JPH07162720A - Video camera device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a video camera device which is capable of projecting an object arranged almost horizontally on the monitor of an opposite side by the same up and dow and left and right relations viewed by an operator. CONSTITUTION:A camera main body 12 is supported so that it may be rotatable to draw the locus of a cone where the angle of an apex is 90 deg. around the vicinity of the rear end part by a support axis 14 of approximately in chevron which is bent with an angle of 45 deg.. By the operation of the handle 11 by an operator, the camera main body 12 is rotatable to a location which is roughly horizontal and is confronted with the operator and a location which is rotated by 180 deg. by a horizontal relation from this location and faces downward in a roughtly vertical direction, and the video of the operator and the image of a document 8 can be fetched and projected on the monitor of an opposite side. When the image input of the document 8 is performed, the image of the document 8 as it is in the direction viewed from the operator can be projected on the monitor of the opposite side by the 90 deg. rotation of the optical axis of the camera and the 180 deg. rotation by the left and right relation.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a video camera device for displaying a subject and converting it into an electric signal as a video signal, and more particularly to a video camera device suitable for use in computer-based TV conversation communication, TV conference communication and the like. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Recently, in a personal computer communication system in which a plurality of personal computers (personal computers) 1 are connected by a communication cable 2 as shown in FIG. 1, not only the communication of characters input by an operator from a keyboard 3 but also the communication of voices. Alternatively, a system called TV conversation communication or TV conference communication has been developed in which an operator or a subject such as a document is communicated as a video signal.

In the system, as shown in FIG. 2, a monitor unit 4 of a personal computer is provided with a microphone 5 for inputting a voice uttered by an operator and a speaker unit 5 for outputting a voice received from a personal computer of a communication partner. A video camera device (hereinafter, simply referred to as a camera) 6 for inputting a subject such as an operator or a document is provided. Camera 6
Is rotatably provided in a substantially horizontal position facing the front and in a vertical position as shown by a dotted line. When the operator rotates the camera 6, not only the operator himself but also the desk 7 The subject such as the document 8 can be captured and the information can be displayed on the other party's monitor.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic structure for taking in an image of a subject from the camera 6 of the personal computer into the personal computer, and the video signal from the camera 6 is A / D converted by the A / D converter 9. After that, the data is input to the CPU 10 of the personal computer, and the CPU 10 stores the input video data in the memory 11 as necessary or outputs the video data to the monitor 4 on the operator side to display the video. It is possible to connect not only one camera but also a plurality of cameras 6 ′, 6 ″. A similar configuration is used on the communication partner side, and the image of the subject displayed by the camera is also used. Is configured to be viewed on the other party's monitor.

[0005]

However, in the conventional example shown in FIG. 2, the operator of the personal computer can leave the camera 6 on the desk 7 with the camera 6 facing downward although the operator of the personal computer can just display it on the monitor of the other party. When the image is displayed, since the optical axis of the camera 6 is changed by 90 degrees and the left-right relationship of the document in the vertical and horizontal positions is reversed, the orientation of the document 8 is 180 degrees from the correct direction when viewed from the operator. If it is not changed, the letters "ABC", for example, on the document 8 are displayed upside down on the screen of the partner monitor as shown by the broken line. However, if the orientation of the document 8 is changed by 180 degrees, it is difficult for the operator to read the characters on the document 8 and it is inconvenient to read the content of the document 8 and explain it to the operator of the communication partner. .

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a video camera device capable of displaying a subject arranged substantially horizontally in the same vertical and lateral relationship as seen from the operator on the monitor of the other side.

[0007]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, according to the video camera device of the present invention, the angle of the top of the camera main body showing the subject and the angle of the apex with the vicinity of the rear end of the camera main body as the rotation center. It has a supporting means for supporting the camera body so that the optical axis rotates between a horizontal direction and a vertical direction in a trajectory of a conical shape of about 90 degrees, and the camera body is rotated in the vertical direction via the supporting means. By moving the object, a substantially horizontal object is displayed on the other monitor in the same vertical and horizontal relationship as seen from the operator.

[0008]

When the video camera device having such a structure is used for the TV conversation communication and the TV conference communication, if the optical axis of the camera main body is made substantially horizontal and it is rotated to a position facing the operator, The image can be displayed on the other party's monitor. Also, if you rotate the camera body in the vertical direction,
Images of documents placed almost horizontally can be displayed on the other party's monitor. At that time, the vertical relationship of the document on the other monitor becomes the same as that of the operator side due to the rotation of the optical axis of the camera body that draws a conical trajectory by 90 degrees, and the conical twist The left and right orientations of the camera itself are changed by 180 degrees by such rotation, so that the left and right orientations of the document on the partner monitor become the same as those on the operator side.
Therefore, the subject can be displayed on the partner monitor in the same vertical and lateral relationship as seen from the operator.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 4 shows how a video camera device according to an embodiment of the present invention mounted on a housing of a monitor 4 of a personal computer images a subject.

The camera device of the present embodiment comprises a camera body 12 having a handle 11 planted on the upper surface of the front part thereof, and a support tool for supporting the camera body 12.
It consists of 5. The bearing 15 is fixed to the side surface of the housing of the monitor 3 at an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the vertical direction, whereby the support shaft 14 is rotatably supported.

As shown in FIG. 5, the support shaft 14 is bent at an angle of 45 degrees at a substantially central portion thereof and is formed in a substantially V-shape. A camera support 16 is integrally fixed to the end of the support shaft 14 opposite to the end inserted into the bearing 15. The camera support 16 is formed in an elongated plate shape corresponding to the shape of the camera main body 12, and the camera main body 12 faces forward in the drawing on the a surface which is the upper surface at the position shown by the solid line in FIG. Fixed.

Here, when the side of the support shaft 14 where the camera support 16 is not provided is borne and the support shaft 14 is rotated around the bearing, the support shaft 14 is bent at an angle of 45 degrees. Therefore, the camera support base 16 rotates about the bent portion 14a of the support shaft 14 so as to draw a conical locus having a top angle of 90 degrees. Therefore, the camera body 12
Is rotatably supported around a bent portion 14a located near the rear end thereof so as to draw a conical locus with a top angle of 90 degrees.

Then, as shown in FIG. 4, the support shaft 14
The camera body 12 is indicated by a solid line by supporting the portion of the monitor 3 opposite to the side where the camera body 12 is fixed on the side surface of the housing of the monitor 3 with the bearing 15 inclined at an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the vertical direction. It can be rotatably supported at the position and the position indicated by the broken line, and the camera body 12 can be rotated to each position by operating the handle 11. At the position indicated by the solid line, the camera body 12 is substantially horizontal above the monitor 4, and the front surface of the camera body 12 provided with the objective lens 13 faces the operator (not shown) who sits facing the monitor 3. The position indicated by the broken line is a position obtained by rotating the camera body 12 by 90 degrees along the optical axis and 180 degrees in the left-right relationship from the position indicated by the solid line, and the camera body 12 is substantially vertical to the side of the monitor 4 and faces downward.

Therefore, if the camera body 12 is rotated to the position indicated by the solid line by operating the handle 11, the image of the operator can be captured and displayed on the monitor of the other side, and can be displayed on the mounting surface such as a desk next to the monitor 4. If the document 8 is placed and the camera body 12 is rotated to the position of the broken line, the image of the document 8 can be displayed on the monitor of the other party.

Here, as can be seen from FIG. 5, the surface a of the camera support base 16 is upward at the position indicated by the solid line, but backward at the rotational position indicated by the broken line, as shown in FIG. Camera body 12 when moved
Turns backwards. And the camera body 1 at the position indicated by the solid line
The right side surface and the left side surface of 2 become the left side surface and the right side surface at the position of the broken line, respectively. That is, the orientation of the camera body 12 itself is changed by 180 degrees with the 180-degree rotation that draws a conical locus from the position of the solid line to the position of the broken line. Therefore, the left-right relationship is reversed, and since the optical axis of the camera body is rotated by 90 degrees, the up-down relationship becomes an upright relationship.
The vertical and horizontal directions of the document 8 displayed on the other side monitor are the same as the relationship seen from an operator (not shown) sitting facing the monitor 4, and the image of the document 8 is viewed from the operator. It can be displayed on the other party's monitor as it is.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the image of the document 8 placed in front of the operator can be displayed on the partner monitor in the same direction as the operator sees it. Therefore, the operator does not need to change the orientation of the document by 180 degrees as in the conventional case when capturing the image of the document, and the description content of the document can be explained to the operator of the communication partner without difficulty.

It should be noted that the camera body 12 is locked by engaging means (not shown) that elastically engage and disengage at the solid line position and the broken line position of the camera body 12 in FIG. 4, respectively. It is effective to be able to release the lock with a certain amount of force that does not impose a burden on the operator.

In the above-described embodiment, the camera support base is described as having a substantially V-shape, but a mounting structure as shown in FIG. 6 may be adopted. That is, one surface 20 of the angled support plate is fixed to the side surface of the monitor 4, while the other surface 21 is fixed to the support plate 22 on which the camera body 12 is fixed.
It is also possible to attach this support plate and draw a conical locus of about 90 degrees around the X axis so that the optical axis of the camera rotates between the horizontal direction and the vertical direction. In addition, it goes without saying that it can be implemented as a camera exterior including these supports.

[0020]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the video camera device of the present invention, the angle of the apex is about 90 degrees with the camera body showing the subject and the vicinity of the rear end of the camera body as the center of rotation. Since a support means for supporting the camera main body is provided so that the optical axis rotates between the horizontal direction and the vertical direction by drawing a conical locus of the same, it is the same as the operator seeing a subject in the substantially horizontal direction. It is possible to display on the other side monitor in a vertical and horizontal relationship, and the operator does not need to change the orientation of the document 180 degrees as in the conventional case when capturing the image of the document, and the contents of the document can be displayed on the communication partner without difficulty. It is possible to explain to the operator.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a personal computer communication system in which a plurality of personal computers are connected by a communication cable.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state of television conversation communication using a conventional camera.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration for capturing an image from a camera of a personal computer.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing how an image is captured by the video camera device of the embodiment of the present invention attached to the monitor housing of a personal computer.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a rotation state of a support shaft that supports a camera body of the apparatus and a camera support base.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing another embodiment for supporting the camera body of the same device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 PC 2 Communication cable 3 Keyboard 4 Monitor 5 Microphone and speaker unit 11 Handle 12 Camera body 13 Objective lens 14 Support shaft 15 Bearing 16 Camera support base

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A camera body showing an object, and a conical locus having an apex angle of about 90 degrees around a rear end portion of the camera body as a center of rotation, and an optical axis rotates between a horizontal direction and a vertical direction. It has a supporting means for supporting the camera body so as to move, and by rotating the camera body in the vertical direction via the supporting means, a substantially horizontal subject is seen by the operator in the same vertical and horizontal relationship. A video camera device characterized by being displayed on the side monitor.