Camera and camera assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9835933-B2
Application number	US-201314765932-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 25, 2013
Priority date	Feb 18, 2013
Publication date	Dec 5, 2017
Grant date	Dec 5, 2017

Abstract

A main body of a camera accommodates a light receiving part. The main body has a flat bottom surface. A support is aligned with the main body in a left-right direction, and supports the main body in such a manner that an orientation of the light receiving part can be controlled in a vertical direction. A bottom surface of the support is located on a common plane on which a bottom surface of the main body is also located. The bottom surface of the support can be attached to and detached from a stand member which is mounted to a display device. This camera promises enhanced stability of mounting of the camera to an edge of a display device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A camera comprising:
a main body accommodating a light receiving part, the main body having a flat bottom surface and a center-line extending in a left-right direction when viewing a front of the main body;
a support which is aligned with the main body in the left-right direction, supports the main body so as to permit orientation of the light receiving part to be controlled in a vertical direction, and has a bottom surface located on a common plane whereon the bottom surface of the main body rests;
a first shaft extending in the left-right direction and parallel to the center-line of the main body, the first shaft being located downward from, and offset in a first direction from, the center-line of the main body, and the first shaft operating to support and permit the main body to rotate about the first shaft and tilt in the first direction, which is one of a forward direction and a rearward direction; and
a second shaft extending in the left-right direction and parallel to the center-line of the main body, the second shaft being located downward from, and offset in a second direction from, the center-line of the main body, and the second shaft operating to support and permit the main body to rotate about the second shaft and tilt in the second direction, which is the other of the forward direction and the rearward direction.

2. The camera according to claim 1 , wherein
the support is so formed as to permit a motion of the second shaft at the time of tilting of the main body in the first direction and to permit a motion of the first shaft at the time of tilting of the main body in the second direction.

3. The camera according to claim 1 , wherein
the main body and the support are formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole; and
the main body has two light receiving parts aligned on a plane perpendicular to the bottom surface thereof.

4. The camera according to claim 1 , wherein the bottom surface of the support is attachable to and detachable from a stand member mounted to a display device.

5. The camera according to claim 1 , wherein the main body has two light receiving parts and at least one microphone disposed between the two light receiving parts.

6. The camera according to claim 5 , wherein the main body has a microphone disposed on a right side of the two light receiving parts, and a microphone disposed on a left side of the two light receiving parts.

7. A camera assembly comprising:
a camera; and
a stand member for mounting to a display device,
wherein the camera includes
a main body accommodating a light receiving part, the main body having a flat bottom surface and a center-line extending in a left-right direction when viewing a front of the main body;
a support which is aligned with the main body in the left-right direction, supports the main body so as to permit orientation of the light receiving part to be controlled in a vertical direction, and has a bottom surface located on a common plane whereon the bottom surface of the main body rests;
a first shaft extending in the left-right direction and parallel to the center-line of the main body, the first shaft being located downward from, and offset in a first direction from, the center-line of the main body, and the first shaft operating to support and permit the main body to rotate about the first shaft and tilt in the first direction, which is one of a forward direction and a rearward direction; and
a second shaft extending in the left-right direction and parallel to the center-line of the main body, the second shaft being located downward from, and offset in a second direction from, the center-line of the main body, and the second shaft operating to support and permit the main body to rotate about the second shaft and tilt in the second direction, which is the other of the forward direction and the rearward direction.

8. A stand member for supporting a camera, the camera including a main body accommodating a light receiving part, the main body having a flat bottom surface and a center-line extending in a left-right direction when viewing a front of the main body; and a main body accommodating a light receiving part, the main body having a flat bottom surface and a center-line extending in a left-right direction when viewing a front of the main body; a support which is aligned with the main body in the left-right direction, supports the main body so as to permit orientation of the light receiving part to be controlled in a vertical direction, and has a bottom surface located on a common plane whereon the bottom surface of the main body rests; a first shaft extending in the left-right direction and parallel to the center-line of the main body, the first shaft being located downward from, and offset in a first direction from, the center-line of the main body, and the first shaft operating to support and permit the main body to rotate about the first shaft and tilt in the first direction, which is one of a forward direction and a rearward direction; and a second shaft extending in the left-right direction and parallel to the center-line of the main body, the second shaft being located downward from, and offset in a second direction from, the center-line of the main body, and the second shaft operating to support and permit the main body to rotate about the second shaft and tilt in the second direction, which is the other of the forward direction and the rearward direction, the stand member comprising:
a support plate having a portion on which to mount the main body of the camera; and
an engaging part which is provided on the support plate, is fitted to an engaged part formed at a bottom surface of the support of the camera, and is elastically held in the engaged part.

9. The stand member according to claim 8 , wherein the support plate is provided with a plurality of positioning projections which are fitted respectively in a plurality of recesses formed in the bottom surface of the support of the camera.

10. The stand member according to claim 8 , further comprising:
a hook formed along a front edge of the portion for supporting the main body of the camera; and
a movable part for clamping an edge of a display device in cooperation with the hook, the movable part extending rearward from the portion for supporting the main body of the camera.

Assignees

• Sony Computer Entertainment Inc
• Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc

Inventors

• Araki Takamasa
• Ishioka Manabu
• Nokuo Taichi

Classifications

• H04N23/58

  Means for changing the camera field of view without moving the camera body, e.g. nutating or panning of optics or image sensors · CPC title

• H04N5/2259

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G03B17/561 Primary

  Support related camera accessories · CPC title

• H04N13/0239

  Electricity · mapped topic

• F16M11/10

  around a horizontal axis {(F16M11/12 takes precedence)} · CPC title