Camera shutters

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11256159-B2
Application number	US-201817046000-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2018
Priority date	Sep 28, 2018
Publication date	Feb 22, 2022
Grant date	Feb 22, 2022

Abstract

Examples disclosed herein provide a computing device. As an example, the computing device includes a camera comprising a lens, and a housing comprising an opening extending through the housing, wherein the opening is to accommodate the lens. The housing further includes a shutter to selectively obscure the opening, and a mechanical trigger, upon receiving an electrical signal, to move the shutter to obscure the opening. Upon the mechanical trigger engaging the shutter to obscure the opening, the housing further includes a mechanical feature to block the mechanical trigger from moving the shutter to expose the opening

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computing device comprising:
a camera comprising a lens; and
a housing comprising:
an opening extending through the housing, wherein the opening is to accommodate the lens;
a shutter to selectively obscure the opening;
a mechanical trigger, upon receiving an electrical signal, to move the shutter to obscure the opening, wherein the mechanical trigger comprises:
a locking pin;
a trigger release to make contact with the locking pin;
a memory alloy coupled to the trigger release, wherein, upon receiving the electrical signal, the memory alloy is to contract and move the trigger release, wherein, upon the trigger release moving, the locking pin is to be released from a notch of the shutter; and
a first spring coupled to the shutter, wherein, upon the locking pin releasing from the notch of the shutter, the first spring is to expand and move the shutter to obscure the opening; and
upon the mechanical trigger engaging the shutter to obscure the opening, a mechanical feature to block the mechanical trigger from moving the shutter to expose the opening.

2. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein, upon the shutter moving to obscure the opening, a knob coupled to the shutter is to be manually moved in order to move the shutter to expose the opening.

3. The computing device of claim 2 , wherein, upon the shutter moving to expose the opening:
the first spring is to contract, and
a second spring coupled to the locking pin is to expand and move the locking pin into the notch of the shutter.

4. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the mechanical trigger is to receive the electrical signal based on video stream captured by the camera via the lens.

5. A computing device comprising:
a camera comprising a lens; and
a housing comprising:
an opening extending through the housing, wherein the opening is to accommodate the lens;
a shutter to selectively obscure the opening, wherein the shutter comprises a knob and a notch; and
a mechanical trigger, upon receiving an electrical signal, to cause the mechanical trigger to disengage from the notch, moving the shutter to obscure the opening, wherein upon disengaging from the notch, the mechanical trigger is blocked from moving the shutter to expose the opening, wherein the mechanical trigger comprises:
a locking pin;
a memory alloy coupled to the locking pin, wherein, upon receiving the electrical signal, the memory alloy is to contract and pull the locking pin to be released from the notch of the shutter; and
a spring coupled to the shutter, wherein, upon the locking pin releasing from the notch of the shutter, the spring is to expand and move the shutter to obscure the opening.

6. The computing device of claim 5 , wherein, upon the shutter moving to obscure the opening, the knob of the shutter is to be manually moved in order to move the shutter to expose the opening.

7. The computing device of claim 6 , wherein, upon the shutter moving to expose the opening:
the spring is to contract, and
the memory alloy coupled to the locking pin is to expand and move the locking pin into the notch of the shutter.

8. The computing device of claim 5 , wherein the mechanical trigger is to receive the electrical signal based on video stream captured by the camera via the lens.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Clark Alexander Wayne
• Kanas Derek
• Kei King Sui
• Zhang Peter Siyuan

Classifications

• H04N23/61

  based on recognised objects · CPC title

• H04N23/51

  Housings · CPC title

• G06F1/1686 Primary

  the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera · 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

• G03B11/043 Primary

  Protective lens closures or lens caps built into cameras · CPC title