Flash insert for mobile phone case
View Patent ↗A case, for an electronic device such as a mobile phone, containing an insert located near a camera, still image recorder, or video recorder and a flash of the device is disclosed. The placement, material, color and properties of the insert helps reduce and/or eliminate problems associated with the case affecting the resultant flash/light from the camera, causing and adding erroneous colors, effects, and information on the resulting pictures, images, sensors, or videos.
1. A case for a mobile device, the mobile device including a camera, said case comprising:
a jacket which is separate and removable from the mobile device, and which is configured to cover a portion of an outer surface of said mobile device when the mobile device is arranged in the case;
an opening in the jacket; and
an insert which is arranged in the opening and comprises:
an aperture;
an aperture-facing surface which faces the aperture;
wherein the insert is configured to surround both a flash unit and a camera lens, the camera lens spaced separate from the flash unit, of the mobile device so that the flash unit and the camera lens are both exposed by the aperture of said insert when the mobile device is arranged in the case; and
wherein the aperture-facing surface of said insert is adapted to reduce reflection of light or increase absorption of light emitted by the flash unit of said mobile device when the mobile device is arranged in the case.
2. The case for a mobile device as recited in claim 1 ;
wherein said insert is a coating, film, or paint layer or layers.
3. The case for a mobile device as recited in claim 1 ;
wherein the jacket comprises at least two layers.
4. The case for a mobile device as recited in claim 1 ;
wherein a portion of the case other than the insert is a non-neutral color.
5. The case for a mobile device as recited in claim 1 ;
wherein the aperture-facing surface of said insert is sloped inward with respect to an axis of the aperture.
6. The case for a mobile device as recited in claim 5 ;
wherein the aperture-facing surface of said insert is sloped inward to redirect light emitted by the flash unit of the mobile device outside a field of view of the camera of the mobile device.
7. The case for a mobile device as recited in claim 5 ;
wherein the aperture-facing surface of said insert is sloped inward with respect to the axis of the aperture at an angle which is greater than an angle of a main cone of light emitted by the flash unit of the mobile device with respect to the axis of the aperture when the mobile device is arranged in the case.
8. The case for a mobile device as recited in claim 5 ;
wherein the aperture-facing surface of said insert is sloped inward with respect to the axis of the aperture at an angle which is less than an angle of a secondary cone of light emitted by the flash unit of the mobile device with respect to the axis of the aperture when the mobile device is arranged in the case.
9. A case for a mobile device, the mobile device including a camera, said case comprising:
a jacket which is separate and removable from the mobile device, and which is configured to cover a portion of an outer surface of said mobile device when the mobile device is arranged in the case;
an opening in the jacket; and
an insert which is arranged in the opening and comprises:
an aperture; and
an aperture-facing surface which faces the aperture;
wherein the insert is configured to surround both a flash unit and a camera lens, the camera lens spaced separate from the flash unit, of the mobile device so that the flash unit and the camera lens are both exposed by said aperture of said insert when the mobile device is arranged in the case; and
wherein a color of the aperture-facing surface of said insert is a predominantly neutral color, in terms of reflection of light emitted by the flash unit of said mobile device when the mobile device is arranged in the case.
10. The case for a mobile device as recited in claim 9 ;
wherein said neutral color is black.
11. The case for a mobile device as recited in claim 9 ;
wherein said neutral color is gray.
12. The case for a mobile device as recited in claim 9 ;
wherein said neutral color is in gray scale.
13. The case for a mobile device as recited in claim 9 ;
wherein the aperture-facing surface of said insert is absorptive, in terms of reflection of light.
14. The case for a mobile device as recited in claim 9 ;
wherein the aperture-facing surface of said insert is flat.
15. The case for a mobile device as recited in claim 9 ;
wherein the aperture-facing surface of said insert is concave.
16. The case for a mobile device as recited in claim 9 ;
wherein the aperture-facing surface of said insert is convex.
17. The case for a mobile device as recited in claim 9 ;
wherein the aperture-facing surface of said insert is multi-layered.
18. The case for a mobile device as recited in claim 9 ;
wherein the aperture-facing surface of said insert is coarse or rough.
19. The case for a mobile device as recited in claim 9 ;
wherein said mobile device further comprises a phone set.
20. The case for a mobile device as recited in claim 9 ;
wherein said insert is a coating, film, or paint layer or layers.
21. The case for a mobile device as recited in claim 9 ;
wherein the jacket comprises at least two layers.
22. The case for a mobile device as recited in claim 9 ;
wherein a portion of the case other than the insert is a non-neutral color.
23. The case for a mobile device as recited in claim 9 ;
wherein the aperture-facing surface of said insert is sloped inward with respect to an axis of the aperture.
24. The case for a mobile device as recited in claim 23 ;
wherein the aperture-facing surface of said insert is sloped inward to redirect light emitted by the flash unit of the mobile device outside a field of view of the camera of the mobile device.
25. The case for a mobile device as recited in claim 23 ;
wherein the aperture-facing surface of said insert is sloped inward with respect to the axis of the aperture at an angle which is greater than an angle of a main cone of light emitted by the flash unit of the mobile device with respect to the axis of the aperture when the mobile device is arranged in the case.
26. The case for a mobile device as recited in claim 23 ;
wherein the aperture-facing surface of said insert is sloped inward with respect to the axis of the aperture at an angle which is less than an angle of a secondary cone of light emitted by the flash unit of the mobile device with respect to the axis of the aperture when the mobile device is arranged in the case.
27. A case for a mobile device, the mobile device including a camera, said case comprising:
a jacket which is separate and removable from the mobile device, and which is configured to cover a portion of an outer surface of said mobile device when the mobile device is arranged in the case;
an opening in the jacket; and
an insert which is arranged in the opening and comprises:
an aperture; and
an aperture-facing surface which faces the aperture;
wherein the insert is configured to surround both a flash unit and a camera lens, the camera lens spaced separate from the flash unit, of the mobile device so that the flash unit and the camera lens are both exposed by the aperture of said insert when the mobile device is arranged in the case; and
wherein the aperture-facing surface of said insert is absorptive, in terms of reflection of light emitted by the flash unit of said mobile device when the mobile device is arranged in the case.
28. The case for a mobile device as recited in claim 27 ;
wherein said insert is a coating, film, or paint layer or layers.
29. The case for a mobile device as recited in claim 27 ;
wherein the jacket comprises at least two layers.
30. The case for a mobile device as recited in claim 27 ;
wherein a portion of the case other than the insert is a non-neutral color.
31. The case for a mobile device as recited in claim 27 ;
wherein the aperture-facing surface of said insert is sloped inward with respect to an axis of the aperture.
32. The case for a mobile device as recited in claim 31 ;
wherein the aperture-facing surface of said insert is sloped inward to redirect light emitted by the flash unit of the mobile device outside a field of view of the camera of the mobile device.
33. The case for a mobile device as recited in claim 31 ;
wherein the aperture-facing surface of said insert is sloped inward with respect to the axis of the aperture at an angle which is greater than an angle of a main cone of light emitted by the flash unit of the mobile device with respect to the axis of the aperture when the mobile device is arranged in the case.
34. The case for a mobile device as recited in claim 31 ;
wherein the aperture-facing surface of said insert is sloped inward with respect to the axis of the aperture at an angle which is less than an angle of a secondary cone of light emitted by the flash unit of the mobile device with respect to the axis of the aperture when the mobile device is arranged in the case.
35. A case for a mobile device, the mobile device including a camera, the case comprising:
a jacket which is separate and removable from the mobile device, and which is configured to cover a portion of an outer surface of the mobile device when the mobile device is arranged in the case;
an opening; and
an insert which is arranged in the opening and comprises:
an aperture;
an aperture-facing surface which faces the aperture;
wherein the insert is configured to surround both a flash unit and a camera lens, the camera lens spaced separate from the flash unit, of the mobile device so that the flash unit and the camera lens are both exposed by the aperture of said insert when the mobile device is arranged in the case; and
wherein the aperture-facing surface of the insert is sloped, concave, or convex so that light emitted by the flash unit of the mobile device strikes the aperture-facing surface and is reflected outside a capture area of the camera lens of the mobile device.