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Digital Camera Patent Abstract
A digital camera pedestal with cable in neck is provided which may
comprise a base member, a neck, and a camera housing. The base member
can comprise a surface mount, a cable exit annulus, and a neck mount.
The surface mount and said neck mount can attach together forming
an interior cavity. A cable enters the cavity through the neck mount,
and exits through the cable exit annulus. An annular neck member
is rotatably attached to the neck mount, such that it can rotate
in a vertical plane, and a camera housing member is in turn rotatably
attached to the neck member, where the housing member can rotate
in a horizontal plane.
Digital Camera Patent Claims
1. A digital camera pedestal, comprising:a base member comprising
a surface mount, a cable exit annulus, and a neck mount, said surface
mount and said neck mount forming an interior cavity;a annular neck
member that is rotatably attached to said neck mount;a camera housing
member comprising a camera exit annulus, wherein said camera housing
member is rotatably attached to said annular neck member;a cable
that passes from said camera housing member through said annular
neck member and into said interior cavity, said cable exiting said
base member from said cable exit annulus.
2. The digital camera pedestal of claim 1, wherein a annular neck
member is rotatably attached to said neck mount such that the annular
neck member is rotatable in a vertical plane.
3. The digital camera pedestal of claim 1, wherein said camera
housing member is rotatably attached to said annular neck member
such that the camera housing member is rotatable in a horizontal
plane.
4. The digital camera pedestal of claim 1, further comprising a
friction member attached to said neck mount and in contact with
said annular neck member such that a force of friction opposes rotation
of said annular neck member.
5. The digital camera pedestal of claim 1, further comprising a
friction member attached to said camera housing member and in contact
with said annular neck member such that a force of friction opposes
rotation of said camera housing member.
6. The digital camera pedestal of claim 1, wherein said neck mount
limits rotational freedom of said annular neck member to approximately
40 to 140 degrees of motion.
7. The digital camera pedestal of claim 1, said a annular neck
member comprising two rotational motion stops that limit rotational
freedom of said camera housing member to approximately 40 to 140
degrees of motion.
8. The digital camera pedestal of claim 1, wherein said cable is
electrically coupled to a digital camera located in said camera
housing member.
9. The digital camera pedestal of claim 8, wherein said digital
camera is a digital video camera.
10. The digital camera pedestal of claim 1, wherein said cable
is a Universal Serial Bus (USB) cable.
11. The digital camera pedestal of claim 1, wherein said camera
housing member further comprises an annulus of translucent material
concentric with said camera exit annulus.
12. The digital camera pedestal of claim 11, further comprising
a plurality of lights within said camera housing member, said lights
illuminating said annulus of translucent material.
13. The digital camera pedestal of claim 1, wherein said surface
mount comprises a substantially flat surface attachable to said
neck mount.
14. A digital camera pedestal, comprising:a annular neck member
comprising a proximal end and a distal end, where said proximal
end is rotatably attachable to a base member and said distal end
is rotatably attachable to a camera housing member such that said
camera housing member is rotatable in at least two planes;a cable
that passes from said camera housing member through said annular
neck member and into said base member.
15. The digital camera pedestal of claim 14, further comprising
said base member, wherein said base member comprises a surface mount,
a cable exit annulus, and a neck mount.
16. The digital camera pedestal of claim 14, further comprising
said camera housing member, wherein said camera housing member comprises
a camera exit annulus.
17. The digital camera pedestal of claim 16, said camera housing
member further comprising an annulus of translucent material concentric
with said camera exit annulus.
18. A digital camera pedestal, comprising:a base member comprising
a surface mount, a cable exit annulus, and an annular neck mount,
said surface mount and said neck mount forming an interior cavity;a
cable entering said interior cavity via said annular neck mount,
and exiting said interior cavity via said cable exit annulus.
19. The digital camera pedestal of claim 18, said surface mount
comprising a substantially flat surface.
20. The digital camera pedestal of claim 19, wherein said substantially
flat surface is between 1 and 5 square inches in size.
Digital Camera Patent Description
BACKGROUND
[0001]Small, surface mounted or clip mounted digital cameras, commonly
referred to as "webcams" have proliferated as applications
such as digital picture sharing, video file sharing, video conferencing,
security monitoring and the like continue to expand. "Webcam"
refers to digital cameras that are used for a host of purposes beyond
uploading images or video to the internet, as the name implies.
[0002]One interesting new market for webcams is the video gaming
market, where webcams will be used for a wide variety of functions,
such as capturing a player's picture for upload to a gamer identification
database, video conferencing, inserting custom pictures and videos
into games, video feedback so games can react to player physical
motion, and the like.
[0003]One problem facing any webcam design is making a webcam of
sufficiently small size, so that it does not consume too much desktop
or set-top real estate. While small size is desirable, so is camera
stability. Users do not want webcams that are constantly falling
over backward because a heavy cable extends from the back of the
webcam. Size and stability are often inversely related, such that
small size yields less stability. Another problem in webcam design
is to allow the camera to aim at a desired angle and hold position.
The angle at which a webcam is aimed should preferably be adjustable
in both the vertical and horizontal planes.
[0004]A variety of solutions to the size and stability problem
can be seen in today's market for webcams. Clipable webcams are
available that can be clipped to a computer display. Webcams may
also be made with a somewhat large flat-surfaced base member that
supports an elevated digital camera. In this configuration, a cable
extends out from directly behind the camera and tends to pull the
camera backward. The base member must be sufficiently large to prevent
the camera from falling over, which of course negatively impacts
pedestal size requirements.
[0005]In light of the size and stability tradeoff, as well as a
host of other potential advantages and improvements that can be
obtained, the industry and the consuming public is in need of a
better digital camera pedestal.
SUMMARY
[0006]In consideration of the above-identified shortcomings of
the art, the present invention provides a digital camera pedestal
comprising a base member, a neck, and a camera housing. The base
member can comprise a surface mount, for example a flat surface
that sits on a desk or shelf, a cable exit annulus, and a neck mount.
The surface mount and said neck mount can attach together forming
an interior cavity. A cable enters the cavity through the neck mount,
as will be described, and exits through the cable exit annulus.
An annular neck member is rotatably attached to the neck mount,
such that it can rotate in a vertical plane, and a camera housing
member is in turn rotatably attached to the neck member, where the
housing member can rotate in a horizontal plane. The camera housing
member can comprise a camera exit annulus, and the cable passes
from the electronics associated with a camera that protrudes through
the camera exit annulus, through the annular neck member, and into
the interior cavity of the base member. Other advantages and features
of the invention are described below.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007]The systems and methods for digital camera pedestal with
cable in neck in accordance with the present invention are further
described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
[0008]FIG. 1 illustrates one illustrative embodiment of an exemplary
digital camera pedestal with cable in neck;
[0009]FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the various components of an
exemplary digital camera pedestal with cable in neck;
[0010]FIG. 3 illustrates a view of the exemplary digital camera
pedestal with cable in neck in which a front plate is removed from
the camera housing to reveal the interior of the camera housing;
[0011]FIG. 4 illustrates a view of the underside of the exemplary
digital camera pedestal with cable in neck, in which the surface
mount is removed from the base member to reveal the interior cavity
of the base member.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0012]Certain specific details are set forth in the following description
and figures to provide a thorough understanding of various embodiments
of the invention. Certain well-known details often associated with
computing and software technology are not set forth in the following
disclosure, however, to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the various
embodiments of the invention. Further, those of ordinary skill in
the relevant art will understand that they can practice other embodiments
of the invention without one or more of the details described below.
Finally, while various methods are described with reference to steps
and sequences in the following disclosure, the description as such
is for providing a clear implementation of embodiments of the invention,
and the steps and sequences of steps should not be taken as required
to practice this invention.
[0013]The digital camera pedestal with cable in neck generally
overcomes various problems in webcam design by providing configuration
as illustrated in FIG. 1. The entirety of the object represented
in FIG. 1 is referred to as a digital camera pedestal. The illustrated
digital camera pedestal generally comprises a base member 206, an
annular neck member 210, and a camera housing member 220. A cable
which is not visible in FIG. 1 runs from a camera located inside
camera housing member 220, through the annular neck member 210,
into an interior cavity in the base member 206, and out of a cable
exit annulus 205.
[0014]FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the various components of an
exemplary digital camera pedestal. In FIG. 2, the base member generally
comprises components 200-205. Component 205, the cable exit annulus,
is not readily visible in FIG. 2. Refer to FIG. 4 for a clear view
of this component. The main components of the base member are the
surface mount 202 and the neck mount 204. When coupled together,
these components form an interior cavity 207. The surface mount
202 may comprise a substantially flat, sturdy material that is designed
to rest on a flat surface. Surface mount 202 may comprise components
such as screw cover 200, stabilizing ballast 203, and traction pad
201. Traction pad 201 and screw cover 202 may stick to the surface
mount 202 by means of a glue or adhesive material. Although not
limited to any particular size, surface mount 202 may advantageously
be between 1 and 5 square inches in size to meet the desired size
requirements of most consumers and to take advantage of the increased
stability of the pedestal design illustrated herein. Surface mount
202 may be coupled to neck mount 204, for example by means of plastic
or metal snap-in fastening system.
[0015]Neck mount 204 may attach to surface mount 202 and also to
the neck member 210. As such, neck mount 204 may comprise an annulus
through which the neck member 210 passes. The underside of the neck
mount 204 may comprise appropriately configured fastening interfaces,
for example threaded screw holes, for holding the neck member 210
in place. It is contemplated that the neck member 210 is rotatably
attached to the neck mount 204, so neck mount 204 may be configured
to support appropriate hardware connecting apparatus.
[0016]The base member may also comprise a cable exit annulus 205,
which is not clearly illustrated in FIG. 2, but can be clearly viewed
in FIG. 4. Cable exit annulus 205 allows the cable 240 to pass out
of the base member and on to the cable connection interface, for
example to the Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface on a personal
computer or game console. It should be noted that the terms "annulus"
and "annular" as used herein should be understood as referring
to a substantially annular design, which does not foreclose shapes
that are not perfectly round but nonetheless serve a similar function
for the element in question. For example, a cable exit annulus 205
could be easily made in any shape, such as a square, star, oval
or octagon, and such shapes should be considered to be well within
the spirit of the invention.
[0017]Annular neck member 210 can, in one embodiment, be a cylindrical
hard plastic component through which a cable passes on its way from
the camera housing member 220 to the base member. Neck member 210
is rotatably attached to the neck mount 204. In the illustrated
embodiment, neck member is attached via horizontal rotation axis
212 which is held to the neck member 204 using a friction member
212 attached to said neck mount 204 and in contact with said annular
neck member 210 such that a force of friction opposes rotation of
said annular neck member 210. When configured as illustrated, the
neck member 210 is rotatable in a vertical plane. Friction member
may be, for example a metal bracket that is shaped in such a way
as to deform when held down onto the rotation axis 212, thereby
allowing the neck member 210 to rotate on the axis 212, but to hold
its position due to the force of friction unless an appropriately
substantial force is applied to overcome such friction.
[0018]In one embodiment, annular neck member 210 thus comprises
a proximal end 211 and a distal end 213, where said proximal end
211 is rotatably attachable to a base member, e.g. the neck mount
204 portion of the illustrated base member, and said distal end
213 is rotatably attachable to a camera housing member 220 such
that said camera housing member 220 is rotatable in at least two
planes. Cable 240 passes from said camera housing member 220 through
said annular neck member 210 and into said base member.
[0019]To prevent cable pinching or otherwise exceeding the capacity
of the cable or other aspects of the pedestal, the neck mount 204
may be shaped in such a way as to limit rotational freedom of said
annular neck member 210 to some predetermined range of motion. This
is accomplished by the neck member 210 making contact with the neck
mount 204 when the neck member is tilted sufficiently far forward
or sufficiently far backward. In a current implementation, the neck
member 210 has approximately 90 degrees of motion: starting from
a straight up position (0 degrees) it can tilt approximately 45
degrees forward, and approximately 45 degrees backward. However,
it will be appreciated that differing amounts of rotational motion
can be accomplished using other design and shape configurations.
For example, anywhere from 40 to 140 degrees of motion could be
feasible and useful for the consumer.
[0020]A camera housing member 220 may be rotatably attached atop
said annular neck member 210. Cable 240 may pass through the neck
member 210 and into the camera housing member 220 through a cable
exit annulus 221 in the camera housing member 220. The camera housing
member 220 may rotate on a vertical axis portion 213 of said neck
member 210. When configured as illustrated, the camera housing is
rotatable in the horizontal plane. A friction member 214 may be
attached to said camera housing member 220 and in contact with said
annular neck member 210 such that a force of friction opposes rotation
of said camera housing member 210. While the hardware may be somewhat
different due to different space and dimensional constraints, the
operation of friction member 214 may be similar to that of friction
member 212.
[0021]To prevent cable pinching or otherwise exceeding the capacity
of the cable or other aspects of the pedestal, the annular neck
member 210 may comprise two rotational motion stops that limit rotational
freedom of said camera housing member 220 to a predetermined range
of motion. In a current implementation, the camera housing member
220 has approximately 90 degrees of motion: starting from a straight
forward position (0 degrees) it can twist approximately 45 degrees
to the right, and approximately 45 degrees to the left. However,
it will be appreciated that differing amounts of rotational motion
can be accomplished using other design and shape configurations.
For example, anywhere from 40 to 140 degrees of motion could be
feasible and useful for the consumer.
[0022]The camera housing 220 may comprise a front plate 225 and
a back plate 226 which attach together, forming an interior cavity
in which the digital camera electronics 230 may reside. Digital
camera 230 may receive light through a camera exit annulus 223 located
in the front plate 225. A lens may be situated in camera exit annulus
223 and a rotatable focus ring 224 may be provided for advancing
and retracting the lens to obtain a desired level of magnification
or camera focus.
[0023]Digital camera 230 may be a single frame camera or a video
camera as appropriate. It may be of a wide variety of differing
qualities and resolutions as desired by the manufacturer and according
to a desired price point for the pedestal. Cable 240 may be electrically
coupled to digital camera 230 in the camera housing 220.
[0024]The camera housing 220 may further comprises an annulus of
translucent material 222 concentric with said camera exit annulus
223. A plurality of lights within said camera housing member 220,
such as low-power Light Emitting Diode (LED) lights, may illuminate
when the cable 240 is attached to an electrical power source. The
lights may illuminate the annulus of translucent material 222, thereby
indicating to a user that the camera 230 is plugged in and operational.
[0025]FIG. 3 illustrates a view of the exemplary digital camera
pedestal with cable in neck in which a front plate is removed from
the camera housing to reveal the interior of the camera housing.
FIG. 3 also further illustrates how the neck member 210 may be rotated
in a vertical plane--i.e. tilted forward and backward, with respect
to the neck mount 204, while surface mount 202 sits firmly on a
flat surface. Meanwhile, housing member 220 in which digital camera
230 is located, may be rotated in a horizontal plane, i.e. twisted
right and left, with respect to the neck member 210.
[0026]FIG. 4 illustrates a view of the underside of the exemplary
digital camera pedestal with cable in neck, in which the surface
mount is removed from the base member to reveal the interior cavity
of the base member. A bracket used as a friction member 212 is attached
to the underside of neck mount 204. The cable 240 can be seen coming
down through the neck member and into an interior cavity in the
base member, then out of the exit annulus 205. Also, a molded set
of features in the base member provides cable strain relief by preventing
the cable 240 from being pulled out by a user.
[0027]In addition to the specific implementations explicitly set
forth herein, other aspects and implementations will be apparent
to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification
disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and illustrated
implementations be considered as examples only, with a true scope
and spirit of the following claims. |