JP2006072186A - Portable device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To add an optical function to a camera unit with a compact configuration. <P>SOLUTION: The portable terminal device is constituted by foldably connecting a first casing 1 loaded with a camera unit (standard lens 5, and image sensor 6), and a second casing 2, wherein the second casing 2 includes a telephoto lens 9 for guiding incident light to the camera unit in the state of folding the portable equipment. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a foldable portable device.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a digital still type camera that captures an object image formed by an image pickup optical system with an image sensor (CCD image pickup device) and stores the image pickup data in a memory has been widely provided. On the other hand, as the size, thickness, and cost of this camera has been reduced, this camera has been installed in mobile devices such as mobile phone terminals and personal digital assistance (PDA).

  Also, today, in order to increase the resolution of an image captured by an image sensor, an image sensor having a high frame rate, for example, a 2 megapixel class has been used for a camera of a portable device. In addition, camera-equipped mobile devices are being upgraded to include advanced functions such as an autofocus function. In addition, the function as a pointing device (mouse) is newly added to the camera-equipped mobile device by controlling the display to move the instruction symbol based on the displacement of the image. There is a technique for making a portable device with a camera highly functional by giving it to a portable device (for example, see Patent Document 1).

  In addition, in order to improve the performance and functionality of the lens optical system, a wide-angle image capturing unit is provided on the surface of the lens to enable wide-angle shooting of the subject, or a macro image capturing unit is provided. Various photography methods and cameras that enable macro photography are proposed.

JP 2004-164559 A

  However, when a wide-angle shooting or macro shooting of a subject is to be performed with a camera, it is necessary to always carry a wide-angle image shooting unit or a macro image shooting unit and change it to the camera. For this reason, handling, management and storage of these are troublesome and may be lost.

  In addition, a lens with a macro switching function has been proposed for the lens, but since the lens with a macro switching function is provided on the image sensor, the thickness of the lens portion increases, and the entire portable device is downsized. It goes against the thinning.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a portable device that can add an optical function to a camera unit with a compact configuration.

  A portable device according to the present invention is a portable device in which a first casing on which a camera unit is mounted and a second casing are connected so as to be foldable, and the second casing includes the portable device. Optical means for guiding incident light to the camera unit in a folded state is provided. According to the above configuration, the second casing includes the optical unit that guides the incident light to the camera unit in a state in which the portable device is folded. Therefore, the optical system can be added to the camera unit with a compact configuration.

  In the portable device of the present invention, the optical means is a telephoto wide-angle lens and can be folded in a state where the second casing is inverted. According to the above configuration, the telephoto function and the wide-angle function can be added to the camera unit by folding the second casing in the inverted state or in the non-inverted state.

  Furthermore, in the portable device of the present invention, the optical means is an optical filter. According to the above configuration, the function of the optical filter can be added to the camera unit with a compact configuration.

  According to the present invention, the second casing includes the optical means for guiding the incident light to the camera unit in a state where the portable apparatus is folded, so that the optical means is attached to the camera unit only by folding the portable apparatus. Therefore, the optical system can be added to the camera unit with a compact configuration.

  1 and 2 are side cross-sectional views conceptually showing the configuration of the mobile terminal device of the present invention. FIG. 1 shows an unfolded state of the mobile terminal device, and FIG. 2 shows a folded state of the mobile terminal device. This portable terminal device is formed by connecting a first casing 1 and a second casing 2 so that they can be unfolded and folded around a hinge 3.

  The first housing 1 and the second housing 2 are not shown in the figure, but various wireless communication control circuits for realizing a location registration function as a mobile phone function, an incoming / outgoing function, a channel switching function, an end call function, etc. Etc., and externally provided with information input and selection keys, function selection buttons, a display, and the like. Moreover, each housing | casing 1 and 2 is formed small and thin so that it may be convenient for carrying and handling.

  The first housing 1 includes an entrance window 4, a standard lens 5, and an image sensor 6 separately from the components such as the wireless communication control circuit and the display. The standard lens 5 and the image sensor 6 constitute a camera unit. The entrance window 4 is opened when the first housing 1 and the second housing 2 are in the unfolded state, and is closed by the second housing 2 when in the folded state. On the side. The entrance window 4 is fitted with protective transparent glass or the like.

  The standard lens 5 is a lens customarily having an angle (approximately 50 degrees) viewed by the human eye, and has a focal length close to the length of the diagonal line of the image sensor 6 surface. The standard lens 5 guides light (an object image) incident from the outside of the first housing 1 through the incident window 4 to the image sensor 6.

  The image sensor 6 is composed of, for example, a megapixel class CCD image sensor having a predetermined frame rate. The image of the subject formed on the image sensor 6 is converted into an electrical image signal and output. As the image sensor 6, for example, when obtaining a high resolution of 1200 (H) × 1600 (V), a 2 mega class CCD image sensor is used. Accordingly, the image sensor 6 receives incident light from the standard lens 5 and converts it into an electrical image signal. The image signal is converted into a signal suitable for subject image display and output by a signal processing circuit (not shown).

  On the other hand, the second casing 2 includes an entrance window 7 and an exit window 8, and a telephoto lens 9 interposed between the windows 7 and 8 as an optical function expansion unit. The telephoto lens 9 is composed of a combination of a plurality of convex lenses and concave lenses (two in the figure).

  As a result, an image of a subject that is incident on the incident window 7 and has a focal length longer than that of the standard lens 5 and a narrow angle of view is emitted from the emission window 8. The image of the subject emitted from the exit window 8 enters the standard lens 5 through the entrance window 4 of the first housing 1, and the standard image enters the image sensor 6.

  Next, the operation of the mobile terminal device configured as described above will be described. First, the case where the first casing 1 and the second casing 2 are unfolded as shown in FIG. 1 and the camera takes a picture of the subject will be described. The entrance window 4 of the first housing 1 is pointed at the subject and a shutter operation is performed. As a result, the image of the subject incident from the incident window 4 enters the standard lens 5, and an image having an angle of view of approximately 50 degrees obtained through the standard lens 5 is received by the image sensor 6. Therefore, a standard image of the subject is formed on the image sensor 6 by the standard lens 5 having a focal length close to the diagonal length of the light receiving surface.

  Next, the case where the first casing 1 and the second casing 2 are folded as shown in FIG. 2 and the subject is magnified by the camera will be described. In this case, the optical axes of the standard lens 5 and the telephoto lens 9 coincide. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, the incident window 7 of the second casing 2 folded is directed toward the subject, and a shutter operation is performed. As a result, the image of the subject incident from the entrance window 7 passes through the telephoto lens 9 and is projected as a magnified image, and further passes through the exit window 8 and the entrance window 4 of the first housing 1, and the image sensor 6. Is incident on. The image sensor 6 converts the telephoto image of the subject having a narrow angle of view, which is the incident image, into an electrical image signal and outputs it.

  As described above, the second casing 2 includes the telephoto lens 9 that guides incident light to the camera unit (standard lens 5 and image sensor 6) in a state in which the portable terminal device is folded. Since the optical system in which the telephoto lens 9 is added to the camera unit can be functioned as another camera unit simply by folding, the telephoto function can be added to the camera unit with a compact configuration. Accordingly, a standard image by the standard lens 5 or an enlarged image with a narrow angle of view can be selected and photographed with a compact configuration, and the usability of the camera-equipped mobile terminal device is further improved.

  Further, such an effect can be obtained only by placing the standard lens 5 in the first housing 1 and installing the telephoto lens 9 in the second housing 2. Therefore, it is possible to configure a small-sized and thin camera-equipped mobile terminal device with high functionality without increasing the thickness of the camera itself or increasing the size.

  Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described. Note that, as described with reference to FIG. 1, shooting with the mobile terminal device deployed is the same as shooting a standard image with the standard lens 5. A state where the housing 2 is folded will be described.

  FIG. 3 is a side sectional view conceptually showing the structure of a mobile terminal device according to another embodiment of the present invention. The configuration of the first casing 1 is the same as that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, but the second casing 2 </ b> A is located at a position corresponding to the incident window 4 of the first casing 1. 7 and an exit window 8, and a wide-angle lens 10 is disposed between the windows 7 and 8. Further, when in the folded state as described above, the optical axes of the standard lens 5 and the wide-angle lens 10 coincide. The wide-angle lens 10 has a shorter focal length than the standard lens 5 and a wide angle of view on the light-receiving surface of the required image sensor 6.

  When the shutter is operated with the entrance window 7 of the second casing 2A folded as described above facing the subject, an image of the subject that has entered from the entrance window 7 passes through the wide-angle lens 10 and an image of the subject in a wide range. Is filmed. This image further enters the image sensor 6 through the exit window 8, the entrance window 4 of the first housing 1, and the standard lens 5. The image sensor 6 converts an image of a subject with a wide angle of view into an electrical signal and outputs it.

  As described above, the second casing 2A includes the wide-angle lens 10 that guides the incident light to the camera unit (the standard lens 5 and the image sensor 6) in a state in which the portable terminal device is folded. Since the optical system in which the wide-angle lens 10 is added to the camera unit can be made to function as another camera unit simply by folding, the wide-angle function can be added to the camera unit with a compact configuration. Therefore, a standard image by the standard lens 5 or an image with a large angle of view can be selected and photographed with a compact configuration, and the usability of the camera-equipped mobile terminal device is further improved.

  Such an effect can be obtained only by placing the standard lens 5 in the first housing 1 and installing the wide-angle lens 10 in the second housing 2A. Therefore, a high-function, small and thin portable terminal device with a camera can be configured without increasing the thickness of the entire camera or increasing the size.

  FIG. 4 is a side sectional view conceptually showing the structure of a mobile terminal device according to another embodiment of the present invention. The configuration of the first casing 1 is the same as that shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, but the second casing 2 </ b> B is located at a position corresponding to the incident window 4 of the first casing 1. 7 and the exit window 8 are provided, and a macro lens 11 is disposed between the windows 7 and 8. Further, when in the folded state as described above, the optical axes of the standard lens 5 and the macro lens 11 coincide. The macro lens 11 has a short focal length and forms a close-up magnified image of the subject.

  When the shutter is operated with the entrance window 7 of the second casing 2B folded as described above facing the subject, an image of the subject that has entered from the entrance window 7 passes through the macro lens 11, and an image of the subject is photographed. The This image further enters the image sensor 6 through the exit window 8, the entrance window 4 of the first housing 1, and the standard lens 5. The image sensor 6 converts the close-up image of the subject into an electrical signal and outputs it.

  As described above, the second casing 2B includes the macro lens 11 that guides incident light to the camera unit (the standard lens 5 and the image sensor 6) in a state in which the portable terminal device is folded. Since the optical system in which the macro lens 11 is added to the camera unit can be made to function as another camera unit simply by folding, the macro function can be added to the camera unit with a compact configuration. Therefore, a standard image or close-up image by the standard lens 5 can be selected and photographed with a compact configuration, and the usability of the camera-equipped mobile terminal device is further improved.

  Further, such an effect can be obtained only by arranging the standard lens 5 in the first casing 1 and installing the macro lens 11 in the second casing 2B. Therefore, it is possible to configure a small-sized and thin camera-equipped mobile terminal device with high functionality without increasing the thickness of the camera itself or increasing the size.

  FIG. 5 is a side sectional view conceptually showing the structure of a mobile terminal device according to another embodiment of the present invention. The configuration of the first casing 1 is the same as that shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, but the second casing 2 </ b> C is located at a position corresponding to the incident window 4 of the first casing 1. 7 and an exit window 8, and a zoom lens 12 is disposed between the windows 7 and 8. Further, when in the folded state as described above, the optical axes of the standard lens 5 and the zoom lens 12 coincide. The zoom lens 12 is configured by combining a plurality of lenses and mechanisms, and can continuously change the focal length. Further, by combining a plurality of lenses, the aberration of the photographed image is corrected and can be reproduced with naturalness as seen with the eyes.

  When the shutter is operated with the entrance window 7 of the second casing 2C folded as described above facing the subject, an image of the subject that has entered the entrance window 7 and has been enlarged or reduced by the zoom lens 12 is photographed. . This image further enters the image sensor 6 through the exit window 8, the entrance window 4 of the first housing 1, and the standard lens 5. The image sensor 6 converts the enlarged or reduced image of the subject into an electrical signal and outputs it.

  As described above, the second casing 2C includes the zoom lens 12 that guides the incident light to the camera unit (the standard lens 5 and the image sensor 6) in a state in which the portable terminal device is folded. Since the optical system in which the zoom lens 12 is added to the camera unit can be made to function as another camera unit simply by folding, the zoom function can be added to the camera unit with a compact configuration. Therefore, it is possible to select and shoot either a standard image by the standard lens 5 or an image with a large angle of view or an image with a small angle of view with a compact configuration, and the usability of the camera-equipped mobile terminal device is further improved. .

  Further, such an effect can be obtained only by placing the standard lens 5 in the first housing 1 and installing the zoom lens 12 on the second housing 2C. Therefore, it is possible to configure a small-sized and thin camera-equipped mobile terminal device with high functionality without increasing the thickness of the camera itself or increasing the size.

  FIG. 6 is a side sectional view conceptually showing the structure of a mobile terminal device according to another embodiment of the present invention. The configuration of the first casing 1 is the same as that shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, but the second casing 2D is located at a position corresponding to the incident window 4 of the first casing 1. 7 and an exit window 8, and a telephoto wide-angle lens 13 is disposed between the windows 7 and 8. Further, when in the folded state as described above, the optical axes of the standard lens 5 and the telephoto wide-angle lens 13 coincide.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the telephoto / wide-angle lens 13 is composed of, for example, a single concave lens interposed between two convex lenses, which are disposed between the entrance window 7 and the exit window 8. When incident light (image of a subject) is incident from the direction of arrow P, it functions as a telephoto lens, and when incident light is incident from the direction of arrow Q, it functions as a wide-angle lens. 2nd housing | casing 2D is supported so that 180 degree horizontal rotation is possible centering on the other hinge part 14 provided between the hinge parts 3 in FIG.6 and FIG.8. With this configuration, the mobile terminal device can be folded in a state where the second casing is inverted.

  In the portable terminal device having such a configuration, in the state where the first casing 1 and the second casing 2D are unfolded, as shown in FIG. It can be imaged on top. On the other hand, when one surface of the second housing 2D is folded so as to overlap the front surface of the first housing 1, the telephoto wide-angle lens 13 functions as a telephoto lens. The light incident on the telephoto wide-angle lens 13 enters the image sensor 6 via the standard lens 5 and enables telephoto shooting.

  In addition, when the second housing 2D is folded in a state where the other surface is inverted so as to overlap the front surface of the first housing 1, the telephoto wide-angle lens functions as a wide-angle lens. The light incident on the telephoto wide-angle lens 13 is incident on the image sensor 6 via the standard lens 5 so that wide-angle photographing can be performed.

  In this way, the second housing 2D includes the telephoto wide-angle lens 13 that guides incident light to the camera unit (standard lens 5 and image sensor 6) in a state in which the portable terminal device is folded, so that the portable terminal device is provided. Since the optical system in which the telephoto wide-angle lens 13 is added to the camera unit can be made to function as another camera unit simply by folding, the telephoto function and the wide-angle function can be added to the camera unit with a compact configuration. Therefore, in addition to the standard image by the standard lens 5, any one of a telephoto image and a wide-angle image can be selected and photographed with a compact configuration, and the usability of the camera-equipped mobile terminal device is further improved.

  Such an effect can be obtained only by placing the standard lens 5 in the first housing 1 and installing the telephoto wide-angle lens 13 in the second housing 2D. Therefore, a high-function, small and thin portable terminal device with a camera can be configured without increasing the thickness of the camera itself or increasing its size.

  In addition to the various lenses described above, a fisheye lens or the like may be used as the lens installed in the second housing.

  FIG. 9 is a side sectional view conceptually showing the structure of a mobile terminal device according to another embodiment of the present invention. Although the configuration of the first casing 1 is the same as that shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, the second casing 2 </ b> E is located at a position corresponding to the incident window 4 of the first casing 1. 7 and an exit window 8. A filter 15 is disposed between the windows 7 and 8.

  In this case, incident light passes through the optical filter 15, and optically processed light (image of the subject) enters the image sensor 6 via the standard lens 5. For this reason, an electrical signal of a special image processed optically is output from the image sensor 6, stored in the memory, and output or printed out.

  When the optical filter 15 is used, for example, the standard image and a special image that has passed through the optical filter 15 can be selected and imaged as in the case of using the special optical lens. As the optical filter 15, an ultraviolet cut filter, a neutral density filter for preventing saturation of the image sensor, a color filter for coloring (such as sepia), and the like can be used.

  As described above, the second casing 2E includes the optical filter 15 that guides incident light to the camera unit (standard lens 5 and image sensor 6) in a state in which the portable terminal device is folded. Since the optical system in which the optical filter 15 is added to the camera unit can be made to function as another camera unit simply by folding, the filter function can be added to the camera unit with a compact configuration. Therefore, it is possible to select and capture either a standard image by the standard lens 5 or a special image by the optical filter 15 with a compact configuration, and the usability of the camera-equipped mobile terminal device is further improved.

  Further, such an effect can be obtained only by arranging the standard lens 5 in the first housing 1 and installing the optical filter 15 in the second housing 2E. Therefore, it is possible to configure a small-sized and thin camera-equipped mobile terminal device with high functionality without increasing the thickness of the camera itself or increasing the size. In addition, you may provide various lenses, such as a telephoto lens, in the 2nd housing | casing with an optical filter.

  According to the present invention, the second casing includes the optical means for guiding the incident light to the camera unit in a state where the portable apparatus is folded, so that the optical means is attached to the camera unit only by folding the portable apparatus. Since the optical system added with the function can be made to function as another camera unit, there is an effect that an optical function can be added to the camera unit with a compact configuration. This is useful for a portable device or the like in which the second casing is foldably connected.

Side surface sectional drawing which shows notionally the portable terminal device at the time of expansion | deployment by one Embodiment of this invention Side surface sectional drawing which shows notionally the portable terminal device at the time of folding by one Embodiment of this invention Side surface sectional drawing which shows notionally the portable terminal device at the time of folding by other embodiment of this invention Side surface sectional drawing which shows notionally the portable terminal device at the time of folding by other embodiment of this invention Side surface sectional drawing which shows notionally the portable terminal device at the time of folding by other embodiment of this invention Side surface sectional drawing which shows notionally the portable terminal device at the time of folding by other embodiment of this invention FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of the telephoto / wide-angle lens in FIG. The front view which shows the state which released the 1st housing | casing and the 2nd housing | casing in FIG. Side surface sectional drawing which shows notionally the portable terminal device at the time of folding by other embodiment of this invention

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 1st housing | casing 2, 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E 2nd housing | casing 3 Hinge part 5 Standard lens 6 Image sensor 9 Telephoto lens 10 Wide angle lens 11 Macro lens 12 Zoom lens 13 Telephoto wide angle lens 14 Hinge part 15 Optical filter

Claims (3)

A portable device in which a first casing on which a camera unit is mounted and a second casing are connected so as to be foldable,
The second casing is a portable device including optical means for guiding incident light to the camera unit in a state where the portable device is folded. The portable device according to claim 1,
The optical means is a telephoto wide-angle lens;
A portable device that can be folded in a state in which the second casing is inverted. The portable device according to claim 1 or 2,
The optical device is a portable device that is an optical filter.

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