JP2009080166A - Camera module, and portable electronic terminal using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a camera module allowing miniaturization of a camera module having an automatic focusing function while simplifying the assembling process. <P>SOLUTION: The camera module comprises: a substrate; an image processing unit including a three-dimensional circuit board mounted on the substrate and a solid-state image sensing device installed to the three-dimensional circuit board; a lens unit including a case installed to the three-dimensional circuit board, a lens mounted within the case, and a drive part for driving the lens in an optical axial direction; and a conduction part for electrically connecting the drive part to the three-dimensional circuit. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a camera module and a portable electronic terminal using the same, and more particularly to a camera module having an optical structure that can adjust the focal position of a lens.

  Conventionally, various types of products have been proposed as camera modules equipped with a solid-state imaging device. Among various camera modules, products having an autofocus function are provided in addition to a fixed focus type product (see Patent Document 1).

  FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of a conventional camera module with an autofocus function. As shown in FIG. 6, a conventional camera module 200 includes a lens unit 201 that introduces light from the outside, an image processing unit 202 that processes a signal from the lens unit 201, and a substrate 203 on which the image processing unit 202 is mounted. With.

  The image processing unit 202 includes a solid-state image sensor 202b that converts an optical signal into an electrical signal, and a three-dimensional printed circuit board 202a on which the solid-state image sensor 202b is mounted. The three-dimensional printed circuit board 202 a has a lens unit 201 mounted on one side and is mounted on a substrate 203 on the other side.

  The lens unit 201 includes an outer case 51 that covers the lens 52 and a drive unit 53 that drives the lens 52. The drive unit 53 moves the lens 52 in the optical axis direction and aligns it with the focus position.

  In the camera module 200 configured as described above, the wiring portion provided on the leg portion of the three-dimensional printed circuit board 202a is electrically and mechanically connected to the wiring portion of the substrate 203. As described above, the solid-state imaging device 202b mounted on the three-dimensional printed circuit board 202a is electrically connected to the substrate 203 via the wiring portion of the leg portion of the three-dimensional printed circuit board 202a.

JP 2005-175971 A

  Further, the camera module 200 having the autofocus function needs to be electrically connected to the driving unit 53 in the lens unit 201. Therefore, in the conventional configuration, as shown in FIG. 6, the flexible wiring board 204 is attached to the outer case 51, and the flexible wiring board 204 and the drive unit 53 built in the lens unit 201 are electrically connected. The other end of the flexible wiring board 204 drawn out from the lens unit 201 was connected to a current-carrying connector (connection terminal) 205 of the board 203.

  However, in recent years, with the downsizing of electronic devices such as mobile phone terminals, the camera module is also required to be downsized. However, the conventional camera module 200 has the connector 205 on the substrate 203 with the above-described configuration. It becomes necessary to secure space.

  Further, the camera module 200 having the above-described configuration has an operation for connecting the image processing unit 202 to the substrate 203, an operation for mounting the flexible wiring substrate 204 connected to the driving unit, and a connector 205 on the flexible wiring substrate 204 and the substrate 203. Therefore, the operation of joining the two becomes necessary, and the assembly process becomes complicated.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a camera module capable of miniaturizing a camera module having an autofocus function and simplifying an assembly process. To do.

  The camera module of the present invention includes an image processing unit including a substrate, a three-dimensional circuit substrate mounted on the substrate, a solid-state imaging device mounted on the three-dimensional circuit substrate, and a case mounted on the three-dimensional circuit substrate. And a lens unit including a lens mounted in the case and a driving unit that drives the lens in the optical axis direction, and a conduction unit that electrically connects the driving unit and the three-dimensional circuit board. It is what you have.

  In the camera module of the present invention, the conducting portion is fitted in the through hole provided in the case, and the wiring portion provided in the wiring portion of the driving portion and the three-dimensional circuit board. It is good also as what is comprised with the electrically-conductive member which electrically connects.

  With this configuration, the drive unit is energized through the three-dimensional circuit board mounted on the board by the conducting part, so that a flexible board can be separately attached to the outer case, or a dedicated connection terminal on the board There is no need to provide. Therefore, the substrate can be reduced in size, and the camera module can be reduced in size. In addition, the number of parts can be reduced, and the manufacturing process is simplified.

  In the camera module of the present invention, the conducting portion includes a through hole provided in the case, a through hole provided on the three-dimensional circuit board at a position corresponding to the through hole, and the case. A conductive member that is continuously fitted into the through hole and the through hole of the three-dimensional circuit board and electrically connects the wiring part of the driving unit and the wiring part provided on the leg part of the three-dimensional circuit board. It is good also as what is comprised by these.

  With this configuration, the conductive member realizes energization to the drive unit via the three-dimensional circuit board mounted on the board, and also realizes mechanical connection between the case and the three-dimensional circuit board. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the size of the board and to prevent the case attached to the three-dimensional circuit board from being displaced.

  In the camera module of the present invention, the conductive member is formed of a cylindrical body having a two-stage structure including a body portion and a tip portion having a diameter smaller than that of the body portion, and is engaged with the through hole. You may be comprised so that.

  With this configuration, the conductive member can be easily attached to the through hole and can be firmly fixed. In addition, in the case of a camera module such as a camera module that causes a significant performance degradation when a positional shift occurs due to vibration or the like, an electrical connection is provided by engaging a conductive member such as a conductive pin with a through hole. The relative position between the image processing unit and the lens unit can be firmly maintained.

  The present invention also includes a portable electronic terminal using the camera module.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a camera module capable of downsizing a camera module having an autofocus function and simplifying an assembly process.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of the camera module 100 according to the first embodiment. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. FIG. 4 is an external perspective view of the three-dimensional circuit board 20 used in the camera module of the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a main part of the camera module 100 according to the first embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the camera module 100 according to the first embodiment includes a main body substrate 30, an image processing unit 20 mounted on the main body substrate 30, and a lens unit 10 attached to the image processing unit 20. It is configured.

  The main body substrate 30 is a substrate in which a base material having a wiring pattern formed of a conductor such as copper foil is superimposed and impregnated with an insulating resin, and has a wiring portion on the substrate surface. One end of the wiring of the main body substrate 30 is electrically connected to the main body substrate of the electronic device on which the camera module 100 is mounted, and the other end is electrically connected to the image processing unit 20.

As shown in FIG. 2, the lens unit 10 includes an outer case 11 that is a lens barrel, a lens 13, and a drive unit 12 that drives the lens 13 in the optical axis direction. The outer case 11 has a cylindrical shape and has openings on the upper surface plate and the lower surface plate. Inside the outer case 11, the drive unit 12 is mounted via a conduction unit that electrically connects the drive unit 12 and the three-dimensional circuit board.
And this conduction | electrical_connection part is the through-holes 15a-15d provided in the outer case 11, and the through-holes 23a-23d provided in the position corresponding to the through-holes 15a-15d of the outer case 11 on the three-dimensional circuit board 21. In addition, the through holes of the outer case and the through holes of the three-dimensional circuit board are continuously fitted, and the wiring portions 14a to 14d to the drive unit 12 and the wiring portions provided at the legs of the three-dimensional circuit board are electrically connected. And a conductive member (conductive pin) 26 to be electrically connected.

  That is, as the drive unit 12, for example, a piezoelectric actuator (SIDM: Smooth Impact Drive Mechanism) is used. The piezoelectric actuator is composed of a weight, a piezoelectric element, and a drive shaft, and is a device that utilizes the high-speed response and friction of the piezoelectric element. In addition, as the drive unit, a voice motor, a step motor, or the like may be used.

  The lens 13 is a convex lens whose central part is thicker than the edge part, and guides light incident through the opening of the outer case 11 to the light receiving part of the solid-state imaging device. A part of the edge of the lens 13 is installed on the drive shaft of the drive unit 12.

  FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. As shown in the figure, wiring portions 14 a to 14 d that are electrically connected to the drive portion 12 are formed on the lower surface plate of the outer case 11. The wiring portion 14a extends to near the corner of the lower surface portion, and a through hole 15a is formed near the tip. The wiring portions 14b to 14d also extend to the vicinity of the corners of the lower surface portion, and through holes 15b to 15d are formed at the tips.

  The image processing unit 20 is configured by a three-dimensional circuit board 21 mounted on the main body substrate 30 and a solid-state imaging device 22 including an image processing unit attached to the three-dimensional circuit board 21.

  The solid-state imaging device 22 includes a photoelectric conversion element integrated using a semiconductor manufacturing technique and a transfer unit that transfers an output charge of the photoelectric conversion element. An array of photodiodes is used.

  4A is an external perspective view for explaining the front surface side of the three-dimensional circuit board 21, and FIG. 4B is an external perspective view for explaining the back surface side of the three-dimensional circuit board 21. As shown in the figure, the three-dimensional circuit board 21 is made of a structurally insulative polyphthalamide resin, and has a flat plate 21a having an opening in the center and rectangular trapezoidal legs formed on the outer edge of the flat plate. It is comprised by the part 21b.

  Four through holes 23a to 23d are formed in the vicinity of the four corners of the flat plate portion 21a. The through holes 23a to 23d are two-stage holes as shown in FIG. The conductive member 26 is formed using a material that can be energized, and includes a cylindrical body portion 16a and a tip portion 26b that is narrower than the body portion, as shown in FIG. 5C. The shape of the conductive member 26 is a shape that fits into the hole of the two-stage structure described above.

  5A, when the outer case 11 is in a position where it is mounted on the three-dimensional circuit board 21, the through hole 23a overlaps with the through hole 15a of the outer case 11 and is one continuous through hole. Form. The same applies to the through holes 23b to 23d. When the outer case 11 and the three-dimensional circuit board 21 are in a positional relationship, the through holes 15b to 15d of the outer case 11 are overlapped with one continuous through hole. Form.

  On the back side of the three-dimensional circuit board 21, as shown in FIG. 4B, the signal wiring 25 of the solid-state imaging device 22 and the control signal wirings 24a to 24d of the drive unit 12 are formed as printed wiring patterns. Has been. The signal wiring 25 of the solid-state imaging device 22 is electrically connected to the electrode portion of the solid-state imaging device 22 and has the number of wirings corresponding to the number of electrodes of the solid-state imaging device 22. The wiring 25 extends from the end in contact with the electrode of the solid-state imaging device to the leg portion 21b of the three-dimensional circuit board. Although the wiring 25 is formed on the three-dimensional circuit board 21 by a printing method, a multilayer wiring board formed by laminating resin substrates on which a thin film pattern is formed may be used.

  On the other hand, the control signal wiring 24a of the drive unit 12 extends to the connection pad (not shown) at the peripheral edge of the solid-state imaging element 22 with the vicinity of the opening of the through hole 23a as an end. The same applies to the wirings 24b to 24d, and each of the wirings 24b to 24d extends to the leg portion 21 of the three-dimensional circuit board with the vicinity of the opening of the through holes 23b to 23d as an end.

  FIG.5 (b) is a principal part enlarged view for demonstrating a conduction | electrical_connection part. As shown in FIG. 5B, the conductive portion includes a driving wire 14 a formed in the case 11, a wire 24 a formed in the leg portion of the three-dimensional circuit board 21, and a through hole 15 a in the case 11. The conductive member 26 is fitted into a through hole formed so as to overlap with the through hole 23a of the three-dimensional circuit board.

  In the portion where the end portion of the body portion 26 of the conductive member 26 and the wiring 14a are connected, it is preferable that the electrical connection is reliably performed using a solder paste or the like. Similarly, it is desirable that the electrical connection is reliably performed using a solder paste or the like in the portion where the tip end portion 26b of the conductive member 26 and the wiring 24a are connected.

  With the above configuration, the camera module 100 according to the first embodiment can energize the drive unit 12 via the three-dimensional circuit board 21 mounted on the main board 30 by the conductive member 26. Therefore, it is not necessary to separately attach a flexible substrate to the case 11 or to provide a dedicated connection terminal on the main body substrate 30. Therefore, the main body substrate 30 can be reduced in size, and the camera module 100 can be reduced in size. In addition, the number of parts can be reduced, and the manufacturing process is simplified.

  Further, in the camera module 100 of the first embodiment, a continuous through hole is formed in the case 11 and the three-dimensional circuit board 21, and the conductive member 26 is fitted in the through hole. The substrate 21 is not easily displaced even when an external force is applied to the case 11 due to dropping or the like.

  In the camera module 100 according to the first embodiment, the configuration of the conductive portion has been described with respect to the configuration in which the through hole is provided in the three-dimensional circuit board 21 and connected to the wiring formed in the leg portion. It is not limited. The case 11 may be provided with a through hole. For example, the wiring of the leg portion of the three-dimensional circuit board 21 is extended to the surface of the board 21 and the extended wiring and the wiring in the case 11 are connected by a conductive member. It is good also as a structure.

  In the first embodiment, the solid-state imaging device and the drive unit are separately formed. However, an image processing unit and an imaging unit including a photoelectric conversion element are integrated on a silicon substrate constituting the solid-state imaging device. It may be used. Also in this case, the wiring portion is formed on the three-dimensional wiring board, and the processing portion or the like is formed on the wiring portion as necessary, so that the connection becomes extremely easy.

  Furthermore, the wiring part may be formed on the three-dimensional circuit board by a printing method, an ink jet method, a thin film method, or sticking.

  Although the present invention has been described in detail and with reference to specific embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. is there.

  The camera module of the present invention is useful as a camera module that enables downsizing of a camera module having an autofocus function and simplifies the assembly process.

External perspective view of camera module 100 of the first embodiment AA line sectional view in FIG. BB sectional view in FIG. (A) Appearance perspective view of the front side of the 3D circuit board used in the camera module of the first embodiment, (b) Appearance perspective view of the back side of the 3D circuit board used in the camera module of the first embodiment (A) Enlarged view of portion C in FIG. 2, (b) Enlarged view of portion C in FIG. 2, (c) External view of conductive member Sectional view of a conventional camera module with autofocus function

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Lens unit 11 Outer case 12 Drive part 13 Lens 14a-14d Wiring part 15a-15d Through-hole 20 Image processing unit 21 3D circuit board 21a Plane plate 21b Leg part 22 Solid-state image sensor 23a-23d Through-hole 24a-24d Drive part control Signal wiring 25 Wiring for solid-state imaging device 26 Conductive member 30 Body substrate 100 Camera module

Claims (5)

A substrate,
An image processing unit including a three-dimensional circuit board mounted on the substrate, and a solid-state imaging device mounted on the three-dimensional circuit board;
A lens unit including a case mounted on the three-dimensional circuit board, a lens mounted in the case, and a drive unit that drives the lens in an optical axis direction;
With
The camera module which has a conduction | electrical_connection part which electrically connects the said drive part and the said three-dimensional circuit board. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein
The conduction part is
A through hole provided in the case;
A conductive member that is fitted in the through hole and electrically connects the wiring portion of the driving portion and the wiring portion provided on the three-dimensional circuit board;
A camera module comprising: The camera module according to claim 1, wherein
The conduction part is
A through hole provided in the case;
A through hole provided on the three-dimensional circuit board at a position corresponding to the through hole of the case;
The through hole of the case and the through hole of the three-dimensional circuit board are continuously fitted, and the wiring part of the driving unit and the wiring part provided on the leg part of the three-dimensional circuit board are electrically connected. A conductive member that,
A camera module comprising: The camera module according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The conductive member is a camera module configured by a cylindrical body having a two-stage structure including a body portion and a tip portion having a diameter smaller than that of the body portion, and is configured to be engaged with the through hole.   A portable electronic terminal using the camera module according to claim 1.

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