NIGHT VISION ATTACHMENT FOR SMART CAMERA

摘要

A night vision attachment for a SmartPhone by which the camera of the SmartPhone is enabled to view or take digital photos of objects under very low light ambient light levels. The night vision attachment comprises a housing for receiving and locating components of the attachment and has portions adapted to mate with a wall of the camera through which the phone camera lens images object space. Located in the attachment housing are an image detector sensitive to infrared (IR), an objective lens for forming images on the image detector whereby the image detector operates to generate image output signals representative of detected images, a display arranged to receive the image output signals from the image detector and to generate a visible image; and an eyepiece for viewing images formed on the display and permitting the camera of the phone to focus on the display images when the attachment is mated to a phone. IR LEDs are used to illuminate scenes. Snap fit connectors releasably hold the attachment in mating contact with the phone so that the camera of the phone is optically aligned with the axis of the eyepiece to permit the camera to view images on the display via the eyepiece.

主权项

1. An night vision attachment for a phone having a camera with an optical axis, said attachment comprising:
a housing for receiving and locating components of the attachment, said housing having portions adapted to mate with a wall of the camera through which the phone camera lens images object space; an image detector located in said housing along an optical path; an objective lens located along said optical path for forming images on said image detector whereby said image detector generates image output signals representative of detected images; a display arranged to receive said image output signals from said image detector and to generate a visible image; an eyepiece positioned in said housing for viewing images formed on said display and permitting the camera of the phone to focus on said display images when said attachment is mated to a phone; and a mechanical connector depending from said housing for snapping around the camera to releasably hold said attachment in mating contact with the phone so that the camera of the phone is optically aligned with the axis of said eyepiece to permit the camera to view images on said display via said eyepiece.