KR20100041048A - Digital variable liquid lens - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A digital variable fluid lens discretely controls the fluid quantity provided to the digital method to the lens. The precision and resolution of the focal distance adjustment are enhanced. CONSTITUTION: According to amount of the fluid which the fluid lens(100) flows in inside, the focal distance is changed. The driver module is included of one or more unit driving(200) serially connected to the fluid lens. The driver module controls amount of the fluid flowing in the fluid lens. The unit driving comprises the fluid storing portion filling the fluid, and the thin film and chamber. It is formed into the material having the thin film is the elasticity.

Description

Digital Variable Liquid Lens

The present invention relates to a variable fluid lens that injects a fluid of a specific volume into a lens to deform the shape of the lens, and uses the same to change the focal length of the lens. A digital variable fluid lens.

In recent years, micro-optical lenses are aimed at miniaturization, low voltage driving, shock resistance, aberration correction, and short response time for use in mobile phones and small electronic devices. Is being developed.

For high-performance optics with autofocus and zoom, the study of variable fluid lenses with adjustable focal length is important. In the case of a fluid lens, there are two types of fluid lenses. One is a fluid lens that focuses by varying the focus by controlling the shape of the fluid by using an electrowetting phenomenon. There is a type of fluid lens that controls the focus by varying the volume.

In the case of the former fluid lens, two conductive or polar fluids having different refractive indices are sealed in an electric container to apply a voltage to change surface tension using electrowetting to efficiently control the focusing of the lens (Japanese Patent Application JP 2000-058285 has been developed, and a technology for controlling the focus by changing the concentration distribution state by installing a positive electrode at the center and a negative electrode at the edge is developed (Japanese Patent Application JP 2001-290087). A technique for more precisely controlling the spherical surface of a fluid using two or more concentric electrode types (Korean Patent Registration KR 10-0783582) has been developed.

In the latter case, the conventional analog variable fluid lens adjusts the focal length by controlling the pressure or the amount of fluid. The function of adjusting the focal length of the analog variable fluid lens depends on the performance of the actuator that controls the pressure or fluid amount. As a result, the accuracy and resolution of the focal length adjustment are low due to the performance limitation of the general driver.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems of the prior art, by digitally controlling the amount of fluid supplied to the lens digitally variable to increase the accuracy and resolution of the focal length adjustment regardless of the performance of the driver It is an object to provide a fluid lens.

The digital variable fluid lens according to the first aspect of the present invention for solving the above problems consists of a fluid lens whose focal length is changed in accordance with the amount of fluid introduced therein and at least one unit driver connected in series with the fluid lens. At least one driving module for controlling the amount of fluid flowing into the fluid lens, wherein the unit driver is a fluid storage portion is filled with a fluid, a thin film formed on the upper surface of the fluid storage portion, formed of an elastic material And a chamber formed on the thin film and transmitting pneumatic pressure to the thin film.

Here, when the digital variable fluid lens is composed of n driving modules, the nth driving module may be formed of n unit drivers.

In addition, when the digital variable fluid lens includes n driving modules, the n th driving module may include 2 ^n-1 unit drivers.

In addition, the digital variable fluid lens according to the second aspect of the present invention for solving the above problems is a fluid lens whose focal length is changed in accordance with the amount of fluid introduced into the inside and at least one unit driver connected in series with the fluid lens It comprises at least one drive module for adjusting the amount of fluid flowing into the fluid lens, wherein the unit driver is formed in the fluid storage portion, the upper surface of the fluid storage portion is filled with the fluid, the material having elasticity It is formed on the thin film and the thin film formed, and includes a pressing unit for deforming by applying a mechanical force to the thin film.

In addition, the digital variable fluid lens according to the third aspect of the present invention for solving the above problems is connected to the fluid lens and the fluid lens in which the focal length is changed according to the amount of fluid introduced into the fluid lens is introduced into the fluid lens It includes at least one drive module for controlling the amount of fluid, the drive module is formed on the fluid storage portion is filled with the fluid, the upper surface of the fluid storage portion, the thin film formed of a material having elasticity and the upper portion of the thin film And a chamber for delivering pneumatic pressure to the thin film.

Here, when the digital variable fluid lens is composed of n driving modules, and the first driving module is a driving module having a fluid storage unit having the smallest volume among them, the volume of the fluid storage unit of the nth driving module is the fluid of the first driving module. It may consist of n times the reservoir volume.

In addition, if the digital variable fluid lens is composed of n driving modules, and the first driving module is a driving module having the smallest volume of the fluid storage unit, the volume of the fluid storage unit of the nth driving module is the fluid of the first driving module. It may consist of 2 ^n-1 times the reservoir volume.

In addition, the digital variable fluid lens according to the fourth aspect of the present invention for solving the above problems is a fluid lens having a focal length that changes in accordance with the amount of fluid introduced therein and connected to the fluid lens is introduced into the fluid lens It includes at least one drive module for controlling the amount of fluid, the drive module is formed on the fluid storage portion is filled with the fluid, the upper surface of the fluid storage portion, the thin film formed of a material having elasticity and the upper portion of the thin film And, it comprises a pressing unit for transmitting a mechanical force to the thin film.

Digital variable fluid lens according to the present invention configured as described above can be competitive in terms of performance and price, because the high-precision focal length can be adjusted without a precise driver, compared to the conventional analog method, in particular ultra-small size used in small devices such as mobile phones It is easy to apply to the camera module.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described specific details and embodiments of the present invention.

1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a first embodiment of a digital variable fluid lens according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a first embodiment of a digital variable fluid lens according to the present invention includes a fluid lens 100 having a focal length that varies according to an amount of fluid introduced therein, and one or more units connected in series with the fluid lens. Consists of a driver (200) comprises one or more drive modules (310 ~ 340) for adjusting the amount of fluid flowing into the fluid lens, the unit driver (200) is a fluid storage unit 210 is filled with fluid, It is formed on the upper surface of the fluid storage portion, and includes a thin film 220 formed of a material having an elasticity and formed on the thin film, the chamber 230 for transmitting the pneumatic pressure to the thin film.

The fluid lens 100 has a form in which a fluid is filled in a thin film in the form of a lens. As the amount of fluid is introduced into the fluid lens, the thickness of the fluid lens 100 becomes thicker, and the curvature becomes larger. Shorten.

If the fluid inside the liquid escapes and the thickness of the fluid lens 100 becomes thin, the curvature becomes small and the focal length becomes large.

The unit driver 200 is a fluid storage unit 210 filled with a fluid, a thin film 220 formed in contact with the upper surface of the fluid storage portion and the fluid inside the fluid storage unit by applying air pressure (air pressure) to the thin film It consists of a chamber 230 for pressing.

The unit driver 200 is connected in series with the fluid lens 100 or another unit driver. Here, the parts that are specifically connected are the fluid reservoir 210 and the chamber 230 of the unit driver. That is, the fluid storage unit 210 is connected to the fluid storage unit of the fluid lens 100 or the other unit driver.

The chamber 230 operates to expand or contract a volume according to a control signal. In the present invention, the chamber 230 is configured to perform two operations when fully expanded or fully contracted.

Here, all the unit thin film drivers all have the same amount of output fluid.

The unit driver 200 performs only two operations, an ON operation in which the chamber 230 expands to apply a predetermined magnitude of pressure to the thin film, and an OFF operation in which the chamber contracts and does not apply pressure.

When the chamber 230 expands because the thin film 220 having elasticity exists between the fluid storage unit 210 and the chamber 230, the fluid inside the fluid storage unit 210 is pushed as shown in part A of FIG. 1. Will be given out.

That is, the fluid filled in the fluid storage unit 210 of the unit driver 200 is introduced into the fluid storage unit of the neighboring unit driver when the chamber 230 is operated, and finally the fluid lens 100 A constant fluid is injected into the

That is, in the present invention, the unit driver 200 functions to transfer a fluid or pressure of a certain basic unit to the fluid lens 100. That is, it becomes a basic unit for applying digital pressure.

In the first embodiment of the present invention, an arrangement in which one or more unit drivers 200 are connected in series is referred to as driving modules 310, 320, 330, and 340. This drive module is connected to the fluid lens 100.

The driving module may be radially connected to the fluid lens 100, and the fluid storage units of the unit driver inside each driving module may be connected to each other, and the fluid storage unit of the front unit driver may be connected to the fluid lens 100. Connected.

The drive module operates as a whole. That is, all the unit drivers constituting the drive module operate simultaneously. To this end, the chambers of all the unit drivers inside each drive module are connected to each other. Thus, when pneumatic pressure is applied to the chamber of the last unit driver, the chamber of the entire unit driver is configured to operate simultaneously.

As described above, the unit driver performs either one of an ON operation and an OFF operation. When the driving module is ON, it means that all the unit drivers in the driving module are ON at the same time. The same applies to the OFF operation.

When the unit thin film driver is controlled by the driving module unit, digital control is possible. In other words, it is possible to apply a certain amount of pressure quantitatively to enable digital control.

In the present invention, the unit driver may be individually connected to the fluid lens, but preferably the fluid lens is controlled by the drive module.

What is important is how many unit drivers the drive module is made of. As a first example, when the digital variable fluid lens includes n driving modules, the nth driving module is configured to include n unit drivers.

That is, a drive module including one unit driver is provided to have a fluid output amount corresponding to the digital physical quantity 1, and a drive module including two unit drivers is provided to have a fluid output amount corresponding to the digital physical quantity 2. Configure to Therefore, in this case, the number of driving modules required varies depending on how many digital steps are represented.

Therefore, in order to express each digital physical quantity, it is sufficient to drive a driving module including a corresponding number of unit drivers.

In this case, as the number of digital physical quantities to be expressed increases, the number of driving modules must increase accordingly. However, since the number of driving modules that can be connected to the fluid lens is limited to some extent depending on the size of the unit driver, this case is useful when there are few digital steps to express.

In the second example, when the digital variable fluid lens includes n driving modules, the n th driving module is configured to include 2 ^n-1 unit drivers.

For example, when n = 4, that is, when the first drive module 310 is composed of four drive modules from the first drive module 310 to the fourth drive module 340, as shown in Figure 1, the first drive module 310 is one unit It consists of a driver, the second drive module 320 is composed of two unit drivers connected in series, the third drive module 330 is composed of four unit drivers connected in series, the fourth drive module 340 is configured to consist of eight unit drivers.

That is, the first driving module 310 is a driving module representing a size corresponding to the digital physical quantity 1, the second driving module 320 is 2, the third driving module 330 is 4, and the fourth driving module 340. ) Becomes a driving module expressing a size corresponding to 8, and when the control unit combines the on / off of these four driving modules, a total of 16 steps are issued from 0000 to 1111, and each step is supplied to the fluid. The amount of fluid increases linearly, allowing precise focal length control of the fluid lens.

The second example is capable of digital control in more steps than the first embodiment using fewer drive modules than the first example.

The control unit for applying air pressure to the drive module can perform a fine digital control by using the combination of the drive module.

2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a second embodiment of a digital variable fluid lens according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, a second embodiment of a digital variable fluid lens according to the present invention includes a fluid lens 100 having a focal length that varies according to an amount of fluid introduced therein, and one or more units connected in series with the fluid lens. Consists of a driver (200) comprises one or more drive modules (310 ~ 340) for adjusting the amount of fluid flowing into the fluid lens, the unit driver (200) is a fluid storage unit 210 is filled with fluid, It is formed on the upper surface of the fluid storage portion, and includes a thin film 220 formed of an elastic material and the pressing portion 240 formed on the thin film, by applying a mechanical force to the thin film.

The second embodiment of the present invention applies pressure to the thin film 220 of the unit driver by using a mechanical force rather than pneumatic pressure. To this end, the pressing unit 240, which is a physical device that is operated by an actuator instead of a chamber, is required.

Here, the pressing unit 240 of the unit driver of each drive module is connected to each other is configured to operate at the same time.

 Since the rest of the configuration is substantially the same as in the first embodiment, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

3 is a diagram showing the configuration of a third embodiment of a digital variable fluid lens according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 3, the third embodiment of the digital variable fluid lens according to the present invention is connected to the fluid lens 100 and the fluid lens in which the focal length is changed according to the amount of fluid introduced into the fluid lens. It includes one or more drive modules (310 ~ 340) for adjusting the amount of the fluid, wherein the drive module is formed on the fluid storage portion 210, the upper surface of the fluid storage portion is filled with fluid, the material having elasticity And a chamber 230 formed on the thin film 220 and the thin film 220 to transfer pneumatic pressure to the thin film.

The third embodiment of the present invention is different from the first embodiment is that the drive module is not made of a plurality of unit drivers, the drive module itself serves as a unit driver, the volume of the fluid storage portion of each drive module is different from each other It is characteristic.

That is, in the first embodiment, the unit drivers inside each drive module are combined to be integrated into one fluid storage unit.

Similarly, the chambers inside each drive module also have different volumes. Strictly speaking, since the chamber is configured to push the thin film from the top of the fluid reservoir, the volume of the chamber is configured differently as the volume of the fluid reservoir is different.

In this case, the fluid storage unit of each drive module is a constant depth, the cross-sectional area may be formed differently as shown in Figure 3, although not shown in the figure may be configured so that the cross-sectional area is constant, the depth is different from each other.

The important point is that when the pneumatic pressure is applied to the chamber in each drive module, the amount of fluid injected into the fluid lens by the thin film is configured to be different.

Here, the volume of the fluid storage unit for each drive module may be set as follows.

As a first example, when the digital variable fluid lens is composed of n driving modules, and the first driving module is a driving module having the smallest volume of fluid storage, the volume of the fluid storage of the nth driving module is equal to that of the first driving module. It may be configured to be n times the volume of the fluid reservoir.

That is, a driving module having a fluid storage unit of the basic unit volume to have a fluid output amount corresponding to the digital physical quantity 1, and to have a fluid output amount of the digital physical quantity 2 to two times the basic unit volume It is configured to have a drive module having a corresponding fluid reservoir volume. Therefore, in this case, the number of driving modules required varies depending on how many digital steps are represented.

Therefore, it is only necessary to drive the drive module of the corresponding volume to represent each digital physical quantity.

In this case, as the number of digital physical quantities to be expressed increases, the number of driving modules must increase accordingly. However, the number of drive modules that can be connected to the fluid lens is limited to some extent depending on the volume and size of the fluid reservoir, in this case it is useful when there are few digital steps to express.

In the second example, when the digital variable fluid lens is composed of n driving modules, and the first driving module is a driving module having the smallest fluid storage unit, the volume of the fluid storage unit of the nth driving module is the first driving module. It can be set to 2 ^n-1 times the volume of the fluid reservoir.

For example, when n = 4, that is, when the first drive module 310 is composed of four drive modules from the first drive module 310 to the fourth drive module 340, as shown in Figure 3, the first drive module 310 is a basic unit volume It has a fluid storage of the, the second drive module 320 has a fluid storage of two times the volume of the basic unit volume, the third drive module 330 has a fluid storage of four times the volume of the basic unit volume, The fourth drive module 340 is configured to have a fluid storage of four times the volume of the basic unit volume.

Here, the basic unit volume may be arbitrarily determined by the design length according to the size of the fluid lens, the magnification to be adjusted.

In detail, the first driving module 310 is a driving module having a volume of a fluid storage unit corresponding to the digital physical quantity 1, and the second driving module 320 is a driving having a volume of a fluid storage unit corresponding to the digital physical quantity 2. Module, the third drive module 330 is a drive module having a fluid storage volume corresponding to the digital physical quantity 4, the fourth drive module 340 is a drive module having a fluid storage volume corresponding to the digital physical quantity 8. .

If the control unit combines the four on / off of the four driving modules, a total of 16 steps are issued from 0000 to 1111, and the amount of fluid supplied to the fluid increases linearly, thereby precisely adjusting the focal length of the fluid lens. This becomes possible.

4 is a diagram showing the configuration of the fourth embodiment of the digital variable fluid lens according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4, the fourth embodiment of the digital variable fluid lens according to the present invention is connected to the fluid lens 100 and the fluid lens in which the focal length is changed according to the amount of fluid introduced into the fluid lens. It includes one or more drive modules (310 ~ 340) for adjusting the amount of the fluid, wherein the drive module is formed on the fluid storage portion 210, the upper surface of the fluid storage portion is filled with fluid, the material having elasticity It is formed on the thin film 220 and the thin film, and includes a pressing unit 240 for transmitting a mechanical force to the thin film.

The fourth embodiment of the present invention is substantially the same configuration as the third embodiment, but is configured to apply pressure to the thin film 220 of the drive module using a mechanical force rather than pneumatic pressure. For this purpose, instead of a chamber, a pressing unit 240 which is a physical device operated by an actuator is required.

Here, the pressing unit 240 of each drive module is configured to have different sizes or cross-sections to be suitable for fluid storage units of different sizes.

 Since the rest of the configuration is substantially the same as in the third embodiment, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The present invention is configured as the fourth embodiment in the first embodiment, but by applying the above embodiment, by changing the actuator thin film to adjust the fluid amount, or by changing the moving height of the actuator thin film, that is, the depth of the fluid reservoir It may be configured to adjust the amount of fluid.

In addition, the control unit may be configured to apply a pneumatic pressure or a mechanical force by accurately calculating the pressure through the fluid discrete control, and also to accurately calculate the amount of fluid injected into the fluid lens by each drive module It can be applied to enable more accurate control.

As described above, the digital variable fluid lens according to the present invention has been described with reference to the illustrated drawings. However, the present invention is not limited by the embodiments and drawings disclosed herein, and may be applied within the scope of the technical idea. .

1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a first embodiment of a digital variable fluid lens according to the present invention;

2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a second embodiment of a digital variable fluid lens according to the present invention;

3 is a diagram showing the configuration of a third embodiment of a digital variable fluid lens according to the present invention;

4 is a diagram showing the configuration of the fourth embodiment of the digital variable fluid lens according to the present invention.

<Explanation of symbols on main parts of the drawings>

100: fluid lens

200: unit driver

210: fluid storage

220: thin film

230: chamber

240: pressurization

310: first driving module

320: second drive module

330: third drive module

340: fourth drive module

Claims (28)

A fluid lens whose focal length is changed according to an amount of fluid introduced into the inside; And Comprising one or more unit drivers connected in series with the fluid lens comprises one or more drive module for controlling the amount of fluid flowing into the fluid lens, The unit driver includes a fluid storage unit filled with a fluid; A thin film formed on an upper surface of the fluid storage part and formed of an elastic material; And A digital variable fluid lens formed on the thin film, the chamber comprising a chamber for delivering pneumatic pressure to the thin film. The method according to claim 1, Each of the driving modules includes a different number of unit drivers, and the chambers of the unit driver formed inside each of the driving modules and the chambers of the neighboring unit drivers are sequentially connected to each other by a connecting passage so that air is movable. Digital variable fluid lens. The method according to claim 2, When the pneumatic pressure is applied to the chamber, as the thin film is protruded into the fluid storage unit, the fluid inside all the fluid storage unit of the drive module is injected into the fluid lens, characterized in that the fluid lens. The method according to claim 3, If the digital variable fluid lens is composed of n drive modules, the nth drive module is a digital variable fluid lens, characterized in that consisting of n unit drivers. The method according to claim 3, And wherein the nth driving module comprises 2 ^n-1 unit drivers when the digital variable fluid lens includes ⁿ driving modules. The method according to claim 4 or 5, The driving module is a digital variable fluid lens, characterized in that when the pneumatic pressure is applied, all the unit driver in the drive at the same time. The method according to claim 6, The digital variable fluid lens further comprises a control unit for applying air pressure to the chamber of the drive module by combining the drive module so that the unit driver as many as the input number at the same time. A fluid lens whose focal length is changed according to an amount of fluid introduced into the inside; And Comprising one or more unit drivers connected in series with the fluid lens comprises one or more drive module for controlling the amount of fluid flowing into the fluid lens, The unit driver includes a fluid storage unit filled with a fluid; A thin film formed on an upper surface of the fluid storage part and formed of an elastic material; And A digital variable fluid lens is formed on the thin film, and includes a pressing unit for deforming by applying mechanical force to the thin film. The method according to claim 8, Each of the driving modules includes a different number of unit drivers, and the pressing portion of the unit driver formed inside each driving module is a digital variable fluid lens, characterized in that connected in series. The method according to claim 9, When a mechanical force is applied to the pressurization unit, as the end of the pressurization unit pushes the thin film into the fluid storage unit, fluids inside all the fluid storage units of the driving module are injected into the fluid lens. Digital variable fluid lens, characterized in that. The method according to claim 10, If the digital variable fluid lens is composed of n drive modules, the nth drive module is a digital variable fluid lens, characterized in that consisting of n unit drivers. The method according to claim 10, And wherein the nth driving module comprises 2 ^n-1 unit drivers when the digital variable fluid lens comprises n driving modules. The method according to claim 11 or 12, The driving module is a digital variable fluid lens, characterized in that when the mechanical force is applied, all the unit driver in the drive at the same time. 14. The method of claim 13, The digital variable fluid lens further comprises a control unit for applying a mechanical force to the pressing unit of the drive module by combining the drive module so that the unit driver as many as the input number at the same time. A fluid lens whose focal length is changed according to an amount of fluid introduced into the inside; And At least one driving module connected to the fluid lens to control the amount of fluid flowing into the fluid lens, The driving module includes a fluid storage unit filled with a fluid; A thin film formed on an upper surface of the fluid storage part and formed of an elastic material; And A digital variable fluid lens formed on the thin film, the chamber comprising a chamber for delivering pneumatic pressure to the thin film. The method according to claim 15, Digital variable fluid lens, characterized in that the fluid storage portion of each drive module having a different volume. 18. The method of claim 16, The chamber of each drive module is a digital variable fluid lens, characterized in that having a different volume. The method according to claim 17, When the pneumatic pressure is applied to the chamber, the fluid inside the fluid storage unit is injected into the fluid lens as the thin film is projected into the fluid storage unit, characterized in that the digital variable fluid lens. 19. The method of claim 18, When the digital variable fluid lens is composed of n driving modules, and the first driving module is a driving module having the smallest volume of the fluid storage unit, the volume of the fluid storage unit of the nth driving module is the fluid storage unit of the first driving module. Digital variable fluid lens, characterized in that n times the volume. 19. The method of claim 18, When the digital variable fluid lens is composed of n driving modules, and the first driving module is a driving module having the smallest volume of the fluid storage unit, the volume of the fluid storage unit of the nth driving module is the fluid storage unit of the first driving module. Digital variable fluid lens, characterized in that 2 ^n-1 times the volume. The method according to claim 19 or 20, The digital variable fluid lens further includes a control unit for simultaneously applying air pressure to the chamber of the corresponding drive module by combining the drive module to have the total volume of the fluid storage unit corresponding to the volume ratio corresponding to the input number. Fluid lens. A fluid lens whose focal length is changed according to an amount of fluid introduced into the inside; And At least one driving module connected to the fluid lens to control the amount of fluid flowing into the fluid lens, The driving module includes a fluid storage unit filled with a fluid; A thin film formed on an upper surface of the fluid storage part and formed of an elastic material; And A digital variable fluid lens is formed on the thin film, and comprises a pressing unit for transmitting a mechanical force to the thin film. The method according to claim 22, Digital variable fluid lens, characterized in that the fluid storage portion of each drive module having a different volume. The method according to claim 23, Digital pressing fluid lens, characterized in that the pressing portion of each drive module has a different cross-sectional area. 27. The method of claim 24, When a mechanical force is applied to the pressing unit, the fluid inside the fluid storage unit is injected into the fluid lens as the end of the pressing unit pushes the thin film into the fluid storage unit. Variable fluid lens. The method according to claim 25, When the digital variable fluid lens is composed of n driving modules, and the first driving module is a driving module having the smallest volume of the fluid storage unit, the volume of the fluid storage unit of the nth driving module is the fluid storage unit of the first driving module. Digital variable fluid lens, characterized in that n times the volume. The method according to claim 25, When the digital variable fluid lens is composed of n driving modules, and the first driving module is a driving module having the smallest volume of the fluid storage unit, the volume of the fluid storage unit of the nth driving module is the fluid storage unit of the first driving module. Digital variable fluid lens, characterized in that 2 ^n-1 times the volume. The method according to claim 26 or 27, The digital variable fluid lens further comprises a control unit for simultaneously applying a mechanical force to the drive module combination having a volume of the fluid storage portion corresponding to the volume ratio corresponding to the input number.

Images