Camera module with fixed and movable cameras and portable electronic device including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11616868-B2
Application number	US-202017076114-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 21, 2020
Priority date	Apr 24, 2020
Publication date	Mar 28, 2023
Grant date	Mar 28, 2023

Abstract

A camera module device includes: a base plate; one or more cameras fixed to and disposed on one surface of the base plate; a plurality of movable cameras movably disposed on the one surface of the base plate and configured to move individually or collectively; a driving gear disposed on the base plate; and a plurality of sub-gears engaged with the driving gear, wherein positions of the plurality of sub-gears are configured to change to selectively transfer power to one or more of the plurality of movable cameras.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A camera module device, comprising:
a base plate;
one or more cameras fixed to and disposed on one surface of the base plate;
a plurality of movable cameras movably disposed on the one surface of the base plate, the movable cameras being configured to move individually and collectively;
a driving gear disposed on the base plate; and
a plurality of sub-gears engaged with the driving gear,
wherein positions of the plurality of sub-gears are configured to change to selectively transfer power to one or more of the plurality of movable cameras.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein
the plurality of movable cameras are configured to move between an initial position and a moving position,
the initial position is a position in which centers of the one or more fixed cameras and the plurality of movable cameras are disposed linearly, and
the moving position is a position in which a line connecting the centers of the one or more fixed cameras and the plurality of movable cameras forms a triangular shape or a rectangular shape.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein
the one or more fixed cameras include a first camera and a second camera,
the plurality of movable cameras include a third camera and a fourth camera,
the third camera is connected to the first camera by a first link member and is configured to rotate,
the fourth camera is connected to the second camera by a second link member and is configured to rotate, and
a spur gear is engaged with the second link member.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the third camera is configured to rotate about the first camera and the fourth camera is configured to rotate about the second camera.

5. The device of claim 3 , further comprising a first moving gear rotatably provided on the base plate,
wherein
the plurality of sub-gears are mounted on the first moving gear,
the plurality of sub-gears include a first sub-gear, a second sub-gear, and a third sub-gear spaced apart from one another in a circumferential direction of the first moving gear, and
at least one of the first to third sub-gears is engaged with at least one of the first link member and the spur gear.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein
the first to third sub-gears are configured to move to a first position, a second position, and a third position,
in response to the first to third sub-gears being disposed in either one of the first position and the second position, one of the third camera and the fourth camera is configured to move, and
in response to the first to third sub-gears being disposed in the third position, both of the third camera and the fourth camera are configured to move.

7. The device of claim 6 , wherein
the first position is a position in which the first sub-gear is disposed to be engaged with one side of the first link member,
the second position is a position in which the second sub-gear is disposed to be engaged with the spur gear, and
the third position is a position in which the second sub-gear is disposed to be engaged with the one side of the first link member and the third sub-gear is disposed to be engaged with the spur gear.

8. The device of claim 5 , further comprising a first driver and a second driver provided on the base plate,
wherein
a rotating shaft of the first driver is engaged with the driving gear,
a rotating shaft of the second driver is engaged with a second moving gear, and
the second moving gear is engaged with the first moving gear.

9. The device of claim 8 , further comprising a receiving hole penetrating and provided in the base plate,
wherein
the driving gear is disposed in the receiving hole to protrude to both sides of the receiving hole,
the driving gear protruding to one side of the receiving hole is engaged with the rotating shaft of the first driver, and
the driving gear protruding to another side of the receiving hole is engaged with the first to third sub-gears.

10. The device of claim 5 , wherein each of the first to third sub-gears and the spur gear includes a sawtooth portion and an arc portion.

11. The device of claim 10 , wherein the first to third sub-gears are configured to rotate to release an engaged state between the respective sawtooth portion and either of the first link member and the spur gear before positions of the first to third sub-gears move by the first moving gear.

12. The device of claim 3 , wherein
the base plate includes a plurality of guide holes penetrating the base plate and each having a rounded shape, and
each of the third camera and the fourth camera include a protrusion disposed in a corresponding one of the guide holes.

13. The device of claim 12 , wherein
the base plate includes a plurality of guide rails spaced apart from the plurality of guide holes and each having a rounded shape, and
each of the third camera and the fourth camera include a guide protrusion disposed in a corresponding one of the guide rails.

14. The device of claim 13 , wherein curvatures of the plurality of guide holes are difference from curvatures of the plurality of guide rails.

15. The device of claim 3 , further comprising:
a first elastic member connected to the first link member and configured to move the third camera from a moving position to an initial position in response to the transferred power being removed; and
a second elastic member connected to the second link member and configured to move the fourth camera from the moving position to the initial position in response to the transferred power being removed.

16. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a case and a cover coupled to each other and forming an internal space; and
a module disposed in the internal space and comprising the base plate, the one or more fixed cameras, the plurality of movable cameras, the driving gear, and the plurality of sub-gears.

17. A portable electronic device, comprising:
a case and a cover coupled to each other and forming an internal space; and
a camera module disposed in the internal space, and comprising:
a base plate;
a first camera and a second camera fixed to and disposed on the base plate; and
a third camera and a fourth camera disposed on the base plate and configured to move individually or collectively,
wherein the base plate includes a driving gear, and a plurality of sub-gears engaged with the driving gear and configured to transfer power to either one or both of the third and fourth cameras, and
wherein positions of the plurality of sub-gears are configured to change according to a camera to be moved among the third and fourth cameras.

18. The device of claim 17 , further comprising:
an infrared cut filter provided on a portion of the cover corresponding to the first to fourth cameras in an initial position; and
an infrared pass filter provided on a portion the cover corresponding to the third and fourth cameras in a moving position,
wherein the initial position is a position in which centers of the first to fourth cameras are disposed linearly, and the moving position is a position in which a line connecting centers of adjacent cameras forms a triangular shape or a rectangular shape.

19. The device of claim 17 , further comprising a plurality of stops are provided on the cover,
wherein
the plurality of stops correspond to the first to fourth cameras and have different diameters in an initial position,
diameters of the plurality of stops corresponding to the third and fourth cameras in a moving position are different from the diameters of the plurality of stops in th

Assignees

• Samsung Electro Mech

Inventors

• Jun Jae Woo
• Choi Chul

Classifications

• G03B17/12

  with means for supporting objectives, supplementary lenses, filters, masks, or turrets · CPC title

• H04M2250/20

  including a rotatable camera · CPC title

• G06F1/1686

  the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera · CPC title

• H04M1/0264 Primary

  for a camera module assembly · CPC title

• G03B35/12

  involving recording of different viewpoint images in different colours on a colour film · CPC title