Video telephone equipment

• US 5,491,507 A
• Filed: 10/22/1993
• Issued: 02/13/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Kuriyama, Hiroyuki, Ishinabe, Iwao, Ishida, Kiyoshi, Umezawa, Koichi, Nishiyama, Takanori
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Wing F.
• Application Number:
  US08/139,700
• Time in Patent Office: 844 Days
• Field of Search: 379/433, 379/434, 379/93, 379/96-99, 379/90, 379/110, 379/58, 379/61, 455/89, 455/90, 348/14, 348/20
• US Class Current: 348/14.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0214 Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0218 The hinge comprising input and/or output user interface means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0235 Slidable or telescopic telephones, i.e. with a relative translation movement of the body parts; Telephones using a combination of translation and other relative motions of the body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0247 comprising more than two body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0264 for a camera module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/04 Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/145 Handheld terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display

Abstract

A handy type video telephone equipment which permits a user to transmit and receive pictures and speech with a casing held in one hand. A speaker is arranged at the upper end part of the front of the casing which is thin and vertically long, while a microphone is arranged at the lower end part thereof. A display panel and a control panel are interposed between the speaker and the microphone. A camera is mounted on the casing so as to be capable of altering its angle. The speaker is detachably mounted, and it is usable as an earphone when detached. The user'"'"'s movements are not hampered during the transmission and reception, and the equipment can assume various communication or service attitudes conforming to the contents of information for the communications.

Claims

1. A video telephone equipment, comprising:

signal processing means for permitting at least either of a vocal communication and a visual communication;

a speaker which emits received speech for the vocal communication;

a microphone which accepts speech to-be-transmitted for said vocal communication;

a display panel which displays a received picture for the visual communication;

a camera which takes a picture to-be-transmitted for said visual communication;

a control panel through which a user of said video telephone equipment gives an operation command to said signal processing means;

a casing which is provided with said display panel, said speaker and said microphone; and

camera holding means for holding said camera, said camera holding means having a shaft with which said camera is mounted on said casing so that an angular position of said camera relative to said casing is alterable, wherein

said display panel is arranged between said speaker and said microphone on said casing.

2. A video telephone equipment, comprising:

signal processing means for permitting at least either of a vocal communication and a visual communication;

a speaker which emits received speech for the vocal communication;

a casing which is provided with said speaker;

a microphone which accepts speech to-be-transmitted for said vocal communication;

a display panel which displays a received picture for the visual communication;

a camera which takes a picture to-be-transmitted for said visual communication;

a control panel through which a user of said video telephone equipment gives an operation command to said signal processing means; and

speaker holding means for holding said speaker in a state in which the speaker is detachable from said casing and being configured and operatively connected selectively to prevent external light from reaching said display panel.

3. A video telephone equipment, comprising:

signal processing means for permitting at least either of a vocal communication and a visual communication;

a speaker which emits received speech for the vocal communication;

a microphone which accepts speech to-be-transmitted for said vocal communication;

a display panel which displays a received picture for the visual communication;

a camera which takes a picture to-be-transmitted for said visual communication;

a control panel through which a user of said video telephone equipment gives an operation command to said signal processing means;

a first casing in which said microphone is encased;

a second casing in which said speaker is encased;

a third casing in which said display panel is encased;

first coupling means for coupling the first and third casings; and

second coupling means for coupling the second and third casings;

wherein

at least the second one of the first and second coupling means being capable of altering an angle of the coupling thereof, and an angle of said first casing is alterable both frontwards and rearwards at a part thereof coupled by said second coupling means, with respect to an angle thereof at which said first casing is even with said third casing.

4. A video telephone equipment as defined in claim 3, further comprising:

a hood which intercepts external light entering said display panel; and

hood fastening engagement means for engageably fastening said hood with both sides of said second casing.

5. A video telephone equipment as defined in claim 4, wherein said hood fastening engagement means fastens said hood in engagement in a state in which it is openably shut.

6. A video telephone equipment as defined in claim 5, wherein said hood is configured to cover, in its closed position, said speaker and has a through hole extending between front and rear surfaces thereof in an area which covers said speaker.

7. A video telephone equipment comprising:

signal processing means for permitting at least either of a vocal communication and a visual communication;

a speaker which emits received speech for the vocal communication;

a microphone which accepts speech to-be-transmitted for said vocal communication;

a display panel which displays a received picture for the visual communication;

a camera which takes a picture to-be-transmitted for said visual communication;

a control panel through which a user of said video telephone equipment gives an operation command to said signal processing means;

a first casing in which said microphone and said display panel are arranged, and to which said camera is mounted at a lower end thereof so as to have an alterable angle between said camera and said first casing;

a second casing in which said speaker is encased; and

coupling means for coupling the first and second casings in a state in which angles thereof are alterable; and

camera holding means for holding said camera adjacent to said first casing.

8. A video telephone equipment as defined in claim 7, wherein said camera holding means holds said camera at coupled parts of said first and second casings.

9. A video telephone equipment as defined in claim 8, wherein said camera holding means includes angle keeping means for bringing an optical axis of said camera into a direction of an angle of θ

/2 where θ

denotes an angle which is defined at said coupled parts by said first and second casings.

10. A video telephone equipment as defined in claim 9, wherein when said first and second casings are placed one over the other by altering the coupling angle, their surfaces which confront each other are substantially identical in shape and in area.

11. A video telephone equipment, comprising:

signal processing means for permitting at least either of a vocal communication and a visual communication;

a speaker which emits received speech for the vocal communication;

a microphone which accepts speech to-be-transmitted for said vocal communication;

a display panel which displays a received picture for the visual communication;

a camera which takes a picture to-be-transmitted for said visual communication;

a control panel through which a user of said video telephone equipment gives an operation command to said signal processing means;

a first casing in which said microphone and said display panel are arranged, and to which said camera is mounted at a lower end thereof so as to have an alterable angle between said camera and said first casing;

a second casing in which said speaker is encased; and

coupling means for coupling the first and second casings in a state in which angles thereof are alterable and in which said first casing is slidable perpendicularly to an axial direction of the coupling.

12. A video telephone equipment as defined in claim 11, wherein the angle of said first casing is alterable both frontwards and rearwards with respect to the angle thereof at which said first casing is even with said second casing.