Camera module with compact X-Y form factor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9106819-B1
Application number	US-201314053271-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Oct 14, 2013
Priority date	Oct 14, 2013
Publication date	Aug 11, 2015
Grant date	Aug 11, 2015

Abstract

A camera module includes a lens assembly, an image sensor, and a hybrid lens holder. The image sensor is aligned with the lens assembly to capture images of light incident through the lens assembly on a light sensitive surface of the image sensor. The hybrid lens holder holds the lens assembly a fixed offset from the image sensor. The hybrid lens holder includes a barrel section in which the lens assembly is held as a vertical stack rising above the image sensor and a flange section that rests on the image sensor to maintain the fixed offset from the image sensor. The discrete lens elements are held in place by direct contact with an inner side of the barrel section. The barrel section and the flange section are a single, contiguous housing structure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A camera module, comprising:
a lens assembly including a plurality of discrete lens elements;
an image sensor aligned with the lens assembly to capture images of light incident through the lens assembly on a light sensitive surface of the image sensor;
an hybrid lens holder which holds the lens assembly a fixed offset from the image sensor, the hybrid lens holder including:
a barrel section in which the lens assembly is held as a vertical stack rising above the image sensor, wherein the discrete lens elements are held in place by direct contact with an inner side of the barrel section; and
a flange section that rests on the image sensor to maintain the fixed offset from the image sensor, wherein the barrel section and the flange section are a single, contiguous housing structure, wherein the flange section includes a horizontal flange portion that rests on the image sensor, wherein the fixed offset is statically maintained by the horizontal flange,

wherein the image sensor comprises an image sensor die and wherein the horizontal flange portion rests directly on a top surface of the image sensor die that includes the light sensitive surface and surrounds a pixel array of the image sensor die,
wherein the horizontal flange portion is bonded directly to the image sensor die to seal off the pixel array.

2. The camera module of claim 1 , wherein the lens assembly is held in place within the barrel section of the hybrid lens holder without a threaded lens barrel interposed between the lens assembly and the barrel section of the hybrid lens holder.

3. The camera module of claim 1 , wherein the flange section further includes:
a vertical flange portion for wrapping around edges of the image sensor and passively aligning the image sensor with the lens assembly.

4. The camera module of claim 1 , further comprising:
a printed circuit board (“PCB”) substrate upon which the image sensor die is disposed, wherein wire leads connect first pads on the image sensor die disposed external to the horizontal flange portion to second pads on the PCB substrate.

5. The camera module of claim 1 , further comprising:
a printed circuit board (“PCB”) substrate upon which the image sensor die is disposed, wherein wire leads connect first pads on the image sensor die disposed underneath the horizontal flange portion to second pads on the PCB substrate also underneath the horizontal flange portion,
wherein the wire leads, the first pads, and the second pads are disposed under a raised cavity portion of the horizontal flange portion.

6. The camera module of claim 1 , wherein the image sensor die includes a backside solder bump grid for communicating power and signals between the image sensor die and a substrate.

7. The camera module of claim 1 , wherein the image sensor comprises an image sensor package and wherein the horizontal flange portion rests on the image sensor package and surrounds a pixel array of the image sensor.

8. The camera module of claim 1 , wherein the horizontal flange portion is adhered to the image sensor via a UV curing glue.

9. The camera module of claim 1 , further comprising:
an infrared (“IR”) cut filter disposed within the barrel section of the hybrid lens holder between the lens assembly and the image sensor, wherein the IR cut filter is held in place by direct contact with the inner side of the barrel section.

10. The camera module of claim 1 , wherein the lens assembly is held in place within the barrel section by direct contact with the inner side of the barrel section and a mechanical retainer.

11. An apparatus for a camera, comprising:
an image sensor including an image sensor die; and
a hybrid lens holder, including:
a barrel section shaped to hold a lens assembly as a vertical stack rising above an image sensor, wherein discrete lens elements of the lens assembly are held in place by direct contact with an inner side of the barrel section, wherein the inner side of the barrel section does not include a thread for mating to a threaded lens barrel; and
a flange section shaped to rest on the image sensor to maintain a fixed offset between the image sensor and the lens assembly, wherein the barrel section and the flange section are a single, contiguous housing structure, wherein the flange section includes a horizontal flange portion that rests on the image sensor, wherein the fixed offset is statically maintained by the horizontal flange,

wherein the horizontal flange portion is directly bonded to a top surface of the image sensor die and surrounds a pixel array of the image sensor die to seal off the pixel array.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the flange section further includes:
a vertical flange portion for wrapping around edges of the image sensor and passively aligning the image sensor with the lens assembly.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising:
a printed circuit board (“PCB”) substrate upon which the image sensor die is disposed, wherein wire leads connect first pads on the image sensor die disposed external to the horizontal flange portion to second pads on the PCB substrate.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising:
a printed circuit board (“PCB”) substrate upon which the image sensor die is disposed, wherein wire leads connect first pads on the image sensor die disposed underneath the horizontal flange portion to second pads on the PCB substrate also underneath the horizontal flange portion,
wherein the wire leads, the first pads, and the second pads are disposed under a raised cavity portion of the horizontal flange portion.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the image sensor comprises an image sensor package and wherein the horizontal flange portion rests on the image sensor package and surrounds a pixel array of the image sensor.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising:
the lens assembly; and
an infrared (“IR”) cut filter disposed within the barrel section of the hybrid lens holder between the lens assembly and the image sensor, wherein the IR cut filter is held in place by direct contact with the inner side of the barrel section.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , further comprising:
a mechanical retainer ring disposed between the IR cut filter and the image sensor to hold the lens assembly and the IR cut filter within the barrel section of the hybrid lens holder.

Assignees

• Google Inc

Inventors

• Gao Lu
• Chen Xi
• Miao Xiaoyu

Classifications

• H04N23/57 Primary

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

• H04N23/54

  Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils · CPC title

• H04N23/55 Primary

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

• H04N5/2254 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04N5/2253

  Electricity · mapped topic