GB2446222A

GB2446222A - A computer camera periscope

Info

Publication number: GB2446222A
Application number: GB0702010A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Charles Dancy
Original assignee: MUNGAI MIRRORS Ltd
Current assignee: MUNGAI MIRRORS Ltd
Priority date: 2007-02-02
Filing date: 2007-02-02
Publication date: 2008-08-06
Also published as: GB0702010D0

Abstract

A computer camera periscope device has two mirrors D, E set at 90 degrees to each other, held by side brackets C, which attach the device to the top of a laptop computer lid S over the lens of a built in camera B at the precise angle necessary to reflect the view in front of the laptop and away from the compute operator effectively reversing the original view of the camera.

Description

Computer Camera Periscope This invention concerns mirrors. More

particularly, it relates to an assembly of one or more mirrors and a supporting mount that can be temporarily fixed to the body of a computer so as to reflect the field of view of a camera where a camera is built into the body of the computer.

Computers, like mobile phones, are sometimes fitted with built-in cameras that can capture still or moving images. Typically such a camera will be mounted at the top of the computer screen and will face towards the position in which the computer user's face will be when the computer is in use. Such a built-in camera will be fixed in this position, which is useful when the user wishes to participate in video chat sessions or make video telephone calls. The camera is often fixed solidly in this position and cannot be steered or turned to point in any other direction.

The present invention seeks to provide a novel device consisting of an assembly or one or mote mirrors and a mounting mechanism which can be attached to the body of the computer so as to reflect the view of a camera already contained in a computer or other device so as to point in another direction.

In one aspect therefore this invention provides, for use with a computer or other device having a built-in camera a mirror or mirrors and a mount therefor, the mount being securable to the computer so as to hold the mirrors in such a position that the mirrors when so mounted will cause the field of view of the camera to be reflected so as extend in a direction that points behind the computer instead of in front of it.

As will be appreciated this combination of a mirrors and mount of the invention will enable the user of a computer to which it is attached to film or photograph things that lie behind the computer as opposed to filming or photographing things that lie in front of the computer.

The invention is most applicable to laptop computers such as those fitted with a lid that is hinged to a body constructed to open much like a book. Typically such a computer will have a flat display screen fitted to the underside of the lid, and a keyboard fitted to th top of the body the whole being constructed so that when the computer is opened for use the display screen faces towards the user. Certain models and designs of such machines include a small digital camera that is mounted on the underside of the lid just above the display screen so that it points towards the face of the computer user when the machine is in use. The field of view of such a camera projects in a direction normal to plane of the display screen. Since the lid of such a computer is hinged it will be appreciated that the direction in which the camera points will rotate around the axis of the hinge connecting the lid and base of the computer when it is opened or closed or when the user adjusts the angle of the lid, and hence the angle of the screen, during use.

The mirrors and mount of this invention attach to the top edge of the lid of the computer so as to place one mirror directly over the field of view of the camera and then to reflect this field of view so that it points in a direction that is angled to to the original direction. If as second mirror is placed into this reflected field of view at an angle of 90 degrees then it becomes possible to turn the view of the camera in the opposite direction to the direction it originally faced.

The mirrors of this invention may be a planar mirrors or a convex mirrors or concave mirrors or any combination thereof.

Where a planar mirror is used the image reflected by the invention will be similar to the image normally produced by the camera when the invention is not fitted to it except that it will be reflected so that resulting image is reversed with respect to its left to right axis as is common to all mirror reflections. Where a convex mirror is used the resulting image will have a broader field of view and where a concave mirror is used the resulting field of view will be narrower. It is preferable to use a planar mirror for reasons of cost and also because the resulting field of

view matches the original field of view exactly.

The mirrors and the supporting bracket are designed to reflect the field of view of the camera in such a manner that the reflected field of view passes just clear of the top of the lid of the computer. The angle and position of the mirror or mirrors are critical since it is undesirable for the reflected image, as received by the camera, to contain a view of any part of the computer or the brackets supporting the mirror. It will be appreciated that, since the lid of the computer is hinged and may move with respect to the base of the computer, that the mirror and mounting brackets must necessarily be attached in a rigid manner to the lid of the computer so that the angle and placement of the device does not alter, with respect to the camera, when the lid is lifted up or down.

The mirrors and mount of the invention may be attached in any way to the lid of the computer but is is preferable if they may be easily attached and removed from the lid of the computer without the use of fixings or adhesives and this can be achieved by means of having two slots cut into the mount that match the cross-sectional profile of the computer lid so that the mirror and its mount can be slid onto the top edge of the open lid. By means of making the mounts from a flexible material and cutting the slots a little undersize with respect to the profile of the lid of the computer the entire assembly can be slid onto the top edge of the lid where the tension in the material from which the mount is constructed will cause the mount to lightly grip the lid of the computer. The tension in this material being due to the distortion in it which will result from it being pushed into this position. Similarly the entire assembly may be easily removed from the lid of the computer by puffing it off in an upwards direction.

Parts that are accurately made as described above, such as two mirror and a pair of brackets can be made to fit together so that their surfaces meet at a right angle by means of forming a hole or slot in one part, and a tab or tenon in the other. Two parts can be made to lock or snap together by designing the shapes to which each part is made so that one part, or the other part, or both parts must deform a little in order to allow one part to be positioned correctly with respect to the other. If the parts are designed as shown in the drawings attached below the parts of the invention will be held together by means of the tension generated in them by the application of the force that brought them together.

It will be appreciated that due to the position in which the device must be held, it would not be possible to close the lid of the computer while the device is in position as this would cause them to meet and contact the base of the computer before the lid was fully closed so it is preferable for the device to be easily detached from the computer as previously described.

Certain embodiments of the invention are now described, though only by way of illustration by which: Figure 1 shows a side elevation of a pair of mirrors and supporting brackets together with lines showing the field of view and reflected field of view of a camera built into the body of a laptop computer. The lid of the computer (S) is shown in an open and upright position. The display screen of the computer is on the side of the lid marked B this being the side that faces the user when the machine is in use. A camera (B) is built into the lid and the centre line of its field of view (VI) points towards the user. A specially shaped pair of mounting brackets (C) grip the top of the lid and provide support for a primary mirror (D) and a secondary mirror (E) The view of the camera is entirely obstructed by the primary mirror and turned in a new direction which points approximately vertically. This reflected field of view is, in turn, entirely obstructed by the secondary mirror which lies in an orientation that is 90 degrees to the primary mirror. It will be appreciated that the reflected field of view is again reflected by the secondary mirror so as to point in a direction that is now 180 degrees from the original view of the camera as indicated by the line marked V2. The secondary mirror needs to be larger than the primary because the field of the view of the camera (FoV) becomes larger as the distance from the camera increases. Since the lid of the computer is hinged with respect to its base it will be appreciated that as the lid is tilted in the direction Ti the reflected view of the camera will move down, whereas when it is tilted in the direction T2 the reflected view will move up.

This tilting of the view is precisely opposite to the effect of tilting the lid when the mirror assembly is not fitted, hence it will be appreciated that the image received by the camera when the device is fitted is inverted with respect to the normal view.

Figure 2 shows the shapes to which a bracket (M) and a primary mirror (P) and a secondary mirror (S) may be cut so as to make them snap together without the need for adhesives or fixings. The bracket (M) is made from a plastic or other flexible material and the mirrors (P & S) are specially shaped planar mirrors. The mirrors have specially shaped tabs at each end which are designed to mate with specially shaped slots in the bracket.

The primary mirror (P) has two specially shaped tabs at each end that can be freely inserted into a specially shaped slot in the bracket without meeting any obstruction, once inserted the mirror is slid downwards (as indicated by an arrow) in the slot causing a flexible latch (Li) to be deformed in such a way that it locks the mirrors tabs into place. The two tabs are labeled D and E. It will be appreciated that the gap between these two tabs allows the mirror to be inserted into the bracket slot without being obstructed by the end of the latch (LI) and that the latch locks against D while E hooks the primary mirror into the bracket and prevents it from sliding out once locked into position.

The secondary mirror has a more complex profile consisting of tabs and recesses in its edge that operate in a similar manner to the tabs on the primary mirror. The gap between the tabs marked B and C allow the mirror to be inserted into the bracket without being obstructed by the flexible latch L2 and once slid in the direction marked by the arrow the tab B locks against L2 while tabs A and C hook the mirror securely into the bracket.

At the base of the bracket is a shape designed to fit accurately over the lid of the computer. It is shaped so that the only points of contact between the bracket and the computer are at the points marked F, G, H an J. The edge of the bracket is curved at all of these points in a manner intended to reduce the possibility of scratching the lid of the computer when the device is put on or taken off.

The contact point marked F is at the end of a part of the bracket that is flexible having been cut to thin section from the body of the bracket, it is designed in such a way that the flexible section must bend slightly to allow the bracket to pass onto the lid of the computer and the resulting stress in the material of the bracket provides a small clamping force that grips the lid so as to prevent the bracket from falling off the lid. Since there is a risk of over-stressing this part of the bracket a thicker, and hence less flexible, section is left behind it to prevent the point F being deformed to the point of fracture.

Claims

computer camera periscope.

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