KR101032246B1 - Camera module for day and night - Google Patents

Abstract

Day and night combined camera module according to an embodiment of the present invention, the lens unit is provided with one or more lenses along the optical axis; A first filter disposed on the optical axis to pass infrared light in a night photographing mode; A second filter disposed on the optical axis to block light in an infrared region in a daytime photographing mode; An image sensor having an image forming region in which light passing through the filters is different from each other; And when the output values of the R (red) channel, the G (green) channel, and the B (blue) channel are greater than or equal to the preset reference, it is determined as the daytime shooting mode. And a controller configured to determine a mode and control the first filter to be disposed on the optical axis.

Description

Day and night camera module {CAMERA MODULE FOR DAY AND NIGHT}

The present invention relates to a day and night combined camera module, and more particularly, to a camera module that can be taken both day and night with a single camera module.

Background Art In general, portable communication terminals such as mobile phones, PDAs, portable PCs, and the like, have recently been generalized not only to transmit text or voice data but also to transmit image data.

In order to cope with such a trend and to perform video data transmission, video chat, etc., recently, a camera module is basically installed in a mobile communication terminal.

The camera module installed in the mobile communication terminal is currently used as a shooting light by mounting a lighting LED and a Xenon flash for night photography. However, even when photographing using such an auxiliary light source, there is a lot of difficulty in capturing a long-distance subject due to deterioration of lens performance due to miniaturization of a camera module and deterioration of light efficiency due to miniaturization of an image sensor. That is, there is a functional limitation that only photographing a subject within a distance that the light source can reach.

There is a night shooting camera using a special filter and an infrared LED light for night photography, but when using it during day shooting, the color of the infrared wavelength band is also recognized and photographed. That is, the camera for night photography cannot be used during daytime photography.

Therefore, two separate camera modules must be prepared for daytime photography and nighttime photography, which incurs additional costs and is not easy to carry.

Therefore, the present invention is to solve the problems of the prior art as described above, with one camera module, to prevent the change of the color of the output image by blocking the infrared region during the daytime shooting, and the infrared light at nighttime It provides a day and night camera module that can detect and shoot even long distance subjects.

Day and night combined camera module according to an embodiment of the present invention, the lens unit is provided with one or more lenses along the optical axis; A first filter disposed on the optical axis to pass infrared light in a night photographing mode; A second filter disposed on the optical axis to block light in an infrared region in a daytime photographing mode; An image sensor having an image forming region in which light passing through the filters is different from each other; And when the output values of the R (red) channel, the G (green) channel, and the B (blue) channel are greater than or equal to the preset reference, it is determined as the daytime shooting mode. And a controller configured to determine a mode and control the first filter to be disposed on the optical axis.

In addition, the first filter of the day and night combined camera module according to an embodiment of the present invention passes light having a wavelength of 800 ~ 1000nm, the second filter is a light having a wavelength of 400 ~ 600nm I can pass it.

In addition, the controller of the day and night combined camera module according to an embodiment of the present invention outputs a color image using all output values of the R channel, the G channel, and the B channel in the daytime shooting mode, and in the nighttime shooting mode. A monochrome image may be output by replacing an output value of the R channel with a luminance value.

Day and night combined camera module according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include an infrared LED light for emitting light according to the control signal of the controller in the night photographing mode.

Day and night combined use camera module according to the present invention, by using a two-stage filter and the infrared LED light, it is possible to easily shoot both day and night with one camera module.

1 is a flow chart showing the operation sequence of the day and night combined camera module using a two-step filter according to an embodiment of the present invention,
Figure 2a is a graph showing the blocking characteristics according to the wavelength change of the light of the filter controlled during daytime shooting,
Figure 2b is a graph showing the blocking characteristics according to the wavelength change of the light of the filter controlled during the night photographing,
Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the day and night combined camera module using a two-step filter according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art may easily implement the present invention. However, in describing the preferred embodiment of the present invention in detail, if it is determined that the detailed description of the related known function or configuration may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted. In addition, the same reference numerals are used throughout the drawings for parts having similar functions and functions.

In addition, throughout the specification, when a part is 'connected' to another part, it is not only 'directly connected' but also 'indirectly connected' with another element in between. Include. In addition, the term 'comprising' of an element means that the element may further include other elements, not to exclude other elements unless specifically stated otherwise.

1 is a flow chart showing the operation sequence of the day and night combined camera module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, when photographing starts (meaning that the photographing shutter is pressed), the controller determines a photographing mode in step S10.

There are day mode and night mode in shooting mode, which means day mode and night mode respectively.

A detailed method of determining a shooting mode according to an embodiment of the present invention may be as follows.

As a first method, the photographing mode may be determined using the luminance value. In the daytime, the luminance value is adjusted to fit the AE (auto exposure) target, so the luminance value of the sensor may be measured to determine the daytime mode if the reference value is higher than the reference value, or the night mode if the reference value is lower than the reference value.

In the second method, the photographing mode may be determined using the output value of the R (red) channel. In the daytime, the output values of the R (red) channel, the G (green) channel, and the B (blue) channel each have a similar value, and all are above a certain reference value. However, at night, the output values of the G and B channels are below the reference value, and the output value of the R channel is above the reference value. Therefore, if the output value of the R channel is greater than or equal to the reference value, and the output values of the G channel and the B channel are both less than the reference value, it can be determined as a night mode.

In operation S20, the controller may control the lighting and the filter according to the shooting mode determined in operation S10.

Illumination according to one embodiment of the present invention may use infrared LED lighting. The infrared LED light may be controlled to operate in night mode and not in day mode.

A specific method for controlling a filter according to an embodiment of the present invention is as follows.

During the day, the film is detected by detecting visible light having a wavelength between 400nm and 600nm, which is the range where human eyes can feel. However, since the photosensitive sensor of the camera recognizes all infrared rays having a wavelength of 600 nm or more, there is a problem that the color of the image changes unless the light having the wavelength of 600 nm or more is blocked during daytime shooting. Therefore, during daytime photography, only a filter having a wavelength of 400 nm to 600 nm is allowed to pass, and a light having a wavelength of 600 nm or more is required.

At night, the camera detects the reflection of the light from the infrared LED light and takes a picture. In order to take pictures using the light of the infrared LED light, an additional filter for passing light having a wavelength between 800 nm and 1000 nm compared to the daytime is required. Therefore, it is possible to install a filter for passing the light having a wavelength between 800nm ~ 1000nm so that it is placed on the optical axis at night, and not on the optical axis during the day.

2A and 2B illustrate graphs showing blocking characteristics according to changes in wavelength of light of the filter in the day mode and the night mode, respectively, according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

In operation S30, the controller may control the image output method according to the shooting mode determined in operation S10.

In the day mode, the output values of the R, G, and B channels are similar, so that color images can be output using the output values of all channels.

On the other hand, in the night mode, the output value of the R channel is stronger than the output values of the G channel and the B channel, so that the monochrome value can be output by replacing the output value of the R channel with the luminance value.

3 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the day and night combined camera module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3, the day and night combined camera module according to an embodiment of the present invention, the first filter 330a, the lens unit 310, the housing 320, the second filter 330b, the image sensor 340, The substrate 350 may include a connector 360, an infrared LED light (not shown), and a controller (not shown).

According to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 3, the first filter 330a may be disposed on the upper surface of the lens unit 310 at a predetermined interval. The first filter 330a is a filter used in the night mode and may pass light having a wavelength between 800 nm and 1000 nm. The first filter 330a may be rotated so that the first filter 330a does not lie on the optical axis in the daytime mode but on the optical axis in the night mode. In FIG. 3A, the first filter 330a is placed on the optical axis in the night mode. In FIG. 3B, the first filter 330a is not placed on the optical axis in the daytime mode. Each state is shown.

In FIG. 3, an embodiment in which the first filter 330a is disposed at a predetermined interval on the upper surface of the lens unit 310 is illustrated, but the first filter 330a may or may not be placed on the optical axis by rotation or the like. If the position can be changed in the state, the position can be changed as much as possible.

The lens unit 310 may have a hollow cylindrical shape having an internal space of a predetermined size, and one or more lenses (not shown) may be arranged along the optical axis in the internal space.

The lens unit 310 may be inserted into an opening of the housing 320, and the second filter 330b, the image sensor 340, and the substrate 350 may be sequentially coupled to a lower surface of the housing 320.

The second filter 330b is a filter used in the daytime mode and may pass light having a wavelength between 400 nm and 600 nm. The second filter 330b may be installed to be placed on the optical axis only during the day.

The image sensor 340 is an image pickup device having an image forming region on an upper surface thereof so that light passing through the lens forms an image. The image sensor 340 may be coupled to an upper surface of the substrate 350 to be bonded through a plurality of wires.

The board 350 may be connected to the main board (not shown) through a connector 360 connected to one end, and the main board (not shown) may include the controller (not shown) for day and night photographing control. .

Although not shown, infrared LED lighting may be controlled to operate in the night mode by the controller (not shown).

Although not shown, the controller may be connected to the camera module through the main board (not shown) and the connector 360.

The controller may determine a photographing mode according to the method described above, and control an infrared light, a filter, and an image output method according to the photographing mode.

The present invention is not limited by the above-described embodiment and the accompanying drawings. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be substituted, modified, and changed in accordance with the present invention without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

310 lens unit 320 housing
330a first filter 330b second filter
340 image sensor 350 board
360 connector

Claims (4)

A lens unit having one or more lenses along the optical axis;
A first filter disposed on the optical axis to pass infrared light in a night photographing mode;
A second filter disposed on the optical axis to block light in an infrared region in a daytime photographing mode;
An image sensor having an image forming region in which light passing through the filters is different from each other; And
If the output values of the R (red) channel, the G (green) channel, and the B (blue) channel are equal to or greater than the preset reference value, it is determined as the daytime shooting mode. A controller for controlling the first filter to be disposed on the optical axis;
Day and night combined camera module comprising a. The method of claim 1,
The first filter passes through the light having a wavelength between 800 ~ 1000nm, the second filter passes through the day and night camera module having a wavelength of 400 ~ 600nm. The method of claim 1,
The control unit,
In daytime shooting mode, color images are output using all output values of R, G, and B channels, and in daytime shooting mode, black and white video is output by replacing the output values of R channel with luminance values. module. The method of claim 1,
Day and night combined camera module further comprises an infrared LED light that emits light according to the control signal of the controller in the night shooting mode.

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