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US4805037A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Image recording system

Assignee: Eastman Kodak Co
•
Filing: 1987-10-15
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Granted: 1989-02-14
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Expires: 2007-10-15
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Abstract

Abstract An image recording system is provided including a conventional photographic film camera, an electronic video camera, and an electronic flash. Synchronizing apparatus is provided such that, responsive to the actuation of the film camera shutter by a human operator, the flash is substantially immediately triggered to illuminate a subject. Responsive to the single flash illumination, the synchronizing apparatus synchronizes the operation of the video camera to the film camera such that the film camera captures a photographic image of the subject, and the electronic video camera captures a full frame image of a substantially identical view of the subject as two consecutive video fields. The video camera is further synchronized such that the flash illumination is substantially entirely and equally distributed between the two fields of video information. The video camera normally operates in a movie format according to NTSC standards. The capturing of the video image is accomplished by inhibiting, during the flash illumination, any transfer of charge from photosites to shift registers in a video imager contained in the video camera. Upon termination of the flash illumination, the next two video fields are transferred to provide a full video frame of the subject of interest.

Inventors

  • 👤 Stephen A. Noble
  • 👤 Thomas C. Nutting

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-29 02:37
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N5/00; H04N5/76; H04N5/765; H04N5/77; H04N23/00; H04N23/70; H04N23/74; H04N25/00; H04N7/00; H04N7/18; H04N7/188

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 33
Claim 1
Independent Claim 108 words
A system for recording images of a subject in electronic and photosensitive mediums, comprising: means for capturing a photographic image of said subject on said photosensitive medium; means for recording a full frame video image of said subject in two consecutive fields of video information; means for illuminating said subject with a flash illumination; and means connected to said capturing means, said recording means, and said illuminating means for actuating said illuminating means and for synchronizing the recording of said full frame video image to the capturing of said photographic image such that said flash illumination is relatively equally distributed between said two consecutive fields of video information.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 108 words
A system for recording images of a subject in electronic and photosensitive mediums, comprising: means for capturing a photographic image of said subject on said photosensitive medium; means for recording a full frame video image of said subject in two consecutive fields of video information; means for illuminating said subject with a flash illumination; and means connected to said capturing means, said recording means, and said illuminating means for actuating said illuminating means and for synchronizing the recording of said full frame video image to the capturing of said photographic image such that said flash illumination is relatively equally distributed between said two consecutive fields of video information.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 27 words
An image recording system in accordance with claim 1 and further including means for directing substantially identical views of said subject to said capturing and recording means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 16 words
An image recording system in accordance with claim 2 wherein said directing means comprises a beamsplitter.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 32 words
An image recording system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said actuating and synchronizing means includes means for initiating illumination by said illuminating means substantially immediately upon the request of an operator.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 44 words
An image recording system in accordance with claim 4 wherein said capturing means includes: shutter means for controlling the exposure of said photosensitive film; and means responsive to the actuation of said shutter means for generating a flash request signal to actuate a flash.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 26 words
An image recording system in accordance with claim 5 wherein said initiating means initiates said flash illumination responsive to the generation of said flash request signal.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 54 words
An image recording system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said recording means includes a solid-state video imaging device comprising: photosite means for converting a light image of said subject into a full video frame of electronic data; and means for transferring said electronic data from said photosite means to a permanent storage means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 47 words
An image recording system in accordance with claim 7 wherein said transferring means comprises: at least one shift register for registering the electronic data in said photosite means; and transfer gate means for controlling the transfer of the electronic data from said photosites to said shift register.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 39 words
An image recording system in accordance with claim 7 wherein said recording means further includes means for periodically actuating said transferring means to effectuate the transfer of said electronic data from said photosite means to said permanent storage means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 38 words
An image recording system in accordance with claim 9 wherein said actuating and synchronizing means includes means for inhibiting the transfer of said electronic data from said photosite means to said permanent storage means during said flash illumination.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 21 words
An image recording system in accordance with claim 8 wherein said video imaging device comprises an interline solid state charge-coupled device.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 28 words
An image recording system in accordance with claim 10 wherein said recording means further comprises signal processing means for converting said electronic data into line sequential video data.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 31 words
An image recording system in accordance with claim 12 wherein said image recording system further includes frame store means for storing a full video frame of said line sequential video data.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 43 words
An image recording system in accordance with claim 13 wherein said actuating and synchronizing means further includes means responsive to the termination of said flash illumination for directing said frame store means to store the full frame of said line sequential video data.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 36 words
An image recording system in accordance with claim 14 wherein said full frame of video data is stored in said frame store means in a format of two consecutive fields of said line sequential video data.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 32 words
An image recording system in accordance with claim 13 and further including a mass storage means connected to said frame store means for storing multiple frames of said line sequential video data.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 28 words
An image recording system in accordance with claim 13 and further including video display means for displaying the line sequential video data stored in said frame store means.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 241 words
An image recording system comprising: means for capturing a photographic image of a subject on a photosensitive medium, including shutter means for controlling the exposure of said photosensitive medium, and means responsive to the actuation of said shutter means for generating a flash request signal to actuate a flash; means for recording a full frame video image of said subject, including photosite means for converting a light image of said subject into a full video frame of electronic data, means for transferring said electronic data in said photosite means to a permanent storage means, and means for periodically actuating said transferring means to effectuate the transfer of said electronic data from said photosite means to said permanent storage means; means for illuminating said subject with a flash illumination; means for directing substantially identical views of said subject to said recording and capturing means; actuating and synchronizing means connected to said capturing means, said recording means, and said illuminating means for actuating said illuminating means and for synchronizing the recording of said full frame video image to the capturing of said photographic image, including means for actuating said shutter means, means responsive to said flash request signal for initiating said flash illumination, and means for inhibiting said periodically actuating means during said flash illumination; and means responsive to the termination of said flash illumination for storing said electronic data on said photosite means as two consecutive fields of line sequential video data.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 241 words
An image recording system comprising: means for capturing a photographic image of a subject on a photosensitive medium, including shutter means for controlling the exposure of said photosensitive medium, and means responsive to the actuation of said shutter means for generating a flash request signal to actuate a flash; means for recording a full frame video image of said subject, including photosite means for converting a light image of said subject into a full video frame of electronic data, means for transferring said electronic data in said photosite means to a permanent storage means, and means for periodically actuating said transferring means to effectuate the transfer of said electronic data from said photosite means to said permanent storage means; means for illuminating said subject with a flash illumination; means for directing substantially identical views of said subject to said recording and capturing means; actuating and synchronizing means connected to said capturing means, said recording means, and said illuminating means for actuating said illuminating means and for synchronizing the recording of said full frame video image to the capturing of said photographic image, including means for actuating said shutter means, means responsive to said flash request signal for initiating said flash illumination, and means for inhibiting said periodically actuating means during said flash illumination; and means responsive to the termination of said flash illumination for storing said electronic data on said photosite means as two consecutive fields of line sequential video data.
Claim 21
Independent Claim 78 words
A method for recording an image comprising the steps of: illuminating a subject with a flash illumination; capturing a photographic image of said subject on a photosensitive medium; recording a full frame video image of said subject in two consecutive fields of video information; and synchronizing the recording of said full frame video image to the capturing of said photographic image such that said flash illumination is relatively equally distributed between said two consecutive fields of video information.
Claim 22
Independent Claim 78 words
A method for recording an image comprising the steps of: illuminating a subject with a flash illumination; capturing a photographic image of said subject on a photosensitive medium; recording a full frame video image of said subject in two consecutive fields of video information; and synchronizing the recording of said full frame video image to the capturing of said photographic image such that said flash illumination is relatively equally distributed between said two consecutive fields of video information.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 26 words
A method in accordance with claim 19 and further including the step of directing substantially identical views of said subject to said capturing and recording means.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim 21 words
A method in accordance with claim 19 wherein said illuminating step is performed substantially immediately upon the request of an operator.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim 21 words
A method in accordance with claim 21 wherein said illuminating step is performed responsive to the initiating of said capturing step.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim 43 words
A method in accordance with claim 19 wherein said recording step is performed by: converting a light image of said subject into a full video frame of electronic data; selectively transferring said full video frame of electronic data to a permanent storage medium.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim 23 words
A method in accordance with claim 23 wherein said step of selectively transferring said full video frame of electronic data is performed periodically.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim 29 words
A method in accordance with claim 24 wherein said synchronizing step is performed by inhibiting the periodic transferring of said full frame of electronic data during said illuminating step.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim 24 words
A method in accordance with claim 25 wherein said recording step is further performed by converting said electronic data into line sequential video data.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim 29 words
A method in accordance with claim 26 wherein said recording step is further performed by storing said full video frame of electronic data as said line sequential video data.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim 29 words
A method in accordance with claim 27 wherein said recording step is further performed by storing said line sequential video data responsive to the termination of said illuminating step.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim 33 words
A method in accordance with claim 28 wherein said step of storing said line sequential video data is performed by storing said line sequential video data in a format of two consecutive fields.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim 23 words
A method in accordance with claim 28 and further including the step of displaying said line sequential video data on a video display.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1992-02-14 1992-08-15 1993-02-14 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1996-02-14 1996-08-15 1997-02-14 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2000-02-14 2000-08-15 2001-02-14 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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