WO2017109661A1

WO2017109661A1 - Accessory for portable computer

Info

Publication number: WO2017109661A1
Application number: PCT/IB2016/057753
Authority: WO
Inventors: Claudio Silvestri; Enrico AVOLEDO
Original assignee: Aiino Srl
Priority date: 2015-12-22
Filing date: 2016-12-18
Publication date: 2017-06-29
Also published as: ITUB20159515A1

Abstract

An accessory (10) for laptop computer (PC) comprising a keyboard (K) and an appendage containing a screen (S), hinged therebetween for closing like a book one on the other. The appendage comprises an image sensor (W). The accessory comprising a casing (12) and a lens (40) comprised in the casing. Wherein the casing comprises an element (32) capable of attaching to the appendage over the sensor (W) so as to superimpose the lens to the latter.

Description

ACCESSORY FOR PORTABLE COMPUTER

The invention generally relates to an accessory portable- computer [laptop or notebook), in particular to a device for improving the viewing quality of the image sensor integrated in the portable computer.

As known, the most common portable computers, which are referred to here, have a keyboard and a screen hinged to each other for closing like a book one on the other, so as to save space and protect the screen.

Many models, to avoid the cumbersome external connection of a webcam, have an integrated image sensor, usually incorporated in the center of the liftable part that contains the screen. The purpose is allowing the user to be filmed and to transmit his image while he operates on the keyboard, mainly during videoconferences or social media browsing sessions.

The sensor, which actually becomes a videocamera, works well until the shooting scene is inside a very narrow angle (about the width of a human torso) but is useless for wider angles. If, as it is not uncommon to happen, one has to transmit a very "large" image, e.g. to shoot several people placed side by side during a conference or a particularly extensive object, the only solution is to move the computer or the object by hand to shoot a train of image shots to be sent (the computer might be moved away from the object to narrow the field but the definition quickly drops).

The discomfort or impracticability of the system is apparent.

Main object of the invention is to improve this state of the art.

Another object is to provide an accessory for portable computers of the said type that improves the fruition of the integrated image sensor.

An accessory is proposed for laptop computer comprising a keyboard and an appendage containing a screen, hinged therebetween for closing like a book one on the other, and wherein the appendage comprises an image sensor,

the accessory comprising

a casing,

a lens comprised in the casing, wherein the casing comprises an element capable of attaching to the appendage over the sensor so as to superimpose the lens to the latter.

With such a structure the accessory makes it possible and easy the application of a corrective lens over the image sensor.

Said element can be e.g. a suction cup, an adhesive layer or - preferably - a clamp or a gripper able to clamp an edge of the screen and/or of the appendage. The gripper or clamp makes it easier to apply and remove the accessory.

The gripper or clamp may be formed e.g.:

by two parts of the accessory couplable together (e.g. by means of a joint) to clamp opposite sides of the screen and/or of the appendage; and/or by a fixed groove of the accessory (e.g. obtained in the casing) in which to insert an edge of the screen and/or of the appendage; and/or

by two relatively- movable parts of the accessory, e.g. hinged on each other like the clamps of some pincers or linearly guided into each other like a screw-clamp. In the second case one part may be screwable in the other to be advanced or may slide inside a guide formed in the other part.

Preferably the accessory comprises an elastic element acting on one of or both the said parts to push them (e.g. making them closer) towards a position or configuration having higher clamping against the screen (when present) or the appendage.

A preferred embodiment for said two movable parts envisages that the accessory comprises

a hollow tubular shell which extends (preferably in a symmetrical manner) along and about an axis,

an element movable inside the shell along the axis,

the shell comprising a pass-through slot intersecting for its entire length an imaginary plane orthogonal to the axis,

so that the edge of the screen or of the appendage can be inserted inside the shell along the orthogonal plane and is clamped between an edge of the slot and the movable element. Preferably the slot has such a length that, considered the angle with vertex on said axis and sides passing through the two end points of the slot, the angle is 180 to 300 degrees, preferably about 260 degrees.

Preferably the transversal section of the movable element is complementary to the inner section of the shell.

Preferably the accessory comprises an elastic element acting on the movable element to push it towards the slot.

Preferably the lens is placed in the vicinity of an open base of the shell.

Preferably the accessory comprises a retaining element placed in proximity of the open base designed to retain, by opposition of parts, the lens inside the shell.

Preferably the movable element comprises a portion slidingly inserted in a pass-through opening of the shell. In particular, the pass-through opening is located in a closed base of the shell, at a position being extreme and opposite to the open base.

Preferably the accessory comprises a cover superimposed to the shell for covering the pass-through opening.

Another aspect of the invention is a method for changing the image- capture visual angle of an image sensor comprised in a screen hinged to a keyboard of a laptop computer so as to close like a book over the keyboard, the method comprising the step of applying externally to the computer and over the sensor a lens detachable or removable (from the computer), or applying externally to the computer and over the sensor an accessory as defined above.

Preferably a support for the lens is applied to the screen.

Another aspect of the invention is a method for changing the image- capture visual angle of an image sensor comprised in a casing of a smartphone at a position adjacent to a tactile display, the method comprising the step of

applying externally to the smartphone and over the sensor a detachable lens, or

applying externally to the smartphone and over the sensor an accessory as defined above. Another aspect of the invention is a kit comprising: a portable computer as defined above and an accessory as defined above.

Another aspect of the invention is a portable computer as defined above comprising an accessory as defined above.

Another aspect of the invention is an accessory, as defined above, applied or applicable to a mobile phone or smartphone having a front sensor image, namely that on the same side of the touch display. In this variant said element comprised in the casing is capable of attaching to the mobile phone over the front sensor to superimpose the lens to the latter. The accessory allows to improve the performance of the cell phone or smartphone during video conferences. This variant shares all the options mentioned in the previous variant mutatis mutandis, i.e. wherein the image sensor is exchanged with that of cell phone or smartphone and the computer appendage with the cell phone or smartphone's casing that includes the front image sensor.

Another aspect of the invention is a mobile phone or smartphone comprising an accessory as defined above.

Another aspect of the invention concerns the use of said accessory on a cell phone or smartphone as defined above to increase or correct the optical range of the front lens.

Another aspect of the invention concerns the use of said accessory on a portable computer as defined above to increase or correct the optical range of the lens included in the appendage.

In the above methods or accessory the lens preferably is of a wide-angle type to capture a wider angle of the horizon.

The following description relates to a preferred embodiment of accessory and will highlight its further advantages, with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 shows a side view of the accessory when detached from a portable computer;

Fig. 2 shows a side view of the accessory when attached to the computer; Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of the accessory as detached from the computer; Fig. 4 shows a second perspective view of the accessory as detached from the computer;

Fig. 5 shows a cross-section view according the plane V-V of Fig. 4.

In the figures identical numbers indicate identical or similar parts, and to not crowd the drawings some elements were not always numbered.

The accessory 10 comprises a hollow outer casing or a main hollow body 12 with axis X. Preferably, the axis X is of symmetry for the body 12, which e.g. is cylindrical- shaped.

The body 12 is open on one side, by virtue of an open base 18, and closed at the opposite side and base 20 by a filled portion 16, to which a cover 14 is superimposed. Inside the internal cavity 34 of the body 12, in correspondence of the open base 18, a lens 40 is placed, retained inside the cavity 34 by a contrast ring 70.

The body 12 comprises on its lateral surface a pass-through slot 32, which gives access to the center of the cavity 34 and to the back of the lens 40. The slot 32 extends, with respect to an angle with vertex on the axis X, by an angle of approximately 260 degrees and develops in such a lateral surface following a plane orthogonal to the axis X.

In the filled portion 16 there is mounted a piston 50 formed by a central stem 52, slidable coaxially to the axis X inside a central hole of the filled portion 16, and a pushing head or plunger 54 with substantially flat surface. The projection of the stem 52 from the filled portion 16 is hidden by the cover 14.

Overall, the head 54 can slightly move back towards the filled portion 16 sliding along the X axis, and a helical spring 24 tucked around the stem 52 elastically pushes the head 54 towards a resting position nearest to the lens 40.

OPERATION

Consider a laptop PC (Fig. 6) having an appendage, for a screen S, with the free edge B (opposite to the one hinged to a keyboard K) and an image sensor W integrated in the screen S (e.g. in the frame or appendix of the chassis which supports the pixel matrix of the screen S).

The accessory 10 (see Fig. 2) is applied to the edge B. In particular, the screen S must be inserted into the slot 32, until the edge B abuts on the lateral edges of the slot 32. The head 54 recedes favoring the insertion.

The relative dimensions between the slot 32 and the edge B are designed such that the edge B will snugly enter into it and the sensor W will align with the center of the lens 40, so that the axis X becomes the main axis of the assembly formed by the sensor W and the lens 40.

The spring 24 pushes the head 54 against the back of the screen S, so as to clamp the accessory 10 to the screen S. Actually a small clamp is created with enough force to attach the accessory 10 to the screen S, but without damaging the latter.

VARIATIONS

To align the lens 40 to any screen S, wherein the position of the sensor W may change, it is enough to modify the shape of the body 12, so that its central slot allows the insertion of the screen S until the lens 40 ends up aligned with the sensor W.

The body 12 may be U-shaped, or horseshoe-shaped, or be single-piece or made of two parts connectable or articulated on each other to clamp the screen S therebetween.

The head 54, or an equivalent movable pressure-fastening element against the screen S, is optional but promotes stability of the accessory 10.

The spring 24, or equivalent elastic pressure element on the head 54, is optional, but promotes the stability of the accessory 10.

Claims

1. Accessory (10) for laptop computer (PC) comprising a keyboard (K) and an appendage containing a screen (S), hinged therebetween for closing like a book one on the other, and wherein the appendage comprises an image sensor (W),

the accessory comprising

a casing (12) and a lens (40) comprised in the casing,

wherein the casing comprises an element (32) capable of attaching to the appendage over the sensor (W) so as to superimpose the lens to the latter.

2. Accessory (10) according to claim 1, wherein the element comprises a clamp or a gripper able to clamp an edge of the screen and/or of the appendage.

3. Accessory (10) according to claim 2, wherein the clamp or gripper is formed by two parts (12, 54) of the accessory couplable together to clamp opposite sides of the screen and/or of the appendage.

4. Accessory (10) according to claim 2, wherein the clamp or gripper is formed by a fixed groove of the accessory in which to insert an edge of the screen and/or of the appendage.

5. Accessory (10) according to claim 2, wherein the clamp or gripper is formed by two relatively- movable parts of the accessory, e.g. linearly guided into each other.

6. Accessory (10) according to claim 5, wherein for said movable parts the accessory comprises

a hollow tubular shell (12) which extends along and about an axis (X), an element (54) movable inside the shell along the axis,

the shell comprising a pass-through slot (32) intersecting for its entire length an imaginary plane orthogonal to the axis, so that the edge of the screen or of the appendage can be inserted inside the shell along the orthogonal plane and is clamped between an edge of the slot and the movable element.

7. Accessory (10) according to claim 6, wherein the slot has such a length that, considered the angle with vertex on said axis and sides passing through the two end points of the slot, the angle is 180 to 300 degrees, preferably about 260 degrees.

8. Accessory (10) according to claim 6 or 7, comprising an elastic element (24) acting on the movable element (54) to push it towards the slot.

9. Accessory (10) according to claim 6 or 7 or 8, wherein the transversal section of the movable element is complementary to the inner section of the shell.

10. Accessory (10) according to claim 6 or 7 or 8 or 9, wherein the lens is placed in the vicinity of an open base of the shell.

11. Accessory (10) according to claim 6 or 7 or 8 or 9 or 10, comprising a retaining element (70) placed in proximity of the open base designed to retain, by opposition of parts, the lens inside the shell.

12. Accessory (10) according to claim 6 or 7 or 8 or 9 or 10 or 11, wherein the movable element (50) comprises a portion (54) slidingly inserted in a pass-through opening (32) of the shell.

13. Accessory (10) according to claim 12, wherein the pass-through opening (32) is located in a closed base of the shell, at a position being extreme and opposite to the open base.

14. Accessory (10) according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the accessory comprises a cover superimposed to the shell for covering the pass-through opening.

15. Accessory according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the lens is a wide-angle lens.

16. Accessory (10) for a smartphone comprising a casing equipped on the same side with a tactile display and a front image sensor, the accessory comprising

a casing (12) and a lens (40) comprised in the casing,

wherein the casing comprises an element (32) capable of attaching to the casing of the smartphone over the front image sensor so as to superimpose the latter to the lens.

17. Method for changing the image-capture visual angle of an image sensor (W) comprised in a screen (S) hinged to a keyboard (K) of a laptop computer (PC) so as to close like a book over the keyboard, the method comprising the step of

applying externally to the computer and over the sensor a detachable lens (40).

18. Method for changing the image-capture visual angle of an image sensor (W) comprised in a casing of a smartphone at a position adjacent to a tactile display, the method comprising the step of

applying externally to the smartphone and over the sensor a detachable lens (40).

19. A method as in claim 17 or 18, wherein the lens is a wide-angle lens.