KR101729270B1 - Camera module - Google Patents

Abstract

An embodiment includes an actuator for driving a lens module; And a driver chip for driving the actuator, wherein the driver chip stores characteristic data and applies a signal for driving the actuator to the characteristic data.

Description

Camera module {Camera Module}

An embodiment relates to a camera module.

Recently, with the development of the technology related to the digital camera, there is a growing interest in auto focusing that automatically adjusts the focus of the camera. Actuators such as motors are used for the purpose of realizing the autofocusing which is currently being commercialized because displacement of the lens must occur. Typical types of actuators are voice coil actuators and piezoelectronic actuators.

When a piezoelectric actuator is used, a square wave signal having repetitive high and low signals is used as a driving signal for driving the piezoelectric actuator, which is a high and low signal for each piezoelectric actuator, there is a slight difference in the timing applied to the low period.

1, a circuit of the memory chip 20 and the piezoelectric actuator driver chip 10 are separately formed and an image signal processor (ISP) 30 is connected to the memory chip 20 The piezoelectric actuator driver 11 reads the characteristic data of the piezoelectric actuator stored in the memory unit 21 through the I2C controller 23 of the piezoelectric actuator driver 10 and reads the characteristic data of the piezoelectric actuator driver 11 through the I2C controller 13 of the piezoelectric actuator driver chip 10. [ (Not shown) to drive the piezoelectric actuator 40 in accordance with the characteristics thereof. However, in this method, every time the camera is driven, the image signal processor must write the characteristic data of the piezoelectric actuator to the piezoelectric actuator driver 101 register.

Embodiments provide a camera module having an actuator driver chip capable of writing characteristic data stored in a memory unit to a register in an actuator driver without going through an image signal processor.

An embodiment includes an actuator for driving a lens module; And a driver chip for driving the actuator, wherein the driver chip stores characteristic data and applies a signal for driving the actuator to the actuator to match the characteristic data.

The driver chip may read the stored characteristic data when the power of the camera module is turned on.

Wherein the driver chip comprises: a driver for applying a signal for driving to the actuator; A memory unit storing the characteristic data; And a controller for writing data stored in the memory unit to the actuator.

The driver may include a register for writing data stored in the memory unit.

When the power of the camera module is turned on, the controller automatically reads the data stored in the memory unit and writes the read data into the register of the driver.

Wherein the memory unit comprises: a memory array in which the data is stored; And a memory read and write controller for reading and writing the data stored in the memory array.

The actuator may be a piezo actuator.

The embodiment integrates the actuator driver with the memory unit in which the characteristic data of the actuator is stored, thereby reducing the time required to read the data in the memory unit and write it into the register in the actuator driver, thereby reducing the load on the ISP, There is an effect that the camera mode can be switched quickly by decreasing the time.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a process of reading / writing actuator characteristic data through a conventional ISP.
2 is a block diagram illustrating a process of reading / writing actuator characteristic data according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, an actuator driver chip incorporating a memory unit according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

2 is a block diagram of an actuator driver chip 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The actuator driver chip 201 drives a piezo actuator actuator for driving a lens module of a camera module. And writes the characteristic data stored in the memory unit 203 and the memory unit 203 into a register provided in the piezoelectric actuator driver 201 or from an external image signal processor ISP And an I 2 C (Inter-Integrated Circuit) controller 205 for writing data to the piezoelectric actuator driver 201.

At this time, when the power of the camera module is turned on, the I2C controller 205 automatically reads the characteristic data stored in the memory unit 203 and supplies the read characteristic data to the register provided in the piezoelectric actuator driver 201 Write.

The memory unit 203 includes a memory array (not shown) in which data is stored and a memory read / write controller (not shown) for reading / writing data stored in the memory array. In this embodiment, And an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory)

That is, when the power of the camera module is turned on, the I2C controller 205 controls a specific area of the memory array (not shown), that is, characteristics of the piezoelectric actuator (not shown) through the memory read / write controller The area in which the data is stored is read and is automatically written into a register in the piezoelectric actuator driver 201. [ Then, the piezoelectric actuator driver 201 applies a signal to the piezoelectric actuator in accordance with the characteristic data stored in the internal register to drive the piezoelectric actuator.

Therefore, the I2C controller 205 can write the characteristic data to a register in the actuator driver without going through the image signal processor ISP.

 It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Those who have the knowledge can easily know.

201: Piezoelectric actuator driver 203: Memory part
205: I2C controller.

Claims (8)

An actuator for driving the lens module; And
And a driver chip for driving the actuator,
The driver chip includes:
A memory unit for storing characteristic data;
A driver that applies a signal for driving to the actuator and includes a register; And
And a controller for reading the characteristic data stored in the memory unit and writing the read characteristic data to a register of the driver when the power is turned on. An actuator for driving the lens module;
A memory unit for storing characteristic data;
A driver for applying a signal for driving to the actuator, the driver including a register; And
And a controller for reading the characteristic data stored in the memory unit and writing the read characteristic data to a register of the driver when the power is turned on. delete 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2,
And the driver applies a signal for driving the actuator based on the characteristic data written in the register. 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2,
Wherein the controller is an I 2 C (Inter Integrated Circuit) controller for writing data from the external image signal processor to the driver. 6. The method of claim 5,
The I2C controller automatically reads the characteristic data and writes the characteristic data to a register when the power is turned on. The memory device according to claim 1 or 2,
A memory array in which the characteristic data is stored; And
And a memory lead and a light controller for reading and writing the characteristic data stored in the memory array. 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2,
Wherein the actuator is a piezoelectric actuator.

Images