TWI554800B - Camera module - Google Patents

Description

Camera module

The present invention relates to a camera module, and more particularly to a camera module having an adjustable position reflective element.

With the continuous evolution and improvement of electronic technology and manufacturing technology, information and electronic products with humanized and functional features have also been innovated. Electronic products such as computers, mobile phones, and digital cameras are already indispensable tools for modern people, especially with the combination of digital cameras and information electronics such as mobile phones or computers, which meets the needs of people to record their lives anytime, anywhere.

In general, in order to enable electronic devices such as mobile phones and computers to have convenient functions for capturing images from the front and back of an electronic device, two sets of digital camera lenses and related components, such as a light-sensitive wafer and a filter, are usually disposed in the electronic device. A sheet, a connector member, a drive circuit, etc., to sense light images from the front and back of the electronic device. However, as a result, the power consumption and product volume of the electronic device will increase, and the product cost will also increase. Therefore, how to take into account the convenience of the electronic device to capture the front and back images and reduce the production cost has become one of the important topics in the development of technology in related fields.

A camera module having a split light element is proposed in the Republic of China Patent No. I321946.

The invention provides a camera module capable of capturing images from the front and back of an electronic device.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the technical features disclosed herein.

In order to achieve one or a part or all of the above or other purposes, an embodiment of the present invention provides a camera module suitable for being disposed in an electronic device. The camera module includes a reflective element, an imaging lens, an image sensing element, and a first adjustment unit. The first adjustment unit can adjust the position of the reflective element relative to the imaging lens. When the reflective element is in the first position relative to the imaging lens, the image beam from the front side of the electronic device can be reflected to the imaging lens. When the reflective element is in the second position relative to the imaging lens, the image beam from the outside of the back of the electronic device can be reflected to the imaging lens, and the imaging lens can project the image beam onto the image sensing element.

In an embodiment of the invention, the reflective element is a total reflection or an optical mirror.

In an embodiment of the invention, the first adjustment unit includes a rotation unit.

In an embodiment of the invention, the first adjustment unit includes a motor coupled to the reflective element for driving the reflective element to rotate.

In an embodiment of the invention, the first adjustment unit further includes a drive control unit coupled to the motor for controlling motor operation.

In an embodiment of the invention, the first adjustment unit comprises a translation unit.

In an embodiment of the invention, the first adjustment unit comprises a mobile platform that carries a reflective element and is translatable relative to the imaging lens.

In an embodiment of the invention, the first adjusting unit further includes a lever connected to the mobile platform for controlling translation of the moving platform and the carried reflective element.

In an embodiment of the invention, the side surface of the electronic device is connected to the front side and the back side, and the first adjusting unit can adjust the position of the reflective element relative to the imaging lens so that the image beam from the side of the electronic device does not pass through the reflective element. And direct to the imaging lens.

In an embodiment of the invention, the camera module further includes a second adjusting unit that can adjust the position of the imaging lens relative to the side of the electronic device.

In an embodiment of the invention, the second adjustment unit comprises a translation unit.

Based on the above, the camera module of the embodiment of the present invention can capture images from the front and back of the electronic device by using a set of imaging lenses and image sensing elements by the arrangement of the reflective element and the first adjustment unit. In this way, the camera module in the electronic device can have fewer mechanical components and driving circuits, and the power consumption and product volume of the device can be reduced, and thus the product cost can be reduced.

The above described features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description.

60, 70, 80 ‧ ‧ image beam

100, 400, 600‧‧‧ camera modules

110, 110a, 110b, 410‧‧‧ reflective elements

120‧‧‧ imaging lens

130‧‧‧Image sensing components

140, 640‧‧‧ first adjustment unit

141‧‧‧Rotating unit

142, 652‧‧ ‧ motor

143‧‧‧Drive Control Unit

640a‧‧‧Mobile platform

640b‧‧‧Pole

650‧‧‧Second adjustment unit

651‧‧‧ translation unit

200‧‧‧Electronic devices

S1‧‧ positive

S2‧‧‧Back

S3‧‧‧ side

P1, P2, P3, P4, P5‧‧‧ position

Θ‧‧‧张角

FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a camera module according to an embodiment of the invention.

2 is a schematic block diagram of a first adjustment unit of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

3A is a schematic illustration of the optical path of the reflective element of the embodiment of FIG. 1 in a first position relative to the imaging lens.

3B is a schematic illustration of the optical path of the reflective element of the embodiment of FIG. 1 in a second position relative to the imaging lens.

4 is a schematic structural diagram of a camera module according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic block diagram of a first adjustment unit of the embodiment of FIG. 4. FIG.

FIG. 6 is a schematic structural diagram of a camera module according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 7A is a schematic illustration of the optical path of the reflective element of the embodiment of Figure 6 in a first position relative to the imaging lens.

Figure 7B is a schematic illustration of the optical path of the reflective element of the embodiment of Figure 6 in a second position relative to the imaging lens.

7C is a schematic view of the optical path of the imaging lens of the embodiment of FIG. 6 with respect to the side position of the electronic device.

7D is a schematic view of the optical path of the imaging lens of the embodiment of FIG. 6 with respect to the side position of the electronic device.

The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the Detailed Description The directional terms mentioned in the following embodiments, such as up, down, left, right, front or back, etc., are only directions referring to the additional drawings. Therefore, the directional terminology used is for the purpose of illustration and not limitation.

FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a camera module according to an embodiment of the invention. 2 is a schematic block diagram of a first adjustment unit of the embodiment of FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 , in the embodiment, the camera module 100 is disposed in the electronic device 200 and includes a reflective component 110 , an imaging lens 120 , an image sensing component 130 , and a first adjustment unit 140 . For example, in the embodiment, the electronic device 200 can be an electronic device suitable for setting the camera module 100, such as a computer, a mobile phone, a digital camera, or a notebook computer. In the present embodiment, the reflective element 110 is, for example, a total reflection 稜鏡, which can reflect the image light beams 60, 70 from the front side S1 or the back side S2 of the electronic device 200, and transmit the image light beams 60, 70 to the imaging lens 120. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the imaging lens 120 can project the image beams 60, 70 to the image sensing element 130. Specifically, the image sensing device 130 can be, for example, a charge coupled device (CCD), a complementary metal oxide semiconductor sensor (CMOS sensor), or other suitable image sensing device.

Specifically, in this embodiment, the first adjusting unit 140 can adjust the reverse The position of the imaging element 110 relative to the imaging lens 120. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, in the present embodiment, the first adjustment unit 140 includes a rotation unit 141. In more detail, as shown in FIG. 2, in the present embodiment, the first adjustment unit 140 includes a drive control unit 143 and a motor 142. The drive control unit 143 can be coupled to the motor 142 for controlling the operation of the motor 142, and the motor 142 is coupled to the reflective element 110 for driving the reflective element 110 to rotate. In more detail, in the present embodiment, the reflection element 110 can rotate the rotation axis O as a central axis, and the direction of the rotation axis O is, for example, parallel to the direction of the X-axis. In this way, the reflective element 110 can be controlled to be positioned at an appropriate position relative to the imaging lens 120 to reflect the image beams 60, 70 from the front side S1 or the back side S2 of the electronic device 200 to the imaging lens 120, respectively. Further description will be made below with reference to FIGS. 3A to 3B.

3A is a schematic illustration of the optical path of the reflective element of the embodiment of FIG. 1 in a first position relative to the imaging lens. 3B is a schematic illustration of the optical path of the reflective element of the embodiment of FIG. 1 in a second position relative to the imaging lens. Referring to FIG. 3A, when the reflective element 110 is driven to be at a first position P1 relative to the imaging lens 120, the surface of the reflective element 110 can totally reflect the image beam 60 from the front side S1 of the electronic device 200, and thus can be changed. The direction of transmission of the image beam 60 is such that the image beam 60 can be reflected to the imaging lens 120. In the present embodiment, the direction of the transmission path of the image beam 60 is changed by, for example, 90 degrees. It should be noted that the above range of angular parameters is merely illustrative and is not intended to limit the invention.

On the other hand, if the camera module 100 is to be used to capture images from the back surface S2 of the electronic device 200, the driving of the first adjusting unit 140 can be controlled. The unit 143 and the motor 142 adjust the position of the reflective element 110 such that the image beam 70 from the outside of the back surface S2 of the electronic device 200 can be incident into the reflective element 110 and totally reflected by the surface of the reflective element 110. In more detail, as shown in FIG. 3B, when the reflective element 110 is driven to be at the second position P2 relative to the imaging lens 120, the direction of transmission of the image beam 70 from the outside of the back surface S2 of the electronic device 200 may also be changed. The image beam 70 can be reflected to the imaging lens 120. In the present embodiment, the reflective element 110 is rotated by, for example, 180 degrees by the first adjustment unit 140. It should be noted that the above range of angular parameters is merely illustrative and is not intended to limit the invention. In addition, in the embodiment, the camera module 100 can be connected to other control units (not shown) in the electronic device 200, and the foreground of the camera module 100 can be controlled through external buttons or touch devices according to actual needs. Or the background shooting mode is switched.

In this manner, the camera module 100 disposed in the electronic device 200 can be photographed from the front surface of the electronic device 200 by using the single component lens 120 and the image sensing component 130 by the arrangement of the reflective component 110 and the first adjustment unit 140. And the image of the back S2. In this way, the camera module 100 in the electronic device 200 can be made to have fewer mechanical components and driving circuits, and the power consumption and product volume of the device can be reduced, and thus the product cost can be reduced. In addition, since the image from the front surface S1 and the back surface S2 of the electronic device 200 is captured by the same composition lens 120 and the image sensing element 130, the imaging lens 120 having a higher resolution is used, and the image quality can be improved. .

In addition, it should be noted that in the present embodiment, the above-mentioned reflective element 110 is an example of total reflection, but the invention is not limited thereto. Drawn in another In an embodiment, the reflective element 110 can also be an optical mirror or other suitable component. The following will be further described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 5.

4 is a schematic structural diagram of a camera module according to still another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a schematic block diagram of a first adjustment unit of the embodiment of FIG. 4. FIG. Referring to FIG. 4, the camera module 400 of the present embodiment is similar to the camera module 100 of FIG. 1, and the differences between the two are as follows. As shown in FIG. 4, in the present embodiment, the reflective element 410 of the camera module 400 is, for example, an optical mirror. The reflective element 410 can also reflect the image beam 60, 70 from the front surface S1 or the back surface S2 of the electronic device 200 into the imaging lens 120, because the reflection element 410 of the embodiment can also rotate the rotation axis O as a central axis. It has a similar effect to the total reflection 稜鏡 of the embodiment of Fig. 1. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, a person skilled in the art can design the reflective element 410 with the appropriate control mechanism and optical path of the first control unit 140 and the motor 142 according to actual needs. The camera module 400 can also achieve similar functions and advantages as the camera module 100, and will not be described herein.

In addition, it should be noted that the first adjustment unit 140 is exemplified by the rotation unit 141, but the invention is not limited thereto. In another embodiment, the first adjustment unit 140 may also include a translation unit to achieve a similar effect. The following will be further described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 7D.

FIG. 6 is a schematic structural diagram of a camera module 100 according to another embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 6, the camera module 600 of the present embodiment is similar to the camera module 100 of FIG. 1, and the differences between the two are as follows. As shown in FIG. 6, in this embodiment, The first adjustment unit 640 described above is, for example, a translation unit. More specifically, in the present embodiment, the first adjustment unit 640 includes a moving platform 640a that carries the reflective element 110 and is translatable relative to the imaging lens 120. In addition, in more detail, the first adjusting unit 640 further includes a shift lever 640b that is coupled to the moving platform 640a and can be used to control the translation of the moving platform 640a and the carried reflective element 110. In this embodiment, the manner of adjusting the lever 640b can be manually adjusted. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. In other embodiments not shown, a motor and a control unit may be added to control the lever 640b. The movement. In this way, the first adjusting unit 640 can also adjust the position of the reflective element 110 relative to the imaging lens 120 through the lever 640b to respectively reflect the image beams 60, 70 from the front surface S1 or the back surface S2 of the electronic device 200 to the imaging. Lens 120. Further description will be made below with reference to FIGS. 7A to 7B.

Figure 7A is a schematic illustration of the optical path of the reflective element of the embodiment of Figure 6 in a first position relative to the imaging lens. Figure 7B is a schematic illustration of the optical path of the reflective element of the embodiment of Figure 6 in a second position relative to the imaging lens. Referring to FIG. 7A, in the present embodiment, the moving platform 640a can be moved by the lever 640b, so that the reflective members 110a, 110b are moved to the first position P3 with respect to the imaging lens 120 (as shown in FIG. 7A). Thus, the reflective element 110a at this time can reflect the image light beam 60 from the front surface S1 of the electronic device 200 to the imaging lens 120. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7B, if the camera module 100 is to be used to capture an image from the outside of the back surface S2 of the electronic device 200, the moving platform 640a can be moved by the lever 640b, so that the reflective elements 110a, 110b are Moving to a second position P4 relative to the imaging lens 120 (as shown in Figure 7B). Thus, the reflective element 110b at this time can reflect the image light beam 70 from the outside of the back surface S2 of the electronic device 200 to the imaging lens 120. Therefore, the camera module 600 of the present embodiment can achieve similar functions and advantages as the camera module 100, and will not be described herein.

On the other hand, in the embodiment, the camera module 600 is further used to capture images from the side S3 of the electronic device 200. Further explanation will be given below with reference to FIG. 7C and FIG. 7D.

7C is a schematic view of the optical path of the imaging lens of the embodiment of FIG. 6 with respect to the side position of the electronic device. Referring to FIG. 7C, specifically, in the present embodiment, the side surface S3 of the electronic device 200 is connected to the front surface S1 and the back surface S2. In more detail, as shown in FIG. 7C, the first adjusting unit 640 can adjust the position P5 of the reflective element 110a, 110b relative to the imaging lens 120 such that the image beam 80 from the side S3 of the electronic device 200 does not pass through the reflective element. The imaging lens 120 is directly connected to the 110a, 110b, and the image from the side S3 of the electronic device 200 can be photographed.

7D is a schematic view of the optical path of the imaging lens of the embodiment of FIG. 6 with respect to the side position of the electronic device. In addition, referring to FIG. 7D , in the embodiment, the camera module 600 may further include a second adjusting unit 650 that can adjust the position of the imaging lens 120 relative to the side S3 of the electronic device 200 . In more detail, the second adjustment unit 650 includes a translating unit 651 and a motor 652, and can be used to move the imaging lens 120 and adjust the imaging lens 120 to be close to the edge of the electronic device 200. In this way, the opening angle θ of the image beam 80 from the side S3 can be increased by the imaging lens 120, and the range of images that can be captured by the camera module 600 can be increased.

In addition, in the above embodiments of FIG. 6 to FIG. 7D, the reflective elements 110a and 110b are exemplified by total reflection, but the invention is not limited thereto. In another embodiment, the reflective elements 110a, 110b can also be optical mirrors. Those skilled in the art can also achieve the same mechanism and optical path design according to actual needs. Similar functions and advantages of the camera module 100 will not be described herein.

In summary, the camera module of the embodiment of the present invention can capture images from the front and back of the electronic device by using a single component lens and an image sensing component by the arrangement of the reflective component and the first adjustment unit. In this way, the camera module in the electronic device can have fewer mechanical components and driving circuits, and the power consumption and product volume of the device can be reduced, and thus the product cost can be reduced. In addition, since the images from the front and back of the electronic device are captured by the same composition lens and image sensing element, an imaging lens with a higher resolution is used, and the image quality can be improved.

The above is only the preferred embodiment of the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, that is, the simple equivalent changes and modifications made by the scope of the invention and the description of the invention are all It is still within the scope of the invention patent. In addition, any of the objects or advantages or features of the present invention are not required to be achieved by any embodiment or application of the invention. In addition, the abstract sections and headings are only used to assist in the search of patent documents and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

60, 70‧‧‧ image beam

100‧‧‧ camera module

110‧‧‧reflecting elements

120‧‧‧ imaging lens

130‧‧‧Image sensing components

140‧‧‧First adjustment unit

141‧‧‧Rotating unit

200‧‧‧Electronic devices

S1‧‧ positive

S2‧‧‧Back

S3‧‧‧ side

Claims (10)

A camera module is disposed in an electronic device, the camera module includes: a reflective component; an imaging lens; an image sensing component; and a first adjusting unit capable of adjusting a position of the reflective component relative to the imaging lens When the reflective element is in a first position relative to the imaging lens, the image beam from the front side of the electronic device can be reflected to the imaging lens, and when the reflective element is in the second position relative to the imaging lens, Reflecting an image beam from the back of the electronic device to the imaging lens, and the imaging lens can project the image beam onto the image sensing element, wherein a side of the electronic device connects the front side and the back side, the first The adjusting unit can adjust the position of the reflective element relative to the imaging lens such that an image beam from the side of the electronic device does not pass through the reflective element and directly reaches the imaging lens. The camera module of claim 1, wherein the first adjustment unit comprises a rotation unit. The camera module of claim 1, wherein the first adjustment unit comprises a motor coupled to the reflective element for driving the reflective element to rotate. The camera module of claim 3, wherein the first adjustment unit further comprises a drive control unit coupled to the motor for controlling the motor to operate. The camera module of claim 1, wherein the first adjustment unit comprises a translation unit. The camera module of claim 1, wherein the first adjustment unit comprises a mobile platform that carries the reflective element and is translatable relative to the imaging lens. The camera module of claim 6, wherein the first adjustment unit further comprises a lever connected to the mobile platform for controlling translation of the mobile platform and the carried reflective element. The camera module of claim 1, further comprising: a second adjusting unit capable of adjusting a position of the imaging lens relative to the side of the electronic device. The camera module of claim 8, wherein the second adjustment unit comprises a translation unit. The camera module of claim 1, wherein the reflective element is a total reflection or an optical mirror.