Patent ID: 8159363
Filing Date: 2012-04-17
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. A handheld electronic device comprising: a housing; a processor enclosed within the housing; a camera module partially embedded in the housing, wherein the camera module is rotatable relative to the housing about a rotation axis of the camera module; an image sensor embedded in the camera module to sense an image in a field of view that is centered around a line of sight, wherein the line of sight is perpendicular to the rotation axis; a display controlled by the processor to display the image; a motor coupled to the housing and to the camera module, wherein the motor is controllable by the processor to rotate the camera module and hence the line of sight about the rotation axis relative to the housing; a tilt sensor coupled to the processor to sense an orientation of the housing relative to a direction of gravity; an angle indicator coupled to the processor to detect an angle of rotation of the camera module and hence the line of sight about the rotation axis relative to a reference axis that is perpendicular to the rotation axis; and a memory able to store executable code which, when executed by the processor, controls the motor to rotate the camera module and hence the line of sight about the rotation axis to achieve and to keep a particular angle between the line of sight and the direction of gravity, based on the information from the tilt sensor and the angle indicator.