Camera module, portable electronic device, and position control system

Abstract

Provided are a camera module, a portable electronic device, and a position control system. The camera module includes a controller, a first driver, and a second driver. The controller has: a first position control unit that generates a first position control signal indicating a first target position to which an object provided with an image sensor or a lens is to be moved; and a first main port that outputs the first position control signal. The first driver has: a first slave port connected to the first main port; a first driving unit that applies a driving force to the object based on the first position control signal; a second position control unit that generates a second position control signal indicating a second target position to which the object is to be moved; and a second main port that outputs the second position control signal. The second driver has: a second slave port connected to the second main port; and a second driving unit that applies a driving force to the object based on the second position control signal.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a camera module, a portable electronic device, and a position control system. Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes that "a single master port M configured in the OIS controller 221 is connected to slave ports S respectively configured in the first OIS driver 222a and the second OIS driver 222b".

[0003] Prior Art Documents

[0004] Patent Documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Specification of U.S. Patent No. 11,039,071 Summary of the Invention

[0006] In a first aspect of the present invention, a camera module is provided. The camera module may include a controller having: a first position control unit that generates a first position control signal representing a first target position, which is a position to which an object provided with an image sensor or a lens is to be moved; and a first master port that outputs the first position control signal. The camera module may include a first driver having: a first slave port connected to the first master port; a first driving unit that applies a driving force to the object based on the first position control signal; a second position control unit that generates a second position control signal representing a second target position, which is a position to which the object is to be moved; and a second master port that outputs the second position control signal. The camera module may include a second driver having: a second slave port connected to the second master port; and a second driving unit that applies a driving force to the object based on the second position control signal.

[0007] The first driver may further include a first sensor that detects the position of the object. The first driving unit may apply a driving force to the object based on a first position signal representing the position of the object detected by the first sensor and the first position control signal.

[0008] The second driver may further include a second sensor that detects the position of the object. The second driving unit may apply a driving force to the object based on a second position signal representing the position of the object detected by the second sensor and the second position control signal.

[0009] The first driver may further include an arithmetic unit that corrects at least one of the first position control signal, the first position signal, and the second position control signal based at least on the second position signal obtained via the second main port.

[0010] The arithmetic unit may correct at least one of the first position control signal, the first position signal, and the second position control signal in such a manner as to reduce mutual interference caused by driving of the object by the first driver and driving of the object by the second driver.

[0011] When the first driver drives a first object provided with a first lens and the second driver drives a second object provided with a second lens, the arithmetic unit corrects at least one of the first position control signal, the first position signal, and the second position control signal in such a manner that the first object and the second object are linked.

[0012] In a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a camera module. The camera module may include a controller having: a position control unit that generates a position control signal representing a target position to which an object provided with a lens is to be moved; and a first main port that outputs the position control signal. The camera module may include a driver having: a first slave port connected to the first main port; a second main port to which a position detector is connected as a slave; and a driving unit that applies a driving force to the object based on position information representing the position of the object detected by the position detector and the position control signal.

[0013] The driver may further include a sensor that detects the position of the object. The driving unit may apply a driving force to the object based on a position signal representing the position of the object detected by the sensor, the position information, and the position control signal.

[0014] The driver may further include an arithmetic unit that corrects the tilt of the optical axis of the lens in the object based on the position information.

[0015] In the camera module, communication between the host and the slave may be serial communication.

[0016] Alternatively, the camera module may be capable of performing at least one of optical image stabilization, autofocus, and zoom processing.

[0017] In a second aspect of the present invention, a portable electronic device is provided. The portable electronic device may include a controller having: a first position control unit that generates a first position control signal representing a first target position, which is a position to which an object provided with an image sensor or a lens is to be moved; and a first main port that outputs the first position control signal. The portable electronic device may include a first driver having: a first slave port connected to the first main port; a first driving unit that applies a driving force to the object based on the first position control signal; a second position control unit that generates a second position control signal representing a second target position, which is a position to which the object is to be moved; and a second main port that outputs the second position control signal. The portable electronic device may include a second driver having: a second slave port connected to the second main port; and a second driving unit that applies a driving force to the object based on the second position control signal.

[0018] In a third aspect of the present invention, a position control system is provided. The position control system may include a controller having: a first position control unit that generates a first position control signal representing a first target position, which is a position to which an object provided with an image sensor or a lens is to be moved; and a first main port that outputs the first position control signal. The position control system may include a first driver having: a first slave port connected to the first main port; a first driving unit that applies a driving force to the object based on the first position control signal; a second position control unit that generates a second position control signal representing a second target position, which is a position to which the object is to be moved; and a second main port that outputs the second position control signal. The position control system may include a second driver having: a second slave port connected to the second main port; and a second driving unit that applies a driving force to the object based on the second position control signal.

[0019] In addition, the above description of the invention does not list all the features of the present invention. Moreover, sub-combinations of these feature groups can also form inventions separately. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 It is an example of a block diagram showing a camera module 10 according to the first embodiment.

[0021] Figure 2 It is an example of a block diagram showing a controller 100.

[0022] Figure 3 An example of a block diagram showing the first driver 200.

[0023] Figure 4 An example of a block diagram showing the second driver 300.

[0024] Figure 5 An example of a timing diagram of the camera module 10 according to the first embodiment.

[0025] Figure 6 An example of a block diagram of the camera module 10 according to the second embodiment.

[0026] Figure 7 An example of a timing diagram of the camera module 10 according to the second embodiment.

[0027] Figure 8 An example of a block diagram of the camera module 10 according to the third embodiment.

[0028] Figure 9 An example of a timing diagram of the camera module 10 according to the third embodiment.

[0029] Figure 10 An example of a block diagram of the camera module 10 according to the fourth embodiment.

[0030] Figure 11 An example of a block diagram of the camera module 10 according to the fifth embodiment.

[0031] Figure 12 An example of a block diagram of the camera module 10 according to the sixth embodiment.

[0032] Figure 13 An example of a block diagram of the camera module 10 according to the seventh embodiment.

[0033] Figure 14 An example of a timing diagram of the camera module 10 according to the seventh embodiment.

[0034] Figure 15 An example of a block diagram of the camera module 10 according to the eighth embodiment.

[0035] Figure 16 An example of a timing diagram of the camera module 10 according to the eighth embodiment.

[0036] Figure 17 An example of a block diagram of the camera module 10 according to the ninth embodiment.

[0037] Figure 18 The first example of a timing diagram of the camera module 10 according to the ninth embodiment.

[0038] Figure 19 A second example of a timing chart showing the camera module 10 according to the ninth embodiment.

[0039] Figure 20 An example of a block diagram showing the camera module 10 according to the tenth embodiment.

[0040] Figure 21 An example of a timing chart showing the camera module 10 according to the tenth embodiment. Detailed embodiments

[0041] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described by way of embodiments of the invention. However, the following embodiments are not intended to limit the invention claimed in the claims. In addition, the combinations of features described in the embodiments are not necessarily all essential for the solution of the invention.

[0042] Figure 1 An example of a block diagram showing the camera module 10 according to the first embodiment. In addition, these blocks are functional blocks separated by function, and do not necessarily correspond to the actual device structure. That is, in this figure, although shown as one block, this block does not necessarily consist of one device. In addition, in this figure, although shown as separate blocks, they do not necessarily consist of separate devices. The same can be said for other figures.

[0043] In addition, prior to this, the camera module 10 has been described as an example, but it is not limited thereto. A portable electronic device and a position control system having the same functions as the camera module 10 to be described below may also be provided. Examples of such devices and systems include mobile phones, smartphones, tablet terminals, PDAs, portable computers, laptop computers, notebook computers, and systems for controlling the position of an object built in or external to these devices.

[0044] Alternatively, the camera module 10 can perform at least one of optical image stabilization, autofocus, and zoom processing. At this time, in the camera module 10, the controller does not centrally control a plurality of drivers individually, but at least one driver also functions as a sub-controller, and the controller and the sub-controller cooperate to perform distributed control of the plurality of drivers. In the first embodiment, a case where the camera module 10 performs lens shift type optical image stabilization (Optical Image Stabilizer: OIS) processing will be described.

[0045] The camera module 10 includes: an object 20; a first coil 50_1 and a second coil 50_2 (collectively referred to as "coils 50"); a controller 100; a first driver 200; and a second driver 300.

[0046] The object 20 is a device whose position changes according to an input signal. Prior to this, the case where the object 20 is a lens barrel will be described as an example. In the present embodiment, a lens 30, and a first magnet 40_1 and a second magnet 40_2 (collectively referred to as "magnets 40") are provided in the object 20.

[0047] The lens 30 is an optical element for refracting and converging light. In lens-shifting type OIS processing, the object 20 is moved to shift the lens 30, thereby maintaining the optical axis at the center of the image to reduce image blurring caused by camera shake.

[0048] The magnets 40 are permanent magnets. In the present embodiment, the first magnet 40_1 is arranged along the X-axis direction. In addition, the second magnet 40_2 is arranged along the Y-axis direction.

[0049] The coils 50 are wound in a fixed direction. In the present embodiment, the first coil 50_1 is wound along the X-axis direction near the first magnet 40_1 in the same manner as the first magnet 40_1. In addition, the second coil 50_2 is wound along the Y-axis direction near the second magnet 40_2 in the same manner as the second magnet 40_2. When drive currents are supplied to the first coil 50_1 and the second coil 50_2, magnetic forces are generated between the first coil 50_1 and the first magnet 40_1 and between the second coil 50_2 and the second magnet 40_2, respectively, so that the object 20 is displaced. Thereby, shake in two axes can be corrected.

[0050] The controller 100 is a higher-level control device that controls the drivers. In the present embodiment, the controller 100 may be an OIS controller. In the present embodiment, the controller 100 makes a host connection to the first driver 200 and outputs a generated first position control signal to the first driver 200.

[0051] The first driver 200 is a driver for applying a driving force to the object 20. In the present embodiment, the first driver 200 may be an OIS driver. The first driver 200 makes a slave connection to the controller 100 and supplies a drive current to the first coil 50_1 based on the first position control signal output from the controller 100. In addition, the first driver 200 has a function as a sub-controller. That is, the first driver 200 makes a host connection to the second driver 300 and outputs a generated second position control signal to the second driver 300.

[0052] The second driver 300 is a driver for applying a driving force to the object 20. In the present embodiment, the second driver 300 may be an OIS driver. The second driver 300 is connected to the first driver 200 as a slave, and supplies a driving current to the second coil 50_2 based on the second position control signal output from the first driver 200.

[0053] Here, in the present embodiment, the communication path between the controller 100 and the first driver 200 is defined as the first communication bus, and the communication path between the first driver 200 and the second driver 300 is defined as the second communication bus. The host-slave communication performed in the first communication bus and the second communication bus may be serial communication such as I2C (Inter-Integrated Circuit), for example. In I2C, generally, two signal lines, a clock signal line SCL and a data signal line SDA, are used to connect one host and one or more slaves in a party-line manner. In addition, each slave has an address, and only one slave specified by the address included in the data communicates with the host one-on-one.

[0054] Next, the controller 100, the first driver 200, and the second driver 300 will be described in detail, respectively.

[0055] Figure 2 An example of a block diagram showing the controller 100 is shown. The controller 100 includes an upper slave port 110, an upper master port 120, a first position control unit 130, and a first master port 140.

[0056] The upper slave port is connected to the master port of a host (not shown). As such a host, for example, an ISP (Image Signal Processor) or the like is cited. The ISP is an image processor in a camera system. The controller 100 obtains an upper control signal from the host via the upper slave port 110. The obtained upper control signal is provided to the first position control unit 130.

[0057] The upper master port 120 is connected to the slave port of a gyro sensor (not shown). The controller 100 obtains a gyro signal from the gyro sensor via the upper master port 120. The obtained gyro signal is provided to the first position control unit 130.

[0058] The first position control unit 130 generates a first position control signal representing a first target position, which is the position to which the object 20 provided with the lens 30 is to be moved. In the present embodiment, the first position control unit 130 triggers the OIS process based on the upper control signal. Then, the first position control unit 130 generates a first position control signal representing the target position Vt_X in the X-axis direction and the target position Vt_Y in the Y-axis direction based on the gyro signal. The first position control unit 130 supplies the generated first position control signal to the first main port 140.

[0059] The first main port 140 is connected to the slave port of the first driver 200. The first main port 140 outputs the first position control signal generated by the first position control unit 130 to the first driver 200.

[0060] Figure 3 An example of a block diagram showing the first driver 200 is shown. The first driver 200 includes a first slave port 210, a first sensor 220, a first driving unit 230, a second position control unit 240, a second main port 250, and an arithmetic unit 260.

[0061] The first slave port 210 is connected to the first main port 140 in the controller 100. The first driver 200 acquires the first position control signal from the controller 100 via the first slave port 210. The acquired first position control signal is supplied to the first driving unit 230, the second position control unit 240, and the arithmetic unit 260.

[0062] The first sensor 220 detects the position of the object 20. The first sensor 220 can be, for example, a magnetic sensor, and can detect the position of the object 20 by detecting the magnetic field generated by the first magnet 40_1 provided on the object 20. As an example, such a magnetic sensor can be a Hall sensor that applies the Hall effect to detect changes in the external magnetic field based on the generated electromotive force. However, it is not limited thereto. The magnetic sensor can also be various sensors capable of detecting a magnetic field, such as a spin valve type magnetoresistive effect element (GMR element, TMR element, etc.) whose resistance changes according to changes in the external magnetic field, or a combination of these various sensors. In addition, the first sensor 220 can be composed of a sensor element group including a plurality of sensor elements. The first sensor 220 supplies a first position signal representing the detected position Vp_1 of the object 20 to the first driving unit 230 and the arithmetic unit 260.

[0063] The first driving unit 230 applies a driving force to the object 20 based on the first position control signal. At this time, as an example, the first driving unit 230 can perform PID control. Here, PID control is a type of feedback control, which is a control that controls the input value based on three elements: the deviation between the output value and the target value, the integral of this deviation, and the differential of this deviation. As a basic feedback control, there is proportional control (P control). This is a control that controls the input value to be a primary function of the deviation between the output value and the target value. The action of making the input value change proportionally to this deviation is called proportional action or P action (P is the abbreviation of Proportional). That is to say, it plays the following role: if the state of having a deviation continues for a long time, the change in the input value is increased accordingly so as to approach the target value. In addition, the action of making the input value change proportionally to the integral of this deviation is called integral action or I action (I is the abbreviation of Integral). The control composed of such proportional action and integral action is called PI control. In addition, the action of making the input value change proportionally to the differential of this deviation is called differential action or D action (D is the abbreviation of Derivative or Differential). The control composed of such proportional action, integral action, and differential action is called PID control. That is, the first driving unit 230 can apply a driving force to the object 20 by performing PID control based on the first position signal indicating the position of the object 20 detected by the first sensor 220 and the first position control signal. More specifically, the first driving unit 230 can generate a first control signal for moving the position Vp_1 of the object 20 represented by the first position signal to the target position Vt_X in the X-axis direction represented by the first position control signal. Then, the first driving unit 230 can supply a driving current corresponding to the first control signal to the first coil 50_1.

[0064] The second position control unit 240 generates a second position control signal representing a second target position, which is the position to which the object is to be moved. In the present embodiment, the second position control unit 240 generates a second position control signal representing the target position Vt_Y in the Y-axis direction. At this time, the second position control unit 240 can either directly use the position represented by the first position control signal as the target position Vt_Y in the Y-axis direction, or use the target position Vt_Y corrected by the arithmetic unit 260 described later as the target position Vt_Y in the Y-axis direction. The second position control unit 240 provides the generated second position control signal to the second main port 250.

[0065] The second main port 250 is connected to the slave port in the second driver 300. The second main port 250 outputs the second position control signal generated by the second position control unit 240 to the second driver 300. In addition, the first driver 200 acquires, via the second main port 250, a second position signal indicating the position of the object 20 detected by a second sensor described later from the second driver 300. The acquired second position signal is supplied to the arithmetic unit 260.

[0066] The arithmetic unit 260 corrects at least one of the first position control signal, the first position signal, and the second position control signal based at least on the second position signal acquired via the second main port 250. When correcting jitter of two axes by OIS, the driving of one axis may cause mutual interference with the driving of the other axis. For example, when a driving current is supplied from the first driver 200 to the first coil 50_1, the magnetic field generated by the first coil 50_1 may affect the position detection by the second sensor. In addition, correspondingly, when the object 20 is displaced, the magnetic field generated by the first magnet 40_1 may affect the position detection by the second sensor. Similarly, when a driving current is supplied from the second driver 300 to the second coil 50_2, the magnetic field generated by the second coil 50_2 may affect the position detection by the first sensor 220. In addition, correspondingly, when the object 20 is displaced, the magnetic field generated by the second magnet 40_2 may affect the position detection by the first sensor 220. To reduce this influence, the arithmetic unit 260 can correct at least one of the first position control signal, the first position signal, and the second position control signal in such a way as to reduce the mutual interference caused by the driving of the object 20 by the first driver 200 and the driving of the object by the second driver. When the arithmetic unit 260 corrects at least one of the first position control signal and the first position signal, it notifies the first driving unit 230 of this fact. Thereby, the first driving unit 230 performs PID control based on the first position control signal and the first position signal after at least one of them is corrected. In addition, when the arithmetic unit 260 corrects the second position control signal, it notifies the second position control unit 240 of this fact. Correspondingly, the second position control unit 240 supplies the corrected second position control signal to the second main port 250.

[0067] Figure 4 An example of a block diagram showing the second driver 300 is shown. The second driver 300 includes a second slave port 310, a second sensor 320, and a second driving unit 330.

[0068] The second slave port 310 is connected to the second master port 250 in the first driver 200. The second driver 300 obtains a second position control signal from the first driver 200 via the second slave port 310. The obtained second position control signal is provided to the second driving unit 330. In addition, the second slave port 310 outputs a second position signal indicating the position of the object 20 detected by the second sensor 320 to the first driver 200.

[0069] The second sensor 320 detects the position of the object 20. The second sensor 320 may be the same as the first sensor 220 in the first driver 200, and thus the description thereof is omitted here. The second sensor 320 provides a second position signal indicating the detected position Vp_2 of the object to the second slave port 310 and the second driving unit 330.

[0070] The second driving unit 330 applies a driving force to the object 20 based on the second position control signal. The second driving unit 330 may be the same as the first driving unit 230 in the first driver 200. That is, the second driving unit 330 may execute PID control based on the second position signal indicating the position of the object 20 detected by the second sensor 320 and the second position control signal to apply a driving force to the object 20. More specifically, the second driving unit 330 may generate a second control signal for moving the position Vp_2 of the object represented by the second position signal to the target position Vt_Y in the Y-axis direction represented by the second position control signal. Then, the second driving unit 330 may supply a driving current corresponding to the second control signal to the second coil 50_2.

[0071] Figure 5 An example of a timing chart of the camera module 10 according to the first embodiment is shown. The upper part of this figure shows the processing associated with the first communication bus between the controller 100 and the first driver 200. The lower part of this figure shows the processing associated with the second communication bus between the first driver 200 and the second driver 300. In addition, in this figure, the horizontal axis represents time.

[0072] First, if attention is paid to the processing associated with the first communication bus (the upper part of this figure), at time T11, the controller 100 reads in the gyro signal obtained from the gyro sensor via the upper master port 120. Then, the first position control unit 130 performs OIS operation based on the gyro signal to generate a first position control signal indicating the target position Vt_X in the X-axis direction and the target position Vt_Y in the Y-axis direction. The first position control unit 130 provides the generated first position control signal to the first master port 140.

[0073] At time T12, the first main port 140 outputs a first position control signal generated by the first position control unit 130 to the first driver 200. Correspondingly, the first driver 200 acquires the first position control signal via the first slave port 210. Thus, during the period from time T12 to T13, a writing process of writing data (target positions in the X-axis direction and Y-axis direction) to the first driver 200 is executed. After time T13 and before the next gyroscope signal is read in, the process associated with the first communication bus is idle.

[0074] Next, if we focus on the process associated with the second communication bus (the lower part of this figure), at time T21 (= time T11), the second sensor 320 detects the position of the object 20. Then, the second sensor 320 provides a second position signal indicating the detected position of the object 20 to the second slave port 310 and the second driving unit 330. The second slave port 310 outputs the second position signal to the first driver 200. Correspondingly, the first driver 200 acquires the second position signal via the second main port 250. Thus, during the period from time T21 to T22, a reading process of reading data (detected position in the Y-axis direction) from the second driver 300 is executed. After time T22 and before time T23 (= time T13) when the writing process of writing data to the first driver 200 ends, the process associated with the second communication bus is idle.

[0075] In addition, the first driver 200 only needs to detect the position of the object 20 at any time point before time T23 and set it to a state where the first position signal indicating the detected position of the object 20 can be utilized. That is, the first sensor 220 only needs to detect the position of the object 20 at any time point before time T23 and pre-provide the first position signal indicating the detected position of the object 20 to the first driving unit 230 and the arithmetic unit 260.

[0076] At time T23, the arithmetic unit 260 performs a correction operation to correct at least any one of the first position control signal, the first position signal, and the second position control signal. The arithmetic unit 260 corrects at least any one of the first position control signal and the first position signal, and notifies the first driving unit 230 of this meaning. Correspondingly, the first driving unit 230 applies a driving force to the object 20 by performing PID control based on the first position control signal and the first position signal after at least any one of them is corrected. In addition, the arithmetic unit 260 corrects the second position control signal and notifies the second position control unit 240 of this meaning. Correspondingly, the second position control unit 240 provides the corrected second position control signal to the second main port 250.

[0077] At time T24, the second main port 250 outputs a second position control signal to the second driver 300. Correspondingly, the second driver 300 acquires the second position control signal via the second slave port 310. Thus, during the period from time T24 to T25, a writing process of writing data (the target position in the Y-axis direction) to the second driver 300 is executed. Correspondingly, the second driving unit 330 applies a driving force to the object 20 by performing PID control based on the second position control signal and the second position signal. After time T25 and before the next gyro signal is read in, the process associated with the second communication bus is idle. The camera module 10 according to the present embodiment executes the lens shift type OIS process in this way, for example.

[0078] As in Patent Document 1, when the first OIS driver and the second OIS driver are connected to the OIS controller as slaves and the OIS controller centrally controls the two OIS drivers individually, the load on the OIS controller becomes large. In addition, the communication time and the calculation time for correction become long, and the communication bus between the OIS controller and each OIS driver is under pressure. In contrast, in the camera module 10 according to the present embodiment, the first driver 200 is connected to the controller 100 as a slave, and the second driver 300 is connected to the first driver 200 as a slave. Moreover, the first driver 200 has a function as a sub-controller. Thus, according to the camera module 10 according to the present embodiment, it is not necessary to perform correction calculations and the like in the controller 100, and the processing load on the controller 100 can be reduced. In addition, according to the camera module 10 according to the present embodiment, it is not necessary to perform communication for correction calculations in the first communication bus, and on top of that, the communication volume for correction calculations can also be suppressed in the second communication bus. Therefore, according to the camera module 10 according to the present embodiment, the communication volume that can be processed in the first communication bus and the second communication bus can be increased, so that further high performance can be achieved, and expansion such as an increase in the number of devices that can be processed by the controller 100 can be realized.

[0079] Figure 6 An example of a block diagram showing the camera module 10 according to the second embodiment is shown. The camera module 10 according to the present embodiment executes a plurality of lens shift type OIS processes. In this figure, components having the same functions and structures as Figure 1 are labeled with the same reference numerals, and the description other than the differences is omitted below. Here, for the sake of convenience of explanation, Figure 1The "object 20" therein is referred to as the "first object 20_1", and the "lens 30" is referred to as the "first lens 30_1". The camera module 10 according to the present embodiment further includes a second object 20_2, a third coil 50_3 and a fourth coil 50_4, a third driver 400, and a fourth driver 500. Moreover, in the present embodiment, the first driver 200 and the second driver 300 constitute a first module, and the third driver 400 and the fourth driver 500 constitute a second module.

[0080] The second object 20_2 may be the same as the first object 20_1. A second lens 30_2, a third magnet 40_3, and a fourth magnet 40_4 are provided in the second object 20_2. The second lens 30_2 may be the same as the first lens 30_1. The third magnet 40_3 and the fourth magnet 40_4 may be the same as the first magnet 40_1 and the second magnet 40_2, respectively.

[0081] The third coil 50_3 and the fourth coil 50_4 may be the same as the first coil 50_1 and the second coil 50_2, respectively.

[0082] In the present embodiment, in addition to connecting to the host for the first driver 200, the controller 100 also connects to the host for the third driver 400 and outputs the generated third position control signal to the third driver 400.

[0083] The third driver 400 may be the same as the first driver 200. That is, the third driver 400 makes a slave connection to the controller 100 and supplies a drive current to the third coil 50_3 based on the third position control signal output from the controller 100. In addition, the third driver 400 has the function of a sub-controller. That is, the third driver 400 makes a host connection to the fourth driver 500 and outputs the generated fourth position control signal to the fourth driver 500.

[0084] The fourth driver 500 may be the same as the second driver 300. That is, the fourth driver 500 makes a slave connection to the third driver 400 and supplies a drive current to the fourth coil 50_4 based on the fourth position control signal output from the third driver 400.

[0085] In the present embodiment, the first driver 200 has the function of a sub-controller of the first module, and the third driver 400 has the function of a sub-controller of the second module. Thus, the camera module 10 according to the present embodiment performs a plurality of lens-shifting type OIS processes.

[0086] Figure 7An example of a timing chart showing the camera module 10 according to the second embodiment is shown. The upper part of this figure shows the processing associated with the first communication bus between the controller 100, the first driver 200, and the third driver 400. The middle part of this figure shows the processing associated with the second communication bus between the first driver 200 and the second driver 300. The lower part of this figure shows the processing associated with the third communication bus between the third driver 400 and the fourth driver 500. In addition, in this figure, the horizontal axis represents time.

[0087] First, if we focus on the processing associated with the first communication bus (the upper part of this figure), then during the period from time T11 to T12, the OIS (OIS1) operation related to the first module is executed. During the period from time T12 to T13, the OIS (OIS2) operation related to the second module is executed. During the period from time T13 to T14, a write process of writing data (target positions in the X-axis and Y-axis directions related to the first module) to the first driver 200 is executed. During the period from time T14 to T15, a write process of writing data (target positions in the X-axis and Y-axis directions related to the second module) to the third driver 400 is executed. After time T15 and before the next gyro signal is read in, the processing associated with the first communication bus is idle.

[0088] The processing associated with the second communication bus (the middle part of this figure) can be the same as the processing in the first embodiment ( Figure 5 the figure below), so the description is omitted here.

[0089] Next, if we focus on the processing associated with the third communication bus (the lower part of this figure), then during the period from time T31 (= time T11) to time T32 (= time T23), the processing associated with the third communication bus is idle. During the period from time T32 to T33, a read process of reading data (the detected position in the Y-axis direction related to the second module) from the fourth driver 500 is executed. After time T33 and before the write process of writing data to the third driver 400 ends at time T34 (= time T15), the processing associated with the third communication bus is idle. In addition, the third driver 400 can detect the position of the second object 20_2 at any time point before time T34 and set it to a state where the third position signal representing the detected position of the second object 20_2 can be used in advance. During the period from time T34 to T35, a correction operation related to the second module is executed. During the period from time T35 to T31, a write process of writing data (the target position in the Y-axis direction related to the second module) to the fourth driver 500 is executed. The camera module 10 according to this embodiment executes multiple lens-shifting type OIS processes in this way, for example.

[0090] Thus, in the camera module 10 according to the present embodiment, the first driver 200 and the third driver 400 are connected as slaves to the controller 100. Further, the second driver 300 is connected as a slave to the first driver 200, and the fourth driver 500 is connected as a slave to the third driver 400. Moreover, the first driver 200 also functions as a sub-controller of the first module, and the third driver 400 also functions as a sub-controller of the second module. Accordingly, in the camera module 10 according to the present embodiment, the number of modules that can be controlled by the controller 100 can be increased, and thus multiple OIS processes can be executed within the read-in period of the gyro signal.

[0091] Figure 8 FIG. 4 shows an example of a block diagram of the camera module 10 according to the third embodiment. The camera module 10 according to the present embodiment performs multiple lens shift OIS processes in the same manner as the camera module 10 according to the second embodiment. In this figure, components having the same functions and structures as Figure 6 those are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description other than the differences is omitted below.

[0092] In the present embodiment, the third driver 400 may be the same as the second driver 300 and the fourth driver 500. That is, the controller 100 may be connected as a master only to the first driver 200. Further, the third driver 400 may be connected as a slave to the first driver 200 in the same manner as the second driver 300 and the fourth driver 500.

[0093] In the present embodiment, the first driver 200 also functions as a common sub-controller of the first module and the second module. Accordingly, the camera module 10 according to the present embodiment performs multiple lens shift type OIS processes.

[0094] Figure 9 FIG. 5 shows an example of a timing chart of the camera module 10 according to the third embodiment. The upper part of this figure shows the processes associated with the first communication bus between the controller 100 and the first driver 200. The lower part of this figure shows the processes associated with the second communication bus between the first driver 200 and the second driver 300, the third driver 400, and the fourth driver 500. In addition, in this figure, the horizontal axis represents time.

[0095] First, if attention is paid to the processes associated with the first communication bus (the upper part of this figure), except that the data (the target positions in the X-axis and Y-axis directions related to the second module) writing process during the period from time T14 to T15, which is performed on the third driver 400 in the second embodiment, is performed on the first driver 200 instead, the rest can be the same as the processes in the second embodiment ( Figure 7The above figure) is the same, so the description thereof is omitted here.

[0096] Next, if we focus on the processing associated with the second communication bus (the lower part of this figure), then during the period from time T21 to T22, a read process of reading data (the detection position in the Y-axis direction related to the first module) from the second driver 300 is executed. During the period from time T22 to T23, a read process of reading data (the detection positions in the X-axis and Y-axis directions related to the second module) from the third driver 400 and the fourth driver 500 is executed. In addition, the first driver 200 only needs to detect the position of the first object 20_1 at any time point before time T23 and be in a state where it can use the first position signal indicating the detected position of the first object 20_1 in advance. A calibration operation related to the first module is executed during the period from time T23 to T24. During the period from time T24 to T25, a write process of writing data (the target position in the Y-axis direction related to the first module) to the second driver 300 is executed. After time T25 and before time T26 (= time T15) when the write process of writing data related to the second module to the first driver 200 ends, the processing associated with the second communication bus is idle. A calibration operation related to the second module is executed during the period from time T26 to T27. During the period from time T27 to T21, a write process of writing data (the target positions in the X-axis and Y-axis directions related to the second module) to the third driver 400 and the fourth driver 500 is executed. The camera module 10 according to the present embodiment executes multiple lens-shift type OIS processes in this way, for example.

[0097] In this way, in the camera module 10 according to the present embodiment, when executing multiple OIS processes, the first driver 200 also functions as a common sub-controller for the first module and the second module. Thus, according to the camera module 10 according to the present embodiment, the number of drivers that also function as sub-controllers can be reduced.

[0098] In addition, in the above description, the case where the camera module 10 executes a lens-shift type OIS process is shown as an example, but it is not limited thereto. The camera module 10 can execute various types of OIS processes.

[0099] Figure 10An example of a block diagram of the camera module 10 according to the fourth embodiment is shown. The camera module 10 according to the present embodiment performs sensor-shift type OIS processing. In the sensor-shift type OIS processing, the object 20 is moved to shift the image sensor (imaging element), thereby maintaining the optical axis at the center of the image to reduce the image blur caused by camera shake. That is, the first position control unit 130 only needs to generate a first position control signal representing the first target position, which is the position to which the object 20 provided with the image sensor or the lens 30 is to be moved. In this figure, components having the same functions and structures as Figure 6 are labeled with the same reference numerals, and the description other than the differences is omitted below. Here, for the sake of convenience of explanation, the Figure 6 "first object 20_1" in is referred to as "object 20", and the "first lens 30_1" is referred to as "lens 30". In the present embodiment, the third magnet 40_3 and the fourth magnet 40_4 are provided on the same object 20 as the first magnet 40_1 and the second magnet 40_2. That is, in the present embodiment, four magnets 40 are provided in one object 20.

[0100] The first driver 200 and the third driver 400 of the camera module 10 according to the present embodiment have the function of a sub-controller, and the camera module 10 according to the present embodiment performs sensor-shift type OIS processing by applying driving forces to the object 20 from four directions using the first driver 200 to the fourth driver 500.

[0101] Figure 11 An example of a block diagram of the camera module 10 according to the fifth embodiment is shown. The camera module 10 according to the present embodiment performs sensor-shift type OIS processing in the same manner as the camera module 10 according to the fourth embodiment. In this figure, components having the same functions and structures as Figure 10 are labeled with the same reference numerals, and the description other than the differences is omitted below.

[0102] In the present embodiment, the third driver 400 may be the same as the second driver 300 and the fourth driver 500. That is, the controller 100 may be host-connected only to the first driver 200. Moreover, the third driver 400 may be slave-connected to the first driver 200 in the same manner as the second driver 300 and the fourth driver 500.

[0103] The first driver 200 of the camera module 10 according to this embodiment also functions as a shared sub - controller. The camera module 10 according to this embodiment performs sensor - shift type OIS processing by applying driving forces to the object 20 from four directions using the first driver 200 to the fourth driver 500.

[0104] Figure 12 FIG. 1 shows an example of a block diagram of the camera module 10 according to the sixth embodiment. The camera module 10 according to this embodiment performs sensor - shift type OIS processing in the same manner as the camera module 10 according to the fifth embodiment. In this figure, components having the same functions and structures are denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions other than the differences are omitted hereinafter. Figure 11 and the description of parts other than the differences is omitted hereinafter.

[0105] In this embodiment, a lens 30, a first magnet 40_1, a second magnet 40_2, and a third magnet 40_3 are provided in the object 20. Moreover, the third magnet 40_3 is provided on the same side of the object 20 as the side where the first magnet 40_1 is provided.

[0106] The first driver of the camera module 10 according to this embodiment also functions as a shared sub - controller. The camera module 10 according to this embodiment performs sensor - shift type OIS processing by applying one driving force to the object 20 from the first direction and two driving forces to the object 20 from the second direction using the first driver 200 to the third driver 400.

[0107] In this way, the camera module 10 can also perform sensor - shift type OIS processing. So far, the case where the camera module 10 performs OIS processing has been shown as an example, but it is not limited thereto. The camera module 10 can also perform autofocus (AF) / zoom processing.

[0108] Figure 13 FIG. 2 shows an example of a block diagram of the camera module 10 according to the seventh embodiment. The camera module 10 according to this embodiment performs AF / Zoom processing. In the AF / Zoom processing, focusing and image magnification / minification are performed by linearly moving the object along the optical axis direction.

[0109] In this embodiment, the camera module 10 includes an object 20′, a coil 50′, a controller 100′, a driver 200′, and a position detector 300′.

[0110] The object 20' is a linear motion device whose position changes along the optical axis direction according to an input signal. A lens 30' and a magnet 40' are provided in the object 20'. The magnet 40' is arranged along the optical axis direction of the lens 30'.

[0111] The coil 50' is near the magnet 40' and is wound along the optical axis direction of the lens 30' in the same manner as the magnet 40'. When a drive current is supplied to such a coil 50', a magnetic force is generated between the coil 50' and the magnet 40', so that the object 20' is displaced along the optical axis direction of the lens 30'. Thereby, focusing and magnification / reduction of the image can be performed.

[0112] The controller 100' is a higher-level control device that controls the AF / Zoom process. In this embodiment, the controller 100' can be implemented as a part of the function of the host computer. The controller 100' has a position control unit 130' and a first main port 140'.

[0113] The position control unit 130' generates a position control signal representing the target position, which is the position to which the object 20' provided with the lens 30' is to be moved. The position control unit 130' provides the generated position control signal to the first main port 140'.

[0114] The first main port 140' is connected to the slave port in the driver 200'. The first main port 140' outputs the position control signal generated by the position control unit 130' to the driver 200'.

[0115] The driver 200' is a driver for applying a driving force to the object 20'. In this embodiment, the driver 200' can be an AF / Zoom driver. The driver 200' makes a slave connection to the controller 100' and supplies a drive current to the coil 50' based on the position control signal output from the controller 100'. In addition, the driver 200' has the function of a sub-controller. That is, the driver 200' makes a host connection to the position detector 300' and acquires position information to correct the detected position. The driver 200' has a first slave port 210', a sensor 220', a drive unit 230', a second main port 250', and an arithmetic unit 260'.

[0116] The first slave port 210' is connected to the first main port 140' in the controller 100'. The driver 200' acquires the position control signal from the controller 100' via the first slave port 210'. The acquired position control signal is provided to the drive unit 230'.

[0117] The sensor 220' detects the position of the object 20'. The sensor 220' provides a position signal representing the detected position of the object 20' to the arithmetic unit 260'.

[0118] The driving unit 230' applies a driving force to the object 20' based on the position control signal. At this time, the driving unit 230' applies a driving force to the object 20' based on the position information indicating the position of the object 20' detected by the position detector 300' and the position control signal.

[0119] The position detector 300' makes a slave connection to the second main port 250'. The driver 200' acquires the position information indicating the position of the object 20' detected by the position detector 300' via the second main port 250'. The acquired position information is provided to the arithmetic unit 260'.

[0120] The arithmetic unit 260' uses the position signal and the position information to correct the detected position of the object 20'. At this time, the arithmetic unit 260' may, for example, correct the detected position based on the result obtained by dividing the sum of the position signal and the position information by the difference between the position signal and the position information as in Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 3189365. In addition, the arithmetic unit 260' may, for example, correct the detected position based on the result obtained by dividing the difference between the position signal and the position information by the sum of the position signal and the position information as in Japanese Patent No. 4612281. In addition, the arithmetic unit 260' may correct the detected position by selectively adopting the position signal in the first interval and selectively adopting the position information in the second interval. The arithmetic unit 260' provides information indicating the detected position corrected in this way to the driving unit 230', for example. Correspondingly, the driving unit 230' may generate a control signal for moving the detected position toward the target position indicated by the position control signal. Moreover, the driving unit 230' may supply a driving current corresponding to the control signal to the coil 50'. In this way, the driving unit 230' can apply a driving force to the object 20' based on the position signal, the position information, and the position control signal indicating the position of the object 20' detected by the sensor 220'.

[0121] The position detector 300' is an extended device for detecting the position of the object 20'. The position detector 300' makes a slave connection to the driver 200' to output the position information indicating the detected position of the object 20' to the driver 200'. The position detector 300' has a second slave port 310' and an extended sensor 320'.

[0122] The second slave port 310' is connected to the second main port 250' in the driver 200'. The second slave port 310' outputs the position information indicating the position of the object 20' detected by the extended sensor 320' to the driver 200'.

[0123] The extended sensor 320' detects the position of the object 20'. The extended sensor 320' provides position information indicating the position of the detected object to the second slave port 310'.

[0124] Figure 14 An example of a timing diagram of the camera module 10 according to the seventh embodiment is shown. The upper part of this figure shows the processes associated with the first communication bus between the controller 100' and the driver 200'. The lower part of this figure shows the processes associated with the second communication bus between the driver 200' and the position detector 300'. In addition, in this figure, the horizontal axis represents time.

[0125] First, if we focus on the processes associated with the first communication bus (the upper part of this figure), a write process for writing data (target position) to the driver 200' is executed during the period from time T11 to T12. After time T12 and before starting the next write process to the driver 200', the processes associated with the first communication bus are idle.

[0126] Next, if we focus on the processes associated with the second communication bus (the lower part of this figure), a read process for reading data (position information) from the position detector 300' is executed during the period from time T21 (= time T11) to T22. In addition, the driver 200' may detect the position of the object 20' at any time point before time T22 and be set in a state where it can utilize the position signal indicating the position of the detected object 20'. A lens position calculation is executed during the period from time T22 to T23. That is, the calculation unit 260' uses the position signal and the position information to correct the detection position of the object 20'. The calculation unit 260' provides information indicating the corrected detection position to the drive unit 230'. Correspondingly, the drive unit 230' may generate a control signal for moving the detection position toward the target position indicated by the position control signal. Moreover, the drive unit 230' may supply a drive current corresponding to the control signal to the coil 50'. After time T23 and before starting the next write process to the driver 200', the processes from time T21 to time T23 are repeatedly executed. The camera module 10 according to this embodiment performs AF / Zoom processing in this way, for example.

[0127] Thus, in the camera module 10 according to the present embodiment, the driver 200' makes a slave connection to the controller 100', and the position detector 300' makes a slave connection to the driver 200'. Moreover, the driver 200' has the function of a sub-controller. Thus, according to the camera module 10 according to the present embodiment, lens position calculation, etc. do not need to be performed in the controller 100', and the processing load of the controller 100' can be reduced. In addition, according to the camera module 10 according to the present embodiment, communication for lens position calculation does not need to be performed on the first communication bus. Therefore, according to the camera module 10 according to the present embodiment, the amount of communication that can be processed on the communication bus can be increased, so that further high performance can be achieved, and expansion such as increasing the number of devices that can be processed by the controller 100' can be achieved.

[0128] Figure 15 FIG. 4 shows an example of a block diagram of the camera module 10 according to the eighth embodiment. The camera module 10 according to the present embodiment performs AF / Zoom processing in the same manner as the camera module 10 according to the seventh embodiment. In this figure, components having the same functions and structures as Figure 13 each other are denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions other than the differences are omitted below. In the present embodiment, the position detector 300' is composed of a position detection element group including a plurality of position detection elements. In this figure, an example is shown in which the position detector 300' is composed of a position detection element group including a first position detection element 300'_1, a second position detection element 300'_2, ···, and an Nth position detection element 300'_N.

[0129] The first position detection element 300'_1, the second position detection element 300'_2, ···, and the Nth position detection element 300'_N each have an extended sensor 320' for detecting the position of the detection object 20' and a second slave port 310' connected to the second main port 250' in the driver 200'.

[0130] Figure 16 FIG. 13 shows an example of a timing chart of the camera module 10 according to the eighth embodiment. The upper part of this figure shows the processing associated with the first communication bus between the controller 100' and the driver 200'. The lower part of this figure shows the processing associated with the second communication bus between the driver 200' and the first position detection element 300'_1, the second position detection element 300'_2, ···, and the Nth position detection element 300'_N. In addition, in this figure, the horizontal axis represents time.

[0131] The processing associated with the first communication bus (the upper part of this figure) can be the same as the processing in the seventh embodiment ( Figure 14The above figure) is the same, so the description is omitted here.

[0132] Next, if we focus on the processing associated with the second communication bus (the lower part of this figure), during the period from time T21 (= time T11) to T22, a reading process for reading data (position information) from the first position detection element 300'_1 is executed. Similarly, during the period from time T22 to T23, a reading process for reading data (position information) from the second position detection element 300'_2 is executed. Similarly, during the period from time T2N to T2N+a, a reading process for reading data (position information) from the Nth position detection element 300'_N is executed. Lens position calculation is performed during the period from time T2N+1 to T2Z. Before starting the next writing process for the driver 200' after time T2Z, the processes from time T21 to time T2Z are repeatedly executed. The camera module 10 according to the present embodiment performs AF / Zoom processing in this way, for example.

[0133] Generally, when controlling the object 20' over a long distance in AF / Zoom processing, using only the sensors mounted on the AF / Zoom driver may result in insufficient detectable distance, and there may be a need to expand the sensors. The driver 200' of the camera module 10 according to the present embodiment is connected to the controller 100' as a slave, and the plurality of position detection elements 300'_1 to 300'_N are each connected to the driver 200' as a slave. Moreover, the driver 200' has the function of a sub-controller. Thus, according to the camera module 10 of the present embodiment, the detectable distance can be extended, and thus the object 20' can be controlled over a long distance. In addition, even in this case, communication for lens position calculation does not need to be performed in the first communication bus, so an expansion such as increasing the number of devices that can be processed by the controller 100' can be achieved. That is, according to the camera module 10 of the present embodiment, it is also possible to connect a plurality of systems including the object 20', the coil 50', the driver 200', and the position detector 300' to the controller 200' to perform distributed processing of multiple cameras.

[0134] Figure 17 An example of a block diagram of the camera module 10 according to the ninth embodiment is shown. The camera module 10 according to the present embodiment performs AF / Zoom tracking processing. In this figure, components having the Figure 13 same functions and structures are labeled with the same reference numerals, and the description other than the differences is omitted below. Here, for ease of explanation, Figure 15The "object 20'" in it is called the "first object 20'_1", and the "coil 50'" is called the "first coil 50'". The camera module 10 according to this embodiment further includes a "second object 20'_2" and a "second coil 50'_2".

[0135] The second object 20'_2 can be the same as the first object 20'_1. The second coil 50'_2 can be the same as the first coil 50'_1.

[0136] The first driver 200″ is a driver for driving the first object 20'_1 provided with the first lens 30'_1 in the optical axis direction of the first lens 30'_1. In this embodiment, the first driver 200″ can be either a Zoom driver or an AF driver.

[0137] The second driver 300″ is a driver for driving the second object 20'_2 provided with the second lens 30'_2 in the optical axis direction of the second lens 30'_2. In this embodiment, the second driver 300″ can be the other of the Zoom driver and the AF driver.

[0138] In this case, the arithmetic unit 260″ of the first driver 200″ can correct at least any one of the first position control signal, the first position signal, and the second position control signal in such a way that the first object 20'_1 and the second object 20'_2 are linked.

[0139] Figure 18 The first example of the timing chart of the camera module 10 according to the ninth embodiment is shown. In this figure, the case where the first driver 200″ is a Zoom driver and the second driver 300″ is an AF driver is shown. The upper part of this figure shows the processing associated with the first communication bus between the controller 100′ and the first driver 200″. The lower part of this figure shows the processing associated with the second communication bus between the first driver 200″ and the second driver 300″. In addition, in this figure, the horizontal axis represents time.

[0140] First, if we focus on the processing associated with the first communication bus (the upper part of this figure), then the writing process of writing data to the first driver 200″, that is, the Zoom driver, is executed during the period from time T11 to T12. After time T12 and before starting the next writing process to the Zoom driver, the processing associated with the first communication bus is idle.

[0141] Next, if we focus on the processing associated with the second communication bus (the lower part of this figure), the lens position tracking operation is performed from time T21 (= time T11) to T22. That is, the operation unit 260″ can calculate the AF lens position along the tracking curve based on the detected position obtained by the sensor on the Zoom driver side. Since this kind of operation is well-known, detailed description is omitted here. The write process of writing data (lens position) to the second driver 300″, that is, the AF driver, is performed from time T22 to T23. After time T23 and before starting the next write process for the Zoom driver, the processes from time T21 to T23 are repeated. The camera module 10 according to this embodiment performs the AF / Zoom tracking process with the Zoom driver as the host in this way, for example.

[0142] Figure 19 The second example of the timing chart of the camera module 10 according to the ninth embodiment is shown. In this figure, the case where the first driver 200″ is the AF driver and the second driver 300″ is the Zoom driver is shown. The upper part of this figure shows the processing associated with the first communication bus between the controller 100′ and the first driver 200″. The lower part of this figure shows the processing associated with the second communication bus between the first driver 200″ and the second driver 300″. In addition, in this figure, the horizontal axis represents time.

[0143] First, if we focus on the processing associated with the first communication bus (the upper part of this figure), the write process of writing data to the second driver 300″, that is, the Zoom driver, is performed during the period from time T11 to T12. At this time, the first driver 200″ bypasses the write process from the controller 100′ via the first communication bus to the second driver 300″ via the second communication bus. After time T12 and before starting the next write process for the Zoom driver, the processing associated with the first communication bus is idle.

[0144] Next, if we focus on the processing associated with the second communication bus (the lower part of this figure), the write process of writing data to the second driver 300″, that is, the Zoom driver, is performed from time T21 (= time T11) to T22 (= time T12). The read process of reading data from the second driver 300″ is performed from time T22 to T23. The lens position tracking operation is performed from time T23 to T24. After time T24 and before starting the next write process for the Zoom driver, the processes from time T21 to T24 are repeated. The camera module 10 according to this embodiment performs the AF / Zoom tracking process with the AF driver as the host in this way, for example.

[0145] Generally, tracking control is required for Zoom and AF lenses. Regarding the camera module 10 according to the present embodiment, a first driver 200″, which is one of the Zoom driver and the AF driver, is connected to the controller 100′ as a slave, and a second driver 300″, which is the other of the Zoom driver and the AF driver, is connected to the first driver 200′ as a slave. Moreover, the first driver 200″ has the function of a sub-controller. Thus, according to the camera module 10 according to the present embodiment, lens position tracking operations and the like do not need to be performed in the controller 100′, and the processing load on the controller 100′ can be reduced. In addition, according to the camera module 10 according to the present embodiment, communication for lens position tracking operations does not need to be performed on the first communication bus. Therefore, according to the camera module 10 according to the present embodiment, the amount of communication that can be processed on the communication bus can be increased, so that further high performance can be achieved, and expansion of devices that can be processed by the controller 100′ can be realized.

[0146] Figure 20 An example of a block diagram of the camera module 10 according to the tenth embodiment is shown. The camera module 10 according to the present embodiment performs driver expansion and tilt correction processing. In this figure, components having the same functions and structures are denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions other than the differences are omitted below. Here, for the sake of convenience of explanation, the "magnet 40′" in Figure 13 is referred to as "first magnet 40′_1", and the "coil 50′" is referred to as "first coil 50′_1". The camera module 10 according to the present embodiment further includes a "second magnet 40′_2" and a "second coil 50′_2". Here, the second magnet 40′_2 can be disposed on the object 20′ so as to face the first magnet 40′_1. Figure 13

[0147] The first driver 200″′ is a driver for driving the object 20 provided with the lens 30 in the optical axis direction of the lens 30. In the present embodiment, the first driver 200″′ can be an AF driver.

[0148] The second driver 300″′ is a driver for expanding the driving ability of the first driver 200″′. In addition, the second driver 300″′ can also be a driver for adjusting the tilt of the object 20′ having a position detection function. In the present embodiment, the second driver 300″′ can be an extended driver having a position detection function.

[0149] In such a case, the arithmetic unit 260″′ included in the first driver 200″′ can correct the tilt of the optical axis of the lens 30 in the object 20 based on the position information.

[0150] Figure 21 FIG. 1 shows an example of a timing chart of the camera module 10 according to the tenth embodiment. The upper part of this figure shows the processing associated with the first communication bus between the controller 100' and the first driver 200'''. The lower part of this figure shows the processing associated with the second communication bus between the first driver 200''' and the second driver 300'''. In addition, in this figure, the horizontal axis represents time.

[0151] First, if we focus on the processing associated with the first communication bus (the upper part of this figure), the writing process of writing data to the first driver 200''', i.e., the AF driver, is executed during the period from time T11 to T12. After time T12 and before starting the next writing process to the AF driver, the processing associated with the first communication bus is idle.

[0152] Next, if we focus on the processing associated with the second communication bus (the lower part of this figure), the reading process of reading data from the second driver 300''', i.e., the extension driver, is executed from time T21 (= time T11) to T22. The driver extension and tilt correction operations are executed during the period from time T22 to T23. That is, the arithmetic unit 260''' can calculate the driving amount and tilt amount generated by the extension driver based on the position information. The writing process of writing data to the second driver 300''', i.e., the extension driver, is executed during the period from time T23 to T24. After time T24 and before starting the next writing process to the AF driver, the processes from time T21 to T24 are repeatedly executed. The camera module 10 according to this embodiment executes the driver extension and tilt correction processing in this way, for example.

[0153] Generally, when controlling the object 20' over a long distance in AF / Zoom processing, with only one driver, there is insufficient torque, and there may be a need to expand the driver. In addition, there may also be a need for tilt correction. The first driver 200''' as an AF driver of the camera module 10 according to this embodiment is connected as a slave to the controller 100', and the second driver 300''' as an expansion driver is connected as a slave to the first driver 200'''. Moreover, the first driver 200''' has the function of a sub-controller. Thus, according to the camera module 10 according to this embodiment, there is no need to perform driver expansion and tilt correction operations, etc. in the controller 100', and the processing load of the controller 100' can be reduced. In addition, according to the camera module 10 according to this embodiment, there is no need to perform communication for driver expansion and tilt correction operations in the first communication bus. Therefore, according to the camera module 10 according to this embodiment, the communication volume that can be processed in the communication bus can be increased, so that further high performance can be achieved, and expansion such as increasing the number of devices that can be processed by the controller 100' can be realized.

[0154] As described above, the present invention has been described using embodiments, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It is obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes or improvements can be made to the above embodiments. According to the description in the claims, it can be clarified that the embodiments with such changes or improvements can also be included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0155] It should be noted that regarding the execution order of each process such as actions, processes, steps, and stages in the devices, systems, programs, and methods shown in the claims, the description, and the drawings, as long as it is not specifically stated as "prior to...", "before...", etc., and it is not the case where the output of the previous process is used for the subsequent process, it can be implemented in any order. Regarding the action flow in the claims, the description, and the drawings, for convenience, "first", "next", etc. are used for description, but it does not mean that it must be implemented in this order.

[0156] Description of Reference Numerals

[0157] 10: Camera module; 20: Object; 30: Lens; 40: Magnet; 50: Coil; 100: Controller; 110: Upper slave port; 120: Upper master port; 130: First position control unit; 140: First master port; 200: First driver; 210: First slave port; 220: First sensor; 230: First drive unit; 240: Second position control unit; 250: Second master port; 260: Arithmetic unit; 300: Second driver; 300': Position detector; 310: Second slave port; 320: Second sensor; 330: Second drive unit; 400: Third driver; 500: Fourth driver.

Claims

1. A camera module includes a controller, a first driver, and a second driver, wherein, the controller has: a first position control unit that generates a first position control signal representing a first target position, which is a position to which an object provided with an image sensor or a lens is to be moved; and a first main port that outputs the first position control signal, the first driver has: a first slave port connected to the first main port; a first driving unit that applies a driving force to the object based on the first position control signal; a second position control unit that generates a second position control signal representing a second target position, which is a position to which the object is to be moved; and a second main port that outputs the second position control signal, the second driver has: a second slave port connected to the second main port; and a second driving unit that applies a driving force to the object based on the second position control signal, wherein the first driver further has a first sensor that detects the position of the object, the first driving unit applies a driving force to the object based on a first position signal representing the position of the object detected by the first sensor and the first position control signal, the second driver further has a second sensor that detects the position of the object, the second driving unit applies a driving force to the object based on a second position signal representing the position of the object detected by the second sensor and the second position control signal, the first driver further has an arithmetic unit that corrects at least one of the first position control signal and the first position signal based at least on the second position signal obtained via the second main port.

2. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein the controller further includes an upper slave port connected to a main port of a host, the first position control unit generates the first position control signal based on an upper control signal obtained from the host via the upper slave port.

3. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein the first driving unit applies a driving force to the object by performing PID control based on the first position signal and the first position control signal.

4. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein the second driving unit applies a driving force to the object by performing PID control based on the second position signal and the second position control signal.

5. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein the arithmetic unit corrects at least one of the first position control signal and the first position signal in such a way as to reduce mutual interference caused by driving of the object by the first driver and driving of the object by the second driver.

6. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein When the first driver drives a first object provided with a first lens and the second driver drives a second object provided with a second lens, the arithmetic unit corrects at least one of the first position control signal and the first position signal in such a manner that the first object and the second object are linked.

7. The camera module according to claim 6, wherein the first driver drives the first object in the optical axis direction of the first lens, the second driver drives the second object in the optical axis direction of the second lens, the first driver is one of a zoom driver and an autofocus driver, and the second driver is the other of the zoom driver and the autofocus driver.

8. The camera module according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the communication between the host and the slave is serial communication.

9. The camera module according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the camera module is capable of performing at least any one of optical image stabilization, autofocus, and zoom processing.

10. A portable electronic device, comprising a controller, a first driver, and a second driver, wherein the controller has: a first position control unit that generates a first position control signal representing a first target position, which is a position to which an object provided with an image sensor or a lens is to be moved; and a first main port for outputting the first position control signal, the first driver has: a first slave port connected to the first main port; a first driving unit that applies a driving force to the object based on the first position control signal; a second position control unit that generates a second position control signal representing a second target position, which is a position to which the object is to be moved; and a second main port for outputting the second position control signal, the second driver has: a second slave port connected to the second main port; and a second driving unit that applies a driving force to the object based on the second position control signal, wherein the first driver further has a first sensor that detects the position of the object, the first driving unit applies a driving force to the object based on a first position signal representing the position of the object detected by the first sensor and the first position control signal, the second driver further has a second sensor that detects the position of the object, the second driving unit applies a driving force to the object based on a second position signal representing the position of the object detected by the second sensor and the second position control signal, the first driver further has an arithmetic unit that corrects at least one of the first position control signal and the first position signal based at least on the second position signal acquired via the second main port.

11. A position control system, comprising a controller, a first driver, and a second driver, wherein the controller has: A first position control unit that generates a first position control signal representing a first target position, which is a position to which an object provided with an image sensor or a lens is to be moved; and A first main port that outputs the first position control signal, The first driver has: A first slave port connected to the first main port; A first driving unit that applies a driving force to the object based on the first position control signal; A second position control unit that generates a second position control signal representing a second target position, which is a position to which the object is to be moved; and A second main port that outputs the second position control signal, The second driver has: A second slave port connected to the second main port; and A second driving unit that applies a driving force to the object based on the second position control signal, wherein the first driver further has a first sensor that detects the position of the object, The first driving unit applies a driving force to the object based on a first position signal representing the position of the object detected by the first sensor and the first position control signal, The second driver further has a second sensor that detects the position of the object, The second driving unit applies a driving force to the object based on a second position signal representing the position of the object detected by the second sensor and the second position control signal, The first driver further has an arithmetic unit that corrects at least one of the first position control signal and the first position signal based at least on the second position signal acquired via the second main port.

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