Digital camera

• US 8,134,632 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2008
• Issued: 03/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arnold & Richter Cine Technik GmbH & Co., Betriebs KG (Stahl Beteiligungs- GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Arnold & Richter Cine Technik GmbH & Co., Betriebs KG (Stahl Beteiligungs- GmbH)
• Inventors: Kandleinsberger, Robert, Khanh, Tran Quoc, Koppetz, Michael, Popp, Hermann
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, LUONG TRUNG
• Application Number:
  US12/124,065
• Publication Number:
  US 20080284898A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,393 Days
• Field of Search: 348/341, 348/344, 348367-369, 348/221.1
• US Class Current: 348/335
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/60 Control of cameras or camera modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/73 by influencing the exposure time

Abstract

The invention relates to a digital motion picture camera including at least one optoelectronic sensor device for the recording of motion pictures. The sensor device has, in an areal arrangement, a plurality of sensor elements for the generation of a respective received signal in dependence on a light exposure. The camera further has a control device for the controlling of the read-out of the received signals of the sensor elements as well as a digitizing device for the digitizing of the received signals. The camera moreover has an optical viewfinder for the visual observation of the motion pictures to be recorded and a beam deflection device which is interposed in front of the sensor device and by which the reception beam path can be split at least into one recording beam path for the sensor device and one viewfinder beam path for the optical viewfinder. The sensor device can be controlled by the controlling device for the recording of the motion pictures at a pre-settable variable picture recording frequency.

Claims

1. A digital motion picture camera, at least comprising

an optoelectronic sensor device (31) for the recording of motion pictures, with the optoelectronic sensor device having, in an areal arrangement, a plurality of sensor elements (53, 55, 57) for the generation of a respective received signal in dependence on a light exposure;

a control device (45, 47) for the control of the read-out of the received signals of the sensor elements, with the optoelectronic sensor device (31) being controllable by means of the control device (45, 47) for the recording of the motion pictures at a pre-settable variable picture recording frequency;

a digitizing device (35) for the digitizing of the received signals of the sensor elements;

an optical viewfinder (27, 29) for the visual observation of the motion pictures to be recorded; and

a rotationally movable mirror diaphragm (15) which is disposed upstream of the optoelectronic sensor device (31), the rotationally movable mirror diaphragm dividing a received beam path (13) at least into a recorded beam path (19) for the optoelectronic sensor device and a viewfinder beam path (21) for the optical viewfinder;

wherein the sensor elements (53, 55, 57) are controlled for the successive generation of a plurality of received signals which correspond to different exposure times and are associated with a single motion picture, and

wherein after the start of the exposure of the respective sensor elements (53, 55, 57) the received signals of the sensor elements are taken up at a plurality of sequential points in time without a repeated resetting or cancellation of accumulated charge taking place.

2. A digital motion picture camera in accordance with claim 1, wherein in the case that one of the received signals is located in a saturation region of the optoelectronic sensor device for an actually desired exposure time, a correct received signal value is determined by calculation on the basis of further received signals corresponding to a shorter exposure time.

3. A digital motion picture camera in accordance with claim 1, wherein in the event of an underexposure and of a received signal, which is accordingly too low, a correct signal value is extrapolated from the received signals of the sensor elements which were determined for higher exposure times.

4. A digital motion picture camera in accordance with claim 1, wherein the starting point in time of the exposure of the sensor elements (53, 55, 57) and/or the end point in time of the exposure of the sensor elements is controllable by means of the control device (45, 47) for the variation of the picture recording frequency.

5. A digital motion picture camera in accordance with claim 1, wherein the cycle of a sequential resetting or read-out of the received signals of the sensor elements (53, 55, 57) is controllable for the variation of the picture recording frequency.

6. A digital motion picture camera in accordance with claim 1, wherein each sensor element (53, 55, 57) has its own amplifier device (33) and/or its own digitizing device (35) associated with it which is preferably integrated in each case into the optoelectronic sensor device (31).

7. A digital motion picture camera in accordance with claim 1, wherein the optoelectronic sensor device (31) has a CMOS sensor.

8. A digital motion picture camera in accordance with claim 1, wherein the rotational frequency of the rotationally movable mirror diaphragm (15) is variably controllable by the control device (45, 47).

9. A digital motion picture camera in accordance with claim 1, wherein the cycle of the read-out of the received signals of the sensor elements (53, 55, 57) and the rotational frequency of the rotationally movable mirror diaphragm (15) can be synchronized with one another by means of the control device (45, 47).

10. A digital motion picture camera, at least comprising

an optoelectronic sensor device (31) for the recording of motion pictures, with the optoelectronic sensor device having, in an areal arrangement, a plurality of sensor elements (53, 55, 57) for the generation of a respective received signal in dependence on a light exposure;

a control device (45, 47) for the control of the read-out of the received signals of the sensor elements, with the optoelectronic sensor device (31) being controllable by means of the control device (45, 47) for the recording of the motion pictures at a pre-settable variable picture recording frequency;

a digitizing device (35) for the digitizing of the received signals of the sensor elements;

an optical viewfinder (27, 29) for the visual observation of the motion pictures to be recorded; and

a rotationally movable mirror diaphragm (15) which is disposed upstream of the optoelectronic sensor device (31), the rotationally movable mirror diaphragm dividing a received beam path (13) at least into a recorded beam path (19) for the optoelectronic sensor device and a viewfinder beam path (21) for the optical viewfinder;

wherein the sensor elements (53, 55, 57) are controlled for the successive generation of a plurality of received signals which correspond to different exposure times and are associated with a single motion picture, and

wherein in the case that one of the received signals is located in a saturation region of the optoelectronic sensor device for an actually desired exposure time, a correct received signal value is determined by calculation on the basis of further received signals corresponding to a shorter exposure time.

11. A digital motion picture camera in accordance with claim 10, wherein in the event of an underexposure and of a received signal, which is accordingly too low, a correct signal value is extrapolated from the received signals of the sensor elements which were determined for higher exposure times.

12. A digital motion picture camera in accordance with claim 10, wherein the starting point in time of the exposure of the sensor elements (53, 55, 57) and/or the end point in time of the exposure of the sensor elements is controllable by means of the control device (45, 47) for the variation of the picture recording frequency.

13. A digital motion picture camera in accordance with claim 10, wherein the cycle of a sequential resetting or read-out of the received signals of the sensor elements (53, 55, 57) is controllable for the variation of the picture recording frequency.

14. A digital motion picture camera in accordance with claim 10, wherein each sensor element (53, 55, 57) has its own amplifier device (33) and/or its own digitizing device (35) associated with it which is preferably integrated in each case into the optoelectronic sensor device (31).

15. A digital motion picture camera in accordance with claim 10, wherein the optoelectronic sensor device (31) has a CMOS sensor.

16. A digital motion picture camera in accordance with claim 10, wherein the rotational frequency of the rotationally movable mirror diaphragm (15) is variably controllable by the control device (45, 47).

17. A digital motion picture camera in accordance with claim 10, wherein the cycle of the read-out of the received signals of the sensor elements (53, 55, 57) and the rotational frequency of the rotationally movable mirror diaphragm (15) can be synchronized with one another by means of the control device (45, 47).

18. A digital motion picture camera, at least comprising

an optoelectronic sensor device (31) for the recording of motion pictures, with the optoelectronic sensor device having, in an areal arrangement, a plurality of sensor elements (53, 55, 57) for the generation of a respective received signal in dependence on a light exposure;

a control device (45, 47) for the control of the read-out of the received signals of the sensor elements, with the optoelectronic sensor device (31) being controllable by means of the control device (45, 47) for the recording of the motion pictures at a pre-settable variable picture recording frequency;

a digitizing device (35) for the digitizing of the received signals of the sensor elements;

an optical viewfinder (27, 29) for the visual observation of the motion pictures to be recorded; and

a rotationally movable mirror diaphragm (15) which is disposed upstream of the optoelectronic sensor device (31), the rotationally movable mirror diaphragm dividing a received beam path (13) at least into a recorded beam path (19) for the optoelectronic sensor device and a viewfinder beam path (21) for the optical viewfinder;

wherein the sensor elements (53, 55, 57) are controlled for the successive generation of a plurality of received signals which correspond to different exposure times and are associated with a single motion picture, and

wherein in the event of an underexposure and of a received signal, which is accordingly too low, a correct signal value is extrapolated from the received signals of the sensor elements which were determined for higher exposure times.

19. A digital motion picture camera in accordance with claim 18, wherein the starting point in time of the exposure of the sensor elements (53, 55, 57) and/or the end point in time of the exposure of the sensor elements is controllable by means of the control device (45, 47) for the variation of the picture recording frequency.

20. A digital motion picture camera in accordance with claim 18, wherein the cycle of a sequential resetting or read-out of the received signals of the sensor elements (53, 55, 57) is controllable for the variation of the picture recording frequency.

21. A digital motion picture camera in accordance with claim 18, wherein each sensor element (53, 55, 57) has its own amplifier device (33) and/or its own digitizing device (35) associated with it which is preferably integrated in each case into the optoelectronic sensor device (31).

22. A digital motion picture camera in accordance with claim 18, wherein the optoelectronic sensor device (31) has a CMOS sensor.

23. A digital motion picture camera in accordance with claim 18, wherein the rotational frequency of the rotationally movable mirror diaphragm (15) is variably controllable by the control device (45, 47).

24. A digital motion picture camera in accordance with claim 18, wherein the cycle of the read-out of the received signals of the sensor elements (53, 55, 57) and the rotational frequency of the rotationally movable mirror diaphragm (15) can be synchronized with one another by means of the control device (45, 47).