US-20260126701-A1 - CAMERA MODULE AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE COMPRISING CAMERA MODULE

US20260126701A1US 20260126701 A1US20260126701 A1US 20260126701A1US-20260126701-A1

Abstract

An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a lens assembly including at least one lens, an auto focus (AF) structure in which at least a portion of the lens assembly is located, the AF structure being configured to move in an optical axis direction of the lens and comprising at least one AF guide portion and a side surface area, a camera housing in which the AF structure is disposed, an AF magnet disposed on the AF guide portion, an AF coil disposed on the camera housing and facing the AF magnet, a first AF ball disposed between the AF structure and the camera housing, the first AF ball being configured as to guide the movement of the AF structure with respect to the camera housing in the optical axis direction, and at least one second AF ball disposed between the AF structure and the camera housing.

Inventors

Youngbok Yu
Hyosang AN

Assignees

SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20260105
Priority Date: 20230712

Claims (15)

1 . An electronic device comprising: a lens assembly including at least one lens; an auto focus (AF) structure in which at least a portion of the lens assembly is positioned, the AF structure being configured to move in an optical axis direction of the at least one lens and including at least one auto focus (AF) guide portion and a side surface area; a camera housing in which the AF structure is disposed; an AF magnet disposed on the AF guide portion; an AF coil disposed on the camera housing and facing the AF magnet; a first AF ball disposed between the AF structure and the camera housing, the first AF ball being configured to guide movement of the AF structure with respect to the camera housing in the optical axis direction; and at least one second AF ball disposed between the AF structure and the camera housing.
2 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first AF ball is disposed between the AF guide portion of the AF structure and the camera housing, and wherein the second AF ball is disposed between the side surface area of the AF structure and the camera housing.
3 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first AF ball is disposed between the side surface area of the AF structure and the camera housing, and wherein the second AF ball is disposed between the AF guide portion of the AF structure and the camera housing.
4 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the side surface area of the AF structure comprises a first side surface of the AF structure facing the AF guide portion, a second side surface positioned between the AF guide portion and the first side surface, and a third side surface facing the second side surface, and wherein the second AF ball is disposed between at least one surface selected from the first side surface, the second side surface, and the third side surface, and the camera housing.
5 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the side surface area of the AF structure and the camera housing comprises a seating groove in which the second AF ball is disposed.
6 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the second AF ball is in contact with at least one of the camera housing and the AF structure.
7 . The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the seating groove is configured to have a size accommodating the second AF ball and comprises a curved surface.
8 . The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein a distance between a surface of the AF structure in which the seating groove is formed and the camera housing is equal to or less than a diameter of the second AF ball.
9 . The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein a distance between a surface of the AF structure in which the seating groove is formed and the camera housing is equal to or less than a radius of the second AF ball.
10 . The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising: an optical image stabilizer (OIS) structure in which the lens assembly is disposed and which is disposed on the AF structure to move in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis with respect to the camera housing, the OIS structure comprising a first OIS guide portion facing one side surface among the side surfaces of the AF structure and a second OIS guide portion facing another side surface among the side surfaces of the AF structure; a first OIS magnet disposed on the first OIS guide portion; a second OIS magnet disposed on the second OIS guide portion; a first OIS coil disposed on the camera housing and facing the first OIS magnet; a second OIS coil disposed on the camera housing and facing the second OIS magnet; and an OIS ball disposed between the OIS structure and the AF structure and configured to guide movement of the OIS structure in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis.
11 . The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein a distance between the first OIS coil and the first OIS magnet is greater than a value obtained by subtracting a diameter of the second AF ball from a distance between said one side surface of the AF structure and the camera housing, and then adding a distance between the first OIS guide portion of the OIS structure and the AF structure.
12 . The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the AF guide portion of the AF structure and the camera housing comprises a first guide groove configured to extend along the optical axis direction, the first guide groove being configured such that the first AF ball is disposed therein.
13 . A camera module comprising: a lens assembly including at least one lens; an auto focus (AF) structure in which at least a portion of the lens assembly is positioned, the AF structure being configured to move in an optical axis direction of the at least one lens and comprising at least one auto focus (AF) guide portion and a side surface area; a camera housing in which the AF structure is disposed; an AF magnet disposed on the AF guide portion; an AF coil disposed on the camera housing and facing the AF magnet; a first AF ball disposed between the AF structure and the camera housing, the first AF ball being configured to guide movement of the AF structure with respect to the camera housing in the optical axis direction; and at least one second AF ball disposed between the AF structure and the camera housing.
14 . The camera module of claim 13 , wherein the first AF ball is disposed between the AF guide portion of the AF structure and the camera housing, and wherein the second AF ball is disposed between the side surface area of the AF structure and the camera housing.
15 . The camera module of claim 13 , wherein at least one of the side surface area of the AF structure and the camera housing comprises a seating groove in which the second AF ball is disposed, and wherein a distance between a surface of the AF structure in which the seating groove is formed and the camera housing is equal to or less than a diameter (D) of the second AF ball.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) This application is a continuation application, claiming priority under 35 U.S.C. § 365(c), of an International application No. PCT/KR2024/008933, filed on Jun. 27, 2024, which is based on and claims the benefit of a Korean patent application number 10-2023-0090676, filed on Jul. 12, 2023, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, and of a Korean patent application number 10-2023-0106928, filed on Aug. 16, 2023, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of each of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. BACKGROUND 1. Field The disclosure relates to a camera module and an electronic device including the camera module. 2. Description of Related Art Various electronic devices, such as a smartphone, a tablet personal computer (PC), a portable multimedia player (PMP), a personal digital assistant (PDA), a laptop personal computer (PC), and a wearable device such as a wrist watch or a head-mounted display (HMD), may include a camera and may capture an image using the camera. As the number of users capturing photos or videos using electronic devices increases, the performance of cameras included in electronic devices is also improving. For example, when capturing an image using a camera included in an electronic device, in order to obtain a clear image, it may be necessary to adjust the focus of the subject or to compensate for shaking (e.g., hand tremors) that may occur when taking a picture of the subject. A camera module used in an electronic device may include an autofocus (AF) function that automatically adjusts the focus of a lens on a subject and/or an optical image stabilizer (OIS) function that compensates for shaking occurring in the camera module when taking a picture of a subject. The AF function and the OIS function of the camera module may be driven based on electromagnetic force using a magnet and a coil. The above information is presented as background information only to assist with an understanding of the disclosure. No determination has been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the above might be applicable as prior art with regard to the disclosure. SUMMARY A camera module may include an auto focus (AF) structure used for an AF function of automatically adjusting a focus of a lens with respect to a subject, and an optical image stabilizer (OIS) structure used for an OIS function of compensating for shaking of an image. The AF structure and the OIS structure may be driven based on electromagnetic force using a magnet and a coil. The camera module may have a structure in which the AF structure is disposed inside a camera housing, and the OIS structure in which the lens is inserted into the AF structure is disposed. According to an embodiment, the AF structure may move in an optical axis direction of the lens with respect to the camera housing by being brought into contact with a driving ball disposed between the AF structure and the camera housing as electromagnetic force acts between the coil disposed on the camera housing and the magnet disposed on the AF structure. The OIS structure may move in a direction substantially perpendicular to the optical axis with respect to the AF structure by being brought into contact with a driving ball disposed between the AF structure and the OIS structure as electromagnetic force acts between another coil disposed on the camera housing and a magnet disposed on the OIS structure. The AF structure may be disposed in the camera housing to be spaced apart by a predetermined distance from one side surface of the camera housing so as to move in the optical axis direction with respect to the camera housing. The OIS structure may be disposed in the AF structure to be spaced apart by a predetermined distance from one side surface of the AF structure so as to move in a direction substantially perpendicular to the optical axis with respect to the AF structure. In addition, the magnet disposed on the OIS structure may be spaced apart by a predetermined distance from the camera housing so as not to be in contact with the coil disposed on the camera housing. Meanwhile, when an external impact (e.g., a drop of the electronic device) is applied to the camera module, the AF structure may collide with one side surface of the camera housing. Accordingly, at least one of the AF structure and the camera housing may be damaged. In addition, the OIS structure may move toward one side surface of the camera housing in the same direction as the AF structure. In such a case, the magnet disposed on the OIS structure and the coil disposed on the camera housing may collide with each other. Accordingly, at least one of the magnet disposed on the OIS structure and the coil disposed on the camera housing may be damaged. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, when an impact is applied to the camera module, a distance by which the AF structure moves with respect to the camera housing may be r