User selectable digital mirror with reduced parallax error

• US 9,961,245 B1
• Filed: 08/31/2015
• Issued: 05/01/2018
• 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): Lam, Vinh T
• Application Number:
  US14/841,688
• Time in Patent Office: 974 Days
• Field of Search: 348 E5096- E5128
• 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 live images in a field of view of the front side of the enclosure;

a view mode selector device coupled to the display device, the view mode selector device to selectively display the full frame live images between either 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 a light emitted by the one or more lights.

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 1, wherein

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

6. 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 to the enclosure, the image capture device extended over and above a portion of the display device to reduce parallax error, the image capture device to capture full frame live images in a field of view of the front side of the enclosure;

a view mode selector device coupled to the display device, the view mode selector device to selectively display the full frame live images between either true images or mirrored images on the display device; and

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

7. The digital mirror of claim 6, further comprising:

a pivotal stand pivotally coupled to a back side of the enclosure, the pivotal stand to pivot open at an angle with the back side to stand the digital mirror up on a surface.

8. The digital mirror of claim 6, wherein

the enclosure includes a protrusion extending out over the display device to which the image capture device is mounted.

9. The digital mirror of claim 6, wherein

the enclosure includes at least one hole or at least one hook to mount the digital mirror to a wall.

10. The digital mirror of claim 6, further comprising:

an intensity selecting user interface device coupled to the one or more lights, the intensity selecting user interface device to select a light intensity provided by the one or more lights.

11. The digital mirror of claim 6, wherein

each of the one or more lights includes a plurality of light emitting diodes.

12. The digital mirror of claim 6, wherein

the display device is a liquid crystal display (LCD) device with an array of M by N pixels.

13. The digital mirror of claim 6, wherein

the display device is an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display device with an array of M by N pixels.

14. The digital mirror of claim 6, further comprising:

a touch screen user interface mounted in the enclosure over the display device, the touch screen user interface to select one or more of a digital zoom, light intensity of the one or more lights, power to the image capture device and the display device, one or more images for concurrent display on the display device, and true images or mirror images for display on the display device and a menu button to display one or more of camera control functions, display control functions, lighting control functions, and power control functions.

15. The digital mirror of claim 6, further comprising:

a plurality of user selectable buttons mounted in the enclosure, the plurality of user selectable buttons to select one or more of a digital zoom, light intensity of the one or more lights, power to the image capture device and the display device, one or more images for concurrent display on the display device, and true images or mirror images for display on the display device.

16. The digital mirror of claim 6, wherein

the one or more lights are selectively powered on to illuminate a user,

the image capture device captures one or more images of the user viewing the display device, and

the display device displays the one or more captured images of the user to the user.

17. The digital mirror of claim 6, further comprising:

a processor coupled to the image capture device and the display device, wherein the processor controls the image capture device to capture the one or more images of a user and the display device to display the one or more captured images of the user.

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

a user input device in communication with the processor to receive and perform a user requested task.

19. The digital mirror of claim 18, wherein

the user requested task is to switch between displaying true images or horizontal mirror images on the display device.

20. The digital mirror of claim 17, wherein

the user input device is a microphone mounted to the enclosure and a voice decoder coupled to the microphone to receive and recognize voice commands as the user requested task.

21. A digital mirror comprising:

an enclosure;

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

a first pivotal arm having a proximal end pivotally coupled to the enclosure, the first pivotal arm to pivotally extend away from a first side of the enclosure;

a first camera pivotally mounted to a distal end of the first pivotal arm, the first camera to capture images extended out around the first side of the enclosure; and

a second camera mounted in the enclosure adjacent the display device, the second camera to capture images in a field of view of the front side of the enclosure;

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

one or more lights, adjacent the display device, to provide lighting to facilitate the capture of images by the first camera.

22. The digital mirror of claim 21, further comprising

one or more lights mounted adjacent the first camera to provide lighting in front of the first camera to facilitate the capture of images extended out around the first side of the enclosure.

23. The digital mirror of claim 21, wherein

the first pivotal arm includes a plurality of joints and a plurality of links pivotally coupled between the proximal end and the distal end.

24. The digital mirror of claim 21, wherein

the first pivotal arm is a flexible arm including a plurality of joints pivotally coupled together between the proximal end and the distal end of the first pivotal arm.

25. The digital mirror of claim 21, further comprising:

a second pivotal arm having a proximal end pivotally coupled to the enclosure, the second pivotal arm to pivotally extend away from a second side of the enclosure opposite the first side; and

a third camera pivotally mounted to a distal end of the second pivotal arm, the third camera to capture images extended out around the second side of the enclosure.

26. The digital mirror of claim 25, wherein

the first pivotal arm includes a first plurality of joints and a first plurality of links pivotally coupled together between the proximal end and the distal end;

the second pivotal arm includes a second plurality of joints and a second plurality of links pivotally coupled together between the proximal end and the distal end.

27. The digital mirror of claim 25, wherein

the first pivotal arm and the second pivotal arm are flexible arms, the first pivotal arm and the second pivotal arm each including a plurality of joints pivotally coupled together between its respective proximal end and distal end.