초록 ▼

A camera housing positionably coupled to an electronic appliance is disclosed. Preferably, the camera housing is positionable in two discrete positions such that the camera can be positioned to face towards or away from the user. The appliance includes a recess sized to receive the camera housing. A

A camera housing positionably coupled to an electronic appliance is disclosed. Preferably, the camera housing is positionable in two discrete positions such that the camera can be positioned to face towards or away from the user. The appliance includes a recess sized to receive the camera housing. A cellular telephone includes a camera housing which is positionable in two discrete positions. In the first position, the camera faces the user. In the second position, the camera faces away from the user. The camera housing is coupled to the cellular telephone by a hinge mechanism that latches the camera into one of the two positions.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A mobile communication device comprising: a. an appliance housing having a recess, the recess having a top inner surface and a bottom inner surface;b. a display means;c. a camera: including a lens;d. a camera housing for positionably and rotatably coupling the camera to the appliance housing in t

1. A mobile communication device comprising: a. an appliance housing having a recess, the recess having a top inner surface and a bottom inner surface;b. a display means;c. a camera: including a lens;d. a camera housing for positionably and rotatably coupling the camera to the appliance housing in two discrete positions by a hinge mechanism, wherein in a first position the display means is visible within a field of view of the lens and in a second position the display means is not visible within the field of view of the lens, wherein the camera housing is sized to fit within the recess in one of the first position and the second position, and wherein the hinge mechanism comprises: i. a first pivot on a top surface of the camera housing;ii. a second pivot on a bottom surface of the camera housing;iii. a first socket formed on the top inner surface of the recess, wherein the first socket has an inner surface and a first indentation and a second indentation on the inner surface, wherein the first socket is configured to receive the first pivot within the perimeter of its inner surface, wherein the first indentation and the second indentation are configured to lock the camera housing in a discrete position, and each one of the first indentation and the second indentation is a continuous surface configured to confine a latching protrusion aligned with the first or second indentation to within the perimeter of the inner surface of the first socket;iv. a second socket formed on the bottom inner surface of the recess and configured to receive the second pivot; andv. a locking sleeve including the latching protrusion for coupling the latching protrusion and the first socket, wherein the one of the first indentation and the second indentation is configured to receive the latching protrusion; ande. signal processing means to transmit and receive data;f. a speaker coupled with the appliance housing; andg. a microphone coupled with the appliance housing. 2. The mobile communication device in claim 1, wherein the mobile communication device is any one of a cellular phone, a digital camera, a PDA, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a multimedia device and a portable music player. 3. The mobile communication device in claim 1, wherein the appliance housing has a front side and a back side, wherein the recess is located at the back side and the display means is located at the front side. 4. The mobile communication device in claim 1, wherein the electronic appliance has a longitudinal axis, and the camera housing rotates about the longitudinal axis. 5. The mobile communication device in claim 1, wherein an image corresponding to the field of view is not flipped as the camera housing moves from the first position to the second position. 6. A cellular telephone comprising: a. a casing including a recessed cavityb. signal processing means to transmit and receive data;c. a speaker coupled to the casing;d. a microphone coupled to the casing;e. a display screen coupled to the casing; andf. a camera housing including a camera, a top surface and a bottom surface, wherein the camera housing is coupled to the casing by a hinge mechanism, wherein the camera housing is positionable in a first position facing substantially towards a user and is positionable in a second position facing substantially away from the user and within the recessed cavity, wherein the hinge mechanism comprises: i. a first socket formed on a top inner surface of the recessed cavity, wherein the first socket has an inner surface and a first indentation and a second indentation formed on its inner surface, wherein each one of the first indentation and the second indentation is a continuous surface configured to confine a latching protrusion aligned with the first or second indentation to within the perimeter of the inner surface of the first socket;ii. a second socket formed on the bottom inner surface of the recessed cavity;iii. a first pivot on the top surface of the camera housing, wherein the first socket is configured to receive the first pivot;iv. a second pivot on the bottom surface of the camera housing, wherein the second socket configured to receive the second pivot; andv. a locking sleeve including the latching protrusion configured to latch into one of the first indentation and the second indentation on the first socket of the casing, wherein the locking sleeve is configured to couple between the first socket and the latching protrusion. 7. The cellular phone in claim 6, wherein the casing further comprises a depression along the recessed cavity such that the user can manipulate the camera housing between the first position and the second position. 8. The cellular phone in claim 6, wherein the display screen is capable of being used as a tactile interface. 9. The cellular phone in claim 6, wherein the casing has a longitudinal axis, and wherein the camera housing rotates about the longitudinal axis. 10. The cellular phone in claim 6, wherein, without orienting the cellular phone, the camera housing is configured to transition from facing substantially towards the user transitions to facing substantially away from the user. 11. The cellular phone in claim 6, wherein, without orienting the cellular phone, the camera housing is configured to transition from facing substantially away the user transitions to facing substantially towards from the user. 12. The cellular phone in claim 6, wherein the camera housing opens perpendicular to the casing. 13. The cellular phone in claim 6, wherein images captured by the camera are not flipped as the camera housing moves from the first position to the second position or from the second position to the first position. 14. The cellular phone in claim 6, wherein the camera housing is configured to be positionable between the first position and the second position.