# US 2018/0324364 A1 · Communication apparatus and optical device thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0324364 A1 - Document ID: US20180324364A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/785,999 - Filed: 2017-10-17 - Published: 2018-11-08 - Earliest claimed: 2017-05-05 - Assignees: Primax Electronics Ltd. - Applicants: Primax Electronics Ltd. - Inventors: CHUN-I LU - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180324364A1 ## CPC - H04N 5/2621: {Cameras specially adapted for the electronic generation of special effects during image pickup, e.g. digital cameras, camcorders, video cameras having integrated special effects capability} - G06F 1/1605: {Multimedia displays, e.g. with integrated or attached speakers, cameras, microphones} - G06F 1/1613: {for portable computers (cooling arrangements therefor G06F1/203; constructional details or arrangements for pocket calculators, electronic agendas or books G06F15/0216; constructional details of portable telephone sets: with several bodies H04M1/0202)} - G06F 1/1626: {with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]} - G06F 1/1686: {the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera} - H04M 1/0202: {Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets (constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. of speakers or microphones H04M1/03)} - 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 23/50: Constructional details - H04N 23/667: Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes - H04N 23/698: for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture - H04N 23/80: Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof - H04N 23/951: by using two or more images to influence resolution, frame rate or aspect ratio - H04N 23/957: Light-field or plenoptic cameras or camera modules - H04M 2250/52: including functional features of a camera - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) ## Abstract A communication apparatus includes a housing, an optical device and an image processing module. A first optical module of the optical device captures a first image corresponding to a first side of the housing. A second optical module captures a second image corresponding to a second side of the housing. A third optical module captures a third image corresponding to the second side of the housing. The image processing module is electrically connected with the optical device. The image processing module produces a 360-degree panoramic image according to the first image and the second image. Moreover, the image processing module obtains depth-of-field information of the second image or the third image according to the second image and the third image. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A communication apparatus for performing mobile communication, the communication apparatus comprising: a housing having a first surface and a second surface, wherein the first surface and the second surface are opposed to each other; a first optical module partially exposed to the first surface of the housing, and capturing a first image corresponding to the first surface of the housing; a second optical module partially exposed to the second surface of the housing, and capturing a second image corresponding to the second surface of the housing; a third optical module partially exposed to the second surface of the housing, and capturing a third image corresponding to the second surface of the housing; and an image processing module disposed within the housing and electrically connected with the first optical module, the second optical module and the third optical module, wherein the image processing module produces a 360-degree panoramic image according to the first image and the second image, and the image processing module obtains depth-of-field information of the second image or the third image according to the second image and the third image. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image processing module comprises an image correction unit, wherein after the second image is corrected by the image correction unit, a second corrected image is generated. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The communication apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the image processing module further comprises an image computation unit, and the image computation unit is electrically connected with the image correction unit, wherein after the first image is corrected by the image correction unit, a first corrected image is generated, wherein after the first corrected image and the second corrected image are received by the image computation unit, the first corrected image and the second corrected image are combined as the 360-degree panoramic image. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The communication apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the image processing module obtains the depth-of-field information according to the second corrected image and the third image. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a field of view of the first optical module and a field of view of the second optical module are larger than a field of view of the third optical module. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the field of view of the first optical module and/or the field of view of the second optical module is larger than 180 degrees. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the first optical module, the second optical module and the third optical module comprises a lens module and an optical sensor, wherein the lens module is partially exposed outside the housing, and an ambient light beam is projected on the optical sensor through the lens module. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a first frame, wherein the first optical module and the second optical module are fixed on the first frame, so that an optical axis of the first optical module and an optical axis of the second optical module are in parallel with each other. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The communication apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a second frame, wherein the first frame and the third optical module are fixed on the second frame, so that an optical axis of the third optical module is in parallel with the optical axis of the second optical module. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The communication apparatus according to claim 9, wherein after the first frame and the third optical module are fixed on the second frame, the second frame is assembled with the housing. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication apparatus is a smart phone or a tablet computer. ### Claim 12 An optical device for a communication apparatus, the communication apparatus comprising an image processing module and having a first surface and a second surface, the first surface and the second surface being opposed to each other, the optical device comprising: a first optical module partially exposed to the first surface of the housing, and capturing a first image corresponding to the first surface of the housing; a second optical module partially exposed to the second surface of the housing, and capturing a second image corresponding to the second surface of the housing; and a third optical module partially exposed to the second surface of the housing, and capturing a third image corresponding to the second surface of the housing, wherein the image processing module produces a 360-degree panoramic image according to the first image and the second image, and the image processing module obtains depth-of-field information of the second image or the third image according to the second image and the third image. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The optical device according to claim 12, further comprising a first frame, wherein the first optical module and the second optical module are fixed on the first frame, so that an optical axis of the first optical module and an optical axis of the second optical module are in parallel with each other. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The optical device according to claim 13, further comprising a second frame, wherein the first frame and the third optical module are fixed on the second frame, so that an optical axis of the third optical module is in parallel with the optical axis of the second optical module. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The optical device according to claim 14, wherein after the first frame and the third optical module are fixed on the second frame, the second frame is installed between the first surface and the second surface of the communication apparatus. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The optical device according to claim 12, wherein a field of view of the first optical module and a field of view of the second optical module are larger than a field of view of the third optical module. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The optical device according to claim 12, wherein the field of view of the first optical module and/or the field of view of the second optical module is larger than 180 degrees. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The optical device according to claim 12, wherein each of the first optical module, the second optical module and the third optical module comprises a lens module and an optical sensor, wherein the lens module is partially exposed outside the housing, and an ambient light beam is projected on the optical sensor through the lens module.