Electronic mirror

• US 7,978,246 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2008
• Issued: 07/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mary M. Fasching, Robert Osann Jr
• Original Assignee: Mary M. Fasching, Robert Osann Jr
• Inventors: Fasching, Mary M., Osann, Robert Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Henn; Timothy J
• Application Number:
  US12/075,516
• Publication Number:
  US 20080225123A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,218 Days
• Field of Search: 348/77, 348/333.01, 348373-376
• US Class Current: 348/333.01
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 10/00 Furniture or installations specially adapted to particular types of service systems, not otherwise provided for conveyor aspects B65G; building aspects E04H; coin-freed apparatus G07F
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 11/04 Special arrangements of mirrors or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 2007/195 Virtual display of clothes on the wearer by means of a mirror, screen or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/64 Constructional details of receivers, e.g. cabinets or dust covers furniture aspects of television cabinets A47B81/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

An Electronic Mirror is described that can capture and display, using a digital/video camera or cameras, the image of a subject as they look when viewing themselves in a mirror. The captured image is displayed on a video monitor or TV set. A widescreen flat panel monitor is utilized, having the ability to physically rotate 90°. In portrait mode the monitor functions as an Electronic Mirror, and in landscape mode is capable of functioning as a conventional TV set or video monitor. Rotation is either manual or motorized. Captured images of a subject may be split such that a portion reflecting one type of outfit may be combined with a portion reflecting a different outfit, thus electronically creating a combination of clothing that may never have been actually worn. Video capture may also be supported enabling a subject to capture and display a 360 degree view as they turn around.

Claims

1. An electronic mirror comprising:

a flat panel monitor display;

at least one digital camera for capturing images of a subject;

a processor responsive to remote control commands for controlling the operation of the electronic mirror;

wherein the digital camera captures images of a subject and the flat panel monitor displays the captured images;

wherein captured images are stored for viewing at a later time;

wherein the flat panel monitor may be rotated 90 degrees to support both landscape and portrait viewing modes; and

wherein the flat panel monitor displays TV programming when oriented in landscape mode, and images captured by said digital camera when oriented in portrait mode.

2. An electronic mirror comprising:

a flat panel monitor display;

at least one digital camera for capturing images of a subject;

a processor responsive to remote control commands for controlling the operation of the electronic mirror;

at least one of an integral TV tuner, a satellite receiver, and a cable receiver;

wherein the digital camera captures images of a subject and the flat panel monitor displays the captured images;

wherein captured images are stored for viewing at a later time;

wherein the flat panel monitor may be rotated 90 degrees to support both landscape and portrait viewing modes; and

wherein the flat panel monitor displays TV programming when oriented in landscape mode, and images captured by said digital camera when oriented in portrait mode.

3. An electronic mirror comprising:

a flat panel monitor display;

at least one digital camera for capturing images of a subject;

a processor responsive to remote control commands for controlling the operation of the electronic mirror;

wherein the digital camera captures images of a subject and the flat panel monitor displays the captured images;

wherein the flat panel monitor may be rotated 90 degrees to support both landscape and portrait viewing modes; and

wherein the flat panel monitor displays TV programming when oriented in landscape mode, and images captured by said digital camera when oriented in portrait mode.

4. An electronic mirror comprising:

a flat panel monitor display;

at least one digital camera for capturing images of a subject;

a processor responsive to remote control commands for controlling the operation of the electronic mirror;

at least one of an integral TV tuner, a satellite receiver, and a cable receiver;

wherein the digital camera captures images of a subject and the flat panel monitor displays the captured images;

wherein the flat panel monitor may be rotated 90 degrees to support both landscape and portrait viewing modes; and

wherein the flat panel monitor displays TV programming when oriented in landscape mode, and images captured by said digital camera when oriented in portrait mode.

5. An electronic mirror comprising:

a flat panel monitor display capable of being rotated 90 degrees to support both landscape and portrait viewing modes;

at least one digital camera for capturing at least one of still and video images of a subject;

a processor responsive to remote control commands for controlling the operation of the electronic mirror;

wherein the digital camera captures images of a subject and the flat panel monitor displays the captured images; and

wherein the flat panel monitor displays images captured by said digital camera when oriented in portrait mode, and TV programming when oriented in landscape mode.

6. The electronic mirror of claim 5 wherein a first image captured by said digital camera is split into multiple portions, and where a portion of said first image is displayed along with a portion of a second image.

7. The electronic mirror of claim 5 wherein multiple digital cameras are utilized to capture video images of a subject, and wherein the images from the multiple cameras are merged or concatenated to produce a composite image with reduced wide-angle distortion.