Patent ID: 9518566
Filing Date: 2016-12-13
CPC Classification: F03G,G02B,G03B,H04N

Claim Text:
1. A camera apparatus comprising: a support structure; an image sensor fixed to the support structure; a camera lens element comprising one or more lenses arranged to focus an image on the image sensor, the camera lens element having an optical axis and being supported on the support structure in a manner allowing movement of the camera lens element relative to the support structure across a range of movement in two orthogonal directions perpendicular to the optical axis of the camera lens element; and a total of four SMA actuator wires each connected at one to the camera lens element and at the other end to the support structure in an arrangement wherein none of the SMA actuator wires are collinear, and wherein the SMA actuator wires are capable of being selectively driven to move the camera lens element relative to the support structure to any position in said range of movement in two orthogonal directions perpendicular to the optical axis of the camera lens element, in a manner in which each SMA actuator wire applies a torque around the optical axis, but without the SMA actuator wires applying any net torque to the camera lens element in the plane of the two orthogonal directions around the optical axis of the camera lens element.