Photography booth and method

• US 4,896,175 A
• Filed: 10/05/1988
• Issued: 01/23/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Donald O. Thayer Jr
• Original Assignee: Donald O. Thayer Jr
• Inventors: Thayer, Donald O. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): MATHEWS, ALAN A
• Application Number:
  US07/253,652
• Time in Patent Office: 475 Days
• Field of Search: 354/75, 354/76, 354/219, 354/224, 354/225, 354/290, 354/209, 354/173.1, 354/212, 358/213.13, 358/224, 358/909
• US Class Current: 396/2
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/53 for automatically delivering a finished picture after a signal causing exposure has been given, e.g. by pushing a button, by inserting a coin

Abstract

A self-photography booth comprises a booth having a first end portion for a person to be photographed and a spaced and aligned opposite second end portion. A camera is operably associated with the second end portion and includes a selectively operable film advance system for advancing a length of film having a plurality of frames through the camera in a sequential manner and a shutter button for selectively exposing a frame of the film with an image of the person. A video camera is operatively associated with the second end portion and with the camera for receiving the image of the person perceived by the camera. A video display is operably associated with the video camera and with the second end portion for displaying the perceived image. A push button selector assembly is operably associated with the camera for selectively causing or preventing operation of the film advance system after operation of the shutter assembly so that prevention of operation of the film advance system prevents the film from advancing to the next frame so that the exposed frame may be receive multiple exposures and operation of the film advance system causes the film to advance to the next frame.

Claims

1. Self-photography booth, comprising:

(a) a booth having a first end portion for a person to be photographed and a spaced and aligned opposite second end portion;

(b) camera means operably associated with said second end portion and including a selectively operable film advance system for advancing a length of film having a plurality of frames through said camera means in a sequential manner and means for selectively exposing a frame of the film with an image of the person;

(c) video camera means operably associated with said second end portion and with said camera means for receiving the image of the person perceived by said camera means;

(d) video display means operably associated with said video camera means and with said second end portion for displaying the perceived image;

(e) means operably associated with said camera means for causing exposure of a frame of the film with the perceived image; and

,

(f) means operably associated with said camera means for selectively causing or preventing operation of said film advance system after operation of said exposure means so that multiple exposures may be made by preventing operation of the film advance system and thereby preventing the film from advancing, and operation of said film advance system causes the film to advance to the next frame.

2. The booth of claim 1, wherein:

(a) first and second display means are operably associated with said exposure and causing or preventing means and are perceivable by the person, one of said display means for indicating the frame which is to be exposed and the other of said display means for indicating the number of exposures already made to that frame.

3. The booth of claim 2, wherein:

(a) each of said display means is an illuminated display.

4. The booth of claim 1, wherein:

(a) said film advance system includes an electric motor for causing advancement of the film.

5. The booth of claim 1, wherein:

(a) said means for causing or preventing includes manually operable switch means, said switch means positioned proximate the person to be photographed.

6. The booth of claim 1, wherein:

(a) grid means are operably associated with said video display means for defining on the video display means a plurality of exposure areas so that the person to be photographed may perceive the orientation on the film of an exposure.

7. The booth of claim 6, wherein:

(a) said grid means an comprised of a transparent material and have a plurality of non-transparent lines defining the exposure areas.

8. The booth of claim 7, wherein:

(a) said grid means comprised of a resilient plastic sheet; and

,

(b) means are operably associated with said sheet for selectively securing said sheet relative to the video display means.

9. The booth of claim 8, wherein:

(a) said securing means comprised of Velcro.

10. The booth of claim 6, wherein:

(a) there are a plurality of grid means, each grid means having a selected number of exposure areas and/or exposure area configurations.

11. The booth of claim 1, wherein:

(a) means are operably associated with said camera means and said video camera means for maintaining operable association therebetween; and

,

(b) said maintaining means includes means for varying the orientation of said camera means relative to the person to be photographed.

12. The booth of claim 11, wherein:

(a) said maintaining means includes a pivotal platform, said camera means and said video camera means being secured to said platform in fixed association therewith.

13. Self-photography booth, comprising:

(a) a booth having a first end portion for posing of a person to be photographed and an opposite second end portion for positioning a camera system;

(b) said camera system comprising a single lens reflex camera having a motorized film advance system and remotely operable means for causing selective exposure of the film;

(c) video camera means coupled with said camera for receiving the image of the person perceived by said camera;

(d) video display means operably associated with said video camera means for displaying the received perceived image so that the person to be photographed may view the image being perceived by said camera;

(e) means operably associated with said camera system for permitting or preventing operation of said film advance system after said remotely operable means has caused exposure of the film so that prevention of operation of said film advance system prevents the film from advancing to the next frame and thereby permits multiple exposures to be taken and permitting operation of said film advance system causes the film to advance to the next frame; and

,

(f) display means operably associated with said camera system for indicating to the person to be photographed the frame number of the frame to be exposed and the number of exposures made to that frame.

14. The booth of claim 13, wherein:

(a) at least a first grid comprised of a transparent material is aligned with and overlies said video display means, said grid having at least a first non-transparent indicia applied thereto for dividing said grid into at least two exposure areas.

15. The booth of claim 14, wherein:

(a) means are operably associated with said grid for releasably securing said grid relative to said video display means.

16. The booth of claim 13, wherein:

(a) said display means includes first and second illuminated displays, one of said displays for displaying the number of the frame to be exposed and the other of said displays for displaying the number of exposures made to that frame.

17. The method of taking self portraits, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a photography booth comprising a first end portion for a person to be photographed and a spaced and aligned opposite second end portion for positioning a camera system, the camera system comprising a camera having a motorized film advance system and remotely operable means for causing selective exposure of the film, a video camera is coupled with the camera for receiving the image of the person perceived by the camera and a video display means is operably associated with the video camera for displaying to the person the image being perceived by the camera, means are operably associated with the camera system for permitting or preventing operation of the film advance system so that after operation of the remotely operable means the film advances to the next frame when the permitting or preventing means are set to permit advancement and the film is prevented from advancing so that multiple exposures may be taken when the permitting or preventing means are set to prevent advancement, and display means are operably associated with the camera system for indicating to the person to be photographed the number of the frame to be exposed and the number of exposures already made to that frame;

(b) setting the permitting or preventing means in order to cause the film to advance or to be prevented from advancing after the exposure has been made;

(c) posing a person to be photographed in the booth; and

,

(d) operating the remotely operable means and thereby causing the film to be exposed.

18. The method of claim 17, including the steps of:

(a) defining at least first and second exposure areas on the video display means;

(b) setting the permitting or preventing means so that advancement of the film is prevented;

(c) aligning the person to be photographed with the camera so that the perceived image is displayed in one of the exposure areas; and

,

(d) causing the film to be exposed.

19. The method of claim 18, including the steps of:

(a) aligning the person to be photographed with the camera after the film has been exposed so that the perceived image is displayed in the other one of the exposure areas; and

,

(b) causing the film to be exposed.

20. The method of claim 18, including the steps of:

(a) setting the permitting or preventing means so that advancement of the film is permitted after the film has been exposed; and

,

(b) incrementing the display means to the frame number of the frame ready for exposure and indicating that no exposures have been made to that frame after the film has been exposed.