Mobile terminal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11425236-B2
Application number	US-202016902638-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 16, 2020
Priority date	Feb 21, 2020
Publication date	Aug 23, 2022
Grant date	Aug 23, 2022

Abstract

Provided is a mobile terminal including a plurality of cameras to minimize an occurrence of occlusion, wherein the first lens part, the second lens part, and the ToF lens part are provided on one surface of the body to be exposed outside, the first holder, the second holder, and the ToF holder each have a rectangular transverse-section, and the first holder, the second holder, and the ToF holder are arranged such that the ToF lens part is located between the first lens part and the second lens part.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mobile terminal comprising:
a body;
a first red-green-blue (RGB) camera;
a second RGB camera; and
a time-of-flight (ToF) camera,
wherein the first RGB camera, the second RGB camera, and the ToF camera are coupled to the body,
wherein the first RGB camera comprises:
a first lens part configured to receive light; and
a first holder configured to mount the first lens part,
wherein the second RGB camera comprises:
a second lens part configured to receive light; and
a second holder configured to mount the second lens part,
wherein the ToF camera comprises:
a light emitting part;
a ToF lens part configured to receive light emitted from the light emitting part and reflected from an object; and
a ToF holder configured to mount the light emitting part and the ToF lens part,
wherein the first lens part, the second lens part, and the ToF lens part are located at one side of the body to be exposed outside,
wherein the first holder, the second holder, and the ToF holder each have a rectangular transverse-section, and
wherein the first holder, the second holder, and the ToF holder are arranged such that the ToF lens part is located between the first lens part and the second lens part, and the light emitting part is positioned at a location that does not affect a distance between the ToF lens part and the first lens part and does not affect a distance between the ToF lens part and the second lens part.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein a center of the first lens part, a center of the ToF lens part, and a center of the second lens part are on one straight line.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein an arrangement direction of the first holder, the ToF holder, and the second holder is vertical to an arrangement direction of the light emitting part and the ToF lens part.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the first holder and the second holder are arranged on a diagonal line such that one corner of the first holder and one corner of the second holder face each other, and two neighboring edges of the ToF holder are positioned to respectively face one edge of the first holder and one edge of the second holder.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein one edge of the second holder and one edge of the ToF holder are positioned to simultaneously face one edge of the first holder, and another edge of the second holder adjoining with the one edge of the second holder and another edge of the ToF holder adjoining with the one edge of the ToF holder are positioned to face each other.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 5 , wherein at least one of a first base line connecting a center of the first lens part and a center of the ToF lens part and a second base line connecting a center of the second lens part and the center of the ToF lens part intersects vertically with one edge of the ToF holder.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 6 , wherein the first holder is greater in size than the second holder, and the first base line intersects vertically with one edge of the ToF holder.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third RGB camera coupled to the body;
a third lens part included in the third RGB camera to receive light; and
a third holder configured to mount the third lens part included in the third RGB camera,
wherein three edges of the ToF holder are positioned to respectively face edges of the first holder, the second holder, and the third holder.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 8 , wherein at least one of a first base line connecting a center of the first lens part and a center of the ToF lens part, a second base line connecting a center of the second lens part and the center of the ToF lens part, or a third base line connecting a center of the third lens part and the center of the ToF lens part, intersect vertically with one edge of the ToF holder.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 9 , wherein the third holder is greater in size than the first holder and the second holder,
one edge of the first holder and one edge of the second holder are positioned to respectively face edges of both sides of the ToF holder, and
the third base line intersects vertically with one edge of the ToF holder.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first printed circuit board (PCB) on which the first RGB camera is mounted; and
a second PCB on which the ToF camera is mounted,
wherein the second PCB is disposed above the first PCB based on a thickness direction of the body.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 11 , wherein a front surface of the first lens part, or a front surface of the second lens part, and a front surface of the ToF lens part are on a same plane.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 11 , wherein the second PCB forms an overlapping area in which at least one area of the second PCB is included in the first PCB, and the mobile terminal further comprises:
a vertical partition configured to vertically connect the first PCB and the second PCB in the overlapping area; and
a via formed in the vertical partition to electrically connect the first PCB and the second PCB.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 11 , wherein at least one area of the ToF holder overlaps at least one of the first holder or the second holder.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 14 , wherein a height of a front surface of the second holder is less than a height of a front surface of the first holder based on a thickness direction of the body, and
at least one area of a rear surface of the second PCB supports the front surface of the second holder.

16. The mobile terminal of claim 15 , wherein the second holder comprises an extended portion that extends in a horizontal direction to support the rear surface of the ToF holder.

17. The mobile terminal of claim 15 , wherein at least one area of the rear surface of the second PCB supports the front surfaces of the first holder and the second holder, and
a reinforcement plate is provided on the rear surface of the second PCB to compensate for a difference in height between the first holder and the second holder.

18. The mobile terminal of claim 17 , wherein at least a portion of a rear surface of the reinforcement plate supports the front surface of the second holder, and
at least a portion of a side surface of the reinforcement plate supports a side surface of the first holder.

19. The mobile terminal of claim 15 , wherein the second PCB forms an overlapping area in which at least one area of the second PCB is included in the first PCB, and the mobile terminal further comprises:
a vertical partition configured to vertically connect the first PCB and the second PCB in the overlapping area; and
a via formed in the vertical partition to electrically connect the first PCB and the second PCB.

20. The mobile terminal of claim 19 , wherein the vertical partition is provided as a plurality of partitions, and at least a portion of the vertical partitions are shifted in a predetermined distance from an outer perimeter area of the rear surface of the second PCB.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Ha Myungjin
• Kang Byeongkil
• Yi Gijae
• Kim Jongpil

Classifications

• H04N23/13

  with multiple sensors · CPC title

• H04N23/55

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

• H04N23/90

  Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums · CPC title

• H04N23/45

  for generating image signals from two or more image sensors being of different type or operating in different modes, e.g. with a CMOS sensor for moving images in combination with a charge-coupled device [CCD] for still images · CPC title

• H04N23/57

  Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices · CPC title