TWI461782B - Portable electronic device - Google Patents

Description

Portable electronic device

The present invention relates to the field of optical systems, and more particularly to a portable electronic device having a camera module.

With the development of camera technology, camera modules have been widely used in various types of camera devices. The combination of camera modules and various portable electronic devices such as mobile phones, video cameras, computers, etc., has been favored by many consumers.

The shutter (English name: Shutter) is a device for controlling the effective exposure time of the photosensitive member on the camera module. The shutter can be divided into an electronic shutter and a mechanical shutter. When the exposure time is short, using an electronic shutter can distort the object. Therefore, mechanical shutters are often used. However, mechanical shutters often require complex and precise mechanical structures such as motors, levers, and springs, which are expensive and cause an increase in the size of the camera module.

When a camera module is typically integrated into a portable electronic device, its structure is completely separate from other structures of the portable electronic device. Therefore, the complicated structure of the shutter causes the volume of the camera module to increase, which directly affects the miniaturization of the portable electronic device.

In view of this, it is necessary to provide a portable electronic device that is small in size and simple in structure.

A portable electronic device includes: a main body portion; a camera module disposed on the main body portion, the camera module includes a lens barrel and a lens holder, the lens barrel houses at least one lens, and the lens holder houses a lens holder An image sensor; a cover body that cooperates with the main body portion, the cover body has a window; and a liquid crystal optical switch device disposed on the window for changing a switching state of the liquid crystal optical switch device according to an applied voltage, thereby Control whether light can enter the camera module to achieve the shutter function.

Compared with the prior art, the camera module realizes the function of the shutter through the liquid crystal optical switch device disposed on the cover of the portable electronic device, and the volume of the camera module can be reduced, thereby enabling the portable electronic device. The structure is simple and the volume is small.

100‧‧‧ portable electronic devices

110‧‧‧ Main body

120‧‧‧ cover

130‧‧‧ camera module

140‧‧‧LCD optical switchgear

112‧‧‧Main control board

122‧‧‧ window

132‧‧‧Mirror tube

134‧‧‧ mirror base

136‧‧‧ lenses

138‧‧‧Image sensor

141‧‧‧First polarizer

142‧‧‧First transparent electrode

143‧‧‧Liquid layer

144‧‧‧Second transparent electrode

145‧‧‧Second polarizer

150‧‧‧Control circuit

152‧‧‧Power supply

154‧‧‧ switch

FIG. 1 is a partially exploded perspective view of a portable electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is an assembled view of the portable electronic device of FIG. 1.

3 is a cross-sectional view of the portable electronic device of FIG. 2 taken along the III-III direction.

4 is a schematic view showing the electrical connection between the liquid crystal optical switch device of FIG. 3 and a control circuit.

The embodiments of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Referring to FIG. 1 to FIG. 4 , an embodiment of the present invention provides a portable electronic device 100 . The portable electronic device 100 includes a main body portion 110, a cover 120 coupled to the main body portion 110, a camera module 130 disposed on the main body portion 110, and a camera module 130 opposite to the camera module 130, and disposed on the cover body A liquid crystal optical switch device 140 on 120. The portable electronic device 100 can be a cell phone, an MP3, a notebook computer, or a personal digital assistant (PDA). In this embodiment, the portable electronic device 100 is a mobile phone.

The main body portion 110 includes a main control circuit board 112 for the main control circuit board 112 The operation of the entire portable electronic device 100 is controlled to achieve its various functions.

The cover 120 has a window 122 through which external light can enter the camera module 130. The liquid crystal optical switch device 140 is embedded in the window 122 and fixed. For example, the liquid crystal optical switch device 140 can be adhered to the inner side wall of the window 122 by adhesive. The liquid crystal light switch device 140 can simultaneously block dust from entering the camera module 130 opposite thereto.

The camera module 130 includes a lens barrel 132 and a lens holder 134. A lens 136 is received in the lens barrel 132. An image sensor 138 is received in the lens holder 134. The image sensor 138 can be a Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) sensor or a Charge Coupled Device (CCD) sensor.

The liquid crystal light switch device 140 is configured to control whether light enters the camera module 130. The liquid crystal optical switch device 140 includes a first polarizing plate 141, a first transparent electrode 142, a liquid crystal layer 143, a second transparent electrode 144 and a second polarizing plate 145 in order from the object side to the image side. The second polarizing plate 145 is opposite to the camera module 130. The first transparent electrode 142 and the second transparent electrode 144 are connected to a control circuit 150. The first transparent electrode 142 and the second transparent electrode 144 are generally formed by plating a transparent conductive film on a surface of a light transmissive glass. The conductive film is an indium tin oxide (ITO) film layer. In this embodiment, the polarization directions of the first polarizing plate 141 and the second polarizing plate 145 are perpendicular to each other. In the present embodiment, the liquid crystal material in the liquid crystal layer 143 is a twisted nematic (TN) liquid crystal.

The control circuit 150 includes a power source 152 and a switch 154. The power source 152 supplies a voltage to the first transparent electrode 142 and the second transparent electrode 144 and forms an electric field therebetween. The switch 154 is configured to control whether a voltage is applied to the first transparent electrode 142 and the second light transmission Electrode 144.

When the switch 154 is closed, an electric field is formed between the first transparent electrode 142 and the second transparent electrode 144. When the electric field intensity is sufficiently large, the alignment direction of the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer 143 is parallel to the direction of the electric field. The light having the same polarization direction as the optical axis of the first polarizing plate 141 passes through the first polarizing plate 141, passes through the first transparent electrode 142 and the liquid crystal layer 143, and reaches the second transparent electrode 144 and the second polarizing plate 145 because of the light. The polarization direction is perpendicular to the optical axis direction of the second polarizing plate 145, so that the light cannot pass through the liquid crystal optical switching device 140.

When the switch 154 is turned off, no electric field is formed between the first transparent electrode 142 and the second transparent electrode 144. After the light passes through the first polarizing plate 141, the polarization direction thereof changes along the spiral liquid crystal. When reaching the second transparent electrode 144, the polarization direction of the light is rotated by 90 degrees from top to bottom, and the polarization direction and the second polarization. The polarization directions of the sheets 145 are identical, so that light can pass through the second polarizer 145 to enter the camera module 130. Therefore, by controlling the voltage between the first transparent electrode 142 and the second transparent electrode 144 to control whether external light can enter the camera module 130, the effect of the shutter is achieved.

The control circuit 150 is controlled by the main control circuit board 112 of the main body portion 110, so that whether or not a voltage is applied to the first transparent electrode 142 and the second transparent electrode 144 can be controlled by the main control circuit board 112.

It can be understood that when the polarization directions of the first polarizing plate 141 and the second polarizing plate 145 are parallel to each other, the light cannot pass through the liquid crystal optical switch device 140 when the switch 154 is closed. Conversely, when the switch 154 is turned off, the light can pass through the liquid crystal optical switch device 140. It can be understood that the liquid crystal material in the liquid crystal layer 143 can also be a super twisted nematic phase (Super TN, STN) liquid crystal or other forms.

Compared with the prior art, the camera module 130 realizes the function of the shutter through the liquid crystal optical switch device 140 disposed on the cover 120 of the portable electronic device 100, so that the volume of the camera module 130 can be reduced, thereby The portable electronic device 100 has a simple structure and a small volume.

In summary, the present invention has indeed met the requirements of the invention patent, and has filed a patent application according to law. However, the above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and it is not possible to limit the scope of the patent application of the present invention. Equivalent modifications or variations made by persons skilled in the art in light of the spirit of the invention are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.

100‧‧‧ portable electronic devices

110‧‧‧ Main body

120‧‧‧ cover

130‧‧‧ camera module

140‧‧‧LCD optical switchgear

112‧‧‧Main control board

122‧‧‧ window

Claims (6)

A portable electronic device includes: a main body portion; a camera module disposed on the main body portion, the camera module includes a lens barrel and a lens holder, the lens barrel houses at least one lens, and the lens holder houses an image a cover body that cooperates with the main body portion, the cover body has a window; and a liquid crystal optical switch device disposed on the window, the liquid crystal optical switch device includes a first polarization from the object side to the image side a first light transmissive electrode, a liquid crystal layer, a second light transmissive electrode, and a second polarizing plate opposite to the camera module, the liquid crystal optical switch device being adapted to change according to an applied voltage The switching state of the liquid crystal optical switch device controls whether light can enter the camera module to realize the function of the shutter. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the portable electronic device further comprises a main control circuit board, the liquid crystal optical switch device further comprising a control circuit for controlling whether a voltage is applied to the The first light transmissive electrode and the second light transmissive electrode are controlled by the main control circuit board. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the polarizing directions of the first polarizing plate and the second polarizing plate are perpendicular to each other. The portable electronic device of claim 3, wherein when a voltage is applied to the liquid crystal optical switch device, light can enter the camera module through the liquid crystal optical switch device. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the polarization directions of the first polarizer and the second polarizer are parallel to each other. The portable electronic device of claim 5, wherein when no voltage is applied to the liquid crystal optical switch device, light can enter the camera module through the liquid crystal optical switch device. .