Camera lens shuttering mechanism

• US 7,812,882 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2004
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Cutler, Ross G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Henn; Timothy J
• Application Number:
  US11/027,146
• Publication Number:
  US 20060146177A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,112 Days
• Field of Search: 348 36- 39, 348/143, 348/144, 348/146, 348/152, 348/153, 348/159, 348373-376
• US Class Current: 348/373
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/04 collapsible, foldable or extensible, e.g. book type
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 37/00 Panoramic or wide-screen photography; Photographing extended surfaces, e.g. for surveying; Photographing internal surfaces, e.g. of pipe
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof

Abstract

A camera lens shuttering mechanism includes an image conducting unit disposed within a shutter housing when the camera is in a closed position so that the camera cannot record images. When moved to an open position, the shutter housing does not block the image conducting unit from imaging objects. The image conducting unit may be one or more lenses or one or more mirrors that reflect images to one or more lenses. When in the closed position, it is apparent to users that the camera is unable to transmit images.

Claims

1. A camera, comprising:

an image conducting unit configured to receive light waves reflected off an object and to conduct the light waves on to two or more image forming sensors, wherein the image conducting unit comprises a mirror assembly including two or more mirrors, each of the two or more mirrors operable to conduct at least a portion of the light waves to a unique one of two or more lenses of a lens assembly, the mirror assembly configured in an inverted pyramidal configuration;

a shutter housing including a movable shutter housing cover and a shutter housing floor that, when disposed together in a closed position, completely enclose and protect the image conducting unit and the two or more lenses of the lens assembly and the two or more image forming sensors from damaging contact with objects distinct from the camera, wherein the shutter housing floor is connected to a bottom of the shutter housing and is configured to enclose the bottom of the shutter housing, and wherein the movable shutter housing cover, when disposed in the closed position, is connected to a top of the shutter housing and is configured to enclose the top of the shutter housing;

a movable lens assembly floor coupled to a bottom of the image conducting unit with the two or more lenses of the lens assembly coupled to the lens assembly floor, each of the two or more lenses configured to conduct at least a portion of the light waves to a corresponding unique one of the two or more image forming sensors;

a transparent secondary shutter housing within configured to surround the image conducting unit and the two or more lenses of the lens assembly and the two or more image forming sensors, the transparent secondary shutter housing configured to fit within the shutter housing including the movable shutter housing cover and the shutter housing floor when together in the closed position, and the transparent secondary shutter housing configured to conduct the received light waves to the image conducting unit and configured to protect the image conducting unit and the two or more lenses of the lens assembly and the two or more image forming sensors from damaging contact with the objects distinct from the camera when the shutter housing including the movable shutter housing cover and the shutter housing floor are positioned in an open position; and

a positioning mechanism configured to position the image conducting unit via the movable lens assembly floor between the open position in which the image conducting unit is not occluded by the shutter housing from receiving light waves to the closed position in which the shutter housing occludes the image conducting unit from receiving light waves.

2. The camera as recited in claim 1, wherein the two or more lenses are configured to image an area of at least 180 degrees.

3. The camera as recited in claim 1, wherein the two or more lenses are configured to image an area of 360 degrees.

4. The camera as recited in claim 1, wherein the positioning mechanism further comprises one of the following:

a screw drive;

a hydraulic lifting device;

a pneumatic lifting device;

a magnetic lifting device.

5. The camera as recited in claim 1, wherein the positioning mechanism is further configured to reposition the shutter housing.

6. A camera, comprising:

a shutter housing;

a movable lens assembly floor coupled to the bottom of an image transferring assembly;

a transparent secondary shutter housing configured to protect and surround the image transferring assembly, the transparent secondary shutter housing configured to fit within the shutter housing and configured to protect the image conducting unit from damaging contact with objects distinct from the camera;

a movable shutter housing cover;

the image transferring assembly configured to transfer an image of an object onto two or more sensors when disposed in a first position, and being positionable to a second position in which the shutter housing blocks the image from the image transferring assembly and in which the shutter housing and the movable lens assembly floor and a shutter housing floor and the movable shutter housing cover are disposed together in a closed position completely enclosing the image transferring assembly, wherein the shutter housing floor is connected to a bottom of the shutter housing and is configured to enclose the bottom of the shutter housing, and wherein the movable shutter housing cover, when disposed in the closed position, is connected to a top of the shutter housing and is configured to enclose the top of the shutter housing; and

a positioning mechanism configured to move the image transferring assembly via the movable lens assembly floor between the first position and the second position.

7. The camera as recited in claim 6, wherein the image transferring assembly further comprises two or more lenses.

8. The camera as recited in claim 6, wherein the image transferring assembly further comprises two or more mirrors.

9. The camera as recited in claim 6, wherein the shutter housing surrounds the image transferring assembly when the image transferring assembly is disposed in the second position.

10. A camera, comprising:

a shutter housing;

a movable lens assembly floor coupled to the bottom of the camera;

a movable shutter housing cover;

an image conducting unit configured to transmit an object image to two or more image sensors when the camera is disposed in a first position, the image conducting unit being blocked from transmitting the object image when the camera is disposed in a second position in which the shutter housing and the movable lens assembly floor and a shutter housing floor and the movable shutter housing cover are disposed together in a closed position completely enclosing the image conducting unit, wherein the shutter housing floor is connected to a bottom of the shutter housing and is configured to enclose the bottom of the shutter housing, wherein the shutter housing floor is connected to a bottom of the shutter housing and is configured to enclose the bottom of the shutter housing, and wherein the movable shutter housing cover, when disposed in the closed position, is connected to a top of the shutter housing and is configured to enclose the top of the shutter housing;

a transparent secondary shutter housing protecting the image conducting unit surrounding the image conducting unit and the two or more image sensors, the transparent secondary shutter housing configured to fit within the shutter housing when in the second position and configured to protect the image conducting unit and the two or more image sensors from damaging contact with objects distinct from the camera when in the first position;

a positioning mechanism configured to dispose the camera via the movable lens assembly floor between the first position and the second position; and

wherein the image conducting unit is completely enclosed within the shutter housing when the camera is disposed in the second position but is positioned at least partially outside of the shutter housing when the camera is disposed in the first position.

11. The camera as recited in claim 10, wherein the image conducting unit further comprises two or more camera lenses.

12. The camera as recited in claim 10, wherein the image conducting unit further comprises two or more mirrors.

13. The camera as recited in claim 10, wherein the image conducting unit is disposed above the shutter housing in the first position.

14. The camera as recited in claim 10, wherein:

the image conducting unit and the movable lens assembly floor are situated in a fixed position; and

the shutter housing is repositionable relative to the image conducting unit to effect the first position and the second position.

15. The camera as recited in claim 14, wherein the shutter housing is further configured to drop down in relation to the image conducting unit when transitioning from the second position to the first position.