Mirror with integrated photo system

Abstract

Systems, methods and devices for the taking of photographs and recordings when used in conjunction with a reflective device.

Description

MIRROR WITH INTEGRATED PHOTO SYSTEMPRIORITY CLAIM

[0001] This application claims priority to and / or the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application serial number 63 / 651,056 filed May 23, 2024. The foregoing application is incorporated by reference in its entirety as if fully set forth herein.FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates generally to the field of integrated camera and photography systems, and more particularly to a system and method for the construction of a mirror containing a photo and / or video recording system, along with means of use of such systems without interfering with the function of the mirror.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] With the growth in popularity of cameras easily integrated into everyday devices has also grown the desire for individuals to photograph images or record video themselves in various situations, including, frequently, in front of mirrors for various purposes. For example, some individuals may record themselves in front of a mirror in order to use a higher quality rear-facing camera from their device or may prefer the ability to see themselves as they record video so as to be provided immediate feedback on their performance. Such auto-photographical or auto-portrait forms of recording are colloquially referred to as a “selfie”. However, a common and consistent issue of such photography is the requirement that the user’s camera or recording device be visible in the image, sometimes requiring they hold the device by hand or utilize a stand or similar device in order to hold their camera or other recording device.SUMMARY

[0004] The foregoing limitation is one of many challenges faced by users of such auto-portrait media, resulting in there being an ever-present obstruction or object when filming against a reflecting surface such as a mirror. The present invention resolves this issue by incorporating a camera and system into the mirror device specifically to resolve these issues, while still providing a user with the benefit of recording into a reflective surface.

[0005] In some embodiments, the mirror with an integrated camera system is comprised of a substantially reflective surface wherein the surface is at least partially transparent in at least one direction, a timer configured to display a countdown on the surface, at least one camera, an activation mechanism, a controller, and a power supply. In some embodiments, the surface may have one or more apertures therein in which the at least one camera is positioned to view through such that the camera is largely hidden by the surface but capable of viewing the far side thereof. In some embodiments the surface may be configured to be opaque from one direction and transparent from the other, and the camera may be positioned to be looking through the transparent side such that it can see through the mirror surface.

[0006] In some embodiments, the invention may be further comprised of a network connection capable of communicably linking the invention to external devices over a network, wherein the invention may then be configured to receive instructions and / or send information over the network to a device. In such embodiments, a user may utilize a software application of similar means to receive such information and send instructions to the device. For example, though not exhaustive, the user may instruct the invention to take a photograph or recording using the camera, and the invention may in turn transmit the photograph or recording to the user’s device over the network. In some embodiments, the timer may be configured to take recordings after a set time delay or may take a recording for a specified duration.

[0007] In some embodiments, the invention may be further comprised of at least one sound recorder configured to record sounds. Other embodiments and variants of the invention may be comprised of additional sound recorders, which may be configured to prefer specific ranges of sound, may be positioned at different locations to record sounds from alternative angles, and / or may be limited to certain frequencies. In some embodiments, the at least one sound recorder may be separate from the body of the invention, such that it can be placed elsewhere or held as a microphone.

[0008] In some embodiments, the invention may be further comprised of a memory storage device configured to store visual or audio recordings made by the camera and / or sound recorder. Such memory storage device may be configured to temporarily store the recordings, or in other embodiments the system may be connected to a network and the system may upload the recordings to a cloud or similar device that may be located proximately or remote to the invention. In other embodiments, thememory storage device may hold recordings for a certain period of time, or a certain number of them that can be transmitted to a user or a user’s device.

[0009] In some embodiments, the invention may be further comprised of an external control configured with at least one control input wherein the external control is communicably linked to the controller. In some embodiments, the invention may be configured to communicably couple to an external device over a network, and such device may be specific to the invention, or it may communicate with a device such as, but not limited to, a smart phone via software configured to send instructions to the invention. In such embodiments, the device may be able to communicate with the invention to provide instructions such as setting the timer before a recording is taken or instructing it to take an immediate recording.

[0010] In some embodiments, the surface may be configured to resist the collection of condensation, such as, but not limited to, by treating the surface with a coating or process to reduce the accumulation of condensation, or by including a temperature regulation device with the surface to maintain its temperature.

[0011] Depending on the embodiment, the invention may possess an internal or external power supply or may be comprised of both. Such power supply may be, but is not limited to, a directly wired connection to an active current, or may be in the form of a battery or similar power storage device.

[0012] In some embodiments, the invention may be further comprised of one or more light sources, which may take on a variety of configurations. For example, in some embodiments the light source may encircle the perimeter of the surface, providing light to a viewer from multiple directions. In some embodiments, the light sources may be located in positions on the surface, such as, but not limited to, in or near the comers of the device, or between comers, or such other location as is appropriate. In yet further embodiments, for embodiments wherein the surface is transparent from at least one direction, the light sources may be positioned behind the surface such that their light is emitted through the transparent portion of the surface.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0013] The detailed description of embodiments refers to the accompanying Figures, which depict illustrative embodiments:

[0014] FIG. 1 is a frontal perspective view of the mirror with integrated camera, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

[0015] FIG. 2 is a rear, exploded perspective view of the mirror with integrated camera, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

[0016] FIG. 3 is a front view of the mirror with integrated camera, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

[0017] FIG. 4 is a side view of the mirror with integrated camera, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

[0018] FIG. 5 is a rear view of the mirror with integrated camera, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; and

[0019] FIG. 6 is a frontal perspective view of the vertical configuration of a mirror with integrated camera, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0020] FIG. 1 is a frontal perspective view of the mirror with integrated camera, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. In some embodiments the invention is configured as a device 100 for the taking of photographs, comprising: an at least partially reflective surface 102 further comprised of at least one aperture 104; a camera 106 configured to capture at least one of: still images or video, coupled to a face 108 of the partially reflective surface 102 and in some cases is pointed perpendicular to the rear face through the aperture 104; a power supply 110; an activation mechanism 112; and a controller 114. For some embodiments, the system may be further comprised of a timer 116, and / or one or more light sources 118. The components may be, depending on the embodiment, partially exposed or may be stored in a housing 120.

[0021] As can be seen in FIG. 1, the system may be comprised of a camera 106 configured to face out of the front reflective portion of the reflective surface 102, which may be a mirror. Thus, the camera 106 in effect is pointed at a user of the device 100. The camera 106 may have its own transparent cover to protect itself, or may be pointed through an aperture 104 in the reflective surface 102 that is transparent when viewed from the rear of the reflective surface 102 or there may be micro-apertures or a mesh that allows a camera 106 positioned close to the rear of the reflective surface 102 to look through an otherwise opaque surface with limited restriction. Alternatively, the reflective surface 102 may be reflective only in one direction, such that the camera 106 can look through the reflective surface 102 from behind.

[0022] Also visible in FIG. 1 is a timer 116. Some examples of the invention may feature a timer 116 configured to display time in a variety of ways. The timer 116 may be a standard numerical clock or an analog clock. Depending on the embodiment,the timer 116 may be configured to provide the current time to the user, but may also or alternatively be capable of displaying a count down before a photograph is taken or a recording is started once initiated by a user. In the case of recordings, the timer 116 may be configured to display how long the camera 106 has been recording. While digital and analog are common, the device 100 may make use of other timer 116 configurations such as patterns that repeat or deplete at regular intervals.

[0023] Depending on the embodiment, the device 100 may be configured such that the camera 106 is attached to the rear face of the reflective surface 102 and oriented to be looking through the aperture 104 of the reflective surface 102. Alternatively, the camera 106 may instead be positioned on a front face 108 of the reflective surface 102 facing outward. In other embodiments, the camera 106 may be positioned on the housing 120. The exact placement of the camera 106 can vary, it could be in a comer of the reflective surface 102, near an edge, towards the center, or separate from the device 100, depending on the exact embodiment’s needs. The camera 106 can then face as needed, or in some cases its capture angle may vary or be adjustable.

[0024] The system may feature a controller 114 and / or activation mechanism 112 built directly onto the reflective surface 102, such as, as depicted in FIG. 1, configured as a circular button. However, the exact design of the controller 114 may vary in how it allows a user to input commands to the device 100. In some embodiments, the controller 114 may be limited in function to turning the device 100 on or off, or instructing it to take a photograph or recording. In other embodiments, the controller 114 may be configured for more advanced controls such as, but not limited to, activating a light source 118 and adjusting such light’s intensity or color, setting or otherwise modifying the timer 116, more detailed controls over the camera 106, or other similar features. The activation mechanism 112 can perform similar functions, and in some embodiments the activation mechanism 112 and controller 114 may be the same.

[0025] The system may also feature one or more light sources 118, which could take a variety of forms; such as an integrated bulb or panel, strips of lighting, a ring of lighting, or such others as the embodiment requires. Some users may want granular control over functions like lighting intensity or color, which may be achieved through the controller 114 and the light source(s) 118 may be configured to accommodate that.

[0026] Some embodiments of the device 100 may feature a housing 120, frame or other container configured to protect the device 100 from condensation orwater intrusion, should the device 100 be used in a bathroom or other place where it might be exposed to fluids. The housing 120, frame or container may be configured to fully enclose the rest of the device 100 components, or parts of it, and may be configured to use the reflective surface 102 as part of the housing 120.

[0027] The system may rely on a variety of potential power supplies 110, including, but not limited to, an integrated battery or solar panel, or a connection to a wired power source in a wall. In some embodiments the system may utilize multiple power supplies 110 for various reasons, such as redundancy, or may power different components with different power supplies.

[0028] FIG. 2 is a rear exploded perspective view of the mirror with integrated camera, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Depicted in FIG. 2, many of the components of the device 100 may be positioned on a rear face 206 of the housing 120; in this view the components have been separated from the housing 120.

[0029] Depending on the embodiment, the device 100 may be further configured with a computer processor 200 and / or computer memory 202. In the event that the computer processor 200 is present, it may be configured to perform a variety of functions including, but not limited to, processing information, executing commands, and providing instructions to other components of the system. In some embodiments, the computer processor 200 and / or computer memory 202 may be coupled to the device 100 itself and the components thereof, or may be located separately and instead provide instruction to the device 100 through a network or similar connection. Such computer processor 200 and / or computer memory 202 may share a housing or be located on the device in a similar position to the controller and / or activation mechanism.

[0030] When an embodiment comprises the computer memory 202, the computer memory 202 may be configured to store a variety of software programs. For example, some software programs may include, but are not limited to, voice recognition software, photo and video recording software, or photo / video editing software. In the case of voice recognition software, if the embodiment is further comprised of a microphone 204 capable of detecting sound then it can work with the computer processor 200 to interpret and execute voice commands. Typically, this microphone 204 may be integrated with the controller or activation mechanism, but in other embodiments it may be integrated into the camera 106, or be independently positioned elsewhere on the device 100. As can be seen, other components such as the timer 116may be connected via wires or similar components to the other aspects of the device 100.

[0031] The invention may be practiced with a network connection 208 configured to allow a remote computer processor to send instructions to the device 100, or if the device 100 has its own computer processor 200 such network connection 208 may allow it to receive commands and / or information and send the same. For example, the network connection 208 may allow a user to send instructions from a remote controller instructing the camera to take pictures, or adjust the light component. The network connection 208 may allow the user to send photographs or recordings to third parties over the network connection 208, or to a remote storage such as a cloud system. Generally such network connection 208 would be communicably coupled to the computer processor 200 or computer memory 202 and housed in the same general location, but not necessarily. For example, in some embodiments, a network connection 208 may permit the controller to be a smart phone or similar device through which a user can send commands.

[0032] FIG. 3 is a front view of the device 100, the mirror with integrated camera, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. In some embodiments the invention is configured as a device 100 for the taking of photographs, comprising: an at least partially reflective surface 102 further comprised of at least one aperture 104; a camera 106 configured to capture at least one of: still images or video, coupled to a face 108 of the partially reflective surface 102 and pointed perpendicular to the face 108; a power supply 110; an activation mechanism 112; and a controller 114. For some embodiments, the system may be further comprised of a timer 116, and / or one or more light sources 118. The components may be, depending on the embodiment, partially exposed or may be stored in a housing 120.

[0033] For some examples of the device 100 the reflective surface 102 may function as a mirror, and may take on a variety of shapes such as, but not limited to, circles, squares, and other polygonal and / or irregular shapes. The reflective surface 102 does not necessarily need to be restricted to only a two-dimensional plane, and may in some cases may be three dimensional. For example, some examples of the reflective surface 102 may be concave or convex to intentionally distort the reflected image. In some embodiments, the reflective surface 102 may be treated to resist the collection of condensation. Additionally, the reflective surface 102 is not limited solely to being a variety of shapes, but could be any number of different sizes. For example, the reflectivesurface 102 could be the size of a small compact mirror or hand mirror, while other embodiments may feature wall-mounted or similarly sized mirrors. Depending on the embodiment, the reflective surface 102 may be bidirectional, or may be single-direction with one side being transparent, with its rear or front face being opaque and the other transparent, or merely portions there of having those qualities. Some embodiments of the device 100 may feature multiple reflective surfaces 102, such as mirrors with multiple panels and / or the reflective surface 102 may be configured to be flexible.

[0034] FIG. 4 is a side view of the device 100, a mirror with integrated camera, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. As is visible, from the side the housing 120 is the primary component visible, though in some embodiments some components may be visible. The power supply 110 may extend out of the side of the housing 120.

[0035] FIG. 5 is a rear view of the device 100, mirror with integrated camera, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Similar to FIG. 2, this depicts the rear face 206 and housing 120 of the device 100. Also visible are the subhousings for the power supply 110, the computer processor 200, computer memory 202, microphone 204, network connection 208, speaker 500, timer 115, and camera 106.

[0036] The invention may comprise, for some embodiments, a microphone 204 or other component configured to receive sound. The microphone 204 component may be integrated into the camera 106 component, or may be separate. Depending on the needs of the embodiment, the microphone 204 may be configured to isolate verbal commands and avoid ambient noise. When used in conjunction with the computer processor 200, the microphone may receive sound data and transfer it to the computer processor 200 that will then run software to recognize verbal commands from a user. In some cases, the device 100 may also comprise a speaker 500 or sound generator, allowing the device to provide information audibly to a user.

[0037] FIG. 6 is a frontal perspective view of the vertical configuration of a mirror with integrated camera, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. In some embodiments the invention is configured as a device 100 for the taking of photographs, comprising: an at least partially reflective surface 102 further comprised of at least one aperture 104; a camera 106 configured to capture at least one of: still images or video, coupled to a face 108 of the partially reflective surface 102 and pointed perpendicular to the rear face through the aperture 104; a power supply 110; an activation mechanism 112; and a controller 114. For some embodiments, the systemmay be further comprised of a timer 116, and / or one or more light sources 118. The components may be, depending on the embodiment, partially exposed or may be stored in a housing 120.

[0038] Depending on the embodiment, the components may be positioned in a variety of locations, and the reflective surface 102 may take a variety of shapes. In FIG. 6 is an embodiment in which the reflective surface 102 is vertically oriented, with the camera 106 positioned near the top and the controller 114 and activation mechanism 112 near the bottom.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A device for the taking of photographs, the device comprising: an at least partially reflective surface further comprised of at least one aperture; a camera configured to capture at least one of: still images or video, coupled to a face of the partially reflective surface and pointed perpendicular to the face through the aperture; a power supply; an activation mechanism; and a controller.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least one apertures is covered by one-way transparency such that the reflective surface is transparent through its rear face and opaque through a front face.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is further comprised of: a computer processor communicably coupled to the camera and a computer memory wherein the computer processor is configured to perform commands stored in the computer memory.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the device is further comprised of: a network connection.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein the device is further comprised of: a microphone configured to receive sound data.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the computer processor is configured to receive a set of sound data from the microphone and run voice interpretation software on the sound data received from the microphone.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is further comprised of: at least one timer where the timer is configured with a display positioned on a front face of the reflective surface.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the timer has at least one countdown setting.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is further comprised of: one or more light sources.

10. The device of claim 4, wherein the computer processor is configured to send photographs taken using the camera to an external storage device through the network connection.

11. The device of claim 4, wherein the controller is a software application installed on a separate device.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least partially reflective surface is treated to resist the collection of condensation.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is further comprised of: a housing that is configured to be substantially waterproof.

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