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US 5,694,632 AGranted
Camera with autofocus and aiming mechanism and method
AssigneeCapper Technologies, Inc.
InventorDavid G. Capper
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A camera (10) having a light source (20) that produces a beam of light (22) extending in the direction the camera (10) is aimed. A light pattern produced by reflection of the beam of light (22) by an object informs the user where the camera (10) is aimed. Actuation of a shutter trigger (16) deactivates the light source (20) and then actuates a shutter mechanism in the camera (10), with the camera (10) at this time being properly aimed. The shutter trigger (16) may also actuate an autofocus system (230).
Claims26
Photographic apparatus with light beam assisted aiming capability comprising:
- a camera having a housing, a viewfinder within the housing for aiming the camera, and a lens associated with the housing for allowing light to enter the camera to record an image;
- a shutter mechanism for the camera configured to allow light to enter the camera through the lens to record an image on actuation of the shutter mechanism;
- a light source positioned within the camera's housing for projecting a beam of visible light that produces a light pattern visible to the user when the beam of light is reflected by an object, the light source being operable with the camera so that the light pattern produced by reflection of the beam of light shows where the camera is aimed without requiring a user to look through the viewfinder;
- an aperture in the camera's housing, separate from the lens, through which the light source projects the beam of visible light;
- a supply of electrical power positioned within the camera's housing to power the light source;
- and
- a trigger mechanism for the camera configured selectively to activate the light source, to deactivate the light source by restricting the supply of electrical power to the light source, and to actuate the shutter mechanism to allow light to enter the lens after the light source has been deactivated so that the light source does not project the beam of visible light to produce the light pattern when the shutter mechanism allows light to enter the lens to record an image.
4 more elements
Photographic apparatus with automatic focus and light beam assisted aiming capability comprising:
- a camera having a housing, a viewfinder within the housing for aiming the camera, and a lens associated with the housing for allowing light to enter the camera to record an image;
- a shutter mechanism for the camera configured to allow light to enter the camera through the lens to record an image on actuation of the shutter mechanism;
- a light emitting device positioned within the camera's housing for projecting a beam of light that produces a light pattern visible to the user when the beam of light is reflected by an object, the light emitting device being operable with the camera so that the light pattern produced by reflection of the beam of light shows where the camera is aimed without requiring a user to look through the viewfinder;
- an aperture in the camera's housing, separate from the lens, through which the light emitting device projects the beam of visible light;
- a supply of electrical power positioned within the camera's housing to power the light emitting device;
- and
- an autofocus system for the camera for adjusting the focus of the lens;
- and
- a trigger mechanism for the camera configured selectively to activate the light emitting device, to deactivate the light emitting device by restricting the supply of electrical power to the light emitting device, to activate the autofocus system, and to actuate the shutter mechanism to allow light to enter the lens after the light emitting device has been deactivated so that the light emitting device does not project the beam of visible light to produce the light pattern when the shutter mechanism allows light to enter the lens to record an image and so that the autofocus system focuses the camera prior to recording an image.
6 more elements
A method of operating a camera to record an image therewith where the camera has a housing having an aperture, a light source within the housing, a shutter mechanism and a shutter trigger, the method comprising:
- producing a beam of visible light from the light source, where the visible light beam produced indicates the direction that the camera is aimed;
- directing the light beam through the aperture in the camera's housing and toward the image to be recorded, with the light beam producing a visible reflected light pattern on an object associated with the image;
- adjusting the camera as determined by the reflected light pattern to obtain proper aiming of the camera;
- and
- actuating the shutter trigger to first stop the production of the light beam and then to actuate the shutter mechanism.
2 more elements
A method of operating a camera to record an image therewith where the camera has a housing having an aperture and a light source within the housing, the method comprising:
- producing a light beam from the light source which indicates the direction that the camera is aimed;
- directing the light beam through the aperture in the camera's housing and toward the image to be recorded, with the light beam producing a visible reflected light pattern on an object associated with the image;
- adjusting the camera as determined by the reflected light pattern to obtain proper aiming of the camera;
- focusing the camera with an automatic focusing system that produces focus adjustments with characteristics sensed by the camera as aimed;
- and
- after focusing the camera, and with the production of the light beam stopped, actuating the camera to produce recording of the image.
3 more elements
A method of operating a camera to record an image therewith where the camera has a housing having an aperture, a light source within the housing, and a shutter mechanism and a shutter trigger operable to actuate at least two functions, the method comprising:
- producing a light beam from the light source indicating the direction that the camera is aimed;
- directing the light beam through the aperture within the camera's housing and toward the image to be recorded, with the light beam producing a visible reflected light pattern on an object associated with the image;
- adjusting the camera as determined by the reflected light pattern to obtain proper aiming of the camera;
- performing focusing of the camera with focusing mechanism actuated by the shutter trigger;
- and
- after focusing of the camera, further actuating the shutter trigger to stop the production of the light beam and to actuate the shutter mechanism.
3 more elements
A photographic apparatus with aiming capability, the apparatus comprising:
- a camera having a field of view and a housing;
- a light emitting device positioned within the camera's housing and used in conjunction with the camera for projecting a light beam to identify at least a part of the field of view by producing a light pattern visible on an object having a known position relative to the field of view;
- an aperture in the camera's housing, separate from the lens, through which the light emitting device projects the light beam;
- a moveable mirror adjacent the light emitting device for reflecting the light beam;
- a mechanism for moving the mirror so that the light pattern produced by the light beam outlines a predetermined region;
- and
- a moveable zoom lens;
- where the mechanism moves the mirror in a predetermined manner depending on the movement of the zoom lens.
5 more elements
A photograph apparatus capable of being aimed by a user without the user having to look through a viewfinder, the apparatus comprising:
- a camera having a field of view and a housing;
- a shutter mechanism within the camera that allows light to enter the camera to record an image;
- a trigger on the camera to actuate the shutter mechanism;
- a light emitting device positioned within the camera's housing for projecting a light beam which produces a light pattern visible to the user when reflected by an object;
- an aperture in the camera's housing, separate from the lens, through which the light emitting device projects the light beam;
- a moveable mirror adjacent the light emitting device for reflecting the light beam into the camera's field of view;
- and
- a mechanism for moving the mirror so that the light pattern produced by the light beam outlines a predetermined region;
- where the light emitting device is attached to the camera within the camera's housing so that the light pattern produced by the reflection of the light beam shows where the camera is aimed;
- and
- where the trigger deactivates the light emitting device when it actuates the shutter mechanism.
8 more elements
A photographic apparatus with aiming capability, the apparatus comprising:
- a camera having a field of view and a housing;
- a light emitting device positioned within the camera's housing used in conjunction with the camera for projecting a light beam to identify at least a part of the field of view by producing a light pattern visible to a person adjacent the camera on an object having a known position relative to the field of view;
- an aperture in the camera's housing, separate from the lens, through which the light emitting device projects the light beam;
- a moveable zoom lens;
- and
- a mechanism for controlling the light pattern depending on the zoom so that the light pattern indicates the zoom to the person adjacent the camera.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.