Television conference apparatus including a material picturing device

• US 5,489,938 A
• Filed: 04/20/1995
• Issued: 02/06/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Saitoh, Tatsuro, Kitamura, Masao, Maruyama, Kyuma
• Primary Examiner(s): Groody, James J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Murrell, Jeffrey S.
• Application Number:
  US08/426,479
• Time in Patent Office: 292 Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.08
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2200/0069 with rack
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/64 Constructional details of receivers, e.g. cabinets or dust covers furniture aspects of television cabinets A47B81/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display

Abstract

An apparatus for television conference is disclosed which includes a material picturing device and has a minimized overall size. A main camera device taking a picture of a conference, a main monitoring device outputting a picture and voice sound, a voice inputting device, a system controller and a keyboard device for inputting instructions are accommodated inside one cabinet. A manuscript table, for placing an object whose picture is to be sent to other terminals, is provided to the cabinet. A video camera device, which takes a picture of the object, is provided to the cabinet. A lighting device, which lights up the object on the manuscript table is also provided to the cabinet. The manuscript table, video camera device and lighting device are accommodated inside the cabinet when not in use.

Claims

1. An apparatus for television conference comprising:

a cabinet comprising a plurality of compartments each accommodating one of a plurality of devices necessary for performing said television conference, said compartments being piled up so that said cabinet occupies a small space;

a manuscript table, provided to said cabinet, having a table top on which an object is placed, said manuscript table being positioned against said cabinet at either one of a first position and a second position, said table top of said manuscript table being in a closed state against said cabinet when said manuscript table is at said first position, said table top of said manuscript table being in an opened state against said cabinet when said manuscript table is at said second position; and

a handle member being fixed on said cabinet in a position under said manuscript table so as to help move said cabinet, said handle member supporting said manuscript table when said manuscript table is at said second position so that said table top of said manuscript table is positioned in a horizontal state; and

an arm member, movably provided on said cabinet, having camera means for generating image data of an object placed on said manuscript table, said arm member enabling said camera means to be positioned either inside said cabinet, or outside said cabinet directly above said manuscript table when said manuscript table is at said second position, said manuscript table being positioned under said arm member.

2. An apparatus for television conference as claimed in claim 1, wherein said manuscript table is accommodated inside said cabinet when said manuscript table is at said first position, or said manuscript table is accommodated outside said cabinet when said manuscript table is at said second position, said object being placed on said table top when said manuscript table is at said second position.

3. An apparatus for television conference as claimed in claim 2, wherein a bar member is rotatably and slidably supported in said cabinet and one of the sides of said manuscript table is fixed to said bar member, and said manuscript table can be in a position either accommodated inside a slit formed longitudinally on the side face of said cabinet, or outside said cabinet where said object is placed thereon.

4. An apparatus for television conference as claimed in claim 1, wherein a sliding mechanism is provided to said manuscript table so that said manuscript table can be in a position either accommodated inside said cabinet or outside said cabinet where said object is placed thereon.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said camera means is fixed to one end of said arm member, said arm member horizontally pivoting about the other end thereof so that said camera means is positioned either inside said cabinet, or outside said cabinet directly above said object.

6. An apparatus for television conference as claimed in claim 1, wherein said manuscript table is pivotally provided to a side of said cabinet, said manuscript table being placed in a position either accommodated inside said cabinet when said cabinet is at said first position, or outside said cabinet when said manuscript table is at said second position, said object being placed on said table top when said manuscript table is at said second position.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said camera means is fixed to one end of said arm member, said arm member vertically pivoting about the other end thereof so that said camera means is positioned either in said cabinet, or outside said cabinet directly above said object.

8. An apparatus for television conference as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cabinet includes a door for opening said cabinet when placing or removing a device, and wherein an opening is formed between the front face of said cabinet and said door, through which cables connect said device to devices placed inside said cabinet.

9. An apparatus for television conference as claimed in claim 1, wherein lighting means is provided, for lighting said object placed on said manuscript table.

10. An apparatus for television conference as claimed in claim 9, wherein said lighting means are provided to the back face of a door which opens a portion of said cabinet where said camera means is accommodated, and said lighting means may be placed in a position to light up said manuscript table in the state where said door is open, and is accommodated inside the cabinet in a state where said door is closed.

11. An apparatus for television conference as claimed in claim 10, further comprising control means for controlling switching on/off of said lighting means, and wherein said cabinet has detection means for detecting an opening of said door and sending a signal to said control means so that said control means turns on said lighting means based on the signal supplied by said detection means.

12. An apparatus for television conference as claimed in claim 11, wherein said lighting means comprises a ring shaped lighting device located between said camera means and said manuscript table and lighting up uniformly, an entire face of said manuscript table from above, and said camera means takes a picture of said object placed on said manuscript table through the center of said ring shaped lighting device.

13. An apparatus for television conference as claimed in claim 12, wherein said lighting device is attached to the back face of said door by a supporting member which holds said lighting device in a position either parallel or perpendicular to said door.

14. An apparatus for television conference as claimed in claim 10, wherein said manuscript table comprises side face of a portion of said cabinet where said camera means is accommodated, and said cabinet has a handle member in a position where said manuscript table comes in contact with said handle member so as to hold said manuscript table in horizontal position where said object can be placed.