Patent Publication Number: US-2022224806-A1

Title: Camera module and electronic device

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation application of International Application No. PCT/CN2020/117524 filed on Sep. 24, 2020, which claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 201910944159.1, filed on Sep. 30, 2019, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to the field of communications device technologies, and in particular, to a camera module and an electronic device. 
     BACKGROUND 
     With advancement of technologies, electronic devices (such as mobile phones and tablet computers) have been rapidly developed. As a powerful tool, an electronic device greatly facilitates life and work of user. Camera shooting is a basic function of the electronic device, which can meet user needs for shooting. Camera shooting is usually implemented by a camera module of the electronic device. 
     In a specific operation process, a user usually holds an electronic device to take pictures. Due to shake in handheld shooting, quality of the picture taken by the camera module is poor. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present invention discloses a camera module and an electronic device. 
     A camera module includes a module housing, a first bracket, and a camera, where the module housing has an inner housing chamber, the first bracket is at least partly disposed in the inner housing chamber, the camera is at least partly disposed in the inner housing chamber, the camera is hinged to the first bracket by a first hinge shaft, the camera is able to rotate around the first hinge shaft, the first bracket is hinged to the module housing by a second hinge shaft, the first bracket rotates around the second hinge shaft, and an axis of the first hinge shaft and an axis of the second hinge shaft intersect or lie on different planes. 
     An electronic device includes the foregoing camera module. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       The drawings described herein are used to provide a further understanding about the present invention, and constitute a part of the present invention. They are used to explain the present invention, but do not constitute any inappropriate limitation on the present invention. In the accompanying drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic exploded view of a camera module according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic structural diagram of a camera module according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is an A-A section view of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a B-B section view of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic structural diagram of a first bracket according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic structural diagram of a second bracket according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a partial schematic structural diagram of a camera module according to an embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 8  is a partial schematic structural diagram of a camera module according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     Reference signs in the accompanying drawings are described as follows:
           100 . module housing;  110 . inner housing chamber;  120 . housing frame;  130 . first cover plate;  131 . second bypass hole;  140 . second cover plate;     200 . first bracket;  210 . bracket body;  211 . first bypass hole;  220 . first connecting arm;  221 . first hinge hole;  230 . second connecting arm;  231 . second hinge hole;     300 . camera;  310 . lens;     400 . first hinge shaft;     500 . second hinge shaft;     600 . second bracket;     700 . drive component;  710 . permanent magnet;  720 . electromagnet;     800 . angle detection component;  810 . Hall element;  820 . third bracket;     900 . flexible printed circuit board.       

     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention clearer, the following clearly and completely describes the technical solutions of the present invention with reference to specific embodiments of the present invention and corresponding drawings. Apparently, the described embodiments are merely some rather than all the embodiments of the present invention. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by a person of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention. 
     The technical solutions disclosed in the embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 8 , the embodiments of the present invention disclose a camera module, where the disclosed camera module may be applied to an electronic device. The disclosed camera module may include a module housing  100 , a first bracket  200 , and a camera  300 . 
     The module housing  100  is a basic member of the camera module, and the module housing  100  can provide a foundation for installing other components of the camera module. In the embodiments of the present invention, the module housing  100  has an inner housing chamber  110 , where the inner housing chamber  110  has an opening that serves as a bypass. 
     The first bracket  200  is at least partly disposed in the inner housing chamber  110 , the camera  300  is at least partly disposed in the inner housing chamber  110 , and the camera  300  can take a picture through the opening of the inner housing chamber  110 . 
     In the embodiments of the present invention, the camera  300  is hinged to the first bracket  200  by a first hinge shaft  400 , and the camera  300  can rotate around the first hinge shaft  400 . The first bracket  200  is hinged to the module housing  100  by a second hinge shaft  500 , and the first bracket  200  rotates around the second hinge shaft  500 . An axis of the first hinge shaft  400  and an axis of the second hinge shaft  500  intersect or lie on different planes. In other words, a direction in which the camera  300  rotates around the first hinge shaft  400  is inconsistent with a direction in which the first bracket  200  rotates around the second hinge shaft  500 . 
     In a specific shooting process, the camera module may tilt due to shake, thereby affecting quality of the image. In the camera module disclosed in the embodiments of the present invention, the camera  300  can rotate around the first hinge shaft  400  with respect to the first bracket  200 , and the first bracket  200  is hinged to the module housing  100  by the second hinge shaft  500 , so that the camera  300  can rotate with the first bracket  200  around the second hinge shaft  500  with respect to the module housing  100 . Because the axis of the first hinge shaft  400  and the axis of the second hinge shaft  500  intersect or lie on different planes, rotation of the camera  300  in two such directions can compensate for the angular component of the tilt in the two directions caused by shake of the camera module, so as to effectively prevent shake of the camera module, thereby resolving the problem of poor anti-shake performance of the camera module of the electronic device. 
     In an optional solution, the axis of the first hinge shaft  400  may be perpendicular to the axis of the second hinge shaft  500 . In this case, the inclination angle caused by shaking of the entire camera module during shooting is easily resolved into two angular components around the axis of the first hinge shaft  400  and the axis of the second hinge shaft  500  respectively, so as to facilitate the angle compensation for the camera  300  during rotation. 
     The camera  300  is a relatively sophisticated device. In an optional solution, to avoid damage to the camera  300  due to assembly, the camera module disclosed in the embodiments of the present invention may further include a second bracket  600 , and the camera  300  is rigidly connected to the second bracket  600 . The second bracket  600  is hinged to the first bracket  200  by the first hinge shaft  400 . As such, the camera  300  can rotate with the second bracket  600  around the first hinge shaft  400 . In this case, the camera  300  does not need to be rotatably connected directly, and the camera  300  can be assembled to the second bracket  600  in an easy way that will not damage the camera  300 . 
     The first bracket  200  may have various structures. Still referring to  FIG. 1 , in an optional solution, the first bracket  200  may include a bracket body  210  and a first connecting arm  220 , where a first end of the first connecting arm  220  is rigidly connected to the bracket body  210 . A second end of the first connecting arm  220  is a free end. The second hinge shaft  500  may be fastened to the module housing  100 , the second end of the first connecting arm  220  may be provided with a first hinge hole  221 , and the second hinge shaft  500  may be hinged to the first hinge hole  221 . Hinging the first connecting arm  220  to the module housing  100  by the second hinge shaft  500  helps reduce space occupied by a hinge structure. Moreover, the second end of the first connecting arm  220  is a free end, that is, the first connecting arm  220  is a cantilever structure. The second end of the first connecting arm  220  can extend into the inner housing chamber  110  to implement a hinged connection, helping miniaturize the entire camera module. 
     In an optional solution, the first bracket  200  may further include a second connecting arm  230 , where a first end of the second connecting arm  230  is rigidly connected to the bracket body  210 , and a second end of the second connecting arm  230  is a free end. The first hinge shaft  400  is fastened to the second bracket  600  or the camera  300 , the second end of the second connecting arm  230  is provided with a second hinge hole  231 , and the second hinge hole  231  is hinged to the first hinge shaft  400 . Similarly, the second end of the second connecting arm  230  can extend into the inner housing chamber  110  to implement a hinged connection, helping miniaturize the entire module bracket. In addition, the second connecting arm  230  is a cantilever structure, and the second hinge hole  231  is provided at the free end of the second connecting arm  230 , so it is easy to implement hinge assembly through deformation of the second connecting arm  230 . 
     In order to improve stability of the hinged connection, in an optional solution, two such first connecting arms  220  and two such second connecting arms  230  are provided, where the two first connecting arms  220  are diagonally arranged on two sides of the camera  300  respectively, and the two second connecting arms  230  are diagonally arranged on two sides of the camera  300  respectively. In this case, each first connecting arm  220  can be hinged to one second hinge shaft  500 , and each second connecting arm  230  can be hinged to one first hinge shaft  400 , which can undoubtedly improve the balance of rotation support. 
     In the embodiments of the present invention, the bracket body  210  is a main body portion of the first bracket  200 , and the bracket body  210  can ensure that the first connecting arm  220  and the second connecting arm  230  have a higher strength. The bracket body  210  may have various structures. In an optional solution, the bracket body  210  may be provided with a first bypass hole  211 . A lens  310  of the camera  300  may be arranged opposite the first bypass hole  211 , and the lens  310  of the camera  300  can take a picture through the first bypass hole  211 . 
     Specifically, the lens  310  of the camera  300  may be completely located in the inner housing chamber  110 , may be located in the first bypass hole  211 , or certainly, may extend out of the inner housing chamber  110  through the first bypass hole  211 . In an optional solution, to prevent opening of the first bypass hole  211  from being excessively large, the lens  310  of the camera  300  is located in the first bypass hole  211  or extends out of the module housing  100  through the first bypass hole  211 . This can prevent the opening of the first bypass hole  211  from being excessively large in a same field of view, or can ensure that the field of view of the lens  310  is larger with a given opening size of the first bypass hole  211 . Certainly, the lens  310  of the camera  300  needs the first bypass hole  211  to form a gap around the lens  310 . The gap allows the camera  300  to rotate in rotation process of the camera  300 . 
     In an optional solution, to facilitate manufacturing and assembly, the first bracket  200  may be an integral structure. Specifically, the first bracket  200  may be an integral metal structure. 
     In a specific anti-shake operation process, the camera  300  needs to rotate around the first hinge shaft  400  and/or the second hinge shaft  500 . The camera  300  can be driven to rotate in a plurality of manners. The camera module disclosed in the embodiments of the present invention may further include a first drive mechanism and a second drive mechanism. The first drive mechanism drives the camera  300  to rotate around the second hinge shaft  500 , that is, drives the camera  300  to rotate with the first bracket  200  and the second bracket  600  around the second hinge shaft  500 . The second drive mechanism drives the camera  300  to rotate around the first hinge shaft  400 , that is, drives the camera  300 , or the camera  300  and the second bracket  600  as a whole, to rotate around the first hinge shaft  400 . 
     In a specific embodiment, the first drive mechanism and the second drive mechanism may both be drive motors, or include a drive motor and a transmission mechanism that fits with the drive motor, and the camera  300  is driven to rotate by the drive motor. 
     Certainly, the first drive mechanism and the second drive mechanism may alternatively be other types of drive mechanisms. Still referring to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 7 , in an optional solution, in the electronic device disclosed in the embodiments of the present invention, the first drive mechanism and the second drive mechanism each may be a drive component  700 . The drive component  700  may include a permanent magnet  710  and an electromagnet  720 . 
     The permanent magnet  710  may be disposed on the camera  300  or the second bracket  600 , and the electromagnet  720  may be disposed on the module housing  100 ; or the electromagnet  720  may be disposed on the camera  300  or the second bracket  600 , and the permanent magnet  710  may be disposed on the module housing  100 . 
     When the first drive mechanism works, the permanent magnet  710  and the electromagnet  720  that are included in the first drive mechanism cooperate to produce a first magnetic force, and the first magnetic force drives the camera  300  to rotate around the first hinge shaft  400 . When the second drive mechanism works, the permanent magnet  710  and the electromagnet  720  that are included in the second drive mechanism cooperate to produce a second magnetic force, and the second magnetic force drives the camera  300 , the second bracket  600 , and the first bracket  200  to rotate around the second hinge shaft  500 . 
     In order to facilitate control of a rotation angle, the electronic device disclosed in the embodiments of the present invention may include an angle detection component  800 , where the angle detection component  800  includes a Hall element  810 . Specifically, the angle detection component  800  may include two Hall elements  810 . The two Hall elements  810  cooperate with the first drive mechanism and the second drive mechanism respectively. As for the two Hall elements  810  and the corresponding permanent magnets  710 , the permanent magnets  710  may be disposed on the camera  300  or the second bracket  600 , and the Hall elements  810  may be disposed on the module housing  100 ; or the Hall elements  810  may be disposed on the camera  300  or the second bracket  600 , and the permanent magnets  710  may be disposed on the module housing  100 . 
     The rotation of the camera  300  around the second hinge shaft  500  and the rotation of the camera  300  around the first hinge shaft  400  can be detected by the corresponding angle detection component  800 . The Hall element  810  cooperates with the corresponding permanent magnet  710  to detect a rotation angle of the camera  300  around the second hinge shaft  500  or the first hinge shaft  400 , making it easier to control the angle compensation in a direction in which the camera  300  rotates around the second hinge shaft  500  or the first hinge shaft  400 . 
     It should be noted that, in the embodiments of the present invention, technical means for detecting the rotation angle by cooperation between the Hall element  810  and the permanent magnet  710  is a widely-known technology. Details are not described herein. 
     In an optional solution, to facilitate assembly, the angle detection component  800  disclosed in the embodiments of the present invention may further include a third bracket  820 . Both the electromagnet  720  and the Hall element  810  may be disposed on the third bracket  820 . The third bracket  820  can be fastened to the module housing  100 . 
     In the embodiments of the present invention, the module housing  100  may have various structures. Still referring to  FIG. 1 , in a specific implementation, the module housing  100  may include a housing frame  120 , a first cover plate  130 , and a second cover plate  140 , where the first cover plate  130  is arranged on an opening at one end of the housing frame  120 , the second cover plate  140  is arranged on an opening at the other end of the housing frame  120 , the first cover plate  130 , the second cover plate  140 , and the housing frame  120  form the inner housing chamber  110 , the first cover plate  130  is provided with a second bypass hole  131 , and the second bypass hole  131  communicates with the inner housing chamber  110 . The module housing  100  with the foregoing structure is assembly friendly, facilitating the installation of the camera  300 . On the premise that the bracket body  210  is provided with the first bypass hole  211 , the first bypass hole  211  is located in space surrounded by the hole wall of the second bypass hole  131 . 
     Based on the camera module disclosed in the embodiments of the present invention, the embodiments of the present invention disclose an electronic device, and the disclosed electronic device includes the foregoing camera module. The camera  300  can be electrically connected to a mainboard of the electronic device through a flexible printed circuit board  900  that runs through the module housing  100 , thereby implementing power supply to the camera  300 . The flexible printed circuit board  900  has good deformability, and can better adapt to the rotation of the camera  300 . 
     The electronic device in the embodiments of the present invention may be a smart phone, a tablet computer, an e-book reader, a wearable device, or the like. The embodiments of the present invention do not limit the specific type of the electronic device. 
     The foregoing embodiments of the present invention focus on the differences between the embodiments. Provided that different features of improvement in the embodiments are not contradictory, they can be combined to form a more preferred embodiment. Further descriptions are omitted herein for the purpose of brevity. 
     The foregoing descriptions are only embodiments of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to such embodiments. For a person skilled in the art, the present invention may have various changes and variations. Any modification, equivalent replacement, or improvement made without departing from the spirit and principle of the present invention shall fall within the protection scope of the claims of the present invention.