LENS FOR A CAMERA

• US 20140078382A1
• Filed: 09/19/2012
• Published: 03/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: KUDRNA, Paul John
• Granted Patent: US 8,836,852 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/371
• 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: G03B 17/02 Bodies
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2215/0503 Built-in units
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2217/00 Details of cameras or camera bodies; Accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means

Abstract

Disclosed is an electronic device comprising an image sensor; a flash adjacent to the image sensor; an image sensor lens covering the image sensor; a flash lens covering the flash, the flash lens defining a chamfer on a flash surface, the flash surface adjacent to the image sensor lens; and a housing for housing the image sensor and the flash.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

an image sensor;

a flash adjacent to the image sensor;

an image sensor lens covering the image sensor;

a flash lens covering the flash, the flash lens defining a chamfer adjacent to the image sensor lens; and

a housing for housing the image sensor and the flash.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the image sensor lens defines a chamfer adjacent to the flash lens.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the housing defines a first opening and a second opening, and wherein the lens is configured such that the flash lens is aligned with the first opening for allowing light to pass therethrough and the image sensor lens is aligned with the second opening for allowing light to pass therethrough.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the image sensor lens and the flash lens are supported by the housing.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the distance between the center of the image sensor and the center of the flash is in the range of 7 millimeters to 15 millimeters.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a mask having a flash opening and an image sensor opening, the mask secured to the image sensor and the flash lens such that the flash opening is aligned with the flash lens and the image sensor opening is aligned with the image sensor lens.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising paint applied to a portion of the flash lens.

8. The electronic device of claim 2, further comprising paint applied to a portion of the image sensor lens.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the chamfer defined by the flash lens comprises an angle of between 20 and 60 degrees with a surface of the flash lens.

10. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the chamfer defined by the flash lens comprises an angle with a surface of the flash lens that is optimized to maximize an impact of an angle of refraction from the flash lens to the air and is computed based on Snell'"'"'s Law.

11. A combined lens for a camera, the camera having a flash and an image sensor, the combined lens comprising:

an image sensor lens for covering the image sensor; and

a flash lens for covering the flash, the flash lens defining a chamfer adjacent to the image sensor lens.

12. The combined lens of claim 11, wherein the image sensor lens defines a chamfer adjacent to the flash lens.

13. The combined lens of claim 11, wherein the flash lens and the image sensor lens are supported by a housing of the camera.

14. The combined lens of claim 11, wherein the distance between the center of the image sensor and the center of the flash is in the range of 7 millimeters to 15 millimeters.

15. The combined lens of claim 11, further comprising a mask having a flash opening and an image sensor opening, the mask secured to the combined lens such that the flash opening is aligned with the flash lens and the image sensor opening is aligned with the image sensor lens.

16. The combined lens of claim 11, further comprising paint applied to a portion of the flash lens.

17. The combined lens of claim 11, further comprising paint applied to a portion of the image sensor lens.

18. The combined lens of claim 11, wherein the chamfer defined by the flash lens comprises an angle of between 20 and 60 degrees with a surface of the flash lens.

19. The combined lens of claim 11, wherein the chamfer defined by the flash lens comprises an angle with a surface of the flash lens that is optimized to maximize an angle of refraction from the flash lens to the air and is computed based on Snell'"'"'s Law.

20. A camera assembly, comprising:

a flash;

an image sensor; and

,

a combined lens comprising;

an image sensor lens for covering the image sensor; and

a flash lens for covering the flash, the flash lens defining a chamfer adjacent to the image sensor lens.