Image reproduction apparatus having a support for vertical and horizontal image reproduction

• US 5,978,028 A
• Filed: 01/23/1997
• Issued: 11/02/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Elmo Co., Ltd. (TECHNO HORIZON Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Elmo Co., Ltd. (TECHNO HORIZON Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yamane, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): HO, TUAN V
• Application Number:
  US08/786,328
• Time in Patent Office: 1,013 Days
• Field of Search: 348/373, 348/376, 348/374, 348/375, 396/419, 396/428, 248/558, 248/124.1, 248/126
• US Class Current: 348/373
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/195 the array comprising a two-dimensional array or a combination of two-dimensional arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/19594 using a television camera or a still video camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0436 Scanning a picture-bearing surface lying face up on a support H04N2201/0434 takes precedence; using cylindrical picture bearing surfaces H04N1/06; with manual scanning H04N1/107
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/045 Mounting the scanning elements in a collapsible or foldable structure, e.g. for ease of transportation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

A TV camera unit is supported by a camera support member having an arm-receiving hole into which an arm is inserted. When a camera support shaft protruded upward from a camera base of the camera support member is fitted into a downward attitude holding aperture that is formed in the front face of the TV camera unit to be parallel to the optical axis of a lens of the TV camera unit, the TV camera unit is supported by the camera base and set at a downward shooting position where the lens faces downward. When the camera support shaft is fitted into a horizontal attitude holding aperture that is formed in the bottom face of the TV camera unit to be perpendicular to the optical axis of the lens, the TV camera unit is set at a horizontal shooting position where the lens faces in the horizontal direction.

Claims

1. An image reproduction apparatus comprising:

a TV camera unit;

a camera support for supporting said TV camera unit, said TV camera unit and said camera support being separable from each other, wherein said camera support comprises a camera supporting means, wherein said camera supporting means comprises a support shaft having a fixed lower end and extending upright, said camera supporting means being used in common when said TV camera unit is set at a downward shooting position where a lens of said TV camera unit faces down and when said TV camera unit is set at a horizontal shooting position where said lens of said TV camera unit faces in a horizontal direction;

a first engagement aperture formed in a casing of said TV camera unit to receive said support shaft while making said lens of said TV camera unit face down in the downward shooting position; and

a second engagement aperture formed in the casing of said TV camera unit to receive said support shaft while making said lens of said TV camera unit face in the horizontal direction in the horizontal shooting position, wherein said first engagement aperture and said second engagement aperture have a positional relationship that gives images of a normal orientation both at the downward shooting position and at the horizontal shooting position.

2. An image reproduction apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said first engagement aperture and said second engagement aperture have diameters that allow rotation of said TV camera unit around said support shaft.

3. An image reproduction apparatus in accordance with claim 2, wherein said TV camera unit has a microphone for collecting speech and sound from a shooting direction of said lens.

4. An image reproduction apparatus in accordance with claim 2, wherein said camera support further comprises:

a base mounted on a flat surface; and

an arm attached to said base and connected with said camera supporting means, said arm being in a first attitude for holding said camera supporting means above said base.

5. An image reproduction apparatus in accordance with claim 2, wherein said first engagement aperture is formed in said casing to be parallel to an optical axis of said lens,

said second engagement aperture being formed in said casing to be perpendicular to the optical axis of said lens.

6. An image reproduction apparatus in accordance with claim 5, wherein said camera support further comprises:

a base mounted on a flat surface; and

an arm attached to said base and connected with said camera supporting means, said arm being in a first attitude for holding said camera supporting means above said base.

7. An image reproduction apparatus in accordance with claim 5, wherein said TV camera unit has a microphone for collecting speech and sound from a shooting direction of said lens.

8. An image reproduction apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said camera support further comprises:

a base mounted on a flat surface; and

an arm attached to said base and connected with said camera supporting means, said arm being in a first attitude for holding said camera supporting means above said base.

9. An image reproduction apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said TV camera unit has a microphone for collecting speech and sound from a shooting direction of said lens.

10. An image reproduction apparatus comprising:

a TV camera unit;

a camera support for supporting said TV camera unit, said TV camera unit and said camera support being separable from each other, wherein said camera comprises a holding member having an aperture formed in an upper portion thereof, and wherein said camera support is used in common when said TV camera unit is set at a downward shooting position where a lens of said TV camera unit faces down and when said TV camera unit is set at a horizontal shooting position where said lens of said TV camera unit faces in a horizontal direction;

a first engagement means engaging with and disengaging from said camera support, said first engagement means has a first engagement piece provided on said casing of said TV camera unit in such a way that said first engagement piece is received in said aperture of said holding member while making said lens of said TV camera unit face down at the downward shooting position; and

a second engagement means engaging with and disengaging from said camera support, said second engagement means has a second engagement piece provided on said casing of said TV camera unit in such a way that said second engagement piece is received in said aperture of said holding member while making said legs of said TV camera unit face in said horizontal direction at the horizontal shooting position, wherein said first engagement means and said second engagement means have a positional relationship that gives images of a normal orientation both at the downward shooting position and at the horizontal shooting position.

11. An image reproduction apparatus comprising:

a base;

an arm coupled to said base;

a camera support member coupled to said arm; and

a TV camera unit detachably coupled to said camera support member, said TV camera unit having a first aperture formed therein for said detachable coupling to said camera support member when said TV camera unit is set at a downward shooting position where a lens of said TV camera unit faces down, and said TV camera unit having a second aperture formed therein for said detachable coupling to said camera support member when said TV camera unit is set is set at a horizontal shooting position where said lens of said TV camera unit faces in a horizontal direction.

12. An image reproduction apparatus in accordance with claim 11, wherein said TV camera unit generates images of a normal orientation both at the downward shooting position and at the horizontal shooting position.

13. An image reproduction apparatus in accordance with claim 12, wherein said camera support member comprises a support shaft having a fixed lower end and extending upright;

wherein said first aperture receives said support shaft while making said lens of said TV camera unit face down; and

wherein said second aperture receives said support shaft while making said lens of said TV camera unit face in the horizontal direction.

14. An image reproduction apparatus in accordance with claim 13, wherein said first and second apertures have diameters that allow rotation of said TV camera unit around said support shaft.

15. An image reproduction apparatus in accordance with claim 14, wherein said first aperture is formed in TV camera unit to be parallel to an optical axis of said lens, and wherein said second aperture is formed in said TV camera unit to be perpendicular to said optical axis of said lens.

16. An image reproduction apparatus in accordance with claim 11, wherein said arm is rotatable integrally with said base, clockwise and counterclockwise relative to said base so that said arm is in a first attitude for holding said camera support member above said base and said arm in a second attitude corresponding to clockwise and counterclockwise rotation from said first attitude relative to said base.

17. An image reproduction apparatus in accordance with claim 16, wherein said arm is rotatable to be parallel to said base.

18. An image reproduction apparatus in accordance with claim 11, wherein said coupling of said camera support member to said arm is adjustable such that said camera support member is held different positions having different heights from said base.

19. An image reproduction apparatus in accordance with claim 18, wherein said camera support member is slideable along said arm.

20. An image reproduction apparatus in accordance with claim 11, wherein said TV camera unit has a microphone for collecting speech and sound from a shooting direction of said lens.