Liquid Lens Image Sensor with Detachable Module and Nonvolatile Memory
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image sensors with liquid lenses face challenges in accurately correcting the application voltage to account for individual differences in liquid lenses, while also maintaining efficient production processes.
Innovation Solution
The image sensor includes a detachable lens module with a nonvolatile memory for storing property information about the liquid lens's refractive power change in response to voltage, a temperature sensor for detecting the liquid lens's temperature, and a controller in the body module that determines the application voltage based on this information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the liquid lens is located near the image processing unit in a compact image sensor, then the image sensor size is reduced, but the liquid lens is susceptible to heat from the image processing unit causing temperature instability
Solution Approach 1:
The image sensor is divided into two separable modules: a lens module containing the liquid lens and optical components, and a body module containing the image processing unit and sensor. This segmentation allows the liquid lens to be isolated from heat generated by the image processing unit, maintaining temperature stability while preserving compact form factor when assembled.
Solution Approach 2:
The liquid lens is extracted from the body module and placed in a separate lens module. This extraction removes the liquid lens from the thermal environment of the image processing unit, eliminating heat susceptibility while maintaining the benefits of integration when assembled.
2Use of energy by moving object
If correction information is stored in volatile memory, then power consumption is reduced, but the correction information is lost when power is disconnected
Solution Approach 1:
Correction information is pre-calculated and stored in non-volatile memory during manufacturing or initial operation. This preliminary action ensures the correction data is available immediately upon power-up without requiring real-time calculation, maintaining both low power consumption and reliable information retention.
Solution Approach 2:
The correction information is copied from volatile memory (where it is calculated) to non-volatile memory (where it is stored permanently). This copying process allows the system to benefit from both volatile and non-volatile memory characteristics: fast access during operation and persistent storage for reliability.
3Productivity
If the lens module is made detachable, then production efficiency is improved and individual correction is enabled, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The image sensor is segmented into standardized lens module and body module components with defined interfaces. This segmentation enables independent manufacturing and testing of each module, improving production efficiency while the standardized interface design minimizes the complexity of the detachment mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The detachable lens module design creates a universal interface that can accommodate different liquid lens types and configurations. This universality allows the same basic module architecture to serve multiple functions and applications, justifying the added complexity through increased versatility and production flexibility.
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 solution allows for accurate and efficient correction of the application voltage to reflect individual differences in liquid lenses, ensuring optimal performance while maintaining production efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
A liquid lens is an optical component including a conductive water solution and a nonconductive oil sealed in a lens holder, and has the oil-water interface deformed to change the refractive power in response to a voltage applied
Implementation Method 2
a temperature sensor that detects a temperature of the liquid lens
Data Source
AI summary
An image sensor includes an optical system including a liquid lens, a nonvolatile memory that stores property information about an amount of change in a refractive power of the liquid lens in response to an application voltage, a temperature sensor that detects a temperature of the liquid lens, and a body module. The optical system, the nonvolatile memory, and the temperature sensor are disconnectable from the body module that includes a controller that performs image processing on image data received from a imaging device and performs liquid lens control for determining the application voltage to be applied to the liquid lens based on the property information stored in the nonvolatile memory, the temperature of the liquid lens detected by the temperature sensor, and a target value for the refractive power of the liquid lens and applying the application voltage to the liquid lens.