JP2005269002A - Portable telephone - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To incorporate a mechanism for switching the intensity of object illumination light in a portable telephone without increasing the size while suppressing cost increase. <P>SOLUTION: A member for altering the intensity of light outputted from a light source is provided and driven through a drive member to switch the intensity of light. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a mobile phone provided with photographing means.

  Mobile phones equipped with photographing means are in widespread use. For example, as described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, cellular phones equipped with photographing means having a flash photographing function have been developed.

In conventional film cameras and digital cameras, an automatic light control system that detects subject illumination light reflected by a subject and controls the amount of light based on the detection result is used for flash photography (for example, Patent Documents). 3).
JP 2000-289473 A JP 2000-348197 A JP 2000-356804 A

  If a mobile phone also has an automatic light control function for photographing means, a high-quality image can be obtained not only by natural light photography but also by artificial light photography. ing.

  However, the automatic light control system requires a light receiving element and a signal processing circuit for receiving reflected light from the subject, and there is a problem that the cost increases when a circuit board for this purpose is incorporated, and the size is small. However, there is a problem that it is difficult to incorporate the circuit board.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems encountered when incorporating a subject illumination device for photographing into a mobile phone.

The object is achieved by the following invention.
(1)
A cellular phone comprising: an imaging means; a light source; a light intensity changing member that changes the intensity of subject illumination light emitted from the light source; and a driving member that drives the light intensity changing member by a user's operation.
(2)
The mobile phone according to (1), wherein the light intensity changing member includes the light source displaceable with respect to the reflector, and the driving member displaces the light source with respect to the reflector. .
(3)
The mobile phone according to (1), wherein the light intensity changing member includes a neutral density filter, and the driving member displaces the neutral density filter.

  With the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 3, it is possible to give the mobile phone a function of switching the intensity of the flash light at low cost and without increasing the size of the phone.

  Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of a mobile phone according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  In FIG. 1, FIG. 1 (a) is a front view when the mobile phone according to the embodiment of the present invention is used, and FIG. 1 (b) is a rear view thereof. As shown in FIG. 1, it is comprised from the main-body part 10, the cover part 20, and the hinge part 30 which connects the main-body part 10 and the cover part 20 so that folding is possible.

  The main body 10 is a vertically long plate-shaped casing, and as shown in FIG. 1A, an operation key portion 11 is provided on the front side thereof. The operation key unit 11 includes various keys such as a dial key, a mode switching key, a power key, a call key, and a function key, and a shooting button.

  The lid portion 20 is a vertically long flat housing similar to the main body portion 10, and a display portion 21 is provided on the front surface thereof. The display unit 21 is configured to selectively display information such as a telephone number registered in advance on the liquid crystal display screen, input text, and an image captured by the shooting function unit. A photographing lens 22 constituting a camera which is a photographing means is disposed on the back surface of the lid portion 20, and at the time of photographing, the photographing button 22 is operated with the photographing lens 22 facing the subject. Thus, an image is taken.

  A subject image is formed on an image sensor (not shown) by the photographing lens 22 and converted into an electrical signal, which is then transmitted to a processing circuit inside the main body.

  A light emitting portion 31 of an electronic flash device that outputs light for illuminating a subject is provided on the lid portion 20 on the same side as the photographing lens 22 and radiates light from an Xe tube as a light source through a transparent translucent plate.

  The hinge part 30 is provided with an open / close switch (not shown) that operates in conjunction with the folding operation of the main body part 10 and the lid part 20, and the main body part 10 and the lid part 20 are opened to enable a call. The circuit is sometimes closed, and the circuit is opened when the main body 10 and the lid 20 are closed. When the main body 10 and the lid 20 are opened and the folding open / close switch is closed, the telephone function and the camera function can be used.

  2 is a cross-sectional view of a part of the mobile phone shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a right side view of the mobile phone shown in FIG.

  The light emitting unit 31 includes a light transmissive plate 32, a light source 33 made of a light emitting element such as an Xe tube, and a reflector 34. The translucent plate 32 and the reflector 34 are configured to have predetermined light distribution characteristics.

  As indicated by an arrow A in FIG. 3, a light source 33 is fixed to the movable drive member 35 (see FIG. 4 showing the mounting structure of the light source 33), and the light source 33 is a reflector 34 fixed to the lid portion 20. Is movable.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 5 showing the switching of the distance between the light source 33 and the reflector 34, the distance between the light source 33 and the reflecting plate 34 is switched in two steps by operating the drive member 35.

  In the state shown in FIG. 5A, that is, in the state where the distance between the light source 33 and the reflector 34 is small, the light distribution characteristic of the light emitting unit 31 becomes convergent and the intensity of light that illuminates the center of the subject becomes strong.

  In the state shown in FIG. 5B, that is, in the state where the distance between the light source 33 and the reflector 34 is large, the light distribution characteristic of the light emitting unit 31 is diffusive, and the intensity of light that illuminates the center of the subject is low.

  The user always performs appropriate shooting by switching the drive member 35 by performing the operation of setting as shown in FIG. 5A for normal shooting and setting as shown in FIG. 5B for short-distance shooting. It becomes possible.

  Thus, the light source 33 is a light source and functions as a light intensity changing member that switches the intensity of light that illuminates the subject.

  FIG. 6 shows another example of switching the intensity of the subject illumination light, and the mobile phone having the switching mechanism of this example is also the appearance shown in FIG.

  An ND filter is provided between the light source 33 and the translucent plate 32. A neutral density filter 36 as a light intensity changing member is interposed, and the neutral density filter 36 is caused to enter and exit the optical path of the flash light by operating the driving member 35. Thus, the light emission intensity of the light emitting unit 31 is adjusted.

  FIG. 6A shows a normal photographing setting state in which the neutral density filter 36 is retracted from the light emission optical path, and FIG. 6B is a short distance in which the neutral density filter 36 blocks the light emission optical path to reduce the intensity of illumination light. Indicates the shooting setting status. Such switching is performed by a rotation operation indicated by a turning arrow of the drive member 35 as shown in a side view of FIG.

  In addition, it can also comprise so that the drive member 35 can be switched to 3 steps | paragraphs or more.

1 is an external view of a mobile phone according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows a part of form telephone shown in FIG. 1 in a cross section. It is a right view of the form telephone shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the attachment structure of a light source. It is a figure which shows switching of the space | interval of a light source and a reflective umbrella. It is a figure which shows the other example which switches the intensity | strength of flash light.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main-body part 2 Cover part 31 Light-emitting part 32 Light transmission board 33 Light source 34 Reflector umbrella 35 Drive member 36 Neutral filter

Claims (3)

A cellular phone comprising: an imaging unit; a light source; a light intensity changing member that changes the intensity of subject illumination light emitted from the light source; and a driving member that drives the light intensity changing member by a user's operation. The mobile phone according to claim 1, wherein the light intensity changing member includes the light source that is displaceable with respect to the reflector, and the driving member displaces the light source with respect to the reflector. The mobile phone according to claim 1, wherein the light intensity changing member includes a neutral density filter, and the driving member displaces the neutral density filter.

Images