Orientation system for image recording devices
AssigneesKevin J. Warrian, Patrick Gooi
InventorsKevin J. Warrian, Adrian Gooi, Patrick Gooi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An image recording device having a projected viewfinder is described that projects individual, or multiple sets of synchronized framing beams onto a target image that are coaxially aligned with the field of view of the camera. The set of framing beams is projected onto the target image beyond the scope of the field of view being recorded by the image recording device but still within the field of vision of the operator of the device. In this way, the operator of the image recording device will be able to clearly see the framing beams identifying the limits of the recorded areas, while not having any portion of the field of view of the image recording device obscured by the framing beams themselves.
Claims40
An image recording device having a projected viewfinder for establishing an outer boundary of a field of view for a target image, comprising:
- an objective lens having a field of view;
- and
- at least one set of light beam emitters, each of the light beam emitters spatially positioned around an outer perimeter of the objective lens at incrementally greater distances to project a correspondingly wider set of framing beams, each set of framing beams corresponding to the at least one set of light beam emitters being interchangeably activated and deactivated to project one corresponding set of framing beams at a time,
- wherein the at least one set of light beam emitters projects a corresponding set of framing beams which circumscribes at least in part said outer boundary of the field of view of the objective lens and which is projected onto the target image beyond the scope of the field of view of the objective lens, thereby avoiding interference with the field of view;
- wherein activation and deactivation of the at least one set of light beam emitters is coordinated with a change in a level of magnification of the field of view of the objective lens to maintain the coaxial alignment of the corresponding set of framing beams to the field of view of the objective lens.
An image recording device having a projected viewfinder for establishing an outer boundary of a field of view for a target image, comprising:
- a variable focal length objective lens having a variable field of view;
- multiple sets of light beam emitters, each set of light beam emitters positioned around an outer perimeter of the variable focal length objective lens at incrementally greater distances from the variable focal length objective lens,
- wherein each set of light beam emitters projects a corresponding set of framing beams which circumscribes at least in part said outer boundary of the field of view of the objective lens and which is projected onto the target image beyond the scope of the field of view of the variable focal length objective lens, thereby avoiding interference with the field of view;
- and
- a controller for synchronizing the multiple sets of light beam emitters to project the set of framing beams that corresponds to a preset level of magnification of the variable field of view of the variable focal length objective lens.
A method for generating a projected viewfinder for establishing a field of view for a target image, comprising:
- directing an objective lens of an image recording device at the target image to form a field of view;
- and
- projecting a set of framing beams coaxial to the field of view of the objective lens onto the target image, wherein the set of framing beams circumscribes at least in part an outer boundary of the field of view of the objective lens which is projected on the target image beyond the scope of the field of view to visibly indicate the field of view being recorded to an operator of the image recording device without interference with the field of view being recorded
- varying a level of magnification of the field of view;
- deactivating the set of framing beams;
- and
- projecting a second set of framing beams that is in coaxial alignment to the field of view at the varied level of magnification.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.