JP2020160315A - Camera module shielding mechanism and electronic apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

To prevent deterioration or the like in crime prevention functions due to outflow of private images and improper acquisition of images and strengthen security measures in IoT, in electronic apparatuses with camera modules.SOLUTION: A camera module shielding mechanism accommodates a camera module in a housing of an electronic apparatus and shields it. The camera module shielding mechanism includes: a thin support member that supports the camera module and can freely move along a flat-shaped base surface orthogonal to the thickness direction; a bias member that biases the support member toward an opening direction in which the camera module projects from the housing of the electronic apparatus; a guide unit that guides the movement of the support member so that the camera module moves between a shielding position and an opening position; and a locking unit that locks the support member at the shielding position and releases the locking by over-setting the support member with respect to the shielding position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a camera module shielding mechanism and an electronic device including the same.

In recent years, many electronic devices have a function of processing, saving, and transmitting acquired images, and those equipped with a camera module for image acquisition have become common. In an electronic device including a camera module, a camera module including a lens and an image sensor is generally arranged in the housing of the electronic device, and the lens is exposed from an opening formed in the housing of the electronic device. (See Patent Document 1 below).

International Publication WO2015 / 041066

In recent years, many electronic devices are used while connected to a network, as expressed by the term "IoT: Internet of Things". In IoT, it can be said that electronic devices are constantly in danger of cracking (malicious hacking) and cyber attacks, and security measures for that purpose are indispensable.

As described above, the electronic device equipped with the camera module has the lens opening that takes in light into the camera module always open. Therefore, in IoT, when the camera function is activated by a malicious external operation, it is private. Problems such as image leakage and deterioration of the security function due to illegal image acquisition occur.

Also, even when separated from the IoT, if the lens opening of the camera module is always open, there is a possibility that unintended images will be captured and saved in portable electronic devices, etc. In that case, there is a problem that the suspicion of voyeurism may be raised. In addition, even if the image is not actually captured, the lens opening of the camera module is open, so there is no doubt that it may have been taken from the surroundings. There was a problem.

Further, in an electronic device provided with a display, a camera module is arranged in a space around the display, and a lens opening position in the camera module is also provided in a frame portion around the display. According to this, there is a problem that the periphery of the display cannot be narrowed in consideration of the arrangement space of the camera module and the position of the lens aperture.

On the other hand, it is conceivable to provide a lens opening on the back side of the display and arrange the camera module on top of the display (flat panel display) to narrow the frame around the display. Not only is it not possible to take an image of one's face while looking at the display screen, but there is also the problem that the thickness space on the back side of the display becomes large.

The present invention has been proposed to address such problems. In other words, in electronic devices equipped with camera modules, it is possible to prevent the leakage of private images and the deterioration of security functions due to unauthorized image acquisition, strengthen security measures in IoT, and capture and store unintended images. In addition to eliminating the nature, it is clarified that the camera function of the electronic device is not working when viewed from the surroundings, and in the electronic device equipped with the camera module and the display, the frame of the display can be narrowed and the display is provided. The challenge is to make it possible to make the housing thinner.

In order to solve such a problem, the present invention has the following configurations.
A mechanism for accommodating and shielding the camera module in the housing of the electronic device, the thin support member that supports the camera module and is movable along a flat base surface orthogonal to the thickness direction, and the above-mentioned The support member is provided with an urging member that urges the camera module in the opening direction in which the camera module protrudes from the housing of the electronic device, and the support member so that the camera module moves between the shielding position and the opening position. It is characterized by including a guide portion for guiding movement and a locking portion for locking the support member at the shielding position and releasing the locking by oversetting the support member with respect to the shielding position. Camera module shielding mechanism.

The front view which shows one Embodiment of the camera module shielding mechanism. Explanatory drawings showing the operation of the camera module shielding mechanism ((a) to (d) show the operation of moving from the open position to the shielding position). Explanatory diagrams showing the operation of the camera module shielding mechanism ((e) to (h) show the operation of moving from the shielding position to the open position). Explanatory drawing which showed the electronic device (notebook type PC) provided with the camera module shielding mechanism ((a) is an open state, (b) is a shielding state). A side view (XX sectional view of FIG. 4) showing an embodiment of a camera module shielding mechanism mounted on an electronic device.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same reference numerals in different figures indicate parts having the same function, and duplicate description in each figure will be omitted as appropriate.

As shown in FIG. 1, the camera module shielding mechanism (hereinafter, simply shielding mechanism) 1 is a mechanism that accommodates the camera module 2 in the housing 100A of the electronic device and shields the lens opening 2A of the camera module 2. The support member 3, the frame body 4, the urging member 5, the guide portion 6, the locking portion 10, and the like are provided.

The support member 3 is a thin member (plate-like member) that supports the camera module 2 and is movable along a plane (XZ plane in the figure) orthogonal to the thickness direction (Y direction in the figure). It is deployed in. By making the support member 3 thin, as shown in the side view of FIG. 5, the shielding mechanism 1 itself can be made thin. In the illustrated example, the support member 3 moves linearly in the Z direction shown in the drawing along the guide portion (guide hole) 6 provided on the base surface 40 of the frame body 4, so that the frame body 4 of the shielding mechanism 1 moves linearly. It is deployed inside.

The camera module 2 is supported by the support member 3 so that the optical axis P of the lens aperture 2A coincides with the thickness direction (Y direction in the drawing) of the support member 3. The camera module 2 moves without changing the direction of the optical axis P while the support member 3 moves along the guide portion 6, and the lens opening 2A moves from the open position where the lens opening 2A is located outside the housing 100A. It moves to a shielding position that is shielded in the housing 100A. Further, the support member 3 has a protruding portion 3X protruding in the illustrated X direction on the right side in the drawing, and the protruding portion 3X is provided with a rotation shaft 3B described later.

As described above, the frame body 4 includes a flat base surface 40. The thin support member 3 described above moves along the base surface 40, and the movement is guided by a guide portion 6 provided on the base surface 40 and extending in the Z direction shown in the drawing. A protrusion 3A provided on the support member 3 is inserted into the guide portion 6, and the upper end of the guide portion 6 is positioned at an open position of the camera module 2 by abutting the protrusion 3A. Further, the lower end of the guide portion 6 is set so as to be able to move further downward with respect to the shielding position of the camera module 2.

An urging member (as an example, a coil spring) 5 is provided on the frame body 4. The urging member 5 has one end 5A (one end side) attached to the base surface 40 and the other end 5B (the other end side) attached to the support member 3, so that the support member 3 can be attached to the camera module. 2 is urged toward the opening direction protruding from the housing 100A. As a result, when the support member 3 is not locked to the locking portion 10 described later, the camera module 2 projects to the open position and pushes the camera module 2 against the urging force of the urging member 3. Then, the camera module 2 moves to the shielding position.

A locking portion 10 is provided inside the frame body 4. The locking portion 10 is rotatably supported by a cam groove 11 provided on the base surface 40, a leaf spring 13 held by a protrusion 41 provided on the base surface 40, and a support member 3 by a rotating shaft 3B. The rotary lever 12 is provided. The rotary lever 12 is an L-shaped member, the locking end portion 12A on one end side thereof is inserted into the cam groove 11, and the operation end portion 12B on the other end side abuts on the leaf spring 13. The leaf spring 13 is a U-shaped member, and when the operation end portion 12B abuts on the inside of either the upper end portion 13A or the lower end portion 13B, the leaf spring 13 is brought into contact with the operation end portion 12B according to the position of the rotating shaft 3B. Gives rotational force.

The cam groove 11 includes a first groove 11A that guides the locking end portion 12A when the camera module 2 is pushed from the above-mentioned open position to the above-mentioned shielding position, and when the camera module 2 is further pushed from the shielding position. After the locking end portion 12A is disengaged from the locking portion, the first groove 11A includes a second groove 11D that guides the locking end portion 12A, and the first groove 11A extends along the urging direction of the urging member 5. The second groove 11D extends in a direction inclined with respect to the urging direction.

The operation of the shielding mechanism 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. First, the operation of manually moving the camera module 2 from the open position to the shielded position will be described. In the open state of the camera module 2 shown in FIG. 2A, the operating end 12B of the rotary lever 12 is pushed clockwise by the upper end 13A of the leaf spring 13 to lock the rotary lever 12. The end portion 12A is in contact with the side surface of the first groove 11A of the cam groove 11. When the camera module 2 is pushed into the housing 100A in this state, the locking end portion 12A of the rotary lever 12 moves as the support member 3 moves, and as shown in FIG. 2B, the first groove 11A Move down.

In the state of FIG. 2B, the operating end 12B of the rotary lever 12 receives a reaction force from the lower end 13B of the leaf spring 13 and is pushed counterclockwise in the drawing. As a result, as shown in FIG. 2C, the locking end portion 12A of the rotary lever 12 comes into contact with the tapered surface 11B of the cam groove 11, and when the push-in of the camera module 2 is released in that state, The support member 3 moves upward by the urging force of the urging member 5, and the locking end portion 12A of the rotary lever 12 also moves upward along the tapered surface 11B with the movement. Therefore, FIG. 2D is shown in FIG. As shown in the above, the locking end portion 12A is locked to the locking portion 11C of the cam groove 11. This locking position becomes the shielding position of the camera module 2.

Next, the operation of manually moving the camera module 2 from the shielded position to the open position will be described. When the camera module 2 is pushed further downward from the state shown in FIG. 2 (d), the camera module 2 (or the support member 3) is in an overset state and rotates as shown in FIG. 3 (e). The locking end 12A of the lever 12 is separated from the locking portion 11C of the cam groove 11. At this time, the operating end 12B of the rotary lever 12 is pushed counterclockwise as shown by the lower end 13B of the leaf spring 13, so that the locking end 12A is the locking portion 11C as shown in FIG. 3 (f). It moves away from the entrance of the second groove 11D of the cam groove 11.

When the push-in of the camera module 2 is released in this state, the support member 3 moves upward by the urging force of the urging member 5, and the locking end portion 12A of the rotary lever 12 also moves upward with the urging force of FIG. 3 (g). ), It moves upward along the second groove 11D. Then, when the rotary lever 12 is further moved upward, the operation end portion 12B of the rotary lever 12 comes into contact with the upper end portion 13A of the leaf spring 13, and the upper end portion 13A of the leaf spring 3 causes the operation end portion 12B of the rotary lever 12 to come into contact with the upper end portion 13A. As shown in 3 (h), pushed clockwise in the drawing, the locking end portion 12A of the rotary lever 12 moves from the second groove 11D to the first groove 11A side at the upper end of the cam groove 11. As a result, the camera module 2 is held in the open position shown in FIG. 2A.

The shielding mechanism 1 having such a feature can be adopted in an electronic device connected to a network to realize privacy protection. That is, by putting the shielding mechanism 1 in the shielding state, the camera module 2 is housed in the housing 100A of the electronic device, and the lens opening 2A of the camera module 2 is shielded. As a result, even if the camera imaging function operates in the shielded state of the camera module 2, the private image is not captured or an unintended image is not captured, and in the shielded state, the camera module 2 itself is transmitted from the outside. Since you can't see it, you won't be suspicious of voyeurism from the surroundings.

Further, since the shielding mechanism 1 moves each camera module 2, the lens opening 2A can be shielded / opened without affecting the image quality of the camera module 2. In particular, when the support member 3 is moved, the optical axis P of the lens opening 2A is always oriented in the thickness direction of the support member 3, so that the direction of the optical axis P is unnecessary even if the camera module 2 is repeatedly shielded and opened. Will not be changed to.

Further, since the shielding mechanism 1 moves the thin-thick support member 3 along the plane of the thin-thick frame 4, the overall configuration can be made thin. In particular, since the cam groove 11 constituting the locking portion 10 is directly formed on the base member 40, there is no effect on the thickness, and the rotary lever 21 and the leaf spring 13 constituting the locking portion 10 have a thickness. Since it is possible to make a component in which the number of parts is reduced, the entire configuration including the locking portion 10 can be made thin. As a result, in the electronic device where it is difficult to secure the space in the thickness direction, the camera module 2 can be shielded / opened without squeezing the arrangement space of other parts in the electronic device.

4 and 5 show an example of an electronic device provided with the shielding mechanism 1 described above. The electronic device 100 in the illustrated example is a notebook-type personal computer (Personal Computer) including a housing 100A having a transparent front panel 101 and a display panel (for example, an LCD panel) 102 on the front surface.

According to this, since the camera module 2 protrudes to the outside of the housing 100A when used and is housed inside the housing 100A when not in use, the housing 100A is provided with a hole for the lens opening 2A of the camera module 2. There is no need to secure space. Therefore, as shown in the drawing, the display surface of the display panel 102 can be provided on almost the entire surface of the housing 100A, and the display area of the display panel 102 can be maximized with respect to the front surface of the housing 100A. it can.

Further, since the shielding mechanism 1 is thin, it can be arranged in the space between the display panel 102 and the back cover 103 in the same manner as the control board 104, as shown in FIG. As a result, the shielding mechanism 1 and the display panel 102 can be arranged so as to be overlapped inside the housing 100A while suppressing the bulkiness of the thickness. As a result, by directing the lens opening 2A of the camera module 2 in the same direction as the display surface of the display panel 102, a configuration is adopted in which one can take an image of oneself while looking at the display screen, and a thin shield is used. The mechanism 1 can suppress the bulkiness of the space on the back side of the display panel 102.

Then, the electronic device 100 provided with the shielding mechanism 1 of the camera module 2 described above can suppress the leakage of private images and unauthorized image acquisition to strengthen security measures in IoT, and unintended images are captured. It is possible to eliminate the possibility of being preserved. Further, when the camera module 2 is housed in the housing 100A, it becomes clear that the camera function of the electronic device 100 is not working when viewed from the surroundings. Therefore, for example, when the electronic device 100 is a portable information terminal. In addition, there is no doubt about voyeurism.

Further, since the state of the camera module 2 is changed by a user operation, even if the electronic device 10 is remotely controlled by hacking or the like, the camera module 2 cannot be brought into a state in which it can take a picture. Therefore, for example, even if the electronic device 100 is maliciously hacked, the surroundings of the electronic device 100 are not photographed by the camera module 2.

Further, in another embodiment, when the electronic device 100 is a notebook type PC or the like, the camera module 2 in the open position moves to the shielding position when the electronic device 100 is changed from the open state to the closed state. The shielding mechanism 1 may have such a mechanism. Further, the microphone included in the electronic device 100 may be sound-insulated when the camera module 2 is in the shielded position. Specifically, the shielding mechanism 1 further includes a sound insulating portion, and the sound insulating portion operates in accordance with the movement of the support member 3, so that the microphone is sound-insulated.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and the design changes, etc. within the range not deviating from the gist of the present invention, etc. Even if there is, it is included in the present invention. Further, the above-described embodiments can be combined by diverting the technologies of each other as long as there is no particular contradiction or problem in the purpose and configuration thereof.

1: Camera module shielding mechanism (shielding mechanism),
2: Camera module, 2A: Lens aperture,
3: Support member, 3A: protrusion, 3B: rotating shaft, 3X: protrusion,
4: Frame body, 40: Base surface, 41: Projection,
5: Biasing member (coil spring), 5A, 5B: End,
6: Guide part (guide hole), 10: Locking part, 11: Cam groove,
11A: 1st groove, 11B: tapered surface,
11C: Locking point, 11D: Second groove,
12: Rotating lever, 12A: Locking end, 12B: Operating end,
13: Leaf spring, 13A: Upper end, 13B: Lower end,
100: Electronic device (notebook PC), 100A: Housing,
101: Front panel, 102: Display panel,
103: back cover, 104: control board, P: optical axis

Claims (6)

A mechanism that houses the camera module in the housing of an electronic device and shields it.
A thin support member that supports the camera module and is movable along a planar base surface that is orthogonal to the thickness direction.
An urging member that urges the support member in the opening direction in which the camera module protrudes from the housing of the electronic device.
A guide portion that guides the movement of the support member so that the camera module moves between the shielded position and the open position.
A camera module shielding mechanism including a locking portion that locks the support member at the shielding position and releases the locking by oversetting the support member with respect to the shielding position. One end side of the urging member is attached to the base surface, and the other end side is attached to the support member.
The camera module shielding mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the guide portion and the locking portion are provided on the base surface. The camera module shielding mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the thickness direction of the support member coincides with the optical axis direction of the lens aperture in the camera module. In the locking portion, the locking end portion of the rotary lever pivotally supported by the support member is inserted into the cam groove provided on the base surface, and the rotary lever is engaged at the shielding position of the support member. By locking the toe end portion to the locking portion in the cam groove and further pushing the camera module from the shielding position, the rotating lever is rotated to lock the locking end portion to the locking portion. The camera module shielding mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it is removed from the camera module. The cam groove includes a first groove that guides the locking end when the camera module is pushed from the open position to the shielding position, and the locking when the camera module is further pushed from the shielding position. Includes a second groove that guides the locking end after the end has disengaged from the locking location.
The camera module shielding mechanism according to claim 4, wherein the first groove extends along the urging direction of the urging member, and the second groove extends in a direction inclined with respect to the urging direction. An electronic device provided with the camera module shielding mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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