REMOVABLE LENSES FOR MOBILE ELECTRONIC DEVICES

• US 20140267882A1
• Filed: 03/12/2014
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Portero Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Premier Systems USA Incorporated
• Inventors: O'Neill, Patrick D., Pak, Chong, Nguyen, Ryan
• Granted Patent: US 9,294,660 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/360
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/001 Miniaturised objectives for electronic devices, e.g. portable telephones, webcams, PDAs, small digital cameras G02B23/243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 15/10 by adding a part, e.g. close-up attachment
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/14 adapted to interchange lenses G02B7/027 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/026 Details of the structure or mounting of specific components
• 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 23/663 for controlling interchangeable camera parts based on electronic image sensor signals

Abstract

In some embodiments, an auxiliary optical system for a mobile electronic device has a mounting component that is configured to be selectively attachable and detachable from the mobile electronic device. The mounting component is configured to be coupled to and decoupled from a multi-lens component with a plurality of lenses. When the multi-lens component is coupled to the mounting component, the multi-lens component can be prevented from moving, such as sliding or rotating. In some embodiments, an auxiliary optical system for a mobile electronic device comprises a removable onboard camera lens or onboard camera of a mobile electronic device. The onboard lens or onboard camera can be removed and/or replaced with another onboard lens or onboard camera with different optical qualities.

Claims

1. An auxiliary optical system configured to be removably attachable to a mobile communication device, the auxiliary optical system comprising:

a mounting component configured to be removably attachable to a mobile communication device, the mounting component comprising an optical mounting region configured to be positioned in contact with or adjacent to a side of the mobile communication device with an onboard camera;

a multi-lens component comprising a plurality of lenses, the multi-lens component configured to be removably attachable to the mounting component in the optical mounting region such that at least two lenses of the multi-lens component are configured to be positioned in the optical mounting region at the same time in a non-movable configuration when secured to the mounting component.

2. The combination of the auxiliary optical system of claim 1 and the mobile communication device.

3. The auxiliary optical system of claim 1, wherein the mounting component and the multi-lens component are configured such that the multi-lens component can be removed from the mounting component, rotated and reattached to the mounting component to change one or more optical capabilities of the auxiliary optical system.

4. The auxiliary optical system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the lenses is a magnifying lens.

5. The auxiliary optical system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the lenses is a wide-angle lens.

6. The auxiliary optical system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the lenses is a polarizing lens.

7. The auxiliary optical system of claim 1, wherein one or more lenses can be removably attached to the multi-lens component.

8. The auxiliary optical system of claim 1, wherein the mounting component is attachable to a corner region of the mobile communication device.

9. The auxiliary optical system of claim 1, wherein the mounting component is attachable to an upper middle region of the mobile communication device.

10. The auxiliary optical system of claim 1, wherein the multi-lens component attaches to the mounting component by a snap fit.

11. The auxiliary optical system of claim 1, wherein at least one lens of the multi-lens component can be removed and reattached to the multi-lens component.

12. The auxiliary optical system of claim 1, wherein the mounting component is configured to resist sliding on the mobile communication device when attached to the mobile communication device.

13. The auxiliary optical system of claim 1, wherein the multi-lens component comprises a detent.

14. The auxiliary optical system of claim 1, wherein the multi-lens component is attached to the mounting component in an oblique orientation with reference to the mobile communication device.

15. The auxiliary optical system of claim 1, wherein the multi-lens component is attached to the mounting component in a generally vertical orientation.

16. The auxiliary optical system of claim 1, wherein an outer periphery of one of the at least two lenses has a different size than the outer periphery of the other of the at least two lenses.

17. A mobile communication device comprising:

an onboard camera with an onboard lens, wherein the onboard lens is configured to be removable by a consumer without removing a panel of the mobile communication device.

18. An auxiliary optical system for a mobile communication device, the auxiliary optical system comprising:

one or more replacement lenses for an onboard communication device;

wherein the replacement lenses are configured to be inserted into an onboard communication device and retained in the onboard communication device by a consumer without removing a panel of the mobile communication device.

19. A method of changing one or more optical features of an onboard camera of a mobile communication device, the method comprising:

obtaining a mobile communication device;

removing a first onboard lens from a mobile communication device without removing a panel of the mobile communication device; and

replacing the first onboard lens with a second onboard lens, wherein the second onboard lens has one or more different optical characteristics than the first onboard lens.

20. A method of enhancing the optical features of a mobile communication device comprising:

providing an auxiliary lens system comprising a mounting component and a first multi-lens component;

instructing a user to attach the mounting component and the first multi-lens component to a mobile communication device;

instructing a user to remove the first multi-lens component and replace it with a second multi-lens component, wherein the first and second multi-lens components have different optical features.