Apple Inc.

Steven Webster

Scott A Myers

Terry L Gilton

Matthew D Hill

Benjamin J Pope

Benjamin B Lyon

Barry J Corlett

Shawn Xavier Arnold

Syed Husaini

Ning Yeung Chan

Richard John Topliss

Douglas Stuart Brodie

Shashank Sharma

Scott Wallace Miller

Ya Wen Hsu

Aurelien R Hubert

Iain A McAllister

Masahito Morita

Ashutosh Yugesh Shukla

Thomas Templeton

Nicholas D Smyth

Brad Vaughn Johnson

Qiang Yang

Alfred N Mireault

Mark N Gamadia

Terence N Tam

Howell John Chua Toc

Kenta K Williams

Annabelle Q Yang

Pierre-Jean Y Parodi-Keravec

Rummel R Adriano

Reynaldo Vincent H Sta Agueda

Christopher Hunat

Scott A Meyers

Jee Tung Tan

Syed Husiani

In some embodiments, a camera includes a lens assembly in a lens carrier, an image sensor for capturing a digital representation of light transiting the lens, and a voice coil motor. In some embodiments, the voice coil motor includes a spring suspension assembly for moveably mounting the lens carrier to an actuator base, a plurality of permanent magnets mounted to the actuator base through a magnet holder assembly and a focusing coil fixedly mounted to the lens carrier and mounted to the actuator base through the suspension assembly. In some embodiments, the permanent magnets each generate a magnetic field of a respective permanent magnet field strength, and the magnet holder assembly generates a holder magnetic field of a holder magnetic field strength.

Camera actuator with magnet holder having magnetic field

A hybrid sensor shift platform for an optical image stabilization (OIS) actuator mechanism in compact camera modules includes two or more substrates. A top substrate is composed of an organic material (e.g., a resin) to reduce mass, reduce magnetic interaction with permanent magnets, and improve reliability. One or more lower substrates of the hybrid sensor shift platform are ceramic substrates that provide the benefits of ceramics for connection to the image sensor. The organic substrate is connected via a solder bond process to the lower ceramic substrate(s). The connection between the substrates is reinforced with an under-fill of epoxy that surrounds the solder bonds, thus creating a full interface between the substrates within the overlap.

Hybrid sensor shift platform

Some embodiments include an image sensor and a zoom lens assembly including a plurality of movable lens elements arranged to be moved independent of one another. In some embodiments, the plurality of movable lens elements share an optical axis. Some embodiments include a lens and mirror assembly for admitting light to the miniature camera. The lens and mirror assembly includes a folded optics arrangement such that light enters the lens and mirror assembly through a first lens with an optical axis of the first lens orthogonal to the plurality of moveable lens elements. The lens and mirror assembly includes a mirror for folding the path of light from the optical axis of the first lens to the optical axis of the plurality of movable lens elements, and the lens and mirror assembly further includes an actuator for tilting the mirror.

Mirror tilt actuation

A camera module includes a solid state lens that flexes, in response to electrical signals. A lens barrel holds the lens on the optical axis. A lens barrel holder holds the lens barrel above an image sensor. The lens barrel holder includes electrically conductive interconnects between a bottom and a top end of the lens barrel holder. The conductive interconnects are not exposed to an exterior of the lens barrel holder. The camera module includes two or more respective lower electrically conductive connections in proximity to the interconnects and connecting the electrically conductive interconnects to respective conductors for the one or more electrical signals. The camera module includes two or more upper conductive connections configured to electrically connect the solid state lens to respective ones of the two or more conductive interconnects.

Protected interconnect for solid state camera module

Various embodiments include a camera with folded optics and lens shifting capabilities. Some embodiments include voice coil motor (VCM) actuator arrangements to provide autofocus (AF) and/or optical image stabilization (OIS) movement. Some embodiments include suspension arrangements.

Camera with folded optics having moveable lens

An apparatus comprises a fingerprint sensor having a set of capacitive elements configured for capacitively coupling to a user fingerprint. The fingerprint sensor may be disposed under a control button or display element of an electronic device, for example one or more of a control button and a display component. A responsive element is responsive to proximity of the user fingerprint, for example one or both of a first circuit responsive to motion of the control button, and a second circuit responsive to a coupling between the fingerprint and a surface of the display element. The fingerprint sensor is disposed closer to the fingerprint than the responsive element. The control button or display component may include an anisotropic dielectric material, for example sapphire.

Capacitive sensor packaging

An apparatus includes a substrate, a first conductive pad and a second conductive pad, both disposed on the substrate, an electrically conductive trace, and a fusible alloy layer. The electrically conductive trace is laid out between the first and second pads, and is configured to conduct electrical current between the first and second pads, and has a serpentine pattern having multiple bends. The fusible alloy layer is disposed on the first pad and over a portion of the trace including no more than a predefined number of the bends.

Shorting pattern between pads of a camera module

Compact camera modules that may be used in small form factor devices. The camera module may include a lens holder configured to receive one or more lens elements and a photosensor. In some embodiments, the lens holder may define a first recess for receiving the lens elements and a second recess for receiving one or more other components, such as the photosensor. In some embodiments, the photosensor may be configured to communicate with a flex circuit board without coupling the photosensor to a substrate to form a flip chip that communicates with the flex circuit board. The photosensor may be optically aligned with the lens elements and bonded to the lens holder such that the photosensor is fixed in an aligned position and at least partially enclosed by the lens holder.

Compact camera module

A camera module includes a lens barrel holder and a substrate. The substrate may include a circuit board embedded in the substrate. The circuit board may include multiple electrical components mounted to a first side of the circuit board, where the electrical components are not exposed outside. The circuit board may also include multiple electrical connections on another side of the circuit board, an image sensor mounted to the electrical connections, and an upper opening in the circuit board for light to pass through. The substrate may include an upper opening configured to receive, at least partially inside the substrate, a lower portion of the lens barrel holder. The substrate may include a lower opening connected to the upper opening and configured to receive the image sensor. The lens barrel holder may include extensions, such as a flange or tabs, and an adhesive bond between the extensions and the substrate.

Camera module with embedded components

A tracking code is applied to a lens housing that holds one more lenses. A back focus distance and a tilt of an optical axis with respect to a datum of the lens housing is electronically recorded. A position of an image sensor surface of an image sensor mounted on a substrate is measured. The lens housing is positioned such that the optical axis is perpendicular to the image sensor surface using the measured position of the image sensor surface and the electronically recorded optical data for the lens housing. The lens housing is positioned along the optical axis such that the lenses are separated from the image sensor surface using the measured position of the image sensor surface and the electronically recorded back focus distance for the tracking code of the lens housing. The lens housing is joined to the substrate with an adhesive.

Method of aligning lens optical axis to image sensor plane without active alignment

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Palo Alto, CA, United States of America

Steven Webster