US-12619064-B2 - Aperture and aperture control method, imaging lens, and electronic device

US12619064B2US 12619064 B2US12619064 B2US 12619064B2US-12619064-B2

Abstract

This application describes an aperture and an aperture control method, an imaging lens, and an electronic device. The aperture includes a first substrate and a second substrate, and a first area and a second area are included between the first substrate and the second substrate. A drive electrode array on the second substrate is located in the first area, a common electrode on the second substrate is located in the second area, and the common electrode is covered by a first fluid located in the second area. The drive electrode array includes transparent drive electrodes arranged in an array. The aperture further includes a second fluid, and the second fluid covers the first fluid and the drive electrode array. The first fluid is an opaque electrolyte, the second fluid is a transparent liquid, and the first fluid is insoluble with the second fluid.

Inventors

Tingai Chen
Qingping Wang
Wangchao Ruan
Xiaolei CHEN
Shisheng Zheng

Assignees

HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20221208
Priority Date: 20200609

Claims (15)

1 . An aperture comprising a first substrate and a second substrate, wherein a first area and a second area are comprised between the first substrate and the second substrate, a drive electrode array on the second substrate is located in the first area, a common electrode on the second substrate is located in the second area, and a first fluid located in the second area extends over the common electrode; the drive electrode array comprises transparent drive electrodes arranged in an array; the aperture further comprises a second fluid; and the second fluid extends over the first fluid and the drive electrode array, wherein the first fluid and the second fluid fill an entire volume enclosed by a sidewall disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, first hydrophobic layer, and one or more of a second hydrophobic layer, the second substrate, the drive electrode array, or the common electrode, wherein the first fluid is an opaque electrolyte, the second fluid is a transparent liquid, and the first fluid is insoluble with the second fluid, and further comprising a controller configured to: apply an electric field voltage to some drive electrodes in the drive electrode array to move the first fluid to cover an area corresponding to the some drive electrodes and form an aperture pattern in an area corresponding to other drive electrodes, wherein an isolation area that is an opaque area surrounded by the aperture pattern exists in the aperture pattern; and determine a channel in the drive electrode array based on the isolation area and further based either on a distance between the first fluid and the isolation area or on a distance between an edge that is of the aperture pattern and that is away from the isolation area and the isolation area, wherein the channel is connected to the isolation area and the first fluid.
2 . The aperture according to claim 1 , wherein the aperture further comprises a first hydrophobic layer and a second hydrophobic layer, the first hydrophobic layer is disposed between the first substrate and the second fluid, and the second hydrophobic layer is disposed between the second fluid and the drive electrode array.
3 . The aperture according to claim 2 , wherein the aperture further comprises an insulation dielectric layer, and the insulation dielectric layer is disposed between the second hydrophobic layer and the drive electrode array.
4 . The aperture according to claim 2 , wherein the aperture further comprises a sidewall frame, and the sidewall frame is disposed between the first hydrophobic layer and the second substrate.
5 . The aperture according to claim 1 , wherein each drive electrode of the drive electrode array comprises an electrode block and a switch transistor, the drive electrode array further comprises gate leads and drain leads that are arranged in a cross manner, the electrode block is connected to a source of the switch transistor, a gate of the switch transistor is connected to a gate lead, and a drain of the switch transistor is connected to a drain lead.
6 . The aperture according to claim 5 , wherein an outer-facing edge of the electrode block of each drive electrode at an edge of the drive electrode array has a structure in which recesses and protrusions are arranged in an overlapping manner.
7 . The aperture according to claim 5 , wherein a gap between the electrode blocks is filled with an insulation coating, and a difference between a refractive index of the insulation coating and a refractive index of the electrode block is less than a preset value.
8 . The aperture according to claim 2 , further comprising a microstructure column, wherein the microstructure column is disposed on the second substrate, the microstructure column is located between the common electrode and the second hydrophobic layer, and the microstructure column is hydrophilic to the second fluid.
9 . The aperture according to claim 1 , further comprising a light shield layer, wherein the light shield layer is located in an area overlapping the second area; and the light shield layer is disposed on a side that is of the first substrate and that is away from the second substrate, or the light shield layer is disposed on a side that is of the second substrate and that is away from the first substrate.
10 . The aperture according to claim 1 , wherein the second fluid is oil liquid.
11 . The aperture according to claim 1 , wherein the drive electrode array comprises drive electrodes arranged in an M×N array, wherein M is a quantity of rows of the drive electrodes, N is a quantity of columns of the drive electrodes, and M and N are positive integers.
12 . An aperture control method to control an aperture, wherein the aperture comprises a first substrate and a second substrate, a first area and a second area comprised between the first substrate and the second substrate, a drive electrode array on the second substrate located in the first area, a common electrode on the second substrate located in the second area, and a first fluid located in the second area extends over the common electrode; wherein the drive electrode array comprises transparent drive electrodes arranged in an array; and the aperture control method comprises: applying an electric field voltage to some drive electrodes in the drive electrode array, moving the first fluid to an area corresponding to the some drive electrodes to cover the area corresponding to the some drive electrodes, and forming an aperture pattern in an area corresponding to other drive electrodes other than the some drive electrodes in the drive electrode array, wherein an isolation area that is an opaque area surrounded by the aperture pattern exists in the aperture pattern, and the some drive electrodes comprise drive electrodes on a periphery of the area corresponding to the aperture pattern in the drive electrode array and drive electrodes corresponding to the isolation area; and the applying an electric field voltage to some drive electrodes in the drive electrode array comprises: determining a channel in the drive electrode array based on the isolation area and further based either on a distance between the first fluid and the isolation area or on a distance between an edge that is of the aperture pattern and that is away from the isolation area and the isolation area, wherein the channel is connected to the isolation area and the first fluid; sequentially applying the electric field voltage to drive electrodes on the channel from a periphery of the drive electrode array to a center of the drive electrode array; sequentially applying the electric field voltage to the drive electrodes corresponding to the isolation area from approaching the channel to away from the channel; canceling the electric field voltage of the drive electrodes on the channel; and sequentially applying the electric field voltage to the drive electrodes on the periphery of the area corresponding to the aperture pattern in the drive electrode array from the periphery of the drive electrode array to the center of the drive electrode array.
13 . The aperture control method according to claim 12 , wherein no isolation area that is an opaque area surrounded by the aperture pattern exists in the aperture pattern, and the some drive electrodes comprise drive electrodes on a periphery of the area corresponding to the aperture pattern in the drive electrode array; and the applying an electric field voltage to some drive electrodes in the drive electrode array comprises: sequentially applying the electric field voltage to the some drive electrodes from a periphery of the drive electrode array to a center of the drive electrode array.
14 . An aperture control apparatus to control an aperture, wherein the aperture comprises a first substrate and a second substrate, a first area and a second area comprised between the first substrate and the second substrate, a drive electrode array on the second substrate located in the first area, a common electrode on the second substrate located in the second area, and a first fluid located in the second area extends over the common electrode; wherein the first fluid and a second fluid fill an entire volume enclosed by a sidewall disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, first hydrophobic layer, and one or more of a second hydrophobic layer, the second substrate, the drive electrode array, or the common electrode, wherein the drive electrode array comprises transparent drive electrodes arranged in an array; and the aperture control apparatus comprises at least one processor and a memory, wherein the at least one processor is coupled to the memory, and the at least one processor is configured to enable the aperture control apparatus to perform operations comprising: applying an electric field voltage to some drive electrodes in the drive electrode array, moving the first fluid to an area corresponding to the some drive electrodes to cover the area corresponding to the some drive electrodes, and forming an aperture pattern in an area corresponding to other drive electrodes other than the some drive electrodes in the drive electrode array, wherein an isolation area that is an opaque area surrounded by the aperture pattern exists in the aperture pattern; and determining a channel in the drive electrode array based on the isolation area and further based either on a distance between the first fluid and the isolation area or on a distance between an edge that is of the aperture pattern and that is away from the isolation area and the isolation area, wherein the channel is connected to the isolation area and the first fluid; sequentially applying the electric field voltage to drive electrodes on the channel from a periphery of the drive electrode array to a center of the drive electrode array; sequentially applying the electric field voltage to the drive electrodes corresponding to the isolation area from approaching the channel to away from the channel; canceling the electric field voltage of the drive electrodes on the channel; and sequentially applying the electric field voltage to the drive electrodes on the periphery of the area corresponding to the aperture pattern from the periphery of the drive electrode array to the center of the drive electrode array.
15 . The aperture control apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the second fluid covers the first fluid and the drive electrode array, wherein the first fluid is an opaque electrolyte, the second fluid is a transparent liquid, and the first fluid is insoluble with the second fluid.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/CN2021/090338, filed on Apr. 27, 2021, which claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202010518630.3, filed on Jun. 9, 2020. The disclosures of the aforementioned applications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties. TECHNICAL FIELD This application relates to the field of photographing technologies, and in particular, to an aperture and an aperture control method, an imaging lens, and an electronic device. BACKGROUND Since the camera was invented, an aperture has been an important component of the camera. With development of photographing technologies, photographing is no longer limited to a small quantity of professional groups, and ordinary consumers can also take photos. Consumers' understanding of photographing has been changed from requirement-based photographing, and skill-focused photographing, to creative photographing, and idea-based photographing nowadays. Research shows that an optimal pattern (a size, a shape, an offset, rotation, and the like) of the aperture varies greatly with application scenarios, photographing conditions, and photographing content that are of a user. Therefore, based on a real-time change in a photographing process, the user self-defines an aperture pattern, in other words, configures a programmable aperture for a photographing device, to gradually achieve autonomous photographing. Currently, only a size of a mainstream aperture may be adjusted. The programmable aperture technology is not mature, and stability and transmittance of the aperture are limited. SUMMARY Embodiments of this application provide an aperture and an aperture control method, an imaging lens, and an electronic device, to provide a new programmable aperture with higher stability and good transmittance. According to a first aspect, an embodiment of this application provides an aperture. The aperture includes a first substrate and a second substrate that are disposed opposite to each other. An area between the first substrate and the second substrate includes a first area and a second area. For example, the first area may be an area close to an optical axis of the aperture, and the second area is an area surrounding the first area. A drive electrode array on the second substrate is located in the first area, a common electrode on the second substrate is located in the second area, and the common electrode is covered by a first fluid located in the second area. The drive electrode array includes transparent drive electrodes arranged in an array. The aperture further includes a second fluid, where the second fluid covers the first fluid and the drive electrode array, the first fluid is an opaque electrolyte, the second fluid is a transparent liquid, and the first fluid is insoluble with the second fluid. In this way, when a voltage is applied to a drive electrode in the drive electrode array, an electric field is formed between the drive electrode and the common electrode. Because the first fluid is the electrolyte, the first fluid flows to the drive electrode to which the voltage is applied under action of the electric field. In addition, because the first fluid is the opaque electrolyte, an area corresponding to the transparent drive electrode can be shielded. The second fluid still covers an area corresponding to a drive electrode to which no voltage is applied. Therefore, the area corresponding to the drive electrode that is not shielded by the first fluid can transmit light, to form an aperture pattern. Therefore, when an aperture pattern that needs to be formed is determined, a transparent position and an opaque position of the drive electrode array may be determined based on a shape of the aperture pattern, and a voltage is applied to a corresponding drive electrode of the drive electrode array based on the opaque position. In this way, the first fluid shields the drive electrode to which the voltage is applied, an area corresponding to a drive electrode to which no voltage is applied is not shielded by the first fluid and can transmit light, and the required aperture pattern can be formed. Therefore, when required aperture patterns are different, transparent positions and opaque positions that are determined on the drive electrode array are also different. Therefore, for different aperture patterns, drive electrodes to which a voltage needs to be applied in the drive electrode array are also different. In this way, the aperture is controlled; and because no mechanical component is required, stability of the aperture is higher. In addition, transmittance of the aperture depends only on transmittance and reflection of materials at each functional layer and transmittance of the second fluid, so that good transmittance can be ensured. In a possible implementation, to ensure that the first fluid and the second fluid can flow smoothly between the first substrate and th