BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows a front-side schematic diagram of a mobile phone with photographic functionality according to the prior art;
FIG. 2 shows a backside schematic diagram of a mobile phone with photographic functionality according to the prior art;
FIG. 3 shows a front-side schematic diagram according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 3A shows a front-side schematic diagram of dual lenses installed apart according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 4 shows a backside schematic diagram according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 5 shows a structural schematic diagram of the photographic apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 6 shows a schematic diagram of photographic operations according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 7 shows a schematic diagram of the base body according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 8 shows a schematic diagram of the photographic apparatus according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention; and
FIGS. 9A, 9B, and 9C show schematic diagrams of the photographic apparatus according to other preferred embodiments of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the improved structure of the photographic apparatus according to the present invention is described by using a mobile phone with photographic functionality. The mobile phone 90 includes a photographic body 10 and a photographic apparatus 20. The photographic body 10 ha a front side 11, a backside 12, and a topside 13. The front side 11 includes a display 111 and a keypad 112. Here, a camera is used as an embodiment of the photographic body 10. The display 111 is on the backside of the camera. The photographic apparatus 20 is installed on the topside 13 of the photographic body 10, and includes a base body 21 and two camera lenses 22A, 22B. The base body 21 is pivoted on the topside of the photographic body 10, and is used for making the base body 10 have 360-degree rotating capability with respect to the photographic body 10. The base body 21 has an annular surface 211. On proper positions of the annular surface 211 of the base body 21, the camera lenses 22A, 22B are installed. For example, the camera lens 22A is installed on the opposite side (that is, a 180-degree difference) of the camera lens 22B, or is installed on other different angles (such as a 90-degree difference) from the camera lens 22B. Thereby, it can be used for photographic operations in different directions. Besides, the camera lenses 22A, 22B can be installed apart on the photographic body 10 (as shown in FIG. 3A), and can have functional features of 360-degree omnidirectional photography and successive panoramic photography. The base body 21 can further be adjusted with arbitrary rotational angles in three dimensions (not shown in figures).
FIG. 5 shows a structural schematic diagram of the photographic apparatus 20 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The base body 21 includes a top base 23, which is used for installing the annular surface 211 and a bottom base 24 at the bottom. The top base 23 has a central channel 231 and inner threads 232. The central channel 231 is used for a signal line 221 of the camera lenses 22 connecting down to a circuit board (not shown in the figure) with photographic functionality in the photographic body 10. The bottom base 24 is pivoted movably in a pivoting groove 14 on the topside 13 of the photographic body 10. The bottom base 24 has a central channel 241 and outer threads 242, and is communicating with the central channel 231 of the top base 23. The outer threads 242 make the bottom base 24 mount by threads with the top base 23 for assembly convenience. In addition, the tope base 23 of the assembled photographic apparatus 20 protrudes appropriately the topside 13 of the photographic body 10 for easier photographic operations, and for the base body 21 being able to perform rotation operations with respect to the photographic body 10.
Thereby, when a user rotates the top base 23, the camera lenses 22A, 22B rotate accordingly at the same time. As shown in FIG. 6, when the camera lenses 22 rotate to flanks of the photographic body 10, the user can take photographs of both sides by means of the camera lenses 22A, 22B without the need of firstly pointing the front side 11 or backside 12 of the photographic body 10 to the targets to be taken. Consequently, adjustment is achieved rapidly for instantaneous photography. Furthermore, the camera lenses 22A, 22B can have successive frames presented in accordance with successive rotation of the top base 23. Thereby, the demand and pleasure of successive panoramic photography can be achieved.
In addition, it is possible to choose either one of the camera lenses 22A, 22B, or both of the lenses for photography. When only one of the lenses is chosen, the display 111 will display the frames taken by the lens. On the other hand, when both of the lenses are selected, the display 111 uses picture-in-picture or split frame to display frames taken by the camera lenses 22A, 22B. Dual-frame technologies such as picture-in-picture or split frame can be realized by current technologies, and will not be described further.
In FIG. 7, the part on the annular surface 211 of the top base 23 other than the camera lenses 22A, 22B can further have uneven stripes 212. The uneven stripes 212 can help the rotation operation of the top base 23. Besides, the rotation operation of the top base 23 can be controlled by electronics and mechanics so that automatic rotation and automatic selection adjustment can be achieved.
FIG. 8 shows a schematic diagram of the photographic apparatus 20 according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention. The base body 21A is movably pivoted in a pivoting groove 14A on topside of the photographic body 10. The base body 21A includes a top base 23B for installing the annular surface 211A. The top base 23B has a central channel 231B, which is used for a signal line 221A of the camera lenses 22A, 22B connecting down to a circuit board (not shown in the figure) with photographic functionality in the photographic body 10. In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the pivoting groove 14A has a proper space and an ascending and descending mechanism (not shown in the figure) is adapted at the bottom of the top base 23B such that the top base 23B and the camera lenses 22A, 22B can have the function of protruding by ascending and hiding by descending.
As shown in FIGS. 9A, 9B, and 9C, the photographic apparatus can be installed on the front side 11, the backside 12, or the topside 13 of a mobile phone 90 or any other photographic apparatus. At present, single-lens cameras or mobile phones with photographic functionality have only a single photographic apparatus 10, not two or a plurality of photographic apparatuses 30. Besides, the single photographic apparatus 10 in the prior art is fixed type or is able to rotate in 360 degrees only on a plane. The photographic apparatus 30 according to the present invention provides can rotate with arbitrarily angles in three dimensions. It can be either protruding the body of the mobile phone (as shown in FIG. 9B), or be hidden in the body thereof (as shown in FIG. 9C), and thereby help adjustments in three dimensions.
The improved structure of the photographic apparatus according to the present invention can rotate in 360 degrees for photographing in different angles, thus can improve the drawbacks of the need of pointing the front side or the backside of a mobile phone to the target to be taken. Thereby, photography can be performed conveniently and safely. Handheld communication apparatuses with photographic functionality or webcams can provide not only pleasure to life, but also positive meaning to the society by taking advantage of its non-arresting feature. Consequently, society order can be maintained.
Accordingly, the present invention conforms to the legal requirements owing to its novelty, unobviousness, and utility. However, the foregoing description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, not used to limit the scope and range of the present invention. Those equivalent changes or modifications made according to the shape, structure, feature, or spirit described in the claims of the present invention are included in the appended claims of the present invention.
Patent Application
20080095526
