Digital camera-projector hybrid

• US 8,023,029 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2008
• Issued: 09/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Joseph, Daniel M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ometz; David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Trehan; Akshay
• Application Number:
  US12/098,703
• Publication Number:
  US 20090251585A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,261 Days
• Field of Search: 348/333.01, 348/373, 348/744, 348/333.1, 354/219, 358/224
• US Class Current: 348/333.01
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/00 Details of cameras or camera bodies; Accessories therefor lens hoods or caps G03B11/04
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/54 with projector

Abstract

A camera-projector assembly for viewing captured images in a near-view mode and in a distal-view projection mode. The assembly includes a camera housing and an image capture assembly within the housing collecting image data. The camera-projector assembly includes a projection assembly mounted on the camera housing that includes a projection lens and a projection light source. A transmissive display such as an LCD is provided external to the camera housing and adapted to be positionable in a first position proximate to the camera housing and in a second position between the projection lens and light source. The transmissive display is positionable against an external surface of the camera housing when it is in the first position and at least partially spaced apart from the external surface in the second position. The transmissive display maybe rotated or slid from the first to the second position on the camera housing.

Claims

1. A image capture device that is operable to display images in a near-viewing mode and a projection mode, said image capture device comprising:

a housing;

a transmissive display disposed on an external surface of said housing and said transmissive display being mounted to said housing with a first hinge mechanism, said transmissive display being operable to display images captured by said image capture device and being selectively movable via operation of the first hinge mechanism between a near-viewing mode position and a projection mode position;

projection optics for projecting an image onto a projection surface; and

a projection light source, pivotally and externally mounted to the housing with a second hinge mechanism, for providing illumination through said transmissive display when said image capture device is in said projection mode position;

wherein said transmissive display and light source are separately rotated, via operation of the first and second hinge mechanisms, to the projection mode position with the transmissive display disposed between said projection optics and said projection light source,

wherein said transmissive display is rotatable with the first hinge mechanism about an axis that extends substantially along an edge of said transmissive display to move the transmissive display between the near-viewing mode and projection mode positions, and

wherein a back surface of said transmissive display is proximate to said housing when in said near-viewing mode position and wherein the back surface is at least partially spaced apart from said external surface of said housing when in said projection mode position.

2. The image capture device of claim 1, wherein said projection light source comprises a light emitting diode (LED).

3. The image capture device of claim 2, wherein said projection light source is selectively positionable adjacent to a back surface of the transmissive display.

4. The image capture device of claim 1, wherein said projection optics include a focusing mechanism to enable a user to focus an image on said projection surface.

5. The image capture device of claim 1, further comprising a backlight disposed inside of said housing for providing illumination for said transmissive display when in said near-viewing mode position.

6. The image capture device of claim 1, wherein said transmissive display comprises a liquid crystal display (LCD).

7. The image capture device of claim 1, wherein separate light sources provided with for use in projecting light directly through the transmissive display when the transmissive display is in the near-viewing mode position and in the projection mode position, whereby mirrored surface are not used to redirect light to the transmissive display.

8. A consumer device that is operable to project an image onto a projection surface, comprising:

a housing;

a controller disposed within said housing;

memory operable to store image data and accessible by the controller; and

a projection assembly including a projection light source, a transmissive display, and projection optics, wherein said transmissive display is operable by said controller to display said image data and wherein the transmissive display is selectively positionable between the projection light source and the projection optics,

wherein said transmissive display is selectively movable between a first near-viewing mode position and a second projection mode position, said first position being different from said second position and both the first and second positions are external to the housing,

wherein said transmissive display is rotatable via a first hinge mechanism about an axis that extends substantially along an edge of said transmissive display,

wherein said projection assembly is affixed to an external surface of said housing, and

wherein said projection light source is selectively positionable via a second hinge mechanism such that said transmissive display is located between the projection light source and the projection optics when the transmissive display is in the second position.

9. The consumer device of claim 8 wherein said transmissive display comprises a LCD and wherein the LCD is selectively positioned in a near-viewing mode position in which the LCD is spaced apart from the projection light source and a projection mode position in which the LCD is positioned between the projection light source and the projection optics.

10. The consumer device of claim 8, wherein said projection light source comprises an LED.

11. The consumer device of claim 8, wherein said projection optics includes a focusing mechanism to enable a user to focus an image on said projection surface.

12. The consumer device of claim 8, wherein said transmissive display is selectively removable from said consumer device.

13. The consumer device of claim 8, further comprising a projection surface spaced apart from the projection light source.

14. The consumer device of claim 13, wherein said projection surface is disposed within a housing of said consumer device.

15. The consumer device of claim 8, wherein said consumer device is further operable to generate audio output while projecting an image onto said projection surface.

16. A camera-projector assembly, comprising:

a camera housing;

an image capture assembly provided within the camera housing that operates to collect image data;

a projection assembly mounted on the camera housing including a projection lens and a projection light source pivotally mounted to the camera housing with a hinge mechanism;

a transmissive display external to the camera housing positionable in a first position proximate to the camera housing and a second position between the projection lens and the projection light source, wherein the transmissive display operates to display the image data in the first and second positions,

wherein the transmissive display comprises an LCD,

wherein the LCD is placed against an external surface of the camera housing in the first position and is at least partially spaced apart from the external surface in the second position,

wherein the transmissive display is rotatably mounted, with a manual or automated hinge assembly, on an external surface of the camera housing and is rotatable from the first position to the second position about an edge of the transmissive display, and

wherein the projection light source is rotatable from a first to a second position by operation of the hinge mechanism, the transmissive display being sandwiched between the projection lens and the projection light source with the projection light source in the second position.

17. The assembly of claim 16, wherein the transmissive display directs the displayed image data in a first direction when in the first position and in a second direction opposite the first direction when in the second position.

18. The assembly of claim 16, wherein the projection light source has a power of at least about 150 lumens and the assembly further comprises a backlight positioned in the camera housing to direct light through the transmissive display when the transmissive display is in the first position, the backlight having a power less than about 150 lumens.