Clothing accessory

A clothing accessory has at least one element of clothing accessory wearable by a user, and a recording camera associated with the element of clothing accessory and carrying out a recording process while being associated with the element of clothing accessory, said recording camera including a touch sensor for tapping to perform photo or video recording, and said recording camera operating wirelessly with remote controlling devices for wireless data transfer, controlling and previewing recordings.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a clothing accessory wearable by users on various occasions or attachable to other objects.

Clothing accessories, such as brooches, pins, and neck wearable medallions, are widely known and worn by users for the major purposes of covering parts of clothes. It is believed however that it would be advisable to construct these accessories in such a way that, in addition to their main function of covering clothes, they can also perform other different functions which are not related to the wearing function only, but carry out other actions which can be important in lives of people.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a clothing accessory which is a further improvement of the existing clothing accessories.

In keeping with these objects and with others which will become apparent hereinafter one feature of the present invention resides, briefly stated, in a clothing accessory which has at least one element of a clothing accessory, and a recording camera associated with said element of clothing accessory that can carry out a recording process while being associated with said element of clothing accessory.

In accordance with a further feature of the present invention, the recording camera is constructed to be arranged on the inner surface of the clothing accessory, and at least one or a plurality of clothing accessory pieces can be provided which are constructed to cover the front side of the camera, leaving unobstructed only an objective or a recording window of the camera, wherein the clothing accessory cover pieces can have different designs.

Still a further feature of the present invention is that the recording camera is constructed to carry out photography and videography, as well automated photography, for example, from 1 to 120 second delay with and without audio recording, in addition to video recording to record during a certain time or over a certain number of periods. In addition, the camera is constructed to include a touch sensor to allow a user to tap the camera to perform photography and videography. These functions can be instructed by the software applications on a wireless remotely operating device, for example on a cellphone, a smartphone and the like.

A further feature of the present invention resides in that the recording camera is provided with a motion detecting element and is activated for recording when the motion detecting element detects a motion in a vicinity of the camera and therefore in the vicinity of a person who wears the clothing accessory.

Still a further feature of the present invention is that the recording camera is constructed to make a plurality of photos and/or videos, and has an activating member provided on the camera when the latter is supported by the clothing accessory and activated by a user to make the photos and/or videos.

A further feature of the present invention is that the camera is constructed as a wirelessly operated camera, and a remotely operating device is provided for operating the wireless camera, and such remotely operating device can include a cellphone, smartphone, tablet and the like which can preview in real time with a software application what the camera is viewing and/or recording.

In accordance with a further feature of the present invention, the wireless camera and/or the remotely operating device are constructed so that the photos, video images and/or audio messages can be transferred wirelessly from the wireless camera to the remotely operating device, which can include a cellphone, smartphone, a table and the like, and thereby viewed, stored or transferred elsewhere on the remotely operating device.

In accordance with another feature of the present invention, the recording camera can be constructed to record photos during the video recording mode enabled by a wireless control device, for example by the software applications of a smartphone and the like.

The novel features of the present invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims.

The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its manner of operation will be best understood from the following description of the preferred embodiments, which is accompanied by the following drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A clothing accessory in accordance with the present invention includes a clothing accessory that is identified as a whole with reference numeral1. The clothing accessory1further has a recording camera built in that is identified as a whole with reference numeral4. The recording camera4that is shown inFIG. 2is constructed to carry a recording process while being associated with the clothing accessory1.

FIG. 1shows that the clothing accessory1can be provided with at least one cover piece2, attachable in any number of ways—adhesive, clipped on, wrapped around, etc —to the recording camera4. The cover piece2can be of any shape, color, size, and/or material3.

In accordance with another feature of the present invention shown inFIGS. 3-7the clothing accessory1can be arranged on an outer surface of an element of clothing5, for example being connected to the latter, in particular to the pocket6, by a clip7; being suspended on a necklace8; or as shown inFIG. 6attached to clothing via a magnet clip attachment comprised of two parts: a magnet attachment25that is inserted behind the clothing5and a clip26that attaches to the clothing accessory1that is placed on the front of the clothing5and subsequently gripped by the magnet bonding24to the magnet attachment25behind the clothing5. In order to fit different clothing and apparel designs, fabrics and/or materials, a plurality of clothing accessory pieces2can be provided, each having a different face design3that can correspond to the face design of the element of clothing5. As an example, it can be seen fromFIGS. 1, 3 and 5that both the face of the element of clothing5and of the clothing accessory piece2have a square design. Each clothing accessory piece2has an opening9for the objective of the recording camera.

It is shown inFIG. 7that the recording camera4can be suspended on a necklace or string8on the front surface of the element of clothing5, and also can be covered by the clothing accessory piece2with a design which matches the design of the element of clothing5.

The recording camera4can be constructed to carry out different types of photography and video recording with or without an audio recording. In particular it can carry out an automated photography, for example from 1 to 120 seconds delay with or without audio recording. It can also carry out a video recording to record during a certain time, or to record over a certain number of periods. These camera functions can be instructed by the software application on a wireless remotely operating device, for example on a cellphone, a smartphone and the like.

As shown inFIG. 2the camera is constructed to include a touch sensor21to allow a user to tap the camera to perform photography and/or videography. The user can tap the clothing accessory1, with the built-in camera4, to snap a photo. Alternately the user can tap the clothing accessory1, with the built-in camera4, to “retro-save” previous events that have occurred. “Retro-save” means that the camera4only stores in its memory13the previous duration of video recording upon being tapped by the user. The user can customize the duration of the video recording the camera should store. Therefore as an example, the user can set the camera4to only store in its memory13the last several minutes of action upon tapping the camera. These camera functions can be instructed by the user with the software application on a wireless remotely operating device12, for example on a smartphone, tablet and the like.

As shown inFIG. 2the recording camera4can be provided with a motion detecting element10. It is constructed so that it detects a motion in the vicinity of the camera and therefore of the user, and consequently activate the recording camera4automatically, just in response to the motion detection.

The recording camera4has a control or activating element11formed, for example, as a control button, with which the user operates to carry out the above mentioned recording processes carried out by the camera. The control or activating element11can also activate the recording camera to carry out making a plurality of photos and/or videos.

While the recording process can be selected and activated directly on the recording camera4by the control or activating element11, in accordance with another advantageous feature of the present invention the recording camera4can be constructed as wirelessly operating recording camera, and a remotely operating control device12can be provided and/or used for remotely operating the recording camera for carrying out by the latter all desired recording processes. The remotely operating control device12can be formed as any correspondingly constructed electronic device, such as a remote controller, a smartphone, tablet, and the like, additionally capable of previewing in real time with a software application what the camera is viewing and/or recording.

In accordance with a still important and highly advantageous feature of the present invention the recording camera4and/or the remotely controlling device12can be constructed as can operated so that the recorded photos, video images and/or audio messages can be stored in a memory13of the recording camera4, or can be transferred to the remotely operating control device12and stored in a memory14of the latter, or both for a subsequent retrieval, for example for viewing, transferring elsewhere, copying, etc.

Furthermore, the recording camera4can be constructed so that it simultaneously carries out a photography recording during a video recording, and it can be remotely controlled by the remotely controlling device wirelessly, to store, exchange and reproduce after the storing the photo and video images recorded by the recording camera4.

As shown inFIGS. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13the clothing accessory1can also be attached to different objects and/or surfaces, such as, but not limited to, walls15, windshields17, windows19, and/or hats22, straps23, and handbags27. This is accomplished by utilizing different clips16, mounts18, or adhesives20depending on the surface.FIG. 10shows the clothing accessory1attached to a window19with a clothing accessory piece2that includes adhesive20on the front face3.FIG. 11shows the clothing accessory1attached to a hat22that can be accomplished utilizing the magnet attachment25inserted inside the hat22and magnet clip attachment26attached to clothing accessory1on the front of the hat and subsequently gripped by the magnet bonding24to the magnet attachment25behind the hat22.FIG. 12shows the clothing accessory1attached to a body wearable strap23that can be accomplished utilizing the magnet attachment25inserted on the inside of the wearable strap23magnet clip attachment26attached to clothing accessory1on the front of the strap and subsequently gripped by the magnet bonding24to the magnet attachment25behind the strap22.FIG. 13shows the clothing accessory1attached to a handbag27that can be accomplished utilizing the magnet attachment.

In accordance with a still important and highly advantageous feature of the present invention, as shown inFIG. 14, the recording camera4can connect wirelessly to a data server28through its wireless connectivity to the remotely controlling device12, wherein the recorded photos, videos images and/or audio messages can be transferred wirelessly from the recording camera4to the data server28by way of the remotely controlling device12itself wirelessly connected to the data server28, and stored, exported, streamed, etc onto the data server28, for subsequent retrieval, transferring elsewhere, or viewing from other smart wireless devices29, such as smartphones, tablets and the like, connected to the server.

Furthermore, the recording camera4can be constructed so that it can simultaneously carry out a video recording while transferring and streaming said video recording to the data server28, allowing for said video recording to be viewed remotely in real time on the display screens of other smart devices29wirelessly connected to the server28, such as smartphones, tablets and the like.

The invention is not limited to the details shown since various modifications and structural changes are possible without departing in any way from the spirit of the invention.

What is desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in particular in the appended claims.