Mirror and image display system

• US 20020196333A1
• Filed: 06/21/2001
• Published: 12/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Neiman Marcus Group Incorporated (Neiman Marcus Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Neiman Marcus Group Incorporated (Neiman Marcus Incorporated)
• Inventors: Gorischek, Ignaz M.
• Application Number:
  US09/886,806
• Publication Number:
  US 20020196333A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/61
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 44/005 for selecting or displaying personal cosmetic colours or hairstyle
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

A vanity console display system is provided, comprising a vanity console, a variety of video image sources capable of providing different images, and a control unit. The vanity console has a mirror, an image display and a touch screen positioned on the mirror for use with the image display. The mirror has reflective and transmissive properties and the image display is positioned relative to the mirror such that is it hidden by the mirror and unseen to the user unless activated to provide an image that is transmitted through the mirror to the user. The control unit is connected to the various video image sources and is configured to receive user input signals from the touch screen for selecting and controlling the video image sources. As such, the transmitted image seen by the user may be varied as desired and selected by the user through the use of the touch screen.

Claims

1. A vanity console display system, comprising:

a vanity console having a mirror, an image display and a touch screen positioned on said mirror, said mirror having reflective and transmissive properties, said image display positioned relative to the mirror to provide a transmitted image to a user;

at least one video image source adapted to provide an image on the image display;

a control unit connected to said video image source and configured to receive user input signals from the touch screen for controlling the video image source to transmit signals representative of said image.

2. A vanity console display system of claim 1, wherein the video image source includes a VCR.

3. A vanity console display system of claim 1, wherein the video image source includes a scanner.

4. A vanity console display system of claim 1, wherein the video image source includes a DVD player.

5. A vanity console display system of claim 1, wherein the video image source includes a VCR.

6. A vanity console display system of claim 1, further comprising a printer.

7. A vanity console display system of claim 6, wherein the printer is responsive to the user input signals to print said image.

8. A vanity console display system of claim 1, further comprising a projector.

9. A vanity console display system of claim 8, wherein the projector is responsive to the user input signals to project said image.

10. A vanity console display system of claim 1, further comprising an illumination device mounted on said vanity console.

11. A vanity console display system of claim 1, wherein the video image source provides an audio component.

12. A vanity console display system of claim 1, wherein said vanity console has a housing, a base and a support arm extending between the housing and the base, said base configured for use with counters.

14. A vanity console display system of claim 13, wherein said signals comprise prerecorded video image signals.

15. A vanity console display system of claim 13, wherein the control unit comprising a processor for altering the video image signals.

16. A vanity console display system of claim 13, wherein the mirror provides a view to a user, the view comprises a transmitted image of a body portion of the user and a reflected image of the body portion.

18. A vanity console display system of claim 17, wherein said video image source is a VCR.

19. A vanity console display system of claim 17, wherein the vanity console includes a housing defining a cavity in which the image display is positioned behind the mirror.

20. A vanity console display system of claim 17, wherein said mirror is adapted to provide to the user a view having a reflected image and a transmitted image, the transmitted image being the image provided by the video image source.

13. A vanity console display system, comprising:

a vanity console having a mirror, an image display and a touch screen positioned on said mirror, said mirror having reflective and transmissive properties, said image display positioned relative to the mirror to provide a transmitted image to a user;

a plurality of video image sources adapted to provide different images on the image display;

a control unit connected to said video image sources and responsive to user input signals from the touch screen for selecting and controlling the video image sources to transmit signals representative of said different images.

17. A vanity console display system for use with a counter, comprising:

a vanity console having a mirror, an image display and a touch screen positioned on said mirror, said mirror having reflective and transmissive properties, said vanity console having a housing, a base and an arm extending between said housing and said base;

at least one video image source adapted to provide an image to the image display;

a control unit connected to said video image source and responsive to user input signals from the touch screen for actuating the image display and controlling the video image source to transmit signals representative of said image to the image display,

wherein said image display is positioned relative to the mirror such that it is hidden from a user unless actuated to transmit said image to the user through said mirror.

21. A vanity console display system for use with a counter, comprising:

a vanity console having a mirror and an image display, said mirror having reflective and transmissive properties, said vanity console having a housing, a base and an arm extending between said housing and said base;

at least one video image source adapted to provide an image to the image display;

wherein said image display is positioned relative to the mirror such that it is hidden from a user unless actuated to transmit said image to the user through said mirror.

22. A vanity console display system of claim 21, wherein said video image source is a VCR.

23. A vanity console display system of claim 21, further comprising a user input device, and the video image source is responsive to the user input device.