Mobile Device Case For Capturing Digital Images

Abstract

A mobile device case for coupling around a mobile device that includes a miniature camera module has defined therein a lens attachment aperture shaped both to permit light from an object to be captured as a digital image to travel along the optical path of the miniature camera module to a built-in image sensor of the miniature camera module of the mobile device, and to facilitate stable coupling of an auxiliary lens in optical alignment with the miniature camera module. The case comprises electric circuit components positioned to balance an attached auxiliary lens approximately at a grip location.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A mobile camera system, comprising:
 a. a camera-enabled, mobile device; comprising:
 a miniature camera module embedded within the mobile device including a built-in lens and an image sensor that define an optical path for capturing digital images; 
 a mobile device processor configured for processing the digital images; 
 a mobile device display for viewing the digital images; 
   b. a lens attachment interface, comprising:
 a mobile device case that is coupled around the camera-enabled mobile device and has defined therein both a mobile device display aperture and a camera-flash aperture shaped, respectively, in accordance with the mobile device display and the miniature camera module of the mobile device; 
 an auxiliary lens coupling interface that is embedded within or integral with the case and defines a lens attachment aperture that is aligned with the camera-flash aperture and shaped both to permit light from an object to be captured as a digital image to travel along the optical path of the miniature camera module to the built-in image sensor of the miniature camera module of the mobile device, and to facilitate stable mechanical coupling of an auxiliary lens assembly in optical alignment with the miniature camera module; and 
   c. a auxiliary lens assembly configured for coupling mechanically and optically in stable alignment with the miniature camera module of the mobile camera system, comprising:
 an auxiliary lens holder; 
 an auxiliary lens coupled within the auxiliary lens holder; 
 a hood coupled to or integral with the auxiliary lens holder and configured to coaxially extend a radial periphery of the auxiliary lens holder from an object-facing surface of the auxiliary lens for a distance that azimuthally oscillates in a closed repeating wavepattern that defines an object end of the auxiliary lens assembly; 
 an auxiliary lens coupling interface coupled to or integral with the auxiliary lens holder and configured as a complement to the auxiliary lens coupling interface of the mobile device case for coupling the auxiliary lens in stable alignment along the optical path of the miniature camera module. 
   
     
     
         3 . The mobile camera system of  claim 2 , wherein said closed repeating wavepattern comprises a plurality of smooth azimuthal oscillations. 
     
     
         4 . The mobile camera system of  claim 2 , wherein said closed repeating wavepattern comprises four azimuthal oscillations. 
     
     
         5 . The mobile camera system of  claim 2 , wherein said closed repeating wavepattern comprises four smooth azimuthal oscillations. 
     
     
         6 . The mobile camera system of  claim 2 , wherein said closed repeating wavepattern comprises a jigsaw pattern including multiple azimuthal oscillations. 
     
     
         7 . The mobile camera system of  claim 2 , wherein said closed repeating wavepattern comprises a jigsaw pattern including four azimuthal oscillations. 
     
     
         8 . The mobile camera system of  claim 2 , wherein the auxiliary lens holder, or an attachment thereto, has embedded therein one or more magnetic elements. 
     
     
         9 . The mobile camera system of  claim 8 , comprising a lens recognition sensor that includes one or more Hall sensors disposed in accordance with the one or more magnetic elements for measuring a Hall current, Hall voltage or related quantity having a value that differs for each of multiple lens types sufficient to uniquely identify said auxiliary lens as a particular one of said multiple lens types. 
     
     
         10 . The mobile camera system of  claim 9 , wherein the one or more magnetic elements comprise approximately same or similar magnetic properties and are disposed in different binary configurations depending on lens type. 
     
     
         11 . An auxiliary lens system for coupling an auxiliary lens in stable mechanical and optical alignment with a miniature camera module of a camera-enabled mobile device, comprising:
 a. a protective case that is configured for coupling around a camera-enabled mobile device and has defined therein both a mobile device display aperture and a camera-flash aperture shaped, respectively, in accordance with the mobile device display and the miniature camera module of the mobile device;   b. an auxiliary lens coupling interface that is embedded within or integral with the protective case housing and defines a lens attachment aperture that is configured to align with a camera-flash aperture of the mobile device and shaped both to permit light from an object to be captured as a digital image to travel along an optical path of the miniature camera module of the camera-enabled mobile device to a built-in image sensor of said miniature camera module of said camera-enabled mobile device, and to facilitate stable mechanical coupling of an auxiliary lens in optical alignment with the miniature camera module; and   c. an auxiliary lens assembly configured for stably coupling mechanically and optically with the miniature camera module of the camera-enabled mobile device, comprising:
 i. an auxiliary lens holder; 
 ii. an auxiliary lens coupled within the auxiliary lens holder; 
 iii. an auxiliary lens coupling interface coupled to or integral with the auxiliary lens holder and configured as a complement to the auxiliary lens coupling interface that is embedded within or integral with the protective case for coupling the auxiliary lens in stable optical alignment with said miniature camera module of said mobile device; and 
 iv. a hood coupled to or integral with the auxiliary lens holder coaxially extending a radial periphery of the auxiliary lens holder from an object-facing surface of the auxiliary lens for a distance that azimuthally oscillates in a closed repeating wavepattern that defines an object end of the auxiliary lens assembly. 
   
     
     
         12 . The auxiliary lens system of  claim 11 , wherein said closed repeating wavepattern comprises a plurality of smooth azimuthal oscillations. 
     
     
         13 . The auxiliary lens system of  claim 11 , wherein said closed repeating wavepattern comprises four azimuthal oscillations. 
     
     
         14 . The auxiliary lens system of  claim 11 , wherein said closed repeating wavepattern comprises four smooth azimuthal oscillations. 
     
     
         15 . The auxiliary lens system of  claim 11 , wherein said closed repeating wavepattern comprises a jigsaw pattern including multiple azimuthal oscillations. 
     
     
         16 . The auxiliary lens system of  claim 11 , wherein said closed repeating wavepattern comprises a jigsaw pattern including four azimuthal oscillations. 
     
     
         17 . The auxiliary lens system of  claim 11 , wherein the auxiliary lens holder, or an attachment thereto, has embedded therein one or more magnetic elements. 
     
     
         18 . The auxiliary lens system of  claim 17 , comprising a lens recognition sensor that includes one or more Hall sensors disposed in accordance with the one or more magnetic elements for measuring a Hall current, Hall voltage or related quantity having a value that differs for each of multiple lens types sufficient to uniquely identify said auxiliary lens as a particular one of said multiple lens types. 
     
     
         19 . The auxiliary lens system of  claim 18 , wherein the one or more magnetic elements comprise approximately same or similar magnetic properties and are disposed in different binary configurations depending on lens type. 
     
     
         20 . An auxiliary lens assembly configured for stably coupling mechanically and optically with a miniature camera module of a camera-enabled mobile device, comprising:
 a. an auxiliary lens holder;   b. an auxiliary lens coupled within the auxiliary lens holder;   c. an auxiliary lens coupling interface coupled to or integral with the auxiliary lens holder and configured as a complement to an auxiliary lens coupling interface of a camera-enabled mobile device for coupling the auxiliary lens in stable optical alignment with a miniature camera module of said mobile device; and   d. a hood coupled to the auxiliary lens holder coaxially extending a radial periphery from an object-facing surface of the auxiliary lens for a distance that azimuthally oscillates in a closed repeating wavepattern that defines an object end of the auxiliary lens assembly.   
     
     
         21 . The auxiliary lens assembly of  claim 20 , wherein said closed repeating wavepattern comprises a plurality of smooth azimuthal oscillations. 
     
     
         22 . The auxiliary lens assembly of  claim 20 , wherein said closed repeating wavepattern comprises four azimuthal oscillations. 
     
     
         23 . The auxiliary lens assembly of  claim 20 , wherein said closed repeating wavepattern comprises four smooth azimuthal oscillations. 
     
     
         24 . The auxiliary lens assembly of  claim 20 , wherein said closed repeating wavepattern comprises a jigsaw pattern including multiple azimuthal oscillations. 
     
     
         25 . The auxiliary lens assembly of  claim 20 , wherein said closed repeating wavepattern comprises a jigsaw pattern including four azimuthal oscillations. 
     
     
         26 . The auxiliary lens assembly of  claim 20 , wherein the auxiliary lens holder, or an attachment thereto, has embedded therein one or more magnetic elements.