This invention relates to desktop electronic magnifiers. More particularly it relates to a desktop electronic magnifier having a monitor and a control panel that is mounted so that access to it cannot be blocked by the monitor.
People with impaired vision have difficulty in reading books, perceiving small objects, or seeing fine detail. Magnifying glass has long been used to enable the perception of detail in an object or to enable the visualization of characters where such detail may be below the unaided resolution of vision of the individual. Desktop electronic magnifiers, sometimes referred to as closed circuit television devices (cctv) have now largely supplanted magnifying glass. These devices employ a camera having CMOS technology for generating an enlarged or magnified image of the object. The user is then able to view an enlarged image of the object as it is displayed on a monitor.
Currently available desktop electronic magnifiers have a number of limitations. One important limitation is that the controls for the magnifier are often located either on the table of the unit where the item to be magnified is placed. When mounted to the table of the unit, the monitor may block access to the control panel. Moreover, such an assembly is complex because the electrical wiring must pass through the table up to the camera. A need therefore exists for a desktop electronic magnifier where the length of the electrical wiring between the camera and the control panel is minimized and where the control panel can be accessed for all or almost all positions of the monitor.
The long-standing but heretofore unfulfilled need for an improved desktop electronic magnifier is now met by a new, useful, and non-obvious invention. The novel apparatus includes a table adapted to support an object and a camera mounted above the table. The camera is adapted to view the object and to provide an enlarged image of the object. A monitor is in electrical communication with the camera, and is adapted to display the enlarged image of the object to facilitate viewing of the object by a person having low vision.
In a first embodiment, a support arm is secured to a rearward side of the table. The support arm has a first upstanding part and a second part extending forwardly relative to the rearward side of the table. The camera is positioned in vertically spaced relation to the table, upwardly thereof. More particularly, the camera is rigidly mounted to the support arm and thus has a fixed position. A rigid link interconnects the monitor and the support arm. The rigid link has a rearward end pivotally secured to the support arm and a forward end pivotally secured to the monitor. The control panel for controlling operation of the camera is fixedly mounted to the forward end of the monitor in underlying relation thereto so that movement of the monitor effects simultaneous and corresponding movement of the control panel. Accordingly, the monitor cannot block access to the control panel. Movement of the control panel conjointly with movement of the monitor offers a great deal of flexibility to the user of the system. A user may sit near the monitor and still be able to adjust the control buttons on the control panel. This eliminates the problems caused by prior art structures where the control panel is fixed to a reading table or a platform. A control panel affixed to a reading table is impractical when the monitor is positioned an uncomfortable distance from the table. The novel mounting also minimizes the length of the wiring between the control panel and the camera. The novel mounting further provides an expandable system that allows the connection of several accessories using a video multiplexer or VMX. The VMX can be mounted to the desktop electronic magnifier at any suitable location including the support arm. The VMX inputs data from a distance viewing camera, the desktop electronic magnifier, and a computer VGA output. The VMX outputs to the monitor, which may provide an LCD or CRT display, any combination of the incoming signals and can apply video enhancements to those signals.
In a second embodiment, a flat platform is mounted atop the camera and the control panel is fixedly mounted to a forward end of the camera in underlying relation to the flat platform. Unobstructed user access to the control panel is provided for any position of the monitor atop the flat platform.
In a third embodiment, the upstanding support arm has an upstanding part and a horizontal part extending over the table in parallel relation thereto. The camera is rigidly mounted to the horizontal part of the support arm. A support surface for supporting the monitor is independent of the desktop electronic magnifier. The control panel is fixedly mounted to a forward end of the camera so that unobstructed user access to the control panel is provided for any position of the monitor atop the support surface that does not block the access. In all embodiments, the novel desktop electronic magnifier uses an integrated universal power supply that allows it to be plugged into directly into the wall in any region of the world.
The control panel enables a user to control parameters of the magnifier including turning the camera unit on and off, selecting the color mode for the display, adjusting the magnification of the display, locking the focus, adjusting the brightness and turning a position locator beam on and off. Thus it is understood that the primary advantages of the invention are that the monitor does not block access to the control panel and that the length of the wiring from the camera to the control panel is minimized.
For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Referring now to
Lock 14 is a variable braking mechanism that enables a user to control the amount of resistance to movement of table top part 12a relative to bottom part 12b. When disengaged, top part 12a is easily displaced. Sliding lock 14 away from its disengaged position gradually increases the resistance. Lock 14 is moved to its fully locked position when the user desires to lock top part 12a into a particular position.
Rigid support arm 16 is secured to a rearward side of the bottom part of table 12. Support arm 16 has an upstanding lower part 18 formed integrally with an upper part 20 that extends forwardly relative to said rearward side. Video camera 22, best depicted in
In this first embodiment, monitor 26 is pivotally mounted to support arm 16. Rigid link 28 has a rearward end pivotally connected as at 28a to the top of forwardly extending part 20 and a forward end pivotally connected as at 28b to a bracket secured to the back of monitor 26 as depicted. Monitor 26 is therefore raised with respect to table 12 or lowered with respect thereto by rotating rigid link 28 relative to rearward pivot point 28a and monitor 26 is pivotal about forward pivot point 28b so that it may be maintained in a vertical plane as its height is adjusted.
Rigid link 28 could also be provided in telescoping form so that a user could pull monitor 26 forwardly toward the user or push it away in a rearward direction. Moreover, pivot point 28b may be replaced with a universal joint to enable rotation of monitor 26 about a vertical axis.
Control panel 30 is removably mounted to a bottom edge of monitor 26. More particularly, it is mounted to a bracket that holds the monitor. Control panel 30 therefore moves conjointly with monitor 26 and access to said control panel cannot be blocked by the monitor. For example, if control panel 30 were mounted to front edge 32 of table top 12a, as taught by the prior art, it becomes inaccessible when monitor 26 is brought into a forward, fully lowered position. Similarly, as also taught by the prior art, if control panel 30 were mounted to a leading edge of video camera 22, it would easily be obscured and rendered inaccessible whenever monitor 26 is lowered below the plane of the video camera.
Control panel 30 is preferably secured to monitor mounting bracket 32 (
In the embodiment of
A third embodiment is depicted in
In all embodiments, but as indicated only in
In all embodiments, control panel 30 may be connected to camera 22 by electrical conductors or the connection may be wireless to provide additional flexibility. It should also be noted that the control panel and camera unit are modular units, i.e., they are interchangeable between the three embodiments.
It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, and those made apparent from the foregoing description, are efficiently attained. Since certain changes may be made in the above construction without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matters contained in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention that, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.
This application is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/088,674, filed on Apr. 18, 2011, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,619,133, issued Dec. 31, 2013, and entitled “Desktop Electronic Magnifier,” which itself is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/379,327, filed on Apr. 19, 2006, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,929,013, issued Apr. 29, 2011, and entitled “Desktop Electronic Magnifier,” which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/766,783, filed on Feb. 10, 2006, and entitled “Portable Electronic Magnifier,” the contents of which are fully incorporated herein for all purposes.
Number | Date | Country | |
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60766783 | Feb 2006 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 13088674 | Apr 2011 | US |
Child | 14143240 | US | |
Parent | 11379327 | Apr 2006 | US |
Child | 13088674 | US |