JP2022131476A - Camera module and electronic apparatus with camera module - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a camera module that can take a more vivid image of an object, and an electronic apparatus with the camera module.SOLUTION: The camera module includes an imaging element, a plurality of light sources (42C, for example), and a transparent lens 20. When the direction in which the light sources are arranged is a horizontal direction, the direction in which the light sources and the lens 20 face each other is a cross direction, a direction that is perpendicular to the horizontal direction and the cross direction is a vertical direction, and the side behind the light sources in the cross direction is a backward direction, a slit 22, which extends in the horizontal direction and opens toward the backward direction, is formed in the center of the lens 20 in the vertical direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

The present invention relates to a camera module and an electronic device with a camera module.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a PC (Personal Computer) with a built-in camera module as disclosed in Patent Document 1 below has been known. This camera module built-in PC includes a display housing and a camera module housed in the display housing.

Japanese Patent No. 5197822

When the camera module takes an image, the light source may illuminate the object (eg, the user's face). The light source is generally configured to illuminate its front most intensely. However, when the front of the light source is strongly illuminated, there are cases where the entire object cannot be imaged clearly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a camera module and an electronic device with a camera module capable of capturing an image of an object more clearly.

In order to solve the above-described problems, a camera module according to an aspect of the present invention includes an imaging device, a plurality of light sources that emit light, and a transparent lens. The direction in which the plurality of light sources and the lens face each other is defined as the front-rear direction, the direction perpendicular to both the left-right direction and the front-rear direction is defined as the up-down direction, and the direction facing the plurality of light sources in the front-rear direction is defined as the rear. A slit extending in the left-right direction and opening rearward is formed in the center of the lens in the up-down direction.

According to the above aspect, the existence of the slit can suppress the illuminance in front of the light source and increase the relative illuminance at the position shifted in the vertical direction from the light source. By increasing the illuminance at a position shifted in the vertical direction from the front of the light source, the object can be imaged more clearly.

Reflecting portions are provided above and below the plurality of light sources, and chamfered portions are formed at both ends in the vertical direction of a surface of the lens facing the light sources, and the chamfered portions and the reflecting portions are formed. and may face each other in the front-rear direction.

In this case, by bending the traveling direction of the light traveling in the front-rear direction between the chamfered portion and the reflecting portion, it is possible to reduce the component of the light traveling substantially forward within the lens. As a result, it is possible to more reliably increase the relative illuminance of the position shifted in the vertical direction from the light source.

Further, reflecting portions may be provided above and below the plurality of light sources, and light absorbing portions may be provided above and below the reflecting portions.

In this case, the light absorbing portion absorbs the light that is reflected by the front surface of the lens and travels backward, and the relative illuminance of the position shifted in the vertical direction from the light source can be increased more reliably.

An electronic device with a camera module includes any one of the camera modules described above and an electronic device having a display housing, and the camera module may be attachable to the electronic device from the outside.

According to the electronic device with a camera module of the aspect described above, the size of the bezel can be reduced compared to the case where the camera module is built in the bezel of the display housing.

An electronic device with a camera module includes any one of the camera modules described above and an electronic device having a display housing, the display housing having a display and a bezel surrounding the display, and the camera module being the bezel. may be placed inside the

According to the above aspects of the present invention, it is possible to provide a camera module and an electronic device with a camera module capable of capturing an image of an object more clearly.

1 is a perspective view of an electronic device with a camera module according to this embodiment; FIG. 2 is a front view of the camera module of FIG. 1; FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 2; FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 2; It is a sectional view of a camera module concerning the 1st modification of this embodiment. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a camera module according to a second modification of the embodiment; 5 is a graph for explaining the action of the camera module of this embodiment;

An electronic device with a camera module according to the present embodiment and a camera module included therein will be described below with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1, the electronic device 3 with a camera module includes an electronic device 2 having a display housing 50 and a camera module 1 having an imaging device 14 (see FIG. 2). Note that the electronic device 2 of the present embodiment is a so-called tablet terminal, but other types of electronic device 2 may be employed. For example, the electronic device 2 may be a clamshell PC, smart phone, game machine, or the like. If the electronic device 2 is a clamshell PC, the second housing is connected to the display housing 50 via hinges. A keyboard, a motherboard, and the like are provided in the second housing.

As shown in FIG. 2, the camera module 1 includes a case body 10, an imaging element 14, a lens 20, a plurality of conduction pins 30, and a magnetic member M. The conduction pin 30 serves as an interface for electrical connection with the electronic device 2 . As shown in FIG. 3, a light emitting section 40 is arranged inside the camera module 1 . The light emitting part 40 of this embodiment is an LED substrate (light emitting diode). The light emitting unit 40 has a substrate 41 and a plurality of (four in this embodiment) light sources 42A to 42D mounted on the substrate 41. As shown in FIG. However, the number of light sources 42A to 42D included in the light emitting section 40 can be changed as appropriate, and may be one. Also, the light sources 42A-42D may be light-emitting elements of a type other than LEDs.

(direction definition)
In this specification, the direction in which the plurality of light sources 42A to 42D are arranged is referred to as the horizontal direction X. As shown in FIG. The direction in which the plurality of light sources 42A to 42D and the lens 20 face each other is referred to as the front-rear direction Y. As shown in FIG. A direction perpendicular to both the left-right direction X and the front-rear direction Y is referred to as an up-down direction Z. As shown in FIG. The vertical direction Z is also the direction in which the camera module 1 and the electronic device 2 are arranged. The left-right direction X is also the direction in which the plurality of conductive pins 30 provided in the camera module 1 are arranged. One side (+X side) in the horizontal direction X is called the left side, and the other side (−X side) is called the right side. The camera module 1 side (+Z side) in the vertical direction Z is called upward, and the electronic device 2 side (−Z side) is called downward. The lens 20 side (+Y side) in the front-rear direction Y is called the front side, and the light source 42A to 42D side (−Y side) is called the rear side.

The display housing 50 has a display 51 and a bezel 52 . The display 51 is configured to display a predetermined image on its front surface (surface facing forward). As the display 51, an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode), a liquid crystal display, or the like can be used. The bezel 52 surrounds the display 51 and has an upper bezel portion 52a, a lower bezel portion 52c, and a pair of horizontal bezel portions 52b. The upper bezel portion 52a and the lower bezel portion 52c extend along the horizontal direction X, and the pair of horizontal bezel portions 52b extend along the vertical direction Z. As shown in FIG. The upper bezel portion 52a connects the upper ends of the horizontal bezel portions 52b, and the lower bezel portion 52c connects the lower ends of the horizontal bezel portions 52b.

The camera module 1 is detachably attached to one side (upper bezel portion 52a) of the plate-like display housing 50. As shown in FIG. Although the camera module 1 of this embodiment is attached to the upper bezel portion 52a, the camera module 1 may be attached to another portion of the bezel 52. FIG.

As shown in FIG. 2, the case body 10 is formed with a first opening 11 and a second opening 12 . The first opening 11 and the second opening 12 are formed at least on the surface of the case body 10 facing forward. The first opening 11 is covered with a transparent window member 15 . The second opening 12 is covered with a transparent lens 20 . An imaging element 14 is arranged behind the window member 15 (on the -Y side). The imaging device 14 has a function of converting light into an electrical signal (image data). An RGB camera or an infrared camera can be used as the imaging device 14 . A mounting portion 13 to be mounted on the electronic device 2 is provided in the lower portion of the case body 10 . The mounting portion 13 has a mounting surface 13a facing downward.

In this embodiment, so-called pogo pins are employed as the conduction pins 30 . Specifically, each conductive pin 30 is biased downward while being movable upward. At least some of the conductive pins 30 are electrically connected to the imaging device 14 . The lower end of each conductive pin 30 protrudes below the mounting surface 13a. The plurality of conductive pins 30 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction X and extend along the up-down direction Z. As shown in FIG. A magnetic member M is arranged inside the mounting portion 13 . The magnetic member M generates a magnetic force with a magnetic member (not shown) on the electronic device 2 side when the camera module 1 is attached to the electronic device 2 . As the magnetic member M, for example, a permanent magnet or iron can be used. When the magnetic member M is iron, the magnetic member on the electronic device 2 side may be a permanent magnet. The magnetic force generated by the magnetic member M allows the camera module 1 to be stably attached to the electronic device 2 .

As shown in FIG. 3, behind the lens 20, the above-described light emitting section 40 and reflecting section 43 are arranged. The substrate 41 of the light emitting unit 40 includes a linear portion 41a extending linearly in the left-right direction X, and a first bent portion 41b and a second bent portion 41c arranged at both ends of the linear portion 41a in the left-right direction X. have. The first bent portion 41b is arranged at the left end portion of the straight portion 41a, and is inclined rearward as it goes leftward. The second bent portion 41c is arranged at the right end portion of the straight portion 41a, and is inclined rearward as it extends rightward.

The bent portions 41b and 41c are inclined by 20° with respect to the horizontal direction X. As shown in FIG. However, the inclination angles of the bent portions 41b and 41c may be changed as appropriate. The light sources 42B and 42C are mounted on the straight portion 41a and face forward. The light source 42A is mounted on the first bent portion 41b, and the light source 42D is mounted on the second bent portion 41c. The light source 42A faces diagonally forward left, and the light source 42D faces diagonally forward right. With such an arrangement, the light emitting part 40 can illuminate not only the front but also the direction inclined to the front.

The reflecting portion 43 is sheet-like and attached to the front surface of the substrate 41 . At least the front surface of the reflecting portion 43 is made of a material that reflects light. A plurality of (four in this embodiment) through holes 43 a are formed in the reflecting portion 43 . Light sources 42A to 42D are passed through each through hole 43a. The reflecting portion 43 has a function of causing the component of the light emitted from the light emitting portion 40 that is reflected by the lens 20 and directed backward to travel forward again. The reflector 43 is arranged above and below the light sources 42A to 42D.

As shown in FIG. 4, the lens 20 has a front surface 21, a slit 22, an inclined portion 23, and a light escape portion 24. As shown in FIG. The front surface 21 is a flat surface facing forward. The light emitted by the light-emitting portion 40 and incident on the lens 20 is emitted from the front surface 21 to the outside. This makes it possible to illuminate the imaging target of the imaging device 14 (for example, the user's face). The slit 22, the inclined portion 23, and the light escape portion 24 are formed on the rear surface of the lens 20 (the surface facing the light sources 42A to 42D). Further, the surfaces of the slit 22, the inclined portion 23, and the light escape portion 24 are polished to be smooth surfaces.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the slit 22 linearly extends in the left-right direction X and opens toward the rear (light sources 42A to 42D side). The slit 22 is arranged in the center of the lens 20 in the vertical direction Z. As shown in FIG. The position of the slit 22 in the vertical direction Z matches the positions of the light sources 42A to 42D. In other words, slit 22 is located in front of light sources 42A-42D. As shown in FIG. 4, the surface of the slit 22 is curved in a U shape in a cross section perpendicular to the left-right direction X. As shown in FIG. The inclined portion 23 includes a pair of inclined surfaces 23a and 23b. The first inclined surface 23 a is positioned above the slit 22 and the second inclined surface 23 b is positioned below the slit 22 . The first inclined surface 23a is inclined upward toward the rear. The second inclined surface 23b is inclined downward toward the rear.

The light escape portion 24 includes a pair of chamfered portions 24a and 24b. A pair of chamfered portions 24 a and 24 b are formed at both ends in the vertical direction Z of the rear surface of the lens 20 . The first chamfered portion 24a is positioned above the first inclined surface 23a, and the second chamfered portion 24b is positioned below the second inclined surface 23b. In a cross section perpendicular to the horizontal direction X, the lens 20 has a vertically symmetrical shape. That is, the angle formed by the first inclined surface 23a with respect to the vertical direction Z is equal to the angle formed with the vertical direction Z by the second inclined surface 23b. Further, the angle formed by the first chamfered portion 24a with respect to the vertical direction Z is equal to the angle formed with respect to the vertical direction Z by the second chamfered portion 24b.

The angle formed by the chamfers 24a and 24b with respect to the vertical direction Z (20° in one example) is smaller than the angle formed by the inclined surfaces 23a and 23b with respect to the vertical direction Z (45° in one example).
Since the front surface 21 is linear along the up-down direction Z, the thickness of the lens 20 in the front-back direction Y increases outward in the up-down direction Z (that is, away from the slit 22 vertically). Lens 20 refracts light like a concave lens. That is, the light emitted perpendicularly from the emission surfaces (surfaces facing forward) of the light sources 42A to 42D passes through the lens 20 and is converted into light having a vector component in the vertical direction. More specifically, the light incident on the inclined surface 23a is emitted from the lens 20 obliquely upward and forward, and the light incident on the inclined surface 23b is emitted from the lens 20 obliquely downward and forward.

Next, a first modified example and a second modified example of this embodiment will be described.
As shown in FIG. 5, in the first modified example, the lens 20 does not have the light escape portion 24 . A rear surface 25 of the lens 20 according to the first modification is parallel to the front surface 21 . The rear surface 25 includes an upper portion 25a located above the light sources 42A-42D and a lower portion 25b located below the light sources 42A-42D. The upper portion 25 a and the lower portion 25 b are in contact with or close to the reflecting portion 43 .

As shown in FIG. 6, the shape of the lens 20 according to the second modified example is the same as that of the first modified example. However, the reflecting portion 43 is not arranged in the portion facing the rear surface 25 (the upper portion 25a and the lower portion 25b) in the front-rear direction Y, and the light absorbing portion 44 is provided instead. The light absorbing portion 44 is arranged above and below the reflecting portion 43 . The light absorbing portion 44 may have a configuration in which black ink or the like is applied to the upper and lower end portions of the sheet material that constitutes the reflecting portion 43 . Alternatively, a member that absorbs light separately from the reflecting portion 43 may be used as the light absorbing portion 44 and arranged so as to sandwich the reflecting portion 43 in the vertical direction Z. FIG.

Next, the result of verifying the effect obtained by each structure of FIGS. 4 to 6 will be described with reference to FIG. Example 1 shown in FIG. 7 corresponds to FIG. 4, Example 2 corresponds to FIG. 5 (that is, the first modification), and Example 3 corresponds to FIG. 6 (that is, the second modification). In the comparative example shown in FIG. 7, the slit 22 is not formed in the lens 20 in the structure of FIG. The structure is

The horizontal axis of FIG. 7 indicates the position in the vertical direction Z. As shown in FIG. In this verification, a plate for illuminance measurement was placed at a position 100 cm away in the front-rear direction Y from the light source of the camera module (four types of Examples 1 to 3 and Comparative Example), and the position and illuminance of the plate in the vertical direction Z investigated the relationship with The horizontal axis in FIG. 7 corresponds to the position in the vertical direction Z of the plate. The position of 0 cm on the horizontal axis represents a point on the surface of the plate whose position in the vertical direction Z is the same as that of the light sources 42A to 42D (that is, a point located in front of the light sources 42A to 42D). The position of 100 cm on the horizontal axis indicates a point on the surface of the plate that is shifted upward by 100 cm in the vertical direction Z from the light sources 42A to 42D.

The vertical axis in FIG. 7 indicates the normalized illuminance. More specifically, the vertical axis represents the magnitude of the illuminance at each position in the vertical direction Z when the illuminance at the point of 0 cm on the horizontal axis is 1.0 under each condition. For example, the illuminance is about 0.6 at the point where the horizontal axis of Example 1 is 100 cm. This is because, in the case of Example 1, a point shifted upward by 100 cm in the vertical direction Z from the light sources 42A to 42D on the surface of the plate for illuminance measurement is compared with a point located in front of the light sources 42A to 42D. means that the illuminance is 0.6 times.

As shown in FIG. 7, in all of Examples 1 to 3, the peak is at a position in the vertical direction Z of around 40 cm. On the other hand, in the comparative example, the point at which the position in the vertical direction Z is 0 cm is the peak. This difference is caused by the presence or absence of slits 22 . More specifically, in Examples 1 to 3, the light entering the space inside the slit 22 mainly illuminates points near the front of the light sources 42A to 42D (the position in the vertical direction Z is near 0 cm). The light not entering the space inside the slit 22 illuminates a point shifted in the vertical direction Z with respect to the light sources 42A-42D. In other words, the existence of the slit 22 suppresses the illuminance in front of the light sources 42A to 42D. Since the lens 20 refracts light in the same manner as a concave lens, the light emitted vertically from the emission surfaces of the light sources 42A to 42D passes through the lens 20 and is converted into light having a vector component in the vertical direction. The light incident on the inclined surface 23a is emitted obliquely forward upward, and the light incident on the inclined surface 23b is emitted obliquely forward downward. As a result, in Examples 1 to 3, the illuminance peaked at a point near 40 cm in the vertical direction Z. FIG. On the other hand, in the structure of the comparative example, since the slit 22 is not provided, the point in front of the light sources 42A to 42D (the point at which the position in the vertical direction Z is 0 cm) becomes the peak.

The inventors of the present application conducted extensive studies and found that by increasing the illuminance at positions shifted in the vertical direction Z from the front of the light sources 42A to 42D as in Examples 1 to 3, the entire object can be imaged more clearly. Turns out it can. In other words, by forming the slit 22, the object can be imaged more clearly than when the slit 22 is not formed.

Next, when Example 1 and Example 2 are compared, Example 1 having the light escape portion 24 has a more pronounced effect of suppressing the illuminance near the front of the light sources 42A to 42D (see FIG. 7). ). I will explain why.
In the configuration of FIG. 5, the light that is reflected at the interface between the front surface 21 of the lens 20 and the air and travels backward through the lens 20 is reflected by the surface of the reflecting portion 43 and enters the rear surface 25, and passes through the lens 20. There is a case where it progresses toward the approximate front again. As the component of light traveling substantially forward through the lens 20 increases, the illuminance of a point near 0 cm in the vertical direction Z also increases.

On the other hand, in the configuration of FIG. 4, the light reflected at the interface between the front surface 21 of the lens 20 and the air and traveling backward in the lens 20 travels in the front-rear direction on the surface of the light escape portion 24 (chamfered portions 24a and 24b). It faces the reflector 43 while being angled with respect to Y. As a result, the component of the light that is reflected by the reflecting portion 43 and travels substantially forward again through the lens 20 is reduced, and the illuminance of a point whose position in the vertical direction Z is near 0 cm is suppressed. In other words, the light escape portion 24 has a function of reducing the component of light traveling substantially forward within the lens 20 by bending the traveling direction of the light traveling in the front-rear direction Y between the light escape portion 24 and the reflecting portion 43 . have When the light component traveling substantially forward through the lens 20 decreases, the illuminance of a point near 0 cm in the vertical direction Z decreases. Thus, the light escape portion 24 also has the effect of suppressing the illuminance in the vicinity of the front of the light sources 42A to 42D in the same way as the slit 22 does.

Next, when Example 2 and Example 3 are compared, Example 3 having the light absorbing portion 44 has a more pronounced effect of suppressing the illuminance near the front of the light sources 42A to 42D (see FIG. 7). ). I will explain why.
In the configuration of FIG. 6 , part of the light reflected at the interface between the front surface 21 of the lens 20 and the air and traveling backward through the lens 20 is absorbed by the light absorbing section 44 . As a result, the component of the light that is reflected by the reflecting portion 43 and travels substantially forward through the lens 20 again decreases, and the illuminance at a point near 0 cm in the vertical direction Z decreases. In this way, the light absorbing portion 44 also exhibits the same effect as the light escape portion 24 .

In this manner, the illuminance profile in the vertical direction Z can be adjusted depending on the presence or absence of the light escape portion 24 and the light absorption portion 44 . 4 to 6 can be appropriately selected according to the specifications of the camera module 1 and the like.

As described above, the camera module 1 of this embodiment includes the imaging element 14, the plurality of light sources 42A to 42D that emit light, and the transparent lens 20, and the plurality of light sources 42A to 42D are arranged. The direction is the horizontal direction X, the direction in which the plurality of light sources 42A to 42D and the lens 20 face each other is the front-back direction Y, and the direction orthogonal to both the left-right direction X and the front-back direction Y is the vertical direction Z. A slit 22 extending in the horizontal direction X and opening toward the rear is formed in the central portion of the lens 20 in the vertical direction Z when the plurality of light sources 42A to 42D are the rear. According to this configuration, the presence of the slit 22 suppresses the illuminance in front of the light sources 42A to 42D, and increases the relative illuminance at positions shifted in the vertical direction Z from the light sources 42A to 42D. By increasing the illuminance at positions shifted in the vertical direction Z from the front of the light sources 42A to 42D, the entire object can be imaged more clearly.

In addition, in the configuration of FIG. 4, reflecting portions 43 are provided above and below the light sources 42A to 42D. , 24b are formed, and the chamfered portions 24a, 24b and the reflecting portion 43 face each other in the front-rear direction Y. As shown in FIG. According to this configuration, by bending the traveling direction of the light traveling in the front-rear direction Y between the chamfered portions 24a and 24b and the reflecting portion 43, it is possible to reduce the component of the light traveling substantially forward within the lens 20. can. As a result, the relative illuminance of the positions shifted in the vertical direction Z from the light sources 42A to 42D can be increased more reliably.

In addition, in the configuration of FIG. 6, reflecting portions 43 are provided above and below the light sources 42A to 42D, and light absorbing portions 44 are provided above and below the reflecting portions 43. As shown in FIG. According to this configuration, the light that is reflected by the front surface 21 of the lens 20 and travels backward is absorbed by the light absorbing portion 44, and the relative illuminance of the positions shifted in the vertical direction Z from the light sources 42A to 42D can be more reliably adjusted. can be increased.

The camera module-equipped electronic device 3 of the present embodiment includes the camera module 1 and the electronic device 2 having the display housing 50, and the camera module 1 can be attached to the electronic device 2 from the outside. With this configuration, the size of the bezel 52 can be made smaller than when the camera module is built in the bezel 52 .

The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

For example, in the above embodiment, the camera module 1 was externally removable from the electronic device 2 . However, the camera module 1 may be built in the bezel 52 of the display housing 50 (for example, the upper bezel portion 52a). In this case, the camera module 1 does not have to have the case body 10 .

In addition, it is possible to appropriately replace the components in the above-described embodiments with well-known components without departing from the scope of the present invention, and the above-described embodiments and modifications may be combined as appropriate.

For example, by combining FIGS. 4 and 6, a configuration in which the lens 20 has the light escape portion 24 and the light absorption portions 44 are arranged above and below the reflection portion 43 may be adopted.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Camera module 2... Electronic device 3... Electronic device with camera module 14... Imaging element 20... Lens 22... Slit 24a... Chamfered part 42A-42D... Light source 43... Reflective part 44... Light absorbing part 50... Display housing 51... Display 52... Bezel X... Horizontal direction Y... Forward/backward direction Z... Vertical direction

Claims (5)

an imaging device;
a plurality of light sources that emit light;
with clear lenses and
The direction in which the plurality of light sources are arranged is defined as a left-right direction, the direction in which the plurality of light sources and the lens face each other is defined as a front-rear direction, the direction perpendicular to both the left-right direction and the front-rear direction is defined as a vertical direction, and A camera module, wherein a slit extending in the left-right direction and opening toward the rear is formed in a central portion of the lens in the up-down direction when the plurality of light sources in the front-rear direction is the rear. Reflectors are provided above and below the plurality of light sources,
Chamfered portions are formed at both ends in the vertical direction of the surface of the lens facing the light source,
2. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein said chamfered portion and said reflecting portion face each other in said front-rear direction. Reflectors are provided above and below the plurality of light sources,
3. The camera module according to claim 1, further comprising a light absorbing section provided above and below said reflecting section. a camera module according to any one of claims 1 to 3;
an electronic device having a display housing,
An electronic device with a camera module, wherein the camera module can be attached to the electronic device from the outside. a camera module according to any one of claims 1 to 3;
an electronic device having a display housing,
The display housing has a display and a bezel surrounding the display,
An electronic device with a camera module, wherein the camera module is arranged inside the bezel.

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