An electrowetting device according to the present disclosure includes: an electrode substrate having a first substrate, a plurality of first electrodes formed on the first substrate, a dielectric layer formed on the plurality of first electrodes, and a first hydrophobic layer formed on the dielectric layer; a counter substrate disposed opposite the electrode substrate with a predetermined gap interposed therebetween, and having a second substrate, a second electrode formed on the second substrate, and a second hydrophobic layer formed on the second electrode; and a sealing member located in an outer peripheral region of the electrode substrate, and the sealing member attaching the electrode substrate and the counter substrate together. The gap between the first and second hydrophobic layers is defined by the sealing member, and a portion of the sealing member forms an injection hole to allow a droplet to be injected into the gap. An opening region of the outer peripheral region that includes the injection hole does not overlap the counter substrate as viewed from the normal direction of the counter substrate.

A control method and related apparatus are disclosed for controlling actuation voltages applied to array elements of an element array on an electrowetting on dielectric (EWOD) device, wherein test metrics are determined and employed for optimizing subsequent droplet manipulation operations. The control method includes the steps of: receiving a liquid droplet onto the element array; applying an electrowetting actuation pattern of actuation voltages to actuate the droplet to modify a footprint of the droplet from a first state having an initial footprint to a second state having a modified footprint; sensing the modified footprint with a sensor; determining a test metric from sensing the modified footprint indicative of one or more droplet properties based on a droplet response of the liquid droplet to the electrowetting actuation pattern; and controlling actuation voltages applied to the array elements based on the test metric. The test metrics may include a transition rate and/or conformance to an actuation pattern.

An embodiment provides a camera module including a liquid lens including an electrode; and a holder in which the liquid lens is disposed, wherein the holder includes a first body portion including a first hole formed therein; a second body portion spaced apart from the first body portion, the second body portion including a second hole formed therein so as to correspond to the first hole; and a side portion connecting the first body portion and the second body portion to each other, wherein the second body portion includes a support portion supporting the liquid lens and an extension portion extending from the support portion, and wherein the support portion includes a side surface, an upper surface, and a step formed between the side surface and the upper surface.

Provided is an optical device for reducing the time for auto focusing (AF) performed by a contrast detection system, the optical device comprises a liquid lens having a curvature that varies on the basis of an applied electrical signal and the liquid lens may be auto-focused at one time from the current curvature (i.e., the first curvature state, p) to a target curvature corresponding to a distance to the subject (i.e., a second curvature state) based on the FV slope ratio.

A liquid lens includes a first plate having a cavity for receiving a first liquid and a second liquid; a first electrode disposed on a first surface of the first plate; a second electrode disposed on a second surface of the first plate facing the first surface; and a temperature device disposed on the first surface of the first plate to be spaced apart from the individual electrode; wherein the first electrode includes first to eighth individual electrodes sequentially arranged along a circumferential direction about an optical axis, and wherein the temperature device includes at least one of a temperature sensor and a heater disposed between at least two individual electrodes of the first to eighth individual electrodes.

A liquid lens unit according to one embodiment comprises: a first plate including a cavity for accommodating a conductive first liquid and a nonconductive second liquid; a first electrode arranged on the first plate; a second electrode arranged under the first plate; a second plate arranged on the first electrode; a third plate arranged under the second electrode; and an elastic member arranged between the first plate and the third plate.

A lens module includes a printed circuit board, a lens component, and at least two electric conductors. The lens component includes a first lens and a microscope base, the first lens is formed on the microscope base, the microscope base is formed on the printed circuit board, and the first lens is electrically conductive and deforms under voltage. The first lens is electrically connected to the printed circuit board by the electric conductors. The printed circuit board outputs a voltage to the first lens through the electric conductors; the first lens deforms according to the voltage thereby changing a focal distance of light passing through the first lens. The disclosure also relates to an electronic device using the lens module. The lens module can has a zoom function and has a litter volume.

A camera module includes: a lens group including lenses; an optical array including refractive elements arranged in an array, and an image sensor arranged on an image side of the lens group and the optical array, and configured to receive light passing through the lens group and the optical array. Each refractive element includes a housing, electrodes, a first liquid and a second liquid. A chamber is defined in the housing. The first liquid and the second liquid are filled in the chamber and are immiscible with each other. A refractive index of the first liquid is different from a refractive index of the second liquid. The electrode, when being energized, is capable of generating an electric field that acts on at least one of the first liquid and the second liquid in the chamber to change an interface between the first liquid and the second liquid.

An optical element including a plate-shaped substrate with a light-entrance surface and a light-exit surface, a multiplicity of imaging elements formed on the light-exit surface and a multiplicity of diaphragms formed on the light-entrance surface. Each diaphragm includes a transparent geometric region in an opaque region. The optical element can be switched between two operating modes B1 and B2 such that some of the imaging elements change their focal length between values f1 and f2 and/or, some of the diaphragms change their aperture width and/or their position. Exactly one diaphragm is associated with each imaging element in mode B1 so that light passing through the diaphragm is imaged or collimated by the associated imaging element. Consequently, light arriving in the optical element through the diaphragms and then through the light-entrance surface has, after passing through the associated imaging elements in the two operating modes B1 and B2, different propagation angles.

A method for forming a patterned insulating layer on a conductive layer can include removing an annular region of an insulating layer overlying a perimeter of an opening in a mask by laser ablation. The mask can be removed from the conductive layer to remove an excess portion of the insulating layer disposed on the mask, whereby a remaining portion of the insulating layer defines the patterned insulating layer disposed on the central region of the conductive layer, and a surrounding region of the conductive layer surrounding the central region of the conductive layer is uncovered by the patterned insulating layer.