Camera module and terminal device

Abstract

The present application discloses a camera module and a terminal device, the camera module includes: a lens assembly, a first zoom mechanism, a second zoom mechanism and an image sensor; wherein the lens assembly includes a solid optical lens group and a liquid lens arranged in cooperation; the first zoom mechanism is used to adjust the focal length of the liquid lens; the second zoom mechanism is used to drive the lens assembly to move along the optical axis direction to cooperate with the first zoom mechanism to adjust the focal length of the entire lens assembly; the image sensor is arranged perpendicular to the optical axis direction of the lens assembly, and is used to collect an imaging image corresponding to the light emitted from the lens assembly. Through the camera module, the continuous zoom of the lens can be effectively realized, thereby further refining the focusing scale of the lens.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of camera technology, and in particular to a camera module and a terminal device. Background Art

[0002] At present, terminal devices with camera functions have become indispensable electronic products in people's work and life, such as smart phones, tablet computers, etc. In order to capture clear images, lens zoom control is an indispensable function of terminal devices. However, terminal devices such as mobile phone lenses in the prior art do not have continuous zoom, but rely on different lenses to relay zoom within a specific range, and this specific range is also limited. For example, different lenses of mobile phones may have 1x, 3x, 5x and 10x optical zoom, but apart from these fixed multiples, the optical zoom is not continuous, for example, the 4x optical zoom between 3x and 5x cannot be achieved. Summary of the invention

[0003] The embodiment of the present application provides a camera module and a terminal device, which can achieve continuous zoom, thereby further refining the focusing scale of the lens.

[0004] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a camera module, including:

[0005] A lens assembly, comprising a solid optical lens group and a liquid lens arranged in coordination;

[0006] A first zoom mechanism, used for adjusting the focal length of the liquid lens;

[0007] A second zoom mechanism, used for driving the lens assembly to move along the optical axis direction, so as to cooperate with the first zoom mechanism to adjust the focal length of the entire lens assembly;

[0008] The image sensor is arranged perpendicular to the optical axis direction of the lens assembly and is used to collect an imaging image corresponding to the light emitted from the lens assembly.

[0009] Furthermore, the liquid lens is arranged on the light incident side of the lens assembly.

[0010] Furthermore, the liquid lens is arranged on the light-emitting side of the lens assembly.

[0011] Furthermore, the liquid lens is arranged between two adjacent solid optical lenses in the lens assembly.

[0012] Furthermore, a plurality of liquid lenses are provided.

[0013] Furthermore, the first zoom mechanism includes a micromotor driving structure, and the micromotor driving structure is used to control the pressure applied to the liquid in the accommodating chamber of the liquid lens according to an input voltage to adjust the curvature radius of the liquid lens.

[0014] Furthermore, the second zoom mechanism includes a driving motor and a lens fixing structure, the lens fixing structure is used to fix the lens assembly, the driving motor is connected to the lens fixing structure, and is used to drive the lens fixing structure to move, thereby driving the lens assembly to move along the optical axis direction, and the driving motor is a stepping motor, a piezoelectric motor, a piezoelectric two-stage motor or a piezoelectric three-stage motor.

[0015] Furthermore, the camera module also includes: an anti-shake fine-tuning mechanism connected to the image sensor, and the anti-shake fine-tuning mechanism is used to drive the image sensor to move according to the jitter signal to compensate for the imaging offset caused by the jitter.

[0016] Furthermore, the anti-shake fine-tuning mechanism is a shape memory alloy driver, a spring-type driver or a piezoelectric driver.

[0017] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a terminal device, comprising a display screen and the camera module provided in the first aspect, wherein the optical axis of the lens assembly in the camera module is perpendicular to the display screen.

[0018] One or more technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application have at least the following technical effects or advantages:

[0019] The camera module provided in the embodiment of the present application is configured with a liquid lens in the lens assembly, and a first zoom mechanism for adjusting the focal length of the liquid lens is provided, and a second zoom mechanism for driving the lens assembly to move along the optical axis direction to cooperate with the first zoom mechanism to adjust the focal length of the entire lens assembly. When zooming is required, the second zoom mechanism can drive the entire lens assembly to move to a specific position, and then cooperate with the first zoom mechanism to adjust the focal length of the liquid lens, thereby achieving continuous zooming within a certain range of the entire lens assembly, and further refining the focusing scale of the lens. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an exemplary camera module in an embodiment of the present application;

[0022] Figure 2 This is an exemplary optical path diagram of a lens assembly in an embodiment of the present application;

[0023] Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of an exemplary liquid lens in an embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 4 This is a schematic structural diagram of another exemplary camera module in a retracted state in an embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 5 for Figure 4 The schematic diagram of the structure of the camera module shown is in the extended state;

[0026] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the terminal device in the embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present application will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that these descriptions are exemplary only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present application. In addition, in the following description, descriptions of well-known structures and technologies are omitted to avoid unnecessary confusion of the concepts of the present application.

[0028] Various structural schematic diagrams according to embodiments of the present application are shown in the accompanying drawings. These figures are not drawn to scale, and some details are magnified and some details may be omitted for the purpose of clear expression. The shapes of various regions and layers shown in the figures and the relative sizes and positional relationships therebetween are only exemplary, and may deviate in practice due to manufacturing tolerances or technical limitations, and those skilled in the art may further design regions / layers with different shapes, sizes, and relative positions according to actual needs.

[0029] The camera module and terminal device provided in the embodiments of the present application are described in detail below. It should be understood that the embodiments of the present application and the specific features in the embodiments are detailed descriptions of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, rather than limitations on the technical solutions of the present application. In the absence of conflicts, the embodiments of the present application and the technical features in the embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0030] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a camera module. Figure 1 As shown, the camera module 100 includes: a lens assembly 110, a first zoom mechanism and an image sensor 140. Of course, in addition to this, the camera module 100 also includes an infrared filter 130, a chip driving circuit board 150 and a bracket 160 for supporting the lens and other structures, which can be specifically referred to in the relevant technology and will not be described in detail here.

[0031] Among them, the lens assembly 110 includes a solid optical lens group and a liquid lens 111 that are arranged in a coordinated manner. The lens assembly 110 can be a one-segment structure or a multi-segment structure. The optical axis of the liquid lens 111 coincides with the optical axis of the solid optical lens group. The solid optical lens group can include multiple optical lenses, for example, all of which can be plastic lenses. There are many types of liquid lenses 111. When implemented specifically, an electro-wetting liquid lens, a mechanical hydraulic liquid lens, a dielectric force-driven liquid lens, or a liquid crystal material liquid lens can be used, and this embodiment does not limit this.

[0032] It should be noted that the position of the liquid lens 111 shown in the drawings herein is for illustration only and is not intended to be limiting. In specific implementation, the specific position of the liquid lens 111 in the lens assembly 110 depends on the specific optical path design. For example, the liquid lens 111 can be placed on the light incident side, light exit side, or between two adjacent solid optical lenses of the lens assembly 110. Figure 2 FIG. 1 shows an optical path diagram of an exemplary lens assembly, wherein P1 located on the light incident side is a liquid lens, and P2-P6 are all solid optical lenses. Figure 2 As shown, the light incident on the lens assembly passes through P1-P6 in sequence, is processed by the infrared filter, and is focused onto the photosensitive surface of the image sensor 140 to form an image.

[0033] The liquid lens has the advantages of fast response time, good imaging quality, light weight and small size. The internal parameters of the lens can be changed by external control to achieve continuous zoom. Adding a liquid lens 111 to the lens is conducive to reducing the number of lenses, improving the zoom ratio and the optical performance of the lens, and continuous zoom can be achieved through a single lens.

[0034] The first zoom mechanism is arranged in cooperation with the liquid lens 111, and is used to adjust the focal length of the liquid lens 111. In an optional embodiment, the first zoom mechanism can change the internal parameters of the liquid lens 111, thereby adjusting the focal length of the liquid lens 111. For example, the liquid lens 111 is a liquid-filled lens, and the focal length can be adjusted by changing the radius of curvature of the liquid lens 111. This liquid lens 111 has low driving power consumption, a large zoom range, and a flexible aperture size. The shape is determined by the mechanical properties of the film in the accommodating cavity and has nothing to do with the filling liquid. On this basis, the first zoom mechanism can adopt a micro-motor drive structure, and the micro-motor drive structure is used to control the pressure applied to the liquid in the accommodating cavity of the liquid lens 111 according to the input voltage to adjust the radius of curvature of the liquid lens 111. In this way, by inputting different voltages to the micro-motor drive structure, the continuous change of the radius of curvature of the liquid lens 111 can be controlled, thereby realizing continuous zooming of the lens.

[0035] For example, Figure 3As shown, the liquid lens 111 may include: a first flat glass 111a and a second flat glass 111b, a liquid containing chamber 111c is provided between the first flat glass 111a and the second flat glass 111b, and two mutually immiscible liquid materials are stored in the containing chamber. Under the control of different input voltages, the first zoom mechanism 120, such as a micro-motor drive structure, applies pressure to the first flat glass 111a in a direction perpendicular to the first flat glass 111a, which is transmitted to the liquid material in the containing chamber of the liquid lens 111, and the change amount of the liquid material in the containing chamber is controlled. When the light passes through the interface between the two liquid materials, it is deflected, thereby realizing the zoom function.

[0036] In an optional embodiment, in order to meet the actual continuous zoom range, a plurality of liquid lenses 111 may be provided in the lens assembly 110, and the focal length of the liquid lenses 111 may be controlled by the first zoom mechanisms 120 provided correspondingly to each other to achieve continuous zoom within the required magnification range. For example, continuous zoom of the camera module 1x to 4.5x may be achieved.

[0037] This embodiment can realize the current main camera scene and telephoto scene by setting the liquid lens 111 and its corresponding first zoom mechanism 120, and realize true continuous zoom. In an application scenario, the image sensor model used is IMX766, and the camera module 100 is in the main camera, 1.5x zoom, 2.5x zoom and 4.5x zoom scenes. The matching parameters of the liquid lens 111 and the plastic lens in the lens assembly 110 can be shown in the following table. The unit of the parameters in the table is mm, and the EFL (Effective Focal Length) of the camera module 100 can be changed in the range of 5.9mm to 25.2mm.

[0038] type EFL Liquid lens focal length Liquid lens diopter Solid state lens focal length Main camera 5.9 19.7 50.7 8 Zoom 1.5x 8.4 52 19.2 8 Zoom 2.5x 14 -31.5 -31.7 8 Zoom 4.5x 25.2 -14.92 -67.02 8

[0039] Furthermore, in order to increase the continuous zoom range of the camera module 100, as Figure 4 As shown, the camera module 100 provided in the embodiment of this specification also includes: a second zoom mechanism 170. The second zoom mechanism 170 is arranged in cooperation with the entire lens assembly 110, and is used to drive the lens assembly 110 to move along the optical axis direction, so as to cooperate with the above-mentioned first zoom mechanism to adjust the focal length of the entire lens assembly 110, and realize continuous zooming in a larger magnification range. It can be understood that when the camera module 100 provided in this embodiment is applied to a terminal device, the optical axis of the lens assembly 110 is arranged perpendicular to the display screen, so that the lens assembly 110 can be extended to the outside of the shell of the terminal device under the drive of the second zoom mechanism 170, and the lens assembly 110 can be driven to achieve a larger stroke position change without occupying too much terminal device space, thereby achieving a larger zoom range.

[0040] In an optional embodiment, the second zoom mechanism 170 may adopt an AF (Auto Focus) motor module. For example, the AF motor module may include a drive motor and a lens fixing structure, and the lens fixing structure is used to fix the lens assembly 110. The drive motor is connected to the lens fixing structure and is used to drive the lens fixing structure to move, thereby driving the entire lens assembly 110 to move. In a specific implementation, the drive motor may adopt a stepper motor structure motor, a piezoelectric two-stage or three-stage motor, a piezoelectric (Pizeo) motor, and the like.

[0041] At this time, when zooming is required, the entire lens assembly 110 can be driven to move by the second zoom mechanism 170, and then the first zoom mechanism 120 can be used to control the zoom of the liquid lens 111 to achieve continuous zooming within a certain range, which is conducive to refining the focusing scale of the lens, and the specific zoom range is designed according to the needs of the actual application scenario. In this way, the camera module 100 provided in this embodiment can integrate the functions of the main camera lens and the telescopic lens, which is conducive to enriching the functions of the camera module 100, reducing the number of lenses that need to be deployed in the terminal device, and realizing true continuous zooming.

[0042] Take the liquid lens 111 that adjusts the focal length by controlling the curvature change as an example. Figure 4 As shown, when the lens assembly 110 is retracted to the original position, the main camera function can be realized. Furthermore, the second zoom mechanism 170 drives the lens assembly 110 to move along the optical axis, so that the lens can be extended to each specific position. Figure 5 As shown, the curvature of the liquid lens is controlled by the first zoom mechanism 120, and the EFL parameter is adjusted to the theoretical design range, so that the lens can achieve the desired continuous zoom ratio range. For example, in an application scenario, the lens assembly is extended to a certain position, and combined with the control of the first zoom mechanism 120, a continuous zoom of 1 to 4.5 times can be achieved.

[0043] After the zoom of the lens assembly 110 is completed, the external incident light can be imaged to the photosensitive surface of the image sensor 140 through the zoomed lens assembly 110 and the infrared filter 130 in sequence, and the image sensor 140 collects the current image to achieve the zoomed image shooting. In this embodiment, the image sensor 140 is arranged perpendicular to the optical axis direction of the lens assembly 110.

[0044] Furthermore, in order to improve the imaging quality problem caused by environmental jitter factors, the camera module 100 provided in the embodiment of the present specification also includes: an anti-shake fine-tuning mechanism 180. The anti-shake fine-tuning mechanism 180 is connected to the image sensor 140, and is used to drive the image sensor 140 to move according to the jitter signal to compensate for the imaging offset caused by the jitter. For example, the anti-shake fine-tuning mechanism 180 can be a shape memory alloy (Shape Memory Alloys, SMA) driver, a spring driver or a piezoelectric driver. Assuming that the direction perpendicular to the photosensitive side of the image sensor 140 is the Z-axis direction, a rectangular coordinate system is established, and by driving the image sensor 140 to move, the anti-shake function in the X and Y directions is realized to achieve the purpose of clear imaging.

[0045] Compared with connecting the anti-shake fine-tuning mechanism to the lens assembly 110, connecting the anti-shake fine-tuning mechanism 180 to the image sensor 140 can avoid the anti-shake fine-tuning mechanism 180 affecting the stability of internal parameters of the liquid lens 111, such as the radius of curvature, when working, thereby affecting the stability of the lens focal length, which is beneficial to further improve the imaging quality.

[0046] The camera module provided in the embodiment of the present application effectively realizes continuous zooming of the lens by matching the liquid lens 111 in the lens assembly 110, and adjusting the focal length of the lens assembly 110 in combination with the first zoom mechanism 120 and the second zoom mechanism 170, thereby further refining the focusing scale of the lens. In addition, the zooming speed is fast, and the continuous zooming range that can be realized is large.

[0047] In a second aspect, the present application also provides a terminal device, such as Figure 6 As shown, the terminal device 60 includes a display screen 200 and a camera module 100, and the optical axis of the lens assembly 110 in the camera module 100 is perpendicular to the display screen surface. It can be understood that Figure 6 The x-axis direction shown in the figure is the thickness direction of the terminal device 60, that is, the optical axis direction of the camera module 100 installed in the terminal device 60, and the y-axis direction is the length direction of the terminal device 60. The specific structure of the camera module 100 can refer to the description of the first aspect above, which will not be repeated here.

[0048] Of course, in addition to the display screen 200 and the camera module 100, the terminal device 60 also includes other structures, such as a housing, a processor, a memory, etc. The specific implementation details can refer to the relevant technology of the terminal device 60, which will not be described in detail here. For example, the terminal device 60 can respond to the zoom command triggered by the user, send a zoom control command to the camera module 100, control the first zoom mechanism 120 or control the first zoom mechanism 120 to cooperate with the second zoom mechanism 170, and adjust the focal length of the lens assembly 110 to achieve the zoom ratio required by the user. For example, the terminal device 60 can be an electronic device with a camera function, such as a mobile phone, a tablet computer, or a laptop computer.

[0049] Since the optical axis of the lens assembly 110 in the camera module 100 is arranged perpendicular to the display screen, the lens assembly 110 can be driven by the second zoom mechanism 170 to pass through the opening provided for the camera module 100 on the housing of the terminal device 60 and extend to the outside of the housing. In this way, the lens assembly 110 can be driven to achieve a large stroke position change without occupying too much space in the terminal device 60, thereby achieving a large zoom range.

[0050] Taking a mobile phone as an example, due to the adoption of the camera module 100 provided in the first aspect above, when a user uses a mobile phone to take pictures, compared to the focusing method that can only select from discrete zoom ratios such as 1x, 3x, 5x and 10x, a larger range of continuous zoom can be achieved, which is more conducive to meeting the user's zoom needs, thereby improving the user's experience of the mobile phone's camera function.

[0051] In the above description, the technical details such as the composition of each layer are not described in detail. However, those skilled in the art should understand that various technical means can be used to form layers, regions, etc. of desired shapes. In addition, in order to form the same structure, those skilled in the art can also design methods that are not exactly the same as the methods described above. In addition, although each embodiment is described above separately, it does not mean that the measures in each embodiment cannot be used in combination to advantage. Moreover, the same and similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other.

[0052] Although the preferred embodiments of the present application have been described, those skilled in the art may make other changes and modifications to these embodiments once they have learned the basic creative concept. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to be interpreted as including the preferred embodiments and all changes and modifications falling within the scope of the present application.

[0053] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications to the present application without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. Thus, if these modifications and variations of the present application fall within the scope of the claims of the present application and their equivalents, the present application is also intended to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A camera module, characterized in that: include: A lens assembly, comprising a solid optical lens group and a liquid lens arranged in coordination; A first zoom mechanism, used for adjusting the focal length of the liquid lens; A second zoom mechanism is used to drive the lens assembly to move along the optical axis direction to cooperate with the first zoom mechanism to adjust the focal length of the entire lens assembly. When the lens assembly moves to each preset position in the optical axis direction, the micro-motor drive structure inside the first zoom mechanism controls the pressure applied to the liquid in the accommodating chamber of the liquid lens according to the input voltage to adjust the curvature radius of the liquid lens, thereby realizing continuous zooming of the lens assembly within a magnification range matching the preset position; The second zoom mechanism comprises a driving motor and a lens fixing structure, wherein the lens fixing structure is used to fix the lens assembly, and the driving motor is connected to the lens fixing structure and is used to drive the lens fixing structure to move, thereby driving the lens assembly to move along the optical axis direction; An image sensor is arranged perpendicular to the optical axis direction of the lens assembly and is used to collect an imaging image corresponding to the light emitted from the lens assembly; When the camera module is zoomed, the second zoom mechanism drives the lens assembly to extend out of the shell of the terminal device, and the first zoom mechanism controls the liquid lens to zoom.

2. The camera module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The liquid lens is arranged on the light incident side of the lens assembly.

3. The camera module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The liquid lens is arranged on the light-emitting side of the lens assembly.

4. The camera module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The liquid lens is arranged between two adjacent solid optical lenses in the lens assembly.

5. The camera module according to claim 1, characterized in that: A plurality of liquid lenses are provided.

6. The camera module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The camera module also includes: The anti-shake fine-tuning mechanism is connected to the image sensor, and is used to drive the image sensor to move according to the shaking signal to compensate for the imaging offset caused by the shaking.

7. The camera module according to claim 6, characterized in that: The anti-shake fine-tuning mechanism is a shape memory alloy driver, a spring-type driver or a piezoelectric driver.

8. A terminal device, characterized in that: It comprises a display screen and the camera module described in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the optical axis of the lens assembly in the camera module is perpendicular to the display screen.

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