US 12,075,145 B2
Multi-coil voice coil motor drive architecture
Shahrooz Shahparnia, Monte Sereno, CA (US); and Anish Bhide, San Francisco, CA (US)
Assigned to Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA (US)
Filed by Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA (US)
Filed on Oct. 21, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/048,706.
Application 18/048,706 is a continuation of application No. 17/221,754, filed on Apr. 2, 2021, granted, now 11,483,460.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/005,956, filed on Apr. 6, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0103399 A1, Apr. 6, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H04N 23/55 (2023.01); G02B 7/09 (2021.01); G03B 3/10 (2021.01); G03B 5/04 (2021.01); G03B 5/06 (2021.01); G03B 13/36 (2021.01); H04N 23/54 (2023.01)
CPC H04N 23/55 (2023.01) [G02B 7/09 (2013.01); G03B 3/10 (2013.01); G03B 5/04 (2013.01); G03B 5/06 (2013.01); G03B 13/36 (2013.01); H04N 23/54 (2023.01); G03B 2205/0069 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A device, comprising:
a lens group comprising one or more lens elements;
an image sensor;
a voice coil motor (VCM) actuator configured to move at least one of the lens group or the image sensor, the VCM actuator comprising:
one or more magnets; and
a coil segmented into multiple coil segments including a first and second coil segments that individually have a respective impedance that is lower than the coil as a whole; and
one or more drivers configured to drive the first and second coil segments individually via respective currents so that the first and second coil segments individually electromagnetically interact with a same magnet to produce motive forces in a common direction to provide a combined motive force to move at least one of the lens group or the image sensor.