WO2023115407A1

WO2023115407A1 - Imaging lens assembly, camera module and imaging device

Info

Publication number: WO2023115407A1
Application number: PCT/CN2021/140587
Authority: WO
Inventors: Tatsuya Nakatsuji; Yoji Okazaki; Takashi Hashimoto
Original assignee: Guangdong Oppo Mobile Telecommunications Corp., Ltd.
Priority date: 2021-12-22
Filing date: 2021-12-22
Publication date: 2023-06-29

Abstract

An imaging lens assembly (21) includes: a first reflective member (311) configured to reflect a light incident from the subject; a first lens unit (331) configured to be entered the light reflected by the first reflective member (311), for shooting at the first angle of view; a second reflective member (312) configured to reflect a light incident from the subject; a second lens unit (332) configured to be entered the light reflected by the second reflective member (312), for shooting at the second angle of view, the second lens unit (332) having a focal length different from a focal length of the first lens unit (331); a relay reflective member (342) configured to reflect the light emitted from the second lens unit (332) toward an imaging surface(S); a switching mirror (341) configured to reflect the light emitted from the first lens unit (331) toward the imaging surface(S) when the switching mirror (341) is located in a used position, wherein the light reflected by the relay reflective member (342) is incident on the imaging surface(S) when the switching mirror (341) is located in a storage position; a holder (121) configured to house at least the relay reflective member (342) and the switching mirror (341) inside; and a switching mechanism(W) configured to be held by the holder (121), and configured to switch the position of the switching mirror (341) to either the used position or the stored position.

Description

IMAGING LENS ASSEMBLY, CAMERA MODULE AND IMAGING DEVICE

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to an imaging lens assembly, a camera module, and an imaging device, and more specifically, to an imaging lens assembly, a camera module, and an imaging device that are thin and enable good optical performance.

BACKGROUND

In recent years, portable imaging devices such as mobile phones and digital cameras have become widespread. With the recent miniaturization of imaging devices, the imaging lens assembly mounted on the imaging device is also required to be miniaturized. In order to meet such a demand for miniaturization, the conventional imaging lens assembly secures the focal length of the imaging lens assembly within a restricted space by arranging a prism on the object side of the lens unit (the lens group) .

However, with the conventional imaging lens assembly, it has been difficult to realize shooting at different focal lengths with a simple and compact configuration.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure aims to solve at least one of the technical problems mentioned above. Accordingly, the present disclosure needs to provide an imaging lens, a camera module and an imaging device.

In accordance with the present disclosure, an imaging lens assembly configured to take an image of a subject, the imaging lens assembly includes:

a first reflective member configured to reflect a light incident from the subject;

a first lens unit configured to be entered the light reflected by the first reflective member, for shooting at the first angle of view;

a second reflective member configured to reflect a light incident from the subject;

a second lens unit configured to be entered the light reflected by the second reflective member, for shooting at the second angle of view, the second lens unit having a focal length different from a focal length of the first lens unit;

a relay reflective member configured to reflect the light emitted from the second lens unit toward an imaging surface;

a switching mirror configured to reflect the light emitted from the first lens unit toward the imaging surface when the switching mirror is located in a used position, wherein the light reflected by the relay reflective member is incident on the imaging surface when the switching mirror is located in a storage position;

a holder configured to house at least the relay reflective member and the switching mirror inside; and

a switching mechanism configured to be held by the holder, and configured to switch the position of the switching mirror to either the used position or the stored position.

In accordance with the present disclosure, a camera module includes:

an imaging lens assembly configured to take an image of a subject; and

an image sensor having an imaging surface,

wherein the imaging lens assembly comprises:

a relay reflective member configured to reflect the light emitted from the second lens unit toward the imaging surface;

In accordance with the present disclosure, an imaging device includes:

a camera module comprising an imaging lens assembly configured to take an image of a subject, and an image sensor having an imaging surface; and

a housing configured to accommodate the camera module,

wherein the imaging lens assembly comprises:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and/or other aspects and advantages of embodiments of the present disclosure will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following descriptions made with reference to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a first side of an imaging device (an electrical device) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a second side of the imaging device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the imaging device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the camera module of the imaging apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the camera module shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a shooting state of the first lens unit in which the switching mirror is in the used position in the camera module shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing an example of a state in which the switching mirror is moved from the used position to the stored position in the camera module shown in FIG. 4; and

FIG. 8 is a plan view showing a shooting state of the second lens unit in which the switching mirror is in the storage position in the camera module shown in FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail and examples of the embodiments will be illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The same or similar elements and the elements having same or similar functions are denoted by like reference numerals throughout the descriptions. The embodiments described herein with reference to the drawings are explanatory, which aim to illustrate the present disclosure, but shall not be construed to limit the present disclosure.

[Configuration of Imaging device]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a first side of an imaging device (an electrical device) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a plan view of a second side of the imaging device (the electrical device) according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. The first side may be referred to as a back side of the imaging device 10 whereas the second side may be referred to as a front side of the imaging device 10.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, the X-axis direction is the longitudinal direction of the imaging device 10, the Y-axis direction is the lateral direction of the imaging device 10, and the Z-axis direction is the thickness direction of the imaging device 10 (The same applies to other drawings below) .

As shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 2, the imaging device 10 may include a display 20 and a camera module 30.

As shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 2, the housing 12 of the imaging device 10 has a first side M1 and a second side M2 on the opposite side of the first side M1.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the housing 12 accommodates the camera module 30.

In this embodiment, the camera module 30 includes a main camera 32 and a sub camera 36.

Here, the main camera 32 (FIG. 1) can capture an image in the first side of the imaging device 10 and the sub camera 36 (FIG. 2) can capture an image in the second side of the imaging device 10. Therefore, the main camera 32 is so-called out-cameras whereas the sub camera 36 is a so-called in-camera. As an example, the imaging device 10 can be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a personal digital assistant, and so on.

Each of the main camera 32 and the sub camera 36 have an AF (Autofocus) function and an OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) function.

Here, FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the imaging device 10 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, in addition to the display 20 and the camera module 30, the imaging device 10 may include a main processor 40, an image signal processor 42, a memory 44, a power supply circuit 46 and a communication circuit 48. The display 20, the camera module 30, the main processor 40, the image signal processor 42, the memory 44, the power supply circuit 46 and the communication circuit 48 are connected with each other via a bus 50.

The main processor 40 executes one or more program instructions stored in the memory 44. The main processor 40 implements various applications and data processing of the imaging device 10 by executing the program instructions. The main processor 40 may be one or more computer processors. The main processor 40 is not limited to one CPU core, but it may have a plurality of CPU cores. The main processor 40 may be a main CPU of the imaging device 10, an image processing unit (IPU) or a DSP provided with the camera module 30.

That is, the main processor 40 constitutes a controller of the imaging device 10 in the present embodiment.

The image signal processor 42 controls the camera module 30 and processes various kinds of image data captured by the camera module 30 to generate a target image data. For example, the image signal processor 42 can apply a demosaicing process, a noise reduction process, an auto exposure process, an auto focus process, an auto white balance process, a high dynamic range process and so on, to the image data captured by the camera module 30.

In the present embodiment, the main processor 40 and the image signal processor 42 collaborate with each other to generate a target image data of the object captured by the camera module 30. That is, the main processor 40 and the image signal processor 42 are configured to capture the image of the object by means of the camera module 30 and apply various kinds of image processing to the captured image data.

The memory 44 stores program instructions to be executed by the main processor 40, and various kinds of data. For example, data of the captured image are also stored in the memory 44.

The memory 44 may include a high-speed RAM memory, and/or a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory and a magnetic disk memory. That is, the memory 44 may include a non-transitory computer readable medium in which the program instructions are stored.

The power supply circuit 46 may have a battery such as a lithium-ion rechargeable battery and a battery management unit (BMU) for managing the battery.

The communication circuit 48 is configured to receive and transmit data to communicate with base stations of the telecommunication network system, the Internet or other devices via wireless communication. The wireless communication may adopt any communication standard or protocol, including but not limited to GSM (Global System for Mobile communication) , CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) , LTE (Long Term Evolution) , LTE-Advanced, 5th generation (5G) . The communication circuit 48 may include an antenna and an RF (radio frequency) circuit.

[Configuration of Camera module]

Next, a configuration focusing on the camera module 30 (the main camera 32) having the configuration as described above will be described in detail.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the camera module of the imaging apparatus shown in FIG. 1. It is noted that FIG. 4 shows, as an example, a shooting state with the first lens unit. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the camera module shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a shooting state of the first lens unit in which the switching mirror is in the used position in the camera module shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 7 is a plan view showing an example of a state in which the switching mirror is moved from the used position to the stored position in the camera module shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 8 is a plan view showing a shooting state of the second lens unit in which the switching mirror is in the storage position in the camera module shown in FIG. 4.

For example, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the camera module 30 (the main camera 32) includes an imaging lens assembly 21 for taking an image of a subject (not shown) , an image sensor 23 having an imaging surface S, and an optical filter 22. Then, as described above, the camera module 30 is housed in the housing 12.

The imaging lens assembly 21 is composed of a plurality of optical systems having different focal lengths, that is, angles of view. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the imaging lens assembly 21 has a first optical system 211 that shoots at the first angle of view, and a second image that has a different focal length from the first optical system 211 and is smaller than the first angle of view. It has a second optical system 212 that shoots at an angle.

The first optical system 211 and the second optical system 212 are the periscope type optical systems.

Then, for example, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the imaging lens assembly 21 includes a first reflective member 311, a first lens unit 331, a second reflective member 312, a second lens unit 332, a relay reflective member 342, a switching mirror 341, a holder 121, and a switching mechanism W.

Furthermore, the first reflective member 311 is configured to reflect the light incident from the subject. The first reflective member 311 and the second reflective member 312 are, for example, mirrors or prisms.

Furthermore, the first lens unit 331 is a lens unit for photographing at the first angle of view. The first lens unit 331 is configured to receive the light reflected by the first reflective member 311.

The first lens unit 331 includes, for example, a single barrel containing a diaphragm and a lens group composed of a plurality of lenses.

Furthermore, the second reflective member 312 is configured to reflect the light incident from the subject. The second reflective member 312 is, for example, a mirror or a prism.

Furthermore, the second lens unit 332 is a lens unit for photographing at the second angle of view. The second lens unit 332 is configured to receive the light reflected by the second reflective member 312. The second lens unit 332 has a focal length different from a focal length of the first lens unit 331.

The second lens unit 332 includes a single barrel containing a diaphragm and a lens group composed of a plurality of lenses.

The focal length of the second lens unit 332 is longer than the focal length of the first lens unit 331. The second angle of view of the second lens unit 332 is smaller than the first angle of view of the first lens unit 331.

That is, the first lens unit 331 is used for wide-angle shooting at the first angle of view. Then, the second lens unit 332 is used for telephoto shooting at the second angle of view.

In the imaging lens assembly 21, the first lens unit 331 is arranged at a position closer to the imaging surface S than the second lens unit 332.

Furthermore, the relay reflective member 342 is adapted to reflect the light emitted from the second lens unit 332 toward the imaging surface S. The relay reflective member 342 is, for example, a mirror or a prism.

Furthermore, the switching mirror 341 is configured to reflect the light H1 emitted from the first lens unit 331 toward the imaging surface S side, when the switching mirror 341 is located in the used position (FIG. 6) .

On the other hand, in the switching mirror 341, the light H2 reflected by the relay reflective member 342 is incident on the imaging surface S, when the switching mirror 341 is located in the retracted position (FIG. 8) .

For example, the switching mirror 341 is configured to shield the light reflected by the relay reflective member 342 when the switching mirror 341 is located at the used position (FIG. 6) .

Furthermore, the holder 121 is configured to house at least the relay reflective member and the switching mirror 341 inside.

For example, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the holder 121 includes at least a first wall 121a, a second wall 121b, and a third wall 121c.

Then, the cam groove 121m is formed on the first wall 121a. The second wall 121b is arranged so as to face the first wall 121a. One end of the third wall 121c is connected to the end of the first wall 121a, and the other end of the third wall 121c is connected to the end of the second wall 121b.

Furthermore, the switching mechanism W is held in the holder 121. The switching mechanism W switches the position of the switching mirror 341 to either the used position or the stored position.

For example, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the switching mechanism W includes a drive unit MO and a mirror displacement mechanism CG.

The drive unit MO is fixed in the holder 121 and generates power for switching the position of the switching mirror 341.

For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the drive unit MO is arranged in the storage area A2 adjacent to the relay reflective member 342 in the holder 121. The storage area A2 is different from that of the optical path region A1 between the relay reflection unit 342 and the imaging surface S. The drive unit MO is fixed to the third wall 121c of the holder 121.

In the present embodiment, the drive unit MO is, for example, a motor. The motor is, for example, a stepping motor. By adopting the stepping motor, the switching mirror 341 can be driven quickly with a sufficient driving force.

However, the drive unit MO may have another configuration as long as it can generate power to drive the mirror displacement mechanism CG.

Furthermore, the mirror displacement mechanism CG is held by the holder 121 and is driven by the power generated by the drive unit MO. The mirror displacement mechanism CG is configured to displace the position of the switching mirror 341 to either the used position or the stored position.

Here, in the present embodiment, for example, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the mirror displacement mechanism CG includes a drive gear CG1, a relay gear CG3, a switching gear CG2, a cam CA, a mirror support portion MH, a cam pin 134, a spring 130, and a positioning pin PP.

The drive gear CG1 rotates about the motor shaft of the motor MO.

The relay gear CG3 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the drive gear CG1. That is, the relay gear CG3 meshes with the drive gear CG1.

The switching gear CG2 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the relay gear CG3. That is, the switching gear CG2 meshes with the relay gear CG3.

The drive gear CG1, the relay gear CG3, and the switching gear CG3 are supported by the first wall 121a of the holder 121.

The cam CA is fixed to the switching gear CG2 and rotates together with the switching gear CG2.

The mirror support portion MH supports the switching mirror 341 and has one end connected to a support shaft 136 fixed to the holder 121. The mirror support portion MH is adapted to rotate about the support shaft 136.

The cam pin 134 extends along the thickness direction (the Z-axis direction) of the imaging device 1 and is inserted into the cam groove 121m. The cam groove 121m is provided in the box-shaped holder 121 that holds a part of the components of the camera module 11 in the housing 12. The cam groove 121m has an arc shape concentric with the support shaft 136.

The cam pin 134 is fixed to the mirror support portion MH. The cam pin 134 is guided and slides along the cam groove 121m formed in the holder 121, according to the movement of the cam CA.

The spring 130 applies an elastic force to the cam pin 134 so that the position of the switching mirror 341 is displaced from the retracted position to the used position.

For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the spring 130 applies a counterclockwise rotational force, indicated by the arrow in Fig. 6, to the switching mirror 341 (that is, the cam pin 134 fixed to the mirror holding portion MH) .

Especially, the spring 130 applies an elastic force to the mirror 341 in the direction of tilting the optical axis of the first lens unit 331. The spring 130 is, for example, a torsion coil spring. The spring 130 is fixed to a support shaft 136 that rotatably supports the switching mirror 341. The support shaft 136 is an example of a rotation shaft of the switching mirror 341. One end of the spring 130 is fixed to the cam pin 134 provided on the switching mirror 341. The other end of the spring 130 is fixed to the holder 121.

Furthermore, the positioning pin PP is configured to fix the position of the switching mirror 341 at the used position, when the position of the switching mirror 341 moves from the storage position to the used position.

For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the position of the switching mirror 341 is fixed to the used position, by abutting the other end of the mirror support portion MH rotated about the support shaft 136 with the positioning pin PP.

Furthermore, the image sensor 23 is arranged in the holder 121. The optical filter 22 is arranged in the holder 121 between the relay reflective member 342 (the switching mirror 341 located in the used position) and the imaging surface S of the image sensor 23.

The image sensor 23 is composed of a solid-state image sensor such as a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) or a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) , and has an imaging surface S which is an imaging surface of the imaging lens assembly 21. The image sensor 23 receives the light incident from the subject (object side) via the imaging lens assembly 21 and the optical filter 22 and performs photoelectric conversion, and outputs the image data obtained as a result to the subsequent stage. The optical filter 22 may be, for example, an IR filter.

[Switching operation of Shooting state]

Here, an example of a switching operation in which the switching mirror 341 moves from the used position to the stored position in the imaging apparatus 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8.

The camera module 30 is in a shooting state with the first lens unit 331 (that is, a wide-angle shooting state with a short focal length) in a shooting state with the second lens unit 332 (that is, a telephoto shooting state with a long focal length) . When an automatic operation is performed by a user operation for switching or an algorithm such as scene detection, the shooting state in the second lens unit 332 is switched to the shooting state in the first lens unit 331.

For example, as shown in FIG. 6, when the motor MO is stopped and no torque is generated, the elasticity of the spring 130 causes the cam pin 134 to move along the cam groove 121 m, so that the mirror support portion MH rotates about the support shaft 136, and the switching mirror 341 moves to the used position.

In this way, when the motor MO is stopped and no torque is generated, the elasticity of the spring 130 causes the cam pin 134 to move along the cam groove 121m, so that the drive gear CG1 rotates in the reverse direction via the relay gear CG3, by rotating the switching gear CG2 in the reverse direction/

In this way, the switching mirror 341 rotates counterclockwise due to the elastic force of the spring 130. By rotating counterclockwise, the switching mirror 341 is tilted with respect to the optical axis of the first lens unit 331. As a result, the imaging device 10 can switch from the shooting state in the second lens unit 332 to the shooting state in the first lens unit 331.

On the other hand, when the camera module 30 is automatically operated by a user operation for switching to a shooting state in the second lens unit 332 or an algorithm such as scene detection in the shooting state in the first lens unit 331, The shooting state of the first lens unit 331 is switched to the shooting state of the second lens unit 332.

For example, as shown in FIG. 7, when the motor MO operates to generate torque, the drive gear CG1 rotates in the forward direction, so that the switching gear CG2 rotates forward via the relay gear CG3, the cam CA pushes the cam pin 134, and the cam CA moves along the cam groove 121m.

As a result, for example, as shown in FIG. 8, the mirror support portion MH rotates about the support shaft 136, and the switching mirror 341 moves to the storage position.

In this way, the switching mirror 341 rotates clockwise against the elastic force of the spring 130. By rotating clockwise, the switching mirror 341 becomes substantially orthogonal to the optical axis of the first lens unit 331. As a result, as shown in FIG. 8, the imaging device 10 can switch from the shooting state in the first lens unit 331 to the shooting state in the second lens unit 332.

As described above, during switching from the shooting state of the first lens unit 331 to the shooting state of the second lens unit 332, the imaging device 10 rotates the mirror 341 in the direction away from the first lens unit 331 by the mirror displacement mechanism CG. The mirror 341 is substantially orthogonal to the optical axis of the first lens unit 331. Thereby, in the shooting state of the second lens unit 332, the mirror 341 can prevent the mirror 341 from obstructing the optical path connecting the second lens unit 332 and the imaging surface S. That is, in the shooting state of the second lens unit 332, the incident light H2 from the second lens unit 332 can be incident on the imaging surface S.

In the shooting state of the second lens unit 332, the relay reflective member 342 reflects the incident light H2 from the second lens unit 332 toward the imaging surface S. The inclination angle of the reflection surface of the relay reflective member 342 with respect to the optical axis of the second lens unit 332 is preferably the same as the inclination angle of the switching mirror 341 with respect to the first lens unit 331. As a result, the reflection direction by the relay reflective member 342 can be aligned with the reflection direction by the switching mirror 341, so that the common image sensor 23 can be used for shooting with the first lens unit 331 and shooting with the second lens unit 332.

According to the imaging device (the electrical device) 10 configured as described above, by arranging the switching mirror 341 capable of switching the optical path between the first lens unit 331 and the imaging surface S, the first optical system and the second optical system can be arranged. The image sensor 23 can be shared between the two. As a result, the number of parts can be reduced while ensuring the degree of freedom in the focal length. Therefore, according to the present disclosure, it is possible to realize shooting at different focal lengths with a simple and compact configuration. Further, since the image sensor 23 can be shared, it is possible to apply a large image sensor 23 such as a 1 /1.56 type sensor while suppressing the size of the entire imaging device 10.

Further, according to the present disclosure, since the imaging lens assembly 21 is arranged so that the first optical axis of the first lens unit and the second optical axis of the second lens unit are orthogonal to the thickness direction (the Z-axis direction) of the imaging device 10. As a result, the shooting at different focal lengths is realized with a thin configuration.

Further, according to the present disclosure, since all the lenses for wide-angle shooting at a short focal length are arranged on the object side of the switching mirror 341, deterioration of optical performance due to eccentricity of the lenses during wide-angle shooting is suppressed. Further, since all the lenses for telephoto shooting at a long focal length are arranged on the object side of the switching mirror 341, it is possible to suppress deterioration of optical performance due to eccentricity of the lenses when performing telephoto shooting.

Further, an imaging in which the optical axis of the first lens unit 331 and the optical axis of the second lens unit 332 are substantially parallel to each other and the relay reflective member 342 is provided. According to the device 10, the orientation of the image of the subject to be imaged on the imaging surface S can be aligned between the wide-angle shooting and the telephoto shooting. As a result, it is not necessary to perform image processing for aligning the orientation of the image of the subject between wide-angle shooting and telephoto shooting.

Furthermore, by making the direction in which the drive gear CG1, the relay gear CG3, and the switching gear CG2 are arranged side by side orthogonal to the thickness direction (Z-axis direction) of the imaging device 10, the thickness of the imaging device 10 is further reduced.

Furthermore, the configuration of the switching mechanism W is not limited to the configuration shown in FIGS. 4 to 8.

In the description of embodiments of the present disclosure, it is to be understood that terms such as "central" , "longitudinal" , "transverse" , "length" , "width" , "thickness" , "upper" , "lower" , "front" , "rear" , "left" , "right" , "vertical" , "horizontal" , "top" , "bottom" , "inner" , "outer" , "clockwise" and "counterclockwise" should be construed to refer to the orientation or the position as described or as shown in the drawings under discussion. These relative terms are only used to simplify description of the present disclosure, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a particular orientation, or constructed or operated in a particular orientation. Thus, these terms cannot be constructed to limit the present disclosure.

In addition, terms such as "first" and "second" are used herein for purposes of description and are not intended to indicate or imply relative importance or significance or to imply the number of indicated technical features. Thus, the feature defined with "first" and "second" may comprise one or more of this feature. In the description of the present disclosure, "a plurality of" means two or more than two, unless specified otherwise.

In the description of embodiments of the present disclosure, unless specified or limited otherwise, the terms "mounted" , "connected" , "coupled" and the like are used broadly, and may be, for example, fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; may also be mechanical or electrical connections; may also be direct connections or indirect connections via intervening structures; may also be inner communications of two elements, which can be understood by those skilled in the art according to specific situations.

In the embodiments of the present disclosure, unless specified or limited otherwise, a structure in which a first feature is "on" or "below" a second feature may include an embodiment in which the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, and may also include an embodiment in which the first feature and the second feature are not in direct contact with each other, but are contacted via an additional feature formed therebetween. Furthermore, a first feature "on" , "above" or "on top of" a second feature may include an embodiment in which the first feature is right or obliquely "on" , "above" or "on top of" the second feature, or just means that the first feature is at a height higher than that of the second feature; while a first feature "below" , "under" or "on bottom of" a second feature may include an embodiment in which the first feature is right or obliquely "below" , "under" or "on bottom of" the second feature, or just means that the first feature is at a height lower than that of the second feature.

Various embodiments and examples are provided in the above description to implement different structures of the present disclosure. In order to simplify the present disclosure, certain elements and settings are described in the above. However, these elements and settings are only by way of example and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. In addition, reference numbers and/or reference letters may be repeated in different examples in the present disclosure. This repetition is for the purpose of simplification and clarity and does not refer to relations between different embodiments and/or settings. Furthermore, examples of different processes and materials are provided in the present disclosure. However, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that other processes and/or materials may be also applied.

Reference throughout this specification to "an embodiment" , "some embodiments" , "an exemplary embodiment" , "an example" , "aspecific example" or "some examples" means that a particular feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present disclosure. Thus, the appearances of the above phrases throughout this specification are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment or example of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, materials, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

Any process or method described in a flow chart or described herein in other ways may be understood to include one or more modules, segments or portions of codes of executable instructions for achieving specific logical functions or steps in the process, and the scope of a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure includes other implementations, in which it should be understood by those skilled in the art that functions may be implemented in a sequence other than the sequences shown or discussed, including in a substantially identical sequence or in an opposite sequence.

The logic and/or step described in other manners herein or shown in the flow chart, for example, a particular sequence table of executable instructions for realizing the logical function, may be specifically achieved in any computer readable medium to be used by the instruction execution system, device or equipment (such as the system based on computers, the system comprising processors or other systems capable of obtaining the instruction from the instruction execution system, device and equipment and executing the instruction) , or to be used in combination with the instruction execution system, device and equipment. As to the specification, "the computer readable medium" may be any device adaptive for including, storing, communicating, propagating or transferring programs to be used by or in combination with the instruction execution system, device or equipment. More specific examples of the computer readable medium comprise but are not limited to: an electronic connection (an electronic device) with one or more wires, a portable computer enclosure (a magnetic device) , a random access memory (RAM) , a read only memory (ROM) , an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or a flash memory) , an optical fiber device and a portable compact disk read-only memory (CDROM) . In addition, the computer readable medium may even be a paper or other appropriate medium capable of printing programs thereon, this is because, for example, the paper or other appropriate medium may be optically scanned and then edited, decrypted or processed with other appropriate methods when necessary to obtain the programs in an electric manner, and then the programs may be stored in the computer memories.

It should be understood that each part of the present disclosure may be realized by the hardware, software, firmware or their combination. In the above embodiments, a plurality of steps or methods may be realized by the software or firmware stored in the memory and executed by the appropriate instruction execution system. For example, if it is realized by the hardware, likewise in another embodiment, the steps or methods may be realized by one or a combination of the following techniques known in the art: a discrete logic circuit having a logic gate circuit for realizing a logic function of a data signal, an application-specific integrated circuit having an appropriate combination logic gate circuit, a programmable gate array (PGA) , a field programmable gate array (FPGA) , etc.

Those skilled in the art shall understand that all or parts of the steps in the above exemplifying method of the present disclosure may be achieved by commanding the related hardware with programs. The programs may be stored in a computer readable storage medium, and the programs comprise one or a combination of the steps in the method embodiments of the present disclosure when run on a computer.

In addition, each function cell of the embodiments of the present disclosure may be integrated in a processing module, or these cells may be separate physical existence, or two or more cells are integrated in a processing module. The integrated module may be realized in a form of hardware or in a form of software function modules. When the integrated module is realized in a form of software function module and is sold or used as a standalone product, the integrated module may be stored in a computer readable storage medium.

The storage medium mentioned above may be read-only memories, magnetic disks, CD, etc.

Although embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown and described, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the embodiments are explanatory and cannot be construed to limit the present disclosure, and changes, modifications, alternatives and variations can be made in the embodiments without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

An imaging lens assembly configured to take an image of a subject, the imaging lens assembly comprising:

a first reflective member configured to reflect a light incident from the subject;

a first lens unit configured to be entered the light reflected by the first reflective member, for shooting at the first angle of view;

a second reflective member configured to reflect a light incident from the subject;

a second lens unit configured to be entered the light reflected by the second reflective member, for shooting at the second angle of view, the second lens unit having a focal length different from a focal length of the first lens unit;

a relay reflective member configured to reflect the light emitted from the second lens unit toward an imaging surface;

a switching mirror configured to reflect the light emitted from the first lens unit toward the imaging surface when the switching mirror is located in a used position, wherein the light reflected by the relay reflective member is incident on the imaging surface when the switching mirror is located in a storage position;

a holder configured to house at least the relay reflective member and the switching mirror inside; and

a switching mechanism configured to be held by the holder, and configured to switch the position of the switching mirror to either the used position or the stored position.
The imaging lens assembly according to claim 1,

wherein a focal length of the second lens unit is longer than the focal length of the first lens unit, and

wherein the second angle of view of the second lens unit is smaller than the first angle of view of the first lens unit.
The imaging lens assembly according to claim 1 or 2,

wherein the switching mechanism comprises:

a drive unit fixed in the holder and configured to generate a power for switching the position of the switching mirror; and

a mirror displacement mechanism held by the holder, configured to be driven by the power generated by the drive unit, and configured to displace the position of the switching mirror to either the used position or the stored position.
The imaging lens assembly according to claim 3,

wherein the drive unit is arranged in a storage area in the holder, the storage area being different from the optical path region between the relay reflection unit and the imaging surface and being adjacent to the relay reflective member.
The imaging lens assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 4,

wherein the switching mirror is configured to shield the light reflected by the relay reflective member when the switching mirror is located at the used position.
The imaging lens assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 5,

wherein, in the imaging lens assembly, the first lens unit is arranged at a position closer to the imaging surface than the second lens unit.
The imaging lens assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 6,

wherein the first reflective member is a mirror or a prism, and the second reflective member is a mirror or a prism.
The imaging lens assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 7,

wherein the relay reflective member is a mirror or a prism.
The imaging lens assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the drive unit is a motor.
The imaging lens assembly according to claim 3,

wherein the mirror displacement mechanism comprises:

a drive gear configured to rotate around the motor shaft of the motor,

a relay gear configured to rotate in conjunction with a rotation of the drive gear,

a switching gear configured to rotate in conjunction with a rotation of the relay gear,

a cam fixed to the switching gear and configured to rotate with the switching gear,

a mirror support portion configured to support the switching mirror, the mirror support portion having one end connected to a support shaft fixed to the holder, and the mirror support portion being configured to rotate around the support shaft,

a cam pin fixed to the mirror support portion, the cam pin being configured to slid along a cam groove formed in the holder according to a movement of the cam, and

a spring configured to apply an elastic force to the cam pin.
The imaging lens assembly according to claim 10, further comprising a positioning pin configured to fix the position of the switching mirror to the used position.
The imaging lens assembly according to any one of claims 10 to 11,

wherein the holder comprises:

a first wall;

a second wall arranged so as to face the first wall;

a third wall having one end connected to an end of the first wall and the other end connected to an end of the second wall,

wherein the drive unit is fixed to the third wall, and

wherein the drive gear, the relay gear, and the switching gear are supported by the first wall.
The imaging lens assembly according to claim 12, wherein the cam groove is formed on the first wall.
The imaging lens assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 13,

wherein the first lens unit is used for wide-angle shooting at the first angle of view, and

wherein the second lens unit is used for telephoto shooting at the second angle of view.
A camera module comprising:

an imaging lens assembly configured to take an image of a subject; and

an image sensor having an imaging surface,

wherein the imaging lens assembly comprises:

a first reflective member configured to reflect a light incident from the subject;

a first lens unit configured to be entered the light reflected by the first reflective member, for shooting at the first angle of view;

a second reflective member configured to reflect a light incident from the subject;

a second lens unit configured to be entered the light reflected by the second reflective member, for shooting at the second angle of view, the second lens unit having a focal length different from a focal length of the first lens unit;

a relay reflective member configured to reflect the light emitted from the second lens unit toward the imaging surface;

a switching mirror configured to reflect the light emitted from the first lens unit toward the imaging surface when the switching mirror is located in a used position, wherein the light reflected by the relay reflective member is incident on the imaging surface when the switching mirror is located in a storage position;

a holder configured to house at least the relay reflective member and the switching mirror inside; and

a switching mechanism configured to be held by the holder, and configured to switch the position of the switching mirror to either the used position or the stored position.
The camera module according to claim 15,

wherein the image sensor is arranged in the holder, and

wherein the camera module comprises an optical filter arranged, between the switching mirror located at the used position and the imaging surface of the image sensor, in the holder.
An imaging device comprising:

a camera module comprising an imaging lens assembly configured to take an image of a subject, and an image sensor having an imaging surface; and

a housing configured to accommodate the camera module,

wherein the imaging lens assembly comprises:

a first reflective member configured to reflect a light incident from the subject;

a first lens unit configured to be entered the light reflected by the first reflective member, for shooting at the first angle of view;

a second reflective member configured to reflect a light incident from the subject;

a second lens unit configured to be entered the light reflected by the second reflective member, for shooting at the second angle of view, the second lens unit having a focal length different from a focal length of the first lens unit;

a relay reflective member configured to reflect the light emitted from the second lens unit toward an imaging surface;

a switching mirror configured to reflect the light emitted from the first lens unit toward the imaging surface when the switching mirror is located in a used position, wherein the light reflected by the relay reflective member is incident on the imaging surface when the switching mirror is located in a storage position;

a holder configured to house at least the relay reflective member and the switching mirror inside; and

a switching mechanism configured to be held by the holder, and configured to switch the position of the switching mirror to either the used position or the stored position.