Camera system

• US 4,422,745 A
• Filed: 07/31/1981
• Issued: 12/27/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/1981
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lifetouch National School Studios Incorporated (Shutterfly, LLC)
• Original Assignee: National School Studios Incorporated
• Inventors: Hopson, Talmadge W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Adams, Russell E.
• Application Number:
  US06/288,815
• Time in Patent Office: 879 Days
• Field of Search: 354/23 D, 354/105, 354/106, 354/109, 354/173, 354/211, 354/213, 354/293, 346/107 R, 235/462
• US Class Current: 396/211
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/24 with means for separately producing marks on the film, e.g. title, time of exposure
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/425 motor drive cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2217/243 Optical devices
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2217/246 Details of the markings

Abstract

A microprocessor controlled camera system for exposing film with a photographic subject, a field of bar code data relevant to the subject and a field of data taken from a written card. The camera system includes an elevator assembly for raising and lowering the camera in response to a control actuator and a fixed aperture dual zoom lens system for framing the subject under control of the control actuator. A flash control system utilizes reflected light from the flashtube to indicate the amount of additional light needed on the subject and commands additional energy storage capacitors to be discharged through the flashtube to increase the subject illumination to a desired level.

Claims

1. A camera system comprising:

(a) a camera body;

(b) a film supply cartridge loaded with a supply of film and mounted within said camera body;

(c) a film take-up cartridge mounted within said camera body constructed and arranged for receiving film from said film supply cartridge;

(d) lens means mounted on said camera body for projecting an image from outside of said camera body on an exposure location within said camera body;

(e) lens adjusting means for adjusting the magnification of said lens means;

(f) shutter means mounted within said camera body constructed and arranged to permit said lens means to project an image on said exposure location only when said shutter means is opened;

(g) film drive means for moving film from said film supply cartridge through said exposure location to said film take-up cartridge;

(h) actuator means; and

(i) control means for coordinating operation of said film drive means and said shutter means to sequentially expose said film on a frame-by-frame basis in response to said actuator means and for verifying that unexposed film is in said exposure location prior to opening said shutter means.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said lens means includes zoom means for increasing the magnification of said lens without varying its focal length and wherein said lens adjusting means includes zoom drive means for varying the magnification of said lens means.

3. The invention of claim 1 wherein said control means includes a microprocessor.

4. The invention of claim 1 wherein said control means includes means for verifying proper operation of said shutter means.

5. The invention of claim 2 wherein said film take-up means includes cutting means coupled to said film access door for cutting off the film received within said cartridge from the film remaining in the film exposure location after said film is advanced before said film access door is opened.

6. The invention of claim 3 wherein said film cutoff means also includes means for selectively sealing said film access cartridge against entry of light after said film is cut off prior to opening said door.

7. A camera system comprising:

(a) a camera body including a film access door which includes lock means for actuation by an electrical signal and means for generating a logic signal;

(b) a film supply cartridge loaded with a supply of film and mounted within said camera body;

(c) a film take-up cartridge mounted within said camera body constructed and arranged for receiving film from said film supply cartridge;

(d) lens means mounted on said camera body for projecting an image from outside of said camera body on an exposure location within said camera body;

(e) lens adjusting means for adjusting the magnification of said lens means;

(f) shutter means mounted within said camera body constructed and arranged to permit said lens means to project an image on said exposure location only when said shutter means is opened;

(g) film drive means for moving film from said film supply cartridge through said exposure location to said film take-up cartridge;

(h) actuator means; and

(i) control means for coordinating operation of said film drive means and said shutter means to sequentially expose said film on a frame-by-frame basis in response to said actuator means, said control means also including means operatively coupled to said means for generating a logic signal to receive the logic signal therefrom for actuating said film drive means to move exposed film from said exposure location to said film take-up cartridge prior to generating the electrical signal for releasing said lock means to permit the opening of said film access door.

8. A camera system comprising:

(a) a camera body;

(b) a film supply cartridge loaded with a supply of film and mounted within said camera body;

(c) a film take-up cartridge mounted within said camera body constructed and arranged for receiving film from said film supply cartridge;

(d) lens means mounted on said camera body for projecting an image from outside of said camera body on an exposure location within said camera body;

(e) lens adjusting means for adjusting the magnification of said lens means wherein said lens adjusting means includes control stick means upon which a switch means is mounted for actuating said power means to extend and retract said extendable member, said control stick means also including means for adjusting said lens means in response to rotation of said control stick;

(f) shutter means mounted within said camera body constructed and arranged to permit said lens means to project an image on said exposure location only when said shutter means is opened;

(g) film drive means for moving film from said film supply cartridge through said exposure location to said film take-up cartridge;

(h) actuator means;

(i) control means for coordinating operation of said film drive means and said shutter means to sequentially expose said film on a frame-by-frame basis in response to said actuator means and for verifying that unexposed film is in said exposure location prior to opening said shutter means; and

(j) support means constructed and arranged for permitting said camera body to be detachably mounted thereon in an operative position, said support means comprising a base, an extendable member, one end of which is affixed to said base and the other end of which includes means for receiving said camera body, and power means for controllably extending and retracting said extendable member to raise and lower the camera system in response to said actuator means.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said extendable member includes a rotatable threaded shaft connected to one end of said member, the other end of said member threaded to receive said threaded shaft to extend said member as said shaft is rotated.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein said power means includes means for limiting the maximum extension and retraction of said extendable member.

11. In a camera, including a shutter operated by an electrical signal to place an image on film, an operating system comprising:

(a) switch means for operator manipulation to initiate the taking of a photograph of a subject;

(b) display means;

(c) sensor means for measuring a camera operating parameter, said sensor means including means for sensing the presence of unexposed film in said camera; and

(d) control means operatively coupled to said switch means, said sensor means and said display means for verifying camera operating parameters within predetermined limits prior to providing an electrical signal for operating said shutter means and for causing said display means to display messages identifying the nature of any camera operating parameters outside of said predetermined limits and wherein said control means includes means responsive to said sensor for verifying presence of unexposed film.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said sensor means senses whether or not said shutter means is closed and wherein said control means includes means for verifying that the shutter means is closed prior to manipulation of said switch means and means for verifying that said shutter means is opened after providing the electrical signal for opening said shutter means.

13. The invention of claim 12 wherein said input means includes keyboard means operatively coupled to said control means for transmitting data thereto when manipulated by an operator.

14. The invention of claim 12 wherein said input means includes card reading means operatively coupled to said control means for transmitting data thereto when a coded card is inserted therein.

15. The invention of claim 12 wherein said card reading means includes card sensing means for sensing whether or not a card has been placed therein and wherein said control means includes means responsive to said card sensing means to read data from said card.

16. A generator for converting a plurality of digital data words stored in a memory means into a longitudinally oriented bar code pattern on an elongated radiation sensitive medium, said generator comprising:

radiation output port means mounted in an operative relation to said radiation sensitive medium for transmitting radiation therethrough to said radiation sensing medium to apply a longitudinally oriented bar code pattern thereto;

a plurality of transducer means, each of which is coupled to a bit position of the portion of said memory means storing said data words for producing a radiation output detectable by said radiation sensitive medium when said bit position is in a first data state and for producing no detectable radiation output when said bit position is in a second data state;

a plurality of coupling means, each of which is coupled at one end to one of said plurality of transducer means and at the other end to said radiation output port means, said coupling means being constructed and arranged for conducting the radiation output of each of said transducer means to a specific position in said radiation output port means for generating a first longitudinally oriented bar code word having a predetermined length on said radiation sensitive medium while said radiation sensitive medium is stationary; and

means for longitudinally advancing said elongated radiation sensitive medium in incremental steps which have a length exceeding the predetermined length of the bar code words and including means for causing said memory means to change the data word delivered by said memory means to said transducer means to the next word in said plurality of data words.

17. The invention of claim 16 wherein said radiation sensitive medium is photographic film and wherein each of said plurality of transducer means comprises at least one light emitting diode means and wherein said coupling means comprises at least one fiber optics element coupled at one end to the light emitting portion of a light emitting diode.

18. The invention of claim 17 wherein the other end of each of the fiber optics coupling means has a rectangular cross-section with a length equal to the width of a bar in the bar code pattern and a width corresponding to the width of the minimum width bar in the bar code pattern.

19. The invention of claim 18 wherein drive means are provided for introducing relative movement between said radiation output port means and to radiation sensitive medium and wherein control means are provided for selecting different data words from said memory means for generating a succession of bar code patterns on said radiation sensitive medium.

20. In a camera, including a shutter operated by an electrical signal to place an image on film, an operating system comprising:

(a) a switch means for operator manipulation to initiate the taking of the photograph of a subject;

(b) flash means comprising a flashtube and a storage capacitor for storing a predetermined quantum of energy for discharge through the flashtube in response to a flash command;

(c) sensor means for measuring the illumination of the subject;

(d) control means operatively coupled to said switch means, said sensor means and said flash means for generating the electrical signal to open said shutter and to generate said flash command a predetermined time after application of the electrical signal to the shutter, said control means including means for comparing the output of said sensor means to a predetermined table and for generating a logic command indicative of the additional amount of flash output necessary to bring the illumination on the subject up to a predetermined value; and

(e) at least one supplemental storage capacitor means coupled to said control means and said flash means for delivering additional energy to said flashtube in response to the logic command generated by said control means.