Binocularly viewable holographic viewfinder and camera

• US 6,724,991 B1
• Filed: 02/13/2003
• Issued: 04/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Chase, Scott B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gray, David M.
• Application Number:
  US10/365,888
• Time in Patent Office: 432 Days
• Field of Search: 396/373, 396/375, 396/382, 348/341
• US Class Current: 396/375
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/14 Viewfinders for photographic apparatus G03B13/02
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2001/2284 Superimposing the holobject with other visual information
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2227/06 Support including light source

Abstract

A camera has a body and a taking lens mounted to the body. The taking lens defines a subject field. A viewing window is joined to the body. The viewing window is transmissive of a light image of the subject field. The viewing window bears a holographic image of a reticle. A light source faces the viewing window and illuminates the holographic image. The reticle produced can be binocularly viewable, that is, viewable by the photographer with both eyes while the photographer looks through the viewing window to compose a scene image for picture taking.

Claims

1. A camera comprising:

a body;

a taking lens mounted to said body, said taking lens defining a subject field;

a viewing window joined to said body, said viewing window being transmissive of a light image of said subject field, said viewing window bearing a holographic image of a reticle; and

a light source facing said viewing window to illuminate said holographic image;

wherein said light image and said reticle are binocularly viewable.

2. The camera of claim 1 wherein said viewing window is at least 50 mm wide.

3. The camera of claim 1 wherein said viewing window has a pair of separated panes.

4. The camera of claim 1 wherein viewing window is a phase hologram.

5. The camera of claim 1 wherein said reticle indicates the center of said subject field.

6. The camera of claim 5 wherein said viewing window has two spaced apart panes.

7. The camera of claim 1 wherein said viewing window is a reflection hologram.

8. The camera of claim 1 wherein said viewing window is a transmission hologram.

9. The camera of claim 1 further comprising a shutter mechanism having a shutter shuttering said taking lens and a shutter release operatively connected to said shutter, said shutter release having a ready state, wherein said light source is de-actuated and said shutter is closed, a preparation state, wherein said light source is actuated and said shutter is closed, and an image capture state, wherein said shutter is momentarily opened.

10. The camera of claim 1 wherein said body encloses an internal space and said viewing window is external to said space.

11. The camera of claim 10 further comprising a viewfinder surround holding said viewing window, said viewfinder surround joining said viewing window to said body, said viewfinder surround being reversibly detachable from said body.

12. The camera of claim 1 wherein said light source is disposed in said viewfinder surround.

13. A camera comprising:

a body;

a taking lens mounted to said body, said taking lens defining a subject field;

a viewing window joined to said body, said viewing window being transmissive of a light image of said subject field, said viewing window bearing a holographic image of a reticle; and

a light source facing said viewing window to illuminate said holographic image;

wherein said viewing window has a pair of separated panes.

14. A camera comprising:

a body;

a taking lens mounted to said body, said taking lens defining a subject field;

a viewing window joined to said body, said viewing window being transmissive of a light image of said subject field, said viewing window bearing a holographic image of a reticle; and

a light source facing said viewing window to illuminate said holographic image;

wherein said light source is disposed in said viewfinder surround.

15. The camera of claim 14 wherein said viewfinder surround includes a power source connected to said light source.

16. A camera comprising:

a body;

a taking lens mounted to said body, said taking lens defining a subject field;

a viewing window joined to said body, said viewing window being transmissive of a light image of said subject field, said viewing window being a Fraunhofer hologram having an image of a reticle, said light image and said image of said reticle both being binocularly viewable; and

a light source facing said viewing window to illuminate said hologram.

17. The camera of claim 16 wherein said body encloses an internal space and said viewing window is external to said space.

18. The camera of claim 17 wherein said viewing window is reversibly detachable from said body.

19. The camera of claim 17 further comprising a viewfinder surround releasably joining said viewing window to said body, said viewfinder surround holding said viewing window and said light source.

20. The camera of claim 19 wherein said viewfinder surround includes a power source connected to said light source.

21. The camera of claim 16 further comprising a shutter mechanism having a shutter shuttering said taking lens and a shutter release operatively connected to said shutter, said shutter release having a ready state, wherein said light source is deactuated and said shutter is closed, a preparation state, wherein said light source is actuated and said shutter is closed, and an image capture state, wherein said shutter is momentarily opened.

22. A holographic viewfinder for use with a camera, said viewfinder comprising:

a viewing window having a holographic image of a reticle and an optically transmissive viewfinder image area within said reticle;

a viewfinder surround holding said viewing window;

a connector adapted to join said viewfinder to said camera; and

a light source disposed in said viewfinder surround, said light source being directed toward said viewing window.

23. The viewfinder of claim 22 further comprising a power source disposed in said viewfinder surround, said power source being operatively connected to said light source.

24. A holographic viewfinder for use with a camera, said viewfinder comprising:

a viewing window having a holographic image of a reticle and an optically transmissive viewfinder image area within said reticle;

a viewfinder surround holding said viewing window; and

a connector adapted to join said viewfinder to said camera;

wherein said viewfinder image area and said reticle are binocularly viewable.

25. The camera of claim 24 wherein said light source is disposed in said viewfinder surround.