Patent Publication Number: US-2007109413-A1

Title: Portable electronic device with camera module

Description:
1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention relates generally to portable electronic devices and, more particularly, to a portable electronic device with a camera module.  
     2. DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART  
      With the ongoing development of microcircuitry and multimedia technologies, digital cameras are now in widespread use. High-end portable electronic devices, such as mobile phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs), are being developed to be increasingly multi-functional. Many of these portable electronic devices are now equipped with a digital camera module. These electronic devices enable consumers to enjoy capturing digital pictures anytime and anywhere. At the same time, demand for digital picture quality has become greater and greater.  
      Generally, a digital camera module used in a portable electronic device includes an image sensor. The image sensor may be a charge coupled device (CCD) image sensor or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor. The image sensor receives various optical signals including visible optical signals and infrared signals. Therefore, the images taken by the digital camera module are obviously different to the images seen by the eyes, unless the infrared signals are filtered out when the portable electronic device is used for taking photos.  
      Most camera modules generally include a first filter to prevent the infrared signals from being received by the image sensor. However, camera modules including such a first filter are difficult to take clear and bright photos in poor light conditions. A flash lamp can be installed in the portable electronic device for illumination to improve quality of the photos taken by the portable electronic device, but long term exposure to the flaring of the flash lamp may possibly damage the eyes of the user. Additionally, the flash lamp is likely to shorten the life-span of the battery of the portable electronic device.  
      Therefore, a new portable electronic device with a camera module is desired in order to overcome the above-described shortcomings.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      In a preferred embodiment thereof, a portable electronic device includes a body and a camera module. The body includes an opening, the camera module is mounted in the opening. The camera module includes a first lens module, a second lens module, a stationary base, a moveable base and an image sensing module; the moveable base is installed in the stationary base and is moveable within the stationary base; the first lens module and the second lens module are installed on the moveable base, the image sensing module is installed on the stationary base; the moveable base can move in the stationary base, thus enabling the image sensing module to be selectively aligned with the first lens module or the second lens module.  
      Other advantages and novel features will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      Many aspects of the portable electronic device can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the lens module. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts through out the several views.  
       FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a portable electronic device in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 2  is a cut-away view of a first state of the camera module shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 3  is a cut-away view along the line  111 - 111  shown in  FIG. 2 ;  
       FIG. 4  is a cut-away view of a second state of the camera module shown in  FIG. 1 ; and  
       FIG. 5  is a schematic view of a portable electronic device in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
      Referring now to the drawings in detail,  FIG. 1  shows a mobile phone  100  in accordance with a first embodiment of the present portable electronic device. The mobile phone  100  includes a body  20  and a camera module  10 . The body  20  includes a face  202  and two side faces  204 . A screen  206  and a plurality of buttons  208  are installed on the face  202 . An opening  210  is defined on one side face  204 , and the camera module  10  is installed in the opening  210 . A slot  212  is defined on the face  202 , and the slot  212  is located adjacent to the opening  210 . Two retainers  218  are formed at two opposing ends of the slot  212  respectively.  
      Referring  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 , the camera module  10  includes a stationary base  40 , a moveable base  50 , a first lens module  60 , a second lens module  70 , a first filter  81 , a second filter  82  and an image sensing module  90 .  
      Referring also to  FIG. 4 , the stationary base  40  is a rectangular housing that defines a receiving cavity  400  therein. The stationary base  40  includes a floor board  401  and two parallel side walls  402  located adjacent to the floor board  401 . Each side wall  402  defines a sliding groove  406  in an inner surface. Each sliding groove  406  has a V-shaped cross section and extends along a direction parallel to the floor board  401 . The sliding grooves  406  run through two ends of the stationary base  40 .  
      The moveable base  50  is a rectangular housing including two parallel side surfaces  500 . The moveable base  50  defines a first hole  502  and a second hole  504 . The first hole  502  and the second hole  504  both run through the moveable base  50 . Axes of the first hole  502  and the second hole  504  are both parallel to the side surfaces  500 , and screw thread (not shown) is formed in the first hole  502  and the second hole  504 . The moveable base  50  also defines two sliding rails  506  formed with each corresponding to a sliding groove  406  on each side surface  500 . Each sliding rail  506  has a V-shaped cross section and runs through two ends of the moveable base  50 . The sliding rails  506  extend along a line connecting the centers of the first hole  502  and the second hole  504 . An operating pole  508  is mounted on one side surface  500 .  
      The first lens module  60  includes a first barrel  602  and a first lens group  604 . Screw thread (not shown) is formed on the outer surface of the first barrel  602 . The first lens group  604  including a plurality of lenses is installed in the first barrel  602 . The first filter  81  is also installed in the first barrel  602  and located in an emitting light path of the first lens module  60 . Infrared signals are screened from incoming light by the first filter  81  and visible optical signals are allowed to pass through the first filter  81 .  
      The second lens module  70  includes a second barrel  702  and a second lens group  704 . Screw thread (not shown) is formed on the outer surface of the second barrel  702 . The second lens group  704  including a plurality of lenses is installed in the second barrel  702 . The second filter  82  is also installed in the second barrel  702  and located in an emitting light path of the second lens module  70 . Infrared signals are allowed to pass through the second filter  82  and visible optical signals are screened from incoming light by the second filter  82 .  
      The image sensing module  90  may be a charge coupled device (CCD) image sensor or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor. The image sensing module  90  is installed on a centre of the floor board  401 .  
      In assembly, the first lens module  60  is mounted into the first hole  502  via engagement between screw thread of the first barrel  602  and the screw thread of the first hole  502 , and the second lens module  70  is mounted into the second hole  504  via engagement between screw thread of the second barrel  702  and the screw thread of the second hole  504 . Each sliding rail  506  of the moveable base  50  is engaged in a sliding groove  406  of the stationary base  40 , thus the moveable base  50  is installed on the stationary base  40  and can slide along the sliding grooves  406  of the stationary base  40 . The stationary base  40  is mounted into the opening  210  of the body  20 , and the moveable base  50  is exposed through the opening  210 . The sliding pole  508  of the moveable base  50  extends out of the slot  212 . The sliding pole  508  can slide along the slot  212 , when the sliding pole  508  slides to the ends of the slot  212 , the retainers  218  retain the sliding pole  508 .  
      In use, when the mobile phone  100  is used to take photos in bright circumstances, the operating pole  508  of the moveable base  50  is pushed to slide to an end of the slot  212 , thus the sliding rails  506  of the moveable base  50  slides along the sliding grooves  406  of the stationary base  40 , and the moveable base  50  moves on the stationary base  40 . When the operating pole  508  is pushed to the end of the slot  212 , a retainer  218  retains the operating pole  508  in the end. In this place, the first lens module  60  is aligned with the image sensing module  90 , infrared signals are filtered by the first filter  81 , visible optical signals are focused by the first lens group  604  and received by the image sensing module  90 . In this way, the camera module  10  receives images formed by visible optical signals. When the mobile phone  100  is used to take photos in dark circumstances, the operating pole  508  is pushed to slide to another end of the slot  212 , thus the sliding rails  506  slides along the sliding grooves  406 , and the moveable base  50  moves on the stationary base  40 . When the operating pole  508  is pushed to the end of the slot  212 , another retainer  218  retains the operating pole  508  in the end. In this place, the second lens module  70  is aligned with the image sensing module  90 , visible optical signals are filtered by the second filter  82 , infrared signals are focused by the second lens group  602  and received by the image sensing module  90 . In this way, the camera module  10  receives images formed by infrared signals.  
      The sliding grooves  406  can also be defined in the body  20 , and the image sensing module  90  can be installed in the body  20 . Thus the stationary base  40  of the camera  10  is integrated into the body  20  and the size of the mobile phone  100  is reduced. Additionally, a third lens module (not shown) can be secured in the body  20 , the image sensing module  90  can be located in an emitting light path of the third module, the moveable base  50  can be mounted between the third lens module and the image sensing module  90 . When the moveable base  50  is moved, either the first filter  81  in the first hole  502  or the second filter  82  in the second hole  602  is selectably aligned with the third lens module and the image sensing module  90 . In this way the first lens group  604  and the second lens group  704  can be canceled.  
      Referring to  FIG. 5 , a mobile phone  100 ′ in accordance with a second embodiment of the present portable electronic device includes a body  20 ′ and a camera module  10 ′. The body  20 ′ includes a back  202 ′ and two side faces  204 ′. An opening  210  is defined on the back  202 ′, and the camera module  10 ′ is installed in the opening  210 ′. A slot  212 ′ is defined on either side face  204 ′, and the slot  212 ′ is located adjacent to the opening  210 ′. Two retainers  218 ′ are formed on two ends of the slot  212 ′ respectively. The camera module  10 ′ including a operating pole  508 ′ is similar to the camera  10  of the mobile phone  100 . In assembly, the camera  10 ′ is mounted into the opening  210 ′ of the body  20 ′, and the operating pole  508 ′ extends out of the slot  212 ′. Method of using the mobile phone  100 ′ to take photos is also similar to method of using the mobile phone  100 .  
      It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the lens module with grating to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.