Camera modules and electronic devices

Abstract

The present application discloses a camera module and electronic device, belonging to the field of terminal technology. The camera module includes: an image sensor, a connecting rod mechanism, a driving mechanism, a camera decorative ring, and multiple lens carriers corresponding to the image sensor, each lens carrier being provided with at least one lens; the connecting rod mechanism is rotatably connected to a first lens carrier among the multiple lens carriers, and is slidably connected to lens carriers other than the first lens carrier among the multiple lens carriers, and is connected to the driving mechanism; the camera decorative ring is connected to a third lens carrier farthest from the image sensor among the multiple lens carriers; the driving mechanism drives the connecting rod mechanism to rotate in a first manner, driving the multiple lens carriers and the camera decorative ring to move away from the image sensor; or the driving mechanism drives the connecting rod mechanism to rotate in a second manner, driving the multiple lens carriers and the camera decorative ring to move toward the image sensor.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application belongs to the field of terminal technology, and specifically relates to a camera module and an electronic device. Background Art

[0002] With the development of terminal technology, users have higher and higher requirements for the shooting functions of electronic devices.

[0003] Among them, the size of the image sensor directly affects the imaging quality. The larger the size of the image sensor, the more pixels it includes, and the more light signals it receives, so the imaging quality of the image sensor is better. Therefore, the shooting performance of electronic devices can be improved by using larger image sensors.

[0004] However, as image sensors increase in size, the distance between the lens assembly and the image sensor also increases, resulting in a thicker camera module and, consequently, a thicker electronic device. Therefore, balancing camera performance with the need for thinner electronic devices is a pressing issue. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of the embodiments of the present application is to provide a camera module and an electronic device, which can reduce the thickness of the camera module when it is not working while ensuring the shooting performance of the camera module, thereby reducing the overall thickness of the electronic device.

[0006] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a camera module, which includes: the camera module includes: an image sensor, a connecting rod mechanism, a driving mechanism, a camera decorative ring and a plurality of lens carriers arranged corresponding to the image sensor, each lens carrier being provided with at least one lens; the connecting rod mechanism is rotatably connected to a first lens carrier among the plurality of lens carriers, and is slidably connected to a second lens carrier, and is connected to the driving mechanism, the second lens carrier including lens carriers other than the first lens carrier among the plurality of lens carriers; the camera decorative ring is connected to a third lens carrier farthest from the image sensor among the plurality of lens carriers; wherein the driving mechanism drives the connecting rod mechanism to rotate in a first manner, driving the plurality of lens carriers and the camera decorative ring to move in a direction away from the image sensor; or, the driving mechanism drives the connecting rod mechanism to rotate in a second manner, driving the plurality of lens carriers and the camera decorative ring to move in a direction close to the image sensor.

[0007] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an electronic device, which may include a frame and a camera module as in the first aspect; the camera module is arranged in the frame, and a second through hole is provided in the area of ​​the frame corresponding to the camera module for extending or retracting the camera module.

[0008] In the embodiment of the present application, since the multiple lens carriers and camera decorative ring of the camera module can be moved in a direction away from or close to the image sensor under the coordinated action of the driving mechanism and the connecting rod mechanism, when the camera module is required to shoot, the multiple lens carriers and camera decorative ring can be controlled to move in a direction away from the image sensor to facilitate focusing or zooming. After the camera module shoots, the multiple lens carriers and camera decorative ring are controlled to move toward the image sensor to reduce the thickness of the camera module, thereby reducing the thickness of the electronic device. In this way, the camera module provided by the embodiment of the present application can reduce the thickness of the camera module when it is not working while ensuring the shooting performance of the camera module, thereby reducing the thickness of the electronic device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Figure 1 This is one of the structural diagrams of the camera module provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0010] Figure 2 is a structural diagram of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0011] Figure 3 This is the second structural diagram of the camera module provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0012] Figure 4A This is the third structural diagram of the camera module provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0013] Figure 4B This is the fourth structural diagram of the camera module provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0014] Figure 4C This is the fifth structural diagram of the camera module provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0015] Figure 4D This is the fifth structural diagram of the camera module provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0016] Figure 5A This is the sixth structural diagram of the camera module provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0017] Figure 5B This is the seventh structural diagram of the camera module provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0018] Figure 6 This is the eighth structural diagram of the camera module provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0019] Figure 7A This is the ninth structural diagram of the camera module provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0020] Figure 7BThis is the tenth structural diagram of the camera module provided in the embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The following will be combined with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application to clearly describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the embodiments described are part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0022] The terms "first," "second," and the like in the specification and claims of this application are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not used to describe a specific order or precedence. It should be understood that the terms used in this manner are interchangeable where appropriate, so that the embodiments of this application can be implemented in an order other than that illustrated or described herein, and that the objects distinguished by "first," "second," and the like are generally of the same type, and do not limit the number of objects; for example, the first object can be one or more. In addition, the term "and / or" in the specification and claims refers to at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / " generally indicates that the objects connected are in an "or" relationship.

[0023] The camera module and electronic device provided in the embodiments of the present application are described in detail below through specific embodiments and their application scenarios in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0024] As competition in terminals, such as the mobile phone industry, becomes increasingly fierce, many manufacturers continue to innovate in mobile phone imaging functions.

[0025] Currently, methods for improving the image quality of electronic devices include at least one of the following: increasing the number of camera modules or using image sensors with more pixels in the camera modules. The size of the image sensor directly affects the image quality. A larger image sensor has more pixels and receives more light signals, resulting in better image quality. Therefore, using larger image sensors has become one of the main methods for improving the image quality of electronic devices.

[0026] However, as image sensors increase in size, the distance between the lens assembly and the image sensor also increases, resulting in a thicker camera module and, consequently, a thicker electronic device. Placing the device on a flat surface acts like a seesaw. Therefore, balancing camera performance with thinning electronic devices is a pressing issue.

[0027] To solve the above problems, an embodiment of the present application provides a camera module, which may include: an image sensor, a connecting rod mechanism, a driving mechanism, a camera decorative ring, and multiple lens carriers arranged corresponding to the image sensor, each lens carrier being provided with at least one lens; the connecting rod mechanism is rotatably connected to a first lens carrier among the multiple lens carriers, and is slidably connected to a second lens carrier, and is connected to the driving mechanism, the first lens carrier being one of the multiple lens carriers, and the second lens carrier including lens carriers among the multiple lens carriers except the first lens carrier; the camera decorative ring is connected to a third lens carrier among the multiple lens carriers that is farthest from the image sensor;

[0028] In which, the driving mechanism drives the connecting rod mechanism to rotate in a first manner, driving the multiple lens carriers and the camera decorative ring to move in a direction away from the image sensor; or, the driving mechanism drives the connecting rod mechanism to rotate in a second manner, driving the multiple lens carriers to move in a direction close to the image sensor. Through this solution, since the multiple lens carriers and the camera decorative ring of the camera module can move in a direction away from or close to the image sensor under the coordinated action of the driving mechanism and the connecting rod mechanism, when the camera module is required to shoot, the multiple lens carriers and the camera decorative ring can be controlled to move in a direction away from the image sensor to facilitate focusing or zooming, and after the camera module shoots, the multiple lens carriers and the camera decorative ring are controlled to move toward the image sensor to reduce the thickness of the camera module, thereby reducing the overall thickness of the electronic device. In this way, the camera module provided in the embodiment of the present application can reduce the thickness of the camera module when it is not working on the basis of ensuring the shooting performance of the camera module, thereby reducing the overall thickness of the electronic device.

[0029] The embodiment of the present application provides a camera module 10, Figure 1 A structural diagram of the camera module 10 provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown as follows: Figure 1 As shown, the camera module 10 may include: an image sensor 11, a connecting rod mechanism 12, a driving mechanism, a camera decorative ring 17 and a plurality of lens carriers 14 corresponding to the image sensor 11, each of the plurality of lens carriers 14 is provided with at least one lens ( Figure 1 not shown);

[0030] The connecting rod mechanism 12 is rotatably connected to the first lens carrier 14 among the plurality of lens carriers 14, and is slidably connected to the second lens carrier 14, and is connected to the driving mechanism, wherein the second lens carrier 14 includes the lens carriers 14 among the plurality of lens carriers 14 except the first lens carrier 14; the camera decorative ring 17 is connected to the third lens carrier (14) farthest away from the image sensor 11 among the plurality of lens carriers 14;

[0031] Among them, the driving mechanism drives the connecting rod mechanism 12 to rotate in a first manner, driving multiple lens carriers 14 and the camera decorative ring 17 to move in a direction away from the image sensor 11; or, the driving mechanism drives the connecting rod mechanism 12 to rotate in a second manner, driving multiple lens carriers 14 and the camera decorative ring 17 to move in a direction close to the image sensor 11.

[0032] It is understood that the drive mechanism can drive the linkage mechanism to rotate about the first lens carrier in a first manner, thereby driving the multiple lens carriers and the camera decorative ring to move away from the image sensor; or the drive mechanism can drive the linkage mechanism to rotate about the first lens carrier in a second manner, thereby driving the multiple lens carriers and the camera decorative ring to move toward the image sensor. In other words, the multiple lens carriers and the camera decorative ring can be driven by the linkage mechanism to move along the optical axis of the image sensor, that is, along the z-axis of the camera module, thereby achieving focus, zoom, or storage of the camera module.

[0033] In some embodiments of the present application, the movement directions of the connecting rod assemblies corresponding to the first mode and the second mode are opposite.

[0034] In some embodiments of the present application, the driving mechanism may drive the connecting rod mechanism to rotate in the first manner or the second manner by providing driving forces in opposite directions.

[0035] In some embodiments of the present application, the image sensor may receive an optical signal and convert the optical signal into an electrical signal, thereby forming an image based on the electrical signal.

[0036] It should be noted that because each of the multiple lens carriers is equipped with at least one lens, when the drive mechanism drives the multiple lens carriers to perform telescopic movement along the z-axis (i.e., the optical axis of the image sensor) via a linkage mechanism, and the camera decorative ring is fixedly connected to the multiple lens carriers, they can perform synchronous telescopic movement. This effectively reduces the thickness of the entire camera module when it is not in operation, significantly improving the overall thickness of the device.

[0037] Specifically, the driving mechanism can drive the connecting rod mechanism to rotate around the first lens carrier in a first manner, driving the multiple lens carriers to move in a direction away from the image sensor until the imaging positions of the multiple lens carriers are reached, thereby realizing the focus or zoom of the camera module; or, the driving mechanism can drive the connecting rod mechanism to rotate around the first lens carrier in a second manner, driving the multiple lens carriers to move in a direction close to the image sensor until the storage positions of the multiple lens carriers are reached, thereby realizing the thinning of the camera module.

[0038] In some embodiments of the present application, the camera module may be a fixed-focus camera module or a zoom camera module.

[0039] In some embodiments of the present application, when the camera module is a zoom camera module, the above-mentioned imaging position may include at least one position, and each position corresponds to a focal length.

[0040] In some embodiments of the present application, the aforementioned storage position refers to the distance between the multiple lens carriers, and the distance between the multiple lens carriers and the image sensor, at which the spacing is minimized. In other words, the storage position is the position at which the distance between each of the multiple lens carriers and the image sensor is minimized.

[0041] In some embodiments of the present application, Figure 2 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a camera module 10 assembled into an electronic device 100. The driving mechanism can drive the multiple lens carriers and the camera decorative ring in the camera module 10 through a linkage mechanism to achieve movement in the z-direction, i.e., the direction of the optical axis of the camera module, thereby achieving focus and / or zoom of the camera module 10.

[0042] In some embodiments of the present application, the specific number of lens carriers is not limited, and the number of lens carriers can be flexibly set according to the number of lenses in the camera module and the relative distance between the lenses.

[0043] For example, the number of lens carriers may be the same as the number of lenses.

[0044] For example, if the distance between two adjacent lenses in a camera module remains constant during shooting, the two lenses can be placed in the same lens carrier, thereby reducing the number of parts in the camera module and minimizing assembly errors. Furthermore, the distance between the two lenses can be ensured to remain constant during the movement of the multiple lens carriers, thereby reducing travel errors.

[0045] In some embodiments of the present application, the camera module may include 3, 4, 5, 6 or more lenses, and the specific number is determined according to actual design requirements.

[0046] In some embodiments of the present application, when the driving mechanism drives the connecting rod mechanism to move multiple lens carriers, each of the multiple lens carriers is displaced in the z direction, wherein the z direction is parallel to the optical axis direction of the camera module.

[0047] Furthermore, the moving speeds and moving distances of different lens carriers among the multiple lens carriers may be different, which can be specifically determined according to the shooting requirements of the camera module.

[0048] In some embodiments of the present application, when the multiple lens carriers move to the imaging position, the camera module can achieve focus or zoom. In other words, when the multiple lens carriers move to the imaging position, the camera module has met the shooting requirements and shooting conditions.

[0049] For example, when multiple lens carriers move to an imaging position, the distance between the three lens carriers meets the focusing requirement.

[0050] In some embodiments of the present application, the first lens carrier may be any one of a plurality of lens carriers.

[0051] In some embodiments of the present application, assuming that the lens carrier farthest from the image sensor among the multiple lens carriers is the telephoto lens carrier, then the first lens carrier is any lens carrier among the multiple lens carriers except the telephoto lens carrier. This can reduce the space occupied by the drive mechanism and the connecting rod mechanism.

[0052] In some embodiments of the present application, the selection of the first lens carrier needs to refer to at least one of the following: the zoom and focus requirements of the camera module, and the size requirements of the camera module in the xy plane.

[0053] In some embodiments of the present application, the sliding connection between the connecting rod mechanism and the second lens carrier can be understood as: the connecting rod mechanism is slidably connected to any lens carrier in the second lens carrier. When the driving mechanism drives the connecting rod mechanism to move, the connecting rod mechanism can slide a certain distance along the circumference of the second lens carrier, thereby changing the angle between the connecting rod mechanism and the second lens carrier, thereby driving the multiple lens carriers to move in the direction closer to or away from the image sensor. In this way, the driving mechanism drives the connecting rod mechanism to move, driving the multiple lens carriers to move along the z-direction, so that after the camera module finishes shooting, the z-direction space of the lens group can be compressed, thereby achieving the effect of thinning the camera module, and thus effectively reducing the thickness of the entire device.

[0054] In some embodiments of the present application, a buffer element may be provided between every two adjacent lens carriers to prevent the multiple lens carriers from colliding when moving to the storage position, thereby protecting the lenses in the lens carriers.

[0055] In some embodiments of the present application, Figure 4A This is a side view of the camera module 10 provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 4B A three-dimensional diagram of the camera module 10 provided in an embodiment of the present application, Figure 4C For the Figure 4A or Figure 4B The sectional view of the AA section is shown. Figure 4CAs shown, any lens carrier 14 of the second lens carriers 14 is provided with a first sliding groove 141 extending along the circumferential direction, and the connecting rod mechanism 12 is provided with a first sliding block 121 slidably connected to any first sliding groove 141 .

[0056] It can be understood that a first sliding groove is provided on any lens carrier in the second lens carrier 14. The connecting rod mechanism is slidably connected to any lens carrier through the first sliding groove provided on the lens carrier.

[0057] In some embodiments of the present application, the number of the first sliding grooves is the same as the number of lens carriers in the second lens carrier.

[0058] In some embodiments of the present application, the lengths of the first sliding grooves provided on different lens carriers may be different. Specifically, for any lens carrier in the second lens carrier, the length of the first sliding groove provided on a lens carrier is determined according to the number of lens carriers spaced apart from the first lens carrier. The shorter the number of lens carriers spaced apart from the first lens carrier, the shorter the length of the first sliding groove provided on the lens carrier.

[0059] As such, since each of the second lens carriers is provided with a first sliding groove extending in the circumferential direction, the second lens carrier can cooperate with the first slider provided on the linkage mechanism via the first sliding groove, thereby achieving a sliding connection between the second lens carrier and the linkage mechanism. Therefore, when the linkage mechanism rotates around the first lens carrier, the linkage mechanism can slide along the first sliding groove, that is, slide relative to the second lens carrier, thereby increasing the spacing between the multiple lens carriers, thereby achieving movement of the multiple lens carriers.

[0060] In some embodiments of the present application, Figure 1 and Figure 4C As shown, the link mechanism 12 may include at least two links 122 .

[0061] The at least two connecting rods 122 are rotatably connected to the first lens carrier 14 via a first fixing member 16. Each of the at least two connecting rods 122 is provided with a first sliding block 121 that engages with any first sliding groove 141. The first end of one of the at least two connecting rods 122 is connected to the driving mechanism 13, and the distance between the first ends of the remaining connecting rods 122 and the image sensor 11 remains fixed.

[0062] It is understood that the connecting rod of the at least one connecting rod connected to the drive mechanism can be referred to as the active connecting rod, and the connecting rods other than the active connecting rod can be referred to as the passive connecting rod. The active connecting rod can be used to provide movement power for the lens carrier and the camera bezel, while the passive connecting rod is used to provide support force for the multiple lens carriers and the camera bezel, assisting in supporting the lens carriers and the camera bezel, and improving the movement stability of the lens carriers and the camera bezel.

[0063] In some embodiments of the present application, the phrase "the distance between the first end of the at least one connecting rod other than the at least one connecting rod and the image sensor remains fixed" can be understood as: the first end of the driven connecting rod is fixedly connected to a non-moving element in the camera module, so that the driven connecting rod can cooperate with the active connecting rod to effectively support the lens carrier and the camera bezel. It should be noted that when the linkage mechanism does not have a driven connecting rod, the phrase "the distance between the first end of the at least one connecting rod other than the at least one connecting rod and the image sensor remains fixed" does not exist.

[0064] In some embodiments of the present application, the at least one connecting rod is rotatably connected to the first lens carrier, and the at least one connecting rod and the first lens carrier are connected at the same position. For example, the at least one connecting rod is rotatably connected to the first lens carrier via the same fixing member.

[0065] In some embodiments of the present application, assuming that the multiple lens carriers have the same size, the symmetry axes of the first slide grooves on different lens carriers of the second lens carrier coincide, and the connection position between the first lens carrier and at least one connecting rod mechanism is located on the symmetry axis. Note that the symmetry axis of the first slide groove here is illustrated by taking the symmetry axis in the length direction of the slot of the first slide groove, that is, the symmetry axis of the first slide groove perpendicular to the length direction of the slot, as an example, and the depth of the first slide groove is not considered.

[0066] In some embodiments of the present application, the spacing between adjacent first sliders on the same connecting rod is determined by the working spacing requirements of the lenses in the multiple lens carriers 14. In other words, the spacing between adjacent first sliders needs to meet the spacing requirements between adjacent lenses in the lens carriers 14, such as Figure 3 shown.

[0067] In some embodiments of the present application, Figure 4D As shown, the above-mentioned connecting rod mechanism may include a connecting rod 122, which is rotatably connected to the first lens carrier 14 through a first fixing member 16, and a first slider (not shown in the figure) is provided on the connecting rod 122 to cooperate with any first sliding groove 141, and one end of the connecting rod 122 is connected to the driving mechanism 13.

[0068] In some embodiments of the present application, when the above-mentioned connecting rod mechanism includes one connecting rod, the other end of the connecting rod can be connected to the second mirror carrier through a sliding limit mechanism to increase the movement stability of the camera decorative ring and multiple lens carriers.

[0069] In some embodiments of the present application, Figure 1 and Figure 4C As shown, the aforementioned linkage mechanism 12 may include two linkages 122; the two linkages 122 may be rotatably connected to the first lens carrier 14 via a first fixing member 16, and any of the two linkages 122 may be provided with a first slider 121 that engages with any first sliding groove 141; wherein the first end of one of the two linkages 122 is connected to the driving mechanism, and the distance between the first end of the other of the two linkages 122 and the image sensor 11 remains unchanged. It is understood that the aforementioned two linkages may form a scissor-type linkage mechanism via the first fixing member. For other descriptions of the linkage mechanism comprising two linkages, please refer to the relevant description of the driving mechanism comprising at least one linkage in the aforementioned embodiment. To avoid repetition, this description will not be repeated here.

[0070] In this way, since the two connecting rods are provided with a first slider that cooperates with any first sliding groove, and the first end of one connecting rod is connected to the driving mechanism, and the distance between the first end of the other connecting rod and the image sensor remains fixed, when the driving mechanism drives the one connecting rod to rotate around the first lens carrier, the slider on the one connecting rod can slide along the first sliding groove under the action of torque, and drive the sliding groove on the other connecting rod to slide in the opposite direction along the first sliding groove, thereby driving multiple lens carriers to move away from or close to the image sensor, thereby ensuring that multiple lens carriers move smoothly; when the driving mechanism stops driving the one connecting rod, the two connecting rods can provide support force for multiple lens carriers and camera decorative rings at the same time, thereby achieving stable support for multiple lens carriers.

[0071] In some embodiments of the present application, the length of the first slide groove and the spacing between the first sliders in the same connecting rod can be determined by comprehensively considering the zoom range of the camera module and the working spacing requirements of the lens group (including any lens in multiple lens carriers).

[0072] In this way, since at least one connecting rod is provided with a first slider that cooperates with any first sliding groove, and the first end of a connecting rod is connected to the driving mechanism, the distance between the first end of the connecting rod except the one before the one connecting rod and the image sensor remains fixed. Therefore, when the driving mechanism drives the one connecting rod to rotate around the first lens carrier, the slider on the one connecting rod can slide along the first sliding groove under the action of torque, and drive the sliding grooves on the remaining connecting rods to slide in the opposite direction along the first sliding groove, thereby driving multiple lens carriers to move away from or close to the image sensor, thereby ensuring that multiple lens carriers move smoothly; when the driving mechanism stops driving the one connecting rod, the at least one connecting rod can provide support force for multiple lens carriers and camera decorative rings at the same time, thereby achieving stable support for multiple lens carriers.

[0073] In some embodiments of this application, refer to Figure 4C Each of the at least one connecting rod 122 may be provided with a second sliding groove 33. Thus, the connection position between the connecting rod 122 and the first lens carrier 14 may be flexibly adjusted according to the shooting parameter setting of the camera module 10.

[0074] For example, each connecting rod 122 can be separated into a first part and a second part by a first fixing member 16, wherein the first part is close to the image sensor 11, and the length ratio of the first part to the second part can be any of the following: 1:1, 2:3, 4:3, 3:2, 3:4, etc., which is set according to actual usage requirements.

[0075] In some embodiments of the present application, Figure 5A is a top view of the camera module 10, Figure 5B For camera module 10 along Figure 5A The sectional view of section AA in FIG. Figure 5B As shown, the camera decorative ring 17 may include a decorative ring body 171 and a first lens 172 embedded in the opening of the decorative ring body 171. The first lens 172 may be used to protect the lenses 15 in the multiple lens carriers 14 and ensure that light can be transmitted to the lenses 15 in the multiple lens carriers 14.

[0076] In some embodiments of the present application, the camera decorative ring is connected to the third lens carrier, so that the camera decorative ring can move synchronously with the third lens.

[0077] Specifically, when the above-mentioned multiple lens carriers move to the imaging position, the camera decorative ring is in an extended state; when the above-mentioned multiple lens carriers move to the storage position, the camera decorative ring is in a retracted state.

[0078] For example, Figure 7A and Figure 7BSchematic diagram of the camera decorative ring 17 in the extended state and the retracted state.

[0079] When the camera module needs to capture images, the electronic device can control the drive mechanism to drive the connecting rod mechanism to rotate around the first lens carrier in a first manner, driving the multiple lens carriers to move away from the image sensor and simultaneously driving the camera decorative ring to extend outward. This causes the multiple lens carriers to simultaneously increase in size in the Z-direction. When the multiple lens carriers move to the imaging position, the drive assembly is controlled to stop. The user can then capture images through the camera module. Similarly, when the camera module finishes capturing images, the drive mechanism can drive the connecting rod mechanism to rotate around the first lens carrier in a second manner, driving the multiple lens carriers toward the image sensor and retracting the camera decorative ring. Through the drive mechanism and connecting rod mechanism, the decorative ring and the multiple lens carriers are linked. That is, the camera decorative ring and the multiple lens carriers share a common transmission structure, saving space and simplifying the structure of the camera module.

[0080] In this way, by connecting the camera decorative ring to the third lens carrier, the linkage between the camera decorative ring and multiple lens carriers can be achieved, so that the camera decorative ring can move with multiple lens carriers, especially the third lens carrier, without the need to specially set up a transmission mechanism for controlling the movement of the camera decorative ring, thereby simplifying the structure of the camera module.

[0081] In some embodiments of the present application, Figure 1 、 Figure 4C The driving mechanism 13 may include a driving motor 131, a bevel gear pair 132 connected to the driving motor 131, a lead screw 133 connected to the bevel gear pair 132, and a connecting rod driving base 134 sleeved on the lead screw 133;

[0082] The connecting rod mechanism 12 is rotatably connected to the connecting rod driving base 134 .

[0083] In some embodiments of the present application, the first end of the active connecting rod in the connecting rod mechanism can be rotatably connected to the connecting rod driving base 134.

[0084] In some embodiments of the present application, the first end of the above-mentioned active connecting rod can be rotatably connected to the connecting rod driving base through a square shaft, which can improve the rotational stability of the active connecting rod, thereby improving the movement stability of the camera decorative ring and multiple lens carriers.

[0085] In some embodiments of the present application, the bevel gear pair may be a 90-degree bevel gear pair, that is, the bevel gear pair includes a driving wheel and a driven wheel, and the intersection angle between the driving wheel and the driven wheel is approximately equal to 90 degrees.

[0086] It can be understood that the function of the bevel gear pair is to transmit the power of the drive motor and change the power direction of the drive motor.

[0087] In some embodiments of the present application, the rotating shaft of the driving wheel is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the driving motor. For example, the rotating shaft and the output shaft may be connected via a coupling.

[0088] In some embodiments of the present application, the rotating shaft of the driven wheel is fixedly connected to one end of the lead screw. Similarly, in order to eliminate axial error, the rotating shaft of the driven wheel and the lead screw can be connected by a coupling.

[0089] It is understood that the drive motor and the lead screw are arranged on both sides adjacent to the image sensor and the plurality of lens carriers, and the drive motor drives the lead screw to rotate through the bevel gear pair, thereby driving the connecting rod drive seat to move along the lead screw. This can make the structure of the camera module more compact.

[0090] In some embodiments of the present application, the above-mentioned screw may be a ball screw.

[0091] For example, Figure 6 The drive mechanism 13 is arranged in the xy plane, wherein the drive motor 131 changes the power transmission path through the bevel gear pair 132. This layout can greatly reduce the stacking space of the camera module 10, and the reliability of the bevel gear pair and the lead screw transmission is high.

[0092] In some embodiments of the present application, a mounting portion may be provided on the connecting rod driving base, and a mounting hole may be provided on the mounting portion. The connecting rod mechanism may be connected to the connecting rod driving base via a second fixing member and the mounting hole.

[0093] In some embodiments of the present application, the second fixing member may be a fixing pin or a bolt.

[0094] In some embodiments of the present application, the connecting rod drive seat and the lead screw may constitute a ball screw structure.

[0095] In some embodiments of the present application, Figure 4C As shown, the camera module 10 may further include a bearing seat 31, wherein one end of the lead screw 133 away from the driving motor 131 is rotatably connected to the bearing seat 31. The bearing seat 31 may support the lead screw.

[0096] In some embodiments of the present application, when the connecting rod mechanism includes two connecting rods, the first end, such as the bottom end, of one of the two connecting rods is connected to the connecting rod driving seat via a second fixing member. Figure 4C and Figure 6As shown, the power transmission path of the camera module includes: when the driving motor is working, the movement direction is changed by a pair of bevel gears, and the bevel gears drive the lead screw to rotate, thereby driving the connecting rod to drive the base to move along the lead screw, so as to drive the one connecting rod to rotate relative to the first lens carrier, and slide relative to each first, thereby driving multiple lens carriers to move away from or close to the image sensor.

[0097] Furthermore, a first end of another connecting rod is fixed relative to the image sensor, a second end of the other connecting rod is connected to the second lens carrier via at least two first sliders, and the other connecting rod is rotatably connected to the first lens via a fixing pin. When the multiple lens carriers move, the other connecting rod can slide relative to the second lens carrier and rotate relative to the first lens carrier, thereby providing auxiliary support for the multiple lens carriers.

[0098] In some embodiments of the present application, Figure 1 As shown, the camera module 10 may further include: a motor circuit board 29 , which is respectively connected to the control end of the drive motor and the main board of the electronic device 100 to control the working state of the drive motor 131 .

[0099] In some embodiments of the present application, the motor circuit board may be a flexible circuit board or a PCB circuit board.

[0100] In some embodiments of the present application, the camera module may further include: a reducer connected to the output shaft of the drive motor.

[0101] In some embodiments of the present application, the reducer and the output shaft of the drive motor may be connected via a coupling.

[0102] It should be noted that the above embodiment is illustrated by taking the drive mechanism including a drive motor, a bevel gear pair, a lead screw and a connecting rod drive base as an example. In actual implementation, the above drive mechanism can also be any mechanism that can provide linear driving force.

[0103] Exemplarily, the drive mechanism may include: a drive motor, a turbine and a worm. The drive motor is connected to the worm, and the turbine is engaged with the worm gear. The side surface of the turbine may be provided with a mounting portion perpendicular to the surface, and the mounting portion may be provided with a mounting hole, so that the first end of the active connecting rod in the connecting rod mechanism can be rotatably connected to the turbine through the mounting hole. Of course, in order to reduce the stacking space of the camera module in the x or y direction, the drive mechanism may also include a bevel gear pair, so that the drive motor and the worm are respectively arranged in the x and y directions through the bevel gear pair.

[0104] Illustratively, the driving mechanism may include a telescopic motor, and the first end of the active connecting rod is rotatably connected to an output shaft of the telescopic motor.

[0105] In this way, on the one hand, because the drive motor and the lead screw are connected by a bevel gear pair, the arrangement between the drive mechanism and the transmission mechanism can be made more compact, thereby reducing the overall size of the camera module. Furthermore, because the size of the camera module is relatively small, especially in a plane parallel to the screen of the electronic device, the space occupied by the camera module in the electronic device can be reduced.

[0106] On the other hand, since the movement of multiple lens carriers in the camera module can be controlled by one power source, namely the driving motor, the driving efficiency of the camera module can be improved.

[0107] In some embodiments of the present application, Figure 1 As shown, the camera module may further include a camera circuit board 28, which is connected to a main circuit board of the electronic device to control the working state of the camera module through the main circuit board.

[0108] In some embodiments of the present application, Figure 1 and Figure 5B As shown, the camera module 10 may further include at least two elastic connectors 23 . The camera decorative ring 17 is connected to the third lens carrier 14 via the at least two elastic connectors 23 .

[0109] In some embodiments of the present application, the elastic connecting member may include any one of the following: a buffer spring, a fluid buffer, and a solid buffer.

[0110] For example, the fluid buffer may include an elastic accommodating bag, and liquid or gas disposed in the elastic accommodating bag.

[0111] For example, the solid buffer member can be a sponge column, an elastic titanium alloy or a soft rubber column, etc.

[0112] In some embodiments of the present application, Figure 6 As shown, the at least two elastic connectors 23 are evenly distributed along the edge of the third lens carrier 14 , so as to achieve stable support for the camera decorative ring 17 .

[0113] For example, Figure 5B and Figure 6 As shown, at least two elastic connectors 23 include four groups of buffer springs, i.e., elastic connectors 23. Four spring connection bases 173 are provided at the bottom of the camera decorative ring 17. One end of the four groups of springs is connected to the four spring connection bases 173 respectively, and the other end of the four groups of springs is connected to the third lens carrier 14 among the multiple lens carriers 14. Figure 3 It can be seen that the buffer spring can play a buffering role when external force impacts.

[0114] In this way, since at least two elastic connectors are arranged between the camera decorative ring 17 and the third lens carrier 14, when the camera decorative ring 17 is in the extended state, if an external force impacts the camera decorative ring 17, at least two elastic connectors 23 can buffer the external force to prevent the third lens carrier 14 from being damaged.

[0115] In some embodiments of the present application, Figure 1 and Figure 5B As shown, the camera module 10 may further include: at least two pressure sensors 25 corresponding to the at least two elastic connectors 23; each pressure sensor 25 is disposed at a position on the third lens carrier 14 corresponding to one elastic connector 23;

[0116] In which, when the pressure values ​​detected by at least two pressure sensors 25 are greater than or equal to the pressure threshold, the driving mechanism drives the connecting rod mechanism 12 to rotate in the second direction relative to the first lens carrier 14, driving the multiple lens carriers 14 to move in the direction close to the image sensor 11 until the storage position of the multiple lens carriers 14 is reached.

[0117] Among them, the pressure sensor can be used to detect the pressure value acting on the camera decorative ring.

[0118] It should be noted that the pressure sensor can be connected to the camera circuit board of the camera module.

[0119] It is understandable that Figure 3 As shown in FIG, when the camera decorative ring 17 is in the extended state and an external force impacts the camera decorative ring 17, the at least two elastic connectors 23 can buffer the external force and transmit the external force to the corresponding pressure sensor 25. When the threshold of the pressure sensor 25 is exceeded, the system can control the decorative ring to retract.

[0120] In some embodiments of the present application, a control unit of the camera module, such as an electronic device, can control a drive motor to drive a connecting rod mechanism to retract the camera decorative ring and multiple lens carriers when the pressure value measured by at least two pressure sensors is greater than or equal to a pressure threshold.

[0121] It can be understood that at least two pressure sensors are arranged between the third lens carrier and the at least two elastic connecting members.

[0122] Thus, a pressure sensor is provided in the area of ​​the third lens carrier corresponding to each elastic connector. When an external force acts on the camera bezel, these pressure sensors can measure the pressure of the external force. When the pressure value measured by the sensor is greater than or equal to a pressure threshold, the drive assembly can drive the linkage mechanism to retract the camera bezel and the multiple lens carriers. This prevents damage to the camera bezel, the multiple lens carriers, the linkage mechanism, and the drive mechanism from external force, thereby improving the reliability of the camera module.

[0123] In some embodiments of the present application, Figure 1 and Figure 4C As shown, the camera module 10 can also include: a lower cover plate 20, a transmission box cover plate 19 and an upper cover plate 18, and the upper cover plate 18 is provided with a first through hole; wherein, the lower cover plate 20, the transmission box cover plate 19 and the upper cover plate 18 enclose a accommodating space 21, and the image sensor 11, the connecting rod mechanism 12, the driving mechanism, multiple lens carriers 14, and the camera decorative ring 17 are all located in the accommodating space 21.

[0124] The image sensor and the driving mechanism are arranged on the lower cover plate, the connecting rod mechanism is rotatably connected to the side wall of the lower cover plate, and a plurality of lens carriers are arranged corresponding to the first through holes.

[0125] In some embodiments of the present application, the size of the first through hole is larger than the cross-sectional size of the camera decorative ring, so as to ensure that the camera decorative ring can move relative to the axis of the first through hole under the drive of the third lens carrier.

[0126] Among them, assuming that when multiple lens units are located in the imaging position, the length of the camera decorative ring extending out of the first through hole is the first length; when multiple lens unit carriers are located in the storage position, the length of the camera decorative ring extending out of the first through hole is the second length; then the first length is greater than the second length.

[0127] For example, Figure 7A This is a schematic diagram of the camera module when the camera decorative ring is in the extended state. Figure 7B This is a schematic diagram of the camera module when the camera decorative ring is in the retracted state. It can be seen that when the camera decorative ring is in the extended state, the camera decorative ring extends out of the upper cover of the camera module. When the camera decorative ring is in the retracted state, the camera decorative ring extends out of the upper cover of the camera module.

[0128] In some embodiments of the present application, the upper cover plate 18 may be used to protect internal components of the camera module 10 , such as multiple lens carriers 14 , the image sensor 11 , and the like.

[0129] In some embodiments of the present application, the upper cover plate and the transmission box cover plate can be snap-fitted and connected, and the transmission box cover plate and the lower cover plate can also be snap-fitted and connected.

[0130] For example, Figure 4C As shown, a plurality of buckle positions 191 are provided at the bottom of the transmission box cover 19, so that the transmission box cover 19 can be buckled with the buckle grooves provided on the lower cover 20 through these buckle positions 191, thereby realizing the connection between the transmission box cover 19 and the lower cover 20.

[0131] In some embodiments of the present application, Figure 4C As shown, a support seat 32 is provided on the side wall of the lower cover plate 20 , and a first end of another connecting rod 122 in the connecting rod mechanism 12 is rotatably connected to the side wall of the lower cover plate 20 through the support seat 32 .

[0132] For example, Figure 4C As shown, the first end of the other connecting rod 122 can be connected to the lower cover plate 20 through a fourth fixing member passing through the support seat 32.

[0133] In some embodiments of the present application, the drive motor, reducer, bearing seat, motor circuit board, etc. are all fixed on the lower cover.

[0134] In some embodiments of the present application, the camera module further includes a camera base. The image sensor is fixed on the camera base, and the camera base is fixedly connected to the lower cover.

[0135] In one embodiment of the present application, the transmission case cover includes a first plate and a first cavity disposed on the first plate. A through hole is formed in the area of ​​the first plate corresponding to the first cavity. When the upper cover, transmission case cover, and lower cover are fastened together, they can enclose a space for accommodating components such as multiple lens carriers, linkage mechanisms, and camera bezels. It is understood that the first plate and lower cover can also enclose a space for accommodating a drive mechanism.

[0136] In this way, since the upper cover plate, the lower cover plate and the transmission box cover plate can enclose a storage space for accommodating the driving mechanism, multiple camera carriers, the connecting rod mechanism and the camera decorative ring, the driving mechanism, multiple camera carriers, the connecting rod mechanism and the camera decorative ring can be packaged through the storage space.

[0137] In some embodiments of the present application, Figure 1 and Figure 5B As shown, the camera module 10 may further include a sealing ring 22 . The sealing ring 22 is disposed on the outer wall of the camera decorative ring 17 to achieve sealing between the camera decorative ring 17 and the upper cover 18 .

[0138] It can be understood that the above-mentioned sealing ring ensures the waterproof performance of the camera module when the camera decorative ring moves along the z-direction.

[0139] In this way, since a sealing ring is provided on the outer wall of the camera decorative ring, the waterproof performance of the camera module can be improved.

[0140] In some embodiments of the present application, Figure 1 、 Figure 4C and Figure 5B As shown, the camera module 10 may further include: a guide rail 26 parallel to the axis of the image sensor 11, a plurality of second sliders 27 corresponding to the plurality of lens carriers 14 are provided on the guide rail 26, and each lens carrier 14 is connected to one of the plurality of second sliders 27;

[0141] The guide rail 26 avoids the connection mechanism 12 and the drive mechanism.

[0142] In some embodiments of the present application, the second slider is fixedly connected to the side wall of the lens carrier.

[0143] In some embodiments of the present application, the second slider may be integrally formed with the lens carrier.

[0144] In some embodiments of the present application, Figure 4C As shown, the guide rail 26 may be disposed opposite the linkage mechanism 12 .

[0145] In some embodiments of the present application, the guide rail 26 can be fixed on the camera base 30 to limit the movement direction of the multiple lens carriers 14.

[0146] In this way, any lens carrier among the multiple lens carriers is fixedly connected to a second slider, and different lens carriers are connected to different second sliders. Therefore, when the connecting rod mechanism drives the multiple lens carriers to move, the multiple lens carriers can move more smoothly in the direction away from or close to the image sensor under the action of the second slider and the guide rail, thereby improving the movement stability of the multiple lens carriers.

[0147] The present application further provides an electronic device 100, which may include: Figure 2 The frame 101 shown, and Figure 1 The camera module is shown; the camera module is disposed in the frame 101, and the frame 101 is provided with a second through hole corresponding to the area of ​​the camera module for extending or retracting the camera module.

[0148] It should be noted that camera module extension refers to the movement of multiple lens carriers in the camera module toward their imaging positions, driving the camera decorative ring to extend together. Camera module retraction refers to the movement of multiple lens carriers in the camera module toward their storage positions, driving the camera decorative ring to retract together.

[0149] In some embodiments of the present application, the electronic device may be a terminal, or may be other devices other than a terminal.

[0150] Exemplarily, the electronic device may be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a PDA, an in-vehicle electronic device, a mobile Internet device (MID), an augmented reality (AR) / virtual reality (VR) device, a robot, a wearable device, an ultra-mobile personal computer (UMPC), a netbook, or a personal digital assistant (PDA), any device that has requirements for the axial size of the camera module, and the embodiments of the present application do not specifically limit this.

[0151] It should be noted that, in this article, the terms "comprise", "include" or any other variants thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or device comprising a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or device. In the absence of further restrictions, an element defined by the statement "comprises a ..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article or device comprising the element. In addition, it should be noted that the scope of the methods and devices in the embodiments of the present application is not limited to performing functions in the order shown or discussed, and may also include performing functions in a substantially simultaneous manner or in the opposite order according to the functions involved. For example, the described method may be performed in an order different from that described, and various steps may also be added, omitted, or combined. In addition, the features described with reference to certain examples may be combined in other examples.

[0152] Through the description of the above implementation methods, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the above-mentioned embodiment methods can be implemented by means of software plus the necessary general hardware platform, and of course can also be implemented by hardware, but in many cases the former is a better implementation method. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present application is essentially or the part that contributes to the prior art can be embodied in the form of a computer software product, which is stored in a storage medium (such as ROM / RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk), including a number of instructions for enabling a terminal (which can be a mobile phone, computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in each embodiment of the present application.

[0153] The embodiments of the present application are described above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, but the present application is not limited to the above-mentioned specific implementation methods. The above-mentioned specific implementation methods are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Under the guidance of this application, ordinary technicians in this field can also make many forms without departing from the purpose of this application and the scope of protection of the claims, all of which are within the protection of this application.

Claims

1. A camera module, characterized in that: The camera module includes: an image sensor, a connecting rod mechanism, a driving mechanism, a camera decorative ring, and a plurality of lens carriers corresponding to the image sensor, each of the lens carriers being provided with at least one lens; The linkage mechanism is rotatably connected to a first lens carrier among the plurality of lens carriers, and is slidably connected to a second lens carrier, and is connected to the driving mechanism, wherein the second lens carrier includes lens carriers among the plurality of lens carriers except the first lens carrier; the camera decorative ring is connected to a third lens carrier among the plurality of lens carriers that is farthest from the image sensor; In which, the driving mechanism drives the connecting rod mechanism to rotate in a first manner, driving the multiple lens carriers and the camera decorative ring to move in a direction away from the image sensor; or, the driving mechanism drives the connecting rod mechanism to rotate in a second manner, driving the multiple lens carriers and the camera decorative ring to move in a direction close to the image sensor.

2. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein: Any lens carrier of the second lens carriers is provided with a first sliding groove extending in a circumferential direction, and the connecting rod mechanism is provided with a first sliding block matched with any first sliding groove.

3. The camera module according to claim 2, wherein: The connecting rod mechanism includes at least two connecting rods; The at least two connecting rods are rotatably connected to the first lens carrier via a first fixing member, and any one of the at least two connecting rods is provided with the first sliding block engaged with any one of the first sliding grooves; The first end of one of the at least two connecting rods is connected to the driving mechanism, and the distance between the first ends of the remaining connecting rods of the at least two connecting rods except the one connecting rod and the image sensor remains fixed.

4. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein: The camera module further includes at least two elastic connecting parts; The camera decorative ring is connected to the third lens carrier through the at least two elastic connecting parts.

5. The camera module according to claim 4, wherein: The camera module further includes: at least two pressure sensors corresponding one-to-one to the at least two elastic connectors, each of the pressure sensors being disposed at a position on the third lens carrier corresponding to one of the elastic connectors; Wherein, when the pressure values ​​detected by the at least two pressure sensors are greater than or equal to a pressure threshold, the driving mechanism drives the connecting rod mechanism to rotate around the first lens carrier in the second manner.

6. The camera module according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The driving mechanism includes: a driving motor, a bevel gear pair connected to the driving motor, a lead screw connected to the bevel gear pair, and a connecting rod driving base sleeved on the lead screw; Wherein, the connecting rod mechanism is rotatably connected to the connecting rod driving base.

7. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein: The camera module further comprises: an upper cover plate, a transmission box cover plate and a lower cover plate, wherein the upper cover plate is provided with a first through hole; The lower cover plate, the transmission box cover plate, and the upper cover plate enclose an accommodation space, and the image sensor, the connecting rod mechanism, the driving mechanism, the multiple lens carriers, and the camera decorative ring are all located in the accommodation space; The image sensor and the driving mechanism are arranged on the lower cover plate, the connecting rod mechanism is rotatably connected to the side wall of the lower cover plate, and the multiple lens carriers are arranged corresponding to the first through holes.

8. The camera module according to claim 7, wherein: The camera module further includes: a sealing ring; The sealing ring is arranged on the outer wall of the camera decorative ring and is used to achieve sealing between the camera decorative ring and the upper cover plate.

9. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein: The camera module further includes: a guide rail parallel to the axis of the image sensor, wherein a plurality of second sliders corresponding to the plurality of lens carriers are provided on the guide rail, and each of the lens carriers is connected to one of the plurality of second sliders; Wherein, the guide rail avoids the arrangement of the connecting rod mechanism and the driving mechanism.

10. An electronic device, characterized in that: The electronic device comprises: a frame and a camera module according to any one of claims 1 to 9; The camera module is arranged in the frame, and a second through hole for the camera module to extend or retract is provided in a region of the frame corresponding to the camera module.

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