Digital Camera Patent Abstract
A base assembly for supporting a digital camera includes a weighted
plate having a frictional surface for contacting a supporting surface
and constraining the camera relative to a horizontal orientation;
a pivoting member having an extension for connecting to the camera
and a pivot axis about which the camera can swivel relative to the
base assembly; and a frictional pad molded upon a sheet metal spring
positioned between the weighted plate and the pivoting member. The
base assembly includes means for urging the pivoting member against
the frictional pad so as to provide sufficient friction between
the frictional pad and the pivoting member to constrain rotational
motion of the camera in a vertical orientation. Digital Camera Patent Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A base assembly for supporting a camera on a supporting surface
relative to vertical and horizontal orientations thereof, said base
assembly comprising:
a weighted base having a frictional surface for contacting the
supporting surface and constraining the camera relative to the horizontal
orientation;
a pivoting member having means for connecting to the camera, said
pivoting member having a pivot axis about which the camera can swivel
relative to the base assembly;
a frictional pad assembly positioned between the weighted base
and the pivoting member, said frictional pad assembly including
a frictional pad formed around at least part of a spring element;
and
means for urging the pivoting member against the frictional pad
assembly so as to provide sufficient friction between the frictional
pad and the pivoting member to constrain rotational motion of the
camera in the vertical orientation.
2. A base assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the frictional
surface of the weighted base is a rubber element formed around an
edge of the weighted base.
3. A base assembly as claimed in claim 2 wherein the rubber element
is a rubber boot molded around the edge of the weighted base.
4. A base assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the spring element
is a sheet metal spring.
5. A base assembly as claimed in claim 4 wherein the frictional
pad is molded around a central portion of the sheet metal spring.
6. A base assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the means for
urging the pivoting member against the frictional pad assembly comprises
an enclosure for enclosing the pivoting member and the frictional
pad assembly against the weighted base.
7. A base assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for
connecting to the camera comprises an extension from the pivoting
member and the camera includes at least one slot for receiving the
extension on the pivoting member.
8. A base assembly as claimed in claim 7 wherein the extension
includes a snap release feature for releasably engaging a tab within
the slot in the camera, whereby the camera may be easily attached
to, or released from, base assembly.
9. A base assembly for supporting a camera on a supporting surface
relative to vertical and horizontal orientations thereof, wherein
the camera includes at least one slotted area for receiving an extension
protruding from the base assembly which releasably attaches the
camera to the base assembly, said base assembly comprising:
a weighted base having a frictional surface for contacting the
supporting surface and constraining the camera relative to the horizontal
orientation;
a pivoting member having an extension for connecting to the camera,
said pivoting member having a pivot axis about which the camera
can swivel relative to the base assembly and wherein the extension
includes a snap release feature for releasably engaging the slotted
area in the camera whereby the camera may be easily attached to,
or released from, base assembly;
a frictional pad positioned between the weighted base and the pivoting
member, said frictional pad being formed around at least part of
a sheet metal spring;
means for attaching the sheet metal spring to the weighted base
such that there is sufficient clearance for the sheet metal spring
to flex; and
an enclosure for enclosing the pivoting member, the frictional
pad, and the weighted base whereby said enclosure further urges
the pivoting member against the frictional pad to flex the sheet
metal spring and thereby provide sufficient friction between the
frictional pad and the pivoting member to constrain rotational motion
of the camera in the vertical orientation.
10. A base assembly as claimed in claim 9 wherein the frictional
surface of the weighted base is a rubber element molded around an
edge of the weighted base.
11. A base assembly as claimed in claim 9 wherein the frictional
pad is molded around a central portion of the sheet metal spring.
Digital Camera Patent Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATON(S)
Reference is made to commonly assigned copending applications Ser.
No. 08/712,692, entitled "Tethered Digital Motion/Still Camera
Using Dual Mode Software Processing", filed Sep. 12, 1996 in
the names of Wayne E. Prentice, Thomas N. Berarducci, and Kenneth
A. Parulski; Ser. No. 08/712,704, entitled "Multi-Mode Digital
Camera with Computer Interface Using Data Packets Combining Image
and Mode Data", filed Sep. 12, 1996 in the names of Jay A.
Endsley, Thomas N. Berarducci, and Wayne Prentice; Ser. No. 29/059,534,
entitled "Stand for an Electronic Camera", filed Sep.
12, 1996 in the names of Samuel F. Swayze, David G. Cooper, and
Kevin R. Young; and Ser. No. 29/059,517, entitled "Electronic
Camera", and filed Sep. 12, 1996 in the names of Samuel F.
Swayze, David G. Cooper, and Kevin R. Young; each of which is assigned
to the assignee of this application.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates generally to the field of electronic photography,
and in particular to a stand for a digital camera.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A digital camera that is tethered by a cable to a computer (i.e.,
the camera functions only when it is connected to the computer)
is typically located on a user's computer monitor or desktop. Usually
the camera is pointed at the user--especially for video conferencing
applications. The Color QuickCam.TM. camera sold by the Connectix
Corporation is typical of this type of camera. The QuickCam.TM.
camera is spherical in shape and comes with a rubber base that loosely
cradles the camera. One problem with this arrangement is that it
is difficult to position the camera on its base such that it has
good horizontal alignment with the scene. Another problem is that
the cable on the camera sometimes exerts sufficient force so as
to move the camera relative to its base. Some camera bases incorporate
a pivot on them to restrict one rotational degree of freedom so
as to help the horizontal misalignment problem. Other cameras are
permanently attached to the base which makes them bulkier and more
difficult to manipulate. The need is for a relatively small base
that allows easy manipulation of the camera while firmly holding
the camera in place with regard to a chosen vertical and horizontal
alignment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of
the problems set forth above. Briefly summarized, according to one
aspect of the present invention, a base assembly for supporting
a digital camera includes a weighted base having a frictional surface
for contacting the supporting surface and constraining the camera
relative to a horizontal orientation; a pivoting member having an
extension for connecting to the camera and a pivot axis about which
the camera can swivel relative to the base assembly; and a frictional
pad assembly positioned between the weighted base and the pivoting
member. In particular, the frictional pad assembly includes a frictional
pad formed upon a section of a spring element. The base assembly
includes means for urging the pivoting member against the frictional
pad assembly so as to provide sufficient friction between the frictional
pad and the pivoting member to constrain rotational motion of the
camera in a vertical orientation.
The invention involves a combination of features that result in
a superior base design which prevents the assembly from slipping
on a table top or monitor. A low center of gravity also makes the
base assembly heavy despite its small size. Together, these features
prevent a cable, which attaches the camera to a computer, from pushing
or pulling the base assembly out of place. A frictional force that
is applied to the pivoting part of the base helps establish good
vertical alignment with the scene and makes it easy to swivel the
camera for pointing, but hard enough so that the camera stays where
a user puts it (the weight of the cable will not overcome the pivot
frictional force).
These and other aspects, objects, features and advantages of the
present invention will be more clearly understood and appreciated
from a review of the following detailed description of the preferred
embodiments and appended claims, and by reference to the accompanying
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a base for a tethered digital camera
according to the invention.
FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the components of the base shown
in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the base shown in FIG. 1 taken
along a line 3--3.
FIG. 4 is a view of the base shown in FIG. 1 attached to a tethered
digital camera.
FIG. 5 is a further elaboration of the view shown in FIG. 4 showing
the camera pivoted in two different positions relative to the base.
FIG. 6 is a cross section of the connection between the base and
a bottom cover of the digital camera.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Because imaging systems and devices are well known, the present
description will be directed in particular to elements forming part
of, or cooperating more directly with, apparatus in accordance with
the present invention. Elements not specifically shown or described
herein may be selected from those known in the art. While the invention
is described in relation to a digital camera, it should be appreciated
that it may be applied to any type of camera.
A perspective view of a base assembly 10 according to the invention
is shown in FIG. 1, and the attachment of the base assembly 10 to
a digital camera 12 is shown in FIG. 4. Referring first to FIG.
4, the camera 12 includes a lens 14 that is directed toward a subject
(not shown) and a shutter button 16 on the topside for initiating
an image capture sequence. The camera 12 also includes a cable 18
for connecting (tethering) the camera 12 to a host computer (not
shown). The host computer, which is not part of this invention,
typically controls the camera picture-taking process by setting
the electronic exposure time and other processing requirements.
As shown in FIG. 5, the camera 12 is able to swivel on the base
assembly 10 to assume different capture positions (shown in dotted
lines) relative to a subject.
FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of the components of the base assembly
10, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3--3 in
FIG. 1 showing how the components are mounted together in a complete
assembly. A weight plate 20 provides the majority of the weight
to the base assembly 10. A rubber boot assembly 22 includes the
weight plate 20 with a rubber ring 24 formed, e.g., by a conventional
molding process, around the edges of the weight plate 20. The rubber
boot assembly 22 provides sufficient frictional restraint to control
the horizontal orientation of the camera 12 when the base assembly
10 is placed on a surface. A friction pad assembly 26 includes a
friction spring 28 with a rubber pad 30 formed, e.g., by a conventional
molding process, about the center of the spring 28.
A base pivot 32 is mounted for pivoting relative to an axis 32'
and includes two arcuate-edged side walls 33 that connect into slots
12a (see FIGS. 4 and 6) in a bottom cover 40 of the digital camera
12 for releasably attaching the camera 12 to the base assembly 10.
A base enclosure 34 encloses the components of the base assembly
10, and constrains the rotational axis of the base pivot 32 while
providing an aesthetic appearance. The base assembly 10 is fastened
together with a pair of screws 36 which pass through the rubber
boot assembly 22 and the friction pad assembly 26, and thread into
the base enclosure 34. Each side wall 33 of the base pivot 32 includes
a snap release feature 35 which snaps in place over a corresponding
tab 12b (see FIG. 6) within each slot 12a in the camera 12. In this
manner, the camera 12 may be easily attached to, and released from,
the base assembly 10.
As shown in FIG. 3, the friction pad assembly 26 is mounted on
a pair of raised surfaces 38 on the weight plate 20 such that there
is clearance for the friction spring 28 to flex when the base pivot
32 is assembled against the friction pad assembly 26. The rubber
pad 30 provides enough frictional force to the base pivot 32 to
make it easy to swivel the camera by hand while allowing the camera
to remain firmly in place after a position is selected. The friction
spring 28 is made of sheet metal, which helps to make the frictional
force more consistent through life and less susceptible to mechanical
creep (caused by elevated temperature).
In use, the base assembly 10 supports a digital camera 12 on a
surface, such as a table top or the top of a monitor. The rubber
boot assembly 22 on the bottom of the base assembly 10 prevents
the base assembly 10 from slipping on the table top or monitor.
Furthermore, the weight plate 20 makes the base assembly 10 heavy
despite its small size. This weight in combination with the rubber
boot assembly 22 helps prevent the cable 18 from pushing or pulling
the base assembly 10 out of place. The pivoting base pivot 32 helps
establish good vertical alignment with the scene. The frictional
force that is applied to the base pivot 32 by the friction pad assembly
26 makes it easy to swivel the camera 12 (for re-aiming the camera),
but hard enough so that the camera 12 stays where a user puts it
(the weight of the cable will not overcome the pivot frictional
force). Snap release features 35 on the base pivot 32 and the bottom
of the digital camera 12 allows for quick and easy attachment and
detachment from the base assembly 10. This allows the user to comfortably
hand hold the camera 12 without having a bulky and heavy base attached.
The invention has been described with reference to a preferred
embodiment. However, it will be appreciated that variations and
modifications can be effected by a person of ordinary skill in the
art without departing from the scope of the invention. For example,
while the connection to the camera has been shown as side wall extensions
33 from the base pivot 32, the extensions may alternatively extend
from the bottom cover 40 of the camera into slots in the base pivot
32 where the snap release features would then be located. |