Lens barrel assembly for a camera

1. A lens barrel assembly, comprising:

a lens barrel;

at least one optical element disposed within the lens barrel; and

an actuator configured to move the optical element, the actuator being disposed at least partially within the lens barrel, and wherein the actuator is a MEMS actuator.

2. The lens barrel assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the optical element is a lens.

3. The lens barrel assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the MEMS actuator is disposed completely within the lens barrel.

4. The lens barrel assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the MEMS actuator is comprised of silicon.

5. The lens barrel assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the MEMS actuator comprises a comb-type silicon MEMS actuator.

6. The lens barrel assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one optical element comprises a single lens.

7. The lens barrel assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one optical element comprises a shutter, an adjustable aperture, a polarizer, and/or a filter.

8. The lens barrel assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the lens barrel is adapted to mitigate transmission of extraneous light to a detector.

9. The lens barrel assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the lens barrel comprises a tubular structure.

10. The lens barrel assembly as recited in claim 1 , further comprising mounting features formed upon the lens barrel and adapted to facilitate mounting thereof.

11. The lens barrel assembly as recited in claim 1 , further comprising threads formed upon the lens barrel and adapted to facilitate mounting thereof.

12. The lens barrel assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the lens barrel comprises a plurality of mounting features sized and positioned to engage a plurality of the optical elements, wherein the plurality of mounting features comprise stage mounting features to position at least a portion of a miniature stage internal to the lens barrel to selectively position one or more of the optical elements in the lens barrel with respect to the lens barrel.

13. The lens barrel assembly as recited in claim 12 , wherein the MEMS actuator is configured to move the miniature stage.

14. The lens barrel assembly as recited in claim 12 , wherein the plurality of mounting features comprise a plurality of shutter mounting features to position at least a portion of a shutter system.

15. The lens barrel assembly as recited in claim 14 , further including a shutter system, wherein the shutter system comprises a shutter actuator engaged with the shutter mounting features, and further comprising a shutter blade positioned in a light-receiving portion of the lens barrel.

16. The lens barrel assembly as recited in claim 12 , wherein at least one of the optical elements comprises a lens mounted on the miniature stage and positioned by the MEMS actuator in the lens barrel.

17. A mobile electronic device comprising the lens barrel assembly of claim 1 .

18. A method for producing a miniature camera, the method comprising:

providing a lens barrel;

disposing at least one optical element within the lens barrel; and

disposing an actuator at least partially within the lens barrel, the actuator being configured to move the optical element, and wherein the actuator is a MEMS actuator.

19. The method as recited in claim 18 , wherein the optical element is a lens.

20. The method as recited in claim 18 , wherein the MEMS actuator is disposed completely within the lens barrel.

21. The method as recited in claim 18 , further comprising:

providing an actuator controller; and,

using the actuator controller to translate the at least one optical element in one or more of three mutually orthogonal directions relative to the lens barrel.