Dual voice coil motor structure in a dual-optical module camera

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10558058-B2
Application number	US-201916368297-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 28, 2019
Priority date	Apr 2, 2015
Publication date	Feb 11, 2020
Grant date	Feb 11, 2020

Abstract

Dual-optical module autofocus (AF) or AF plus optical image stabilization (OIS) cameras with reduced footprint and reduced mutual magnetic interference. Some AF+OIS cameras may include a single AF actuation assembly that moves two lens barrels in unison. Some AF cameras or AF+OIS cameras may have two AF actuation sub-assemblies and associated magnets for independent AF operation of each lens barrel, the magnets shared in a manner that cancels magnetic influences of one AF actuation sub-assembly on the other AF actuation sub-assembly, thereby allowing the two lens barrels to be positioned in close proximity, saving parts and fabrication costs.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An imaging device comprising:
a) a first lens module having a first optical axis;
b) a second lens module having a second optical axis parallel to the first optical axis;
c) a lens carrier housing the first and second lens modules, the lens carrier having an external carrier surface with a coil wound around at least part of the external carrier surface;
d) a plurality of magnets surrounding the coil; and
e) a housing frame for housing the plurality of magnets, the housing frame hung by springs above a board having attached thereto a plurality of optical image stabilization (OIS) coils, each OIS coil associated with at least one of the magnets,
wherein the housing frame is movable relative to the board in a plane substantially perpendicular to both optical axes as a result of magnetic forces developing between at least some of the coils and their associated magnets when a current is passed in respective OIS coils, and wherein each lens module has a fixed focal length in the range of 4-8 mm.

2. The imaging device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of magnets includes four to six magnets.

3. The imaging device of claim 1 , wherein each lens module has a diameter in the range 6-7 mm.

4. The imaging device of claim 1 , wherein each lens module has a height of about 4 mm.

5. A smartphone comprising the imaging device of claim 1 .

6. An imaging device comprising:
a) a first lens module having a first optical axis;
b) a second lens module having a second optical axis parallel to the first optical axis;
c) a lens carrier housing the first and second lens modules, the lens carrier having an external carrier surface with a coil wound around at least part of the external carrier surface;
d) a plurality of magnets surrounding the coil;
e) a housing frame for housing the plurality of magnets, the housing frame hung by springs above a board having attached thereto a plurality of optical image stabilization (OIS) coils, each OIS coil associated with at least one of the magnets; and
f) a position sensing mechanism for sensing motion in two directions in a plane perpendicular to the first and second optical axes, the position sensing in one direction being independent of the position sensing in the other direction;
wherein the housing frame is movable relative to the board in a plane substantially perpendicular to both optical axes as a result of magnetic forces developing between at least some of the coils and their associated magnets when a current is passed in respective OIS coils, and wherein the first and second lens modules are configured to undergo simultaneous auto-focusing operations.

7. The imaging device of claim 6 , wherein the position sensing mechanism includes at least one Hall bar.

8. The imaging device of claim 7 , further comprising a roll motion sensing mechanism for sensing a roll motion around an optical axis.

9. The imaging device of claim 8 , wherein the roll motion sensing mechanism includes at least one Hall bar.

10. A method, comprising:
a) providing an imaging device comprising:
i. a first lens module having a first optical axis,
ii. a second lens module having a second optical axis parallel to the first optical axis,
iii. a lens carrier housing the first and second lens modules, the lens carrier having an external carrier surface with a coil wound around at least part of the external carrier surface,
iv. a plurality of magnets surrounding the coil, and
v. a housing frame for housing the plurality of magnets, the housing frame hung by springs above a board having attached thereto a plurality of optical image stabilization (OIS) coils, each OIS coil associated with at least one of the magnets;

b) moving the housing frame relative to the board for OIS in a plane substantially perpendicular to both optical axes; and
c) simultaneously moving the first and second lens modules for auto-focusing along their respective optical axes.

Assignees

• Corephotonics Ltd
• Corephontonics Ltd

Inventors

• Bachar Gil
• Goldenberg Ephraim
• Avivi Gal

Classifications

• G03B5/02

  Lateral adjustment of lens · CPC title

• G03B3/10

  Power-operated focusing · CPC title

• G02B7/06 Primary

  Focusing binocular pairs · CPC title

• G03B35/08

  by simultaneous recording · CPC title

• G02B13/003 Primary

  having two lenses · CPC title