Controllably Rotatable Camera in Handheld Electronic Device

• US 20100207774A1
• Filed: 02/16/2009
• Published: 08/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: SONG, Jae Ryee
• Granted Patent: US 8,159,363 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/669
• 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 23/61 based on recognised objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/695 Control of camera direction for changing a field of view, e.g. pan, tilt or based on tracking of objects

Abstract

In a handheld electronic device, a motor is controlled to adjust, according to input received at a user-input element of the device, an angle of rotation of a camera module about a rotation axis of the camera module. The camera module is partially embedded in a housing of the device. An image sensor is embedded in the camera module and senses an image in a field of view that is centered around a line of sight. The line of sight is perpendicular to the rotation axis. An orientation of the housing relative to a direction of gravity is sensed, and the motor is controlled to rotate the camera module and hence the line of sight about the rotation axis to achieve a particular angle between the line of sight and the direction of gravity.

Claims

1. A handheld electronic device comprising:

a housing;

a processor enclosed within said housing;

a camera module partially embedded in said housing, wherein said camera module is rotatable about a rotation axis of said camera module;

an image sensor embedded in said camera module to sense an image in a field of view that is centered around a line of sight, wherein said line of sight is perpendicular to said rotation axis;

a display controlled by said processor to display said image;

a motor coupled to said housing and to said camera module, wherein said motor is controllable by said processor to rotate said camera module and hence said line of sight about said rotation axis; and

a memory able to store executable code which, when executed by said processor, controls said motor to rotate said camera module and hence said line of sight about said rotation axis.

2. The handheld electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

an angle indicator coupled to said processor to detect an angle of rotation of said camera module and hence said line of sight about said rotation axis relative to a reference axis.

3. The handheld electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a user-input element coupled to said processor,

wherein said executable code, when executed by said processor, controls said motor to adjust said angle of rotation according to input received at said user-input element.

4. The handheld electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a tilt sensor coupled to said processor to sense an orientation of said housing relative to a direction of gravity.

5. The handheld electronic device of claim 4, wherein said tilt sensor comprises an accelerometer.

6. The handheld electronic device of claim 4, wherein said tilt sensor comprises a gyroscope.

7. The handheld electronic device of claim 4, further comprising:

an angle indicator coupled to said processor to detect an angle of rotation of said camera module and hence said line of sight about said rotation axis relative to a reference axis,

wherein said executable code, when executed by said processor, controls said motor to rotate said camera module and hence said line of sight about said rotation axis to achieve a particular angle between said line of sight and said direction of gravity.

8. The handheld electronic device of claim 7, wherein said executable code, when executed by said processor, further controls said motor to rotate said camera module and hence said line of sight about said rotation axis as said orientation changes to maintain said particular angle between said line of sight and said direction of gravity.

9. The handheld electronic device of claim 8, further comprising:

a user-input element coupled to said processor,

wherein said executable code, when executed by said processor, sets said particular angle according to input received at said user-input element.

10. The handheld electronic device of claim 8, wherein an indication of said particular angle is preprogrammed to said memory.

11. A method performed in a handheld electronic device, the method comprising:

receiving input at a user-input element of said handheld electronic device;

displaying in a display of said handheld electronic device an image sensed by an image sensor embedded in a camera module, wherein said image is sensed in a field of view that is centered around a line of sight; and

controlling a motor of said handheld electronic device to adjust, according to said input, an angle of rotation of said camera module and hence of said line of sight about a rotation axis of said camera module;

wherein said camera module is partially embedded in a housing of said handheld electronic device and wherein said line of sight is perpendicular to said rotation axis.

12. A method performed in a handheld electronic device, the method comprising:

displaying in a display of said handheld electronic device an image sensed by an image sensor embedded in a camera module, wherein said image is sensed in a field of view that is centered around a line of sight;

sensing an orientation of a housing of said handheld electronic device relative to a direction of gravity, wherein said camera module is partially embedded in said housing;

detecting an angle of rotation, relative to a reference axis, of said camera module and hence of said line of sight about a rotation axis of said camera module, wherein said line of sight is perpendicular to said rotation axis; and

controlling a motor of said handheld electronic device to rotate said camera module and hence said line of sight about said rotation axis to achieve a particular angle between said line of sight and said direction of gravity.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

preprogramming said particular angle to said handheld electronic device.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving input at a user-input element of said handheld electronic device; and

setting said particular angle according to said input.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving input at a user-input element of said handheld electronic device,

wherein controlling said motor comprises controlling said motor according to said input.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

controlling said motor to rotate said camera module and hence said line of sight about said rotation axis as said orientation changes to maintain said particular angle between said line of sight and said direction of gravity.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

detecting an event that appears in said image; and

consequently, producing an effect to alert of said event.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said event is appearance of an object.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein said event is detection of motion of an object.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein said effect is an audible effect.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein said effect is a visual effect.