CAMERA MODULE INCLUDING LIQUID LENS, OPTICAL DEVICE INCLUDING THE MODULE, AND METHOD FOR DRIVING THE LIQUID LENS

• US 20190310490A1
• Filed: 12/08/2017
• Published: 10/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Innotek Company Limited (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Innotek Company Limited (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: PARK, SEUNG RYONG, KIM, HOON
• Granted Patent: US 11,822,095 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/005 based on electrowetting
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/64 Imaging systems using optical elements for stabilisation of the lateral and angular position of the image
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/14 of variable focal length
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/02 for lenses supports for magnifying lenses G02B25/002
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 13/32 Means for focusing
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/12 with means for supporting objectives, supplementary lenses, filters, masks, or turrets
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/00 Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/67 Focus control based on electronic image sensor signals

Abstract

Provided is a camera module, and a camera module including a core plate having a cavity for accommodating a conductive liquid and a nonconductive liquid; an electrode unit disposed on the core plate and electrically connected to the conductive liquid; an insulating unit disposed in the electrode portion and blocking contact of the nonconductive liquid; and a control unit for controlling voltages applied to the electrode unit, wherein the electrode unit includes a first electrode and a second electrode that change the interface between the conductive liquid and the nonconductive liquid by electromagnetic interaction, the first electrode includes a plurality of electrode sectors arranged sequentially along a circumferential direction about an optical axis, and the control unit sequentially controls voltages applied to the plurality of electrode sectors.

Claims

1. A camera module, comprising:

a core plate having a cavity for receiving a conductive liquid and a nonconductive liquid formed therein;

an electrode unit disposed at the core plate, the electrode unit being electrically connected to the conductive liquid;

an insulation unit disposed at the electrode unit for preventing contact with the nonconductive liquid; and

a control unit controlling voltage applied to the electrode unit, wherein

the electrode unit comprises a first electrode and a second electrode electromagnetically interacting with each other to change an interface between the conductive liquid and the nonconductive liquid,

the first electrode comprises a plurality of electrode sectors sequentially disposed about an optical axis in a circumferential direction, and

the control unit sequentially controls voltages applied to the electrode sectors.

2. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein

the first electrode comprises first, second, third, and fourth electrode sectors sequentially disposed in the circumferential direction, and

the control unit controls voltages of the first and third electrode sectors, and then controls voltages of the second and fourth electrode sectors.

3. The camera module according to claim 2, wherein the control unit simultaneously controls the voltages of the first and third electrode sectors, and simultaneously controls the voltages of the second and fourth electrode sectors.

7. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein the second electrode is a common electrode.

8. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein

the first electrode is disposed at an upper surface of the core plate so as to be electrically connected to the conductive liquid, and

the second electrode is disposed at the upper surface and a lower surface of the core plate and at an inner surface of the cavity, contact between the second electrode and the nonconductive liquid being prevented by the insulation unit.

9. The camera module according to claim 1, comprising an upper cover plate and a lower cover plate disposed respectively above and under the cavity for closing the cavity.

10. The camera module according to claim 9, comprising:

a first board disposed above the upper cover plate, the first board being electrically connected to the first electrode; and

a second board disposed under the lower cover plate, the second board being electrically connected to the second electrode.

16. An optical device, comprising:

a camera module according to claim 1;

a display unit outputting an image;

a battery supplying power to the camera module; and

a housing in which the camera module, the display unit, and the battery are mounted.

4. A camera module, comprising:

a core plate having a cavity for receiving a conductive liquid and a nonconductive liquid formed therein;

an electrode unit disposed at the core plate, the electrode unit being electrically connected to the conductive liquid;

an insulation unit disposed at the electrode unit for preventing contact with the nonconductive liquid; and

a control unit controlling voltage applied to the electrode unit, wherein

the electrode unit comprises a first electrode and a second electrode electromagnetically interacting with each other to change an interface between the conductive liquid and the nonconductive liquid,

the first electrode comprises;

a first electrode sector;

a third electrode sector disposed in a direction in which the third electrode sector and the first electrode sector are symmetric with respect to an optical axis;

a second electrode sector disposed between the first and third electrode sectors in a circumferential direction; and

a fourth electrode sector disposed in a direction in which the fourth electrode sector and the second electrode sector are symmetric with respect to the optical axis, and

the control unit sequentially controls voltages applied to the first, second, third, and fourth electrode sectors.

5. The camera module according to claim 4, wherein the control unit controls the voltages of the first and third electrode sectors, and then controls the voltages of the second and fourth electrode sectors.

6. The camera module according to claim 5, wherein the control unit simultaneously controls the voltages of the first and third electrode sectors, and simultaneously controls the voltages of the second and fourth electrode sectors.

11. The camera module according to claim 4, wherein the second electrode is a common electrode.

12. The camera module according to claim 4, wherein the first electrode is disposed at an upper surface of the core plate so as to be electrically connected to the conductive liquid, and

wherein the second electrode is disposed at the upper surface and a lower surface of the core plate, and at an inner surface of the cavity, a contacting of the second electrode with the nonconductive liquid being prevented by the insulation unit.

13. The camera module according to claim 4, comprising:

an upper cover plate and a lower cover plate disposed respectively above and under the cavity for closing the cavity.

14. A camera module, comprising:

a case;

a lens holder received in the case;

a lens module received in the lens holder, the lens module including at least one lens;

a liquid lens disposed above or under the lens module or in the middle of the lens module; and

a main board electrically connected to the liquid lens, the main board having a control unit mounted thereon,

wherein the liquid lens comprises;

a core plate having a cavity for receiving a conductive liquid and a nonconductive liquid formed therein;

an electrode unit disposed at the core plate, the electrode unit being electrically connected to the conductive liquid; and

an insulation unit disposed at the electrode unit for preventing contact with the nonconductive liquid,

wherein the electrode unit includes a first electrode and a second electrode electromagnetically interacting with each other to change the interface between the conductive liquid and the nonconductive liquid,

wherein the first electrode includes a plurality of electrode sectors sequentially disposed about an optical axis in a circumferential direction, and

wherein the control unit sequentially controls the voltages applied to the electrode sectors.

15. A camera module, comprising:

a cavity, a conductive liquid and a nonconductive liquid received in the cavity, n individual electrodes (n being an integer of 2 or more), and a common electrode,

wherein an interface is formed between the conductive liquid and the nonconductive liquid,

wherein a variation of average drive voltage within a first range of a first drive voltage code is greater than a variation of average drive voltage within a second range of the first drive voltage code,

wherein the average drive voltage is the average of the drive voltages applied between the common electrode and the n individual electrodes,

wherein a lower limit value of the second range is greater than an upper limit value of the first range, and

wherein the first drive voltage code is a value corresponding to the average drive voltage.

17. A method of controlling a liquid lens, configured such that an interface between a conductive liquid and a nonconductive liquid in a cavity is changed through electromagnetic interaction between first and second electrodes, the method comprising:

controlling the voltages of first and third electrode sectors in a randomized sequence, the first electrode including the first electrode sector, a second electrode sector, the third electrode sector, and a fourth electrode sector sequentially disposed in a circumferential direction; and

controlling the voltages of the second and fourth electrode sectors in a randomized sequence.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the voltages of the first and third electrode sectors are simultaneously controlled, and

wherein the voltages of the second and fourth electrode sectors are simultaneously controlled.

19. A method of controlling a liquid lens, configured such that an interface between a conductive liquid and a nonconductive liquid in a cavity is changed through electromagnetic interaction between first and second electrodes, the method comprising:

controlling the voltages of first and third electrode sectors in a randomized sequence, the first electrode including the first electrode sector, the third electrode sector disposed in a direction in which the third electrode sector and the first electrode sector are symmetric with respect to an optical axis, a second electrode sector disposed between the first and third electrode sectors in a circumferential direction, and a fourth electrode sector disposed in a direction in which the fourth electrode sector and the second electrode sector are symmetric with respect to the optical axis; and

controlling the voltages of the second and fourth electrode sectors in a randomized sequence.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the voltages of the first and third electrode sectors are simultaneously controlled, and

wherein the voltages of the second and fourth electrode sectors are simultaneously controlled.