Wireless camera flash synchronizer system and method

• US 8,180,210 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2011
• Issued: 05/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LAB Partners Associates Incorporated
• Original Assignee: LAB Partners Associates Incorporated
• Inventors: Clark, James E.
• Primary Examiner(s): BLACKMAN, ROCHELLE ANN J
• Application Number:
  US13/169,413
• Publication Number:
  US 20110268432A1
• Time in Patent Office: 323 Days
• Field of Search: 396 56- 59, 396/263, 396/429, 396/661, 348/14.02, 348/14.05, 348/114, 348/211.2, 348/211.3, 348/211.4, 348/211.11, 348/211.14, 348/211.99, 348/725, 348/734
• US Class Current: 396/56
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/02 Illuminating scene
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/00 Details of cameras or camera bodies; Accessories therefor lens hoods or caps G03B11/04

Abstract

A single oscillator synchronizer system and method that automatically switches from a wireless receive mode of the oscillator to a wireless transmit mode of the oscillator upon the detection of a synchronization (synch) signal of a camera body. In one example, a method of wirelessly communicating a camera synchronization from a camera body to a remote device with a wireless camera flash synchronizer connected to a synchronization connector of the camera body, the wireless camera flash synchronizer including a transceiver having an oscillator element with a wireless receive mode and a wireless transmit mode, the oscillator element configured to be in only one of the wireless receive mode and wireless transmit mode at a time is provided. In another example, a wireless camera flash synchronizer that automatically switches from a wireless receive mode to a wireless transmit mode upon detection of a synch signal of a camera body is provided.

Claims

1. A method of wirelessly communicating a camera synchronization from a camera body to a remote device with a wireless camera flash synchronizer connected to a synchronization connector of the camera body, the wireless camera flash synchronizer including a transceiver having an oscillator element having a wireless receive mode and a wireless transmit mode, the oscillator element configured to be in only one of the wireless receive mode and wireless transmit mode at a time, the method comprising:

setting the oscillator element to the wireless receive mode;

detecting a synch signal from the synchronization connector of the camera body;

in response to said detecting of the synch signal, automatically switching the oscillator element from the wireless receive mode to the wireless transmit mode; and

wirelessly transmitting a synchronization data from the wireless camera flash synchronizer to the remote device.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said detecting a synch signal occurs via a physical connection of the wireless camera flash synchronizer and a hotshoe connector of the camera body.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said detecting a synch signal occurs via a physical connection of the wireless camera flash synchronizer and a PC connector of the camera body.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said wirelessly transmitting a synchronization data is completed using a single chosen frequency modulated for each completed transmission.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein said setting step comprises:

loading the transceiver with a receive frequency coding; and

latching said receive frequency coding into a configuration register of the transceiver.

6. A method according to claim 5, further comprising:

loading the transceiver with a transmit frequency coding after said loading of the receive frequency coding and before said detecting of the synch signal.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein said automatically switching step comprises latching the transmit frequency into the configuration register.

8. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining a receive frequency coding and a transmit frequency coding at about the time of powering on the wireless camera flash synchronizer; and

storing the receive frequency coding and the transmit frequency coding.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein said automatically switching step is completed and said transmitting step commences in less than about 1 millisecond.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein said automatically switching step is completed and said transmitting step commences in less than about 100 microseconds.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein said automatically switching step is completed and said transmitting step commences in less than about 20 microseconds.

12. A wireless camera flash synchronizer comprising:

a transceiver having an oscillator element having a transmit mode and a receive mode, said oscillator element being in only one of said transmit mode and said receive mode at a time;

a first synchronization signal connector for connecting said transceiver to a second synchronization signal connector of a camera body; and

an auto mode switcher for switching said transceiver from said receive mode to said transmit mode in response to said first synchronization signal connector receiving a synch signal from said camera body.

13. A synchronizer according to claim 12, wherein said transceiver is configured to transmit a synchronization data based upon said synch signal completely to a remote device using a single chosen frequency for each complete transmission.

14. A synchronizer according to claim 12, wherein said first synchronization signal connector comprises a connection element configured to connect to at least one of a camera body hotshoe and a camera body PC connector.

15. A synchronizer according to claim 12, wherein said second synchronization signal connector comprises a connection element selected from the group consisting of a camera body hotshoe and a camera body PC connector.

16. A synchronizer according to claim 12, wherein said transceiver comprises a configuration register for receiving a frequency coding from said auto mode switcher.

17. A synchronizer according to claim 16, wherein said auto mode switcher is configured to load a receive frequency coding to said single transceiver and latch said receive frequency coding to said configuration register;

load a transmit frequency coding to said single transceiver after latching said receive frequency coding and before receiving said synch signal; and

to latch said transmit frequency to said configuration register upon receiving said synch signal.

18. A synchronizer according to claim 12, wherein said auto mode switcher is configured to switch said oscillator from said receive mode to said transmit mode in a first amount of time that is less than about 1 millisecond of said first synchronization signal connector receiving said synch signal from said camera body, and wherein when said oscillator is set to said transmit mode, said transceiver is ready to wirelessly transmit a synchronization data to a remote device.

19. A synchronizer according to claim 18, wherein said first amount of time is less than about 100 microseconds of said first synchronization signal connector receiving said synch signal from said camera body.

20. A synchronizer according to claim 18, wherein said first amount of time is less than about 20 microseconds of said first synchronization signal connector receiving said synch signal from said camera body.