Retractable image capture devices and methods to protect such retractable image capture devices
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorsJason M. Brand, Aleksander Magi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Retractable image capture devices and methods to protect such retractable image capture devices. An example mobile device includes a housing; a camera module including a sensor and a lens, a focal distance between the sensor and the lens being fixed, the camera module being movably mounted to the housing to move between a first position and a second position, a surface of the lens to extend past an exterior surface of the housing in the first position, the camera module to be disposed within the housing in the second position; and an actuator to actuate the camera module from the first position to the second position in response to a proximity trigger.
Claims19
A mobile device comprising:
- a housing;
- a sensor carried by the housing, the sensor to output a signal corresponding to a force;
- a camera carried by the housing, the camera moveable between an extended position and a retracted position relative to the housing, at least a portion of the camera external to the housing when the camera is in the extended position and at least a portion of the camera internal to the housing when the camera is in the retracted position;
- an actuator to move the camera;
- and
- circuitry to:
- determine that the signal indicates the force satisfies a threshold;
- and
- cause the actuator to move the camera to the retracted position based on the signal.
A mobile device comprising:
- a housing;
- a first sensor carried by the housing, the first sensor to output a signal corresponding to a force;
- a camera carried by the housing, the camera including a lens and a second sensor, the camera moveable between an extended position and a retracted position relative to the housing, at least a portion of the camera external to the housing when the camera is in the extended position and at least a portion of the camera internal to the housing when the camera is in the retracted position;
- an actuator to move the camera;
- and
- circuitry to:
- determine a difference between an optical parameter and a reference optical parameter, the optical parameter based on an output of the second sensor;
- detect that the lens is facing a surface in an environment in which the mobile device is located based on the difference;
- and
- cause the actuator to move the camera to the retracted position in response to the detection.
A non-transitory machine readable storage medium comprising instructions to cause processor circuitry of a mobile device to at least:
- determine that the mobile device was exposed to one or more of a vibration or a force based on an output of a first sensor carried by the mobile device;
- detect a position of a lens of a camera of the mobile device as adjacent a surface in an environment in which the mobile device is located based on an output of a second sensor carried by the mobile device, the second sensor associated with the camera;
- and
- cause an actuator of the mobile device to cause the lens to retract.
A non-transitory machine readable storage medium comprising instructions to cause processor circuitry of a mobile device to at least:
- determine that the mobile device was exposed to one or more of a vibration or a force based on an output of a first sensor carried by the mobile device;
- detect a position of a lens of a camera of the mobile device relative to a surface in an environment in which the mobile device is located based on an output of a second sensor carried by the mobile device, the second sensor associated with the camera, the output of the second sensor corresponding to a first optical parameter;
- determine a difference between the first optical parameter and a second optical parameter;
- detect the position of the lens relative to the surface based on the difference;
- and
- cause an actuator of the mobile device to retract the lens.
A mobile device comprising:
- a housing;
- a first camera moveable between an extended position in which a lens of the first camera is exterior to the housing and a retracted position in which the lens is internal to the housing;
- a second camera carried by the housing;
- an actuator to cause the first camera to move between the extended position and the retracted position;
- a sensor carried by the housing;
- memory;
- machine readable instructions;
- and
- programmable circuitry to execute or instantiate the machine readable instructions to cause the actuator to move the first camera from the extended position based on an output of the sensor indicating the mobile device is falling.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.