Container with camera and electronic display

• US 10,044,915 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2015
• Issued: 08/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Medea Inc.
• Original Assignee: Medea Inc.
• Inventors: Goldburt, Tim
• Primary Examiner(s): Ortiz, Rafael
• Application Number:
  US14/936,352
• Publication Number:
  US 20160065805A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,002 Days
• Field of Search: 206216, 206701, 206758, 2063161, 2063162, 2064591, 206578, 352 37, 215383, 215386, 40310, 396322, 396323, 396429, 396430, 353 48, 353 71, 353 82, 220710, 345 11
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2203/12 Audible, olfactory or visual signalling means B65D51/248, B65D55/028, B65D79/02 and B65D81/24 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 23/12 Means for the attachment of smaller articles
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 25/20 External fittings of containers made by folding or erecting blanks made of paper B65D5/44
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/72 for edible or potable liquids, semiliquids, or plastic or pasty materials
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/50 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet

Abstract

A first cavity in an exterior wall of a hollow container body has first contours and a second cavity in the exterior wall of the hollow container body has second contours. A camera is disposed within the first cavity, the camera having a shape that conforms to the first contours of the first cavity. An electronic device comprising a display is disposed within the second cavity, the electronic device having a shape that conforms to the second contours of the second cavity. The camera is to generate pictures of objects external to the hollow container body, store the pictures in a memory, and provide the pictures to the electronic device. The electronic device has a connection to the camera and is to receive the pictures from the camera via the connection and to display the pictures that are received from the camera on the display.

Claims

1. A container comprising:

a hollow container body;

a first cavity in an exterior wall of the hollow container body, the first cavity having first contours;

a camera, attached to the exterior wall of said hollow container body in the first cavity, to generate pictures of objects external to the container, wherein the camera has a shape that conforms to the first contours of the first cavity;

a second cavity in the exterior wall of the hollow container body, the second cavity being larger than the first cavity;

a first projector, attached to the exterior wall of said hollow container body in the second cavity, to project the pictures generated by the camera onto a surface of a remote object external to the container; and

a second projector, attached to the exterior wall of said hollow container body in the second cavity, to project the pictures generated by the camera through a liquid contained by the hollow container body and onto an interior wall of the hollow container body, wherein at least of one of the first projector or the second projector has a connection to the camera and is to receive the pictures from the camera via the connection.

2. The container of claim 1, wherein the pictures generated by the camera comprise at least one of still images or moving images.

3. The container of claim 1, further comprising:

a memory to store the pictures generated by the camera.

4. The container as defined in claim 3, further comprising:

a processor to access one or more of the pictures generated by the camera from the memory and to display the one or more pictures on a display attached to said hollow container body.

5. The container of claim 1, further comprising:

an audio recorder to record audio messages during generation of the pictures or independently from the generation of the pictures; and

a speaker to output the recorded audio messages.

6. The container of claim 1, wherein said camera is insertable into and removable from the first cavity.

7. The container of claim 6, further comprising:

an electronic device comprising a display, a memory, a processor, the first projector and the second projector, wherein the electronic device is introducible into the second cavity.

8. The container of claim 1, further comprising:

a display, attached to said exterior wall of the hollow container body in the second cavity, to display the pictures generated by the camera.

9. The container of claim 1, further comprising:

a wireless network adapter to transmit the pictures generated by the camera to one or more recipients.

10. The container of claim 1, wherein the hollow container body comprises a rigid body.

11. A rigid container comprising:

a hollow container body;

a first cavity in an exterior wall of the hollow container body, the first cavity having first contours;

a second cavity in the exterior wall of the hollow container body that is separate and distinct from the first cavity, the second cavity being larger than the first cavity and having second contours;

a camera, disposed within the first cavity, the camera having a first shape that conforms to the first contours of the first cavity; and

an electronic device, disposed within the second cavity, the electronic device having a second shape that conforms to the second contours of the second cavity, wherein the electronic device comprises a display;

wherein the camera is to generate pictures of objects external to the rigid container, store the pictures in a memory, and provide the pictures to the electronic device; and

wherein the electronic device has a connection to the camera and is to receive the pictures from the camera via the connection and is to display the pictures that are received from the camera on the display.

12. The rigid container of claim 11, the electronic device further comprising:

a first projector to project the pictures generated by the camera onto an interior of the hollow container body.

13. The rigid container of claim 12, the electronic device further comprising:

a second projector to project the pictures generated by the camera onto a surface of a remote object external to the rigid container.

14. The rigid container of claim 11, wherein the electronic device further comprises a processor to access one or more of the pictures generated by the camera from the memory and to display the one or more pictures on the display.

15. The rigid container of claim 11, wherein the pictures generated by the camera comprise at least one of still images or moving images.

16. The rigid container of claim 11, wherein the electronic device further comprises an additional memory to store one or more of the pictures generated by the camera.

17. The rigid container of claim 11, wherein the electronic device further comprises:

an audio recorder to record audio messages during generation of the pictures or independently from the generation of the pictures; and

a speaker to output the audio messages.

18. The rigid container of claim 11, wherein said camera is insertable into and removable from the first cavity.

19. The rigid container of claim 11, the electronic device further comprising a wireless network adapter to transmit the pictures to one or more recipients.

20. The rigid container of claim 11, wherein the connection is a wired connection, and wherein the electronic device is to receive the pictures from the camera via the wired connection.