Patent ID: 7657167

Claim:
A digital camera module, comprising: a) an optical lens assembly with an optical axis contained within a compact digital camera unit, wherein said optical lens assembly comprises at least one moveable optical element, whereby a focal length of said optical lens assembly is adjusted to project an image onto an image sensor; b) a driver unit comprising at least one actuator, wherein said actuator further comprises a Lavet type stepper motor and a gear system, whereby current applied to said stepper motor only when taking a step; c) a control unit electrically connected to said actuator, wherein said actuator controlled by the control unit using CMOS digital I/O signals, whereby circuitry required to operate the digital camera integrated into a system-on-chip (SOC), wherein the SOC comprises: i) said image sensor; ii) control unit circuitry; iii) image processing circuitry; iv) CMOS digital I/O drivers; and d) said actuator controlled to adjust said moveable optical element to produce a focused image onto said image sensor of said compact digital camera unit, wherein an integrated clutch formed by two gears of said gear system in which the two gears disengage upon an environmental situation, comprising mechanical shock, to relieve forces in the gear system and prevent damage, where after the location of the optical lens assembly calibrated by moving to an stop at end of allowed lens movement and then return to the optical lens assembly setting prior to the environmental situation.