Modular photobooth photography system

• US 5,262,815 A
• Filed: 05/27/1992
• Issued: 11/16/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Consumer Programs Incorporated (CPI Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Consumer Programs Incorporated (CPI Corporation)
• Inventors: Aumiller, Mel D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gellner, Michael L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOH, JAE
• Application Number:
  US07/888,808
• Time in Patent Office: 538 Days
• Field of Search: 354/290, 354/80, 354/81, 354/76, 354/266
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings

Abstract

A user-actuated modular photography system for use in a photobooth or like enclosure to provide user self-photography with realistic user-selective user image previewing includes a camera module having a housing including a photographic camera having a lens oriented for viewing the user when within camera lens view of the photographic camera, a video camera and a gimballed camera mount assembly interconnecting the video camera with the photographic camera for video imaging by the video camera of the photographic camera lens view of the user, the video camera providing a user video image signal. There is also a gimbal drive mechanism for providing driven gimballed movement of the camera mount assembly for selective aiming of the camera lens axis within at least one aiming plane and for selective rotation of the camera lens view within an image resolution plane between vertical and horizontal orientations. Also included is at least one modular display device for colocation with the camera module within a photobooth or like enclosure. The modular display device includes video image display mechanism for receiving the user video image signals for vertical and horizontal modes of display of the user video image for user image previewing prior to user image exposure by the photographic camera. Circuit means are included for causing the video display means to switch automatically between the first and second display modes in response to said lens view rotation. Also, a user control device provides for user selective remote control of the aiming movement of the camera assembly, selection of the image rotation between the vertical and horizontal orientations, and for user selective remote actuation of the photographic camera for thereby capturing user photographic images in accordance with user previewed realistic display thereof by the video display mechanism.

Claims

1. A user-actuated modular photography system for use in a photobooth or like enclosure to provide user self-photography with realistic user-selective user image previewing, comprising:

a first modular enclosure including a photographic camera having a lens oriented for viewing the user when within camera lens view of the photographic camera, a video camera and a camera mount assembly interconnecting the video camera with the photographic camera for video imaging by the video camera of the photographic camera lens view of the user, the video camera providing a user video image signal; and

gimbal means for providing driven gimballed movement of the camera mount assembly for selective aiming of the camera lens axis within at least one aiming plane;

orientation driven means for rotating the camera mount assembly between vertical and horizontal orientations;

second and third modular enclosures for collocation with the first modular enclosure within a photobooth or like enclosure;

at least one of the second and third modular enclosures including video image display means for receiving the user video image signals for display of the user video image for user image previewing prior to user image exposure by the photographic camera;

each of the second and third enclosures including photography light sources oriented for illuminating the user for such photographic exposure; and

user control means for carrying out user selective remote control of the aiming movement of the camera assembly, user remote actuation of the orientation drive means to thereby provide selective image rotation to a desired vertical or horizontal orientation, and for user selective remote actuation of the photographic camera for thereby capturing user photographic images in accordance with user preview realistic display thereof by the video display means.

2. A user-actuated modular photography system according to claim 1 wherein the gimbal means provides also for gimballed driven movement of the camera mount assembly for selective rotation of the camera lens view within an image resolution plane between vertical and horizontal orientations, and the second and third modular enclosures include respective video image displays for respective vertical and horizontal modes of display of the user video image for such user image previewing, the system further comprising circuit means for causing the video display means to switch automatically between the vertical and horizontal display modes in response to the rotation of the camera lens view.

3. A user-actuated modular photography system according to claim 1 wherein each of the second and third enclosures carries respectively associated light sources for illuminating the subject.

4. A user-actuated modular photography system according to claim 1 wherein each of the light sources comprises a stroboscopic photography light source oriented for illuminating the user for such photographic exposure and a lower-intensity light source oriented for illuminating the user during video imaging of the user for image previewing.

5. A user-actuated modular photography system according to claim 4 wherein each of the respectively associated light sources is mounted within a respective light housing carried atop the second and third modular enclosures.

6. A user-actuated modular photography system according to claim 4 wherein the each lower-intensity light source comprises a multiplicity of lighting devices and diffuser means overlying same for diffusing light therefrom, and wherein the stroboscopic photography light source is colocated with the multiplicity of lighting devices for providing high intensity light through the diffuser means upon photographic exposure.

7. A user-actuated modular photography system for use in a photobooth or like enclosure to provide user self-photography with realistic user-selective user image previewing, comprising;

a camera module having a housing and including a photographic camera having a lens oriented for viewing the user when within camera lens view of the photographic camera, a video camera and a gimballed camera mount assembly interconnecting the video camera with the photographic camera for video imaging by the video camera of the photographic camera lens view of the user, the video camera providing a user video image signal; and

gimbal drive means for providing driven gimballed movement of the camera mount assembly for selective aiming of the camera lens axis within at least one aiming plane and for selective rotation of the camera lens view within an image resolution plane between vertical and horizontal orientations;

modular display means for collocation with the camera module within a photobooth or like enclosure, the modular display means including video image display means for receiving the user video image signals for vertical and horizontal modes of display of the user video image for user image previewing prior to user image exposure by the photographic camera;

circuit means for causing the video display means to switch automatically between the first and second display modes in response to the lens vie rotation; and

user control mans for carrying out user selective remote control of the aiming movement of the camera assembly user remote actuation of the gimballed drive means to thereby provide selective, lens view rotation to a desired vertical or horizontal orientation, and for user selective remote actuation of the photographic camera for thereby capturing user photographic images in accordance with user previewed realistic display thereof by the video display means.

8. A user-actuated modular photography system according to claim 7 wherein the modular display means comprises distinct vertically and horizontally oriented video image display devices for corresponding vertical and horizontal previewing modes of display of the user video image.

9. A user-actuated modular photography system according to claim 8 wherein the modular display means comprises distinct vertically and horizontally oriented video image display devices for corresponding vertical and horizontal previewing modes of display of the user video image.

10. A user-actuated modular photography system according to claim 9 wherein the modular display means comprises a pair of modular video display enclosures each housing a corresponding one of the vertically and horizontally oriented video image display devices.

11. A user-actuated modular photography system according to claim 10 wherein the camera module comprises a camera module housing and the modular video display enclosures are each adapted for orientation on opposite sides of the camera module housing.

12. A user-actuated modular photography system according to claim 7 wherein the camera module and the modular display means each comprise means to facilitate movement thereof.

13. A user-actuated modular photography system according to claim 12 wherein the means to facilitate movement of the camera module and the modular display means is selectively removable.

14. A user-actuated modular photography system according to claim 10 wherein the vertically and horizontally oriented video image display devices each normally displays a image of the subject which is reversed about a vertical axis, and wherein the modular video display enclosures each comprises means for reversing and presenting accordingly the video display of the respective video image display device whereby to display to the user a realistically re-erected normalized previewing image of the user.

15. A user-actuated modular photography system according to claim 14 wherein the respective video image display device is oriented within the respective video display enclosures for video image projection along an axis inclined relative to the user, and the means for reversing and presenting accordingly the video display of the respective video image display devices comprises a first-surface mirror for reflecting the video image projection and for redirecting the image outwardly from the respective video display enclosure toward the user for previewing.

16. A camera assembly for use in a photobooth or like enclosure to provide user self-photographic with realistic user-selective user image previewing, comprising:

a photographic camera of single lens reflex type having a lens oriented for focused viewing of a subject to be photographed and a reflex mirror interposed between the lens and film to be exposed;

a video camera;

a camera mount assembly interconnecting the video camera with the photographic camera, the lens of the video camera being oriented for receiving for video image resolution by the video camera the same view as the photographic camera lens of the subject without prior image resolution of the image received by the lens of the photographic camera, the video camera providing a video image signal;

gimbal means for providing driven gimballed movement of the camera mount assembly for selective aiming of the camera lens axis within at least one aiming plane and for selective rotation of the camera lens view within an image resolution plane between vertical and horizontal orientations.

17. A camera assembly according to claim 16, the reflex mirror being movable between its interposed position and a retracted position and when in interposed position normally being intended for providing a reflection of the image received by the lens for viewfinder imaging, the video camera lens having an axis parallel to the photographic camera lens axis.

18. A camera assembly according to claim 16, the gimbal means comprising an annulus of integral character carrying both the photographic and video cameras, the annulus having a central axis in relative alignment with the lens axis of the photographic camera, first mounting means rotatably mounting the annulus for rotation about its central axis, first drive means for driving such rotation selectively to cause said rotation of the camera lens view within an image resolution plane between vertical and horizontal orientations, and second mounting means for rotatably mounting the annulus for rotation about an axis transverse to the photographic camera lens axis, second drive means for driving such transverse axis whereby to cause said selective aiming of the camera lens axis within an aiming plane.

19. A camera assembly according to claim 16, the camera assembly further comprising a condensing lens, means orienting the condensing lens for receiving light reflected from the reflex mirror along an axis intersecting the photographic camera lens axis and for focusing the reflected light at an external focus between the condensing lens and the video camera lens, the external focusing point being thereby external of the photographic camera, for said video image resolution by the video camera.

20. A camera assembly according to claim 19, the condensing lens having a focal length for causing the external focus to be located substantially at an outer surface of the condensing lens facing the video camera lens.

21. A camera assembly according to claim 18, comprising first affixing means for locating the photographic camera internally and centrally of the annulus by affixing the photographic camera to a first peripheral portion of the annulus and second affixing means for locating the video camera internally of the annulus and proximate an inner periphery of the annulus by affixing the video camera to a second peripheral portion of the annulus in rigidly spaced relation to the photographic camera, the gimbal means including a rotating motor drive for selectively rotating the annulus and an aiming motor drive for selectively skewing the annulus to skew correspondingly the image resolution plane relative to the subject, whereby upon rotation of the annulus, the video camera and photographic camera rotate and are aimed as a single entity within the image resolution plane without variance of the physical relationship between the photographic and video cameras to maintain precisely video image resolution by the video camera of the photographic camera lens view of the subject regardless of changing between the vertical and horizontal orientations and regardless of the selective aiming of the camera lens axis.