Video capture device

• US 20090213204A1
• Filed: 04/25/2008
• Published: 08/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: First International Computer Incorporated (FIC Global Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: First International Computer Incorporated (FIC Global Incorporated)
• Inventors: WONG, CHARLENE
• Application Number:
  US12/149,048
• Publication Number:
  US 20090213204A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.20
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display

Abstract

A video capture device comprises an image sensor, a voice sensor, a control circuit, and a battery module all installed in a housing. The housing comprises a fixture capable of being fixed at a shoulder position of clothing. The image sensor is arranged at a proper angle to capture facial images of a user.

Claims

1. A video capture device comprising an image sensor, a voice sensor, a control circuit, a memory, and a battery module all installed in a housing, the video capture device characterized by the housing comprising:

a fixture capable of being fixed at a shoulder position of clothing; and

an image fixing base for accommodating and fixing the image sensor, the image fixing base being obliquely installed on the housing for enabling the image sensor to capture a facial image of a user.

2. The video capture device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fixture comprises at least one elastic fixing pin and one attachment base for fixing the video capture device at the shoulder position of the clothing.

3. The video capture device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fixture comprises at least one fixing clip, and the fixing clip consists of a clip body and a pressing part;

the fixing clip has elasticity to maintain pressure for clipping at the shoulder position of the clothing.

4. The video capture device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the image fixing base comprises a ball hinge, which consists of a ball head and a corresponding circular bracket, for adjusting the view angle of the image sensor.

5. The video capture device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the ball head has a bulge at its rear end;

the distance from a top of the bulge to a center of the ball head is longer than the distance from the inner surface of the circular bracket to the center of the ball head, such that the circular bracket restrains the bulge to only move inside a lower opening of the circular bracket.

6. The video capture device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least one additional image sensor installed at a lateral side of the housing, such that when the video capture device is fixed at the shoulder position of the clothing, the at least one additional image sensor is capable of capturing images of the user'"'"'s environment.

7. The video capture device as claimed in claim 1 or 6 further comprising a wireless transmission module for transmitting image data captured by the image sensor and voice data recorded by the voice sensor, and for receiving electrical signals sent from others.

8. The video capture device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the wireless transmission module can be a wireless transmission module for Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN), Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), or Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN).

9. The video capture device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the wireless transmission module can be a 3G wireless transmission module, a 3.5G wireless transmission module, a 2.4G wireless transmission module, a bluetooth wireless transmission module, or an infrared wireless transmission module.

10. The video capture device as claimed in claim 1 or 6, further comprising a storage device for storing the image data captured by the image sensor and the voice data recorded by the voice sensor.

11. The video capture device as claimed in claim 1 or 6, further comprising an input/output interface for inputting or outputting image data, voice data, and operation controlling software via a connector of the input/output interface.

12. The video capture device as claimed in claim 7, further comprising a two-way communication module for providing two-way communication between the user and receiver of the video capture device.

13. The video capture device as claimed in claim 1 or 6, further comprising an operation unit, the operation unit comprising a power switch, a volume adjustment key, and a status indicator light.

14. The video capture device as claimed in claim 7, further comprising an emergency alarm module with an emergency alarm button;

the emergency alarm module can activate an emergency alarm and transmit image data and voice data to a predetermined receiver.

15. The video capture device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the emergency alarm button is installed on an upper surface of the housing;

the emergency alarm button and the image fixing base are located at different ends.

16. The video capture device as claimed in claim 1 or 6, wherein the image sensor is a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) sensor or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) sensor.

17. The video capture device as claimed in claim 1 or 6, wherein the battery module comprises a recharging unit for recharging the battery.

18. The video capture device as claimed in claim 14, further comprising a GPS (Global Positioning System) module for sensing and transmitting the position of the user.

19. The video capture device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a second image sensor installed at a lateral side of the housing, wherein when the video capture device is fixed at the shoulder position of the clothing, the second image sensor is capable of capturing images in front of the user.