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Samsung ISOCELL ALoP Camera Technology Brightens the Night but Keeps the Camera Slim

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As mobile phone users demand better image capture from their cameras, smartphone makers have added cameras for each zoom ratio (e.g. wide, ultra-wide, telephoto). Over time, the phone camera array has become quite crowded, with an ever-larger camera bump.

Recently, remarkable developments have been made for the telephoto camera to allow it to cover zoom ratios of 3x-3.5x, the ideal choice for snapping portrait image shots without the image distortion of wide-field lenses.1 However, a telephoto camera with high zoom ratio requires greater focal length than a wide-field camera and leads to taller module height and an obtrusive camera bump.

To mitigate the general telephoto camera bump problem, smartphone makers have until now employed a folded telephoto camera structure that uses a prism and places the lens set between the prism and image sensor. The lenses stand vertically with respect to the plane of the smartphone body, so their diameter determines the height of the camera bump.

Structure of the folded telephoto camera module
Figure 1: Structure of the folded telephoto camera module
Structure of the folded telephoto camera module
Figure 1: Structure of the folded telephoto camera module


However, this arrangement limits the telephoto improvements that can be made in terms of image brightness.  A wider lens diameter is required for brighter images. Moving to a larger telephoto lens and brighter telephoto camera using large image sensor increases both the module height and length, to the point where the user would find the resulting bulky camera bump objectionable.

Samsung Semiconductor’s All Lenses on Prism (ALoP) technology is a future telephoto camera solution that enables smartphone users to capture clear portraits both day and night by rearranging the structure of lens and prism, and brings additional benefits due to its more compact camera module.

 

What Is ALoP?

ALoP defines an innovative means of incorporating a set of large telephoto lenses in a smartphone without incurring the penalty of a huge camera bump.

To make a bright (low f-number) telephoto camera, the effective pupil diameter (EPD) of the lens needs to be large. Placement of this large lens becomes critical to certain smartphone design aspects.

With conventional folded telephoto camera optics, the lens group (including the large EPD lens) is placed lengthwise between the prism and sensor; the lens diameter, standing vertically, thus constrains the minimum smartphone bump thickness. Making such a camera brighter by increasing the lens diameter further increases camera module height – creating an unacceptably thick smartphone camera bump. 

ALoP technology employs a clever optical structure in which lenses sit horizontally upon the prism, remaining in the plane of the smartphone body. Using this approach, increasing the effective lens size (EPD) by increasing lens diameter brings a brighter image yet does not affect the camera module shoulder height. Moreover, it provides for a shorter module length by reducing the space needed for lenses in the folded camera module. 

Structure of the ALoP solution
Figure 2: Structure of the ALoP solution
Structure of the ALoP solution
Figure 2: Structure of the ALoP solution
Comparison between conventional folded zoom and ALoP
Figure 3: Comparison between conventional folded zoom and ALoP
Comparison between conventional folded zoom and ALoP
Figure 3: Comparison between conventional folded zoom and ALoP

 

ALoP Features and Benefits

Brightness. The novel optics design of ALoP accommodates an f/2.58 lens aperture at a focal length of 80mm. Differing from conventional folded camera optics, the lens in this case is placed ahead of the prism. In this way, ALoP can use a large aperture lens that promises low-noise portrait images in night shots.

Compact size. Thanks to the ALoP architecture, the module length can be shortened 22% with respect to conventional folded camera optics. More importantly, the ALoP takes up an especially low module height because it employs a 40˚-tilted prism reflection surface and 10˚-tilted sensor assembly. Taken together, these reduced dimensions make for a lower-profile camera bump and slimmer smartphone.

Aesthetics and ergonomics. Users generally find a thick smartphone camera bump objectionable. It not only makes the smartphone design unappealing but also harder to use when laid on a flat surface. Additionally, the shape of the lenses within the camera bump can be off-putting. In a smartphone using conventional folded camera optics, users see a rectangular prism that is cosmetically somewhat jarring to an otherwise sleek camera appearance. By contrast, in a smartphone adopting ALoP optics, users see only the expected circular lens shapes.

Reduced camera bump size and height
Figure 4: Reduced camera bump size and height
Reduced camera bump size and height
Figure 4: Reduced camera bump size and height

 

Summary

ALoP positions the telephoto lens flat, in the plane of the phone, helping the smartphone maker create a smaller and less pronounced camera bump as well as providing a circular lens appearance that is more aesthetically pleasing to the user.

The ALoP solution offers a brighter and more compact telephoto camera module to smartphone makers. With this camera solution, users can take remarkably clear and low-noise nighttime images with a phone that is more appealing and more ergonomic for convenient use.

Samsung is constantly trying to provide users with better quality photos and enhanced user experiences and aims to present new standards for telephoto cameras by introducing solutions such as ALoP.

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