Video telephone device with automatic video camera angle adjustment

• US 5,412,417 A
• Filed: 04/15/1993
• Issued: 05/02/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Corporation
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Corporation
• Inventors: Tozuka, Yukitaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Woo, Stella L.
• Application Number:
  US08/046,306
• Time in Patent Office: 747 Days
• Field of Search: 379/53, 379/54, 379/96, 358/85
• 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 video telephone device has a video display unit tiltably mounted on a base and a video camera unit supported in the video display unit on one side of a video display panel of the video display unit. The video display unit includes an outer housing and a video display panel disposed in the outer housing and angularly movably supported on the base. The video camera unit is disposed in the outer housing and includes a camera mount and a video camera supported on the camera mount, the camera mount being angularly movably supported on the video display panel. A link is angularly movably coupled to the camera mount and the base. The base, the video display panel, the camera mount, and the link jointly serve as a parallel link mechanism for keeping the video camera unit in a substantially constant angular position with respect to the base regardless of angular movement of the video display unit with respect to the base.

Claims

1. A video telephone device comprising:

a base;

a video display unit coupled to said base for angular movement about a first axis;

a video camera unit coupled to said video display unit for angular movement about a second axis; and

a link having one end coupled to said video camera unit for angular movement about a third axis and an opposite end coupled to said base for angular movement about a fourth axis;

said first, second, third, and fourth axes being positioned with respect to each other such that a straight line passing through said first and second axes extends parallel to a straight line passing through said third and fourth axes, and a straight line passing through said first and fourth axes extends parallel to a straight line passing through said second and third axes.

2. A video telephone device according to claim 1, wherein said video display unit comprises an outer housing and a video display panel disposed in said outer housing, said outer housing being angularly movably mounted on said base through a pivot pin as said first axis, and wherein said video camera unit comprises a camera mount and a video camera supported on said camera mount, said camera mount being angularly movably mounted on said video display panel through a pivot pin as said second axis.

3. A video telephone device according to claim 2, wherein said one end of the link is angularly movably joined to said camera mount through a pivot pin as said third axis, and said opposite end of the link is angularly movably joined to said base through a pivot pin as said fourth axis.

4. A video telephone device according to claim 1, wherein said video camera unit comprises a camera mount and a video camera supported on said camera mount for angular movement about an axis parallel to said second axis.

5. A video telephone device according to claim 1, wherein said video camera unit comprises a camera mount and a video camera supported on said camera mount, said camera mount being supported on said video display unit for angular movement about an axis perpendicular to said second axis.

6. A video telephone device according to claim 1, wherein said video camera unit comprises a camera mount, a video camera angularly movably supported on said camera mount, and pivot means for allowing said video camera to be brought into an angular position directed toward the face of a user of the video telephone device, independently of said video display unit.

7. A video telephone device according to claim 6, wherein said pivot means comprises a pivot pin mounted on said camera mount and fitted in a hole defined in said video camera.

8. A video telephone device according to claim 6, wherein said pivot means comprises a support shaft mounted on said camera mount and connected to said video display unit.

9. A video telephone device according to claim 6, wherein said video camera unit further comprises retaining means for frictionally retaining said video camera in said angular position.

10. A video telephone device according to claim 9, wherein said retaining means comprises a friction plate attached to said camera mount and frictionally held against said video camera.

11. A video telephone device comprising:

a base;

a video display unit angularly movably mounted on said base;

a video camera unit angularly movably mounted in said video display unit; and

link means operatively coupled between said base and said video camera unit for keeping said video camera unit in a constant angular position with respect to said base regardless of angular movement of said video display unit with respect to said base,

wherein said video display unit comprises an outer housing and a video display panel disposed in said outer housing and angularly movably supported on said base, and said video camera unit is disposed in said outer housing and comprises a camera mount and a video camera supported on said camera mount, said camera mount being angularly movably supported on said video display panel, and

wherein said link means comprises a link operatively coupled between said base and said camera mount parallel to said video display panel.

12. A video telephone device comprising:

a base;

a video display unit angularly movably mounted on said base;

a video camera unit angularly movably mounted in said video display unit; and

link means operatively coupled between said base and said video camera unit for keeping said video camera unit in a constant angular position with respect to said base regardless of angular movement of said video display unit with respect to said base,

wherein said video camera unit comprises a camera mount, a video camera angularly movably supported on said camera mount, and pivot means for allowing said video camera to be brought into an angular position directed toward the face of a user of the video telephone device, independently of said video display unit.

13. A video telephone device according to claim 12, wherein said pivot means comprises a pivot pin mounted on said camera mount and fitted in a hole defined in said video camera.

14. A video telephone device according to claim 12, wherein said pivot means comprises a support shaft mounted on said camera mount and connected to said video display unit.

15. A video telephone device according to claim 12, wherein said video camera unit further comprises retaining means for frictionally retaining said video camera in said angular position.

16. A video telephone device according to claim 15, wherein said retaining means comprises a friction plate attached to said camera mount and frictionally held against said video camera.

17. A video telephone device comprising:

a base;

a video display unit including an outer housing and a video display panel disposed in said outer housing and angularly movably supported on said base;

a video camera unit disposed in said outer housing and including a camera mount and a video camera supported on said camera mount, said camera mount being angularly movably supported on said video display panel; and

a link angularly movably coupled to said base and said camera mount;

said base, said video display panel, said camera mount, and said link jointly serving as a parallel link mechanism for keeping said video camera unit in a constant angular position with respect to said base regardless of angular movement of said video display unit with respect to said base.

18. A video telephone device according to claim 17, wherein said video camera unit further comprises pivot means for allowing said video camera to be brought into an angular position directed toward the face of a user of the video telephone device, independently of said video display unit.

19. A video telephone device according to claim 18, wherein said pivot means comprises a pivot pin mounted on said camera mount and fitted in a hole defined in said video camera.

20. A video telephone device according to claim 18, wherein said pivot means comprises a support shaft mounted on said camera mount and connected to said video display unit.

21. A video telephone device according to claim 18, wherein said video camera unit further comprises retaining means for frictionally retaining said video camera in said angular position.

22. A video telephone device according to claim 21, wherein said retaining means comprises a friction plate attached to said camera mount and frictionally held against said video camera.

23. A video telephone device comprising:

a base;

a telephone circuit housed in said base;

a handset removably mounted on said base;

a video display unit including an outer housing and a video display panel disposed in said outer housing and angularly movably supported on said base;

a video camera unit disposed in said outer housing laterally adjacent to said video display panel and including a camera mount and a video camera supported on said camera mount, said camera mount being angularly movably supported on said video display panel; and

a link angularly movably coupled to and extending between said base and said camera mount;

said base, said video display panel, said camera mount, and said link jointly serving as a parallel link mechanism for keeping said video camera unit in a constant angular position with respect to said base regardless of angular movement of said video display unit with respect to said base.

24. A video telephone device according to claim 23, wherein said video camera unit further comprises pivot means for allowing said video camera to be brought into an angular position directed toward the face of a user of the video telephone device, independently of said video display unit.

25. A video telephone device according to claim 24, wherein said pivot means comprises a pivot pin mounted on said camera mount and fitted in a hole defined in said video camera.

26. A video telephone device according to claim 25, wherein said pivot means comprises a support shaft mounted on said camera mount and connected to said video display unit.

27. A video telephone device according to claim 24, wherein said video camera unit further comprises retaining means for frictionally retaining said video camera in said angular position.

28. A video telephone device according to claim 27, wherein said retaining means comprises a friction plate attached to said camera mount and frictionally held against said video camera.

29. A video telephone device comprising:

a base;

a video display unit angularly movably mounted on said base;

a video camera unit angularly movably mounted in said video display unit; and

means operatively coupled between said base and said video camera unit for keeping said video camera unit in a constant angular position with respect to said base in response to angular movement of said video display unit with respect to said base,

wherein said video display unit comprises an outer housing and a video display panel disposed in said outer housing and angularly movably supported on said base, and said video camera unit is disposed in said outer housing and comprises a camera mount and a video camera supported on said camera mount, said camera mount being angularly movably supported on said video display panel, and

wherein said means comprises a link operatively coupled between said base and said camera mount parallel to said video display panel.

30. A video telephone device comprising:

a base;

a video display unit angularly movably mounted on said base;

a video camera unit angularly movably mounted in said video display unit; and

means operatively coupled between said base and said video camera unit for keeping said video camera unit in a constant angular position with respect to said base in response to angular movement of said video display unit with respect to said base,

wherein said video camera unit comprises a camera mount, a video camera angularly movably supported on said camera mount, and pivot means for allowing said video camera to be brought into an angular position directed toward the face of a user of the video telephone device, independently of said video display unit.

31. A video telephone device according to claim 30, wherein said pivot means comprises a pivot pin mounted on said camera mount and fitted in a hole defined in said video camera.

32. A video telephone device according to claim 30, wherein said pivot means comprises a support shaft mounted on said camera mount and connected to said video display unit.

33. A video telephone device according to claim 30, wherein said video camera unit further comprises retaining means for frictionally retaining said video camera in said angular position.

34. A video telephone device according to claim 33, wherein said retaining means comprises a friction plate attached to said camera mount and frictionally held against said video camera.