Lens module and vehicle-mounted camera

Abstract

The utility model relates to a lens module and a vehicle-mounted camera. The lens module comprises a lens which comprises a lens main body and a fixing part connected to the lens main body; the serial plate is fixedly arranged on the fixing part; the MEMS element is fixedly arranged and electrically connected to the serial plate; the photosensitive assembly comprises a sensor plate and a photosensitive chip, the sensor plate comprises a rigid plate body fixedly arranged on the MEMS element and a flexible plate body extending outwards from one side of the rigid plate body, the flexible plate body is electrically connected to the serial plate, and the photosensitive chip is arranged and electrically connected to the rigid plate body; and the temperature detection element is arranged in the lens main body and is electrically connected with the serial plate. According to the lens module provided by the invention, the MEMS element is controlled through the control circuit of the serial plate, the sensor plate can float up and down in a small range, and the offset of an imaging surface caused by thermal expansion and cold contraction of a component due to temperature is compensated by utilizing the floating, so that the clear imaging of a vehicle-mounted camera is kept.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of camera module technology, and in particular to lens modules and vehicle cameras. Background Technology

[0002] With the technological advancements in automotive cameras, people's demands for vehicle safety levels are increasing, leading to higher requirements for the imaging performance of automotive cameras. Currently, automotive cameras commonly suffer from temperature drift, a problem where internal components expand and contract slightly with temperature changes. This causes the lens to shift focus, resulting in an image shift and blurring of the camera module's image. The sharpness of the image produced by the camera module is a crucial indicator of its imaging performance; therefore, resolving the temperature drift problem is essential.

[0003] Currently available camera modules typically reduce the impact of temperature changes by using components made of different materials, but this solution cannot completely eliminate the temperature drift problem. Utility Model Content

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a lens module and an in-vehicle camera to address the temperature drift problem in existing in-vehicle cameras.

[0005] A lens module, comprising:

[0006] The lens includes a lens body and a fixing part connected to the lens body;

[0007] A serial board, which is fixedly disposed in the fixing part;

[0008] MEMS elements, wherein the MEMS elements are fixedly mounted and electrically connected to the serial board;

[0009] A photosensitive assembly, comprising a sensor plate and a photosensitive chip, wherein the sensor plate includes a rigid plate fixed to the MEMS element and a flexible plate extending outward from one side of the rigid plate, the flexible plate being electrically connected to the serial plate, and the photosensitive chip being disposed on and electrically connected to the rigid plate; and

[0010] A temperature sensing element is disposed inside the lens body and electrically connected to the serial board.

[0011] In some embodiments, the photosensitive component further includes a board-to-board connector electrically connected to the flexible plate and the serial plate, respectively.

[0012] In some embodiments, the serial board is provided with a plurality of pins, and the flexible plate is soldered to the pins.

[0013] In some embodiments, a welding layer is provided between the flexible plate and the serial plate to weld the flexible plate to the serial plate.

[0014] In some embodiments, the serial board has a connection hole, and the flexible plate is inserted into and welded to the connection hole.

[0015] In some embodiments, the photosensitive chip is encapsulated in the rigid plate.

[0016] In some embodiments, the photosensitive chip has a temperature register located within the lens body.

[0017] In some embodiments, the connection between the flexible plate and the serial plate is located inside the fixing part.

[0018] In some embodiments, a through opening is provided on the side of the fixing part, and the flexible plate extends from the inside of the fixing part through the through opening to the outside of the fixing part, so that the connection between the flexible plate and the serial plate is located on the outside of the fixing part.

[0019] A vehicle-mounted camera, comprising:

[0020] Lens modules as described above; and

[0021] The camera body, and the lens module is mounted on the camera body.

[0022] The lens module of this application can control the MEMS components through the control circuit of the serial board, enabling the sensor board to float slightly up and down. This floating is used to compensate for the displacement of the imaging surface caused by the thermal expansion and contraction of the components due to temperature, thereby maintaining the clarity of the image from the vehicle camera. When the lens module of this application is affected by temperature, and the lens expands and contracts, the distance between the lens and the photosensitive chip changes, causing the imaging surface of the lens to shift vertically. This results in the imaging surface of the lens and the imaging surface of the photosensitive chip becoming misaligned, making the image of the lens module blurry. At this time, the control circuit of the serial board can drive the MEMS components to move the rigid plate up or down, adjusting the height of the photosensitive chip, compensating for the displacement of the imaging surface, and making the image of the lens module clear. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of a vehicle-mounted camera provided for one embodiment of this application;

[0024] Figure 2 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of a first example of a lens module for an in-vehicle camera according to the above embodiments of this application is shown;

[0025] Figure 3 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of a second example of a lens module for an in-vehicle camera according to the above embodiments of this application is shown;

[0026] Figure 4 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of a third example of a lens module for an in-vehicle camera according to the above embodiments of this application is shown;

[0027] Figure 5 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of a fourth example of a lens module for an in-vehicle camera according to the above embodiments of this application is shown;

[0028] Figure 6 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of a fifth example of a lens module for an in-vehicle camera according to the above embodiments of this application is shown;

[0029] Figure 7 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of a sixth example of a lens module for an in-vehicle camera according to the above embodiments of this application is shown.

[0030] Reference numerals: 10, Lens module; 11, Lens; 111, Lens body; 112, Fixing part; 113, Through port; 12, Serial board; 121, Connecting hole; 13, MEMS component; 14, Photosensitive assembly; 141, Sensor board; 1411, Rigid board; 1412, Flexible board; 142, Photosensitive chip; 143, Board-to-board connector; 144, Pin; 145, Solder layer; 20, Camera body; 21, Upper shell; 22, Lower shell; 23, Connector; 30, Hot riveting head. Detailed Implementation

[0031] To make the above-mentioned objects, features, and advantages of this utility model more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of this utility model will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a full understanding of this utility model. However, this utility model can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of this utility model. Therefore, this utility model is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0032] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this utility model.

[0033] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this utility model, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0034] In this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise explicitly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances.

[0035] In this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0036] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may be an intervening element. When an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.

[0037] Addressing the issue of temperature drift in existing automotive cameras, this application provides a lens module and an automotive camera. The lens module uses circuitry to control MEMS components, enabling the sensor board to float slightly up and down. This floating motion compensates for the displacement of the imaging surface caused by thermal expansion and contraction of components, thereby maintaining clear imaging from the automotive camera.

[0038] Specifically, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 In some embodiments, the lens module 10 of this application may include a lens 11, a serial plate 12, a MEMS element 13, a photosensitive assembly 14, and a temperature detection element. The lens 11 includes a lens body 111 and a fixing portion 112 connected to the lens body 111. The serial plate 12 is fixed to the fixing portion 112. The MEMS element 13 is fixed and electrically connected to the serial plate 12. The photosensitive assembly 14 includes a sensor plate 141 (i.e., a sensor board) and a photosensitive chip 142. The sensor plate 141 includes a rigid plate 1411 fixed to the MEMS element 13 and a flexible plate 1412 extending outward from one side of the rigid plate 1411. The flexible plate 1412 is electrically connected to the serial plate 12, and the photosensitive chip 142 is disposed on and electrically connected to the rigid plate 1411.

[0039] It is understood that the MEMS element 13 (i.e., micro-electromechanical element) can be controlled by the control circuit of the serial board 12, causing the element located on it to float up and down. The rigid plate 1411 is fixed on the MEMS element 13 and connected to the serial board 12 through the flexible plate 1412, so that the rigid plate 1411 has a range of motion for floating up and down and can be driven up and down by the MEMS element 13. Based on the micron-level micro-deformation capability of the MEMS element 13, the height of the rigid plate 1411 can be precisely adjusted, thereby precisely adjusting the distance between the photosensitive chip 142 located on the rigid plate 1411 and the lens 11, so that the imaging surface of the lens 11 is always aligned with the imaging surface of the photosensitive chip 142, thereby achieving compensation for the focal length of the lens 11.

[0040] When the lens module 10 of this application is affected by temperature, the lens 11 expands and contracts with temperature, and the distance between the lens 11 and the photosensitive chip 142 changes. The imaging surface of the lens 11 shifts vertically, causing the imaging surface of the lens 11 and the imaging surface of the photosensitive chip 142 to become misaligned, resulting in a blurry image of the lens module 10. At this time, the control circuit of the serial board 12 can drive the MEMS element 13 to move the rigid plate 1411 up or down to adjust the height of the photosensitive chip 142, compensate for the shift of the imaging surface, and make the image of the lens module 10 clear.

[0041] In this way, the lens module 10 of this application can compensate for the vertical displacement of the imaging surface caused by the thermal expansion and contraction of the components due to temperature influence through the MEMS element 13. Furthermore, the lens module 10 of this application is an integrated lens structure, which is less affected by the thermal expansion and contraction caused by temperature changes. The displacement of the imaging surface caused by temperature drift is small. By using the MEMS element 13, the displacement of the imaging surface can be compensated, and the lens module 10 can maintain the performance of clear imaging.

[0042] Optionally, in some embodiments, the center of the MEMS element 13 and the center of the photosensitive chip 142 coincide. In other words, the photosensitive chip 142 is uniformly disposed above the MEMS element 13, so that the MEMS element 13 can uniformly and smoothly drive the photosensitive chip 142 to move.

[0043] Optionally, a signal connection is required between the sensor board 141 and the serial board 12. In some embodiments, the sensor board 141 can be connected by means of board-to-board connector connection, pin soldering, FPC hot soldering, soldering, etc.

[0044] For example, such as Figure 2The diagram shown is a cross-sectional view of a first example of the lens module 10 of this application. In this first example, the photosensitive component 14 of this application further includes a board-to-board connector 143, which is electrically connected to the flexible plate 1412 and the serial plate 12, respectively. This configuration provides the board-to-board connector 143 with good design flexibility, allowing for raising the end of the flexible plate 1412 and providing more floating margin for the rigid plate 1411 while maintaining the length of the flexible plate 1412. Furthermore, the board-to-board connector 143 is easy to plug and unplug, facilitating assembly, subsequent replacement, and maintenance. During assembly, the male and female heads of the board-to-board connector 143 can be soldered to the serial board 12 and the flexible board 1412 respectively, and then the rigid board 1411 can be fixed to the MEMS component. Finally, the male and female heads of the board-to-board connector 143 can be plugged together. During subsequent replacement and maintenance, the male and female heads of the board-to-board connector 143 can be directly disconnected without the need for soldering tools.

[0045] For example, such as Figure 3 The diagram shown is a cross-sectional view of a second example of the lens module 10 of this application. In this second example, the serial board 12 of this application is provided with a plurality of pins 144, and the flexible plate 1412 is soldered to the pins 144. In other words, the flexible plate 1412 can be connected to the serial board 12 by soldering the pins 144. With this configuration, the welding structure between the flexible plate 1412 and the serial board 12 is simple. During welding, the pins 144 can be passed through the flexible plate 1412, and then the flexible plate 1412 and the pins 144 can be soldered together to form a stable connection structure, avoiding connection problems such as poor contact, thereby significantly reducing the failure rate of the lens module 10.

[0046] For example, such as Figure 4 The diagram shown is a cross-sectional view of a third example of the lens module 10 of this application. In this third example, a welding layer 145 is provided between the flexible plate 1412 and the serial plate 12 to weld the flexible plate 1412 to the serial plate 12. The welding layer 145 is formed by placing welding material between the flexible plate 1412 and the serial plate 12, and pressing the upper surface of the flexible plate 1412 with a hot riveting head 30 to melt the welding material. The entire welding process is simple to operate and can improve the welding efficiency of the flexible plate 1412 and the serial plate 12, thereby improving the assembly efficiency of the lens module 10.

[0047] For example, such as Figure 5The diagram shown is a cross-sectional view of a fourth example of the lens module 10 of this application. In this fourth example, the serial board 12 of this application has a connection hole 121, and the flexible plate 1412 is inserted into and soldered to the connection hole 121. With this configuration, when soldering the flexible plate 1412 to the serial board 12, the flexible plate 1412 can be inserted into the connection hole 121 first, and the flexible plate 1412 can be pre-fixed through the connection hole 121. Then, the flexible plate 1412 is soldered and fixed by the connection hole 121, which makes the welding structure highly reliable and saves welding space, making it suitable for some lens modules 10 with small internal space.

[0048] Optionally, such as Figure 1 and Figure 6 As shown, Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the fifth example of the lens module 10 of this application. The photosensitive chip 142 of this application is packaged in the rigid plate 1411. In the first example of this application, the photosensitive chip 142 can be packaged in the rigid plate 1411 using BGA (Ball Grid Array) packaging technology. The BGA packaging process has solder balls with short connection paths, which enables the photosensitive chip 142 to maintain excellent signal transmission performance and ensure that the photosensitive chip 142 can transmit signals stably. In the fifth example of this application, the photosensitive chip 142 can also be packaged in the rigid plate 1411 using COB (Chip-on-Board) packaging technology. The package structure formed by the COB packaging process has low thermal resistance, which helps the heat dissipation of the photosensitive chip 142 and ensures the operational stability of the photosensitive chip 142.

[0049] Optionally, such as Figure 1 As shown, in the first example of this application, the connection between the flexible plate 1412 and the serial plate 12 is located inside the fixing part 112. With this configuration, all the photosensitive components 14 of this application are located inside the fixing part 112, which can avoid external stray light interference, reduce the generation of ghost images, and improve the imaging effect of the lens module 10.

[0050] Optionally, in some embodiments, the photosensitive chip 142 of this application has a temperature register located inside the lens body 111. The temperature register can detect the temperature change inside the lens 11 in real time and output a temperature signal value to the serial board 12. The control circuit of the serial board 12 can control the MEMS element 13 to drive the rigid plate 1411 to float up or down according to the temperature signal value, so as to more accurately compensate for the offset of the imaging surface.

[0051] It is worth noting that the lens module 10 of this application may further include a temperature detection element, which is disposed within the lens body 111 and electrically connected to the serial board 12. This temperature detection element can further detect temperature changes inside the lens 11, and can work with a temperature register to more accurately monitor the temperature changes of the lens, thereby more accurately compensating for the offset of the imaging plane.

[0052] Optionally, such as Figure 7 The diagram shown is a cross-sectional view of a sixth example of the lens module 10 of this application. In this sixth example, a through-hole 113 is provided on the side of the fixing part 112. The flexible plate 1412 extends from the inside of the fixing part 112 through the through-hole 113 to the outside of the fixing part 112 and is electrically connected to the serial plate 12. By providing a through-hole 113 on the fixing part 112 and placing the connection between the flexible plate 1412 and the serial plate 12 on the outside of the fixing part 112, the space required for the photosensitive component 14 can be reduced, which is beneficial for miniaturizing the lens module 10.

[0053] Optionally, in some embodiments, the rigid plate 1411 of this application can be glued to the upper surface of the MEMS element 13. This arrangement can not only reduce the screw assembly steps and the overall assembly process of the lens module, shorten the assembly time, but also save material costs.

[0054] Optionally, in some embodiments, the serial plate 12 of this application can be glued to the fixing part 112 of the lens 11.

[0055] Furthermore, such as Figure 1 As shown, this application provides a vehicle-mounted camera, which may include any of the lens modules 10 described above and a camera body 20, with the lens module 10 mounted on the camera body 20. This vehicle-mounted camera, through its lens module 10 capable of compensating for temperature drift, can maintain clear and reliable imaging under various temperature environments, thereby significantly improving the safety performance of the vehicle.

[0056] Optionally, in some embodiments, the camera body 20 of the vehicle-mounted camera may include an upper shell 21, a lower shell 22, and a connector 23. The lens 11 of the lens module 10 is fixed to the upper shell 21, or the lens 11 of the lens module 10 may be integrally formed with the upper shell 21. The lower shell 22 is fixed to the upper shell 21. The connector 23 is fixed to the back of the serial board 12 of the lens module 10 and can pass through the lower shell 22 to connect with the vehicle's control system to transmit image information.

[0057] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0058] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementations of this utility model, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the utility model patent. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this utility model, and these all fall within the protection scope of this utility model. Therefore, the protection scope of this utility model patent should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A lens module, characterized in that, The lens comprises: a lens body and a fixed part connected to the lens body; a serial board fixed to the fixed part; a MEMS element fixed and electrically connected to the serial board; and a photosensitive assembly comprising a sensor board and a photosensitive chip, the sensor board comprising a rigid plate body fixed to the MEMS element and a flexible plate body extending outward from one side of the rigid plate body, the flexible plate body being electrically connected to the serial board, and the photosensitive chip being disposed and electrically connected to the rigid plate body.

2. The lens module according to claim 1, wherein, The photosensitive assembly further comprises a board-to-board connector electrically connected to the flexible plate body and the serial board, respectively.

3. The lens module according to claim 1, wherein, The serial board is provided with a plurality of pins, and the flexible plate body is welded to the pins.

4. The lens module according to claim 1, wherein, A welding layer is provided between the flexible plate body and the serial board to weld the flexible plate body to the serial board.

5. The lens module according to claim 1, wherein, The serial board is provided with a connecting hole, and the flexible plate body is inserted and welded in the connecting hole.

6. The lens module according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The photosensitive chip is packaged in the rigid plate body.

7. The lens module according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The photosensitive chip has a temperature register located in the lens body. 8.The lens module according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein, The connection between the flexible plate body and the serial board is located on the inner side of the fixed part. 9.The lens module according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein, The side of the fixed part is provided with a through hole, and the flexible plate body extends from the inner side of the fixed part to the outer side of the fixed part through the through hole, so that the connection between the flexible plate body and the serial board is located on the outer side of the fixed part.

10. A vehicle camera, characterized by comprising: The lens module comprises: the lens module according to any one of claims 1 to 9; and a camera body, wherein the lens module is installed in the camera body.

Images