# US 9,521,302 B2 · Camera system with a square-profile camera > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,521,302 B2 - Document ID: US9521302B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/212,322 - Filed: 2016-07-18 - Published: 2016-11-10 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2014-01-06 - Assignees: GoPro, Inc. - Applicants: GoPro, Inc. - Inventors: Rudy Lucas Samuels; Evan L. Coons; Joshua P. Davies; William H. Tolbert; Nicholas Streets - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9521302B2 ## CPC - H04N 23/51: Housings - G03B 17/02: Bodies - G03B 17/08: Waterproof bodies or housings - G03B 17/561: {Support related camera accessories} - H04N 23/62: Control of parameters via user interfaces - H04N 23/667: Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G03B: APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OR FOR PROJECTING OR VIEWING THEM; APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS EMPLOYING ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR (optical parts of such apparatus G02B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; apparatus for processing exposed photographic materials G03D) ## Abstract A camera system including a camera with a front face and a rear face each having a substantially square cross-section. The front face includes a camera lens centered on the front face, and the rear face includes a communicative interface. The camera also includes a top face, a bottom face, a left face, and a right face each having a substantially rectangular cross-section. The top face includes a user interface configured to allow a user of the camera to interact with the camera. The camera system also includes a housing with a housing body having four adjacent walls forming a band. The camera fits flush within an interior of the band when the camera is compressibly secured within the housing. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A camera system, comprising: a camera, comprising: a front face and a rear face each having a substantially square cross-section, the front face comprising a camera lens centered on the front face, and the rear face comprising a communicative interface; a top face, a bottom face, a left face, and a right face each having a substantially rectangular cross-section, wherein the top face comprises a user interface configured to allow a user of the camera to interact with the camera, and wherein the top face, the bottom face, the left face, and the right face form an outer exterior of the camera with a generally square cross-section defined by contiguous surfaces; and a housing, comprising: a housing body comprising four adjacent walls forming a band, wherein the camera fits flush within an interior of the band when the camera is compressibly secured within the housing, wherein each wall in an adjacent pair of walls is coupled via a rounded corner, wherein a plurality of openings are defined in the housing body and configured to accommodate the user interface with each opening configured to allow a user of the camera to access the user interface when the camera is secured into the housing body in one of a plurality of orientations, and wherein the housing body flexes to slidably admit the camera into the housing body through an opening and thereafter securely but releaseably holds the camera in the housing body when inserted. ### Claim 2 A camera system, comprising: a camera, comprising: a front face and a rear face each having a substantially square cross-section, the front face comprising a camera lens centered on the front face, and the rear face comprising a communicative interface; a top face, a bottom face, a left face, and a right face each having a substantially rectangular cross-section, the top face comprising a user interface configured to allow a user of the camera to interact with the camera; and a housing, comprising: a housing body comprising four adjacent walls forming a band, wherein the camera fits flush within an interior of the band when the camera is compressibly secured within the housing, and wherein at least three of the four adjacent walls of the housing body consist of four integrally contiguous and orthogonal legs forming a rectangular frame. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The camera system of claim 2, wherein the top face, the bottom face, the left face, and the right face of the camera each have a substantially planar surface and together form an exterior of the camera having a substantially square cross-section. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The camera system of claim 3, wherein the substantially planar surface of the top face is interrupted by the user interface, and wherein the substantially planar surfaces of the left face, the right face, and the bottom face are uninterrupted. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The camera system of claim 3, wherein the substantially square cross-section of the exterior is substantially constant between the front face and the rear face. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The camera system of claim 3, wherein the substantially square cross-section of the exterior forms a maximum outer dimension of the camera along an axis extending between the front face and the rear face. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The camera system of claim 3, wherein the substantially square cross-section of the exterior comprises rounded corners between the substantially planar surfaces of the top face, the bottom face, the left face, and the right face. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The camera system of claim 2, wherein the user interface comprises at least one of a button, a knob, a switch, a dial, a touchscreen, a light, or a speaker. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The camera system of claim 8, wherein the user interface comprises a button. ### Claim 10 (depends on 2) The camera system of claim 2, wherein the communicative interface comprises at least one of a USB or an HDMI. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The camera system of claim 10, wherein the communicative interface comprises a USB. ### Claim 12 (depends on 2) The camera system of claim 2, wherein the four adjacent walls of the housing body comprise a top wall, a left wall, a right wall, and a bottom wall of substantially equal length. ### Claim 13 (depends on 2) The camera system of claim 2, wherein the four adjacent walls of the housing body are configured to secure the camera in a plurality of orientations relative to the housing body. ### Claim 14 (depends on 2) The camera system of claim 2, wherein the housing further comprises: a latching mechanism configured to allow for insertion or removal of the camera in an open position and to secure the camera within the housing in a closed position. ### Claim 15 (depends on 2) The camera system of claim 2, wherein the band has a substantially square cross-section and is configured to surroundingly capture the camera when the camera is compressibly secured within the housing. ### Claim 16 (depends on 2) The camera system of claim 2, wherein at least two of the four adjacent walls of the housing body have openings formed therein to afford access to the user interface of the camera when the camera is compressibly secured within the housing. ### Claim 17 (depends on 2) The camera system of claim 2, wherein the housing further comprises: a protrusion extending from at least one of the four adjacent walls of the housing body for operative association with a mounting device. ### Claim 18 (depends on 2) The camera system of claim 2, wherein the housing body comprises flexible material. ### Claim 19 A camera system, comprising: a camera, comprising: a front face and a rear face each having a substantially square cross-section, the front face comprising a camera lens centered on the front face, and the rear face comprising a communicative interface; a top face, a bottom face, a left face, and a right face each having a substantially rectangular cross-section, the top face comprising a user interface configured to allow a user of the camera to interact with the camera; and a housing, comprising: a housing body comprising four adjacent walls forming a band, wherein the band has a substantially square cross-section, wherein the camera fits flush within an interior of the band, wherein the housing body flexes to slidably admit the camera into the housing body through an opening and thereafter securely but releaseably holds the camera in the housing body, and wherein at least two of the walls have openings formed therein to afford access to the user interface of the camera when the camera is compressibly secured within the housing in either of two orientations. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The camera system of claim 19, wherein the housing further comprises: a protrusion extending from at least one of the four adjacent walls of the housing body for operative association with a mounting device.