Optical lens accessory for panoramic photography

• US 10,234,660 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2016
• Issued: 03/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JRD Communication (Shenzhen) Ltd. (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: JRD Communication (Shenzhen) Ltd. (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kong, Mei, Liu, Zhe
• Primary Examiner(s): Alexander, William R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Washington, Tamara Y.
• Application Number:
  US15/542,640
• Publication Number:
  US 20180045924A1
• Time in Patent Office: 901 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/005 having spherical lenses only
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/06 Panoramic objectives; So-called "sky lenses" including panoramic objectives having reflecting surfaces
• 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 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums

Abstract

An optical lens accessory used in conjunction with a terminal device equipped with two camera devices is provided, the optical lens accessory includes: an optical device including two fisheye lenses arranged in a back-to-back configuration, where directions of the two respective viewing angles associated with the two fisheye lenses are opposite to each other, and where viewing angle of each of the fisheye lenses is greater than 180° to allow each of the two fisheye lenses to independently frame a view in the respective direction of the respective viewing angle, to let the framed lights into the two camera devices; a housing device positioned outside the optical device, where the housing device is configured to support the optical device, and to isolate the framed lights from external stray light; and a fixture device configured to attach the optical lens accessory to the terminal device.

Claims

1. An optical lens accessory for panoramic photography, wherein the optical lens accessory is used in conjunction with a terminal device equipped with both a front camera device and a rear camera device, the optical lens accessory comprising:

an optical device comprising a first fisheye lens and a second fisheye lens, wherein the first and second fisheye lenses are arranged in a back-to-back configuration, the first fisheye lens corresponds to the front camera device, the second fisheye lens corresponds to the back camera device, directions of two respective viewing angles associated with the two fisheye lenses are opposite to each other, and wherein the viewing angle of each of the fisheye lenses is greater than 180°

to allow each of the two fisheye lenses to independently frame a view in the respective direction of the respective viewing angle, wherein the optical device is configured to let framed lights into the two camera devices, and wherein a center of the first fisheye lens and a center of the front camera device are on a same axis, and a center of the second fisheye lens and a center of the rear camera device are on a same axis;

two lenses respectively positioned in two optical paths through which the two framed lights entering the two camera devices, wherein the two lenses are configured to move back and forth along axial directions thereof to adjust a respective distance between each of the two lenses and a respective camera device of the two camera devices so as to merge the two framed lights, thereby causing the two framed lights to both enter the two camera devices;

a housing device positioned outside the optical device and causing no interference to ranges of viewing angles of the two fisheye lenses, wherein the housing device is configured to support the optical device, and to isolate the framed lights from external stray light, thereby preventing the external stray light from interfering with the two optical paths of the two framed lights; and

a fixture device configured to attach the optical lens accessory to the terminal device while causing no interference to the ranges of viewing angles of the two fisheye lenses, thereby facilitating a cooperative use of the optical lens accessory with the two camera devices to perform wide angle-of-view photography,

wherein during a cooperative use of the optical lens accessory with the two camera devices, the two fisheye lenses are positioned on a front side and a rear side of the two camera devices, respectively.

2. The optical lens accessory according to claim 1, wherein centers of the two fisheye lenses and centers of the front and rear two camera devices are on a same axis.

3. The optical lens accessory according to claim 1, wherein a distance between the two fisheye lenses is defined as a first distance, wherein when the optical lens accessory is attached to the adapted terminal device, the first distance is such that an area associated with a portion of the viewing-angle-covered field blocked by the terminal device is minimized.

4. The optical lens accessory according to claim 1, wherein a size of the housing device is defined as a first size, wherein when the optical lens accessory is attached to the adapted terminal device, the first size is such that an area associated with a portion of the viewing-angle-covered field blocked by the terminal device is minimized.

5. An optical lens accessory for panoramic photography, wherein the optical lens accessory is used in conjunction with a terminal device equipped with both a front camera device and a rear camera device, the optical lens accessory comprising:

an optical device comprised of two fisheye lenses arranged in a back-to-back configuration, wherein directions of two respective viewing angles associated with the two fisheye lenses are opposite to each other, and wherein the viewing angle of each of the fisheye lenses is greater than 180°

to allow each of the two fisheye lenses to independently frame a view in the respective direction of the respective viewing angle, wherein the optical device is configured to let two framed lights into the two camera devices;

a housing device positioned outside the optical device and causing no interference to ranges of viewing angles of the two fisheye lenses, wherein the housing device is configured to support the optical device, and to isolate the two framed lights from external stray light, thereby preventing the external stray light from interfering with the two optical paths of the two framed lights; and

a fixture device configured to attach the optical lens accessory to the terminal device while causing no interference to the ranges of viewing angles of the two fisheye lenses, thereby facilitating a cooperative use of the optical lens accessory with the two camera devices to perform wide angle-of-view photography,

wherein during a cooperative use of the optical lens accessory with the two camera devices, the two fisheye lenses are positioned on a front side and a rear side of the two camera devices, respectively.

6. The optical lens accessory according to claim 5, wherein the optical devices further comprises:

two lenses respectively positioned in two optical paths through which the two framed lights entering the two camera devices, wherein the two lenses are configured to move back and forth along axial directions thereof to adjust a respective distance between each of the two lenses and a respective camera device of the two camera devices so as to merge the two framed lights, thereby causing the two framed lights to both enter the two camera devices.

7. The optical lens accessory according to claim 5, wherein a center of one of the two fisheye lenses and a center of the front camera device are on a same axis, and a center of the other one of the two fisheye lenses and a center of the rear camera device are on a same axis, wherein the one of the two fisheye lens is positioned on the front side of the two camera devices, and the other one of the two fisheye lens is positioned on the rear side of the two camera devices.

8. The optical lens accessory according to claim 7, wherein centers of the two fisheye lenses and centers of the front and rear camera devices are on the same axis.

9. The optical lens accessory according to claim 5, wherein a distance between the two fisheye lenses is defined as a first distance, wherein when the optical lens accessory is attached to the adapted terminal device, the first distance is such that an area associated with a portion of the viewing-angle-covered field blocked by the terminal device is minimized.

10. The optical lens accessory according to claim 5, wherein a size of the housing device is defined as a first size, wherein when the optical lens accessory is attached to the adapted terminal device, the first size is such that an area associated with a portion of the viewing-angle-covered field blocked by the terminal device is minimized.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a terminal device comprising two camera devices; and

an optical lens accessory for panoramic photography engaged with the terminal device, and comprising;

an optical device comprised of two fisheye lenses arranged in a back-to-back configuration, wherein directions of two respective viewing angles associated with the two fisheye lenses are opposite to each other, and wherein the viewing angle of each of the fisheye lenses is greater than 180°

to allow each of the two fisheye lenses to independently frame a view in the respective direction of the respective viewing angle, wherein the optical device is configured to let two framed lights into the two camera devices;

a housing device positioned outside the optical device and causing no interference to ranges of viewing angles of the two fisheye lenses, wherein the housing device is configured to support the optical device, and to isolate the two framed lights from external stray light, thereby preventing the external stray light from interfering with the two optical paths of the two framed lights; and

a fixture device configured to attach the optical lens accessory to the terminal device while causing no interference to the ranges of viewing angles of the two fisheye lenses, thereby facilitating a cooperative use of the optical lens accessory with the two camera devices to perform wide angle-of-view photography,

wherein during a cooperative use of the optical lens accessory with the two camera devices, the two fisheye lenses are positioned on a front side and a rear side of the two camera devices, respectively.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the two camera devices comprises a front camera device and a rear camera device, centers of the two fisheye lenses and centers of the two camera devices are on a same axis.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the optical devices further comprises:

two lenses respectively positioned in two optical paths through which the two framed lights entering the two camera devices, wherein the two lenses are configured to move back and forth along axial directions thereof to adjust a respective distance between each of the two lenses and a respective camera device of the two camera devices so as to merge the two framed lights, thereby causing the two framed lights to both enter the two camera devices.

14. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein each of the two camera devices comprises an optical capture module configured to process and record one or more wide-angle images, and an optical adaptation and image processing module configured to perform image stitching, and image post-processing by a computer software.

15. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein a distance between the two fisheye lenses is defined as a first distance, wherein when the optical lens accessory is attached to the adapted terminal device, the first distance is such that an area associated with a portion of the viewing-angle-covered field blocked by the terminal device is minimized.

16. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein a size of the housing device is defined as a first size, wherein when the optical lens accessory is attached to the adapted terminal device, the first size is such that an area associated with a portion of the viewing-angle-covered field blocked by the terminal device is minimized.