CASE FOR PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE
A case for a portable electronic device having a camera component can include a housing suitable for coupling with the portable electronic device. The housing can have an opening configured to allow light to pass therethrough. The case can also include a light-redirecting component integrated with the housing and configured to receive the light passing through the opening and redirect the light to the camera component.
1 . A case for a portable electronic device having a camera component, comprising:
a housing suitable for coupling with the portable electronic device, the housing comprising an opening configured to allow light to pass therethrough; and
a light-redirecting component integrated with the housing and configured to receive the light passing through the opening and redirect the light to the camera component.
2 . The case of claim 1 , wherein the camera component comprises a lens.
3 . The case of claim 1 , wherein the light-redirecting component comprises a mirror.
4 . The case of claim 3 , wherein the mirror is easily removable from the housing.
5 . The case of claim 3 , wherein the mirror has a substantially convex shape.
6 . The case of claim 3 , wherein the mirror has a substantially concave shape.
7 . The case of claim 3 , further comprising a moveable sub-assembly, the moveable sub-assembly comprising the mirror and a sliding component configured to cause the mirror to rotate with respect to the case responsive to a user causing the sliding component to slide along the case.
8 . The case of claim 7 , wherein the mirror and a plane of the case define an angle between zero degrees and ninety degrees.
9 . The case of claim 8 , wherein the mirror is configured to be locked in a certain position once the angle is at least substantially at a particular value.
10 . The case of claim 7 , wherein the moveable sub-assembly provides a landscape orientation for an image corresponding to the light received by the camera component through the opening in the housing.
11 . The case of claim 7 , wherein the moveable sub-assembly provides a portrait orientation for an image corresponding to the light received by the camera component through the opening in the housing.
12 . The case of claim 3 , further comprising a mechanism configured to allow a user to rotate the mirror.
13 . The case of claim 1 , wherein the light-redirecting component comprises a pentaprism.
14 . The case of claim 1 , wherein the light corresponds to an image to be captured by the camera component.
15 . The case of claim 1 , wherein the light corresponds to video to be captured by the camera component.
16 . The case of claim 1 , wherein the housing is configured to allow a user to use the portable electronic device in a hands-free manner.
17 . A method, comprising:
a camera component of a portable electronic device receiving light through an opening in a case for the portable electronic device;
the portable electronic device reversing an image corresponding to the light received by the camera component; and
the portable electronic device inverting the image.
18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising storing the image.
19 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising transmitting the image.
20 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising cropping the image to remove from the image vignetting resulting from the light passing through the opening.