CAMERA APPARATUS AND WIRELESS COMMUNICATION TERMINAL INCLUDING THE SAME

• US 20140300791A1
• Filed: 04/02/2014
• Published: 10/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Shirono, Masahiro
• Granted Patent: US 9,413,968 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/333.06
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 13/06 with lenses with or without reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2215/0507 Pop-up mechanisms

Abstract

A camera apparatus and a wireless communication terminal including the camera apparatus are described. The camera apparatus includes: a camera main body; and a viewfinder unit including an elastic member. The elastic member is retracted when the viewfinder unit is retracted into the camera main body and is extended when the viewfinder unit is extended outward in an extending direction from the camera main body. The viewfinder unit includes: an object lens; an ocular movable in a direction different from the extending direction of the viewfinder unit; and a mirror that reflects a first optical signal that passes through the object lens toward the ocular.

Claims

1. A camera apparatus comprising:

a camera main body; and

a viewfinder unit comprising an elastic member which is retracted when the viewfinder is retracted into the camera main body, and is extended when the viewfinder is extended outward in an extending direction from the camera main body,

wherein the viewfinder unit comprises;

an object lens;

an ocular movable in a direction different from the extending direction of the viewfinder unit; and

a mirror that reflects a first optical signal that passes through the object lens toward the ocular.

2. The camera apparatus of claim 1, wherein the ocular is movable in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the viewfinder unit.

3. The camera apparatus of claim 1, wherein when the viewfinder unit is extended, the ocular is moved outward from the viewfinder unit, and when the viewfinder unit is retracted, the ocular is moved into the viewfinder unit.

4. The camera apparatus of claim 1, wherein the viewfinder unit further comprises a guide such that a portion of a force that retracts the viewfinder unit is transmitted by the guide to move the ocular into the viewfinder unit.

5. The camera apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mirror is rotated based on movement of the ocular.

6. The camera apparatus of claim 1, wherein when the viewfinder unit is extended, the mirror is rotated to a position at which an optical axis of the object lens reflected by the mirror is aligned with an optical axis of the ocular, and when the viewfinder unit is retracted, the mirror is rotated to a position at which a space is formed beside a reflection surface of the mirror to accommodate the ocular.

7. The camera apparatus of claim 1, wherein the viewfinder unit further comprises an optical path adjustment unit such that an extending degree of the viewfinder unit is adjustable using the optical path adjustment unit.

8. The camera apparatus of claim 1, wherein the viewfinder unit further comprises a flash disposed in a region opposite to a reflection surface of the mirror.

9. The camera apparatus of claim 1, wherein the camera main body comprises:

a photographing lens that receives a second optical signal reflected from an object;

an image sensor that converts the second optical signal incident on the photographing lens into an electric signal; and

a display unit that displays a conversion result of the image sensor as an image,

wherein the object lens receives the image displayed on the display unit as the first optical signal.

10. A wireless communication terminal comprising the camera apparatus of claim 1.

20. The camera apparatus of claim 1, wherein the viewfinder unit further comprises a viewfinder window;

wherein the viewfinder window and the ocular are completely accommodated in the camera main body when the viewfinder is retracted.

11. A camera apparatus comprising:

a camera main body; and

a viewfinder unit comprising an elastic member which is retracted when the viewfinder is retracted into the camera main body, and is extended when the viewfinder is extended outward in an extending direction from the camera main body,

wherein the viewfinder unit comprises;

an object lens;

an ocular;

a reflection member that reflects a first optical signal that passes through the object lens toward the ocular; and

a flash disposed in a region separate from a reflection region of the reflection member.

12. The camera apparatus of claim 11, wherein the reflection member is a mirror.

13. The camera apparatus of claim 11, wherein the reflection member is a prism.

14. A wireless communication terminal comprising the camera apparatus of claim 11.

15. The camera apparatus of claim 11, wherein when the viewfinder unit is extended, the ocular is moved outward from the viewfinder unit in a direction different from the extending direction of the viewfinder unit, and when the viewfinder unit is retracted, the ocular is moved into the viewfinder unit.

16. The camera apparatus of claim 11, wherein the camera main body comprises:

a photographing lens that receives a second optical signal reflected from an object;

an image sensor that converts the second optical signal incident on the photographing lens into an electric signal; and

a display unit that displays a conversion result of the image sensor as an image,

wherein the object lens receives the image displayed on the display unit as the first optical signal.

17. The camera apparatus of claim 11, wherein the viewfinder unit further comprises an optical path adjustment unit such that an extending degree of the viewfinder unit is adjustable using the optical path adjustment unit.

18. The camera apparatus of claim 17, wherein the viewfinder unit further comprises a viewfinder window;

wherein an optical path formed along the display unit, the object lens, the reflection member, the ocular, and the viewfinder window is adjustable using the optical path adjustment unit.

19. The camera apparatus of claim 18, wherein the viewfinder window and the ocular are completely accommodated in the camera main body when the viewfinder is retracted.