ADDING NEW IMAGING CAPABILITIES TO SMART MOBILE DEVICE

• Main Author: Tan, Weining
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 01.08.2019
• Subjects: ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE; ELECTRICITY; PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION; TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION

The disclosure presents novel methods and apparatuses to add new imaging functions to an existing smart device, comprising a plate accessory with one or more optical components that is attached to the smart device. The plate can be rotated to the front of the screen and supported at more than one sides of the smart device. The imaging function added could be a virtual reality viewer or a wide light field camera. The plate can also be worn on one's head by self-contained retractable brace, stands and strap. If the plate is moved close to the smart device's cameras, the optical components can form multiple images from multiple viewing angles of the scene onto the camera sensor. The captured images can be used to generate stereoscopic 3D or light field 4D recording of the scene by computational photographic algorithms. The attaching accessory is very light, portable, flexible, affordable and easy to use. Compared to the competitive methods, the present disclosure is a smallest wearable virtual reality smartphone case viewer that can be carried in pockets, and a method and apparatus to enable existing traditional phone cameras to capture light field 4D images and videos.