Video camera integration on a portable computer

• US 6,587,151 B1
• Filed: 08/26/1998
• Issued: 07/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Singh, Rama Nand, Cipolla, Thomas Mario
• Primary Examiner(s): Garber, Wendy R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Villecco, John M.
• Application Number:
  US09/140,572
• Time in Patent Office: 1,770 Days
• Field of Search: 348/14.04, 348/14.07, 348/14.02, 348/552, 348/373, 348/375, 348/376, 348/207.1, 348/211.14, D14/317, D14/129, D14/132, D16/202, D16/208, 361/686
• US Class Current: 348/373
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1607 Arrangements to support accessories mechanically attached to the display housing G06F1/1603, G06F1/1605 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1683 for the transmission of signal or power between the different housings, e.g. details of wired or wireless communication, passage of cabling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1686 the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera

Abstract

On a portable computer, a video camera is integrated as a feature by mounting the camera as an assembly made up of a lens and associated pixel electronics in a camera base that is positioned on the perphery of the display in the cover of the portable computer when the cover is open, and the providing of a cavity in the base portion of the portable computer positioned so that the camera assembly enters the cavity when the cover of the portable computer is closed.

Claims

1. A portable computer of the type that is within a package including a computer base portion supporting a keyboard and a cover portion supporting a display, where said cover portion is attached by at least one hinge to said computer base, having an integrated a video camera capability, comprising:

a video camera assembly,

said video camera assembly having an optical conversion unit including at least a lens and pixel conversion circuitry,

said optical conversion unit being positioned in a first end of a mount member having first and second ends with said lens exposed at said first end,

said video camera assembly further having an approximately rectangular video camera base member having first and second essentially parallel top and bottom surfaces,

said mount member being positioned with said second end in an opening in said top surface of said video camera base member,

said video camera base member having a specific thickness between said top and bottom surfaces said specific thickness defining side faces of said video camera base member,

said video camera base member having at least one opening in at least one of said side faces,

mounting means for said video camera assembly positioned in the portion of said cover that is most extended when said cover is in the open position,

said mounting means being adapted for movement of said video camera assembly around an azimuth axis for said movement,

cabling means for communicating video camera signals from said optical conversion unit to a processor located in said computer base portion, and,

video camera assembly storage means located in said computer base position.

2. The video camera capability of claim 1 including said storage means being adapted, when said video camera is in the storage position for producing no protrusion from the surface of said portable computer package.

3. The video camera capability of claim 1 wherein said storage means positions said video camera for storage in said base portion of said portable computer in response to movement of said cover portion of said portable computer.

4. The video camera capability of claim 1 wherein said storage means includes a retainer member for use in manual rotational operational positioning of said video camera and for manual storage in said base portion of said portable computer.

5. The video camera capability of claim 4 wherein said video camera assembly is mounted on said retainer element that is stored in an opening in said base portion of said portable computer and is manually positioned on said most extended portion of said cover when said cover is in the open position.

6. The video camera capability of claim 5 wherein said retainer element has a mounting pin that is manually inserted into a hole in said most extended portion of said cover when said cover is in the open position.

7. The video camera capability of claim 6 including an electrical access to the processor of said portable computer.

8. The video camera capability of claim 1 wherein said video camera assembly is mounted on the periphery of said display portion of said portable computer and is automatically rotated into position for storage in a self aligning cavity in said base portion as said cover is closed.

9. The video camera capability of claim 8 wherein said automatic positioning of said video camera assembly as said cover is opened and closed involves a flexible cable located in said cover at the edge of said display.

10. The video camera capability of claim 9 wherein in said automatic positioning of said video camera assembly as said cover is opened and closed involves a flexible cable rotation located in said cover at the edge of said display, said flexible cable rotation being actuated by a tab member positioned in one of said at least one hinges.

11. The video camera capability of claim 10 wherein said flexible cable rotation rotates the position of said video camera assembly around an azimuth axis.

12. The video camera capability of claim 8 wherein said cavity located in said base portion of said portable computer, is adapted to receive and guide said mount as said cover is closed.

13. The video camera capability of claim 12 wherein said cavity has tapered portions for centering portions of said video camera assembly as said video camera assembly enters said cavity as said cover is closed.

14. The video camera capability of claim 13 wherein said tapered portions in said cavity serve a camming function in positioning said video camera assembly as said video camera assembly enters said cavity as said cover is closed.