Photographing apparatus, method of operating the photographing apparatus, and wireless communication terminal including the photographing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016223885-A1
Application number	US-201615007888-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 27, 2016
Priority date	Feb 3, 2015
Publication date	Aug 4, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A photographing apparatus, a method of operating the photographing apparatus, and a wireless communication terminal including the photographing apparatus are provided. The photographing apparatus includes a first incident unit to which a first light is incident, a second incident unit to which a second light different from the first light is incident, an image sensor to which the first light and the second light are incident, a first light path changing unit configured to change a path of the first light from the first incident unit to the image sensor, and a second light path changing unit configured to change a path of the second light from the second incident unit to the image sensor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A photographing apparatus comprising:
a first incident unit to which a first light is incident; a second incident unit to which a second light different from the first light is incident; an image sensor to which the first light and the second light are incident; a first light path changing unit configured to change a path of the first light from the first incident unit to the image sensor; and a second light path changing unit configured to change a path of the second light from the second incident unit to the image sensor.

2 . The photographing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first light or the second light that is incident through the first incident unit or the second incident unit is selectively incident to the image sensor according to a photographing mode of the photographing apparatus.

3 . The photographing apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first incident unit and the second incident unit are positioned according to a predetermined gap in a light axis direction of the first light and the second light that are incident to the image sensor.

4 . The photographing apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising:
a driving motor configured to move the second light path changing unit, wherein the second incident unit and the second light path changing unit are arranged to face each other by moving the second light path changing unit according to a photographing mode of the photographing apparatus.

5 . The photographing apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising:
a sensor unit configured to detect a location of the second light path changing unit; and a control unit configured to generate a driving signal transferred to the driving motor according to the location of the second light path changing unit detected by the sensor unit.

6 . The photographing apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising:
a first blocking member, when the second incident unit is used according to the photographing mode of the photographing apparatus, configured to block the first light incident to the first incident unit from being incident to the image sensor; and a second blocking member, when the first incident unit is used according to the photographing mode of the photographing apparatus, configured to block the second light incident to the second incident unit from being incident to the image sensor.

7 . The photographing apparatus of claim 6 ,
wherein the first blocking member is fixed to the second light path changing unit, and, when the second incident unit is used, is positioned between the first incident unit and the second light path changing unit, wherein the second blocking member is fixed to the second light path changing unit, and wherein, when the first incident unit is used, the second blocking member is positioned between the second incident unit and the image sensor.

8 . The photographing apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the second blocking member is a shutter film comprising one opening unit,
wherein, when the second incident unit is used, the opening unit is arranged to face the second incident unit so that blocking by the second blocking member with respect to the second incident unit is released, and wherein, when the first incident unit is used, the opening unit is not arranged to face the second incident unit so that the second blocking member blocks the second incident unit.

9 . The photographing apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the shutter film is bendable.

10 . The photographing apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first incident unit and the second incident unit face each other.

11 . The photographing apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising:
a driving motor configured to move the first light path changing unit and the second light path changing unit, wherein the first incident unit and the first light path changing unit are arranged to face each other or the second incident unit and the second light path changing unit are arranged to face each other by moving the first light path changing unit and the second light path changing unit according to the photographing mode of the photographing apparatus.

12 . The photographing apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising:
a sensor unit configured to detect locations of the first light path changing unit and the second light path changing unit; and a control unit configured to generate a driving signal that is to be transferred to the driving motor according to a signal indicating the locations of the first light path changing unit and the second light path changing unit sensed by the sensor unit.

13 . The photographing apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising:
a first blocking member, when the second incident unit is used according to the photographing mode of the photographing apparatus, configured to block the first light incident to the first incident unit from being incident to the image sensor; and a second blocking member, when the first incident unit is used according to the photographing mode of the photographing apparatus, configured to block the second light incident to the second incident unit from being incident to the image sensor.

14 . The photographing apparatus of claim 13 ,
wherein the first blocking member is fixed to the second light path changing unit, and, when the second incident unit is used, is positioned between the first incident unit and the second light path changing unit, wherein the second blocking member is fixed to the first light path changing unit, and wherein, when the first incident unit is used, the second blocking member is positioned between the second incident unit and the first light path changing unit.

15 . The photographing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first light path changing unit and the second light path changing unit comprise prisms or mirrors.

16 . The photographing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a voice coil motor (VCM) module between the image sensor and the first incident unit and the second incident unit.

17 . A wireless communication terminal comprising the photographing apparatus of claim 1 .

18 . The wireless communication terminal of claim 17 , wherein one of a first incident unit and a second incident unit is positioned in a front surface of the wireless communication terminal and the other one is positioned in a rear surface of the wireless communication terminal.

19 . A method of operating a photographing apparatus, the method comprising:
receiving an input signal with respect to an operating mode of the photographing apparatus; determining a moving degree of a light path changing unit according to the operating mode of the photographing apparatus; moving the light path changing unit; and performing photographing according to the operating mode of the photographing apparatus by using the input signal.

20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
detecting a location of the light path changing unit by using a sensor unit, wherein the determining of the moving degree of the light path changing unit comprises:
determining the moving degree of the light path changing unit according to the operating mode of the photographing apparatus and the location of the light path changing unit detected by the sensor unit.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Song Douk-Young
• Lim Bae-Seok

Classifications

• H04N23/51

  Housings · CPC title

• H04N23/667

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

• H04N23/56

  provided with illuminating means · CPC title

• H04N23/661

  Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet · CPC title

• H04N23/55

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