Optical image stabilization with voice coil motor for moving image sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12356074-B2
Application number	US-202418596529-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 5, 2024
Priority date	Mar 11, 2016
Publication date	Jul 8, 2025
Grant date	Jul 8, 2025

Abstract

A camera includes a camera actuator having autofocus (AF) voice coil motor (VCM) with a lens carrier mounting attachment moveably mounted to a base, magnets mounted to the base, and an AF coil fixedly mounted to the lens carrier mounting attachment for producing forces for moving a lens carrier in a direction of an optical axis of a lens of the lens carrier. The magnets may include a pair of first magnets laterally spaced along a first side of the camera and a pair of second magnets laterally spaced along a second side of the camera opposite the first side. The optical image stabilization (OIS) VCM includes an image sensor carrier moveably mounted to the base, and OIS coils moveably mounted to the image sensor carrier within the magnetic fields of the magnets, for producing forces for moving the image sensor carrier in directions orthogonal to the optical axis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A camera, comprising:
a lens carrier to which one or more lenses are mounted, wherein the one or more lenses define an optical axis, and wherein the lens carrier and the one or more lenses are movable in a direction of the optical axis;
an image sensor;
a voice coil motor (VCM) actuator configured to move the lens carrier relative to the image sensor and such that the one or more lenses move in the direction of the optical axis, wherein the VCM actuator comprises:
a plurality of stationary magnets, comprising:
a pair of first magnets laterally spaced along a first side of the camera, and
a pair of second magnets laterally spaced along a second side of the camera opposite the first side, and

one or more autofocus (AF) coils attached to the lens carrier and extending completely around the lens carrier, wherein the one or more AF coils include a first lateral protrusion that protrudes between the pair of first magnets and a second lateral protrusion that protrudes between the pair of second magnets.

2. The camera of claim 1 , further comprising:
a suspension assembly including a first suspension arm and a second suspension arm, wherein the first suspension arm extends partially around the lens carrier and includes a protrusion that extends between the pair of first magnets to avoid obstructing AF movement of the lens carrier, and wherein the second suspension arm extends partially around the lens carrier and includes another protrusion that extends between the pair of second magnets to avoid obstructing AF movement of the lens carrier.

3. The camera of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of stationary magnets further comprises:
a third magnet mounted at a third side of the camera orthogonal to the first and second sides; and a fourth magnet mounted at a fourth side of the camera opposite the third side and orthogonal to the first and second sides.

4. The camera of claim 3 , further comprising a damping assembly including:
a static portion positioned on a side of one of the stationary magnets facing in a direction away from the optical axis;
a pair of dynamic arms extending from the static portion, around respective opposite sides of the one stationary magnet, and towards the optical axis, wherein the pair of dynamic arms are configured to engage with the lens carrier for damping movement of the lens carrier along the optical axis.

5. The camera of claim 3 , wherein the pair of first magnets, the pair of second magnets, the third magnet, and the fourth magnet are respectively bar-shaped, and wherein the third magnet and the fourth magnet are oriented parallel to one another and orthogonal to the pair of first magnets and to the pair of second magnets.

6. The camera of claim 1 , wherein corresponding portions of the one or more AF coils and the lens carrier run parallel to corresponding faces of the plurality of stationary magnets.

7. The camera of claim 1 , further comprising an AF position sensor mounted in a space between the pair of first magnets on the first side of the camera.

8. The camera of claim 1 , further comprising:
a flexure platform including:
a dynamic platform to which the image sensor is connected such that the image sensor moves together with the dynamic platform,
a static platform connected to a static portion of the camera, and
multiple flexure arms that mechanically connect the dynamic platform to the static platform;

wherein the VCM actuator is configured to move the dynamic platform such that the image sensor moves relative to the static platform in a plurality of different directions that are orthogonal to the optical axis.

9. The camera of claim 8 , wherein the VCM actuator further comprises:
a plurality of optical image stabilization (OIS) coils connected to the dynamic platform, wherein individual ones of the OIS coils are positioned beneath respective ones of the plurality of stationary magnets.

10. The camera of claim 8 , further comprising:
a first OIS position sensor mounted at an inner opening of a first coil of the plurality of OIS coils, and
a second OIS position sensor mounted at an inner opening of a second coil of the plurality of OIS coils, wherein the first OIS position sensor and the second OIS position sensor move with the dynamic platform, wherein the first OIS coil and the first OIS position sensor are located at a first side of the flexure platform and the second OIS coil and the second OIS position sensor are located at a second side of the flexure platform orthogonal to the first side of the flexure platform.

11. The camera of claim 10 , wherein the first OIS coil is positioned beneath a first magnet of the plurality of stationary magnets, wherein the first magnet has a rectangular bar shape, and the first OIS coil has a shape corresponding to the shape of the first magnet on three sides and has a protruding portion on a fourth side providing space in the inner opening of the first OIS to accommodate the first OIS position sensor.

12. A voice coil motor (VCM) actuator assembly, comprising:
a VCM actuator configured to move a lens carrier such that one or more lenses of the lens carrier move in a direction of an optical axis of the lens carrier, wherein the VCM actuator comprises:
a plurality of stationary magnets, comprising:
a pair of first magnets laterally spaced along a first side of the VCM actuator assembly, and
a pair of second magnets laterally spaced along a second side of the VCM actuator assembly opposite the first side, and

one or more autofocus (AF) coils attached to the lens carrier and extending completely around the lens carrier, wherein the one or more AF coils include a first lateral protrusion that protrudes between the pair of first magnets and a second lateral protrusion that protrudes between the pair of second magnets.

13. The VCM actuator assembly of claim 12 , further comprising:
a suspension assembly including a first suspension arm and a second suspension arm, wherein the first suspension arm extends partially around the lens carrier and includes a protrusion that extends between the pair of first magnets to avoid obstructing AF movement of the lens carrier, and wherein the second suspension arm extends partially around the lens carrier and includes another protrusion that extends between the pair of second magnets to avoid obstructing AF movement of the lens carrier.

14. The VCM actuator assembly of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of stationary magnets further comprises:
a third magnet mounted at a third side of the VCM actuator assembly orthogonal to the first and second sides; and
a fourth magnet mounted at a fourth side of the VCM actuator assembly opposite the third side and orthogonal to the first and second sides.

15. The VCM actuator assembly of claim 14 , further comprising a damping assembly including:
a static portion positioned on a side of one of the stationary magnets facing in a direction away from the optical axis;
a pair of dynamic arms extending from the static portion, around respective opposite sides of the one stationary magnet, and towards the optical axis, wherein the pair of dynamic arms are configured to engage with the lens carrier for damping movement of the lens carrier along the optical axis.

16. The VCM actuator assembly of claim 12 , further comprising:
an image sensor; and
a flexure platform including:
a dynamic platform to which the image sensor is connected such that the image sensor moves together with the dynamic platform,
a static platform connected to a static portion of the VCM actuator assembly, and
multiple flexure arm

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Mahmoudzadeh Seyed Mohammad Javid
• Hubert Aurelien R
• Sommer Phillip R

Classifications

• H04N23/63

  by using electronic viewfinders · CPC title

• G03B13/36

  Autofocus systems · CPC title

• H02K2201/18

  Machines moving with multiple degrees of freedom · CPC title

• G03B2205/0069

  using electromagnetic actuators, e.g. voice coils · CPC title

• G03B2205/0007

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