# US 10,122,932 B2 · Image pickup apparatus including lens elements having different diameters > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,122,932 B2 - Document ID: US10122932B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/391,101 - Filed: 2016-12-27 - Published: 2017-04-20 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2014-04-23 - Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Kyong-tae Park - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10122932B2 ## CPC - H04N 23/69: Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming - G02B 3/0043: {Inhomogeneous or irregular arrays, e.g. varying shape, size, height} - G02B 13/001: {Miniaturised objectives for electronic devices, e.g. portable telephones, webcams, PDAs, small digital cameras (G02B23/243 takes precedence)} - G02B 13/0015: {characterised by the lens design} - G02B 13/009: {having zoom function} - G02B 27/1066: {for enhancing image performance, like resolution, pixel numbers, dual magnifications or dynamic range, by tiling, slicing or overlapping fields of view} - G02B 27/123: {The splitting element being a lens or a system of lenses, including arrays and surfaces with refractive power} - H04M 1/0264: {for a camera module assembly} - H04N 23/45: 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 - H04N 23/54: Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils - H04N 23/57: Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices - H04N 23/60: Control of cameras or camera modules - H04N 23/951: by using two or more images to influence resolution, frame rate or aspect ratio - H04N 25/704: Pixels specially adapted for focusing, e.g. phase difference pixel sets - H04N 13/239: using two two-dimensional [2D] image sensors having a relative position equal to or related to the interocular distance (H04N13/243 takes precedence) - H04N 13/243: using three or more two-dimensional [2D] image sensors - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) ## Abstract An image pickup apparatus capable of performing a zooming function without increasing a thickness of the image pickup apparatus, and obtaining depth information at the same time by using lens elements having different diameters, is provided. The image pickup apparatus includes lens elements, and image pickup regions respectively disposed in correspondence to the lens elements. At least two of the lens elements have different diameters. At least two of the image pickup regions have different sizes. A smallest image pickup region among the image pickup regions having a smallest size among sizes of the image pickup regions is disposed with respect to a lens element among the lens elements having a largest diameter. A largest image pickup region among the image pickup regions having a largest size among sizes of the image pickup regions is disposed with respect to a lens element among the lens elements having a smallest diameter. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A mobile device comprising: a first lens having a first aperture; a second lens having a second aperture larger than the first aperture; a first sensor of a first size, the first sensor being disposed in correspondence to the first lens; and a second sensor of a second size smaller than the first size, the second sensor being disposed in correspondence to the second lens, wherein the first lens and the second lens are disposed in a same side of the mobile device, the first lens is configured to provide a first angle of view, and the second lens is configured to provide a second angle of view narrower than the first angle of view. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the first sensor has a first pixel pitch, and the second sensor has a second pixel pitch smaller than the first pixel pitch. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the first sensor is locationally separated from the second sensor. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is configured to extract depth information from images that are obtained via the first sensor and the second sensor. ### Claim 5 A mobile device comprising: a first lens having a first aperture; a second lens having a second aperture larger than the first aperture; a first sensor of a first size, the first sensor being disposed in correspondence to the first lens; and a second sensor of a second size smaller than the first size, the second sensor being disposed in correspondence to the second lens, wherein the mobile device is configured to extract depth information from a first image that is obtained via the first lens and the first sensor and a second image that is obtained via the second lens and the second sensor, the first lens and the first sensor are configured to provide a first angle of view, and the second lens and the second sensor are configured to provide a second angle of view narrower than the first angle of view. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The mobile device of claim 5, wherein the first sensor has a first pixel pitch, and the second sensor has a second pixel pitch smaller than the first pixel pitch. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The mobile device of claim 5, wherein the first lens and the second lens are disposed in a same side of the mobile device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The mobile device of claim 5, wherein the first sensor is locationally separated from the second sensor. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) The mobile device of claim 5, wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are logically divided regions in a single image sensor. ### Claim 10 A mobile device comprising: a first lens having a first aperture; a second lens having a second aperture larger than the first aperture; a first sensor of a first size, the first sensor being disposed in correspondence to the first lens, and the first sensor having a first pixel pitch; and a second sensor of a second size smaller than the first size, the second sensor being disposed in correspondence to the second lens, and the second sensor having a second pixel pitch smaller than the first pixel pitch, wherein the first lens and the first sensor are configured to provide a first angle of view, and the second lens and the second sensor are configured to provide a second angle of view narrower than the first angle of view. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the mobile device is configured to extract depth information from a first image that is obtained via the first lens and the first sensor and a second image that is obtained via the second lens and the second sensor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the first lens and the second lens are disposed in a same side of the mobile device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the first size of the first sensor is a size of the first sensor from a top view, and the second size of the second sensor is a size of the second sensor from the top view. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the first lens has a first F number, and the second lens has a second F number different from the first F number. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The mobile device of claim 14, wherein the first F number is from 1.5 to 2 times larger than the second F number. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The mobile device of claim 1, wherein a size of a first light spot that is formed by the first lens is larger than a size of a second light spot that is formed by the second lens. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The mobile device of claim 1, wherein a second resolution of a second image that is obtained via the second lens and the second sensor is higher than a first resolution of a first image that is obtained via the first lens and the first sensor. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the mobile device is configured to form a modified image by replacing a center portion of the first image with the second image, and the center portion of the first image has a same angle of view as the second image. ### Claim 19 (depends on 5) The mobile device of claim 5, wherein the first lens has a first F number, and the second lens has a second F number different from the first F number. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The mobile device of claim 19, wherein the first F number is from 1.5 to 2 times larger than the second F number. ### Claim 21 (depends on 5) The mobile device of claim 5, wherein a size of a first light spot that is formed by the first lens is larger than a size of a second light spot that is formed by the second lens. ### Claim 22 (depends on 5) The mobile device of claim 5, wherein a second resolution of the second image is higher than a first resolution of the first image. ### Claim 23 (depends on 5) The mobile device of claim 5, wherein the mobile device is configured to form a modified image by replacing a center portion of the first image with the second image, and the center portion of the first image has a same angle of view as the second image. ### Claim 24 (depends on 10) The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the first lens has a first F number, and the second lens has a second F number different from the first F number. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The mobile device of claim 24, wherein the first F number is from 1.5 to 2 times larger than the second F number. ### Claim 26 (depends on 10) The mobile device of claim 10, wherein a size of a first light spot that is formed by the first lens is larger than a size of a second light spot that is formed by the second lens. ### Claim 27 (depends on 10) The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the mobile device is configured to form a modified image by replacing a center portion of a first image that is obtained via the first lens and the first sensor with a second image that is obtained via the second lens and the second sensor, and the center portion of the first image has a same angle of view as the second image. ### Claim 28 (depends on 11) The mobile device of claim 11, wherein the mobile device is configured to: extract first depth information for a peripheral angle of view by using a peripheral portion of the first image; and extract second depth information for a center angle of view by using a center portion of the second image.