IP Library Granted Patent US 7,440,693
Granted Patent B2
US 7,440,693 · App. 11/269,532 · Granted Oct 21, 2008

Camera device

Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,440,693
App. No.
11/269,532
Granted
Oct 21, 2008
Kind
B2
Abstract

In order to grasp an image capturing range, an image monitor is used for recognizing the range. A camera device of the present invention has a configuration that, depending on the shape and position of a shield unit that limits a range where a display lamp is visible, the range where the display lamp is visible is limited, and by making the range where the display lamp is visible and the angle of view of the camera coincident with each other, a subject can recognize to be within the image capturing angle of view during an image capturing process when the subject is in a range where the display lamp is visible and, also, can recognize to be out of the image capturing angle of view when the subject is located at a position where the display lamp is invisible.

Claims (21)

1. A camera device comprising:

a camera comprising a lens in a front face of the camera;

a display lamp attached to the front face of the camera, viewable from the front of the camera; and

a shield unit at a periphery of the display lamp, said shield extending forwardly and terminating in a frontal edge for limiting a field of view of the display lamp, such that substantially any point at which the lamp is visible is within a field of view of the lens, and substantially any point at which the lamp is not visible is outside a field of view of the lens.

2. The camera device according to claim 1 , wherein the shield unit includes an enclosing member that encloses the display lamp.

3. The camera device according to claim 2 , wherein a shape of a front edge of the enclosing member is any one of a square shape, a round shape, and elliptical shape, a trapezoidal shape, a triangular shape, a lozenge shape, and a C-shape.

4. The camera device according to claim 2 , wherein the viewing field of the display lamp is determined by a circumference and a shape of the enclosing member and a forward extent of the enclosing member from the front face of the camera.

5. The camera device according to claim 1 , wherein the shield unit includes at least one rib that shields the display lamp.

6. The camera device according to claim 5 , wherein the rib is adjustable.

7. The camera device according to claim 5 , wherein the camera further comprises a lens barrel, a cover placed at least above the lens barrel, and at least two ribs extending downward from the cover, and the display lamp is located between the ribs.

8. The camera device according to claim 7 , wherein the cover is formed by two sides of a rectangular plate bent downward, and a center of a tip of the cover bent upward into a substantially arc shape.

9. A camera device comprising:

a camera comprising a lens in a front face of the camera;

a display lamp attached to the front face of the camera, viewable from the front of the camera; and

a shield unit at a periphery of the display lamp, said shield extending forwardly and terminating in a frontal edge for limiting a field of view of the display lamp, such that substantially any point along a horizontal plane including the lamp at which the lamp is visible is within a field of view of the lens, and substantially any point along a horizontal plane including the lamp at which the lamp is not visible is outside a field of view of the lens.

10. A device for displaying a viewing angle of a camera lens, comprising:

a camera device comprising a lens;

a display lamp on a front surface of said camera device, such that the lamp is visible from the front of the camera device; and

a shield located on the front surface of the camera device for limiting a viewable area of the display lamp,

wherein the shield forms a border between an area in which the display lamp is visible and an area in which the display lamp is not visible, and

the border between the area in which the lamp is visible and the area in which the lamp is not visible corresponds to a viewing angle of the lens, such that the display lamp is viewable to a person viewing the camera device from the front only when the person is within the viewing angle of the lens.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 12, 2006
From: KOUCHI, TAKAMITSU; TERATANI, KAZUMI; TAKEMASA, HIROFUMI
To: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 017010/0352 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2004-327418 · Nov 11, 2004 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20060098974A1 · May 11, 2006