Camera module

Abstract

A camera module comprises a lens barrel, a front shell, a circuit board, a lens module and a heating module. The lens barrel has a first portion and a second portion. The front housing accommodates the second portion of the lens barrel. A circuit board adjoins the front housing and has a control element. The lens module is disposed within the lens barrel and has a front lens. The heating module is arranged in the lens barrel. The heating module comprises an electric connecting piece which is arranged in the first part of the lens barrel, is wrapped by the front shell and is electrically connected with the control element; the heating piece is in contact with the front lens and is electrically connected with the control element through the electric connecting piece; and the temperature sensor is close to the front lens and is electrically connected with the control element through an electric connecting piece. The temperature sensor is configured to measure a temperature near the front lens, and when the temperature is lower than a set temperature, the control element starts the heating member.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a camera module, and more particularly to a camera module with an automatically heated front lens. Background Art

[0002] At present, although some camera modules are equipped with heaters, the heaters must be turned on manually, and in addition, they do not have waterproof performance. Therefore, the current camera modules still need to be improved. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present invention provides a camera module, which includes a barrel, a front housing, a circuit board, a lens module, and a heating module. The barrel has a first part and a second part connected to the first part. The front housing accommodates the second part of the barrel. The circuit board is adjacent to the front housing and has a control element. The lens module is disposed in the barrel and has a front lens. The heating module is disposed in the barrel, and the heating module includes: an electrical connector disposed in the first part of the barrel, covered by the front housing, and electrically connected to the control element of the circuit board; a heating element contacting the front lens of the lens module and electrically connected to the control element of the circuit board through the electrical connector; and a temperature sensor close to the front lens of the lens module and electrically connected to the control element of the circuit board through the electrical connector, wherein the temperature sensor is configured to measure the temperature near the front lens, and when the temperature is lower than a set temperature, the control element turns on the heating element.

[0004] In some embodiments of the present invention, the first part of the barrel has a first through hole, and the electrical connector passes through the first through hole.

[0005] In some embodiments of the present invention, the front housing has a second through hole, and the electrical connector passes through the second through hole to electrically connect to the control element of the circuit board.

[0006] In some embodiments of the present invention, the control element is disposed on the surface of the circuit board away from the lens module, and the circuit board has a third through hole, and the electrical connector passes through the third through hole to electrically connect to the control element of the circuit board.

[0007] In some embodiments of the present invention, the control element is a microcontroller unit (MCU).

[0008] In some embodiments of the present invention, the electrical connector is a flexible circuit board.

[0009] In some embodiments of the present invention, the heating element is an annular heating element, which is disposed on the front surface, the rear surface, and / or the side surface of the front lens of the lens module and / or in the groove of the front lens of the lens module.

[0010] In some embodiments of the present invention, the heating element is an electric heating circuit.

[0011] In some embodiments of the present invention, the temperature sensor is a thermistor.

[0012] In some embodiments of the present invention, the camera module further includes: a first sealing element disposed between the first portion of the lens barrel and the front housing. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] The various aspects of the present invention will be best understood from the following embodiments, read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that, in accordance with the practice in the industry, the various features are not necessarily drawn to scale. In fact, for clarity, the shapes of the various features may be appropriately adjusted, and the dimensions of the various features may be arbitrarily increased or decreased.

[0014] Figure 1 FIG. is a perspective view of a camera module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 2 FIG. is a perspective view of a camera module (the lens barrel is shown in perspective) according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 3 FIG. is a perspective view of a heating module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 4 FIG. is a cross-sectional view of a camera module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 5 FIG. is a cross-sectional view of a camera module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] The reference numerals are as follows:

[0020] 110: lens barrel

[0021] 112: first portion

[0022] 112a: first through hole

[0023] 114: second portion

[0024] 120: front housing

[0025] 120a: second through hole

[0026] 130: circuit board

[0027] 130a: third through hole

[0028] 132: control element

[0029] 134: image sensor

[0030] 136: socket

[0031] 140: Lens module

[0032] 142: Front lens

[0033] 142a: Front surface

[0034] 142b: Rear surface

[0035] 142c: Side surface

[0036] 142d: Groove

[0037] 150: Heating module

[0038] 152: Electrical connector

[0039] 154: Heating element

[0040] 156: Temperature sensor

[0041] 160: First sealing element

[0042] 170: Second sealing element

[0043] 180: Support member

[0044] 190: Lens cap

[0045] 210: Rear housing

[0046] 220: Circuit board

[0047] 230: Connector Detailed implementation manner

[0048] The advantages, features of the present invention and the method to achieve them will be described in more detail with reference to the exemplary embodiments and the accompanying drawings and will be more easily understood. However, the present invention can be implemented in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments stated herein. On the contrary, for those skilled in the art, these embodiments provided will make the present invention more thorough, comprehensive and completely convey the scope of the present invention.

[0049] The relative spatial terms herein, such as "lower", "upper", are for facilitating the relative relationship between one element or feature and another element or feature in the accompanying drawings. The true meanings of these relative spatial terms include other orientations. For example, when the accompanying drawings are turned upside down by 180 degrees, the relationship between one element and another element may change from "lower" to "upper". The relative spatial descriptions used herein should also be interpreted in the same way.

[0050] As described in the prior art, although some current camera modules are equipped with heaters, the heaters must be turned on manually. In addition, they do not have waterproof performance. Therefore, the current camera modules still need to be improved. Accordingly, the present invention provides a camera module, which includes a barrel, a front housing, a circuit board, a lens module, and a heating module (including an electrical connector, a heating element, and a temperature sensor). It can sense the temperature near the front lens of the lens module and has an automatic heating function and good waterproof performance. Therefore, it can be applied to an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS), for example, it can be applied to a vehicle of Level 5 of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) in the United States.

[0051] Specifically, the temperature sensor of the heating module can sense the temperature near the front lens of the lens module; the temperature sensor is electrically connected to a control element. Therefore, when the sensed temperature is lower than the set temperature, the controller can turn on the heating element to perform the automatic heating function without the need to turn it on manually; the entire heating module is disposed inside the barrel, and none of its parts is exposed outside the barrel. Therefore, the camera module has good waterproof performance. Various embodiments of the camera module of the present invention will be described in detail below.

[0052] Figure 1 FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a camera module according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a camera module (the barrel is shown in a perspective manner) according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a heating module according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a camera module according to an embodiment of the present invention. As Figures 1 to 4 shown, the camera module includes a barrel 110, a front housing 120, a circuit board 130, a lens module 140, and a heating module 150.

[0053] As Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 4 shown, the barrel 110 has a first portion 112 and a second portion 114 connecting the first portion 112. The first portion 112 is partially exposed outside, and the second portion 114 is covered by the front housing 120. In some embodiments, the width of the first portion 112 is greater than the width of the second portion 114.

[0054] As Figure 4 shown, the front housing 120 is arranged to accommodate the second portion 114 of the barrel 110. In some embodiments, the front end of the front housing 120 is adjacent to the rear end of the first portion 112 of the barrel 110.

[0055] As Figure 4As shown, the circuit board 130 is adjacent to the front housing 120. In some embodiments, the circuit board 130 is adjacent to the rear end of the front housing 120. The circuit board 130 has a control element 132. In some embodiments, the control element 132 is a microcontroller unit (MCU). In some embodiments, the control element 132 is disposed on a surface of the circuit board 130 away from the lens module 140. In some embodiments, the circuit board 130 further has an image sensor 134, such as a CMOS image sensor. In some embodiments, the image sensor 134 is disposed on a surface of the circuit board 130 close to the lens module 140.

[0056] As Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 4 shown, the lens module 140 is disposed within the lens barrel 110. In some embodiments, the lens module 140 has a plurality of lenses (not shown). The lens module 140 has a front lens 142.

[0057] As Figures 1 to 4 shown, the heating module 150 is disposed within the lens barrel 110. The heating module 150 includes an electrical connector 152, a heating element 154, and a temperature sensor 156.

[0058] The electrical connector 152 is disposed within a first portion 112 of the lens barrel 110, and is covered by the front housing 120, and is electrically connected to the control element 132 of the circuit board 130. In some embodiments, the circuit board 130 has a socket 136, and one end of the electrical connector 152 is inserted into the socket 136, and the socket 136 is electrically connected to the control element 132. In some embodiments, the socket 136 is disposed on a surface of the circuit board 130 away from the lens module 140.

[0059] In some embodiments, as Figure 4 shown, the first portion 112 of the lens barrel 110 has a first through hole 112a, and the electrical connector 152 passes through the first through hole 112a. In some embodiments, as Figure 4 shown, the front housing 120 has a second through hole 120a, and the electrical connector 152 passes through the second through hole 120a. In some embodiments, as Figure 4 shown, the circuit board 130 has a third through hole 130a, and the electrical connector 152 passes through the third through hole 130a and is inserted into the socket 136 to electrically connect to the control element 132 of the circuit board 130. In some embodiments, the electrical connector 152 is a flexible circuit board (FPC). However, the present invention is not limited to the foregoing embodiments, and in other embodiments, the electrical connector 152 may be a ribbon cable or other suitable electrical connector.

[0060] The heating element 154 contacts the front lens 142 of the lens module 140 and is electrically connected to the control element 132 of the circuit board 130 through the electrical connection member 152. In some embodiments, the heating element 154 is an electric heating circuit. In some embodiments, as Figure 3 shown, the heating element 154 is an annular heating element. In some embodiments, the heating element 154 is disposed on the front surface 142a, the rear surface 142b, and / or the side surface 142c of the front lens 142 of the lens module 140 and / or in the groove of the front lens 142 of the lens module 140 ( Figures 1 to 4 not shown, please refer to Figure 5 for the groove 142d). In some embodiments, as Figure 4 shown, the heating element 154 is disposed on the rear surface 142b of the front lens 142.

[0061] The temperature sensor 156 is close to the front lens 142 of the lens module 140 and is electrically connected to the control element 132 of the circuit board 130 through the electrical connection member 152. The temperature sensor 156 is arranged to measure the temperature near the front lens 142. In some embodiments, the temperature sensor is a thermistor, for example, a negative temperature coefficient (NTC) thermistor.

[0062] For example, when the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor 156 is lower than the set temperature (or referred to as the first set temperature, such as 0 °C, -5 °C, -10 °C, -15 °C, -20 °C or lower temperatures), the control element 132 automatically turns on the heating element 154 to achieve a defrosting / defogging effect. In some embodiments, when the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor 156 is equal to or greater than the set temperature (or referred to as the second set temperature, such as 20 °C, 25 °C, 30 °C, 35 °C, 40 °C, 45 °C, 50 °C, 55 °C, 60 °C or higher temperatures) when the control element 132 has turned on the heating element 154, the control element 132 automatically turns off the heating element 154.

[0063] In some embodiments, the camera module further includes a first sealing element 160, which is disposed between the first part 112 of the lens barrel 110 and the front housing 120 to prevent moisture from infiltrating into the interior of the camera module. In some embodiments, the camera module further includes a second sealing element 170, which is disposed between the front lens 140 and the first part 112 of the lens barrel 110 to prevent moisture from infiltrating into the interior of the camera module. The first sealing element 160 or the second sealing element 170 can be, for example, a waterproof glue, an O-ring or other suitable sealing elements. In some embodiments, the first sealing element 160 is a waterproof glue and the second sealing element 170 is an O-ring.

[0064] In some embodiments, the camera module further includes a support member 180 for supporting the heating element 154 and / or for spacing the front lens 142 from a first portion 112 of the lens barrel 110 by a distance.

[0065] In some embodiments, the camera module further includes a lens cap 190 that covers an edge portion of the front lens 142 and a front end of the first portion 112 of the lens barrel 110.

[0066] In some embodiments, the camera module further includes a rear housing 210 whose front end is connected to the rear end of the front housing 120. In some embodiments, the camera module further includes another circuit board 220 that can be used for power management of the camera module. In some embodiments, the camera module further includes a connector 230 that can be used to connect to a host.

[0067] Figure 5 FIG. is a schematic cross-sectional view of a camera module according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 The embodiment of Figure 4 differs from the embodiment of Figure 5 in that, as shown in Figure 4 , the heating element 154 is disposed in a groove 142d of the front lens 142 of the lens module 140; the socket 136 is disposed on a surface of the circuit board 130 close to the lens module 140; the circuit board 130 does not have a third through-hole 130a as shown in

[0068] However, as described above, it is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and the scope of implementation of the present invention cannot be limited thereby. That is, all simple equivalent changes and modifications made according to the claims of the present invention and the content of the invention description still fall within the scope covered by the patent of the present invention. In addition, any embodiment or claim of the present invention does not have to achieve all the purposes or advantages or features disclosed in the present invention. In addition, the abstract part and the title are only used to assist in the search of patent documents and are not used to limit the scope of rights of the present invention.

Claims

1. A camera module, comprising: A lens barrel having a first part and a second part connected to the first part; A front housing accommodating the second part of the lens barrel; A circuit board adjacent to the front housing and having a control element; A lens module disposed within the lens barrel and having a front lens; And A heating module disposed within the lens barrel, wherein the heating module includes: An electrical connector disposed within the first part of the lens barrel, covered by the front housing, and electrically connected to the control element of the circuit board; A heating element contacting the front lens of the lens module and electrically connected to the control element of the circuit board through the electrical connector; and A temperature sensor near the front lens of the lens module and electrically connected to the control element of the circuit board through the electrical connector, wherein the temperature sensor is configured to measure a temperature near the front lens, and when the temperature is lower than a set temperature, the control element turns on the heating element.

2. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein the first part of the lens barrel has a first through hole through which the electrical connector passes.

3. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein the front housing has a second through hole through which the electrical connector passes to electrically connect to the control element of the circuit board.

4. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein the control element is disposed on a surface of the circuit board away from the lens module, and the circuit board has a third through hole through which the electrical connector passes to electrically connect to the control element of the circuit board.

5. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein the control element is a microcontroller.

6. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein the electrical connector is a flexible circuit board.

7. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein the heating element is an annular heating element disposed on a front surface, a rear surface, and / or a side surface of the front lens of the lens module and / or in a groove of the front lens of the lens module.

8. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein the heating element is an electric heating circuit.

9. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor is a thermistor.

10. The camera module according to claim 1, further comprising: A first sealing element disposed between the first part of the lens barrel and the front housing.

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