A camera built into a cylindrical housing couples to a stand with a stand member that inserts into an opening having a magnet attracted to ferromagnetic material integrated in the stand member. The stand member may couple to a bracket that holds the camera at a display or to a tripod that places the camera between the display and an end user participating in a video conference. A lens cover couples over a front face of the camera with magnetic attraction and is stored at a rear face of the camera with magnetic attraction. In various embodiments, sensors detect lens cap and/or stand member position to control camera power and/or camera visual image capture operations.

A lens selector for selectively exposing one camera lens and covering other camera lenses of a cell phone or the like is shown and described. The lens selector comprises a base which grips the cell phone and a lens cover movable between two or more positions. The lens cover may slide along the base when moving between positions. An arm resiliently biased into an engaged positions may lock the lens cover into a selected position on the base. The lens selector may substantially cover that side of the cell phone having lenses, and may grip edges of the cell phone. The lens selector may include a socket for centering an associated cell phone with respect to an optical device such as a spotting scope, so that the cell phone may capture images visible through the scope.

A device can include a processor; memory; a display; a bezel that defines a bezel region and a display region for the display; one or more media capture components where the one or more media capture components include a camera operatively coupled to the processor, where the camera includes an aperture disposed in the bezel region; a switch that includes an operational state for a circuit electrically coupled to the at least one of the one or more media capture components and a nonoperational state for the circuit; and a movable shutter that controls the switch, where the movable shutter includes a closed orientation that obscures a field of view of the camera and that corresponds to the nonoperational state of the switch and an open orientation that does not obscure the field of view and that corresponds to the operational state of the switch.

A lens selector for selectively exposing one camera lens and covering other camera lenses of a cell phone or the like is shown and described. The lens selector comprises a base which grips the cell phone and a lens cover movable between two or more positions. The lens cover may slide along the base when moving between positions. An arm resiliently biased into an engaged positions may lock the lens cover into a selected position on the base. The lens selector may substantially cover that side of the cell phone having lenses, and may grip edges of the cell phone. The lens selector may include a socket for centering an associated cell phone with respect to an optical device such as a spotting scope, so that the cell phone may capture images visible through the scope.

A video system includes a camera, at least one magnet providing a magnetic field, a magnetometer, and a processing system. The magnetometer is configured to measure the magnetic field to generate a magnetometer readout. The magnetic field is altered when a lens cap blocks a view of the camera. The processing system is configured to detect, based on the magnetometer readout of the magnetic field, whether the lens cap is blocking the view of the camera.

A locking cap and automated locking cap for coupling to a rear mounting key of a camera lens are disclosed. The locking cap can include a base cap, locking ring, spring ring, shim ring, and top ring. The locking ring includes a locking mechanism and tab for activating the locking mechanism. The tab allows a user to rotatably slide the locking ring to activate or deactivate the locking mechanism. The automated locking cap can include a circuit board and actuating device in communication with the circuit board, which is programmed to receive signals from a user and to transmit the signals to the actuating device. The actuating device includes a retractable pin that inserts into and retracts from a through-hole the top ring, the spring ring, and the locking ring upon receiving the respective signal from the user, which allows the user to activate or deactivate the locking mechanism.

A privacy cover for camera openings wherein the covering can be adjusted to allow the camera on a phone or computer to have unencumbered viewing of the area. The privacy cover allows for the user to feel secure that a camera isn't in active use or if the camera is being accessed by an unauthorized third party, there isn't a video feed that is being transmitted.

A computer webcam cover device is provided. The device is comprised of a rear wall that attaches to the rear of a computer via a fastener. A front wall of the device attaches to the rear wall via a middle wall, wherein the front wall attaches to the middle wall via a fold or a hinge. The front wall covers a webcam of the computer when the webcam is not in use. When the webcam needs to be used, the front wall can be flipped upward about the hinge/fold.

A lens cap device, comprising: a base configured as an inner ring; an outer ring configured to be rotatable relative to the base; a plurality of curved blades slidably connected to the base and rotatably connected to the outer ring, wherein the plurality of curved blades is configured to function as an iris; and wherein when the outer ring is rotated, each blade in the plurality of curved blades travels from an outer position that defines an opening to an inward position that defines a closure.

A camera built into a cylindrical housing couples to a stand with a stand member that inserts into an opening having a magnet attracted to ferromagnetic material integrated in the stand member. The stand member may couple to a bracket that holds the camera at a display or to a tripod that places the camera between the display and an end user participating in a video conference. A lens cover couples over a front face of the camera with magnetic attraction and is stored at a rear face of the camera with magnetic attraction. In various embodiments, sensors detect lens cap and/or stand member position to control camera power and/or camera visual image capture operations.