Camera module and electronic equipment

Abstract

The utility model relates to a camera module and electronic equipment. The camera module comprises a lens assembly, the lens assembly is provided with a first protection cylinder, a first lens group and a second lens group, the first lens group and the second lens group are arranged in a stacked mode, the first lens group is located in the first protection cylinder, and the second lens group is exposed outwards from an opening of the first protection cylinder; the variable aperture assembly is provided with a second protection cylinder, and the second protection cylinder is installed at the opening of the first protection cylinder and surrounds the second lens group; wherein the second lens group comprises at least two optical lenses which are arranged in a laminated manner. According to the embodiment of the invention, the overall height of the camera module can be effectively reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of optical imaging, and in particular to a camera module and electronic equipment. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of electronic products and the increasing standard of living, many electronic devices are equipped with camera modules to meet photography requirements. For optical acquisition, when there is sufficient external light, the camera module can capture more light, resulting in better image quality. However, when there is insufficient external light, the camera module captures less light, resulting in reduced image quality. Therefore, related technologies typically incorporate a variable aperture assembly into the camera module, utilizing this assembly to flexibly adjust the amount of light entering the camera module to suit the actual photo or video recording scenario.

[0003] However, currently the variable aperture assembly is usually installed on the protective tube of the lens assembly in the camera module using its protective tube. Since the variable aperture assembly itself has a certain size, and during the assembly process, a safety avoidance gap must be left between the variable aperture assembly and the lens assembly to reduce collisions between the variable aperture assembly and the lens assembly during the assembly process, such assembly increases the overall height of the camera module, affecting the lightweight design requirements of electronic equipment. Utility Model Content

[0004] To overcome the problems existing in the related art, the present disclosure provides a camera module and an electronic device. Through the embodiments of the present disclosure, the overall height of the camera module can be effectively reduced.

[0005] According to a first aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a camera module, comprising:

[0006] A lens assembly comprising a first protective tube, and a first lens group and a second lens group stacked together, wherein the first lens group is located within the first protective tube, and the second lens group is exposed from an opening of the first protective tube.

[0007] A variable aperture assembly includes a second protective tube, which is installed at the opening of the first protective tube and surrounds the second lens group;

[0008] Wherein, the second lens group includes at least two optical lenses arranged in a stacked manner.

[0009] In some embodiments, the outer diameter of the optical lens in the first lens group is greater than the outer diameter of the optical lens in the second lens group.

[0010] In some embodiments, the variable aperture assembly is further provided with a mounting portion, and the mounting portion is formed on the inner wall of the second protective tube;

[0011] At least two optical lenses of the second lens group are fixedly mounted on the mounting portion.

[0012] In some embodiments, the mounting portion is a groove formed by the inner wall of the second protective tube being recessed toward the outer wall, and the optical lens of the second lens group is snap-fitted and mounted in the groove;

[0013] or,

[0014] The mounting portion is a stepped surface formed on the inner wall of the second protective tube, and the optical lens of the second lens group is overlapped on the stepped surface.

[0015] In some embodiments, the camera module further includes a first adhesive member, which is disposed on the mounting portion and is used to bond the optical lens and the mounting portion.

[0016] In some embodiments, the mounting portion includes at least two, and the at least two mounting portions are stacked;

[0017] Each optical lens of the second lens group is arranged on a corresponding mounting portion.

[0018] In some embodiments, the second protective tube is cylindrical, and the mounting portion is annular.

[0019] In some embodiments, the variable aperture assembly further includes a movable member and aperture blades fixedly connected to the movable member;

[0020] The movable member is disposed in the second protective tube and is located on a side of the second lens group away from the first lens group; wherein the movable member can move relative to the central axis of the second protective tube and drive the aperture blades to move.

[0021] In some embodiments, the variable aperture assembly further includes a first driving member;

[0022] The first driving member surrounds the second protective tube and is electrically connected to the movable member for transmitting a first driving signal to the movable member;

[0023] The first driving signal is used to drive the movable member to move.

[0024] In some embodiments, the first driving member includes a flexible circuit board.

[0025] In some embodiments, the camera module further includes a second driving member;

[0026] The second driving member comprises a third protective tube, a first conductive portion and a second conductive portion, wherein the first conductive portion and the second conductive portion are disposed in the third protective tube;

[0027] The first protective tube is sleeved in the third protective tube, and the lens assembly is electrically connected to the first conductive portion; the second driving member is used to drive the lens assembly to move in the third protective tube through a second driving signal transmitted by the first conductive portion;

[0028] The first driving member extends into the third protective tube and is electrically connected to the second conductive part, so as to obtain the first driving signal transmitted by the second conductive part.

[0029] In some embodiments, the second driving member includes an anti-shake motor or a zoom motor.

[0030] According to a second aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided an electronic device, including:

[0031] case;

[0032] The camera module proposed in the first aspect is installed in the housing.

[0033] In some embodiments, the electronic device further comprises:

[0034] The control module is arranged in the housing and electrically connected to the first conductive part and the second conductive part in the camera module, and is used to transmit a first driving signal to the first conductive part and a second driving signal to the second conductive part.

[0035] The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure may have the following beneficial effects:

[0036] The camera module proposed in the embodiment of the present disclosure includes a lens assembly and a variable aperture assembly, wherein the first lens group of the lens assembly is located in the first protective tube of the lens assembly, and the second lens group of the lens assembly is located outside the first protective tube and in the second protective tube of the variable aperture assembly provided on the lens assembly; in this way, the present disclosure utilizes the second protective tube of the variable aperture assembly as a protective shell of the second lens group, thereby reducing the range of the safety avoidance gap between the variable aperture assembly and the lens assembly, and reducing the structural height of the first protective tube itself, thereby achieving a reduction in the overall height of the camera module; in addition, the second lens group in the embodiment of the present disclosure has at least two optical lenses, which can further reduce the overall height of the camera module, thereby reducing the structural size of the electronic device where the camera module is located.

[0037] It is to be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure.

[0039] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a camera module structure explosion according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 1 .

[0040] Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a camera module according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0041] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a camera module structure explosion according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 2 .

[0042] Figure 4 The figure is a schematic diagram of the assembly structure of a camera module according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0043] Figure 5 It is a structural block diagram of an electronic device according to an exemplary embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] Exemplary embodiments will be described in detail herein, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following description, when referring to the drawings, identical numerals in different figures represent identical or similar elements unless otherwise indicated. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments are not intended to represent all embodiments consistent with the present disclosure. Rather, they are merely examples of devices consistent with certain aspects of the present disclosure, as detailed in the appended claims.

[0045] At present, for the variable aperture assembly in the camera module, the lens barrel of the variable aperture assembly and the lens barrel of the lens assembly are usually assembled by the clamping claws of the machine. Due to the equipment precision and material tolerance, the inner diameter of the variable aperture lens barrel and the outer diameter of the lens in the lens assembly need to avoid in the horizontal direction to leave a safe avoidance gap, and also leave a safe avoidance gap in the vertical direction (height direction) to overcome the interference problem between the variable aperture assembly and the lens assembly during the assembly process; however, such a design not only leads to an increase in the head size of the variable aperture assembly, but also leads to an increase in the overall height of the camera module. When the camera module is installed in an electronic device, the thickness of the electronic device will increase, affecting the aesthetics of the electronic device.

[0046] In view of this, the present disclosure provides a camera module. Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a camera module structure explosion according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 1; Among them, the camera module includes:

[0047] The lens assembly 1 comprises a first protective tube 11, and a first lens group 12 and a second lens group 13 which are stacked. The first lens group 12 is located inside the first protective tube 11, and the second lens group 13 is exposed from an opening of the first protective tube 11.

[0048] The variable aperture assembly 2 has a second protective tube 21 , which is installed at the opening of the first protective tube 11 and surrounds the second lens group 13 ;

[0049] The second lens group 13 includes at least two stacked optical lenses.

[0050] The camera module proposed in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to electronic devices. The electronic device can be a standalone camera product or an electronic product with a camera function, such as a mobile phone or computer. The variable aperture assembly of the camera module can adjust the amount of light entering, and the lens assembly can adjust the optical path of light based on the built-in optical lens. This allows the image sensor in the camera module to generate an electrical signal based on the optical signal adjusted by the lens assembly, thereby facilitating subsequent imaging.

[0051] In the disclosed embodiment, the first protective tube is the lens barrel of the lens assembly, which can serve as a housing for the lens assembly and is used to protect optical components disposed therein, such as optical lenses. Here, the first protective tube has a certain structural hardness and can be made of one or more of metal, plastic, or a composite material.

[0052] The first protective tube has an opening through which external light can enter the first protective tube; the lens assembly is further provided with a plurality of optical lenses, which are stacked in sequence along the direction in which external light enters the camera module to form an optical system. It should be noted that the plurality of optical lenses are all lenses; the optical lenses in the embodiments of the present disclosure may be partially concave lenses and partially convex lenses, or all convex lenses, or all concave lenses. The specific lens combination can be designed based on the actual shooting requirements of the camera module, and the embodiments of the present disclosure do not impose any restrictions on this.

[0053] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the above-mentioned multiple optical lenses can all be made of glass or plastic, or some can be made of glass and some can be made of plastic, and the embodiment of the present disclosure does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0054] The multiple optical lenses in the lens assembly are divided into two groups, with at least one optical lens forming a first lens group and at least two optical lenses forming a second lens group. The first lens group is completely disposed within the first protective tube, while the second lens group is located outside the opening of the first protective tube. When the camera module performs optical acquisition, external light sequentially passes through the optical lenses in the second lens group, the opening of the first protective tube, and reaches the optical lenses in the first lens group.

[0055] The camera module of the embodiment of the present disclosure also has an image sensor and a circuit board; wherein, the image sensor is located below the lens assembly and is used to process the light after passing through multiple optical lenses, thereby generating an electrical signal based on the light signal; the circuit board is arranged below the image sensor and is electrically connected to the image sensor, and is used to transmit the electrical signal to the control module of the electronic device; here, the control module can process the electrical signal to obtain the final image.

[0056] It should be noted that the below and above proposed in the embodiment of the present disclosure are used to represent the positional relationship of the structural parts in the camera module in the height direction of the camera module, and also represent the positional relationship on the lighting path; it can be understood that the image sensor is located below the lens assembly, which represents that the external light first reaches the lens assembly and then reaches the image sensor; for example, the variable aperture assembly in the embodiment of the present disclosure is located above the lens assembly, which represents that the external light passes through the second lens group in the variable aperture assembly and then reaches the first lens group in the first protective tube.

[0057] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the second protective tube serves as the outer shell of the variable aperture assembly, and is used to protect the internal structure of the variable aperture assembly. Here, the second protective tube has a certain structural hardness and can be made of one or more of metal, plastic or composite materials.

[0058] Among them, the second protective tube has a light inlet and a light outlet. When the second protective tube is arranged on the first protective tube, the light inlet is located above the light outlet, and the light outlet is connected to the opening of the above-mentioned first protective tube; and the light inlet, the light outlet and the opening of the first protective tube are aligned to guide external light to pass through in sequence to achieve effective optical collection.

[0059] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the variable aperture assembly has a variable aperture structure, which is located between the second lens group and the light inlet. It can move in different directions within the first protective tube, and when moving in different directions, it produces different ranges of coverage on the light inlet, thereby adjusting the amount of light entering the camera module from the light inlet; for example, when the external light is insufficient, in order to improve the imaging quality, the variable aperture structure can be controlled to move in a preset direction, thereby reducing the coverage range of the variable aperture structure on the light inlet, and increasing the amount of light output from the light outlet to the first lens group, that is, increasing the overall light intake of the camera module; for another example, when the external light is too strong, in order to reduce the problem of overexposure in imaging, the variable aperture structure can be controlled to move in the opposite direction of the preset direction, thereby increasing the coverage range of the variable aperture structure on the light inlet, and reducing the amount of light output from the light outlet to the first lens group, that is, reducing the overall light intake of the camera module.

[0060] It should be noted that the at least two optical lenses of the second lens group can be fixedly mounted in the second protective tube or can be movably mounted in the second protective tube, and this is not limited in the present embodiment. For example, the at least two optical lenses of the second lens group are movably mounted in the second protective tube and can move in the height direction of the camera module in response to a zoom request in the shooting scene, thereby changing the shooting focal length and meeting the personalized shooting requirements of the camera module.

[0061] The camera module proposed in the embodiment of the present disclosure includes a lens assembly and a variable aperture assembly, wherein the first lens group of the lens assembly is located in the first protective tube of the lens assembly, and the second lens group of the lens assembly is located outside the first protective tube and in the second protective tube of the variable aperture assembly provided on the lens assembly; in this way, the present disclosure utilizes the second protective tube of the variable aperture assembly as a protective shell of the second lens group, thereby reducing the range of the safety avoidance gap between the variable aperture assembly and the lens assembly, and reducing the structural height of the first protective tube itself, thereby achieving a reduction in the overall height of the camera module; in addition, the second lens group in the embodiment of the present disclosure has at least two optical lenses, which can further reduce the overall height of the camera module, thereby reducing the structural size of the electronic device where the camera module is located.

[0062] In some embodiments, the outer diameter of the optical lens in the first lens group is greater than the outer diameter of the optical lens in the second lens group.

[0063] Here, the outer diameter of the optical lens refers to the horizontal dimension of the optical lens; the horizontal dimension is perpendicular to the longitudinal extension of the inner wall of the first protective tube (or the inner wall of the second protective tube). In actual products, if the optical lens is circular, the outer diameter of the optical lens is expressed as the diameter; if the optical lens is rectangular, the outer diameter of the optical lens is expressed as the side length.

[0064] See also Figure 2 , Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a camera module according to an exemplary embodiment; wherein, Figure 2 FIG2 shows a cross-sectional view of the assembled camera module obtained by longitudinally cutting the camera module along the AA′ direction; Here, there are three optical lenses in the second lens group 13, and the outer diameter of the optical lens in the second lens group 13 is smaller than the outer diameter of the optical lens provided in the first lens group 12; It should be noted that the outer diameter of the optical lens is expressed in the horizontal direction (i.e. Figure 2 Dimensions in the AA′ direction).

[0065] It should be noted that in the embodiment of the present disclosure, among the at least two optical lenses in the second lens group, the outer diameter of the optical lens located above is smaller than the outer diameter of the optical lens located below. This design conforms to the principle of light convergence, so that the optical lenses of the second lens group and the optical lenses in the first lens group form an effective optical system, thereby realizing effective collection of light and subsequent imaging.

[0066] In this way, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, by providing a second protective tube to surround the second lens group, and by providing an outer diameter of the optical lens in the first lens group to be larger than the outer diameter of the optical lens in the second lens group, the range of the above-mentioned safety avoidance gap provided in the horizontal direction can be effectively reduced, thereby reducing the diameter of the variable aperture assembly in the horizontal direction, that is, reducing the head size of the variable aperture assembly and the corresponding production cost.

[0067] In some embodiments, see Figure 3 , Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a camera module structure explosion according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 2 ; Wherein, the variable aperture assembly 2 is further provided with a mounting portion 22, the mounting portion 22 is formed on the inner wall of the second protective tube 21;

[0068] At least two optical lenses of the second lens group 13 are fixedly mounted on the mounting portion 22 .

[0069] Here, a mounting portion is provided on the inner wall of the second protective tube, and the mounting portion is limitedly matched with the optical lens in the second lens group to limit the position of the optical lens in the second protective tube.

[0070] In some examples, the mounting portion may be an adhesive member for bonding the optical lens; in other examples, the mounting portion may also be a fixing screw, in which case the outer edge of the optical lens is provided with a threaded hole that cooperates with the screw assembly, so that the optical lens can be assembled to the inner wall of the second protective tube through a threaded connection; of course, the assembly method of the mounting portion and the optical lens may also have other forms, which will not be elaborated in the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0071] In this way, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, at least two optical lenses of the second lens group can be fixedly installed in the variable aperture assembly, thereby improving the installation stability of the optical lenses, improving the problem of large displacement of the optical lenses when the camera module shakes, and improving the effectiveness and stability of the camera module in optical acquisition.

[0072] In some embodiments, the mounting portion is a groove formed by the inner wall of the second protective tube being recessed toward the outer wall, and the optical lens of the second lens group is snap-fitted and mounted in the groove;

[0073] or,

[0074] The mounting portion is a stepped surface formed on the inner wall of the second protective tube, and the optical lens of the second lens group is overlapped on the stepped surface.

[0075] In some examples of the present disclosure, the mounting portion can be a groove formed by the inward depression of the inner wall of the second protective tube; in this way, the optical lens can be installed in the groove by snapping in the outer edge of the optical lens, thereby achieving fixed installation of the optical lens of the second lens group in the second protective tube.

[0076] In other examples of the present disclosure, the mounting portion is a step surface formed on the inner wall of the second protective tube; the step surface is formed by connecting a first extension surface extending in a first direction and a second extension surface extending in a second direction, and there is an angle between the first extension surface and the second extension surface.

[0077] In one case, the first direction is the extension direction of the inner wall of the second protective tube (i.e., the vertical direction), and the second direction has an angle with the first direction, and the angle is less than or equal to 90 degrees. In another case, the second direction is the horizontal direction mentioned above, and the first direction has an angle with the second direction, and the angle is less than or equal to 90 degrees. For example Figure 3 The mounting portion 22 shown has a first direction that is a vertical direction and a second direction that is a horizontal direction. The angle between the first extension surface and the second extension surface is 90 degrees, forming a stepped surface shape.

[0078] In the example where the mounting portion is a stepped surface, the outer edge of the optical lens can overlap the angle area between the first extension surface and the second extension surface of the stepped surface to achieve the limiting fixation of the optical lens by the mounting portion.

[0079] It should be noted that a protective layer is provided on the outer edge of the optical lens of the second lens group in the embodiment of the present disclosure, and the optical lens is connected to the mounting portion through the protective layer. This can improve the wear problem at the outer edge of the optical lens during assembly or subsequent use, and increase the service life of the optical lens.

[0080] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the mounting portion can be configured as a groove or a stepped surface, thereby improving the installation flexibility between the optical lens in the second lens group and the second protective tube.

[0081] In some embodiments, the camera module further includes a first adhesive member, which is disposed on the mounting portion and is used to bond the optical lens and the mounting portion.

[0082] Here, the first adhesive has double-sided adhesiveness and can adhere at least two optical lenses in the second lens group to the mounting portion; wherein the first adhesive can be coated on the mounting portion and adhere to the outer edges of the optical lenses.

[0083] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the first adhesive component can completely cover the mounting portion so that the outer edge of the optical lens fits tightly against the mounting portion; the first adhesive component can also be discretely distributed at different positions of the mounting portion, and at least two first adhesive components can be arranged relative to each other for fixing the outer edge of the optical lens and the mounting portion at a fixed point.

[0084] Here, the first adhesive member can be foam glue, glue or glue, etc. The glue can be OCA optical glue, which has excellent properties such as high transparency, fast curing, high-strength bonding, chemical resistance, and high temperature resistance.

[0085] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, by providing a first adhesive member in the variable aperture assembly, the installation stability of at least two optical lenses in the second lens group in the variable aperture assembly can be improved.

[0086] In some embodiments, combined Figure 3 The mounting portion 22 includes at least two mounting portions 22, and the at least two mounting portions 22 are stacked;

[0087] Each optical lens of the second lens group 13 is mounted on a corresponding mounting portion 22 .

[0088] Here, the second protective tube is provided with at least two mounting portions, each for mounting one optical lens in the second lens group. Continuing with the above example, of the at least two optical lenses in the second lens group, the outer diameter of the upper optical lens is smaller than the outer diameter of the lower optical lens. Thus, of the at least two stacked mounting portions, the horizontal structural dimension of the upper mounting portion is smaller than the horizontal structural dimension of the lower mounting portion.

[0089] It should be noted that the structures of the at least two mounting parts can be the same or different; for example, the at least two mounting parts can both be the above-mentioned stepped surfaces, or the at least two mounting parts can be partially the above-mentioned stepped surfaces and partially the above-mentioned grooves, or can be configured as adhesive members, etc. Figure 3As shown, when at least two mounting portions 22 are both step surfaces, at least two mounting portions 22 can be sequentially connected to form the step structure shown in the figure.

[0090] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, at least two stacked mounting portions are provided on the inner wall of the second protective tube, and an optical lens is installed on each mounting portion, thereby improving the mounting stability of the second lens group in the variable aperture assembly.

[0091] In some embodiments, combined Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, the second protective tube 21 is cylindrical, and the mounting portion 22 is annular.

[0092] Here, when the second protective tube is cylindrical, the mounting portion surrounds the inner wall of the second protective tube to form a circular ring. If the mounting portion is a stepped surface on the inner wall, the mounting portion is a circular stepped surface; if the mounting portion is a recessed groove on the inner wall, the mounting portion is a circular track.

[0093] Since the optical lenses and lens assemblies in the implementation scenario are mostly circular parts, the embodiment of the present disclosure sets the second protective tube to be cylindrical and the mounting portion to be annular, which can improve the rationality and practicality of the variable aperture assembly structural design.

[0094] In some embodiments, combined Figure 3 As shown, the variable aperture assembly 2 also includes a movable part ( Figure 3 Not shown) and the aperture blades 23 fixedly connected to the movable member;

[0095] The movable member is disposed in the second protective tube 21 and is located on a side of the second lens group 13 away from the first lens group 12 . The movable member can move relative to the central axis of the second protective tube 21 and drive the aperture blades 23 to move.

[0096] Here, the variable aperture structure proposed in the above embodiments of the present disclosure can be a movable part and aperture blades, and the movable part is arranged above the second lens group, between the light inlet and the second lens group; wherein the movable part serves as a motor rotor, and the second protective tube serves as a motor stator. The movable part can respond to the aperture adjustment requirements, move relative to the central axis of the second protective tube, and drive the aperture blades to move.

[0097] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the motor stator has a bearing area on the side close to the light inlet, and the motor rotor is arranged in the bearing area and can move within the bearing area; the aperture blades can move between the inside and outside of the bearing area following the movement of the motor rotor; wherein, during the movement of the aperture blades out of the bearing area, more of the aperture blade body structure will be gradually exposed, thereby increasing the coverage range of the aperture blades on the light inlet; conversely, during the movement of the aperture blades into the bearing area, the aperture blade body structure will gradually be hidden within the bearing area, thereby reducing the coverage range of the aperture blades on the light inlet.

[0098] In some examples, the motor rotor can rotate about the central axis of the motor stator and drive the aperture blades to rotate along the central axis; in other examples, the motor rotor can move toward (or away from) the central axis of the motor stator and drive the aperture blades to move toward (or away from) the central axis.

[0099] The embodiment of the present disclosure can adjust the coverage range of the light inlet of the variable aperture assembly by providing movable parts and aperture blades, thereby flexibly adjusting the amount of light entering the camera module.

[0100] In some embodiments, combined Figure 3 As shown, the variable aperture assembly 2 further includes a first driving member 24;

[0101] The first driving member 24 surrounds the second protective tube 21 and is electrically connected to the movable member for transmitting a first driving signal to the movable member;

[0102] The first driving signal is used to drive the movable member to move.

[0103] Here, the first driving member is arranged outside the second protective tube and is electrically connected to the movable member in the above-mentioned bearing area; the first driving member can receive a first driving signal and transmit the first driving signal to the movable member to control the movement of the movable member compared to the central axis of the second protective tube.

[0104] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the first drive signal has two level states, which correspond to different rotation directions of the movable part; illustratively, when the first drive signal is in a high level state, the first drive part drives the movable part to rotate in a clockwise direction around the central axis of the second protective tube, so that the movable part drives the aperture blades to rotate in a clockwise direction, thereby increasing the above-mentioned covering area and reducing the amount of light entering; when the first drive signal is in a low level state, the first drive part drives the movable part to rotate in a counterclockwise direction around the central axis of the second protective tube, so that the movable part drives the aperture blades to rotate in a counterclockwise direction, thereby reducing the above-mentioned covering area and increasing the amount of light entering.

[0105] It should be noted that the camera module is arranged in an electronic device, and the electronic device has a control module electrically connected to the above-mentioned first driving component. The control module can determine whether the amount of incoming light needs to be adjusted based on the shooting environment of the camera module; when the amount of incoming light needs to be adjusted, the first driving signal in a high-level state or a low-level state is transmitted to the first driving component to drive the variable aperture component to adjust the amount of incoming light.

[0106] The embodiment of the present disclosure can automatically and efficiently adjust the amount of light entering the camera module by providing a first driving component.

[0107] In some embodiments, the first driving member includes a flexible circuit board.

[0108] Here, the flexible circuit board has excellent flexibility and can be bent or folded, and after being bent or folded, it can surround the second protective tube. For example, if the second protective tube is cylindrical, the flexible circuit board can be bent to form a ring structure; if the second protective tube is prismatic, the flexible circuit board can be bent to form a polygonal structure.

[0109] Combine Figure 3 As shown, the first driving member 24 is a curved flexible circuit board.

[0110] In this way, the embodiment of the present disclosure sets the first driving component as a flexible circuit board, which can take advantage of the excellent flexibility of the flexible circuit board and reduce the structural occupancy of the first driving component in the camera module.

[0111] In some embodiments, combined Figure 3 , the camera module also includes a second driving member 3;

[0112] The second driving member 3 comprises a third protective tube 31 , a first conductive portion 32 and a second conductive portion 33 , wherein the first conductive portion 32 and the second conductive portion 33 are disposed in the third protective tube 31 ;

[0113] The first protective tube 11 is sleeved in the third protective tube 31, and the lens assembly 1 is electrically connected to the first conductive portion 32. The second driving member 3 is used to drive the lens assembly 1 to move in the third protective tube 31 via a second driving signal transmitted by the first conductive portion 32.

[0114] The first driving member 24 extends into the third protective tube 31 and is electrically connected to the second conductive portion 33 , so as to obtain the first driving signal transmitted by the second conductive portion 33 .

[0115] In the disclosed embodiment, the second driving member includes a third protective tube, which serves as an outer shell of the second driving member and is used to protect various conductive structures within the second driving member (e.g., the first conductive portion and the second conductive portion), as well as a portion of the lens assembly assembled within the third protective tube (the first protective tube and the first lens group therein). The third protective tube has a certain structural hardness and can be made of one or more of metal, plastic, or a composite material.

[0116] It should be noted that the inner wall of the third protective tube is provided with the aforementioned first and second conductive portions. The first conductive portion is electrically connected to a control module in the electronic device to receive a second drive signal generated by the control module. The second drive element can control the movement of the lens assembly within the third protective tube based on the second drive signal. The movement of the lens assembly within the third protective tube can enable the camera module to function in different shooting scenarios or improve the shooting effect in different shooting scenarios.

[0117] Here, the second driving signal also has different signal states. In different signal states, the second driving member can drive the lens assembly to be in different active states.

[0118] It should also be noted that when the first driving member is a flexible circuit board, the flexible circuit board can extend into the third protective tube and be electrically connected to the second conductive portion. This electrical connection can be achieved through spring contact or welding, and is not limited in this embodiment of the present disclosure. The second conductive portion is also electrically connected to a control module in the electronic device to obtain a first drive signal generated by the control module and transmit the first drive signal to the flexible circuit board to drive the movement of the movable member and aperture blades in the variable aperture assembly.

[0119] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 3 The image sensor 4 in the camera module is disposed below the second driver 3; the circuit board 5 in the camera module is disposed below the image sensor 4. During actual assembly, both the first conductive portion 32 and the second conductive portion 33 can be electrically connected to the circuit board 5. The electrical connection between the circuit board 5 and the control module enables the reception of the first and second drive signals.

[0120] The first driving member provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure can not only effectively protect the lens assembly, but also adjust the movement of the lens assembly to expand the functions of the camera module in different scenarios.

[0121] In some embodiments, the second driving member includes an anti-shake motor or a zoom motor.

[0122] In some examples, the second driving element may be an optical image stabilization (OIS) motor used to overcome the imaging blur problem caused by camera module vibration; wherein, the OIS motor in the embodiment of the present disclosure may be a three-axis OIS motor or a two-axis OIS motor.

[0123] Here, the OIS motor detects the tiny movements caused by the jitter of the electronic device through the gyroscope set in the camera module, obtains a sensing signal, and transmits the sensing signal to the control module through the first conductive part; the control module calculates the sensing signal to obtain the above-mentioned second driving signal; based on the second driving signal, the OIS motor drives the floating lens in the first lens group to move, so as to offset the tiny displacement caused by the above-mentioned jitter, thereby effectively overcoming the imaging blur problem caused by the vibration of the camera module.

[0124] In other examples, the second driving member may be a zoom motor, which may adjust the imaging focal length to obtain images and videos of different clarity.

[0125] Here, the zoom motor is electrically connected to the control module in the electronic device through the above-mentioned second conductive part, and is used to obtain a second drive signal and adjust the distance between each lens in the first lens group of the lens assembly through the second drive signal; exemplarily, in response to different second drive signals, the zoom motor can drive one or more lens lenses in the first lens group to move toward the direction close to the second lens group to increase the focal length, or drive one or more lens lenses in the first lens group to move toward the direction close to the image sensor below to reduce the focal length.

[0126] Here, the zoom motor includes a stepping motor, a voice coil motor, etc., and the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to this.

[0127] In the disclosed embodiment, the second driving member can be configured as a zoom motor or an anti-shake motor to improve the optical acquisition effect of the camera module from different aspects, thereby effectively improving the quality of the final image.

[0128] In other embodiments of the present disclosure, the second driving member may also be a macro motor, etc., which is not limited in the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0129] The present disclosure also provides an electronic device, wherein the electronic device includes:

[0130] case;

[0131] The camera module in the above embodiment is installed in the housing.

[0132] Here, the electronic device can be a separate camera product, or an electronic product with a camera function, such as a mobile terminal or a portable device, etc.; among them, camera products include but are not limited to conference room cameras, car cameras, etc.; mobile terminals include but are not limited to mobile phones, tablets, etc.; portable devices include but are not limited to smart watches, etc., and the embodiments of the present disclosure do not impose further restrictions on this.

[0133] For example, taking an electronic device including a mobile phone or a tablet computer as an example, the shell includes a back shell or a middle frame; the back shell and the middle frame are used to support and protect some functional modules in the electronic device, such as a battery module, a display module, etc.

[0134] The disclosed embodiments further provide a camera opening at the top of the back shell or middle frame, and during assembly of the electronic device, a camera module is mounted in the camera opening. A protective module is also provided at the camera opening, covering the camera opening and the camera module to protect the variable aperture assembly and lens assembly within the camera module. Exemplarily, the protective module includes protective glass.

[0135] It should be noted that when the above-mentioned camera module is set in a mobile phone or tablet computer, it can be set on the screen side of the electronic device and used as a front camera module; it can also be set on the back shell side of the electronic device and used as a rear camera module.

[0136] In the electronic device of the embodiment of the present disclosure, at least two optical lenses in the camera module are located in the variable aperture assembly, so the overall height of the camera module can be significantly reduced, which is conducive to achieving the overall thickness of the electronic device being lighter and thinner, and improving the appearance performance of the electronic device.

[0137] In some embodiments, the electronic device further comprises:

[0138] The control module is arranged in the housing and electrically connected to the first conductive part and the second conductive part in the camera module, and is used to transmit a first driving signal to the first conductive part and a second driving signal to the second conductive part.

[0139] Here, the control module is disposed on the housing, such as the back shell or middle frame described above; the control module includes a central processing unit (CPU), which is a core component in electronic devices for computing and control. In the disclosed embodiment, the CPU can be connected to a circuit board in the camera module to obtain an electrical signal generated by the image sensor based on the optical signal, and perform image processing such as format conversion, image optimization, and correction based on the electrical signal to generate an image.

[0140] In the disclosed embodiment, the camera module includes a variable aperture assembly. A first driver of the variable aperture assembly is electrically connected to a control module via a second conductive portion. The control module can, in response to a user's aperture adjustment command, issue a first drive signal to the first driver, or automatically issue the first drive signal to the first driver based on an assessment of the captured scene. This allows the control module to adjust the range of motion of the aperture blades of the variable aperture assembly based on the actual image capture scenario or user needs, thereby further adjusting the amount of light entering the camera module.

[0141] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the control module is also electrically connected to the second conductive member in the second driving member; in this way, the control module can also send a second driving signal to the second driving member in response to the user's zoom adjustment instruction, or automatically send a second driving signal to the second driving member based on an assessment of the imaging clarity.

[0142] In this way, the embodiment of the present disclosure can realize more functions of the camera module and improve the practicality of the camera module by controlling the electrical connection between the module and the first conductive part and the second conductive part.

[0143] The following describes the camera module by taking a mobile phone as an example of the electronic device proposed in the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0144] See also Figure 4 , Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the assembly structure of a camera module according to an exemplary embodiment; Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the first few optical lenses of the lens assembly 1 are assembled onto the second protective tube 21 (motor stator) of the variable aperture assembly 2; wherein, the inner wall of the second protective tube 21 is provided with a step surface for the optical lenses to bear on, and these optical lenses can be overlapped on the step surface and fixed by glue; the last few optical lenses of the lens assembly 1 are located in the first protective tube 11 (lens barrel) of the lens assembly 1, and form a complete optical system with the first few optical lenses located in the second protective tube 21, and then the assembled lens assembly 1 and the variable aperture assembly 2 are assembled with the OIS motor.

[0145] The camera module proposed in the embodiment of the present disclosure can reduce the safety avoidance gap set in the horizontal and vertical directions between the lens assembly and the variable aperture assembly, thereby not only reducing the head size of the variable aperture assembly, but also effectively reducing the height of the camera module. It can not only realize the variable aperture function and ensure shooting performance, but also realize the lightweight and thinness of the mobile phone and improve the appearance performance of the mobile phone.

[0146] Here, in the actual production products, the camera module of the embodiment of the present disclosure can reduce the head size, i.e., the diameter, of the variable aperture assembly by at least 1.2 millimeters (mm) and reduce the overall height of the camera module by at least 0.4 mm compared to the traditional camera module.

[0147] Figure 5 5 is a block diagram of an electronic device according to an exemplary embodiment. For example, the electronic device 500 may be a mobile phone, a computer, a digital broadcast terminal, a messaging device, a game console, a tablet device, a medical device, a fitness device, a personal digital assistant, etc.

[0148] Reference Figure 5 , the electronic device 500 may include one or more of the following components: a processing component 502 , a memory 504 , a power supply component 506 , a multimedia component 508 , an audio component 510 , an input / output interface 512 , a sensor component 514 , and a communication component 516 .

[0149] The processing component 502 generally controls the overall operation of the electronic device 500, such as operations associated with at least one of display, phone calls, data communications, camera operation, and recording operations. The processing component 502 may include one or more processors 520 to execute instructions to perform all or part of the steps of the above-described method. In addition, the processing component 502 may include one or more modules to facilitate interaction between the processing component 502 and other components. For example, the processing component 502 may include a multimedia module to facilitate interaction between the multimedia component 508 and the processing component 502.

[0150] The memory 504 is configured to store various types of data to support operations on the electronic device 500. Examples of such data include at least one of the following: instructions for any application or method operating on the electronic device 500, contact data, phone book data, messages, pictures, and videos. The memory 504 can be implemented by any type of volatile or non-volatile storage device, or a combination thereof, such as static random access memory (SRAM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), read-only memory (ROM), magnetic memory, flash memory, magnetic disk, or optical disk.

[0151] The power supply component 506 provides power to various components of the electronic device 500. The power supply component 506 may include at least one of the following: a power management system, one or more power supplies, and other components associated with generating, managing, and distributing power to the electronic device 500.

[0152] The multimedia component 508 includes a screen that provides an output interface between the electronic device 500 and the user. In some embodiments, the screen may include a liquid crystal display (LCD) and a touch panel (TP). If the screen includes a touch panel, the screen may be implemented as a touch screen to receive input signals from the user. The touch panel includes one or more touch sensors to sense touches, slides, and gestures on the touch panel. The touch sensor can not only sense the boundaries of a touch or slide action, but also detect the duration and pressure associated with the touch or slide operation. In some embodiments, the multimedia component 508 includes the camera module described above in the present disclosure, which may be a front camera module and / or a rear camera module. When the electronic device 500 is in an operating mode, such as a shooting mode or a video mode, the front camera module and / or the rear camera module can receive external multimedia data. Each front camera module and the rear camera module can be a fixed optical lens system or have focal length and optical zoom capabilities.

[0153] The audio component 510 is configured to output and / or input audio signals. For example, the audio component 510 includes a microphone (MIC), which is configured to receive external audio signals when the electronic device 500 is in an operating mode, such as a call mode, a recording mode, and a voice recognition mode. The received audio signal can be further stored in the memory 504 or transmitted via the communication component 516. In some embodiments, the audio component 510 also includes a speaker for outputting audio signals.

[0154] The input / output interface 512 provides an interface between the processing component 502 and peripheral interface modules, such as a keyboard, a click wheel, and buttons. These buttons may include, but are not limited to, a home button, a volume button, a start button, and a lock button.

[0155] The sensor assembly 514 includes one or more sensors for providing various aspects of the status assessment of the electronic device 500. For example, the sensor assembly 514 can detect the open / closed state of the electronic device 500, the relative positioning of components, such as the display and keypad of the electronic device 500. The sensor assembly 514 can also detect changes in the position of the electronic device 500 or a component thereof, the presence or absence of user contact with the electronic device 500, the orientation or acceleration / deceleration of the electronic device 500, and changes in the temperature of the electronic device 500. The sensor assembly 514 can include a proximity sensor configured to detect the presence of nearby objects without any physical contact. The sensor assembly 514 can also include an optical sensor, such as a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) or charge coupled device (CCD) image sensor, for use in imaging applications. In some embodiments, the sensor assembly 514 can also include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a magnetic sensor, a pressure sensor, and a temperature sensor.

[0156] The communication component 516 is configured to facilitate communication between the electronic device 500 and other devices in a wired or wireless manner. The electronic device 500 can access a wireless network based on a communication standard, such as Wi-Fi, 4G, 5G, or a combination thereof. In an exemplary embodiment, the communication component 516 receives a broadcast signal or broadcast-related information from an external broadcast management system via a broadcast channel. In an exemplary embodiment, the communication component 516 also includes a near field communication (NFC) module to facilitate short-range communication. For example, the NFC module can be implemented based on radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, infrared data association (IrDA) technology, ultra wide band (UWB) technology, Bluetooth (BT) technology and other technologies.

[0157] In an exemplary embodiment, the electronic device 500 may be implemented by one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, or other electronic components.

[0158] Other embodiments of the present disclosure will readily occur to those skilled in the art after considering the specification and practicing the utility model disclosed herein. This disclosure is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the present disclosure that follow the general principles of the present disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The description and examples are to be considered as exemplary only, with the true scope and spirit of the present disclosure being indicated by the claims.

[0159] It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the exact structures that have been described above and shown in the drawings, and that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope thereof. The scope of the present disclosure is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A camera module, characterized in that: include: A lens assembly comprising a first protective tube, and a first lens group and a second lens group stacked together, wherein the first lens group is located within the first protective tube, and the second lens group is exposed from an opening of the first protective tube. A variable aperture assembly having a second protective tube, the second protective tube being installed at the opening of the first protective tube and surrounding the second lens group; Wherein, the second lens group includes at least two optical lenses arranged in a stacked manner.

2. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein: The outer diameter of the optical lens in the first lens group is greater than the outer diameter of the optical lens in the second lens group.

3. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein: The variable aperture assembly is further provided with a mounting portion, and the mounting portion is formed on the inner wall of the second protective tube; At least two optical lenses of the second lens group are fixedly mounted on the mounting portion.

4. The camera module according to claim 3, wherein: The mounting portion is a groove formed by the inner wall of the second protective tube being recessed toward the outer wall, and the optical lens of the second lens group is snap-fitted and mounted in the groove; or, The mounting portion is a stepped surface formed on the inner wall of the second protective tube, and the optical lens of the second lens group is overlapped on the stepped surface.

5. The camera module according to claim 3, wherein: The camera module also includes a first adhesive component, which is arranged on the mounting portion and is used to bond the optical lens and the mounting portion.

6. The camera module according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein: The mounting parts include at least two, and the at least two mounting parts are stacked; Each optical lens of the second lens group is arranged on a corresponding mounting portion.

7. The camera module according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein: The second protective tube is cylindrical, and the mounting portion is annular.

8. The camera module according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The variable aperture assembly further includes a movable part and aperture blades fixedly connected to the movable part; The movable member is disposed in the second protective tube and is located on a side of the second lens group away from the first lens group; wherein the movable member can move relative to the central axis of the second protective tube and drive the aperture blades to move.

9. The camera module according to claim 8, wherein: The variable aperture assembly further includes a first driving member; The first driving member surrounds the second protective tube and is electrically connected to the movable member for transmitting a first driving signal to the movable member; Wherein, the first driving signal is used to drive the movable member to move.

10. The camera module according to claim 9, wherein: The first driving member includes a flexible circuit board.

11. The camera module according to claim 9, wherein: The camera module further includes a second driving member; The second driving member comprises a third protective tube, a first conductive portion and a second conductive portion, wherein the first conductive portion and the second conductive portion are disposed in the third protective tube; The first protective tube is sleeved in the third protective tube, and the lens assembly is electrically connected to the first conductive part; The second driving member is used to drive the lens assembly to move in the third protective tube through the second driving signal transmitted by the first conductive part; The first driving member extends into the third protective tube and is electrically connected to the second conductive portion, so as to obtain the first driving signal transmitted by the second conductive portion.

12. The camera module according to claim 11, wherein: The second driving member includes an anti-shake motor or a zoom motor.

13. An electronic device, characterized in that: include: case; The camera module according to any one of claims 1 to 12, mounted in the housing.

14. The electronic device according to claim 13, wherein: The electronic device further comprises: The control module is arranged in the housing and electrically connected to the first conductive part and the second conductive part in the camera module, and is used to transmit a first driving signal to the first conductive part and a second driving signal to the second conductive part.

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