Wearable camera

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11258928-B2
Application number	US-202016777322-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 30, 2020
Priority date	Jun 28, 2019
Publication date	Feb 22, 2022
Grant date	Feb 22, 2022

Abstract

A wearable camera includes a capturing portion configured to capture a subject around a user, a control portion configured to control capturing processing of the capturing portion and charging processing of a battery, an upper housing that is mountable to the user and accommodates the capturing portion and the control portion, and a lower housing that accommodates the battery for supplying power to the upper housing, is detachably attached to the upper housing, and has a contact terminal which is exposed to an outside and is used for charging the battery, wherein the lower housing is configured to be connected to a charging stand via the contact terminal such that the battery is charged in a state where the lower housing is attached to the upper housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wearable camera comprising:
a capturing portion configured to capture a subject around a user;
a first control portion configured to control capturing processing of the capturing portion, and control charging processing of a battery;
an upper housing that is mountable to the user and accommodates the capturing portion and the first control portion; and
a lower housing that accommodates the battery and is detachably attached to the upper housing,
wherein the lower housing includes outer contact terminals that are exposed to an outside and positioned on a first side of the lower housing, and inner contact terminals that are positioned on a second side of the lower housing that is opposite to the first side,
in a state where the lower housing is connected to a charging stand via the outer contact terminals and is attached to the upper housing, the battery is charged by the charging stand via the outer contact terminals,
in a state where the lower housing is disconnected from the charging stand and is attached to the upper housing,
the battery supplies power to the capturing portion and the first control portion via a first set of terminals of the inner contact terminals, and
the first control portion monitors and controls a charging status of the battery via a second set of terminals of the inner contact terminals, and
in a state where the lower housing is connected to the charging stand via the inner contact terminals and is detached from the upper housing,
the battery is charged by the charging stand via the first set of terminals, and
a second control portion in the charging stand monitors and controls the charging status of the battery via the second set of terminals.

2. The wearable camera according to claim 1 ,
wherein the inner contact terminals includes a greater number of terminals than the outer contact terminals.

3. The wearable camera according to claim 1 ,
wherein the upper housing and the lower housing are double-locked by a temporary locking portion and a main locking portion that performs main locking after temporary locking is performed by the temporary locking portion.

4. The wearable camera according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a pair of main locking hooks which are provided on left and right side surfaces of the upper housing respectively so as to be swingable,
wherein when projection portions on upper outer surfaces of the upper housing and the pair of main locking hooks are simultaneously pushed, hook claws at a lower end of the upper housing are swung toward an outside to unlock the lower housing from claw locking portions of the lower housing.

5. The wearable camera according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a pair of main locking hooks which are provided on left and right side surfaces of the upper housing respectively so as to be movable in parallel with a direction perpendicular to the side surfaces,
wherein when projection portions on upper outer surfaces of the upper housing and the pair of main locking hooks are simultaneously pushed, hook claws at a lower end of the upper housing are moved inwards in parallel with the direction to unlock the lower housing from claw locking portions of the lower housing.

6. The wearable camera according to claim 1 ,
wherein the upper housing accommodates two wireless communication portions.

7. The wearable camera according to claim 6 ,
wherein one of the two wireless communication portions performs a narrow-area wireless communication using a wireless LAN or a short-range wireless communication standard between the wearable camera and a police vehicle located within a predetermined communication range; and
wherein data acquired by the capturing portion or the first control portion accommodated in the upper housing is sent to the police vehicle via a wireless communication using the wireless LAN.

8. The wearable camera according to claim 6 ,
wherein one of the two wireless communication portions performs a wide-area wireless communication between the wearable camera and a server in a police station located in a predetermined communication cell; and
wherein data acquired by the capturing portion or the control portion accommodated in the upper housing is sent to the server through the wide-area wireless communication.

9. The wearable camera according to claim 8 ,
wherein the wide-area wireless communication is a wireless communication conforming to an LTE communication standard.

10. The wearable camera according to claim 1 ,
wherein a lower housing of a different type is capable of being selectively coupled to the upper housing.

11. The wearable camera according to claim 1
wherein, in the state where the lower housing is connected to the charging stand via the inner contact terminals and is detached from the upper housing, the lower housing is inserted into a hole that extends into an upper surface of the charging stand.

Assignees

• Panasonic I Pro Sensing Solutions Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hamada Junichi
• Murata Shinichi
• Jojima Yu
• Takada Noboru
• Nakamura Masashi
• Taniguchi Koji

Classifications

• G03B17/02 Primary

  Bodies · CPC title

• H04N23/51 Primary

  Housings · CPC title

• H01M50/543

  Terminals · CPC title

• H01M50/258

  Modular batteries; Casings provided with means for assembling · CPC title

• G03B17/561

  Support related camera accessories · CPC title