Camera module, vehicle-mounted system, and mobile object

Abstract

Provided are a camera module, a vehicle-mounted system, and a mobile object capable of reducing the number of components and improving assembly accuracy.　In a camera module (300) according to the present invention, a first housing (23) comprises: an external vibration body (23A) that is coupled to an internal vibration body (62) and receives the vibration of the internal vibration body (62); and a tubular damping weight (95) that forms a part of a housing space for accommodating a lens barrel (22) and prevents the vibration of the external vibration body (23A) from being transmitted to a second housing (24) side. In this configuration, the weight (95), the second housing (24), and the lens barrel (22) are integrally formed.

Description

Camera Module, Vehicle-mounted System, and Moving Body

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

[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 in some cases, the lens located closest to the object side is 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 a lens (or lens cover), in recent years, foreign substances have also been removed by vibrating the lens (or lens cover) with a vibrating body (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 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, 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.

[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 light collected through the lens group into an electrical signal, the camera module comprising: a cylindrical first housing that forms an internal housing space for receiving the lens barrel; a second housing coupled to the image side of the first housing and coupled to the lens barrel, and forming a recess for receiving a substrate on which the image sensor is mounted so that the image sensor faces the lens group; and a vibration mechanism provided inside the first housing so as to surround the lens barrel from the outside, having a vibration source that vibrates ultrasonically, and an internal vibrator connected to the vibration source that transmits the ultrasonic vibration of the vibration source to a first lens located furthest to the object side of the lens group, wherein the first housing consists of an external vibrator coupled to the internal vibrator that receives the vibration of the internal vibrator, and a cylindrical vibration damping weight that forms part of the housing space and prevents the vibration of the external vibrator from being transmitted to the second housing side. 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] Furthermore, in the above configuration of the present invention, it is preferable that the weight has a vibrator introduction opening that allows the internal vibrator to be incorporated into its housing space. This makes it easier to incorporate the internal vibrator through the vibrator introduction opening, which increases the degree of freedom in assembling the entire camera module, and simplifies the assembly work, for example, by enabling assembly from only one direction.

[0015] 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.

[0016] 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 assembly accuracy can be improved.

[0017] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a camera module having a lens unit according to one embodiment of the present invention. This is a perspective view of the camera module of Figure 1. This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the main part of the camera module of Figure 1 with a newly added characteristic structure. This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the main part of the camera module of Figure 1 with a further characteristic structure. This is an exploded perspective view of the camera module of Figure 3. This is an exploded perspective view of the camera module of Figure 4. 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.

[0018] 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.

[0019] Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a camera module equipped with a lens unit according to one embodiment 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.

[0020] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the camera module 300 of this embodiment includes a lens unit 20. This lens unit 20 comprises a cylindrical lens barrel 22, for example, made of resin (of course, it may also be made of metal), and a rectangular tubular first housing 23 in which the lens barrel 22 is provided. That is, the first housing 23 has an internal housing space 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 (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 convex portion 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 convex portion 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 located closer to the image than the first lens 31, are provided (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 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.

[0027] Multiple lenses 31 to 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 to 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 of 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 circumferential 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).

[0029] 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.

[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. In addition, 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 for holding 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 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.

[0032] 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.

[0033] 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.

[0034] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a vibration mechanism 60 is provided for vibrating 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. Such a 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). 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 by, for example, 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 a decrease in optical performance caused by misalignment 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 vibrated ultrasonically 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 holder 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 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 from an FPC or the like and are connected by wiring 306 that passes through a wiring hole 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) that surrounds the imaging module including the board 305 from the outside may be further fitted to the second housing 24 to constitute the camera module 300.

[0041] By the way, 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, to further improve this vibration damping function (vibration leakage function) on the second housing 24 side, To achieve this, 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 portions 23e, 23c, and 23b are located outside the internal vibrator 62 to form the first housing 23 and vibrate in response to the vibration of the internal vibrator 62 (coupled with the internal vibrator 62), and are therefore hereinafter referred to as the external vibrator 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 has a vibration damping function to prevent the vibration of 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 other configurations of the camera module 300 are the same as those in 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] That is, in the structure of FIG. 3 described above, as shown in the exploded perspective view of FIG. 5, first, the first housing 23 is formed by assembling and bonding the weight 95 and the external vibrator 23A. Next, the internal vibrator 62 (vibration mechanism 60) is incorporated into the first housing 23 from the image side, and then, the first lens 31 formed by assembling the resin ring 92 on the outer periphery is bonded to the external vibrator 23A from the object side. Subsequently, the second housing 24 formed by assembling the lens barrel 22 is attached (bolted and fixed) to the weight 95 of the first housing 23 via the O-ring 93 from the image side. That is, each component of the camera module 300 is assembled from both the object side and the image side.

[0044] In contrast, in the structure of FIG. 4 described above, as shown in the exploded perspective view of FIG. 6, first, the internal vibrator 62 (vibration mechanism 60) is incorporated into the unit U of the integrally formed weight 95, second housing 24, and lens barrel 22 from the object side through the vibrator introduction opening 95. Then, the external vibrator 23A is assembled and bonded to the unit U (weight 95) from the object side. Subsequently, the first lens 31 formed by assembling the resin ring 92 on the outer periphery is bonded to the external vibrator 23A from the object side. That is, each component of the camera module 300 can be assembled only from the object side (from only one direction).

[0045] As can be seen from the above, when the weight 95, the second housing 24, and the lens barrel 22 are integrally formed, not only can the number of parts be reduced for the entire camera module 300, but it is also no longer necessary to incorporate the O-ring 93 as a seal member for ensuring the sealing performance inside the housing between the first housing 23 and the second housing 24, and it is also no longer necessary 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 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.

[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 in the vehicle 240. These information processing device 242 and display device 243 together with the imaging device 250 constitute an in-vehicle system. The information processing device 242 in the vehicle 240 includes a device that processes the image signal (captured image) acquired by the imaging device 250, recognizes the image (recognizes an object in the captured image), and supports the driver's driving. Further, the information processing device 242 is configured to output recognition information of an object in the captured image to the display device 243, and includes, for example, a navigation device, a collision damage mitigation brake device, a vehicle-to-vehicle distance control device, and a lane departure warning device, etc., but is not limited thereto. The display device 243 displays the image processed and output by the information processing device 242, but can also directly receive an image signal from the imaging device 250. Further, the display device 243 can employ a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display, and an inorganic EL display, etc., but is not limited thereto. The display device 243 can display the image signal output from the imaging device 250 that captures an image at a position difficult for the driver to visually recognize, such as a rear camera (can output information to the passenger).

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

[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 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.

[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 with various modifications 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 components of one of the embodiments described above may be omitted.

[0056] 20 Lens unit 22 Lens barrel 23 First housing 23A External vibrator 24 Second housing 24g Recess 60 Vibration mechanism 61 Vibrator (vibration source) 62 Vibrator (internal vibrator) 95 Weight 95a Vibrator introduction aperture 240 Vehicle (moving body) 243 Display device (output device) 252 Control unit 300 Camera module 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 light collected through the lens group into an electrical signal, the camera module comprising: a cylindrical first housing that forms an internal housing space for receiving the lens barrel; a second housing coupled to the image side of the first housing and coupled to the lens barrel, and forming a recess for receiving a substrate on which the image sensor is mounted so that the image sensor faces the lens group; and a vibration mechanism provided inside the first housing so as to surround the lens barrel from the outside, having a vibration source that vibrates ultrasonically, and an internal vibrator connected to the vibration source that transmits the ultrasonic vibration of the vibration source to a first lens located furthest to the object side of the lens group, wherein the first housing consists of an external vibrator coupled to the internal vibrator that receives the vibration of the internal vibrator, and a cylindrical vibration damping weight that forms part of the housing space and prevents the vibration of the external vibrator from being transmitted to the second housing side. 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 forms a vibrator introduction opening that enables the internal vibrator to be incorporated into the housing space.

4. An in-vehicle system mounted on a vehicle, comprising: a camera module according to any one of claims 1 to 3; 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.

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

Images