Light shield shutters for cameras

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11156901-B2
Application number	US-201716076491-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 6, 2017
Priority date	Jul 6, 2017
Publication date	Oct 26, 2021
Grant date	Oct 26, 2021

Abstract

A technique includes mounting a light source on an electronic device and disabling a camera of the electronic device. Disabling the camera includes activating the light source to shutter the camera.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a camera having an associated field of view;
a light shield shutter comprising:
a light source; and
a light diffuser to diffuse light provided by the light source, the diffused light forming a light barrier that prevents the camera from acquiring an image associated with the field of view; and

a controller to turn on the light source to activate the light shield shutter.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the camera comprises a lens, and the apparatus further comprises a housing and an opening for the lens, wherein:
the light barrier extends across the opening for the lens, and
the camera and the light shield shutter are disposed within the housing.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein:
the housing comprises a display window screen and a bezel disposed on a peripheral area of the display screen window,
the opening for the lens extends through the bezel, and
the light diffuser extends across the opening.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein
the housing comprises a display window screen comprising a transparent region associated with the lens, and
the light diffuser extends across the transparent region.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a printed circuit board (PCB),
wherein the light source comprises a light emitting diode (LED), and the LED, the controller and the camera are mounted to the PCB.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a mechanical switch,
wherein the controller is to turn on the light source in response to a state of the mechanical switch.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising an electronic device that includes a housing, wherein the camera, the light shield shutter, and the controller are housed by the housing.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the housing comprises an opening, and the light diffuser extends across the opening and is between the opening and a lens of the camera.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the light diffuser comprises:
a first light pipe portion having an end to receive the light of the light source; and
a second light pipe portion that extends across a lens of the camera, wherein the second light pipe portion is angled with respect to the first light pipe portion and is to receive the light of the light source from the first light pipe portion.

10. A method comprising:
mounting a light source on an electronic device;
mounting a light diffuser that directs light from the light source toward a lens of a camera; and
mounting the camera on the electronic device, wherein the light source when activated disables the camera.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein mounting the light source on the electronic device comprises mounting the light source so that a field of view of the light source overlaps a field of view of the camera.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the electronic device includes a housing, the method comprising:
arranging the camera, the light source, and the light diffuser in the housing.

13. An electronic device comprising:
a camera to provide image data representing images acquired by the camera;
a processor to process the image data;
a light shield shutter for the camera, wherein the light shield shutter comprises a light source and a light diffuser to diffuse light from the light source, the diffused light forming a light barrier that prevents the camera from acquiring an image associated with a field of view of the camera;
a physical switch; and
a circuit to operate the light shield shutter based on a state of the physical switch.

14. The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the camera comprises a lens, and the light diffuser is to direct the light from the light source to the lens.

15. The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the circuit is to operate the light shield shutter independently of the processor.

16. The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein:
the camera comprises an image sensor, and
the light from the light source saturates the image sensor in response to the light shield shutter being activated.

17. The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the light source comprises a light emitting diode (LED).

18. The electronic device of claim 13 , further comprising a housing comprising an aperture for the camera, wherein the physical switch comprises a toggle switch and illumination of the aperture indicates that the light shield shutter is turned on.

19. The electronic device of claim 13 , comprising a housing, wherein the camera, the light shield shutter, the processor, and the circuit are housed by the housing.

20. The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the light diffuser comprises:
a first light pipe portion having an end to receive the light of the light source; and
a second light pipe portion that extends across a lens of the camera, wherein the second light pipe portion is angled with respect to the first light pipe portion and is to receive the light of the light source from the first light pipe portion.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Moon Tony
• Tam Alan Man Pan

Classifications

• H04N23/55

  Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof · CPC title

• H04N23/56

  provided with illuminating means · CPC title

• G03B11/045 Primary

  Lens hoods or shields · CPC title

• G03B11/041 Primary

  Lens caps as separate accessory (accessories in general G03B17/56) · CPC title

• G03B30/00

  Camera modules comprising integrated lens units and imaging units, specially adapted for being embedded in other devices, e.g. mobile phones or vehicles · CPC title