Abstract:
The present invention relates to a web cam coupled to a computer system, an in particular to a web cam with an automatic image angle adjustment device responsive to rotation of a housing of the camera. Once a user rotates the housing of the web cam, the web cam will cause electrical contact or disengagement of a conductor relative to a contact, and thereby generate a feedback signal for enabling the computer system to give a counter rotation to an angled image and align the angled image with a display.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to a web cam device, and in particular to a web cam which can automatically adjust an image display angle in a display.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Prior Art  
         [0004]     Normally, a web cam is placed on a desk-top or attached to the frame of a monitor, such that an image on the local end user can be retrieved by a remote end user. However, because the resolution on the display is usually set by the display card at predetermined resolutions of, for example, 640×480, 800×600, or 1024×768 dpi (dots per inch), so that the displayed image is rectangular rather than square, once the user rotates the web cam to an angle, for example 90°, the viewed image will become correspondingly narrower (e.g., from 640 to 480), and each side of the newly image will have a thick black rim. Therefore, the web cam has to be placed carefully (usually on a horizontal surface) so as to obtain a regular viewed image (hereinafter viewed image) and avoid any unpleasant angled viewed image (hereinafter angled image).  
         [0005]     Taiwanese patent number M260783 disclosed a unique way to overcome the defect caused by the angled image, wherein a pair of rollers (or so-called roller switches) is positioned separately at different angles. Once the user rotates the web cam to an angle, one of the rollers will move from one side to another. Thus, the computer can detect the rotation of the web cam, and the angled image can be further calibrated to a viewed image.  
         [0006]     However, the rollers disclosed in M260783 have the disadvantage that it is hard to clearly distinguish the various angles to which the web cam may be rotated. In addition, the rollers and the corresponding components are costly to manufacture. Still further, the rollers have to be carefully installed and positioned at two different predetermined angles, which will cause the great difficulty in assembling the web cam.  
       SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE  
       [0007]     It is an objective of the present invention to provide a web cam which can adjust an angled image to a viewed image.  
         [0008]     To accomplish the objective mentioned above, a web cam for retrieving an image to be viewed includes a pivot having a conductor, a housing coupled to the pivot, and a circuit board positioned within the housing. The circuit board has a plurality of contacts, and when the housing rotates to an angle and retrieves an angled image, the conductor engages one of the contacts so as to generate a feedback signal, which is supplied to a computer to indicate the angle of the camera, enabling a corresponding adjustment of the image. Thus, the angle of the image to be viewed may be rotated to compensate for the angle of the web cam. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]      FIG. 1A  is an exploded isometric view of the present invention.  
         [0010]      FIG. 1B  is an isometric view showing an interior of the housing illustrated in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0011]      FIG. 1C  is another exploded isometric view of the present invention.  
         [0012]      FIG. 1D  is an isometric view of an assembled housing according to the present invention.  
         [0013]      FIG. 2A  is an isometric view of the present invention after a  90  degree rotation to the right.  
         [0014]      FIG. 2B  is a front view showing an interior of the housing according to  FIG. 2A .  
         [0015]      FIG. 2C  is an exploded view of the rotated housing of  FIG. 2A   FIG. 3A  is an isometric view of the present invention after a 90 degree rotation to the left.  
         [0016]      FIG. 3B  is a front view showing an interior of the housing according to  FIG. 3A .  
         [0017]      FIG. 3C  is an exploded view of the rotated housing of  FIG. 3A   
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0018]     The following detailed description is of the best presently contemplated modes of carrying out the invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating general principles of embodiments of the invention. The scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.  
         [0019]     Please refer to FIGS.  1 A˜ 1 D, which show a web cam  100  coupled to a computer system (not shown) for retrieving an image of a local end user, such that the local end user may watch the image of himself or herself on the computer system, and/or a remote user may watch the viewed image from the display of a remote computer, depending on the setup of software in the computer system. The web cam  100  comprises a pivot  110  having a conductor  111 , hooks  112 , rib  113 , and a housing  120  for accommodating a circuit board  130  therein such that the housing may be rotated from a first housing position to an angled housing position.  
         [0020]     When the housing  120  rotates from the first housing position to the angled housing position, the image rotates from a first image position, in which the image is properly oriented relative to the display, to an angled image position in which the image is no longer properly oriented relative to the display. However, as described below, rotation of the housing  120  causes the conductor  111  to engage one of a plurality of contacts  131 ,  1311 , and  1312  on one side of the circuit board  130  (shown in  FIG. 1   c ), and generate a signal indicative of the angle to which the housing has been rotated, the signal being used to rotate the image from the angled image position back to the first image position. The other side of the electrical board  130  has a camera unit  132  (shown in  FIG. 1A ), which further has a lens  133  and an image sensor  134 . Normally, the conductor  111  constantly engages contact  1311 .  
         [0021]     The conductor  111  is made of metal or other conductive material, and may have a plate-like configuration for constantly engaging the contacts  131 ,  1311 , or  1312  once the user turns the housing  120  to the right or to the left direction.  
         [0022]     The housing  120  has an opening  121  such that the pivot  110  may penetrate the opening  121  and couple to the housing  120 , as shown in  FIG. 1B . The hooks  112  snap around the inner side of the opening  121  such that the conductor  111  and the rib  113  are retained within the housing  120 . A restricting unit includes the rib  113  and stoppers  122 ,  1221  for limiting the rotation of the housing  120  to a predetermined angle, for example 90 degrees. The rib  113  is fixedly coupled to the pivot  110  to protect the wiring from been twisted and damaged.  
         [0023]     A base  140  is commonly used to couple the pivot  110 . The base may be placed on a working surface, hooked onto an object, or clamped to the frame of a monitor, according to technology well-known to those skilled in the art.  
         [0024]     Please refer to  FIG. 2A ˜ 2 C. Once the user turns the housing  120  to the right at an angle, for example  90  degrees, the stopper  122  will be biased against the rib  113  and prevent further rotation of the housing. During the rotating process of the housing  120  from a first housing position to an angled housing position, the image obtained from the camera rotates correspondingly from the first image position to the angled image position. However, when the contact  1312  engages conductor  111 , a corresponding feedback signal will be generated and received by the computer system, and the image will be rotated in a direction opposite the direction of rotation of the camera to counter the rotation of the angled image, i.e., from the angled position back to the first position, and thereby return the angled image to a normal orientation so as to fit the display and eliminate black bars at the side of the image.  
         [0025]     Please refer to  FIG. 3A ˜ 3 C. Once the user turns the housing  120  to the left at an angle, for example  90  degrees, the stopper  1221  will be biased to the rib  113  and prevent further rotation of the housing. During the rotating process of the housing  120  from a first housing position to an angled housing position, the non-rotation-compensated image is rotated from a first, properly oriented image position to an angled image position. When the contact  131  engages the conductor  111 , a corresponding feedback signal will be generated and received by the computer such that the image will be rotated counter to the angle of rotation of the camera for adjusting the angled image to return the image back to a normal orientation and fit the display, eliminating black bars at the side of the image.  
         [0026]     If there is only one contact  1311  and one conductor  111  in the housing  120 , the contact and conductor may be configured such that once the contact  1311  disengages from the conductor  111 , the computer may force the angled image to give a counter rotation so as to compensate for rotation of the camera. The image comparison technology may compare the viewed image with the angled image, and then force the angled image to undergo an exact counter rotation so as to assume a non-rotated orientation and fit the display. Therefore, the image can be shown either on the display of a local end or a remote end computer without suffering from the effects of camera rotation.  
         [0027]     While the description above refers to particular embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood that many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit thereof. The accompanying claims are intended to cover such modifications as would fall within the true scope and spirit of the present invention.