CN111614879A

CN111614879A - Camera and electronic equipment

Info

Publication number: CN111614879A
Application number: CN202010482172.2A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 陈伟
Original assignee: Guangdong Oppo Mobile Telecommunications Corp Ltd
Current assignee: Guangdong Oppo Mobile Telecommunications Corp Ltd
Priority date: 2020-05-29
Filing date: 2020-05-29
Publication date: 2020-09-01

Abstract

The application discloses camera and electronic equipment, the camera includes: the camera module defines an optical axis; the light control element is arranged on the object side of the camera module along the optical axis and comprises a light control material, and the state of the light control material can be changed under the driving of voltage, so that the light control element is switched between a light blocking state and a light transmitting state or switched between a light turning state and a light transmitting state. This application sets up light control component in the camera, when not taking the operation, makes the light of thing side stopped or by change transmission direction in order to avoid reaching the module of making a video recording through light control component, each optical element in the module of making a video recording just can not be because reflect external light and direct exposure in people's the field of vision, hides the module of making a video recording, improves the integrative nature of appearance of camera and electronic equipment. When shooting is needed, the light on the object side reaches the camera module through the light control element, normal shooting of the camera module is not affected, and the camera module is simple and convenient to use.

Description

Camera and electronic equipment

Technical Field

The application relates to the technical field of optical imaging, in particular to a camera and electronic equipment.

Background

Photographing and shooting are basic functions which are used more and more frequently in daily life, so that cameras with photographing and shooting functions are widely applied to electronic equipment such as mobile phones and tablet computers. At present, the lens and other optical elements in the camera in the related art are usually exposed to the external ambient light all the time, so as to take a picture or photograph at any time. The problem is that the lens and other optical elements are in a complete list, and the appearance integrity of the camera and the electronic device is poor.

Disclosure of Invention

The application provides a camera and electronic equipment can be when not taking the operation, prevents light entering camera module to hide camera module, improve camera and electronic equipment's outward appearance wholeness.

According to a first aspect of the present application, there is provided a camera comprising:

the camera module defines an optical axis;

the light control element is arranged on the object side of the camera module along the optical axis and comprises a light control material, and the state of the light control material can be changed under the driving of voltage, so that the light control element is switched between a light blocking state and a light transmitting state or switched between a light turning state and a light transmitting state;

in the light blocking state, the light on the object side is blocked to avoid reaching the camera module through the light control element, in the light passing state, the light on the object side reaches the camera module through the light control element, and in the light redirecting state, the light on the object side is changed in transmission direction to avoid reaching the camera module through the light control element.

According to some embodiments, further comprising:

the screening glass, screening glass printing opacity, one side that deviates from the module of making a video recording of light control component is located to the screening glass.

According to some embodiments, further comprising:

the support is provided with a first opening positioned at the object side of the camera module, the support is provided with a boss extending towards the center direction of the first opening at the first opening, the boss is provided with a first bearing surface facing the camera module and a second bearing surface departing from the camera module along the direction parallel to the optical axis, the light control element is attached to the first bearing surface, and the protection sheet is attached to the second bearing surface.

According to some embodiments, the camera module comprises a circuit board, and the light control element is electrically connected with the circuit board through the bracket.

According to some embodiments, the camera module comprises at least one lens, the projection of the light control element on the surface of the lens covers the lens in a direction parallel to the optical axis, and the projection of the protective sheet on the surface of the light control element covers the light control element in a direction parallel to the optical axis.

According to some embodiments, the light control material includes a liquid crystal layer, the light control element further includes a first substrate and a second substrate opposite to the first substrate, the liquid crystal layer is sealed between the first substrate and the second substrate, liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer can rotate under voltage driving, so that the liquid crystal molecules are switched between a first arrangement state and a second arrangement state, and further the light control element is switched between a light blocking state and a light transmitting state.

When the liquid crystal display device is in the first arrangement state, all liquid crystal molecules are arranged in the liquid crystal layer along the first direction, and the light control element is in a light blocking state;

when the liquid crystal display element is in the second arrangement state, all the liquid crystal molecules are arranged in the liquid crystal layer along the second direction, the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction, and the light control element is in a light-transmitting state.

According to some embodiments, the image capturing module comprises at least one lens, and when the liquid crystal molecules are simultaneously in the first alignment state, the projection of the liquid crystal molecules on the lens surface covers the lens along a direction parallel to the optical axis.

According to some embodiments, the light controlling element further includes a first electrode disposed on a surface of the first substrate facing the liquid crystal layer, and a second electrode disposed on a surface of the second substrate facing the liquid crystal layer;

when the first electrode and the second electrode are powered on, the liquid crystal molecules are switched from the first arrangement state to the second arrangement state, and when the first electrode and the second electrode are powered off, the liquid crystal molecules are switched from the second arrangement state to the first arrangement state.

According to some embodiments, the light control element further comprises a liquid crystal bearing layer disposed on a surface of the first electrode and/or the second electrode facing the liquid crystal layer, the surface of the liquid crystal bearing layer facing the liquid crystal layer is provided with a plurality of guide grooves, the wire grooves are used for guiding the encapsulation of the liquid crystal molecules, and extending directions of the guide grooves are parallel to each other.

According to a second aspect of the present application, there is provided an electronic device comprising:

the shell is provided with a second opening, the shell defines an accommodating cavity, and the second opening is communicated with the accommodating cavity;

according to the camera, the camera is arranged in the accommodating cavity, and the light rays of the object side irradiate the light control element from the second opening.

The application provides a camera and electronic equipment, this camera includes module and the light control component of making a video recording, and this light control component can switch between the state of hindering light and logical light or switch between light diversion state and logical light state. The camera is provided with the light control element, when shooting operation is not carried out, the light control element is switched to the light blocking state or the light turning state, light on the object side is blocked or the transmission direction of the light is changed to avoid the light from reaching the camera module through the light control element, and each optical element in the camera module cannot be directly exposed in the visual field of people due to reflection of external incident light, so that the camera module can be hidden, and the appearance integrity of the camera and the electronic equipment is improved. When shooting is needed, the light control element is switched to a light-transmitting state, light on the object side reaches the camera module through the light control element, normal shooting of the camera module is not affected, and the camera module is simple and convenient to use.

Drawings

In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments or related technologies of the present application, the drawings needed to be used in the description of the embodiments or related technologies are briefly introduced below, it is obvious that the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present application, and for those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained according to these drawings without creative efforts.

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of the entire structure of a camera in the embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 2 is a sectional exploded view of the entire structure of a camera in the embodiment of the present application;

fig. 3 is a schematic view of the overall structure of a light control element in the embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the light control element of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a structure in which liquid crystal molecules in a light management element are in a first alignment state according to one embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a structure in which liquid crystal molecules in a light management element are in a second alignment state according to one embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a structure in which liquid crystal molecules in a light management element are in a first alignment state in another embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a structure in which liquid crystal molecules in a light management element are in a second alignment state in another embodiment of the present application;

fig. 9 is a schematic overall structure diagram of an electronic device in an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the electronic device of FIG. 9;

fig. 11 is a partially exploded perspective view of the electronic device of fig. 9.

Detailed Description

In order to make the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the present application more apparent, the present application is described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the present application and are not intended to limit the present application.

In the related art, the lens and other optical elements in the camera are usually exposed to the ambient light at any time, so as to take pictures or take pictures at any time. The problem is that the lens and other optical elements are in a complete list, and the appearance integrity of the camera and the electronic device is poor.

Referring to fig. 1 to 8, in order to solve the above technical problem, an embodiment of the present invention provides a camera 100, where the camera 100 includes a camera module 110 and a light control element 120. The camera module 110 is a component having an imaging function in the camera 100, and the type and structure thereof are not limited as long as the requirement of the camera 100 in this embodiment for normal imaging can be satisfied. The camera module 110 generally includes one or more lenses 112 and a photosensitive element, wherein the lens 112 receives light reflected by a photographed object and projects the light to the photosensitive element, and the photosensitive element receives the light and converts the light into an image signal for imaging. The type, number, size, and positional relationship between the lens 112 and the photosensitive assembly can be adjusted according to different shooting requirements, and are not limited herein. The image capturing module 110 defines an optical axis 111, and the optical axis 111 is an axis extending from the object side to the image side in the image capturing module 110, and is generally a symmetry axis of each optical element in the image capturing module 110. The object side of the camera module 110 refers to a side of the camera module 110 facing or close to the object, and the image side of the camera module 110 refers to a side of the camera module 110 facing or close to the image plane. Along a direction parallel to the optical axis 111, the external light enters from the object side of the image capturing module 110, passes through the image capturing module 110, and irradiates to the image side of the image capturing module 110. It should be noted that the optical axis 111 is an artificially defined virtual axis, and is not a physical entity existing in the camera module 110.

The camera 100 in the present embodiment further includes a light control element 120, and the light control element 120 is disposed on the object side of the camera module 110 along the optical axis 111. The light control element 120 is a component that does not participate in imaging in the camera 100, and the light control element 120 includes a light control material that can be driven by a voltage to change a state, which can be a physical state change or a chemical state change, and switches the light control element 120 between a light blocking state and a light transmitting state or between a light redirecting state and a light transmitting state. . Since the light control element 120 is disposed on the object side of the camera module 110 along the optical axis 111, the light on the object side of the camera head 100 needs to first pass through the light control element 120 before reaching the camera module 110. The light control element 120 has a light blocking state, a light passing state and a light redirecting state, wherein when the light control element 120 is in the light blocking state, the light on the object side is blocked in the directions of absorption, dissipation, reflection and the like when passing through the light control material in the light control element 120, and thus cannot pass through the light control element 120, and cannot reach the camera module 110. When the light control element 120 is in the light-transmitting state, the light on the object side is not affected when passing through the light control material in the light control element 120, and passes through the light control element 120 in the original direction, intensity, and the like to reach the image pickup module 110. When the light control element 120 is in the light redirecting state, when the light on the object side passes through the light control material in the light control element 120, the transmission direction changes due to the change of the refractive index of the light control material, and after passing through the light control element 120, the light irradiates the outside of the range of the camera module 110, and cannot reach the camera module 110. Thus, when the photographing operation is not performed, the light control element 120 can be switched to the light blocking state or the light redirecting state, so that the light on the object side is blocked or the transmission direction is changed to avoid reaching the image pickup module 110 through the light control element 120, and each optical element in the image pickup module 110 is not directly exposed to the visual field of people due to reflection of the incident light from the outside, that is, the light control element 120 hides the image pickup module 110, thereby improving the appearance integrity of the camera 100 and the electronic device 10. When shooting is needed, the light control element 120 can be switched to a light-transmitting state, and the light on the object side reaches the camera module 110 through the light control element 120, so that normal shooting of the camera module 110 is not affected.

In the embodiment of the present application, the light control element 120 is disposed in the camera 100, and when the camera is not performing the shooting operation, the light control element 120 is switched to the light blocking state or the light redirecting state, so that the light on the object side is blocked or the transmission direction is changed to avoid reaching the camera module 110 through the light control element 120, and each optical element in the camera module 110 is not directly exposed to the visual field of people due to the reflection of the incident light from the outside, so that the camera module 110 can be hidden, and the appearance integrity of the camera 100 and the electronic device 10 is improved. When shooting is needed, the light control element 120 is switched to the light-transmitting state, and the light on the object side reaches the camera module 110 through the light control element 120, so that normal shooting of the camera module 110 is not affected, and the use is simple and convenient.

In order to avoid that the camera module 110 and the light control element 120 are directly communicated with the outside, and impurities such as external dust enter the camera head 100 to affect the normal use of the light control element 120 or affect the shooting image of the camera module 110, in an embodiment, the camera head 100 further includes a protection sheet 140, and the protection sheet 140 is disposed on a side of the light control element 120 away from the camera module 110. In this way, the protection sheet 140 isolates the light control element 120 and the image pickup module 110 from the outside, so that foreign substances such as external dust can be prevented from entering the light control element 120 and the image pickup module 110 to affect the use performance thereof. Meanwhile, in order not to affect the normal shooting operation of the camera module 110, the protective sheet 140 cannot block the light irradiated to the light control element 120 and the camera module 110, and therefore, the protective sheet 140 transmits light. That is, the protection sheet 140 needs to be made of a material that can transmit light, such as quartz glass, organic glass, or transparent glass fiber.

In order to accurately fix the light control element 120 on the object side of the camera module 110 and to hide the camera module 110, in an embodiment, the camera head 100 further includes a bracket 130, and the bracket 130 has a first opening 131 on the object side of the camera module 110. The size, material, shape, etc. of the bracket 130 can be adjusted according to different situations in actual installation. Meanwhile, according to different arrangement modes of components in the camera 100, the bracket 130 and the camera module 110 can be connected and fixed in a manner commonly used in the technical field, such as bonding, screwing and the like, and the bracket 130 and other components or components in the camera 100 can also be connected and fixed. In addition, in order to enable the camera module 110 to normally complete the shooting operation, it is necessary to ensure that the light entering the light control element 120 and the camera module 110 is not blocked by the bracket 130. Therefore, the bracket 130 has a first opening 131, and the light control element 120 is fixedly disposed at the first opening 131. Thus, the light on the object side can be irradiated into the camera 100 through the first opening 131, and at this time, the light on the object side needs to first pass through the light control element 120 before entering the camera module 110, and the camera module 110 can be conveniently hidden by switching the light control element 120 to the light blocking state, the light transmitting state or the light color changing state. Meanwhile, the protective sheet 140 may be fixed by the bracket 130 to simplify the overall structure and the number of parts of the camera head 100. The support 130 is provided with a conductive line through which the light control element 120 can be electrically connected to an external element. The bracket 130 may be connected to the external member by an extension portion extending away from the main body.

Further, when the light control element 120 is mounted at the position of the first opening 131, the mounting position may be appropriately adjusted so that the light control element 120 is fitted into the first opening 131 on the holder 130, for example, both sides of the light control element 120 are respectively fixed on the surfaces of the holder 130 facing the center direction of the first opening 131. Thus, the mounting and fixing of the bracket 130 are relatively firm, and the bracket 130 can play a certain role in protecting the light control element 120. Thus, the shape and size of the first opening 131 can be determined according to the shape and size of the light control element 120. For example, if the sectional shape of the light control element 120 is rectangular in a direction parallel to the optical axis 111, the sectional shape of the first opening 131 may also be rectangular, and the size of the first opening 131 in each direction may be larger than that of the light control element 120 in the corresponding direction, so as to facilitate the mounting and fixing of the light control element 120. It is understood that after the light control element 120 is fixed at the first opening 131, the gap between the light control element 120 and the first opening 131 can be filled by optical glue or other similar elements to ensure the tightness of the internal structure of the camera head 100.

The light control element 120 is fixedly disposed at the first opening 131, and the protection sheet 140 covers the first opening 131 of the bracket 130, and the light control element 120 and the protection sheet 140 may be connected to the bracket 130 in various manners. For example, a first adhesive layer may be provided between the surface of the holder 130 facing away from the camera module 110 and the protective sheet 140, a second adhesive layer may be provided between the surface of the holder 130 facing the camera module 110 and the light control element 120, and the protective sheet 140 and the light control element 120 may be adhered to the surface of the holder 130 by the first adhesive layer and the second adhesive layer, respectively. It is also possible to provide a first connector protruding from the protective sheet 140, a second connector protruding from the light control element 120, and a mounting hole matching with the first connector at a corresponding position on the surface of the bracket 130 facing away from the camera module 110 to fix the protective sheet 140 to the surface of the bracket 130, and a mounting hole matching with the second connector at a corresponding position on the surface of the bracket 130 facing the camera module 110 to fix the light control element 120 to the surface of the bracket 130. The surface of the bracket 130 facing away from the camera module 110 may be provided with a first mounting groove, the surface of the bracket 130 facing toward the camera module 110 is provided with a second mounting groove, the protective sheet 140 is adhered to the bottom wall or the side wall of the first mounting groove by using an adhesive, and the light control element 120 is adhered to the bottom wall or the side wall of the second mounting groove by using an adhesive, so as to save the space occupied in the thickness direction of the bracket 130.

Specifically, in one embodiment, the bracket 130 is provided with a boss 132 at the first opening 131, and the boss 132 extends toward the center of the first opening 131. Along a direction parallel to the optical axis 111, the boss 132 has a first bearing surface 133 facing the camera module 110 and a second bearing surface 134 facing away from the camera module 110, the light control element 120 is attached to the first bearing surface 133, and the protection sheet 140 is attached to the second bearing surface 134. It should be noted that the bosses 132 serve to support the light control element 120 and the protective sheet 140 during mounting, and the size of the bosses 132 extending toward the center of the first opening 131 is relatively small with respect to the size of the first opening 131 itself, so that the bosses 132 do not completely block the first opening 131. Thus, the light control element 120 is fixedly disposed on the first bearing surface 133 of the boss 132, and the protective sheet 140 is fixedly disposed on the second bearing surface 134 of the boss 132. The protective sheet 140 may be attached to the second supporting surface 134 by means of bonding, screwing, etc., and the light control element 120 may be attached to the first supporting surface 133 by means of bonding, screwing, etc. Compared with other conventional methods, the boss 132 is more easily and conveniently processed by providing the boss 132 at the first opening 131 of the bracket 130 to fix the light control element 120 and the protection sheet 140, so that other components of the camera head 100 are not affected or damaged, the installation process of the light control element 120 and the protection sheet 140 is simpler, and the connection and fixation effects are more reliable. It is understood that the camera module 110 also typically has a photosensitive element for sensing the imaging light passing through the lens 112, and the photosensitive element can sense the light passing through the lens 112, thereby generating a light signal and converting the light signal into an electrical signal. In order to transmit the electrical signal to other related components in the camera module 110 so as to obtain the final captured image, the camera module 110 includes a circuit board 113, and the photosensitive element is fixed on the surface of the circuit board 113 and electrically connected to the circuit board 113. The circuit board 113 may be a hard circuit board 113, a flexible circuit board 113, or a rigid-flex board. The connection between the photosensitive assembly and the circuit board 113 may be various. For example, an adhesive layer may be provided between the circuit board 113 and the photosensitive member, and the photosensitive member is adhered to the surface of the circuit board 113 through the adhesive layer. It is also possible to provide a connector on the photosensitive member and provide a mounting hole corresponding to the connector on the circuit board 113 to fix the photosensitive member to the surface of the circuit board 113. The circuit board 113 may be provided with a mounting groove, and the photosensitive assembly may be fixed to a bottom wall or a side wall of the mounting groove by using an adhesive, so as to reduce the occupation of the circuit board 113 in the thickness direction. The connection mode can be flexibly selected according to the actual structural characteristics. Meanwhile, since the light control material in the light control element 120 needs to be subjected to a state change under voltage driving to switch the light control element 120 between different states, the light control element 120 may be electrically connected to the circuit board 113 so as to conveniently apply or remove a voltage to the light control material using a controller or the like to drive the light control material to be subjected to the state change. In one embodiment, since the light control element 120 is fixed on the bracket 130, the light control element 120 can be electrically connected to the circuit board 113 through the bracket 130, which is convenient for practical operation. It is understood that the light control element 120 may also be electrically connected to other main control circuit boards in the camera head 100 through the bracket 130, so as to achieve the same control effect. The electrical connection between the light control element 120 and the support 130, and between the support 130 and the circuit board 113 can be implemented by means of an exposed electrical contact on the connection circuit, a thimble, a lead wire or a conductive adhesive electrically connected to the connection circuit, and can be flexibly selected according to the actual assembly process, so as to save the wiring space in the camera 100, and make the structure thereof more compact and smaller.

The camera module 110 includes at least one lens 112. The lens 112 is an important part of the camera module 110 that is indispensable for realizing the shooting function, and the lens 112 is generally made of an optically transparent material such as glass or resin, and has one or more curved surfaces, so that the propagation direction of light passing through the lens 112 can be changed, the light distribution can be controlled to converge the light, and finally, imaging can be realized. The lens 112 can be divided into a convex lens and a concave lens according to the difference of the shape and the function, and the material, the type, the size, and the like of the lens 112 included in the camera module 110 are not limited in this embodiment. The number of the lenses 112 in the camera module 110 is at least one. In order to make the image capturing module 110 have better optical performance, the number of the lenses 112 is usually set to be plural, the lenses 112 may be the same or different, and the lenses 112 may be stacked in sequence, which is not limited in this embodiment. Typically, the lens 112 is disposed along the optical axis 111 of the camera module 110, i.e. the optical axis 111 of the lens 112 coincides with the optical axis 111 of the camera module 110.

In order to achieve a better hiding effect for the lens 112 in the camera module 110, the light control element 120 needs to cover the whole area where the lens 112 is located, so that the light rays parallel to the direction of the optical axis 111 from the first opening 131 of the bracket 130 need to pass through the light control element 120 to enter the camera module 110, and the lens 112 in the camera module 110 can be completely hidden because the incident light rays cannot be reflected. Therefore, in an embodiment, the projection of the light control element 120 on the surface of the lens 112 along the direction parallel to the optical axis 111 covers the lens 112, so that the lens 112 in the camera module 110 is fully utilized, and the lens 112 can be well hidden by adjusting the light control element 120 to be in the light blocking state or the light redirecting state, thereby avoiding the waste of space in the camera module 110.

Similarly, in order to avoid the situation that the lens 112 in the camera module 110 cannot be completely irradiated by light and the performance and space of the device are wasted, the size of the first opening 131 on the bracket 130 needs to be increased to increase the amount of light entering the light control device 120 and the lens 112 in the camera module 110, so as to ensure that the lens 112 can be completely irradiated when the light control device 120 is in the light-transmitting state. And the protective sheet 140 covers the first opening 131, and therefore, and in a direction parallel to the optical axis 111, a projection of the protective sheet 140 onto the surface of the light control element 120 covers the light control element 120. In this way, light passing through the protective sheet 140 in a direction parallel to the optical axis 111 can completely cover the range where the light control element 120 is located. That is, the size of the protective sheet 140 is not smaller than the size of the light control element 120 in any direction within the surface perpendicular to the optical axis 111, so that the protective sheet 140 can cover the light control element 120. Meanwhile, the size of the light control element 120 is not smaller than that of the lens 112 in any direction within the surface perpendicular to the optical axis 111, so that the light control element 120 can cover the lens 112.

The light control material can be state-changed by voltage driving so that the light control element is switched between several states, and therefore, the light control material can be made using at least one of an electrochromic element or a liquid crystal element. The electrochromic element has a characteristic that when a voltage is applied to the electrochromic element, the color of the electrochromic element is reversibly changed according to the direction of an electric field. The principle is that the electrochromic element contains a material which can be subjected to an electric field to perform electro-oxidation and reduction reactions, and the material can perform reversible change of optical characteristics in the reaction process, so that the light control element has the different states. The liquid crystal in the liquid crystal cell has the liquid fluidity and retains the anisotropic ordered arrangement of the partially crystalline substance, forming an intermediate state having both the crystal and the liquid properties. The arrangement state of the liquid crystal in the liquid crystal element can be reversibly changed between the disordered state and the ordered state under the action of an electric field, so that the light control element can have the different states.

Specifically, referring to fig. 3 to 4, in an embodiment, the light control material includes a liquid crystal layer 123, and the light control element 120 includes a first substrate 121 and a second substrate 122 disposed opposite to the first substrate 121. The liquid crystal layer 123 is sealed between the first substrate 121 and the second substrate 122. In order to ensure that the light control element 120 has good light transmittance, the first substrate 121 and the second substrate 122 are made of light-transmissive materials, such as transparent glass plates or organic glass plates. When sealing, the liquid crystal layer 123 may be wrapped by a carrier, and then the carrier is attached to the surface of the first substrate 121 or the second substrate 122. The first substrate 121 and the second substrate 122 are disposed at an interval along a direction parallel to the optical axis 111, so that when the light beam parallel to the optical axis 111 is irradiated to the light control element 120, the light beam passes through the first substrate 121, the liquid crystal layer 123 and the second substrate 122 in sequence, and then is irradiated to the image pickup module 110 through the light control element 120. The liquid crystal layer includes a plurality of liquid crystal molecules 124, as described above, the liquid crystal molecules 124 are in an intermediate state having partial properties of both crystal and liquid, and the alignment state of the liquid crystal molecules 124 is reversibly changed between the disordered state and the ordered state under the action of the electric field.

In the present embodiment, taking the case that the light control element 120 is switched between the light blocking state and the light transmitting state as an example, the liquid crystal molecules 124 in the liquid crystal layer 123 can be driven by a voltage to rotate, so that the liquid crystal molecules 124 are switched between the first arrangement state and the second arrangement state, and further the light control element 120 is switched between the light blocking state and the light transmitting state. The liquid crystal molecules 124 may be rotated by applying or removing a voltage to the liquid crystal layer 123, which changes its alignment state to change the light transmission property of the light controlling element 120. When the liquid crystal molecules 124 are in the first alignment state, the liquid crystal molecules 124 have a certain refractive index, and when the light parallel to the optical axis 111 passes through the first substrate 121 and irradiates the liquid crystal layer 123, due to the refraction effect of the liquid crystal molecules 124 in the liquid crystal layer 123 on the light, the incident light is refracted and cannot exit out of the liquid crystal layer 123, and cannot pass through the second substrate 122 and irradiate on the camera module 110, and at this time, the light control element 120 is in a light blocking state. When the liquid crystal molecules 124 are in the second alignment state, the refractive index of the liquid crystal molecules 124 changes, even loses the refraction effect, and does not refract light, and when the light parallel to the optical axis 111 passes through the first substrate 121 and irradiates the liquid crystal layer 123, the light can be emitted to the outside of the liquid crystal layer 123, and further irradiates the camera module 110 through the second substrate 122, at this time, the light control element 120 is in a light-passing state. In this embodiment, the light control material is made of a liquid crystal element, and compared with a scheme using an electrochromic element, the arrangement state of the liquid crystal molecules 124 is more sensitively and rapidly changed, so that the control is facilitated, and the light control element 120 better meets the use requirement of switching the light transmission state in the camera 100 at any time.

The liquid crystal layer 123 has a plurality of liquid crystal molecules 124, and the number of the liquid crystal molecules 124 can be adjusted according to the required density in the liquid crystal layer 123, so as to meet the actual use requirement. In order to satisfy the function of the liquid crystal layer 123 of blocking light or allowing light to pass, the liquid crystal molecules 124 may be simultaneously in the first alignment state or simultaneously in the second alignment state. That is, the liquid crystal molecules 124 are uniformly aligned, so that the liquid crystal molecules 124 are uniformly aligned, and the liquid crystal layer 123 has a more complete property of preventing or allowing light to pass through, and is easily adjusted at any time. The liquid crystal molecules 124 themselves are not structurally defined, but the requirement is satisfied that each liquid crystal molecule 124 is disposed in the liquid crystal layer 123 along the first direction when in the first alignment state, and each liquid crystal molecule 124 is disposed in the liquid crystal layer 123 along the second direction when in the second alignment state, and the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction. That is, the liquid crystal molecules 124 are arranged in different directions, and when the liquid crystal molecules 124 are arranged in the first direction and the second direction perpendicular to each other, the refractive indexes of the liquid crystal molecules 124 with respect to light are different, so that the light control element 120 can be set in a light blocking state or a light transmitting state.

The following is an example of a structure of the liquid crystal molecules 124 having an elliptical cross-sectional shape in one direction, and in one embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the liquid crystal molecules 124 is elliptical in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis 111. The elliptical liquid crystal molecules 124 have a major axis and a minor axis, the major axis is a chord obtained by cutting a straight line connecting the two focal points of the ellipse, and is also the longest chord in the ellipse. The minor axis is a chord obtained by cutting a straight line which vertically bisects the connecting line of the two focuses by an ellipse, and the major axis is vertical to the minor axis. The liquid crystal molecules 124 in this embodiment are configured such that incident light is blocked by the liquid crystal molecules 124 in a direction perpendicular to the long axes of the liquid crystal molecules 124. Then, as described above, the structure of the liquid crystal molecules 124 in the first alignment state is: when the liquid crystal molecules 124 are in the first alignment state, the long axes of the liquid crystal molecules 124 are perpendicular to the optical axis 111. Incident light rays may pass through the liquid crystal molecules 124 in a direction parallel to the long axes of the liquid crystal molecules 124. Then, as can be seen from the above description, the structure of the liquid crystal molecules 124 in the second alignment state is: when the liquid crystal molecules 124 are in the second alignment state, the long axes of the liquid crystal molecules 124 are parallel to the optical axis 111. Accordingly, when the liquid crystal molecules 124 need to be switched from the first arrangement state to the second arrangement state, the liquid crystal molecules 124 only need to be rotated from the long axis perpendicular to the optical axis 111 to the long axis parallel to the optical axis 111. In contrast, when the liquid crystal molecules 124 need to be switched from the second alignment state to the first alignment state, the liquid crystal molecules 124 only need to be rotated from the long axis parallel to the optical axis 111 to the long axis perpendicular to the optical axis 111.

In order to make the liquid crystal layer 123 more complete to prevent the incident light from passing through, when the liquid crystal molecules 124 are simultaneously in the first alignment state, the projection of each liquid crystal molecule 124 on the surface of the lens 112 of the camera module 110 covers the lens 112 along the direction parallel to the optical axis 111. Since the projection of the liquid crystal molecules 124 on the lens 112 covers the lens 112, when an incident light beam with an arbitrary angle at an arbitrary position in the light control element 120 passes through at least one liquid crystal molecule 124 in the first alignment state, the incident light beam cannot pass through the liquid crystal layer 123, and thus, the liquid crystal layer 123 can completely prevent the incident light beam from passing through.

Specifically, referring to fig. 5 to 6, in one embodiment, the liquid crystal molecules 124 on a cross section are linearly arranged, that is, all the liquid crystal molecules 124 are aligned. When the liquid crystal molecules 124 are simultaneously in the first alignment state, the long axes of the liquid crystal molecules 124 are located on the same straight line, and two adjacent liquid crystal molecules 124 are abutted against each other. At this time, the long axes of the liquid crystal molecules 124 are perpendicular to the optical axis 111 and are located on the same straight line, and two adjacent liquid crystal molecules 124 are abutted against each other and aligned in a line. When the liquid crystal molecules 124 are simultaneously in the second alignment state, the short axes of the liquid crystal molecules 124 are located on the same straight line, and the long axes of the liquid crystal molecules 124 are parallel to the optical axis 111.

Referring to fig. 7 to 8, in another embodiment, each liquid crystal molecule 124 on a cross section is arranged in a rectangular array, i.e. all the liquid crystal molecules 124 are arranged in multiple rows and multiple columns. When the liquid crystal molecules 124 are simultaneously in the first arrangement state, the long axes of the liquid crystal molecules 124 in each row are located on the same straight line, and two adjacent liquid crystal molecules 124 are abutted to each other. At this time, the long axes of the liquid crystal molecules 124 of each row are perpendicular to the optical axis 111 and are located on the same straight line, two adjacent liquid crystal molecules 124 are abutted against each other to be aligned in a row, and a certain space is reserved between the rows for switching the states of the liquid crystal molecules 124. When the liquid crystal molecules 124 are in the second alignment state, the short axes of the liquid crystal molecules 124 in each row are aligned on the same line, and the long axes of the liquid crystal molecules 124 are parallel to the optical axis 111. The rows may be spaced apart from each other, and the liquid crystal molecules 124 at corresponding positions in two adjacent rows may be abutted against each other and aligned in a row.

In order to facilitate the application of a voltage to the liquid crystal layer 123 to change the light-transmitting state of the light-controlling element 120, the light-controlling element 120 further includes a first electrode 125 and a second electrode 126, the first electrode 125 is disposed on a surface of the first substrate 121 facing the liquid crystal layer 123, and the second electrode 126 is disposed on a surface of the second substrate 122 facing the liquid crystal layer 123. When a voltage is applied, the first electrode 125 and the second electrode 126 may form an electric field between the first substrate 121 and the second substrate 122, and the application of the electric field to the liquid crystal molecules 124 may generate an "electric dipole moment" phenomenon, that is, a special configuration in which positive and negative voltages form a pair at a certain distance, and this effect may affect and change the magnitude and direction of the electric field of the liquid crystal molecules 124. Due to the electric dipole moment phenomenon, when an electric field is applied to both ends of the liquid crystal layer 123, two kinds of electrodes, positive and negative, are generated inside the liquid crystal molecules 124 and then influenced by the magnitude and direction of the external electric field, thereby changing the traveling direction of the liquid crystal molecules 124. When the power is off, the electric field between the first substrate 121 and the second substrate 122 disappears, the positive charges of the liquid crystal molecules 124 progress toward the negative charges, and the negative charges progress toward the positive charge side, thus changing the alignment direction of the liquid crystal molecules 124. In the following description, the light-blocking state for blocking the incident light when the light control element 120 is turned off and the light-transmitting state for allowing the incident light to pass when the light control element 120 is turned on are taken as an example, in which when the first electrode 125 and the second electrode 126 are turned on, the liquid crystal molecules 124 are switched from the first alignment state to the second alignment state, and the light control element 120 is switched from the light-blocking state to the light-transmitting state. When the first electrode 125 and the second electrode 126 are electrically disconnected, the liquid crystal molecules 124 are switched from the second alignment state to the first alignment state, and the light control element 120 is switched from the light-on state to the light-blocking state. Thus, the light transmittance state of the light control element 120 can be flexibly adjusted according to the use requirement.

In order to make the structure of the light control element 120 more compact, the first electrode 125 and the second electrode 126 may be packaged between the first substrate 121 and the second substrate 122. The first electrode 125 is packaged on the surface of the first substrate 121 facing the liquid crystal layer 123, and the second electrode 126 is packaged on the surface of the second substrate 122 facing the liquid crystal layer 123. Thus, the first electrode 125 and the second electrode 126 can be electrically connected to an external power supply device in the form of lead-out wire angles 127, so as to adjust and control the arrangement state of the liquid crystal molecules 124 in the liquid crystal layer 123, and change the light transmission state of the light control element 120 to meet the use requirement.

To facilitate the encapsulation of the liquid crystal molecules 124, in one embodiment, the light controlling element 120 further includes a liquid crystal bearing layer 128, the liquid crystal bearing layer 128 being disposed on a surface of the first electrode 125 and/or the second electrode 126 facing the liquid crystal layer 123. The liquid crystal carrying layer 128 can fix and seal the liquid crystal molecules 124 in the liquid crystal layer 123 to prevent the liquid crystal molecules 124 from overflowing. The liquid crystal bearing layer 128 may be disposed on a surface of the first electrode 125 facing the liquid crystal layer 123, as shown in fig. 4 to 8, or the liquid crystal bearing layer 128 may be disposed on a surface of the second electrode 126 facing the liquid crystal layer 123, or the liquid crystal bearing layers 128 may be disposed on both surfaces of the first electrode 125 and the second electrode 126 facing the liquid crystal layer 123, and may be flexibly selected according to the use requirements. Meanwhile, the surface of the liquid crystal bearing layer 128 facing the liquid crystal layer 123 is provided with a plurality of guide grooves, the shape and size of the guide grooves are set according to the liquid crystal molecules 124, when the liquid crystal molecules 124 are packaged, the liquid crystal molecules 124 can be firstly loaded into the guide grooves, the liquid crystal molecules 124 are arranged along the extending direction of the guide grooves, and the extending direction of the guide grooves is set to be parallel to each other, so that as long as the liquid crystal molecules 124 in the guide grooves are accurately packaged in the liquid crystal layer 123, the liquid crystal molecules 124 can be kept in a neat and orderly arrangement state, the posture of each liquid crystal molecule 124 does not need to be independently adjusted, the processing time of the light control element 120 is saved, and the processing difficulty of the light control element is reduced.

Referring to fig. 9 to fig. 11, an electronic device 10 is further provided in an embodiment of the present application, where the electronic device 10 includes a housing 200 and the camera 100. The electronic device 10 is any device having an image capturing function, and may be any one of wearable devices such as a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a notebook computer, a personal digital assistant, a smart band, and a smart watch, for example, and the camera 100 cooperates with the electronic device 10 to capture and reproduce an image of a target object. In this electronic apparatus 10, in order to fix and house the camera 100, the housing 200 defines a housing chamber 220, and the camera 100 is disposed in the housing chamber 220. The housing 200 can fix and protect the camera module 110. In addition to accommodating the camera 100, the accommodating cavity 220 also needs to accommodate other components or assemblies of the electronic device 10, and therefore, the accommodating cavity 220 is different in size and shape among different kinds of electronic devices 10, and is not limited herein. In order to allow external light to pass through the housing and finally irradiate the light control element 120 without being blocked, the housing 200 further has a second opening 210, and the second opening 210 is communicated with the accommodating cavity 220, so that the external light entering the accommodating cavity 220 from the position of the second opening 210 can irradiate the light control element 120. The electronic device 10 of the present embodiment is provided with the light control element 120, and when the photographing operation is not performed, the light control element 120 is switched to the light blocking state or the light redirecting state, so that the light on the object side is blocked or the transmission direction is changed to avoid reaching the image capturing module 110 through the light control element 120, and each optical element in the image capturing module 110 is not directly exposed to the visual field of people due to reflection of the incident light from the outside, so that the image capturing module 110 can be hidden, and the appearance integrity of the camera 100 and the electronic device 10 is improved. When shooting is needed, the light control element 120 is switched to the light-transmitting state, and the light on the object side reaches the camera module 110 through the light control element 120, so that normal shooting of the camera module 110 is not affected, and the use is simple and convenient.

The same or similar reference numerals in the drawings of the present embodiment correspond to the same or similar components; in the description of the present application, it is to be understood that if there is an orientation or positional relationship indicated by the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", etc. based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, it is only for convenience of description and simplification of description, but it is not intended to indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed in a specific orientation, and be operated, and therefore, the terms describing the positional relationship in the drawings are only for illustrative purposes and are not to be construed as limitations of the present patent, and specific meanings of the above terms may be understood by those skilled in the art according to specific situations.

The above description is only exemplary of the present application and should not be taken as limiting the present application, as any modification, equivalent replacement, or improvement made within the spirit and principle of the present application should be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A camera, comprising:

the camera module defines an optical axis;

the light control element is arranged on the object side of the camera module along the optical axis and comprises a light control material, and the state of the light control material can be changed under voltage driving, so that the light control element is switched between a light blocking state and a light transmitting state or switched between a light turning state and a light transmitting state;

in the light blocking state, the light on the object side is blocked to avoid reaching the camera module through the light control element, in the light transmitting state, the light on the object side reaches the camera module through the light control element, and in the light redirecting state, the light on the object side is changed in transmission direction to avoid reaching the camera module through the light control element.

2. The camera of claim 1, further comprising:

the screening glass, the screening glass printing opacity, the screening glass is located deviating from of light control component one side of the module of making a video recording.

3. The camera of claim 2, further comprising:

the support has and is located the first opening of the module thing side of making a video recording, the support in first opening part be equipped with to the boss that first open-ended central direction extends, along being on a parallel with the direction of optical axis, the boss has the orientation the first loading face of module of making a video recording, and deviate from the second loading face of module of making a video recording, the light control component attached in first loading face, the screening glass is in the second loading face.

4. The camera of claim 3,

the camera module comprises a circuit board, and the light control element is electrically connected with the circuit board through the bracket.

5. The camera of claim 2,

the module of making a video recording includes at least one lens, follows and is on a parallel with the direction of optical axis, the light control component is in the projection on lens surface covers the lens, and follows and is on a parallel with the direction of optical axis, the protection piece is in the projection on light control component surface covers the light control component.

6. The camera according to any one of claims 1 to 5,

the light control material comprises a liquid crystal layer, the light control element further comprises a first substrate and a second substrate arranged opposite to the first substrate, the liquid crystal layer is sealed between the first substrate and the second substrate, liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer can rotate under voltage driving, so that the liquid crystal molecules are switched between a first arrangement state and a second arrangement state, and further the light control element is switched between a light blocking state and a light passing state.

7. The camera of claim 6,

when the liquid crystal display device is in the first arrangement state, each liquid crystal molecule is arranged in the liquid crystal layer along a first direction, and the light control element is in the light blocking state;

when the liquid crystal display device is in the second arrangement state, each liquid crystal molecule is arranged in the liquid crystal layer along a second direction, the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction, and the light control element is in the light-transmitting state.

8. The camera of claim 7,

the camera module comprises at least one lens, and when each liquid crystal molecule is in the first arrangement state, along the direction parallel to the optical axis, the projection of each liquid crystal molecule on the surface of the lens covers the lens.

9. The camera of claim 6,

the light control element further includes a first electrode provided on a surface of the first substrate facing the liquid crystal layer and a second electrode provided on a surface of the second substrate facing the liquid crystal layer;

10. The camera of claim 9,

the light control element further comprises a liquid crystal bearing layer, the liquid crystal bearing layer is arranged on the surface, facing the liquid crystal layer, of the first electrode and/or the second electrode, a plurality of guide grooves are formed in the surface, facing the liquid crystal layer, of the liquid crystal bearing layer, the guide grooves are used for guiding the sealing storage of the liquid crystal molecules, and the extending directions of the guide grooves are parallel to each other.

11. An electronic device, comprising:

a housing having a second opening, the housing defining a receiving cavity, the second opening communicating with the receiving cavity;

the camera according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the camera is disposed in the accommodating cavity, and light from an object side is irradiated to the light control element through the second opening.