Wearable portable camera

• US 10,075,624 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2016
• Issued: 09/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2016
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Inventors: Fontana, Gustavo, Zeh, Mark A., Mulcahey, Brian David
• Primary Examiner(s): Selby, Gevell
• Application Number:
  US15/140,957
• Publication Number:
  US 20170318199A1
• Time in Patent Office: 866 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/04 collapsible, foldable or extensible, e.g. book type
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings

Abstract

A portable camera is provided for, including a camera section, a body section, and an attachment portion, wherein the camera section and the body section are configured to contact one another along an angled surface that allows the camera section to swivel with respect to the body section. The attachment portion may also be connected to the body section via a magnet and may further include ports for attaching to a charging and/or data cable.

Claims

1. A camera comprising:

a camera section, comprising a housing, a camera, and a lens;

a body section, comprising a housing;

wherein said camera section and said body section are configured to contact one another along a first angled surface of the camera section and a second angled surface of the body section;

a joint for connecting said camera section to said body section, wherein said joint allows said camera section to rotate at said first and second angled surfaces; and

an attachment portion that removably attaches to said body portion through the use of one or more magnets, wherein said attachment portion is capable of receiving at least one end of a charging and/or data cable.

2. The camera of claim 1 wherein said body section further comprises a battery.

3. The camera of claim 1 wherein said first and second angled surfaces comprise planar surfaces having an angle of between 35 and 55 degrees from horizontal when the camera is in a vertical position.

4. The camera of claim 3 wherein said joint allows said camera section and said body section to rotate with respect to one another in order to form an angle with respect to one another between 90 and 180 degrees.

5. The camera of claim 4 further comprising a gyroscope or accelerometer and a processor configured to receive signals from said gyroscope or accelerometer indicating a vertical direction and being further configured to crop camera images based, at least in part, on the indicated vertical direction so as to provide a horizontally oriented image, despite the rotation of the camera section.

6. The camera of claim 1, wherein said attachment portion comprises two slots for receiving two ends of a charging and/or data cable.

7. The camera of claim 1 further comprising an arrayed microphone.

8. The camera of claim 1 further comprising at least one accelerometer or gyroscope.

9. The camera of claim 1 further comprising one or more pointers configured to project laser, LED, infrared, or polarized light.

10. The camera of claim 9 wherein said one or more pointers are configured and arranged to project at least a portion of a recording window that indicates at least a portion of a recording area of the camera.

11. The camera of claim 10 wherein said one or more pointers are disposed within said camera section and behind an optic zoom.

12. The camera of claim 1 further comprising an attachment feature to removably attach the camera to a structure or surface.

13. The camera of claim 12, wherein said attachment feature comprises a clip, Velcro, magnets, an attachment strip, a lock, a bore, a projection, or a bayonet mount.

14. A camera comprising:

a camera section, comprising a housing, a camera, and a lens;

a body section, comprising a housing;

wherein said camera section and said body section are configured to contact one another along a first angled surface of the camera section and a second angled surface of the body section;

an arrayed microphone; and

a joint for connecting said camera section to said body section, wherein said joint allows said camera section to rotate at said first and second angled surfaces, and wherein said joint comprises a sound-activated servo configured to direct said camera section towards sound detected by said arrayed microphone.

15. The camera of claim 14 wherein said first and second angled surfaces comprise planar surfaces having an angle of between 35 and 55 degrees from horizontal when the camera is in a vertical position.

16. The camera of claim 15 wherein said joint allows said camera section and said body section to rotate with respect to one another in order to form an angle with respect to one another between 90 and 180 degrees.

17. The camera of claim 16 further comprising a gyroscope or accelerometer and a processor configured to receive signals from said gyroscope or accelerometer indicating a vertical direction and being further configured to crop camera images based, at least in part, on the indicated vertical direction so as to provide a horizontally oriented image, despite the rotation of the camera section.

18. The camera of claim 14 further comprising an attachment portion removably attached to said body section or said camera section.

19. The camera of claim 18 wherein said attachment portion removably attaches to said body portion through the use of magnets.

20. A camera comprising:

a camera section, comprising a housing, a camera, and a lens;

a body section, comprising a housing;

wherein said camera section and said body section are configured to contact one another along a first angled surface of the camera section and a second angled surface of the body section;

at least one accelerometer or gyroscope; and

a joint for connecting said camera section to said body section, wherein said joint allows said camera section to rotate at said first and second angled surfaces, and wherein said joint comprises a motorized servo configured to self-level said camera section in response to camera movements detected by said at least one accelerometer or gyroscope.

21. The camera of claim 20 wherein said first and second angled surfaces comprise planar surfaces having an angle of between 35 and 55 degrees from horizontal when the camera is in a vertical position.

22. The camera of claim 21 wherein said joint allows said camera section and said body section to rotate with respect to one another in order to form an angle with respect to one another between 90 and 180 degrees.

23. The camera of claim 22 further comprising a processor configured to receive signals from said gyroscope or accelerometer indicating a vertical direction and being further configured to crop camera images based, at least in part, on the indicated vertical direction so as to provide a horizontally oriented image, despite the rotation of the camera section.

24. The camera of claim 20 further comprising an attachment portion removably attached to said body section or said camera section.

25. Headphones, comprising:

two housings, each comprising a loudspeaker located inside the housings and cushions coupled to the housings, and a headband connecting the two housings;

a camera removably attached to one or more of said housings or said headband;

wherein said camera further comprises;

a camera section, comprising a housing, a video camera, and a lens;

a body section, comprising a housing;

wherein said camera section and said body section are configured to contact one another along a first angled surface of the camera section and a second angled surface of the body section;

a joint for connecting said camera section to said body section, wherein said joint allows said camera section to rotate at said first and second angled surfaces; and

an attachment portion that removably attaches to said body portion through the use of one or more magnets, wherein said attachment portion is capable of receiving at least one end of a charging and/or data cable.