CASE FOR PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20130329115A1
• Filed: 06/19/2012
• Published: 12/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Scandit AG
• Original Assignee: ‎RHP Multimedia Corp.
• Inventors: Palmeri, John
• Application Number:
  US13/984,204
• Publication Number:
  US 20130329115A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/335
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 11/00 Receptacles for purposes not provided for in groups A45C1/00-A45C9/00 specially adapted for toiletry or cosmetic equipment A45D29/20, A45D44/18; travelling sewing kits A45F3/48
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 2011/002 for portable handheld communication devices, e.g. mobile phone, pager, beeper, PDA, smart phone
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 2011/003 for portable computing devices, e.g. laptop, tablet, netbook, game boy, navigation system, calculator
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3888 Arrangements for carrying or protecting transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/75 by influencing optical camera components

Abstract

A case for a portable electronic device having a camera component can include a housing suitable for coupling with the portable electronic device. The housing can have an opening configured to allow light to pass therethrough. The case can also include a light-redirecting component integrated with the housing and configured to receive the light passing through the opening and redirect the light to the camera component.

Claims

1. A case for a portable electronic device having a camera component, comprising:

a housing suitable for coupling with the portable electronic device, the housing comprising an opening configured to allow light to pass therethrough; and

a light-redirecting component integrated with the housing and configured to receive the light passing through the opening and redirect the light to the camera component.

2. The case of claim 1, wherein the camera component comprises a lens.

3. The case of claim 1, wherein the light-redirecting component comprises a mirror.

4. The case of claim 3, wherein the mirror is easily removable from the housing.

5. The case of claim 3, wherein the mirror has a substantially convex shape.

6. The case of claim 3, wherein the mirror has a substantially concave shape.

7. The case of claim 3, further comprising a moveable sub-assembly, the moveable sub-assembly comprising the mirror and a sliding component configured to cause the mirror to rotate with respect to the case responsive to a user causing the sliding component to slide along the case.

8. The case of claim 7, wherein the mirror and a plane of the case define an angle between zero degrees and ninety degrees.

9. The case of claim 8, wherein the mirror is configured to be locked in a certain position once the angle is at least substantially at a particular value.

10. The case of claim 7, wherein the moveable sub-assembly provides a landscape orientation for an image corresponding to the light received by the camera component through the opening in the housing.

11. The case of claim 7, wherein the moveable sub-assembly provides a portrait orientation for an image corresponding to the light received by the camera component through the opening in the housing.

12. The case of claim 3, further comprising a mechanism configured to allow a user to rotate the mirror.

13. The case of claim 1, wherein the light-redirecting component comprises a pentaprism.

14. The case of claim 1, wherein the light corresponds to an image to be captured by the camera component.

15. The case of claim 1, wherein the light corresponds to video to be captured by the camera component.

16. The case of claim 1, wherein the housing is configured to allow a user to use the portable electronic device in a hands-free manner.

17. A method, comprising:

a camera component of a portable electronic device receiving light through an opening in a case for the portable electronic device;

the portable electronic device reversing an image corresponding to the light received by the camera component; and

the portable electronic device inverting the image.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising storing the image.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising transmitting the image.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising cropping the image to remove from the image vignetting resulting from the light passing through the opening.