PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-8730372-B2
Application Number: US-201113241562-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Partially lit sensor

Abstract:
An image sensing system for an electronic device. The image sensing system includes a lens and an image sensor. The image sensor includes a indirectly lit area of pixels and a directly lit area of pixels. The lens is in optical communication with the directly lit area of pixels.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An image sensing system comprising:
 a lens; 
 an image sensor defining an indirectly lit area and a directly illuminated area on a surface of the image sensor, wherein the lens is in direct optical communication with the directly illuminated area; and 
 an obstruction positioned between the lens and at least a portion of the image sensor including the indirectly lit area, the obstruction partially preventing optical communication between the lens and the portion of the image sensor by covering a portion of the indirectly lit area, 
 wherein a portion of ambient light travels from the lens to the indirectly lit area, and 
 wherein the obstruction is adjacent to and positioned above the portion of the indirectly lit area on the surface of the image sensor. 
 
     
     
       2. The image sensing system of  claim 1 , wherein the image sensor further comprises a non-illuminated area. 
     
     
       3. The image sensor system of  claim 1 , further comprising a camera enclosure supporting the lens at least partially above the image sensor. 
     
     
       4. The image sensor system of  claim 3 , wherein the camera enclosure further comprises a first sidewall;
 a second sidewall; 
 a first support structure extending from the first sidewall and supporting the lens on a first side; and 
 a second support structure extending from the second sidewall and supporting the lens on a second side; wherein the lens is offset from a middle of the image sensor. 
 
     
     
       5. The image sensor system of  claim 4 , wherein the second support structure further includes a horizontal portion extending horizontally over the indirectly illuminated area of the image sensor. 
     
     
       6. The image sensor system of  claim 1 , wherein the obstruction comprises a communication component extending over at least a portion of the indirectly illuminated area. 
     
     
       7. The image sensor system of  claim 6 , wherein the communication component is one of a flex cable or flip chip. 
     
     
       8. The image sensor system of  claim 6 , wherein the communication component abuts the image sensor. 
     
     
       9. The image sensor system of  claim 1 , wherein the lens is substantially centered over the directly illuminated area of the image sensor, but not substantially centered over the entirety of the image sensor. 
     
     
       10. A method for assembling a camera system comprising:
 providing an image sensor having a directly illuminated surface area and a second indirectly lit surface area; 
 operably connecting an enclosure to the image sensor, the enclosure comprising:
 a first support structure; and 
 a second support structure; and 
 
 aligning a lens over a first the directly illuminated surface area of the image sensor, so that light transmitted through the lens impacts but not directly, a second the indirectly lit surface area of the image sensor, 
 wherein an obstruction is positioned between the lens and image sensor, including the indirectly lit area, the obstruction partially preventing optical communication between the lens and the portion of the image sensor by covering a portion of the indirectly lit area, and 
 wherein the obstruction is adjacent to and positioned above the portion of the indirectly lit area on the surface of the image sensor. 
 
     
     
       11. The method for assembling a camera system of  claim 10 , further comprising connecting a communication component to the image sensor, wherein at least a portion of the communication component overlays a portion of the indirectly lit surface area of the image sensor. 
     
     
       12. The method for assembling a camera system of  claim 10 , further comprising attaching a seal to a bottom surface of the image sensor. 
     
     
       13. The method for assembling a camera system  claim 10 , wherein at least one pixel positioned in the indirectly lit surface area of the image sensor is an ambient light sensor. 
     
     
       14. An electronic device comprising:
 a processor; 
 a display in communication with the processor; 
 a camera system in communication with the processor, comprising:
 a lens; 
 an image sensor defining:
 a non-illuminated area on a surface of the image sensor; 
 a partially illuminated area on the surface of the image sensor; and 
 a directly illuminated area on the surface of the image sensor, 
 wherein the lens is in optical communication with the directly illuminated area, but is not in optical communication with the non-illuminated area; and 
 
 an obstruction positioned between the lens and image sensor, including the partially illuminated area, the obstruction partially preventing optical communication between the lens and the portion of the image sensor by covering a portion of the partially illuminated area, and 
 
 wherein the obstruction is adjacent to and positioned above the portion of the partially illuminated area on the surface of the image sensor. 
 
     
     
       15. The electronic device of  claim 14 , wherein: the image sensor further includes an indirectly illuminated area; and at least a portion of the indirectly illuminated area functions as an ambient light sensor. 
     
     
       16. The electronic device of  claim 14 , further comprising a flash light source in communication with the processor. 
     
     
       17. The electronic device of  claim 14 , further comprising a camera enclosure supporting the lens at least partially above the image sensor. 
     
     
       18. The electronic device of  claim 17 , wherein the camera enclosure further comprises a first sidewall; a second sidewall; a first support structure extending at a right angle from the first sidewall and supporting the lens on a first side; and a second support structure extending at a right angle from the second sidewall and supporting the lens on a second side. 
     
     
       19. The electronic device of  claim 18 , wherein the second support structure further includes a horizontal portion extending horizontally over at least a portion of indirectly illuminated area of the image sensor. 
     
     
       20. The electronic device of  claim 14 , further comprising a communication component extending over at least a portion of the indirectly illuminated area.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates generally to electronic devices and more specifically, to sensors for electronic devices. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Some electronic devices may incorporate a digital camera to add functionality to the device. A digital camera may typically include a lens, a support structure, and an image sensor, among other elements. The lens is generally centered directly on the image sensor so that the maximum number of sensor pixels can capture the light as it is transmitted through the lens. Although this system may increase the number of exposed pixels, it may also lead to an inefficient packaging system or enclosure for the support structure of the camera. This is because generally the lens may need to be at least partially elevated over the sensor and may be centered over the sensor. Thus, there may be an elevated area of unused space between the lens and the sensor. This space may be significant, especially in mobile electronic devices, where there may be a desire that component be as small as possible to minimize the size of the device. 
     SUMMARY 
     One example of an embodiment described herein may take the form of an image sensing system comprising: a lens; an image sensor defining an indirectly lit area and a directly illuminated area and in optical communication with the directly illuminated area; and an obstruction positioned between the lens and image sensor, the obstruction preventing optical communication between the lens and a portion of the image sensor other than the directly illuminated area. 
     Another embodiment may take the form of a method for assembling a camera system, the method including the operations of: providing an image sensor having a first surface area and a second surface area; operably connecting an enclosure to the image sensor, the enclosure comprising: a first support structure; and a second support structure; and aligning a lens over a first surface area of the image sensor, so that light transmitted through the lens does not directly impact a second surface area of the image sensor. 
     Yet another sample embodiment may take the form of an electronic device including: a processor; a display in communication with the processor; a camera system in communication with the processor, the camera system having a lens and an image sensor including a non-illuminated area and a directly illuminated area; wherein the lens is in optical communication with the directly illuminated area, but is not in optical communication with the non-illuminated area. 
     It should be appreciated that the foregoing examples are provided for illustration only and are not meant to be limiting. Additional embodiments, including apparatuses, systems and methods will be apparent upon reading this disclosure in its entirety. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1A  is a front perspective view of an exemplary electronic device incorporating a camera system. 
         FIG. 1B  is a rear perspective view of the electronic device of  FIG. 1A . 
         FIG. 2  is a rear perspective view of the electronic device with a rear portion of an enclosure removed. 
         FIG. 3  is an exemplary block diagram of the electronic device. 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-section view of the camera system taken along line  4 - 4  in  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 5  is a front perspective view an image sensor removed from the camera system illustrating a direct-lit area and a non-direct lit area. 
         FIG. 6  is a top plan view of the camera system removed from the electronic device. 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-section view of another example of the camera system of  FIG. 4 . 
     
    
    
     SPECIFICATION 
     Some embodiments described herein may take the form of a partially lit image sensor. As referred to herein, “lit” means light directly focused onto the image sensor; in other words the areas or pixels of the image sensor where light encounters pixels of the image sensor. As one non-limiting example, “lit” areas may be thought of as being illuminated by light passing through an associated lens or aperture when a camera, or other device, incorporating the sensor is in operation. The partially lit sensor may be supported and at least partially in optical communication with a lens or other optical transmitting component. In some embodiments, the lens and the image sensor may be elements of a camera that may be included as portion of an electronic device, such as a smartphone, mobile computer, or a digital camera. 
     The image sensor typically is positioned so that at least some portion of the image sensor pixels does not receive any light transmitted through the lens. In other words, only a portion of the image sensor may be lit, so that some of the pixels of the sensor may be “dead” or non-lit. This system may allow the size of the packaging of the lens and image sensor to be reduced, thereby potentially saving height and space within an enclosure for the electronic device. 
     Using a partially lit sensor may also decrease the cost associated with a camera for a particular electronic device, when compared to the use of a fully-lit sensor. For example, in some instances a particular image sensor may be selected based on price as opposed to size constraints of the electronic device. For example, a physically larger image sensor may be less expensive than a smaller pixel image sensor due to a supply surplus of the former. However, in some conventional electronic devices the larger pixel image sensor may not be used due to the fact that the particular sensor, when incorporated into the camera system or enclosure, may take up too much interior space. By contrast, in certain embodiments discussed herein, an image sensor may be included in the camera system without significantly impacting the overall area of the camera enclosure. Thus, the size and/or dimensions of the image sensor may have less impact on the arrangement of components within an interior volume of the device. Since positioning and/or packaging the sensor may be more flexible, a variety of different sensors may be employed instead of requiring a very specific sensor. This, coupled with the possibility of reclaiming interior volume for other components and functions, may significantly reduce the cost of the electronic device, without substantially increasing the size of the electronic device. Alternately, additional features may be provided for the device while maintaining a similar cost. 
     Furthermore, some pixels of the image sensor may be indirectly lit, insofar as they are adjacent to directly lit pixels and receive some light through the aperture and/or lens. These indirectly lit pixels of the image sensor may be used as an ambient light sensor. In these embodiments, the indirectly lit pixels may assist the electronic device in creating and/or modifying an image captured by the directly-lit pixels of the sensor. For example, the image captured by the image sensor may be enhanced with a particular filter based on the ambient light conditions sensed by a portion of the indirectly lit pixels of the image sensor. 
     In some embodiments, the camera system (including the image sensor and the lens) may be incorporated into an electronic device.  FIG. 1A  is a front perspective view of an exemplary mobile electronic  100  device incorporating a sample camera system  102 , in accordance with embodiments described herein.  FIG. 1B  is a rear perspective view of the mobile electronic device  100 . The mobile electronic device  100  may include the camera system  102 , a display  104 , input buttons  106 ,  108 , and an enclosure  110 . 
     The input buttons  106 ,  108  may be positioned substantially anywhere on the electronic device  100 . The input buttons  106 ,  108  may be accessible to a user and provide a mechanism for allowing the user to provide input to the electronic device  100 . The input buttons  106 ,  108  may be also provide haptic feedback to a user. The input buttons  106 ,  108  may be a button, switch, wheel, trackball, or the like. 
     The enclosure  110  may at least partially surround the components of the electronic device  100 . The enclosure  110  may also be removable or otherwise separable into multiple components. This may allow the enclosure  110  to be selectively removed to provide access to select components, while at the same time providing a support and protection for those components.  FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the electronic device  100  with a rear portion  112  of the enclosure  110  removed, exposing select components. As can be seen in  FIG. 2 , the enclosure  110  may include a lens aperture  114  and a flash aperture  116 . However, it should be noted that the enclosure  110  may further define additional and/or alternative apertures that may be positioned at other locations on the electronic device  100 . For example, the enclosure  110  may include apertures for one or more of the input buttons  106 ,  108 , ports for connection cords (e.g., power cord, headphone jack, and so on). The apertures  114 ,  116  may provide select components access to the environment outside of the enclosure  110 . 
     The display  104  may provide an output mechanism for the electronic device  100 . The display  104  may be substantially any type of output component, such as but not limited to, liquid crystal, plasma, and so on. The display  104  may be viewable through the enclosure  110  and in some embodiments may be only partially covered by the enclosure  110 . These embodiments may allow for the display  104  to be viewable through the enclosure  110 , as well as allow the display  104  to function as an input/output sensor for the electronic device  100 , e.g., as a capacitive touch screen. 
     Certain other components of the electronic device  100  will now be discussed.  FIG. 3  is an exemplary block diagram of the electronic device  100 . Referring now to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the electronic device  100  may further include a power source  120 , a network/communication interface  122 , memory  124 , an image sensor  126 , and a processor  128 . Select components may be interconnected together via a system bus  130  or other wireless or wired connection. 
     The power source  120  may provide power, if required, to the image sensor  126 , the processor  128 , and/or the communication mechanism  122 . The power source  120  may be a battery or other portable power source or may be a wired power source, e.g., power cord. 
     The network/communication interface  122  may provide communication to other devices and/or networks, and the network/communication interface  122  may receive and transmit various electrical signals. For example, the network/communication interface  122  may be used to place phone calls from the electronic device  100 , may be used to receive data from a network, or may be used to send and transmit electronic signals via a wireless or wired connection (e.g., Internet, WiFi, Bluetooth, or Ethernet). 
     The processor  128  may control operation of the electronic device  100  and its various components. The processor  128  may be in communication with the image sensor  126 , the memory  124 , the display  104 , the network/communication interface  122 , the display  104 , and the power source  120 . The processor  128  may be any electronic device capable of processing, receiving, and/or transmitting instructions. For example, the processor  128  may be a microprocessor or a microcomputer. 
     The memory  124  may store electronic data that may be utilized by electronic device  100 . For example, the memory  124  may store electrical data e.g., audio files, video files, document files, and so on, corresponding to various applications. The memory  124  may be, for example, non-volatile storage, a magnetic storage medium, optical storage medium, magneto-optical storage medium, read only memory, random access memory, erasable programmable memory, or flash memory. 
     The camera system  102  will now be discussed in more detail. Initially, it should be noted that the camera system  102  may be incorporated substantially anywhere on the electronic device  100 . For example,  FIG. 1A  illustrates a front positioned camera system  103 , which may be substantially the same as the rear camera system  102  illustrated in  FIG. 1B . Additionally, in other embodiments, the camera system  102  may be positioned in the middle of the device  100 , on a side, or in other locations.  FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the electronic device  100  taken along line  4 - 4  in  FIG. 1B . The camera system  102  may include the image sensor  126 , a lens  132 , a camera enclosure  134 , a substrate  136 , and a connection component  140 . It should be appreciated that  FIG. 4  is not necessarily drawn to any particular scale or proportion, and is intended to illustrate certain components generally rather than precise, exact relationships between such components. Likewise, some elements or components may be omitted from the view of  FIG. 4  in order to more clearly illustrate what is shown in order to effectively describe certain embodiments. The foregoing is true for all other figures in this application, as well. 
     In some embodiments, the camera system  102  may include a light source  113 . The light source  113  may function as a flash to illuminate a particular environment prior to an image being captured by the image sensor  126 . The flash  113  may be in optical communication with the environment outside of the enclosure  110  via the flash aperture  116  defined in the rear  112  of the enclosure  110 . 
     The lens  132  may be in optical communication with the outside of the enclosure  110  via the lens aperture  114 . The lens  132  may be substantially any type of optical device that may transmit, focus and/or refract light. The lens  132  is in optical communication with the image sensor  126 , such that the lens  132  may transmit light received from its field of view to the sensor  126 . The lens  132  may include a single optical element, or may be compound lens and include an array of multiple optical elements. In some examples, the lens  132  may be glass or transparent plastic; however, other materials are possible. 
     The lens  132  may include a curved surface, and may be a convex, bio-convex, plano-convex, concave, bio-concave, and the like. The type of material of the lens  132  as well as the curvature of the lens  132  may be dependent on the desired applications of the camera system  102 . The lens  132  may additionally include a curved surface to better angle the light towards the sensor  126 . 
     In one example, the lens  132  may be at least partially aligned with the lens aperture  114 , and generally is substantially or fully aligned therewith. The lens  132  transmits light from outside of the enclosure  110  to the image sensor  126 . The lens  132  may be supported at least partially above the image sensor  126  by the camera enclosure  134 . In some embodiments, the camera enclosure  134  may be incorporated into the enclosure  110  of the electronic device  100 , and in other embodiments, the camera enclosure  134  may be separate from the enclosure  110 . In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 4 , the camera enclosure  134  may substantially surround the components of the camera system  102 , so that the components may be substantially protected from damage. Alternative embodiments may not surround the internal components of the camera system. Additionally, the camera enclosure  134 , in conjunction with a lid  138 , may substantially prevent light from entering into cavity  127  defined by the camera enclosure  134 . This may allow the image sensor  126  to only capture light transmitted through the lens  132 . 
     The camera enclosure  134  may include sidewalls  133 , and support structures  146 ,  148  that extend upward over the image sensor  126 . The sidewalls  133  are operably connected to a substrate  136  and extend vertically upwards from the substrate  136 . The sidewalls  133  each bend and transition to or connect to the support structures  146 ,  148 . The support structures  146 ,  148  extend horizontally over the image sensor  126  and portions of the substrate  136 . The first support structure  146  transitions from a horizontal to a vertical extension at a second bend  151 . In this embodiment, the first support structure  146  may include two angles, and its horizontal portion  137  extending over the image sensor  126  may have a lower height with respect to the image sensor  126  than the second support structure  148 . 
     The support structures  146 ,  148  may extend over at least portion, if not all, of the image sensor  126 , such that the image sensor  126  may be at least partially covered by each support structure  146 ,  148 . In some instances, the support structure  146 ,  148  may act as a ceiling, covering or roof for the image sensor  126 . The support structures  146 ,  148  may support the lens  132  above the image sensor  126  and thus may be connected together via the lens  132 . It should be noted that the camera enclosure  134  may often be at least partially enclosed, so that the support structures  146 ,  148  may form an enclosure that may substantially surround the components of the camera system  102 . 
     In some embodiments, the lens  132  may be offset from the middle of the image sensor  126 , for example, the length of the horizontal portion  137  of the first support structure  146  may be longer than a length of the second support structure  148 . In these embodiments, at least some portion of the image sensor  126  beneath the horizontal portion  137  may be indirectly lit by light passing through the lens  132 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , a first shaded cone  155  illustrates the directly lit  142  portion of the sensor  126  and a second shaded cone  157  illustrates the indirectly lit  144  portion of the sensor  126  (other shapes are possible, the cones are exemplary only). 
     The substrate  136  may be operably connected to the image sensor  126 , and in some embodiments may form a part of the image sensor  126 . The substrate  136  may also facilitate electrical communication to and from the sensor  126 . For example the substrate  136  may include electrical connections to the sensor  126 , e.g., circuitry in communication with each separate pixel. The substrate  136  may electrically connected to the communication component  140  and may transfer the data signals from the image sensor  126  to the communication component  140   
     The substrate  136  and/or the camera enclosure  134  may be connected to a lid  138  via a fastener  148 . The lid  138  may be positioned on a bottom surface of the image sensor  126 , such that the lid  138  may form a bottom of the camera system  102 . Additionally, the lid  138  may extend along the area of the image sensor  126 , and may terminate prior to the camera enclosure  134  and/or substrate  136 . In other embodiments, the lid  138  may extend along the entire length of the camera system  102 . In yet other embodiments, the fastener  148  may be omitted and adhesive, ultrasonic welding or the like can be used. 
     In some examples, the lid  138  may be a component that may partially encapsulate the camera system  102 . The lid  138  may be a part such as a metal or plastic sheet that may protect the image sensor  126 , substrate  136 , and/or communication component  140 . The lid  138  may be mounted directly to the substrate  136  or to the enclosure  134 . The lid  138  may seal the camera system  102 , especially the image sensor  126 , from debris, water, or other materials. Furthermore, the lid  138  may provide structural support for the camera system  102 , and the lid  138  may be at least partially rigid to absorb force from external loads to the camera system  102  from directly affecting the image sensor  126  and/or communication component  140 . The lid  138  may further include an adhesive or binding agent to attach the camera system  102  to the electronic device  100 . 
     A communication component  140  may be in communication with the substrate  136  or circuitry that may be in communication with the sensor  126 . The communication component  140  may communicate with a processor  128  located outside of the camera system  102 . For example, the communication component  140  may include electrical contacts  156  in communication with the substrate  136 , and the communication component  140  may then extend outside of the camera enclosure  134 . 
     The communication component  140  may provide data corresponding to the sensed images and/or ambient light captured by the sensor  126 . In one embodiment, the communication component  140  is a flex cable that may extend over a portion of the indirectly lit area  144  of the image sensor  126 . In another, the communication component is a printed circuit board. For example, the communication component  140  may extend across a portion of a length of the image sensor  126  by a distance D 1 . Since the communication component  140  may overlap the sensor  126  in the illustrated embodiment, the overall size of the enclosure may be reduced by the amount of the overlap (e.g., by distance D 1 ). 
     In some embodiments, although not shown in  FIG. 4 , the distance D 1  may correspond to the length of the horizontal portion  137  of the first support structure. Thus, the communication component  140  and the horizontal portion  137  may extend approximately the same length into the cavity  127  of the camera enclosure  134 , as well as cover the image sensor  126  by approximately the same area. 
     In some embodiments, the orientation of the communication component  140  may be reversed. For example,  FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of the camera system  102  illustrating a flip chip  141  used as the communication component  140 . In this example, the flip chip  141  is positioned so that the electrical contacts  156  are adjacent a top surface of the sensor  126 , rather than being positioned away from the top surface of the sensor  126 . In this example, the electrical contacts  156  may be connected directly to the sensor circuit  135 , rather than being connected via other wiring or the like, as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     With respect to both  FIGS. 4 and 7 , the image sensor  126  is at least partially in optical communication with the lens  132 . The image sensor  126  may be substantially any type of sensor that may capture an image or sense a light pattern. The sensor  126  may be able to capture visible, non-visible, infrared and other wavelengths of light. The sensor  126  may be an image sensor that converts an optical image into an electronic signal. In some embodiments, the sensor  126  may capture polarized light. For example, the sensor  126  may be a charged coupled device, complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) sensor. The sensor  126  may also include a filter that may itself filter different wavelengths. The sensor  126  may also be backlit. 
     The image sensor  126  may be partially aligned with the lens  132 , so that the image sensor  126  may only be partially exposed to light transmitted through the lens  132 . Accordingly, the image sensor  126  may include a directly lit area  142 , an indirectly lit area  144 , and a non-lit portion  143 . The indirectly lit area  144  and the non-lit area  143  may be partially covered by the communication component  140 , the substrate  136 , or other components that may be positioned adjacent to or form a portion of the camera system  102 . 
     As one example of the foregoing, the image sensor  126  may be a five megapixel sensor, but only three megapixels of the sensor may be in the directly-lit area  142 . Thus, the image sensor  126  may only capture light corresponding to a three megapixel area, with two megapixels acting as “dead” pixels. In these embodiments, the cost associated with the camera system  102  may be reduced as some higher megapixel image sensors may be less expensive than lower megapixel sensors. For example, given two image sensors having the same image resolution, the larger sensor is generally less expensive. Physically smaller sensors may be more complex to manufacture when compared to larger sensors, presuming the two have the same image resolution and/or pixel density. The camera system  102  may include a flexible enclosure  134  in order to accommodate a substantial variety of sensors of differing size. As such, the camera system  102  may use a cheaper image sensor, without substantially sacrificing space within the enclosure  110  of the electronic device  100 . 
     Furthermore, the configuration of the camera system  102  may allow the image sensor  126  to function as essentially two separate sensors. For example, a first part of the image sensor may capture the light transmitted through the lens  132  and the second part may capture indirect or ambient light and act as an ambient light sensor. This ambient light sensor data may be used to enhance the resulting final image of the light transmitted through the lens  132  as processed by the processor  128 . For example, a white point balance may be adjusted, an automated filter selection may be selected to help compensate for overly bright or dark scenes, color saturation may be varied, or a shutter speed may be adjusted to compensate for dark versus light scenes, and so on. 
     The different portions or areas of the image sensor  126  will now be discussed in further detail.  FIG. 5  is a top plan view of the image sensor  126  illustrating one example of the directly lit area  142  and the indirectly lit area  144 . Furthermore, in some embodiments, the sensor  126  may include the non-lit area  143 . The non-lit area  143  may correspond to portions or pixels of the image sensor  126  where light cannot reach based on the position of the enclosure  134 , connection component  140 , and so on. It should be appreciated that the position of the directly lit area and the indirectly lit area may vary between embodiments, as the geometry of the sensor, lens, communication component and/or enclosure change, as well as the spatial relationship between such elements. 
       FIG. 6  is a top plan view of the camera system  102 , including the camera enclosure  134  and lens  132  with an exemplary position of the image sensor  126  outlined in dashed lines. This positioning generally corresponds to the position of the directly and indirectly lit areas  142 ,  144  shown in  FIG. 5 . The image sensor  126  may include pixels  150  arranged in a grid. Each pixel  150  may be able to capture light transmitted to the sensor  126 . The pixels  150  may be substantially any desired size and may include various filters (such as color filters), as well as a cover lens, or other layers. 
     As shown in  FIG. 6 , the image sensor  126  may extend past the lens  132 , which may allow the lens  132  to be offset from a middle of the image sensor  126 . The offset or non-centered position of the lens  132  with respect to the image sensor  126  provides for flexibility in a mounting location for the lens  132  by the enclosure  134 . 
     Additionally, as described above, the image sensor  126  may have portions or areas that are not exposed to direct or focused light from the lens  132 . In these embodiments, there may be one or more pixel rows  152  that may border the directly lit area  142 . These pixel rows  152  may receive some non-direct light from the lens  132 . In other words, the light transmitted to these pixel rows  152  may be ambient light transmitted through and around the lens  132  but may not be light that is focused by the lens  132 . 
     As can be seen best in  FIG. 6 , the support structures  146 ,  148  and the lens  132  may only cover a portion of the image sensor  126 . This may allow other components of the electronic device  100  to be positioned adjacent to the camera system  102  and on top of the sensor  126  location. For example, referring to  FIGS. 4 , and  6 , the support structure  146  may be depressed inward towards a center of the camera system  102 . This depression or bend  151  may allow another component to be positioned on top of the support structure  146  and/or adjacent to the support structure  146 . In other words, a second component may be positioned on the top surface of the horizontal portion  137  of the enclosure  134 . 
     Furthermore, the communication component  140 , substrate  136 , and/or camera enclosure  134  may be positioned on top of a portion of the indirectly area  144  of the image sensor  126 . In one example, the communication component  140  may be positioned over the image sensor  126  a distance of D. In some conventional camera systems, the communication cables or components may often be placed adjacent to the image sensor. Thus, the entire camera system may often need to be expanded to include the image sensor and a portion of the communication cable positioned side by side. This is so that the communication component may not block pixels from receiving focused light. On the contrary, the image camera system  102  reduces the overall size of the camera system  102  by placing the communication component  140  on top of a portion of the image sensor  126 . 
     It should be noted that in other embodiments, the lens  132  may be centered over a corner of the image sensor  126 , or at another location. Essentially, the lens  132  may be positioned at substantially any location, as long as portion of the image sensor  126  may be in optical communication with the lens  132 . This may allow for the camera system  102  to be extremely flexible as the directly-lit area  142  and the indirectly lit area  144  may be designed based on the space within the enclosure  110  or the like. 
     Now the operation of the camera system  102  will be discussed in more detail. Referring now to  FIG. 4 , the lens  132  receives and focuses light from the environment outside of the enclosure  110 . The light may be transmitted through the lens aperture  114  within the rear  112  of the enclosure  110 . The support structures  146 ,  148  may substantially prevent light from entering into the cavity  127  without being transmitted through the lens  132 . The transmitted light may then encounter the image sensor  126 , and specifically the direct lit area  142 . The image sensor  126  may then capture an image of the light on the directly lit area  142 . 
     Prior to or as the light encounters the directly lit area  142 , the pixel rows  152  surrounding or bordering the directly lit area  142  may capture ambient light. The ambient light may be light that is not focused by the lens  132 . The pixel rows  152  surrounding the directly lit area  142  may provide an image or data corresponding to the ambient light of the environment. 
     The communication component  140  may then transfer data corresponding to the image of the light transmitted through the lens  132  as well as the ambient light to the processor  128 . The processor  128  may then use the ambient light data to enhance or modify the image of the light through the lens  132 . In other embodiments, the ambient light data may be disregarded, or may not be transmitted to the processor  128 . 
     Conclusion 
     The foregoing description has broad application. For example, while examples disclosed herein may focus on an image sensor, it should be appreciated that the concepts disclosed herein may equally apply to other types of sensors. Similarly, although the input device may be discussed as being an mobile electronic device the devices and techniques disclosed herein are equally applicable to other types of devices. Accordingly, the discussion of any embodiment is meant only to be exemplary and is not intended to suggest that the scope of the disclosure, including the claims, is limited to these examples.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20110923
Publication Date: 20140520
Grant Date: 20140520
Priority Date: 20110923
Inventors: DABOV TEODOR
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "H04N23/57", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04N23/55", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04N23/55", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04M1/0264", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04N23/57", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04N23/54", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04N23/54", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04M1/0264", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y10T29/49895", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y10T29/49895", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 47910908