Instant special effects electronic camera

• US 5,748,326 A
• Filed: 06/06/1996
• Issued: 05/05/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nigel Goode, Paul Priestman, TTP Group Plc
• Original Assignee: Fisher Price Incorporated (Mattel Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ciganko, David J., Thompson-Bell, Ian, Priestman, Paul Diminic, Love, Stephen John, Cane, Michael Roger, Beadman, Michael Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Peter S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TOATLEY, GREGORY J
• Application Number:
  US08/656,285
• Time in Patent Office: 698 Days
• Field of Search: 358/296, 358/335, 358/909.1, 358/906, 386/121, 355/18, 355/19, 355/21, 396/239
• US Class Current: 358/296
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/445 Printers integrated in other types of apparatus, e.g. printers integrated in cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2137 with temporary storage before final recording, e.g. in a frame buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2154 the still video camera incorporating a hardcopy reproducing device, e.g. a printer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/40 Picture signal circuits H04N1/387 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2628 Alteration of picture size, shape, position or orientation, e.g. zooming, rotation, rolling, perspective, translation

Abstract

An instant special effects camera which provides children in the age range of five years and up with an opportunity to take photos and see the results instantly. The camera is a battery operated electronic black and white camera with an integral direct thermal printer. A replaceable paper cassette is included. To improve the ease of use and reduce cost, a minimal number of simple controls are provided. A picture may be taken simply by aiming the camera through a double view finder and pressing the shutter button. No setting up or flash is required. Plug-in special effects cartridges may be provided to increase the number of special effects.

Claims

1. An electronic camera for providing instant hard copy pictures, comprising:

an image sensor including a plurality of photosensors arranged in an array for providing analog image data outputs proportional to the intensity of light incident on the respective photosensors, said image sensor further including additional processing circuitry;

an analog to digital converter for digitizing the analog image data outputs of said photosensor array;

a memory for storing the digitized image data from said image sensor;

a microcontroller coupled with said image sensor, said microcontroller operable to retrieve said digitized image data from said memory by way of said image sensor and to prepare said digitized image data for printing, wherein said microcontroller processes said image data in accordance with special effects information;

a printer operating under control of said microcontroller to provide a hard copy picture; and

a replaceable special effects cartridge having read-only memory for storing said special effects information.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said microcontroller is coupled with said image sensor by a multiplexed address/data bus, and wherein said digitized image data is retrieved by the microcontroller from said memory by way of said multiplexed address/data bus.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said special effects cartridge communicates with said micro controller over said multiplexed address/data bus.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said microcontroller selects special effects information at random.

5. A special effects camera for providing an instant hard copy picture, comprising

a plurality of photosensors arranged in an array for providing analog image data signals proportional to the intensity of light incident on the respective photosensors;

an analog to digital converter for digitizing the analog image data signals from said photosensor array;

means for processing said digitized image data signals to prepare said data for printing;

a replaceable special effects unit including information for a plurality of special effects, said processing means operable to process said image data signals in accordance with selected information for one of said special effects; and

a printer operating under control of said processing means to provide a hard copy special effects picture.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said processing means selects the special effects information at random.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, further including a manually actuable mode selection switch which permits a user to control the selection of the special effects information.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, further including a memory for temporarily storing said digitized image data signals prior to processing by said processing means, said processing means operable to format said digitized image data signals for printing and to store the formatted data back in said memory, said processing means further operable to retrieve said formattted data from said memory and to apply the special effects information to said formatted data prior to printing.