Methods and apparatus for user selectable digital mirror

• US 9,122,320 B1
• Filed: 02/16/2011
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visionquest Imaging Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Visionquest Imaging Incorporated
• Inventors: Rowles, John W., Min, Kyaw Z.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Kumar
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAM, VINH TANG
• Application Number:
  US13/029,094
• Time in Patent Office: 1,658 Days
• Field of Search: 340/425.5, 455/556.1, 349/11, 725/105, 362/16, 359/872
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 3/00 Antiglare equipment associated with windows or windscreens optical viewing arrangements for vehicles B60R1/00; Sun visors for vehicles sun visors having appliances for storing or holding personal property B60R7/05
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/20 for lighting specific fittings of passenger or driving compartments; mounted on specific fittings of passenger or driving compartments lighting for dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/02 for radio sets, television sets, telephones, or the like; Arrangement of controls thereof
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/004 Sanitary equipment, e.g. mirrors, showers, toilet seats or paper dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0317 in co-operation with a patterned surface, e.g. absolute position or relative movement detection for an optical mouse or pen positioned with respect to a coded surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0007 Image acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/161 Detection; Localisation; Normalisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/54 Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/57 Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/667 Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/74 by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 39/042 by measuring the incident light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/00 Circuit arrangements for operating light sources in general, i.e. where the type of light source is not relevant

Abstract

In one embodiment of the invention, a digital mirror is disclosed including an enclosure; a display device mounted in the enclosure to display images at a front side of the enclosure; an image capture device mounted in the enclosure adjacent the display device to reduce parallax error; lights mounted in the enclosure adjacent the display device; and a light diffuser mounted to the enclosure around the display device over the one or more lights. The one or more lights provide lighting in front of the display device and the image capture device captures images in the field of view in the front. The light diffuser diffuses and softens the light emitted by the one or more lights. Alternatively, the image capture device may be mounted on an articulated arm that may be used to capture and display various angles in the filed of view of the digital mirror.

Claims

1. A digital mirror comprising:

an enclosure;

a display device mounted in the enclosure to display full frame images at a front side of the enclosure;

an image capture device mounted in the enclosure adjacent the display device to reduce parallax error, the image capture device to capture full frame images in a field of view of the front side;

a view mode selector coupled to the display device, the view mode selector to selectively display the full frame images as true images or mirrored images on the display device;

one or more lights mounted in the enclosure adjacent the display device, the one or more lights to providing lighting in front of the display device; and

a light diffuser mounted to the enclosure around the display device over the one or more lights, the light diffuser to diffuse and soften the light emitted by the one or more lights, wherein the light diffuser includes an opening around the image capture device to allow the capture of images in the field of view of the front side.

2. The digital mirror of claim 1, wherein

the enclosure is a mountable enclosure including at least one mounting device to mount the digital mirror.

3. The digital mirror of claim 1, wherein

the enclosure is a standable enclosure including a pivotal stand coupled thereto to prop up the enclosure on a surface at an angle.

4. The digital mirror of claim 1, wherein

the display device is an organic light emitting diode (OLED) device.

5. The digital mirror of claim 4, wherein

the image capture device is a camera mounted behind the OLED device with a lens mounted over the camera at a position between OLED pixels of the OLED device.

6. The digital mirror of claim 1, wherein

the display device is a liquid crystal display with a backlighting panel.

7. A digital mirror comprising:

an enclosure;

a display device mounted in the enclosure to display full frame images at a front side of the enclosure;

an image capture device mounted in the enclosure adjacent the display device to reduce parallax error, the image capture device to capture full frame images in a field of view of the front side;

a view mode selector coupled to the display device, the view mode selector to selectively display the full frame images as true images or mirrored images on the display device;

one or more lights mounted in the enclosure adjacent the display device, the one or more lights to providing lighting in front of the display device; and

a light diffuser mounted to the enclosure around the display device over the one or more lights, the light diffuser to diffuse and soften the light emitted by the one or more lights, wherein the light diffuser has a frame shape including a center opening to receive the display device.

8. The digital mirror of claim 7, wherein

the enclosure is a mountable enclosure including at least one mounting device to mount the digital mirror.

9. The digital mirror of claim 7, wherein

the enclosure is a standable enclosure including a pivotal stand coupled thereto to prop up the enclosure on a surface at an angle.

10. The digital mirror of claim 7, wherein

the display device is an organic light emitting diode (OLED) device.

11. The digital mirror of claim 10, wherein

the image capture device is a camera mounted behind the OLED device with a lens mounted over the camera at a position between OLED pixels of the OLED device.

12. The digital mirror of claim 7, wherein

the display device is a liquid crystal display with a backlighting panel.

13. A digital mirror comprising:

an enclosure having a recess;

a display device mounted in the enclosure, the display device to display full frame images at a front side of the enclosure;

a detachable camera configured to be removeably coupled to the enclosure, the detachable camera to capture full frame images in the field of view of the detachable camera; and

wherein the detachable camera is configured to be received into the recess of the enclosure to reduce parallax, the detachable camera further configured to be uncoupled from the enclosure to capture images in a different field of view and continue communicating with the display device to display the captured images on the display device.

14. The digital mirror of claim 13, wherein

the detachable camera includes one or more lights mounted to a camera housing, the one or more lights to provide lighting in front of the detachable camera.

15. The digital mirror of claim 13, further comprising:

a view mode selector coupled to the display device, the view mode selector to selectively display the full frame images as true images or mirrored images on the display device.

16. The digital mirror of claim 14, wherein

the detachable camera further includes a light diffuser over the one or more lights, the light diffuser to diffuse and soften the light emitted by the one or more lights.

17. A digital mirror comprising:

an enclosure;

a display device mounted in the enclosure, the display device to display images at a front side of the enclosure;

a detachable camera removeably coupled to the enclosure, the detachable camera to capture images in the field of view of the detachable camera, wherein the detachable camera is in communication with the display device to display the captured images on the display device; and

an image capture device mounted in the enclosure adjacent the display device to reduce parallax error, the image capture device to capture images in a field of view of the front side of the enclosure while the detachable camera captures images in a different field of view.

18. The digital mirror of claim 17, further comprising:

one or more lights mounted in the enclosure adjacent the display device, the one or more lights to providing lighting in front of the display device to capture the images in the field of view of the front side.

19. A portable digital mirror comprising:

a portable enclosure including

user interface buttons to control the portable digital mirror;

a first enclosure half to rest and support the portable digital mirror on a surface;

a second enclosure half; and

a hinge coupled to the first enclosure half and the second enclosure half near edges of each, the hinge pivotally coupling the first enclosure half and the second enclosure half together to allow them to open and close;

a display device mounted in the second enclosure half to display images at a front side of the portable enclosure;

an image capture device mounted in the second enclosure half adjacent the display device to reduce parallax error, the image capture device to capture images in the field of view of the front side; and

one or more lights mounted in the second enclosure half adjacent the display device, the one or more lights to provide lighting in front of the display device.

20. The portable digital mirror of claim 19, further comprising:

a light diffuser mounted to the second enclosure half around the display device over the one or more lights, the light diffuser to diffuse and soften the light emitted by the one or more lights.

21. The portable digital mirror of claim 19, wherein

the portable enclosure further includes a battery compartment for holding one or more batteries to provide direct current power to the image capture device, the display device, and the one or more lights.

22. The portable digital mirror of claim 19, wherein

the first enclosure half of the portable enclosure further includes a releasable catch;

the second enclosure half includes a latch; and

the hinge pivotally couples the first enclosure half and the second enclosure half together to allow the releasable catch to couple to the latch.

23. The portable digital mirror of claim 19, further comprising:

a view mode selector coupled to the display device, the view mode selector to selectively display the images as true images or mirrored images on the display device.