Patent · US Expired

Lens driving apparatus, thin camera, and a cellular phone having a thin camera

US7064912B2 · kind B2 · utility

7Cited by
4References
14Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 15, 2003
Grant dateJun 20, 2006
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 19, 2024

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG02B13/009
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A lens driving apparatus includes a lens holder and a driver for providing linear motion to the lens holder along an optical axis of the lens. The driver includes an electromagnetic mechanism, provided at the outer circumference of the lens holder in an enclosing manner, for generating a torque around the optical axis; and a switching mechanism for switching the generated torque to a linear driving force along the optical axis so as to linearly move the lens holders. The driver surrounds the lens holder along the outer circumference to allow a smaller sized lens driving apparatus than that where the lens holder is at a side of the lens driving apparatus. In addition, the switching mechanism prevents the lens holder from moving in the optical axial direction, when power is turned off or even when an external force is applied to the lens holder.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.