Compact folded camera structure

Abstract

To reduce bump footprint and height.SOLUTION: Folded cameras and dual folded-upright cameras that reduce footprint and height of a bump of a mobile electronic device, specifically a smartphone. In some examples, the footprint of the bump is reduced by reducing the height of a back focal plane section of the folded camera. In some examples, the footprint of the bump is reduced by reducing the height of the back focal plane section and a lens subsection of the folded camera.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5A

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The embodiments disclosed herein relate generally to digital cameras, and more particularly to folded cameras and dual folded vertical cameras integrated into portable electronic devices such as smartphones. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, portable electronic devices such as mobile phones (especially smartphones), tablets, and laptops have become widespread. Many of these devices are equipped with one or two compact "upright" cameras, including, for example, a primary rear-facing camera (i.e., a camera on the back side of the device that faces away from the user and is often used for taking casual photos) and a secondary front-facing camera (i.e., a camera located on the front side of the device and is often used for video conferencing). An important figure of merit for mobile phone cameras, especially cell phone cameras, is the camera height, or the vertical distance of the camera or camera lens.

[0003] The design of most of these cameras is relatively compact in nature, but similar to the conventional design of digital still cameras; that is, they comprise a lens assembly (or a row of several optical elements) placed on top of an image sensor, which explains the term "vertical." The lens assembly (also called a "lens module" or simply a "lens") refracts and bends the incoming light rays to generate image data (or "image") of the scene on the image sensor. The dimensions of these cameras are determined primarily by the size of the sensor and the height of the optics. These are usually linked through the focal length ("f") of the lens and its field of view (FOV). That is, a lens that must image a certain FOV onto a sensor of a certain size has a certain focal length. In such cameras, an increase in focal length typically leads to an increase in the height of the optics.

[0004] Recently, folded camera structures (also simply referred to as "folded cameras") have been proposed to reduce the height of compact cameras (see, e.g., co-pending US Patent Application No. 20160044250 and PCT / IB2016 / 052143, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety). In a folded camera (see Figs. 1A-1C), an optical path folding element (hereinafter referred to as "OPFE (Optical Path Folding Element)" or "reflective element"), e.g., a prism or mirror, is added to tilt the light propagation direction from a direction substantially perpendicular to the back surface of the mobile device to a direction substantially parallel to the back surface of the mobile device. For simplicity, the reflective element is also referred to as "OPFE" hereinafter. Figs. 1A-1C are various views of a known folded camera numbered 100. An orthogonal XYZ coordinate ("axis") system is shown for the perspective views of Figs. 1A and 1B. These coordinates apply to all the following perspective views. In the side view of Figure 1C, two of the coordinates are shown separately. These coordinates also apply to all the following side views. The coordinate system shown is exemplary.

[0005] For clarity, the term "substantially" is used herein to indicate the possibility of variation of values ​​within an acceptable range. According to one example, the term "substantially" used herein should be interpreted to mean that there may be a variation of up to 10% above or below any specified value. According to another example, the term "substantially" used herein should be interpreted to mean that there may be a variation of up to 5% above or below any specified value. According to a further example, the term "substantially" used herein should be interpreted to mean that there may be a variation of up to 2.5% above or below any specified value.

[0006] The camera 100 has a length L P and height H P and an OPFE portion having a length L L and a lens portion 104 having a length LBFL and a back focal length (BFL) portion 106 having a height H 1 , which is approximately 0.1 mm. In some embodiments, the partitions for the several sections are such that each part is manufactured separately and all parts are glued together. In some embodiments, the partitions for the several parts are only schematic, i.e., all parts are made integrally in the manufacturing process. The three sections have a substantially common height H 1 , which roughly corresponds to the "camera height" of a folded camera. FL (Difference within 10%). H FL is defined as the distance along axis Y between the outer surfaces of the three parts (Y being the direction from the object to the camera or parallel to a first direction 110 described below), and in instances where the heights of the three parts are not exactly equal, as the distance along axis Y between the outer surfaces of the part with the greatest height. In some instances, H FL The range of H is 3 to 8 mm. FL The range of values ​​for is 5-6 mm. The OPFE section 102 includes an OPFE 108 that bends the optical path from a first direction (optical axis) 110 to a second direction (optical axis) 112. The lens section 104 includes a lens assembly 114 having one or more lens elements with a common optical axis parallel to the second direction 112. The BFL section 106 includes an image sensor (or simply "sensor") 116. The BFL is equal to the distance between the emitting surface of the lens element that faces the sensor (towards the sensor) and the sensor itself. A folded camera has a length L FL and width W FL has.

[0007] A folded camera can be assembled in a number of different ways, including including a normal "vertical" camera in a dual camera configuration, also referred to herein as a "dual folded vertical camera" or simply a "dual camera." See, for example, co-pending International Patent Application No. PCT / IB2015 / 056004, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. An example of a dual folded vertical camera is shown in Figures 2A-2C, which show a folded dual camera, numbered 200, in various views. Flexed dual camera 200 includes a folded camera 202 similar to camera 100, and a vertical camera 204 with a height H U and a vertical camera 204 having an optical axis 110′ parallel to the first direction 110. The distance between the optical axis 110′ and the first direction 110 is defined as the baseline of the folded dual camera 200. In the particular embodiment shown, the two cameras are located along the Z axis. The dual camera has a length L DC and width W DC It has a width W DC can be determined by the greater of the widths of the curved and vertical cameras. It should be noted that while the curved and vertical cameras are shown aligned along the Z axis in this example, other configurations are known and may be applicable, for example, as shown in co-filed PCT patent application PCT / IB2015 / 056004, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0008] Dual cameras having two upright cameras (also referred to herein as "dual upright-upright cameras") are known. The incorporation of dual upright-upright cameras into portable electronic devices such as smartphones is also known, and smartphones equipped with dual upright-upright cameras are commercially available. FIG. 3A shows a rear view of a known dual upright-upright camera included in a smartphone 302, numbered 300. There is a trend in compact cameras for the lens of a vertical camera to protrude from the surface of the camera, making only the lens higher and the rest of the camera lower. This is often referred to as a "bump" and is numbered 304 in FIG. 3A. The presence of a bump on the surface of smartphones and other portable electronic devices is undesirable.

[0009] The use of a light flash (e.g., a light emitting diode (LED) flash) element (or simply "flash element") in a camera is known. It is known to place a flash element inside the "bump" of a vertical dual camera. FIG. 3B is a rear view of a known dual vertical-vertical camera 310 included in a smartphone 312 having a flash element 318 in the "bump" 314. It would be desirable to have a folded camera with a flash element in the bump. It would be desirable to provide a folded camera and a dual folded vertical camera that improves upon the shortcomings of the prior art. It would be desirable to provide a folded camera and a dual folded vertical camera with a reduced bump footprint. Summary of the Invention

[0010] The embodiments disclosed herein teach folded cameras and dual folded vertical cameras that reduce bump footprint and height in portable electronic devices, particularly smartphones. In some examples, the bump footprint is reduced by reducing the height of the back focal plane of the folded camera. In some examples, the bump footprint is reduced by reducing the height of the back focal plane and lens portion of the folded camera.

[0011] As mentioned above, it is desirable to reduce and / or eliminate the surface area of ​​the bumps. It is desirable for the bumps not to extend beyond the height of the camera.

[0012] In some embodiments, the folded camera includes a light path bending element that bends a light path from a first direction to a second direction, and the light path bending element height H P and a light path bending element portion having at least one lens portion height H L and a lens section extending between the lens section and the image sensor, the lens section having a rear focal length section height H BFL and a rear focal length section having a H BFL <H P A bent camera is provided,

[0013] In some embodiments above and below, the lens portion includes two lens subsections, the lens subsection closer to the back focal length portion having a height H L1 H L1 <H L It is.

[0014] In some embodiments above and below, H BFL <H L It is.

[0015] In some embodiments above and below, H BFL ≦H L1 , and H BFL <H L It is.

[0016] In some embodiments above and below, the lens portion has a width W L W L >H L >H BFL It is.

[0017] In some embodiments above and below, the back focal length section has a top surface and a bottom surface, the lens section has an optical axis parallel to the second direction, and the optical axis within the back focal length section is closer to the top surface than to the bottom surface.

[0018] In some embodiments above and below, the image sensor is positioned asymmetrically with respect to the substrate to which it is attached.

[0019] In some embodiments above and below, the top surface has an inner surface configured to prevent stray light from being directed towards the image sensor.

[0020] In some embodiments above and below, the back focal length section has a top surface and a bottom surface, the lens section, the back focal length section, and the image sensor share an optical axis, the optical axis within the back focal length section is closer to the top surface than to the bottom surface, and the image sensor is asymmetrically positioned relative to a substrate on which it is mounted.

[0021] In some embodiments above and below, the top surface has an inner surface configured to prevent stray light from being directed towards the image sensor.

[0022] In some embodiments above and below, the flash element may be disposed on the back focal length portion, and the height H FLASH is H FLASH ≦H L It is.

[0023] In some embodiments above and below, the lens subsection further comprises a flash element disposed on the lens subsection closer to the back focal length, the flash element having a height H FLASH is H FLASH ≦H L It is.

[0024] In some embodiments above and below, the lens further comprises a flash element disposed on a portion of the back focal length portion and on a portion of the lens subsection closer to the back focal length portion, the flash element having a height H FLASH is H FLASH ≦H L It is.

[0025] In some embodiments described above and below, a dual aperture camera is provided that includes a vertical camera and a curved camera described above and below.

[0026] In some embodiments above and below, the dual aperture camera comprises a curved camera and a vertical camera that share an optical axis in a second direction.

[0027] In some embodiments, the portable electronic device comprises a folded camera as described above and below.

[0028] In some embodiments above and below, the portable electronic device has a bump on a surface, the bump surrounding an area including the folded camera, and at least one bump dimension is defined by a folded camera dimension.

[0029] In some embodiments, the portable electronic device comprises a dual aperture camera as described above and below.

[0030] In some embodiments above and below, a portable electronic device with a folded camera and / or a dual camera is provided, as described above and below. In some embodiments, the portable electronic device is a smartphone. The portable electronic device has a bump on a surface, the bump surrounding an area including the folded camera and / or a vertical camera (for a dual camera), and at least one bump dimension is defined by a folded camera dimension and / or a dual camera dimension.

[0031] Some embodiments include a method for manufacturing a folded camera, the method including: (a) providing a light-path bending element for bending a light path from a first direction to a second direction, the light-path bending element portion having a light-path bending element height H P (b) a rear focal length section height H BFL (c) providing a lens section having at least one lens, the lens section having a lens section height H in the first direction. L (d) providing the lens unit along the first optical axis between the rear focal length unit and the optical path bending element unit; BFL <H L It is.

[0032] In some of the embodiments described above and below, the optical path bending element portion has an optical path bending element height H P H BFL <H P It is.

[0033] In some embodiments above and below, the optic comprises at least two lens subsections.

[0034] In some embodiments above and below, the at least two lens subsections closer to the back focal length portion have a height H L1 H L1 <H L It is.

[0035] In some embodiments above and below, H BFL ≦H L1 , and H BFL <H L It is.

[0036] In some embodiments above and below, the back focal length section has a top surface and a bottom surface, the lens section has an optical axis parallel to the second direction, and the optical axis within the back focal length section is closer to the top surface than to the bottom surface.

[0037] In some embodiments above and below, the back focal length section has a top surface and a bottom surface, the lens section, the back focal length section, and the image sensor share an optical axis, the optical axis within the back focal length section is closer to the top surface than to the bottom surface, and the image sensor is asymmetrically positioned relative to a substrate on which it is mounted.

[0038] In some embodiments above and below, the method asymmetrically positions an image sensor relative to the top and bottom surfaces of the back focal length section.

[0039] Some embodiments include a method of reducing a bump footprint of a smartphone, comprising providing a smartphone and attaching the folded camera of any of the above embodiments to an exterior surface of the smartphone, the folded camera reducing the bump footprint of the smartphone.

[0040] In some embodiments above and below, the bump occupancy area has a length L B1 , width W B1 , and height H B1 L B1 has a range of 5 to 50 mm, and W B1 has a range of 1 to 20 mm, and H B1 has a range of 0.05 to 3 mm.

[0041] In some of the embodiments described above and below, the shorter bump length L B1 This will be possible.

[0042] In some embodiments above and below, methods are provided for further incorporating flash elements into the bump footprint.

[0043] As mentioned above, each of the embodiments can be used in combination with each other, as various combinations of the embodiments are contemplated as being combinable with each other and are part of the scope of the present disclosure.

[0044] As used herein, the terms "for example," "exemplary," "such as," "etc," and variations thereof describe non-limiting embodiments of the subject matter disclosed herein. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0045] Non-limiting examples of the embodiments disclosed herein are described below with reference to the drawings attached hereto, which are listed after this paragraph. Identical structures, elements, or parts that appear in multiple figures may be labeled with the same numerals in the figures in which they appear. The drawings and descriptions are intended to clarify and clarify the embodiments disclosed herein, and should not be considered limiting in any way. [Figure 1A] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a known folded camera. [Figure 1B] FIG. 1B is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the folded camera of FIG. 1A. [Figure 1C] FIG. 1B is a side view of the folded camera of FIG. 1A. [Figure 2A] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a known vertically curved camera. [Figure 2B] FIG. 2B is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the dual vertically folded camera of FIG. 2A. [Figure 2C] FIG. 2B is a side view of the dual vertically folded camera of FIG. 2A. [Figure 3A] FIG. 2 is a rear view of a well-known dual vertical-vertical camera included in a smartphone. [Figure 3B] FIG. 1 is a rear view of a known vertical-vertical camera with flash included in a smartphone. [Figure 4A] FIG. 1C is a perspective view of the dual folded vertical camera of FIGS. 1A-1C included in a smartphone, according to an example embodiment disclosed herein. [Figure 4B]4B shows an enlarged detailed cross-section of the dual camera and smartphone of FIG. 4A. [Figure 5A] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a folded camera according to another exemplary embodiment disclosed herein. [Figure 5B] FIG. 5B is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the folded camera of FIG. 5A. [Figure 5C] FIG. 5B is a side view of the folded camera of FIG. 5A. [Figure 6A] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a dual-folded vertical camera according to another exemplary embodiment disclosed herein. [Figure 6B] FIG. 6B is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the dual-flected vertical camera of FIG. 6A. [Figure 6C] FIG. 6B is a side view of the dual curved vertical camera of FIG. 6A. [Figure 7A] 6A-6C included in a smartphone according to an exemplary embodiment disclosed herein. FIG. [Figure 7B] 7B shows an enlarged detailed cross-section of the dual-flexed vertical camera and smartphone of FIG. 7A. [Figure 8A] 4A and 4B show the flexed camera image sensor mounted on the flexed camera substrate. [Figure 8B] 6A and 6B show a known folded camera image sensor mounted on the substrate of the folded camera. [Figure 9A] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a folded camera according to another exemplary embodiment disclosed herein. [Figure 9B] FIG. 9B is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the folded camera of FIG. 9A. [Figure 9C] FIG. 9B is a side view of the folded camera of FIG. [Figure 10A] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a dual-folded vertical camera according to another exemplary embodiment disclosed herein. [Figure 10B] FIG. 10B is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the dual-flected vertical camera of FIG. 10A. [Figure 10C] FIG. 10B is a side view of the dual-flexible vertical camera of FIG. 10A. [Figure 11A] 10A-10C included in a smartphone according to an exemplary embodiment disclosed herein. FIG. [Figure 11B] 11B shows an enlarged detailed cross-section of the dual-flexed vertical camera and smartphone of FIG. 11A. [Figure 12A] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a folded camera having a flash element according to an example embodiment disclosed herein. [Figure 12B] FIG. 12B is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the folded camera of FIG. 12A. [Figure 13A] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a dual folded vertical camera having the folded camera of FIG. 12 according to an example embodiment disclosed herein. [Figure 13B] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a dual folded vertical camera having the folded camera of FIG. 12 according to another exemplary embodiment disclosed herein. [Figure 14A] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the folded camera of FIG. 9 having a flash element according to an example embodiment disclosed herein. [Figure 14B] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the folded camera of FIG. 9 having a flash element according to another example embodiment disclosed herein. [Figure 14C] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the folded camera of FIG. 9 having a flash element according to yet another exemplary embodiment disclosed herein. [Figure 15A] FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a dual folded vertical camera having the folded camera of FIG. 14 according to an example embodiment disclosed herein. [Figure 15B] FIG. 15B is a side view of the dual-flexed vertical camera of FIG. 15A. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0046] The folded camera described herein comprises an optical path bending element (OPFE), a lens, and an image sensor. The folded camera may further include other components necessary for operation, including focusing mechanisms, optical image stabilization (OIS) mechanisms, zoom mechanisms, mechanical shields, infrared (IR) filters, electronics for operating focusing, gyroscopes, shutters, and / or other components. The folded camera may further include additional optical elements between the OPFE and the object being photographed. The lenses of the folded cameras described herein may have a fixed focal length or may have a variable focal length (also known as a "zoom lens").

[0047] The height of a folded camera is generally lower than that of a vertical camera with a similar effective focal length (EFL). The lower height of a folded camera results from the fact that the height of the folded camera is not affected by the lens height, which correlates to the focal length of the lens. In a vertical camera, the height of the vertical camera depends on the lens height. Thus, the lens focal length can be increased without sacrificing the height of the camera module. However, the height of a folded camera is determined by the height of the lens assembly and other parts of the camera, such as the height of the actuator (e.g., the actuator used to shift the lens for focus and / or optical image stabilization) and the height of the shield, and cannot be reduced beyond a certain minimum value without sacrificing optical performance. In general, the height of a folded camera according to the subject matter of the present disclosure can be in the range of 3 to 8 mm.

[0048] It is desirable for smartphones and other portable electronic devices having one(s) folded camera(s) and / or one(s) vertical camera(s) to have as small a bump footprint (width and length) as possible. Independently, it is desirable for such smartphones and / or portable electronic devices to have as small a bump height as possible.

[0049] 4A is a perspective view of a smartphone 400 including a dual folded vertical camera similar to camera 200 according to an example embodiment disclosed herein. FIG. 4B shows an enlarged detailed view of the dual camera and smartphone at cross section AA. A bump 404 that generally surrounds the dual camera portion protrudes above the surface of the smartphone 402. The bump has a length L B1 , width W B1 , and height H B1 In some instances, L B1 has a range of 5 to 50 mm, and W B1 has a range of 1 to 20 mm, and H B1 has a range of 0.05 to 3 mm. Although the edges of the bump are shown as sharp, they are preferably rounded, as in the bump of FIG. 3. By arranging the curved and vertical cameras in line (along a single axis), for example, the bump footprint can be smaller than if the curved and vertical cameras were located in positions where the cameras do not share the same single axis. Excluding the area of ​​the bump, the phone has a thickness (height) H between the exterior faces. Phone Note that in the area of ​​the bump, the phone is thicker and is marked HPB.

[0050] The inventors have discovered that the size of the bump housing the dual flexed vertical cameras can be further reduced through thoughtful design of the flexed cameras.

[0051] 5A-5C are various views of a folded camera structure, generally designated 500, according to an example embodiment disclosed herein. Similar to camera 100, camera 500 has a length L P and width W P OPFE portion 502 having a length L L and width W L and a lens portion 504 having a length L BFL and width W BFL The camera 500 has a similar height H FL , length L FL, and width W FL L FL , L P +L L +L BFL It is defined by the sum of L P may be essentially defined by the height of the reflective element (e.g., a prism). In some examples according to the subject matter of the present disclosure, H FL is in the range of 3 to 8 mm, and L FL is in the range of 10 to 30 mm, and W FL The width of the different sections of the folded camera may be different from each other, and W FL These camera height, length, and width dimensions also apply to the embodiments disclosed below, even if not shown in the figures.

[0052] Camera 500 may include other components having respective functions similar or identical to those of camera 100. Accordingly, these components and their respective functions will not be described in detail. Additionally, camera 500 may include two BFL sections, or a split BFL section. Unlike camera 100, BFL section 506 of camera 500 does not include a lens section H L and the height of the OPFE (e.g. prism) part H P Height H lower than the height of BFL For example, H BFL is H L The reduction in height is represented by a "shoulder" 508. In some examples, H L and H P may be substantially equal (up to 5% difference). In another example, H L H P In some embodiments, the camera 500 has a lens section height H L Lens width W is larger than L In some embodiments, W L H LIn some embodiments, the lens housed in the lens portion may have a radially symmetric shape (e.g., cylindrical). In some embodiments, the lens housed in the lens portion may not have a radially symmetric shape (e.g., rectangular, cylindrical with chamfers, etc.).

[0053] As shown in FIGS. 6A-6C, the camera 500 may be included in a dual camera 600 together with the vertical camera 204. In the case of a dual camera, each of the two cameras may be referred to as a "sub-camera." In some examples, the vertical camera may have an optical axis 110' parallel to the first direction 110. The distance between the optical axis 110' and the first direction 110 is defined as the baseline of the curved dual camera 600. In some examples, the length L of the dual camera 600 may be 1 / 2. DC and width W DC remains similar to the dual camera 200. However, the dual camera 600 has a lower height H at the BFL portion 506 of the folded camera. BFL For this reason, when the dual camera 600 is incorporated into a mobile device such as a smartphone 700, the bump length can be shortened by lowering the height of the BFL portion.

[0054] 7A is a perspective view of the dual folded vertical camera of FIGS. 6A-6C included in a smartphone 700. FIG. 7B shows an enlarged detailed cross-sectional view of the dual folded vertical camera and smartphone. The smartphone 700 has a bump 604 protruding on a surface 602. The bump 604 has a length L B2 and height H B2 L B2 , L DC 5. The bump is shorter than the vertical camera height by approximately the length of the BFL portion 506. In this example, the visible protruding dual camera components include only the top of the lens of the vertical camera and the top of the OPFE. In some examples, the lens portion of the folded camera may also be visible. In general, the bump is phone. This may only be needed for areas of the camera larger than .

[0055] Returning now to Figures 5A-5C, the reduced height at the BFL causes the second direction 112 of the folded camera to be closer to the top surface 510 than to the bottom surface 512 of the BFL, creating an asymmetry in the propagation of light rays exiting the lens to the BFL. This asymmetry causes the image sensor 514, which is typically mounted on a substrate 516, to be asymmetrically positioned in the Y direction relative to the top and bottom sides of the BFL and the substrate itself.

[0056] 8A shows a known image sensor 514 and substrate 516 viewed in the +Z direction (along the second direction 112). The sensor 514 is, for example, a silicon die having an optically active portion 802 (hereafter referred to as active portion 802) surrounded by a portion (auxiliary silicon logic) 804 that is considered "inactive" with respect to image / light sensing and thus referred to as inactive portion 804. The active portion 802 may be located anywhere within the inactive portion 804, symmetrically or asymmetrically, as known in the art. The active portion 802 is located at a distance D from the top and bottom of the substrate 516 (i.e., in the Y direction as shown), respectively. TOP and D. BOT In Fig. 8(a), D TOP =D BOT The dimensions are indicated by ±Δ, where Δ is typically 0-200 μm. This is the configuration for sensor substrates in known curved cameras such as camera 100, where active portion 802 is typically positioned symmetrically or slightly asymmetrically with respect to substrate 516 (where "slightly" refers to up to 200 μm of the height (4-6 mm), or about 0-5% of the PCB height).

[0057] 8B shows a configuration 800 of an image sensor 514 and a substrate 516 according to an embodiment disclosed herein. In the configuration 800, the active portion 802 is disposed asymmetrically with respect to the substrate 516 in the Y direction, and Δ may be on the order of 100-1500 μm. In this case, the asymmetry of the active portion 802 with respect to the substrate 516 is on the order of 100 μm, which can be up to 1-1.5 mm, or about 5%-30% of the PCB height.

[0058] Asymmetry can result in a surface that is closer to the effective ray envelope of the sensor, causing stray light effects on the sensor. For example, in camera 500, top surface 510 is lower and closer to the sensor than the top surface of lens portion 504. This causes incoming light to bounce off top surface 510 and redirect back to the sensor. To mitigate such effects, the inner surface 518 of the top surface 510 of BFL portion 506 is configured to prevent stray light. This may be provided, for example, by a yoke with special structure and / or anti-reflective coating. Alternatively, the surface 520 of the bottom 512 of BFL portion 506, or both the top and bottom surfaces 518 and 520, are configured to prevent stray light. In certain embodiments, the inner surface 518 is non-uniform and / or has various ridges. As a result, the inner surface 518 is not flat. FIG. 9B illustrates a method for absorbing light or redirecting light in other directions.

[0059] 9A-9C are various views of a folded camera structure, numbered 900, according to another exemplary embodiment disclosed herein. Similar to camera 500, camera 900 includes an OPFE section, a lens section 904, and a back focal length (BFL) section 906. The dimensions of the folded camera and the different sections may be in the same range as cameras 100 and 500. Camera 900 may include other components having respective functions similar or identical to those of camera 500. Thus, these components and their respective functions will not be described in detail. Additionally, camera 900 may include two BFL sections or a split BFL section. Unlike camera 500, the lens section 904 of camera 900 is a H L and H L1 The lens subsection 904a has two different subsections 904a and 904b having two different heights marked with . The height H L is the height H of subsection 904b L1 and the subsequent (towards the image sensor) lens element (e.g., with a smaller diameter D 1 The lens element 920 includes at least one lens element 920 having a diameter D larger than the diameter of the lens element 920 having a diameter H L1 is H L It may be 0 to 3 mm smaller than the

[0060] 9A-9C show a lens portion having two different heights associated with two different subsections, the lens portion may have more than two subsections having different heights. For example, if a lens includes N lens elements (where N is typically between 1 and 6), the lens portion may include between 1 and N subsections. The N subsections may be of the same height or different heights H LN Various lens subsection heights H LN In some embodiments having a height that may decrease stepwise from the subsection closer to the OPFE (prism) section to the subsection closer to the BFL section.

[0061] As shown in FIGS. 10A-10C, the camera 900 may be included in a dual camera 1000 together with the vertical camera 204. In some examples, the length L of the dual camera 1000 may be 100 μm. DC and width W DC remains similar to the dual camera 600. However, the dual camera 1000 has a lower height in the lens subsection 904b as well as in the BFL section 906 of the folded camera. Therefore, when the dual camera 1000 is integrated into a mobile device such as a smartphone, the height H of the BFL section BFL and the height H of the subsection 904b L2 By lowering the B3 This becomes possible.

[0062] FIG. 11A is a perspective view of the dual folded vertical camera of FIGS. 10A-10C included in a smartphone 1002. FIG. 11B shows an enlarged detailed cross-sectional view of the dual folded vertical camera and smartphone. Smartphone 1100 has a bump 1104 protruding above surface 1102. Bump 1104 has a length LB3 and a height HB2. For clarity, smartphone 1100 has a length LB3 and a height HB2. B3 7 by the length of lens subsection 904b. B2 and is shorter than the approximate length of the BFL section plus the length of the lens subsection 904b, L FL It is shorter than the "H B2 Marking the bump height by " does not necessarily mean that bumps 604 and 1104 have the same height. In this example, the protruding and visible dual camera components include only the top of the lens of the vertical camera and the top of the OPFE and lens subsection 904a of the folded camera. In general, the bumps are such that the height of the vertical camera and the height of a portion of the folded camera are H phone This may only be needed for areas of the camera larger than

[0063] The camera 500 may be equipped with a flash (e.g., LED) element to obtain a folded-flash camera ("folded-flash camera"). FIG. 12A shows a perspective view and FIG. 12B shows a side view of the folded-flash camera 1200. The flash element 1204 may provide a source of external illumination required for the photographed scene, as is known in the art. The BFL (HFL) of the camera 500 may be BFL 12B, the total height from the bottom of the camera 500 to the top of the flash element 1204 is H FLASH In some cases, as shown in FIG. FLASH is the height of the camera 500 (H FL ) may be less than or equal to

[0064] The folded camera 1200 may be included with a vertical camera 204 to form a dual camera. Figures 13A-13B show two embodiments of such a dual camera. In Figure 13A, the dual camera 1302 includes a vertical camera 204 disposed next to the flash folded camera 1200 on the optical axis (+Z direction) toward the OPFE unit 502 side. In Figure 13B, the dual camera 1304 includes a vertical camera 204 disposed along the camera 1200 on the optical axis closer to the BFL unit 506 side. In the dual camera 1304, the flash element 1204 is disposed between the optical aperture of the camera 204 and the optical aperture of the camera 500.

[0065] In other dual camera embodiments shown in Figures 14A-14C, a camera such as camera 900 can also be provided with a flash element such as flash element 1204, which can be located on top of BFL section 906 (Figure 14A), on top of lens subsection 904 (Figure 14B), or on top of both of these sections (Figure 14C) (or partially on top of each section in some embodiments). FLASHdenotes the total height from the bottom of the camera 900 to the top of the flash element 1204. FLASH is the camera height H FL The height of the folded camera may be lower or the same as the maximum height of the folded camera, i.e., the addition of a flash element does not result in a protrusion above the maximum height of the folded camera. Cameras 1400, 1402, or 1404 can be combined with a vertical camera to form a dual camera (not shown).

[0066] In yet another dual camera embodiment, numbered 1500, shown in Figures 15A and 15B, camera 900 is combined with vertical camera 204 and flash element 1204, such that the flash element is located partially above camera 900 and partially above camera 204.

[0067] While the present disclosure has been described with respect to specific embodiments and generally associated methods, modifications and permutations of the embodiments and methods will be apparent to those skilled in the art. It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments described herein, but only by the scope of the appended claims.

[0068] In some embodiments, a folded camera includes a light path bending element that bends a light path from a first direction to a second direction, and a light path bending element part having a light path bending element height HP with respect to an outer surface in the first direction, and a lens part height H L and a lens section extending between the lens section and the image sensor, the lens section having a back focal length section height H BFL and a rear focal length section having a H BFL <H L and a bottom outer surface of the optical path bending element portion and bottom outer surfaces of the lens portion and the back focal length portion are on the same plane, and an upper outer surface of the lens portion and an upper outer surface of the back focal length portion are not on the same plane.

[0069] In some of the above and below embodiments, the upper outer surface of the optical path bending element section and the upper outer surface of the back focal length section are not flush with each other, so that H BFL <H P It is.

[0070] In some of the above and below embodiments, the upper outer surface of the optical path bending element portion and the upper outer surface of the lens portion are not flush with each other, so that H L <H P It is.

[0071] In some embodiments above and below, the lens portion includes two lens subsections, the lens subsection closer to the back focal length portion having a height H L2 H L2 <H L It is.

[0072] In some embodiments above and below, the back focal length section has a top surface and a bottom surface, the lens section has an optical axis parallel to the second direction, and the optical axis within the back focal length section is closer to the top surface than to the bottom surface.

[0073] In some embodiments above and below, the back focal length section has a top surface and a bottom surface, the lens section, the back focal length section, and the image sensor share an optical axis, the optical axis within the back focal length section is closer to the top surface than to the bottom surface, and the image sensor is asymmetrically positioned relative to a substrate on which it is mounted.

[0074] In some embodiments above and below, the flash element may be disposed on the back focal length portion, and the height H FLASH is H FLASH ≦H P It is.

[0075] In some embodiments above and below, the lens portion has a width WL W L >H L >H BFL It is.

[0076] In some embodiments above and below, H BFL ≦H L2 , and H BFL <H L It is.

[0077] In some embodiments above and below, the lens subsection further comprises a flash element disposed on the lens subsection closer to the back focal length, the flash element having a height H FLASH is H FLASH ≦H P It is.

[0078] In some embodiments above and below, the lens further comprises a flash element disposed on a portion of the back focal length portion and on a portion of the lens subsection closer to the back focal length portion, the flash element having a height H FLASH is H FLASH ≦H P It is.

[0079] In some embodiments above and below, the back focal length section has a top surface and a bottom surface, the lens section, the back focal length section, and the image sensor share an optical axis, the optical axis within the back focal length section is closer to the top surface than to the bottom surface, and the image sensor is asymmetrically positioned relative to a substrate on which it is mounted.

[0080] In some embodiments above and below, the top surface has an inner surface configured to prevent stray light from being directed towards the image sensor.

[0081] In some embodiments above and below, the top surface has an inner surface configured to prevent stray light from being directed towards the image sensor.

[0082] In some embodiments above and below, the back focal length section has a top surface and a bottom surface, the lens section, the back focal length section, and the image sensor share an optical axis, the optical axis within the back focal length section is closer to the top surface than to the bottom surface, and the image sensor is asymmetrically positioned relative to a substrate on which it is mounted.

[0083] In some embodiments above and below, the top surface has an inner surface configured to prevent stray light from being directed towards the image sensor.

[0084] In some embodiments above and below, a dual aperture camera is provided, comprising a vertical camera and a folded camera as claimed in any one of claims 1-16.

[0085] In some embodiments above and below, the vertical camera has a vertical camera optical axis parallel to the first direction.

[0086] In some embodiments above and below, a portable electronic device with a folded camera is provided.

[0087] In some embodiments above and below, the method further comprises the step of: providing a surface having bumps on it, the bumps surrounding an area including the folded camera, and the length of at least one bump being greater than or equal to H BFL <H P , and H BFL <H L The length is determined by the combined length of the optical path bending element portion and the lens portion.

[0088] In some embodiments above and below, a portable electronic device with a dual aperture camera is provided.

[0089] In some embodiments above and below, the device has bumps on a surface, the bumps surrounding an area including the dual aperture camera, and at least one bump has a length of H BFL <H P , and H BFL<H L The length is determined by the combined length of the optical path bending element portion and the lens portion.

[0090] In some embodiments above and below, the method further comprises the step of: providing a surface having bumps on it, the bumps surrounding an area including the folded camera, and the length of at least one bump being greater than or equal to H BFL <H P , and H BFL <H L The length is determined by the combined length of the optical path bending element portion and the lens portion.

[0091] In some embodiments above and below, the bump has a length L defined along the second direction. B and the dual aperture camera has a length L defined along the second direction. DC L B <L DC It is.

[0092] In some embodiments described above and below, a method for manufacturing a folded camera includes a light path bending element that bends a light path from a first direction to a second direction, and a light path bending element height H with respect to an outer surface in the first direction. P and a back focal length section height H with respect to the outer surface in the first direction. BFL and a lens section height H with respect to the outer surface in the first direction. L providing a lens portion having H BFL <H L and a bottom outer surface of the optical path bending element portion and bottom outer surfaces of the lens portion and the rear focal length portion are on the same plane, and an upper outer surface of the lens portion and an upper outer surface of the rear focal length portion are not on the same plane.

[0093] In some of the embodiments described above and below, the light path bending element portion has a light path bending element height H Pand H is set so that the upper outer surface of the optical path bending element section and the upper outer surface of the back focal length section are not on the same plane. BFL <H P It is.

[0094] In some embodiments above and below, the lens portion includes at least two lens subsections, the lens subsection closer to the back focal length portion having a height H L1 H L1 <H L It is.

[0095] In some embodiments above and below, H BFL ≦H L1 , and H BFL <H L It is.

[0096] In some embodiments above and below, the back focal length section has a top surface and a bottom surface, the lens section has an optical axis parallel to the second direction, and the optical axis within the back focal length section is closer to the top surface than to the bottom surface.

[0097] In some embodiments above and below, the back focal length section has a top surface and a bottom surface, the lens section, the back focal length section, and the image sensor share an optical axis, the optical axis within the back focal length section is closer to the top surface than to the bottom surface, and the image sensor is asymmetrically positioned relative to a substrate on which it is mounted.

[0098] In some of the embodiments above and below, an image sensor is positioned asymmetrically with respect to the top and bottom surfaces of the back focal length section.

[0099] In some embodiments above and below, a method is provided for reducing a bump footprint of a smartphone, comprising providing a smartphone and attaching the folded camera to an exterior surface of the smartphone, the folded camera reducing the bump footprint of the smartphone.

[0100] In some embodiments above and below, the bump occupancy area has a length L B1 , width W B1 , and height H B1 L B1 has a range of 5 to 50 mm, and W B1 has a range of 1 to 20 mm, and H B1 has a range of 0.05 to 3 mm.

[0101] In some of the above and below embodiments, the height H BFL is the height H of the optical path bending element P This allows for a shorter bump length L B1 This will be possible.

[0102] Some embodiments above and below further incorporate a flash element into said bump footprint.

[0103] In some embodiments, a folded camera includes a) a light path bending element that bends a light path from a first direction to a second direction, and a light path bending element height H between respective outer surfaces of the light path bending element in the first direction. P a) an optical path bending element (OPFE) section having a height in the first direction; b) an image sensor mounted on a surface perpendicular to the second direction on a substrate having a height in the first direction, and having an active section arranged asymmetrically with respect to the substrate by 5% to 30% of the height of the substrate in the first direction; c) a lens section arranged between the optical path bending element and the image sensor; and d) a back focal length (BFL) section extending between the lens section and the image sensor, wherein the back focal length section has a top surface and a bottom surface, the lens section has an optical axis parallel to the second direction, and the optical axis in the back focal length section is closer to the top surface than to the bottom surface.

[0104] In some embodiments above and below, the OPFE portion faces an object to be photographed in the first direction, and the image sensor is positioned asymmetrically relative to the substrate in the first direction toward the object to be photographed.

[0105] In some embodiments above and below, the back focal length section has a back focal length height H between respective outer surfaces of the back focal length section in the first direction. BFL and the lens portions have at least one lens portion height H between respective outer surfaces of the lens portions in the first direction. L has.

[0106] In some embodiments above and below, H BFL <H L It is.

[0107] In some embodiments above and below, H L <H P It is.

[0108] In some embodiments above and below, the lens portion includes two lens subsections, the lens subsection closer to the back focal length portion having a height H L2 H L2 <H L It is.

[0109] In some embodiments above and below, the flash element may be disposed on the back focal length portion, and the height H FLASH is H FLASH ≦H P It is.

[0110] In some embodiments above and below, the lens portion has a width W L W L >H L >H BFL It is.

[0111] In some embodiments above and below, H BFL ≦H L2 , and H BFL <H L It is.

[0112] In some embodiments above and below, the lens subsection further comprises a flash element disposed on the lens subsection closer to the back focal length, the flash element having a height H FLASH is H FLASH ≦H P It is.

[0113] In some embodiments above and below, the lens further comprises a flash element disposed on a portion of the back focal length portion and on a portion of the lens subsection closer to the back focal length portion, the flash element having a height H FLASH is H FLASH ≦H P It is.

[0114] In some embodiments above and below, the top surface has an inner surface configured to prevent stray light from being directed towards the image sensor.

[0115] In some embodiments above and below, a dual aperture camera is provided, comprising a vertical camera and a folded camera as claimed in any one of claims 1-12.

[0116] In some embodiments above and below, the vertical camera has a vertical camera optical axis parallel to the first direction.

[0117] In some of the above and following embodiments, a portable electronic device including a bent camera according to any one of claims 1 to 12 is provided.

[0118] In some embodiments above and below, the method further comprises the step of: providing a surface having bumps on it, the bumps surrounding an area including the folded camera, and the length of at least one bump being greater than or equal to H BFL <H P , and H BFL<H L The length is determined by the combined length of the optical path bending element portion and the lens portion.

[0119] In some embodiments above and below, the present invention further comprises a vertical camera, wherein the bent camera and the vertical camera form a dual aperture camera, and the bump has a length L defined along the second direction. B and the dual aperture camera has a length L defined along the second direction. DC L B <L DC It is.

[0120] In some embodiments above and below, a portable electronic device is provided that includes a dual aperture camera as claimed in claim 13.

[0121] In some of the above and below embodiments, there is provided a method for manufacturing a folded camera, the method comprising: a) providing a light-path bending element for bending an optical path from a first direction to a second direction; and a light-path bending element height H between respective outer surfaces of the light-path bending element in the first direction. P a) providing an optical path bending element (OPFE) section having an active portion; b) providing an image sensor mounted on a surface perpendicular to the second direction on a substrate having a height in the first direction, the active portion being 5% to 30% of the height of the substrate in the first direction and being arranged asymmetrically with respect to the substrate; c) providing a lens section arranged between the optical path bending element and the image sensor; and d) providing a back focal length (BFL) section extending between the lens section and the image sensor, the back focal length section having a top surface and a bottom surface, the lens section having an optical axis parallel to the second direction, the optical axis in the back focal length section being closer to the top surface than the bottom surface.

[0122] In some embodiments above and below, there is provided a method for reducing a bump footprint of a smartphone, comprising: a) providing a smartphone; and b) attaching the folded camera described in any one of claims 1 to 12 to an outer surface of the smartphone, wherein the folded camera reduces the bump footprint of the smartphone.

[0123] In some embodiments above and below, a vertical camera is attached to an exterior surface of the smartphone, the vertical camera having a vertical camera optical axis parallel to the first direction.

[0124] In some embodiments, the folded camera includes a light path bending element that bends a light path from a first direction to a second direction, and a light path bending element height H with respect to an outer surface in the first direction. P and a lens section disposed between the optical path bending element and an image sensor, the lens section having at least one lens section height H between outer surfaces of the lens sections in the first direction. L a back focal length (BFL) section extending between the lens section and the image sensor, the back focal length section having a height H BFL , H BFL <H P , and H BFL <H L and a flash element disposed on the back focal length section or on the lens section, and the height H of the flash element is FLASH is H FLASH ≦H P and H FLASH denotes a total height from the bottom of a folded camera to the top of a flash element, the bump having a surface thereon, the bump surrounding an area including the folded camera, the bump having a length L defined along the second direction. B and has a length L B is the length L of the optical path bending element part p , and the length L of the lens part L A portable electronic device is provided with the above-described bent camera, the portable electronic device including a combination length of:

[0125] In some embodiments above and below, the flash element is located on the lens subsection closer to the back focal length.

[0126] In some embodiments above and below, the flash element is disposed on a portion of the back focal length section and on a portion of the lens subsection closer to the back focal length section.

[0127] In some embodiments above and below, the optics have at least one optic height H between outer surfaces of the optics in the first direction. L H L <H P It is.

[0128] In some embodiments above and below, the lens portion includes two lens subsections, the lens subsection closer to the back focal length portion having a height H L2 H L2 <H L It is.

[0129] In some embodiments above and below, the back focal length section has a top surface and a bottom surface, the lens section has an optical axis parallel to the second direction, and the optical axis within the back focal length section is closer to the top surface of the back focal length section than to the bottom surface of the back focal length section.

[0130] In some embodiments above and below, the lens portion has a width W L W L >H L >H BFL It is.

[0131] In some embodiments above and below, H BFL ≦H L2 , and H BFL <H L It is.

[0132] In some embodiments above and below, the top surface has an inner surface configured to prevent stray light from being directed towards the image sensor.

[0133] In some embodiments above and below, a vertical camera is provided.

[0134] In some embodiments above and below, the vertical camera has a vertical camera optical axis parallel to the first direction.

[0135] In some embodiments above and below, the vertical camera and the curved camera form a dual aperture camera, the dual aperture camera having a length L defined along the second direction. DC L B <L DC It is. (CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS) This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 590,324, filed November 23, 2017, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 618,304, filed January 17, 2018, both of which have the same title as this application, the contents of both applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

Claims

1. A plurality of N lens elements L １ ~L Ｎ A lens comprising a first lens element L １ is the lens closest to the object being photographed, an optical path bending element (OPFE) for bending an optical path from a first direction to a second direction; an image sensor; and The bent camera module includes the OPFE and L １ and a first module section height H １ a first modular section having The curved camera module includes a lens element L ２ ~L Ｎ and the second module section height H ２ a second modular section having all heights are measured along the first direction; H １ >H ２ and L １ is the lens element L ２ ~L Ｎ A lens element diameter D larger than any of the lens element diameters １ 1. A bent camera module comprising:

2. H １ ≦H ２ 2. The bent camera module of claim 1, wherein the bent camera module is +3 mm.

3. D １ is the lens element L ２ ~L Ｎ 2. The bent camera module of claim 1, wherein the diameter of each lens element is 0.05-3 mm larger than the diameter of any lens element of the bent camera module.

4. The folded camera module of claim 1 , wherein the image sensor is included in the second module section.

5. The bent camera module includes the image sensor and has a third module section height H along the first direction. ３ 13. The folded camera module of claim 1, further comprising a third module section having:

6. H ３ ≦H ２ 6. The bent camera module of claim 5,

7. H ３ H ２ 6. The bent camera module of claim 5, wherein the bent camera module is 0.05-3 mm smaller than the bent camera module.

8. The folded camera module of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the lens elements has a shape that does not have radial symmetry.

9. The folded camera module of claim 1 , wherein the folded camera module has a height in the range of 3 mm to 8 mm.

10. The bent camera module of claim 9, wherein the height is in the range of 5 mm to 6 mm.

11. A dual aperture camera comprising a curved camera module according to any one of claims 1 to 10 together with a vertical camera.

12. The dual aperture camera of claim 11 , wherein the vertical camera has a vertical camera optical axis parallel to the first direction.

13. A portable electronic device comprising the bent camera module according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

14. The portable electronic device of claim 13 , comprising bumps on a surface thereof, the bumps surrounding an area including the curved camera module, and a dimension of at least one bump being defined by a dimension of the curved camera module.

15. The bump has a length L defined along the second direction. Ｂ The dual aperture camera has a length L defined along the second direction. ＤＣ and L Ｂ <L ＤＣ The portable electronic device according to claim 14 ,

16. The portable electronic device of claim 13, wherein the portable electronic device is a smartphone.

17. The portable electronic device of claim 13, wherein the portable electronic device is a tablet.

18. A portable electronic device including the dual aperture camera of claim 11.

19. The portable electronic device of claim 18, wherein the portable electronic device is a smartphone.

20. The portable electronic device of claim 18, wherein the portable electronic device is a tablet.

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