WO1991002194A1

WO1991002194A1 - A video telephone terminal or similar

Info

Publication number: WO1991002194A1
Application number: PCT/FI1990/000188
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jouko Leskinen
Original assignee: Confterm Oy
Priority date: 1989-08-04
Filing date: 1990-08-02
Publication date: 1991-02-21
Also published as: FI893690L; AU6069190A; FI86130C; JPH05506337A; FI86130B; FI893690A0

Abstract

The objet of the invention is a video telephone terminal or similar, which consists of an equipment case (1) and located in it a display device (2), camera (3), and light (4). In accordance with the invention, the light (4) is located on top of the equipment case (1), and is aimed essentially upwards, when the lighting is made indirect.

Description

A Video Telephone Terminal or Similar

The object of the invention is a video telephone terminal or similar, which includes an equipment case, and located in it a display device, a camera, and a light. Here a video telephone terminal also means a video conference terminal.

At present, video conference devices are generally built into a separate room, in which the monitor and camera are located in a fixed series of cases, and the lights are fixed to the ceiling. The e-guipment often includes a larger main monitor and two auxilliary monitors. Lighting is a problem, as the light must not come from directly from the direction of the screen, because in that case the user of the equipment experiences unpleasant dazzle when viewing. Further, the camera is located close to the monitor, because it is preferred to convey to the receiver a picture of the user that has been taken from straight in front. At present, lighting is arranged in such a way that the lights are located close to the ceiling, and that the light comes, from the point of view of the user, from above the monitor. Generally the user sits behind some kind of desk, and according to one solution a light is located in the desk surface, when the light comes, from the point of view of the user, from beneath the monitor. In certain cases, the background lighting of the room has been improved by means of special fixed lights directed at the users. Often, however, the horizontal lighting is insuffi¬ cient, in which case the contrast of the picture, for example in faces, increases considerably.

As is stated above, the user generally sits behind a desk, but in certain cases the user may stand in front of the equipment.

When using a video telephone, the distance of viewing is consi¬ derably smaller than in the aforementioned video conference situation. The lighting is then arranged with the aid of a separate light.

The intention of this invention is to create such a video telephone terminal or similar, in which the lighting of the user is arranged as comfortably as possible from his point of view. It is wished, by means of the invention, to connect the light to the device itself, so that the light is moved with the equipment and is always ready for use and correctly aimed, and so that it would be possible to use the equipment independent of circumstances. The characteristic features of the invention are presented in Patent Claim 1. Generally the room and the nearest wall reflect sufficient light onto the user from a light that is aimed essentially upwards, but most advantageously the apparatus is equipped, in accordance with Patent Claim 2, with a separate reflector, which can be brought into the operating position as required. This finally makes the equipment complete¬ ly independent of place, because it is possible to use the equipment even in a room with dark tones. According to the invention horizontal lighting is mainly indirect. It is espe- cially advantageous to use a so-called low-luminance reflector, because then, for example, even a user who is standing in front of a video conference terminal is not dazzled by a light on top of the equipment.

In what follows, the invention is illustrated by reference to the accompanying figures, which present one form of application of the invention.

Figure 1 shows the video conference equipment seen from in ^rfront

Figure 2 shows the e-quipment in Figure 1 in cross-section and its use Figure 3 shows a video telephone terminal and its use

The video conference terminal is constructed inside case 1, which is further equipped with wheels 5 in order to move the device to a more suitable position. The principal components of the equipment are the monitor 2 and camera 3 and the so-called codec (coder-decoder) to pack the information onto the transfer line and to differentiate the information that comes from it. The codec is advantageously located inside the equipment case (not shown) . In a video conference, the user generally sits behind desk 9, and is at a distance of about 2-3 metres from the monitor 2. Video camera 3 is placed above monitor 2. In order to ensure illumination the equipment includes a light 4, which is aimed upwards. The light is a so-called low-luminance fluorescent tube light, which strongly limits the angle of lighting. Typically two 36W fluorescent tubes are used in the light. If the wall and ceiling of the room have a light tone they suitably reflect the light developed by the light fixture onto the user. The light is located advantageously close to the rear wall of the case, in which case by positioning the device close to a pale wall effective indirect lighting is projected on the user.

If required, a rear raisable reflector 6 is used, the surface area of which is sufficiently large, in which case the lighting no longer comes from a point. With the aid of a separate reflec¬ tor the equipment no longer demands any special room but can be located in any room at all, independently of the distance from walls and ceiling and of the existing lighting.

Figure 2 also shows a standing person, who is also able to watch the monitor, without the light 4, which is located behind the equipment, disturbing him. The limit of effective lighting 7, beneath which the user no longer experiences the lighting as strong, is drawn on the Figure.

In this type the reflector is attached to the rear wall of the equipment and raised. Another possibility is to construct the reflector to be carried on the cover of the equipment, in which case it angle can be adjusted.

The operating situation of the video telephone. Figure 3, differs to some extent from the previous video conference event. The video telephone 11 is located on a suitable table 10, immediately in front of which the user sits, and thus the viewing distance is considerably, shorter compared to the pre¬ vious case. In figure 3, corresponding reference numbers are used for the components of the video telephone as in Figures 1 and 2. The video telephone is constructed inside case 1, which contains the monitor or other display device 2, a camera, and light 4, and a codec (not shown). Here the reflector 6, which provides indirect lighting on the face of the user, is hinged to the rear wall of the case.

Claims

Patent Claims

1. A video telephone terminal or similar, which consists of an equipment case (1) and a display device (2) located in it, a camera (3) , and light (4) , characterized in that the light (4) is placed on top of the equipment case (1) and is directed essentially upwards or at an angle backwards.

2. A video telephone terminal in accordance with Patent Claim 1, characterized in that a so-called low-luminance ligh¬ ting fixture is used as the light (4) .

3. A video telephone terminal in accordance with Patent Claims 1 or 2 characterized in that the light (4) is located close to the rear wall of the case (1) .

4. A video telephone terminal in accordance with Patent Claims 1, 2, or 3, characterized in that the equipment includes a revolvable or pullable reflector (6) .

5. A video telephone terminal in accordance with Patent Claim 4, characterized in that the reflector (6) is arranged to be raised above the case (1) from' behind it.

6. A video telephone terminal in accordance with Patent Claim 4, characterized in that the reflector (6) is formed by a portable cover, which is hinged close to the rear wall.