US 11,895,386 B2
Camera with folded optics and bearing suspension
Alfred N. Mireault, San Francisco, CA (US); Nicholas D. Smyth, San Jose, CA (US); and Scott W. Miller, Los Gatos, CA (US)
Assigned to Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA (US)
Filed by Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA (US)
Filed on Jun. 24, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/808,971.
Application 17/808,971 is a continuation of application No. 16/858,425, filed on Apr. 24, 2020, granted, now 11,375,091.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/840,309, filed on Apr. 29, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0321746 A1, Oct. 6, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H04N 23/55 (2023.01); G02B 5/04 (2006.01); H04N 23/51 (2023.01); H04N 23/54 (2023.01)
CPC H04N 23/55 (2023.01) [G02B 5/045 (2013.01); H04N 23/51 (2023.01); H04N 23/54 (2023.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A camera, comprising:
a folded optics arrangement to fold a path of light, the folded optics arrangement comprising:
one or more prisms; and
a lens group, wherein the lens group includes one or more lens elements;
an image sensor configured to capture light that has passed through the lens group and the one or more prisms;
an actuator configured to cause relative movement between the lens group and the image sensor along three axes; and
a bearing suspension arrangement comprising stages configured to move on ball bearings to allow for the relative movement along the three axes, wherein for motion along individual ones of the three axes, a respective set of the ball bearings is engaged, wherein the respective sets of ball bearings differ from one another.