METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CAMERA ACTUATOR DRIVER MODE CONTROL SYNCHRONIZED WITH IMAGING SENSOR FRAME

摘要

A sequence of digital images are produced using an imaging sensor circuit, wherein each of the digital images was a result of light capture by the imaging sensor circuit during a respective pixel integration phase followed by analog to digital conversion during a respective readout phase. A camera actuator is driven while producing the sequence of images, wherein during a part of every respective readout phase for the sequence of digital images the actuator is driven using a linear drive circuit, and wherein during a part of every respective pixel integration phase the actuator is driven using a switch mode drive circuit. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

主权项

1. A camera apparatus comprising:
an imaging sensor circuit to produce a sequence of images, each image being produced during a respective sensor frame; a driver mode control circuit coupled to the sensor circuit, to produce a control signal that is asserted during a first predetermined portion of the respective sensor frame and is not asserted during a second predetermined portion of the respective sensor frame; a lens to form a light image on a sensor pixel array of the imaging sensor circuit; an electro-mechanical actuator coupled to move the lens or the sensor pixel array; and a driver circuit coupled to drive the actuator, the driver circuit having a linear drive section and a switch mode drive section, wherein the driver circuit is configured to drive the actuator a) with the switch mode drive section when the control signal is asserted, and b) with the linear drive section when the control signal is de-asserted.