Camera modules, in-vehicle systems, and mobile devices

Abstract

We provide camera modules, in-vehicle systems, and mobile devices that can reduce the number of parts and improve assembly accuracy. [Solution] In the camera module 300 of the present invention, the first housing 23 consists of an external vibrator 23A coupled to an internal vibrator 62 and receiving vibrations from the internal vibrator 62, and a cylindrical vibration-damping weight 95 that forms part of the housing space for receiving the lens barrel 22 and prevents vibrations from the external vibrator 23A from being transmitted to the second housing 24. In this configuration, the weight 95, the second housing 24, and the lens barrel 22 are integrally formed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a camera module, an in-vehicle system, and a moving body equipped with the in-vehicle system, which constitute an in-vehicle camera mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in-vehicle cameras have been mounted on automobiles to support parking or prevent collisions through image recognition, and attempts have also been made to apply them to autonomous driving. In addition, such a camera module such as an in-vehicle camera generally includes a lens unit having a lens group in which a plurality of lenses are arranged along an optical axis, a lens barrel (barrel) that houses and holds the lens group, and an aperture member disposed between at least one pair of lenses in the lens group (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] In addition, such a lens unit may be attached to an attachment portion such as a front grill of a vehicle (automobile), and the lens located closest to the object side may be exposed to the outside. In such a case, foreign substances such as water droplets, muddy water, ice and snow, and frost are likely to adhere to the surface (lens surface) of the lens, and when they adhere, it is necessary to remove the foreign substances in order to ensure a clear observation field by the lens unit.

[0004] Regarding the removal of foreign substances adhering to the surface of a lens (or a lens cover), in recent years, foreign substances have also been removed by vibrating the lens (or the lens cover) with a vibrator (ultrasonic vibration). For example, in Patent Document 2, a vibration device for removing foreign substances such as water droplets and dust adhering to a dome-shaped cover (lens cover) is provided in a camera equipped with a lens unit.

[0005] Specifically, as shown in Figure 9, such a vibrating device 102 is installed in a camera that has an imaging unit 105 containing a lens 106 and an image sensor at the top of the camera body 103, and comprises a dome-shaped transparent cover 111, a cylindrical vibrating body 112 to which the cover 111 is fixed, and a piezoelectric element 113 fixed to the vibrating body 112 that vibrates the cover 111 via the vibrating body 112. The vibrating body 112 has a cylindrical portion 114 having a first end 114a located on the cover 111 side and a second end 114b located on the opposite side of the cover 111; a tubular first connecting portion 115 connected to the first end 114a of the cylindrical portion 114 and made of a cylinder with a larger inner diameter than the cylindrical portion 114; a first ring-shaped portion 116 interposed between the first connecting portion 115 and the cover 111 and having a smaller inner diameter than the first connecting portion 115; a second connecting portion 117 connected to the second end 114b of the cylindrical portion 114 and made of a cylinder with a smaller outer diameter than the cylindrical portion 114; and a second ring-shaped portion 118 interposed between the second connecting portion 117 and the piezoelectric element 113 and having a larger outer diameter than the second connecting portion 117. Furthermore, all components of this small camera module, including the camera body 103 and the vibration device 102, are housed within the housing 130.

[0006] In such a vibrating device 102, the piezoelectric element 113 is driven to cause ultrasonic vibration of the cover 111 via the vibrating body 112, thereby more effectively moving and atomizing the droplets, or removing foreign matter adhering to the surface of the cover 111. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2013-231993 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 6977784 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] Incidentally, the housing 130 that accommodates the components of the camera module may be constructed by combining multiple housing parts for reasons such as ease of assembly of these components. For example, for reasons of ease of assembly and design, the housing 130 may be constructed including at least a cylindrical first housing (housing part) that forms an internal housing space for receiving the lens unit including the lens 106 and lens barrel and the vibration device 102, and a substantially thin dish-shaped second housing (housing part) that forms a recess mainly for receiving the substrate portion on which the image sensor is mounted among the image sensor module (imaging module) that constitutes the imaging unit 105.

[0009] However, such a configuration results in a large number of parts, requiring not only the incorporation of sealing members between housing sections to ensure proper sealing within the housing, but also the assembly of components such as lens barrels and vibration devices to each housing section. As a result, variations in the dimensional tolerances of these parts can lead to the problem of not being able to achieve the desired assembly accuracy.

[0010] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a camera module, an in-vehicle system, and a mobile device that can reduce the number of parts and improve assembly accuracy. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides a camera module comprising a lens group in which a plurality of lenses are arranged along the optical axis of the lens, a lens barrel that houses and holds the lenses constituting the lens group, and an image sensor that converts the light collected through the lens group into an electrical signal, A cylindrical first housing having an internal housing space for receiving the aforementioned lens barrel, A second housing is coupled to the image side of the first housing and coupled to the lens barrel, and forms a recess for receiving a substrate on which the image sensor is mounted so that the image sensor faces the lens group, A vibration mechanism is provided within the first housing so as to surround the lens barrel from the outside, and includes a vibration source that vibrates ultrasonically, and an internal vibrator connected to the vibration source that transmits the ultrasonic vibrations of the vibration source to the first lens located closest to the object among the lens group, It has, The first housing consists of an external vibrator coupled to the internal vibrator and receiving vibrations from the internal vibrator, and a cylindrical vibration-damping weight that forms part of the housing space and prevents vibrations from the external vibrator from being transmitted to the second housing. The weight, the second housing, and the lens barrel are integrally formed.

[0012] According to the above configuration of the present invention, since the weight, second housing, and lens barrel, which were conventionally separate components, are integrally formed, the number of parts in the camera module as a whole can be reduced. Furthermore, it becomes unnecessary to incorporate a sealing member between the first and second housings to ensure sealing within the housing, and it also becomes unnecessary to assemble the lens barrel to the second housing. Therefore, the desired assembly accuracy can be easily obtained.

[0013] Furthermore, in the above configuration of the present invention, it is preferable that the weight, the second housing, and the lens barrel be integrally molded from the same material as the weight. This makes it possible for the second housing, including the weight, to perform the same vibration damping function as the weight, and therefore not only is the vibration damping function (vibration leakage function) of the second housing improved, but the vibration damping function can also be distributed, increasing the freedom of the shape and design of the weight (therefore, it becomes possible to form the vibrating body introduction opening described later). For example, in order to improve the vibration damping function on the second housing side, the object-side portion of the weight, which was conventionally formed to be thick, can be made thinner, and the weight can be formed in a shape that facilitates assembly from the object side to the second housing, and the decrease in the vibration damping function of the weight due to the thinning can be compensated for by the second housing which has a vibration damping function.

[0014] In addition, in the above-described configuration of the present invention, it is preferable that the weight forms a vibrator introduction opening that enables the incorporation of an internal vibrator into its accommodation space. According to this, the incorporation of the internal vibrator is facilitated by the vibrator introduction opening, so that the degree of freedom in assembling the entire camera module is also increased, and for example, the simplification of the assembly work can be achieved, such as realizing assembly from only one direction.

[0015] The present invention also provides an in-vehicle system having the above-described camera module, and a moving body equipped with the in-vehicle system. With such an in-vehicle system and a moving body, the same operational effects as those of the above-described camera module can be obtained. Note that the "moving body" refers to all objects that can move, and examples thereof include vehicles and the like.

Effects of the Invention

[0016] [[ID=ID=11]]According to the camera module of the present invention, since the weight, the second housing, and the lens barrel are integrally formed, the number of parts can be reduced and the assembly accuracy can be improved.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017] [Figure 1] It is a schematic cross-sectional view of a camera module having a lens unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a perspective view of the camera module of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] It is a schematic cross-sectional view of a main part of the camera module of FIG. 1 with a newly added characteristic structure. [Figure 4] It is a schematic cross-sectional view of a main part of the camera module of FIG. 1 with a further characteristic structure. [Figure 5] It is an exploded perspective view of the camera module of FIG. 3. [Figure 6] It is an exploded perspective view of the camera module of FIG. 4. [Figure 7] It is a schematic view of a vehicle as a moving body on which an imaging system (in-vehicle system) including a camera module according to an embodiment of the present invention is mounted. [Figure 8]It is a block diagram showing the configuration of an imaging device that constitutes the imaging system of FIG. 7. [Figure 9] It is a schematic cross-sectional view of a conventional camera module.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. This embodiment contributes to "9. Build the foundation of industry and technological innovation" of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) proposed by the United Nations, specifically "9.1 Develop high-quality, reliable, sustainable, and resilient infrastructure, including regional and cross-border infrastructure, to support economic development and human well-being with a focus on providing affordable and equitable access for all people."

[0019] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a camera module including a lens unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of this camera module. The lens unit described below is specifically for a camera module such as an in-vehicle camera. For example, it is fixedly installed on the outer surface side of an automobile, and the wiring is drawn into the automobile and connected to a display or other devices.

[0020] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the camera module 300 of this embodiment includes a lens unit 20. This lens unit 20 includes a cylindrical lens barrel 22 made of, for example, resin (of course, it may be made of metal), and a square tube-shaped first housing 23 provided inside this lens barrel 22. That is, the first housing 23 forms an accommodation space inside for receiving the lens barrel 22.

[0021] Furthermore, the image-side (lower side in Figure 1) ends of the lens barrel 22 and the first housing 23 are supported by a rectangular tubular resin second housing 24 (which may, of course, be made of metal). The second housing 24 is shorter than the first housing 23 in the optical axis direction, but its outer and inner diameters are longer than those of the first housing 23. The optical axis is indicated by O, and the direction perpendicular to this optical axis O is the radial direction.

[0022] The first housing 23 is positioned radially outward from the lens barrel 22, and the second housing 24 is positioned on the image side (lower side in Figure 1) than the first housing 23. The lens barrel 22, the first housing 23, and the second housing 24 are arranged coaxially. A rectangular plate-shaped inner flange portion 24a is formed at the upper end of the second housing 24, and a protrusion 24b that projects toward the object side (upward side in Figure 1) is formed at the radial center of this inner flange portion 24a, and a through hole 24c is formed at the radial center of this protrusion 24b.

[0023] Furthermore, a stepped portion 24d is formed on the upper surface of the inner flange portion 24a, and the lower end of the first housing 23 is fitted into this stepped portion 24d. This positions the first housing 23 relative to the second housing 24 in the radial and optical axis directions.

[0024] Furthermore, the lens unit 20 includes a plurality (for example, six) of lenses 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, and 36 arranged in order from the object side. Lens 31 is the first lens 31 located closest to the object, and this first lens 31 is held in the first housing 23 by a lens holding part 50, which will be described later. The five lenses 32, 33, 34, 35, and 36, which are positioned closer to the image than the first lens 31, are located (housed and held) within the lens barrel 22.

[0025] Furthermore, a cylindrical projection 27 is formed at the lower end of the lens barrel 22, projecting toward the image side (downward in Figure 1). This projection 27 is inserted into and connected to the through hole 24c provided in the second housing 24. As a result, the lens barrel 22 and the second housing 24 are positioned coaxially with each other and coaxially with the optical axis O.

[0026] Furthermore, the first lens 31, which is located closest to the object, is a glass lens, and lenses 32-36 are resin lenses, but this is not limited to them (for example, lens 31 may also be a resin lens). Furthermore, the surfaces of lenses 31-36 may be coated with an anti-reflective coating, a hydrophilic coating, a water-repellent coating, or the like, as needed.

[0027] Multiple lenses 31-36, fixed and supported by the first housing 23 and lens barrel 22, are arranged so that their respective optical axes are aligned, and the lenses 31-36 are lined up along a single optical axis O, forming a group of lenses L used for imaging.

[0028] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first housing 23 is positioned radially outward from the lens barrel 22. The first housing 23 is made of a metal such as SUS, and comprises a rectangular cylindrical housing body 23a, a rectangular plate-shaped top plate portion 23b integrally formed with the housing body 23a at the upper end of the housing body 23a, and a locking portion 23c integrally formed with the top plate portion 23b at the inner edge of the top plate portion 23b. The thickness of the top plate 23b (thickness in the optical axis direction) is thinner than the thickness of the housing body 23a (thickness in the radial direction).

[0029] The locking portion 23c comprises a substantially cylindrical projection 23d formed projecting from the inner circumferential edge of the top plate portion 23b toward the object side (upward in Figure 1), and a pressing portion 23e bent radially inward from the upper end of the projection 23d. An inclined surface 23f, which is inclined with respect to the optical axis O, is formed along the circumferential direction on the inner surface of the radially inward end of the pressing portion 23e. The first lens 31 is then fixed in place by pressing its surface edge against the inclined surface 23f. In other words, with the lens group L assembled and housed within the first housing 23 and lens barrel 22, the inclined surface 23f of the pressing portion 23e presses against the first lens 31, which is located closest to the object in the lens group L, fixing it to the object-side end of the first housing 23 in the direction of the optical axis.

[0030] Furthermore, an inner flange portion 26 is provided at the image-side end (lower end in Figure 1) of the lens barrel 22, having an opening smaller in diameter than the sixth lens 36. The multiple lenses 31 to 36 constituting the lens group L are held and fixed in the optical axis direction within the first housing 23 and the lens barrel 22 by this inner flange portion 26 and the inclined surface 23f of the retaining portion 23e. Furthermore, a filter 99, such as an infrared cut filter, is provided on the lower surface of the inner flange portion 26.

[0031] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a ring-shaped lens holder 50 is provided to hold the first lens 31. The lens holder 50 is manufactured by forming a thin ring shape from a metal such as SUS by turning. The lens holder 50 has a cylindrical first inner surface 50a and an annular surface 50b perpendicular to the inner surface 50a on its inner circumference side, and the first inner surface 50a and the annular surface 50b are formed in an L-shape in cross-section. The first inner surface 50a is arranged coaxially with the optical axis O, and the annular surface 50b is arranged perpendicular to the optical axis O. Furthermore, the lens holder 50 has a second inner circumferential surface 50c that is perpendicular to the annular surface 50b and coaxial with the optical axis O. This second inner circumferential surface 50c is positioned closer to the image (lower side in Figure 1) than the second inner circumferential surface 50a, and has a smaller inner diameter than the first inner circumferential surface 50a.

[0032] Furthermore, the inner diameter of the second inner surface 50c of the ring-shaped lens holder 50 is larger than the outer diameter of the lens barrel 22, so that the upper end of the lens barrel 22 is positioned inside the second inner surface 50c of the lens holder 50. Furthermore, the lens holder portion 50 is joined to the first housing 23 in a fitted state. That is, the outer peripheral surface 50d and the upper surface 50e of the lens holder portion 50 are in contact with the inner circumference of the retaining portion 23e of the first housing 23 with virtually no gap on the radially outer side of the inclined surface 23f, and in this way the lens holder portion 50 is fitted to the retaining portion 23e of the first housing 23 from the inside. In this way the lens holder portion 50 is joined to the first housing 23 having the retaining portion 23e in a fitted state. The lens holder 50, which is joined to the first housing 23 in a fitted state, has its axis aligned with the optical axis O and is positioned in the direction of the optical axis.

[0033] Furthermore, the lens holder 50 holds the first lens 31. Specifically, the first inner surface 50a of the lens holder 50 is in close contact with the outer surface of the first lens 31, thereby positioning the first lens 31 radially and aligning it coaxially with the optical axis O. In addition, the annular surface 50b of the lens holder 50 is in close contact with the flat bottom surface 31e of the first lens 31 facing the image side, thereby positioning the first lens 31 in the direction of the optical axis. Furthermore, the lenses 32-36, which are positioned closer to the image than the first lens 31, are held by the lens barrel 22 so that their optical axes align. Since the lens barrel 22 is provided coaxially with the second housing 24 and aligned with the optical axis O, the first lens 31 and the lenses 32-36, which are positioned closer to the image than the first lens 31, are positioned coaxially or with an eccentricity of less than a predetermined amount.

[0034] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a vibration mechanism 60 is provided to vibrate the first lens 31. The vibration mechanism 60 comprises a transducer 61 as a vibration source that vibrates ultrasonically, and a vibrating body 62 that transmits the ultrasonic vibrations of the transducer 61 to the first lens 31. This vibration mechanism 60 is positioned radially inward from the first housing 23 and radially outward from the lens barrel 22 (it is provided inside the first housing 23 so as to surround the lens barrel 22 from the outside). In other words, the first housing 23 houses the lens group L and the vibration mechanism on its inside. The vibrator 61 is formed in the shape of an annular plate and is provided inside the housing body 23a of the first housing 23. The vibrator 61 is formed, for example, by a piezoelectric element.

[0035] The vibrating body 62 is made of, for example, metal and comprises a donut-shaped mounting portion 62a as one end connected to the vibrator 61, a roughly cylindrical body portion 62b extending from the mounting portion 62a toward the object side (upward side in Figure 1), with a bulge and constriction in the axial direction (optical axis direction) due to the continuous change in outer and inner diameters, and an S-shaped cross-section, and a ring-shaped joint portion 62c formed at the upper end of the body portion 62b. The vibrator 61 is attached and fixed to the lower surface of the mounting portion 62a, and the upper surface of the joint portion 62c is bonded to the lower surface (image-facing surface) of the lens holder 50 with adhesive.

[0036] In this type of vibration mechanism 60, the vibrator 61 vibrates ultrasonically at a predetermined frequency, causing the vibrating body 62 to vibrate ultrasonically. When the vibrating body 62 vibrates, since the vibrating body 62 is joined to the lens holder 50, the first lens 31 vibrates ultrasonically at the same frequency via the lens holder 50, thereby removing foreign matter such as water droplets, mud, ice, snow, and frost that has accumulated on the lens surface 31a of the first lens 31.

[0037] The lens holder 50 is fitted into the retaining portion 23e of the first housing 23. However, the thickness of the top plate portion 23b that forms the retaining portion 23e is thinner than the thickness of the housing body 23a, and the top plate portion 23b (retaining portion 23e) functions as a damper, so that vibrations from the lens holder 50 (vibrating body 62) are less likely to be transmitted to the housing body 23a. As a result, vibrations are less likely to be transmitted to the second housing 24 fitted into the housing body 23a, and consequently, vibrations are less likely to be transmitted to the lens barrel 22 fitted into the second housing 24, and consequently, vibrations are less likely to be transmitted to the lenses 32-36, thereby suppressing the deterioration of optical performance caused by displacement of the lenses 32-36 due to vibration. On the other hand, as mentioned above, the vibrating body 62 and the first housing 23 are fitted together, and the first housing 23 holds down the vibrating body 62 together with the first lens 31. As a result, the vibrating body 62 acts as an internal vibrating body, and the top plate portion 23b of the first housing 23 acts as an external vibrating body, allowing the first lens 31 to be effectively ultrasonically vibrated without any loss of vibration.

[0038] In this embodiment, the lens unit 20 is composed of a first housing 23, a first lens 31 held in the first housing 23, a lens barrel 22, lenses 32-36 held in the lens barrel 22, a lens holding part 50, a vibration mechanism 60, and the like. The camera module 300 of this embodiment is composed of this lens unit 20 and a second housing 24 that is fitted into the first housing 23 of the lens unit 20. The second housing 24 is equipped with a package sensor (image sensor) 304 inside.

[0039] The package sensor 304 is positioned inside the second housing 24, facing the filter 99, and is located in a position to receive the image of the object formed by the lens unit 20. The package sensor 304 is equipped with a CCD or CMOS sensor, and converts the light that is focused and reaches it through the lens unit 20 into an electrical signal. The converted electrical signal is then converted into analog data or digital data, which are components of the image data captured by the camera.

[0040] Furthermore, the second housing 24 is equipped with a drive circuit board 305 inside. The drive circuit board 305 is a board having a drive circuit that drives the piezoelectric element 61 of the vibration mechanism 60 by applying a voltage of a predetermined frequency. This drive circuit board 305 and the vibrator (piezoelectric element) 61 are formed by FPC or the like and connected by wiring 306 that passes through wiring holes 24f formed in the inner flange portion 24 of the second housing 24. In this way, the second housing 24 is coupled to the image side of the first housing 23 by forming a recess 24g that receives the board 305 on which the package sensor 304 is mounted so that the package sensor 304 faces the lens group L. In this embodiment, a third housing (not shown) surrounding the imaging module, including the substrate 305, from the outside may be further fitted into the second housing 24 to constitute the camera module 300.

[0041] Incidentally, in the configuration described above, the thickness of the top plate portion 23b that forms the pressing portion 23e is made thinner than the thickness of the housing body 23a, and the top plate portion 23b (pressing portion 23e) functions as a damper, thereby making it difficult for vibrations of the vibrating body (hereinafter referred to as the internal vibrating body because it is located inside the first housing 23) 62 to be transmitted to the housing body 23a, the second housing 24, and the lens barrel 22. However, in order to further improve this vibration damping function (vibration leakage function) on the second housing 24 side, in the configuration shown in Figure 3, the housing body 23a is formed as a weight 95 made of SUS while maintaining the thinness of the pressing portion 23e, the locking portion 23c, and the top plate portion 23b (these parts 23e, 23c, and 23b are located outside the internal vibrating body 62 and form the first housing 23, and also vibrate in response to vibrations of the internal vibrating body 62 (coupled with the internal vibrating body 62), so hereinafter referred to as the external vibrating body 23A (for example, made of aluminum)). Such a weight 95 is cylindrical in shape to form the housing body 23a (and therefore part of the aforementioned housing space), and also has a vibration damping function to prevent vibrations from the external vibrator 23A from being transmitted to the second housing 24. In other words, in the configuration of Figure 3, the first housing 23 is formed by the external vibrator 23A and the weight 95. The rest of the configuration of the camera module 300 is the same as that of Figure 1.

[0042] Furthermore, Figure 4 shows a structure that further improves upon the structure of Figure 3. As shown in the figure, in the structure of Figure 4, the weight 95, the second housing 24, and the lens barrel 22 are integrally formed. In particular, in the example of Figure 4, the weight 95, the second housing 24, and the lens barrel 22 are integrally molded from the same material as the weight 95 (in this case, SUS). In this case, the weight 95 has a vibrator introduction opening 95 formed on the object side that allows the internal vibrator 62 to be incorporated into its housing space, thus enabling the internal vibrator 62 to be incorporated from the object side. The presence of such a vibrator introduction opening 95 significantly changes the assembly procedure of the components of the camera module 300.

[0043] In other words, in the structure shown in Figure 3, as also shown in the exploded perspective view in Figure 5, the first housing 23 is formed by first assembling and bonding the weight 95 and the external vibrator 23A. Next, the internal vibrator 62 (vibration mechanism 60) is assembled into the first housing 23 from the image side, and then the first lens 31, which has a resin ring 92 attached to its outer circumference, is bonded to the external vibrator 23A from the object side. Subsequently, the second housing 24, which has the lens barrel 22 assembled, is attached to the weight 95 of the first housing 23 via an O-ring 93 from the image side (fixed with bolts). In short, each component of the camera module 300 is assembled from both the object side and the image side.

[0044] In contrast, in the structure shown in Figure 4, as also shown in the exploded perspective view in Figure 6, first, the internal vibrator 62 (vibration mechanism 60) is assembled from the object side through the vibrator introduction opening 95 into the unit U, which consists of the integrally formed weight 95, the second housing 24, and the lens barrel 22. Then, the external vibrator 23A is assembled and bonded to the unit U (weight 95) from the object side. Subsequently, the first lens 31, which has a resin ring 92 attached to its outer circumference, is bonded to the external vibrator 23A from the object side. In other words, each component of the camera module 300 can be assembled from the object side only (from only one direction).

[0045] As can be seen from the above, by integrally forming the weight 95, the second housing 24, and the lens barrel 22, the number of parts in the camera module 300 as a whole can be reduced, eliminating the need to incorporate an O-ring 93 as a sealing member to ensure sealing within the housing between the first housing 23 and the second housing 24, as well as eliminating the need to assemble the lens barrel 22 to the second housing 24. Therefore, the desired assembly accuracy can be easily obtained.

[0046] Furthermore, if the weight 95, the second housing 24, and the lens barrel 22 are integrally molded from the same material as the weight 95, the second housing 24, including the weight 95, can perform the same vibration damping function as the weight 95. Therefore, not only is the vibration damping function (vibration leakage function) of the second housing 24 improved, but the vibration damping function can also be distributed, increasing the freedom of the shape and design of the weight 95. As a result, it becomes possible to form the vibrating body introduction opening 95a as described above. In other words, in order to improve the vibration damping function on the second housing 24 side, the object-side portion 95b of the weight 95, which was conventionally formed with a thick wall as shown in Figure 3, can be thinned as shown in Figure 4, allowing the weight 95 to be formed in a shape that facilitates the insertion of the internal vibrating body 62 into the second housing 24 from the object side. In addition, the reduction in the vibration damping function of the weight 95 due to the thinning can be compensated for by the vibration damping function of the second housing 24.

[0047] Figure 7 schematically shows a vehicle 240 as a mobile body on which an in-vehicle system (imaging system) comprising an imaging device 250 including the camera module 300 of Figure 1 is mounted. As shown in the figure, the imaging device 250 can be mounted on the vehicle 240, and Figure 7 is an example of an arrangement illustrating the mounting position of the imaging device 250 on the vehicle 240. The imaging device 250 mounted on the vehicle 240 can also be called an in-vehicle camera and can be installed in various locations on the vehicle 240. For example, the first imaging device 250a may be placed on or near the front bumper as a camera to monitor the area in front of the vehicle 240 while it is in motion. The second imaging device 250b, which also monitors the area in front, may be placed near the rearview mirror inside the vehicle 240. The third imaging device 250c may be placed on the dashboard or inside the instrument panel, etc., as a camera to monitor the driver's driving conditions. The fourth imaging device 250d may be installed at the rear of the vehicle 240 for use as a rear monitor. Imaging devices 250a and 250b can be called front cameras. The third imaging device 250c can be called an in-camera. The fourth imaging device 250d can be called a rear camera. The imaging device 250 is not limited to these, and includes imaging devices installed in various positions, such as a left side camera that images the left rear side and a right side camera that images the right rear side.

[0048] The image signal of the image captured by the imaging device 250 can be output to an information processing device (control unit) 242 and / or a display device (output device) 243, etc., within the vehicle 240. These information processing devices 242 and 243 together with the imaging device 250 constitute an in-vehicle system. The information processing device 242 within the vehicle 240 includes a device that processes the image signal (captured image) acquired by the imaging device 250, recognizes the image (recognizes objects in the captured image), and assists the driver in driving. The information processing device 242 is also configured to output recognition information of objects in the captured image to the display device 243, and includes, but is not limited to, a navigation device, a collision damage mitigation braking device, a vehicle-to-vehicle distance control device, and a lane departure warning device. The display device 243 displays the image processed and output by the information processing device 242, but can also receive the image signal directly from the imaging device 250. Furthermore, the display device 243 may employ, but is not limited to, a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic electro-luminescence (EL) display, or an inorganic EL display. The display device 243 can display image signals output from an imaging device 250, such as a rear camera, which captures images from positions that are difficult for the driver to see (it can output information to the occupants).

[0049] Figure 8 shows the configuration of the imaging device that constitutes the in-vehicle system shown in Figure 7. As shown in the figure, the imaging device 250 according to one embodiment includes a control unit 252, a storage unit 254, and the camera module 300 shown in Figure 1.

[0050] The control unit 252 controls the camera module 300 and processes the electrical signals output from the image sensor (package sensor) 304 of the camera module 300. This control unit 252 may be configured as a processor, for example. The control unit 252 may also include one or more processors. The processors may include general-purpose processors that load a specific program and execute a specific function, and dedicated processors specialized for specific processing. Dedicated processors may include application-specific integrated circuits (ICs). Application-specific integrated circuits are also called ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits). The processors may also include programmable logic devices. Programmable logic devices are also called PLDs (Programmable Logic Devices). PLDs may include field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). The control unit 252 may be either a system-on-a-chip (SoC) or a system-in-a-package (SiP) in which one or more processors cooperate. Furthermore, the control unit 252 may have the same functions as the information processing device 242 described above. For example, it may process the captured image output from the image sensor 304 to recognize objects in the captured image.

[0051] The storage unit 254 stores various information or parameters related to the operation of the imaging device 250. The storage unit 254 may be composed of, for example, a semiconductor memory. The storage unit 254 may function as a work memory for the control unit 252. The storage unit 254 may store captured images. The storage unit 254 may store various parameters, etc., for the control unit 252 to perform detection processing based on the captured images. The storage unit 254 may be included in the control unit 252.

[0052] As mentioned above, the camera module 300 captures the subject image formed via the lens unit 20 with the image sensor 304 and outputs the captured image. The image captured by the camera module 300 is also called the captured image.

[0053] The image sensor 304 may be composed of, for example, a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) image sensor or a CCD (Charge Coupled Device). The image sensor 304 has an imaging surface in which multiple pixels are arranged. Each pixel outputs a signal that is specified by current or voltage according to the amount of incident light. The signal output by each pixel is also called imaging data.

[0054] The image data may be read out by the camera module 300 for all pixels and taken into the control unit 252 as an image. The image data read out for all pixels is also called the maximum image. The image data may be read out by the camera module 300 for some pixels and taken into the image. In other words, the image data may be read out from pixels within a predetermined acquisition range. The image data read out from pixels within a predetermined acquisition range may be taken into the image. The predetermined acquisition range may be set by the control unit 252. The camera module 300 may obtain the predetermined acquisition range from the control unit 252. The image sensor 304 may capture an image within a predetermined acquisition range from the subject image formed via the lens unit 20.

[0055] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented in various ways without departing from its spirit. For example, in the present invention, the shapes of lenses, housings, lens barrels, etc., are not limited to the embodiments described above. Furthermore, without departing from the spirit of the present invention, some or all of the embodiments described above may be combined, or some of the components of one of the embodiments described above may be omitted. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0056] 20 Lens Units 22 Telescope Tubes 23. First cabinet 23A External vibrator 24 Second cabinet 24g recess 60 Vibration mechanism 61 Vibrator (vibration source) 62. Vibrating Body (Internal Vibrating Body) 95 weight 95a Vibrator introduction opening 240 vehicles (mobile) 243 Display device (output device) 252 Control Unit 300 Camera Modules 304 Image sensor 305 Drive circuit board L lens group

Claims

1. A camera module comprising a lens group in which multiple lenses are arranged along the optical axis of the lens, a lens barrel that houses and holds the lenses constituting the lens group, and an image sensor that converts the light collected through the lens group into an electrical signal, A cylindrical first housing having an internal housing space for receiving the aforementioned lens barrel, A second housing is coupled to the image side of the first housing and coupled to the lens barrel, and forms a recess for receiving a substrate on which the image sensor is mounted so that the image sensor faces the lens group, A vibration mechanism is provided within the first housing so as to surround the lens barrel from the outside, and includes a vibration source that vibrates ultrasonically, and an internal vibrator connected to the vibration source that transmits the ultrasonic vibrations of the vibration source to the first lens located closest to the object among the lens group, It has, The first housing consists of an external vibrator coupled to the internal vibrator and receiving vibrations from the internal vibrator, and a cylindrical vibration-damping weight that forms part of the housing space and prevents vibrations from the external vibrator from being transmitted to the second housing. A camera module characterized in that the weight, the second housing, and the lens barrel are integrally formed.

2. The camera module according to claim 1, characterized in that the weight, the second housing, and the lens barrel are integrally molded from the same material as the weight.

3. The camera module according to claim 1, characterized in that the weight has a vibrator introduction opening that allows the internal vibrator to be incorporated into the housing space.

4. An in-vehicle system installed in a vehicle, A camera module according to any one of claims 1 to 3, A control unit that processes the captured image output from the image sensor of the camera module and recognizes an object in the captured image, An in-vehicle system characterized by having [a certain feature].

5. A mobile body equipped with the in-vehicle system described in claim 4 and an output device that outputs information to the occupants, The mobile body is characterized in that the control unit is configured to output recognition information of the object to the output device.

Images