AUTOFOCUS SYSTEM

• US 20160187614A1
• Filed: 12/15/2015
• Published: 06/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Albert Lin, Anthony Lin, Ultimems Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ultimems Inc.
• Inventors: Shih, Forster, Fu, Yee-Chung
• Granted Patent: US 10,830,982 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/047 Optical MEMS not provided for in B81B2201/042 - B81B2201/045
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 3/0062 Devices moving in two or more dimensions, i.e. having special features which allow movement in more than one dimension
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/646 compensating for small deviations, e.g. due to vibration or shake movement of one or more optical elements for control of motion blur in cameras, projectors or printers G03B2205/0007; image stabilisation in cameras peculiar to the presence or use of an electronic image sensor H04N23/68
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/021 for more than one lens
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/08 adapted to co-operate with a remote control mechanism

Abstract

An autofocus system is disclosed. The autofocus system includes a lens assembly, an upper actuator, and a lower actuator. The upper and the lower actuators have stationary elements and movable elements. The lens assembly is attached to the movable elements of the upper and the lower actuators. The autofocus system allows three degrees of freedoms of translational adjustments and two degrees of freedoms of rotational adjustments.

Claims

1. An autofocus system, comprising:

a lens assembly;

an upper actuator comprising;

one or more upper stationary elements;

a first upper translation element to translate along a first direction;

a second upper translation element to translate along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; and

a third upper translation element to translate along a third direction perpendicular to the first and the second directions;

and

a lower actuator comprising;

one or more lower stationary elements;

a first lower translation element to translate along the first direction;

a second lower translation element to translate along the second direction; and

a third lower translation element to translate along the third direction;

wherein the lens assembly is attached to the first upper translation element of the upper actuator and the first lower translation element of the lower actuator.

2. The autofocus system of claim 1, wherein the translations of translation elements are driven by electrostatic comb drives.

3. The autofocus system of claim 1, wherein the lens assembly rotates about an axis parallel to the second direction when the first upper translation element translates a positive displacement along the first direction and the first lower translation element translates a negative displacement along the first direction.

4. The autofocus system of claim 1, further comprising a substrate located between the upper actuator and the lower actuator, the substrate having an annular opening to receive the lens assembly.

5. The autofocus system of claim 4, further comprising a first set of solder balls and a second set of solder balls, wherein the first set of solder balls connect the substrate and the upper actuator and the second set of solder balls connect the substrate and the lower actuator.

6. The autofocus system of claim 1, wherein the lens assembly comprises a single lens.

7. The autofocus system of claim 1, wherein the lens assembly comprises a barrel and one or more lenses.

8. An autofocus actuator, comprising:

one or more stationary elements;

a first translation element to translate along a first direction;

a second translation element to translate along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; and

a third translation element to translate along a third direction perpendicular to the first and the second directions;

wherein the translations of translation elements are driven by electrostatic comb drives.

9. The autofocus actuator of claim 8, further comprising:

first relatively stationary electrodes extending from the second translation element;

second relatively stationary electrodes extending from the third translation element;

stationary electrodes extending from the one or more stationary elements;

first movable electrodes extending from the first translation element and being interdigitated with the first relatively stationary electrodes to form one or more first comb drives;

second movable electrodes extending from the second translation element and being interdigitated with the second relatively stationary electrodes to form one or more second comb drives;

and

third movable electrodes extending from the third translation element and being engaged with the stationary electrodes to form one or more third comb drives.

10. The autofocus actuator of claim 9, wherein the one or more first comb drives and the one or more second comb drives are in-plane comb drives and the one or more third comb drives are out-of-plane comb drives.

11. The autofocus actuator of claim 8, further comprising one or more first springs, one or more second springs, and one or more third springs, wherein

the first translation element is coupled by the one or more first springs to the second translation element;

the second translation element is coupled by the one or more second springs to the third translation element; and

the third translation element is coupled by the one or more third springs to the one or more stationary elements.

12. The autofocus actuator of claim 8, wherein the first translation element is electrically connected to ground.

13. The autofocus actuator of claim 8, wherein the second translation element comprises

a top layer comprising

one or more first components electrically connected to ground;

one or more second components electrically connected to one or more driving voltage potentials;

wherein the one or more first component and the one or more second component are separated by one or more gaps;

a middle insulation layer; and

a bottom supporting layer.

14. The autofocus actuator of claim 8, wherein the third translation element comprises

a top layer comprising

one or more first components electrically connected to ground;

one or more second components electrically connected to one or more driving voltage potentials;

wherein the one or more first component and the one or more second component are separated by one or more gaps;

a middle insulation layer; and

a bottom supporting layer.

15. The autofocus actuator of claim 8, wherein the second translation element has an annular opening to receive the first translation element.

16. The autofocus actuator of claim 8, wherein the third translation element has an annular opening to receive the second translation element.