PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-10564517-B2
Application Number: US-201916415887-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Closed loop position control for camera actuator

Abstract:
In some embodiments, a camera unit of a multifunction device may include an optical package and an actuator for moving the optical package. In some embodiments, the actuator may include an asymmetric magnet arrangement. The asymmetric magnet arrangement may include a lateral position control magnet situated at a first side of the optical package, and a pair of transverse position control magnets situated at respective second and third sides of the optical package opposite one another with respect to an axis between the optical package and the lateral magnet. In some embodiments, the actuator may include one or more position sensor magnets attached to the optical package, and one or more magnetic field sensors for determining a position of the position sensor magnets.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A camera unit, comprising:
 an optical package including one or more lenses that define an optical axis; 
 an asymmetric magnet arrangement for actuation along the optical axis and along a plane that is orthogonal to the optical axis, wherein the asymmetric magnet arrangement includes:
 a lateral position control magnet situated at a first side of the optical package; and 
 a pair of transverse position control magnets situated on respective second and third sides of the optical package opposite one another with respect to an axis between the optical package and the lateral position control magnet, wherein the pair of transverse position control magnets contribute to actuation of the optical package in a direction parallel to the optical axis; 
 
 one or more position sensor magnets attached to the optical package for movement relative to the pair of transverse position control magnets and in the direction parallel to the optical axis; and 
 one or more magnetic field sensors configured to measure one or more magnetic field components to enable determination of a position, along the optical axis, of at least one of the one or more position sensor magnets. 
 
     
     
       2. The camera unit of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 at least one autofocus coil attached to the optical package; and 
 optical image stabilization coils attached to a base of the camera unit; 
 wherein the at least one autofocus coil is configured to move, relative to the base, in the direction parallel to the optical axis. 
 
     
     
       3. The camera unit of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the one or more position sensor magnets comprise a position sensor magnet disposed within a space that is encircled by the at least one autofocus coil. 
 
     
     
       4. The camera unit of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a support structure that supports the position sensor magnet within the space encircled by the at least one autofocus coil such that the position sensor magnet moves together with the autofocus coil. 
 
     
     
       5. The camera unit of  claim 2 , wherein the optical image stabilization coils comprise:
 a first optical image stabilization coil proximate the lateral position control magnet; 
 a second optical image stabilization coil proximate a first transverse position control magnet of the pair of transverse position control magnets; and 
 a third optical image stabilization coil proximate a second transverse position control magnet of the pair of transverse position control magnets; 
 wherein each of the optical image stabilization coils is configured to receive a flow of current that interacts with one or more magnetic fields produced by at least a portion of the asymmetric magnet arrangement such that the optical package moves for optical image stabilization. 
 
     
     
       6. The camera unit of  claim 1 , wherein:
 at least one transverse position control magnet of the pair of transverse position control magnets contributes to a first magnetic field component corresponding to a first axis; 
 at least one position sensor magnet of the one or more position sensor magnets contributes to a second magnetic field component corresponding to a second axis that is orthogonal to the first axis; and 
 at least one magnetic field sensor of the one or more magnetic field sensors is configured to measure the first magnetic field component and the second magnetic field component for determination of an angle between the first magnetic field component and the second magnetic field component. 
 
     
     
       7. An actuator module for moving an optical package, comprising:
 an asymmetric magnet arrangement for actuation along an optical axis of the optical package and along a plane that is orthogonal to the optical axis, wherein the asymmetric magnet arrangement includes:
 a lateral position control magnet situated at a first side of the optical package; and 
 a pair of transverse position control magnets situated on respective second and third sides of the optical package opposite one another with respect to an axis between the optical package and the lateral position control magnet, wherein the pair of transverse position control magnets contribute to actuation of the optical package in a direction parallel to the optical axis; 
 
 one or more position sensor magnets attached to the optical package for movement relative to the pair of transverse position control magnets and in the direction parallel to the optical axis; and 
 one or more magnetic field sensors configured to measure one or more magnetic field components to enable determination of a position, along the optical axis, of at least one of the one or more position sensor magnets. 
 
     
     
       8. The actuator module of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 at least one autofocus coil configured to be attached to the optical package; and 
 optical image stabilization coils configured to be attached to a base of a camera; 
 wherein the at least one autofocus coil is configured to move, relative to the base, in the direction parallel to the optical axis. 
 
     
     
       9. The actuator module of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the at least one autofocus coil comprises:
 a first autofocus coil disposed proximate a first transverse position control magnet of the pair of transverse position control magnets; and 
 a second autofocus coil disposed proximate a second transverse position control magnet of the pair of transverse position control magnets; and 
 
 the one or more position sensor magnets comprise:
 a first position sensor magnet attached to the first autofocus coil; and 
 a second position sensor magnet attached to the second autofocus coil. 
 
 
     
     
       10. The actuator module of  claim 8 , wherein the optical image stabilization coils comprise:
 a first optical image stabilization coil proximate the lateral position control magnet; 
 a second optical image stabilization coil proximate a first transverse position control magnet of the pair of transverse position control magnets; and 
 a third optical image stabilization coil proximate a second transverse position control magnet of the pair of transverse position control magnets; 
 wherein each of the optical image stabilization coils is configured to receive a flow of current that interacts with one or more magnetic fields produced by at least a portion of the asymmetric magnet arrangement such that the optical package moves for optical image stabilization. 
 
     
     
       11. The actuator module of  claim 7 , wherein:
 at least one transverse position control magnet of the pair of transverse position control magnets contributes to a first magnetic field component corresponding to a first axis; 
 at least one position sensor magnet of the one or more position sensor magnets contributes to a second magnetic field component corresponding to a second axis that is orthogonal to the first axis; and 
 at least one magnetic field sensor of the one or more magnetic field sensors is configured to measure the first magnetic field component and the second magnetic field component for determination of an angle between the first magnetic field component and the second magnetic field component. 
 
     
     
       12. The actuator module of  claim 7 , wherein the one or more position sensor magnets comprise:
 a first position sensor magnet oriented with a first magnetic field in a first direction; and 
 a second position sensor magnet oriented with a second magnetic field in a second direction that is antiparallel to the first direction. 
 
     
     
       13. The actuator module of  claim 7 , wherein the one or more magnetic field sensors comprise:
 a first magnetic field sensor disposed proximate the second side of the optical package; and 
 a second magnetic field sensor disposed proximate the third side of the optical package. 
 
     
     
       14. A device, comprising:
 one or more processors; 
 memory storing program instructions executable by the one or more processors to control operation of a camera; and 
 the camera, comprising:
 an optical package including one or more lenses that define an optical axis; 
 an asymmetric magnet arrangement for actuation along the optical axis and along a plane that is orthogonal to the optical axis, wherein the asymmetric magnet arrangement includes:
 a lateral position control magnet situated at a first side of the optical package; and 
 a pair of transverse position control magnets situated on respective second and third sides of the optical package opposite one another with respect to an axis between the optical package and the lateral position control magnet, wherein the pair of transverse position control magnets contribute to actuation of the optical package in a direction parallel to the optical axis; 
 
 one or more position sensor magnets attached to the optical package for movement relative to the pair of transverse position control magnets and in the direction parallel to the optical axis; and 
 one or more magnetic field sensors configured to measure one or more magnetic field components to enable determination of a position, along the optical axis, of at least one of the one or more position sensor magnets. 
 
 
     
     
       15. The device of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 at least one autofocus coil attached to the optical package; and 
 optical image stabilization coils attached to a base of the camera; 
 wherein the at least one autofocus coil is configured to move, relative to the base, in the direction parallel to the optical axis. 
 
     
     
       16. The device of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the at least one autofocus coil comprises:
 a first autofocus coil disposed proximate a first transverse position control magnet of the pair of transverse position control magnets; and 
 a second autofocus coil disposed proximate a second transverse position control magnet of the pair of transverse position control magnets; and 
 
 the one or more position sensor magnets comprise:
 a first position sensor magnet attached to the first autofocus coil; and 
 a second position sensor magnet attached to the second autofocus coil. 
 
 
     
     
       17. The device of  claim 15 , wherein the optical image stabilization coils comprise:
 a first optical image stabilization coil proximate the lateral position control magnet; 
 a second optical image stabilization coil proximate a first transverse position control magnet of the pair of transverse position control magnets; and 
 a third optical image stabilization coil proximate a second transverse position control magnet of the pair of transverse position control magnets; 
 wherein each of the optical image stabilization coils is configured to receive a flow of current that interacts with one or more magnetic fields produced by at least a portion of the asymmetric magnet arrangement such that the optical package moves for optical image stabilization. 
 
     
     
       18. The device of  claim 14 , wherein:
 at least one transverse position control magnet of the pair of transverse position control magnets contributes to a first magnetic field component corresponding to a first axis; 
 at least one position sensor magnet of the one or more position sensor magnets contributes to a second magnetic field component corresponding to a second axis that is orthogonal to the first axis; and 
 at least one magnetic field sensor of the one or more magnetic field sensors is configured to measure the first magnetic field component and the second magnetic field component for determination of an angle between the first magnetic field component and the second magnetic field component. 
 
     
     
       19. The device of  claim 14 , wherein the one or more position sensor magnets comprise:
 a first position sensor magnet oriented with a first magnetic field in a first direction; and 
 a second position sensor magnet oriented with a second magnetic field in a second direction that is antiparallel to the first direction. 
 
     
     
       20. The device of  claim 14 , wherein the one or more magnetic field sensors comprise:
 a first magnetic field sensor disposed proximate the second side of the optical package; and 
 a second magnetic field sensor disposed proximate the third side of the optical package.

Description:
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/223,661, filed Aug. 10, 2016, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Technical Field 
     This disclosure relates generally to position measurement and more specifically to position measurement for managing the motion of camera components. 
     Description of the Related Art 
     The advent of small, mobile multipurpose devices such as smartphones and tablet or pad devices has resulted in a need for high-resolution, small form factor cameras for integration in the devices. Some small form factor cameras may incorporate optical image stabilization (OIS) mechanisms that may sense and react to external excitation/disturbance by adjusting location of the optical lens on the X and/or Y axis in an attempt to compensate for unwanted motion of the lens. Some small form factor cameras may incorporate an autofocus (AF) mechanism whereby the object focal distance can be adjusted to focus an object plane in front of the camera at an image plane to be captured by the image sensor. In some such autofocus mechanisms, the optical lens is moved as a single rigid body along the optical axis (referred to as the Z axis) of the camera to refocus the camera. 
     In addition, high image quality is easier to achieve in small form factor cameras if lens motion along the optical axis is accompanied by minimal parasitic motion in the other degrees of freedom, for example on the X and Y axes orthogonal to the optical (Z) axis of the camera. Thus, some small form factor cameras that include autofocus mechanisms may also incorporate optical image stabilization (OIS) mechanisms that may sense and react to external excitation/disturbance by adjusting location of the optical lens on the X and/or Y axis in an attempt to compensate for unwanted motion of the lens. In such systems, knowledge of the position of the lens is useful. 
     SUMMARY OF EMBODIMENTS 
     Some embodiments include a camera unit of a multifunction device. The camera unit may include an optical package and an actuator for moving the optical package. In some embodiments, the actuator may include an asymmetric magnet arrangement for actuation along an optical axis and/or along a plane that is orthogonal to the optical axis. The asymmetric magnet arrangement may include a lateral position control magnet and a pair of transverse position control magnets. The lateral position control magnet may be situated at a first side of the optical package. The pair of transverse position control magnets may be situated on respective second and third sides of the optical package opposite one another with respect to an axis between the optical package and the lateral position control magnet. 
     Furthermore, the actuator may include one or more position sensor magnets and one or more magnetic field sensors. The position sensor magnets may be attached to the optical package. The magnetic field sensors may be used to determine a position of at least one of the position sensor magnets. For instance, the optical package may include one or more lenses that define an optical axis, and a magnetic field sensor may be used to determine a position of a position sensor magnet along the optical axis. 
     Some embodiments include a magnetic actuator for moving an optical package. The magnetic actuator may include an asymmetric magnet arrangement for actuation along an optical axis of the optical package and/or along a plane that is orthogonal to the optical axis. The asymmetric magnet arrangement may include a lateral position control magnet, a first transverse position control magnet, and a second transverse position control magnet. The lateral position control magnet may be disposed proximate a first side of a moving member that is attached to the optical package. The first transverse position control magnet may be disposed proximate a second side of the moving member. The second transverse position control magnet may be disposed proximate a third side of the moving member. The third side may be opposite the second side with respect to an axis between the moving member and the lateral position control magnet. 
     Furthermore, the magnetic actuator may include one or more position sensor magnets and one or more magnetic field sensors for determining a position of the moving member. The position sensor magnets may be attached to the moving member. The magnetic field sensors may be used to determine a position of the moving member. 
     Some embodiments include a system having an optical package and an actuator for moving the optical package. The actuator may include an asymmetric magnet arrangement for actuation along an optical axis and/or along a plane that is orthogonal to the optical axis. The asymmetric magnet arrangement may include a lateral position control magnet and a pair of transverse position control magnets. The lateral position control magnet may be situated at a first side of the optical package. The pair of transverse position control magnets may be situated on respective second and third sides of the optical package opposite one another with respect to an axis between the optical package and the lateral position control magnet. 
     Furthermore, the actuator may include one or more position sensor magnets and one or more magnetic field sensors. The position sensor magnets may be attached to the optical package. The magnetic field sensors may be configured to measure one or more magnetic field components. For instance, at least one of the transverse position control magnets may contribute to a first magnetic field component corresponding to a first axis, and at least one of the position sensor magnets may contribute to a second magnetic field component corresponding to a second axis that is orthogonal to the first axis. In some embodiments, at least one of the magnetic field sensors may be configured to measure the first magnetic field component and the second magnetic field component. 
     In some embodiments, the system may include one or more processors and memory. The memory may include program instructions that, when executed by the processors, cause the processors to perform operations. In some implementations, the operations may include determining the first magnetic field component. For instance, the determination of the first magnetic field may be based at least in part on one or more measurements from a magnetic field sensor. Furthermore, the operations may include determining the second magnetic field component. For instance, the determination of the second magnetic field component may be based at least in part on one or more measurements from the magnetic field sensor. In various examples, the operations may include calculating a position of a position sensor magnet along an optical axis defined by one or more lenses of the optical package. For instance, the calculation of the position of the position sensor magnet along the optical axis may be based at least in part on the first magnetic field component and the second magnetic field component. 
     Some implementations include a method for determining a position of one or more camera components. The method may include generating a measurement of a magnetic field resulting at least in part from one or more position sensor magnets. For example, the measurement may be generated by using one or more magnetic field sensors to measure a magnetic field component created at least in part by one or more position sensor magnets that are fixedly mounted to a camera lens carrier. The camera lens carrier may be moveably coupled to a substrate. The magnetic field sensors may be fixedly mounted to the substrate. An autofocus actuator may provide motion of the camera lens carrier in a direction orthogonal to the substrate. In some implementations, the method may include calculating a position measurement for the lens carrier. For instance, position measurement for the lens carrier may be calculated based at least in part on the measurement of the magnetic field resulting from the position sensor magnets. Furthermore, the method may include adjusting a position of the camera lens carrier by altering a voltage and/or a current supplied to an autofocus coil of the autofocus actuator attached to the camera lens carrier. For example, the voltage and/or the current supplied to the autofocus coil may be altered based at least in part on position measurement calculated for the lens carrier. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1A  illustrates an example embodiment of a camera having an actuator module or assembly that may, for example, be used to provide magnetic sensing for autofocus and/or optical image stabilization position detection in small form factor cameras, according to at least some embodiments. 
         FIG. 1B  depicts an example embodiment of an actuator module or assembly that may, for example, be used to provide magnetic sensing for autofocus and/or optical image stabilization position detection in small form factor cameras, according to at least some embodiments. 
         FIG. 1C  illustrates an example embodiment of an actuator module or assembly that may, for example, be used to provide magnetic sensing for autofocus and/or optical image stabilization position detection in small form factor cameras, according to at least some embodiments. 
         FIG. 2A  depicts a side view of an example embodiment of an actuator module or assembly that may, for example, be used to provide magnetic sensing for autofocus and/or optical image stabilization position detection in small form factor cameras, according to at least some embodiments. 
         FIG. 2B  illustrates a top view of an example embodiment of an actuator module or assembly that may, for example, be used to provide magnetic sensing for autofocus and/or optical image stabilization position detection in small form factor cameras, according to at least some embodiments. 
         FIG. 2C  depicts a side view of an example embodiment of an actuator module or assembly that may, for example, be used to provide magnetic sensing for autofocus and/or optical image stabilization position detection in small form factor cameras, according to at least some embodiments. 
         FIG. 2D  illustrates a side view of an example embodiment of an actuator module or assembly that may, for example, be used to provide magnetic sensing for autofocus and/or optical image stabilization position detection in small form factor cameras, according to at least some embodiments. 
         FIG. 2E  depicts a side view of an example embodiment of an actuator module or assembly that may, for example, be used to provide magnetic sensing for autofocus and/or optical image stabilization position detection in small form factor cameras, according to at least some embodiments. 
         FIG. 2F  illustrates a side view of an example embodiment of an actuator module or assembly that may, for example, be used to provide magnetic sensing for autofocus and/or optical image stabilization position detection in small form factor cameras, according to at least some embodiments. 
         FIG. 2G  depicts a side view of an example embodiment of an actuator module or assembly that may, for example, be used to provide magnetic sensing for autofocus and/or optical image stabilization position detection in small form factor cameras, according to at least some embodiments. 
         FIG. 2H  illustrates a side view of an example embodiment of an actuator module or assembly that may, for example, be used to provide magnetic sensing for autofocus and/or optical image stabilization position detection in small form factor cameras, according to at least some embodiments. 
         FIG. 2I  depicts a side view of an example embodiment of an actuator module or assembly that may, for example, be used to provide magnetic sensing for autofocus and/or optical image stabilization position detection in small form factor cameras, according to at least some embodiments. 
         FIG. 3  is a flowchart of a method for magnetic sensing for autofocus position detection and control, according to at least some embodiments. 
         FIG. 4  is a flowchart of a method for magnetic sensing for autofocus position detection and control, according to at least some embodiments. 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a block diagram of a portable multifunction device with a camera that may include an actuator module in accordance with some embodiments. 
         FIG. 6  depicts a portable multifunction device having a camera that may include an actuator module in accordance with some embodiments. 
         FIG. 7  illustrates an example computer system configured to implement aspects of magnetic sensing for autofocus and/or optical image stabilization position detection and control, according to some embodiments. 
     
    
    
     This specification includes references to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment.” The appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner consistent with this disclosure. 
     “Comprising.” This term is open-ended. As used in the appended claims, this term does not foreclose additional structure or steps. Consider a claim that recites: “An apparatus comprising one or more processor units . . . .” Such a claim does not foreclose the apparatus from including additional components (e.g., a network interface unit, graphics circuitry, etc.). 
     “Configured To.” Various units, circuits, or other components may be described or claimed as “configured to” perform a task or tasks. In such contexts, “configured to” is used to connote structure by indicating that the units/circuits/components include structure (e.g., circuitry) that performs those task or tasks during operation. As such, the unit/circuit/component can be said to be configured to perform the task even when the specified unit/circuit/component is not currently operational (e.g., is not on). The units/circuits/components used with the “configured to” language include hardware—for example, circuits, memory storing program instructions executable to implement the operation, etc. Reciting that a unit/circuit/component is “configured to” perform one or more tasks is expressly intended not to invoke 35 U.S.C. § 112, sixth paragraph, for that unit/circuit/component. Additionally, “configured to” can include generic structure (e.g., generic circuitry) that is manipulated by software and/or firmware (e.g., an FPGA or a general-purpose processor executing software) to operate in manner that is capable of performing the task(s) at issue. “Configure to” may also include adapting a manufacturing process (e.g., a semiconductor fabrication facility) to fabricate devices (e.g., integrated circuits) that are adapted to implement or perform one or more tasks. 
     “First,” “Second,” etc. As used herein, these terms are used as labels for nouns that they precede, and do not imply any type of ordering (e.g., spatial, temporal, logical, etc.). For example, a buffer circuit may be described herein as performing write operations for “first” and “second” values. The terms “first” and “second” do not necessarily imply that the first value must be written before the second value. 
     “Based On.” As used herein, this term is used to describe one or more factors that affect a determination. This term does not foreclose additional factors that may affect a determination. That is, a determination may be solely based on those factors or based, at least in part, on those factors. Consider the phrase “determine A based on B.” While in this case, B is a factor that affects the determination of A, such a phrase does not foreclose the determination of A from also being based on C. In other instances, A may be determined based solely on B. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Some embodiments include camera equipment outfitted with controls, magnets, and sensors to improve the position accuracy of a miniature actuation mechanism for a compact camera module. More specifically, in some embodiments, compact camera modules may include one or more actuators to deliver functions such as autofocus (AF) and optical image stabilization (OIS). One approach to delivering a very compact actuator for OIS is to use a Voice Coil Motor (VCM) arrangement including one or more AF coils, one or more OIS coils, and/or one or more magnets. As current is applied to the coils, the magnetic fields generated interact with the magnetic fields of the magnets to generate forces that move at least a portion of the actuator in a desired manner. One or more position sensor magnets may be attached to the moving portion (or moving body) of the actuator, and one or more magnetic field sensors (e.g., Hall sensors, tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) sensor, giant magnetoresistance (GMR) sensor, etc.) may be used to determine a position of the position sensor magnets. As a position sensor magnet moves with the moving portion of the actuator, the magnetic field component(s) detected by the magnetic field sensor may change, which in turn may alter the voltage across sense terminals of the magnetic field sensor. 
     Some embodiments may allow the magnetic field sensor output voltage to be very well correlated to the position of the moving body of the actuator, such that the sensor output can be used as a measure of position, and be used to feedback the position, and allow more accurate positioning. Using a VCM, in some embodiments the forces generated may be substantially linear with applied current. Furthermore, the position of the moving body may be substantially proportional to the current applied to the coils. 
     In some embodiments, a camera unit of a multifunction device may include an optical package and an actuator for moving the optical package. The actuator may include an asymmetric magnet arrangement for actuation along an optical axis and/or along a plane that is orthogonal to the optical axis. The asymmetric magnet arrangement may include a lateral position control magnet and a pair of transverse position control magnets. The lateral position control magnet may be situated at a first side of the optical package. The pair of transverse position control magnets may be situated on respective second and third sides of the optical package opposite one another with respect to an axis between the optical package and the lateral position control magnet. In some embodiments, the asymmetric magnet arrangement may allow for the camera unit to be located adjacent, or proximate to, another camera unit such as to reduce or eliminate interference between the magnetic fields of the adjacent camera units. In some examples, the camera unit may be a first camera unit that is disposed adjacent, or proximate to, a second camera unit that has a symmetric magnet arrangement. 
     Furthermore, the actuator may include one or more position sensor magnets and one or more magnetic field sensors. The position sensor magnets may be attached to the optical package. The magnetic field sensors may be used to determine a position of at least one of the position sensor magnets. For instance, the optical package may include one or more lenses that define an optical axis, and a magnetic field sensor may be used to determine a position of a position sensor magnet along the optical axis. In some embodiments, the magnetic field sensors may include one or more Hall sensors, one or more TMR sensors, and/or one or more GMR sensors. 
     In some examples, at least one of the transverse position control magnets may contribute to a first magnetic field component corresponding to a first axis, and at least one of the position sensor magnets may contribute to a second magnetic field component corresponding to a second axis. For instance, the second axis may be orthogonal to the first axis. Furthermore, at least one of the magnetic field sensors may be configured to measure at least one of the first magnetic field component and the second magnetic field component. For example, the magnetic field sensors may be configured to measure both the first magnetic field component and the second magnetic field component for determination of an angle between the first magnetic field component and the second magnetic field component. In some examples, the angle between the first magnetic field component and the second magnetic field component may be an angle of the resultant magnetic flux density vector that is based on a first magnetic flux density vector corresponding to the first magnetic field component and a second magnetic flux density vector corresponding to the second magnetic field component. 
     According to some examples, a pair of position sensor magnets may be oriented with magnetic fields transverse to magnetic fields of the pair of transverse position control magnets. For instance, the pair of position sensor magnets may be situated on the respective second and third sides of the optical package opposite one another with respect to the axis between the optical package and the lateral position control magnet. Additionally or alternatively, a pair of position sensor magnets may be oriented with magnetic fields having polarity alignments that are parallel and/or antiparallel to polarity alignments of magnetic fields of the pair of transverse position control magnets. In some examples, the pair of position sensor magnets may be situated on the first side and a fourth side of the optical package. The fourth side of the optical package may be opposite the first side along the axis between the optical package and the lateral position control magnet. 
     In some examples, a non-magnetic dummy mass may be situated at the fourth side of the optical package. Furthermore, in some embodiments, there may be no magnets situated at the fourth side of the optical package. For instance, there may be no lateral position control magnets or transverse position control magnets situated at the fourth side of the optical package. 
     In some embodiments, an actuator for moving an optical package may include an asymmetric magnet arrangement for actuation along an optical axis and/or along a plane that is orthogonal to the optical axis. The asymmetric magnet arrangement may include a lateral position control magnet, a first transverse position control magnet, and a second transverse position control magnet. The lateral position control magnet may be disposed proximate a first side of a moving member that is attached to the optical package. The first transverse position control magnet may be disposed proximate a second side of the moving member. The second transverse position control magnet may be disposed proximate a third side of the moving member. The third side may be opposite the second side with respect to an axis between the moving member and the lateral position control magnet. 
     Furthermore, the magnetic actuator may include one or more position sensor magnets and one or more magnetic field sensors for determining a position of the moving member. The position sensor magnets may be attached to the moving member. In various embodiments, the optical package may include one or more lenses that define an optical axis, and at least one of the magnetic field sensors may be configured to measure at least one magnetic field component for determination of a position of the moving member with respect to the optical axis. The magnetic field sensors may include, for example, a Hall sensor, a TMR sensor, and/or a GMR sensor. In some embodiments, the magnetic field sensors may include at least one Hall sensor and at least one of a TMR sensor or a GMR sensor. 
     In some examples, the optical package may be attached to a top side of the moving member, and the magnetic field sensors may be attached to a base disposed proximate a bottom side of the moving member. The bottom side of the moving member may be opposite the top side of the moving member. The magnetic actuator may be configured to move the moving member relative to the base. 
     In some examples, the first transverse position control magnet may contribute to a first magnetic field component corresponding to a first axis, and at least one of the position sensor magnets may contribute to a second magnetic field component corresponding to a second axis. For instance, the second axis may be orthogonal to the first axis. Furthermore, at least one of the magnetic field sensors may be configured to measure the first magnetic field component and/or the second magnetic field component. 
     In some embodiments, the position sensor magnets may include a first position sensor magnet and a second position sensor magnet. The first position sensor magnet may be oriented with a first magnetic field along a first direction. The second position sensor magnet may be oriented with a second magnetic field along a second direction. In some examples, the second direction may be antiparallel to the first direction. In other embodiments, the second direction may be parallel to the first direction. 
     In some embodiments, the magnetic field sensors may include a first magnet field sensor and a second magnetic field sensor. For instance, the first magnetic field sensor may be disposed proximate the second side of the moving member, and the second magnetic field member may be disposed proximate the third side of the moving member. 
     According to some embodiments, the magnetic actuator may include one or more autofocus coils that are attached to the moving member. In some embodiments, the magnetic actuator may include two autofocus coils attached to the moving member. A first autofocus coil may be disposed proximate the first transverse position control magnet and/or proximate the second side of the moving member. Likewise, a second autofocus coil may be disposed proximate the second transverse position control magnet and/or proximate the third side of the moving member. Other embodiments, however, may include fewer or more autofocus coils. Furthermore, the autofocus coils may be positioned differently in other embodiments. 
     In some examples, at least one autofocus coil may define a central space that is encircled by the autofocus coil. One or more position sensor magnets may be disposed (or nested) within the central space encircled by the autofocus coil. In some embodiments, a support structure may be disposed within the autofocus coil. In such embodiments, one or more position sensor magnets may be attached to the support structure. The support structure may be configured to support the position sensor magnet(s) within the central space encircled by the autofocus coil such that the position sensor magnet(s) move along with the autofocus coil and the moving member. 
     In some embodiments, the magnetic actuator may include optical image stabilization coils. The optical image stabilization coils may disposed proximate, or attached to, the base. In some examples, the magnetic actuator may include three optical image stabilization coils. For instance, a first optical image stabilization coil may be disposed on the base and proximate the first side of the moving member. A second optical image stabilization coil may be disposed on the base and proximate the second side of the moving member. A third optical image stabilization coil may be disposed on the base and proximate the third side of the moving member. Other examples, however, may include fewer or more optical image stabilization coils. Moreover, the optical image stabilization coils may be positioned differently in other embodiments. 
     In some embodiments, a system may include an optical package and an actuator for moving the optical package. The actuator may include an asymmetric magnet arrangement for actuation along an optical axis and/or along a plane that is orthogonal to the optical axis. The asymmetric magnet arrangement may include a lateral position control magnet and a pair of transverse position control magnets. The lateral position control magnet may be situated at a first side of the optical package. The pair of transverse position control magnets may be situated on respective second and third sides of the optical package opposite one another with respect to an axis between the optical package and the lateral position control magnet. 
     Furthermore, the actuator may include one or more position sensor magnets and one or more magnetic field sensors. The position sensor magnets may be attached to the optical package. The magnetic field sensors may be configured to measure one or more magnetic field components. For instance, at least one of the transverse position control magnets may contribute to a first magnetic field component corresponding to a first axis, and at least one of the position sensor magnets may contribute to a second magnetic field component corresponding to a second axis that is orthogonal to the first axis. In some embodiments, at least one of the magnetic field sensors may be configured to measure the first magnetic field component and the second magnetic field component. 
     In some embodiments, the position sensor magnets may include a first position sensor magnet and a second position sensor magnet. Furthermore, the magnetic field sensors may include a first magnetic field sensor and a second magnetic field sensor. The first position sensor magnet may be oriented with a first magnetic field along a first direction. The first magnetic field sensor may be oriented to measure one or more magnetic field components of the first magnetic field of the first position sensor magnet. The second position sensor magnet may be oriented with a second magnetic field along a second direction. In some examples, the second direction may be antiparallel to the first direction. In other embodiments, the second direction may be parallel to the first direction. The second magnetic field sensor may be oriented to measure one or more magnetic field components of the second magnetic field of the second position sensor magnet. 
     In some embodiments, the system may include one or more processors and memory. The memory may include program instructions that, when executed by the processors, cause the processors to perform operations. In some implementations, the operations may include determining the first magnetic field component. For instance, the determination of the first magnetic field may be based at least in part on one or more measurements from a magnetic field sensor. Furthermore, the operations may include determining the second magnetic field component. For instance, the determination of the second magnetic field component may be based at least in part on one or more measurements from the magnetic field sensor. In various examples, the operations may include calculating a first position of a position sensor magnet along an optical axis defined by one or more lenses of the optical package. For instance, the calculation of the first position of the position sensor magnet along the optical axis may be based at least in part on the first magnetic field component and the second magnetic field component. 
     In some embodiments, the actuator may include one or more autofocus coils. The memory may include program instructions that, when executed by the processors, cause the processors to determine, based at least in part on the first position, an adjustment to at least one of a voltage or a current supplied to an autofocus coil. Such an adjustment may cause a position sensor magnet that is attached to the autofocus coil to move to a second position, along the optical axis, that is different than the first position. 
     Some embodiments include a method for determining a position of one or more camera components. The method may include generating a measurement of a magnetic field resulting at least in part from one or more position sensor magnets. For example, the measurement may be generated by using one or more magnetic field sensors to measure a magnetic field component created at least in part by one or more position sensor magnets that are fixedly mounted to a camera lens carrier. The camera lens carrier may be moveably coupled to a substrate. The magnetic field sensors may be fixedly mounted to the substrate. An autofocus actuator may provide motion of the camera lens carrier in a direction orthogonal to the substrate. In some implementations, the method may include calculating a position measurement for the lens carrier. For instance, position measurement for the lens carrier may be calculated based at least in part on the measurement of the magnetic field resulting from the position sensor magnets. Furthermore, the method may include adjusting a position of the camera lens carrier by altering a voltage and/or a current supplied to an autofocus coil of the autofocus actuator attached to the camera lens carrier. For example, the voltage and/or the current supplied to the autofocus coil may be altered based at least in part on position measurement calculated for the lens carrier. 
     Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. However, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that some embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, components, circuits, and networks have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the embodiments. 
     It will also be understood that, although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first contact could be termed a second contact, and, similarly, a second contact could be termed a first contact, without departing from the intended scope. The first contact and the second contact are both contacts, but they are not the same contact. 
     The terminology used in the description herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used in the description and the appended claims, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will also be understood that the term “and/or” as used herein refers to and encompasses any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. It will be further understood that the terms “includes,” “including,” “comprises,” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. 
     As used herein, the term “if” may be construed to mean “when” or “upon” or “in response to determining” or “in response to detecting,” depending on the context. Similarly, the phrase “if it is determined” or “if [a stated condition or event] is detected” may be construed to mean “upon determining” or “in response to determining” or “upon detecting [the stated condition or event]” or “in response to detecting [the stated condition or event],” depending on the context. 
       FIGS. 1A-2I  illustrate embodiments of an example actuator module or assembly in which embodiments as described herein may be applied. As one of skill in the art will readily ascertain in light of having read the included disclosure, a wide variety of configurations of position sensors and magnets fulfill differing design goals in different embodiments without departing from the scope and intent of the present disclosure. As one of skill in the art will readily ascertain in light of having read the included disclosure, a wide variety of actuator configurations fulfill differing design goals in different embodiments without departing from the scope and intent of the present disclosure. For example, while the embodiments shown herein reflect voice coil motor actuators, one of skill in the art will readily understand that different actuators, including non-magnetic motorized actuators such as rotary motors or piezo-electric actuators, can be used with embodiments without departing from the scope and intent of the present disclosure. 
       FIG. 1A  illustrates an example embodiment of a camera module  100   a  having an actuator module or assembly that may, for example, be used to provide magnetic sensing for autofocus and/or optical image stabilization position detection in small form factor cameras, according to at least some embodiments. The camera module  100   a  may include an optical package (e.g., including a tele-lens)  102   a  and an actuator  104   a  for moving the optical package  102   a . In some embodiments, a plurality of position sensor magnets  106   a  may be attached to the optical package  102   a . In various embodiments, the actuator  104   a  may include an asymmetric magnet arrangement for actuation along an optical axis and/or along a plane that is orthogonal to the optical axis. The asymmetric magnet arrangement may include a lateral position control magnet  108   a  and a pair of transverse position control magnets  110   a  and  112   a . The lateral position control magnet  108   a  may be situated at a first side of the optical package  102   a . The pair of transverse position control magnets  110   a  and  112   a  may be situated on respective second and third sides of the optical package  102   a . The pair of transverse position control magnets  110   a  and  112   a  may be opposite one another with respect to an axis between the optical package  102   a  and the lateral position control magnet  108   a . The first side may be a side of the optical package  102   a  at which no transverse position control magnets are present. In some embodiments, the camera module  100   a  may include one or more magnetic field sensors (obscured by coils in  FIG. 1A  but visible in  FIGS. 2A-2I ) configured to measure one or more magnetic field components to enable determination of a position of the position sensor magnets  106   a.    
     A lens carrier  114   a  may allow mounting of autofocus coils  116   a  and other components of an autofocus system to the optical package  102   a . The actuator  104   a  may include optical image stabilization components such as, but not limited to, optical image stabilization coils  118   a ,  120   a , and  122   a  mounted to an actuator base  124   a . In some embodiments, the transverse position control magnets  110   a  and  112   a  (e.g., dual-pole magnets) may include a pair of magnets with differing dominant magnetic field orientations (e.g., antiparallel), whereas the lateral position control magnet  108   a  (e.g., a single-pole magnet) may have only a single dominant magnetic field orientation. 
     In some embodiments, no actuator lateral magnet is situated on a remaining side of the optical package (occupied in  FIG. 1A  by dummy mass  126   a ) at which neither the lateral position control magnet  108   a  nor the transverse position control magnets  110   a  and  112   a  are situated. 
     In some embodiments, a non-magnetic dummy mass  126   a  is situated on a remaining side of the optical package at which neither the lateral position control magnet  108   a  nor the transverse position control magnets  110   a  and  112   a  are situated. 
       FIG. 1B  depicts an example embodiment of an actuator  300   b  module or assembly that may, for example, be used to provide magnetic sensing for autofocus and/or optical image stabilization position detection in small form factor cameras, according to at least some embodiments. In some embodiments, the actuator  100   b  may include a plurality of position sensor magnets  102   b  and  104   b . A lateral position control magnet  106   b  may be situated at a first side (e.g., of the optical package, which is not shown in  FIG. 1B ), and a pair of transverse position control magnets  108   b  and  110   b  may be situated on respective second and third sides of the optical package opposite one another with respect to an axis between the optical package and the lateral position control magnet  106   b . The first side may be a side of the optical package at which no transverse position control magnets are present. In some embodiments, one or more magnetic field sensors (not shown in  FIG. 1B  but visible in  FIGS. 2A-2I ) may be included for determining a position of the position sensor magnets  102   b  and  104   b.    
     In some embodiments, no actuator magnets are situated on a remaining side of the optical package (e.g., the side occupied by dummy mass  112   b  in  FIG. 1B ) at which neither the lateral position control magnet  106   b  nor the transverse position control magnets  108   b  and  110   b  (with the direction of their upper magnets indicated) are situated. 
     In some embodiments, the plurality of position sensor magnets  102   b  and  104   b  may include a pair of magnets  102   b  and  104   b  oriented with magnetic fields transverse to the magnetic fields of the pair of transverse position control magnets  108   b  and  110   b . The plurality of position sensor magnets  102   b  and  104   b  may include a pair of magnets  102   b  and  104   b  situated on the respective second and third sides of the optical package opposite one another with respect to the axis between the optical package and the lateral position control magnet  106   b.    
       FIG. 1C  illustrates an example embodiment of an actuator  100   c  module or assembly that may, for example, be used to provide magnetic sensing for autofocus and/or optical image stabilization position detection in small form factor cameras, according to at least some embodiments. In some embodiments, the actuator  100   c  may include a plurality of position sensor magnets  102   c  and  104   c . A lateral position control magnet  106   c  may be situated at a first side (e.g., of the optical package, which is not shown in  FIG. 1C ). Furthermore, a pair of transverse position control magnets  108   c  and  110   c  may be situated on respective second and third sides of the optical package opposite one another with respect to an axis between the optical package and the lateral position control magnet  106   c . The first side may be a side of the optical package at which no transverse position control magnets are present. In some embodiments, one or more magnetic field sensors (not shown in  FIG. 1C  but visible in  FIGS. 2A-2I ) are included for determining a position of the position sensor magnets  102   c  and  104   c.    
     In some embodiments, no actuator magnets are situated on a remaining side of the optical package (e.g., the side occupied by dummy mass  112   c  in  FIG. 1C ) at which neither the lateral position control magnet  106   c  nor the transverse position control magnets  108   c  and  110   c  are situated. 
     In some embodiments, the plurality of position sensor magnets  102   c  and  104   c  may include a pair of magnets  102   c  and  104   c  oriented with magnetic fields parallel and antiparallel to the magnetic fields of the pair of transverse position control magnets  108   c  and  110   c . The plurality of position sensor magnets  102   c  and  104   c  may include a pair of magnets  102   c  and  104   c  situated on the respective first and fourth sides (e.g., the sides occupied by the lateral position control magnet  106   c  and the dummy mass  112   c ) of the optical package opposite one another with respect to an axis between the optical package and the actuator transverse position control magnets  108   c  and  110   c.    
       FIG. 2A  depicts a side view of an example embodiment of a camera module having an actuator  200   a  module or assembly that may, for example, be used to move an optical package  202   a  and provide magnetic sensing for autofocus and/or optical image stabilization position detection in small form factor cameras, according to at least some embodiments. As shown in  FIG. 2A , the actuator  200   a  may include a base or substrate  204   a  and a cover  206   a . The base  204   a  may include and/or support one or more position sensors (e.g., Hall sensors, TMR sensors, GMR sensors, etc.)  208   a , one or more optical image stabilization coils  210   a , and one or more suspension wires  212   a , which may at least partly enable magnetic sensing for autofocus and/or optical image stabilization position detection, e.g., by detecting movements of position sensor magnets  214   a.    
     In some embodiments, the actuator  200   a  may include one or more autofocus coils  216   a  and one or more position control magnets  218   a , which may at least partly enable autofocus functionality such as moving the optical package  202   a  along the Z axis and/or along an optical axis defined by one or more lenses of the optical package  202   a . In some examples, at least one position sensor magnet  214   a  may be disposed proximate to at least one autofocus coil  216   a . In some embodiments, at least one position sensor magnet  214   a  may be coupled to at least one autofocus coil  216   a . For instance, the autofocus coils  216   a  may each define a central space that is encircled by the respective autofocus coil  216   a . The position sensor magnets  214   a  may be disposed within the central spaces encircled by the autofocus coils  216   a . Additionally or alternatively, the position sensor magnets  214   a  may be attached to support structures (not shown) that are fixed to the autofocus coils  216   a . For example, a support structure, to which a position sensor magnet  214   a  is attached, may be disposed within a central space encircled by an autofocus coil  216   a  and the support structure may be fixed to the autofocus coil  216 . In various embodiments, the actuator  200   a  may include two position control magnets  218 , two autofocus coils  216   a , and two position sensor magnets  214   a , e.g., as illustrated in  FIG. 4A . However, in other embodiments, the actuator  200   a  may include fewer or more position control magnets  218   a , autofocus coils  216   a , and/or position sensor magnets  214   a.    
     In some embodiments, the actuator  200   a  may include four suspension wires  212   a . The optical package  202   a  may be suspended with respect to the base  204   a  by suspending one or more upper springs  220   a  on the suspension wires  212   a . In some embodiments, the actuator may include one or more lower springs  222   a . The upper spring(s)  220   a  and lower spring(s)  222   a  may be collectively referred to herein as optics springs. In the optical package  202   a , an optics component (e.g., one or more lens elements, a lens assembly, etc.) may be screwed, mounted or otherwise held in or by an optics holder. Note that upper spring(s)  220   a  and lower spring(s)  222   a  may be flexible to allow the optical package  202   a  a range of motion along the Z (optical) axis for optical focusing, and suspension wires  212   a  may be flexible to allow a range of motion on the X-Y plane orthogonal to the optical axis for optical image stabilization. Also note that, while embodiments show the optical package  202   a  suspended on wires  212   a , other mechanisms may be used to suspend the optical package  202   a  in other embodiments. 
     In various embodiments, the camera module may include an image sensor  224   a . The image sensor may be disposed below the optical package  202   a  such that light rays may pass through one or more lens elements of the optical package  202   a  (e.g., via an aperture at the top of the optical package  202   a ) and to the image sensor  224   a.    
       FIG. 2B  illustrates a top view of an example embodiment of an actuator  200   b  module or assembly that may, for example, be used to provide magnetic sensing for autofocus and/or optical image stabilization position detection in small form factor cameras, according to at least some embodiments. In some embodiments, the actuator  200   b  may include a plurality of position sensor magnets  202   b  and  204   b . Furthermore, the actuator  200   b  may have an asymmetric magnet arrangement that includes a lateral position control magnet  206   b  and a pair of transverse position control magnets  208   b  and  210   b . The lateral position control magnet  206   b  may be situated at a first side (e.g., of the optical package, which is not shown in  FIG. 2B ). The pair of transverse position control magnets  208   b  and  210   b  may be situated on respective second and third sides of the optical package opposite one another with respect to an axis between the optical package and the lateral position control magnet  206   b . The first side may be a side of the optical package at which no transverse position control magnets are present. In some embodiments, one or more magnetic field sensors (not shown in  FIG. 2B  but visible in  FIG. 2C ) are included for determining a position of the position sensor magnets  202   b  and  204   b . In some embodiments, the actuator  200   b  may include one or more coils that provide autofocus and/or optical image stabilization functionality. For example, the actuator  200   b  may include autofocus coils  212   b  and  214   b , as well as optical image stabilization coils  216   b  and  218   b . Although not shown in  FIG. 2B , the actuator  200   b  may include another optical image stabilization coil situated at the first side, e.g., beneath the lateral position control magnet  206   b.    
     In some embodiments, no actuator magnets are situated on a remaining side of the optical package (e.g., the side occupied by dummy mass  220   c  in  FIG. 2B ) at which neither the lateral position control magnet  206   b  nor the transverse position control magnets  208   b  and  210   b  are situated. 
     In some embodiments, the plurality of position sensor magnets  202   b  and  204   b  may include a pair of magnets  202   b  and  204   b  oriented with magnetic fields transverse to the magnetic fields of the pair of transverse position control magnets  208   b  and  210   b . Furthermore, the plurality of position sensor magnets  202   b  and  204   b  may include a pair of magnets  202   b  and  204   b  situated on the respective second and third sides of the optical package opposite one another with respect to the axis between the optical package and the lateral position control magnet  206   b.    
       FIG. 2C  depicts a side view of an example embodiment of an actuator  200   c  module or assembly that may, for example, be used to provide magnetic sensing for autofocus and/or optical image stabilization position detection in small form factor cameras, according to at least some embodiments. In some examples,  FIG. 2C  may depict a cross sectional view of the actuator  200   b  as indicated by the cross section line  2 C- 2 C in  FIG. 2B . In some embodiments, the actuator  200   c  may include an actuator base  202   c , one or multiple position sensor magnets (e.g., position sensor magnet  204   c ), and one or multiple position control magnets (e.g., transverse position control magnet  206   c ). In some embodiments, the actuator  200   c  may include one or more magnetic field sensors such as a Hall sensor  208   c  and/or a tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR)/giant magnetoresistance (GMR) sensor  210   c . Furthermore, in some embodiments, the actuator  200   c  may include one or more coils. For example, the actuator  200   c  may include one or more autofocus coils  212   c  and/or one or more optical image stabilization coils  214   c . In some embodiments, a lateral offset  216   c  may be provided between the position sensor magnet  204   c  and the TMR/GMR sensor  210   c.    
     The magnetic field sensors may be used for determining a position of the position sensor magnets. For instance, the actuator  200   c  may include a Hall sensor  208   c  and a TMR/GMR sensor  210   c . In some examples, the Hall sensor  208   c  may be used for determining a position of the position sensor magnet  204   c  along the X-Y plane for optical image stabilization purposes. Furthermore, in some examples, the TMR/GMR sensor  210   c  may be used for determining a position of the position sensor magnet  204   c  along the Z axis for autofocus purposes. The position of the position sensor magnet  204   c  along the X-Y plane and/or along the Z axis may be used for determining a position of the optical package and/or one or more components of the optical package. In various examples, such position information may be used for providing closed loop position control along the X, Y, and/or Z axes. 
     In some embodiments, a magnetic field sensor (e.g., TMR/GMR sensor  210   c ) may be disposed and/or oriented such that it is capable of measuring one or more magnetic field components. For instance, the magnetic field sensor may be configured to measure one or more magnetic field components that individually correspond to an axis (e.g., X, Y, and Z axes). In some examples, the transverse position control magnet  206   c  may contribute to a first magnetic field component corresponding to a first axis. The position sensor magnet  204   c  may contribute to a second magnetic field component corresponding to a second axis that is different than the first axis. For instance, the second axis may be orthogonal to the first axis. The magnetic field sensor may be configured to measure the first magnetic field component and the second magnetic field component. As the position sensor magnet  204   c  moves (e.g., along the Z axis for autofocus purposes), the magnitude of its contribution to the second magnetic field component may change. The magnetic field sensors measurements of the first magnetic field component and the second magnetic field component may be used to calculate an angle between the first magnetic field component and the second magnetic field component. The angle between the first magnetic field component and the second magnetic field component may correlate with a position of the position sensor magnet  204   c . For instance, by simulating performance of the actuator  200   c , or by testing the actual actuator  200   c , multiple measurements may be obtained that may be used to characterize the behavior of the actuator  200   c  with respect to an angle (e.g., between the first magnetic field component and the second magnetic field component) and position (e.g., of the position sensor magnet  204   c  along the Z axis). In some instances, the simulation and/or testing measurements may be used to characterize the behavior of the actuator  200   c  to correlate changes in the angle (e.g., between the first magnetic field component and the second magnetic field component) with changes in the position. For instance, the change in the angle between the first magnetic field component and the second magnetic field component may be correlated with a particular autofocus stroke. In some embodiments, changes in the position of position sensor magnet  204   c  along the X-Y plane may also be taken into consideration in characterizing the behavior of the actuator  200   c . Once the behavior of the actuator  200   c  is characterized, the resulting correlations may be used as a map for determining the position of the position sensor magnet  204   c  along the X, Y, and/or Z axes. 
       FIG. 2D  illustrates a side view of an example embodiment of an actuator  200   d  module or assembly that may, for example, be used to provide magnetic sensing for autofocus position detection in small form factor cameras, according to at least some embodiments. In some embodiments, the actuator  200   d  may include a plurality of position sensor magnets, for example position sensor magnet  202   d  nested between autofocus coil  204   d . A transverse position control magnet  206   d  (e.g., a dual pole magnet) may be situated in the actuator  200   d . In some embodiments, the actuator  200   d  may include one or more magnetic field sensors  208   d  (e.g., a Hall sensor, a TMR sensor, and/or a GMR sensor) for determining a position of the position sensor magnet  202   d . In some embodiments, no lateral offset is provided between position sensor magnet  202   d  and the magnetic field sensor  208   d.    
       FIG. 2E  depicts a side view of an example embodiment of an actuator  200   e  module or assembly that may, for example, be used to provide magnetic sensing for autofocus position detection in small form factor cameras, according to at least some embodiments. In some embodiments, the actuator  200   e  may include a plurality of position sensor magnets, for example position sensor magnet  202   e  mounted between an autofocus coil  204   e  and an optical package (not shown). A transverse position control magnet  206   e  may be situated in the actuator  200   e . In  FIG. 2E , the transverse position control magnet  206   e  is illustrated as a single pole magnet. In other examples, the transverse position control magnet  206   e  may be a dual pole magnet. In some embodiments, the actuator  200   e  may include one or more magnetic field sensors  208   e  (e.g., a Hall sensor, a TMR sensor, and/or a GMR sensor) for determining a position of the position sensor magnet  202   e . In some embodiments, a lateral offset toward the transverse position control magnet  206   e  may be provided between the position sensor magnet  202   e  and the magnetic field sensor  208   e.    
       FIG. 2F  illustrates a side view of an example embodiment of an actuator  200   f  module or assembly that may, for example, be used to provide magnetic sensing for autofocus position detection in small form factor cameras, according to at least some embodiments. In some embodiments, the actuator  200   f  may include a plurality of position sensor magnets, for example position sensor magnet  202   f  mounted within an autofocus coil  204   f  A transverse position control magnet  206   f  may be situated in the actuator  200   f . In some embodiments, the actuator  200   f  may include one or more magnetic field sensors  208   f  (e.g., a Hall sensor, a TMR sensor, and/or a GMR sensor) for determining a position of the position sensor magnet  202   f  In some embodiments, a lateral offset toward the optical package (not shown) may be provided between position sensor magnet  202   f  and the magnetic field sensor  208   f.    
       FIG. 2G  depicts a side view of an example embodiment of an actuator  200   g  module or assembly that may, for example, be used to provide magnetic sensing for autofocus position detection in small form factor cameras, according to at least some embodiments. In some embodiments, the actuator  200   g  may include a plurality of position sensor magnets, for example position sensor magnet  202   g  mounted within an autofocus coil  204   g . A transverse position control magnet  206   g  may be situated in the actuator  200   g . In some embodiments, the actuator  200   g  may include one or more magnetic field sensors  208   g  (e.g., a Hall sensor, a TMR sensor, and/or a GMR sensor) for determining a position of the position sensor magnet  202   g . In some embodiments, a lateral offset toward the transverse position control magnet  206   g  may be provided between position sensor magnet  202   g  and the magnetic field sensor  208   g.    
       FIG. 2H  illustrates a side view of an example embodiment of an actuator  200   h  module or assembly that may, for example, be used to provide magnetic sensing for autofocus position detection in small form factor cameras, according to at least some embodiments. In some embodiments, the actuator  200   h  may include a plurality of position sensor magnets, for example position sensor magnet  202   h  mounted within an autofocus coil  204   h  and an optics package (not shown). A transverse position control magnet  206   h  may be situated in the actuator  200   h . In some embodiments, the actuator  200   h  may include one or more magnetic field sensors  208   h  (e.g., a Hall sensor, a TMR sensor, and/or a GMR sensor) for determining a position of the position sensor magnets. In some embodiments, no lateral offset is provided between position sensor magnet  202   h  and the magnetic field sensor  208   h.    
       FIG. 2I  depicts a side view of an example embodiment of an actuator  200   i  module or assembly that may, for example, be used to provide magnetic sensing for autofocus position detection in small form factor cameras, according to at least some embodiments. In some embodiments, an actuator  200   i  may include a plurality of position sensor magnets, for example position sensor magnet  202   i  mounted within an autofocus coil  204   i  and an optics package (not shown). A transverse position control magnet  206   i  may be situated in the actuator  200   i . In some embodiments, the actuator  200   i  may include one or more magnetic field sensors  208   i  (e.g., a Hall sensor, a TMR sensor, and/or a GMR sensor) for determining a position of the position sensor magnets. In some embodiments, a lateral offset toward the transverse position control magnet  206   i  may be provided between position sensor magnet  202   i  and the magnetic field sensor  208   i.    
       FIG. 3  is a flowchart of a method  300  for magnetic sensing for autofocus position detection and control, according to at least some embodiments. At  302 , the method  300  may include generating a measurement of a magnetic field resulting at least in part from one or more position sensor magnets. The position sensor magnets may be part of a magnetic actuator. In some examples, the magnetic actuator may be configured to move an optical package of a camera unit. Generating the measurement of the magnetic field may include measuring one or more magnetic field components created at least in part by one or more position sensor magnets that are fixedly mounted to a camera lens carrier. The optical package may be disposed on the camera lens carrier. The camera lens carrier may be configured to move with respect to a base. 
     In some embodiments, one or more autofocus coils may be attached to the camera lens carrier. The autofocus coils may be configured to interact with one or more magnets of the magnetic actuator to provide autofocus functionality. For instance, a voltage and/or a current may be applied to the autofocus coils, thereby causing the autofocus coils to produce a first magnetic field that interacts with a second magnetic field produced by one or more magnets. The interaction between at least the first magnetic field and the second magnetic field may impose one or more forces on the autofocus coils that cause the autofocus coils to move along the Z axis and/or the optical axis. In some examples, the position sensor magnets may be nested within the autofocus coils. 
     The magnetic actuator may include one or more magnetic field sensors configured to measure one or more magnetic field components. For instance, the magnetic field sensors may include a Hall sensor, a TMR sensor, and/or a GMR sensor. In some embodiments, the magnetic field sensors may 
     In some embodiments, or more optical image stabilization coils of the magnetic actuator may be disposed on, or proximate to, the base. The optical image stabilization coils may be configured to interact with one or more magnets to provide optical image stabilization functionality. For instance, a voltage and/or a current may be applied to the optical image stabilization coils, thereby causing the optical image stabilization coils to produce a first magnetic field that interacts with a second magnetic field produced by one or more magnets. The interaction between at least the first magnetic field and the second magnetic field may impose one or more forces on the optical image stabilization coils that cause the optical image stabilization coils to move along the x and/or y axes (e.g., along the x-y plane that is orthogonal to the Z axis). 
     At  304 , the method  300  may include calculating a position measurement for the lens carrier based at least in part upon the measurement of the magnetic field. At  306 , the method  300  may include adjusting a position of a camera lens carrier. For instance, the position of the camera lens carrier may be adjusted by altering a voltage and/or a current supplied to an autofocus coil of an autofocus actuator that is attached to the camera lens carrier. In some examples, the position of the camera lens carrier may be adjusted based at least in part on the position measurement. 
       FIG. 4  is a flowchart of a method  400  for magnetic sensing for autofocus position detection and control, according to at least some embodiments. In some examples, a system may include an optical package and an actuator for moving the optical package. The actuator may include a lateral position control magnet and a pair of transverse position control magnets. The lateral position control magnet may be situated at a first side of the optical package. The pair of transverse position control magnets may be situated on respective second and third sides of the optical package opposite one another with respect to an axis between the optical package and the lateral position control magnet. 
     Furthermore, the actuator may include one or more position sensor magnets and one or more magnetic field sensors. The position sensor magnets may be attached to the optical package. The magnetic field sensors may be configured to measure one or more magnetic field components. For instance, at least one of the transverse position control magnets may contribute to a first magnetic field component corresponding to a first axis, and at least one of the position sensor magnets may contribute to a second magnetic field component corresponding to a second axis that is orthogonal to the first axis. In some embodiments, at least one of the magnetic field sensors may be configured to measure the first magnetic field component and the second magnetic field component. 
     At  402 , the method  400  may include determining a first magnetic field component. For instance, the magnetic field sensors may be used to measure the first magnetic field component produced at least in part by a transverse position control magnet. At  404 , the method  400  may include determining a second magnetic field component. For instance, the magnetic field sensors may be used to measure the second magnetic field component produced at least in part by a position sensor magnet. 
     At  406 , the method  400  may include calculating a first position of the position sensor magnet. For instance, the first position of the position sensor magnet may be a position along an optical axis defined by one or more lenses of the optical package. In various embodiments, the calculation of the first position may be based at least in part on the first magnetic field component and the second magnetic field component. For instance, the first position may be calculated based at least in part on an angle between the first magnetic field component and the second magnetic field component. The angle between the first magnetic field component and the second magnetic field component may correlate with a position of the position sensor magnet. For instance, by simulating performance of the actuator, or by testing the actual actuator, multiple measurements may be obtained that may be used to characterize the behavior of the actuator with respect to the angle, between the first magnetic field component and the second magnetic field component, and position of the position sensor magnet along the optical axis. In some instances, the simulation and/or testing measurements may be used to characterize the behavior of the actuator to correlate changes in the angle with changes in the position. For instance, a particular change in the angle between the first magnetic field component and the second magnetic field component may be correlated with a particular autofocus stroke. In some embodiments, changes in the position of position sensor magnet along the X-Y plane may also be taken into consideration in characterizing the behavior of the actuator. Once the behavior of the actuator is characterized, the resulting correlations may be used as a map for determining the position of the position sensor magnet along the X, Y, and/or Z axes. 
     At  408 , the method  400  may include determining an adjustment to a voltage and/or a current supplied to an autofocus coil to cause the position sensor magnet to move to a second position. For instance, the second position may be a position along the optical axis that is different than the first position. In various embodiments, determination of the adjustment to the voltage and/or the current supplied to the autofocus coil may be based at least in part on the first position of the position sensor magnet. 
     Multifunction Device Examples 
     Embodiments of electronic devices, user interfaces for such devices, and associated processes for using such devices are described. In some embodiments, the device is a portable communications device, such as a mobile telephone, that also contains other functions, such as PDA and/or music player functions. Example embodiments of portable multifunction devices include, without limitation, the iPhone®, iPod Touch®, and iPad® devices from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif. Other portable electronic devices, such as laptops, cameras, cell phones, or tablet computers, may also be used. It should also be understood that, in some embodiments, the device is not a portable communications device, but is a desktop computer with a camera. In some embodiments, the device is a gaming computer with orientation sensors (e.g., orientation sensors in a gaming controller). In other embodiments, the device is not a portable communications device, but is a camera. 
     In the discussion that follows, an electronic device that includes a display and a touch-sensitive surface is described. It should be understood, however, that the electronic device may include one or more other physical user-interface devices, such as a physical keyboard, a mouse and/or a joystick. 
     The device typically supports a variety of applications, such as one or more of the following: a drawing application, a presentation application, a word processing application, a website creation application, a disk authoring application, a spreadsheet application, a gaming application, a telephone application, a video conferencing application, an e-mail application, an instant messaging application, a workout support application, a photo management application, a digital camera application, a digital video camera application, a web browsing application, a digital music player application, and/or a digital video player application. 
     The various applications that may be executed on the device may use at least one common physical user-interface device, such as the touch-sensitive surface. One or more functions of the touch-sensitive surface as well as corresponding information displayed on the device may be adjusted and/or varied from one application to the next and/or within a respective application. In this way, a common physical architecture (such as the touch-sensitive surface) of the device may support the variety of applications with user interfaces that are intuitive and transparent to the user. 
     Attention is now directed toward embodiments of portable devices with cameras.  FIG. 5  is a block diagram illustrating portable multifunction device  500  with camera  564  in accordance with some embodiments. Camera  564  is sometimes called an “optical sensor” for convenience, and may also be known as or called an optical sensor system. Device  500  may include memory  502  (which may include one or more computer readable storage mediums), memory controller  522 , one or more processing units (CPUs)  520 , peripherals interface  518 , RF circuitry  508 , audio circuitry  510 , speaker  511 , touch-sensitive display system  512 , microphone  513 , input/output (I/O) subsystem  506 , other input or control devices  516 , and external port  524 . Device  500  may include one or more optical sensors  564 . These components may communicate over one or more communication buses or signal lines  503 . 
     It should be appreciated that device  500  is only one example of a portable multifunction device, and that device  500  may have more or fewer components than shown, may combine two or more components, or may have a different configuration or arrangement of the components. The various components shown in  FIG. 5  may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software, including one or more signal processing and/or application specific integrated circuits. 
     Memory  502  may include high-speed random access memory and may also include non-volatile memory, such as one or more magnetic disk storage devices, flash memory devices, or other non-volatile solid-state memory devices. Access to memory  502  by other components of device  500 , such as CPU  520  and the peripherals interface  518 , may be controlled by memory controller  522 . 
     Peripherals interface  518  can be used to couple input and output peripherals of the device to CPU  520  and memory  502 . The one or more processors  520  run or execute various software programs and/or sets of instructions stored in memory  502  to perform various functions for device  500  and to process data. 
     In some embodiments, peripherals interface  518 , CPU  520 , and memory controller  522  may be implemented on a single chip, such as chip  504 . In some other embodiments, they may be implemented on separate chips. 
     RF (radio frequency) circuitry  508  receives and sends RF signals, also called electromagnetic signals. RF circuitry  508  converts electrical signals to/from electromagnetic signals and communicates with communications networks and other communications devices via the electromagnetic signals. RF circuitry  508  may include well-known circuitry for performing these functions, including but not limited to an antenna system, an RF transceiver, one or more amplifiers, a tuner, one or more oscillators, a digital signal processor, a CODEC chipset, a subscriber identity module (SIM) card, memory, and so forth. RF circuitry  508  may communicate with networks, such as the Internet, also referred to as the World Wide Web (WWW), an intranet and/or a wireless network, such as a cellular telephone network, a wireless local area network (LAN) and/or a metropolitan area network (MAN), and other devices by wireless communication. The wireless communication may use any of a variety of communications standards, protocols and technologies, including but not limited to Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Enhanced Data GSM Environment (EDGE), high-speed downlink packet access (HSDPA), high-speed uplink packet access (HSDPA), wideband code division multiple access (W-CDMA), code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), Bluetooth, Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) (e.g., IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g and/or IEEE 802.11n), voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), Wi-MAX, a protocol for e-mail (e.g., Internet message access protocol (IMAP) and/or post office protocol (POP)), instant messaging (e.g., extensible messaging and presence protocol (XMPP), Session Initiation Protocol for Instant Messaging and Presence Leveraging Extensions (SIMPLE), Instant Messaging and Presence Service (IMPS)), and/or Short Message Service (SMS), or any other suitable communication protocol, including communication protocols not yet developed as of the filing date of this document. 
     Audio circuitry  510 , speaker  511 , and microphone  513  provide an audio interface between a user and device  500 . Audio circuitry  510  receives audio data from peripherals interface  518 , converts the audio data to an electrical signal, and transmits the electrical signal to speaker  511 . Speaker  511  converts the electrical signal to human-audible sound waves. Audio circuitry  510  also receives electrical signals converted by microphone  513  from sound waves. Audio circuitry  510  converts the electrical signal to audio data and transmits the audio data to peripherals interface  518  for processing. Audio data may be retrieved from and/or transmitted to memory  502  and/or RF circuitry  508  by peripherals interface  518 . In some embodiments, audio circuitry  510  also includes a headset jack (e.g.,  612 ,  FIG. 6 ). The headset jack provides an interface between audio circuitry  510  and removable audio input/output peripherals, such as output-only headphones or a headset with both output (e.g., a headphone for one or both ears) and input (e.g., a microphone). 
     I/O subsystem  506  couples input/output peripherals on device  500 , such as touch screen  512  and other input control devices  516 , to peripherals interface  518 . I/O subsystem  506  may include display controller  556  and one or more input controllers  560  for other input or control devices. The one or more input controllers  560  receive/send electrical signals from/to other input or control devices  516 . The other input control devices  516  may include physical buttons (e.g., push buttons, rocker buttons, etc.), dials, slider switches, joysticks, click wheels, and so forth. In some alternate embodiments, input controller(s)  560  may be coupled to any (or none) of the following: a keyboard, infrared port, USB port, and a pointer device such as a mouse. The one or more buttons (e.g.,  608 ,  FIG. 6 ) may include an up/down button for volume control of speaker  511  and/or microphone  513 . The one or more buttons may include a push button (e.g.,  606 ,  FIG. 6 ). 
     Touch-sensitive display  512  provides an input interface and an output interface between the device and a user. Display controller  556  receives and/or sends electrical signals from/to touch screen  512 . Touch screen  512  displays visual output to the user. The visual output may include graphics, text, icons, video, and any combination thereof (collectively termed “graphics”). In some embodiments, some or all of the visual output may correspond to user-interface objects. 
     Touch screen  512  has a touch-sensitive surface, sensor or set of sensors that accepts input from the user based on haptic and/or tactile contact. Touch screen  512  and display controller  556  (along with any associated modules and/or sets of instructions in memory  502 ) detect contact (and any movement or breaking of the contact) on touch screen  512  and converts the detected contact into interaction with user-interface objects (e.g., one or more soft keys, icons, web pages or images) that are displayed on touch screen  512 . In an example embodiment, a point of contact between touch screen  512  and the user corresponds to a finger of the user. 
     Touch screen  512  may use LCD (liquid crystal display) technology, LPD (light emitting polymer display) technology, or LED (light emitting diode) technology, although other display technologies may be used in other embodiments. Touch screen  512  and display controller  556  may detect contact and any movement or breaking thereof using any of a variety of touch sensing technologies now known or later developed, including but not limited to capacitive, resistive, infrared, and surface acoustic wave technologies, as well as other proximity sensor arrays or other elements for determining one or more points of contact with touch screen  512 . In an example embodiment, projected mutual capacitance sensing technology is used, such as that found in the iPhone®, iPod Touch®, and iPad® from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif. 
     Touch screen  512  may have a video resolution in excess of 500 dpi. In some embodiments, the touch screen has a video resolution of approximately 560 dpi. The user may make contact with touch screen  512  using any suitable object or appendage, such as a stylus, a finger, and so forth. In some embodiments, the user interface is designed to work primarily with finger-based contacts and gestures, which can be less precise than stylus-based input due to the larger area of contact of a finger on the touch screen. In some embodiments, the device translates the rough finger-based input into a precise pointer/cursor position or command for performing the actions desired by the user. 
     In some embodiments, in addition to the touch screen, device  500  may include a touchpad (not shown) for activating or deactivating particular functions. In some embodiments, the touchpad is a touch-sensitive area of the device that, unlike the touch screen, does not display visual output. The touchpad may be a touch-sensitive surface that is separate from touch screen  512  or an extension of the touch-sensitive surface formed by the touch screen. 
     Device  500  also includes power system  562  for powering the various components. Power system  562  may include a power management system, one or more power sources (e.g., battery, alternating current (AC)), a recharging system, a power failure detection circuit, a power converter or inverter, a power status indicator (e.g., a light-emitting diode (LED)) and any other components associated with the generation, management and distribution of power in portable devices. 
     Device  500  may also include one or more optical sensors or cameras  564 .  FIG. 5  shows an optical sensor  564  coupled to optical sensor controller  558  in I/O subsystem  506 . Optical sensor  564  may include charge-coupled device (CCD) or complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) phototransistors. Optical sensor  564  receives light from the environment, projected through one or more lens, and converts the light to data representing an image. In conjunction with imaging module  543  (also called a camera module), optical sensor  564  may capture still images or video. In some embodiments, an optical sensor  564  is located on the back of device  500 , opposite touch screen display  512  on the front of the device, so that the touch screen display  512  may be used as a viewfinder for still and/or video image acquisition. In some embodiments, another optical sensor is located on the front of the device so that the user&#39;s image may be obtained for videoconferencing while the user views the other video conference participants on the touch screen display. 
     Device  500  may also include one or more proximity sensors  566 .  FIG. 5  shows proximity sensor  566  coupled to peripherals interface  518 . Alternately, proximity sensor  566  may be coupled to input controller  560  in I/O subsystem  506 . In some embodiments, the proximity sensor  566  turns off and disables touch screen  512  when the multifunction device  500  is placed near the user&#39;s ear (e.g., when the user is making a phone call). 
     Device  500  includes one or more orientation sensors  568 . In some embodiments, the one or more orientation sensors  568  include one or more accelerometers (e.g., one or more linear accelerometers and/or one or more rotational accelerometers). In some embodiments, the one or more orientation sensors  568  include one or more gyroscopes. In some embodiments, the one or more orientation sensors  568  include one or more magnetometers. In some embodiments, the one or more orientation sensors  568  include one or more of global positioning system (GPS), Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS), and/or other global navigation system receivers. The GPS, GLONASS, and/or other global navigation system receivers may be used for obtaining information concerning the location and orientation (e.g., portrait or landscape) of device  500 . In some embodiments, the one or more orientation sensors  568  include any combination of orientation/rotation sensors.  FIG. 5  shows the one or more orientation sensors  568  coupled to peripherals interface  518 . Alternately, the one or more orientation sensors  568  may be coupled to an input controller  560  in I/O subsystem  506 . In some embodiments, information is displayed on the touch screen display  512  in a portrait view or a landscape view based on an analysis of data received from the one or more orientation sensors  568 . 
     In some embodiments, the software components stored in memory  502  include operating system  526 , communication module (or set of instructions)  528 , contact/motion module (or set of instructions)  530 , graphics module (or set of instructions)  532 , text input module (or set of instructions)  534 , Global Positioning System (GPS) module (or set of instructions)  535 , arbiter module  558  and applications (or sets of instructions)  536 . Furthermore, in some embodiments memory  502  stores device/global internal state  557 . Device/global internal state  557  includes one or more of: active application state, indicating which applications, if any, are currently active; display state, indicating what applications, views or other information occupy various regions of touch screen display  512 ; sensor state, including information obtained from the device&#39;s various sensors and input control devices  516 ; and location information concerning the device&#39;s location and/or attitude. 
     Operating system  526  (e.g., Darwin, RTXC, LINUX, UNIX, OS X, WINDOWS, or an embedded operating system such as VxWorks) includes various software components and/or drivers for controlling and managing general system tasks (e.g., memory management, storage device control, power management, etc.) and facilitates communication between various hardware and software components. 
     Communication module  528  facilitates communication with other devices over one or more external ports  524  and also includes various software components for handling data received by RF circuitry  508  and/or external port  524 . External port  524  (e.g., Universal Serial Bus (USB), FIREWIRE, etc.) is adapted for coupling directly to other devices or indirectly over a network (e.g., the Internet, wireless LAN, etc.). In some embodiments, the external port is a multi-pin (e.g., 30-pin) connector. 
     Contact/motion module  530  may detect contact with touch screen  512  (in conjunction with display controller  556 ) and other touch sensitive devices (e.g., a touchpad or physical click wheel). Contact/motion module  530  includes various software components for performing various operations related to detection of contact, such as determining if contact has occurred (e.g., detecting a finger-down event), determining if there is movement of the contact and tracking the movement across the touch-sensitive surface (e.g., detecting one or more finger-dragging events), and determining if the contact has ceased (e.g., detecting a finger-up event or a break in contact). Contact/motion module  530  receives contact data from the touch-sensitive surface. Determining movement of the point of contact, which is represented by a series of contact data, may include determining speed (magnitude), velocity (magnitude and direction), and/or an acceleration (a change in magnitude and/or direction) of the point of contact. These operations may be applied to single contacts (e.g., one finger contacts) or to multiple simultaneous contacts (e.g., “multitouch”/multiple finger contacts). In some embodiments, contact/motion module  530  and display controller  556  detect contact on a touchpad. 
     Contact/motion module  530  may detect a gesture input by a user. Different gestures on the touch-sensitive surface have different contact patterns. Thus, a gesture may be detected by detecting a particular contact pattern. For example, detecting a finger tap gesture includes detecting a finger-down event followed by detecting a finger-up (lift off) event at the same position (or substantially the same position) as the finger-down event (e.g., at the position of an icon). As another example, detecting a finger swipe gesture on the touch-sensitive surface includes detecting a finger-down event followed by detecting one or more finger-dragging events, and subsequently followed by detecting a finger-up (lift off) event. 
     Graphics module  532  includes various known software components for rendering and displaying graphics on touch screen  512  or other display, including components for changing the intensity of graphics that are displayed. As used herein, the term “graphics” includes any object that can be displayed to a user, including without limitation text, web pages, icons (such as user-interface objects including soft keys), digital images, videos, animations and the like. 
     In some embodiments, graphics module  532  stores data representing graphics to be used. Each graphic may be assigned a corresponding code. Graphics module  532  receives, from applications etc., one or more codes specifying graphics to be displayed along with, if necessary, coordinate data and other graphic property data, and then generates screen image data to output to display controller  556 . 
     Text input module  534 , which may be a component of graphics module  532 , provides soft keyboards for entering text in various applications (e.g., contacts  537 , e-mail  540 , IM  541 , browser  547 , and any other application that needs text input). 
     GPS module  535  determines the location of the device and provides this information for use in various applications (e.g., to telephone  538  for use in location-based dialing, to camera  543  as picture/video metadata, and to applications that provide location-based services such as weather widgets, local yellow page widgets, and map/navigation widgets). 
     Applications  536  may include the following modules (or sets of instructions), or a subset or superset thereof:
         contacts module  537  (sometimes called an address book or contact list);   telephone module  538 ;   video conferencing module  539 ;   e-mail client module  540 ;   instant messaging (IM) module  541 ;   workout support module  542 ;   camera module  543  for still and/or video images;   image management module  544 ;   browser module  547 ;   calendar module  548 ;   widget modules  549 , which may include one or more of: weather widget  549 - 1 , stocks widget  549 - 2 , calculator widget  549 - 3 , alarm clock widget  549 - 4 , dictionary widget  549 - 5 , and other widgets obtained by the user, as well as user-created widgets  549 - 6 ;   widget creator module  550  for making user-created widgets  549 - 6 ;   search module  551 ;   video and music player module  552 , which may be made up of a video player module and a music player module;   notes module  553 ;   map module  554 ; and/or   online video module  555 .       

     Examples of other applications  536  that may be stored in memory  502  include other word processing applications, other image editing applications, drawing applications, presentation applications, JAVA-enabled applications, encryption, digital rights management, voice recognition, and voice replication. 
     In conjunction with touch screen  512 , display controller  556 , contact module  530 , graphics module  532 , and text input module  534 , contacts module  537  may be used to manage an address book or contact list (e.g., stored in application internal state  557 ), including: adding name(s) to the address book; deleting name(s) from the address book; associating telephone number(s), e-mail address(es), physical address(es) or other information with a name; associating an image with a name; categorizing and sorting names; providing telephone numbers or e-mail addresses to initiate and/or facilitate communications by telephone  538 , video conference  539 , e-mail  540 , or IM  541 ; and so forth. 
     In conjunction with RF circuitry  508 , audio circuitry  510 , speaker  511 , microphone  513 , touch screen  512 , display controller  556 , contact module  530 , graphics module  532 , and text input module  534 , telephone module  538  may be used to enter a sequence of characters corresponding to a telephone number, access one or more telephone numbers in address book  537 , modify a telephone number that has been entered, dial a respective telephone number, conduct a conversation and disconnect or hang up when the conversation is completed. As noted above, the wireless communication may use any of a variety of communications standards, protocols and technologies. 
     In conjunction with RF circuitry  508 , audio circuitry  510 , speaker  511 , microphone  513 , touch screen  512 , display controller  556 , optical sensor  564 , optical sensor controller  558 , contact module  530 , graphics module  532 , text input module  534 , contact list  537 , and telephone module  538 , videoconferencing module  539  includes executable instructions to initiate, conduct, and terminate a video conference between a user and one or more other participants in accordance with user instructions. 
     In conjunction with RF circuitry  508 , touch screen  512 , display controller  556 , contact module  530 , graphics module  532 , and text input module  534 , e-mail client module  540  includes executable instructions to create, send, receive, and manage e-mail in response to user instructions. In conjunction with image management module  544 , e-mail client module  540  makes it very easy to create and send e-mails with still or video images taken with camera module  543 . 
     In conjunction with RF circuitry  508 , touch screen  512 , display controller  556 , contact module  530 , graphics module  532 , and text input module  534 , the instant messaging module  541  includes executable instructions to enter a sequence of characters corresponding to an instant message, to modify previously entered characters, to transmit a respective instant message (for example, using a Short Message Service (SMS) or Multimedia Message Service (MMS) protocol for telephony-based instant messages or using XMPP, SIMPLE, or IMPS for Internet-based instant messages), to receive instant messages and to view received instant messages. In some embodiments, transmitted and/or received instant messages may include graphics, photos, audio files, video files and/or other attachments as are supported in a MMS and/or an Enhanced Messaging Service (EMS). As used herein, “instant messaging” refers to both telephony-based messages (e.g., messages sent using SMS or MMS) and Internet-based messages (e.g., messages sent using XMPP, SIMPLE, or IMPS). 
     In conjunction with RF circuitry  508 , touch screen  512 , display controller  556 , contact module  530 , graphics module  532 , text input module  534 , GPS module  535 , map module  554 , and music player module  546 , workout support module  542  includes executable instructions to create workouts (e.g., with time, distance, and/or calorie burning goals); communicate with workout sensors (sports devices); receive workout sensor data; calibrate sensors used to monitor a workout; select and play music for a workout; and display, store and transmit workout data. 
     In conjunction with touch screen  512 , display controller  556 , optical sensor(s)  564 , optical sensor controller  558 , contact module  530 , graphics module  532 , and image management module  544 , camera module  543  includes executable instructions to capture still images or video (including a video stream) and store them into memory  502 , modify characteristics of a still image or video, or delete a still image or video from memory  502 . 
     In conjunction with touch screen  512 , display controller  556 , contact module  530 , graphics module  532 , text input module  534 , and camera module  543 , image management module  544  includes executable instructions to arrange, modify (e.g., edit), or otherwise manipulate, label, delete, present (e.g., in a digital slide show or album), and store still and/or video images. 
     In conjunction with RF circuitry  508 , touch screen  512 , display system controller  556 , contact module  530 , graphics module  532 , and text input module  534 , browser module  547  includes executable instructions to browse the Internet in accordance with user instructions, including searching, linking to, receiving, and displaying web pages or portions thereof, as well as attachments and other files linked to web pages. 
     In conjunction with RF circuitry  508 , touch screen  512 , display system controller  556 , contact module  530 , graphics module  532 , text input module  534 , e-mail client module  540 , and browser module  547 , calendar module  548  includes executable instructions to create, display, modify, and store calendars and data associated with calendars (e.g., calendar entries, to do lists, etc.) in accordance with user instructions. 
     In conjunction with RF circuitry  508 , touch screen  512 , display system controller  556 , contact module  530 , graphics module  532 , text input module  534 , and browser module  547 , widget modules  549  are mini-applications that may be downloaded and used by a user (e.g., weather widget  549 - 1 , stocks widget  549 - 2 , calculator widget  5493 , alarm clock widget  549 - 4 , and dictionary widget  549 - 5 ) or created by the user (e.g., user-created widget  549 - 6 ). In some embodiments, a widget includes an HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) file, a CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) file, and a JavaScript file. In some embodiments, a widget includes an XML (Extensible Markup Language) file and a JavaScript file (e.g., Yahoo! Widgets). 
     In conjunction with RF circuitry  508 , touch screen  512 , display system controller  556 , contact module  530 , graphics module  532 , text input module  534 , and browser module  547 , the widget creator module  550  may be used by a user to create widgets (e.g., turning a user-specified portion of a web page into a widget). 
     In conjunction with touch screen  512 , display system controller  556 , contact module  530 , graphics module  532 , and text input module  534 , search module  551  includes executable instructions to search for text, music, sound, image, video, and/or other files in memory  502  that match one or more search criteria (e.g., one or more user-specified search terms) in accordance with user instructions. 
     In conjunction with touch screen  512 , display system controller  556 , contact module  530 , graphics module  532 , audio circuitry  510 , speaker  511 , RF circuitry  508 , and browser module  547 , video and music player module  552  includes executable instructions that allow the user to download and play back recorded music and other sound files stored in one or more file formats, such as MP3 or AAC files, and executable instructions to display, present or otherwise play back videos (e.g., on touch screen  512  or on an external, connected display via external port  524 ). In some embodiments, device  500  may include the functionality of an MP3 player. 
     In conjunction with touch screen  512 , display controller  556 , contact module  530 , graphics module  532 , and text input module  534 , notes module  553  includes executable instructions to create and manage notes, to do lists, and the like in accordance with user instructions. 
     In conjunction with RF circuitry  508 , touch screen  512 , display system controller  556 , contact module  530 , graphics module  532 , text input module  534 , GPS module  535 , and browser module  547 , map module  554  may be used to receive, display, modify, and store maps and data associated with maps (e.g., driving directions; data on stores and other points of interest at or near a particular location; and other location-based data) in accordance with user instructions. 
     In conjunction with touch screen  512 , display system controller  556 , contact module  530 , graphics module  532 , audio circuitry  510 , speaker  511 , RF circuitry  508 , text input module  534 , e-mail client module  540 , and browser module  547 , online video module  555  includes instructions that allow the user to access, browse, receive (e.g., by streaming and/or download), play back (e.g., on the touch screen or on an external, connected display via external port  524 ), send an e-mail with a link to a particular online video, and otherwise manage online videos in one or more file formats, such as H.264. In some embodiments, instant messaging module  541 , rather than e-mail client module  540 , is used to send a link to a particular online video. 
     Each of the above identified modules and applications correspond to a set of executable instructions for performing one or more functions described above and the methods described in this application (e.g., the computer-implemented methods and other information processing methods described herein). These modules (i.e., sets of instructions) need not be implemented as separate software programs, procedures or modules, and thus various subsets of these modules may be combined or otherwise re-arranged in various embodiments. In some embodiments, memory  502  may store a subset of the modules and data structures identified above. Furthermore, memory  502  may store additional modules and data structures not described above. 
     In some embodiments, device  500  is a device where operation of a predefined set of functions on the device is performed exclusively through a touch screen and/or a touchpad. By using a touch screen and/or a touchpad as the primary input control device for operation of device  500 , the number of physical input control devices (such as push buttons, dials, and the like) on device  500  may be reduced. 
     The predefined set of functions that may be performed exclusively through a touch screen and/or a touchpad include navigation between user interfaces. In some embodiments, the touchpad, when touched by the user, navigates device  500  to a main, home, or root menu from any user interface that may be displayed on device  500 . In such embodiments, the touchpad may be referred to as a “menu button.” In some other embodiments, the menu button may be a physical push button or other physical input control device instead of a touchpad. 
       FIG. 6  illustrates a portable multifunction device  500  having a touch screen  512  in accordance with some embodiments. The touch screen  512  may display one or more graphics within user interface (UI)  600 . In this embodiment, as well as others described below, a user may select one or more of the graphics by making a gesture on the graphics, for example, with one or more fingers  602  (not drawn to scale in the figure) or one or more styluses  603  (not drawn to scale in the figure). 
     Device  500  may also include one or more physical buttons, such as “home” or menu button  604 . As described previously, menu button  604  may be used to navigate to any application  536  in a set of applications that may be executed on device  500 . Alternatively, in some embodiments, the menu button  604  is implemented as a soft key in a GUI displayed on touch screen  512 . 
     In one embodiment, device  500  includes touch screen  512 , menu button  604 , push button  606  for powering the device on/off and locking the device, volume adjustment button(s)  608 , Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card slot  610 , head set jack  612 , and docking/charging external port  524 . Push button  606  may be used to turn the power on/off on the device by depressing the button and holding the button in the depressed state for a predefined time interval; to lock the device by depressing the button and releasing the button before the predefined time interval has elapsed; and/or to unlock the device or initiate an unlock process. In an alternative embodiment, device  500  also may accept verbal input for activation or deactivation of some functions through microphone  513 . 
     It should be noted that, although many of the examples herein are given with reference to optical sensor/camera  564  (on the front of a device), a rear-facing camera or optical sensor that is pointed opposite from the display may be used instead of or in addition to an optical sensor/camera  564  on the front of a device. 
     Example Computer System 
       FIG. 7  illustrates an example computer system  700  that may be configured to execute any or all of the embodiments described above. In different embodiments, computer system  700  may be any of various types of devices, including, but not limited to, a personal computer system, desktop computer, laptop, notebook, tablet, slate, pad, or netbook computer, mainframe computer system, handheld computer, workstation, network computer, a camera, a set top box, a mobile device, a consumer device, video game console, handheld video game device, application server, storage device, a television, a video recording device, a peripheral device such as a switch, modem, router, or in general any type of computing or electronic device. 
     Various embodiments of a camera motion control system as described herein, including embodiments of magnetic position sensing, as described herein may be executed in one or more computer systems  700 , which may interact with various other devices. Note that any component, action, or functionality described above with respect to  FIGS. 1-6  may be implemented on one or more computers configured as computer system  700  of  FIG. 7 , according to various embodiments. In the illustrated embodiment, computer system  700  includes one or more processors  710  coupled to a system memory  720  via an input/output (I/O) interface  730 . Computer system  700  further includes a network interface  740  coupled to I/O interface  730 , and one or more input/output devices  750 , such as cursor control device  760 , keyboard  770 , and display(s)  780 . In some cases, it is contemplated that embodiments may be implemented using a single instance of computer system  700 , while in other embodiments multiple such systems, or multiple nodes making up computer system  700 , may be configured to host different portions or instances of embodiments. For example, in one embodiment some elements may be implemented via one or more nodes of computer system  700  that are distinct from those nodes implementing other elements. 
     In various embodiments, computer system  700  may be a uniprocessor system including one processor  710 , or a multiprocessor system including several processors  710  (e.g., two, four, eight, or another suitable number). Processors  710  may be any suitable processor capable of executing instructions. For example, in various embodiments processors  710  may be general-purpose or embedded processors implementing any of a variety of instruction set architectures (ISAs), such as the x86, PowerPC, SPARC, or MIPS ISAs, or any other suitable ISA. In multiprocessor systems, each of processors  710  may commonly, but not necessarily, implement the same ISA. 
     System memory  720  may be configured to store camera control program instructions  722  and/or camera control data accessible by processor  710 . In various embodiments, system memory  720  may be implemented using any suitable memory technology, such as static random access memory (SRAM), synchronous dynamic RAM (SDRAM), nonvolatile/Flash-type memory, or any other type of memory. In the illustrated embodiment, program instructions  722  may be configured to implement a lens control application  724  incorporating any of the functionality described above. Additionally, existing camera control data  732  of memory  720  may include any of the information or data structures described above. In some embodiments, program instructions and/or data may be received, sent or stored upon different types of computer-accessible media or on similar media separate from system memory  720  or computer system  700 . While computer system  700  is described as implementing the functionality of functional blocks of previous Figures, any of the functionality described herein may be implemented via such a computer system. 
     In one embodiment, I/O interface  730  may be configured to coordinate I/O traffic between processor  710 , system memory  720 , and any peripheral devices in the device, including network interface  740  or other peripheral interfaces, such as input/output devices  750 . In some embodiments, I/O interface  730  may perform any necessary protocol, timing or other data transformations to convert data signals from one component (e.g., system memory  720 ) into a format suitable for use by another component (e.g., processor  710 ). In some embodiments, I/O interface  730  may include support for devices attached through various types of peripheral buses, such as a variant of the Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus standard or the Universal Serial Bus (USB) standard, for example. In some embodiments, the function of I/O interface  730  may be split into two or more separate components, such as a north bridge and a south bridge, for example. Also, in some embodiments some or all of the functionality of I/O interface  730 , such as an interface to system memory  720 , may be incorporated directly into processor  710 . 
     Network interface  740  may be configured to allow data to be exchanged between computer system  700  and other devices attached to a network  785  (e.g., carrier or agent devices) or between nodes of computer system  700 . Network  785  may in various embodiments include one or more networks including but not limited to Local Area Networks (LANs) (e.g., an Ethernet or corporate network), Wide Area Networks (WANs) (e.g., the Internet), wireless data networks, some other electronic data network, or some combination thereof. In various embodiments, network interface  740  may support communication via wired or wireless general data networks, such as any suitable type of Ethernet network, for example; via telecommunications/telephony networks such as analog voice networks or digital fiber communications networks; via storage area networks such as Fibre Channel SANs, or via any other suitable type of network and/or protocol. 
     Input/output devices  750  may, in some embodiments, include one or more display terminals, keyboards, keypads, touchpads, scanning devices, voice or optical recognition devices, or any other devices suitable for entering or accessing data by one or more computer systems  700 . Multiple input/output devices  750  may be present in computer system  700  or may be distributed on various nodes of computer system  700 . In some embodiments, similar input/output devices may be separate from computer system  700  and may interact with one or more nodes of computer system  700  through a wired or wireless connection, such as over network interface  740 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 7 , memory  720  may include program instructions  722 , which may be processor-executable to implement any element or action described above. In one embodiment, the program instructions may implement the methods described above. In other embodiments, different elements and data may be included. Note that data may include any data or information described above. 
     Those skilled in the art will appreciate that computer system  700  is merely illustrative and is not intended to limit the scope of embodiments. In particular, the computer system and devices may include any combination of hardware or software that can perform the indicated functions, including computers, network devices, Internet appliances, PDAs, wireless phones, pagers, etc. Computer system  700  may also be connected to other devices that are not illustrated, or instead may operate as a stand-alone system. In addition, the functionality provided by the illustrated components may in some embodiments be combined in fewer components or distributed in additional components. Similarly, in some embodiments, the functionality of some of the illustrated components may not be provided and/or other additional functionality may be available. 
     Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that, while various items are illustrated as being stored in memory or on storage while being used, these items or portions of them may be transferred between memory and other storage devices for purposes of memory management and data integrity. Alternatively, in other embodiments some or all of the software components may execute in memory on another device and communicate with the illustrated computer system via inter-computer communication. Some or all of the system components or data structures may also be stored (e.g., as instructions or structured data) on a computer-accessible medium or a portable article to be read by an appropriate drive, various examples of which are described above. In some embodiments, instructions stored on a computer-accessible medium separate from computer system  700  may be transmitted to computer system  700  via transmission media or signals such as electrical, electromagnetic, or digital signals, conveyed via a communication medium such as a network and/or a wireless link. Various embodiments may further include receiving, sending or storing instructions and/or data implemented in accordance with the foregoing description upon a computer-accessible medium. Generally speaking, a computer-accessible medium may include a non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium or memory medium such as magnetic or optical media, e.g., disk or DVD/CD-ROM, volatile or non-volatile media such as RAM (e.g. SDRAM, DDR, RDRAM, SRAM, etc.), ROM, etc. In some embodiments, a computer-accessible medium may include transmission media or signals such as electrical, electromagnetic, or digital signals, conveyed via a communication medium such as network and/or a wireless link. 
     The methods described herein may be implemented in software, hardware, or a combination thereof, in different embodiments. In addition, the order of the blocks of the methods may be changed, and various elements may be added, reordered, combined, omitted, modified, etc. Various modifications and changes may be made as would be obvious to a person skilled in the art having the benefit of this disclosure. The various embodiments described herein are meant to be illustrative and not limiting. Many variations, modifications, additions, and improvements are possible. Accordingly, plural instances may be provided for components described herein as a single instance. Boundaries between various components, operations and data stores are somewhat arbitrary, and particular operations are illustrated in the context of specific illustrative configurations. Other allocations of functionality are envisioned and may fall within the scope of claims that follow. Finally, structures and functionality presented as discrete components in the example configurations may be implemented as a combined structure or component. These and other variations, modifications, additions, and improvements may fall within the scope of embodiments as defined in the claims that follow.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20190517
Publication Date: 20200218
Grant Date: 20200218
Priority Date: 20160810
Inventors: SHARMA, SHASHANK
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "G03B3/10", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02B7/08", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02B27/646", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G03B5/02", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G03B5/02", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G03B2205/0069", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G03B3/10", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G03B13/36", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G03B2205/0015", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02B27/646", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G03B2205/0015", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G03B2205/0069", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04N5/23287", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02B7/08", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G03B2205/0015", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G03B13/36", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G03B3/10", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04N5/23212", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G03B2205/0069", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02B27/646", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G03B5/02", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04N23/675", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04N23/675", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04N23/687", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04N23/687", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04N23/675", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04N23/685", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04N23/55", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G03B2205/0069", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G03B5/02", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G03B3/10", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02B27/646", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02B7/08", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02B7/08", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G03B13/36", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 59772694