This application claims the priority benefit of Taiwan patent application serial no. 108113318, filed on Apr. 17, 2019. The entirety of the above-mentioned patent application is hereby incorporated by reference herein and made a part of this specification.
The invention relates to a driving module, a restoration method, and an imaging device.
As broadband network becomes more and more popular, the demands for directly transmitting audio and video files on a network for face-to-face video messaging have also been increasing drastically, and one of the main devices for such purpose is the webcam. For the convenience of use, the ease to make adjustment, and the stability of the lens, a webcam is usually provided with a base. In addition, a related movement mechanism may be used together, so that an imaging module may be assembled to the movement mechanism to be operated rotatably. In this way, the user is allowed to adjust the shooting angle of the imaging module.
To ensure the controllability and precision of movement, after the webcam is activated, a built-in control circuit may firstly drive and restore the imaging module. Generally, a sensing switch is installed in the device body, and after startup, the control circuit may drive the image module to move continuously through the movement mechanism until the sensing switch is triggered as a criterion for determining that the camera module has been restored.
However, such a restoring operation is usually time and labor-consuming and inefficient. In other words, the user may have to wait for a period of time for the webcam to be initialized after turning on the webcam. Therefore, the user experience is not favorable.
The invention provides a driving module, a restoration method, and an imaging device capable of effectively reducing processes and time for initialization.
A driving module according to an embodiment of the invention includes a circuit board, a rotating member, and a power source. The circuit board has a control circuit, a first conductive portion, and second conductive portions separated from the first conductive portion respectively. The first and second conductive portions are respectively electrically connected to the control circuit. The rotating member is rotatably disposed on the circuit board, and has a first abutment and a second abutment electrically conductive to each other. The power source is mechanically linked to the rotating member, electrically connected to the control circuit, and controlled by the control circuit to rotate the rotating member relative to the circuit board. The first abutment constantly abuts against the first conductive portion, and the second conductive portions are located on a rotating path of the second abutment. After the driving module is activated, the control circuit determines whether to drive the rotating member and a rotating process of the rotating member according to electric states of the second conductive portions.
A restoration method according an embodiment of the invention is suitable for a driving module. The driving module includes a circuit board, a rotating member, and a power source. The circuit board has a control circuit and a first conductive portion and second conductive portions separated from each other. The first and second conductive portions are respectively electrically connected to the control circuit. The rotating member is rotatably disposed on the circuit board and has a first abutment and a second abutment conductive to each other. The power source is mechanically linked to the rotating member, electrically connected to the control circuit. The first abutment constantly abuts against the first conductive portion, and the second conductive portions are located on a rotating path of the second abutment. The restoration method includes activating the driving module and determining electric potentials of the second conductive portions by the control circuit. After the driving module is activated, the second conductive portions are assigned same electric potentials. The electric potential of the second conductive portion is changed when the second conductive portion is electrically conductive to the first conductive portion through the second abutment and the first abutment. The electric potential of the second conductive portion is not changed when the second conductive portion is not electrically conductive to the first conductive portion. In the process of determining the electric potential of the second conductive portion by the control circuit, when the electric potentials of the second conductive portions are the same, the control circuit rotates the rotating member relative to the circuit board through the power source until the second abutment travels to one of the second conductive portions to change the electric potential of the one of the second conductive portions. When the electric potential of one of the second conductive portions is changed, the control circuit determines a location of the one of the second conductive portions on the circuit board to determine whether to drive the rotating member and a rotating process of the rotating member.
The imaging device according to an embodiment of the invention includes a driving module and an imaging module. The driving module includes a circuit board, a rotating member, and a power source. The circuit board has a control circuit, a first conductive portion, and second conductive portions separated from the first conductive portion respectively. The first and second conductive portions are respectively electrically connected to the control circuit. The rotating member is rotatably disposed on the circuit board and has a first abutment and a second abutment electrically conductive to each other. The power source is mechanically linked to the rotating member, electrically connected to the control circuit. The first abutment constantly abuts against the first conductive portion, and the second conductive portions are located on a rotating path of the second abutment. The imaging module is disposed on the rotating member and electrically connected to the control circuit. After the imaging device is activated, the control circuit drives the rotating member to restore the imaging module according to electric states of the second conductive portions.
Based on the above, in the driving module, the first conductive portion and the second conductive portions are distributed on the circuit board, the first abutment and the second abutment electrically conductive to each other are disposed on the rotating member, the first abutment constantly abuts against the first conductive portion, and the second conductive portions are located on the rotating path of the second abutment. Accordingly, during the rotating process of the rotating member relative to the circuit board, the electric state of the second conductive portion may be changed by being electrically conductive to the first conductive portion through the first abutment and the second abutment when the second abutment travels to the second conductive portion.
Accordingly, the control circuit may acquire the rotating state of the rotating member by determining the electric states of the second conductive portions. In other words, the positioning and locating of the rotating member during rotation is obtained through the second conductive portions of the circuit board to serve as the reference for the stroke of restoring the rotating member.
In order to make the aforementioned and other features and advantages of the invention comprehensible, several exemplary embodiments accompanied with figures are described in detail below.
The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts.
The main body A1 includes a circuit board 110, a rotating member 120, a power source 130, a transmission assembly 140, a housing 150, and a fastener 160. As shown in
Moreover, the conductive elastic pieces 123 and 124 are respectively inserted into the recesses B23 and B24 to correspondingly abut against the first abutment 121 and the second abutment 122, thereby continuously pressing the first abutment 121 and the second abutment 122 onto the circuit board 110. Accordingly, the first abutment 121, the conductive elastic piece 123, the conductive component B1, the conductive elastic piece 124, and the second abutment 122 form a conductive path. In other words, the first abutment 121 and the second abutment 121 are maintained in a conductive state. In addition, as the rotating component B2, the conductive component B1, and the gear B3 synchronously rotate, the first abutment 121 and the second abutment 122 are also rotated with the rotating component B2 and roll on the circuit board 110.
As described above, the first abutment 121 and the second abutment 122 roll with the rotating component B2 on the circuit board 110. In addition, the movement (rolling) paths of the first conductive portion 111 and the first abutment 121 are the same, and the second conductive portions C1 to C5 are located on the movement (rolling) path of the second abutment 122. In other words, during the rotation of the rotating member 120, the first abutment 121 constantly abuts against the first conductive portion 111. Meanwhile, the solid and dotted lines shown in
Then, in Step S02, the control circuit 113 further determines electric states of the second conductive portions C1 to C5. When the second conductive portions C1 to C5 have the same potentials, it means that the second abutment 122 does not abut against any of the second conductive portions C1 to C5. In such case, Step S03 is performed. That is, the control circuit 113 drives the rotating member 120 to rotate relative to the circuit board 110 through the power source 130 until the second abutment 122 travels to one of the second conductive portions C1 to C5 and generate the conductive path of the first abutment 121, the conductive elastic piece 123, the conductive component B1, the conductive elastic piece 124, and the second abutment 122, thereby changing the electric potential of the one of the second conductive portions C1 to C5. At this time, based on which of the second conductive portions C1 to C5 has a change in electric potential, the control circuit 113 may acquire the location of the rotating member 120. Therefore, Step S04 may be carried out. That is, the control circuit 113 drives the rotating member 120 through the power source 130 to rotate the rotating member 120 directly to an initial location to complete the restoration operation, i.e., to complete the restoration of the imaging module A2.
Comparatively, when there is inconsistency among the potentials of the second conductive portions C1 to C5, such inconsistency indicates that the second abutment 122 has been abutting against one of the second conductive portions C1 to C5, so the control circuit board 113 may learn the rotating state of the rotating member 120. Consequently, Step S04 may be carried out accordingly to complete the restoration of the imaging module A2.
Here, the first conductive portion 111 is assigned a ground potential. Therefore, when the second abutment 122 travels to one of the second conductive portions C1 to C5, the electric potential of the one of the second conductive portions C1 to C5 may be changed to the ground potential and be easily distinguished by the control circuit 113.
It should be noted that since the second conductive portions C1 to C5 are located with coordinates through the corresponding relationship with the step angles of the stepping motor, in an embodiment, the initial location of the rotating member 120 may be set at a specific location, and the specific location may be one of the second conductive portions C1 to C5 to which the second abutment 122 travels. Of course, under the premise that coordinates have been assigned for location, the rotating process of the stepping motor is known. Therefore, in another embodiment, the initial location of the rotating member 120 may also be set among the second conductive portions C1 to C5 or any location on a path P1. Here, the second abutment 122 moves along the path P1.
Referring to
Referring to
Accordingly, in Step S02, the control circuit 113 may firstly make a determination according to the potential states of the second conductive portions C1 to C5. At this time, the second abutment 122 is on the path P1, but does not abut against any of the second conductive portions C1 to C5. Therefore, the second conductive portions C1 to C5 remain at the same potentials. As a consequence, Step S03 is performed. That is, the rotating member 120 is rotated relative to the circuit board 110. Since the rotating direction of the rotating member 120 is not particularly limited herein, there are two possibilities. One of the possibilities is that the rotating member 120 rotates in the counter-clockwise direction so that the second abutment 122 travels to the second conductive portion C1 and lowers the potential of the second conductive portion C1. Also, the control circuit 113 may acquire the state and thus perform Step S07. That is, the control circuit 113 drives the rotating member 120 to be restored to the initial location, i.e., rotating the second abutment 122 back to the second conductive portion C2. The other possibility is that, in Step S03, the second abutment 122 travels to the second conductive portion C2, so that when the control circuit 113 acquires the state in Step S05, the control circuit 113 may then perform Step S06 to end the restoration method of the embodiment.
Based on the above, it can be known that the number of the second conductive portions may be correspondingly adjusted according to the requirements. A greater number of the second conductive portions indicates a smaller angle which the rotating member needs to rotate in Step S03. However, the designer shall still pursue a favorable design according to the requirements such as driving processes, manufacturing cost, and driving efficiency, etc. Besides, since the imaging module is driven through rotation, the locations of the first conductive portion, the second conductive portions and the corresponding first abutment and the second abutment are not limited. The embodiment is applicable as long as the locations meet the corresponding rotating path.
In view of the foregoing, in the driving module, the first conductive portion and the second conductive portions are distributed on the circuit board, the first abutment and the second abutment electrically conductive to each other are disposed on the rotating member, the first abutment constantly abuts against the first conductive portion, and the second conductive portions are located on the rotating path of the second abutment. Accordingly, during the rotating process of the rotating member relative to the circuit board, the electric state of the second conductive portion may be changed by being electrically conductive to the first conductive portion through the first abutment and the second abutment when the second abutment travels to the second conductive portion.
Accordingly, the control circuit may acquire the rotating state of the rotating member by determining the electrical states of the second conductive portions. In other words, the positioning and locating of the rotating member during rotation is obtained through the second conductive portions of the circuit board to serve as the reference for the stroke of restoring the rotating member. In addition, since the second conductive portions are disposed, the rotating angle of the rotating member and the sensing time of the control circuit can be reduced, thereby facilitating the efficiency of restoration.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the structure of the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. In view of the foregoing, it is intended that the present invention cover modifications and variations of this invention provided they fall within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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108113318 A | Apr 2019 | TW | national |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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20190097495 | Dion | Mar 2019 | A1 |
20190215463 | Shirane | Jul 2019 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
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200983031 | Nov 2007 | CN |
204110366 | Jan 2015 | CN |
Entry |
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“Office Action of Taiwan Counterpart Application,” dated Dec. 6, 2019, p. 1-p. 9. |