Portable compact imaging and displaying apparatus

• US 5,825,408 A
• Filed: 01/11/1996
• Issued: 10/20/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Yuyama, Masami, Morikawa, Shigenori, Tsukamoto, Akihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): WOO, STELLA L
• Application Number:
  US08/587,857
• Time in Patent Office: 1,013 Days
• Field of Search: 348/14, 348/17, 348/13, 348/552, 348/18, 348/19, 379/53, 379/93.05, 379/93.07, 455/556, 455/557
• US Class Current: 348/14.01
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/02 Handling of images in compressed format, e.g. JPEG, MPEG
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2059 using error diffusion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0202 Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. of speakers or microphones H04M1/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera constructional features concerning the integration of cameras in portable phones H04M1/0264
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00281 with a telecommunication apparatus, e.g. a switched network of teleprinters for the distribution of text-based information, a selective call terminal details of transmission H04N1/00095; establishing a communication with one of a facsimile machine or another apparatus sharing a single line H04N1/32704; interfacing cordless telephone terminals with an accessory to increase the functionality of user interface H04M1/72409
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0044 for image preview or review, e.g. to help the user position a sheet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2158 using a detachable storage unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/124 Quantisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/126 Details of normalisation or weighting functions, e.g. normalisation matrices or variable uniform quantisers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/60 using transform coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/145 Handheld terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6187 involving transmission via a telephone network, e.g. POTS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0056 Using mechanical couplings, e.g. mating elements H04N2201/0049, H04N2201/0051, H04N2201/0058 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0082 Image hardcopy reproducer H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0086 : Image transceiver H04N2201/0093 and H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44 : Receiver circuitry for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/66 : Transforming electric information into light information scanning details H04N3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 : Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 : between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 : the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 : using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/9261 : involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 : Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display

Abstract

An imaging apparatus has a portable monitor. Image data taken by the imaging apparatus is compressed and stored. The monitor serves as a view finder which displays image data which is being observed, and also serves to reproduce and display image data stored in a memory. A removable modem is coupled to the imaging apparatus. When the modem is coupled to the imaging apparatus, image data obtained by photography is transmitted through the telephone line. Like the image data, voice data can be stored in the memory and transmitted through the modem. The image data and the voice data can be compressed and combined with each other. By transmitting and receiving such synthesized data, the imaging apparatus can be used as a TV telephone.

Claims

1. A pocket-size imaging and display apparatus including a case, comprising:

a camera section rotatably coupled to the case, the camera section including an imaging plane;

image data generating means for generating image data corresponding to an image taken by said camera section;

a display section coupled to the case for displaying the image data generated by said image data generating means, the display section including a display screen plane, the imaging plane of said camera section and the display screen plane of the display section are positionally changed relative to each other in response to a rotation of said camera section;

means for compressing the image data generated by said image data generating means;

means for modulating the image data compressed by said compressing means; and

a telephone line jack coupled to the case and selectively connected to a telephone line in order to output the image data modulated by said modulating means to the telephone line.

2. A pocket-size imaging and display apparatus comprising:

a display section; and

a camera section including an imaging unit for providing image data, said camera section being smaller in size than said display section;

wherein said display section comprises;

means for compressing image data provided by said imaging unit;

a memory section for storing plural sets of said image data compressed by said compressing means;

means for playing back said image data stored in said memory section; and

means for selectively displaying said image data played back by said playing back means and said image data taken. by said imaging unit, said selectively displaying means comprising a liquid-crystal display device having a back light including a flat fluorescent tube.