System for near-simultaneous capture of multiple camera images
First Claim
1. A digital camera comprising:
- a light input device for detecting a first light pulse;
a processor, coupled to the light input device;
a timer, initiated by the processor in response to receiving a signal therefrom indicative of said first light pulse;
wherein the processor is programmed to initiate capture of an image in response to an indication from the timer that lapse of a time period greater than the duration of said first light pulse has occurred; and
a light output device that transmits a second light pulse in synchronism with initiation of said capture of an image, in response to a signal issued from the processor.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for synchronizing the exposure of an image by a master camera with the exposure of an image by one or more slave cameras, each of which is located at a different position relative to a common subject to be photographed. Exposure synchronization is accomplished via an optical sensing system on each slave camera that detects a light pulse (e.g., a flash or strobe) from the master camera emitted simultaneously with the initiation of the exposure of the subject, causing the slave camera to trigger an exposure of the subject, if the detected light pulse is within the parameters of the image capture mode manually selected for a given camera. An image may thus be captured from each of the different angles, relative to the subject being photographed, at which the cameras are positioned.
163 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A digital camera comprising:
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a light input device for detecting a first light pulse;
a processor, coupled to the light input device;
a timer, initiated by the processor in response to receiving a signal therefrom indicative of said first light pulse;
wherein the processor is programmed to initiate capture of an image in response to an indication from the timer that lapse of a time period greater than the duration of said first light pulse has occurred; and
a light output device that transmits a second light pulse in synchronism with initiation of said capture of an image, in response to a signal issued from the processor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A digital camera comprising:
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a plurality of light input devices, each of which is capable of detecting a first light pulse;
a processor, coupled to each one of the plurality of light input devices;
a timer, initiated by the processor in response to receiving a signal therefrom indicative of said first light pulse;
wherein the processor is programmed to initiate exposure of an image in response to an indication from the timer that lapse of a time period greater than the duration of said first light pulse has occurred;
an image capture mode input device for manually selecting one of a plurality of image capture modes, each of which has parameters associated therewith that are used by the processor to determine whether to initiate said exposure;
wherein one of said parameters indicates which one of the plurality of light input devices is used for detecting said first light pulse; and
a light output device that transmits a second light pulse in synchronism with initiation of said exposure, in response to a signal issued from the processor. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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16. A system for synchronizing a first exposure of a subject by a first camera with a second exposure of the subject by a second camera, the system comprising the steps of:
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simultaneously initiating the first exposure and transmitting a light pulse from the first camera; and
initiating the second exposure in response to the second camera receiving the light pulse from the first camera;
whereby the subject is photographed from two different viewing angles. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification