Patent Application
20090167854
The present invention relates generally to devices for transferring film images into digital data. More specifically, the present invention uses standard digital image capturing technology to convert film positives or negatives into digital images.
It is well known in the industry to create photographs by using light sensitive film (positive or negative film) to capture the desired image and projecting the desired image onto photo paper for subsequent developing. The developed film may then be dried and mounted for viewing and enjoyment. With the advent of digital photography, however, many users no longer wish to store hard copies of photographs. Instead, many users prefer to store photographed images electronically. Digital images are easier to store and are not as susceptible as hard copies of photographs to damage from being exposed to common elements. One option for addressing the storage issue for existing hard copies of photographs is to convert the existing photographs into digital images. To meet this desire, conversion devices were developed to convert film images into digital data. Existing devices generally use CRT scanning technology, which is more expensive and of lower quality than standard digital camera technology that captures digital images in one shot.
A film conversion device that includes a body, a frame, a bottom brace and a bottom cover wherein the frame body is assembled to the upper portion of the bottom brace and then housed within the combination of the body and the bottom cover. A camera lens and image sensor is set above the frame and the combination of the camera lens and image sensor is utilized to capture the images on the film and covert the images into digital data capable of being stored by a general purpose computing device or memory device. A display and memory may also be included to allow users to view, edit and capture images and to allow the film conversion device to operate on a stand-alone basis.
While several embodiments of the present invention are shown in the drawings and described in detail, the present disclosure should be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiments so illustrated.
Please refer to those shown in
To assist with alignment and assembly of the frame (2) and the bottom brace (3), a position wedge may be provided. Once the frame (2) and the bottom brace (3) are assembled, they may be housed inside the body (1). To fully enclose the frame (2) and the bottom brace (3), the bottom cover (4) is fixedly attached to the body (1) from underneath the bottom cover (4).
To form an inlet opening (111) and an outlet opening (112) for receiving film inside the conversion device (100), the bottom cover (4) may include two linked long grooves (11), (12). The inlet and outlet openings (111), (112) are formed by a combination of the two linked long grooves (11), (12) and the two sides of body (1). The combination of the inlet and outlet openings (111), (112) form passage whereby a film clamp, which will be described in greater detail below, may be passed through the film conversion device (100) to allow digitization of various images. To keep dust and other debris from entering the body (1) of the conversion device, the frame may include an inlet dust-proof door (21), which uses a torsion spring for to remove the inlet dust-proof door (21) back to position, and an outlet dust-proof door (23), which uses a tension spring (22) to remove the outlet dust-proof door (23) back to its desired position. As expected, the inlet dust-proof door (21) is associated with the inlet opening (111) and the outlet dust-proof door (23) is associated with the outlet opening (112). One end of the tension spring (22) is attached to the frame (2) and the other end of the tension spring is attached to the outlet dust-proof door (23). The inlet and outlet dust-proof doors (21), (23) are set at locations inside the frame (2) to cover the openings (111), (112) that are formed within long grooves (11), (12).
For connecting the internal circuit with a computer and transferring data to the computer through a connector (131), a connecting cable (13) is provided. The connecting cable (13) may run on the outside of the frame (2), but within the (body) before exiting the conversion device (100). Although it is currently envisioned that the connecting cable (13) will exit the conversion device (100) at the bottom side of the bottom cover (4), it should be obvious to those with skill in the art that the connecting cable (13) may exit the conversion device (100) at various points without departing from the teachings of the present invention.
To cause the conversion device 100 to capture an image, a user may depress a button (14) located on the upper portion of body (1). The button (14) may also be located on other areas of the body (1) so long as it is relatively easy to access. The button (14) may be further designed to interact with a switch (24) that is located beneath the body (1) and that may be attached to the frame (2). The interaction between the button (14) and the switch (24) is mechanical in nature, but an electrical or wireless connection between the button (14) and the switch (24) may also be employed. It should be obvious that the button (14) and switch (24) are designed to control the operation of the camera lens (51) and image sensor (110) and to initiate the digitization of images that are projected from the film onto the camera lens (51) and captured by the image sensor (110), and that this function is capable of being performed in a multitude of other manners. Thus, the disclosure related thereto should not be viewed as limiting the scope of the present invention.
For receiving images that are projected from the film, the film conversion device (100) includes camera lens (51). While there are a variety of different types of lenses that are capable of capturing images, the present invention uses a four glass lens. Other types of lenses may also be employed by the film conversion device (100) without departing from the teachings of this invention and are well-known in the industry.
For capturing images that are received by the camera lens (51) and converting them to a digital signal, an image sensor (110) may be provided. It should be obvious to those with skill in the art that these images are captured as single images versus other methods for capturing images, such as scanning the image. For example, a CMOS sensor may be used as the image sensor (110) and operate in combination with the camera lens (51). Other types of sensors or processing chips may also be used, such as CCD sensors. An important attribute for CMOS sensors is that they have lower power consumption relative to other image sensors. The image sensor (110) may capture images a various resolutions and the resolution level for the image sensor (110) is an important factor. For example, the present invention is designed to include a image sensor (110) that captures images at a resolution of up to 5 mega-pixel and that operates at up to 12 MHz. For a more detailed example of the operating specification for a image sensor see the sensor data sheet for the OV5610 CameraChip by Omni Vision. Image sensors that operate faster or at higher resolutions may also work with the present invention. Additionally, it should be obvious that the camera lens (51) and image sensor (110) may be combined into a single unit or module or exist as separate components, as desired.
To process the digital signal that is produced by the image sensor (110) and convert it into the proper data format, a digital signal processor (115) may also be provided. More specifically, the digital signal processor (115) receives a digital signal from the image sensor (110) that correlates to the image that is received by the camera lens (51). The digital signal processor (115) then converts the digital data that is representative of the image that was received by the camera lens (51) into a JPEG format, although other formats may also be utilized. The digital signal processor (115) also acts as an interface between the image sensor (110) and a general purpose computing device. It is possible that the digital signal processor (115) may also be formed as part of a more general microprocessor, which is defined as any hardware device for executing software, particularly software stored in memory. Therefore, any custom made or commercially available processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU), an auxiliary processor, a semiconductor based microprocessor (in the form of a microchip or chip set), a macroprocessor, or generally any device for executing software instructions. Examples of suitable commercially available microprocessors are as follows: a PA-RISC series microprocessor from Hewlett-Packard Company, an 80×86 or Pentium series microprocessor from Intel Corporation, a PowerPC microprocessor from IBM, a Sparc microprocessor from Sun Microsystems, Inc., or a 68xxx series microprocessor from Motorola Corporation.
To power the film conversion device 100, the film conversion device 100 requires 5 V to operate and is designed to receive DC power. It should be obvious, however, that the film conversion device (100) may also be adapted to run on AC power or via batteries. The film conversion device (100) may also use different components to limit the power consumption of the film conversion device 100, such as by using a image sensor (110) that has a low-power requirement.
For transmitting digital images to outside storage devices or a general purpose computing device, the film conversion device 100 includes a universal serial bus (“USB”) port (120). USB ports are well-known in the industry and are used to connect various electronic devices directly to general purpose computing devices and to facilitate the high speed transfer of information between an electronic device and a computer. Other data ports may also be used to transfer information for the film conversion device 100 to general purpose computing devices, such as serial, parallel or similar data ports, and improved means for data transfer that may be developed in the future that may also be employed. The film conversion device (100) may use any of the other available options for transferring data from the film conversion device (100) to a storage device or general purpose computing device.
The data that is representative of the digital image that has been captured by the film conversion device (100) may be compressed into a variety of different formats, including as a JPEG, TIFF or RAW, or other similar formats, and transferred to a general purpose computing device via the USB port (120). General purpose computing devices may include personal computers (PC; IBM-compatible, Apple-compatible, or otherwise), personal digital assistants, cell phones, workstations, minicomputers, or mainframe computers. In addition, as is well-known in the industry, each of these general purpose computing devices may include electronic memory, a display, an input device and an output device or port. The above-referenced list of general purpose computing devices should not be viewed as being exhaustive or limiting in any way. The film conversion device (100) may also employ existing technology to communicate with general purpose computing devices via wireless means. Wireless data communication is also well-know in the industry and it should be evident that any existing or future developed technology for accomplishing wireless communication could be utilized.
To transfer digital data from the image sensor (110) to a general purpose computer via the USB port, the film conversion device (100) may also include bridge processor (150). Bridge processors are devices that operates as a data link between one device and another and whose function is to connect and pass packets of information between the two devices.
To control the relationship between the film and the lens (51) and to keep the film flat, positive film clamps (6), which will be described in more detail below, may be used. The positive film clamps (6) will assist with maintaining the distance between the film and the lens (51). Although varying distances may be utilized by the film conversion device (100), the present invention maintains a distance of approximately 80 mm between the camera lens (51) and the film. The positive film clamps (6) will also compress the film and thereby keep it from becoming concave or convex in relation to the lens (51). Without the positive film clamps (6), there is a possibility that the image that is projected on the lens (51) could be distorted. Controlling the distance between the film and the lens (51), the amount of light projected on the film and limiting the exposure of the film to outside, ambient light is crucial to guarantying a consistent and high-quality digitization of the image contained on the film.
As shown in
Several square openings (612) are included in the lower shell (61) and the upper shell (62) for receiving positive film or slides, and the square openings (612) in the lower shell (61) and the upper shell (62) are aligned to facilitate receipt of the positive film or slides. To properly direct the image from the positive film to the lens (51), the lower shell (61) includes several concave portions (613). As shown in
For properly positioning the horizontal relationship between each of the film positives and the lens (51), the lower shell (61) may include several positioning grooves (614). More specifically, the positioning grooves (614) are formed on the outside portion of the lower shell (61), as shown in
Similar to the positive film clamp (6), the film conversion device (100) may also work with a negative film clamp (7). Further, as shown in
To facilitate the attachment of the negative film to the negative film clamp (7), several protrusion rods (713) are provided. The protrusion rods are formed inside the lower shell (71) and interact with the small holes (731) that are formed on both sides of negative film (73). The protrusion rods (713) may also be formed on the upper shell (72) instead of on the lower shell (71). The negative film clamp also includes more square open holes (721), (711) in upper shell (72) and lower shell (71), as compared to the positive film clamp, to accommodate the smaller dimensions of the image frames. As shown in
Several grooves (718) are also set at the outside edge of one side of lower shell (71). This allows a user to slide the negative film clamp (7) through the openings (111), (112) that are formed within the film conversion device 100 and to quickly align the negative film that the user wishes to digitize by aligning one of the grooves (614) with a corresponding projection located on the film conversion device (100). Although the negative film clamp (7) is designed to operate with 35 mm film, it is also possible to use different sized film by adjusting the size of the square open holes (721) and the location of the protrusion rods (713) to correspond with the size of the film being inserted into the negative film clamp (7) and the location of the small holes (731) that are formed on both sides of the negative film (73). In addition, it is also possible to increase the size of the body (1) to accommodate film that is oversized.
By way of example,
Once the images imprinted on the negative film (73) have all been converted, the negative clamp (7) may be removed from the outlet end or long groove (12) and the negative film (73) may be removed from the film clamp (7). This allows the film inside to be replaced again and different film to be digitized as well. The method for digitizing positive film is analogous and substantially the same as the process for digitizing negative film (73). The positive film clamp (6) and the negative film clamp (7) are preferably made of a lightweight, yet sturdy, material such as plastic, which may be extruded or blow molded to take the proper form as needed.
In sum, the present invention may convert positive and negative films into digital data quickly and easily, which allows the user to modify the image contained on the positive or negative films and to store those images electronically. Thus, the present invention is rich in practicality and conforms to the requirements necessary to be patentable.
To convert, view and store images that are converted into digital data, the film conversion device (100) may also require memory (300). The memory (300) may comprise read only memory (ROM), a hard disk drive for reading from and writing to a hard disk, a magnetic disk drive for reading from and writing to a magnetic disk, and/or an optical disk drive for reading from and writing to a removable optical disk or any other suitable data storage device. The hard disk drive, magnetic disk drive, and optical disk drive may be connected to processing unit via a system bus and a hard disk drive interface, a magnetic disk drive interface, or an optical disk drive interface, respectively, or other suitable data interface. The drives and their associated computer-readable media provide a means of non-volatile storage for the computer executable instructions and any other data structures, program modules, databases, arrays, digital data, etc. utilized during the operation of the film conversion device (100). Other non-volatile storage may also be employed, and can include any one or a combination of volatile memory elements (e.g., random access memory (RAM, such as DRAM, SRAM, SDRAM, etc.)) and nonvolatile memory elements (e.g., ROM, hard drive, tape, CDROM, etc.). Memory (300) may also have a distributed architecture where various components are situated remote from one another, but are still accessed by processor (400), and may be removeable, such as removable memory cards, flash memory cards, SD cards, etc. These removable memory devices are well-known in the art and are produced in a number of different formats, sizes and memory levels. The type of memory, the level of memory, and the integration of the memory do not have any bearing on the scope of the present invention and any devices that store data may be used in connection therewith.
As shown in
The processing unit (1300) is a hardware device for executing software, particularly software stored in memory (1200). Processing unit (1300) can be any custom made or commercially available processor, a central processing unit (CPU), an auxiliary processor among several processors associated with a computer, a semiconductor based microprocessor (in the form of a microchip or chip set), a macroprocessor, or generally any device for executing software instructions. Examples of suitable commercially available microprocessors are as follows: a PA-RISC series microprocessor from Hewlett-Packard Company, an 80×86 or Pentium series microprocessor from Intel Corporation, a PowerPC microprocessor from IBM, a Sparc microprocessor from Sun Microsystems, Inc., or a 68xxx series microprocessor from Motorola Corporation. Processor 402 may also represent a distributed processing architecture such as, but not limited to, SQL, Smalltalk, APL, KLisp, Snobol, Developer 200, MUMPS/Magic.
For example, the alternative embodiment shown in
As shown in
The resolution of the display 1100 may be between 480 (RGB) and 234 megapixels, but the present embodiment is designed to display up to 5 megapixels of resolution. It is also possible for the display 1100 to be attached to different portions of the body 1001 or bottom cover 1004, so long as it is easily accessible, and for the display 1100 to swivel or pivot to allow for easier viewing by the user.
The display 1100 may function to display previews of the captured images, to display captured images that are stored on the memory 1200, or to allow users to edit captured images. The display 1100 will be compatible with JPEG images, but it may also display images in other formats that are known in the industry. The conversion device 1000 may also include an external video output 1110 for displaying captured images on an external display 1120 or television. For printing captured images, the film converter 1000 may also include a printer port or serial port 1250 for direct connection to an external printer. The film converter 1000 may be powered by an AC/DC adapter, via a USB cable that is connected to a independent computer, or batteries.
To allow users to edit captured images via the display 1100, the display 1100 may include a menu 1130. The menu may include options for navigating through the library of photos that are stored on the memory 1200, editing captured images, changing user or display settings on the conversion device 1000, or performing other functions that are standard in the digital image and photo processing industry. To add the above-referenced functionality and to assist with file format conversion, additional firmware or software may be added. Firmware and software to accomplish these functions is well-known in the industry.
The firmware or software that is executed by the processing unit (400) may include one or more separate programs. The separate programs comprise ordered listings of executable instructions for implementing logical functions. The software may also operate in accordance with a suitable operating system (O/S). A non-exhaustive list of examples of suitable commercially available operating systems is as follows: (a) a Windows operating system available from Microsoft Corporation; (b) a Netware operating system available from Novell, Inc.; (c) a Macintosh operating system available from Apple Computer, Inc.; (d) a UNIX operating system, which is available for purchase from many vendors, such as the Hewlett-Packard Company, Sun Microsystems, Inc., and AT&T Corporation; (e) a LINUX operating system, which is freeware that is readily available on the Internet; (f) a run time Vxworks operating system from WindRiver Systems, Inc.; or (g) an appliance-based operating system, such as that implemented in handheld computers or personal digital assistants (PDAs) (e.g., PalmOS available from Palm Computing, Inc., and Windows CE available from Microsoft Corporation). Operating system essentially controls the execution of computer programs and provides scheduling, input-output control, file and data management, memory management, and communication control and related services.
While specific embodiments of the invention have been described in detail, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and alternatives to those details could be developed in light of the overall teachings of the disclosure. Accordingly, the particular arrangement disclosed is meant to be illustrative only and not limiting as to the scope of the invention which is to be given the full breadth of the appended claims and any equivalents thereof.
This application is a continuation-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/164,034 filed on Jun. 28, 2008, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/003,398 filed on Dec. 26, 2007. Both of these applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 12164034 | Jun 2008 | US |
| Child | 12265450 | US | |
| Parent | 12003398 | Dec 2007 | US |
| Child | 12164034 | US |
