JP3839749B2 - Mobile phone - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a mobile phone incorporating a digital camera.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Some of the latest mobile phones have a built-in digital camera, which allows users to transfer image data to the other party from the shooting location and enjoy images at the same time. The digital camera includes a camera unit that includes a photographing lens and an image sensor, and a circuit unit that applies electrical processing to an image signal obtained by the image sensor. The circuit unit can be easily downsized by combining or combining with the circuit unit for the telephone, and there is also a degree of freedom in the arrangement space within the telephone housing, but the camera unit is taking a picture. It includes parts of a fixed size such as a lens and an image sensor, and it is difficult to incorporate efficiently.
[0003]
Conventionally, a camera unit is incorporated so that the photographic lens is exposed from the outer surface of the telephone housing. When the photographic lens is pointed at a normal subject, an image is displayed on the liquid crystal panel provided on the back side thereof. It is possible to perform framing while observing an image. There are also two sets of camera units that are incorporated on the front and back of the telephone case so that the photographed image can be confirmed on the liquid crystal panel even when photographing one's face.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, a digital camera of a mobile phone is often used for the purpose of photographing his / her face and sending it to the other party. Therefore, when the camera unit is incorporated on the outer surface of the telephone casing, the image cannot be confirmed on the liquid crystal panel when the user is photographed. For this reason, a simple reflection type finder is provided in the vicinity of the photographing lens, but there is a drawback that it is difficult to photograph at an angle intended by the user. In addition, incorporating a dedicated camera unit for selfies is disadvantageous in terms of cost and installation space.
[0005]
The present invention has been made in consideration of the above, and provides a mobile phone capable of observing a photographed image and performing a photographing operation while keeping the orientation of the telephone housing constant in both normal photographing and self photographing. For the purpose.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a flexible antenna to a transmitting / receiving antenna, attaches a camera unit including a photographing lens and an image sensor to the tip of the antenna, and bends the antenna so that the optical axis of the photographing lens. Change direction. By changing the optical axis direction of the photographing lens, photographing operation can be performed while looking at the operation unit, and photographing can be performed while confirming the subject image from the liquid crystal panel.
[0007]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 is an external view of a mobile phone incorporating a digital camera of the present invention. On the front surface of the mobile phone 3 with a built-in digital camera function, there are provided a liquid crystal panel 4 on which various information is displayed, and an operation unit 5 for performing dial operation, photographing operation, and the like. The operation unit 5 is provided with a rotation button 6 that rotates a subject image displayed on the liquid crystal panel 4 when the digital camera is used. A memory card slot 8 for inserting a memory card 7 is provided on the side surface of the mobile phone 3. Further, the mobile phone 3 is provided with an antenna 10 and can be stored in the phone case when not in use. A camera unit 13 to be described later is provided at the tip of the antenna 10.
[0008]
The antenna 10 includes a rod-like and hollow antenna body 15 (see FIG. 4) made of a plastic material having flexibility, and an antenna wire 16 (see FIG. 4) embedded in the antenna body 15. FIG. As shown in FIG. In the hollow portion of the antenna body 15, an image sensor 17 (see FIG. 4) in the camera unit 13 and an image signal processing circuit 18 (see FIG. 5) which is a circuit unit incorporated in the telephone housing are connected. A signal line 19 (see FIG. 4) passes. The signal line 19 transmits a signal for driving the image sensor 17 and extracts an image signal from the image sensor 17.
[0009]
FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the camera unit. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the camera unit. The camera unit 13 includes a zooming cam cylinder 20, a focus ring 23, a first moving cylinder 25, a second moving cylinder 26, a fixed cylinder 27, a first group lens 28, a second group lens 29, and a third group lens 30. The projection 32, the projection 33, the projection 34, the image sensor 17, and the circuit board 35 are included.
[0010]
The outer periphery of the camera unit 13 includes a zooming cam cylinder 20 and a focus ring 23, and the zooming cam cylinder 20 includes a lens, an image sensor 17, and the like. Cam grooves 37 and 38 and a circumferential groove 39 are formed inside the cam cylinder 20 for zooming operation. A first group lens 28 is attached inside the focus ring 23. A female helicoid screw 43 is provided on the inner periphery of the focus ring 23, and is screwed with a male helicoid screw 44 provided on the outer periphery of the fixed cylinder 27.
[0011]
On the outer periphery of the first moving cylinder 25, a protrusion 32 and a straight guide slot 45 extending in parallel with the optical axis are provided, and a second group lens 29 is provided inside. A protrusion 33 is provided on the outer periphery of the second moving cylinder 26, and a third group lens 30 is provided inside.
[0012]
On the outer periphery of the fixed cylinder 27, a straight guide slot 53 extending in parallel with the optical axis, a protrusion 34, and a male helicoid screw 44 are provided. The male helicoid screw 44 is screwed with a female helicoid screw 43 provided on the inner periphery of the focus ring 23.
[0013]
The protrusion 33 provided on the outer periphery of the second movable cylinder 26 is engaged with the straight guide slot 45 so that the outer periphery of the second movable cylinder 26 and the inner periphery of the first movable cylinder 25 are in contact with each other. Further, the protrusion 32 provided on the outer periphery of the first moving cylinder 25 and the protrusion 33 provided on the outer periphery of the second moving cylinder 26 are linearly guided so that the outer periphery of the first moving cylinder 25 and the inner periphery of the fixed cylinder 27 are in contact with each other. Is engaged with the slot 53 for use. Further, the protrusion 32 and the protrusion 33 are engaged with cam grooves 37 and 38 formed inside the cam cylinder 20 for zooming operation, and the protrusion 34 provided on the outer periphery of the fixed cylinder 27 is engaged with the circumferential groove 39 to thereby fix the fixed cylinder. The male helicoid screw 44 of 27 and the female helicoid screw 43 of the focus ring 23 are screwed together, and the circuit board 35 on which the image sensor 17 is fixed is attached to the fixed cylinder 27 so that the image sensor 17 and the third lens group 30 face each other. Thus, the camera unit 13 is assembled.
[0014]
The cam cylinder 20 for zooming operation of the camera unit 13 can be rotated in the circumferential direction. When the cam cylinder 20 for zooming operation is rotated, the protrusions 32 and 33 are displaced along the straight guide slot 53 by the pressing by the cam grooves 37 and 38. Displacement of the protrusion 32 and the protrusion 33 changes the distance in the optical axis direction between the second group lens 29 and the third group lens 30, and zooming adjustment can be performed. The focus ring 23 can also rotate in the circumferential direction, and the focus ring 23 moves straight in the optical axis direction with respect to the fixed cylinder 27 according to the lead of the male helicoid screw 44 and the female helicoid screw 43, and one group The distance in the optical axis direction between the lens 28 and the second group lens 29 can be changed, and focus adjustment can be performed. By manually performing zooming and focusing, driving means such as motors and gears and wiring to the driving means are unnecessary, and the mobile phone 3 can be downsized. In addition, since there is no power consumption for driving zoom and focus adjustment, waiting time of the mobile phone 3 is not shortened by driving zoom and focus adjustment.
[0015]
FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a mobile phone incorporating a digital camera function. The mobile phone 3 of the present invention incorporates not only a call function such as the mobile phone unit 54 but also a digital camera function. When the operation unit 5 is operated to enter the photographing mode, operation information is sent to the system control unit 55, and the system control unit 55 sends a signal instructing the image signal processing circuit 18 to drive the image sensor 17. The image signal processing circuit 18 sends a signal for driving the image sensor 17 to the image sensor 17 built in the camera unit 13 through the signal line 19 to drive the image sensor 17.
[0016]
After driving the image sensor 17, the image signal of the subject is taken into the image sensor 17 through the first group lens 28 built in the camera unit 13, and the image signal passes through the signal line 19 that passes through the hollow portion of the antenna body 15. It is sent to the processing circuit 18. In the image signal processing circuit 18, the image signal taken out from the image sensor 17 is converted into image data and sent to the system control unit 55. The system control unit 55 sends the image data sent from the image signal processing circuit 18 to the memory control unit 56. The memory control unit 56 temporarily records the image data sent from the system control unit 55 in the built-in memory 57. The image data temporarily recorded in the built-in memory 57 is displayed as a subject image on the liquid crystal panel 4 through the memory control unit 56, the system control unit 55, the image signal processing circuit 18, and the liquid crystal control circuit 60.
[0017]
When photographing, the photographing button of the operation unit 5 is pushed, and the image data sent from the image signal processing circuit 18 is written to the built-in memory 57 or the memory card 7 through the system control unit 55 and the memory control unit 56. . In addition, the mobile phone 3 of the present invention can transmit and receive image data with other mobile phones. When the operation unit 5 is operated to transmit image data to another mobile phone, the operation information is transmitted to the built-in memory 57 or the memory card 7 through the system control unit 55 and the memory control unit 56. The image data written in the built-in memory 57 or the memory card 7 is sent in the order of the memory control unit 56, the system control unit 55, and the transmission / reception circuit 63, and the image data is transmitted to another mobile phone through the antenna line 16. . The mobile phone that receives the transmitted image data receives the image data through the antenna line 16 and the transmission / reception circuit 63. The received image data passes through the system control unit 55, the image signal processing circuit 18, and the liquid crystal control circuit 60, and a subject image is displayed on the liquid crystal panel 4.
[0018]
Hereinafter, the operation of the above configuration will be described. When shooting with the digital camera built in the mobile phone 3, the operation unit 5 is operated to set the shooting mode. Next, for easy operation, the mobile phone 3 is held so that the liquid crystal panel 4 and the operation unit 5 can be seen, and the antenna 10 is pulled out from the phone housing. When the subject is in front, the antenna body 15 is bent forward and the optical axis of the first lens group 28 is directed toward the subject. At this time, the image data captured from the first group lens 28 is displayed on the liquid crystal panel 4 as a subject image.
[0019]
While observing the subject image displayed on the liquid crystal panel 4, the zoom cylinder 20 is rotated to change the distance between the second group lens 29 and the third group lens 30, thereby adjusting the magnification. After zooming adjustment, the focus ring 23 is rotated while changing the distance between the first lens group 28 and the second lens group 29 while viewing the subject image displayed on the liquid crystal panel 4 to perform focus adjustment. After the focus adjustment, shooting is performed by pressing a shooting button provided on the operation unit 5.
[0020]
Further, when the photographer wants to photograph himself, the antenna 10 is bent toward him so that the optical axis of the first lens group 28 is directed toward him and the subject image is displayed on the liquid crystal panel 4. At this time, the image sensor 17 is upside down when the subject is in front, and the subject image displayed on the liquid crystal panel 4 is upside down. For this reason, the rotation button 6 is pressed to rotate the subject image displayed on the liquid crystal panel 4 by 180 degrees. When the subject image displayed on the liquid crystal panel 4 is rotated by 180 degrees, the zoom cylinder 20 is rotated while viewing the subject image displayed on the liquid crystal panel 4 as in the case where the subject is in front. Adjust the magnification. After zooming adjustment, the focus ring 23 is rotated while checking the liquid crystal panel 4 to perform focus adjustment. After the focus adjustment, shooting is performed by pressing a shooting button provided on the operation unit 5.
[0021]
Even when shooting a subject in any direction, the antenna 10 is bent so that the optical axis of the shooting lens faces the subject, the rotation button 6 is pressed, and the subject image displayed on the liquid crystal panel 4 is rotated. The subject image can be confirmed from the liquid crystal panel 4, and the photographer can perform a photographing operation while looking at the operation unit 5.
[0022]
When photographing is performed, the image data can be recorded in any one of the built-in memory 56 and the memory card 7. Further, the image data recorded in the built-in memory 56 or the memory card 7 can be read and displayed on the liquid crystal panel 4. Further, the image data recorded in the built-in memory 56 or the memory card 7 is read out and transmitted to the other mobile phone 3, or the image data transmitted from the other mobile phone 3 is received and the received image data is received. Can be recorded in the built-in memory 56 or the memory card 7.
[0023]
In this embodiment, the antenna body is made of a flexible resin so as to be flexible. However, the antenna body may be bent by other methods. When an image signal processing circuit or the like is provided at the tip of the antenna, the circuit unit incorporated in the telephone case may be a system control unit or the like. Furthermore, the present invention can also be applied to a mobile phone incorporating a digital camera including a camera unit that does not require a focus operation such as pan focus or a camera unit that does not have a zoom function. The memory card used in the above embodiment can use not only smart media (R) and compact flash (R), but also various recording media.
[0024]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the mobile phone incorporating the digital camera of the present invention, the optical axis of the photographing lens can be adjusted in various directions by providing the antenna with flexibility and providing a camera unit at the tip of the antenna. I was able to turn it. As a result, even when shooting a subject in any direction, the shooting operation can be performed while looking at the operation unit, and shooting can be performed while checking the subject image from the liquid crystal panel.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an external view of a mobile phone with a built-in digital camera.
FIG. 2 is an external view of a camera unit.
FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the camera unit.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a camera unit.
FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a mobile phone with a built-in digital camera function.
[Explanation of symbols]
3 Mobile phone 10 Antenna 13 Camera unit 15 Antenna body 16 Antenna line 19 Signal line

Claims (2)

In a mobile phone with an antenna for transmission and reception,
A cellular phone characterized in that at least a part of the antenna has bendability and a camera unit including a photographing lens and an image sensor is provided at the tip of the antenna. 2. The mobile phone according to claim 1, wherein a signal line from the image sensor is connected to a circuit unit incorporated in a telephone housing through a hollow portion of the antenna.

Images