Zero delay photographic synchronization system and method

• US 9,420,157 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2014
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LAB Partners Associates Incorporated
• Original Assignee: LAB Partners Associates Incorporated
• Inventors: Clark, James E.
• Primary Examiner(s): DAGNEW, MEKONNEN D
• Application Number:
  US14/456,691
• Publication Number:
  US 20140347508A1
• Time in Patent Office: 736 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 predictor signal of the camera body that occurs a known time prior to shutter opening. The detected predictor signal is used to determine a time to synchronize the remote device to image acquisition via wireless communication. For example, the detected predictor signal 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 predictor signal 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 predictor signal of the camera body, the predictor signal occurring at a known time 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 predictor signal 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 predictor signal is a change in an internal power supply of the camera body.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the predictor signal 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 predictor signal 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 predictor signal and the shutter opening.

6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving a remote signal from a light meter positioned remotely from the camera body and communicating the remote signal to the camera body.

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

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

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

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

11. A method according to claim 9, 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 port of the camera for detecting the predictor signal; and

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

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

detecting a predictor signal of the camera body, the predictor signal occurring a known time 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 predictor signal; and

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

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

14. A method according to claim 12, wherein the information based on the detected predictor signal includes a time of synchronization of the remote lighting device determined using the stored predictive information prior to said wirelessly communicating.

15. A method according to claim 12, further comprising receiving a remote signal from a light meter positioned remotely from the camera body and communicating the remote signal to the camera body.

16. A method according to claim 12, wherein the remote lighting device is synchronized to activate at the time that the shutter of the camera body is open.

17. A method according to claim 12, wherein the remote lighting device is synchronized to activate at the time that a synchronization output signal is generated by the camera body.

18. 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 an external connector of the camera body, the external connector providing access to a predictor signal of the camera body occurring at a known time 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 predictor signal from the external connector;

a memory element having stored timing information, the stored timing information including predictive information indicating a time between the detected predictor signal and the shutter opening; and

a processor for determining a time of synchronization of the remote lighting device from the detected predictor signal and the stored timing information.

19. A system according to claim 18, 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 predictor signal.

20. A system according to claim 18, 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 predictor signal and the shutter opening.