Ring light guide
AssigneeEastman Kodak Company
InventorsJunwon Lee, Steven Hansen, Rongguang Liang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A ring illuminator (20) has a light channeling section (22) with an input face (24) optically coupling the light channeling section (22) to a flash unit (16) of a camera (12) for obtaining flash illumination therefrom. A ring section (26) is optically coupled to the light channeling section and extends around an aperture for fitting the ring illuminator around a lens (14). The ring section has a rear surface (30) for positioning toward the body of the camera. The rear surface has a plurality of light redirecting features (28) for redirecting at least a portion of the flash illumination from within the ring section outward from the camera, around the lens of the camera.
Claims18
A ring illuminator comprising:
- a) a light channeling section comprising an input face for optically coupling the light channeling section to a flash unit of a camera for obtaining flash illumination therefrom;
- b) a ring section optically coupled to the light channeling section and extending around an aperture for fitting the ring illuminator around a lens of the camera;
- and
- the ring section comprising a rear surface comprising a plurality of light redirecting features for redirecting at least a portion of the flash illumination from within the ring section outward from the camera, around the lens of the camera.
An image capture system for obtaining an image of a subject, comprising:
- a) a camera comprising a flash unit;
- b) a lens attached to the camera;
- c) a ring illuminator fitted around the lens, the ring illuminator comprising a light channeling section optically coupled to the flash unit and a ring section optically coupled to the light channeling section and curved about the lens;
- and
- wherein the rear surface of the ring section comprises a plurality of light-redirecting features for redirecting a portion of the illumination obtained from the flash unit outward, toward the subject.
A method for providing ring illumination, comprising:
- a) disposing an input face of a light pipe proximate a flash unit of a camera, obtaining flash illumination thereby;
- b) routing a portion of the light pipe at least partially around a camera objective lens to redirect at least a portion of the flash illumination around the lens;
- and
- c) redirecting a portion of the flash illumination from within said light pipe outward along at least one surface of said portion of said curved light pipe.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.