Apparatus and method for controlling auto focus of camera module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9883098-B2
Application number	US-201715455018-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 9, 2017
Priority date	Mar 9, 2016
Publication date	Jan 30, 2018
Grant date	Jan 30, 2018

Abstract

Disclosed are an apparatus and method for controlling auto focus of a camera module. The present invention includes a lens unit, a moving coil, a fixed coil, and a controller configured to provide a signal comprising first frequency signal and second frequency signal to the moving coil, the fixed coil receiving the variable current or the variable voltage through the second frequency signal, calculate a focus position value based on the received variable current or the variable voltage and an image signal, and control the lens unit to move by applying the first frequency signal to the moving coil according to the calculated focus position value, wherein the controller is further configured to detect a temperature change of the fixed coil and to correct a focus position of the lens unit corresponding to the detected temperature change of the fixed coil.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mobile terminal capable of controlling an auto focus, the mobile terminal comprising:
a fixed unit having a hole formed therein;
a magnet placed inside the fixed unit;
a lens unit including at least one lens and configured to move;
a moving coil placed on the lens unit;
a fixed coil;
an image signal processing unit processing an image provided by a sensing unit; and
a controller configured to:
provide a first current or voltage signal to the moving coil, wherein a second current or voltage signal is induced to the fixed coil by electromagnetic induction between the moving coil and the fixed coil, the second current or voltage signal being varied according to a distance between the moving coil and the fixed coil;
detect a temperature of the fixed coil; and
determine a position of the lens unit for the auto focus based on the second current or voltage signal, the image processed by the image signal processing unit, and a difference between a reference temperature and the detected temperature of the fixed coil.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to measure a resistance value of the fixed coil to detect the temperature of the fixed coil.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to apply current to the fixed coil to measure a voltage of the fixed coil to measure the resistance value of the fixed coil based on the applied current and the measured voltage.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the controller is further configured to apply the current in between a signal pulse sensed from the fixed coil.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
measure a current position of the lens unit based on the second current or voltage signal induced to the fixed coil, and
correct the current position of the lens unit based on the difference between the reference temperature and the detected temperature of the fixed coil.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the temperature of the fixed coil is detected in real time.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first current or voltage signal includes a first frequency signal and a second frequency signal, wherein the first frequency signal is for moving the lens unit and the second frequency signal is for determining the position of the lens unit for the auto focus.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the second frequency signal has a frequency higher than the first frequency signal.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the fixed coil is disposed by being evenly spaced apart from one side of the lens unit and located on a line of a moving direction of the lens unit.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sensing unit comprises an image sensor sensing the image incident through the at least one lens of the lens unit.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the fixed coil and the sensing unit are disposed either in a manner of being spaced evenly apart from one side of the lens unit or in a manner of opposing each other by leaving the lens unit in-between.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , the controller further comprises:
a detecting unit detecting the second current or voltage signal from the fixed coil; and
a calculating unit calculating the position of the lens unit for the auto focus based on the image processed by the image signal processing unit the second current or voltage signal from the detecting unit, and the temperature of the fixed coil.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the detecting unit comprises:
a half-wave rectifying unit rectifying a frequency signal for the second current or voltage signal sensed from the fixed coil into a half-wave signal;
a converting unit converting the half-wave signal received from the half-wave rectifying unit into a third current or voltage signal;
an amplifying unit amplifying a frequency signal for the third current or voltage signal converted by the converting unit; and
a peak detecting unit detecting a peak of the frequency signal amplified by the amplifying unit.

14. A method of controlling an auto focus of a mobile terminal, the method comprising:
moving a lens unit of the mobile terminal by applying a first current or voltage signal to a moving coil of the mobile terminal, wherein a second current or voltage signal is induced to a fixed coil of the mobile terminal by electromagnetic induction between the moving coil and the fixed coil, the second current or voltage signal being varied according to a distance between the moving coil and the fixed coil;
sensing an image incident on the lens unit according to the movement of the lens unit;
processing the sensed image;
detecting a temperature of the fixed coil;
determining a position of the lens unit for the auto focus based on the second current or voltage signal, the processed image, and a difference between a reference temperature and the detected temperature of the fixed coil.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising measuring a resistance value of the fixed coil to detect the temperature of the fixed coil.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising applying current to the fixed coil to measure a voltage of the fixed coil to measure the resistance value of the fixed coil based on the applied current and the measured voltage.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
applying the current between a signal pulse sensed from the fixed coil.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the determining of the position of the lens unit further comprises:
measuring a current position of the lens unit based on the second current or voltage signal induced to the fixed coil; and
correcting the current position of the lens unit based on the difference between the reference temperature and the detected temperature of the fixed coil.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
rectifying a frequency signal for the second current or voltage signal received from the fixed coil into a half-wave signal;
converting the received half-wave signal into a third current or voltage signal;
amplifying a frequency signal for the third current or voltage signal; and
detecting a peak of the amplified frequency signal.

20. A method of controlling an auto focus of a camera module, the method comprising:
moving a lens unit of the camera module by applying a first current or voltage signal to a moving coil of the camera module, wherein a second current or voltage signal is induced to a fixed coil of the mobile terminal by electromagnetic induction between the moving coil and the fixed coil, the second current or voltage signal being varied according to a distance between the moving coil and the fixed coil;
sensing an image incident on the lens unit according to the movement of the lens unit;
processing the sensed image;
detecting a temperature of the fixed coil;
determining a position of the lens unit for the auto focus based on the second current or voltage signal, the processed image, and a difference between a reference temperature and the detected temperature of the fixed coil.

21. A camera module for an auto focus, the camera module comprising:
a fixed unit having a hole formed therein;
a magnet placed inside the fixed unit;
a lens unit including at least one lens and configured to move;
a moving coil placed on the lens unit;
a fixed coil;
an image signal processing unit processing an image provided by a sensing unit; and
a controller configured to:
provide a first signa

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Park Haejin
• Kwon Sungdu
• Kwon Youngman
• Lee Jayong
• Cho Taegil
• Ji Salkmann
• Hong Samnyol

Classifications

• H04N23/67 Primary

  Focus control based on electronic image sensor signals · CPC title

• H04N23/68

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

• G02B7/08 Primary

  adapted to co-operate with a remote control mechanism · CPC title

• H04N23/6811

  based on the image signal · CPC title

• H02P7/025

  the DC motors being of the moving coil type, e.g. voice coil motors · CPC title