Retractable camera device

• US 9,405,173 B1
• Filed: 10/01/2015
• Issued: 08/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Polycom Incorporated (Plantronics, Inc.)
• Inventors: Okunami, Alvin
• Primary Examiner(s): Perkey, W B
• Application Number:
  US14/873,073
• Time in Patent Office: 306 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/18 with mechanism for moving the apparatus relatively to the stand
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/28 Undercarriages for supports with one single telescoping pillar
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/561 Support related camera accessories
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 37/00 Panoramic or wide-screen photography; Photographing extended surfaces, e.g. for surveying; Photographing internal surfaces, e.g. of pipe
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/50 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/222 Studio circuitry; Studio devices; Studio equipment cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors, or control thereof H04N23/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display

Abstract

A retractable camera device is described which removes a camera from view when not in use. The device may include a tube having two ends, an interior void and an outer surface, a ballscrew shaft positioned within the interior void of the tube, a camera mast assembly movably coupled to the tube and engaging the ballscrew shaft, a camera, having a 360° viewing angle, coupled to an end of the camera mast, and at least one ribbon cable folded in an accordion pattern and encircling the outer surface of the tube. The at least one ribbon cable has an end electrically connected to the camera. The ballscrew shaft engages the camera mast so as to move the camera mast in an upward and downward direction along a length thereof.

Claims

1. A retractable camera device comprising:

a ballscrew tube having two ends, an interior void and an outer surface;

a ballscrew shaft positioned within the interior void of the tube;

a camera mast engaging the ballscrew shaft;

a camera, having a 360°

viewing angle, coupled to the camera mast; and

at least one ribbon cable folded in a helical, accordion pattern and encircling the outer surface of the tube, the at least one ribbon cable having an end electrically connected to the camera,

wherein rotation of the ballscrew shaft moves the camera mast in an upward and downward direction along a length thereof.

2. The retractable camera device of claim 1, further comprising a support base to which the ballscrew tube is operably coupled.

3. The retractable camera device of claim 2, further comprising an inner tubular sleeve which slidably engages a least a portion of the support base and which encloses the camera mast therein.

4. The retractable camera device of claim 3, further comprising an outer tubular sleeve which slidably engages at least a portion of the support base and which encloses the inner tubular sleeve therein.

5. The retractable camera device of claim 2, further comprising at least one circuit board housed within the support base and electrically connected to the at least one ribbon cable.

6. The retractable camera device of claim 2, further comprising an electric motor housed within the support base which powers movement of the camera mast.

7. The retractable camera device of claim 3, further comprising at least one switch mounted to an end of the inner tubular sleeve.

8. The retractable camera device of claim 7, wherein the at least one switch comprises two Hall-Effect switches, a first Hall-Effect switch mounted to a first end of the inner tubular sleeve and a second Hall-Effect switch mounted to a second end of the inner tubular sleeve.

9. The retractable camera device of claim 8, further comprising at least one magnet coupled to the camera mast which activates the Hall-Effect switches to control movement of the camera mast.

10. The retractable camera device of claim 1, further comprising a ball nut which is positioned around the outer surface of the ballscrew tube and which directly engages the ballscrew shaft.

11. The retractable camera device of claim 10, wherein the camera mast is operably coupled to the ball nut.

12. The retractable camera device of claim 1, further comprising a camera support plate coupled to a first end of the camera mast and supporting the camera thereon.

13. The retractable camera device of claim 3, wherein the camera mast further comprises a mast guide which aligns the camera mast as it moves upward and downward within the inner tubular sleeve.

14. A retractable camera device comprising:

a first cylindrical projection having a slot;

a second cylindrical projection extending from a surface of the first cylindrical projection, the second cylindrical projection having a smaller diameter than the first cylindrical projection;

a ballscrew tube having two ends, an interior void and an outer surface;

a ballscrew shaft positioned within the interior void of the tube;

a ball nut positioned around the outer surface of the ballscrew tube and directly engaging the ballscrew shaft;

a camera mast having a first end and a second end, the second end of the camera mast operably coupled to the ball nut;

a camera support plate coupled to the first end of the camera mast;

a camera, having a 360°

viewing angle, mounted to the camera support plate;

an inner tubular sleeve having a first end which slidably engages an outer surface of the second cylindrical projection and encloses the camera mast;

at least one ribbon cable folded in a helical, accordion pattern, encircling the outer surface of the tube within the inner tubular sleeve and passing through the slot in the second cylindrical projection, the at least one ribbon cable having a first end electrically connected to the camera; and

at least one circuit board, one of which is electrically connected to the second end of the at least one ribbon cable,

wherein rotation of the ballscrew shaft moves the ball nut so as to move the camera mast in an upward and downward direction along a length of the ballscrew tube.

15. The retractable camera device of claim 14, further comprising a stepper motor which controls movement of the camera mast.

16. The retractable camera device of claim 14, further comprising at least one switch mounted to the first end of the inner tubular sleeve.

17. The retractable camera device of claim 16, wherein the at least one switch comprises least two Hall-Effect switches, a first Hall-Effect switch mounted to the first end of the inner tubular sleeve and a second Hall-Effect switch mounted to a second end of the inner tubular sleeve.

18. The retractable camera device of claim 17, further comprising at least one magnet coupled to the camera mast which activates the Hall-Effect switches to control movement of the camera mast.

19. A videoconferencing station comprising:

a retractable camera device comprising,

a support base;

a first cylindrical projection extending from the support base;

a second cylindrical projection extending from a surface of the first cylindrical projection, the second cylindrical projection having a smaller diameter than the first cylindrical projection,

a ballscrew tube having two ends, an interior void, and an outer surface,

a ballscrew shaft positioned within the interior void of the tube,

a camera mast engaging the ballscrew shaft,

a camera, having a wide viewing angle, mounted to the camera mast,

at least one ribbon cable folded to form a helical, accordion shape and encircling the outer surface of the tube, the at least one ribbon cable having an end electrically connected to the camera,

an inner tubular sleeve having a first end slidably engaging an outer surface of the second cylindrical projection of the support base so as to enclose the camera mast and the at least one ribbon cable therein, and

an outer tubular sleeve having a first end and a second end, the first end slidably engaging an outer surface of the first cylindrical projection of the support base so as to enclose inner tubular sleeve therein,

wherein rotation of the ballscrew shaft moves the camera mast in an upward and downward direction along a length of the ballscrew tube so as to move the camera from a hidden position within the second end of the outer tubular sleeve to a position above the outer tubular sleeve;

at least one electrical cable extending from the support base between the inner tubular sleeve and outer tubular sleeve;

a monitor mounting device coupled to the outer tubular sleeve; and

a plurality of monitors coupled to the monitor mounting device and electrically connected to the at least one electrical cable,

wherein the camera, when extended upward above the second end of the tube, is above the plurality of monitors.

20. The videoconferencing station of claim 19, wherein the second cylindrical projection includes a slot in a surface thereof through which the at least one ribbon cable passes.

21. The videoconferencing station of claim 19, wherein the monitor mounting device includes a plurality of slots through which the at least one electrical cables passes so as to electrically connect to the plurality of monitors.