Reflector actuator

Abstract

A reflector actuator according to an embodiment of the present invention is characterized by comprising: a base; an intermediate guide that rotates with respect to the base and rotates with respect to a second planar direction; a carrier which rotates with respect to the intermediate guide, rotates with respect to a first planar direction perpendicular to the second planar direction, and is provided with a reflector; a plurality of Hall sensors disposed at different positions, the Hall sensors facing the magnet disposed on the intermediate guide; and a driver for controlling a current applied to a coil facing the magnet by using a plurality of signal values respectively input from the plurality of Hall sensors.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a reflector actuator and a camera module including the actuator, and more specifically, to a reflector actuator that utilizes the signal systems of multiple Hall sensors to improve the driving accuracy of OIS. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of hardware technology for image processing and the increasing user demand for image shooting, functions such as autofocus (AF) and optical image stabilization (OIS) have been applied to standalone camera devices and camera modules installed in mobile terminals such as mobile phones and smartphones.

[0003] The autofocus function refers to the function of adjusting the focal length of the subject by moving a carrier equipped with a lens or the like along the optical axis, thereby generating a clear image in the image sensor (CMOS, CCD, etc.) located at the back of the lens.

[0004] Optical image stabilization refers to the function of improving image sharpness by adaptively moving the carrier (frame) carrying the lens in the direction of compensating for the shaking caused by hand tremors in the lens or image sensor.

[0005] One of the representative methods to achieve autofocus or OIS is to place a magnet (coil) on a moving body (carrier) and a coil (magnet) on a fixed body (housing or other form of carrier, etc.), and then generate an electromagnetic force between the coil and the magnet, thereby causing the moving body to move along the optical axis or in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis.

[0006] On the other hand, in order to meet the increasing needs of users and to provide more diverse user convenience, recent mobile terminals are equipped with zoom lenses with various and variable focal lengths or the ability to shoot distant images.

[0007] Such zoom lenses have a structure with multiple lenses or lens groups arranged side by side, or the lens itself has a long length in the optical axis direction, so a larger mounting space needs to be ensured in mobile terminals.

[0008] Recently, in order to organically combine the physical characteristics of such zoom lenses with the shape features of mobile terminals, actuators or camera modules with physical structures that refract light from a subject by using a reflector arranged at the front of the lens have been disclosed.

[0009] When a shake occurs, the actuator using a reflector does not move the lens, but rather moves the reflector that reflects the light of the subject toward the lens along one or two axes to achieve OIS.

[0010] Typically, such actuators employ a structure in which guide rails are formed on the moving body and the stationary body, and multiple balls are arranged between them, allowing the moving body to rotate and move along the guide rails with the support of the balls.

[0011] However, the problem with this existing device is that the movement of the reflector needs to be achieved independently in two directions (X-axis and Y-axis) perpendicular to the optical axis (Z-axis), making its structure quite complex and difficult to maintain driving accuracy.

[0012] On the other hand, depending on the orientation or posture of the mobile terminal (such as a smartphone) equipped with the actuator, the position of the moving body that rotates to achieve OIS may shift from the reference position used for rotation control due to its own weight or other factors.

[0013] Existing actuators completely fail to consider the problem of this offset phenomenon, treating such events as actual shaking (rotation direction component) caused by hand tremors, and performing predetermined compensation processing.

[0014] Typically, the sensors (Hall sensors) in actuators detect the magnitude and direction of the magnetic field based on the location of the magnet opposite itself, and output corresponding signal values. Therefore, if the location of the magnet opposite itself changes due to its own weight, the Hall sensor will output a signal value corresponding to the changed location.

[0015] The driver controls the rotation of the moving body based on this signal value. Therefore, it may perform rotation control based on the wrong position, or treat the offset caused by its own weight as a component of rotation. This will cause the rotation range used for OIS in subsequent control to be smaller than the predetermined range, thus reducing the driving accuracy of the actuator. Summary of the Invention

[0016] Technical problems to be solved The present invention is proposed to solve the problems in the background art mentioned above, and its purpose is to provide a reflector actuator that accurately reflects the offset phenomenon caused by its own weight by organically utilizing the signal values ​​of multiple Hall sensors, and realizes OIS based on this, thereby further improving the driving accuracy of OIS.

[0017] Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be understood from the following description and will become more apparent from the embodiments of the invention. Furthermore, the objects and advantages of the present invention can be achieved through the structures and combinations thereof described in the claims.

[0018] Problem-solving methods A reflector actuator according to an embodiment of the present invention for achieving the above-described objectives may include: a base; an intermediate guide that rotates about the base and about a second plane direction; a carrier that rotates about the intermediate guide and about a first plane direction perpendicular to the second plane direction, and is provided with a reflector; a plurality of Hall sensors that are opposite to a magnet disposed on the intermediate guide and are disposed at different positions; and a driver that controls the current applied to a coil opposite to the magnet using a plurality of signal values ​​respectively input from the plurality of Hall sensors.

[0019] In this invention, the carrier may have the reflector disposed at the front and a first grooved rail at the rear. In this case, the intermediate guide of the invention may be configured to include: a first guide rail, which is opposite to the first grooved rail and disposed at the front; and a second grooved rail, which is opposite to the second guide rail of the track shape disposed on the base and disposed at the rear.

[0020] Furthermore, when the differences between the plurality of signal values ​​input for the (n-1)th time (n is a natural number greater than 2) and the plurality of signal values ​​input for the nth time correspond to each other, the driver of the present invention can be configured to perform signal processing without rotation of the intermediate guide.

[0021] Furthermore, the plurality of Hall sensors according to the present invention may include: a third Hall sensor disposed at a position corresponding to the magnetic pole boundary of the magnet and outputting a first signal value; and a fourth Hall sensor disposed at a position corresponding to the magnetic pole boundary of the magnet and disposed symmetrically to the third Hall sensor with reference to the middle portion of the magnet, and outputting a second signal value. In this case, the driver of the present invention may be configured to control the current applied to the coil using the result of subtraction between the first signal value and the second signal value.

[0022] Preferably, the plurality of Hall sensors of the present invention can be arranged at mutually symmetrical positions with reference to the middle portion of the long axis of the magnet. In this case, the driver of the present invention can be configured to control the current applied to the coil by performing a subtraction operation on the plurality of signal values ​​respectively input from the plurality of Hall sensors.

[0023] Furthermore, the plurality of Hall sensors of the present invention can be composed of 2k (k being a natural number greater than or equal to 1). In this case, the driver of the present invention can be configured to control the current applied to the coil using pose information calculated by the following formula: In the above formula, P represents the current position or pose-related information of the intermediate guide, and HL... a and HR a The signal value is represented by Hall sensors symmetrically positioned on the left and right sides with the center of the magnet's long axis as a reference.

[0024] Invention Effects According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, by organically utilizing the signal values ​​output by multiple Hall sensors, the offset phenomenon of the moving body (carrying a lens) due to its own weight can be accurately reflected in the control processing, thereby further improving the driving accuracy.

[0025] In particular, according to an embodiment of the present invention, even in complex situations such as offset due to its own weight and swaying (rotation) due to hand tremors, the rotation control of the moving body can be effectively achieved by simply performing function processing on the signal values ​​output by multiple Hall sensors.

[0026] According to one embodiment of the present invention, by organically combining the physical structures that enable movement in each direction, the action relationship of moving the reflector in each direction can be realized with a simpler structure, which can not only further improve the space utilization of the actuator, but also further improve the driving accuracy in each direction.

[0027] According to another embodiment of the present invention, without the need for other physical components or structures, a structure that allows the carrier and the intermediate guide to be in close contact with each other can be achieved with a simpler structure. This not only prevents interference caused by movement in all directions from the source, but also more effectively restores the carrier reference position based on the intermediate guide. Attached Figure Description

[0028] The following drawings, which are included with this specification, illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention and, together with the detailed description of the invention described below, serve to enable a more effective understanding of the technical concept of the invention. Therefore, the invention should not be construed as being limited to the matters described in such drawings.

[0029] Figure 1 A diagram illustrating the overall configuration of the actuator and camera module according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 An exploded view showing the detailed configuration of an actuator according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 and Figure 4 A diagram illustrating the detailed configuration of the carrier and intermediate guide of the present invention; Figure 5 and Figure 6 A diagram illustrating the detailed configuration of the intermediate guide and base of the present invention; Figure 7 and Figure 8 A diagram illustrating the rotational relationship of the intermediate guide member of the present invention; Figure 9 A diagram illustrating rotational movement in various directions achieved by the actuator of the present invention; Figure 10 A diagram illustrating a base and intermediate guide according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 11 A diagram illustrating the relationship between the Hall sensor and the magnet of the present invention; Figure 12 A diagram illustrating the positional relationship between the Hall sensor and the magnet of the present invention; Figure 13 To show Figure 12 A graph of the signal values ​​of the Hall sensor of type a; Figure 14 To show Figure 12 The graph shows the signal values ​​of the Hall sensor for b. Detailed Implementation

[0030] The preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should not be construed that the terms or words used in this specification and claims have the common or dictionary-defined meanings. Based on the principle that the inventors appropriately define the concepts of the terms in order to best describe their invention, they should be interpreted as meanings and concepts consistent with the technical concept of the present invention.

[0031] Therefore, the embodiments described in this specification and the structures shown in the accompanying drawings are merely the most preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not represent the entire technical concept of the present invention. It is understood that there may be various equivalents and modifications that can replace them for the purposes of this application.

[0032] The following is a reference, firstly Figures 1 to 9 The physical structure and electromagnetic field structure of the reflector actuator 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail later. A preferred embodiment of the present invention, which uses the signal values ​​output by multiple Hall sensors to detect and control the position of the lens, will be described later.

[0033] Figure 1The figure illustrates the overall configuration of a reflector actuator (hereinafter referred to as "actuator") and a camera module 1000 including the actuator, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] The actuator 100 of the present invention can be implemented as a stand-alone device, such as... Figure 1 As shown, it can also be implemented as a camera module 1000 including a lens drive module 200 and an image sensor 30, etc. The lens drive module 200 is equipped with one or more lenses 50, 60, 70 and realizes functions such as zoom or autofocus, which goes without saying.

[0035] According to the present invention, the light from the subject does not enter directly toward the lens 50 or the like, but enters after its path is changed (refraction, reflection, etc.) by the reflector 110 provided in the actuator 100 of the present invention.

[0036] like Figure 1 As illustrated, the path of light entering from the outside is Z1, and the path of light entering from the outside through the lens 50 after being refracted or reflected by the reflector 110 is Z. In this embodiment, Z1 corresponds to the Y-axis on the direction axis.

[0037] In the following description, the Z-axis direction corresponding to the direction in which light enters the lens 50 is referred to as the optical axis or optical axis direction, and the two directions perpendicular to it are referred to as the X-axis and Y-axis. Additionally, using... Figure 1 Based on the position and orientation of the actuator 100 of the present invention shown, the positive Y-axis direction is referred to as the front or front side, and the negative Y-axis direction is referred to as the rear or back side.

[0038] Based on the optical axis direction, an image sensor 30 such as a CCD or CMOS that converts light signals into electrical signals can be provided at the rear end of the lens driving module 200. It is also self-evident that a filter that blocks or transmits light signals of a specific wavelength band can be provided at the same time.

[0039] As detailed below, the actuator 100 of the present invention is a device that, when shake occurs due to hand tremors or other reasons, with the X-axis direction and / or Y-axis direction perpendicular to the optical axis as a reference, causes the reflector 110 to rotate and move in the direction of correcting the shake, thereby realizing OIS in the X-axis direction and / or Y-axis direction.

[0040] The accompanying drawings illustrate an embodiment that integrates image stabilization in both the X-axis and Y-axis directions. However, this is only one example. According to the implementation, a structure for image stabilization in one of the X-axis or Y-axis directions may be applied, while image stabilization in the other direction may be achieved by linearly moving the carrier equipped with lenses 60 and 70, etc.

[0041] The axes shown in the accompanying drawings, the terms used to represent those axes, and the terms such as upper, lower, front, rear, vertical, and horizontal used to describe the axes are only for indicating the relative references used to illustrate the embodiments of the present invention, and are not used to specify the direction or position of a certain party from an absolute reference. They may also vary depending on the position of the object being described, the position of the observer, the view direction, etc., which is self-evident.

[0042] Hereinafter, as described above, embodiments of the present invention will be described by defining the Z-axis as a reference in the up-down or vertical direction, and by defining the Y-axis as a reference in the front or rear and the X-axis as a reference in the left or right direction from the corresponding perspective.

[0043] According to the reference defined in this way, as described below, the YZ plane is the plane direction in which the carrier 120 of the present invention rotates with respect to the intermediate guide 130, and the XZ plane is the plane direction in which the intermediate guide 130 rotates with respect to the base 140 when the carrier 120 is mounted.

[0044] Figure 2 An exploded view showing the detailed configuration of the actuator 100 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] like Figure 2 As shown, the actuator 100 of the present invention can be configured to include a housing 190 that functions as a shield can, a reflector 110, a carrier 120, an intermediate guide 130, and a base 140.

[0046] First, refer to Figure 2 First, the overall structure of the actuator 100 will be explained. The detailed structure and driving relationship of the actuator 100 used for OIS driving in various directions will be described later.

[0047] like Figure 2 As shown, if light along path Z1 enters the actuator 100 of the present invention through the opening 193 of the housing 190, the reflector 110 of the present invention changes the path of the light (refracts or reflects, etc.) to the optical axis direction Z, so that the light enters the direction of the lens drive module 200.

[0048] The aforementioned reflector 110 can be one or a combination of a mirror or a prism, and can also be implemented as a variety of components capable of changing the direction of light entering from the outside to the optical axis, which goes without saying.

[0049] Thus, the present invention is configured such that the light enters the lens driving module 200 side after being refracted by the reflector 110, thereby eliminating the need to set the lens driving module 200 itself along the thickness direction of the mobile terminal. Therefore, even if optical components with long physical characteristics in the optical axis direction, such as zoom lenses, are mounted in the mobile terminal, the thickness of the mobile terminal will not be increased, thereby enabling optimization such as miniaturization of the mobile terminal.

[0050] As is well known, OIS driving is achieved by moving the lens isotropically to correct the shaking caused by manual movement. In the embodiment of the present invention, unlike the method of moving the lens in the opposite direction, OIS is driven by moving the reflector 110.

[0051] by Figure 2 Based on the example shown, the reflector 110 of the present invention is disposed in the direction of the opening 193 of the housing 190 from which light is incident from the actuator 100, that is, in the direction facing the front in the Y-axis direction.

[0052] like Figure 2 As shown, the reflector 110 is positioned in front of the carrier 120, which is physically supported by the intermediate guide 130 and rotates around the intermediate guide 130.

[0053] As described below, if the carrier 120 of the present invention rotates and moves with reference to the intermediate guide 130 (with reference to the YZ plane), the reflector 110 disposed on the carrier 120 also rotates in the same direction. Through this rotational movement of the reflector 110, the path of the light entering the image sensor side will be shifted along the Y-axis direction while correcting the hand shaking of the Y-axis direction component.

[0054] From this perspective, regarding the aforementioned rotational movement, the carrier 120 of the present invention is equivalent to a moving body, while from the corresponding perspective, the intermediate guide 130 of the present invention is equivalent to a fixed body.

[0055] In the following description, regarding Y-axis stabilization, the direction of rotation and movement with the YZ plane as the reference is called the first plane direction (or first direction), as described below. Regarding X-axis stabilization, the direction of rotation and movement with the XZ plane as the reference is called the second plane direction (or second direction).

[0056] A first magnet M1 is disposed on the upper part of the carrier 120 (with the Z-axis as a reference), and a first coil C1 is arranged in the direction opposite to the first magnet M1. If a power supply of appropriate magnitude and direction is applied to the first coil C1, an electromagnetic force is generated between the first coil C1 and the first magnet M1, and the carrier 120 is rotated and moved by the generated electromagnetic force.

[0057] The first coil C1 mentioned above can be implemented as mounted on a circuit board 170, as shown in the figure. The circuit board 170 can have a first Hall sensor H1, which uses the Hall effect to detect the position of the reflector 110, specifically the position of the first magnet M1, etc.

[0058] If the signal value of the first Hall sensor H1 is input, the driver D controls the first coil C1 by applying a power supply of magnitude and direction corresponding to the input signal value of the first Hall sensor H1.

[0059] As described below, a first grooved rail 121 is formed behind the carrier 120 of the present invention, which is opposite to the first guide rail 133. A first ball B1 is arranged between the first grooved rail 121 and the first guide rail 133. The first guide rail 133 is formed in the intermediate guide member 130.

[0060] On the other hand, the intermediate guide 130 is physically supported by the base 140 so that it can rotate and move with reference to the base 140 (with reference to the XZ plane).

[0061] As described above, a carrier 120 is mounted on the intermediate guide 130 via a first ball B1, and a reflector 110 is provided on the carrier 120. Therefore, if the intermediate guide 130 is referenced to the XZ plane, that is, with the Y-axis as the axis RA (refer to...), Figure 7 If the reflector 110 rotates and moves, it will also physically move and rotate in the same direction.

[0062] The reflector 110 has an inclined surface that reflects light from the subject. If the reflector 110 rotates and moves along the second plane direction (based on the XZ plane), the path of the light entering the image sensor side will be shifted along the X-axis direction while correcting for hand shake in the X-axis direction component.

[0063] From this perspective, when taking the rotational movement (rotation in the second plane direction) used for X-axis stabilization as a reference, the intermediate guide 130 of the present invention is equivalent to a moving body, and from the corresponding perspective, the base 140 acts as a fixed body. Therefore, the intermediate guide 130 of the present invention is equivalent to a moving body in the X-axis OIS, but equivalent to a fixed body in the Y-axis OIS.

[0064] A second magnet M2 is mounted behind the intermediate guide 130 (see reference). Figure 3 A second coil C2 is arranged in the opposite direction. If the signal value of the second Hall sensor H2, which corresponds to the magnetic direction and magnitude of the second magnet M2, is input to the driver D, the driver D controls the second coil C2 by applying a power supply of appropriate magnitude and direction.

[0065] If a power source is applied to the second coil C2, the second coil C2 generates a magnetic force on the second magnet M2. Through this generated magnetic force, the intermediate guide 130 rotates and moves with the XZ plane as a reference.

[0066] like Figure 2 As shown, in order to enhance the magnetic force between the first coil C1 and the first magnet M1, the first magnet M1 can be configured to expose the first coil C1 through an opening 147 formed on the upper part of the base 140 (based on the Z-axis).

[0067] Furthermore, in order to minimize the influence of magnetic forces in one direction on magnetic forces in other directions by orthogonally configuring the magnetic forces used for driving in each direction, it is preferable to arrange the first magnet M1, which is located on the upper part of the carrier 120, and the second magnet M2, which is located behind the intermediate guide 130, perpendicularly to each other. Moreover, to correspond to this structure, the first coil C1 and the second coil C2 are implemented by mounting them perpendicularly to each other on a circuit board 170 made of a flexible circuit board or the like.

[0068] According to the implementation method, such as Figure 2 As illustrated, the base 140 may be equipped with a buffer 195 for absorbing external shocks, etc.

[0069] The following is for reference Figure 3 and Figure 4 The present invention, which describes in detail the specific configuration of the carrier 120 rotating and moving along the first plane direction with the intermediate guide 130 as a reference to achieve OIS in the Y-axis direction, is described in detail.

[0070] A first magnet M1 is provided on the upper part of the carrier 120, which has a reflector 110 in front, and is opposite to the first coil C1. According to the embodiment, in order to enhance the electromagnetic force between the first coil C1 and the first magnet M1, it is preferable to have a first back yoke 180-1 between the first magnet M1 and the carrier 120, that is, in the opposite direction to the first coil C1.

[0071] In this case, such as Figure 3 As shown in the enlarged view above, the portion of the first back yoke 180-1 adjacent to the second magnet M2 preferably forms a first wall portion 181-1 with a curved or similar shape.

[0072] With this configuration, in addition to the first magnet M1 and the second magnet M2 being orthogonally positioned to each other, it is also possible to more effectively block the magnetic influence between them.

[0073] From a corresponding perspective, the second back yoke 180-2 arranged between the second magnet M2 and the intermediate guide 130 is also preferably formed with a second wall portion 181-2 in the portion adjacent to the first magnet M1.

[0074] like Figure 3 As shown, the first groove rail 121 formed at the rear of the carrier 120 has a circular shape, and the first guide rail 133 with a corresponding shape is formed in front of the intermediate guide 130 (in the Y-axis direction).

[0075] like Figure 3 As shown, a first ball B1 can be arranged between the first grooved rail 121 and the first guide rail 133. In order to achieve effective guidance of rotational movement, the first ball B1 can be configured such that a portion of it is accommodated within at least one of the first grooved rail 121 and / or the first guide rail 133.

[0076] In this case, the carrier 120 maintains an appropriate distance from the intermediate guide 130 through the first ball B1, and can move more flexibly and linearly through the minimized friction generated by the movement and rolling of the first ball B1, thereby not only reducing noise, but also minimizing the driving force for the movement of the carrier 120.

[0077] In order to achieve more stable movement in the first planar direction, the first groove rail 121 is preferably formed on both sides of the carrier 120 in a mutually symmetrical manner.

[0078] In such a configuration, as Figure 4 As shown, the carrier 120 equipped with the reflector 110 is physically guided by the first ball B1, the first groove rail 121 and the first guide rail 133, and rotates and moves along the first plane direction (based on the YZ plane) with the intermediate guide member 130 as the reference.

[0079] On the other hand, such as Figure 3 As shown, a pulling magnet 150 is provided at the rear of the carrier 120, and a metal yoke 160 is provided in front of the intermediate guide 130, which is opposite to the pulling magnet 150 and generates attraction with the pulling magnet 150.

[0080] The carrier 120 is pulled toward the intermediate guide 130 by the attraction generated between the traction yoke 160 and the traction magnet 150, thus maintaining point contact between the carrier 120 and the first ball B1 and between the first ball B1 and the intermediate guide 130.

[0081] The aforementioned traction magnet 150 is preferably disposed in the middle portion of the first groove rail 121 formed on both sides of the carrier 120.

[0082] With this configuration, the attraction between the traction magnet 150 and the traction yoke 160 acts in a balanced and uniform manner, thus guiding the attraction on the multiple first balls B1 to be directed away from any particular first ball B1, thereby improving driving accuracy. Furthermore, when the power applied to the first coil C1 is terminated, the carrier 120 can be returned to the reference position more effectively.

[0083] According to the embodiment, the carrier 120 may have a protruding guide 137 at either the rear or the front of the intermediate guide 130, and the carrier 120 may have a guide groove 127 for accommodating the protruding guide 137 at either the rear or the front of the intermediate guide 130.

[0084] With this configuration, not only can the physical guidance of the rotational movement of the carrier 120 be achieved more effectively, but the rotational movement of the carrier 120 can also be effectively restricted to a specific range.

[0085] The protruding guide 137, guide groove 127, traction magnet 150 and traction yoke 160 of the present invention are all provided in the part of the carrier 120 and the intermediate guide 130 that are opposite to each other, so that the increase in volume can be effectively suppressed and the space utilization rate can be further improved.

[0086] The following is for reference Figures 5 to 8 The present invention, which describes in detail the specific configuration of the intermediate guide 130 rotating and moving along the second plane direction (second direction) with the base 140 as a reference to achieve OIS in the X-axis direction.

[0087] As shown in the figure, a second grooved rail 131 with an overall track shape is formed behind the middle guide 130, and a second guide rail 141 with a shape corresponding to the second grooved rail 131 is formed in front of the base 140.

[0088] The second ball B2, which is arranged between the intermediate guide 130 and the base 140, can be arranged such that a portion of it is accommodated in the second groove rail 131 and / or the second guide rail 141.

[0089] As shown in the figure, the second groove rail 131 and the second guide rail 141 are formed into a circular track shape with a radius of curvature R, with the XZ plane as the reference.

[0090] The accompanying drawing illustrates that there are four guide rails 131 and four groove rails 141, but this is only an example and it goes without saying that different numbers may be available.

[0091] Thus, since a second groove rail 131 and a second guide rail 141 in the shape of a track with reference to the XZ plane are formed at the rear of the intermediate guide 130 and the front of the base 140, the intermediate guide 130 of the present invention can rotate and move with reference to the base 140 when facing the base 140 face-to-face (plane vs. plane).

[0092] As described above, the first groove rail 121 formed on the carrier 120 and the first guide rail 133 formed in front of the intermediate guide 130 form a track structure along a different direction than the second groove rail 131 described above.

[0093] Therefore, when the intermediate guide 130 rotates and moves in the second direction, its physical driving force is directly transmitted to the carrier 120. Thus, when the intermediate guide 130 rotates and moves (in the second direction) with the base 140 as a reference, as... Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, the reflector 110 will also rotate and move around the Y-axis as the rotation axis RA, thereby realizing hand shaking correction in the X-axis direction component.

[0094] Figure 9 A diagram illustrating rotational movement in various directions achieved by the actuator 100 according to the present invention.

[0095] The actuator 100 according to the present invention is equivalent to an actuator that realizes OIS by rotating and moving a reflector 110, which refracts (reflects) the light of the subject being photographed toward the image sensor, in a plurality of directions or a combination thereof.

[0096] As described above, the actuator 100 according to the present invention can achieve OIS not only in a single direction, but also in a combination of multiple directions, through the combined action of the rotation of the reflector 110 with reference to the YZ plane and the rotation of the reflector 110 with reference to the XZ plane.

[0097] The rotation of the reflector 110 (rotation in the first plane direction), which is equivalent to the former, is achieved by using the electromagnetic force between the first magnet M1 and the first coil C1 as the driving force, with the intermediate guide 130 as the relatively fixed body, and rotating and moving with the YZ plane as the reference.

[0098] The rotation of the reflector 110 (rotation in the second plane direction) is achieved by using the electromagnetic force between the second magnet M2 and the second coil C2 as the driving force, with the base 140 as the relatively fixed body, as the intermediate guide 130, and rotating and moving with the XZ plane as the reference.

[0099] The intermediate guide 130 and the carrier 120 are supported by the first groove rail 121, the first guide rail 133 and the first ball B1 arranged between the first groove rail 121 and the first guide rail 133. The structure is perpendicular to the XZ plane. Therefore, when the intermediate guide 130 rotates in the second direction, the carrier 120 also rotates in the second direction together with the intermediate guide 130.

[0100] Thus, if the carrier 120 rotates along the second direction by the rotation of the intermediate guide 130, the reflector 110 mounted on the carrier 120 also rotates and moves along the second direction (XZ plane). Through this rotation and movement of the reflector 110, hand tremors and other shaking in the X-axis direction are corrected.

[0101] As described above, the actuator 100 of the present invention achieves OIS (Optical Image Sensor) correction for hand tremors by rotating in two directions. Specifically, the carrier 120 of the present invention rotates with reference to the intermediate guide 130 and with reference to the first plane direction (YZ plane), and the intermediate guide 130 of the present invention rotates with reference to the base 140 and with reference to the second plane direction (XZ plane) perpendicular to the first plane direction (YZ plane).

[0102] The following is for reference Figures 10 to 14 The preferred embodiment of the present invention is described in detail, which uses the signal values ​​output by multiple Hall sensors to detect and control the position of the lens.

[0103] Figure 10 The figure illustrates the base 140 and the intermediate guide 130 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 11 A diagram illustrating the relationship between the second Hall sensor H2 and the second magnet M2 of the present invention.

[0104] In the preceding description, ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" were used to express the configuration of the first planar direction OIS and the configuration of the second planar direction OIS, respectively. However, the embodiments described below are embodiments of the second planar direction OIS described above. Therefore, in order to focus on explaining the configuration of this embodiment, in the following description, the second magnet M2 is referred to as magnet M2, the second Hall sensor H2 is referred to as Hall sensor H2, and the second coil C2 is referred to as coil C2.

[0105] As described above, the intermediate guide 130 rotates and moves with the XZ plane as a reference. This rotational movement is achieved by controlling the current applied to the coil C2 based on the output signal value of the position (rotational position) or posture of the magnet M2, and based on the aforementioned signal value. This process is applied cyclically through feedback control.

[0106] Therefore, in order to improve the accuracy of the magnitude and direction changes of the magnetic field generated by the magnet M2, the Hall sensor H2 (the second Hall sensor in the previously described embodiment) that detects the position of the magnet M2 (the second magnet in the previously described embodiment) and outputs a corresponding signal value is preferably configured to be arranged at a position corresponding to the magnetic pole boundary (the boundary between the N pole and the S pole) of the magnet M2.

[0107] On the other hand, the intermediate guide 130 is face-to-face with the base 140 with the XZ plane as the reference. In order to guide the intermediate guide 130 to rotate along the ZX plane, the second groove rail 131 and the second guide rail 141, which are equipped with the second ball B2, are formed in a circular shape. Therefore, when the Z-axis direction is taken as the reference, the whole has extra space.

[0108] Therefore, when actuator 100 becomes Figure 9 or Figure 10 In the posture shown, the intermediate guide 130, which is equipped with the carrier 120 (equipped with the reflector 110), may shift downwards due to its own weight, based on the correct position controlled by default.

[0109] Thus, if the intermediate guide 130 is offset downward (with the Z-axis as the reference), the magnet M2 set on the intermediate guide 130 will also be offset downward, and the magnetic pole boundary of the magnet M2 will also move downward. Therefore, the magnetic pole boundary will deviate from the correct position that matches the Hall sensor H2.

[0110] As with existing technologies, when there is only a single Hall sensor detecting the position of magnet M2, this shift is also identified as a rotational component. This not only reduces the accuracy of linearity control but may also cause crosstalk problems and rotation range errors.

[0111] To effectively solve this problem, the actuator 100 of the present invention is configured to apply a plurality of Hall sensors H2 opposite to the magnet M2, and to accurately distinguish the rotational behavior of the magnet M2 caused by hand tremors and the downward behavior caused by the aforementioned offset by utilizing the relationship between the signal values ​​output by each of these plurality of Hall sensors H2, and thereby realize OIS in the second plane direction.

[0112] The Hall sensor H2 of the present invention is configured as multiple, such as... Figure 10 and Figure 11 As shown, they are opposite to magnet M2 and arranged in different positions.

[0113] Furthermore, as shown in the figure, the Hall sensor H2 of the present invention can be disposed at the magnetic pole boundary PL (refer to the figure) with the magnet M2. Figure 11 The corresponding position can be further set in the middle part C based on the long axis direction (X-axis direction) of magnet M2 (refer to...). Figure 11 The positions are symmetrical to each other (D1=D2).

[0114] When multiple Hall sensors H2 are positioned in this manner, if a shift occurs due to their own weight, all Hall sensors H2 will output the same magnitude and direction of change. In the event of rotation due to hand tremors, they will output a change value with the same magnitude but opposite direction.

[0115] Therefore, according to this embodiment of the present invention, the relationship between the signal values ​​output by each Hall sensor can accurately reflect the behavior of the magnet M2 (the behavior caused by rotation and the offset (falling) behavior caused by its own weight).

[0116] If the Hall sensor H2 is located at a mutually symmetrical position (D1=D2) with reference to the middle part C or the exact center (based on the XZ plane) of the magnet M2, then the number of Hall sensors H2 can be configured in various ways, which is self-evident. The following is an example, based on an embodiment where the Hall sensor H2 is composed of a third Hall sensor H2-1 and a fourth Hall sensor H2-2.

[0117] As described above, the driver (D) of the present invention uses multiple signal values ​​input from the Hall sensor H2 to control the magnitude and / or direction of the current applied to the coil C2 opposite to the magnet M2.

[0118] The driver D of the present invention can be configured such that, when the difference between the (n-1)th (n is a natural number greater than 2)th signal value input from the third Hall sensor H2-1 and the nth signal value corresponds to the difference between the (n-1)th signal value input from the fourth Hall sensor H2-2 and the nth signal value, the magnet M2, i.e. the intermediate guide 130, is considered to be offset by its own weight, and the response signal is processed as if the intermediate guide 130 is not rotating.

[0119] Thus, multiple Hall sensors H2 set at the same height (based on the Z-axis) but at different positions output the same change value at a specific Δt. This means that the magnet M2 is shifted vertically downward (based on the Z-axis). Therefore, the driver D of the present invention controls the device in a way that does not perform the processing to correct the shaking caused by hand tremors.

[0120] Figure 12 A diagram illustrating the positional relationship between the Hall sensor H2 and the magnet M2 of the present invention. Figure 13 and Figure 14 To show Figure 12 a and Figure 12The graph shows the signal values ​​of Hall sensor H2 corresponding to each of the b values.

[0121] Figure 12 Figure a shows the positional relationship between magnet M2 and Hall sensor H2, based on the condition that there is no displacement due to their own weight. Figure 12 Figure b shows the positional relationship between magnet M2 and Hall sensor H2, based on the state of displacement caused by their own weight.

[0122] like Figure 12 As shown in b, when the displacement occurs due to its own weight, the third Hall sensor H2-1 and the fourth Hall sensor H2-2, which are installed on the base 140 as a fixed body, maintain their positions relative to each other, while the magnet M2, which is installed on the intermediate guide 130 as a moving body, is offset downward (with the Z-axis as the reference).

[0123] As shown in the figure, the third Hall sensor H2-1 of the present invention is set at a position corresponding to the magnetic pole boundary PL of the magnet M2 based on the default correct position, and outputs a first signal value corresponding to the magnetic field characteristic value (magnitude and direction) of the part of the magnet M2 opposite to itself.

[0124] The fourth Hall sensor H2-2, which is positioned symmetrically to the third Hall sensor H2-1, also outputs the second signal value corresponding to the magnet M2 region opposite to itself, just like the third Hall sensor H2-1.

[0125] The driver D of the present invention is configured such that, if a first signal value and a second signal value are input respectively, the magnitude and / or direction of the current applied to the coil C2 is controlled by the result of their subtraction operation.

[0126] Referring to the attached diagram, if magnet M2 rotates counterclockwise, the third Hall sensor H2-1 enters the magnetic field region generated by the S pole, and therefore outputs a first signal value that gradually decreases (increases in absolute value). When magnet M2 rotates clockwise, the first signal value output gradually increases as its rotation angle increases.

[0127] On the other hand, if magnet M2 rotates counterclockwise, the fourth Hall sensor H2-2 enters the magnetic field region generated by the N pole, and thus outputs a gradually increasing second signal value. From the corresponding perspective, when magnet M2 rotates clockwise, as its rotation angle increases, the output of the second signal value gradually decreases (the absolute value increases).

[0128] Using the same time band as a reference, when subtracting the first signal value from the second signal value, such as Figure 13 As shown in the figure below, calculate the result value equivalent to [2b, -2b] within the entire rotation angle range [-B°, -B°].

[0129] That is, the rotation angle and the result value (second signal value - first signal value) have a 1:1 linear function relationship, so the driver (not shown) of the present invention can use the result value to accurately control the magnitude and direction of the current applied to the coil C2.

[0130] For reference, to symbolically represent the third Hall sensor H2-1 and its signal value as the magnet M2 rotates, Figure 13 The values ​​output by each Hall sensor H2 are represented as b, a, 0, -a, -b, etc. However, when the output values ​​of each Hall sensor H2 are set using binary code values, their values ​​can be different, which is self-evident.

[0131] Furthermore, the foregoing description has illustrated an embodiment of the invention based on the method of subtracting the first signal value from the second signal value. However, this is merely an example. The method of subtracting the second signal value from the first signal value is also based on a 1:1 matching of the result value at the corresponding angle, and therefore can be applied to embodiments of the invention, which is self-evident.

[0132] The following describes the control processing performed when magnet M2 is offset by Δh (bottom) to the left and right, and the third Hall sensor H2-1 and the fourth Hall sensor H2-2 of the present invention are offset by Δh (top) to the left and right based on the default correct position.

[0133] When magnet M2 is not rotating, i.e., when magnet M2 remains horizontal, the third Hall sensor H2-1 and the fourth Hall sensor H2-2 are offset upwards by approximately Δh relative to magnet M2. Therefore, as... Figure 14 As illustrated, the second signal value output by the third Hall sensor H2-1 and the fourth Hall sensor H2-2 is "k". For reference, in the absence of displacement due to its own weight, the output values ​​of the third Hall sensor H2-1 and the second Hall sensor H2 are 0 (refer to...). Figure 13 ).

[0134] In this state (the state where magnet M2 is deflected), if magnet M2 rotates counterclockwise, the fourth Hall sensor H2-2 will be more affected by the magnetic field generated by the N pole, and thus output a gradually increasing second signal value. At the maximum angle (-B°) on one side, the output second signal value is "b+k".

[0135] From the corresponding perspective, if magnet M2 rotates counterclockwise, the third Hall sensor H2-1 is gradually more affected by the S pole, thus the output of the first signal value gradually decreases (the absolute value increases). At the maximum angle (-B°) on one side, the output of the first signal value is "-b+k".

[0136] As magnet M2 rotates clockwise, the fourth Hall sensor H2-2 gradually aligns with the magnetic field region generated by the S pole, thus outputting a gradually decreasing second signal value. If the maximum angle (B°) on the other side is reached, the fourth Hall sensor H2-2 outputs "-b+k" as the second signal value.

[0137] At this time, the third Hall sensor H2-1 is gradually affected more by the N pole, so it outputs a gradually increasing first signal value, and outputs "b+k" as the first signal value at the maximum angle (B°) on the other side.

[0138] like Figure 14 As shown in the figure below, even when the offset occurs due to its own weight, when the process of subtracting the first signal value from the second signal value is performed, the result is calculated to be essentially the same as the result when no offset occurs.

[0139] Therefore, when the signal values ​​of multiple Hall sensors H2 are calculated (subtracted) and the result is used to control the current applied to coil C2, even if there is a deviation due to its own weight, the result value caused by the deviation can be accurately filtered during the calculation process, thereby maintaining the driving accuracy continuously.

[0140] According to the implementation method, when the above processing is performed to calculate the signal values ​​of multiple Hall sensors H2, the noise component generated in each signal system may be repeatedly reflected. Therefore, in order to reduce this component, it is preferable to divide the calculation result value by the number of Hall sensors H2 reflected in the calculation, that is, to perform an addition-subtraction average calculation.

[0141] As described above, the processing of the present invention can be achieved by multiple Hall sensors H2 arranged at mutually symmetrical positions with the center point of the magnet M2 as a reference. Therefore, the Hall sensors H2 are preferably composed of an even number (2k, where k is a natural number greater than or equal to 1).

[0142] If the output value of the Hall sensor H2 set at an asymmetrical position can be appropriately reflected during the calculation process, then the processing of the present invention described above can be applied even if an odd number of Hall sensors H2 are set, which is self-evident.

[0143] Thus, when multiple Hall sensors H2 are set in mutually symmetrical positions, the driver (D) of the present invention can be configured to specify the position or orientation of the magnet M2 using the pose information calculated by the following formula, and control the current applied to the coil C2 to achieve OIS processing (second planar direction OIS) corresponding to the specified position.

[0144] [Mathematical Expression 1] In the above formula, P represents the current position or pose-related information of the intermediate guide 130, and HL... a and HR a Hall sensors H2 and HL are positioned symmetrically about the midpoint of the long axis of the magnet. a The signal value of the Hall sensor positioned on the left side with the center as the reference is HR. a The signal value of the Hall sensor set on the right.

[0145] While the present invention has been described above with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings, it is not limited thereto. It is self-evident that those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains can make various modifications and variations within the scope of the technical concept of the invention and the equivalents of the claims described below.

[0146] In the above description of the present invention, modifiers such as first, second, etc. are merely tool concepts used to distinguish between constituent elements, and therefore should be interpreted as not being used to indicate a specific order, priority, etc.

[0147] For the purpose of illustrating the present invention and its embodiments, the accompanying drawings and other illustrations may be shown in a slightly exaggerated form to emphasize or highlight the technical content of the present invention. However, it should be understood that various modifications and applications can be made by those skilled in the art, taking into account the above content and the matters shown in the drawings, etc.

Claims

1. A reflector actuator characterized by, Comprising: a base; an intermediate guide that rotates with reference to the base and rotates with reference to a second planar direction; a carrier that rotates with reference to the intermediate guide and rotates with reference to a first planar direction that is perpendicular to the second planar direction, and is provided with a reflector; a plurality of Hall sensors that oppose a magnet provided to the intermediate guide, and are provided at mutually different positions; and a driver that controls current applied to a coil that opposes the magnet, using a plurality of signal values respectively input from the plurality of Hall sensors.

2. The reflector actuator according to claim 1, wherein the carrier is provided with the reflector in front, and is provided with a first groove rail in back, the intermediate guide includes: a first guide rail that opposes the first groove rail and is provided in front; and a second groove rail that opposes a rail-shaped second guide rail provided to the base and is provided in back.

3. The reflector actuator according to claim 1, wherein when respective differences between the plurality of signal values input the n-1th time (n is a natural number of 2 or more) and the plurality of signal values input the nth time correspond to each other, the driver performs signal processing with no rotation of the intermediate guide.

4. The reflector actuator according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of Hall sensors include: a third Hall sensor that is provided at a position corresponding to a pole boundary of the magnet, and outputs a first signal value; and a fourth Hall sensor that is provided at a position corresponding to the pole boundary of the magnet, and is provided at a position symmetrical to the third Hall sensor with reference to a middle portion of the magnet, and outputs a second signal value, the driver controls current applied to the coil, using a result of subtraction of the first signal value and the second signal value.

5. The reflector actuator according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of Hall sensors are provided at positions symmetrical to each other with reference to a middle portion in a long axis direction of the magnet, the driver controls current applied to the coil, using a result of subtraction performed on the plurality of signal values respectively input from the plurality of Hall sensors.

6. The reflector actuator according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of Hall sensors are constituted by 2k (k is a natural number of 1 or more), the driver controls current applied to the coil, using pose information obtained by calculation according to the following formula: ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ In the above equation, P is pose information related to the current position or posture of the intermediate guide, HL a and HR a are signal values of the Hall sensors respectively symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides with the intermediate of the long axis direction of the magnet as a reference.

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