Camera module and camera module assembly

Disclosed are a camera module and a camera module assembly. The camera module can include a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) provided on an outer side thereof with contact terminals connected to a corresponding socket module, an image sensor mounted on the PCB, and a housing disposed on the PCB. The camera module assembly includes a camera module provided on a lower surface thereof with contact terminals, and a socket module in which the camera module is coupled.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2006-0047193, filed May 25, 2006.

BACKGROUND

Recently, portable electronic appliances have been fabricated in small sizes with multi-functions, such as communication, photographing and sound replay functions realized in a module unit, and the size of each module has been significantly miniaturized. Specifically, portable electronic appliances, such as cell phones and PDAs, are equipped with a small Compact Camera Module (CCM) to provide photographing functions and such portable electronic appliances have been extensively used.

The camera module includes an image sensor such as a Charge Coupled Device (CCD) or a Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor, and converts optical energy into electrical signals through the image sensor, thereby acquiring image data of a subject.

FIG. 1is a perspective view of a camera module according to the related art. The camera module will be briefly described below.

Referring toFIG. 1, the camera module10includes a Printed Circuit Board (PCB)12, a header connector14, a housing16and a lens unit18.

An image sensor (not shown) is connected to one end of the upper surface of the PCB12by wire, and the header connector14is mounted on the other end of the upper surface thereof through Surface Mount Technology (SMT). The header connector14is connected to the connector of a main PCB in a portable terminal so as to transmit various signals.

The housing16is coupled to one end of the upper surface of the PCB12. The housing16seals the outer side of the image sensor (not shown). The lens unit18is coupled to the upper surface of the housing16. The lens unit18includes a glass filter (not shown) and a lens20, and can be screw-coupled to the housing16.

In such a camera module10, since the PCB12has an image sensor area and a header connector area, there is a limitation in reducing the size of the PCB12. Therefore, reducing the size of the camera module10is difficult.

In addition, since the PCB12has a connector structure, work efficiency for the camera module10deteriorates.

BRIEF SUMMARY

An embodiment provides a camera module, in which a contact terminal is formed on the outer side of the camera module.

An embodiment provides a camera module that forms a contact terminal on the outer side of a PCB and can be coupled in a socket module, and a camera module assembly.

An embodiment provides a camera module comprising: a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) provided on an outer side thereof with contact terminals connected to a corresponding module; an image sensor mounted on the PCB; a housing disposed on the PCB; and a lens unit coupled in the housing.

An embodiment provides a camera module comprising: an image sensor; a housing for sealing an outer side of the image sensor; a lens unit coupled to an upper portion of the housing; and a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) having a size corresponding to a size of an under portion of the housing, in which the image sensor and the housing are arranged and contact terminals connected to a corresponding module are formed.

An embodiment provides a camera module assembly comprising: a camera module included a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) provided on an outer side thereof with contact terminals, an image sensor mounted on the PCB, a housing fixed to an upper part and an edge part of the PCB, and a lens unit coupled in the housing; a camera module provided on a lower surface thereof with contact terminals; and a socket module in which the camera module is coupled.

According to embodiments, a camera module can be connected by a self-contact point of a PCB without a connector, so that the work efficiency and productivity of the camera module can be improved.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 2is a cross-sectional view of a camera module according to an embodiment, andFIG. 3is a perspective view of a camera module according to an embodiment.

Referring toFIGS. 2 and 3, the camera module100includes a Printed Circuit Board (PCB)110, an image sensor120, a housing130and a lens unit140.

The PCB110can be fabricated as a multi-layer PCB, and a plurality of device parts can be mounted thereon by a predetermined circuit pattern. A plurality of electrode terminals112, and first and second contact terminals114and116are formed on the PCB110in such a manner that the first and second contact terminals114and116can be connected to a corresponding module. The electrode terminals112are formed on the top layer of the PCB110, the first contact terminals114are formed on the bottom layer thereof, and the second contact terminals116are formed on the sidewall thereof.

The electrode terminals112and the first contact terminals114can include conductive pads obtained by plating a copper thin film with predetermined metal, i.e. gold and/or nickel.

The second contact terminals116can be formed on at least one sidewall of the PCB110, this sidewall may have a concave-convex shape, in which vias or via holes corresponding to the second contact terminals116are formed in the concave section. In addition, the second contact terminals116of the PCB110can be formed on the left/right sidewall or the front/rear sidewall.

In the PCB110, the first contact terminals114can be formed in various positions in the bottom layer.

The first and second contact terminals114and116are interconnected by an internal pattern, so that they can function as a terminal. The first and second contact terminals114and116can be connected to the electrode terminals112according to the structures of a circuit pattern.

An image sensor120is mounted on the PCB110. The image sensor120can be realized, for example, as a CCD or a CMOS image sensor, and can be provided as a semiconductor chip of Ball Grid Array (BGA), Chip Scale (Size) Package (CSP) and Chip On Board (COB) types, but is not limited to these types.

The image sensor120, for example, can be bonded to the top layer of the PCB110by using an adhesion member, i.e. epoxy, and the pads122of the image sensor120can be connected to the electrode terminals112of the PCB110by wire124. The image sensor120can be mounted on the PCB110in a flip type.

A housing130is fixed to the outer side of the image sensor120, and a lens unit140is coupled to the upper surface of the housing130. For example, a housing thread134can be formed in the inner side132of the housing130, and a lens unit thread144can be formed on the outer side of the lens unit140, so that the lens unit140can be screw-coupled to the inner side132of the housing130. The lens unit140may also be integrally formed with the housing130.

The lens unit140can be embodied in the form of a barrel and can include a filter146and a lens148. The filter146can be disposed between the image sensor120and the lens148, and can include a glass filter or an IR filter. The lens148can include one or more lenses and condenses incident light to the image sensor120.

The lens unit140provides the image sensor120with an optical path, and the image sensor120converts an image formed on a sensor device (not shown) through the lens unit140into electrical signals.

As shown inFIG. 3, at least one edge part136of the housing130is disposed at the edge part of the PCB110. Thus, since the housing130is supported by the edge part of the PCB110, the housing130can be prevented from being tilted. The PCB110can have a size corresponding to the size (or size of a sidewall) of the housing130, and the housing130can have a stepped sidewall such that at least a portion of the sidewall of the PCB110is exposed out of the housing130.

The camera module100can use the first contact terminals114and/or the second contact terminals116formed on the outer side of the PCB110as connection terminals, and can be mounted on an apparatus such as a socket module200(as illustrated inFIG. 4). For example, as the camera module100is mounted on the socket module200, the first and second contact terminals114and116make electrical contact with the socket module200, so that the first and second contact terminals114and116can transfer various signals such as DATA, CLOCK, SCL, SDA and SYNC of the camera module100.

FIG. 4is an exploded perspective view of a camera module assembly according to an embodiment.

Referring toFIGS. 3 and 4, the camera module assembly300includes the camera module100and the socket module200.

The camera module100can be coupled in the socket module200. The socket module200includes a module receiving portion210and terminal contacting portion230. The module receiving portion210can have the same shape as the lower shape of the camera module100, and the PCB110and the housing130can be partially inserted into the module receiving portion210.

The terminal contacting portion230can include first terminal contact members231formed on the module receiving portion210and second terminal contact members232formed on an inner sidewall220of the socket module200. The first terminal contact members231and the second terminal contact members232can be integrally formed with each other, or can be formed with an independent structure.

The first terminal contact members231can correspond to the first contact terminals (reference numeral114inFIG. 3) of the PCB110, and the second terminal contact members232can correspond to the second contact terminals (reference numeral116inFIG. 3). The first and second contact terminals114and116of the PCB110make contact with the first and second terminal contact members231and232of the socket module200, respectively, thereby improving the electrical reliability by a dual contact structure.

As the camera module100is coupled in the socket module200, the second terminal contact members232of the socket module200provide elasticity to the concave section of the sidewall having the concave-convex shape of the PCB110. Accordingly, the PCB110can be inhibited from moving upward by means of the second terminal contact members232of the socket module200.

In the embodiment, the first and second contact terminals114and116of the PCB110can be formed in various areas or positions. Further, the shape or formation position of the terminal contacting portion230in the socket module200can change depending on the structure of the first and second contact terminals114and116. The fixed structure of the camera module100and the socket module200may also be formed on the housing130.

FIG. 5is a perspective view illustrating an embodiment of the terminal contact230of the socket module employed inFIG. 4.

Referring toFIGS. 4 and 5, each of the terminal contacting portion230can include the first terminal contact member231, the second terminal contact members232, a support member233, and a socket terminal234. The first terminal contact member231is horizontally bent to protrude into the module receiving portion210of the socket module200. The second terminal contact member232is bent vertically with respect to the first terminal contact member231, and is formed along the inner sidewall of the socket module200. The support member233is bent perpendicularly to the second terminal contact member232, and is supported to the inner sidewall of the socket module200. The socket terminal234is connected to the support member233and can be exposed out of the socket module200.

The first terminal contact member231provides elasticity in the up and down directions of the socket module200, and the second terminal contact member232provides elasticity in the left and right directions of the socket module200.

FIG. 6is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example in which the camera module assembly is mounted according to an embodiment.

Referring toFIG. 6, the socket module200can be mounted on a main PCB260of a portable terminal through SMT, and the camera module100can be mounted on the socket module200. The camera module100makes electrical contact with the socket module200by using the contact terminal with a dual structure formed on the lower surface of the camera module100. The portable terminal can be, for example, a cell phone, a digital camera, a PDA, etc.

Multiple socket modules200can be mounted on the main PCB260, and multiple camera modules100mounted on the socket modules200can include modules having the same number of pixels, or modules having a low-pixel level or a high-pixel level.

Since the camera module100can be mounted on or detached from the socket module200, the camera module100can be easily replaced with another camera module.

FIG. 7is an exploded perspective view illustrating another example in which a camera module is mounted on a socket module in the camera module assembly according to an embodiment.

Referring toFIG. 7, the camera module100A uses the second contact terminals116formed on the sidewall of the PCB110as connector terminals.

As the camera module100A is mounted on the socket module200A, the second contact terminals116of the camera module100A make contact with the second terminal contact members232formed on the inner sidewall220of the socket module200A, respectively. Further, the outer side of the camera module100A is pressed by elasticity of the second terminal contact members232of the socket module200A, so that the camera module100A can be inhibited from moving upward.

FIG. 8is an exploded perspective view illustrating yet another example in which a camera module is mounted on a socket module in the camera module assembly according to an embodiment.

Referring toFIG. 8, the camera module100B uses the first contact terminals114formed on the bottom layer of the PCB110as connector terminals. The sidewall of the PCB110has a simple concave-convex structure116A for fixation.

As the camera module100B is coupled in the socket module200B, the first contact terminals114of the PCB110make contact with the first electrode contact members231A of the socket module200B, and the concave-convex structure116A formed on the sidewall of the PCB110can be fixed in place by the contact members232A formed on the inner sidewall220of the socket module200B.

According to an embodiment as described above, the camera modules100,100A and100B use the self-contact point of the PCB110as a connector terminal, so that the size of the camera module and the camera module assembly can be minimized.