The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 30, 2012
Filed:
Nov. 23, 2010
Jonathan Mather, Oxford, GB;
Andrew Kay, Oxford, GB;
David James Montgomery, Oxford, GB;
James Rowland Suckling, Oxford, GB;
Emma Jayne Walton, Oxford, GB;
Yasunori Kanazawa, Osaka, JP;
Yukio Watanabe, Osaka, JP;
Hirofumi Oda, Osaka, JP;
Taro Sugita, Osaka, JP;
Jonathan Mather, Oxford, GB;
Andrew Kay, Oxford, GB;
David James Montgomery, Oxford, GB;
James Rowland Suckling, Oxford, GB;
Emma Jayne Walton, Oxford, GB;
Yasunori Kanazawa, Osaka, JP;
Yukio Watanabe, Osaka, JP;
Hirofumi Oda, Osaka, JP;
Taro Sugita, Osaka, JP;
Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha, Osaka, JP;
Abstract
A camera flash comprises a light guide arranged to extract light at least through one surface; and one or more light sources arranged, in use, to emit light into the lightguide. Each light source is an LED or a laser diode. The camera flash is connectable, in use, to drive circuitry, the drive circuitry being for driving the light source(s) to emit a pulse of light. The waveguide spreads out the light from the light source(s), so that a flash of light from the camera flash does not present a safety risk, while minimizing loss of the light from the light source(s). The camera flash can thus provide a high overall optical output, spread over an extended area (as defined by the waveguide). The lightguide may for example be disposed around a camera module of a mobile telephone camera.