Camera module and optical device comprising same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12174523-B2
Application number	US-202017597144-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 17, 2020
Priority date	Jun 24, 2019
Publication date	Dec 24, 2024
Grant date	Dec 24, 2024

Abstract

An embodiment comprises: a lens module; a first optical path change part including an incident surface and an emitting surface, and reflecting light, which is incident onto the incident surface, to emit the light via the emitting surface; and a second optical path change part including a first surface which faces the emitting surface in an optical axial direction of the lens module and a second surface which is an opposite surface to the first surface, wherein, in order to change the path of light emitted via the emitting surface, the first optical path change part is tilted or rotated about a first axis perpendicular to the optical axial direction, and, in order to change the path of light emitted from the second surface, the second optical path change part is tilted or rotated about a second axis perpendicular to the optical axial direction and the first axis.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A camera module comprising:
a lens module;
a first optical path changer comprising an incident surface and an emitting surface and configured to reflect light introduced through the incident surface toward the emitting surface; and
a second optical path changer comprising a first surface facing the emitting surface in an optical-axial direction of the lens module and a second surface disposed opposite the first surface,
wherein the first optical path changer is tilted or rotated with respect to a first axis perpendicular to the optical-axial direction in order to change a path of the light emitted from the emitting surface, and
wherein the second optical path changer is tilted or rotated with respect to a second axis, which is perpendicular both to the optical-axial direction and to the first axis, in order to change a path of the light emitted from the second surface.

2. The camera module according to claim 1 , wherein the first surface and the second surface are parallel to each other.

3. The camera module according to claim 1 , wherein the first optical path changer comprises a first prism having the incident surface, a reflection surface, and the emitting surface, and the second optical path changer comprises a second prism having the first surface and the second surface, wherein the second prism is a planar prism.

4. The camera module according to claim 3 , wherein a length of the second prism between the first surface and the second surface is less than a length of the incident surface of the first prism in the optical-axial direction.

5. The camera module according to claim 3 , wherein the first surface and the second surface are not parallel to each other.

6. The camera module according to claim 5 , wherein a maximum length of the second prism between the first surface and the second surface is less than a length of the incident surface of the first prism in the optical-axial direction.

7. The camera module according to claim 1 , wherein the lens module, the second optical path changer, and the first optical path changer are arranged in the optical-axial direction.

8. The camera module according to claim 1 , wherein the first optical path changer comprises:
a first housing;
a first holder disposed in the first housing;
a first prism, which is disposed in the first holder and includes the incident surface and the emitting surface;
a first coil disposed at one of the first housing and the first holder; and
a first magnet disposed at a remaining one of the first housing and the first holder so as to correspond to the first coil,
wherein the first holder is tilted or rotated with respect to the first axis by interaction between the first coil and the first magnet.

9. The camera module according to claim 8 , wherein the second optical path changer comprises:
a second housing;
a second holder disposed in the second housing;
a second prism, which is disposed in the second holder and includes the first surface and the second surface;
a second coil disposed at one of the second housing and the second holder; and
a second magnet disposed at a remaining one of the second housing and the second holder so as to correspond to the second coil,
wherein the second holder is tilted or rotated with respect to the second axis by interaction between the second coil and the second magnet.

10. The camera module according to claim 9 , wherein the first housing and the second housing are integrally formed.

11. The camera module according to claim 1 , wherein the lens module comprises a plurality of lenses, and the lens module is configured to move in the optical-axial direction.

12. The camera module according to claim 9 , comprising:
a first elastic member coupled to the first holder and the first housing;
a second elastic member coupled to the second holder and the second housing;
an image sensor configured to receive a light emitting from the lens module; and
a circuit board conductively connected to the first coil and the second coil.

13. The camera module according to claim 3 , wherein the second prism comprises an upper surface disposed between the first surface and the second surface, a lower surface disposed opposite the upper surface, and two side surfaces disposed between the upper surface and the lower surface so as to be opposite each other.

14. A camera module comprising:
a lens module;
a first prism comprising an incident surface, a reflection surface configured to reflect the light introduced through the incident surface, and an emitting surface configured to emit the light reflected by the reflection surface; and
a second prism comprising a first surface through which the light emitted from the emitting surface introduced, and a second surface configured to emit the light introduced through the first surface,
wherein the first prism, the second prism, and the lens module are sequentially arranged in an optical-axial direction, and
wherein the first prism is tilted or rotated with respect to a first axis perpendicular to the optical-axial direction, and the second prism is tilted or rotated with respect to a second axis perpendicular both to the optical-axial direction and to the first axis.

15. The camera module according to claim 14 , wherein the first surface and the second surface are parallel to each other.

16. The camera module according to claim 14 , wherein a maximum length of the second prism between the first surface and the second surface is less than a length of the incident surface of the first prism in the optical-axial direction.

17. The camera module according to claim 14 , wherein the first prism is a right angle prism, and the second prism is a planar prism.

18. The camera module according to claim 14 , wherein the first surface and the second surface are not parallel to each other.

19. The camera module according to claim 14 , wherein an optical axis in the optical axis direction is a Z-axis and the first axis is an X-axis and the second axis is a Y-axis.

20. A camera module comprising:
a first optical path changer comprising a first surface into which light is introduced and a second surface emitting the light introduced through the first surface and disposed opposite the first surface;
a second optical path changer comprising an incident surface and an emitting surface, the second optical path changer configured to reflect the light introduced into the incident surface from the second surface toward the emitting surface; and
a lens module,
wherein the first optical path changer is rotated or tilted with respect to a first axis parallel to the optical-axial direction of the lens module,
wherein the first surface, the second surface, and the incident surface overlap one another in a second axis perpendicular to the optical-axial direction, and
wherein the second optical path changer is rotated or tilted with respect to a third axis perpendicular both to the first axis and to the second axis.

Assignees

• Lg Innotek Co Ltd

Inventors

• Min Sang Jun
• Jung Tae Jin

Classifications

• G03B2205/0007

  Movement of one or more optical elements for control of motion blur · CPC title

• G02B13/0065

  having a beam-folding prism or mirror · CPC title

• H04N23/686

  with a variable apex prism · CPC title

• H04N23/55

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

• G03B2205/0053

  Driving means for the movement of one or more optical element · CPC title