JP2003215664A - Portable terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a portable terminal with a camera by which a photographing is made easy even when he photographs himself. <P>SOLUTION: The portable terminal is equipped with a camera having a lens, a reflection member provided on the lens, a moving means for moving the reflection member from the lens, and a control means for controlling to move the reflection member from the lens by the moving means when photographing is performed by the camera. Or it is provided with the camera having the lens and a lens cover on the lens, and the lens cover is constituted of a half mirror or liquid crystal molecules. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a mobile terminal equipped with a camera.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a mobile phone equipped with a camera, the camera lens is often attached to the side opposite to the display of the mobile phone, and the display is often used as a finder at the time of shooting. In this case, since there is no display on the camera side, a mirror provided near the camera lens is used as a finder when photographing itself.

[0003]

However, since the camera lens and the mirror are located far away from each other, when the line of sight is determined according to the mirror and the image is taken, the line of sight is not directly facing the lens.
There is a problem that the image is shifted in line of sight.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a camera-equipped mobile terminal which allows a photographer to easily photograph himself / herself.

[0005]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a portable terminal according to the present invention comprises a camera having a lens, a reflection member provided on the lens, and the reflection member on the lens. And a control means for controlling the reflecting member to move from above the lens by the front moving means when photographing is performed by the camera. Alternatively, the mobile terminal according to the present invention is provided with a camera having a lens and a lens cover on the lens, and the lens cover is configured by a half mirror or liquid crystal molecules.

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT An embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a mobile phone will be described below with reference to the drawings.

1 and 2 are external views of a mobile phone according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 shows a state in which no image is taken by the camera, and FIG. 2 shows a state in which an image is taken by the camera. ing. The lens 1 overlaps the mirror 2 used for photographing itself when not photographed as shown in FIG. 1, and the mirror 2 also functions as a lens cover of the lens 1. As shown in FIG. 2, at the time of photographing, the mirror 2 is slid on the guide 3 and moved to a position where it does not come into contact with the lens 1.

By adjusting the photographing position while the mirror 2 overlaps the lens 1, the line-of-sight direction can be adjusted even when photographing oneself, and the camera 1 is moved to a position not covered by the lens 1 during photographing. Because you can, mirror 2
You can shoot without being interrupted. That is, when shooting yourself without using the viewfinder,
By determining the shooting position when the mirror 2 is on the lens 1, it is possible to reduce the deviation between the assumed image and the actual image.

In addition, since the user holds the cell phone in the hand and performs a call or key operation, the lens portion (including the transparent protective member provided on the lens) is often touched by the hand, and the fingerprint or There is a problem that dirt such as oil and fat is attached. Such stains may cause stains to appear on the captured screen or result in a blurred image. In the mobile phone according to the present embodiment, since the mirror 2 functions as a lens cover, even when the mobile phone is held by the hand during a call or key operation as described above,
It is possible to prevent the lens 1 from being directly touched by the hands and preventing the lens 1 from becoming dirty. By using the mirror and the lens cover for taking a picture of yourself as in the present embodiment, the cover can be provided on the lens portion of the camera even in a compact mobile terminal such as a mobile phone.
In addition, in this embodiment, the mirror 2 is provided for self-shooting, but the present invention is not limited to the mirror, and another reflection member may be used.

Next, the sliding operation of the mirror 2 will be described with reference to FIG.
The explanation will be given with reference to. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 14 is a power source, and when the shutter button 5 is pressed, the motor 6
To drive. When the motor rotates, the gear 7 rotates in the direction of the arrow, and if the driving force exceeds the restoring force of the spring 8, the mirror 2
Move along the guide 3. When the mirror 2 moves to a position where it does not cover the lens 1, photographing is performed. When the shutter button 5 is opened after shooting, the power supply 1 to the motor 6
4 Since the supply is cut off, the driving force of the gear 7 is lost. At that time, the restoring force of the spring 8 becomes effective, and the mirror 2 moves along the guide 3 and returns to above the lens 1.

In the case of a mobile phone, the user frequently takes it in and out of his / her pocket or bag, which causes a problem that the lens portion is easily scratched. In the present embodiment, by moving the mirror 2 in conjunction with the pressing of the shutter button 5, the lens 1 is automatically covered by the mirror 2 when the camera is not used. It is possible to prevent dust, dirt, and scratches on the lens 1.

Further, by the moving operation of the mirror 2, it is easy for the surrounding people to understand that the camera is about to take a picture, so that it is possible to prevent misuse such as voyeurism.

The sliding by the spring 8 is not limited to this, and the motor 6 may be rotated at both opening and closing. In this case, it is not necessary to stop the power supply to the motor 6 when the lens cover is fully open or fully closed, and it is not necessary to constantly supply power to the motor 6 to oppose the spring 8 at the time of shooting, and it is possible to reduce power consumption. I can.

Further, the slide control is not limited to whether the shutter button 8 is pressed or not, but the mirror 2 may be controlled to be moved at the time of starting and ending the camera photographing mode. According to the present control method, it is not necessary for the mirror 2 to repeat the sliding operation each time the shutter is pressed, and it is suitable when a plurality of photographs are continuously taken. Here, the camera shooting mode refers to a state in which hardware and application software that capture an image from the camera, display the image on a display device, and capture a still image or a moving image to be captured are operating.

When the user manually slides the mirror 2, the user may forget to move and cover the mirror 2 and put it in the bag or touch it with his / her hand. By sliding the mirror 2 on the surface, it is possible to prevent stains and scratches with a high probability. However, when it is necessary to reduce the power consumption, the user may switch to move manually.

Further, the sliding operation of the mirror 2 is not limited to control by starting or ending the camera photographing mode,
On the contrary, the camera photographing mode may be activated or terminated by sliding the mirror 2. Even though the mirror 2 is on the lens 1 and cannot shoot, if the camera shooting mode in which the application software for camera shooting is activated consumes unnecessary power, the standby time is reduced. There is a problem that it becomes shorter. Power consumption can be reduced by activating or terminating the camera photographing mode in conjunction with the slide of the mirror 2.

Next, an embodiment in which a half mirror is used as the mirror 2 used for photographing oneself will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a view of the lens 1 and the mirror 2 as seen from the cross-sectional direction, and 9 indicates a camera body and 10 indicates a photographer.
In FIG. 4, the mirror 2 is on the side of the photographer 10 or the camera 9
One of the sides is half mirror processed. Therefore, the photographer 10 confirms his / her appearance by the reflection image 11 from the half mirror.

In the present embodiment, since the mirror 2 is a half mirror, even when the mirror 2 is above the lens 1 and covers it, the transparent image 12 is supplied to the camera 10 and an image can be taken. . Since the position of the mirror 2 and the position of the lens 1 coincide with each other even at the moment of photographing, even when photographing oneself, it is possible to easily photograph an image in which the line of sight matches.
In addition, the half mirror reflects the incident light at a specific ratio in the reflected image 11
And a transparent image 12 to the camera (for example, 40: 6)
Therefore, the light entering the lens 1 is limited, and the mirror 2 can play the role of an ND (Neutral Density) filter. In this embodiment, by sliding the mirror 2, it is possible to shoot with two kinds of diaphragms.

By also using the mirror 2 as in the present embodiment, a mobile terminal such as a mobile phone can be downsized, and a diaphragm can be provided even if the camera to be mounted is small.

The mirror 2 can be removed and the lens 1
By preparing multiple mirrors with different ratios of incident light to and replacing them, it is possible to shoot with three or more apertures.

Next, an embodiment in which liquid crystal molecules are used for the mirror 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6 are views of the camera lens 1 and the mirror 2 as seen from above, and 13 denotes liquid crystal molecules. 5 shows a state before photographing, and FIG. 6 shows a state at the time of photographing. Since the liquid crystal molecules 13 are oriented in the horizontal direction before photographing, the photographer 10 can confirm his / her photographing state in the reflected image 11. When the shutter button 5 is pressed, the voltage of the power supply 14 is applied to the liquid crystal molecules 13,
Is rotated 90 degrees, and the state shown in FIG. 6 is obtained. As a result, the transparent image 12 of the photographer 10 is supplied to the camera 9 and can be photographed. When the shutter button 5 is opened after shooting, the voltage supply of the power supply 14 is stopped,
The liquid crystal molecules 13 return to their original orientations and enter the state shown in FIG. According to the present embodiment, the number of parts can be reduced because the structure for sliding the mirror 2 is unnecessary.

Further, since the angle of the liquid crystal molecules 13 can be changed by changing the voltage to be supplied and the light incident on the lens 1 can be adjusted, it is possible to shoot with a plurality of kinds of diaphragms without increasing the number of parts. It will be possible.

Next, an embodiment using a mirror having a hole will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 7, the mirror 2
Has a hole 15 in a portion corresponding to the angle of view of the camera 9. Therefore, even when the photographer 10 determines the photographing range with the reflection image 11 of the mirror 2, the transmission image 12 is supplied to the camera 9 and can be photographed as it is. The hole 15 may be realized by, for example, a transparent state in which a portion of the mirror 2 corresponding to the angle of view of the camera 9 is not subjected to mirror surface treatment, in addition to the through hole. In the above embodiments, the case where the present invention is applied to a mobile phone has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to a mobile phone and can be applied to a mobile terminal such as a PDA, and similar effects can be obtained. You can

[0024]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a portable terminal with a camera, which enables easy photographing even when the photographer photographs himself.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an appearance of a mobile phone according to an embodiment of the present invention when a camera is not used.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an external appearance of the mobile phone according to the embodiment of the present invention when the camera is used.

FIG. 3 shows a mobile phone according to an embodiment of the present invention,
It is a block diagram showing the composition which slides mirror 2.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an embodiment in which a half mirror is used as a mirror 2.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an embodiment in which liquid crystal molecules are used for the mirror 2.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an embodiment in which liquid crystal molecules are used for the mirror 2.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an embodiment using a mirror provided with holes.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 lens 2 mirror 3 guides Mobile phone with 4 cameras 5 shutter button 6 motor 7 gears 8 springs 9 cameras 13 Liquid crystal molecules 15 holes

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Mika Nishiyama             1410 Inada Stock Company, Hitachinaka City, Ibaraki Prefecture             Hitachi, Ltd. Digital Media Products Division             Within (72) Inventor Hitoshi Kobayashi             292 Yoshida-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa             Ceremony company Hitachi Image Information System (72) Inventor Ryuichi Ikeda             292 Yoshida-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa             Ceremony company Hitachi Image Information System (72) Inventor Takashi Ishikawa             1410 Inada Stock Company, Hitachinaka City, Ibaraki Prefecture             Hitachi, Ltd. Digital Media Products Division             Within F term (reference) 2H044 AD03                 2H083 CC23 CC38 CC50 CC61                 5C022 AA12 AB62 AC42 AC54 AC78                 5K067 AA34 BB04 EE02 KK17

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A mobile terminal comprising: a camera having a lens; a reflecting member provided on the lens; and a moving means for moving the reflecting member from above the lens. 2. A camera having an image capturing function, a transmitting unit capable of transmitting an image captured by the camera, and a movable lens cover that is slidable and movable from above the lens at the time of capturing, The lens cover has a reflection member, and the reflection member is arranged at a position where a reflection image substantially the same as an image taken by the camera can be obtained in a state of being moved from above the lens. Mobile terminal. 3. The portable terminal according to claim 2, wherein the lens cover covers the lens of the camera when the camera is not used, and has a moving function of automatically moving at the time of transition between use and non-use. A mobile terminal characterized by the above. 4. A camera having an image capturing function, and a transmitting unit capable of transmitting an image captured by the camera, a lens cover is provided on a lens of the camera, and the lens cover is a half mirror. A mobile terminal characterized by the above. 5. The mobile terminal according to claim 4, wherein the lens cover has a moving means for removing or moving the lens cover from above. 6. A mobile phone having a built-in camera having an image capturing function, and having an information transmitting function capable of transmitting an image captured by the camera to another mobile phone or a personal computer by e-mail, wire, or removable memory. In the terminal, a lens cover is provided on the lens of the camera, which has a liquid crystal shutter that can be mutually changed between a mirror state and a transparent state under the control of an electric signal. A mobile terminal in which the liquid crystal shutter is installed at a position where a photographer can visually recognize a reflection image that is substantially the same as the image taken by the photographer. 7. A mobile phone having a built-in camera having an image capturing function, and having an information transmitting function capable of transmitting an image captured by the camera to another mobile phone or a personal computer by e-mail, wire, or removable memory. In the terminal, a lens cover including a mirror installed on the lens of the camera at a position where the photographer can visually recognize a reflection image that is substantially the same as the image captured by the camera at the time of photographing. And a hole provided at an intersection point of the mirror and an extension line of a lens optical axis of a camera located substantially in the center of the mirror and inside the lens cover. 8. A mobile phone having a built-in camera having an image capturing function and having an information transmitting function capable of transmitting an image captured by the camera to another mobile phone or a personal computer by e-mail, wire, or removable memory. In the terminal, a lens cover including a mirror installed on the lens of the camera at a position where the photographer can visually recognize a reflection image that is substantially the same as the image captured by the camera at the time of photographing. A mobile terminal characterized by having a transparent state without performing a mirror surface treatment at an intersection position of the mirror and an extension line of a lens optical axis of a camera located substantially in the center of the mirror and inside the lens cover. .