APPARATUS AND METHOD TO MAXIMIZE THE DISPLAY AREA OF A MOBILE DEVICE

• US 20170126979A1
• Filed: 05/26/2016
• Published: 05/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Essential Products, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Essential Products, Inc.
• Inventors: Evans, V, David John, Jiang, Xinrui, Rubin, Andrew E., Hershenson, Matt, Miao, Xiaoyu
• Granted Patent: US 9,736,383 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/0065 having a beam-folding prism or mirror
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/06 Panoramic objectives; So-called "sky lenses" including panoramic objectives having reflecting surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0264 for a camera module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/239 using two 2D image sensors having a relative position equal to or related to the interocular distance H04N13/243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/54 Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof
• 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 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture

Abstract

The technology disclosed here maximizes the size of the display area associated with the mobile device by various camera placement. In one embodiment, the camera is placed inside the mobile device, and can pop outside the mobile device when the camera is activated. When the camera is inactive the camera retracts inside the mobile device, and becomes unnoticeable to the user. In another embodiment, the camera is integrated into the mobile device display as a camera icon. The integrated camera serves two purposes: to record pictures, and to act as a camera icon, that when selected activates the camera. By removing the camera from the front side of the mobile device, or by integrating the camera into the display screen of the mobile device, the size of the mobile device display screen can be increased.

Claims

1. A mobile device, comprising:

a display screen associated with the mobile device, the display screen comprising a plurality of light emitting elements, and further the display screen comprising a plurality of icons, the plurality of icons corresponding to a plurality of mobile device software applications and a plurality of mobile device operating system functions; and

a camera associated with the mobile device, the camera operable to record an image, the camera comprising;

a front aperture occupying a portion of the display screen reserved for the plurality of mobile device operating system functions, the display screen surrounding the front aperture comprising the plurality of light emitting elements, the portion of the display screen occupied by the front aperture representing a camera icon in the plurality of icons, the camera icon operable to activate the camera when the portion of the display screen occupied by the camera is selected;

a back aperture disposed in a direction opposite of the front aperture;

a plurality of photo sensors; and

an optical element associated with the front aperture, the back aperture, and the plurality of photo sensors, the optical element changing a direction of a light beam, the optical element operable to assume a first position, and a second position, the first position directing a light beam associated with the front aperture to the plurality of photo sensors associated with the camera, and the second position directing a light beam associated with the back aperture to the plurality of photo sensors associated with the camera.

2. The mobile device of claim Error! Reference source not found., the front aperture and the back aperture comprising a front lens and a back lens, respectively.

3. The mobile device of claim 2, the front lens and the back lens comprising a wide angle lens receiving light up to 220 degrees around the wide angle lens.

4. The mobile device of claim Error! Reference source not found., the camera further comprising:

a lens disposed between the plurality of photo sensors and the optical element; and

a light guide connecting the apertures, the optical element, and the plurality of photo sensors, the light guide transmitting a beam of light between the apertures and the lens.

5. The mobile device of claim Error! Reference source not found., the camera comprising a micro-electromechanical systems device operable to actuate the optical element.

6. A mobile device, comprising:

a display screen associated with the mobile device, the display screen comprising a plurality of light emitting elements, and further the display screen comprising a plurality of icons, the plurality of icons corresponding to a plurality of mobile device software applications and a plurality of mobile device operating system functions; and

a camera associated with the mobile device, the camera operable to record an image, the camera occupying a portion of the display screen, the display screen surrounding the camera comprising the plurality of light emitting elements, the portion of the display screen occupied by the camera representing a camera icon in the plurality of icons, the camera icon operable to activate the camera when the camera icon is selected.

7. The mobile device of claim 6, the mobile device comprising an outer surface, the display screen occupying substantially the whole outer surface associated with the mobile device.

8. The mobile device of claim 6, the mobile device comprising a plurality of sides, the display screen associated with a side in the plurality of sides, the display screen occupying substantially the whole side in the plurality of sides.

9. The mobile device of claim 6, comprising a border between the camera and the display screen, the border comprising a perimeter associated with the camera.

10. The mobile device of claim 6, comprising a border between the camera and the display screen, the border comprising an outline partially enclosing a perimeter associated with the camera.

11. The mobile device of claim 6, the camera icon disposed in a portion of the display screen reserved for the plurality of mobile device operating system functions.

12. The mobile device of claim 6, the camera icon operable to launch a camera application on the mobile device when the camera icon is selected.

13. The mobile device of claim 6, the camera icon operable to take a picture when the camera icon is selected.

14. The mobile device of claim 6, the camera icon disposed in a portion of the display screen associated with the plurality of mobile device software applications.

15. The mobile device of claim 6, further comprising:

a second camera associated with the mobile device, the second camera displaced a short distance from the camera, the second camera operable to record a second image corresponding to a first image captured by the camera; and

a processor coupled to the second camera and the camera, the processor operable to create stereoscopic images based on the first image and the second image.

16. The mobile device of claim 6, the camera comprising:

a front aperture occupying the portion of the display screen;

a back aperture disposed in a direction opposite of the front aperture;

a plurality of photo sensors; and

an optical element associated with the front aperture, the back aperture, and the plurality of photo sensors, the optical element changing a direction of a light beam, the optical element operable to assume a first position, and a second position, the first position directing a light beam associated with the front aperture to the plurality of photo sensors associated with the camera, and the second position directing a light beam associated with the back aperture to the plurality of photo sensors associated with the camera.

17. The mobile device of claim 16, the front aperture and the back aperture comprising a front lens and a back lens, respectively.

18. The mobile device of claim 17, the front lens and the back lens comprising a wide angle lens receiving light up to 220 degrees around the wide angle lens.

19. The mobile device of claim 16, the camera further comprising:

a lens disposed between the plurality of photo sensors and the optical element; and

a light guide connecting the apertures, the optical element, and the plurality of photo sensors, the light guide transmitting a beam of light between the apertures and the lens.

20. The mobile device of claim 16, the camera comprising a micro-electromechanical systems device operable to actuate the optical element.

21. The mobile device of claim 16, the optical element comprising a mirror or a prism.

22. A method comprising:

providing a display screen associated with a mobile device, the display screen comprising a plurality of light emitting elements, and further the display screen comprising a plurality of icons, the plurality of icons corresponding to a plurality of mobile device software applications and a plurality of mobile device operating system functions; and

providing a camera associated with the mobile device, the camera operable to record an image, said providing the camera comprising;

configuring a front aperture to occupy a portion of the display screen reserved for the plurality of mobile device operating system functions, the display screen surrounding the front aperture comprising the plurality of light emitting elements, the portion of the display screen occupied by the front aperture representing a camera icon in the plurality of icons, the camera icon configured to activate the camera when the portion of the display screen occupied by the camera is selected;

providing a back aperture disposed in a direction opposite of the front aperture;

providing a plurality of photo sensors; and

configuring an optical element to assume a first position, and a second position, the first position configured to direct a light beam associated with the front aperture to the plurality of photo sensors associated with the camera, and the second position configured to direct a light beam associated with the back aperture to the plurality of photo sensors associated with the camera.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the front aperture and the back aperture comprise a front lens and a back lens, respectively.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

providing a lens disposed between the plurality of photo sensors and the optical element; and

configuring a light guide to transmit a beam of light between the apertures and the lens.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the camera comprises a micro-electromechanical systems device operable to actuate the optical element.

26. A method, comprising:

providing a display screen associated with a mobile device, the display screen comprising a plurality of light emitting elements, and further the display screen comprising a plurality of icons, the plurality of icons corresponding to a plurality of mobile device software applications and a plurality of mobile device operating system functions; and

configuring a camera to record an image, and to occupy a portion of the display screen, the display screen surrounding the camera comprising the plurality of light emitting elements, the portion of the display screen occupied by the camera representing a camera icon in the plurality of icons, the camera icon configured to activate the camera when the camera icon is selected.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the camera icon is disposed in a portion of the display screen reserved for the plurality of mobile device operating system functions.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising configuring the camera icon to launch a camera application on the mobile device when the camera icon is selected.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the camera icon is disposed in a portion of the display screen associated with the plurality of mobile device software applications.

30. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

configuring a front aperture to occupy the portion of the display screen;

providing a back aperture disposed in a direction opposite of the front aperture;

providing a plurality of photo sensors; and

configuring an optical element to assume a first position, and a second position, the first position directing a light beam associated with the front aperture to the plurality of photo sensors associated with the camera, and the second position directing a light beam associated with the back aperture to the plurality of photo sensors associated with the camera.