Variable color-output strobe

Claim 2

A flash discharge lamp, comprising: a airtight housing through which light may be transmitted, for enclosing a mixture of gases; a mixture of gases contained within said housing, with at least two of the gases forming said mixture having different ionization potentials; and means for coupling an electrical potential to said gaseous mixture for the ionization of one or more gases forming said gaseous mixture, for the generation of a source of light having a particular spectral content and for the transmission of said light outwardly of said airtight housing.

Claim 3

The flash discharge lamp of claim 1 wherein said gas mixture comprises neon gas having an ionization potential of approximately 21.47 electronvolts and argon gas having an ionization potential of approximately 15.69 electronvolts.

Claim 4

The flash discharge lamp of claim 2 wherein said gas mixture further comprises xenon gas having an ionization potential of approximately 12.08 electronvolts.

Claim 5

The flash discharge lamp of claim 3 wherein said gas mixture further comprises krypton gas having an ionization potential of approximately 13.94 electronvolts.

Claim 6

The flash discharge lamp of claim 1 wherein said airtight housing is a glass tube.

Claim 7

The flash discharge lamp of claim 5 wherein said means for coupling the electrical ionization poten­tial to the enclosed gas mixture includes a single gas-­ionizing electrode adjacent said glass tube for coupling a number of different ionization potentials to the gas mixture contained therein equal to the number of gases forming said gas mixture.

Claim 8

The flash discharge lamp of claim 5 wherein said means for coupling the electrical ionization poten­tial to the enclosed gas mixture includes a number of different gas ionizing electrodes adjacent said glass tube equal to the number of gases forming said gas mixture with each electrode coupling a single ionization potential thereto.

Claim 9

A flash discharge device for illuminating a scene to be photographed exposed, comprising: an airtight housing through which light may be transmitted toward the scene to be photographically exposed, for enclosing a gaseous mixture; a mixture of gases contained within said housing, with at least two of the gases forming said mixture having different ionization potentials; means for generating two or more output potentials with each potential having a predetermined magnitude; and means responsive to a signal representative of the scene color temperature and/or a signal representative of the color balance of a photosensitive material being used to record the scene for selectively coupling one of said output potentials to said gas mixture to ionize one or more of the gases included therein and thereby generate a source of light having a particular spectral content and subsequently transmit said light outwardly of said air­tight housing and toward the scene to be photographed.

Claim 10

A flash discharge device for illuminating a scene to be photographed exposed, comprising: an airtight housing through which light may be transmitted toward the scene to be photographically exposed, for enclosing a gaseous mixture; a mixture of gases contained within said housing, with at least two of the gases forming said mixture having different ionization potentials; means for generating two or more output potentials with each potential having a predetermined magnitude; and means responsive to a signal representative of the scene color temperature and/or a signal representative of the color balance of a photosensitive material being used to record the scene for selectively coupling one of said output potentials to said gas mixture to ionize one or more of the gases included therein and thereby generate a source of light having a particular spectral content and subsequently transmit said light outwardly of said air­tight housing and toward the scene to be photographed.

Claim 11

The flash discharge device of claim 8 wherein said selective coupling means includes a single gas-ionizing electrode and each of said gas ionizing output potentials are selectively coupled to said enclosed gas mixture through said single gas-ionizing electrode.

Claim 12

The flash discharge device of claim 8 wherein said selective coupling means includes a number of different gas-ionizing electrodes equal to the number of gases forming said gas mixture with each such electrode selectively coupling a single ionization potential thereto.

Claim 13

Photographic apparatus adapted to receive a film cassette having indicia thereon representative of the color balance of photosensitive material contained therein, and including a flash discharge device for providing artificial illumination during an exposure cycle, said photographic apparatus comprising: a housing; an airtight enclosure mounted on said housing, through which light may be transmitted toward a scene to be photographically exposed; a mixture of gases contained within said enclosure; means for generating two or more output potentials with each potential having a predetermined magnitude; means for generating a signal representative of the scene color temperature; means responsive to the color balance informa­tion encoded in the film cassette indicia for generating a signal representative thereof; means for intiating a photographic exposure cycle; and means responsive to said scene color temperature signal and/or said color balance signal for selectively coupling one of said output potentials to said gas mixture to ionize one or more of the gases included therein to thereby generate a source of light having a particular spectral content and thereby transmit said light toward the scene to be photographed during an exposure cycle.

Claim 14

Photographic apparatus adapted to receive a film cassette having indicia thereon representative of the color balance of photosensitive material contained therein, and including a flash discharge device for providing artificial illumination during an exposure cycle, said photographic apparatus comprising: a housing; an airtight enclosure mounted on said housing, through which light may be transmitted toward a scene to be photographically exposed; a mixture of gases contained within said enclosure; means for generating two or more output potentials with each potential having a predetermined magnitude; means for generating a signal representative of the scene color temperature; means responsive to the color balance informa­tion encoded in the film cassette indicia for generating a signal representative thereof; means for intiating a photographic exposure cycle; and means responsive to said scene color temperature signal and/or said color balance signal for selectively coupling one of said output potentials to said gas mixture to ionize one or more of the gases included therein to thereby generate a source of light having a particular spectral content and thereby transmit said light toward the scene to be photographed during an exposure cycle.

Claim 15

The photographic apparatus of claim 11 wherein said selective coupling means time modulates the coupling of said output potentials to said gas mixture.