Passive Alignment of Array Camera Modules Using Active Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manufacturing of array camera modules faces challenges in achieving optimal alignment of lens stacks with sensors due to variations in focal lengths and tolerances, leading to suboptimal imaging performance, particularly in bulk production where active alignment processes are costly and time-consuming.
Innovation Solution
A method that combines active and passive alignment techniques, where active alignment is used to characterize the spatial relationship between lens stack arrays and sensors, and the resulting data is used to develop passive alignment configuration parameters, allowing for efficient alignment of similar lens stack arrays and sensors to form array camera modules, thereby reducing labor-intensive processes and maintaining image quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If active alignment process is used to align lens stack arrays with sensors, then manufacturing precision is improved, but productivity deteriorates due to costly and time-consuming processes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-characterizing lens stack arrays and sensors during manufacturing to obtain alignment information before final assembly. This includes measuring focal lengths, principal point locations, and other optical parameters of individual lens stacks and sensors, and storing this data for later use in passive alignment processes, thereby eliminating the need for time-consuming active alignment during bulk production
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses copying by creating a digital model or lookup table of alignment relationships based on alignment information from a representative lens stack array and sensor. This copied alignment data is then applied to multiple identical or similar lens stack arrays and sensors, allowing bulk production to achieve precise alignment without repeating the expensive active alignment process for each component
2Manufacturing precision
If active alignment process is used for each lens stack array and sensor, then manufacturing precision is improved, but loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
Alignment information including focal lengths, principal point locations, and spatial relationships are determined in advance during manufacturing of lens stack arrays and sensors. This preliminary characterization data is stored and reused for passive alignment, eliminating repeated active alignment time
Solution Approach 2:
Alignment data from a representative lens stack array and sensor is copied and applied to multiple similar components. The alignment information is replicated across bulk production batches, reducing total alignment time from hours per component to minutes for entire production runs
3Productivity
If passive alignment is used to reduce costs and time, then productivity is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to variations in focal lengths and tolerances
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates feedback by using alignment information obtained from active alignment of representative components to guide and adjust passive alignment parameters for bulk production. The system measures actual focal lengths and spatial relationships, then uses this feedback data to calculate compensation values that are applied during passive alignment, ensuring precision is maintained despite component variations
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by adjusting passive alignment parameters such as spacing, positioning, and orientation based on measured focal length variations and tolerance data. The alignment parameters are dynamically modified according to the specific characteristics of each lens stack array and sensor batch, allowing passive alignment to achieve precision comparable to active alignment
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods in accordance with embodiments of the invention actively align a representative optic array with an imager array, and subsequently passively align constituent optic arrays with constituent imager arrays based on data from the active alignment. In one embodiment, a method of aligning a plurality of lens stack arrays with a corresponding plurality of sensors includes: aligning a first lens stack array relative to a first sensor, varying the spatial relationship between the first lens stack array and the first sensor; capturing images of a known target using the arrangement at different spatial relationships between the first lens stack array and the first sensor; scoring the quality of the captured images; and aligning at least a second lens stack array relative to at least a second sensor, based on the scored images and the corresponding spatial relationships by which the scored images were obtained.