US 6,298,197 B1Granted

Automatic photobooth with electronic imaging camera

AssigneePhotostar Limited

InventorsJohn Laurence Wain, Barry Allen Marchini, Richard Layton Fry

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Abstract

An automatic picture taking system has a housing which may be in the form of a booth. The housing contains a video camera and is arranged to produce a video picture of a subject in a picture taking zone. The video picture can be converted to a print e.g. using a digital thermal color printer. The video picture is stored in memory and can be processed to give a desired composition prior to printing. The picture may consist of the image of the subject which is separated from the background using chroma keying and which is then combined with a selected electronically prestored background or foreground.

Claims36

Dependent claims

An automatic picture taking system in the form of a photo booth comprising a housing, a background boundary surface, and a picture taking zone for accommodating a person defined between said housing and said background boundary surface, said housing containing:

a) an electronic imaging camera which is operable when actuated to produce an image output in the form of storable electronic image data representative of an image of said person in said zone and said background boundary surface,
b) a visual display device arranged to display a picture to said person in said zone,
c) a printer arranged to produce a print of a picture displayed on said visual display device,
d) processing means for receiving, and storing said image data produced by said camera and for automatically isolating the image data representing the image of said person from the image data representing the image of said background boundary surface,
e) data storage means storing further data representing a plurality of userselectable supplementary images,
f) combining means for automatically combining in a user-selectable mode said isolated image data representing the image of said person with said further data representing a user-selected supplementary image thereby to produce combined data representing a combination of said isolated image and said user-selected supplementary image,
g) control means operable when actuated to initiate, prior to printing, automatic display for user selection on said visual display device of said image of said person, said plurality of supplementary images, and said combination of images, and to control operation of said printer,
h) user controls operable by the person to effect selection of said person's image, selection of one of said supplementary images, and selection of one of a plurality of combination modes of the combined selected person's image and the selected supplementary image,
wherein after actuation of said camera and said control means, said control means is operable to effect:
i. display on said visual display device of said image of said person for acceptance or rejection by operation of said user controls,
ii. display on said visual display device of said supplementary images for selection by operation of said user controls,
iii. display on said visual display device of a combination of an accepted said image of said person and a selected said supplementary image in a mode of combination selected by operation of said user controls, and
iv. operation of said printer to produce a print of said combination of images in said selected mode.

10 more elements

a) an electronic imaging camera which is operable when actuated to produce an image output in the form of storable electronic image data representative of an image of said person in said zone,
b) a visual display device arranged to display a picture to said person in said zone,
c) a printer arranged to produce a print of a picture displayed on said visual display device,
d) processing means for receiving, and storing said image data produced by said camera,
e) data storage means storing further data representing a plurality of userselectable supplementary images,
f) combining means for automatically combining in a user-selectable mode said image data representing the image of said person with said further data representing a userselected supplementary image thereby to produce combined data representing a combination of said image of said person and said user-selected supplementary image,
g) control means operable when actuated to initiate, prior to printing, automatic display for user selection on said visual display device of said image of said person, said plurality of supplementary images, and said combination of images, and to control operation of said printer,
h) user controls operable by the person to effect selection of one of said supplementary images, and selection of one of a plurality of combination modes of the combined selected person's image and the selected supplementary image,
wherein after actuation of said camera and said control means, said control means is operable to effect:
i. display on said visual display device of said supplementary images for selection by operation of said user controls,
ii. display on said visual display device of a combination of an image of said person and a selected said supplementary image for selection or rejection by operation of said user controls, and
iii. operation of the printer to produce a print of a selected combination of images.

9 more elements

a) an electronic imaging camera which is operable when actuated to produce an image output in the form of storable electronic image data representative of an image of said person in said zone,
b) a visual display device arranged to display a picture to said person in said zone,
c) an image output device for producing an output of combined images displayed on said visual display device in the form of a print. a video recording or a digital recording,
d) processing means for receiving, and storing said image data produced by said camera,
e) data storage means storing further data representing a plurality of userselectable supplementary images,
f) combining means for automatically combining in a user-selectable mode said image data representing the image of said person with said further data representing a userselected supplementary image thereby to produce combined data representing a combination of said image of said person and said user-selected supplementary image,
g) control means operable when actuated to initiate, prior to producing an output of combined images in the form of a print a video recording or a digital recording, automatic display for user selection on said visual display device of said image of said person, said plurality of supplementary images, and said combination of images, and to control operation of said image output device,
h) user controls operable by the person to effect selection of one of said supplementary images, and selection of one of a plurality of combination modes of the combined selected person's image and the selected supplementary image,
wherein after actuation of said camera and said control means, said control means is operable to effect:
i. display on said visual display device of said supplementary images for selection by operation of said user controls,
ii. display on said visual display device of a combination of an image of said person and a selected said supplementary image for selection or rejection by operation of said user controls, and
iii. operation of the image output device to produce an output of combined images in the form of a print, a video recording or a digital recording, of a selected combination of images.

9 more elements

a) an electronic imaging camera which is operable when actuated to produce an image output in the form of storable electronic image data representative of an image of said person in said zone,
b) a visual display device arranged to display a picture to said person in said zone,
c) a print output device arranged to produce a print output of a picture displayed on said visual display device,
d) processing means for receiving, and storing said image data produced by said camera,
e) data storage means storing further data representing a plurality of userselectable supplementary images,
f) combining means for automatically combining in a user-selectable mode said image data representing the image of said person with said further data representing a userselected supplementary image thereby to produce combined data representing a combination of said image of said person and said user-selected supplementary image,
g) control means operable when actuated to initiate, prior to producing a print output, automatic display for user selection on said visual display device of said image of said person, said plurality of supplementary images, and said combination of images, and to control operation of said print output device,
h) user controls operable by the person to effect selection of one of said supplementary images, selection of one of a plurality of combination modes of the combined selected person's image and the selected supplementary image, and to effect entry of information for inclusion in said print output,
whereby after actuation of said camera and said control means, said control means is operable to effect:
i. display on said visual display device of said supplementary images for selection by operation of said user controls,
ii. display on said visual display device of a combination of an image of said person and a selected said supplementary image for selection or rejection by operation of said user controls, and
iii. operation of the print output device to produce a print output of a selected combination of images.

9 more elements

a) an electronic imaging camera which is operable when actuated to produce an image output in the form of storable electronic image data representative of an image of said person in said zone,
b) a visual display device arranged to display a picture to said person in said zone,
c) a print output device arranged to produce a print output of a picture displayed on said visual display device,
d) processing means for receiving, and storing said image data produced by said camera,
e) data storage means storing further data representing a plurality of userselectable supplementary images or backgrounds,
f) combining means for automatically combining in a user-selectable mode said image data representing the image of said person with said further data representing a userselected supplementary image or background thereby to produce combined data representing a combination of said image of said person and said user-selected supplementary image or background,
g) control means operable when actuated to initiate, prior to producing a print output, automatic display for user selection on said visual display device of said image of said person, said plurality of supplementary images or backgrounds, and said combination, and to control operation of said print output device,
h) user controls operable by the person to effect selection of one of said supplementary images or backgrounds, and selection of one of a plurality of combination modes of the combined selected person's image and the selected supplementary image or background,
whereby after actuation of said camera and said control means, said control means is operable to effect:
i. display on said visual display device of said supplementary images or backgrounds for selection by operation of said user controls,
ii. display on said visual display device of a combination of an image of said person and a selected said supplementary image or background for selection or rejection by operation of said user controls, and
iii. operation of the print output device to produce a printout of a selected combination of an image of said person and a supplementary image or background, wherein said printout is a postcard, an enlarged portrait print, identification card, or a plurality of identical or non-identical passport size pictures.

9 more elements

a) an electronic imaging camera which is operable when actuated to produce an image output in the form of storable electronic image data representative of an image of said person in said zone,
b) a visual display device arranged to display a picture to said person in said zone,
c) a print output device arranged to produce a print output of a picture displayed on said visual display device,
d) processing means for receiving, and storing said image data produced by said camera,
e) data storage means storing further data representing a plurality of userselectable supplementary images,
f) combining means for automatically combining in a user-selectable mode said image data representing the image of said person with said further data representing a userselected supplementary image thereby to produce combined data representing a combination of said image of said person and said user-selected supplementary image,
g) control means operable when actuated to initiate, prior to producing a print output, automatic display for user selection on said visual display device of said image of said person, said plurality of supplementary images, and said combination of images, and to control operation of said print output device,
h) user controls operable by the person to effect selection of one of said supplementary images, selection of one of a plurality of combination modes of the combined selected person's image and the selected supplementary image, and to effect modification of said selected person's image,
whereby after actuation of said camera and said control means, said control means is operable to effect:
i. display on said visual display device of said supplementary images for selection by operation of said user controls,
ii. display on said visual display device of a combination of an image of said person and a selected said supplementary image for selection or rejection by operation of said user controls, and
iii. operation of the print output device to produce a print output of a selected combination of images.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/345,794Filed 22 Nov 1994 · continuation
Priority: GB 890453528 Feb 1989
Granted: 2 Oct 2001
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

H04N 1/00161
In a digital photofinishing system, i.e. a system where digital photographic images undergo typical photofinishing processing, e.g. printing…
G03B 17/53
With both developing and finishing apparatus: for automatically delivering a finished picture after a signal causing exposure has been given, e.g.…
G07F 17/26
Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services: for printing, stamping, franking, typing or teleprinting apparatus
H04N 1/00167
In a digital photofinishing system, i.e. a system where digital photographic images undergo typical photofinishing processing, e.g. printing…

Family

Application07/752,581Parent of this continuation · filed 28 Aug 1991
US 6,298,197 B1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Timeline

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