Door videophone capable of rotating a camera

• US 6,774,936 B1
• Filed: 04/11/2000
• Issued: 08/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jun-Jeong Park
• Original Assignee: Jun-Jeong Park
• Inventors: Park, Jun-Jeong
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Ngoc-Yen, Vu, Ngoc-Yen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Henn, Timothy J.
• Application Number:
  US09/547,914
• Time in Patent Office: 1,582 Days
• Field of Search: 348/14.01, 348/14.05, 348/143, 348/151, 348/156, 348/211.99, 348/373, 348/374, 348/375, 248/187.1, 396/419, 396/424, 396/428
• US Class Current: 348/211.99
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/186 Video door telephones

Abstract

A door videophone capable of rotating a camera, comprising: a main body having a monitor for displaying an image of a caller, and being located indoors; a bell box having the camera for photographing looks of the caller and transmitting the image of the caller to the monitor, and being located outdoors; an actuating device for rotating the camera, and being disposed in the bell box; and a control device for generating an operation control signal associated with the actuating device, and being disposed at the main body.

Claims

1. A door videophone capable of rotating a camera, comprising:

a main body having a monitor for displaying an image of a caller, and being located indoors;

a bell box having the camera for photographing looks of the caller and transmitting the image of the caller to the monitor, and being located outdoors;

an actuating means for rotating the camera, and being disposed in the bell box, wherein the actuating means includes;

a base plate for supporting the camera;

at least one driving means for generating a rotation force; and

at least one rotation force transmitting means for transmitting the rotation force generated by the driving means to the base plate, and being respectively connected to the driving means, wherein the driving means includes;

at least one first driving motor for rotating the base plate upward and downward as to an operation control signal; and

at least one second driving motor for rotating the base plate left and right as to the operation control signal; and

a control means for generating the operation control signal associated with the actuating means, and being disposed at the main body,

wherein the door videophone has one first and second driving motors capable of rotating clockwise and counterclockwise, wherein the first and second driving motors are spaced out substantially 90 degrees,

wherein the base plate includes a convex peripheral surface having a predetermined curvature and a pair of rails respectively facing with the rotation force transmitting means, and

wherein the rotation force transmitting means respectively includes a first and second guide blocks having a groove, wherein the groove has a width substantially equal to that of each of the rails and a predetermined length.

2. The door videophone as recited in claim 1, further comprising at least one bracket closely disposed at a side portion of the base plate to support the base plate during rotation of the base plate.

3. The door videophone as recited in claim 1, further comprising first and second support members for respectively supporting the first and second guide blocks, wherein a lower portion of each of the first and second guide blocks are semi-cylindrical in shape and upper portion of each of the first and second support members has a semi-cylindrical recess to be contacted to the lower portion of each of the first and second guide blocks.

4. An actuator for rotating a camera upward, downward, left and right, comprising:

a base plate for supporting the camera;

at least one first driving means for generating a rotation force to rotate the base plate upward and downward;

at least one first transmitting means for transmitting the rotation force generated by the first driving means to the base plate;

at least one second driving means for generating a rotation force to rotate the base plate left and right;

at least one second transmitting means for transmitting the rotation force generated by the second driving means to the base plate; and

a control means for generating an operation control signal associated with the first and second driving means,

wherein the first driving means includes a first driving motor for generating the rotation force as to the operation control signal, wherein the first driving motor has a driving shaft connected to the first transmitting means,

wherein the second driving means includes a second driving motor for generating the rotation force as to the operation control signal, wherein the second driving motor has a driving shaft connected to the second transmitting means, wherein the first and second driving motors are spaced out substantially 90 degrees,

wherein the base plate includes a convex peripheral surface having a predetermined curvature and a pair of rails, along the curvature, respectively facing with the first and second transmitting means, and

wherein the first and second transmitting means respectively include a first and second guide blocks respectively having a groove, wherein the groove has a width substantially equal to that of the rail and a predetermined length.

5. The actuator as recited in claim 4, further comprising at least one bracket closely disposed at a side portion of the base plate to support the base plate.

6. The actuator as recited in claim 5, further comprising first and second support members for respectively supporting the first and second guide blocks, wherein a lower portion of each of the first and second guide blocks are semi-cylindrical in shape and upper portion of each of the support members has a semi-cylindrical recess to be contacted to the lower portion of each of the first and second blocks.

7. The actuator as recited in claim 6, further comprising a shock absorb member disposed between the base plate and the camera to prevent a vibration generated by operation of the first and second driving motors from transmitting to the camera.