Videoconferencing equipment assembly and related methods

• US 9,644,787 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Issued: 05/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zeller Digital Innovations, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Zeller Digital Innovations, Inc.
• Inventors: McArdle, Justin, McArdle, Aaron, Webb, Shaun
• Primary Examiner(s): ZENATI, AMAL S
• Application Number:
  US13/800,757
• Publication Number:
  US 20140267557A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,518 Days
• Field of Search: 345 1408
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/048 adapted to forward-backward translation movement
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 13/02 for supporting on, or attaching to, an object, e.g. tree, gate, window-frame, cycle
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1601 Constructional details related to the housing of computer displays, e.g. of CRT monitors, of flat displays constructional details related to flat displays integrated in a portable computer, e.g. laptop, handheld computer G06F1/1637; constructional details related to television receivers H04N5/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

An assembly of videoconferencing equipment includes a flat panel display, a structure mounting the flat panel display to a support surface, and videoconferencing equipment mounted to the structure. The structure and the videoconferencing equipment mounted to the structure are substantially concealed from view by the flat panel display from a front side of the flat panel display.

Claims

1. An assembly of videoconferencing equipment, the assembly comprising:

a flat panel display;

a structure mounting the flat panel display to a support surface; and

videoconferencing equipment mounted to the structure, the videoconferencing equipment including a codec, a controller and/or a video/content receiver separate from the flat panel display and mounted to the structure;

wherein the structure includes an equipment rack having at least a first rack mount and a second rack mount, wherein a first one of the codec, the controller and/or the video/content receiver is mounted to the first rack mount, wherein a second one of the codec, the controller and/or the video/content receiver is mounted to the second rack mount, and wherein the structure and the codec, controller and/or video/content receiver mounted to the structure are substantially concealed from view by the flat panel display from a front side of the flat panel display.

2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the structure includes a bracket mounting the flat panel display to the support surface.

3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the bracket is configured to allow the flat panel display to be pulled away from the support surface and the equipment rack to provide access to the equipment mounted to the rack.

4. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the equipment rack includes a fan and/or temperature sensor.

5. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the videoconferencing equipment includes one or more standard rack mountable pieces each corresponding to one or more standard-sized rack units.

6. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the support surface is a substantially flat wall without openings for receiving videoconferencing equipment.

7. A videoconferencing system comprising the assembly of claim 1.

8. A method of installing videoconferencing equipment, the method comprising:

mounting a structure to a support surface;

mounting a flat panel display to the structure; and

mounting videoconferencing equipment, including a codec, a controller, and/or a video/content receiver separate from the flat panel display, to the structure so that the flat panel display substantially conceals the codec, controller, and/or video/content receiver and structure when viewed from a front side of the flat panel display;

wherein the structure includes an equipment rack having at least a first rack mount and a second rack mount, wherein a first one of the codec, the controller and/or the video/content receiver is mounted to the first rack mount, and wherein a second one of the codec, the controller and/or the video/content receiver is mounted to the second rack mount.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the structure includes a bracket, and wherein mounting the structure comprises mounting the bracket and the equipment rack to the support surface.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein mounting the flat panel display comprises mounting the flat panel display on the bracket.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising pulling the mounted flat panel display away from the support surface to provide access to the videoconferencing equipment mounted to the equipment rack.

12. The method of claim 8, performed without mounting a piece of the videoconferencing equipment in a wall cavity.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the first rack mount and the second rack mount are standard-sized rack units.

14. An assembly of videoconferencing equipment, the assembly comprising:

an equipment rack and a bracket mounted through the equipment rack to a support surface, the equipment rack including at least a first rack mount and a second rack mount;

a flat panel display mounted to the bracket; and

videoconferencing equipment mounted to the rack, the videoconferencing equipment including a codec, a controller, and/or a video/content receiver separate from the flat panel display and mounted to the equipment rack, a first one of the codec, the controller and/or the video/content receiver mounted to the first rack mount, and a second one of the codec, the controller and/or the video/content receiver mounted to the second rack mount;

wherein the equipment rack and the codec, controller, and/or video/content receiver mounted thereto are substantially concealed from view by the flat panel display from a front side of the flat panel display.

15. The assembly of claim 14, wherein the support surface is a substantially flat wall without openings for receiving videoconferencing equipment.

16. The assembly of claim 14, wherein the bracket is configured to allow the flat panel display to be pulled away from the support surface and the equipment rack to provide access to the equipment mounted to the rack.

17. The assembly of claim 14, wherein the equipment rack includes a fan and/or temperature sensor.

18. The assembly of claim 14, wherein the videoconferencing equipment comprises one or more standard rack mountable pieces each corresponding to one or more standard-sized rack units.