Apparatus and method to maximize the display area of a mobile device

• US 10,070,030 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2017
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Essential Products, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Essential Products, Inc.
• Inventors: Evans, V, David John, Jiang, Xinrui, Rubin, Andrew E., Hershenson, Matthew, Miao, Xiaoyu
• Primary Examiner(s): Segura, Cynthia
• Application Number:
  US15/585,112
• Publication Number:
  US 20170237884A1
• Time in Patent Office: 490 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/0065 having a beam-folding prism or mirror
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/06 Panoramic objectives; So-called "sky lenses" including panoramic objectives having reflecting surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0264 for a camera module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/239 using two 2D image sensors having a relative position equal to or related to the interocular distance H04N13/243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/54 Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/57 Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture

Abstract

The technology disclosed here maximizes the size of the display area associated with the mobile device by various camera placement. In one embodiment, the camera is placed inside the mobile device, and can pop outside the mobile device when the camera is activated. When the camera is inactive the camera retracts inside the mobile device, and becomes unnoticeable to the user. In another embodiment, the camera is integrated into the mobile device display as a camera icon. The integrated camera serves two purposes: to record pictures, and to act as a camera icon, that when selected activates the camera. By removing the camera from the front side of the mobile device, or by integrating the camera into the display screen of the mobile device, the size of the mobile device display screen can be increased.

Claims

1. A mobile device, comprising:

a display associated with the mobile device, the display comprising a display surface for displaying a plurality of icons; and

a sensor disposed beneath the display surface at a location coincident with at least one of the plurality of icons, the at least one icon comprising a sensor icon, a physical component of the sensor underneath the display surface visible as at least a part of an appearance of the sensor icon, the display surface at the location functioning as both a display for the sensor icon and an access point to the sensor, the sensor icon operable to activate the sensor when selected, and the sensor operable to perform a sensing function when activated.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, the sensor comprising a light sensor.

3. The mobile device of claim 1, comprising:

an outer casing associated with the mobile device, the outer casing comprising a plurality of surfaces;

a sensor port associated with the mobile device; and

the sensor movably disposed inside the sensor port, the sensor comprising an aperture, the sensor operable,

when the sensor is inactive, to retract inside the sensor port, and to align with each surface in the plurality of surfaces associated with the outer casing, and

the sensor operable,

when the sensor is active, to protrude from the outer casing associated with the mobile device, and to position the aperture to receive light unobstructed by the mobile device.

4. The mobile device of claim 1, comprising a border between the sensor and the display, the border comprising a perimeter associated with the sensor.

5. The mobile device of claim 1, comprising a border between the sensor and the display, the border comprising an outline partially enclosing a perimeter associated with the sensor.

6. The mobile device of claim 1, the sensor icon disposed in a portion of the display reserved for a plurality of mobile device operating system functions.

7. The mobile device of claim 1, the sensor icon operable to launch a sensor application on the mobile device when the sensor icon is selected.

8. The mobile device of claim 1, the sensor icon operable to take a picture when the sensor icon is selected.

9. The mobile device of claim 1, the sensor icon disposed in a portion of the display associated with a plurality of mobile device software applications.

10. The mobile device of claim 1, further comprising:

a second sensor associated with the mobile device, the second sensor displaced a short distance from the sensor, the second sensor operable to record a second image corresponding to a first image captured by the sensor; and

a processor coupled to the second sensor and the sensor, the processor operable to create stereoscopic images based on the first image and the second image.

11. The mobile device of claim 1, the sensor comprising:

a front aperture occupying the location of the display coincident with the sensor icon;

a back aperture disposed in a direction opposite of the front aperture;

a plurality of photo sensors; and

an optical element associated with the front aperture, the back aperture, and the plurality of photo sensors, the optical element changing a direction of a light beam, the optical element operable to assume a first position, and a second position, the first position directing a light beam associated with the front aperture to the plurality of photo sensors associated with the sensor, and the second position directing a light beam associated with the back aperture to the plurality of photo sensors associated with the sensor.

12. The mobile device of claim 11, the front aperture and the back aperture comprising a front lens and a back lens, respectively.

13. The mobile device of claim 11, the sensor further comprising:

a lens disposed between the plurality of photo sensors and the optical element; and

a light guide connecting the apertures, the optical element, and the plurality of photo sensors, the light guide transmitting a beam of light between the apertures and the lens.

14. The mobile device of claim 11, the optical element comprising a mirror or a prism.

15. A method, comprising:

providing a display associated with a mobile device, the display comprising a display surface for displaying a plurality of icons; and

disposing a sensor beneath the display surface at a location coincident with at least one of the plurality of icons, the at least one icon comprising a sensor icon, a physical component of the sensor underneath the display surface visible as at least a part of an appearance of the sensor icon, the display surface at the location functioning as both a display for the sensor icon and an access point to the sensor, the sensor icon operable to activate the sensor when selected, and the sensor operable to perform a sensing function when activated.

16. The method of claim 15, the sensor comprising a light sensor.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the sensor icon is disposed in a portion of the display reserved for a plurality of mobile device operating system functions.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising configuring the sensor icon to launch a sensor application on the mobile device when the sensor icon is selected.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the sensor icon is disposed in a portion of the display associated with a plurality of mobile device software applications.

20. The method of claim 15, comprising:

providing an outer casing associated with the mobile device, the outer casing comprising a plurality of surfaces;

providing a sensor port associated with the mobile device; and

disposing the sensor movably inside the sensor port, the sensor comprising an aperture,

the sensor operable,

when the sensor is inactive, to retract inside the sensor port, and to align with each surface in the plurality of surfaces associated with the outer casing, and

the sensor operable,

when the sensor is active, to protrude from the outer casing associated with the mobile device, and to position the aperture to receive light unobstructed by the mobile device.

21. A mobile device, comprising:

a display associated with the mobile device, the display comprising a display surface for displaying a plurality of icons; and

a sensor disposed beneath the display surface at a location coincident with at least one of the plurality of icons, the at least one icon comprising a sensor icon, a physical component of the sensor underneath the display surface visible as at least a part of an appearance of the sensor icon, the sensor icon operable to activate the sensor when selected, and the sensor operable to perform a sensing function when activated.