External Photographic Wireless TTL Communication Device and Method

• US 20110123185A1
• Filed: 02/07/2011
• Published: 05/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LAB Partners Associates Incorporated
• Original Assignee: LAB Partners Associates Incorporated
• Inventors: Clark, James E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,331,776 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 396/198
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/05 Combinations of cameras with electronic flash apparatus; Electronic flash units
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/566 Accessory clips, holders, shoes to attach accessories to camera if integral part of camera body G03B17/02
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2215/056 Connection with camera, e.g. adapter
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/50 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices

Abstract

An external photographic wireless communication device for connection to a camera body having a hot shoe connector for connecting to the camera body and a hot shoe connector for connecting to one or more accessory devices. Each of the hot shoe connectors includes a plurality of contacts. The device includes a switching element for selectively disconnecting one or more of the plurality of contacts in one hot shoe connector from a corresponding respective one of the other hot shoe connector.

Claims

1. A method of electrically communicating serial photographic data between a wireless communication device and a camera body having a hot shoe connector, the wireless communication device connected to the hot shoe connector in place of a local flash device, the method comprising:

receiving a first indication from the camera body via the hot shoe connector;

interpreting the first indication as an indication that the camera body will subsequently request a first flash information data from a local flash device;

wirelessly requesting the first flash information data from a remote lighting device;

wirelessly receiving a second flash information data from the remote lighting device, the second flash information data from the remote lighting device corresponding to the first flash information data and based on flash data corresponding to the remote lighting device;

receiving a request for the first flash information data from the camera body via the hot shoe connector; and

communicating the second flash information data from the wireless communication device to the camera body via the hot shoe connector in response to receiving the request for the first flash information data.