Sliding Accessory Lens Mount with Automatic Mode Adjustment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016006934-A1
Application number	US-201314772531-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 6, 2013
Priority date	Mar 6, 2013
Publication date	Jan 7, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

In accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus is provided with: an accessory lens mount configured to movably attach to a camera, the camera having an objective; a plurality of different optical elements attached to the accessory lens mount such that each of the different optical elements is movable to a co-operating position with the objective by the accessory lens mount to a corresponding position by a user; and an optical mode indicator configured to enable automatic optical mode adjustment of the camera to suit with the optics formed by the objective and the optical element that is moved to the co-operating position with the objective.

First claim

1 . An apparatus, comprising:
an accessory lens mount configured to movably attach to a camera, the camera having an objective; a plurality of different optical elements attached to the accessory lens mount such that each of the different optical elements is movable to a co-operating position with the objective by the accessory lens mount to a corresponding position by a user; and an optical mode indicator configured to enable automatic optical mode adjustment of the camera to suit with the optics formed by the objective and the optical element that is moved to the co-operating position with the objective.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the accessory lens mount is a configured to slidably attach to the camera.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the optical mode indicator comprises a touch indicator configured to co-operate with a touch detection surface on the camera.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the optical mode indicator is configured to indicate the optical element that is in the co-operating position with the objective.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprises a plurality of different flash light adaptors corresponding to some of the optical elements; wherein each of the flash light adaptors is configured to co-operate with a flash light on the camera when a corresponding one of the optical elements is in the co-operating position with the objective.

6 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the flash light adaptors are configured to adapt a beam cast by the flash light on the camera suitably for the corresponding optical element that is in the co-operating position with the objective.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an element indicator configured to indicate to the user the optical element that is in the co-operating position with the objective.

8 . A device comprising a camera, the camera comprising:
an objective; an image capture unit; an optical mode indication input configured to receive an optical mode indication from an optical mode indicator, when an accessory lens mount is attached to the device such that one of different optical elements is moved to a co-operating position with the objective; a processor configured to automatically determine one or more imaging parameters based on the optical mode indication and to correspondingly control the operation of one or more of the objective; and the image capture unit.

9 . The device of claim 8 , wherein the camera further comprises a flash light and the processor is configured to perform the determining of the one or more imaging parameters based on the optical mode indication and to correspondingly control the operation of one or more of the objective; the flash light; and the image capture unit.

10 . The device of claim 8 , wherein the optical mode indication is received from the optical mode indicator from an accessory lens mount.

11 . The device of claim 8 , wherein the processor is configured to perform the determining of the one or more imaging parameters based on the optical mode indication and on image information produced by the image capture unit.

12 . The device of claim 8 , the one or more imaging parameters being selected from a group consisting of: an exposure time parameter; a focusing parameter; a zooming parameter; a flash light control parameter; and a vignetting correction parameter.

13 . The device of claim 8 , further comprising a user interface configured to present imaging related options and to input user commands.

14 . The device of claim 13 , wherein the processor is further configured to adapt the presentation of the imaging related options corresponding to the optical element that is in the co-operating position with the objective.

15 . The device of claim 14 , wherein the imaging related options comprise one or more of: exposure time; flash light mode; auto focus activation; optical image stabilization activation; zoom control; and shutter aperture value.

16 . The device of claim 13 , wherein the processor is further configured to cause recording with images captured by the image capture unit metadata indicative of the combined optical properties of the objective and the optical element that is in the co-operating position with the objective.

17 . The device of claim 8 , further comprising a cellular communication unit.

18 . A system comprising the apparatus of claim 1 and, a device comprising a camera, the camera comprising:
an objective;
an image capture unit;
an optical mode indication input configured to receive an optical mode indication from an optical mode indicator, when an accessory lens mount is attached to the device such that one of different optical elements is moved to a co-operating position with the objective;

a processor configured to automatically determine one or more imaging parameters based on the optical mode indication and to correspondingly control the operation of one or more of the objective; and the image capture unit.

19 . A method comprising:
detecting attaching of an accessory lens mount movably to a camera, the camera having an objective; wherein the accessory lens mount has a plurality of different optical elements attached thereto such that each of the different optical elements is movable to a co-operating position with the objective by the accessory lens mount to a corresponding position by a user; indicating optical mode of optics of the camera; and automatically adjusting optical mode of the camera to suit with the optics formed by the objective and the optical element that is moved to the co-operating position with the objective.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the indication of the optical mode is performed using touch indicator configured to co-operate with a touch detection surface on the camera.

21 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising indicating to a user of the camera the optical element that is in co-operating position with the objective.

22 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising adapting flash light on the camera when one of the optical element is in the co-operating position with the objective.

23 . The method of claim 22 , further comprising adapting beam cast by the flash light on the camera suitably for the optical element that is in the co-operating position with the objective.

24 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising indicating to the user the optical element that is in the co-operating position with the objective.

25 . A method comprising:
in a camera having an objective and an image capture unit: receiving an optical mode indication from an optical mode indicator from an accessory lens mount, when the accessory lens mount is attached to the device such that one of different optical elements is moved to a co-operating position with the objective; automatically determining one or more imaging parameters based on the optical mode indication; and correspondingly controlling the operation of one or more of the objective; and the image capture unit.

26 . The method of claim 25 , further comprising performing the determining of the one or more imaging parameters based on the optical mode indication and correspondingly controlling the operation of a flash light of the camera.

27 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the determining of the one or more imaging parameters is based on the optical mode indication and on im

Assignees

• Nokia Technologies Oy

Inventors

• Eromaki Marko
• Pylkkanen Tom

Classifications

• H04N23/56

  provided with illuminating means · CPC title

• H04N23/60

  Control of cameras or camera modules · CPC title

• G02B15/10 Primary

  by adding a part, e.g. close-up attachment · CPC title

• H04N23/50

  Constructional details · CPC title

• H04N23/667 Primary

  Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes · CPC title