Portable video viewing assembly

• US 4,571,628 A
• Filed: 03/23/1984
• Issued: 02/18/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thirstol Thornton
• Original Assignee: Thirstol Thornton
• Inventors: Thornton, Thirstol
• Primary Examiner(s): Britton, Howard W.
• Application Number:
  US06/592,944
• Time in Patent Office: 697 Days
• Field of Search: 358/224, 358/210, 358/250, 358/88, 358/60, 358/61, 358/335, 358/906
• US Class Current: 348/333.08
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 31/006 with video camera or receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/344 with head-mounted left-right displays
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 358/906 Hand-held camera with recorder in a single unit

Abstract

The present invention is directed towards a portable video viewing mechanism comprising a housing generally in the form of a binocular configuration being dimensioned and configured to be hand-held and manually directed towards a predetermined field of viewing. An adjustable object lens assembly observes the predetermined field of viewing and additional processing assemblies converts the resulting visual image into electrical video signals which are transferred to a remotely located video recorder which in turn transfers the process signal back to a liquid crystal display specifically dimensioned for mounting within the portable housing along independent lines of sight of the viewing assembly. Remote control means may serve to operate the video recorder so as to accomplish selective and substantially concurrent playback of the previously recorded field of vision selectively observed by the object lens assembly wherein such replay may be reviewed on the liquid crystal display structure within the housing.

Claims

1. A portable video viewing mechanism of the type primarily designed for instant video viewing and selective substantially concurrent playback, said viewing mechanism comprising:

(a) housing means being of portable dimension and configuration and including a viewing assembly structured to provide viewing by a user into the interior of said housing means,

(b) an object lens assembly mounted on said housing means in spaced relation to said viewing assembly and disposed and structured for selective observation of a predetermined field of viewing,

(c) image processor means including a video camera structured to convert visual images into electrical video signals and render said electrical video signals capable of additional processing,

(d) signal processing means electrically interconnected to said image processor means and structured to process video signals into standard, synchronized coded signals,

(e) video recorder means electrically interconnected to said signal processing means and located remotely from said housing means,

(f) video screen means mounted within said housing in electrical communication with said video recorder means and structured to receive video signals therefrom and convert said signals into visual display within said housing means, said video screen means comprising liquid crystal display means disposed in interruptive relation to said line of sight viewing defined at least in part by said viewing assembly,

(g) said viewing assembly comprising a dispersion lens means disposed in visually projecting relation to a visual display projected from said liquid crystal display means and structured to disperse said visual display in full and complete communication with said viewing assembly,

(h) said dispersion lens means being disposed in overlying, immediately adjacent relation to said liquid crystal display means and comprising a convex configuration structured to project said visual image over said line of sight of said viewing assembly on the interior of said housing means,

(i) said viewing assembly comprising independent viewing sub-assemblies structured to define independent lines of sight from the separate eyes of the user of said viewing mechanism, and each of said viewing sub-assemblies including a lens element and independent reflection means disposed to at least partially define said independent lines of sight extending between said separate lens elements of each viewing sub-assembly and said liquid crystal display means,

(j) control means including circuitry means structured to selectively regulate, transfer and conversion of electrical video signals into visual image display on said liquid crystal display means, whereby a user may instantaneously observe said predetermined field of viewing as visual display on said liquid crystal display means and selectively view substantially concurrent replay of said observed field of viewing.

2. A mechanism as in claim 1 wherein said video screen means comprises a color projecting liquid crystal display means.

3. A mechanism as in claim 1 wherein said housing means comprises a binocular configuration and structure, said independent lens elements of each viewing sub-assembly being adjustably structured to regulate viewing therethrough.

4. A mechanism as in claim 1 wherein said object lens assembly is adjustably mounted on said housing means to selectively regulate visual observation therethrough.

5. A mechanism as in claim 1 further comprising remote control means mounted on said housing means and electrically interconnected to said video recorder means and structured to selectively control, rewind, play and record modes of said video recorder means.

6. A mechanism as in claim 5 further comprising an electrical interface mounted between said signal processor means and said video recorder means and between said video recorder means and said liquid crystal display means.

7. A portable video viewing mechanism of the type primarily designed for instant video viewing and selective substantially concurrent playback, said viewing mechanism comprising:

(a) housing means being dimensioned and configured so as to be hand-held and ambulatory with the user and including a viewing assembly structured to provide viewing of a user into the interior of said housing means,

(b) said viewing assembly including separate and independent viewing sub-assemblies each including a lens element positioned and structured to allow independent viewing of each eye of the user along independent lines of sight,

(c) an object lens assembly mounted on said housing means and disposed adjacent a front portion thereof and further structured for selective observation of a predetermined field of viewing,

(d) image processor means including a video camera positioned in communicating relation to said object lens means and structured to convert visual images into electrical signals capable of additional electronic processing,

(e) signal processing means electrically interconnected to said image processor means and structured to additionally process electrical video signals received from said image processor means and convert said electrical video signals into standard, synchronized coded signals,

(f) video recorder means electrically interconnected to said signal processing means and disposed remote from said housing means,

(g) video screen means comprising a liquid crystal display assembly mounted within said housing means in electrical communication with said video recorder means so as to receive video signals therefrom and structured to convert said video signals into visual display, said liquid crystal display means disposed within said housing in visual communication with said independent viewing sub-assemblies along said independent lines of sight, and

(h) control means including circuitry means structured to selectively transfer and convert said electrical video signals into visual display on said liquid crystal display means, whereby a user may instantaneously observe said predetermined field of viewing as visual display on said liquid crystal display means within said housing means and selectively view substantially concurrent replay of said observed field of viewing.