Folded zoom camera module with adaptive aperture

1. A method, comprising:

providing a folded camera that includes a lens module with a height H M and comprising a native aperture, an adaptive aperture (AA) and an AA forming mechanism, wherein the AA forming mechanism has a height H AA not larger than H M ;

defining a region of interest (ROI) in a scene;

obtaining a depth of the ROI with respect to the folded camera;

using the depth of the ROI to determine ideal AA settings;

adjusting the AA according to the ideal AA settings to obtain an adjusted AA; and

capturing an image including the ROI with the adjusted AA.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the AA forming mechanism includes at least two pairs of blades.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the AA forming mechanism is located between the native aperture and an optical path folding element.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the folded camera is focused using a first adjusted AA, and wherein the capturing of the image is performed with a second adjusted AA.

5. The method of claim 4 , the folded camera having a f number f/#, and wherein the first adjusted AA corresponds to a larger f/# than the second adjusted AA.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining ideal AA settings includes using a smaller AA for closer objects and using a larger AA for farther away objects.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining ideal AA settings includes determining an ideal depth of field.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining ideal AA settings depends on an illumination estimation of the scene.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the folded camera has a portrait-mode, and wherein the determining ideal AA settings differ between the portrait mode and another imaging mode.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining ideal AA settings depends on a size of faces in the scene.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising including the folded camera in a mobile device that also includes a sensor for detecting the depth.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising including the folded camera in a mobile device that also includes a second camera, wherein the folded camera and the second camera capture stereo image data, and wherein the depth is obtained from the stereo image data.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the defining a ROI in a scene includes defining two or more ROIs.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the using the depth to determine ideal AA settings includes using the depths of each of the two or more ROIs.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the determining ideal AA settings includes AA settings so that all of the two or more ROIs are in focus.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the determining ideal AA settings includes AA settings so that one of the two or more ROIs is in focus.

17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising an actuator, and wherein the actuator moves the at least two pairs of blades linearly to form the AA at a given position.

18. The method of claim 2 , wherein the at least two pairs of blades includes a plurality of pairs of blades, and wherein each pair of the plurality of pairs of blades is operative to form the AA at a different given position.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the lens module includes a folded Tele lens with a cut lens.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the folded camera is a scanning folded Tele camera.

21. The method of claim 1 , further comprising including the folded camera in a mobile device.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the mobile device is a smartphone.

23. The method of claim 21 , wherein the mobile device is a tablet.