Disposable cameras and cellular telephone cameras have become very popular. However, current disposable cameras, low end digital cameras and cellular telephone cameras generally have a single lens with a fixed focal length. This single option does not allow the user to take advantage of the full array of image enhancements available via optical technology such as in composing: close-ups, panoramic, capturing long distance subjects, or artistic accentuations to the images. In addition, these types of portable devices are often used, carried, and stored, in inhospitable environments such as pockets, book bags, purses, etc., where keys, pens, etc. can easily scratch and damage sensitive display and lens components. Protective coverings for integrated displays (e.g. LCDs), lenses (mainly of plastic construction), and the like, are accessories with clear utility.
Higher end cameras often provide such features and with an interchangeable lens mounting scheme enabling a desired lens to be easily mounted to the camera body (e.g. macro, wide-angle, telephoto); creating artistic accentuations to the photographs are also possible with the use of special lenses, such as a fisheye type lens, and the use of lenses in combination with a host of available filters. More specifically, these higher end cameras generally have a lens-camera mounting technology (such as a bayonet or thread mounting schemes) allowing the auxiliary lens to be quickly mounted and dismounted to the camera body. Lens filters normally use the threaded portions about their perimeter to attach to a mating thread about the perimeter of the auxiliary lens. Many variations of the foregoing, as well as other configurations for coupling the auxiliary lens to the camera body are known in the art. Accordingly, these higher end cameras are selectively capable of telephotography, wide-angle photography, etc., as well as various filtering options. Disposable cameras, low end digital cameras, cellular telephone cameras, as well as other portable image capture and storage devices, however, normally have no interchangeable mounting hardware such as threaded portions (or other structures) for mounting filters and lenses, and thus, are unable to use these auxiliary lenses and filters, and are designed with a fixed focal length lens. This similar limitation is found in many other products containing built-in cameras.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,239,326 discloses a film-loaded disposable camera with an auxiliary lens detachably mounted on the camera body to enable the lens frame to be exchanged or interchanged with other lens frames with different types of lenses. This reference disclosed a weak mounting system, offers no dedicated lens or display protection, nor is it adaptable to lower end digital cameras or cellular telephones with built in cameras.
US20040252987A1 “AUXILIARY LENS FOR CAMERA AND THE LIKE” discloses an auxiliary lens for a camera comprising a washer and an auxiliary-lens body to be joined to the washer to thereby be mounted to the camera by a magnetic force. The auxiliary-lens body has an adhering section made of a permanent magnet, a ferromagnetic substance or a magnetic substance at the position to be mounted to the camera. The washer is made of a ferromagnetic substance, a magnetic substance or a permanent magnet that can adhere to the adhering section of the auxiliary-lens body. The shortcomings of this device include the fragile connection afforded by the small magnetic structures, allowing for frequent dislodging and/or shifting of the auxiliary lens during use.
Thus, it is desirable to provide an auxiliary lens and accessories that may be selectively and detachably mounted on a disposable camera, digital camera, cellular telephone with built-in camera or other device with a built in-camera.