# US 12,111,460 B2 · Lens driving device, camera module, and camera-mounted apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,111,460 B2 - Document ID: US12111460B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/595,524 - Filed: 2020-05-22 - Published: 2022-06-30 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2019-05-22 - Assignees: Mitsumi Electric Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Tomohiko Osaka; Ichiro Hayashi; Atsushi Kikuchi - Inventors: Tomohiko Osaka; Ichiro Hayashi; Atsushi Kikuchi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12111460B2 ## CPC - G02B 26/0875: {by means of one or more refracting elements} - G02B 3/14: of variable focal length - G02B 7/02: for lenses {(supports for magnifying lenses G02B25/002)} - G02B 7/04: with mechanism for focusing or varying magnification - G02B 7/09: adapted for automatic focusing or varying magnification - G02B 26/004: {based on a displacement or a deformation of a fluid} - G03B 3/10: Power-operated focusing - G03B 5/00: Adjustment of optical system relative to image or object surface other than for focusing - G03B 13/36: Autofocus systems - G03B 30/00: Camera modules comprising integrated lens units and imaging units, specially adapted for being embedded in other devices, e.g. mobile phones or vehicles - H02K 41/0356: {moving along a straight path} - G02B 27/646: {compensating for small deviations, e.g. due to vibration or shake (movement of one or more optical elements for control of motion blur in cameras, projectors or printers G03B2205/0007; image stabilisation in cameras peculiar to the presence or use of an electronic image sensor H04N23/68)} - G03B 2205/0007: Movement of one or more optical elements for control of motion blur - G03B 2205/0023: by tilting or inclining one or more optical elements with respect to the optical axis - G03B 2205/0069: using electromagnetic actuators, e.g. voice coils - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS - G03B: APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OR FOR PROJECTING OR VIEWING THEM; APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS EMPLOYING ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR (optical parts of such apparatus G02B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; apparatus for processing exposed photographic materials G03D) - H02K: DYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINES (dynamo-electric relays H01H53/00; conversion of DC or AC input power into surge output power {H03K3/53}) ## Abstract This lens driving device is configured separately from a lens unit including a liquid lens, and is provided with: a fixed part; a movable part; a support part that supports the movable part with respect to the fixed part; a driving unit that is formed from a voice coil motor comprising a coil and a magnet and that moves the movable part in an optical axis direction with respect to the fixed part; and a lens deformation unit that is connected to the movable part and that applies, in association with the movement of the movable part, a force to the liquid lens in the optical axis direction. The movable part has a plurality of movable units, and the driving unit drives the movable units independently so as to change the curvature of the liquid lens or to change the optical axis of the liquid lens. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A lens driving device that applies a force to the liquid lens to change a focal length and an optical axis of the liquid lens, the lens driving device comprising: a fixed part; a movable part disposed apart from the fixed part; a first elastic support member and a second elastic support member that elastically connect the movable part and the fixed part to each other and supports the movable part with respect to the fixed part; a driving part including a voice coil motor that includes a coil and a magnet, the driving part being for moving the movable part with respect to the fixed part in a direction of the optical axis; and a lens deforming part connected to the movable part, the lens deforming part being for applying a force to the liquid lens in the direction of the optical axis in accordance with a movement of the movable part, wherein: the movable part includes a plurality of movable units, the coil is disposed in each of the plurality of movable units, the magnet is disposed at each of positions in the fixed part, the positions corresponding to the plurality of movable units, the plurality of movable units each includes a control Integrated Circuit (IC) that controls energization of the coil, the first elastic support member is electrically connected to a wiring disposed at the fixed part and a power supply terminal of the control IC, and connects the power supply terminals in adjacent movable units of the plurality of movable units to each other, the second elastic support member is electrically connected to a wiring disposed at the fixed part and a signal terminal of the control IC, and connects the signal terminals in the adjacent movable units to each other, and the driving part drives the plurality of movable units independently in such a way that a curvature of the liquid lens changes or the optical axis of the liquid lens changes. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The lens driving device according to claim 1, wherein: the elastic support member is electrically connected to the wiring by a jumper wire extending from the fixed part toward a light receiving side in the direction of the optical axis. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A camera module, comprising: the lens driving device according to claim 1; the lens unit; and an image capturing part that captures a subject image formed by the lens unit. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) A camera-mounted device that is an information device or a transporting device, the camera-mounted device comprising: the camera module according to claim 3; and an image processing part that processes image information obtained by the camera module.