JPH09289604A - Method for attaching image pickup equipment, and image pickup equipment to be attached to electronic equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve portability and versatility and to easily perform attachment to an electronic equipment, especially an information equipment, by forming an attachment means in a clip shape and attaining the form of freely attachably and detachably performing attachment to the case body of the electronic equipment. SOLUTION: First, the panel part 23 of a notebook type personal computer 11 is opened, a small-sized electronic camera 10 is attached to the desired position of the panel part 23 and the position of a camera part is adjusted. Then, a cable 15 is inserted to an input terminal and the camera 10 is connected to the personal computer 11. The power switch of the personal computer 11 is turned ON and the personal computer 11 is operated by a keyboard 24 and a track pad 25. Images are picked up by the camera 10, fetched as image data and displayed at a display 26 or sent to an opposite party. At the time of changing an image pickup range, when the position of the camera 10 is changed and the direction of a camera main body part is adjusted, desired images are obtained.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method of mounting an imaging device and an imaging device mounted on an electronic device, and more particularly to a mounting method and a mounting structure for detachably mounting to an information device such as a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as a personal computer). Regarding

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a conventional image pickup device for capturing a screen in an information device having a screen display function such as a personal computer, it is well known that it is connected to a desktop computer as shown in FIG.

That is, the desktop computer 1 is
As shown in FIG. 10, a main body 2 and a display 3 which is an output medium for displaying graphics, characters and the like on a tube surface.
And a keyboard 4 which is an input medium connected to the main body 2 for performing an input operation.

An expansion slot for connecting an external device (not shown) is prepared inside the main body 2, and a PC card board is inserted and connected to the image pickup device 5 to control image pickup and image pickup data. Enter and process.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 10, the image pickup device 5 connected to the PC card board inserted in the expansion slot is of a desktop type, and a camera 6 for picking up an image of a predetermined range in a certain direction is used. It has a structure provided. FIG.
In 0, the operation direction of the personal computer 1, that is, the upper half of the body of the person who uses the personal computer 1 is set to be imaged, and the structure is used for a so-called video conference.
Note that auxiliary equipment such as a microphone and a printer, which are not directly related, are omitted.

[0006] Further, with the development of a technique for introducing an image into a personal computer environment by an image pickup device such as a small electronic camera and the downsizing of the image pickup device, various small image pickup devices to be used by connecting to a personal computer have been proposed. .

[0007]

However, in the configuration of the personal computer and the image pickup apparatus in the prior art, as shown in FIG. 10, the personal computer 1 is a desktop type, and portability is not taken into consideration. Further, since the imaging device 5 is also large and bulky, it is difficult to carry and use, and there is a problem that the portability is not good.

Further, since the image pickup device 5 is used by connecting to the PC card board inserted in the expansion slot, there is a problem that it takes time to install.

Further, since the image pickup range is limited to a predetermined range in a fixed direction, there is a problem in that the installation place is often restricted and the versatility is lacking.

Therefore, the present invention has a problem in an imaging device which is excellent in portability and versatility and can be easily attached to an electronic device, particularly an information device.

[0011]

In order to solve the above problems, a method for mounting an image pickup device according to the present invention comprises an output medium for displaying graphics, characters and the like on a screen and an input medium for inputting information. The electronic device comprises an electronic device and an image pickup device provided with a mounting device that is attachable to a housing forming the electronic device. The mounting device is formed in a clip shape so as to be detachably mounted to the housing of the electronic device. That is what I did.

In order to solve the above problems, an image pickup device attached to an electronic device according to the present invention is an electronic device including an output medium for displaying graphics, characters, etc. on a screen and an input medium for inputting information, and at least The image pickup device is provided with a camera body having a lens and a light receiving element, and the image pickup device is provided with a clip-shaped attachment unit that is detachably attached to a housing of the electronic device.

With the above arrangement, the image pickup device can be detachably attached to the housing of the electronic device, particularly the information device, by the clip-shaped attaching means, so that the image pickup range in the direction of the operator who operates the image pickup device is, for example, a wrap. If it is a top-type information device, the imaging range can be determined by mounting it on any of the three sides of the output medium displayed on the screen.

[0014]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Next, an electronic device having a screen display function which is an output medium according to the present invention and an input medium for inputting information, that is, a notebook personal computer or a PDA (Personal Digital Assist) will be described. An embodiment of a mounting structure for an imaging device, which is mounted on a portable information device, will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

First, the image pickup apparatus of the first embodiment according to the present invention will be described.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the small electronic camera 10 which is an image pickup device is used by being attached to a notebook personal computer 11 which is an information device.

This notebook type personal computer 11 has a personal computer main body 22 corresponding to an input medium formed in a flat rectangular shape, and a screen display for displaying graphics, characters and the like attached to the personal computer main body 22 so as to be openable and closable. And a panel section 23 corresponding to an output medium having a function. At the time of use, as shown in FIG.
It has a structure that can be used by opening it by rotating it upward, and when not in use, it can be made into a book shape. The personal computer body 22 has a structure in which a keyboard 24 for input operation and a track pad 25 for moving a cursor are provided, and the keyboard 24 and the track pad 25 are operated to input / output desired data. You can Although not shown, the CPU (C
general processing unit), R
OM (Read Only Memory), RAM
A circuit board on which (Random Access Memory) or the like is mounted is incorporated and performs data processing. Further, the panel unit 23 is provided with a liquid crystal display 26 including a liquid crystal screen capable of displaying graphics, characters and the like, and the small electronic camera 10 is provided on the right side of the display 26.
Is attached. The thickness T of the panel portion 23 varies depending on the model, but the spring 14 provided in the small electronic camera 10 is designed to open wider than the thickness T.

This small electronic camera 10 has a camera portion 12 formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and a main body portion 13 provided with mounting means.
It is composed of The attachment means provided in the main body 13 has a structure in which a spring 14 that forms a cantilever clip of a one-sided spring that is a locking member is provided. Also, the main body 1
3 is provided with a cable 15 for sending the imaged data to the personal computer 11.

The camera section 12 has a structure in which a lens 16 is arranged on the front surface thereof and a CCD (solid-state image pickup element) 17 which is a light receiving element is provided therein.

The camera section 12 changes the direction within a predetermined range with the main body section 13 as a base, and picks up an image in the imaging range. The image formed on the CCD 17 through the lens 16 is
It can be taken into the personal computer 11 as image data and used for communication, video conferencing, and the like.

The body portion 13 has a structure in which one end is joined in a direction substantially orthogonal to the camera portion 12.

A mounting means is provided on the opposite side of the main body 13 to which the camera section 12 is joined. As shown in FIG. 3, this mounting means includes a curved concave portion 18, a cylindrical supporting member 20 having a predetermined size at the center position of the concave portion 18, and a cylindrical cylindrical supporting member 20 in the longitudinal direction. A slit 21 that communicates the inside and the outside with the cylindrical support member 2
A spring 14 that forms a cantilevered clip of a one-sided spring having a size that can be accommodated from the upper part of 0, and a fixing member 19 that fixes the spring 14 housed in the supporting member 20 so as not to slip out from the upper part. There is.

As shown in FIG. 4, the spring 14 is formed of a wire or the like having a certain degree of strength, and has an engaging portion 14a whose open end side is bent at a right angle and a predetermined length. The shaft portion 14b is composed of a coil 14c, the base side is a spiral coil 14c having a predetermined winding, and the end portion 14d having a predetermined length from the end portion of the coil 14c.

As shown in FIG. 3, the supporting member 20 has a structure in which a tip portion thereof protrudes from the concave portion 18 and is erected so as to be substantially flush with the surface of the main body portion 13, and is provided on the side surface. The slit 21 is formed with a width that allows the end 14d of the spring 14 to be inserted therethrough. Thus, the end 14 of the spring 14
Since the d is inserted through the slit 21 and the locking portion 14a is locked to the side surface of the main body 13 so as to widen the coil 14c, the locking portion 14a of the spring 14 is always the main body 13
The structure is biased in a state of abutting against the surface. Therefore, even if a force is applied in the direction of pulling away from the main body portion 13, the locking portion 14 a of the spring 14 has a structure in which a force for returning toward the main body portion 13 always works.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the fixing member 19 covers the upper portion of the spring 14 mounted on the supporting member 20 having a cylindrical shape with a biasing force. It is composed of a head portion 19a provided with a notch 19d for mounting and moving the shaft portion 14b within a predetermined range, and a cylindrical body portion 19b formed with a diameter smaller than at least the inner diameter of the spiral coil 14c. There is. As shown in FIG. 4, in the fixing member 19 having such a configuration, the spring 14 is fitted to the supporting member 20 while the biasing force is stored, and the body portion 19b is fitted inside the coil 14c. assemble. When assembled in this way, the spring 14
The spiral coil 14 c of the support member 2 has a cylindrical shape.
It is structured such that it is supported by being sandwiched between the inner diameter side of 0 and the outer diameter side of the body portion 19b.

Thus, the coil 14c having a predetermined length in the spiral shape of the spring 14 forming the cantilever type clip of the one-sided spring.
By supporting the above portion from the outside and the inside at a predetermined interval, the locking portion 14a of the spring 14 is rotated in a direction away from the main body portion 13, and the body portion 19b maintains substantially the same winding state of the coil. While bulging, this bulging state contacts the inner diameter of the support member 20 and is braked. Therefore, even if there is an urging force stored in the spiral coil 14c wound in a predetermined length, it is possible to prevent deformation such as fatigue due to use by braking the shape from the outside. .

Next, a method of using the small electronic camera 10 which is the image pickup apparatus of the first embodiment having such a configuration will be described.

First, the panel portion 23 of the personal computer 11 is opened, and the small electronic camera 10 is attached to the panel portion 23 at a desired position.

When the small electronic camera 10 is attached to the panel section 23, the locking section 14a and the shaft section 14b of the spring 14 are attached.
Is separated from the main body portion 13 and is attached to the right side of the panel portion 23 as shown in FIG. 1, or is attached to the upper side of the panel portion 23 as shown in FIG. And the camera unit 12
Adjust the direction of.

Next, the cable 15 is inserted into an input terminal (not shown) of the personal computer 11 to connect the small electronic camera 10 to the personal computer 11. The power switch of the personal computer 11 is turned on to make it usable, and the personal computer 11 is operated with the keyboard 24 and the track pad 25.

An image can be taken by the small electronic camera 10 and taken in the personal computer 11 as image data, and the image can be displayed on the display 26 based on the taken image data or sent to the other party. When the image pickup range is changed due to the reason that the desired image pickup range cannot be obtained or the user wants to change the image pickup target, the mounting position of the small electronic camera 10 is set to, for example, the notebook computer 1 as in the embodiment.
In the case of the panel unit 23 of No. 1, by changing the positions to three sides appropriately or adjusting the orientation of the camera body unit 12, it is possible to obtain a desired image by changing the imaging range.

The one side spring 14 of the small electronic camera 10A is also used.
The back surface of the main body portion 13 with which the locking portion 14a of FIG.
As shown in, a grid-shaped mounting groove 28 may be provided. By providing such a mounting groove 28, as shown in FIG. 6, it is possible to engage with the protection frame 27 which is the output medium of the personal computer 11A and also serve as a guide. still,
The lattice-shaped mounting groove 28 does not need to be parallel or perpendicular to the edge of the main body 13, and may be provided obliquely.

Next, an image pickup device according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described.

The small electronic camera 10B, which is an imaging device,
As shown in FIG. 7, it is structured such that it can be removably attached to a notebook personal computer 11 which is an information device similar to that of the first embodiment, by means of a cantilevered clip-shaped attachment means with a spring on one side. In this camera 10B, like the cameras 10 and 10A of the first embodiment, the camera body is placed at arbitrary positions on the three sides of the panel section 23 which is the output medium of the personal computer 11, and is cantilevered on the back side of the panel section 23. The camera body is placed on the back side of the panel portion 23, which is the opposite of the structure in which it is sandwiched by the locking portions at the open ends of the springs of the clips, and the locking portions at the open ends of the springs of the cantilever type clips are used to hold the panel portion 23. It has a structure that it is clamped from the front side.

As shown in FIG. 7, the compact electronic camera 10B includes a camera section 12B, a main body section 13B having a cylindrical contact portion on both sides having a hollow center like binoculars, and a front surface of the main body section 13B. On the side, an arm 32, which is a locking member formed in the shape of a cantilevered clip with a spring on one side, is formed.

The camera section 12B is formed into a substantially rectangular parallelepiped,
A lens 16B is provided on the front surface, and a CCD 17 is provided inside.
B is provided.

Both sides of the camera section 12B are sandwiched by a pair of holding sections 30 and are structured so that they can be rotated up and down to change the imaging direction. On the other hand, the camera unit 1 is provided between the lower side of the camera unit 12B and the upper side of the main body unit 13B.
It has a structure in which a rotation member (not shown) that rotates 2B in the left-right direction is provided. In this way, with respect to the body portion 13B, the lens 16B of the camera portion 12B has a structure in which the image pickup direction can be appropriately rotated by swinging the lens 16B up and down and left and right.

The body portion 13B has contact portions 13c having a substantially cylindrical shape on both sides of a surface 13d having a depressed center like binoculars.
13e and the arm 32, which is a cantilever type clip-shaped attachment means of a one-sided spring, is extended to one side of the contact portions 13c and 13e, that is, the contact portion 13c on the left side in the embodiment.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the arm 32 is used for mounting the small electronic camera 10B by sandwiching an arbitrary side of the personal computer 11B, and is provided inside the abutting portion 13c of the main body 13B. The support member 35 and the one-sided spring 36 are biased and supported, and a locking member 32a extending in the lower orthogonal direction is provided on the open end side.

As shown in FIG. 8, the spring 36 is formed in a predetermined spiral shape, and the support member 3 spirally wound.
5 is wound around, and the end on the spirally wound side is brought into contact with the contact portion 13c.
It is fixed inside and the open end is attached to the base side of the arm 32. The arm 32 having the one-sided spring 36 attached thereto is always biased so as to come into contact with the recessed surface 13d of the main body 13B.

In the case of use, as shown in FIG. 9, the vertices P and R of the contact portions 13c and 13e of the main body portion 13B are provided on the back side of either side of the panel portion 23 of the personal computer 11.
And the locking member 32a of the arm 32 comes into contact with the front surface side of the panel portion 23 at point Q. This Q point changes depending on the thickness of the panel portion 23. In this way, a so-called one-sided spring 36 that holds the main body 13B by the three points of the one point Q of the locking member 32a of the arm 32 on the opposite side of the two points P and R of the left and right positions of the recessed surface 13d The panel portion 23 is formed by holding it in the shape of a holding clip.
The thickness and the side of the panel portion 23 have unevenness so that a stable sandwiching state can be obtained.

[0042]

As described above, in the image pickup apparatus according to the present invention, the attaching means detachably attached to the electronic apparatus having excellent portability, for example, the notebook type information apparatus is formed in the shape of a cantilever clip having one side spring. As a result, even if there are thicknesses and irregularities on the sides of the screen displayed by the information device, the information device can be easily attached and the operability can be improved.

Further, since the mounting position of the side of the screen displayed by the information equipment can be freely changed, the imaging range of the imaging equipment can be arbitrarily set and changed, so that versatility can be improved. There is an effect called.

[0044]

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which an image pickup device according to a first embodiment of the present invention is attached to a notebook type information device.

FIG. 2 is a schematic overall perspective view of the imaging device.

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing a main part of a mounting means of the imaging device in a cutaway manner.

FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing a main part of a mounting means of the imaging device.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing a modified example of the holding surface of the main body portion of the attachment means of the imaging device.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the imaging device is attached to a notebook information device.

FIG. 7 is a schematic overall perspective view showing a state in which the image pickup apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention is attached to a notebook type information apparatus.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of the same imaging device as seen from the front.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the imaging device is attached to an information device.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of an imaging device used by connecting to an information device according to a conventional technique.

[Explanation of symbols]

10, 10A, 10B Small electronic camera 11, 11A Notebook type personal computer 12, 12B Camera section 13, 13B Main body section 13
c, 13e Contact part 13d Recessed surface 14 Spring 15 Cable 1
6, 16B lens 17, 17B CCD 18 recess 19 fixing member
20 Supporting Member 21 Slit 22 Personal Computer Main Body 23 Panel Part 24 Keyboard 25 Track Pad 26, 26
A display 27 protective frame 28 mounting groove 30 holding part 32 arm 32a locking member 35 support member 36 spring

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. An imaging device comprising an electronic device including an output medium for displaying graphics, characters and the like on a screen and an input medium for inputting information, and an attaching means attachable to a casing forming the electronic device. The mounting method of the imaging device is characterized in that the mounting means is formed in a clip shape and is detachably mounted to the housing of the electronic device. 2. The mounting means formed in the shape of a clip,
A spring member having a cantilevered clip shape with a one-sided spring is provided in the imaging device body, and a part of the housing of the electronic device is sandwiched between an open end of the spring member and a part of the housing of the imaging device. The method for mounting an imaging device according to claim 1, wherein: 3. The method of mounting an image pickup device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a notebook type information device. 4. An electronic device comprising an output medium for displaying graphics, characters and the like on a screen and an input medium for inputting information, and an imaging device comprising a camera body having at least a lens and a light receiving element, An image pickup device to be attached to an electronic device, wherein the image pickup device is provided with a clip-shaped attachment means that is detachably attached to a housing of the electronic device. 5. The imaging device attached to the electronic device according to claim 4, wherein the electronic device is a notebook type information device. 6. The mounting means is provided with a cantilevered clip-shaped spring member of a one-sided spring, and the housing of the electronic device is composed of an open end of the spring member and a part of the housing of the imaging device. The image pickup device attached to the electronic device according to claim 4, wherein a part of the image pickup device is sandwiched. 7. The electronic device according to claim 4, wherein parallel or lattice-shaped grooves are provided in a part of a casing of the imaging device that holds the casing of the electronic device. Imaging equipment.