Granted Patent B1

US 12,244,927 · App. 18/935,540 · Granted Mar 4, 2025

Inventors: Gal Shabtay (Tel Aviv, IL); Ephraim Goldenberg (Tel Aviv, IL); Roy Rudnick (Tel Aviv, IL); Michael Dror (Tel Aviv, IL); Gil Bachar (Tel Aviv, IL); Emil Bronstein (Tel Aviv, IL); Itay Yedid (Tel Aviv, IL)

Assignee: Corephotonics Ltd.

H04N23/69G02B13/02G02B15/143103G03B3/10H04N23/54H04N23/55

Abstract

Claims (29)

1. A folded camera module, comprising:

a lens with a plurality of N lens elements along a lens optical axis divided into a lens element group (G1), a lens element group (G2) and a lens element group (G3);

an image sensor;

an optical path folding element (OPFE); and

an actuator for moving G1 and G3 together relative to the image sensor in a direction parallel to the lens optical axis to bring the lens to two zoom states,

wherein G1 and G3 are fixedly attached to each other,

wherein the lens has an effective focal length (EFL) that varies from a minimal value (EFL min ) in a first zoom state to a maximal value (EFL max ) in a second zoom state, wherein the lens has a f-number (F #), wherein a minimal value (F # min ) of F #fulfills F # min <3.5, and wherein a maximal value (F # max ) of F #fulfills F # max <5.

2. The folded camera module of claim 1 , wherein F # min <3.

3. The folded camera module of claim 1 , wherein F # min <2.5.

4. The folded camera module of claim 1 , wherein F # min <2.25.

5. The folded camera module of claim 1 , wherein F # min <2.

6. The folded camera module of claim 1 , wherein F # max <4.25.

7. The folded camera module of claim 1 , wherein F # max <3.5.

8. The folded camera module of claim 1 , wherein F # max <3.

9. The folded camera module of claim 1 , wherein the N lens elements have a maximum clear aperture height (CA), wherein the folded camera module has a folded camera module height (H M ), and wherein H M <CA+3.9 mm.

10. The folded camera module of claim 9 , wherein H M ≤CA+3 mm.

11. The folded camera module of claim 9 , wherein H M ≤CA+2.5 mm.

12. The folded camera module of claim 9 , wherein H M ≤CA+2 mm.

13. The folded camera module of claim 1 , wherein EFL max /EFL min >1.5.

14. The folded camera module of claim 1 , wherein the movement of G1, G2 and G3 is guided along the first optical axis by a ball guided mechanism that creates a linear rail, and wherein the ball guided mechanism includes at least one groove on a G2 lens carrier, at least one groove on a G1+G3 lens carrier, and a plurality of balls positioned between the at least one groove on the G2 lens carrier and the at least one groove on the G1+G3 lens carrier.

15. The folded camera module of claim 1 , wherein EFL max is in the range of 20-40 mm and EFL min is in the range of 10-20 mm.

16. The folded camera module of claim 1 , wherein a first lens element (L1) of the plurality of N lens elements faces an object side and has a clear aperture height (CA) value larger than a CA value of any other of the N lens elements.

17. The folded camera module of claim 1 , wherein for any lens element group, movement from the first zoom state to the second zoom state has a range smaller than 0.6×(EFL max −EFL min ).

18. The folded camera module of claim 1 , wherein a first lens element L1 of the plurality of N lens elements faces an object side L1 is a cut lens element.

19. The folded camera module of claim 1 , wherein F # min <1.5×F #max×EFL min /EFL max .

20. The folded camera module of claim 1 , wherein the lens has a total track length (TTL) and wherein a maximal value (TTL max ) of the TTL fulfills the condition TTL max <EFL max .

21. The folded camera module of claim 1 , included in a dual camera together with a Wide camera module, wherein the Wide camera module comprises a Wide lens having an effective focal length (EFL W ), and wherein EFL min >1.5×EFL W .

22. The folded camera module of claim 1 , wherein the folded camera module is included in a mobile device.

23. The folded camera module of claim 22 , wherein the mobile device is a smartphone.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (8)

References Cited (347)