Optical image stabilization synchronization of gyroscope and actuator drive circuit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10466503-B2
Application number	US-201916440008-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 13, 2019
Priority date	Oct 22, 2015
Publication date	Nov 5, 2019
Grant date	Nov 5, 2019

Abstract

Various embodiments provide an optical image stabilization circuit that synchronizes its gyroscope and drive circuit using gyroscope data ready signals and gyroscope reset signals. In response to a gyroscope data ready signal, the optical image stabilization circuit synchronously obtains position measurements of a camera lens when power drive signals are not transitioning from one power level to another power level, and synchronously transitions the power drive signals simultaneously with gyroscope reset signals. By synchronizing the gyroscope and the drive circuit, the gyroscope and other onboard sensing circuits are isolated from noise generated by the drive circuit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device, comprising:
a housing;
a lens in the housing;
an actuator in the housing, the actuator configured to move the lens;
a gyroscope in the housing, the gyroscope configured to measure movement of the housing, and generate a reset signal, the reset signal being active indicating the gyroscope is in a non-measuring state; and
a drive circuit in the housing, the drive circuit configured to generate a power drive signal for the actuator, the power drive signal having a transition from one power level to another power level, the transition of the power drive signal being synchronized to be concurrent with the reset signal being active.

2. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a position sensor configured to measure a position of the lens concurrent with the power drive signal being at a constant power level.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein the gyroscope is configured to generate a data ready signal, the data ready signal indicating that movement data is ready, and the position sensor is configured to measure the position of the lens in response to the data ready signal being generated.

4. The device of claim 2 , further comprising:
a controller configured to calculate power drive signal based on the movement of the housing and the position of the lens.

5. A device, comprising:
a housing;
a lens in the housing;
an actuator in the housing, the actuator configured to move the lens;
a gyroscope in the housing, the gyroscope configured to measure movement of the housing;
a position sensor in the housing, the position sensor configured to measure a position of the lens; and
circuitry in the housing, the circuitry configured to:
receive a first data ready signal from the gyroscope, the first data ready signal indicating that first movement data is ready;
receive a reset signal from the gyroscope, the reset signal being active indicating that the gyroscope is in a non-measuring state;
output, during a first control cycle, a first power drive signal to the actuator;
transition, concurrently with the reset signal being active, a power level of the first power drive signal from a first power level to a second power level;
receive, during the first control cycle, position data from the position sensor while the first power drive signal is at a constant power level;
determine, during a second control cycle that is subsequent to the first control cycle, a second power drive signal based on the first movement data and the position data; and
output, during a third control cycle that is subsequent to the second control cycle, the second power drive signal to the actuator.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein the circuitry is configured to:
receive a second data ready signal from the gyroscope, the second data ready signal indicating that second movement data is ready; and
receive a third data ready signal from the gyroscope, the third data ready signal indicating that third movement data is ready.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein the circuitry is configured to:
initiate the first, second, and third control cycles in response to the first, second, and third data ready signals, respectively, being received by the circuitry.

8. The device of claim 5 wherein the circuitry is configured to:
output, during the second control cycle, a third power drive signal to the actuator, the second power drive signal being determined while the third power drive signal is being outputted.

9. The device of claim 5 wherein the first and second power drive signals are different from each other.

10. A device, comprising:
a housing;
a lens in the housing;
an actuator in the housing; the actuator configured to move the lens;
a gyroscope in the housing, the gyroscope configured to measure movement of the housing; and
circuitry configured to:
receive a data ready signal from the gyroscope, the data ready signal indicating that movement data is ready;
receive a reset signal from the gyroscope, the reset signal being active indicating the gyroscope is in a non-measuring state;
output, in response to the data ready signal being received, a first power drive signal to the actuator; and
track a frequency of the first power drive signal based on the reset signal.

11. The device of claim 10 , further comprising:
a position sensor in the housing, the position sensor configured to measure a position of the lens.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein the circuitry is configured to execute a control cycle in response to the data ready signal being received, the control cycle:
outputs the first power drive signal to the actuator, the first power drive signal being calculated in a previous control cycle;
receives position data from the position sensor; and
calculates a second power drive signal based on position data received in the previous control cycle and the movement data.

13. The device of claim 12 wherein the position data is received when the first power drive signal is at a constant power level.

14. The device of claim 12 wherein the first power drive signal is outputted and the position data is received concurrently.

15. The device of claim 12 wherein the second power drive signal is outputted in a subsequent control cycle.

16. The device of claim 12 wherein the control cycle is executed in response to the data ready signal being received.

17. The device of claim 10 wherein the first power drive signal includes a transition from one power level to another power level, and the transition is synchronized to be concurrent with the reset signal being active.

Assignees

• St Microelectronics Inc

Inventors

• Tai Chih-Hung
• Kim Felix
• Lysinger Mark A

Classifications

• H04N23/6812 Primary

  based on additional sensors, e.g. acceleration sensors · CPC title

• H04N23/685

  performed by mechanical compensation · CPC title

• G02B27/646 Primary

  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 title