Abstract:
A camera mount includes a body including a flat surface for mounting a camera. A hollow post is located on the flat surface and sized to fit within a mounting hole of the camera. A trigger device for raising and lowering a first connector is located within the hollow post. The first connector mates with a complimentary connector located within the mounting hole of the camera and a second connector is located on the body for connecting to a cable. The second connector is electrically connected to the first connector.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates generally to camera mounts and more particularly to an active camera mount for a digital camera. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     A digital camera records and stores photographic images in digital form that can be fed to a personal computer (PC) as the impressions are recorded or stored in the camera for later loading into the PC. Generally, a number of cables must be plugged into or unplugged from the camera when transferring photos from the camera to the PC, charging batteries located within the camera, or connecting an AC power source to the camera. 
     It is well-known to mount both conventional and digital cameras on a camera tripod and/or other similar well-known camera mount. Conventional camera mounts include a threaded screw on a mounting surface. Conventional and digital cameras include an industry standard threaded mounting hole located on a bottom surface of the camera. The threads of the mounting hole match the threads of the screw on the mounting surface of the camera mount. 
     Digital cameras may also include a liquid crystal display (LCD) built into the camera that conveys information to a user with respect to the operation of the camera, such as how many more images are capable of being taken and stored by the camera. Other digital cameras include an LCD built into the back of the camera capable of displaying, in color, the images recorded and stored in the camera. The LCD screen may also be used as a viewfinder and allows a user to see what a picture will look like before it is taken. The LCD also allows a user to look at photos already taken and stored within the camera. 
     Digital camera use solid-state memory flash cards to store images. These flash cards are typically nonremovable memory chips embedded within the camera. More commonly, digital cameras store photos on a removable card that is used to transfer files to the computer. These cards, which can range in size from 4 to 256 MB, come in two primary configurations—CompactFlash and SmartMedia. Additionally, some newer cameras accept the new CompactFlash drives, which provides up to 1 GB of storage space for data. However, a card reader or adapter is required to read files into the PC which must be connected to the PC&#39;s small computer systems interface (SCSI) or USB (universal serial bus) port if a card slot is not built into the PC. Smart Media cards store a maximum of 64 megabytes, but they easily download on a reader that connects to the PC&#39;s floppy disk drive. Once the card is placed in the reader, the PC&#39;s transfer software is launched to transfer the photos from the camera. The camera is connected to the PC in order to transfer photos from the camera to the PC. Some digital cameras can output photos directly to a floppy disk or via cable to a PC. 
     Digital cameras consume a great deal of battery power. Many digital cameras can be plugged in for stationary use, and some run off external battery packs. When a digital camera is connected, or docked, to a PC, its color display is generally turned off and unusable. When a digital camera is un-docked, its LCD display consumes too much power to be left on for any length of time. When the digital camera is in use, it is suggested that the camera&#39;s LCD display be turned off to conserve battery power for taking and storing photo images. 
     Once images are transferred from the digital camera to the PC, they may be printed into a hard copy using a color printer. The software for the camera allows the images to be viewed on the PC. Images may be saved to a floppy disk or the hard drive. Images can be saved in a specific graphic file format, e.g., gif or jpg for Web publishing, pcx or bmp for paper publishing. A graphics program, such as Paint Shop Pro, may be used to edit the images. 
     However, many steps are involved in transferring images from a digital camera to the PC. In order to transfer images from the digital camera to the PC, it is necessary to hook the camera up to the PC using various cables. If digital photos are taken using a tripod or other mounting surface, it is first necessary to detach the camera from the surface in order to connect the camera to cables from the PC. This is a time-consuming and inefficient process. Additionally, as stated above, the LCD of a digital camera is a heavy drain on the camera&#39;s batteries. If a user wishes to use the LCD of the digital camera while the camera is mounted on a tripod or other camera mount, the drain on the batteries limits the number of photos the camera may take during use. Also, if a user is taking digital photos using a tripod or other camera mount, the user may be in a location away from the user&#39;s PC. Even if a user were to download digital photos to a portable notebook computer, the user must still disconnect the digital camera from the camera mount to connect the camera to the notebook computer. There is a need for a camera mount which eliminates the steps of removing the camera from the mount to transfer digital photos to a PC or notebook computer. There is also a need for a camera mount that supplies power to a camera while the camera is in use. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with this invention, a camera mount includes a body including a flat surface for mounting a camera. A hollow post is located on the flat surface such that the post is sized to fit within a mounting hole of the camera. The camera mount further includes a trigger device for raising and lowering a first connector located within the hollow post where the connector mates with a complementary connector located within the mounting hole of the camera. A second connector is located on the body for connecting to a cable such that the second connector is electrically connected to the first connector. 
     This invention will be more fully understood in light of the following detailed description taken together with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1A illustrates a cross-sectional view of a digital camera positioned above a camera mounting surface. 
     FIG. 1B illustrates a cross-sectional view of a digital camera mounted to the camera mounting surface of FIG.  2 A. 
     FIG. 2A illustrates a side view of a camera mounting surface. 
     FIG. 2B illustrates a side view of a digital camera mounted to the surface of FIG.  1 B. 
     FIG. 2C illustrates a bottom view of a digital camera mounting hole. 
    
    
     Use of the same reference symbols in different figures indicates similar or identical items. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     A new active camera mount solution for digital cameras provides power and data connections. A camera mount provides a solution for camera docking that does not interfere with important controls and surfaces of existing or future camera designs. This illustrative camera mount does not require the addition of interfaces to the exterior of a digital camera and may be used in a variety of digital camera docking situations including, without limitation, camera tripods, photo printers, docking stations. This illustrative camera mount provides data and power connections within the confines of the industry screw mount standard. 
     In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, FIG. 1A illustrates a digital camera  10  being lowered to a surface  14  of a camera mount  12 . Digital camera  10  includes a power supply  16  for powering camera  10 , a memory  18  for storing digital images, and a threaded mounting hole  13 . Mounting hole  13  is threaded to allow camera  10  to be able to be mounted to a mounting screw of a conventional camera tripod or other similar mounting surface. A female jack  15  is located on the top surface of hole  13 . Jack  15  includes a number of pin contacts  17 , in one example four. At least two pin contacts  17  are electrically connected to memory  18  (i.e., the processor of camera  10 ) via a cable or wire  2 . At least two additional pin contacts  17  are electrically connected to power supply  16  via a cable or wire  8 . Camera  10  may be powered by a battery source, connected to an AC source or connected to the power source of another device. 
     Camera mount  12  includes a trigger  11  and a post  9 . As seen in FIG. 1B, post  9  further includes male jack  19 . Jack  19  includes a number of pins  7 , in one example four. Electrical connections (not shown), including but not limited to wires or USB cable, are routed through the center of post  9  between the pins  7  and a USB connector located on mount  12 . The USB connector may be connected by USB cable to a PC, notebook computer, CD-Writer, photoprinter or other device. Post  9  press-fits snugly into hole  13 . Post  9  need not be threaded. Post  9  made be made of hard rubber or rubber-coated metal (including but not limited to rubber-coated steel). Camera mount  12  may be a surface of a camera tripod or other device to which digital and conventional cameras may be mounted. 
     FIG. 1B illustrates camera  10  mated to surface  14  of mount  12 . As camera  10  contacts and presses down on trigger  11  (as camera  10  is mated to mount  12 ), pins  7  extend from post  9  and mate with pin contacts  17 . As seen in FIG. 1A, pins  7  are not extended prior to trigger  11  being depressed. Trigger  11  is coupled jack  19  via mechanical linkage  4 . Depressing trigger  11  causes mechanical linkage  4  to raise jack  19  within post  9 , exposing pins  7  which engage contacts  17 . The mating pins  7  and contacts  17  for data are connected to memory  18  through an I/O channel. The mating pins  7  and contacts  17  for power are connected directly to power supply  16 . 
     In an alternative embodiment, a trigger can be implemented in which the camera is guided into alignment with a door located on the flat surface of the camera mount under the camera mounting hole. When the camera is lowered to the surface of the camera mount, the bottom of the camera depresses the trigger. The trigger is connected by a mechanical linkage, similar to the one outlined above, to the door. The door slides open, allowing a combined data/power connector to rise from within the body of the camera mount and protrude from the surface of the camera mount to be inserted into the mounting hole of the camera. The sides of the data/power connector are designed to snap-on the threads inside the camera mounting hole instead of screw-on grip. 
     In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, FIG. 2A illustrates a side cross-sectional view of a camera mount  20 . Camera mount  20  includes a trigger  21  and a post  29 . As seen in FIG. 2A, post  29  is hollow and includes a flag-like electrical contact  39 . Electrical contact  39  includes four connections or pins (not shown). Preferably, two pins dedicated to power are electrically connected to a cable or wire  8  connected to a power supply  26  and two pins dedicated to data are electrically connected to a cable or wire  2  connected to a memory  28  (i.e., the processor of camera  10 ). The power and data pins are separated by an insulator. Electrical contact  39  functions as a USB connection. Electrical connections, including but not limited to wires or USB cable, are routed through post  29  between the pins of electrical contact  39  and a USB connector located on mount  12 . Post  29  press-fits snugly into hole  13 . Trigger  21  is coupled to flag-like contact  39  via mechanical linkage  40 . Depressing trigger  21  causes contact  39  to pivot into position, allowing the front edge of the flag-portion to protrude through a slit  30  in the side of post  29  and engage contact pad  37  in camera  10 . 
     FIG. 2B illustrates a side view of camera  10  mounted to surface  24  of mount  20 . Camera  10  includes a power supply  26  (not shown) for powering camera  10 , a memory  28  for storing digital images, and a threaded mounting hole  23  (threads not shown for clarity). Mounting hole  23  is threaded so as to allow camera  10  to be able to be mounted to the mounting screw of a conventional camera tripod or other similar mounting surface. Camera contact pad  37 , located along a slit in the side of hole  23 , includes pins  7  that mate to the pins  7  located on electrical contact  39 . If the pins  7  on electrical contact  39  are male, the pins located on camera contact pad  37  are female. Contact pad  37  is electrically connected to memory  28  or power supply  26 . The male/female pins  7  for data are connected to memory  28  through an I/O channel. The pins  7  for power on contact pad  37  are connected directly to power supply  26 . 
     FIG. 2C illustrates a bottom view of digital camera mounting hole  23 . However, instead of hole  23  being formed with perfect threads, a cut is made in the side of hole  23  to form slot  27 . The cut may be square, triangular, rectangular, or semicircular. FIG. 2C illustrates a rectangular cut, giving hole  23  the shape of a keyhole. Although the present embodiment illustrates a pivoting flag-like contact, a contact slide up slot  27  until the contact electrically connects with pad  37 . 
     The above-described embodiments of the present invention are illustrative only and not limiting. It will thus be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from this invention in its broader aspects. Therefore, the appended claims encompass all such changes and modifications as falling within the true spirit and scope of this invention.