Camera having shared optics for optical viewfinding and for electronic capture and display

• US 6,795,650 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2002
• Issued: 09/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Monument Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Cahall, Scott C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Adams, Russell
• Assistant Examiner(s): BLACKMAN, ROCHELLE ANN J
• Application Number:
  US10/317,482
• Publication Number:
  US 20040114918A1
• Time in Patent Office: 649 Days
• Field of Search: 396/374, 396/373, 396/383, 396/384, 396/385, 396/386, 396/148, 396/150, 396/151, 396/152, 396/141, 396/352, 396/353, 396/354, 396/296, 396/84, 396/447, 348/333.01, 348/333.06, 348/333.08, 348/333.09, 348/333.11, 348/341, 348/344
• US Class Current: 396/374
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 13/06 with lenses with or without reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 13/12 to compensate for change of camera lens or size of picture
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/20 visible in viewfinder
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/48 adapted for combination with other photographic or optical apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/634 Warning indications

Abstract

An optical and electronic viewer of a camera has a body having entrance and exit openings and entrance and exit tunnels extending inward from respective openings. The body has a cross tunnel connecting the entrance and exit tunnels. An eyepiece is mounted at the exit opening and defines and eyepiece axis. An objective lens is mounted at the entrance opening and defines an objective axis. An electronic imager is disposed within the body, in optical alignment with the objective lens. A microdisplay is mounted in the exit tunnel interior to the eyepiece. First and second reflectors are disposed in the cross tunnel. The reflectors are aligned and are each movable, within the cross tunnel, between an optical-viewing position and a non-viewing position. The first reflector is aligned with the objective axis and the second reflector is aligned with the eyepiece axis in optical-viewing position. The reflectors are spaced from the axes and each other in non-viewing position.

Claims

1. An optical and electronic viewer comprising:

a body having entrance and exit openings;

an eyepiece mounted at said exit opening, said eyepiece defining an eyepiece axis;

an objective lens mounted at said entrance opening, said objective lens defining an objective axis;

an electronic imager disposed within said body, in optical alignment with said objective lens;

a microdisplay disposed in said body, in optical alignment with said eyepiece;

first and second reflectors disposed in said body, said reflectors being aligned, said reflectors each being movable between an optical-viewing position and a non-viewing position, said first reflector being aligned with said objective axis and said second reflector being aligned with said eyepiece axis in respective said optical-viewing positions, said reflectors being spaced from said axes and each other in respective said non-viewing positions.

2. The viewer of claim 1 wherein said objective lens forms an intermediate image between said reflectors, and said intermediate image is at the same equivalent air thickness from said objective lens in said optical-viewing position, as said imager is from said objective lens in said non-viewing position.

3. The viewer of claim 2 wherein said intermediate image is at the same equivalent air thickness from said eyepiece in said optical-viewing position, as said microdisplay is from said eyepiece in said non-viewing position.

4. The viewer of claim 3 wherein said imager has an effective size that is the same as the size of said intermediate image and said microdisplay has an effective size that is the same as the size of said intermediate image.

5. The viewer of claim 1 wherein said imager has an effective size that is the same as the size of said intermediate image and said microdisplay has an effective size that is the same as the size of said intermediate image.

6. An optical and electronic viewer comprising:

a body having entrance and exit openings and entrance and exit tunnels extending inward from respective said entrance and exit openings, said body having a cross tunnel connecting said entrance and exit tunnels;

an eyepiece mounted in said exit tunnel at said exit opening, said eyepiece defining an eyepiece axis;

an objective lens mounted in said entrance tunnel at said entrance opening, said objective lens defining an objective axis and a scene image;

an electronic imager disposed within said body, said imager receiving said scene image;

first and second reflectors disposed in said cross tunnel, at least one of said reflectors being movable, within said cross tunnel, between an optical-viewing position, wherein said first reflector is aligned with said objective axis and said second reflector is aligned with said eyepiece axis, and a non-viewing position, wherein at least one of said reflectors is spaced from the respective said axis; and

a beam splitter disposed in said entrance tunnel between said objective lens and said first reflector, said beam splitter defining a first light path to said first reflector and a second light path to said imager.

7. An optical and electronic viewer comprising:

a body having entrance and exit openings and entrance and exit tunnels extending inward from respective said entrance and exit openings, said body having a cross tunnel connecting said entrance and exit tunnels;

an eyepiece mounted in said exit tunnel at said exit opening, said eyepiece defining an eyepiece axis;

an objective lens mounted in said entrance tunnel at said entrance opening, said objective lens defining an objective axis and a scene image;

an electronic imager disposed within said body, said imager receiving said scene image;

first and second reflectors disposed in said cross tunnel, at least one of said reflectors being movable, within said cross tunnel, between an optical-viewing position, wherein said first reflector is aligned with said objective axis and said second reflector is aligned with said eyepiece axis, and a non-viewing position, wherein at least one of said reflectors is spaced from the respective said axis; and

a taking lens optically aligned with said imager, wherein said imager receives said scene image independently of said objective lens.

8. The viewer of claim 7 further comprising a microdisplay disposed in said exit tunnel interior to eyepiece, said microdisplay being optically aligned with said eyepiece, said microdisplay being operatively connected to said imager.

9. An optical and electronic viewer comprising:

a body having entrance and exit openings and entrance and exit tunnels extending inward from respective said entrance and exit openings, said body having a cross tunnel connecting said entrance and exit tunnels;

an eyepiece mounted in said exit tunnel at said exit opening, said eyepiece defining an eyepiece axis;

an objective lens mounted in said entrance tunnel at said entrance opening, said objective lens defining an objective axis;

an electronic imager disposed within said body, in optical alignment with said objective lens;

first and second reflectors disposed in said cross tunnel, said reflectors being aligned, said reflectors each being movable, within said cross tunnel, between an optical-viewing position and a non-viewing position, said first reflector being aligned with said objective axis and said second reflector being aligned with said eyepiece axis in respective said optical-viewing positions, said reflectors being spaced from said axes and each other in respective said non-viewing positions.

10. The viewer of claim 9 wherein said objective lens forms an intermediate image between said reflectors, and said intermediate image is at the same equivalent air thickness from said objective lens in said optical-viewing position, as said imager is from said objective lens in said non-viewing position.

11. The viewer of claim 10 wherein in said imager has an effective size that is the same as the size of said intermediate image.

12. The viewer of claim 10 further comprising a microdisplay mounted in said exit tunnel interior to eyepiece, said microdisplay being optically aligned with said eyepiece.

13. The viewer of claim 12 wherein said intermediate image is at the same equivalent air thickness from said eyepiece in said optical-viewing position, as said microdisplay is from said eyepiece in said non-viewing position.

14. The viewer of claim 13 wherein in said microdisplay displays an image that is the same size as said intermediate image.

15. The viewer of claim 14 wherein in said imager has an effective size that is the same as the size of said intermediate image.

16. The viewer of claim 9 further comprising a microdisplay mounted in said exit tunnel interior to eyepiece, said microdisplay being optically aligned with said eyepiece.

17. The viewer of claim 16 wherein said objective lens forms an intermediate image between said reflectors, and said intermediate image is at the same equivalent air thickness from said eyepiece in said optical-viewing position, as said microdisplay is from said eyepiece in said non-viewing position.

18. The viewer of claim 17 wherein in said microdisplay displays an image that is the same size as said intermediate image.

19. The viewer of claim 9 further comprising a display mounted on the exterior of said body.

20. The viewer of claim 9 wherein said objective lens forms an intermediate image between said reflectors, and said imager has an effective size that is the same as the size of said intermediate image.

21. The viewer of claim 20 wherein in said microdisplay displays an image that is the same size as said intermediate image.

22. The viewer of claim 20 wherein said reflectors together function as erecting element disposed optically between said objective lens and said eyepiece.

23. The viewer of claim 9 wherein said entrance tunnel has a blind end rearward of said cross tunnel and said imager is disposed in said end of said entrance tunnel.

24. The viewer of claim 9 wherein said reflectors are both prisms.

25. The viewer of claim 9 wherein said reflectors are identical prisms.

26. The viewer of claim 9 wherein said reflectors are prisms having at least one mirror coated surface.

27. The viewer of claim 9 wherein said reflectors are movable relative to each other within said cross tunnel.

28. The viewer of claim 9 wherein said cross tunnel has an outwardly extending blind chamber and said non-viewing position of one of said reflectors is in said blind chamber.

29. The viewer of claim 28 wherein said cross tunnel has a longitudinal axis and said blind chamber is aligned with said longitudinal axis.

30. The viewer of claim 9 further comprising a field stop having an opening and a light blocking portion spaced from said opening, said field stop being movable between a first position, wherein said opening is disposed in said cross tunnel between said reflectors, and a second position, wherein said light blocking portion is disposed in said cross tunnel between said reflectors.

31. The viewer of claim 9 further comprising an archival capture unit disposed in said body, said archival capture unit being oriented in the same direction as said objective lens.

32. A camera comprising:

a body having an entrance and exit openings and entrance and exit tunnels extending inward from respective said entrance and exit openings, said body having a cross tunnel connecting said entrance and exit tunnels;

an eyepiece mounted in said exit tunnel at said exit opening, said eyepiece defining an eyepiece axis;

an objective lens mounted in entrance tunnel at said entrance opening, said objective lens defining an objective axis;

an electronic imager mounted in said entrance tunnel interior to and in optical alignment with said objective lens;

a microdisplay mounted in said exit tunnel interior to and optically aligned with said eyepiece;

memory operatively connected to said imager and said microdisplay;

first and second reflectors disposed in said cross tunnel, said reflectors being aligned, said reflectors each being movable, within said cross tunnel, between an optical-viewing position and a non-viewing position, said first reflector being aligned with said objective axis and said second reflector being aligned with said eyepiece axis in respective said optical-viewing positions, said reflectors being spaced from said axes and each other in respective said non-viewing positions.

33. A view and review method comprising the steps of:

directing a light image through an objective lens to an entrance tunnel;

reflecting said light image from said entrance tunnel to a cross tunnel and from said cross tunnel to an exit tunnel having an eyepiece;

propagating a display image from a microdisplay directly into said exit tunnel and from said exit tunnel to said eyepiece, in alternation with said reflecting.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein said objective lens defines an objective axis and said eyepiece defines an eyepiece axis, said axes being parallel.

35. The method of claim 33 further comprising propagating said light image to an electronic imager, in alternation with said reflecting.

36. The method of claim 33 further comprising optically erecting said light image.

38. The method of claim 33 further comprising propagating said light image from said objective lens to an electronic imager, along an objective axis extending through said objective lens and said electronic imager, in alternation with said reflecting.

37. An optical and electronic viewer comprising:

means for directing a light image through an objective lens to a cross tunnel, said objective lens defining an objective axis;

means for redirecting said light image from said cross tunnel to an eyepiece, said eyepiece defining an eyepiece axis, said axes being parallel;

means for directing a display image from a microdisplay, across said cross tunnel, to said eyepiece, in alternation with said redirecting; and

means for propagating said light image across said cross tunnel to an electronic imager, in alternation with said redirecting.

39. A view and review method comprising the steps of:

directing a light image through an objective lens to a cross tunnel, said objective lens defining an objective axis;

redirecting said light image from said cross tunnel to an eyepiece, said eyepiece defining an eyepiece axis, said axes being parallel;

directing a display image from a microdisplay, across said cross tunnel, to said eyepiece, in alternation with said redirecting; and

propagating said light image across said cross tunnel to an electronic imager, in alternation with said redirecting.