Hinged-case sound and vision communications terminal, in particular a video-phone

• US 5,111,498 A
• Filed: 07/19/1990
• Issued: 05/05/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Georges Buchner, Jacques Guichard, Jacques Labat
• Original Assignee: Georges Buchner, Jacques Guichard, Jacques Labat
• Inventors: Buchner, Georges, Guichard, Jacques, Labat, Jacques
• Primary Examiner(s): Dwyer, James L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chan, Wing F.
• Application Number:
  US07/555,367
• Time in Patent Office: 656 Days
• Field of Search: 379/53, 379/54, 379/428, 379/434, 379/436, 379/440, 358/85, 358/185, 358/224, 358/225, 358/228
• US Class Current: 348/14.16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/02 Constructional features of telephone sets
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display

Abstract

A terminal for sound and vision communication, of the type associated, in particular, with a telephone set, comprises a case (100) containing a display screen monitor (128), a camera (132) provided with optics (130), an electronic assembly (134) for control, coding/decoding, and telephone line interfacing and control (114). The case (100) comprises a first part (110) via which the terminal is supported on a support surface, and a second part (120) which is hinged to the first part about a substantially horizontal axis (A) and which receives the camera (132) and its optics (130) together with the monitor (128). The terminal is such that, in use, the second part (120) of the case can assume at least two different angular positions relative to the first part (110), corresponding to two different aiming directions (B) for the camera.

Claims

1. A terminal for sound and vision communications, of the type associated, in particular, with a telephone set, and comprising a case, said case consisting of:

(a) a first, fixed part via which said terminal is supported on a support surface, said first, fixed part containing an electronic assembly for control, coding/decoding, and telephone line interfacing and control means; and

(b) a second, movable part which is hinged to said first part about a substantially horizontal axis and which receives a display screen monitor and a camera provided with optics, said second part being capable of assuming a first, closed angular position resting against said first part and at least two open angular positions relative to said first part corresponding to two different aiming directions for said camera;

(c) said second part being substantially flat and elongated and receiving said camera so that an aiming direction of said camera is perpendicular to a plane of said second part, said optics including means provided in a region of said second part that is most remote from said hinge for deflection through 90°

of an image sensed by said camera;

(d) said display screen monitor being also provided in said region of said second part that is most remote from said hinge and close to said deflecting means;

(e) whereby the thickness of said second part of said case is minimized and said aiming direction of said camera provided with said optics is displaced, in use, well above said support surface; and

(f) wherein, in the utilization position, said camera optics is offset laterally relative to said display screen monitor, and wherein said terminal includes parallax correction means comprising a camera lens disposed in such a manner that the aiming direction of said camera is laterally inclined by a predetermined angle, with a sensitive plane of said camera being inclined by approximately the same angle relative to the plane perpendicular to said aiming direction.

2. A terminal according to claim 1, wherein said first and second parts of the case are flat rectangular boxes hinged to each other along short edges of said boxes.

3. A terminal according to claim 2, wherein said first and second parts of said case are hinged to each other about a hinged connection comprising successive bearing journals fixed in alternation to both of said parts and capable of rotating about a common shaft.

4. A terminal according to claim 3, wherein said hinged connection is a snug fit enabling said terminal to be placed in an unlimited number of angular utilization positions within a

5. A terminal according to claim 2, wherein manual control members are provided in a region of said first, fixed part that is most remote from said hinge.

6. A terminal according to claim 1, further including auxiliary lighting means located in said first, fixed part of said case in the vicinity of the hinge and providing generally upwardly directed illumination.

7. A terminal according to claim 6, wherein said auxiliary lighting means include a flap for modulating auxiliary lighting as a function of ambient lighting conditions, said flap being hinged about an axis of said hinge between said first and second parts of said case.

8. A terminal according to claim 6, further including a polarizer disposed at an outlet from said auxiliary lighting means and a screen disposed at an inlet to said camera optics.

9. A terminal according to claim 1, wherein, in the utilization position, said camera optics is offset laterally relative to said display screen monitor, and wherein said terminal includes parallax correction means.

10. A terminal according to claim 1, further including means for assisting a user of said terminal to position said moving part of said case into a desired angular position for utilization.

11. A terminal according to claim 10, wherein said means for assisting a user comprise a mirror disposed in the vicinity of said inlet to said camera optics.