Compound Eye Camera Module Light-Shielding Wall Inclined Surfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional compound-eye camera modules face challenges in reducing size and cost while preventing unwanted incident light from being reflected into imaging regions, often requiring hoods or larger imaging devices to avoid ghost images.
Innovation Solution
The camera module incorporates a light-shielding wall with inclined surfaces that gradually decrease in angle from the lens module to the imaging device, preventing reflected light from entering the imaging regions and eliminating the need for additional hoods or large imaging devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a light-shielding wall is arranged above the imaging device via the optical filter so as to be substantially in parallel with the optical axis, then it is possible to prevent light that has passed through a certain lens from entering the imaging region that does not correspond to this lens, but when an incident angle of a light beam entering the lens increases, the light beam that has passed the lens also has an increased angle accordingly, and it is reflected by the light-shielding wall, leading to a problem that a reflected image is formed on a captured picture in the imaging region
Solution Approach 1:
The light-shielding wall is rotated 90 degrees from the conventional arrangement (parallel to optical axis) to be perpendicular to the imaging device. This dimensional change in orientation transforms the light-blocking geometry, allowing the wall to intercept and redirect reflected light away from the imaging region while maintaining effective separation between adjacent lens light paths.
Solution Approach 2:
The light-shielding wall incorporates inclined surfaces with asymmetric angles rather than a uniform parallel structure. The inclination angles are specifically designed to redirect reflected light at angles that prevent formation of ghost images in the imaging region, creating an asymmetric light path management system that addresses the reflection problem.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a hood that restricts the angle of a light beam entering the lens is provided on the subject side in order to remove a ghost image due to this reflection, then the ghost image is removed, but the height of the camera module increases
Solution Approach 1:
The light-shielding function is extracted from the hood structure and integrated directly into the light-shielding wall positioned at the imaging device side. This extraction eliminates the need for a separate hood component, thereby removing the source of increased module height while maintaining the ghost image elimination function through the inclined light-shielding surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The light-shielding wall acts as an intermediary element between the optical filters and the imaging device, intercepting and redirecting reflected light before it can form ghost images. This intermediary structure provides the necessary light control function without requiring the extended hood structure that would increase overall module height.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the imaging region is set so that the reflected image is not formed in the imaging region, then there is no alternative but to use an imaging device with the unnecessarily large number of pixels or to use a smaller imaging region, but this leads to increased cost and lowered performance
Solution Approach 1:
The inclined surfaces of the light-shielding wall are designed to preemptively redirect reflected light away from potential imaging regions before ghost images can form. This preliminary light redirection action prevents the need to reduce imaging region size or increase pixel count, maintaining full imaging device performance while eliminating reflected image interference.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration effectively prevents unwanted light reflections, allowing for a smaller and more cost-effective camera module design without the need for hoods or excessive pixel density, while maintaining image quality by ensuring reflected light forms outside the imaging regions.
Implementation Method 1
Each of the inclined surfaces is inclined toward the side of the imaging regions with increasing distance from the light-shielding wall... the plurality of inclined surfaces are disposed sequentially from a side of the lens module to a side of the imaging regions
Data Source
AI summary
A lens module (7) that includes a plurality of lenses (1a, 1b), a plurality of optical filters (2a, 2b) corresponding to the individual lenses (1a, 1b), an imaging device (4) that includes a plurality of imaging regions (4a, 4b) corresponding to the individual optical filters (2a, 2b), and a light-shielding wall (61a to 61d) that is provided perpendicularly to the imaging device (4) are provided. The adjacent imaging regions (4a, 4b) are partitioned by the light-shielding wall (61a). The light-shielding wall (61a) includes a plurality of inclined surfaces (63) that are inclined with respect to an imaging plane of the imaging regions (4a, 4b), and the plurality of inclined surfaces (63) are disposed sequentially from a side of the lens module (7) to a side of the imaging regions (4a, 4b). Each of the inclined surfaces (63) is inclined toward the side of the imaging regions (4a, 4b) with increasing distance from the light-shielding wall (61a).