Floating image camera

• US 4,994,831 A
• Filed: 12/11/1989
• Issued: 02/19/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Beattie Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Beattie Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Marandi, Ehsan S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hix, L. T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dang, Khanh
• Application Number:
  US07/448,702
• Time in Patent Office: 435 Days
• Field of Search: 354/120, 354/121, 354/122, 354/123, 354/124, 354/125, 354/110, 354/105-109, 354/115, 354/117, 354/150, 354/161, 354/200, 355/40, 355/43, 352/127, 352/47, 352/48
• US Class Current: 396/332
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/245 Optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2217/241 with means for producing composite exposures, e.g. exposing an image and a border, producing identity cards
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2217/243 Optical devices

Abstract

A camera for providing a composite image on a photographic film of a data card and a person associated with the data so that an identification card having both images thereon may be formed with no clear boundary existing between the two images. The data is focused by a first lens and directed onto a focusing screen, while the person to be photographed is focused by a second lens and directed onto the focusing screen, the image formed on the focusing screen being a composite real image of the two images and is focused by a third lens onto the film when the shutter between the film and the third lens is opened. The first and second lenses direct the respective image through respective vignetters onto the focusing screen by means of a beam splitter which transmits a portion of each image and reflects a portion of each image. The first and second lens are offset from each other, the first lens focusing the image of the data card inserted into the camera onto the mirror which reflects it to the beam splitter. The focusing screen may have preapplied identification information which would be included on the identification card.

Claims

1. A camera for photographing a first image and a second image and merging said first and second images together on a photographic film such that no clear boundaries are presented between said first and second images, said camera comprising a real image forming screen, first focusing means including a first lens for focusing a real image of said first image on said screen, second focusing means including a second lens for focusing a real image of said second image on said screen so that said first and second images merge together on said screen to form a composite real image, a shutter intermediate said screen and said first film, and a third lens disposed intermediate said shutter and said screen for focusing said composite real image on said film when said shutter is opened.

2. A camera as recited in claim 1, wherein said screen comprises a Fresnel lens.

3. A camera as recited in claim 1, wherein said first and second focusing means includes a beam splitter disposed intermediate said screen and said first and second lenses for reflecting a portion of said first image to said screen and for transmitting a portion of said second image to said screen, said first and second lenses being offset one from the other.

4. A camera as recited in claim 3, including a mirror disposed intermediate said first lens and said beam splitter for reflecting said first image from said first lens to said beam splitter.

5. A camera as recited in claim 4, wherein said second lens is disposed substantially axially aligned with said third lens, and said first lens is offset relative to said third lens.

6. A camera as recited in claim 5, wherein said screen comprises a Fresnel lens.

7. A camera as recited in claim 3, including a vignetter disposed intermediate said second lens and said screen.

8. A camera as recited in claim 1, wherein said first lens and the subject of said first image are disposed within said camera, and the subject of said second image is disposed outside said camera.

9. A camera as recited in claim 8 including a first vignetter disposed intermediate said first image and said screen, and a second vignetter disposed intermediate said second lens and said screen.

10. A camera as recited in claim 7, wherein the subject of said first image is a data card, and the subject of said second image is a person associated with said card.

12. In a camera as recited in claim 10, including focusing means for directing first and second separate and discreet images onto said screen for merging said images into a composite image.

13. In a camera as recited in claim 12, wherein said focusing means includes a beam splitter for reflecting a portion of the incident energy of said first image onto said screen and for transmitting a portion of the incident energy of said second image onto said screen to form said composite image.

14. In a camera as recited in claim 13, wherein said focusing means further includes two additional lenses, each of said additional lenses disposed for focusing a respective one of said first and second separate and discreet images on said beam splitter.

15. In a camera as recited in claim 14, wherein one of said separate and discreet images is formed from a subject disposed within said camera, and the other of said separate and distinct images is formed form a subject disposed outside said camera.

16. In a camera as recited in claim 15, including a first vignetter disposed intermediate said screen and said subject within said camera, and a second vignetter disposed in said camera intermediate said screen and said subject disposed outside said camera.

11. In a camera having a lens, means for feeding a photographic film, and a shutter disposed intermediate said lens and said film for permitting an image to be formed on said film when said shutter is open, the improvement comprising a focusing screen disposed in front of said lens remote from said shutter for forming a real image at a focal length from said lens that forms said image at the film plane when said shutter is open, and means for forming a real image on said focusing screen for capture on said film when the shutter is open.

17. A method of photographically forming an identification card having a data image thereon together with the image of a person associated with said data superimposed on said card with no clear boundary between the images of said data and said person, said method comprising focusing a real image of said data by a first lens and of said person by a second lens onto a focusing screen to form a composite real image of said data and said person, and focusing said composite image onto a photographic film.

18. In the method as recited in claim 17, wherein said focusing of the images of said data and said person includes transmitting the energy of the images of said data and said person to a beam splitter, and transmitting a portion of the energy received by said beam splitter and reflecting a portion of the energy received by said beam splitter to said focusing screen.

19. In the method as recited in claim 18, wherein said focusing of said image of said data includes transmitting the energy of said data through a first lens to said beam splitter, and said focusing of said image of said person includes transmitting the energy of said person through a second lens to said beam splitter.

20. In the method as recited in claim 19, wherein said first lens is offset from said second lens, and the energy received by said first lens is reflected to said beam splitter.

21. In the method as recited in claim 20, wherein said transmitting of a portion of the energy received by said focusing screen comprises a reflected portion of said image of the data and a transmitted portion of the image of said person.

22. In the method as recited in claim 19, wherein said focusing of said image of said data includes transmitting the energy of said data through a first vignetter, and said focusing of said image of said person includes transmitting the energy of said person through a second vignetter.

23. In the method as recited in claim 19, wherein said focusing said composite image onto a photographic film comprises transmitting the image on said screen through a third lens onto said film.