Thermal compensation in an integrated image sensor and lens assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11375094-B2
Application number	US-202117323721-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 18, 2021
Priority date	Apr 1, 2015
Publication date	Jun 28, 2022
Grant date	Jun 28, 2022

Abstract

A camera including a lens barrel, lens elements, and an image sensor. The lens barrel includes a first subsection, a second subsection, and a spacer located between the first subsection and the second subsection. The lens elements are located in the first subsection and other lens elements located in the second subsection. The image sensor is aligned along an optical axis that extends through the first subsection and the second subsection of the lens barrel. The first subsection and the second subsection are separate pieces that are in communication by the spacer being sandwiched between the first subsection and the second subsection.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An integrated image sensor and lens assembly comprising:
an image sensor;
a lens barrel comprising a lens, wherein the lens and the lens barrel are configured to direct light to the image sensor; and
one or more temperature changing elements coupled to the lens barrel, the one or more temperature changing elements configured to provide a first temperature at a first portion of the lens barrel and to provide a second temperature at a second portion of the lens barrel.

2. The integrated image sensor and lens assembly of claim 1 , wherein the lens barrel includes multiple segments that are coupled together by the one or more temperature changing elements.

3. The integrated sensor and lens assembly of claim 2 , wherein one of the multiple segments includes a lens arm that is configured to connect the lens barrel to a camera lens mount.

4. The integrated image sensor and lens assembly of claim 1 , further comprising lenses, wherein some of the lenses are directly connected to the lens barrel and some of the lenses are connected to the lens barrel via the one or more temperature changing elements.

5. The integrated sensor and lens assembly of claim 4 , wherein the lenses directly connected to the lens barrel are connected to the lens barrel with an adhesive.

6. The integrated sensor and lens assembly of claim 4 , wherein the lenses connected to the lens barrel via the one or more temperature changing elements are connected to the one or more temperature changing elements by an adhesive and the adhesive connects the one or more temperature changing elements to the lens barrel.

7. The integrated sensor and lens assembly of claim 1 , wherein the lens barrel includes offset surfaces that extend parallel to an optical axis, and wherein the offset surfaces are connected by a surface that is perpendicular or diagonal with respect to the optical axis.

8. A camera comprising:
a lens barrel comprising:
a first subsection comprising:
a first surface extending between a first inner surface and a first outer surface;

a second subsection comprising;
a second surface extending between a second inner surface and a second outer surface; and

a spacer located between the first subsection and the second subsection;

lens elements located in the first subsection and other lens elements located in the second subsection; and
an image sensor aligned along an optical axis that extends through the first subsection and the second subsection of the lens barrel; and
wherein the first subsection and the second subsection are separate pieces that are in communication by the spacer being sandwiched between the first surface of the first subsection and the second surface of the second subsection.

9. The camera of claim 8 , wherein the first subsection and the second subsection are spaced apart a distance that is equal to a thickness of the spacer.

10. The camera of claim 9 , wherein the lens barrel includes offset inner surfaces that are parallel to the optical axis and connected by a surface that is perpendicular or diagonal with respect to the optical axis.

11. The camera of claim 8 , wherein the spacer is made of a material with a different coefficient of thermal expansion than a material of the first subsection and the second subsection so that the first subsection is movable relative to the second subsection.

12. The camera of claim 8 , wherein the spacer is integrated into the lens barrel and fixedly connects the first subsection to the second subsection.

13. The camera of claim 8 , further comprising a fastening structure on a surface of the lens barrel.

14. The camera of claim 13 , wherein the fastening structure is threads that connect the lens barrel to a camera lens mount of the camera.

15. A camera comprising:
a camera lens mount;
a lens barrel extendable into the camera lens mount, wherein the lens barrel comprises:
a lens located within and connected to the lens barrel;
a spacer located within the lens barrel;
an optical axis extending through the lens barrel and the spacer;
a lens arm that couples the lens barrel to the camera lens mount; and
a threaded fastening system located on the lens arm, wherein the threaded fastening system includes threads on a surface of the lens arm that are configured to mate with threads of the camera lens mount when the lens barrel is extended into the camera lens mount so that the lens barrel is mounted within the camera; and

an image sensor substrate located at an end of the camera lens mount and aligned along the optical axis.

16. The camera of claim 15 , wherein the lens barrel comprises a first subsection and a second subsection connected by another spacer.

17. The camera of claim 16 , wherein a distance between the first subsection and the second subsection are a size of the spacer.

18. The camera of claim 16 , wherein the other spacer is made of a material with a different coefficient of thermal expansion than the first subsection and the second subsection so that the first subsection is movable relative to the second subsection.

19. The camera of claim 15 , wherein the lens barrel includes offset inner surfaces that are parallel to the optical axis and connected by a surface that is perpendicular or diagonal with respect to the optical axis.

20. The camera of claim 15 wherein the lens is two or more lenses and at least one of the two or more lenses is directly connected to the lens barrel and at least another of the two or more lenses is connected to the lens barrel through the spacer.

Assignees

• Gopro Inc

Inventors

• Graff Emilio

Classifications

• G02B9/64 Primary

  having more than six components · CPC title

• H04N23/55 Primary

  Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof · CPC title

• G02B7/028

  with means for compensating for changes in temperature or for controlling the temperature; thermal stabilisation · CPC title

• G02B7/021

  for more than one lens · CPC title

• H04N5/2254 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic