Camera having continuously cropping viewfinder

• US 6,907,194 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2002
• Issued: 06/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Monument Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Brost, Randolph C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Judy
• Assistant Examiner(s): BLACKMAN, ROCHELLE ANN J
• Application Number:
  US10/292,684
• Publication Number:
  US 20040091257A1
• Time in Patent Office: 945 Days
• Field of Search: 396/380, 396/373, 396/374, 396/378, 396/311, 396/435, 396/436, 396/379, 396/429, 348/333.01, 348/333.03, 348/341, 348/333.11, 348/333.12, 348/64, 348/207.99, 348/333.08, 348/333.09, 348/220.1, 348/240.1, 348/240.2, 358/906, 358/909.1
• US Class Current: 396/380
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 13/12 to compensate for change of camera lens or size of picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/00 Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/50 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders

Abstract

A camera and method provide image cropping. The camera has a body and a capture unit mounted in the body. The capture unit has an imager and storage media operatively connected to the imager. The capture unit selectively captures an electronic image of a scene. A viewfinder optical system is aligned with the capture unit. The viewfinder optical system defines a viewfinder light path. A cropper is disposed in the body. The cropper has a pair of vanes. The vanes are selectively movable, relative to each other, between first and second positions and through a continuous sequence of intermediate positions between the first and second positions. The vanes, in each of the positions, delimits a rectangular cross-sectioned window in the viewfinder light path. A control unit is operatively connected to the capture unit and cropper. The control unit crops the electronic image to match the window.

Claims

1. A camera comprising:

a body;

a capture unit mounted in said body, said capture unit having an imager and storage media operatively connected to said imager, said capture unit defining a capture light path to said imager for selectively capturing an electronic image of a scene;

a viewfinder optical system aligned with said capture unit, said viewfinder optical system defining a viewfinder light path separate from said capture light path;

a cropper disposed in said body, said cropper having a pair of vanes, said vanes being selectively movable, relative to each other, between first and second positions and through a continuous sequence of intermediate positions between said first and second positions, said vanes, in each of said positions, delimiting a rectangular cross-sectioned window in said viewfinder light path; and

a control unit operatively connected to said capture unit and said cropper, said control unit cropping said electronic image to match said window.

2. The camera of claim 1 wherein said window has a different aspect ratio in each of said positions.

3. The camera of claim 2 wherein said vanes are linked to move in tandem.

4. The camera of claim 1 wherein said vanes are movable, relative to said body, in opposite directions, in parallel.

5. The camera of claim 4 wherein said directions are oblique to major dimensions of said window.

6. The camera of claim 1 wherein said vanes are translucent.

7. The camera of claim 1 wherein said vanes are L-shaped.

8. The camera of claim 7 further comprising an extension joined to each of said vanes, said extensions each having a rack, said cropper having a pinion meshed with both said racks.

9. The camera of claim 8 wherein said pinion is blocked from translation along said body.

10. The camera of claim 1 wherein said window is square when said vanes are in a center intermediate position midway between said first and second positions.

11. The camera of claim 1 further comprising a zoom mask disposed in sequence with said cropper in said viewfinder light path, wherein said zoom mask and said vanes together delimit said window.

12. The camera of claim 1 wherein said capture unit includes a taking lens, said taking lens defining a capture light path, and said camera further comprises a lens cover movable between an open position, wherein said lens cover is spaced from said capture light path and a closed position, wherein said lens cover occludes said optical light path and chocks one of said vanes.

13. The camera of claim 12 wherein one of said vanes has a cam surface and said lens cover has a main portion and a cam follower joined to said main portion, said cam follower engaging said cam surface and driving said vanes to a center intermediate position, when said lens cover is moved from said open position to said closed position.

14. The camera of claim 1 wherein said window has an aspect ratio of 1 to at least 5 in said first position and an aspect ratio of at least 5 to 1 in said second position.

15. The camera of claim 1 further comprising a cropper input element extending through said body, wherein said input element is mechanically coupled to said vanes.

16. The camera of claim 15 wherein said input element is directly coupled to both of said vanes.

17. The camera of claim 1 further comprising a four-way switch operatively connected to said control unit, said four-way switch being movable in a first pair of opposed directions to control said cropping, said four-way switch being movable in a second pair of opposed directions to zoom said electronic image.

18. The camera of claim 1 further comprising a display mounted on said body, said display being operatively connected to said control unit, said display showing a portion of said electronic image corresponding to said window.

19. The camera of claim 18 wherein said control unit refreshes said display when said cropper is moved.

20. A digital camera comprising:

a body;

a capture unit disposed in said body, said capture unit having an imager and memory operatively connected to said imager and defining a capture light path to said imager for capturing a digital image of a scene;

an optical viewfinder disposed in said body, said viewfinder having a viewfinder light path separate from but aligned with said capture light path;

a cropper disposed in said body, said cropper having a pair of opposed, L-shaped vanes, said vanes being movable, relative to each other, from a first position, through a continuous sequence of intermediate positions, to a second position, said cropper in said positions masking a rectangular cross-sectioned window in said viewfinder light path, said vanes in said first position defining a window having a longest dimension extending in a first direction, said vanes in said second position defining a window having a longest dimension extending in a second direction perpendicular to said first direction;

a controller operatively connected to said cropper and said capture unit, said controller cropping said digital image to match said window.

21. A photography method further comprising the steps of:

directing a scene image through a viewfinder light path;

selectively cropping said viewfinder light path with a copper to any of a continuous range of aspect ratios;

capturing an archival image through a taking lens system aligned with said viewfinder light path;

cropping said archival image in response to cropping setting of said cropper to match said viewefinder light path wherein said cropping includes selectively positioning a pair of vanes in said viewfinder light path.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said cropping is irreversible.

23. The method of claim 21 further comprising automatically returning said cropper to a default position relative to said viewfinder light path, following said capturing and cropping.