Digital Camera Patent Abstract
A digital camera may include a portion that is translatable into
and out of a computer system housing. The camera portion may be
mounted such that when pushed inwardly into the housing from a stored
position, the camera portion automatically springs outwardly from
the housing and is ready for use. The camera may be operated "on"
by the act of causing the camera portion to spring to its outwardly
oriented position. Once outside of the computer housing, the camera
portion may be rotated to adjust the direction of focus of the camera.
Digital Camera Patent Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A computer system comprising: at least one housed component;
and a digital camera including a portion to move into and out of
said component, and an attachment element, said attachment element
connected to said housed component by a connector, and said portion
detachably connected to said attachment element by a rotatable tube.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein said camera is automatically
turned on when the portion extends out of said component.
3. The system of claim 1 wherein said camera includes an imaging
array and an image processor, said imaging array mounted for movement
into and out of said component, and said image processor mounted
within the component.
4. The system of claim 3, wherein a conductor extends through the
interior of said tube to couple said imaging array and said image
processor.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein said portion automatically extends
out of said component when said portion is in said component and
is pushed further inwardly into said component.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein said portion is spring biased
out of said component.
7. The system of claim 1, wherein said portion reciprocates into
and out of said component.
8. The system of claim 1, wherein said portion rotates into and
out of said component.
9. The system of claim 1, wherein said portion translates into
and out of said component, and rotates relative to said component
when extending out of said component.
10. The system of claim 1, wherein said system includes a display
and said portion is mounted on said display.
11. The system of claim 1, wherein said camera may be removed from
said housing.
12. The system of claim 1, wherein movement of said portion for
movement is between a first position substantially concealed within
the component and a second position extending out of said component.
13. The system of claim 1, wherein said camera communicates with
said computer system through free space.
14. The system of claim 1, wherein said portion for movement and
said attachment element are hingedly connected.
15. The system of claim 1, wherein said portion for movement and
said attachment element are connected by an extendable connection
wire.
16. A digital camera mountable within the housing of an electrical
component comprising: a camera element; and a mounting element connected
to said camera element by a rotatable tube, said mounting element
having a connector to connect said mounting element to said housing
such that said camera element can move between a first position
substantially concealed within the fit housing and a second position
extending out of said housing.
17. The camera of claim 16 including a switch which turns the camera
on when the camera element is extended to said second position.
18. The camera of claim 16, wherein said camera element automatically
extends out of said housing when said camera element is in said
housing and is pushed further inwardly into said housing.
19. The camera of claim 16, wherein said camera element reciprocates
into and out of said housing.
20. The camera of claims 16, wherein said camera element rotates
into and out of said housing.
21. The camera of claim 16, wherein said camera element translates
into and out of said housing, and rotates relative to said housing
when extending out of said housing.
22. The camera of claim 16 wherein said component is a computer.
23. The camera of claim 16 including a wireless link to enable
communication with said component through free space.
24. The camera of claim 16 wherein said camera element and said
mounting element are hingedly connected.
25. The camera of claim 16 wherein said camera element and said
mounting element are connected by an extendable connection wire.
26. A device comprising: a housed electrical component; and a camera
mounted to said component to move into and out of said housed electrical
component, between a first position substantially concealed within
the component and a second position extending out of the component,
said camera including a first portion detachably connected to a
second portion by a rotatable tube.
27. The device of claim 26 wherein said camera includes an imaging
array and an imaging processor, said imaging array mounted for movement
into and out of said housed electrical component, and said image
processor mounted within said housed electrical component.
28. The device of claim 27 wherein said housed electrical component
is a computer and said image processor is proximate the processor
of the computer.
29. The device of claim 27 including a conductor which extends
through the interior of said tube to couple said imaging array and
said image processor.
30. The device of claim 26 further including an additional camera
mounted for movement into and out of said housed electrical component,
from a first position substantially concealed within the component
and a second position extending out of the component.
31. The device of claim 26, wherein said first portion includes
a lens.
32. The device of claim 26, wherein said camera communicates with
said housed electrical component through a wireless link.
33. The device of claim 26 wherein said camera is automatically
turned on when said camera transitions to said second position.
34. The device of claim 26 wherein said first portion and said
second portion are connected by an extendable connection wire.
35. The device of claim 26 wherein a connector connects said second
portion to said housing.
Digital Camera Patent Description
BACKGROUND
This invention relates generally to computer systems and to digital
cameras and particularly to computer systems and other devices with
digital cameras.
Digital cameras are useful with personal computer systems and other
computer systems. Streaming video may be electronically captured
on the computer system or displayed on a display associated with
the computer system without the need for film processing. In addition,
the resulting images can be manipulated using hardware or software
associated with the camera and/or the computer system to create
special effects. Also, images may be stored in computer memory or
transmitted using available computer transmission methods including
modem and Internet communications.
Digital cameras have been associated with computer systems in part
because of the small size of the digital camera. Digital cameras
can be made using charge coupled device (CCD) imaging arrays. They
can also be made using conventional complementary metal oxide semiconductor
(CMOS) technology so that they may be integrated with other logic
components.
Currently, cameras may use a cable tether to connect the camera
to the computer system. The computer system acts as a host processor
to provide advanced processing capabilities and additional peripheral
components to augment the camera's capabilities. While these combinations
have many advantages, they tend to be cumbersome and, in connection
with a portable computer, may be unwieldy for many users.
Thus, there is a continuing need for a better way integrate the
digital camera into portable computers, desk top computers, and
computer components.
SUMMARY
In accordance with one embodiment, a computer system includes at
least one housed component. A digital camera includes a portion
mounted for movement into and out of the component from a first
position substantially concealed within the component and a second
position extending out of the component.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention
incorporated into a portable computer;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the present
invention incorporated into a portable computer;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of still another embodiment of the
present invention incorporated into a portable computer
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the present
invention incorporated into a portable computer;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 showing
the digital camera in a rotated orientation;
FIG. 6 is a perspective view corresponding to FIG. 5 with the camera
rotated to still another position;
FIG. 7 is a front elevational view of a display screen for a computer
system having a pair of digital cameras incorporated therein;
FIG. 8 is a partial, enlarged cross-sectional view taken generally
along the line 8--8 in FIG. 1;
FIG. 9 is a partial, enlarged cross-sectional view corresponding
to FIG. 8 when the camera has been extended outwardly;
FIG. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken generally along
the line 10--10 in FIG. 5;
FIG. 11 is a block diagram depiction of the computer system shown
in FIG. 1; and
FIG. 12 is a block depiction of a radio frequency link between
a camera and a computer system.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
A portable computer 10, shown in FIG. 1, may include a keyboard
housing 12 and a display housing 14 which may be hingedly connected.
A digital camera 16 is mountable within a housing of the computer
10 for translation into and out of the housing. The camera 16 may
reciprocate in the illustrated embodiment from a first position
(shown in dashed lines), concealed within the housing 14, for example,
to a second position extending outwardly from said housing 14 for
taking digital still or movie pictures.
The camera 16 may include a translating component 18 having a camera
lens 20 mounted thereon. The electronics for implementing the digital
camera may be movable with the component 18 or they may be retained
inside either the housing 12 or 14, communicating electrically with
the lens 20 and associated imaging array. For example, an image
processor may be located in proximity to the processor of the computer
10. A cable may extend from the housing 12 to the lens 20 to communicate
with an imaging array associated with the lens 20. Multiple cameras
may be mounted in a single computer system 10.
The component 18 is advantageously mounted so that it extends substantially
completely within the housing 12 or 14 and releasably locks therein.
When actuated inwardly from this position, the component 18 springs
outwardly to its fully extended position, shown in solid lines in
FIG. 1. When pushed back into the housing (but not over extended
into the housing), the component 18 again locks in its concealed
position within the housing.
A variety of known techniques are available for implementing this
type of push-button operation. One exemplary embodiment, shown in
FIG. 8, includes a catch 28 mounted on a cantilevered spring arm
22. When the component 18 is fully extended into the housing 14,
the catch 28 engages a groove 34 in the component 18.
When the component 18 is extended further into the housing 14,
a cam 32 engages a cam 30 on the arm 22, disengaging the catch 28
from the groove 34. In this position, a coiled spring 24 is tightly
coiled, so that once the catch 28 is disengaged, the component 18
is forcefully ejected from the housing 14. Because the cam 32 presses
upwardly on the arm 22, by the time the spring arm 22 springs back
to the position shown in FIG. 8, the component 18 has already gone
past the catch 28 and has assumed the position shown in FIG. 9.
In FIG. 9, the component 18 is spring biased to the outwardly extending
position so that when the component 18 is returned into its housing,
the spring 24 is compressed.
In the position shown in FIG. 9, an electrical contact may be made,
for example, between the arm 32 and the catch 28 which contact completes
an electrical circuit including the wires 36. In this way, the outward
operation of the camera 16 can also provide power to the camera
16. As a result, the camera 16 may be powered only when it is ready
for use; that is, in one operation, the camera may be both extended
and turned on.
Referring next to FIG. 2, another orientation of a digital camera
with respect to a portable computer is illustrated. In this case,
the portable computer 10a has a camera 16a which translates into
and out of the upper edge of the display housing 14 in a direction
transverse to that utilized in connection with the camera 16. The
camera lens 20 is then oriented at a higher position on the housing
14 when the component 18a is extended outwardly.
FIG. 3 shows still another embodiment of a camera 16b in a portable
computer 10b. Instead of reciprocating, the component 18b rotates
out of the housing 14 through an arc of about 90.degree. in the
illustrated embodiment. That is, the camera rotates from the dashed
line position shown inside the housing 14 to the solid line position
shown extending outwardly of the housing 14. The mechanism for locking
and extending the camera may be substantially as described previously
except that instead of spring biasing the camera for reciprocation,
the spring simply rotates the camera around a hinge 21.
Turning next to FIG. 4, a camera may be mounted for rotation out
of the housing 12 from a first vertical orientation transverse to
the keyboard 15 to a second vertical orientation sitting up on the
keyboard housing 12 and rotated 180.degree. from its stored position.
In this orientation, the camera 16c is out of the way of the display
14. The camera 16c may overlap the computer housing 12 to some degree
and extend outwardly to the side of the housings 12 and 14.
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, an outward portion 38 of in the component
18 may rotate around an axis extending generally parallel to the
length of the component 18 so that the lens 20 may be oriented in
a desired way to record an image. Thus, in FIG. 5, the lens 20 is
shown pointing straight upwardly, and in FIG. 6, the lens 20 is
shown facing oppositely from the orientation shown in FIG. 1.
Referring now to FIG. 10, the component 18 may include a pair of
hingedly connected portions 38 and 40 connected by a rotatable tube
42. The tube allows relative rotation between the portions 38 and
40. Electrical continuity may be maintained by extending a conductor
44 through the interior of the tube 42. The conductor 44 may couple
the imaging array 74 to the image processor 76 inside a housing
12 or 14.
If desired, the portion 38 may be detachable from the rest of the
component 18. This may be achieved by sliding the portion 38 off
of the tube 42 and allowing the connecting wire 44 to feed out of
the remainder of the housing so that the lens 20 may be placed at
a location remote from the rest of the computer 10. In addition,
the portion 38 may be provided with an wireless link to a receiver
within the computer system 10 so that once detached, the portion
38 may communicate, for example, by infrared or radio frequency
signals to convey information back to the computer 10.
Turning now to FIG. 7, a computer component 90 is adapted to include
a pair of cameras 16d and 16e. In the illustrated embodiment, the
component 90 is a desk top computer monitor. The cameras 16d and
16e are mounted for a reciprocation into and out of the housing
of the component 90 so as to extend either above or to the side
of the component. In addition, any of the cameras 16b or 16c could
be used in conjunction with the component 90. Associating the camera
with the display screen may be especially advantageous in embodiments
using video conferencing.
As shown in FIG. 11, the computer system 10 may include a processor
50 coupled to a bridge 52, in turn coupled to a system memory 54.
The bridge 52 may connect a bus 56 such as a Peripheral Component
Interconnect (PCI) bus. The bus 56 couples a display controller
58 and a display 60. The display 60 could be any one of the displays
illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 7.
An interface 62 may also be coupled to the bus 56 and through the
switch 64 to an image processor 76. The image processor 76 may operate
with an imaging array 74 contained, for example, in the component
18. As mentioned earlier, an image processor 76 may be contained
within the housing of the computer 10 or may be provided in the
component 18. The switch 64, which may be implemented as illustrated
in FIG. 9, may be automatically closed when the component 18 is
operated to extend out of the computer system housing.
The bus 56 may also be coupled to a bridge 66 which is, in turn,
coupled to another bus 68. The bus 68 may support a serial input/output
interface (SIO) 70 which may be coupled, for example, to the keyboard
72.
Referring now to FIG. 12, a radio link 78 may connect the computer
system 10 to the camera 16, for example, when the camera 16 is detached
from the computer system 10. The radio link continues to transmit
data back to the computer system 10 through the radio link 78. The
camera 16 may be coupled to a radio 82 by a link controller 80.
The radio 82 transmits a radio frequency signal to a radio 84 connected
to the bus 56 by an interface 62.
A variety of conventional radio links may be utilized. One particularly
advantageous radio link is the Bluetooth radio link (see www.bluetooth.com)
which uses a short-range, cable replacement, radio technology. The
Bluetooth radio link uses the 2.4 GHz Instrumentation, Science,
Medical (ISM) unlicensed band. The radios 82, 84 may be set to a
nominal range of 10 meters, augmentable with an external power amplifier
to up to 100 meters. Seventy-nine hop frequencies are utilized beginning
at the lowest frequency, which is 2402 MHz, and each of the other
hop frequencies is 1 MHz above the next lower frequency.
A connection may be made between the two radios 82, 84 by sending
a page message. A page message may include a train of 16 identical
page messages on 16 different hop frequencies. The system may use
a Synchronous Connection Oriented (SCO) link for point-to-point,
full duplex links, normally used in voice communication. For the
application described herein, the Asynchronous Connectionless Link
(ACL) may be used.
ACL provides one frame duration links with full duplex communications.
ACL uses a time division duplex scheme. A first slot provides a
transmission from the master to the slave and a second slot provides
a transmission from the slave to the master. Each slot is transmitted
on a different hop frequency. The device initializing the transmission
is designated the master and the device receiving the transmission
is designated the slave.
The link controller 80 includes the hardware for performing the
baseband processing and the basic protocols close to the physical
layer such as the error correction coding and the automatic repeat
request (ARQ). ARQ provides an acknowledgement to the master, in
response to a transmission in one slot, in the next following slot
which is transmitted from the slave to the master and vice versa.
The Bluetooth system uses GFSK modulation and a BT-product of 0.5.
The data and symbol rate is 1 Ms/s at the air interface.
While the present invention has been described with respect to
a limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art will appreciate
numerous modifications and variations. It is intended that the appended
claims cover all such modifications and variations as fall within
the true spirit and scope of the present invention.
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