Vivo's pop-up rear camera phone patent revealed: uses a trapezoidal structure

       According to foreign media LetsgoDigital, vivo often launches smartphones with innovative features. For example, the recently released vivo S10 uses a photochromic back panel that can change color in just three seconds under direct sunlight.

　　Earlier this year, vivo Mobile Communications filed a patent for a "camera module, electronic device, and camera module control method" with the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO). The 23-page document, published on July 29, 2021, describes a vivo smartphone with an ultra-telephoto pop-up camera.

　　The document states that current smartphones only support "low-magnification zoom functions" and the new vivo patent enables "high-magnification zoom functions." In other words, vivo hopes to make a larger zoom range possible for mobile phones through its patented camera system. vivo already has some smartphones with excellent zoom cameras. For example, the vivo X30 Pro has two telephoto lenses with 5x and 2x zoom.

　　In order to better understand vivo's patented super zoom camera technology, graphic designer Technizo Concept created a series of product renderings based on the patents applied by vivo.

　　The phone has a pop-up camera system, but instead of facing forward, the camera faces backward, meaning the rear camera is incorporated into the pop-up system, while the front camera is placed under the screen.

　　The pop-up camera system has four expandable modules, similar to a trapezoidal structure, with an additional lens sliding out each time. The lens below will always be available, and users can further expand the lens as needed.

　　The lenses can partially overlap each other, achieving a greater zoom range. Unfortunately, the document does not specify the data for optical zoom. However, this should be much higher than current smartphones with periscope zoom cameras.

　　It’s still unclear where the flash will be integrated, but in the Technizo concept design, a stylish flash ring is placed around the lower camera lens, keeping the symmetrical design intact.

　　Vivo has released several smartphones with pop-up cameras, including the Vivo Nex, Vivo V15 Pro, and V17 Pro. However, smartphones with pop-up cameras are becoming increasingly rare, and these camera systems are said to be more susceptible to wear and tear.

　　Many people believe that under-screen cameras will automatically mean the end of pop-up cameras as well, however, through this patent, vivo shows that pop-up cameras can also be used to replace rear cameras.