Abstract: Systems and methods to reduce manufacturing and assembly costs for measures to avoid blocking or creeping ball conditions for linear ball bearings are disclosed. In preferred embodiments two linear ball bearings, a fixed ball bearing and a non-locating ball bearing, are applied to guide movements of a lens barrel of camera modules. Ball cages, which are integrated either in a moving part or in a fixed part of an actuator, are lowering manufacturing and assembly costs. A constant magnetic preload force is applied to both ball bearings to keep the bearings together in case of a mechanic shock. Ball bearing contact points of the fixed ball bearing are shifted asymmetrically by a small angle to withstand horizontal preload forces.

Abstract: Systems and related methods have been achieved to convert in an analog domain the output of color image sensors into another color space. A chosen implementation converts the output of red, green, blue and white image sensors to the YcrCb color space, wherein the white image sensors are either extended dynamic range (XDR) image sensors or are of the same type as the other image sensors but have a larger size. The output of the white pixels can be used without conversion directly for the luminance Y value, thus achieving a very simple method for a conversion to YCbCr color space. Analog amplifiers, assigned to each of the red, green, and blue image sensors, have a gain according to the matrix describing the conversion from RGB to CbCr. Analog adders, assigned to Cb and Cr are adding the coefficients required for the computation of Cb and Cr. Finally the values of Y, Cb and Cr are converted to digital values. White pixels are advantageous but not required using the present invention.

Abstract: A shutter and aperture device of a miniature digital camera module is coupled to a moveable lens group and is controlled by a horological type stepper motor from a fixed position from outside the moveable lens group. The coupling element between the stepper motor and the shutter device is a mechanical drive apparatus that allows movement of the shutter device along an optical axis before, during and after adjustment of the shutter setting by the stepper motor. The stepper motor is driven with CMOS I/O allowing integration of all control circuitry, image processing circuitry and a pixel photo imager array into a system-on-chip integrated circuit chip.

Abstract: A horological motor of the Lavet motor concept is used to form an actuator to control movement of a lens system to reduce power consumption in digital camera units used in various electronic equipment, e.g. PDA's, mobile phones, digital still cameras and camcorders, and as a result increase battery life. The coils of the horological motor are driven with CMOS I/O signals eliminating the need for high current motor drivers and allowing the integration of all picture capture functions, including the light sensitive pixel array, into a single chip to form a system on chip implementation. A plurality of actuators is used to control a lens system comprising auto focus, zoom and shutter and iris functions. A gear transmission system is used to allow the motor of the actuator to move in micro step, which allows calibration of the motor against mechanical barriers.

Abstract: A shutter and aperture device of a miniature digital camera module is coupled to a moveable lens group and is controlled by a horological type stepper motor from a fixed position from outside the moveable lens group. The coupling element between the stepper motor and the shutter device is a mechanical drive apparatus that allows movement of the shutter device along an optical axis before, during and after adjustment of the shutter setting by the stepper motor. The stepper motor is driven with CMOS I/O allowing integration of all control circuitry, image processing circuitry and a pixel photo imager array into a system-on-chip integrated circuit chip.

Abstract: A horological motor of the Lavet motor concept is used to form an actuator to control movement of a lens system to reduce power consumption in digital camera units used in various electronic equipment, e.g. PDA's, mobile phones, digital still cameras and camcorders, and as a result increase battery life. The coils of the horological motor are driven with CMOS I/O signals eliminating the need for high current motor drivers and allowing the integration of all picture capture functions, including the light sensitive pixel array, into a single chip to form a system on chip implementation. A plurality of actuators is used to control a lens system comprising auto focus, zoom and shutter and iris functions. A gear transmission system is used to allow the motor of the actuator to move in micro step, which allows calibration of the motor against mechanical barriers.

Abstract: Systems and related methods have been achieved to convert in an analog domain the output of color image sensors into another color space. A chosen implementation converts the output of red, green, blue and white image sensors to the YcrCb color space, wherein the white image sensors are either extended dynamic range (XDR) image sensors or are of the same type as the other image sensors but have a larger size. The output of the white pixels can be used without conversion directly for the luminance Y value, thus achieving a very simple method for a conversion to YCbCr color space. Analog amplifiers, assigned to each of the red, green, and blue image sensors, have a gain according to the matrix describing the conversion from RGB to CbCr. Analog adders, assigned to Cb and Cr are adding the coefficients required for the computation of Cb and Cr. Finally the values of Y, Cb and Cr are converted to digital values. White pixels are advantageous but not required using the present invention.

Abstract: A power conserving integrated circuit is disclosed. The integrated circuit is coupled to its external power supply only in response to an external event. An initial power connection is made in response to the external event. An element on the integrated circuit detects the initial power connection. After detecting the initial power connection, a switch internal to the integrated circuit is closed so as to couple the power supply to the integrated circuit for a predetermined period of time sufficient for a function to be executed by the integrated circuit. Afterwards, the connection is terminated and is not re-initiated until another external event. Therefore, power is consumed only when necessary, thereby preserving the power source.

Abstract: A test circuit (200) furnishes a low battery level signal on the basis of a comparison between a first ratio of the battery potential when the battery (206) is unloaded and a second ratio of the loaded battery potential. The battery test circuit includes a potential divider (210), a comparator (250) and a potential sampler including a storage element (240), a controller (260), a control line (266) and a switch (268). The potential divider is coupled to the battery and includes a first tap (226) and a second tap (224). The potential sampler, which includes a storage element (240), is coupled to the first tap through a switch (268) so that a first ratiometric portion of the unloaded battery voltage is stored on the storage element. The comparator has a first input that is coupled to the storage element and a second input that is coupled to the second tap.