Camera module, vehicle-mounted system, and mobile object

Abstract

Provided are a camera module capable of suppressing vibration of wiring for applying a drive signal to a vibration source of a vibration mechanism, a vehicle-mounted system, and a mobile object.　A camera module 300 according to the present invention comprises: a first housing 23 in which an accommodation space for accommodating a lens barrel 22 is formed; a vibration mechanism comprising a vibration source which is provided in the first housing 23 and performs ultrasonic vibration, and a vibrator 62 which is connected to the vibration source and a first lens 31 and transmits the ultrasonic vibration of the vibration source to the first lens 31; and a second housing 24 which is joined to the image side of the first housing 23 and accommodates a drive circuit board for applying a drive signal to the vibration source. The drive circuit board and the vibration source are electrically connected by wiring 306. A portion of the wiring 306 is fixed inside the first housing 23.

Description

Camera Module, Vehicle-mounted System, and Moving Body

[0005]

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

[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] Further, such a lens unit may be attached to an attachment portion such as a front grille 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 of view by the lens unit.

[0004] Regarding the removal of foreign substances adhering to the surface of the lens (or lens cover), in recent years, foreign substances have also been removed by vibrating the lens (or 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 optical system 105 with a lens 106 and an image sensor built into it, located on 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 liquid droplets, or removing foreign matter adhering to the surface of the cover 111.

[0007] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2013-231993, Japanese Patent Publication No. 6977784

[0008] Incidentally, although not shown in Figure 9, the camera equipped with the vibration device 102 is provided with a drive circuit board for driving the piezoelectric element 113, which acts as a vibration source, and this drive circuit board and the piezoelectric element 113 are electrically connected by wiring such as an FPC.

[0009] Since such wiring is connected to the vibrating body 112 of the vibration device 102, it will vibrate in sync with the vibrating body 112 (for example, ultrasonic vibration). In this case, if the length of the wiring extending from the vibrating body 112 is long, the wiring hanging down from the vibrating body 112 toward the image side will oscillate due to the vibration and interfere with the surrounding components of the camera and lens unit, which may result in the generation of abnormal noise or damage to the wiring. Furthermore, the vibration of the wiring may adversely affect the vibration characteristics of the vibration source.

[0010] The length of the wiring may depend on the length of the imaging optical system 105 in the optical axis direction. For example, as shown in Figure 10, if the vibrator 102 (vibrator 112) is common regardless of the lengths L1 and L2 in the optical axis direction of the imaging optical system 105 (therefore, the length L in the optical axis direction of the vibrator 112 is the same in all types of imaging optical systems 105), then as shown in Figure 10(b), if the length L2 in the optical axis direction of the imaging optical system 105 becomes longer, the length of the wiring 200 extending from the vibrator 112 will become longer compared to the case where the length L1 in the optical axis direction of the imaging optical system 105 is short, as shown in Figure 10(a). Therefore, there is concern that the aforementioned problem may occur.

[0011] 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 suppress vibrations of wiring for applying a drive signal to a vibration source of a vibration mechanism.

[0012] 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 of the lens group except for the first lens located closest to the object; and an image sensor that converts light collected through the lens group into an electrical signal, wherein the camera module comprises: a cylindrical first housing that forms an internal housing space for receiving the lens barrel; a vibration mechanism provided inside the first housing and having a vibration source that vibrates ultrasonically and a vibrator connected to the vibration source and the first lens to transmit the ultrasonic vibration of the vibration source to the first lens; a second housing coupled to the image side of the first housing, on which the image sensor is mounted so that the image sensor faces the lens group and which has a recess for receiving a drive circuit board for applying a drive signal to the vibration source; and wiring that electrically connects the drive circuit board and the vibration source, wherein a part of the wiring is fixed inside the first housing.

[0013] According to the above configuration of the present invention, a portion of the wiring is fixed inside the first housing near the vibration source, thereby partially constraining the wiring midway. In other words, the length of the wiring that hangs freely from the vibration source is shortened. To put it another way, the wiring is not allowed to extend freely from the vibration source to the drive circuit board towards the image side. As a result, the oscillation of the wiring caused by vibrations of the vibration mechanism can be suppressed, and therefore, interference between the wiring and the components constituting the surrounding camera and lens unit can be prevented. Consequently, the generation of abnormal noise and damage to the wiring can be avoided. Furthermore, by partially constraining the wiring midway in this manner, the entire load of the wiring does not have to act on the vibrating body, and the wiring does not oscillate significantly. Therefore, the load on the vibrating body is reduced compared to conventional designs, and the vibration of the vibrating body is not hindered.

[0014] In the above configuration, "a part of the wiring" refers to any part of the wiring, including the middle section of the wiring and the end of the wiring. Furthermore, examples of the inner part of the first housing to which a part of the wiring is fixed include the lens barrel, the inner wall of the first housing, or a part of the second housing located inside the first housing and facing the inside of the first housing.

[0015] Furthermore, if the wiring is fixed inside the first housing on the object side as described above, depending on the fixing position, the wiring path to the drive circuit board may become long. Alternatively, since the installation position of the drive circuit board varies depending on the type of camera module, if the drive circuit board is installed closer to the image side, the wiring path from the fixing position to the drive circuit board will inevitably become long. Therefore, in the above configuration of the present invention, in order to solve these problems, it is preferable that the wiring consists of a first wiring section, one part of which is fixed inside the first housing, and at least one second wiring section that is electrically connected to this first wiring section and extends to the drive circuit board. In other words, it is preferable to make the wiring extendable by multiple wiring sections. In this case, it is desirable to use the first wiring section as a common wiring section for all types of optical systems (lens barrels) with different lengths in the optical axis direction, and to extend the wiring by connecting one or more second wiring sections to the first wiring section as needed.

[0016] Furthermore, by configuring the wiring to be extendable using multiple wiring sections in this way, it becomes unnecessary to use vibrators with individually different specifications for various types of optical systems (lens barrels) with different lengths in the optical axis direction (since the difference in the length of the wiring path to the drive circuit board can be compensated for by extending the wiring section, a common vibrator can be used for all types of optical systems (lens barrels) with different lengths in the optical axis direction), thus reducing the overall cost of the camera module.

[0017] Furthermore, when the wiring is configured to be extendable by multiple wiring sections, a portion of the wiring fixed to the inside of the first housing may be a connection point between the first wiring section and the second wiring section. Also, electrical connections between wiring sections may be made, for example, via connectors, or by solder or an anisotropic conductive film.

[0018] Furthermore, the present invention also provides an in-vehicle system having the aforementioned camera module, and a mobile body equipped with the in-vehicle system. The same effects and advantages as those of the aforementioned camera module can be obtained with such an in-vehicle system and mobile body. The term "mobile body" refers to all objects that can be moved, such as vehicles.

[0019] According to the camera module of the present invention, vibrations of the wiring used to apply a drive signal to the vibration source of the vibration mechanism can be suppressed.

[0020] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a camera module having a lens unit with the basic structure of the present invention. This is a perspective view of the camera module of Figure 1. This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a camera module according to one embodiment of the present invention, showing the wiring configuration when a lens barrel with a long optical axis length is used with respect to the configuration of Figure 1. This is a schematic diagram showing a first modified example of the connection configuration between wiring parts. This is a schematic diagram showing a second modified example of the connection configuration between wiring parts. This is a schematic diagram showing a third modified example of the connection configuration between wiring parts. This is a schematic diagram of a vehicle as a mobile body on which an imaging system (in-vehicle system) equipped with a camera module according to one embodiment of the present invention is mounted. This is a block diagram showing the configuration of the imaging device constituting the imaging system of Figure 7. This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a conventional camera module. (a) is a schematic cross-sectional view of a conventional camera module when the optical axis length of the imaging optical system is short, and (b) is a schematic cross-sectional view of a conventional camera module when the optical axis length of the imaging optical system is long.

[0021] The embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. These embodiments contribute to "9. Build resilient infrastructure, including local and transboundary infrastructure, to support economic development and human well-being, with a focus on affordable and equitable access for all," which is one of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) advocated by the United Nations.

[0022] Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a camera module equipped with a lens unit having the basic structure of the present invention, and Figure 2 is a perspective view of this camera module. The lens unit described below is particularly for camera modules such as in-vehicle cameras, and is, for example, fixedly installed on the outer surface of a vehicle, with wiring routed into the vehicle and connected to a display or other device.

[0023] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the camera module 300 includes a lens unit 20. This lens unit 20 comprises a cylindrical lens barrel 22, for example, made of resin (it may, of course, be made of metal), and a rectangular tubular first housing 23 in which the lens barrel 22 is housed. That is, the first housing 23 has an internal housing space for receiving the lens barrel 22.

[0024] 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.

[0025] The first housing 23 is positioned radially outward from the lens barrel 22, and the second housing 24 is positioned on the image side (downward 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 is formed at the radial center of this inner flange portion 24a, projecting toward the object side (upward in Figure 1), and a through hole 24c is formed at the radial center of this protrusion 24b. The inner flange portion 24a forms a partition wall portion that separates the inner space S1 of the first housing 23 from the inner space S2 of the second housing 24.

[0026] 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.

[0027] 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 located closer to the image than the first lens 31, are provided (housed and held) within the lens barrel 22.

[0028] 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.

[0029] Furthermore, the first lens 31, which is located closest to the object, is a glass lens, and lenses 32 to 36 are resin lenses, but this is not limited to them (for example, lens 31 may also be a resin lens). In addition, anti-reflective coatings, hydrophilic coatings, water-repellent coatings, etc., may be provided on the surfaces of lenses 31 to 36 as needed.

[0030] Multiple lenses 31 to 36, fixed and supported by the first housing 23 and lens barrel 22, are arranged so that their optical axes align, and the lenses 31 to 36 are lined up along a single optical axis O to form a group of lenses L used for imaging. In other words, the lens barrel 22 houses and holds the lenses 32 to 36 of the lens group L, excluding the first lens 31 which is located closest to the object, and holds the first lens 31 and the second lens 32 adjacent to it on the image side at its end closest to the object.

[0031] Furthermore, in this structure, the first housing 23 is positioned radially outward of the lens barrel 22. The first housing 23 is made of a metal such as SUS or aluminum, 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 portion 23b (thickness in the optical axis direction) is thinner than the thickness of the housing body 23a (thickness in the radial direction).

[0032] The locking portion 23c comprises a substantially cylindrical projection 23d formed projecting toward the object side (upward in Figure 1) from the inner circumferential edge of the top plate portion 23b, and a pressing portion 23e bent radially inward from the upper end of the projection 23d. An inclined surface 23f, 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 fixed by pressing its surface edge with 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 the first lens 31, which is located furthest toward the object in the lens group L, and fixes it to the object-side end of the first housing 23 in the direction of the optical axis.

[0033] 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. In addition, a filter 99, such as an infrared cut filter, is provided on the lower surface of the inner flange portion 26.

[0034] Furthermore, this structure is provided with a ring-shaped lens holder 50 that holds the first lens 31. This lens holder 50 is manufactured by turning a metal such as SUS to form a thin ring shape. 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. The lens holder 50 also has a second inner surface 50c that is perpendicular to the annular surface 50b and arranged coaxially with the optical axis O, and this second inner surface 50c is positioned closer to the image (lower side in Figure 1) than the second inner surface 50a, and has a smaller inner diameter than the first inner surface 50a.

[0035] Furthermore, the inner diameter of the second inner circumferential 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 circumferential surface 50c of the lens holder 50. The lens holder 50 is also joined to the first housing 23 in a fitted state. That is, the outer circumferential surface 50d and the upper surface 50e of the lens holder 50 are in contact with the inner circumference of the retaining portion 23e of the first housing 23 with almost no gap on the radially outer side of the inclined surface 23f, so that the lens holder 50 is fitted to the retaining portion 23e of the first housing 23 from the inside. In this way, the lens holder 50 is joined to the first housing 23 having the retaining portion 23e in a fitted state. The lens holder 50 joined to the first housing 23 in a fitted state has its axis coincide with the optical axis O and is positioned in the direction of the optical axis.

[0036] Furthermore, the lens holder 50 holds the first lens 31. That is, 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. Also, 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. In addition, the lenses 32 to 36, which are positioned closer to the image side than the first lens 31, are held by the lens barrel 22 so that their optical axes coincide. 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 to 36, which are positioned closer to the image side than the first lens 31, are positioned coaxially or with an eccentricity of less than a predetermined amount.

[0037] Furthermore, this structure is provided with a vibration mechanism 60 that vibrates 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 vibration 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. That is, the first housing 23 houses the lens group L and the vibration mechanism inside. The transducer 61 is formed in the shape of an annular plate and is provided inside the housing body 23a of the first housing 23. The transducer 61 is formed, for example, by a piezoelectric element.

[0038] The vibrating body 62 is made of, for example, metal and comprises a donut-shaped mounting portion 62a as one end connected to the transducer 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 due to the continuously changing outer and inner diameters in the axial direction (optical axis direction), and an S-shaped cross-section, and a ring-shaped joint portion 62c formed at the upper end of the body portion 62b. The transducer 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 portion 50 with adhesive. In this way, the vibrating body 62 is positioned to surround the lens barrel 22 from the outside so as not to come into contact with the lens barrel 22, and is connected to the transducer 61 and the first lens 31 (via the lens holder portion 50) to transmit the ultrasonic vibrations of the transducer 61 to the first lens 31.

[0039] 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 adhered to the lens surface of the first lens 31.

[0040] 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 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 also less likely to be transmitted to the lenses 32-36, thereby suppressing a decrease in 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 presses down on 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 and locking portion 23c (protruding portion 23d and pressing portion 23e) of the first housing 23 act as external vibrating bodies, allowing the first lens 31 to be effectively ultrasonically vibrated without any loss of vibration.

[0041] Furthermore, in this structure, the lens barrel 22 and the lenses 32-36 held in the lens barrel 22, which are arranged radially inward of the vibrating body 62, together with the package sensor (image sensor) 304 provided inside the second housing 24, constitute an imaging optical system. The lens unit 20 is composed of the first housing 23, the first lens 31 held in the first housing 23, the lens barrel 22, the lenses 32-36 held in the lens barrel 22, the lens holding part 50, the vibration mechanism 60, etc. The camera module 300 is composed of this lens unit 20 and the second housing 24 which is fitted into the first housing 23 of the lens unit 20.

[0042] 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 an 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 (lens group L) 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.

[0043] Further, the second housing 24 includes a drive circuit board 305 inside thereof. The drive circuit board 305 is a board having a drive circuit that applies a voltage of a predetermined frequency (applies a drive signal) to the piezoelectric element 61 of the vibration mechanism 60 to drive it. The drive circuit board 305 and the vibrator (piezoelectric element) 61 are connected by wiring 306 formed by an FPC or the like and passed through a wiring hole 24f formed in the inner flange portion 24a of the second housing 24. In this way, the second housing 24 forms 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, and is coupled to the image side of the first housing 23. In this structure, a third housing (not shown) that surrounds the imaging module including the board 305 from the outside may be further fitted to the second housing 24 to form the camera module 300.

[0044] By the way, since the wiring 306 that electrically connects the drive circuit board 305 and the vibrator 61 is to be connected to the vibrating body 62, it vibrates in synchronization with the vibrating body 62 that vibrates (for example, ultrasonic vibration). In this case, if the length of the wiring 306 extending from the vibrating body 62 is long, the wiring 306 hanging down from the vibrating body 62 toward the image side swings due to the vibration and interferes with the components constituting the camera module 300. As a result, abnormal noise may occur or the wiring 306 may be damaged. Further, there is also a possibility that the vibration of the wiring 306 may adversely affect the vibration characteristics of the vibrator 61.

[0045] Furthermore, the length of the wiring 306 may depend on the length in the optical axis direction of the imaging optical system (lens barrel 22) as described above. For example, as shown in Figure 3, if the length in the optical axis direction of the imaging optical system (lens barrel 22) is longer than that in Figure 1, using a vibrator 62 of the same specifications (same length in the optical axis direction) will result in the length of the wiring 306 extending from the vibrator 62 being longer than that in Figure 1, which may cause the problems described above. For this reason, in the configuration of Figure 3 according to one embodiment of the present invention, a part of the wiring 306 is fixed inside the first housing 23. Specifically, in this case, the middle of the wiring 306 is fixed to the lens barrel 22. In this way, by fixing a part of the wiring 306 inside the first housing 23 close to the vibrator 61, the wiring 306 is partially restrained in the middle, that is, by shortening the length of the wiring 306 that hangs freely from the vibrator 61, it is possible to suppress the oscillation of the wiring 306 caused by the vibration of the vibrator 62, and therefore, it is possible to prevent the wiring 306 from interfering with surrounding components. As a result, it is possible to avoid the generation of abnormal noises and damage to the wiring. Furthermore, by partially restraining the wiring 306 in this way, the entire load of the wiring 306 does not have to act on the vibrating body 62, and the wiring 306 does not swing widely, so the load on the vibrating body 62 is reduced compared to the conventional method, and the vibration of the vibrating body 62 is not hindered.

[0046] However, if the wiring 306 is fixed inside the first housing 23 on the object side as described above, depending on the fixing position, the path of the wiring 306 reaching the drive circuit board 305 may become long. Alternatively, since the installation position of the drive circuit board 305 varies depending on the type of the camera module 300, when the drive circuit board 305 is installed closer to the image side, the path of the wiring 306 from the fixing position of the wiring 306 to the drive circuit board 305 inevitably becomes long. Therefore, in the configuration shown in FIG. 3, in order to solve such a problem, the wiring 306 includes a first wiring portion 306a whose one part is fixed inside the first housing 23, and at least one second wiring portion 306b electrically connected to the first wiring portion 306a and reaching the drive circuit board 305. That is, the wiring 306 is made extensible by a plurality of wiring portions 306a and 306b. In this case, it is desirable to use the first wiring portion 306a as a common wiring portion for all types of imaging optical systems (lens barrel 22) having different lengths in the optical axis direction, and connect one or more second wiring portions 306b to the first wiring portion 306a as needed to extend the wiring 306. When a plurality of second wiring portions 306b are required, the second wiring portions 306b are electrically connected to each other (via a connector, solder, etc.) to realize the wiring 306 of the required length.

[0047] In the configuration of FIG. 3, the fixing portion of the wiring 306 fixed inside the first housing 23 (here, fixed to the lens barrel 22) is the connection portion between the first wiring portion 306a and the second wiring portion 306b. Specifically, the first wiring portion 306a and the second wiring portion 306b are electrically connected by a connector 70, and this connector 70 is fixed to the lens barrel 22.

[0048] The electrical connection between the first wiring portion 306a and the second wiring portion 306b may be made not by such a connector 70 but by solder or an anisotropic conductive film (ACF) 72 as shown in FIG. 4 as a first modification example.

[0049] Figure 5 shows a second modified example of the connection configuration between the first wiring section 306a and the second wiring section 306b, or the connection configuration between the two second wiring sections 306b. As shown in the figure, in this modified example, a first connector 70A is provided at one end of the first wiring section 306a (or the second wiring section 306b), and a second connector 70B is provided at one end of the second wiring section 306b, which is to be electrically connected to the first wiring section 306a (or the second wiring section 306b). In this case, the first connector 70A is fixed inside the first housing 23 to the surface 24aa of the inner flange portion 24a of the second housing 24 facing the inner space S1 of the first housing 23, and the second connector 70B is fixed to the back surface 24ab of the inner flange portion 24a of the second housing 24 facing the inner space S2 of the second housing 24. Furthermore, the first connector 70A and the second connector 70B are electrically connected by a connecting wire 75 that passes through the aforementioned wiring hole 24f, which penetrates the inner flange portion 24a of the second housing 24. The connecting wire 75 may, as an example, form a molded circuit component (MID) together with the connector.

[0050] In the case where the connection configuration shown in Figure 5 is the connection configuration between the first wiring section 306a and the second wiring section 306b, the first wiring section 306a may already have one part fixed inside the first housing 23, or it may be fixed for the first time in the connection configuration shown here.

[0051] Figure 6 shows a third modified example of the connection configuration between the first wiring section 306a and the second wiring section 306b, or the connection configuration between the two second wiring sections 306b. As shown in the figure, in this modified example as well, a first connector 70A is provided at one end of the first wiring section 306a (or the second wiring section 306b), and a second connector 70B is provided at one end of the second wiring section 306b, which is to be electrically connected to the first wiring section 306a (or the second wiring section 306b). In this case, the first connector 70A is electrically connected to the second connector 70B by a circuit board 80 provided (for example, incorporated or integrally formed) on the inner flange portion 24a of the second housing 24. Specifically, the circuit board 80 has a surface 80a facing the inner space S1 of the first housing 23 and a back surface 80b facing the inner space S2 of the second housing 24. The first connector 70A is electrically connected to the surface 80a of the circuit board 80, and the second connector 70B is electrically connected to the back surface 80b of the circuit board 80.

[0052] In the case where the connection configuration shown in Figure 6 is the connection configuration between the first wiring section 306a and the second wiring section 306b, the first wiring section 306a may already have a portion of it fixed inside the first housing 23, or it may be fixed for the first time in the connection configuration shown here.

[0053] 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 that monitors the area in front of the vehicle 240 when 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 that monitors 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.

[0054] 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. The display device 243 may employ, but is not limited to, a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic electro-luminescence (OLED) display, and an inorganic EL display. The display device 243 can display image signals output from the imaging device 250, which captures images from positions that are difficult for the driver to see, such as a rear camera, to the driver (it can output information to the occupants).

[0055] 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.

[0056] 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 specific programs and execute specific functions, 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 an object in the captured image.

[0057] 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.

[0058] 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.

[0059] 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.

[0060] 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.

[0061] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented with various modifications without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, in the present invention, the shapes of the lens, housing, lens barrel, vibrator, etc., are not limited to the embodiments described above. Also, the electrical connection configuration between wiring parts and the fixing configuration of wiring inside the first housing are not limited to the embodiments described above. Furthermore, within the scope 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.

[0062] 20 Lens unit 22 Lens barrel 23 First housing 24 Second housing 24a Inner flange section (partition wall section) 31 First lens 60 Vibration mechanism 61 Vibrator (vibration source) 62 Vibrating body 70, 70A, 70B Connector 72 Solder or anisotropic conductive film 75 Connection wiring 80 Circuit board 240 Vehicle (mobile body) 243 Display device (output device) 252 Control unit 300 Camera module 304 Image sensor 305 Drive circuit board 306 Wiring 306a First wiring section 306b Second wiring section L Lens group

Claims

1. 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 of the lens group except for the first lens located closest to the object; and an image sensor that converts light collected through the lens group into an electrical signal, wherein the camera module comprises: a cylindrical first housing that forms an internal housing space for receiving the lens barrel; a vibration mechanism provided within the first housing and having a vibration source that vibrates ultrasonically and a vibrator connected to the vibration source and the first lens to transmit the ultrasonic vibration of the vibration source to the first lens; a second housing coupled to the image side of the first housing, on which the image sensor is mounted so that the image sensor faces the lens group and which has a recess for receiving a drive circuit board for applying a drive signal to the vibration source; and wiring that electrically connects the drive circuit board and the vibration source, wherein a part of the wiring is fixed inside the first housing.

2. The camera module according to claim 1, characterized in that the portion of the wiring is fixed to a portion of the second housing that is inside the first housing and faces the inside of the first housing.

3. The camera module according to claim 1, characterized in that the wiring comprises a first wiring section, one portion of which is fixed inside the first housing, and at least one second wiring section, which is electrically connected to the first wiring section and extends to the drive circuit board.

4. The camera module according to claim 3, characterized in that the portion fixed inside the first housing is the connection portion between the first wiring portion and the second wiring portion.

5. The camera module according to claim 3, characterized in that the first wiring section and the second wiring section are electrically connected via a connector.

6. The camera module according to claim 5, wherein the connector includes a first connector at one end of the first wiring section and a second connector at one end of the second wiring section, the second housing has a partition wall portion that separates the inside of the first housing from the inside of the second housing, the first connector is fixed to the inside of the first housing and to the surface of the partition wall portion of the second housing facing the inside of the first housing, the second connector is fixed to the back surface of the partition wall portion of the second housing facing the inside of the second housing, and the first connector and the second connector are electrically connected.

7. The camera module according to claim 6, characterized in that the first connector and the second connector are electrically connected by connecting wiring that penetrates the partition portion of the second housing.

8. The camera module according to claim 6, characterized in that the first connector and the second connector are electrically connected by a circuit board provided in the partition wall portion of the second housing and having a surface facing the inside of the first housing and a back surface facing the inside of the second housing.

9. The camera module according to claim 3, characterized in that the first wiring section and the second wiring section are electrically connected by solder or an anisotropic conductive film.

10. An in-vehicle system mounted on a vehicle, comprising: a camera module according to any one of claims 1 to 9; and a control unit that processes an image captured from the image sensor of the camera module and recognizes an object in the image captured.

11. A mobile body equipped with the in-vehicle system described in claim 10 and an output device that outputs information to the occupant, wherein the control unit is configured to output recognition information of the object to the output device.

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