Patent Description:
Camera lens optical image stabilization (OIS) assemblies are generally known and disclosed, for example, in the <CIT> and the <CIT>. Embodiments include a moving member mounted to a support member. A base can be mounted to the side of the support member opposite the moving member. OIS assemblies of these types can have a lens holder with an auto focus (AF) assembly or system mounted thereto (e.g., to the moving member). Electrical connections to the AF system are made by electrically connecting (e.g., solder or conductive adhesive) terminal pads on the AF assembly to terminal pads on the OIS assembly. In embodiments such as those shown in the Miller patent, Ladwig publication, and <FIG> herein, the terminal pads on the AF assembly are at locations above the lowermost portion or base of the assembly, and the terminal pads <NUM> on the OIS assembly <NUM> are on pads or "gooseneck" forms that are above the major planar surface of the moving member. The location of the AF electrical connection between the OIS and AF assemblies is thereby over the shape memory alloy (SMA) wires of the OIS assembly, while still being accessible from the outside to enable the lens holder builder to make the electrical connections. Further prior art can be found in <CIT>.

A camera lens assembly is described. The camera lens assembly includes a support member. The camera lens assembly also includes a moving member having a major planar surface, and inner portion, and AF terminal pads located on the inner portion at or near the major planar surface, wherein the moving member is mounted to the support member. And, the camera lens assembly includes an auto focus assembly having AF terminal pads, wherein the auto focus assembly is mounted to the moving member and the AF terminal pads of the auto focus assembly are electrically connected to the AF terminal pads of the moving member.

Other features and advantages of embodiments of the present invention will be apparent from the accompanying drawings and from the detailed description that follows.

Embodiments of the present invention are illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like references indicate similar elements and in which:.

Embodiments of the invention include OIS and AF assemblies having OIS-AF electrical interconnect structures that are located at or near the major planar surface of the OIS moving member. The interconnect structures include AF terminal pads on the OIS and AF assemblies that are electrically connected by, e.g., solder or conductive adhesive.

<FIG> and <FIG> illustrate an embodiment where the terminal pads on the AF assembly and the OIS assembly are located at or adjacent the plane of the plate of the OIS moving member, near the inner diameter (ID) of the plate and at a location on the plate that is not covered by the OIS assembly base or the base (e.g., stainless steel) layer of the support member. As shown, the stainless steel layer <NUM> that is a major planar surface of the moving member <NUM> and polyimide/insulating layers <NUM> of the moving member <NUM> have openings that provide bottom-side or back-side access to the terminal pad <NUM> on the moving member <NUM>. The terminal pad <NUM> on the moving member <NUM>, which is formed from the conductor layer, has an opening <NUM> defined by an edge that also provides access to the terminal pad <NUM> on the AF assembly <NUM>. In the illustrated embodiment, the terminal pad <NUM> on the moving member <NUM> is "horseshoe" shaped to locate at least a portion of the moving member terminal <NUM> adjacent to the AF assembly terminal <NUM>, and in a co-planar relationship. Thus, the terminal pad <NUM> of the moving member <NUM> are located at or near the major planar surface of the moving member <NUM>. For an embodiment, the terminal pad <NUM> has a portion that extends beyond the insulating layer of the moving member <NUM> and which can have an edge defining an aperture through a conductive material layer.

In other embodiments (not shown) the terminal pad of the OIS assembly can have a through hole that is surrounded by the conductive material of the terminal pad, and that is located over the terminal pad of the AF assembly. The terminal pads <NUM> on the moving member <NUM> can be coupled to traces as shown in the Miller patent and Ladwig publication. The terminal pads of the OIS and AF assemblies are electrically connected by solder or conductive adhesive <NUM> that can be applied from the bottom side of the OIS assembly (i.e., from the side opposite the moving member of the AF assembly, and through the OIS base <NUM> and the base layer of the support member). The mass of solder or conductive adhesive <NUM> will overlap onto both the moving member terminal pads <NUM> and AF terminal pads <NUM>.

<FIG> illustrates an embodiment having OIS moving member terminals that are structurally similar to those shown in the embodiment of <FIG> and <FIG>. In the <FIG> embodiment, the terminal pads <NUM> on the OIS moving member <NUM> are located adjacent to one another, and at a location that is outwardly spaced from the inner diameters of the OIS base <NUM>, the OIS support member <NUM> and the OIS moving member <NUM>. The terminal pads of the AF assembly will also be located adjacent one other. The OIS base <NUM>, the stainless steel layers <NUM> of the OIS support member and of the OIS moving member, and the polyimide insulating layer <NUM> of the OIS moving member, have openings <NUM> to provide bottom-side access to the terminal pads <NUM> on the OIS moving member <NUM> and AF assembly. Further, an opening <NUM> in the OIS base <NUM> and stainless steel layer <NUM> of OIS support member <NUM> provide access to the terminal pads <NUM> and openings <NUM>. The terminal pads on the OIS moving member and AF assembly are located with respect to one another, and can be interconnected, in a manner similar to that described above in connection with the <FIG> and <FIG> embodiments.

<FIG> illustrates another embodiment, where the terminal pads on the AF assembly and the OIS assembly are located at or adjacent the plane of the plate of the OIS moving member, near the inner diameter (ID) of the plate and at a location on the plate that is not covered by the OIS assembly base <NUM> or the base (e.g., stainless steel) layer of the support member <NUM>. As shown, the OIS moving member AF terminal pads <NUM> are located over a portion of the moving member stainless steel layer <NUM> (with the poly layer <NUM> located between the terminal pads <NUM> and the stainless steel layer <NUM>). In the illustrated embodiment, the OIS moving member terminal pads <NUM> are located over stainless steel islands <NUM>. In other embodiments (not shown), the OIS moving member terminal pads are located over non-isolated portions of moving member stainless steel layer. Plated solder can be located on the moving member terminal pads <NUM>. The terminal pads <NUM> of the AF assembly <NUM> are located on the assembly at locations that contact the moving member terminal pads <NUM> when the AF assembly <NUM> is mounted to the OIS assembly <NUM>. The bottom side access to the stainless steel portions <NUM> of the moving member <NUM> opposite the moving member terminal pads <NUM> enables a heated tip <NUM> to contact the stainless steel layer, and thereby heat and reflow the solder on the moving member terminal pads <NUM> to electrically connect the moving member <NUM> and AF terminal pads <NUM>. In other embodiments, the moving member terminals <NUM> and AF terminals <NUM> can be structurally and electrically connected by conductive adhesive. The terminal pads <NUM> on the moving member <NUM> can be coupled to traces using techniques know in the art, for example using techniques as shown in the Miller patent and Ladwig publication. According to an embodiment, to aid in heat flow of a heated tip <NUM> to reflow solder, the AF terminal pad <NUM> is electrically connected to the spring metal island <NUM> directly underneath it, which the heated tip <NUM> contacts. This can provide a maximum speed of heat transfer to the solder.

<FIG> illustrates an embodiment having OIS moving member AF terminals that are structurally similar to those shown in the embodiment of <FIG>. In the <FIG> embodiment, the terminal pads <NUM> of the OIS moving member <NUM> are at a location that is outwardly spaced from the inner diameters of the OIS base, the OIS support member <NUM> and the plate of the OIS moving member <NUM>. The terminal pads <NUM> on the OIS moving member <NUM> and terminal pads <NUM> on the AF assembly <NUM> are located with respect to one another, and can be interconnected, in a manner similar to that described above in connection with the <FIG> embodiment.

<FIG> illustrates a terminal pad according to an embodiment. The terminal pad <NUM> is formed in a "horseshoe" shape and may be located on the inner diameter of an OIS moving member such as described herein. The terminal pad <NUM> includes an inner stainless steel horseshoe <NUM> isolated from the stainless steel layer <NUM>. For an embodiment, the stainless steel layer is etched to form a void having a horseshoe shape in the stainless steel layer and forming an inner stainless steel horseshoe <NUM> using techniques including those known in the art.

The terminal pad <NUM> includes a conductive pad <NUM> formed on the stainless steel layer <NUM> and extending beyond the stainless steel layer <NUM> into the horseshoe void formed in the stainless steel layer <NUM> and the inner stainless steel horseshoe <NUM>. For an embodiment, the conductive pad <NUM> defines a void <NUM>. The conductive pad <NUM> is coupled with a conductive trace <NUM>. The conductive pad <NUM> and conductive trace <NUM> may be part of a conductive layer of an OIS moving member. For some embodiments, the conductive trace <NUM> is copper. One skilled in the art would understand that other conductive materials may be used.

The terminal pad <NUM>, according to some embodiments, includes a gold plated portion <NUM> of the conductive pad <NUM>. The conductive pad <NUM> is configured to contact with another terminal pad, such as a terminal pad of an AF assembly as described herein. According to an embodiment, the inner stainless steel horseshoe <NUM> is configured to act as a dam to stop any inadvertent solder or conductive epoxy from causing a short circuit between an AF terminal pad and a stainless steel layer <NUM>, for example a plate metal of a moving member. Thus, the inner stainless steel horseshoe <NUM> makes manufacturing an electrical connection easier and more reliable.

<FIG> illustrates a terminal pad according to another embodiment. The terminal pad <NUM> is formed in a "horseshoe" shape and may be located on the inner diameter of an OIS moving member such as described herein. The terminal pad <NUM> includes an inner stainless steel horseshoe <NUM> isolated from the stainless steel layer <NUM>. For an embodiment, the stainless steel layer <NUM> is etched to form a void having a horseshoe shape in the stainless steel layer704 and forming an inner stainless steel horseshoe <NUM> using techniques including those known in the art. The inner stainless steel horseshoe <NUM> includes a pad portion <NUM> that is configured to have a lower height than the rest of the inner stainless steel horseshoe <NUM>. The pad portion <NUM> is configured to receive another terminal pad to make an electrical connection between the two terminal pads, for example, a terminal pad of an AF assembly.

The terminal pad <NUM> includes a conductive pad <NUM> formed on the stainless steel layer <NUM> and extending beyond the stainless steel layer <NUM> into the horseshoe void formed in the stainless steel layer <NUM>. The conductive pad <NUM> is coupled with a conductive trace <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the conductive pad <NUM> is electrically coupled with the inner stainless steel horseshoe <NUM> but does not extend beyond the inner horseshoe void <NUM> formed in the inner stainless steel horseshoe <NUM>. The conductive pad <NUM> and conductive trace <NUM> may be part of a conductive layer of an OIS moving member. For some embodiments, the conductive trace <NUM> is copper. One skilled in the art would understand that other conductive materials may be used.

The terminal pad <NUM>, according to some embodiments, includes a gold plated portion <NUM> of the inner stainless steel horseshoe <NUM> including the pad portion <NUM> of the inner stainless steel horseshoe <NUM>. The conductive pad <NUM> is configured to contact with another terminal pad, such as a terminal pad of an AF assembly as described herein. According to an embodiment, the pad portion <NUM> is configured to act as a dam to stop any inadvertent solder or conductive epoxy from causing a short circuit between an AF terminal pad and a stainless steel layer <NUM>, for example a plate metal of a moving member. Thus, the inner stainless steel horseshoe <NUM> makes manufacturing an electrical connection easier and more reliable.

Embodiments of the invention offer important advantages. For example, they can minimize the impact of OIS AF connection on the design of the AF assembly. They can alleviate issues associated with the formed up AF gooseneck pads such as those of the prior art that require clearances in the AF assembly bottom that can lead to a thicker AF assembly and limit the Z-stroke of the AF assembly. They make room for the AF bottom spring to be placed lower in the AF base, which can enable greater AF stroke. They can also alleviate issues associated with structural weakening and relatively low shock robustness presented by the gooseneck form.

Claim 1:
A camera lens assembly, including:
a support member (<NUM>);
a moving member (<NUM>, <NUM>) having a major planar surface and AF terminal pads (<NUM>, <NUM>) located at or near the major planar surface, wherein the moving member is mounted to the support member; and
an auto focus assembly (<NUM>, <NUM>) having AF terminal pads (<NUM>, <NUM>), wherein the auto focus assembly is mounted to the moving member and the AF terminal pads of the auto focus assembly are electrically connected to the AF terminal pads of the moving member, characterised in that the AF terminal pads are located on an inner diameter of the moving member.