Electronic camera for the realization of the imaging properties of a studio bellow camera
AssigneeEastman Kodak Company
InventorUlrich Mutze
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electronic camera comprises a lens for imaging an object on an image plane. At least one object area is selected, and a microcomputer calculates the displacement parameters needed to achieve sharp focusing of the selected object area. An image sensor is provided in the image plane of the camera which is moveable in five degrees of freedom. A positioning structure automatically moves the image sensor in response to displacement parameters calculated by the microcomputer so that a sharply focused image of the selected object area is obtained in the image plane.
Claims7
An electronic camera for capturing a sharply focused image of an object, the electronic camera comprising:
- (a) a lens;
- (b) an image sensor movable in five degrees of freedom, such degrees of freedom including an axial displacement (ds) along the optical axis of the lens, a horizontal displacement (sx) parallel to an x-direction, a vertical displacement (sy) parallel to a y-direction, a horizontal inclination (ax) positioned relative to an x-y plane defined by the x- and y-directions, and a vertical inclination (ay) positioned relative to the x-y plane;
- (c) means for selecting a plurality of object areas in an image of the scene;
- (d) means for determining an axial displacement (ds) for each of the object areas which provides optimally adjusted sharpness of the focused image;
- (e) means for calculating a set of ds, sx, sy, ax, and ay settings that simultaneously provide a sharply focused image for each of the plurality of object areas in the image;
- and
- (f) wherein the image is captured by the positioned image sensor using the calculated ds, sx, sy, ax, and ay settings.
A method for capturing a sharply focused image of an object, including the steps of:
- (a) providing an electronic camera having a lens and an image sensor that can be moved in five degrees of freedom, including an axial displacement (ds) along the optical axis of the lens, a horizontal displacement sx parallel to the x-direction, a vertical displacement sy parallel to the y-direction, a horizontal inclination ax relative to the x-y plane, and a vertical inclination ay relative to the x-y plane;
- (b) selecting a plurality of object areas in an image of the scene;
- (c) determining an axial displacement (ds) for each of the plurality of object areas which provides optimally adjusted sharpness;
- (d) calculating a set of ds, sx, sy, ax, ay settings that simultaneously provide a sharply focused image for each of the plurality of object areas in the image;
- (e) adjusting the image sensor ds, sx, sy, ax, ay settings to match said calculated values;
- and
- (f) capturing a still image using said ds, sx, sy, ax, ay settings.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.