Electronic apparatus and electronic system provided with the same

• US 6,933,981 B1
• Filed: 03/30/2000
• Issued: 08/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Tomita, Motoki, Kishida, Ken, Omura, Takumi, Kotegawa, Hajime, Wada, Kohei, Minaguchi, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Christensen, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): JONES, HEATHER RAE
• Application Number:
  US09/539,430
• Time in Patent Office: 1,972 Days
• Field of Search: 348/373, 348/207.1, 348/552, 348/211.99, 348/375, 348/207.11, D14/317, D14/314, 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 455/557
• US Class Current: 348/375
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00249 with a photographic apparatus, e.g. a photographic printer or a projector photographic apparatus per se G03B, G03D
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00251 with an apparatus for taking photographic images, e.g. a camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0015 Control of image communication with the connected apparatus, e.g. signalling capability
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0058 Docking-station, cradle or the like

Abstract

A camera is detachably attached to the central portion of the rear end of an apparatus main body of a personal computer and positioned between a pair of hinge portions. A lens is provided at the camera main body of the camera and this camera main body is rotatably arranged about the axis of the camera main body substantially coaxial with the rotation axis of a display unit. When the camera main body is detached from the apparatus main body, the camera is connected to the apparatus main body through an extension adapter and put at a remote position from the personal computer. A shutter button is provided at each of the camera main body and the apparatus main body.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus system comprising:

an electronic apparatus including

an apparatus main body having a rear end portion provided with a pair of hinge portions, a camera attachment portion provided between the hinge portions, and a main body-side connector provided at the camera attachment portion,

a display unit rotatably supported by the hinge portions,

a camera detachably provided at the camera attachment portion, the camera including a base portion fitted to the camera attachment portion, a camera-side connector connected to the main body side connector, and a camera main body having a lens and supported by the base portion, and

an extension adapter for connecting the camera detached from the camera attachment portion to the apparatus main body, and arranging the camera to be remote from the apparatus main body.

2. An electronic apparatus system according to claim 1, wherein the extension adapter includes a main body-side adapter which is capable of being attached, instead of the camera, to the camera attachment portion, a camera-side adapter to which the camera detached from the apparatus main body is to be attached, and a connection cable mutually connecting the main body-side adapter and the camera-side adapter.

3. An electronic apparatus system according to claim 2, wherein the apparatus main body has a guide section for guiding attachment/detachment of the camera and the main body-side adapter to and from the camera attachment portion;

the camera has a holding member for engaging with the apparatus main body so as to detachably hold the camera in the camera attachment portion when the camera is attached to the camera attachment portion, and for engaging with the camera-side adapter so as to detachably hold the camera in the camera-side adapter when the camera is attached to the camera-side adapter.

4. An electronic apparatus system according to claim 3, wherein the main body-side adapter has a first adapter-side connector which is to be connected to the main body-side connector when the main body-side adapter is attached to the camera attachment portion, and a holding member for engaging with the apparatus main body so as to detachably hold the main body-side adapter in the camera attachment portion when the main body-side adapter is attached to the camera attachment portion;

and the camera-side adapter has a guide section for guiding attachment/detachment of the camera, and a second adapter-side connector to which the camera-side connector is connected when the camera is attached to the camera-side adapter.

5. An electronic apparatus system according to claim 2, wherein the extension adapter is provided with a tripod detachably attached to the camera-side adapter.

6. An electronic apparatus system according to claim 1, wherein the camera comprises a substantially cylindrical camera main body having a lens provided on an outer periphery, and a base portion rotatably supporting the camera main body about a central axis of the camera main body;

and the camera is attached to the apparatus main body while the central axis of the camera main body is substantially coaxial with the rotation axis of the display unit.

7. An electronic apparatus system according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus main body comprises an upper surface portion provided with a keyboard, and an independent shutter button provided at the upper surface portion between the keyboard and the hinge portions;

and the camera has a camera-side shutter button.

8. An electronic apparatus system according to claim 7, wherein the camera-side shutter button is arranged at a position at which the camera-side shutter button is concealed in the apparatus main body when the camera is attached to the camera attachment portion of the apparatus main body.

9. An electronic apparatus system according to claim 1, wherein the camera is rotatable between a position at which the camera faces a front side of the apparatus main body and a position at which the camera faces a rear side of the apparatus main body, in a range of about 180 degrees;

the camera has a direction sensor for detecting that the camera has been rotated to a predetermined rotation position; and

the apparatus main body has a control section for turning image data picked up by the camera upside down according to the detection of the direction sensor while the camera is directly connected to the apparatus main body.

10. An electronic apparatus system according to claim 9, wherein the extension adapter is formed to turn the direction sensor and the control section into a non-connection state when the camera is connected to the apparatus main body through the extension adapter.

11. An electronic apparatus system according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus main body has a pull-up voltage circuit;

and the camera has a ground terminal connected to the pull-up voltage circuit through a signal line when the camera is connected directly to the apparatus main body or connected to the apparatus main body through the extension adapter.

12. An electronic apparatus system according to claim 1, which further comprises a remote controller detachably connected to the apparatus main body, for remote-controlling the electronic apparatus.

13. An electronic apparatus system according to claim 12, wherein the remote controller comprises a controller main body, and a connection cable extending from the controller main body and having an extended end detachably connected to the apparatus main body;

and the controller main body comprises a plurality of operation dials for selecting and determining operation functions and operation modes of the electronic apparatus, and a display section for displaying an item selected and determined by the plurality of operation dials.

14. An electronic apparatus system according to claim 13, wherein the controller main body comprises a connection terminal connectable with a headphone.

15. An electronic apparatus system according to claim 12, wherein the remote controller comprises a shutter button provided at the controller main body.

16. An electronic apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising a remote controller connected to the apparatus main body, and wherein the camera shutter is provided at the remote controller.

17. An electronic apparatus system comprising:

an electronic apparatus comprising;

an apparatus main body having a rear end portion provided with a pair of hinge portions;

a display unit rotatably supported by the hinge portions;

a camera detachably provided at a central portion of a rear end of the apparatus main body and positioned between the pair of hinge portions; and

a remote controller detachably connected to the apparatus main body, for remote-controlling the electronic apparatus, the remote controller including an extended end detachably connected to the apparatus main body, a controller main body having a plurality of operation dials for selecting and determining operation functions and operation modes of the electronic apparatus, a connection cable extending from the controller main body, and a display section displaying an item selected and determined by the plurality of operation dials.

18. An electronic apparatus system according to claim 17, wherein the remote controller includes a shutter button provided at the controller main body.

19. An electronic apparatus system comprising:

an apparatus main body having a rear end portion provided with a pair of hinge portions, and an independent shutter button,

a display unit rotatably supported by the hinge portions, and

a camera detachably provided at a central portion of a rear end of the apparatus main body and positioned between the pair of hinge portions, the camera having a camera-side shutter button arranged at a position at which the camera-side shutter button is concealed in the apparatus main body when the camera is attached to the apparatus main body; and

an extension adapter for connecting the camera detached from the apparatus main body to the apparatus main body, and arranging the camera to be remote from the apparatus main body.

20. An electronic apparatus comprising:

an apparatus main body having a rear end portion provided with a pair of hinge portions, a camera attachment portion provided between the hinge portions, and a main body side connector provided at the camera attachment portion;

a display unit rotatably supported by the hinge portions;

a camera provided at the camera attachment portion, and configured to pick up an image of an object; and

wherein the camera includes a base portion detachably fitted to the camera attachment portion and having a camera-side connector that is connected to the main-body side connector, and a camera main body having a lens and supported by the base portion to be rotatable about a central axis of the camera main body substantially coaxial with a rotation axis of the display unit.