US-20260129281-A1 - HYBRID VIEWFINDER WITH TRANSPARENT IMAGING SENSOR

US20260129281A1US 20260129281 A1US20260129281 A1US 20260129281A1US-20260129281-A1

Abstract

A digital camera and a dual-mode viewfinder are provided. The camera includes a transparent imaging sensor that is configured to detect and refract light from an environment; a transparent display configured to display, at a same viewport, (i) the detected light from the environment as a digital representation, and (ii) the refracted light from the environment as an optical image; and control circuitry configured to: in a first mode of the camera, display on the transparent display the detected light from the environment as a digital representation, and, in a second mode of the camera, displaying on the transparent display the refracted light from the environment as an optical image. Related processes, subprocesses, apparatuses, devices, techniques, and articles are also described.

Inventors

Ning Xu

Assignees

ADEIA IMAGING LLC

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20251231

Claims (20)

1 . A digital camera comprising: a transparent imaging sensor that is configured to detect and refract light from an environment; a transparent display configured to display, at a same viewport, (i) the detected light from the environment as a digital representation, and (ii) the refracted light from the environment as an optical image; and control circuitry configured to: in a first mode of the camera, display on the transparent display the detected light from the environment as a digital representation, and, in a second mode of the camera, displaying on the transparent display the refracted light from the environment as an optical image.
2 . The digital camera of claim 1 , wherein the first mode is a digital viewfinder mode (DVF) and the second mode is an optical viewfinder (OVF) mode.
3 . The digital camera of claim 1 , wherein the transparent display and the transparent imaging sensor are provided along a common axis.
4 . The digital camera of claim 1 , wherein a matte focusing screen is disposed between the transparent imaging sensor and transparent display.
5 . The digital camera of claim 2 , wherein transparency of the transparent display is reduced in DVF mode.
6 . The digital camera of claim 4 , wherein a one-directional pass-through coating is disposed between the matte focusing screen and the transparent display.
7 . The digital camera of claim 2 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to switch between the OVF mode and the DVF mode.
8 . The digital camera of claim 1 , comprising a proximity sensor that detects a distance between a user of the digital camera to the digital camera.
9 . The digital camera of claim 1 , wherein the transparent imaging sensor comprises a material having high electron mobility and broadband absorption.
10 . The digital camera of claim 1 , wherein the transparent imaging sensor comprises graphene.
11 . A method performed using a system, wherein the system comprises: a digital camera, comprising: a transparent imaging sensor that is configured to detect and refract light from an environment; a transparent display configured to display, at a same viewport, (i) the detected light from the environment as a digital representation, and (ii) the refracted light from the environment as an optical image; and control circuitry; the method comprising: receiving, using the control circuitry, by the transparent imaging sensor, sensor imaging data from the light from the environment; and in a first mode of the camera displaying, using the control circuitry, on the transparent display, the detected light from the environment as a digital representation, and, in a second mode of the camera, displaying on the transparent display the refracted light from the environment as an optical image.
12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising: adjusting a transparency level of the transparent imaging sensor such that light from the environment is refracted by the transparent imaging sensor and displayed as an optical image on the transparent display, wherein: displaying on the transparent display the detected light from the environment as a digital representation is defined as a first mode and displaying on the transparent display the refracted light from the environment as an optical image as a second mode.
13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the first mode is a digital viewfinder mode (DVF) and the second mode is an optical viewfinder (OVF) mode.
14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the transparent display and the transparent imaging sensor are provided along a common axis.
15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein a matte focusing screen is disposed between the transparent imaging sensor and transparent display.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein a one-directional pass-through coating is disposed between the matte focusing screen and the transparent display.
17 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to switch between the OVF mode and the DVF mode.
18 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the digital camera further comprises a proximity sensor that detects a distance between a user and the digital camera.
19 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the transparent imaging sensor comprises a material having high electron mobility and broadband absorption.
20 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the transparent imaging sensor comprises graphene.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/641,760, filed Apr. 22, 2024, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure relates to digital imaging including digital cameras. SUMMARY In some approaches, digital cameras are provided with an optical viewfinder in one part of the device and an electronic viewfinder in another part of the device. As illustrated in FIG. 3A, in one approach, a digital camera 310 includes an optical viewfinder 320 located in a top portion of a back side of the digital camera 310 and an electronic viewfinder 330 located in a lower portion of the back side of the digital camera 310. That is, the digital camera 310 has two viewpoints, one via the optical viewfinder 320 that requires a user to place their eye relatively close (e.g., less than about two inches (or about five centimeters)) to the digital camera 310, and another that requires the user to orient their eyes a spaced distance (e.g., about an arm's length of the user) apart from the digital camera 310. However, the first viewpoint through the electronic viewfinder 320 is undesirable, because the user loses use of the conventional electronic viewfinder 330 during operation, and natural oil and/or makeup on the skin of the user can easily be deposited on the conventional electronic viewfinder 330, requiring cleaning. Conversely, the second viewpoint through the electronic viewfinder 330 is undesirable, because the user loses use of the optical viewfinder 320 during operation. Also, the digital camera 310 presents a delay and disconnect preventing a user from capturing an image as they see it, presents a delay between display of different types of information on the two viewfinders, requires relatively high power consumption, has decreased performance in low light, and causes eye strain over prolonged use. Similarly, as illustrated in FIG. 3B, in another approach, with a relatively larger body digital single lens reflex (DSLR) camera 340, an optical viewfinder 350 is located in a top portion of a back side of the DSLR camera 340 and an electronic viewfinder 360 is located in a lower portion of the back side of the DSLR camera 340. The DSLR camera 340 suffers from the same problems noted above regarding the digital camera 310. In still another approach, as illustrated in FIGS. 3C and 3D, a digital camera 370 includes a hybrid multi viewfinder. The digital camera 370 includes bulky, expensive structures, some oriented on a horizontal axis 373 and others on a vertical axis 376 perpendicular to each other. The digital camera 370 includes a first lens assembly 379 oriented along the horizontal axis 373 that directs light towards a pass-through mirror 382, which allows light to pass through to a second lens assembly 392 to an optical viewfinder 394. The digital camera 370 includes a compact digital display 385 oriented along the vertical axis 376 that outputs digital imagery, the light of which passes through a third lens assembly 388 towards the pass-through mirror 382, which reflects the digital imagery at a 90 degree angle to the second lens assembly 392 to the optical viewfinder 394. Further, the digital camera 370 includes both the optical viewfinder 394 and an electronic viewfinder 397. Thus, the digital camera 370 suffers from the same problems noted above regarding the digital camera 310 and the digital camera 340. To help address the limitations and problems of these and other approaches, several embodiments of a hybrid digital camera system and a dual-mode viewfinder system for a digital camera are provided with various combinations of features. In some embodiments, a hybrid digital camera system is provided that aligns various components along a common axis, which allows for real-time optical viewing, quick subject capture, and the display of digital overlays without the need to switch modes or viewpoints. For example, the hybrid digital camera system includes at least one of a real-time display, an optical viewfinder (OVF) experience, a graphene-based sensor, a compact design, a common axis OVF/digital viewfinder (DVF) design, a dual-mode viewfinder system, dual-mode functionality, single viewpoint operation, a transparent display, a real-time overlay, automatic switching, user-triggered image capture, one or more coatings with one or more optical properties, battery life optimization, combinations of the same, or the like. For example, the real-time display includes a transparent display to show camera settings, digital overlays, and image previews in real time, thereby enhancing the user experience. For example, a matte focusing screen provides an OVF experience with real-time viewing, free from electronic delays, and providing immediate feedback. For example, the graphene-based sensor includes a transparent imaging sensor that employs graphene technology having high el