Handheld electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11818281-B2
Application number	US-202217949536-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 21, 2022
Priority date	Dec 3, 2019
Publication date	Nov 14, 2023
Grant date	Nov 14, 2023

Abstract

A portable electronic device includes a housing, a display at least partially within the housing, and a front cover and rear cover coupled to the housing. The rear cover defines a first portion of a rear exterior surface of the portable electronic device, a protrusion defining a sensor array region of the rear cover and a second portion of the rear exterior surface, and an internal surface opposite the second portion of the rear exterior surface. The portable electronic device also includes a sensor array mounted within the housing along the sensor array region and comprising a frame member coupled to the rear cover, a camera module positioned in the first container region, and a depth sensor module positioned in the second container region and attached to the internal surface of the rear cover.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mobile phone comprising:
a housing;
a display at least partially within the housing;
a front cover coupled to the housing and positioned over the display;
a rear cover coupled to the housing and defining:
a first portion of a rear exterior surface of the mobile phone;
a protrusion defining a sensor array region of the rear cover and a second portion of the rear exterior surface; and
an internal surface opposite the second portion of the rear exterior surface; and

a camera module mounted within the housing and within the sensor array region, comprising:
a lens assembly;
an image sensor carrier positioned below the lens assembly;
an image sensor attached to the image sensor carrier; and
an image stabilization system comprising:
a first actuation system configured to move the lens assembly along a first direction transverse to the first portion of the rear exterior surface; and
a second actuation system configured to:
move the image sensor carrier along a second direction parallel to the first portion of the rear exterior surface; and
move the image sensor carrier along a third direction parallel to the first portion of the rear exterior surface and transverse to the second direction.

2. The mobile phone of claim 1 , wherein:
the camera module further comprises a flexible connector defining:
an outer segment;
an inner segment; and
a plurality of flexible support members coupling the inner segment to the outer segment; and

the image sensor carrier is coupled to the inner segment of the flexible connector.

3. The mobile phone of claim 2 , wherein:
the image sensor carrier comprises a circuit board;
the inner segment comprises a solder pad; and
the image sensor carrier is soldered to the solder pad.

4. The mobile phone of claim 3 , wherein a flexible support member of the plurality of flexible support members comprises a conductive trace extending from the solder pad to a connector portion of the flexible support member, the conductive trace conductively coupling the image sensor carrier to the connector portion of the flexible support member.

5. The mobile phone of claim 2 , wherein the flexible connector comprises:
a flexible substrate;
a first dielectric material on the flexible substrate;
a conductive material on the first dielectric material; and
a second dielectric material on the conductive material.

6. The mobile phone of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of flexible support members are defined by a plurality of slots defined through the flexible connector.

7. The mobile phone of claim 5 , wherein the flexible substrate is formed of a metal alloy.

8. A portable electronic device comprising:
a housing;
a display at least partially within the housing;
a front cover coupled to the housing and positioned over the display;
a rear cover coupled to the housing and defining:
a rear exterior surface of the portable electronic device;
an internal surface opposite the rear exterior surface; and
a hole extending from the rear exterior surface to the internal surface;

a camera module mounted within the housing and comprising:
a lens assembly extending at least partially into the hole of the rear cover;
an image sensor positioned below the lens assembly;
a first actuation system configured to move the lens assembly along a first axis transverse to the rear exterior surface; and
a second actuation system configured to:
move the image sensor along a second axis parallel to the rear exterior surface; and
move the image sensor along a third axis parallel to the rear exterior surface and transverse to the second axis.

9. The portable electronic device of claim 8 , wherein:
the camera module further comprises:
a flexible circuit substrate; and
a housing member at least partially enclosing the image sensor and the flexible circuit substrate;

the image sensor is coupled to the flexible circuit substrate; and
the flexible circuit substrate comprises a plurality of flexible support members movably supporting the image sensor relative to the housing member.

10. The portable electronic device of claim 9 , wherein:
the image sensor is coupled to a circuit board; and
the circuit board is coupled to the flexible circuit substrate.

11. The portable electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of flexible support members are defined by slots defined through the flexible circuit substrate.

12. The portable electronic device of claim 8 , wherein:
the image sensor is coupled to a circuit board; and
the second actuation system includes:
a first armature coil coupled to the circuit board and configured to impart a first force on the circuit board to move the circuit board along at least one of the second axis or the third axis; and
a second armature coil coupled to the circuit board and configured to impart a second force on the circuit board to move the circuit board along the at least one of the second axis or the third axis.

13. The portable electronic device of claim 8 , further comprising a motion sensing system configured to detect a movement of the portable electronic device, the movement including a first movement component along the first axis and a second movement component along the second axis.

14. The portable electronic device of claim 13 , wherein:
the first actuation system is configured to move the lens assembly based at least in part on the first movement component; and
the second actuation system is configured to move the image sensor based at least in part on the second movement component.

15. A mobile phone comprising:
a display;
an enclosure enclosing the display and comprising:
a housing member;
a front cover coupled to the housing member and positioned over the display; and
a rear cover coupled to the housing member;

a motion sensing system within the enclosure and configured to detect a movement of the mobile phone; and
a rear-facing camera module within the enclosure and comprising:
a lens assembly;
an image sensor positioned below the lens assembly; and
an image stabilization system configured to:
move the lens assembly along a first axis in response to the detected movement of the mobile phone; and
move the image sensor along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis in response to the detected movement of the mobile phone.

16. The mobile phone of claim 15 , wherein the movement of the mobile phone includes a first movement component along the first axis and a second movement component along the second axis.

17. The mobile phone of claim 16 , wherein:
moving the lens assembly along the first axis comprises moving the lens assembly in a direction opposite to a direction of the first movement component; and
moving the lens assembly along the second axis comprises moving the lens assembly in a direction opposite to a direction of the second movement component.

18. The mobile phone of claim 15 , wherein:
The rear-facing camera module further comprises a flexible connector comprising:
an outer segment;
an inner segment; and
a plurality of flexible support members coupling the inner segment to the outer segment; and

the image sensor is coupled to the inner segment of the flexible connector.

19. The mobile phone of claim 18 , wherein:
the image sensor is attached to a circuit board; and
the circuit board is attached to the inner segment of the flexible connector.

20. The mobile phone of claim 19 , wherein the image stabilization system comprises a

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Kallman Benjamin J
• Zhang Luman
• Jay Hugh J
• Canales Trent
• Alanen Lindsay M
• Lyons Christopher B
• Argyres Brian A
• Cao Sherry
• Barney Jaden A
• Browning Lucy E
• Cohen Sawyer I
• Pope Benjamin J

Classifications

• H04M1/0206 Primary

  Portable telephones comprising a plurality of mechanically joined movable body parts, e.g. hinged housings · CPC title

• G06F1/1637

  Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing · CPC title

• G06F1/1686 Primary

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

• H04M1/026

  Details of the structure or mounting of specific components · CPC title

• H04M1/0264

  for a camera module assembly · CPC title