System and apparatus for increasing quality and efficiency of film capture and methods of use thereof

• US 8,319,884 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2006
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 54 Essential Systems LLC
• Original Assignee: Mediapod LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Mowry, Craig
• Primary Examiner(s): DINH, KHANH Q
• Application Number:
  US11/611,793
• Publication Number:
  US 20070160360A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,174 Days
• Field of Search: 348/347, 348/195, 348/202, 348/203, 348/205
• US Class Current: 348/347
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/00 Details of cameras or camera bodies; Accessories therefor lens hoods or caps G03B11/04
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/17 with reflectors arranged in beam forming the photographic image, e.g. for reducing dimensions of camera
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/24 with means for separately producing marks on the film, e.g. title, time of exposure
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/48 adapted for combination with other photographic or optical apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 35/00 Stereoscopic photography
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/23 Reproducing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/951 by using two or more images to influence resolution, frame rate or aspect ratio

Abstract

A system, apparatus, or method is provided for imaging and for capturing visuals to provide image manipulation options for increasing resolution of subject images. A system, apparatus or method for increasing resolution of subject images using a camera to deliver unexposed photographic emulsion or a digital image and to generate images of greater resolution by modifying digital images or modifying digital and emulsion images.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

delivering unexposed photographic emulsion to at least one image capture zone within a camera to record one or more images, the at least one image capture zone being of a selectable size and dimension;

receiving the photographic emulsion into the at least one image capture zone from a top or bottom of the at least one image capture zone, with the photographic emulsion exiting through the top or bottom of the at least one image capture zone following exposure, or receiving the photographic emulsion from a side of the at least one image capture zone to exit the at least one image capture zone from another side of the at least one image capture zone following exposure of the photographic emulsion; and

generating one or more final images from information recorded within the photographic emulsion using an image data modification program, the image data modification program being operable to infer a selection of one or more images among images recorded within the photographic emulsion.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising delivering unexposed photographic emulsion intermittently to the at least one image capture zone within the camera.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing one or more recordable media portions of the photographic emulsion after exposure to light, in a containment area separated from a containment area that stores the unexposed photographic emulsion.

6. The method of claim 1, recording one or more aspects of the one or more images with an electronic imaging module working with one or more aspects of the camera.

4. An apparatus comprising:

a camera operable to deliver unexposed photographic emulsion to at least one image capture zone within the camera, the at least one image capture zone being of a selectable size and dimension,

the at least one image capture zone receives the photographic emulsion from a top or bottom of the at least one image capture zone and the photographic emulsion exits through the top or bottom of the at least one image capture zone following exposure, or the at least one image capture zone receives the photographic emulsion from a side of the at least one image capture zone to exit the at least one image capture zone from another side of the at least one image capture zone, following exposure of the photographic emulsion; and

an image data modification program that generates one or more final images from information recorded within the photographic emulsion, the image data modification program being operable to infer a selection of one or more images among images recorded within the photographic emulsion.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the camera is operable to intermittently deliver the unexposed photographic emulsion to the at least one image capture zone within the camera.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:

an electronic imaging module in the camera operable to record information related to one or more aspects of the one or more images recorded by the camera within the photographic emulsion.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein at least a portion of the information related to one or more aspects is not provided by the photographic emulsion.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the image data modification program generates the one or more final images from visual information recorded within the photographic emulsion and from one or more aspects of other visual information captured and stored by the electronic imaging module.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the image data modification program generates data related to more than one final image from image information related to an image recorded within the photographic emulsion.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein an image recorded within the photographic emulsion contains more image information than an image generated by the electronic imaging module.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein a number of final images is at least equal to a number of images or aspects of images recorded previously by the electronic imaging module.

13. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the information related to the one or more aspects of the one or more images recorded by the electronic imaging module provide at least one type of image information that modifies derived information that is derived from the one or more images recorded within the photographic emulsion.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the image information that modifies the derived information relates to positioning information of an image zone.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the image data modification program provides at least two final images having a first amount of image information greater than a second amount of image information of an image generated by the electronic imaging module.

16. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the camera is operable to intermittently deliver the unexposed photographic emulsion to the at least one image capture zone within the camera.

17. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the photographic emulsion is provided on a containment strip as photographic film.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the containment strip comprises celluloid.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the photographic film is exposed to a lens image and a recorded image size has an image height corresponding to the photographic film.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein an image width is unrestricted by a film stock perimeter.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein a length of film stock is selectable.

22. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein a recordable emulsion width corresponds to a width of a film gauge size.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the recordable emulsion width corresponds to a vertical emulsion distance between interruptions in the recordable emulsion.

24. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:

a containment area that stores one or more recordable media portions of the photographic emulsion after exposure to light, separate from a containment area that stores the unexposed photographic emulsion.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the at least one image capture zone receives the photographic emulsion as at least one of recordable media including film stock.

26. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions that, in response to execution, cause a camera to perform operations, comprising:

initiating delivery of unexposed photographic emulsion to at least one image capture zone within the camera to record one or more images, the at least one image capture zone being of a selectable size and dimension;

initiating receipt of the photographic emulsion into the at least one image capture zone from a top or bottom of the at least one image capture zone, with the photographic emulsion exiting through the top or bottom of the at least one image capture zone following exposure, or receiving the photographic emulsion from a side of the at least one image capture zone to exit the at least one image capture zone from another side of the at least one image capture zone following exposure of the photographic emulsion; and

generating one or more final images from information recorded within the photographic emulsion using an image data modification program being operable to infer a selection of one or more images among images recorded within the photographic emulsion.

27. An apparatus comprising:

means for delivering unexposed photographic emulsion to at least one image capture zone within the means for delivering, the at least one image capture zone being of a selectable size and dimension; and

means for generating one or more final images from information recorded within the photographic emulsion, the means for generating being operable to infer a selection of one or more images among images recorded within the photographic emulsion,

wherein the at least one image capture zone receives the photographic emulsion from a top or bottom of the at least one image capture zone and the photographic emulsion exits through the top or bottom of the at least one image capture zone following exposure, or the at least one image capture zone receives the photographic emulsion from a side of the at least one image capture zone to exit the at least one image capture zone from another side of the at least one image capture zone, following exposure of the photographic emulsion.