US5491507A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Video telephone equipment
Assignee: Hitachi Ltd
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Filing: 1993-10-22
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Granted: 1996-02-13
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Expires: 2013-10-22
Abstract
Abstract A handy type video telephone equipment which permits a user to transmit and receive pictures and speech with a casing held in one hand. A speaker is arranged at the upper end part of the front of the casing which is thin and vertically long, while a microphone is arranged at the lower end part thereof. A display panel and a control panel are interposed between the speaker and the microphone. A camera is mounted on the casing so as to be capable of altering its angle. The speaker is detachably mounted, and it is usable as an earphone when detached. The user's movements are not hampered during the transmission and reception, and the equipment can assume various communication or service attitudes conforming to the contents of information for the communications.
Inventors
- 👤 Koichi Umezawa
- 👤 Hiroyuki Kuriyama
- 👤 Takanori Nishiyama
- 👤 Kiyoshi Ishida
- 👤 Iwao Ishinabe
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 15:33
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04M; H04M1/00; H04M1/02; H04M1/0202; H04M1/0206; H04M1/0247; H04M1/026; H04M1/0264; H04N; H04N7/00; H04N7/14; H04N7/141; H04N7/142; H04M1/0208; H04M1/0214; H04M1/0216; H04M1/0218; H04M1/0235; H04M1/04; H04N2007/145
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
152 words
A video telephone equipment, comprising: signal processing means for permitting at least either of a vocal communication and a visual communication; a speaker which emits received speech for the vocal communication; a microphone which accepts speech to-be-transmitted for said vocal communication; a display panel which displays a received picture for the visual communication; a camera which takes a picture to-be-transmitted for said visual communication; a control panel through which a user of said video telephone equipment gives an operation command to said signal processing means; a casing which is provided with said display panel, said speaker and said microphone; and camera holding means for holding said camera, said camera holding means having a shaft with which said camera is mounted on said casing so that an angular position of said camera relative to said casing is alterable, wherein said display panel is arranged between said speaker and said microphone on said casing.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
152 words
A video telephone equipment, comprising: signal processing means for permitting at least either of a vocal communication and a visual communication; a speaker which emits received speech for the vocal communication; a microphone which accepts speech to-be-transmitted for said vocal communication; a display panel which displays a received picture for the visual communication; a camera which takes a picture to-be-transmitted for said visual communication; a control panel through which a user of said video telephone equipment gives an operation command to said signal processing means; a casing which is provided with said display panel, said speaker and said microphone; and camera holding means for holding said camera, said camera holding means having a shaft with which said camera is mounted on said casing so that an angular position of said camera relative to said casing is alterable, wherein said display panel is arranged between said speaker and said microphone on said casing.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
129 words
A video telephone equipment, comprising: signal processing means for permitting at least either of a vocal communication and a visual communication; a speaker which emits received speech for the vocal communication; a casing which is provided with said speaker; a microphone which accepts speech to-be-transmitted for said vocal communication; a display panel which displays a received picture for the visual communication; a camera which takes a picture to-be-transmitted for said visual communication; a control panel through which a user of said video telephone equipment gives an operation command to said signal processing means; and speaker holding means for holding said speaker in a state in which the speaker is detachable from said casing and being configured and operatively connected selectively to prevent external light from reaching said display panel.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
129 words
A video telephone equipment, comprising: signal processing means for permitting at least either of a vocal communication and a visual communication; a speaker which emits received speech for the vocal communication; a casing which is provided with said speaker; a microphone which accepts speech to-be-transmitted for said vocal communication; a display panel which displays a received picture for the visual communication; a camera which takes a picture to-be-transmitted for said visual communication; a control panel through which a user of said video telephone equipment gives an operation command to said signal processing means; and speaker holding means for holding said speaker in a state in which the speaker is detachable from said casing and being configured and operatively connected selectively to prevent external light from reaching said display panel.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
197 words
A video telephone equipment, comprising: signal processing means for permitting at least either of a vocal communication and a visual communication; a speaker which emits received speech for the vocal communication; a microphone which accepts speech to-be-transmitted for said vocal communication; a display panel which displays a received picture for the visual communication; a camera which takes a picture to-be-transmitted for said visual communication; a control panel through which a user of said video telephone equipment gives an operation command to said signal processing means; a first casing in which said microphone is encased; a second casing in which said speaker is encased; a third casing in which said display panel is encased; first coupling means for coupling the first and third casings; and second coupling means for coupling the second and third casings; wherein at least the second one of the first and second coupling means being capable of altering an angle of the coupling thereof, and an angle of said first casing is alterable both frontwards and rearwards at a part thereof coupled by said second coupling means, with respect to an angle thereof at which said first casing is even with said third casing.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
197 words
A video telephone equipment, comprising: signal processing means for permitting at least either of a vocal communication and a visual communication; a speaker which emits received speech for the vocal communication; a microphone which accepts speech to-be-transmitted for said vocal communication; a display panel which displays a received picture for the visual communication; a camera which takes a picture to-be-transmitted for said visual communication; a control panel through which a user of said video telephone equipment gives an operation command to said signal processing means; a first casing in which said microphone is encased; a second casing in which said speaker is encased; a third casing in which said display panel is encased; first coupling means for coupling the first and third casings; and second coupling means for coupling the second and third casings; wherein at least the second one of the first and second coupling means being capable of altering an angle of the coupling thereof, and an angle of said first casing is alterable both frontwards and rearwards at a part thereof coupled by said second coupling means, with respect to an angle thereof at which said first casing is even with said third casing.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
38 words
A video telephone equipment as defined in claim 3, further comprising: a hood which intercepts external light entering said display panel; and hood fastening engagement means for engageably fastening said hood with both sides of said second casing.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
29 words
A video telephone equipment as defined in claim 4, wherein said hood fastening engagement means fastens said hood in engagement in a state in which it is openably shut.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
41 words
A video telephone equipment as defined in claim 5, wherein said hood is configured to cover, in its closed position, said speaker and has a through hole extending between front and rear surfaces thereof in an area which covers said speaker.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
165 words
A video telephone equipment comprising: signal processing means for permitting at least either of a vocal communication and a visual communication; a speaker which emits received speech for the vocal communication; a microphone which accepts speech to-be-transmitted for said vocal communication; a display panel which displays a received picture for the visual communication; a camera which takes a picture to-be-transmitted for said visual communication; a control panel through which a user of said video telephone equipment gives an operation command to said signal processing means; a first casing in which said microphone and said display panel are arranged, and to which said camera is mounted at a lower end thereof so as to have an alterable angle between said camera and said first casing; a second casing in which said speaker is encased; and coupling means for coupling the first and second casings in a state in which angles thereof are alterable; and camera holding means for holding said camera adjacent to said first casing.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
165 words
A video telephone equipment comprising: signal processing means for permitting at least either of a vocal communication and a visual communication; a speaker which emits received speech for the vocal communication; a microphone which accepts speech to-be-transmitted for said vocal communication; a display panel which displays a received picture for the visual communication; a camera which takes a picture to-be-transmitted for said visual communication; a control panel through which a user of said video telephone equipment gives an operation command to said signal processing means; a first casing in which said microphone and said display panel are arranged, and to which said camera is mounted at a lower end thereof so as to have an alterable angle between said camera and said first casing; a second casing in which said speaker is encased; and coupling means for coupling the first and second casings in a state in which angles thereof are alterable; and camera holding means for holding said camera adjacent to said first casing.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
26 words
A video telephone equipment as defined in claim 7, wherein said camera holding means holds said camera at coupled parts of said first and second casings.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
52 words
A video telephone equipment as defined in claim 8, wherein said camera holding means includes angle keeping means for bringing an optical axis of said camera into a direction of an angle of θ/2 where θ denotes an angle which is defined at said coupled parts by said first and second casings.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
41 words
A video telephone equipment as defined in claim 9, wherein when said first and second casings are placed one over the other by altering the coupling angle, their surfaces which confront each other are substantially identical in shape and in area.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
168 words
A video telephone equipment, comprising: signal processing means for permitting at least either of a vocal communication and a visual communication; a speaker which emits received speech for the vocal communication; a microphone which accepts speech to-be-transmitted for said vocal communication; a display panel which displays a received picture for the visual communication; a camera which takes a picture to-be-transmitted for said visual communication; a control panel through which a user of said video telephone equipment gives an operation command to said signal processing means; a first casing in which said microphone and said display panel are arranged, and to which said camera is mounted at a lower end thereof so as to have an alterable angle between said camera and said first casing; a second casing in which said speaker is encased; and coupling means for coupling the first and second casings in a state in which angles thereof are alterable and in which said first casing is slidable perpendicularly to an axial direction of the coupling.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
168 words
A video telephone equipment, comprising: signal processing means for permitting at least either of a vocal communication and a visual communication; a speaker which emits received speech for the vocal communication; a microphone which accepts speech to-be-transmitted for said vocal communication; a display panel which displays a received picture for the visual communication; a camera which takes a picture to-be-transmitted for said visual communication; a control panel through which a user of said video telephone equipment gives an operation command to said signal processing means; a first casing in which said microphone and said display panel are arranged, and to which said camera is mounted at a lower end thereof so as to have an alterable angle between said camera and said first casing; a second casing in which said speaker is encased; and coupling means for coupling the first and second casings in a state in which angles thereof are alterable and in which said first casing is slidable perpendicularly to an axial direction of the coupling.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
39 words
A video telephone equipment as defined in claim 11, wherein the angle of said first casing is alterable both frontwards and rearwards with respect to the angle thereof at which said first casing is even with said second casing.
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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) | 1999-02-12 | 1999-08-14 | 2000-02-13 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2003-02-12 | 2003-08-14 | 2004-02-13 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2007-02-12 | 2007-08-14 | 2008-02-13 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |