Camera and photography system with multiple, encoded area modes and modification states

Claim 2

A camera comprising: a case; a taking lens defining an image plane in said case; a capture member capturing a series of images formed by said taking lens at said image plane; an area designator identifying a plurality of different areas of said image plane, said plurality including first and second areas which define different parts of a single geometric partition of said image plane, said area designator being switchable between said areas to designate a selected area; a modification designator switchable among a plurality of image modification states to designate a selected state; and an encoder recording said selected area and said selected state concurrent with said capturing of respective said images.

Claim 3

The camera of claim 1 wherein said area designator and said modification designator are independently switchable.

Claim 4

The camera of claim 1 wherein said first and second areas are complementary and together map said image plane.

Claim 5

The camera of claim 3 wherein one of said plurality of areas includes the entirety of said image plane.

Claim 6

The camera of claim 1 wherein said modification designator has indicia indicating said image modification states and said area designator, independently, has indicia indicating said areas.

Claim 7

The camera of claim 5 wherein at least one of said image modification states includes image aberration.

Claim 8

The camera of claim 5 wherein at least one of said image modification states includes anamorphic image distortion.

Claim 9

The camera of claim 7 wherein at least one of said image modification states includes color remapping.

Claim 10

The camera of claim 8 wherein at least one of said image modification states includes photomontage.

Claim 11

A camera comprising: a case; a taking lens defining an image plane in said case; a capture member capturing a series of images formed by said taking lens at said image plane; and a selector switchable among: (a) a plurality of image modification states, and (b) a plurality of area modes, each said area mode partitioning said image plane into one or more areas, at least one of said area modes partitioning said image plane into two mutually exclusive areas, to select a capture setting for each of said images, each said capture setting identifying at least one of said area modes and at least one said image modification state associated with each said area of the respective said area mode, and an encoder disposed in said case, said encoder recording a respective capture setting for each of said images.

Claim 12

A camera comprising: a case; a taking lens defining an image plane in said case; a capture member capturing a series of images formed by said taking lens at said image plane; and a selector switchable among: (a) a plurality of image modification states, and (b) a plurality of area modes, each said area mode partitioning said image plane into one or more areas, at least one of said area modes partitioning said image plane into two mutually exclusive areas, to select a capture setting for each of said images, each said capture setting identifying at least one of said area modes and at least one said image modification state associated with each said area of the respective said area mode, and an encoder disposed in said case, said encoder recording a respective capture setting for each of said images.

Claim 13

The camera of claim 10 wherein said plurality of area modes are further characterized as including a primary area mode partitioning said image plane into one or more areas, and a plurality of secondary area modes, said secondary area modes each differently partitioning said image plane into two or more mutually exclusive areas.

Claim 14

The camera of claim 11 wherein said selector is switchable among said image modification states in each of said secondary area modes.

Claim 15

The camera of claim 11 wherein said primary area mode partitions the entirety of said image plane into a single area.

Claim 16

The camera of claim 11 wherein at least one of said secondary area modes partitions said image plane into two or more non-rectangular areas.

Claim 17

The camera of claim 10 wherein said area modes are predefined.

Claim 18

The camera of claim 10 further characterized as a one-time use camera.

Claim 19

The camera of claim 11 wherein said secondary area modes each differently partition said image plane into two complementary, non-rectangular areas.

Claim 20

A photography system comprising: a plurality of capture members; a plurality of cameras for use with said capture members, said cameras each including: a case; a taking lens defining an image plane in said case; a capture system capturing a series of image frames from said image plane on a respective said capture member; a selector having indicia identifying a plurality of predefined image modification states and a plurality of area modes, said area modes including at least one local area mode partitioning said image plane into two or more mutually exclusive areas, said selector being switchable among said image modification states and among said area modes to select a capture setting for each said image frame; and an encoder recording on said capture unit said capture settings for respective said image frames concurrent with said capturing of said image frames; a processing unit visualizing said image frames as final images after digitally modifying said image frames in accordance with said image modification states and area modes identified by respective said indicia.

Claim 21

A photography system comprising: a plurality of capture members; a plurality of cameras for use with said capture members, said cameras each including: a case; a taking lens defining an image plane in said case; a capture system capturing a series of image frames from said image plane on a respective said capture member; a selector having indicia identifying a plurality of predefined image modification states and a plurality of area modes, said area modes including at least one local area mode partitioning said image plane into two or more mutually exclusive areas, said selector being switchable among said image modification states and among said area modes to select a capture setting for each said image frame; and an encoder recording on said capture unit said capture settings for respective said image frames concurrent with said capturing of said image frames; a processing unit visualizing said image frames as final images after digitally modifying said image frames in accordance with said image modification states and area modes identified by respective said indicia.

Claim 22

The system of claim 18 wherein said area modes include at least one global area mode designating the entirety of said image plane and at least one local area mode partitioning said image plane into a plurality of predefined areas.

Claim 23

The system of claim 19 wherein said area modes include a. plurality of said local area modes.

Claim 24

The system of claim 20 wherein said image modification states and said area modes are independently switchable.

Claim 25

The system of claim 18 wherein said cameras are further characterized as one-time use cameras.

Claim 26

The system of claim 18 wherein said image frames are captured as digital images.

Claim 27

A photography system comprising: a plurality of photographic film capture members, each said capture member having a plurality of frames of photographic film; a plurality of cameras for use with said capture members, said cameras each including: a case; a taking lens defining an image plane in said case; an film system transporting a series of frames of the film through said image plane and capturing a series of latent images on said frames; and a selector having indicia identifying a plurality of predefined image modification states and a plurality of area modes, said area modes including at least one local area mode designating a plurality of complementary areas of said image plane, said selector being switchable among said image modification states and among said area modes to select a capture setting for each said latent image; an encoder recording said capture settings for respective said latent images concurrent with said capturing of said latent images; a film developer visualizing said latent images on said frames of film as film images; and a processing unit including: an input unit digitizing said film images as a corresponding series of digital images; a reader reading said encodements and generating image alteration signals for respective said digital images; an image processor receiving said digital images from said digitizer, and, responsive to respective said image alteration signals, digitally modifying said digital images in accordance with said image modification states and area modes identified by respective said indicia.

Claim 28

A photography system comprising: a plurality of photographic film capture members, each said capture member having a plurality of frames of photographic film; a plurality of cameras for use with said capture members, said cameras each including: a case; a taking lens defining an image plane in said case; an film system transporting a series of frames of the film through said image plane and capturing a series of latent images on said frames; and a selector having indicia identifying a plurality of predefined image modification states and a plurality of area modes, said area modes including at least one local area mode designating a plurality of complementary areas of said image plane, said selector being switchable among said image modification states and among said area modes to select a capture setting for each said latent image; an encoder recording said capture settings for respective said latent images concurrent with said capturing of said latent images; a film developer visualizing said latent images on said frames of film as film images; and a processing unit including: an input unit digitizing said film images as a corresponding series of digital images; a reader reading said encodements and generating image alteration signals for respective said digital images; an image processor receiving said digital images from said digitizer, and, responsive to respective said image alteration signals, digitally modifying said digital images in accordance with said image modification states and area modes identified by respective said indicia.

Claim 29

A camera comprising: a case; a taking lens in said case; a capture member capturing a series of images formed by said taking lens; an area designator identifying a plurality of different areas of said image plane, said area designator being switchable between said areas to designate selected said areas; a modification designator switchable among a plurality of image modification states to designate a selected state for each selected said area; and an encoder recording said selected areas and respective said selected states concurrent with said capturing of respective said images.

Claim 30

A camera comprising: a case; a taking lens in said case; a capture member capturing a series of images formed by said taking lens; an area designator identifying a plurality of different areas of said image plane, said area designator being switchable between said areas to designate selected said areas; a modification designator switchable among a plurality of image modification states to designate a selected state for each selected said area; and an encoder recording said selected areas and respective said selected states concurrent with said capturing of respective said images.

Claim 31

The camera of claim 25 wherein at least one of said areas is non-rectangular.

Claim 32

The camera of claim 25 further comprising a viewfinder mounted to said case, said viewfinder displaying a viewfinder field, said viewfinder having a locator demarcating said areas.

Claim 33

A photography system comprising: a plurality of capture members; a plurality of cameras for use with said capture members, said cameras each including: a case; a taking lens defining an image plane in said case; a capture system capturing a series of image frames from said image plane on a respective said capture member, said capture member being transferable independent of said capture system; a selector having indicia identifying a plurality of predefined image modification states and one or more area modes, at least one of said image modification states being non-orthoscopic, said selector being switchable among said image modification states and area modes to select a capture setting for each said image frame; and an encoder recording on said capture unit said capture settings for respective said image frames concurrent with said capturing of said image frames; a processing unit visualizing said image frames as final images after digitally modifying said image frames in accordance with said image modification states and area modes identified by respective said indicia.

Claim 34

A photography system comprising: a plurality of capture members; a plurality of cameras for use with said capture members, said cameras each including: a case; a taking lens defining an image plane in said case; a capture system capturing a series of image frames from said image plane on a respective said capture member, said capture member being transferable independent of said capture system; a selector having indicia identifying a plurality of predefined image modification states and one or more area modes, at least one of said image modification states being non-orthoscopic, said selector being switchable among said image modification states and area modes to select a capture setting for each said image frame; and an encoder recording on said capture unit said capture settings for respective said image frames concurrent with said capturing of said image frames; a processing unit visualizing said image frames as final images after digitally modifying said image frames in accordance with said image modification states and area modes identified by respective said indicia.

Claim 35

The system of claim 28 wherein said image frames are captured as digital images.

Claim 36

The system of claim 29 wherein said image frames are transferred over a network.

Claim 37

The system of claim 28 further comprising a viewfinder displaying said selected area modes and modification states.

Claim 38

The system of claim 28 wherein said selector identifies and is switchable among a plurality of area modes including a primary area mode partitioning said image plane into one or more areas, and a plurality of secondary area modes, said secondary area modes each differently partitioning said image plane into two or more mutually exclusive areas.

Claim 39

The camera of claim 1 wherein said first and second areas are each non-rectangular.