HANDHELD ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20080055417A1
• Filed: 12/27/2006
• Published: 03/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ASUSTek Computer, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ASUSTek Computer, Inc.
• Inventors: HSU, KUN-HUANG, TIEN, KAI-CHEN, PENG, JIAN-MING, CHOU, WEI-HUAN, LAI, SHU-HUA, HUANG, HO-CHING
• Application Number:
  US11/616,652
• Publication Number:
  US 20080055417A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/207.99
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2209/043 using an alternating colour separation filter, e.g. colour wheel or colour LCD
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/12 with one sensor only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means
• 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 5/33 Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20

Abstract

A handheld electronic device including a body and an image capturing module. A display is disposed on one surface of the body. The image capturing module is disposed at the body, and includes a lens and a filter unit. The lens is exposed from an opening on the body. Images captured by the lens are displayed on the display. The filter unit includes at least one first filter, one second filter, and a switch. Each of the first filter and the second filter transmits light with different wavelength. The switch is used to switch the first filter and the second filter so that one of the first filter and the second filter is on the light receiving path of the lens.

Claims

1. A handheld electronic device, comprising:

a body having a display and an opening

an image capturing module disposed at the body, the image capturing module comprising;

a lens disposed at the opening of the body, the image captured by the lens being displayed on the display; and

a filter unit disposed at the body to filter the light through the lens, the filter unit comprising at least a first filter, a second filter, and a switch, wherein the first filter and the second filter are suitable for transmitting the light with different wavelength respectively, and the switch is used to switch the first filter and the second filter, so that the first filter or the second filter is on the light receiving path of the lens.

2. The handheld electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the lens is a charge couple device (CCD) or a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) sensor device.

3. The handheld electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the first filter transmits infrared light and filters out the light of other wave band, while the second filter transmits visible light.

4. The handheld electronic device according to claim 3, wherein the second filter transmits visible light and filters out the light of other wave band.

5. The handheld electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a control circuit board disposed inside the body; and

a lighting module electrically connected to the control circuit board and exposed from the body.

6. The handheld electronic device according to claim 5, wherein the lighting module comprises at least a light-emitting diode (LED).

7. The handheld electronic device according to claim 6, wherein a recess is formed on the surface of the body to hold the LED.

8. The handheld electronic device according to claim 7, wherein the lighting module comprises a reflex housing, and the reflex housing is disposed in the recess to reflex the light from the LED.

9. The handheld electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising an auxiliary lighting module disposed at the body to provide an auxiliary light source when the image capturing module captures the image.

10. The handheld electronic device according to claim 9, wherein the auxiliary lighting module is adjacent to the image capturing module.

11. The handheld electronic device according to claim 9, wherein the auxiliary lighting module comprises at least an LED.

12. The handheld electronic device according to claim 11, wherein the LED is an infrared LED.

13. The handheld electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising a global positioning system (GPS) to produce the forecast of the geographic position of the handheld electronic device.