Apple Inc.

Angelo M Alaimo

Florian R Fournier

Miodrag Scepanovic

Bryan Dang

Andreas G Weber

Simon S Lee

Blake M Coughenour

Bosheng Zhang

Shahrooz Shahparnia

Richard Lawrence Baer

Paul M Hubel

Paul V Johnson

Garam Young

Kathrin Berkner Cieslicki

Bohan Hao

Jeremy D Bataillou

Jonathan Gomez Garcia

Matthew D Hill

Benjamin J Pope

Farhan A Baqai

Nicolas P Bonnier

Noah Denis Bedard

Douglas G Fournier

Michael W Firka

James A Bertin

David A Hurrell

Frederic Cao

Matthew P Rao

Ya-Wen Hsu

Tongbo Chen

Wassim Ferose Habeeb Rakuman

Kartthik Kumarasamy

Nicholas D Rath

Katherine J Armstrong

A portable electronic device may include an enclosure including a front cover defining a front exterior surface of the portable electronic device and a rear cover defining a rear exterior surface of the portable electronic device. The portable electronic device may further include a rear-facing camera and a rear-facing flash including a light emitting component defining a plurality of illuminable regions. The light emitting component may be configured to illuminate a first subset of the plurality of illuminable regions to illuminate a first field of view and illuminate a second subset of the plurality of illuminable regions, the second subset different from the first subset, to illuminate a second field of view different from the first field of view.

Handheld electronic device with rear-facing flash

A light source module includes an array of illumination elements and an optional projecting lens. The light source module is configured to receive or generate a control signal for adjusting different ones of the illumination elements to control a light field emitted from the light source module. In some embodiments, the light source module is also configured to adjust the projecting lens responsive to objects in an illuminated scene and a field of view of an imaging device. A controller for a light source module may determine a light field pattern based on various parameters including a field of view of an imaging device, an illumination sensitivity model of the imaging device, depth, ambient illumination and reflectivity of objects, configured illumination priorities including ambient preservation, background illumination and direct/indirect lighting balance, and so forth.

Adaptive-flash photography, videography, and/or flashlight using camera, scene, or user input parameters

Camera modules and associated electronic devices and systems are described. A camera module may include a set of housing elements that at least partially defines an interior cavity, a set of lens elements, an image sensor positioned within the interior cavity to receive light through the set of lens elements, and a substrate assembly. The substrate assembly may include a set of rigid substrates, a first set of electrical contacts positioned on a first surface of the set of rigid substrates, and a second set of electrical contacts positioned on a second surface of the set of rigid substrates. The substrate assembly may be positioned such that a first portion of the substrate assembly is positioned inside the interior cavity and a second portion of the substrate assembly extends outside of the interior cavity.

Camera module substrate designs

Various embodiments include a light source module with one or more light emitters and one or more light sensors that share an aperture via which light passes. One of the light sensors may measure illuminance received through the aperture (not illuminance from the light emitters) and send a signal indicating a measurement of the illuminance. The light source module may be integrated into a portable computing device having a controller. The controller may include logic to perform one or more device operations based on the measurement of illuminance, such as, but not limited to, controlling a device display brightness and/or controlling an auto exposure feature of the device camera. Calibration parameters for interpreting the signal may be determined via a calibration process.

Light source module with integrated ambient light sensing capability

Various embodiments disclosed herein include techniques for adjusting the lateral position of a default field of view of a camera. The camera may change the lateral position of its field of view by creating relative movement between an image sensor and a lens of the camera, and may maintain the camera's field of view to the default field of view when the camera is stationary. In some embodiments, the lateral position may be set using orientation information associated with the camera. In other embodiments, the lateral position may be set using position information associated with a target object.

Dynamic camera field of view adjustment

A mobile device includes a camera and a light source module embedded in the mobile device. The light source module includes at least a laser-pumped phosphor light source that includes a photoluminescent phosphor and a laser diode to generate laser light within a first wavelength range to pump the photoluminescent phosphor. Exposure of the photoluminescent phosphor to the laser light results in emission of visible light within a second wavelength range according to a laser-pumped emission spectrum associated with the photoluminescent phosphor.

Mobile device including laser-pumped phosphor light source

Various embodiments disclosed herein include adaptive light source modules that can provide adaptive illumination to a scene. The adaptive light source modules may comprise a housing, an emitter array, and a lens. The emitter array comprises a plurality of emitters. The lens may redirect light emitted from the emitter array through a transparent window of the housing. The housing may further include a prismatic surface that distorts light emitted from the emitter array and/or one or more non-transparent portions that limits light travelling therethrough. The adaptive light source module may optionally comprise a light sensor, and a portion of the lens may be configured to direct light toward the light sensor.

Light source module with adaptive illumination

A lighting module which provides adjustably controllable illumination of a camera field of view of a camera module includes an adjustable collimator which can be adjustably positioned such that the emitted light beam is adjustably directed to illuminate various regions of various camera fields of view. The collimator can be adjusted via an actuator which adjustably positions the collimator relative to static components of the lighting module, including the light emitter. The light beam can be directed to illuminate a selected limited region of a camera field of view, based on identification of a subject within the limited region. The light beam can be adjustably directed based on user interactions with a user interface, including adjusting the light beam according to user-commanded beam angle, intensity, and direction. The light beam can be adjustably directed to illuminate a region according to different fields of view of different camera modules.

Focusing lighting module

A light source module includes an array of illumination elements and a light diffusing material. The light source module is configured to receive a control signal for adjusting diffusion of light emitted from the light source module and in response adjust the amount of diffusion of light emitted from the light source module. A light source module may include a segmented light diffusing material where each segment is associated with an illumination element. And individual segments may have light diffusing properties that are different than other segments of the light diffusing material. Some illumination elements may emit light of a different color spectrum than other illumination elements, and a light diffusing material may scatter the different colored light to illuminate a scene with combinations of light of different colors. A light source module may be embedded in a mobile computing device.

Light source module with adjustable diffusion

A device which includes a display can provide adjustable light output, based in part on the color of the display screen output, to control the light output of the display screen. An illumination processor can adjustably control light output based on the colors of portions of the display screen. The light output can be adjusted to maintain the light output of the display screen across a range of colors of display screen light output. Controlling the light output of the display screen results in controlling the illuminance of a subject. The device can include a camera which captures an image of the subject and displays the image on a portion of the display screen, where the light output of a portion of the display screen can illuminate the subject such that the captured image has at least a certain level of image quality.

Adjustable display illumination

Growing community of inventors

San Francisco, CA, United States of America

Angelo M Alaimo