Mobile zoom using multiple optical image stabilization cameras

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11722774-B2
Application number	US-202117408304-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 20, 2021
Priority date	Sep 30, 2015
Publication date	Aug 8, 2023
Grant date	Aug 8, 2023

Abstract

A camera system includes a first camera unit and a second camera unit. The first camera unit may include a first actuator. The second camera unit may include a second actuator. The first actuator may move one or more components of the first camera unit to provide autofocus and/or optical image stabilization functionality to the first camera unit. The second actuator may move one or more components of the second camera unit to provide autofocus and/or optical image stabilization functionality to the second camera unit. The first camera unit may be configured to capture a first image of a first visual field. The second camera unit may be configured to capture, simultaneously with the first camera unit capturing the first image, a second image of a second visual field.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An actuator module for a camera, comprising:
an optical package defining an optical axis; and
an actuator configured to move the optical package for image stabilization or for autofocus, the actuator comprising:
a plurality of coils, wherein a coil of the plurality of coils radially surrounds the optical axis, and
a magnet array having one or more sets of vertically stacked magnets vertically stacked along an optical axis of the optical package, wherein multiple coils of the plurality of coils interact with at least one magnet of a set of vertically stacked magnets of the one or more sets of vertically stacked magnets to move the optical package along a same axis.

2. The actuator module of claim 1 , wherein:
the one or more sets of magnets are arranged at multiple sides of the optical package;
the plurality of coils includes one or more autofocus coils and one or more OIS coils;
the one or more autofocus coils are arranged between respective magnets of the one or more sets of magnets and the optical package; and
the one or more OIS coils are arranged opposite the one or more autofocus coils with respect to the one or more sets of magnets.

3. The actuator module of claim 1 , wherein the coil of the plurality of coils radially surrounds the optical package.

4. The actuator module of claim 1 , wherein:
the one or more sets of magnets comprise a respective upper magnet having a magnetic field aligned in a first direction inward toward the optical package; and
the one or more sets of magnets further comprise a respective lower magnet having a magnetic field aligned in a second direction outward from the optical package.

5. The actuator module of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sets of magnets comprise:
a respective upper magnet having a magnetic field aligned in a first direction; and
a respective lower magnet having a magnetic field aligned in a second direction antiparallel to the first direction.

6. The actuator module of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of coils comprises:
an upper autofocus coil segment radially surrounding the optical package and having a current circulating in a first direction around the optical package; and
a lower autofocus coil segment radially surrounding the optical package and having a current circulating in a second direction around the optical package, wherein the second direction is opposite the first direction.

7. The actuator module of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of coils comprises:
one or more OIS coils including:
an upper exterior coil segment radially surrounding the optical package and positioned at an upper location along the optical axis of the optical package, and
a lower exterior coil segment radially surrounding the optical package and positioned at a lower location along the optical axis of the optical package, wherein the upper exterior coil segment comprises a current circulating in a first direction around the optical package, wherein the lower exterior coil segment comprises a current circulating in a second direction around the optical package, and wherein the second direction is opposite the first direction.

8. A camera, comprising:
an optical package defining an optical axis;
an image sensor configured to capture an image based on light refracted through the optical package; and
an actuator module for moving the optical package relative to the image sensor for at least one of optical image stabilization (OIS) or autofocus, the actuator module comprising:
a plurality of coils, wherein a coil of the plurality of coils radially surrounds the optical axis, and
a magnet array having one or more sets of vertically stacked magnets vertically stacked along an optical axis of the optical package, wherein multiple coils of the plurality of coils interact with at least one magnet of a set of vertically stacked magnets of the one or more sets of vertically stacked magnets to move the optical package along a same axis.

9. The camera of claim 8 , wherein:
the camera comprises a first camera;
the actuator module comprises a first actuator module;
the optical package comprises a first optical package;
the magnet array comprising a first central magnet array;
the coil of the plurality of coils is situated between the first optical package and the first central magnet array;
the first central magnet array situated along an axis between the first optical package of the first camera and a second optical package of a second camera;
the first central magnet array comprises a first central upper magnet having a first polarity and a first central lower magnet having a second polarity antiparallel to the first polarity;
the first actuator module comprises a first distal magnet array situated opposite the first central magnet array with respect to the first optical package of the first camera; and
the first distal magnet array comprises a first distal lower magnet having the first polarity and a first distal upper magnet having the second polarity antiparallel to the first polarity.

10. The camera of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of coils comprises an exterior coil unit, wherein the exterior coil unit comprises one or more OIS coils.

11. The camera of claim 10 , wherein:
the exterior coil unit comprises:
an upper exterior coil segment radially surrounding the first optical package and having a current circulating in a first direction around the first optical package, and
a lower exterior coil segment radially surrounding the first optical package and having a current circulating in a second direction around the first optical package; and
the second direction is opposite the first direction.

12. The camera of claim 10 , wherein the exterior coil unit comprises:
an upper exterior coil segment situated at a side of the first optical package and having a current circulating along a side of the first optical package, and
a lower exterior coil segment situated at the side of the first optical package and having a current circulating along the side of the first optical package.

13. The camera of claim 8 , wherein:
the plurality of coils comprises one or more OIS coils;
the one or more OIS coils comprise:
an upper exterior coil segment radially surrounding the optical package and having a current circulating in a first direction around the optical package, and
a lower exterior coil segment radially surrounding the optical package and having a current circulating in a second direction around the optical package; and

the second direction is opposite the first direction.

14. The camera of claim 8 , wherein:
the plurality of coils comprises:
an upper autofocus coil segment radially surrounding the optical package and positioned at an upper location along an optical axis of the optical package, and
a lower autofocus coil segment radially surrounding the optical package and positioned at a lower location along the optical axis of the optical package;

the upper autofocus coil segment comprises a current circulating in a first direction around the optical package;
the lower autofocus coil segment comprises a current circulating in a second direction around the optical package; and
the second direction is opposite the first direction.

15. A device, comprising:
a camera comprising:
an optical package defining an optical axis,
an image sensor configured to capture an image based on light refracted through the optical package, and
an actuator module for moving the optical package relative to the image sensor for at least one of optical image stabilization (OIS) or autofocus, the actuator module comp

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Sharma Shashank
• Miller Scott W
• Hubert Aurelien R

Classifications

• H04N23/69 Primary

  Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming · CPC title

• G02B7/09

  adapted for automatic focusing or varying magnification · CPC title

• G02B27/646

  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

• G03B5/02

  Lateral adjustment of lens · CPC title

• G03B13/36

  Autofocus systems · CPC title