Camera Lens Position Indicator for Better Smartphone Composition

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Solution Overview

Problem

Users of general-purpose information processing devices like smartphones struggle to accurately determine the position of the lens when capturing images, leading to difficulties in achieving the intended composition due to unawareness of the lens position.

Innovation Solution

An imaging apparatus with a display on its housing that includes a lens indicator displayed on the front surface to indicate the position of the lens on the back surface, enhancing user awareness of the lens position through visual cues.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a smartphone camera is used for image capture, then the device can be operated easily and portably, but the user cannot clearly recognize the lens position leading to poor composition accuracy

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveportability and ease of operationVSAvoidcomposition accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies visual indicators (such as colored markings or highlighted regions) on the display surface to indicate the lens position. These indicators change or stand out in appearance to guide the user's attention to the correct positioning area, thereby improving composition accuracy without affecting the portability and ease of operation of the smartphone camera.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #32Color changes

2Device complexity

If the lens position is not indicated, then the device structure remains simple, but the user cannot determine the correct positioning leading to unintended lens contact

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural simplicityVSAvoidimage capture reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary visual indicator on the display surface that mediates between the physical lens position and the user's perception. This indicator serves as a communication bridge, guiding the user to position the device correctly without requiring structural changes to the lens assembly itself, thus maintaining structural simplicity while improving image capture reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Loss of information

If visual indicators are added to indicate lens position, then user awareness of lens position is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelens position informationVSAvoidinterface complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies visual indicators only in the specific local area where the lens position needs to be indicated, rather than throughout the entire device. This localized approach provides necessary lens position information to users while minimizing the increase in overall device complexity, as the indicators are confined to specific regions on the display surface.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP4704435A1Imaging device, display control method, and program
Publication Date: 2026.03.04 SONY GROUP CORP
  • EP4704435A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4704435A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4704435A1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3B

AI summary

An imaging apparatus includes a display provided on a first surface of a housing, a lens that is for image capturing and is provided on a second surface of the housing, the second surface having a relationship of front and back surfaces with the first surface, and a control unit that performs control for displaying an indicator that indicates the lens at a position on the display, where the lens is projected from the second surface to the first surface.