Infrared thermal imaging module with automatic focusing device and electronic equipment

Abstract

The invention relates to an infrared thermal imaging module with an automatic focusing device and electronic equipment. The infrared thermal imaging module comprises a controller, a shell, a driving mechanism and an infrared detection assembly, the driving mechanism is arranged in the shell, a first opening allowing the driving mechanism to penetrate through is formed in one side, in the first direction, of the shell, and the driving mechanism is electrically connected with the controller; the infrared detection assembly comprises an infrared detector and a mounting support, the mounting support is connected with the driving mechanism and located outside the shell, the infrared detector is arranged on the mounting support and electrically connected with the controller, the infrared detector is used for collecting image signals, and the controller is used for receiving the image signals and sending instructions to the driving mechanism. The drive mechanism is responsive to the command to adjust a position of the mounting bracket in a first direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of infrared imaging, and specifically relates to an infrared thermal imaging module and electronic device with an autofocus device. Background Technology

[0002] Recently, with the increasing consumer demand for applications in infrared thermal imaging terminals, the marketability of these products has greatly expanded. To meet diverse consumer needs, the technology is increasingly evolving towards high performance and multifunctionality. In particular, research has focused on integrating autofocus (AF), optical zoom, shutter speed, and image stabilization functions from cameras and mobile devices into infrared thermal imaging terminals. Among these functions, research on autofocus is becoming increasingly in-depth as the number of pixels in infrared detectors increases.

[0003] In existing technologies, automatic focusing devices that generally use stepper motors need to include elastic components (such as springs, sheet metal, etc.) to fix and maintain the preload between the driving and driven components in order to reduce the clearance error caused by the reciprocating motion of the mechanism. However, since both the stepper motor and the infrared detector are housed inside the housing, and the temperature field changes drastically during the operation of the stepper motor, its application in infrared thermal imaging products will result in poor heat dissipation, affecting the image quality of infrared thermal imaging. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the above problems, this application provides an infrared thermal imaging module and electronic device with an autofocus device, which can reduce the impact of heat generated by the drive mechanism on the infrared detector, thereby improving the image quality of infrared thermal imaging.

[0005] In a first aspect, an infrared thermal imaging module with an autofocus device is provided, comprising:

[0006] Controller;

[0007] case;

[0008] A drive mechanism is disposed within the housing and is electrically connected to the controller;

[0009] An infrared detection assembly includes an infrared detector and a mounting bracket. The mounting bracket is connected to the drive mechanism and located outside the housing. The infrared detector is mounted on the mounting bracket and electrically connected to the controller.

[0010] The controller sends a command to the drive mechanism, causing the drive mechanism to respond to the command and adjust the position of the mounting bracket along a first direction.

[0011] Preferably, the housing includes an outer shell and an end cap; wherein the outer shell has a first opening and a second opening at its two ends in a first direction; and the end cap is used to close the second opening.

[0012] Preferably, the mounting bracket includes a mounting plate and a connector, the connector being connected to the drive mechanism and the mounting plate respectively, and the infrared detector being disposed on the side of the mounting plate away from the housing in a first direction.

[0013] Preferably, the infrared detection component further includes:

[0014] A bridge plate, which is electrically connected to the controller, is located between the mounting plate and the drive mechanism along the first direction. The mounting plate has a through hole through which the pins of the infrared detector pass to connect with the bridge plate. The connectors are two spaced apart along the second direction. Along the second direction, the bridge plate is located between the two connectors. The first direction is perpendicular to the second direction.

[0015] A flexible plate is used for electrically connecting the bridge plate and the controller.

[0016] Preferably, the drive mechanism includes:

[0017] A drive unit is disposed within the housing and electrically connected to the controller;

[0018] A movable frame, which is disposed within the housing;

[0019] A transmission rod passes through the movable frame and is connected at both ends to the end cap and the outer shell, respectively.

[0020] The drive component responds to a command to apply a vibration to the transmission rod, causing the movable frame to move linearly along the transmission rod in a first direction under the drive of the frictional force between the transmission rod and the movable frame.

[0021] Preferably, the drive mechanism further includes:

[0022] The driven rod passes through the movable frame and its two ends are respectively connected to the end cap and the outer shell. The transmission rod and the driven rod are centrally symmetrical structures about the geometric center of the movable frame.

[0023] Preferably, the driving element includes a piezoelectric motor.

[0024] Preferably, the infrared thermal imaging module further includes:

[0025] A position detection component, disposed within the housing and electrically connected to the controller, is used to detect the position information of the moving frame. The controller receives the position information and issues the command to the drive component based on the position information.

[0026] Preferably, the infrared thermal imaging module further includes an acceleration detection device, which is disposed inside the housing and electrically connected to the controller, for detecting the overall acceleration of the infrared thermal imaging module and sending it to the controller;

[0027] When the acceleration is greater than or equal to a threshold, the controller sends a command to the drive unit to drive the moving frame to move along a first direction and away from the end cap.

[0028] Secondly, this application also provides an electronic device that includes the aforementioned infrared thermal imaging module.

[0029] Compared with the prior art, this application can achieve the following technical effects:

[0030] This application uses a housing to insulate the drive mechanism from heat, thereby reducing the impact of the heat generated by the drive mechanism on the infrared detector. At the same time, it uses a piezoelectric motor to achieve faster response speed, higher positioning accuracy, and mechanical self-locking. Furthermore, when the infrared thermal imaging module is at risk of being dropped, the drive component can quickly reset the overall position of the infrared detector, preventing the moving frame from moving towards the end cover when the infrared thermal imaging module is dropped, which could cause the infrared detector to collide with the housing and cause damage. This enhances the overall drop impact resistance of the module. Attached Figure Description

[0031] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0032] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an infrared thermal imaging module with an autofocus device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 2 An exploded view of the structure of an infrared thermal imaging module with an autofocus device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 3 for Figure 1 Sectional view of AA;

[0035] Figure 4 for Figure 1 Sectional view of BB;

[0036] Figure 5 A half-sectional view of the movable frame and housing provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 6This is an overall structural diagram of the mobile frame provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0038] The embodiments of this application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0039] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0040] The terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0041] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0042] Example 1:

[0043] Reference Figures 1-4 This embodiment provides an infrared thermal imaging module with an autofocus device, including: a controller 2, a housing 1, a drive mechanism 3, and an infrared detection component 4;

[0044] The drive mechanism 3 is disposed inside the housing 1. The housing 1 has a first opening 111 on one side in the first direction X for the drive mechanism 3 to pass through. The drive mechanism 3 is electrically connected to the controller 2. The infrared detection assembly 4 includes an infrared detector 41 and a mounting bracket 42. The mounting bracket 42 is connected to the drive mechanism 3 and is located outside the housing 1. The infrared detector 41 is disposed on the mounting bracket 42 and is electrically connected to the controller 2. The infrared detector 41 is used to acquire image signals. The controller 2 is used to receive image signals and to issue commands to the drive mechanism 3. The drive mechanism 3 responds to the commands to adjust the position of the mounting bracket 42 in the first direction X.

[0045] The infrared detector 41 is used to receive infrared radiation emitted by an object and convert the infrared radiation energy into an electrical signal. The electrical signal is amplified and processed by the controller 2 and finally converted into a thermal image that can be observed by the human eye.

[0046] The controller 2 consists of components such as an FPGA circuit board, an IIC chip, and an EEPROM information storage device.

[0047] An FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) circuit board is an integrated circuit that contains a large number of programmable logic units, memory units, and input / output interfaces. A key feature of FPGA circuit boards is that users can program and configure their internal logic functions to achieve different circuit designs. FPGA circuit boards have wide applications in many fields, including communications, embedded systems, image processing, data centers, and artificial intelligence.

[0048] EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory) is a non-volatile memory that can be erased and programmed on a circuit board using electrical signals. The main characteristic of EEPROM is that data can be written to and erased while the system is running.

[0049] The above are all existing technologies, and therefore will not be elaborated upon further.

[0050] In this embodiment, the driving mechanism 3 is disposed within the housing 1, and the infrared detection assembly 4 includes an infrared detector 41 and a mounting bracket 42. The mounting bracket 42 is connected to the driving mechanism 3 and is located outside the housing 1, while the infrared detector 41 is disposed on the mounting bracket 42. This allows the housing 1 to insulate the driving mechanism 3 from heat, thereby reducing the impact of the heat generated by the driving mechanism 3 on the infrared detector 41 and improving the image quality of infrared thermal imaging.

[0051] Furthermore, the housing 1 includes an outer shell 11 and an end cap 12; wherein the outer shell 11 has a first opening 111 and a second opening 112 at its two ends in the first direction X; the end cap 12 is used to close the second opening 112, and the end cap 12 is made of a thermally conductive material. Thus, the housing 1 is a split structure including the outer shell 11 and the end cap 12, which facilitates the installation of the drive mechanism 3 inside the housing 1. At the same time, the end cap 12 is made of a thermally conductive material, which facilitates the heat dissipation of the drive mechanism 3 inside the housing 1.

[0052] The mounting bracket 42 includes a mounting plate 421 and a connector 422. The two ends of the connector 422 are respectively connected to the drive mechanism 3 and the mounting plate 421. The infrared detector 41 is disposed on the side of the mounting plate 421 away from the housing 1 in the first direction X. The mounting plate 421 is made of thermally conductive material, and the periphery of the mounting plate 421 protrudes from the periphery of the infrared detector 41.

[0053] The mounting plate 421 is recessed on the side opposite to the housing 1 to form a receiving groove for accommodating the infrared detector 41. The infrared detector 41 is housed within the receiving groove so that the mounting plate 421 can protect the infrared detector 41 in the event of a fall from a height, thereby reducing the risk of damage to the infrared detector 41 due to the fall. This also increases the contact area between the mounting plate 421 and the infrared detector 41, facilitating heat dissipation from the infrared detector 41 through the mounting plate 421.

[0054] In this embodiment, the mounting plate 421 is made of a thermally conductive material, and its periphery protrudes from the periphery of the infrared detector 41. This increases the heat dissipation area of ​​the infrared detector 41 and improves its heat dissipation efficiency. Furthermore, since both the drive mechanism 3 and the infrared detector 41 are electrically connected to the same controller 2, the number of controllers 2 is reduced, thereby lowering the production cost of the infrared thermal imaging module.

[0055] Example 2:

[0056] The only difference between this embodiment and embodiment 1 is that the infrared detection assembly 4 further includes a bridge plate 43 and a flexible plate 44; wherein, the bridge plate 43 is electrically connected to the controller 2, and along the first direction X, the bridge plate 43 is located between the mounting plate 421 and the drive mechanism 3. The mounting plate 421 has a through hole 4211, through which the pins of the infrared detector 41 pass to connect with the bridge plate 43. There are two connectors 422, which are spaced apart along the second direction Y, and along the second direction Y, the bridge plate 43 is located between the two connectors 422. The flexible plate 44 is used to electrically connect the bridge plate 43 and the controller 2. The first direction X, the second direction Y and the third direction Z are perpendicular to each other.

[0057] A bridge board is a circuit board used to connect different types of interfaces or devices, enabling data conversion and signal transmission between different interfaces.

[0058] Flexible board 44 is an FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit), which is a highly flexible electronic circuit board that can operate in a bent, folded, or twisted state. FPCs are typically composed of a flexible substrate (such as polyimide PI, polyester PET, etc.) and a conductive layer (such as copper foil), and are widely used in consumer electronics, automotive electronics, medical devices, industrial control and other fields.

[0059] The controller 2 can be located at the end of the housing 1 away from the first opening 111 in the first direction X. The flexible plate 44 is located inside the housing 1 and electrically connected to the side of the controller 2 facing the housing 1, thereby improving the compactness of the infrared thermal imaging module and making the structure simple and easy to implement.

[0060] Thus, by placing the bridge plate 43 between the mounting plate 421 and the drive mechanism 3 in the first direction X, and placing the bridge plate 43 between the two connectors 422 in the second direction Y, the mounting bracket 42 and the drive mechanism 3 are connected, and the bridge plate 43 is fixed, so that the infrared detector 41 can be electrically connected to the controller 2 through the bridge plate 43, making the structure of the infrared thermal imaging module more compact.

[0061] Example 3:

[0062] The only difference between this embodiment and embodiment 1 or 2 is that the driving mechanism 3 includes a driving component 31, a moving frame 33 and a transmission rod 32; the driving component 31 and the moving frame 33 are both disposed inside the housing 1, and the driving component 31 is electrically connected to the controller 2; at the same time, the moving frame 33 has a frame through hole 331 for the flexible plate 44 to pass through.

[0063] Furthermore, such as Figure 5-6 As shown, the end cap 12 has a first end cap mounting hole 122, and the movable frame 33 has a first transmission rod mounting hole 332 corresponding to the position of the first end cap mounting hole 122. One end of the transmission rod 32 extends into the end cap mounting hole 122, and the other end passes through the transmission rod mounting hole 332 and is connected to the inner wall of the outer shell 11. At the same time, in order to ensure that the position of the transmission rod 32 is fixed, both ends of the transmission rod 32 are fixedly connected by means of glue application or other methods.

[0064] Simultaneously, the drive member 31 responds to the command to apply a vibration to the transmission rod 32, causing friction between the transmission rod 32 and the moving frame 33, and driving the moving frame 33 to move linearly along the transmission rod 32 in the first direction X through this friction.

[0065] Furthermore, the drive element 31 includes an electric telescopic rod, a VCM voice coil motor, or a piezoelectric motor, preferably a piezoelectric motor. A piezoelectric motor can convert simple vibrations (e.g., expansion and contraction that occur when electricity is applied to a piezoelectric ceramic) into linear or rotational motion by utilizing friction between the stator and rotor. Therefore, compared to the case where the drive element 31 is an electromagnetic drive motor, a piezoelectric motor has advantages such as higher energy density, faster response speed, higher positioning accuracy, and mechanical self-locking.

[0066] After the drive unit 31 is powered on, it can apply vibration to the transmission rod 32, causing friction between the transmission rod 32 and the moving frame 33, so that the moving frame 33 moves linearly along the first direction X under the action of friction. This structure is simple and easy to implement.

[0067] After the drive unit 31 stops being powered on, it stops applying vibration to the transmission rod 32. At this time, the static friction between the transmission rod 32 and the transmission rod mounting hole 332 keeps the moving frame 33 stationary on the transmission rod 32.

[0068] Meanwhile, depending on the change in the stroke of the drive component 31, the moving frame 33 can be partially moved to the outside of the housing 11 through the first opening 111.

[0069] Example 4:

[0070] The only difference between this embodiment and embodiment 3 is that the driving mechanism 3 further includes a driven rod 34, similar to the transmission rod 32. The driven rod 34 passes through the moving frame 33 and is clearance-fitted with the moving frame 33, for example, as... Figure 4 As shown in Figure 6, the end cap 12 has a second end cap mounting hole (not shown), and the movable frame 33 has a second transmission rod mounting hole 333 corresponding to the position of the second end cap mounting hole. One end of the driven rod 34 extends into the second end cap mounting hole, and the other end passes through the second transmission rod mounting hole 333 and is connected to the inner wall of the outer shell 11. At the same time, in order to ensure that the position of the driven rod 34 is fixed, both ends of the driven rod 34 are fixedly connected by means of adhesive dispensing or other methods.

[0071] When the driving component 31 drives the moving frame 33 to move linearly along the first direction X, the moving frame 33 moves along the driven rod 34 at the same time. Thus, the driven rod 34 can be used as a guide rod to guide the moving frame 33 to move linearly as a whole.

[0072] Furthermore, the driven rod 34 is parallel to the transmission rod 32, and the transmission rod 32 and the driven rod 34 are centrally symmetrical structures about the geometric center of the moving frame 33. For example, in this embodiment, the driven rod 34 and the transmission rod 32 are located at two opposite corners of the moving frame 33, thereby balancing the force on the moving frame 33 as a whole and making the moving frame 33 move smoothly.

[0073] Example 5:

[0074] The only difference between this embodiment and any of embodiments 1-4 is that the infrared thermal imaging module further includes a position detection element 5, which is disposed inside the housing 1 and electrically connected to the controller 2, for real-time detection of the position information of the moving frame 33. The controller 2 is used to receive the position information and issue instructions to the drive element 31 according to the position information. In this embodiment, the position detection element 5 can be an optocoupler, a Hall sensor, etc.

[0075] Therefore, the position detection element 5 enables the controller 2 to collect the position information of the moving frame 33, which in turn enables the controller 2 to send a command to the drive element 31 to drive the moving frame 33 to move along the first direction X, thereby adjusting the position of the infrared detector 41 and facilitating the focusing of the infrared detector 41.

[0076] Meanwhile, when the position detection component 5 detects that the moving frame 33 is at the zero point, the controller 2 generates a stop signal, and the drive component 31 stops operating according to the stop signal, thereby stopping the drive of the transmission rod 32, reducing the risk of damage to the drive component 31 due to the large load on the drive frame caused by the moving frame 33 being at the zero point.

[0077] Example 6:

[0078] The only difference between this embodiment and any one of embodiments 1-5 is that the infrared thermal imaging module further includes an acceleration detection device, which is disposed inside the housing 1 and electrically connected to the controller 2, for real-time detection of the overall acceleration of the infrared thermal imaging module and sending it to the controller 2.

[0079] When the acceleration is greater than or equal to a threshold (e.g., in this embodiment, the threshold is 5 m / s²), 2 When the infrared thermal imaging module is at risk of falling, the controller 2 sends a command to the drive unit 31 to drive the moving frame 33 to move along the first direction X and away from the end cover 12. This resets the overall position of the infrared detector 41 and prevents the moving frame 33 from moving towards the end cover 12 when the infrared thermal imaging module falls, which could cause the infrared detector 41 to collide with the housing 11 and cause damage. This enhances the overall drop impact resistance of the module.

[0080] Example 7:

[0081] This embodiment provides an electronic device, which includes the infrared thermal imaging module described in any one of embodiments 1-6.

[0082] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other.

[0083] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application and are not intended to limit this application. For those skilled in the art, this application can have various modifications and variations. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. An infrared thermal imaging module with an autofocus device, characterized in that, include: Controller; case; A drive mechanism is disposed within the housing and is electrically connected to the controller; An infrared detection assembly includes an infrared detector and a mounting bracket. The mounting bracket is connected to the drive mechanism and located outside the housing. The infrared detector is mounted on the mounting bracket and electrically connected to the controller. The controller sends a command to the drive mechanism, causing the drive mechanism to respond to the command and adjust the position of the mounting bracket along a first direction.

2. The infrared thermal imaging module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The housing includes an outer shell and an end cap; wherein the outer shell has a first opening and a second opening at its two ends in a first direction; the end cap is used to close the second opening.

3. The infrared thermal imaging module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mounting bracket includes a mounting plate and a connector. The connector is connected to the drive mechanism and the mounting plate respectively. The infrared detector is disposed on the side of the mounting plate away from the housing in a first direction.

4. The infrared thermal imaging module according to claim 3, characterized in that, The infrared detection component also includes: A bridge plate, which is electrically connected to the controller, is located between the mounting plate and the drive mechanism along the first direction. The mounting plate has a through hole through which the pins of the infrared detector pass to connect with the bridge plate. The connectors are two spaced apart along the second direction. Along the second direction, the bridge plate is located between the two connectors. The first direction is perpendicular to the second direction. A flexible plate is used for electrically connecting the bridge plate and the controller.

5. The infrared thermal imaging module according to claim 2, characterized in that, The drive mechanism includes: A drive unit is disposed within the housing and electrically connected to the controller; A movable frame, which is disposed within the housing; A transmission rod passes through the movable frame and is connected at both ends to the end cap and the outer shell, respectively. The drive component responds to a command to apply a vibration to the transmission rod, causing the movable frame to move linearly along the transmission rod in a first direction under the drive of the frictional force between the transmission rod and the movable frame.

6. The infrared thermal imaging module according to claim 5, characterized in that, The drive mechanism also includes: The driven rod passes through the movable frame and its two ends are respectively connected to the end cap and the outer shell. The transmission rod and the driven rod are centrally symmetrical structures about the geometric center of the movable frame.

7. The infrared thermal imaging module according to claim 5, characterized in that, The driving component includes a piezoelectric motor.

8. The infrared thermal imaging module according to claim 5, characterized in that, The infrared thermal imaging module also includes: A position detection component, disposed within the housing and electrically connected to the controller, is used to detect the position information of the moving frame. The controller receives the position information and issues the command to the drive component based on the position information.

9. The infrared thermal imaging module according to claim 5, characterized in that, The infrared thermal imaging module also includes an acceleration detection device, which is disposed inside the housing and electrically connected to the controller, for detecting the overall acceleration of the infrared thermal imaging module and sending it to the controller. When the acceleration is greater than or equal to a threshold, the controller sends a command to the drive unit to drive the moving frame to move along a first direction and away from the end cap.

10. An electronic device, characterized in that, Includes the infrared thermal imaging module as described in any one of claims 1-9.

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