Patent Publication Number: US-2013231157-A1

Title: Cellular phone with camera at front edge area

Description:
This application claims benefits of the provisional application of 61/605,789 filed on Mar. 2, 2012. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a cellular phone, and particularly to a cellular phone equipped with a camera lens essentially around a front (top) edge of the case of the cellular phone so as to easily capture the front circumstance of the user and present the corresponding image on at least a portion of the screen when the user lowers his head to view the other matters on the screen either walking or sitting. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ARTS 
     The traditional cellar phone is equipped with one camera lens on the back face of the case for easily taking the picture in front of the user while simultaneously allowing the user to display the corresponding image for adjusting the object range of such an image before recording the picture. Some luxurious type may further include another camera lens on the front face of the case for taking the picture showing self-image of the user. Anyhow, in the recent years, it is very popular that more people, namely the smart phone addicts, like to read or view the contents shown on the screen of the cellular phone during either sitting or even walking. Understandably, the more they concentrate on the screen by lowering their heads, the less they are aware of the circumstances. Such a condition may lead them to miss or ignore some important matters in front of them, especially during walking. For example, many people like to read the text during walking. Anyhow, lowering the head to read the text shown on the display of the cellular phone without properly viewing the circumstance in the front may be somewhat dangerous to the walker if a ramped portion on the road in the front. 
     Hence, it is desired for the user to obtain the front sight during walking when he lowers his head to read the text on the screen of the cellular phone. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a cellular phone having capability of viewing the front sight when the user is walking and viewing the contents shown on the screen of the phone. The cellular phone includes a case of a rectangular configuration defining opposite primary faces with the screen or display on one thereof. A camera lens is located around a front (top) edge of the case relative to the screen so as to be activated to capture the sight in the front when the user holds the cellular phone in his palm generally in lying manner for texting reading or viewing contents of the websites wherein the image of the front sight may be shown, either at a corner area on the screen without interfering with other contents on the screen, or on the full area of the screen under condition that the text of messages associated with an optional background translucent/transparent background layer, is overlapped with the image of the front sight so as to allow the user to read the text of the messages and viewing the front image on the same area of the screen. Therefore, the smart phone addicts may capture both the Internet information via the smart phone internally and the front sight externally so as to be in a safer situation. 
     Other objects, advantages and novel features of the instant invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a traditional cellular phone. 
         FIG. 2  is a forward perspective view of the present embodiment of the cellular phone of the instant invention. 
         FIG. 3  shows how the cellular phone is lying in the palm of the user and intends to display both the front sight image and the text of the messages on the screen simultaneously. 
         FIG. 4  is a picture showing the front sight with a dangerous situation if the walker does not pay attention thereto. 
         FIG. 5  is an elevational view of the cellular phone of the instant invention to show that the front sight image is shown on the corner area of the screen. 
         FIG. 6  is an elevational view of the cellular phone of the instant invention to show that the front sight image may be shown on the full screen, rather than at the corner, of the cellular phone with optionally a translucent/transparent background layer to be an interface between the text and the front sight image for easily viewing the image and reading the text simultaneously. 
         FIG. 7  is an image shown on the screen and capturing the front sight of the road with the text of the messages overlapped thereon via a translucent background layer thereof. 
         FIG. 8  is an image shown on the screen and capturing the front sight of the road with the text of messages overlapped thereon without a translucent background layer thereof. 
         FIG. 9  is a rearward perspective view of the present embodiment of the cellular phone of the instant invention. 
         FIG. 10  is an alternate embodiment of the instant invention to show the camera lens on the front edge of the case, may be rotated so as to function as the traditional camera set on the back face of the case for taking pictures when the cellular phone is held in a regular upstanding manner. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-10 , the traditional cellular phone is shown in  FIG. 1  while in  FIGS. 2 and 9  the instant invention is to provide a cellular phone  10  including a rectangular case  12  to contain internal parts with two opposite primary faces  14 ,  16  surrounded by a circumferential edge region  18 . A screen or display  19  is disposed on the upward primary face  14 . A camera lens  20  is disposed on a front (top) edge area  22  of said circumferential edge region  18  so as to efficiently capture the front image without obstruction when the case is held in a horizontal or lying manner, referring to  FIG. 3 . The front sight image captured by the camera lens  20  when the case is held in a lying manner, is displayed on the screen  19  either at one corner as shown in  FIG. 5  without interfering with intentionally viewed portions of the original contents shown on the remaining portions of the screen  19 , or on the full screen  19  as shown in  FIGS. 6-8  with optionally a translucent/transparent layer background layer interfaced between the text of the messages and the front sight image without blocking the text. Understandably, via the software, it is easy to adjust the transparency by swiping up and down for easy viewing. 
     Understandably, by this way the user may easily handle the text/Internet stuff during walking without danger. As well known, the additional camera lens is not really expensive. On the other hand, the front sight image is not for recording but viewing so as not to use too much additional memory or other software. The invention is feasible and practical. 
     It is also noted that as shown in  FIG. 10  the front edge area  22  of the case  12  of the cellular phone  10  may be recessed within a receiving room  24  in three directions instead of only in a forward direction in the first embodiment, and the camera lens set may be directed or rotated in different directions to not only the forward direction as viewing the front sight in a alerting situation introduced in the above embodiment when the case is held in a lying manner, but also the transverse direction as taking the picture in the regular condition when the case is held in a lift-up regular manner. 
     The spirit of the invention is to equip a camera lens around a front (top) edge area of the case of the cellular phone so as to allow the user to view the front sight optically captured by the camera lens and contents transmitably derived from the Internet simultaneously on the screen. In other words, the smart phone addicts may be aware of the environments rather than only the ground right below the cellular phone. 
     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 and method of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in mattes of shape, size and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed. For example, the so-called front edge area refers to the portion of the circumferential edge of the cellular phone, which is directed to the front when the user holds the cellular phone in a lying manner to view the screen. The so-called smart phone also may include the tablet device capable of Internet communication.