Driving module, restoration method and imaging device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10693400-B1
Application number	US-201916458188-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jul 1, 2019
Priority date	Apr 17, 2019
Publication date	Jun 23, 2020
Grant date	Jun 23, 2020

Abstract

A driving module including a circuit board, a rotating member rotatably disposed on the circuit board, and a power source mechanically linked to the rotating member and electrically connected to the control circuit is provided. The circuit board has a control circuit, a first conductive portion, and a plurality of second conductive portions. The first conductive portion and the second conductive portions are electrically connected to the control circuit respectively. The rotating member has a first abutment and a second abutment electrically connected to each other. The power source is controlled by the control circuit to rotate the rotating member relative to the circuit board. The first abutment constantly abuts the first conductive portion, and the second conductive portions are on a rotating path of the second abutment. A restoration method and an imaging device are also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A driving module, comprising:
a circuit board, having a control circuit, a first conductive portion, and a plurality of second conductive portions separated from the first conductive portion respectively, wherein the first conductive portion and the second conductive portions are respectively electrically connected to the control circuit;
a rotating member, rotatably disposed on the circuit board and having a first abutment and a second abutment electrically conductive to each other; and
a power source, mechanically linked to the rotating member, electrically connected to the control circuit, and controlled by the control circuit to rotate the rotating member relative to the circuit board, wherein the first abutment constantly abuts against the first conductive portion, the second conductive portions are located on a rotating path of the second abutment, and after the driving module is activated, the control circuit determines whether to drive the rotating member and a rotating process of the rotating member according to electric states of the second conductive portions.

2. The driving module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the rotating member rotates about a rotating axis relative to the circuit board, the first conductive portion is a pad surrounding the rotating axis and having a closed profile, and the second conductive portions are a plurality of pads arranged to surround and outside the pad having the closed profile.

3. The driving module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein after the driving module is activated, the second conductive portions are assigned same electric potentials, and when the second abutment travels to one of the second conductive portions, the one of the second conductive portions is electrically conductive to the first conductive portion through the second abutment and the first abutment, so as to change the electric potential of the one of the second conductive portions.

4. The driving module as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the first conductive portion is grounding.

5. The driving module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the rotating member comprises:
a rotating component, having a pair of apertures, wherein the first abutment and the second abutment are a pair of conductive balls respectively located in the pair of apertures;
a conductive component, assembled to the rotating component; and
a pair of conductive elastic pieces, extending from the conductive component to the rotating component and pressing the pair of conductive balls onto the circuit board, wherein the pair of conductive balls are electrically conductive to each other through the pair of conductive elastic pieces and the conductive component.

6. The driving module as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the rotating member further comprises a gear assembled coaxially with the rotating component, the conductive component is disposed between the rotating member and the gear, and the power source is coupled to the gear.

7. The driving module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the power source comprises a stepping motor, and locations of the second conductive portions on the circuit board correspond to step angles of the stepping motor.

8. A restoration method, suitable for a driving module comprising a circuit board, a rotating member, and a power source, wherein the circuit board has a control circuit, a first conductive portion, and a plurality of second conductive portions separated from the first conductive portion respectively, the first conductive portion and the second conductive portions are respectively electrically connected to the control circuit, a rotating member is rotatably disposed on the circuit board and has a first abutment and a second abutment electrically conductive to each other, the power source is mechanically linked to the rotating member and electrically connected to the control circuit, the first abutment constantly abuts against the first conductive portion, and the second conductive portions are located on a rotating path of the second abutment, the restoration method comprising:
activating the driving module, wherein the second conductive portions are assigned same electric potentials, the electric potential of the second conductive portion is changed when the second conductive portion is electrically conductive to the first conductive portion through the second abutment and the first abutment, and the electric potential of the second conductive portion is not changed when the second conductive portion is not electrically conductive to the first conductive portion; and
the control circuit determines the electric potentials of the second conductive portions,
wherein when the electric potentials of the second conductive portions are the same, the control circuit rotates the rotating member relative to the circuit board through the power source until the second abutment travels to one of the second conductive portions to change the electric potential of the one of the second conductive portions, and
when the electric potential of one of the second conductive portions is changed, the control circuit determines a location of the one of the second conductive portions on the circuit board to determine whether to drive the rotating member and a rotating process of the rotating member.

9. The restoration method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein determining the location of the one of the second conductive portions on the circuit board by the control circuit comprises:
ending the restoration method when the one of the second conductive portions corresponds to an initial location of the rotating member; and
driving the rotating member to rotate relative to the circuit board to the initial location through the power source by the control circuit when the one of the second conductive portions does not correspond to the initial location of the rotating member.

10. The restoration method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the power source comprises a stepping motor, and locations of the second conductive portions on the circuit board correspond to step angles of the stepping motor.

11. The restoration method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein after the driving module is activated, the first conductive portion is assigned a ground potential.

12. An imaging device, comprising:
a driving module, comprising:
a circuit board, having a control circuit, a first conductive portion, and a plurality of second conductive portions separated from the first conductive portion respectively, wherein the first conductive portion and the second conductive portions are respectively electrically connected to the control circuit;
a rotating member, rotatably disposed on the circuit board and having a first abutment and a second abutment electrically conductive to each other; and
a power source, mechanically linked to the rotating member, electrically connected to the control circuit, and controlled by the control circuit to rotate the rotating member relative to the circuit board, wherein the first abutment constantly abuts against the first conductive portion, and the second conductive portions are located on a rotating path of the second abutment; and

an imaging module, disposed on the rotating member and electrically connected to the control circuit, wherein after the imaging device is activated, the control circuit drives the rotating member to restore the imaging module according to electric states of the second conductive portions.

13. The imaging device as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the rotating member rotates about a rotating axis relative to the circuit board, the first conductive portion is a pad surrounding the rotating axis and having a closed profile, a

Assignees

• Wistron Corp

Inventors

• Lin Hsiao-Wu
• Chen Ching-Ping

Classifications

• H04N23/60 Primary

  Control of cameras or camera modules · CPC title

• H04N23/50

  Constructional details · CPC title

• H04N23/695

  Control of camera direction for changing a field of view, e.g. pan, tilt or based on tracking of objects · CPC title

• H02K7/116 Primary

  with gears · CPC title

• H04N23/54

  Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils · CPC title