HANDS FREE LIGHTING DEVICES

• US 20130201299A1
• Filed: 04/29/2011
• Published: 08/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michael Waters
• Original Assignee: Michael Waters
• Inventors: Waters, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 9,185,278 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/49
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 1/244 Means for mounting lamps
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 1/245 Means for mounting audio or communication systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/207 using a single 2D image sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/531 being rotatable or detachable
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof

Abstract

There is provided headgear having a variety of components. In one form, the headgear includes a camera device mounted to a brim thereof. Camera accessories that can be mounted to the headgear can include a switch, a control panel, a view finder, one or more lights. The headgear can also include a heat sink mounted to the brim to dissipate heat, and can be configured to block radio frequency emissions, generated by powered components of the headgear, such as the camera, a circuit board, one or more lights, or the like. The headgear can also include a 3D camera device having first and second lens devices mounted to the brim in a spaced configuration.

Claims

1-18. -18. (canceled)

19. Headgear comprising:

a head-fitting portion configured to be received on a wearer'"'"'s head;

a brim portion extending forwardly from the head-fitting portion;

a 3D camera device having first and second lens devices mounted to the brim portion to capture images generally forwardly of the brim portion;

a power source of the 3D camera device mounted to at least one of the head-fitting portion or the brim portion for providing power for operation of the 3D camera device; and

a control member of the 3D camera device mounted to the brim portion and configured to allow a user to operate the 3D camera device

20. The headgear of claim 19 wherein the control member is configured to cause the first and second lens devices to capture images substantially simultaneously.

21. The headgear of claim 19 wherein the first and second lens devices are spaced apart generally equally from a fore-and-aft centerline of the brim portion.

22. The headgear of claim 21 wherein the first and second lens devices are spaced from one another between 1 inch and 8 inches.

23. The headgear of claim 19 wherein the brim portion includes upper and lower major surfaces, and the 3D camera device includes a control panel mounted to one of the upper and lower major surfaces of the brim and having electrical connections for providing power for operation of the 3D camera device.

24. The headgear of claim 23 wherein the control panel includes a storage device configured to store images captured by the 3D camera device.

25. The headgear of claim 23 wherein the control panel includes a processor device configured to merge images captured by the first and second lens devices to create a superimposed image having the images captured by the first and second lens device superimposed over one another.

26. The headgear of claim 25 wherein the processing device is further configured manipulate the superimposed image so that the image has 3D effects.

27. The headgear of claim 19 wherein the brim portion includes upper and lower major surfaces, and the first and second lens devices are mounted to one of the upper and lower major surfaces of the brim portion.

28. The headgear of claim 20 wherein the brim portion includes upper and lower major surfaces and an outboard edge extending between the upper and lower major surfaces, and the first and second lens devices are mounted to the outboard edge of the brim portion.

29. A camera device for mounting to a hat, the camera device comprising:

a camera housing having top and bottom surface portions with a forward surface portion extending therebetween;

a camera lens mounted to the forward surface portion configured to capture images forwardly thereof; and

a clip device mounted to one of the top and bottom surface portions and configured to releasably engage a hat brim for mounting the housing to the brim so that the one of the top and bottom surface portions thereof extends generally adjacent to and along the brim.

30. The camera device of claim 29 wherein the one surface portion of the camera housing is curved to be generally complementary to the hat brim.

31. The camera device of claim 29 wherein the clip device includes a front wall portion extending upwardly from the housing forward surface portion, and a rearward wall portion extending generally rearwardly from the front wall portion.

32. The camera device of claim 31 wherein the front wall portion has a forward surface that is generally flush with the forward surface portion of the camera housing.

33. The camera device of claim 31 wherein the rearward wall portion of the clip device slants inwardly towards the camera housing and has a resilient configuration to allow the clip device to resiliently engage a hat brim received between the rearward wall portion and the camera housing.

34. The camera device of claim 31 wherein the front wall portion and the rearward wall portion are pivotably connected.

35. The camera device of claim 34 wherein the rearward wall portion includes a protrusion extending inwardly towards the camera housing to pinch the hat brim upon insertion of the hat brim between the clip device rearward wall portion and the camera housing and pivoting of the rearward wall portion towards the hat brim.

36. The camera device of claim 34 wherein the front wall portion and the rearward wall portion have a pivotable spring loaded connection to bias the rearward wall portion towards the camera housing.

37. The camera device of claim 29 further comprising a display mounted to the housing configured to display images captured by the lens device.

38. The camera device of claim 37 wherein the display is pivotable with respect to the housing about a hinge.

39. The camera device of claim 29 in combination with the hat having a head reception portion with the brim extending forwardly therefrom, the camera housing being releasably mounted to the brim via the clip device.

40. The camera device of claim 29 wherein the clip device is removably mounted to the camera housing.

41-45. -45. (canceled)