Display and camera device for videophone and videophone apparatus

• US 6,323,892 B1
• Filed: 07/29/1999
• Issued: 11/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Mihara, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah, Melur
• Application Number:
  US09/363,217
• Time in Patent Office: 852 Days
• Field of Search: 348/14, 348/15, 348/20, 348/335, 348/340, 404/235, 359/364, 359/833, 359/868, 359/869
• US Class Current: 348/14.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/144 camera and display on the same optical axis, e.g. optically multiplexing the camera and display for eye to eye contact

Abstract

A display and camera device for a videophone comprises a liquid crystal display for displaying a picture, a camera such as a CCD sensor or a CMOS sensor, a free-form surface prism, and a prism for guiding light to the camera. The free-form surface prism has a concave reflector for optically enlarging a picture displayed on the display. A beam splitter is provided on a bonded surface between the free-form surface prism and the prism. The beam splitter is designed to reflect some of light beams from the display toward the reflector and transmit some of light beams from the reflector. A camera-system optical path extending from the camera is aligned with a display-system optical path extending from the display within the free-form surface prism and the outside space.

Claims

1. A display and camera device for a videophone comprising:

display means for displaying a picture;

camera means for picking up an image;

optical path separation means for separating (i) a display-system optical path extending from the display means toward an outside space and (ii) a camera-system optical path extending from the outside space toward the camera means, so that the display system optical path and the camera-system optical path coincide with each other toward the outside space from the optical path separation means, and so that the display system optical path and the camera-system optical path differ from each other from the optical path separation means to the display means and the camera means; and

optical means, arranged nearer to the outside space than the optical path separation means, for enlarging the picture displayed on the display means;

wherein an optical power of the optical means used to enlarge the picture displayed on the display means is also used by the camera means for effecting an image pick up operation.

2. A display and camera device according to claim 1, wherein the optical means comprises a concave optical reflection plane which generates the optical power.

3. A display and camera device according to claim 1, wherein the optical means comprises a free-form surface prism.

4. A display and camera device according to claim 1, wherein the optical element comprises a concave optical reflection plane which generates the optical power.

5. A display and camera device according to claim 1, wherein the optical element comprises a free-form surface prism.

6. A display and camera device for a videophone comprising:

a display that displays a picture;

a camera that picks up an image;

an optical path separation surface that separates (i) a display-system optical path extending from the display toward an outside space and (ii) a camera-system optical path extending from the outside space toward the camera, so that the display-system optical path and the camera-system optical path coincide with each other toward the outside space from the optical path separation surface, and so that the display-system optical path and the camera-system optical path differ from each other from the optical path separation surface to the display and the camera; and

an optical element that enlarges the picture displayed on the display, said optical element being arranged nearer to the outside space than the optical path separation surface;

wherein an optical power of the optical element used to enlarge the picture displayed on the display is also used by the camera for effecting an image pick up operation.

7. A display and camera device for a videophone comprising:

a display system that forms a picture in an outside space, the display system including a picture display;

a camera system that picks up an image from the outside space, the camera system including a camera;

an optical path separation surface that separates a display-system optical path and a camera-system optical path from each other, so that the display-system optical path and the camera-system optical path coincide with each other in the outside space, and so that the display-system optical path and the camera-system optical path differ from each other beside the picture display and the camera; and

an optical element that enlarges the picture formed by the display system, said optical element being arranged nearer to the outside space than the optical path separation surface;

wherein an optical power of the optical element used to enlarge the picture formed by the display system is also used by the camera system for effecting an image pick up operation.

8. A display and camera device according to claim 7, wherein the display system and the camera system comprise a common free-form surface prism.

9. A display and camera device according to claim 8, wherein the optical element comprises a concave reflection plane provided on the free-form surface prism.

10. A display and camera device according to claim 8, wherein the optical path separation surface comprises a surface of the free-form surface prism.

11. A videophone apparatus comprising:

a display system having a display;

a camera system having a camera;

an optical instrument having a free-form surface prism, said optical instrument being adapted to split an optical path of the display system, enlarge a picture displayed by the display system, separate the display system and camera system from each other, and correct an aberration of the camera system;

an optical path separating surface included in the optical instrument, said optical path separation surface being arranged to separate (i) a display system optical path extending from the display toward an outside space and (ii) a camera-system optical path extending from the outside space toward the camera, so that the display system optical path and the camera-system optical path coincide with each other toward the outside space from the optical path separation surface, and so that the display system optical path and the camera-system optical path differ from each other from the optical path separation surface to the display and the camera; and

a signal processing circuit that processes a signal of the picture displayed by the display system and a signal of an image picked up by the camera system.

12. A videophone apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the optical instrument comprises a decentered free-form surface prism.

13. A videophone apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the optical instrument comprises two free-form surface prisms, and the display is arranged close to one of the free-form surface prisms, while the camera is arranged close to the other free-form surface prism.

14. A videophone apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the optical instrument comprises a beam splitter on a bonded surface between the two free-form surface prisms.

15. A videophone apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the optical instrument comprises two reflection planes between an outside space and the display.

16. A videophone apparatus according to claim 15, wherein at least one of the reflection planes reflects light toward the outside space and comprises a mirror.

17. A videophone apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the display and the camera are both located above an area where the picture displayed by the display system is to be projected.

18. A videophone apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a picture compression circuit that compresses the picture displayed by the display system, a picture expansion circuit that expands the picture displayed by the display system, and a control circuit for controlling the picture compression and picture expansion circuits.

19. A videophone apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the apparatus further comprises a high-frequency modulation circuit and a high-frequency demodulation circuit, and the apparatus comprises a portable telephone equipped with an antenna.

20. A videophone apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a lens arranged between the camera and the optical instrument, and a focus adjustment mechanism that adjusts a focus by varying a distance between the camera and the lens.

21. A videophone apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a zoom lens arranged between the camera and the optical instrument, and a magnification adjustment mechanism that adjusts a magnification by varying a distance between the camera and the zoom lens.

22. A videophone apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a case that encases the apparatus, and a transparent plate that is one of formed integrally with the case as one component and adhered thereto, said transparent plate being arranged beside an outside space to protect the optical instrument.

23. A videophone apparatus according to claim 22, further comprising a two-dimensional pressure sensor adapted to be used in a touch panel arranged on the transparent plate.

24. A videophone apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the display comprises a backlight surface, and the apparatus further comprises a beam-condensing prism arranged on the backlight surface.

25. A videophone apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the optical instrument comprises a single decentered free-form surface prism.

26. A videophone apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the display and the camera are both located below an area where the picture displayed by the display system is to be projected.

27. A videophone apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a storage device that stores an identification number specific to the apparatus, so that the storage device may be used as a communications terminal.

28. A videophone apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the apparatus is adapted to be connected to at least one of a home television and a home computer by at least one of radio and wire and to transmit a received picture to said at least one of the home television and home computer so that the picture can be simultaneously seen on said at least one of the home television and the home computer.

29. A videophone apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the apparatus further comprises a microphone that acquires a speech signal, and the apparatus is adapted to be connected to a computer by at least one of radio and wire so that the apparatus can transmit the speech signal to the computer for speech recognition and receive from the computer characters corresponding to a recognized speech.