CAMERA DEVICE CAPABLE OF SYNCHRONOUSLY SHOOTING IMAGES INSIDE AND OUTSIDE A CAR

• US 20100265328A1
• Filed: 04/16/2009
• Published: 10/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tech-Cast Mfg. Corp.
• Original Assignee: Tech-Cast Mfg. Corp.
• Inventors: Chou, Rong-Her
• Granted Patent: US 8,237,855 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/143
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/04 Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0003 inside the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0075 using a containment or docking space
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0089 around three axes, i.e. universally mounted
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/45 for generating image signals from two or more image sensors being of different type or operating in different modes, e.g. with a CMOS sensor for moving images in combination with a charge-coupled device [CCD] for still images
• 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 23/56 provided with illuminating means

Abstract

A camera device includes a case having a first camera and a second camera arranged therein. The case is assembled from a first and a second half-case. The first camera is used to shoot images of the driver inside a car and the second camera is used to shoot images of the road in front of the car. The camera device also includes a mounting mechanism that allows adjustment of the case of the camera device to different orientations. Therefore, when the camera device is installed in a car, the first and second cameras can be adjusted to a desired shooting angle and images inside and outside the car can be synchronously shot and be used in an accident to determine which party should be responsible for the accident.

Claims

1. A camera device capable of synchronously shooting images inside and outside a car, comprising:

a case assembled from a first and a second half-case;

the first half-case being provided with a first through opening, and the second half-case being provided with a second through opening;

the first through opening being located at a front face of the case while the second through opening being located at a rear face of the case;

the first and the second through opening are offset from each other;

two laterally spaced partition plates being provided at an inner side of the second through opening; and

two recesses being separately formed on the two partition plates;

a first camera being arranged in the case for acquiring images inside the car; and

the first camera having a lens protruded from the first half-case via the first through opening;

a hood being arranged in the case and having an outer end, which is protruded from the second half-case via the second through opening and provided with a through opening;

the hood being symmetrically provided at two lateral ends with two sideward outward extended pins corresponding to the two recesses on the partition plates on the case; and

the hood being arranged in the case with the two pins received in the two recesses, such that the hood can be pivotally turned about the two pins; and

a second camera being fitted to an inner end of the hood for acquiring images in front of the car, and the second camera having a lens exposed from the hood via the through opening thereof.

2. The camera device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first camera is an infrared camera.

3. The camera device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first half-case is internally provided with two rearward extended plates, free edges of which being separately pressed against the two pins on the hood, preventing the pins from moving out of the recesses on the partition plates.

4. The camera device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hood is further provided at the two lateral ends with two rearward projected engaging teeth, and the second half-case is provided at an inner side of the second through opening with two curved toothed racks corresponding to the two engaging teeth;

and the two engaging teeth being adjustably extended into any selected pair of valleys formed between adjacent teeth on each of the curved toothed racks, allowing the hood to be adjusted to a desired elevation angle through engagement of the engaging teeth with the valleys on the curved toothed racks.

5. The camera device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a mounting mechanism which allows adjustment of the camera unit to a desired orientation;

the mounting mechanism including a mount and a tightening member, the mount being connected at an end to an inner side of the car and at the other opposite end to the case; and

the tightening member being used to lock the case in place when the case has been connected to the mount and adjusted to a desired angular position.

6. The camera device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the case is provided on a top with a cylindrical hollow post, the hollow post having a hole formed in an upper part thereof and the hole being a spherical hole larger than a semi-sphere;

the hollow post also being provided at the upper part with at least three spaced and axially extended slots, so as to provide the upper part of the hollow post with some extent of inward compressibility;

a root or lower part of the hollow post being provided with a front and a rear guide groove that are two correspondingly configured and horizontally extended grooves;

each of the two grooves having a leading end and a tail end, and a top wall of the groove gradually inclining from the leading end toward the tail end; and

wherein the tightening member is a ring member having two open ends and has a central bore diametrically expanded from top toward bottom, two radially inward protrusions being correspondingly provided on a bottom of the central bore at two diametrically opposite sides thereof; and

the tightening member being externally rotatably mounted around the hollow post on the case with the two inward protrusions separately extending into the front and the rear guide groove at the root of the hollow post;

whereby when the tightening member is turned for the inward protrusions to slide in the two guide grooves from the leading ends to the tail ends, the tightening member is forced downward by the inclined top walls of the guide grooves and the central bore of the tightening member applies a compressive force against the upper part of the hollow post.

7. The camera device as claimed in claim 6, wherein an upper outer peripheral edge of the hollow post is beveled to form an annular sloping face, and an upper rim of the tightening member is formed with a radially inward extended flange, which has a lower side formed into an annular sloping face adapted to press against the annular sloping face of the hollow post.

8. The camera device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the tightening member is provided with a handle.