Underwater adaptive camera housing

• US 7,801,425 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2008
• Issued: 09/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Optikos Corporation
• Original Assignee: Optikos Corporation
• Inventors: Fantone, Stephen J., Nielsen, Peter M., Fantone, Stephen D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Perkey; W. B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hancock; Dennis
• Application Number:
  US12/287,766
• Publication Number:
  US 20090110380A1
• Time in Patent Office: 707 Days
• Field of Search: 396 25- 29, 348/81
• US Class Current: 396/27
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/08 Waterproof bodies or housings

Abstract

An underwater camera housing provided with an adaptive mechanical control arrangement for use with a broad range of camera brands and models. The camera housing is preferably formed of front and rear housing sections that are molded of clear transparent plastic and arranged to be moved between an open position for mounting a camera within the housing and a closed position in which the housing provides a watertight enclosure for protecting and communicating with a camera. The housing is provided with a truncated hemispherical lens through which a camera views scenes to be photographed to reduce distortion and not foreshorten viewing angle and a flat window and optional diffuser for providing controlled artificial illumination to a scene. A mounting plate is structured to slideably fit into one of the housing halves in one of two lateral orientations and includes a slidably adjustable camera mounting plate that permits a user to securely and accurately position cameras side-to-side and for and aft with respect to truncated hemispherical lens. Push button assemblies adjustable in length and point of contact are used to permit a user to adapt them to interact with a variety of camera control actuator architectures.

Claims

1. An underwater adaptive camera housing for providing a watertight enclosure and common control interface for cameras of the type configured to use a standardized protocol for electronically sending and receiving commands and/or data, said underwater adaptive housing comprising:

a watertight enclosure for a camera, said watertight enclosure having at least one transparent window for transmitting light to a camera and an inner mount for physically securing a camera in a predetermined relationship with respect to said at least one transparent window; and

a mechanical interface arrangement comprising a plurality of push button assemblies adapted to be actuated by a user from the exterior of said camera housing to operate a camera and adjustable in length and point of contact prior to closing said camera housing to permit a user to adapt said camera housing to a wide range of commercially available cameras.

2. The underwater adaptive camera housing of claim 1 wherein said watertight enclosure is formed of a plurality of camera housing sections adapted to be moveable between open and closed positions to provide said watertight enclosure for a camera when in said closed position.

3. The underwater adaptive camera housing of claim 2 further including a locking arrangement for holding said camera housing sections in said closed position.

4. The underwater adaptive camera housing of claim 3 wherein said locking arrangement comprises a pair of over-the-center latches mounted on opposed sides of said housing.

5. The underwater adaptive camera housing of claim 1 wherein a portion of said transparent window is dome-shaped.

6. The underwater adaptive camera housing of claim 5 wherein said watertight enclosure further includes an inner mount for physically securing a camera within said watertight enclosure in a predetermined relationship with respect to said at least one transparent window.

7. The underwater adaptive camera housing of claim 6 wherein said transparent window is a truncated hemisphere in shape and wherein said inner mount is configured to align the optical axis of a camera with the optical axis of said truncated hemispherical window and to place the entrance pupil of a camera'"'"'s taking lens approximately at the radius of curvature of said truncated hemispherical transparent window.

8. The underwater adaptive camera housing of claim 1 wherein said mechanical interface arrangement is adapted for actuating one or more of the following camera functions:

shutter, zoom-in, zoom-out, review/wake camera, scroll images, manual operation, automatic exposure operation, transfer image data, and delete image.

9. The underwater adaptive camera housing of claim 1 wherein one of said camera housing sections includes a transparent window for viewing camera display screens so that pictures and camera menus can be viewed.

10. The underwater adaptive camera housing of claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of push button assemblies comprises a push rod capable of only linear motion toward a camera within said camera housing and with slidably attached arm adjustable in radial length and angular position with respect to the axis of said push rod to align with a camera control, and a linear extension adjustable in length to reach a camera actuator at a predetermined point of contact.