Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US5111498?dq=5,490,216
Timestamp: 2017-09-26 22:15:43
Document Index: 761032468

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 120', 'art 110', 'art 120', 'arts 120', 'art 120', 'art: 110']

Patent US5111498 - Hinged-case sound and vision communications terminal, in particular a video ... - Google Patents
A terminal for sound and vision communication, of the type associated, in particular, with a telephone set, comprises a case (100) containing a display screen monitor (128), a camera (132) provided with optics (130), an electronic assembly (134) for control, coding/decoding, and telephone line interfacing...http://www.google.com/patents/US5111498?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US5111498 - Hinged-case sound and vision communications terminal, in particular a video-phone
Publication number US5111498 A
Application number US 07/555,367
Also published as DE3887613D1, DE3887613T2, EP0309341A1, EP0309341B1
Publication number 07555367, 555367, US 5111498 A, US 5111498A, US-A-5111498, US5111498 A, US5111498A
Inventors Jacques Guichard, Georges Buchner, Jacques Labat
Original Assignee Jacques Guichard, Georges Buchner, Jacques Labat
Patent Citations (16), Referenced by (64), Classifications (10), Legal Events (5)
US 5111498 A
(c) said second part being substantially flat and elongated and receiving said camera so that an aiming direction of said camera is perpendicular to a plane of said second part, said optics including means provided in a region of said second part that is most remote from said hinge for deflection through 90° of an image sensed by said camera;
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/249,134, filed Sep. 26, 1988 now abandoned.
Prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,258,387 describes a video-phone type terminal including a case comprising two parts which are hinged to each other. The case may take up a closed position for transport purposes and an open position in which its two parts are at an angle of about 90° to each other. Provision is also made, when it is desired to change the camera aiming direction, to mount the camera on the opening part of the case so that its orientation relative to said part can be varied.
Thus, FIG. 3a is a diagram showing a relatively small speaker 200. In order to center this speaker properly, the moving part 120 of the terminal occupies a position which, together with the fixed part 110, defines an opening angle αa of about 90°.
When a taller speaker uses the terminal, it is merely necessary to push back the part 120 so as to increase the opening angle, thereby raising the aiming direction B (angle αb in FIG. 3b), with the snug fit serving to hold said parts 120 in any desired position.
In FIG. 3b the angle αb is about 100° C.
Further, the configuration of FIGS. 1a and 1b may be designed so that the moving part can be opened up to 180° relative to the fixed part. This is advantageous, for example, when the video-phone is placed on the ground, with the face of the speaker then being practically vertically above the camera optics, and more generally it may be advantageous under any circumstances where the face of the speaker is located vertically above the terminal.
The camera 132 is placed flat inside the part 120 of the case, i.e., essentially perpendicularly to the aiming direction B, and the camera optics include an objective lens system 130a and a mirror 130b at an angle of about 45° to the aiming direction B. It may be observed that the image inversion caused by reflection in the mirror 130b is easily corrected electronically by inverting the scanning direction in the camera sensor. Further, it is also possible to use angle-deflecting means other than a mirror, e.g., a prism or optical fibers.
In accordance with the invention, the axis B' of the lens system, which is represented by a single lens 130a', is skewed, at an angle β which is selected as a function, in particular, of the width of the display screen 128 and the distance to the subject 200 in front of the display screen.
maximum opening angle of moving part: 110°;
CCD color camera having a resolution of about 150×250 and a focal length of about 8 mm to 12 mm; and
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U.S. Classification 348/14.16, 348/14.01, 348/E07.079, 379/434
International Classification H04M1/02, H04N7/14
Cooperative Classification H04N7/142, H04M1/02
European Classification H04M1/02, H04N7/14A2