Electronic camera module with integrated LED and fluorescent illuminator

Abstract

An electronic camera assembly includes: a camera chip cube bonded to a camera bonding pad of an interposer; at least one light-emitting diode (LED) bonded to an LED bonding pad of the interposer at the same height as the camera bonding pad; and a housing extending from the interposer and the LED to the height of the camera chip cube, with an optical waveguide extending from the LED through the housing to the top of the housing. In an embodiment, the electronic camera assembly includes a cable coupled to the interposer. In a typical embodiment, the camera chip cube has an occupied area dimension of less than 3.5 square millimeters.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an electronic camera assembly, and more particularly to an electronic camera assembly having an integrated LED and light pipe illuminator. Background Art

[0002] We have introduced a series of very small "chip cube" electronic cameras; these electronic cameras have dimensions of approximately less than 1 millimeter to 3.5 millimeters, these cameras typically have an occupied area of less than 3.5 square millimeters, many products are less than 2 square millimeters, and some products have an occupied area of less than 1 square millimeter. The height is proportional to the occupied area dimension and is also quite small. For example but not limited to, our Omnivision OVM6946 camera chip (a trademark of Omnivision of Santa Clara, California) provides 400×400 pixel resolution at 30 frames per second in a 1.05 square millimeter and 2.27 millimeter high package, and our OVM6948 camera chip cube provides 200×200 pixel resolution video images in a 0.65 square millimeter and 1.15 millimeter high package. Some of these camera chip cubes are color cameras, and some provide appreciable quantum efficiency performance from blue visible light to 940 nanometer infrared. We expect to introduce additional small camera chip cubes in the future.

[0003] Such small cameras can be applied to endoscopes, including bronchoscopes, falloposcopes, and colonoscopes, as well as laparoscopes and arthroscopes, where they can replace relatively large, outdated alternatives, such as lenses focused on coherent fiber bundles that transmit images from a small probe inside a human or animal body to a camera outside the body. They can also be used in many non-medical applications, such as but not limited to borescopes for engine inspections, drain inspection snakes, and grasping tools. For example, a building inspector can check for termite or mold damage to studs inside a wall through an easily concealable hole no larger than the hole made by a 10d framing nail, and a plumber can send a camera-equipped snake through a sewer to determine the nature of an obstruction.

[0004] These camera chip cubes are typically formed from a semiconductor wafer of a spherical-bondable image sensor integrated circuit by attaching a spacer wafer having a lens wafer on top to the semiconductor wafer and then cutting the wafer into individual cameras.

[0005] Such chip cube cameras typically require lighting and careful assembly; for some customers, spherical bond connections with dimensions on the order of tenths of a millimeter and similar connection pitches can be a challenge. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In one embodiment, an electronic camera assembly includes: a camera chip cube bonded to a camera bonding pad of an interposer; at least one light-emitting diode (LED) bonded to an LED bonding pad of the interposer at the same height as the camera bonding pad; and a housing extending from the interposer and the LED to the height of the camera chip cube, wherein an optical waveguide extends from the LED through the housing to the top of the housing. In an embodiment, the electronic camera assembly includes a cable coupled to the interposer. In an exemplary embodiment, the camera chip cube has an occupied area dimension of less than 3.5 square millimeters, and in other embodiments, the camera chip cube has a dimension of less than 2 square millimeters or even less than 1 square millimeter.

[0007] In some embodiments, a microlens array is provided at the top of the optical waveguide.

[0008] In some embodiments, a single lens is provided at the top of each optical waveguide.

[0009] In some embodiments, the optical waveguide is formed between a reflective inner surface of a cavity of the housing and a reflective outer surface of the camera chip cube.

[0010] In some embodiments, the optical waveguide is filled with a phosphor.

[0011] In some embodiments, the optical waveguide is formed by a reflective surface of a cavity in the housing.

[0012] In some embodiments, the optical waveguide is filled with a phosphor.

[0013] In some embodiments, the interposer has an arcuate shape.

[0014] In some embodiments, the interposer has a truncated isosceles trapezoidal shape.

[0015] In some embodiments, the optical waveguide is filled with a phosphor.

[0016] In some embodiments, the optical waveguide is formed by a reflective surface of a cavity in the housing.

[0017] In some embodiments, the optical waveguide is filled with a phosphor.

[0018] In some embodiments, the optical waveguide is formed between a reflective inner surface of a cavity of the housing and a reflective outer surface of the camera chip cube.

[0019] In some embodiments, the optical waveguide is filled with a phosphor.

[0020] In some embodiments, the interposer has an arcuate shape.

[0021] In some embodiments, the interposer has a truncated isosceles trapezoid shape. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 FIG. is a cross-sectional schematic view illustrating an embodiment of a cable, a camera, and an LED illuminator having a light guide structure.

[0023] Figure 2 FIG. is for illustrating a single LED illuminator and its associated light guide structure that can be found in embodiments such as Figure 1 FIG. is a cross-sectional schematic view of a single LED illuminator and its associated light guide structure that can be found in embodiments such as

[0024] Figure 3A FIG. is a cross-sectional schematic view of an alternative embodiment of a cable, a camera, and an LED illuminator having a light guide structure, which includes a reflective surface deposited on the outside of a chip cube camera.

[0025] Figure 3B FIG. is for a lens used to replace a microlens in embodiments for Figure 1 , Figure 2 or Figure 3A FIG. is a cross-sectional schematic view of a lens used to replace a microlens in embodiments for

[0026] Figure 4 FIG. shows a top view of a circular interposer and housing embodiment that does not require a reflective surface on the camera chip cube.

[0027] Figure 5 FIG. shows a top view of a square interposer and housing embodiment that requires the camera chip cube to have a reflective surface.

[0028] Figure 6 FIG. shows a system including the camera and interposer described herein.

[0029] Figure 7 FIG. shows an embodiment having an arcuate interposer and housing.

[0030] Figure 8 FIG. shows an embodiment having an interposer and housing with a truncated isosceles shape. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] Although we can sell the camera chip cube bare, we also propose prefabricated camera / cable / illuminator assemblies. In manufacturing these assemblies, we utilize our experience in microelectronics, ball bonding, precision molding, and thin film processing.

[0032] As Figure 1As shown, these components include a camera chip cube 102 mounted on an interposer 104, and at least one light emitting diode (LED) 106, 108. The camera chip cube 102 includes an image sensor 110, a spacer 112, and a lens 114. The camera chip cube 102 is contained within a housing 116, and the LEDs 106, 108 are at the bottom of tubular light guide structures 118, 120 within the housing 116. A transparent window 122 is sealed across the top of the housing 116, covering the camera chip cube 102 and the LEDs 106, 108 and their light guide structures 118, 120. A cable is attached to the interposer 104, and the cable includes a number of conductors that are electrically coupled through conductors within the interposer 104 to ball bond pads of the camera chip cube 102 to power the camera chip cube and receive images from the camera chip cube 102 as serial analog or digital signals. The conductors of the cable are also coupled through conductors of the interposer to power the LED 106 or 108 directly in some embodiments, or to power the LED 106 or 108 through transistors within the camera chip cube 102 in alternative embodiments. In a typical embodiment, the cable 124 has five to seven wires and terminates in a connector 130 that is adapted to connect to an auxiliary cable module adapter board that powers the camera / cable / illuminator assembly, receives images therefrom, stores and processes the images for display, and displays the processed images to a user.

[0033] Each LED illuminator 200 having LEDs 106, 108, 202 and light guide structures 118, 120, 204 ( Figure 2 ) is formed in an opening 206 in the housing 116, 208. The inner surface of the opening 206 is lined with a reflective metal coating 209 to reduce light loss through the sides of the light guide structure 204 into the housing 208. A microlens array 210 is disposed on top of the opening 206 and is formed on the lower side surface of the transparent window 122 to shape the light as it exits the light guide structure to illuminate an object (if any) in front of the camera chip cube 102.

[0034] An alternative embodiment 300 of a cable, camera, and LED illuminator assembly having light guide structures ( Figure 3A ) has a reflective surface deposited on the outside of the camera chip cube 302. This embodiment can be more compact than Figure 1 's embodiment because although the housing 304 surrounds the light guide structures 318, 320 and the camera chip cube 302, the housing 304 is not required to separate the camera chip cube 302 from the light guide structure 318. Accordingly, the transparent window 322 can be smaller than the transparent window 122, and Figure 3A 's interposer 324 can be smaller than Figure 1 's interposer 104.Figure 3A The components in Figure 1 are similar to the components with the same reference numerals in Figure 3A and perform similar functions; for simplicity, the connectors are not shown in

[0035] In alternative embodiments similar to those of Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3A , the single lens 352 ( Figure 3B ) replaces the microlens arrays 210 of the respective light guide structures 118, 120, 318, 320. The single lens 352 or the microlens array 210 is generally formed by molding onto the transparent windows 322, 122 before attaching the transparent windows 122, 322 to the housings 304, 116. These microlens arrays 210 and single lenses 352 are used to transform the Lambertian light distribution in the light guide into a flat-top light distribution, thus providing good illumination for the camera.

[0036] In alternative embodiments similar to those of Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 3B , the space between the reflective coating walls of the light guide structures 318, 118, 204 is filled with a phosphor. In a particular embodiment, the LEDs 106, 108 are blue LEDs, and the phosphor converts the blue light into white light with a broader spectrum to provide white illumination to the camera chip cube 302. Thus, if the chip cube camera is a color camera, the camera chip cube 302 can provide a color image.

[0037] Hemoglobin absorbs a large amount of short-wavelength visible light but allows some longer-wavelength light to pass through. In an alternative embodiment, the chip cube camera 302 has a red-green-blue-infrared 4-filter tiling pattern of color filters on the photodiodes of its image sensor and can provide a red-green-blue-infrared four-color video image. In this embodiment, one or more white LEDs or blue LEDs and associated phosphors can be provided for color imaging, and one or more infrared LEDs can be provided for longer-wavelength infrared imaging to provide short-range imaging through blood.

[0038] In an alternative embodiment, the chip cube camera 302 has a red / green / blue / fluorescent emission four-filter tiling pattern of color filters on the photodiodes of its image sensor and can provide a red-green-blue-fluorescent four-color video image. In this embodiment, one or more white LEDs or blue LEDs and associated phosphors and a fluorescent emission blocking filter can be provided for color imaging, and one or more fluorescent stimulation wavelength LEDs can be provided for longer-wavelength infrared imaging to provide imaging of fluorophores in medical imaging.

[0039] In an alternative embodiment, a pre-cut graded-index optical fiber section can be inserted into the optical guide structures 318, 118, 204.

[0040] Using such techniques, for a camera such as the OVM4946 camera, the diameter of the interposer can be less than 2.1 millimeters, or for the OVM6948 camera, the diameter of the interposer can be less than 1.7 millimeters.

[0041] In the embodiment of the circular interposer 400( Figure 4 ), there are a first LED 402, an optional second LED 404, an optional third LED 406, and an optional fourth LED 408, and the LEDs are on the sides of the camera cube 410. Each LED is in a housing at the base of the optical guide structure 420, and the housing has the same external shape as the interposer 400.

[0042] In the embodiment of the square interposer 500( Figure 5 ), there are also a first LED 402, an optional second LED 404, an optional third LED 406, and an optional fourth LED 408 under the transparent window, and the LEDs are on the sides of the camera chip cube 510. In this embodiment, the camera chip cube 510 has a reflective outer surface and is enclosed in a housing that has a cavity 520, and the housing dimensions are similar to those of the square interposer 500, and the inner surface of the cavity 520 has a reflective inner surface; the space between the inner surface of the cavity 520 and the outer surface of the camera chip cube 510 serves as the optical guide structure.

[0043] The interposer, the camera chip cube, and the cable assembly 600 form the end of the endoscope 700, which has an endoscope body 702 and an operating handle 706. The operating handle 706 can include controls for manipulating wires, and a connector 708 connected to an electronic digital image display & processing system 710, which displays images to guide a doctor or other user.

[0044] In another specific embodiment, the endoscope head 750 has an interposer and a housing 752 that have an arcuate shape, and the camera chip cube 754 is surrounded by four LEDs 756, 758, and each LED 756, 758 is located at the base of the optical guide structure 760 as described above. The arcuate interposer and housing 752 are positioned adjacent to the lumen 762 of the endoscope 750.

[0045] In another specific embodiment, for a small-diameter endoscope head, such as the endoscope head 800( Figure 8) The intermediate layer and the housing have a truncated isosceles trapezoidal shape. In these embodiments, the short parallel side 804 of the cavity is configured to be positioned against the curved inner side of the endoscopic head 800; the short parallel side 804 is adjacent to the camera cube 806. The long parallel side 808 is configured to be positioned closer to the center of the endoscopic head 800 and is adjacent to the camera chip cube 806 and two LEDs 810, 812, with one LED positioned on each side of the camera chip cube 806 and positioned closer to the long parallel side 808 compared to the short parallel side 804. The isosceles sides 814, 816 extend downward from the short parallel side 804 at a 45-degree angle towards the long parallel side 808, but do not intersect the long parallel side 808 and terminate at the vertical truncated sides 818, 820 after providing space for the LEDs 810, 812. Compared with a square intermediate layer and housing, using a truncated isosceles trapezoidal intermediate layer and housing can provide more space for the endoscopic lumen 825 or other functional parts of the endoscopic head 800.

[0046] In some embodiments of the endoscopic head 850, the camera chip cube 806 has a reflective outer surface and the intermediate layer and housing 802 have a cavity 830 lined with a reflective coating, so the space between the housing 802 and the camera chip cube 806 serves as a light guide.

[0047] The light guide in the housing described herein allows the camera cube to be bonded to the camera bonding pads of the intermediate layer and allows the light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to be bonded to the LED bonding pads of the intermediate layer, where the LED bonding pads are at the same height as the camera bonding pads, while guiding light to the objects in front of the camera chip cube without the camera chip cube casting shadows on these objects. In the embodiments described herein, the housing and the light guide extend from the intermediate layer and the LEDs to the height of the camera chip cube, and the light guide extends to the top of the housing.

[0048] Combination

[0049] The cavity intermediate layer, camera cube, LEDs, and cables described herein can be configured in various ways. Among these configurations, the configurations anticipated by the inventors are:

[0050] An electronic camera assembly designated as A, comprising: a camera chip cube bonded to the camera bonding pads of the intermediate layer; at least one light-emitting diode (LED) bonded to the LED bonding pads of the intermediate layer at the same height as the camera bonding pads; a housing extending from the intermediate layer and the LEDs to the height of the camera chip cube; and a light guide extending from the LEDs to the top of the housing.

[0051] An electronic camera assembly designated as AA, which includes an electronic camera assembly designated as A and also includes a cable coupled to an interposer layer.

[0052] An electronic camera assembly designated as AB, which includes an electronic camera assembly designated as A or AA, and in which the camera chip cube has an occupied area dimension of less than 3.5 square millimeters.

[0053] An electronic camera assembly designated as AC, which includes an electronic camera assembly designated as AB, and in which the camera chip cube has an occupied area dimension of less than 2 square millimeters.

[0054] An electronic camera assembly designated as AD, which includes an electronic camera assembly designated as A, AA, AB, or AC, and in which the top of the light guide is provided with a microlens array.

[0055] An electronic camera assembly designated as AE, which includes an electronic camera assembly designated as A, AA, AB, or AC, and in which each top of the light guides is provided with a single lens.

[0056] An electronic camera assembly designated as AF, which includes an electronic camera assembly designated as A, AA, AB, AC, AD, or AE, and in which the light guide is formed between the reflective inner surface of the cavity of the housing and the reflective outer surface of the camera chip cube.

[0057] An electronic camera assembly designated as AG, which includes an electronic camera assembly designated as A, AA, AB, AC, AD, or AE, and in which the light guide is formed by the reflective surface of the cavity in the housing.

[0058] An electronic camera assembly designated as AH, which includes an electronic camera assembly designated as A, AA, AB, AC, AD, AE, AF, or AG, and in which the light guide is filled with phosphor.

[0059] An electronic camera assembly designated as AI, which includes an electronic camera assembly designated as A, AA, AB, AC, AD, AE, AF, AG, or AH, and in which the interposer layer has an arc shape.

[0060] An electronic camera assembly designated as AJ, which includes an electronic camera assembly designated as A, AA, AB, AC, AD, AE, AF, AG, or AH, and in which the interposer layer has a truncated isosceles trapezoid shape.

[0061] The above methods and systems may be varied without departing from the scope of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be noted that the content contained in the above description or shown in the drawings should be construed as illustrative and not restrictive. The following claims are intended to cover all general and specific features described herein, as well as all statements that can be said, from a linguistic point of view, to fall within the scope of the methods and systems of the present invention between them. It is also contemplated that the steps of the methods may be performed in a different order than illustrated and still be within the meaning of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An electronic camera assembly, comprising: A camera chip cube, the camera chip cube being bonded to a camera bonding pad on a first surface of an interposer; At least one light emitting diode LED, the at least one light emitting diode LED being bonded to an LED bonding pad of the interposer at the same height as the camera bonding pad; And A housing, the housing extending from the interposer and the LED to the height of the camera chip cube, An optical waveguide, the optical waveguide extending from the LED through the housing to the top of the housing; The interposer has a cable coupled to a bonding pad on a second surface of the interposer, the second surface of the interposer being opposite to the first surface of the interposer; Wherein the optical waveguide is formed between a reflective inner surface of a cavity of the housing and a reflective outer surface of the camera chip cube.

2. The electronic camera assembly according to claim 1, wherein the camera chip cube has an occupied area size of less than 3.5 square millimeters.

3. The electronic camera assembly according to claim 2, wherein the camera chip cube has an occupied area size of less than 2 square millimeters.

4. The electronic camera assembly according to claim 3, wherein the interposer has an arcuate shape.

5. The electronic camera assembly according to claim 1, wherein a microlens array is provided at the top of the optical waveguide.

6. The electronic camera assembly according to claim 5, wherein the interposer has an arcuate shape.

7. The electronic camera assembly according to claim 1, wherein a single lens is provided at the top of each of the optical waveguides.

8. The electronic camera assembly according to claim 1, wherein the optical waveguide is filled with a phosphor.

9. The electronic camera assembly according to claim 8, wherein a microlens array is provided at the top of the optical waveguide.

10. The electronic camera assembly according to claim 8, wherein a single lens is provided at the top of each of the optical waveguides.

11. The electronic camera assembly according to claim 1, wherein the interposer has a truncated isosceles trapezoid shape.

12. An electronic camera assembly, comprising: A camera chip cube, the camera chip cube being bonded to a camera bonding pad on a first surface of an interposer; At least one light emitting diode LED, the at least one light emitting diode LED being bonded to an LED bonding pad of the interposer at the same height as the camera bonding pad; And A housing, the housing extending from the interposer and the LED to the height of the camera chip cube; An optical waveguide, the optical waveguide extending from the LED through the housing to the top of the housing; The interposer has a cable coupled to a bonding pad on a second surface of the interposer, the second surface of the interposer being opposite to the first surface of the interposer; wherein the interposer has a truncated isosceles trapezoid shape.

13. The electronic camera assembly according to claim 12, wherein the optical waveguide is filled with a phosphor.

14. The electronic camera assembly according to claim 13, wherein the optical waveguide is formed by a reflective surface of a cavity in the housing.

15. The electronic camera assembly according to claim 12, wherein the light guide is formed between a reflective inner surface of a cavity of the housing and a reflective outer surface of the camera chip cube.

16. The electronic camera assembly according to claim 15, wherein the light guide is filled with a phosphor.

17. An electronic camera assembly, comprising: a camera chip cube bonded to a camera bonding pad on a first surface of an interposer; at least one light emitting diode LED bonded to an LED bonding pad of the interposer at the same height as the camera bonding pad; a housing extending from the interposer and the LED to a height of the camera chip cube; and a light guide extending from the LED through the housing to a top of the housing; the interposer having a cable coupled to a bonding pad on a second surface of the interposer, the second surface of the interposer being opposite the first surface of the interposer; wherein the light guide is formed by a reflective surface of a cavity in the housing; and wherein the light guide is filled with a phosphor.

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