Camera module and electronic device

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a camera module and an electronic device. The camera module includes a plurality of target optical devices, each of which includes an antenna branch. An array of the plurality of antenna branches is arranged. In the embodiment, the antenna branches are arranged in the plurality of target optical devices to form an array antenna unit, so as to make full use of the exclusive space of the camera module, and facilitate meeting the miniaturization requirement of the electronic device using the camera module. In addition, the camera module is arranged at a position of the electronic device, which facilitates reducing or avoiding the case of being blocked by hands, so that the radiation performance of the antenna branches is more stable and reliable.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of electronic device technology, and more particularly to a camera module and electronic device. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of wireless communication technology, millimeter waves can carry large amounts of data, making them suitable for efficient data exchange between users and systems. However, millimeter waves also have drawbacks (poor ability to penetrate media and high loss during penetration), which poses difficulties for deploying millimeter wave antennas on mobile terminals. Utility Model Content

[0003] To overcome the problems existing in related technologies, this disclosure provides a camera module and electronic device.

[0004] According to a first aspect of this disclosure, a camera module is provided, comprising:

[0005] Multiple target optical devices, each of the target optical devices including an antenna stub, wherein the multiple antenna stubs are arranged in an array.

[0006] In some embodiments, the target optical device includes a device body and a decorative element, the decorative element being disposed around the outside of the device body;

[0007] At least a portion of the structure of the decorative element constitutes the antenna stub.

[0008] In some embodiments, the array shape of the plurality of antenna stubs includes any one of a linear array, a triangular array, or a rectangular array.

[0009] In some embodiments, four target optical devices are provided, and the four target optical devices are arranged in a 2×2 square array.

[0010] In some embodiments, the camera module further includes a power supply unit electrically connected to at least a portion of the antenna stub.

[0011] In some embodiments, multiple power supply units are provided, and the multiple power supply units are connected to the multiple antenna stubs in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0012] In some embodiments, the feed section is electrically connected to a portion of the antenna stub;

[0013] Among them, the antenna stubs electrically connected to the power supply unit form main stubs, and the antenna stubs not electrically connected to the power supply unit form parasitic stubs.

[0014] In some embodiments, the antenna stub includes:

[0015] Feed position: The distance between the feed positions of two adjacent antenna stubs is greater than or equal to half a preset wavelength, where the preset wavelength is the radiation wavelength of the antenna stub.

[0016] Two grounding positions are located on either side of the feed position, along the circumferential direction of the antenna stub.

[0017] In some embodiments, the feed location is located on a side away from the adjacent antenna stub.

[0018] In some embodiments, the distance between the two grounding locations on the same antenna stub is half a preset wavelength, where the preset wavelength is the radiation wavelength of the antenna stub.

[0019] In some embodiments, the target optical device includes any one or more of a camera, a fill light, and a sensor.

[0020] According to a second aspect of this disclosure, an electronic device is provided, characterized in that it includes a camera module as described in the first aspect.

[0021] The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this disclosure may include the following beneficial effects: antenna stubs are set in multiple target optical devices to form an array antenna unit, making full use of the space occupied by the camera module, which is conducive to meeting the miniaturization requirements of electronic devices that use the camera module; and the position of the camera module in the electronic device helps to reduce or avoid the situation of being blocked by hand, making the radiation performance of the antenna stubs more stable and reliable.

[0022] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not intended to limit this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0023] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this disclosure.

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an electronic device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A magnified view of region A in the middle.

[0026] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of an electronic device according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of an electronic device according to yet another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0028] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numerals in different drawings denote the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with this disclosure. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of this disclosure as detailed in the appended claims.

[0029] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this disclosure provides a camera module and an electronic device. The camera module includes multiple target optical devices, each of which includes an antenna stub, and the multiple antenna stubs are arranged in an array. This embodiment sets antenna stubs within the multiple target optical devices to form an array antenna unit, fully utilizing the space occupied by the camera module and facilitating the miniaturization requirements of electronic devices using this camera module. Furthermore, the camera module's position within the overall electronic device helps reduce or prevent obstruction by hand handling, resulting in more stable and reliable radiation performance of the antenna stubs.

[0030] According to an exemplary embodiment, such as Figure 1 As shown, this embodiment provides a camera module 10, which has at least the function of acquiring image information. The camera module 10 provided in this embodiment can be used as a standalone electronic product, or as a modular accessory in electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, or laptops.

[0031] like Figure 1 As shown, the camera module 10 includes multiple optical devices, at least some of which are target optical devices, and the target optical devices include antenna stubs 11.

[0032] In this process, the choice of which optical element to use as the target optical element can be determined based on the required placement of the antenna stub 11; alternatively, the choice of which optical elements to use as target optical elements can be determined based on their relative positions, so that the antenna stubs 11 among the multiple target optical elements form an antenna array. See also the example provided. Figure 1 The camera module 10 includes four optical components, all of which are target optical components. In another example (not shown in the figures), the camera module 10 includes five optical components, three of which are target optical components.

[0033] Based on the fact that the camera module 10 in the related technology has a dedicated space and low space utilization, in this embodiment, the antenna stub 11 is set in the target optical device of the camera module 10 and forms an array antenna unit, which improves the utilization of the dedicated space of the camera module 10 and enables the electronic device using the camera module 10 to achieve miniaturization design; in addition, the camera module 10 is usually set in a position that is not easily blocked when the electronic device is held, thus having a good clearance area and higher antenna signal reliability.

[0034] In one exemplary embodiment, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, this embodiment provides a camera module 10, which includes multiple target optical devices, each of which includes an antenna stub 11, and the multiple antenna stubs 11 are arranged in an array.

[0035] The target optical device includes the device body and decorative parts. The device body, as the main body of the target optical device, is used to realize its main functions. The target optical device can be any one or more of a camera, a fill light, and a sensor. The camera has the function of capturing and acquiring image information, and cameras include, but are not limited to, main lenses, wide-angle lenses, telephoto lenses, and macro lenses. The fill light is used to emit illumination light. The sensor includes, but is not limited to, ToF (Time-of-Flight) sensors, ambient light sensors, color temperature sensors, etc.

[0036] The decorative element is positioned around the outer side of the device body. It is typically made of metal, which provides a better texture and higher structural strength, thus both decorating and protecting the device body. The decorative element can be ring-shaped, arc-shaped (e.g., by creating a slit within a ring structure), etc., to surround the outer perimeter of the device body. In one example, the decorative element could be a metal decorative ring surrounding a lens.

[0037] In this embodiment, at least a portion of the decorative element constitutes antenna branch 11. In one example, the entire structure of the decorative element constitutes antenna branch 11. In another example, a portion of the structure of the decorative element constitutes antenna branch 11.

[0038] It is understandable that decorative elements, as components used to protect the main body of the device, are typically placed on the outermost side of the camera module 10. In this embodiment, by setting the decorative element as an antenna stub 11, the antenna stub 11 does not need to pass through other structures of the camera module 10 when radiating antenna signals outward. Therefore, even when the antenna stub 11 is set to radiate antenna signals with poor penetration (such as millimeter-wave signals), it can still have good signal quality. Millimeter-wave signals have advantages such as high bandwidth, low latency, high capacity, and fewer interference frequency bands.

[0039] In some embodiments, see Figure 3 The array shape of multiple antenna stubs 11 includes a linear array. For example, three antenna stubs 11 are collinear, thus forming a 1×3 linear array.

[0040] In other embodiments, see Figure 4 The array shape of multiple antenna stubs 11 includes a triangular array, for example, three antenna stubs 11 are not collinear and are arranged to form a triangular array.

[0041] In some other embodiments, see [reference] Figure 1 The array shape of the multiple antenna stubs 11 includes a rectangular array. For example, the four antenna stubs 11 are arranged in a 2×2 square array.

[0042] In one exemplary embodiment, such as Figure 1 As shown, this embodiment provides a camera module 10, which includes multiple target optical devices, each of which includes an antenna stub 11, and the multiple antenna stubs 11 are arranged in an array.

[0043] The camera module 10 provided in this embodiment may include various structures of the camera module 10 provided in any of the foregoing embodiments.

[0044] Among them, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the camera module 10 includes a power supply section 12, which is electrically connected to at least a portion of the antenna stub 11 to power the antenna stub 11.

[0045] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the feed unit 12 is electrically connected to all antenna stubs 11, enabling all antenna stubs 11 to actively radiate antenna signals. In one example, only one feed unit 12 can be provided, which is electrically connected to multiple antenna stubs 11 through a feed point network to feed the multiple antenna stubs 11. In another example, multiple feed units 12 can be provided, with each feed unit 12 connected to multiple antenna stubs 11 in a one-to-one correspondence. That is, each feed unit 12 directly and individually feeds each antenna. Individual feeding facilitates beamforming and scanning. Beamforming can change the phase of each antenna stub 11 (element) in the antenna array to change the beam pointing of the antenna array (i.e., the beam is adjustable), thereby improving the user's communication experience.

[0046] In other embodiments, the feed section 12 is electrically connected only to a portion of the antenna stubs 11. The antenna stubs 11 electrically connected to the feed section 12 form main stubs 11a, which can actively radiate antenna signals outward. The antenna stubs 11 not electrically connected to the feed section 12 rely on the electromagnetic excitation of the main stubs 11a to form parasitic stubs 11b. Parasitic stubs 11b can enhance the gain of the main stubs 11a through directional coupling, or can introduce multiple resonant points to extend the bandwidth of the main stubs 11a. In one example, the main stubs 11a and parasitic stubs 11b are composed of decorative elements of the same target optical device. For example, a slit can be set in a closed ring decorative element, dividing the ring decorative element into two segments, one of which serves as the main stub 11a, and the other as the parasitic stub 11b. In another example, the main stubs 11a and parasitic stubs 11b are composed of decorative elements of two adjacent target optical devices.

[0047] In some alternative implementations, an RF switch can be configured to adjust the length of the parasitic stub 11b to enable beam scanning or frequency band switching.

[0048] Among them, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, each of the multiple antenna stubs 11 includes a feed position, which is the location where the antenna stub 11 is electrically connected to the feed section 12. In other words, multiple antenna stubs 11 are electrically connected to the feed section 12 to form active stubs. In this embodiment, the spacing between the feed positions of two adjacent antenna stubs 11 is greater than or equal to half a preset wavelength (the preset wavelength is also the radiation wavelength of the antenna stub 11), which makes the adjacent antenna stubs 11 have a high degree of isolation, reduces or avoids mutual coupling between adjacent antenna stubs 11 that would cause grating lobes in the array pattern, and thus improves the radiation performance of the antenna array.

[0049] In one embodiment, see Figure 1 The spacing between the multiple decorative elements is small, therefore, the feed position of each antenna stub 11 can be set on a side away from the adjacent antenna stub 11. For example, see [reference needed]. Figure 1 and Figure 2The four antennas are arranged in a 2×2 square array. The four antenna branches 11 include a first antenna 111, a second antenna 112, a third antenna 113, and a fourth antenna 114. The first antenna 111 is located at the upper left of the antenna array, and its feed position is located at the upper left of the first antenna 111. The second antenna 112 is located at the upper right of the antenna array, and its feed position is located at the upper right of the second antenna 112. The third antenna 113 is located at the lower left of the antenna array, and its feed position is located at the lower left of the third antenna 113. The fourth antenna 114 is located at the lower right of the antenna array, and its feed position is located at the lower right of the fourth antenna 114. This arrangement ensures sufficient spacing between the feed positions of the multiple antenna branches 11, improving the isolation between adjacent antennas.

[0050] See Figure 2 The antenna stub 11 also includes a grounding position. The current fed by the feed section 12 to the antenna stub 11 flows from the feed position to the grounding position. The structure in the decorative piece located between the feed position and the grounding position constitutes the antenna stub 11. By adjusting the distance between the feed position and the grounding position, the length of the antenna stub 11 can be adjusted, thereby adjusting the radiation frequency band of the antenna stub 11. See reference. Figure 2 The antenna stub 11 includes two grounding positions. Along the circumferential direction of the antenna stub 11, the two grounding positions are respectively located on both sides of the feed position. It can be understood that when the circumference of the decorative part is greater than the preset wavelength, setting two grounding positions can short-circuit part of the structure of the decorative part, so that only the structure of the decorative part through which current flows is used as the antenna stub. That is, by setting two grounding positions, the distribution position of the current can be limited, thereby adjusting the position, shape and size of the antenna stub 11.

[0051] In some embodiments, see Figure 1 and Figure 2 The decorative element is ring-shaped and can be adaptively configured at two grounding locations to construct antenna stub 11 into a loop antenna pattern. For example, the perimeter of the decorative element is approximately 20 mm, the wavelength of the desired radiation band (30 GHz millimeter-wave band) is approximately 10 mm, and the length of the decorative element between the two feed locations is approximately half the wavelength of the radiation band (i.e., 5 mm). The loop antenna pattern provides excellent radiation efficiency, enabling the antenna in camera module 10 to achieve stronger performance.

[0052] In one example, the distance between the feed position and the two grounding positions is equal, causing the antenna stub 11 to form a symmetrical structure. When the symmetrical antenna stub 11 serves as an element in an antenna array, the direction... Figure 1 It has high consistency, which helps to reduce the complexity of beamforming algorithms.

[0053] According to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, such as Figure 1 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, this embodiment provides an electronic device equipped with a camera module 10 provided in any of the foregoing embodiments of this disclosure. The camera module 10 can be mounted on the mid-frame assembly 20 of the electronic device. Examples of such electronic devices include smartphones, tablets, and laptops.

[0054] The electronic device provided in this embodiment has the various technical features and effects of the camera module 10, which will not be described in detail here.

[0055] It should be noted that the electronic device provided in this embodiment does not impose too many restrictions on the placement of the camera module 10; for example, it can... Figure 1 or Figure 2 As shown, the camera module 10 is positioned near the intersection of the top edge and one side edge of the mid-frame component 20. For example, it can be... Figure 3 As shown, the camera module 10 is positioned close to the top edge of the mid-frame component 20 and centered.

[0056] Other embodiments of this disclosure will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the embodiments disclosed herein. This disclosure is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this disclosure that follow the general principles of this disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of this disclosure are indicated by the following claims.

[0057] It should be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the precise structures described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of this disclosure is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A camera module, characterized by, include: Multiple target optical devices, each of the target optical devices including an antenna stub, wherein the multiple antenna stubs are arranged in an array.

2. The camera module of claim 1, wherein, The target optical device includes a device body and a decorative element, wherein the decorative element is disposed around the outside of the device body; At least a portion of the structure of the decorative element constitutes the antenna stub.

3. The camera module of claim 1, wherein, The array shape of the plurality of antenna stubs includes any one of a linear array, a triangular array, or a rectangular array.

4. The camera module according to claim 3, characterized in that, Four target optical devices are configured in a 2×2 square array.

5. The camera module of any of claims 1-4, wherein, The camera module also includes a power supply unit, which is electrically connected to at least a portion of the antenna stub.

6. The camera module of claim 5, wherein, Multiple power supply units are provided, and each power supply unit is connected to a corresponding antenna stub.

7. The camera module of claim 5, wherein, The power supply unit is electrically connected to a portion of the antenna stubs; Among them, the antenna stubs electrically connected to the power supply unit form main stubs, and the antenna stubs not electrically connected to the power supply unit form parasitic stubs.

8. The camera module of claim 5, wherein, The antenna stub includes: Feed position: The distance between the feed positions of two adjacent antenna stubs is greater than or equal to half a preset wavelength, where the preset wavelength is the radiation wavelength of the antenna stub. Two grounding positions are located on either side of the feed position, along the circumferential direction of the antenna stub.

9. The camera module according to claim 8, characterized in that, The feed location is on the side away from the adjacent antenna stub.

10. The camera module according to claim 8, characterized in that, The distance between the two grounding positions on the same antenna stub is half a preset wavelength, where the preset wavelength is the radiation wavelength of the antenna stub.

11. The camera module of claim 1, wherein, The target optical device includes any one or more of a camera, a fill light, and a sensor.

12. An electronic device, comprising: Includes the camera module as described in any one of claims 1-11.

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