Rifle style camera

• US 5,845,165 A
• Filed: 05/23/1997
• Issued: 12/01/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Charles B. Mcmahan
• Original Assignee: Charles B. Mcmahan
• Inventors: McMahan, Charles B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gray, David M.
• Application Number:
  US08/862,759
• Time in Patent Office: 557 Days
• Field of Search: 396/426, 396/429, 348/64
• US Class Current: 396/426
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 33/02 Light- or radiation-emitting guns ; Light- or radiation-sensitive guns; Cartridges carrying light emitting sources, e.g. laser
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 29/00 Combinations of cameras, projectors or photographic printing apparatus with non-photographic non-optical apparatus, e.g. clocks or weapons; Cameras having the shape of other objects combinations with flash apparatus G03B15/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/00 Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof

Abstract

A rifle style camera supplied with power by an internal power supply for producing at least one of a photograph on a film material and digital data representative of an object. The rifle style camera includes a stalk and a barrel extending from the stalk and including a top side and a bottom side. A housing is connected to the bottom side of the barrel. A photographic camera for producing the photograph of the object on the film and a digital image processor including a memory device for capturing a digital image of the object, producing the digital data representative of the object from the captured digital image and storing said produced digital data in said memory device are positioned within the housing and connected to receive power from the internal power supply. An eyepiece and view finder are mounted to the top side of the barrel and connected to both the photographic camera and the digital image processor. A trigger shutter release is connected to the bottom side of the barrel and adjacent the housing. The trigger shutter release is operable between a first closed position in which the film is not exposed to light for capturing a photograph of the object thereon and a second open position for exposing the film to light for capturing the object on the film and initiating capture of an image representative of the object and production of digital data representative of the object by the digital image processor.

Claims

1. A rifle style camera system comprising:

a) a stalk;

b) a barrel extending from said stalk and including a top side and a bottom side;

c) a housing connected to said bottom side of said barrel;

d) a photographic camera positioned within said housing and connected to receive power from an internal power supply for producing an image of an object on film;

e) a digital camera including a memory device positioned within said housing and connected to receive power from the internal power supply for capturing a digital image of said object producing the digital data representative of the object from the captured digital image and storing said produced digital data in said memory device;

f) a view finder mounted on said top side of said barrel and connected to both said photographic and digital cameras;

g) a trigger shutter release connected to said bottom side of said barrel and adjacent said housing, said trigger shutter release being operable between a first closed position in which the film is not exposed to light for capturing a photograph of the object thereon and a second open position for exposing the film to light for capturing the object on the film and initiating capture of an image representative of the object by said digital camera;

h) an infrared range finder signal transmitter and an infrared range finder signal receiver mounted above said barrel in side by side relationship under said view finder for determining the range at which the object to be photographed is distanced from said cameras forming an arrangement which looks and feels like an actual rifle;

i) means for downloading data from said digital camera relating to the images stored within said digital camera comprising an output port of said digital camera mounted on the outside of said housing and a computer external to said rifle style camera for receiving the downloaded data; and

j) means connected to said computer for displaying the images produced by said digital camera.

2. The rifle style camera system of claim 1 in which said displaying means includes a printer and a monitor.

3. The rifle style camera system of claim 1 in which said displaying means includes a router table for producing a three dimensional replication of the digital images.