Underwater camera enclosure including sonar range finding device

Claim 2

Photographic apparatus adapted for underwater photography with an air-sonar range-finding camera utilizing an air-sonar acoustic signal, comprising: a watertight enclosure retaining said camera; an underwater sonar range-finding means responsive to said air-sonar acoustic signal for transmitting an underwater sonar signal and for receiving an underwater sonar echo signal from an underwater subject to be photographed; and means resonsive to said received underwater sonar echo signal for transmitting a simulated echo signal to said air-sonar range-finding camera to produce a range signal therein corresponding to the distance between said camera and said underwater subject.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said means responsive further includes at least one of an electroacoustic means, an electro-optic means, and an electromagnetic means to communicate said distance signal to said unmodified camera.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 2 said camera further comprising a trigger means and an illumination means having a trigger signal and an illumination signal, respectively.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said camera comprises a self-developing camera providing partially ejected exposed film retained in part within the body of said self-developing camera by a retaining spring assembly, said underwater enclosure further comprises a clip partially inserted into said self-developing camera to defeat said retaining assembly, thereby allowing said self-developing camera to fully eject said exposed film from the body of the self-developing camera.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said retaining assembly further includes a retractable film shade, said clip further comprises a shade retainer to inhibit the retraction of said film shade.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 4 further including a film holder to retain said exposed film after ejection from said self-developing camera.

Claim 12

The system of claim 8 wherein said underwater ranging means comprises a sonar ranging means.

Claim 13

The system of claim 9 wherein said means responsive further includes at least one of an acoustic means, and electro-optical means, and an electromagnetic means to communicate.

Claim 14

The system of claim 10 further including at least one of a trigger means for activating said apparatus and an illumination control means for synchronizing external illumination to said apparatus.

Claim 15

The system of claim 11 wherein said trigger means includes a reed switch and a magnetic device, and said illumination control includes a light source and a photocell.

Claim 16

A transponder to operate distance controlled apparatus designed for operation in a first medium, in a second medium and to provide a distance-related signal to adjust said distance controlled apparatus according to a distance between said controlled apparatus and a selected subject in said second medium, said transponder comprising: a second medium range determining device including a sonar device providing a first signal relating a distance between said transponder and said selected subject; a conversion means to relate said first signal to said distance controlled apparatus as a converted distance signal, wherein said second medium sonar device receives an initiate signal in response to said distance controlled apparatus and produces said first signal thereafter, said conversion means further comprising: a timing circuit to measure the elapsed time between said initiate signal and said first signal to produce a second medium delay signal; and a time scaler to adjust the second medium delay signal according to a differing rate of propagation of an acoustic signal through the first medium and the propagation of an acoustic signal through said second medium producing a simulated air-echo electrical signal.

Claim 17

A transponder to operate distance controlled apparatus designed for operation in a first medium, in a second medium and to provide a distance-related signal to adjust said distance controlled apparatus according to a distance between said controlled apparatus and a selected subject in said second medium, said transponder comprising: a second medium range determining device including a sonar device providing a first signal relating a distance between said transponder and said selected subject; a conversion means to relate said first signal to said distance controlled apparatus as a converted distance signal, wherein said second medium sonar device receives an initiate signal in response to said distance controlled apparatus and produces said first signal thereafter, said conversion means further comprising: a timing circuit to measure the elapsed time between said initiate signal and said first signal to produce a second medium delay signal; and a time scaler to adjust the second medium delay signal according to a differing rate of propagation of an acoustic signal through the first medium and the propagation of an acoustic signal through said second medium producing a simulated air-echo electrical signal.

Claim 18

The transponder of claim 13 wherein said distance controlled apparatus comprises a camera having a shutter release and a distance adjustment comprising at least one of a focus control, an aperture control and a shutter-time control, said conversion means further comprising means to communicate to said camera said converted distance signal.

Claim 19

The transponder of claim 14 wherein said camera further comprises an air-sonar rangefinder producing a first medium acoustic signal and receiving a simulated air-echo signal in said first medium, said means to communicate further comprising an air-sonar receiver to receive said first medium acoustic signal to form said initiate signal; and a simulated echo transmitter to transmit said simulated air-echo signal formed in response to said simulated air-echo electrical signal.

Claim 20

The transponder of claim 15 wherein said time scaler further relates the differences in optical refractive index in the first medium and the second medium, wherein said first medium reflected signal is adjusted to properly focus for distance for said selected subject.

Claim 21

The transponder of claim 16 wherein said time scaler further adjusts the second medium delay signal according to at least one of the fixed parameters of an optical viewing port including the shape, thickness, and optical refractive index, and distance between said means to communicate and said camera.

Claim 22

The transponder of claim 17 wherein said air-sonar transmitter and said air sonar receiver includes a common transducer.

Claim 23

The transponder of claim 18 wherein said first medium is air and said second medium is water.

Claim 24

The transponder of claim 19 wherein said second medium sonar device futher includes: a sonar transmitter responsive to said initiate signal to produce an electrical sonar output signal; a hydroacoustic transducer responsive to said electrical sonar output signal producing an underwater acoustic signal and receiving a reflected underwater acoustic signal producing a received electrical echo signal; and a sonar receiver responsive to said received electrical echo signal to produce said underwater echo trigger signal, said hydroacoustic receiver including a signal filter, an automatic gain control circuit and a pulse detector circuit.