Vehicle identification camera
First Claim
1. Photographic apparatus for close-up photography of an object through a transparent medium, said apparatus comprising:
- a housing having a first section defining an exposure chamber including a lens located in a wall of said first section for directing image forming rays into said chamber from a photographic scene located forwardly along the optical axis of said lens, and a second section extending forwardly of said lens a given predetermined distance along said optical axis and terminating at its distal end in an object window defining an apparatus mounting plane configured for locating said lens at said predetermined distance from said transparent medium when said distal end of said second section is placed in engagement with said transparent medium;
flash illuminating and directing means carried by said housing for producing a flash of illumination directed at the distal end of said second section to illuminate the scene behind the medium; and
said distal end of said second section defining said camera mounting plane at an oblique angle to said optical axis to permit exposure of the scene area located on said optical axis behind the medium while minimizing reflection of said flash from the medium along said optical axis.
12 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicle identification camera arrangement for photographing a vehicle identification number (VIN) plate through a vehicle windshield includes a housing having an object window at its distal end forwardly of the lens and an aperture stop adjoining the lens with the length of housing from the lens establishing the distance to the windshield. The aperture stop sufficiently reduces the aperture to increase the depth of field to encompass the variations in distance of the VIN plate behind the vehicle windshield. Preferably, the arrangement is provided as an adapter housing whose interior is divided into an upper lightbox section and a lower exposure section by an opaque baffle and a diffusing screen. The lightbox section receives flash illumination and directs it at a sharp angle with respect to the optical axis of the camera objective to illuminate the VIN plate through the windshield with a minimum of reflection from the windshield along the camera exposure axis. Optionally, the housing includes an arrangement for mounting an information label adjacent the object window to provide for the production of composite VIN plate and information image exposures.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. Photographic apparatus for close-up photography of an object through a transparent medium, said apparatus comprising:
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a housing having a first section defining an exposure chamber including a lens located in a wall of said first section for directing image forming rays into said chamber from a photographic scene located forwardly along the optical axis of said lens, and a second section extending forwardly of said lens a given predetermined distance along said optical axis and terminating at its distal end in an object window defining an apparatus mounting plane configured for locating said lens at said predetermined distance from said transparent medium when said distal end of said second section is placed in engagement with said transparent medium; flash illuminating and directing means carried by said housing for producing a flash of illumination directed at the distal end of said second section to illuminate the scene behind the medium; and said distal end of said second section defining said camera mounting plane at an oblique angle to said optical axis to permit exposure of the scene area located on said optical axis behind the medium while minimizing reflection of said flash from the medium along said optical axis. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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- 8. An adapter for use with a camera for closeup photography of a narrow, elongated object, said camera having an objective lens, a given lens optical axis and a source of flash illumination, said adapter comprising a housing carrying in overlying relationship a close-up lens and aperture stop, means for releasably attaching said housing to said camera with said close-up lens and aperture stop in overlying relation to the lens of said camera, and said aperture stop is a narrow strip configured for increasing the depth of field of said camera while accommodating photographing of said narrow object.
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9. A vehicle identification adapter for use with a camera having an objective lens, a given lens optical axis and a source of flash illumination to photograph a vehicle identification number plate through a vehicle windshield, said adapter comprising:
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a housing having an object window in one end, a close-up lens and an aperture stop in an other end, means located at said one end for mounting the camera on said one end with the lens optical axis exit ending through said close-up lens, said stop and said object window, and said housing having a length establishing a predetermined distance between the camera and said windshield when said camera and adapter are in an operative position over said windshield with said one end placed against said windshield and said camera mounted on said other end; and said close-up lens and aperture stop being coaxially supported in said other end of said housing in alignment with said given lens optical axis and said aperture stop sufficiently reduces the camera aperture so as to increase the depth of field of the camera to adequately encompass expected variations in the distance of the vehicle identification number plate behind the vehicle windshield when said camera is mounted on said adapter.
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19. An adapter for photographing a vehicle identification number plate through the windshield of a vehicle using an instant camera having an objective lens and a built-in electronic flash unit, said adapter comprising:
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a housing having top, bottom, first and second side, front and rear walls defining an interior; the interior being separated into an upper illumination chamber and a lower exposure chamber by a planar baffle and a diffusing screen; said front wall having a rectangular object window and the plane of said front wall is oriented at an acute angle with respect to said bottom wall; said rear wall supporting a light window, a viewfinder window, a photocell window, a close-up lens and aperture stop arrangement, and a mounting clamp adapted to secure said adapter to said camera. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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Specification