Videophone with detachable TV camera

• US 4,928,300 A
• Filed: 04/18/1989
• Issued: 05/22/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Onoki, Mikio, Ogawa, Kohji
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Jin F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chan, Wing F.
• Application Number:
  US07/339,805
• Time in Patent Office: 399 Days
• Field of Search: 379/53, 379/54, 358/85, 358/224, 358/229
• US Class Current: 348/14.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display

Abstract

A videophone is provided wherein a TV camera is detachable from the videophone unit for the purpose of facilitating the operation of the TV camera when imaging subjects other than the user.

Claims

1. A videophone comprising:

a TV camera detachably accommodated in the unit of said videophone, said TV camera being connected to the videophone unit through a cable;

means for displaying image data picked-up by said TV camera or image data transmitted through a telephone line; and

means for detecting whether or not said TV camera is fixed in the videophone unit;

the image displayed on said displaying means being automatically switched between a reflected image and a true image in response to the output from said detecting means.

2. A videophone comprising:

a TV camera connected via a signal cable to a videophone unit and detachably accommodated in said videophone;

a detecting means for detecting whether or not said TV camera is accommodated in said videophone unit;

an image display means for displaying image data generated by said TV camera or image data transmitted through a telephone line;

an image memory for storing said image data; and

an image processing means for processing said image data generated by said TV camera to be displayed as a reflected image on said image display means and for storing in said image memory the image data with a flag indicative of the fact that said TV camera is fixed within said videophone when receiving a detecting signal indicative of the fact that said TV camera is accommodated with said videophone from said detecting means, said image processing means displaying said image data as a reflected image on said image display means when said image data read out from said image memory is flagged, and said image processing means displaying said image data on said image display means as true images when both said image data is generated by said TV camera when detached from said videophone and said image data is transmitted through said telephone line.

3. A videophone comprising, a videophone unit having an image display means, a TV camera, said videophone unit having means for detachably receiving said TV camera, said TV camera having a cable for coupling to said videophone unit, said TV camera adapted to be either in a received position at said videophone unit or detached therefrom, control means for displaying image date on said image display means either picked up by said TV camera or received from a telephone line, means for detecting whether or not said TV camera is in the received position, wherein said means for detecting includes light path detection means.

4. A videophone comprising, a videophone unit having an image display means, a TV camera, said videophone unit having means for detachably receiving said TV camera, said TV camera having a cable for coupling to said videophone unit, said TV camera adapted to be either in a received position at said videophone unit or detached therefrom, control means for displaying image date on said image display means either picked up by said TV camera or received from a telephone line, means for detecting whether or not said TV camera is in the received position, wherein said control means for displaying image data is controlled to switch between true and reflected images in response to the output from said detecting means.

5. A videophone as set forth in claim 4 wherein the control means displays a reflected image when the camera is in its received position and displays a true image when the camera is in its detached position.

6. A videophone as set forth in claim 4 wherein the control means includes an image memory and image processing means.

7. A videophone as set forth in claim 6 wherein the image processing means is for processing said image data generated by said TV camera to be displayed as a reflected image on said image display means and for storing in said image memory, the image data with a flag indicative of the fact that the TV camera is in its received position.

8. A videophone as set forth in claim 7 wherein the image processing means displays the image data as a reflected image on the image display means when the image data read out from the image memory is flagged.

9. A videophone as set forth in claim 8 wherein the image processing means displays the image data on the image display means as true images when both the image data is generated by the TV camera when detached from the videophone unit and the image data is transmitted through the telephone line.