Electronic flash, electronic camera and light emitting head

• US 20050063195A1
• Filed: 11/22/2004
• Published: 03/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kawakami, Chikuni
• Granted Patent: US 7,372,499 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/545
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/05 Combinations of cameras with electronic flash apparatus; Electronic flash units
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2215/0521 movable housing, e.g. bounce-light
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2215/0535 Built-in diffusor
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2215/0567 Solid-state light source, e.g. LED, laser
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2215/0592 installed in front of light emitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/10 for generating image signals from different wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/667 Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/673 based on contrast or high frequency components of image signals, e.g. hill climbing method
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/74 by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/88 for colour balance, e.g. white-balance circuits or colour temperature control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/713 Transfer or readout registers; Split readout registers or multiple readout registers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/75 Circuitry for providing, modifying or processing image signals from the pixel array
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/22 using optical feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/325 Pulse-width modulation [PWM]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/37 Converter circuits
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/30 Semiconductor lamps, e.g. solid state lamps [SSL] light emitting diodes [LED] or organic LED [OLED]

Abstract

R, G and B LEDs are used as a light source of an electronic flash. Electric energy is supplied to a capacitor to the LEDs. A system controller controls light emitting amounts of the LEDs so that a color temperature of the electronic flash light becomes a color temperature that has been manually set with a color temperature setting switch or a color temperature of a light source determined by color temperature sensors.

Claims

1. A light emitting head, comprising:

an optical member that is one of a polygonal prism and a cylinder;

a light emitting device array provided on a side of the optical member; and

a reflecting mirror provided on at least a bottom of the optical member,

wherein the light emitting device array emits light out of the optical member through a top of the optical member.

2. A light emitting head, comprising:

an optical member having a top, a bottom and at least one side;

at least one light emitting device provided on said at least one side; and

a reflecting mirror provided on the bottom;

wherein light from the light emitting device is emitted through the top.

3. The light emitting head of claim 2 wherein said optical member comprises a cylinder.

4. The light emitting head of claim 2 wherein said optical member comprises a polygonal prism.

5. The light emitting head of claim 4 wherein said polygonal prism comprises a rectangular prism.

6. The light emitting head of claim 2 wherein said at least one side comprises a plurality of sides and said at least one light emitting device comprises at least one light emitting device on a plurality of said plurality of sides.

7. The light emitting head of claim 2 wherein said at least one side comprises four sides and said at least one light emitting device comprises a light emitting diode on each of said four sides.

8. The light emitting head of claim 2 wherein said at least one light emitting device comprises a red LED, a blue LED and a green LED.

9. The light emitting device of claim 2 wherein said at least one light emitting device comprises a red LED, a blue LED and first and second green LEDs.

10. The light emitting device of claim 2 wherein said light emitting device comprises a light emitting device array.

11. A light emitting head, comprising:

an optical member having a top, a bottom and at least one side;

light emitting means for emitting light into said at least one side of said optical member; and

mirror means provided on said bottom for reflecting light toward said top,

wherein light from the light emitting means is emitted through the top.

12. The light emitting head of claim 11 wherein said light emitting means comprises a plurality of LED'"'"'s.

13. A method of emitting white light from a light emitting head, comprising the steps of:

providing an optical member having a top, a bottom and at least one side;

providing at least one light emitting device at said at least one side;

providing a reflecting mirror on the bottom; and

emitting light of different colors from said at least one light emitting device into said optical member;

whereby white light is emitted through the top.