMS camera module, comprising:

a housing with an aperture,

at least one fixed lens group,

at least one movable lens group within the housing, and

a MEMS actuator that is configured to move the movable lens group along an optical axis of the camera module relative to the fixed lens group to automatically focus an object at a determined zoom disposed an arbitrary distance from the camera module onto an image sensor when the housing is coupled to an image sensor component.

10. The autofocus zoom miniature MEMS camera module of claim 19, wherein the autofocus distance excludes a hyperfocal distance.

12. The optical assembly for an autofocus zoom miniature MEMS camera module of claim 11, wherein the movable lens group comprises one or more movable lenses disposed nearest an object end of the optical path that are movable along the optical axis.

13. The optical assembly for an autofocus zoom miniature MEMS camera module of claim 12, wherein the fixed lens group comprises one or more fixed lenses disposed between the movable lens group and the image sensor that are fixed in position relative to the image sensor, housing or a substrate to which the image sensor is coupled, or combinations thereof.

14. The optical assembly for an autofocus zoom miniature MEMS camera module of claim 13, wherein the image sensor is disposed approximately at a back focal length of the one or more fixed lenses.

15. The optical assembly for an autofocus zoom miniature MEMS camera module of claim 11, wherein the one or more fixed lenses are configured to compensate for a field curvature induced by the one or more moving lenses.

16. The optical assembly for an autofocus zoom miniature MEMS camera module of claim 11, wherein the one or more fixed lenses are configured to match an associated point spread function to a pixel dimension of the image sensor approximately uniformly over an area of the image sensor.

17. The optical assembly for an autofocus zoom miniature MEMS camera module of claim 11, wherein the one or more fixed and movable lenses are configured such that an autofocus distance range comprises 10 cm to 9 m.

18. The optical assembly for an autofocus zoom miniature MEMS camera module of claim 11, wherein the one or more fixed and movable lenses are configured such that an autofocus distance range comprises 15 cm to 5 m.

19. The optical assembly for an autofocus zoom miniature MEMS camera module of claim 11, wherein the one or more fixed and movable lenses are configured such that an autofocus distance range comprises 20 cm to 3 m.

20. The optical assembly for an autofocus zoom miniature MEMS camera module of claim 19, wherein the autofocus distance excludes a hyperfocal distance.