Lens holder to compensate for optical focal shift by thermo-mechanical expansion

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12197110-B2
Application number	US-202016830117-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 25, 2020
Priority date	Mar 29, 2019
Publication date	Jan 14, 2025
Grant date	Jan 14, 2025

Abstract

A camera module includes a lens assembly, a lens holder, and an image sensor assembly. The lens assembly includes a lens barrel and multiple lens elements embedded within the lens barrel. A change of temperature causes an optical focal shift that is determined according to an optical thermal shift rate associated with an optical design of the lens assembly. The lens holder has a lens holder CTE to compensate for the optical focal shift by thermo-mechanical expansion. The change of temperature causes a length expansion of the lens holder determined at least in part according to the lens holder CTE. The image sensor assembly includes an image sensor and a substrate coupled to the image sensor, the image sensor to capture light passing through the multiple lens elements and convert the captured light into image signals. The lens holder is attached to the lens barrel and the substrate using adhesives.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A camera module, comprising:
a lens assembly having a particular optical design, the lens assembly including at least:
a lens barrel; and
multiple lens elements embedded within the lens barrel,
wherein a change of temperature causes an optical focal shift that is determined according to a particular optical thermal shift rate associated with the particular optical design, wherein the particular optical thermal shift rate is within a range of 0.5 μm/° C. to 1.0 μm/° C.;

a lens holder having a lens holder coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) to compensate for the optical focal shift by thermo-mechanical expansion,
wherein:
a first area of the lens holder is attached to the lens barrel using a lens attach adhesive; and
the change of temperature causes a length expansion of the lens holder that is determined at least in part according to the lens holder CTE;
and

an image sensor assembly that includes at least:
an image sensor configured to capture light passing through the multiple lens elements of the lens assembly and to convert the captured light into image signals; and
a substrate coupled to the image sensor,

wherein a second area of the lens holder is attached to the substrate using a holder attach adhesive.

2. The camera module of claim 1 , wherein a total defocus rate is determined based on a difference between the particular optical thermal shift rate and a holder expansion rate of the lens holder, and wherein the total defocus rate satisfies an image quality performance metric.

3. The camera module of claim 2 , wherein the image quality performance metric is a just-noticeable-defect (JND) metric associated with an unsatisfactory loss in image sharpness.

4. The camera module of claim 3 , wherein the JND metric corresponds to a threshold defocus rate value within a range of 0.1 μm/° C. to 0.2 μm/° C., and wherein the total defocus rate satisfies the JND metric when the total defocus rate is less than the threshold defocus rate value.

5. The camera module of claim 1 , wherein the lens holder CTE is within a range of 100 parts-per-million (ppm)/° C. to 140 ppm/° C., and wherein the lens holder has a water absorption property of less than 0.2 percent to provide satisfactory dimensional stability over moisture.

6. The camera module of claim 1 , wherein the lens holder is a polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) material.

7. The camera module of claim 5 , wherein:
the lens holder CTE is within a range of 100 parts-per-million (ppm)/° C. to 140 ppm/° C.; and
the lens barrel is a polycarbonate (PC) material, the lens barrel having a lens barrel CTE of about 70 ppm/° C.

8. The camera module of claim 7 , wherein the lens attach adhesive corresponds to an epoxy material, the lens attach adhesive having:
a lens attach CTE within a range of 70 parts-per-million (ppm)/° C. to 100 ppm/° C.; and
an elastic modulus within a range of 2500 MPa to 3000 MPa.

9. The camera module of claim 5 , wherein:
the lens holder CTE is within a range of 100 parts-per-million (ppm)/° C. to 140 ppm/° C.;
the substrate is an alumina ceramic material, the substrate having a substrate CTE of about 7 ppm/° C.; and
the holder attach adhesive corresponds to an epoxy material, the holder attach adhesive having:
a holder attach CTE within a range of 150 parts-per-million (ppm)/° C. to 180 ppm/° C.; and
an elastic modulus within a range of 300 MPa to 800 MPa.

10. The camera module of claim 1 , wherein the lens holder is an alloy of a polycarbonate (PC) material and a polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) material.

11. The camera module of claim 1 , wherein the lens holder is manufactured using an injection molding process that utilizes an injection mold with a symmetrical arrangement of multiple injection molding gates, the symmetrical arrangement designed to provide substantially similar resin flow through each of the gates for substantially isotropic material properties throughout the lens holder.

12. The camera module of claim 11 , wherein the injection mold includes four sides, and wherein the multiple injection molding gates include one injection molding gate for each of the four sides.

13. A mobile device, comprising:
a camera module comprising:
a lens assembly having a particular optical design, the lens assembly including at least:
a lens barrel; and
multiple lens elements embedded within the lens barrel,
wherein a change of temperature causes an optical focal shift that is determined according to a particular optical thermal shift rate associated with the particular optical design;

a lens holder having a lens holder coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) to compensate for the optical focal shift by thermo-mechanical expansion, wherein:
a first area of the lens holder is attached to the lens barrel using a lens attach adhesive; and
the change in temperature causes a length expansion of the lens holder that is determined at least in part according to the lens holder CTE;

an image sensor assembly that includes at least:
an image sensor configured to capture light passing through the multiple lens elements and to convert the captured light into image signals; and
a substrate coupled to the image sensor,

wherein the lens holder is attached to the substrate using a holder attach adhesive;
wherein:
a total defocus rate is determined based on a difference between the particular optical thermal shift rate and a holder expansion rate of the lens holder, and wherein the total defocus rate satisfies an image quality performance metric;
the image quality performance metric is a just-noticeable-defect (JND) metric associated with an unsatisfactory loss in image sharpness;
the JND metric corresponds to a threshold defocus rate value within a range of 0.1 μm/° C. to 0.2 μm/° C.; and
the total defocus rate satisfies the JND metric when the total defocus rate is less than the threshold defocus rate value;

a display; and
one or more processors configured to cause the display to present an image based at least in part on one or more of the image signals from the image sensor.

14. The mobile device of claim 13 , wherein the display is located on a front side of the mobile device, and wherein the camera module is a fixed focus rear camera located on a rear side of the mobile device opposite the front side.

15. An article of manufacture, comprising:
a lens assembly having a particular optical design, the lens assembly including at least:
a lens barrel; and
multiple lens elements embedded within the lens barrel and having an optical axis,
wherein a change of temperature causes an optical focal shift that is determined according to a particular optical thermal shift rate associated with the particular optical design; and

a lens holder having a lens holder coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) to compensate for the optical focal shift by thermo-mechanical expansion, wherein the lens holder CTE is within a range of 100 parts-per-million (ppm)/° C. to 140 ppm/° C., and wherein:
a first area of the lens holder is attached to the lens barrel using a lens attach adhesive that comprises a first epoxy material having a lens attach CTE within a range of 70 parts-per-million (ppm)/° C. to 100 ppm/° C.; and
the change of temperature causes a length expansion of the lens holder that is determined at least in part according to the lens holder CTE.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 15 , wherein:
the lens holder is a polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) material;
the lens barrel is a polycarbonate (PC) material, the lens barrel having a lens barrel CTE of about 70 ppm

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Hubert Aurelien R
• Dalvi Chaitali N
• Forsyth Justan
• Tessieres Regis R

Classifications

• H04N23/57

  Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices · CPC title

• H04N23/55 Primary

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

• G02B7/008 Primary

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

• G02B7/028

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

• G03B17/08

  Waterproof bodies or housings · CPC title