US5317405A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Display and image capture apparatus which enables eye contact
Assignee: NTT Inc
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Filing: 1992-02-25
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Granted: 1994-05-31
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Expires: 2012-02-25
Abstract
Abstract In a display and image capture apparatus for a videophone or video teleconferencing system a half-transparent mirror array is disposed adjacent the display surface of a display and an image reflected by the half-transparent mirror array is captured by a video camera. The half-transparent mirror array is formed by a plurality of micro HMs arranged in the same plane at a predetermined inclination angle and reflects incident light from a subject toward the video camera.
Inventors
- 👤 Makoto Kuriki
- 👤 Hitoshi Arai
- 👤 Shigenobu Sakai
- 👤 Masato Nakamura
- 👤 Hideki Nakajima
- 👤 Shirou Suyama
- 👤 Kazutake Uehira
- 👤 Noboru Hagiwara
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 08:25
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N7/00; H04N7/14; H04N7/141; H04N7/142; H04N7/144
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
140 words
A display and image capture apparatus comprising: display means provided with a display surface for displaying an image; half-transparent mirror means disposed in front of said display surface substantially in parallel thereto, for reflecting a portion of light from a subject standing in front of said display surface and for transmitting therethrough a portion of light from said image on said display surface, said half-transparent mirror means including a plurality of micro half-transparent mirrors (micro HMs) having substantially identical shapes and arranged on a common plane, said micro HMs having reflecting faces at predetermined inclination angles θ relative to said common plane, respectively, for reflecting at least a portion of light from said subject; and image capturing means disposed near said display means, for receiving light reflected from said half-transparent mirror means and for capturing the image of said subject.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
140 words
A display and image capture apparatus comprising: display means provided with a display surface for displaying an image; half-transparent mirror means disposed in front of said display surface substantially in parallel thereto, for reflecting a portion of light from a subject standing in front of said display surface and for transmitting therethrough a portion of light from said image on said display surface, said half-transparent mirror means including a plurality of micro half-transparent mirrors (micro HMs) having substantially identical shapes and arranged on a common plane, said micro HMs having reflecting faces at predetermined inclination angles θ relative to said common plane, respectively, for reflecting at least a portion of light from said subject; and image capturing means disposed near said display means, for receiving light reflected from said half-transparent mirror means and for capturing the image of said subject.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
25 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said inclination angles θ of said micro HMs are selected in the range of between 13 and 45 degrees.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
55 words
The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said reflecting faces of said micro HMs are extended, in parallel to one another, along said common plane, each reflecting face having a width W in a direction perpendicular to a direction of extension of said micro HM, said micro HMs being spaced at least Wsinθ·tan2θ from one another.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
23 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said half-transparent mirror means has an antireflection layer formed on a side thereof opposing said display surface.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
24 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said half-transparent mirror means has a light dispersing layer formed on a side thereof opposing said display surface.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
52 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said half-transparent mirror means includes a transparent substrate, a plurality of projections formed integrally with said transparent substrate on one side thereof and each having a plurality of slopes, and said micro HMs each being formed on at least one of said slopes of said projection.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
32 words
The apparatus of claim 6 wherein gaps between said projections formed on said transparent substrate are filled with transparent resin so that the surface of said half-transparent mirror means is substantially flat.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
52 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said half-transparent mirror means has a laminated structure formed by laminating transparent layers and half-transparent layers alternately with each other and having, as the front and back of said half-transparent mirror means, two parallel faces cut at said inclination angles to said transparent and half-transparent layers.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
12 words
The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said half-transparent layers are metal layers.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
23 words
The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said half-transparent layers are dielectric layers having a refractive index different from that of said transparent layers.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
23 words
The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said half-transparent layers are each formed by a plurality of laminated dielectric layers of different refractive indexes.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
18 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the transparency of each of said micro HMs is 50% or less.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
146 words
A display and image capture apparatus comprising: display means provided with a display surface for displaying an image; half-transparent mirror means disposed in front of said display surface substantially in parallel thereto, for reflecting a portion of light from a subject standing in front of said display surface and for transmitting therethrough a portion of light from said image on said display surface, said half-transparent mirror means including a plurality of micro half-transparent mirrors (micro HMs) having substantially identical shapes and arranged in a common plane, said micro HMs having reflecting faces at predetermined inclination angles θ relative to said common plane, respectively, for reflecting light from said subject while passing therebetween light from said image on said display surface; and image capturing means disposed near said display means, for receiving light reflected from said half-transparent mirror means and for capturing the image of said subject.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
146 words
A display and image capture apparatus comprising: display means provided with a display surface for displaying an image; half-transparent mirror means disposed in front of said display surface substantially in parallel thereto, for reflecting a portion of light from a subject standing in front of said display surface and for transmitting therethrough a portion of light from said image on said display surface, said half-transparent mirror means including a plurality of micro half-transparent mirrors (micro HMs) having substantially identical shapes and arranged in a common plane, said micro HMs having reflecting faces at predetermined inclination angles θ relative to said common plane, respectively, for reflecting light from said subject while passing therebetween light from said image on said display surface; and image capturing means disposed near said display means, for receiving light reflected from said half-transparent mirror means and for capturing the image of said subject.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1997-05-30 | 1997-11-29 | 1998-05-31 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2001-05-30 | 2001-11-29 | 2002-05-31 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2005-05-30 | 2005-11-29 | 2006-05-31 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |