Document camera and document camera system

• US 7,751,092 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2004
• Issued: 07/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Sambongi, Masao, Yoshida, Junichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Safaipour; Houshang
• Application Number:
  US10/964,533
• Publication Number:
  US 20050088528A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,092 Days
• Field of Search: 358/474, 358/475, 358/473, 358/496, 358/498, 348/373, 348/372
• US Class Current: 358/474
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/005 Input arrangements through a video camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0035 User-machine interface; Control console input or output arrangements for computers G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00384 Key input means, e.g. buttons or keypads electromechanical details of key input means in general H01H13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00493 Particular location of the interface or console
• 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 2201/0058 Docking-station, cradle or the like
• 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 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence

Abstract

A document camera includes a stand and a digital camera attached thereto to be freely detachable, and ensures an electrical connection therebetween at an attaching time. The digital camera is structured to be usable as a single unit. Moreover, a charging circuit is provided in the stand to make it possible to charge the attached digital camera by an external power source. An image obtained by the digital camera or data of the recorded image is transferred to a PC via the stand, and the obtained (recorded) image is projected on a screen by a projector. Moreover, a mode change key, a shutter key, and the like are provided in the stand, making it possible to perform an operation for changing an operation mode, a still image shooting operation and the like in the digital camera and allow an operation from the PC via the stand.

Claims

1. A document camera comprising:

a digital camera having an imaging section for obtaining an image and an image recording section that records the image obtained by the imaging section; and

a camera stand to which the digital camera is removably attachable and detachable, the camera stand including;

(i) an attaching section including an electrical connector and a mechanical engaging unit that electrically and mechanically attach the digital camera, the electrical connector comprising an electrical connection for electrically coupling the digital camera to the camera stand, (ii) a charging section that charges the digital camera when the digital camera is attached to the camera stand, and (iii) an operating section that electrically operates the digital camera when the digital camera is attached to the camera stand;

wherein the digital camera comprises a camera fixing member which is fixable to the attaching section;

wherein the camera fixing member includes an engaging pin for attaching the camera fixing member to the camera stand, and the mechanical engaging unit of the attaching section of the camera stand comprises an engaging hole into which the engaging pin is insertable and a lock mechanism which locks a state in which the engaging pin is inserted into the engaging hole;

wherein the camera fixing member includes a fixing screw for mechanically attaching the camera fixing member to the digital camera; and

wherein the camera stand includes a release button for releasing the lock by the lock mechanism of the state in which the engaging pin is inserted into the engaging hole.

2. The document camera according to claim 1, wherein the operating section enables an operation mode change operation of the digital camera.

3. The document camera according to claim 1, wherein the operating section enables an operation for changing the display contents of the image from the digital camera to be projected by a projecting apparatus.

4. The document camera according to claim 1, wherein the operating section enables a still image shooting operation of the digital camera.

5. The document camera according to claim 1, wherein contents of an operation of the digital camera using the operating section can be arbitrarily set by a user, and the document camera comprises an operation recording section that records the contents set by the user.

6. The document camera according to claim 1, further comprising radio communication units arranged on the camera stand and the digital camera to ensure the electrical connection of the camera stand to the digital camera via a radio signal.

7. The document camera according to claim 1, wherein the camera stand comprises a lighting section that emits light to an imaging object to set a shooting condition.

8. The document camera according to claim 7, wherein the lighting section comprises an LED.

12. The document camera according to claim 7, wherein the lighting section comprises an LED.

9. A document camera comprising:

a digital camera having an imaging section for obtaining an image and an image recording section that records the image obtained by the imaging section; and

a camera stand to which the digital camera is removably attachable and detachable, the camera stand including;

(i) an attaching section including an electrical connector and a mechanical engaging unit that electrically and mechanically attach the digital camera, the electrical connector comprising an electrical connection for electrically coupling the digital camera to the camera stand, (ii) a charging section that charges the digital camera when the digital camera is attached to the camera stand, and (iii) a connecting section that provides an electrical connection with an external device;

wherein the digital camera comprises a camera fixing member which is fixable to the attaching section;

wherein the camera fixing member includes an engaging pin for attaching the camera fixing member to the camera stand, and the mechanical engaging unit of the attaching section of the camera stand comprises an engaging hole into which the engaging pin is insertable and a lock mechanism which locks a state in which the engaging pin is inserted into the engaging hole;

wherein the camera fixing member includes a fixing screw for mechanically attaching the camera fixing member to the digital camera; and

wherein the camera stand includes a release button for releasing the lock by the lock mechanism of the state in which the engaging pin is inserted into the engaging hole.

10. The document camera according to claim 9, further comprising radio communication units arranged on the camera stand and the digital camera to ensure the electrical connection of the camera stand to the digital camera via a radio signal.

11. The document camera according to claim 9, wherein the camera stand comprises a lighting section that emits light to an imaging object to set a shooting condition.

13. A document camera system comprising:

a digital camera having an imaging section for obtaining an image and an image recording section that records the image obtained by the imaging section;

a camera stand to which the digital camera is removably attachable and detachable, the camera stand including;

(i) an

attaching section including an electrical connector and a mechanical engaging unit that electrically and mechanically attach the digital camera, the electrical connector comprising an electrical connection for electrically coupling the digital camera to the camera stand, and (ii) a charging section that charges the digital camera when the digital camera is attached to the camera stand; and

an external operating device electrically connected to the camera stand and having an operating section that electrically operates the digital camera via the camera stand when the digital camera is attached to the camera stand;

wherein the digital camera comprises a camera fixing member which is fixable to the attaching section;

wherein the camera fixing member includes an engaging pin for attaching the camera fixing member to the camera stand, and the mechanical engaging unit of the attaching section of the camera stand comprises an engaging hole into which the engaging pin is insertable and a lock mechanism which locks a state in which the engaging pin is inserted into the engaging hole;

wherein the camera fixing member includes a fixing screw for mechanically attaching the camera fixing member to the digital camera; and

wherein the camera stand includes a release button for releasing the lock by the lock mechanism of the state in which the engaging pin is inserted into the engaging hole.

14. The document camera system according to claim 13, wherein the external operating device comprises:

an image inputting section that inputs the image obtained by the digital camera via the camera stand; and

an image outputting section that outputs a display image, which is based on the image input to the image inputting section, to a projecting apparatus.