Electronic device for image photographing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017195533-A1
Application number	US-201615331172-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 21, 2016
Priority date	Jan 5, 2016
Publication date	Jul 6, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electronic device is provided which includes a housing, a first camera module disposed on a first portion of the housing to face in a first direction, and having a first lens cover protruding in a convex shape from an outer surface of the housing, and a second camera module disposed on a second portion of the housing, which is positioned to be opposite to the first portion of the housing, to face in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction, and having a second lens cover protruding in a convex shape from an outer surface of the housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electronic device comprising:
a housing; a first camera module disposed on a first portion of the housing to face in a first direction, and having a first lens cover protruding in a convex shape from an outer surface of the housing; and a second camera module disposed on a second portion of the housing, which is positioned to be opposite to the first portion of the housing, to face in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction, and having a second lens cover protruding in a convex shape from an outer surface of the housing.

2 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the housing has a direction of rotation when the housing rolls with an aid of the first and second lens covers.

3 . The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the housing rotates substantially around an optical axis of the first and second camera module.

4 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the outer surface of the housing has a first curvature, each of the first and second lens covers has a second curvature, and the first curvature is larger than the second curvature.

5 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the housing is configured in a shape that is disposed within first and second blind areas that do not interfere with first and second angles of view of each of the first and second camera modules.

6 . The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein each of the first and second angles of view is larger than 180 degrees such that 360-degree image photographing is enabled.

7 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first camera module includes a first lens system configured to face the first lens cover and a first image sensor configured to face the first lens system,
the second camera module includes a second lens system configured to face opposite the first lens system and face the second lens cover, and a second image sensor configured to face opposite to the first image sensor and face the second lens system, and the electronic device includes a battery and a printed circuit board, each of which is interposed between first and second image sensors to face each of the first and second image sensors.

8 . The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the battery is interposed between the first image sensor and the printed circuit board to face each of the first image sensor and the printed circuit board, or interposed between the second image sensor and the printed circuit board to face each of the second image sensor and the printed circuit board.

9 . The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the battery is disposed to be substantially upright about a central point about an optical axis of the first and second lens system.

10 . The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the first and second lens system includes first and second fish-eye lenses, respectively, and the first and second fish-eye lenses are disposed to face the first and second lens covers, respectively.

11 . The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein each of the first and second lens system, each of the first and second image sensors, the battery, the printed circuit board, and the first and second lens covers are disposed along the optical axis to be spaced apart from each other and to face each other.

12 . The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the battery further includes a thermal equilibrium circulation member so as to minimize a temperature difference between the first and second image sensors.

13 . The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein, if the battery is disposed to face the second image sensor and the printed circuit board is disposed to face the first image sensor, at least a portion of the thermal equilibrium circulation member receives heat generated from a heat generating source disposed on the printed circuit board and transfers the heat to an area in which the second image sensor is disposed.

14 . The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein a cross section of the thermal equilibrium circulation member has a closed curve shape, and is configured to surround at least a portion of a face of the battery, which the thermal equilibrium circulation member faces.

15 . The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the first camera module is connected to a first portion of a first face of the printed circuit board by a first flexible circuit, and the second camera module is connected to a second portion of the first face, which is parallel to the first portion of the first face of the printed circuit board by a second flexible circuit.

16 . The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the first flexible circuit has substantially an S shape when it is unfolded, and is connected to the first portion by being bent substantially in an S shape, and
the second flexible circuit has substantially an S shape when it is unfolded, and is connected to the second portion by being bent substantially in an S shape.

17 . The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the housing further includes a flat mounting part that is positioned below the optical axis to be parallel to the optical axis, the mounting part being configured to serve as a rotation stopper and to be coupled with another device.

18 . The electronic device of claim 17 , wherein the mounting part further includes a metal bracket which contributes to a center of gravity of the housing.

19 . An electronic device comprising:
a housing; a first lens cover disposed on a first portion of the housing to face in a first direction, and protruding in a convex shape from an external face of the housing; a second lens cover disposed on a second portion of the housing, which is opposite to the first portion of the housing, to face in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction, and protruding in a convex shape from an external face of the housing; a first lens configured to face the first lens cover and having a first angle of view; and a second lens positioned to be opposite to the first lens, and configured to face the second lens cover, the second lens having a second angle of view, wherein the housing is configured in a shape that is disposed within first and second blind areas that do not interfere with first and second angles of view, respectively.

20 . The electronic device of claim 19 , wherein each of the first and second angles of view is larger than 180 degrees such that 360-degree image photographing is enabled.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Seo Jae-Il
• Kim Kijae
• Kim Ji-Hoon

Classifications

• H04N23/90

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

• H04N23/55 Primary

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

• G03B17/02 Primary

  Bodies · CPC title

• H04N23/698

  for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture · CPC title