Mobile camera phone with adjustable focal length
View Patent ↗The portable terminal with camera comprises: a first housing and a second housing which are movably connected to each other; an image pickup device which is arranged in one of the first housing and the second housing; and a conversion lens which is arranged in the other of the first housing and the second housing. In a first state where the first housing and the second housing are laid on each other, the image pickup device and the conversion lens have an identical optical axis so that a focal length of the image pickup device is converted from a focal length in a second state where the first housing and the second housing are arranged to each other differently than the first state. Thus, the focal length can be converted using a simple arrangement, so as to easily switch between image-capturing of a distant object as with ordinary cameras and image-capturing of an operator's face or the like.
1. A portable terminal with camera, comprising:
a first housing and a second housing which are movably connected to each other;
an image pickup device which is arranged in one of the first housing and the second housing; and
a first refractive conversion lens which is arranged in the other of the first housing and the second housing,
wherein in a first state where the first housing and the second housing are laid on each other, the image pickup device and the refractive conversion lens have an identical optical axis so that a focal length of the image pickup device is converted from a focal length in a second state where the first housing and the second housing are arranged to each other differently than the first state,
said portable terminal further comprising a second refractive conversion lens, and means for replacing said first refractive conversion lens with said second refractive conversion lens,
wherein said first and second refractive conversion lenses are mounted on a holder in the other of the first housing and the second housing, and
wherein said second refractive conversion lens is exchangeable with said first refractive conversion lens by a sliding operation of said holder.
2. The portable terminal with camera as defined in claim 1 , wherein the focal length of the image pickup device is converted into one of a plurality of lengths by selecting one of the first and second refractive conversion lenses.
3. The portable terminal with camera as defined in claim 2 , further comprising an audio transmitting and receiving device.
4. The portable terminal with camera as defined in claim 2 , wherein the first refractive conversion lens is a zoom lens.
5. The portable terminal as defined in claim 2 , wherein said first and second housings are connected to each other by a hinge mechanism.
6. The portable terminal as defined in claim 2 , wherein said first and second housings are slidably connected together.
7. The portable terminal as defined in claim 2 , further comprising a third refractive conversion lens exchangeable, by the sliding operation, with said first and second refractive conversion lenses, and wherein the focal length of the image pickup device is converted into one of said plurality of lengths by selecting one of said first, second and third refractive conversion lenses.
8. The portable terminal as defined in claim 7 , wherein said first, second and third refractive conversion lenses are discrete elements physically and optically separate from each other.
9. The portable terminal as defined in claim 1 , wherein said first and second refractive conversion lenses are discrete elements physically and optically separate from each other.
10. The portable terminal as defined in claim 1 , further comprising an image-capturing button on a rear surface of one of said first and second housings.
11. The portable terminal as defined in claim 1 , wherein a rear surface section of one of said first and second housings contains a viewfinder.
12. The portable terminal as defined in claim 1 , wherein at least said first refractive conversion lens is selected from the group consisting of a fish-eye lens, a wide-angle lens, and a close-up lens.
13. A portable terminal with camera, comprising:
a first housing and a second housing which are movably connected to each other;
an image pickup device which is arranged in one of the first housing and the second housing; and
a first refractive conversion lens which is arranged in the other of the first housing and the second housing,
wherein in a first state where the first housing and the second housing are laid on each other, the image pickup device and the refractive conversion lens have an identical optical axis so that a focal length of the image pickup device is converted from a focal length in a second state where the first housing and the second housing are arranged to each other differently than the first state,
said portable terminal further comprising a second refractive conversion lens, and means for replacing said first refractive conversion lens with said second refractive conversion lens,
wherein said first and second refractive conversion lenses are mounted on a rotatable turret, and
said second refractive conversion lens is exchangeable with said first refractive conversion lens by a rotation operation.