Magnetic camera coupling system

• US 10,419,648 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2018
• Issued: 09/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Opkix, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Opkix, Inc.
• Inventors: Fuller, Ryan Mikah, Stehrenberger, Tamio, Amirpour, Shahin, McGuinness, John, Greaves, Christopher Lawrence, Brooks, Lane Gearle
• Primary Examiner(s): Lam, Hung H
• Application Number:
  US15/939,633
• Publication Number:
  US 20180295264A1
• Time in Patent Office: 537 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 11/10 Electronic devices other than hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 2200/02 Magnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3827 Portable transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/50 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/54 Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/57 Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/60 Control of cameras or camera modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

A camera system including an integrated coupling system configured to releasable couple the camera system with a user head accessory such as a pair of glasses, a hat, a headband, an item of jewelry, etc. The camera module may have an outer dimension smaller than three cubic inches and may further include a data coupler, battery, lens, image sensor, circuit board, and microphone. The camera module may transmit and receive data from the portable computer device including video data and on/off recording, respectively. A magnetic coupling system configured to selectively releasably couple the camera module directly with the user head accessory including magnet(s) disposed within each of the camera module and the user head accessory.

Claims

1. A camera system for use with a portable computer device comprising:

a portable computer device including at least one of a smartphone, tablet, tablet phone having a total volume smaller than twenty cubic inches;

a camera module having an outer dimension smaller than three cubic inches, wherein the camera module includes a data coupler, battery, lens, image sensor, circuit board, and microphone, and wherein the camera module is configured to generate data from at least one of the image sensor or microphone;

wherein the camera module is configured to transmit and receive data from the portable computer device via the data coupler, wherein the transmitted data includes video data and the received data includes on/off recording;

a user head mounted accessory including at least one of a pair of glasses, hat, headband, and jewelry; and

a magnetic coupling system configured to selectively releasably couple the camera module directly with the user head accessory, wherein the magnetic coupling system includes a magnet disposed within each of the camera module and the user head accessory, and wherein the magnetic coupling system includes a coupled state with the camera module directly coupled to the user head mounted accessory via a magnetic force between the magnet within the camera module and the head mounting accessory.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the magnetic coupling system further includes at least two magnets disposed within each of the camera module and user head accessory, and wherein the magnets of the camera module and user head accessory are configured to both releasably couple the camera module to the user head accessory and orient the camera module with respect to the user head accessory.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least two magnets disposed within each of the camera module and user hear accessory each include at least one positive and one negative polarity magnet.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least two magnets disposed within the user head accessory include two magnets lengthwise adjacently disposed.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least two magnets disposed within the user head accessory include two magnets parallel adjacently disposed orthogonal to the lengthwise dimension of the user head accessory.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least two magnets disposed within the user head accessory include at least three magnets lengthwise adjacently disposed, and wherein the polarity of the at least three magnets is alternating along the lengthwise dimension of the user head accessory.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the data coupler includes a wired electrical coupling between the camera module and the portable computer device.

8. The system of claim 7 further including a controller disposed between the camera module and the portable computer device, wherein the controller is coupled directly to the camera module and the portable computer device via the wired electrical coupling.

9. The system of claim 8, where in the controller is configured to at least activate and deactivate the generation of data by the camera module.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the data coupler includes a wireless data coupling between the camera module and the portable computer device.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the wireless data coupling includes a Bluetooth wireless data protocol.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the coupled state of the magnetic coupling system includes a rotational coupling between the camera module and the user head accessory.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the rotational coupling is configured to maintain the magnetic coupling between the camera module and the user head accessory while allowing the camera module to be selectively rotatable with respect to the user head accessory.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the user head accessory is a pair of sunglasses.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable computer device is a smartphone.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the user mounted head accessory and magnetic coupling are configured to substantially align the camera module with the field of view of the user.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the substantial alignment between the camera module and the field of view of the user includes three dimensionally orienting the lens of the camera module with the field of view of the user.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the camera module is configured to generate high definition video data.

19. A camera system for use with a portable computer device comprising:

a portable computer device including at least one of a smartphone, tablet, tablet phone having a total volume smaller than twenty cubic inches;

a camera module having an outer dimension smaller than three cubic inches, wherein the camera module includes a data coupler, battery, lens, image sensor, circuit board, and microphone, and wherein the camera module is configured to generate data from at least one of the image sensor or microphone;

wherein the camera module is configured to transmit and receive data from the portable computer device via the data coupler, wherein the transmitted data includes video data and the received data includes on/off recording;

a user head mounted accessory including at least one of a pair of glasses, hat, headband, and jewelry; and

a magnetic coupling system configured to selectively releasably couple the camera module directly with the user head accessory, wherein the magnetic coupling system includes a magnet disposed within each of the camera module and the user head accessory, and wherein the magnetic coupling system includes a coupled state with the camera module directly coupled to the user head mounted accessory via a magnetic force between the magnet within the camera module and the head mounting accessory. And wherein the user mounted head accessory and magnetic coupling are configured to substantially align the camera module with the field of view of the user.

20. A camera system for use with a portable computer device comprising:

a portable computer device including at least one of a smartphone, tablet, tablet phone having a total volume smaller than twenty cubic inches;

a camera module having an outer dimension smaller than three cubic inches, wherein the camera module includes a data coupler, battery, lens, image sensor, circuit board, and microphone, and wherein the camera module is configured to generate data from at least one of the image sensor or microphone;

wherein the camera module is configured to transmit and receive data from the portable computer device via the data coupler, wherein the transmitted data includes video data and the received data includes on/off recording;

a user head mounted accessory including at least one of a pair of glasses, hat, headband, and jewelry; and

a magnetic coupling system configured to selectively releasably couple the camera module directly with the user head accessory, wherein the magnetic coupling system includes a magnet disposed within each of the camera module and the user head accessory, and wherein the magnetic coupling system includes a coupled state with the camera module directly coupled to the user head mounted accessory via a magnetic force between the magnet within the camera module and the head mounting accessory, and wherein the coupled state of the magnetic coupling system includes a rotational coupling between the camera module and the user head accessory further configured to maintain the magnetic coupling between the camera module and the user head accessory while allowing the camera module to be selectively rotatable with respect to the user head accessory.