Auto-focus camera module with flexible printed circuit extension

• US 9,001,268 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2012
• Issued: 04/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nan Chang O-Film Optoelectronics Technology, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nan Chang O-Film Optoelectronics Technology, Ltd.
• Inventors: Azuma, Eddie, Liu, Chih Yen, Yu, Emerson, Hsieh, David, Tsai, Josh, Pietrangelo, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Jerabek, Kelly L
• Application Number:
  US13/571,405
• Publication Number:
  US 20140043525A1
• Time in Patent Office: 970 Days
• Field of Search: 348/335, 348/340, 348373-376, 348/357, 257/433
• US Class Current: 348/374
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/00 Details of cameras or camera bodies; Accessories therefor lens hoods or caps G03B11/04
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 3/10 Power-operated focusing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/57 Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices

Abstract

A compact camera module is coupled at an image sensor end to a flexible printed circuit (FPC) and an FPC extension segment and is configured such that, upon folding the FPC onto the housing, one or more electrical contact pads disposed on the subject side of the optical train are coupled electrically with contact pads on the FPC extension segment from which MEMS actuator control signals are transmittable directly from the FPC to the MEMS lens actuator.

Claims

1. An auto focus digital camera module, comprising:

a housing;

an image sensor within the housing;

an optical train within the housing aligned with the image sensor defining an optical path and comprising multiple lenses including at least one movable lens coupled to a lens actuator configured to move the at least one movable lens along the optical path to focus a subject onto the image sensor that is disposed within an auto-focus range of the camera module;

a flexible printed circuit (FPC) including a sensor segment coupled to the image sensor to power the camera module and to carry electronic signals that include digital images captured by the image sensor; and

wherein the FPC further comprises an extension segment that includes electrical contact pads configured to electrically couple to lens actuator contact pads to carry lens actuator control signals when the FPC is folded around the camera module from the sensor end to the object end.

2. The camera module of claim 1, wherein the flexible printed circuit comprises a middle segment between the sensor segment and the extension segment, the middle segment being configured to enclose at least one side of the camera module.

3. The camera module of claim 1, wherein the extension segment is coupled at an object end of the camera module opposite the sensor segment that is coupled at the sensor end of the camera module.

4. The camera module of claim 1, wherein the housing includes an electromagnetic interference (EMI) coating on an outside surface.

5. The camera module of claim 1, wherein the housing has defined therein a focus adjustment aperture that is large enough to permit an object end of the optical train to at least partially protrude therethrough at one end of the auto-focus range;

and wherein a light leak baffle partially overlaps the focus adjustment aperture outside the auto-focus range of said object end of the optical train.

6. The camera module of claim 5, wherein a baffle aperture is defined in the light leak baffle that is smaller than the focus adjustment aperture and permits light to enter the camera module to acquire images.

7. A compact camera module for an auto focus digital camera, the compact camera module comprising:

a housing configured to contain imaging optics and digital electronics for capturing and transmitting images and to shield electronic components from electromagnetic interference (EMI);

an image sensor;

an optical train coupled and aligned with the image sensor and configured to define an optical path to focus a subject onto an image sensor that is disposed at the focal plane of the optical train;

a flexible printed circuit (FPC) coupled to the image sensor to carry electronic signals that include digital images captured by the image sensor; and

a light leak baffle coupled to the flexible printed circuit and defining a baffle aperture a predetermined distance from the image sensor such that upon folding the FPC onto the housing the light leak baffle is disposed at the subject side of the optical train and the baffle aperture overlaps the optical path.

8. The compact camera module of claim 7, wherein the FPC is configured such that, upon folding the FPC onto the housing, one or more electrical contact pads disposed on the subject side of the optical train are coupled electrically with the FPC from which lens actuator control signals are transmittable directly from the FPC to a lens actuator.

9. The compact camera module of claim 7, wherein the light leak baffle is configured to block some ambient light from entering the camera through a focus adjustment aperture defined in the housing to permit an object end of the optical train to at least partially protrude therethrough at one end of an auto-focus range.

10. The compact camera module of claim 7, wherein the light leak baffle comprises a conductive material that provides EMI shielding.

11. The compact camera module of claim 10, wherein the conductive material of the light leak baffle comprises carbon.

12. The compact camera module of claim 7, wherein the housing has defined therein a focus adjustment aperture that is large enough to permit an object end of the optical train to at least partially protrude therethrough at one end of the auto-focus range;

and wherein the light leak baffle partially overlaps the focus adjustment aperture outside the auto-focus range of said object end of the optical train.

13. The compact camera module of claim 12, wherein the baffle aperture is smaller than the focus adjustment aperture and permits light to enter the camera module to acquire images.

14. The compact camera module of claim 7, wherein the flexible printed circuit comprises a middle segment between a sensor segment and an extension segment, the middle segment being configured to enclose at least one side of the camera module.

15. The compact camera module of claim 7, wherein the light leak baffle is affixed to the FPC.

16. A compact camera module for an auto focus digital camera, the compact camera module comprising:

an image sensor;

an optical train coupled and aligned with the image sensor including multiple lenses including at least one movable lens configured to define an optical path to focus a subject onto the image sensor which is disposed at the focal plane of the optical train;

a MEMS actuator coupled to the at least one movable lens and configured to move said at least one movable lens through an auto-focus range of the compact camera module;

a compact camera module housing configured to shield the optical train, MEMS actuator and image sensor contained therein from electromagnetic interference (EMI);

a flexible printed circuit (FPC) coupled to the image sensor to carry electronic signals that include digital images captured by the image sensor; and

wherein the FPC includes an extension segment that is configured such that, upon folding the FPC onto the housing, one or more electrical contact pads disposed on the subject side of the optical train are coupled electrically with contact pads on the FPC extension segment from which MEMS actuator control signals are transmittable directly from the FPC to the MEMS lens actuator.

17. The compact camera module of claim 16, wherein the housing defines a focus adjustment aperture of a predetermined shape that is configured to permit an object end of the optical train to at least partially protrude therethrough at one end of the auto-focus range;

and wherein the extension segment comprises a light leak baffle that partially overlaps the focus adjustment aperture in a direction of the optical path outside the auto-focus range of said object end of the optical train.