US 5,311,240 AGranted

Technique suited for use in multi-zone autofocusing cameras for improving image quality for non-standard display sizes and/or different focal length photographing modes

AssigneeEastman Kodak Company

InventorRichard B. Wheeler

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Abstract

Exposure control apparatus, and various accompanying methods, for use in a photographic camera for improving the overall quality of photographed images, i.e. increasing the number of acceptable and higher quality images, that are produced by the camera for user-selected non-standard display sizes and/or different focal length photographing modes over that obtainable by adherence to ISO/ANSI exposure standards. The quality improvement is attained through user selection of a desired display size and/or focal length photographing mode for each image to be captured followed by an optimization, for that size and mode, of various photographic exposure parameters (exposure settings and, where appropriate, flash parameters). The invention violates the ISO/ANSI exposure standards where necessary to improve image quality, for the desired display size and focal length photographing mode, beyond that which would result from adherence to these standards.

Claims26

Dependent claims

A method for use in an image capturing device for capturing an image of a scene on a frame of photographic film wherein the image as captured on the frame will be subsequently enlarged, in a manner defined by a pre-defined display characteristic, into an output image, said device having autofocusing capability with a number of autofocusing zones and further having a shutter speed and a lens with respectively a variable shutter speed and a variable lens aperture associated therewith, said method comprising the steps of:

first determining an initial lens aperture value suitable for use with said number of autofocusing zones and associated with a standard display characteristic;
first ascertaining an initial shutter speed value which, in combination the initial lens aperture value, will produce a baseline exposure of said scene;
second determining, in response to said pre-defined display characteristic, a new lens aperture value such that a corresponding hyperfocal distance for one of said autofocusing zones remains substantially constant between said pre-defined and standard display characteristics such that an amount of depth-of-field overlap between adjacent ones of said zones will be substantially maintained between said pre-defined and standard display sizes and said captured image, when enlarged in said manner, will possess an amount of image blur that does not exceed a pre-defined amount of image blur associated with said standard display characteristic;
second ascertaining a new shutter speed value which, in combination with said new lens aperture value, will produce a baseline exposure of the scene;
capturing an image of said scene using said new lens aperture and shutter speed values;
and
printing, on said film and in a vicinity of said frame, data indicative of the pre-defined display characteristic.

4 more elements

In an imaging system, a method for capturing an image of a scene on a frame of photographic film and for subsequently enlarging the image as captured on the frame, in a manner defined by a pre-defined display characteristic, into an output image, said method comprising the steps of:

in an image capturing device having autofocusing capability with a number of autofocusing zones and further having a shutter speed and a lens with respectively a variable shutter speed and a variable lens aperture associated therewith, said image capturing device also having:
first determining an initial lens aperture value suitable for use with said number of autofocusing zones and associated with a standard display characteristic;
first ascertaining an initial shutter speed value which, in combination the initial lens aperture value, will produce a baseline exposure of said scene;
second determining, in response to said pre-defined display characteristic, a new lens aperture value such that a corresponding hyperfocal distance for one of said autofocusing zones remains substantially constant between said pre-defined and standard display characteristics such that an amount of depth-of-field overlap between adjacent ones of said zones will be substantially maintained between said pre-defined and standard display sizes and said captured image, when enlarged in said manner, will possess an amount of image blur that does not exceed a pre-defined amount of image blur associated with said standard display characteristic;
second ascertaining a new shutter speed value which, in combination with said new lens aperture value, will produce a baseline exposure of the scene;
capturing an image of said scene using said new lens aperture and shutter speed values;
and
printing, on said film and in a vicinity of said frame, data indicative of the pre-defined display characteristic;
and
in an enlarging device:
reading said data for the frame and from the film;
and
enlarging said image captured on the frame in the manner specified by said data to yield the output image.

10 more elements

Apparatus for an image capturing device that captures an image of a scene on a frame of photographic film wherein the image as captured on the frame will be subsequently enlarged, in a manner defined by a pre-defined display characteristic, into an output image, said device having autofocusing capability with a number of autofocusing zones and further having a shutter speed and a lens with respectively a variable shutter speed and a variable lens aperture associated therewith, said apparatus comprising:

first means for determining an initial lens aperture value suitable for use with said number of autofocusing zones and associated with a standard display characteristic;
first means for ascertaining an initial shutter speed value which, in combination the initial lens aperture value, will produce a baseline exposure of said scene;
second means for determining, in response to said pre-defined display characteristic, a new lens aperture value such that a corresponding hyperfocal distance for one of said autofocusing zones remains substantially constant between said pre-defined and standard display characteristics such that an amount of depth-of-field overlap between adjacent ones of said zones will be substantially maintained between said pre-defined and standard display sizes and said captured image, when enlarged in said manner, will possess an amount of image blur that does not exceed a pre-defined amount of image blur associated with said standard display characteristic;
second means for ascertaining a new shutter speed value which, in combination with said new lens aperture value, will produce a baseline exposure of the scene;
means for capturing an image of said scene using said new lens aperture and shutter speed values;
and
means for printing, on said film and in a vicinity of said frame, data indicative of the pre-defined display characteristic.

4 more elements

An imaging system for capturing an image of a scene on a frame of photographic film and for subsequently enlarging the image as captured on the frame, in a manner defined by a pre-defined display characteristic, into an output image, said system comprising:

an image capturing device having autofocusing capability with a number of autofocusing zones and further having a shutter speed and a lens with respectively a variable shutter speed and a variable lens aperture associated therewith, said image capturing device also having:
first means for determining an initial lens aperture value suitable for use with said number of autofocusing zones and associated with a standard display characteristic;
first means for ascertaining an initial shutter speed value which, in combination the initial lens aperture value, will produce a baseline exposure of said scene;
second means for determining, in response to said pre-defined display characteristic, a new lens aperture value such that a corresponding hyperfocal distance for one of said autofocusing zones remains substantially constant between said pre-defined and standard display characteristics such that an amount of depth-of-field overlap between adjacent ones of said zones will be substantially maintained between said pre-defined and standard display sizes and said captured image, when enlarged in said manner, will possess an amount of image blur that does not exceed a pre-defined amount of image blur associated with said standard display characteristic;
second means for ascertaining a new shutter speed value which, in combination with said new lens aperture value, will produce a baseline exposure of the scene;
means for capturing an image of said scene using said new lens aperture and shutter speed values;
and
means for printing, on said film and in a vicinity of said frame, data indicative of the pre-defined display characteristic;
and
an image enlarging device having:
means for reading said data for the frame and from the film;
and
means for enlarging said image captured on the frame in the manner specified by said data to yield the output image.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 07/971,012Filed 3 Nov 1992
Granted: 10 May 1994
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

G03B 17/24
Details of cameras or camera bodies; Accessories therefor: with means for separately producing marks on the film, e.g. title, time of exposure
G03B 7/097
Digital circuits: for control of both exposure time and aperture
G03B 2206/004
Systems for exchange of information between different pieces of apparatus, e.g. for exchanging trimming information, for photo finishing: using…
G03B 2207/005
Control of exposure by setting shutters, diaphragms, or filters separately or conjointly: involving control of motion blur