Zero delay photographic synchronization system and method

• US 8,803,989 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2011
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LAB Partners Associates Incorporated
• Original Assignee: LAB Partners Associates Incorporated
• Inventors: Clark, James E.
• Primary Examiner(s): DAGNEW, MEKONNEN D
• Application Number:
  US13/016,345
• Publication Number:
  US 20110128390A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,292 Days
• Field of Search: 348/211.99, 348/211.2, 348/211.14, 348/296, 396 56- 59
• US Class Current: 348/211.99
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/50 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/651 for reducing power consumption by affecting camera operations, e.g. sleep mode, hibernation mode or power off of selective parts of the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/71 Circuitry for evaluating the brightness variation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/73 by influencing the exposure time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/06 Generation of synchronising signals

Abstract

A method of synchronizing a remote device to image acquisition by a camera body including detecting a voltage change of the camera body that occurs prior to shutter opening. The detected voltage change is used to determine a time to synchronize the remote device to image acquisition via wireless communication. For example, the detected voltage change may be used to predict when the shutter of the camera will be open. A wireless communication system for synchronizing a remote device to a camera body may include a memory having information used to synchronize the remote device to image acquisition based on the detection of the change in voltage occurring prior to a shutter opening.

Claims

1. A method of synchronizing a remote lighting device to image acquisition by a camera body, the method comprising:

detecting a voltage change of the camera body, the voltage change occurring prior to a shutter of the camera body opening;

wirelessly communicating one or more signals to the remote lighting device, at least one of the one or more signals including a time indication based on the time between the voltage change and the shutter opening; and

synchronizing the remote lighting device to image acquisition using the time indication.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the voltage change is a change in an internal power supply of the camera body.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the voltage change is related to an internal activity of the camera body.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising using a predictive information stored in a memory to determine the time indication, the predictive information including information related to the time between the voltage change and the shutter opening.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the time indication is based on the time required for wireless communication and the time between the voltage change and the shutter opening.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein said synchronizing includes activating the remote lighting device at the time that the shutter of the camera body is open.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein said synchronizing includes activating the remote lighting device at the time that a synchronization output signal is generated by the camera body.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein said wirelessly communicating is performed using a wireless communication module external to the camera body.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the wireless communication module does not have access to a conventional synchronization signal of the camera body.

10. A method according to claim 8, wherein the wireless communication module includes:

a module body;

a wireless communication circuit;

a first connector in communication with said wireless communication circuit, said first connector for connecting said module body to a motor-drive port of the camera for detecting the voltage change; and

an antenna in communication with said wireless communication circuit for wirelessly communicating with the remote lighting device.

11. A method of synchronizing a remote lighting device to image acquisition by a camera body, the method comprising:

detecting a voltage change of the camera body, the voltage change occurring prior to a shutter of the camera body opening;

wirelessly communicating one or more signals to the remote lighting device, at least one of the one or more signals including information based on the detected voltage change;

using stored predictive information of the time between the detected voltage change and the shutter opening to synchronize the remote lighting device to image acquisition.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the information based on the detected voltage is used after said wirelessly communicating with the stored predictive information to determine the time of synchronization of the remote lighting device.

13. A method according to claim 11, wherein the information based on the detected voltage includes a time of synchronization of the remote lighting device determined using the stored predictive information prior to said wirelessly communicating.

14. A method according to claim 11, wherein the remote lighting device is synchronized to activate at the time that the shutter of the camera body is open.

15. A method according to claim 11, wherein the remote lighting device is synchronized to activate at the time that a synchronization output signal is generated by the camera body.

16. A wireless communication system for synchronizing a remote lighting device to image acquisition by a camera body, the wireless communication system including:

a connection to a voltage source of the camera body, the voltage source providing access to a voltage signal of the camera body occurring prior to a shutter opening of the camera body;

a wireless communication circuit for wirelessly communicating one or more signals to the remote lighting device, the one or more signals being based on a detected change in voltage of the voltage signal;

a memory element having stored timing information, the stored timing information including predictive information indicating a time between the detected change in voltage and the shutter opening; and

a processor for determining a time of synchronization of the remote lighting device from the detected change in voltage and the stored timing information.

17. A system according to claim 16, wherein the processor is located at the remote lighting device and the one or more signals includes an indication of the time of the detected change in voltage.

18. A system according to claim 16, wherein the processor is located at the camera body and the one or more signals includes a time indication based on the time between the detected voltage change and the shutter opening.

19. A system according to claim 16, wherein the system includes a wireless communication module external to the camera body.

20. A system according to claim 16, wherein the system includes an external wireless communication module that does not have access to a conventional synchronization signal of the camera body.

21. A system according to claim 20, wherein the wireless communication module includes:

a module body;

the wireless communication circuit;

a first connector in communication with said wireless communication circuit, said first connector for connecting said module body to a motor-drive port of the camera for receiving a trigger signal from the camera for wireless transmission to the remote lighting device; and

an antenna in communication with said wireless communication circuit for wirelessly communicating with the remote lighting device.