Compact folded camera structure
Folded cameras and dual folded-upright cameras that reduce a mobile electronic device and specifically a smartphone bump footprint and height. In some examples, the bump footprint is reduced by reducing the height of a back focal plane section of the folded camera. In some examples, the bump footprint is reduced by reducing the height of a back focal plane section and a lens subsection of the folded camera.
1 . A mobile device having a surface, comprising:
a bump protruding over the surface;
a folded camera module comprising a lens, the lens including a plurality of N lens elements L 1 -L N and having a constant focal length, a first lens element L 1 being closest to an object to be photographed, an optical path folding element (OPFE) for folding an optical path from a first direction to a second direction, and an image sensor; and
an upright camera having an upright camera optical axis parallel to the first direction, and wherein the upright camera together with the folded camera module forms a dual-aperture camera
wherein the bump has a bump footprint measured along the second direction and a third direction perpendicular to both the first and the second direction,
wherein the folded camera module comprises a first module section that includes the OPFE and L 1 and has a first module section height H 1 ,
wherein the folded camera module comprises a second module section that includes lens elements L 2 -L N and the image sensor and has a second module section height H 2 <H 1 , all heights measured along the first direction,
wherein the bump includes the first module section entirely,
and wherein at least parts of the second module section are not included in the bump to reduce the bump footprint.
2 . The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the bump has a length L B measured along the second direction and the dual-aperture camera has a length L DC measured along the second direction, and wherein L B <L DC .
3 . The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the bump footprint includes a length L B measured along the second direction and a width W B measured along the third direction, and wherein L B is in a range of 5-50 mm and W B is in a range of 1-20 mm.
4 . The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the bump protrudes over the surface by a height H B measured along the first direction, and wherein H B is in a range of 0.05-3 mm.
5 . The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein H 1 ≤H 2 +3 mm.
6 . The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein a height of the folded camera module measured along the first direction is in the range of 3 mm-8 mm.
7 . The mobile device of claim 6 , wherein the height is in the range of 5 mm-6 mm.
8 . The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein a length of the folded camera module measured along the second direction is in the range of 10 mm-30 mm.
9 . The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein a width of the folded camera module measured along the third direction is in the range of 3 mm-15 mm.
10 . The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein a top side of the second module section has an internal surface structured to prevent stray light from being directed toward the image sensor.
11 . The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the upright camera is positioned so that the first module section of the folded camera module is closer to the upright camera than the second module section.
12 . The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the folded camera module includes an additional optical element between the OPFE and the object to be photographed.
13 . The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the OPFE is a prism.
14 . The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the mobile device further comprises a flash element positioned on the second module section.
15 . The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the mobile device is a smartphone.
16 . The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the mobile device is a tablet.
17 . A mobile device having a surface, comprising:
a bump protruding over the surface; and
a folded camera module comprising a lens, the lens including a plurality of N lens elements L 1 -L N and having a constant focal length, a first lens element L 1 being closest to an object to be photographed, an optical path folding element (OPFE) for folding an optical path from a first direction to a second direction, and an image sensor,
wherein the bump has a bump footprint measured along the second direction and a third direction perpendicular to both the first and the second direction,
wherein the folded camera module comprises a first module section that includes the OPFE and L 1 and has a first module section height H 1 ,
wherein the folded camera module comprises a second module section that includes lens elements L 2 -L N and the image sensor and has a second module section height H 2 <H 1 , all heights measured along the first direction,
wherein the bump includes the first module section entirely,
wherein at least parts of the second module section are not included in the bump to reduce the bump footprint, and, wherein L 1 has a lens element diameter D 1 that is larger than a lens diameter of any of the lens elements L 2 -L N .
18 . The mobile device of claim 17 , wherein D 1 is larger than the lens diameter of any of the lens elements L 2 -L N by 0.05 mm-3 mm.
19 . A mobile device having a surface, comprising:
a bump protruding over the surface; and
a folded camera module comprising a lens, the lens including a plurality of N lens elements L 1 -L N and having a constant focal length, a first lens element L 1 being closest to an object to be photographed, an optical path folding element (OPFE) for folding an optical path from a first direction to a second direction, and an image sensor,
wherein the bump has a bump footprint measured along the second direction and a third direction perpendicular to both the first and the second direction,
wherein the folded camera module comprises a first module section that includes the OPFE and L 1 and has a first module section height H 1 ,
wherein the folded camera module comprises a second module section that includes lens elements L 2 -L N and the image sensor and has a second module section height H 2 <H 1 , all heights measured along the first direction,
wherein the bump includes the first module section entirely,
wherein at least parts of the second module section are not included in the bump to reduce the bump footprint, and
wherein at least one of the lens elements has a shape that does not have radial symmetry.