Techniques for optical image stabilization using magnetic shape memory actuators

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9778480-B2
Application number	US-201414497859-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 26, 2014
Priority date	Sep 26, 2014
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

Various embodiments are generally directed to techniques for using MSM actuators to minimize the consumption of electric power and/or the quantity of components in implementing OIS in an image capture device. An apparatus may include a camera pivotally mounted within an endpiece of a casing, the camera including an image capture element to capture an image of an object along a line of sight of the image capture element; an actuator of elongate shape coupled to the camera to exert a mechanical force to pivot the camera about an axis, the elongate shape of the actuator extending into a relatively thin and elongate portion of the casing that is coupled to and extends from the endpiece; and a countering movement component to operate the actuator to pivot the camera about the axis in a countering movement to provide OIS to the camera. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus to capture images comprising:
a camera pivotally mounted within an endpiece of a casing, the camera comprising an image capture element to capture an image of an object along a line of sight of the image capture element;
a first actuator of elongate shape coupled to a first rear portion of the camera, the first actuator to elongate toward the endpiece to exert a first mechanical force against the first rear portion to pivot the camera about a first axis in a first direction;
a second actuator of elongate shape coupled to a second rear portion of the camera, the second actuator to elongate toward the endpiece to exert a second mechanical force against the second rear portion to pivot the camera about the first axis in a second direction, the second direction opposite the first direction, the elongate shape of the first actuator and the second actuator extending into the casing; and
a countering movement component to operate one of the first actuator or the second actuator to pivot the camera in one of the first direction or the second direction in a countering movement to provide optical image stabilization (OIS) to the camera.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising a motion detection component to detect motion of the casing and to determine whether the motion arises from unsteady physical support of the casing, the countering movement component to derive the countering movement based on the determination.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , the first and second actuators each comprising a magnetic shape memory (MSM) actuator, an elongate portion of the casing comprising a temple of eyewear and the temple comprising the endpiece at one end of the elongate portion and an earpiece at another end of the elongate portion.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , the first and second actuators coupled to each other and to the camera to alternately push against and pull on the camera based on which of the first and second mechanical forces are exerted through the linkage, the first actuator positioned between the camera and the second actuator, and the second actuator extending further away from the camera and into an elongate portion of the casing from the endpiece than the first actuator.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , the second actuator to pivot the camera about a second axis the second axis crossing the first axis, the elongate shape of the second actuator extending into an elongate portion of the casing, the first and second actuators each comprising a magnetic shape memory (MSM) actuator, the elongate portion of the casing comprising a temple of eyewear and the temple comprising the endpiece at one end of the elongate portion and an earpiece at another end of the elongate portion.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , elongation of the first actuator to cause the second actuator to compress, and elongation of the second actuator to cause the first actuator to compress.

7. An apparatus to capture images comprising:
a casing defining a temple of eyewear, the temple comprising a front endpiece, an earpiece and an elongate portion extending between the front endpiece and the earpiece;
a camera pivotally mounted within the front endpiece, the camera comprising an image capture element to capture an image of an object along a line of sight of the image capture element;
a first magnetic shape memory (MSM) actuator coupled to a first rear portion of the camera, the first MSM actuator to extend toward the front endpiece to exert a first mechanical force against the first rear portion to pivot the camera about a first axis in a first direction, the first MSM actuator extending into the elongate portion of the temple; and
a second MSM actuator coupled to a second rear portion of the camera, the second MSM actuator to extend toward the front endpiece to exert a second mechanical force against the second rear portion to pivot the camera about a second axis in a second direction opposite the first direction, the second MSM actuator extending into the elongate portion of the temple; and
a countering movement component to operate the first and second MSM actuators to pivot the camera in the first and second directions in a countering movement to pivot the line of sight to provide optical image stabilization (OIS) during capture of the image.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , comprising a gimbal, the camera pivotally mounted within the gimbal to pivot about the first and second axes in response to the exertion of the first and second mechanical forces.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , comprising:
a motion sensor operable to detect motion imparted to the casing; and
a motion detection component to determine whether the detected motion arises from unsteady physical support of the casing, the countering movement component to derive the countering movement based on the determination.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 , elongation of the first MSM actuator to cause the second MSM actuator to compress, and elongation of the second MSM actuator to cause the first MSM actuator to compress.

11. A computer-implemented method for providing optical image stabilization (OIS) comprising:
detecting motion of a casing of a capture device, the casing comprising an endpiece;
determining whether the detected motion arises from unsteady physical support of the casing;
operating one of:
a first actuator of elongate shape coupled to a first rear portion of a camera pivotally mounted within the endpiece, the first actuator to elongate toward the endpiece to exert a first mechanical force against the first rear portion to pivot the camera about a first axis in a first direction,
and a second actuator of elongate shape coupled to a second rear portion of the camera, the second actuator to elongate toward the endpiece to exert a second mechanical force to pivot the camera about the first axis in a second direction, the second direction opposite the first direction; and

providing optical image stabilization (OIS) to the camera based on the determination via pivoting the camera in one of the first direction or the second direction.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 , the method comprising deriving the countering movement from the detected motion.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12 , the method comprising selecting the first actuator from a plurality of actuators of elongate shape to effect the countering movement based on a geometry by which each actuator of the plurality of actuators is coupled to the camera.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13 , the first actuator comprising a magnetic shape memory (MSM) actuator, and the method comprising:
taking a measurement of an electrical characteristic of a coil of the first actuator;
correlating the measurement to a degree of change in magnetically-responsive material of the first actuator; and
correlating the degree of change to a current position of the camera.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14 , the method comprising:
determining whether the countering movement will exceed a physical limit of a range of movement of the camera; and
altering the countering movement based on the determination of whether the countering movement will exceed the physical limit.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 , the method comprising:
providing electric power to the first actuator when the first actuator is operated to exert the first mechanical force to pivot the camera in the first direction; and
refraining from providing electric power to the first actuator when the first actuator is not operated to exert the first mech

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Ollila Mikko

Classifications

• H04N23/51

  Housings · CPC title

• H04N23/68

  for stable pick-up of the scene, e.g. compensating for camera body vibrations · CPC title

• H04N23/54

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

• H04N23/687 Primary

  by shifting the lens or sensor position · CPC title

• G02B27/0172

  characterised by optical features · CPC title