Claims
- 1. A camera comprising:a body having an exposure frame surrounding an exposure opening, said exposure frame having a window; a mask core mounted in said body, said mask core having an axis of rotation extending transverse to said exposure frame, said mask core having a plurality of sectors arranged about said axis of rotation, each said sector having an active position adjoining said window, each said sector shading said window differently in the respective said active position; a drive coupled to said mask core, said drive selectively rotating said mask core between said active positions of each of said sectors.
- 2. The camera of claim 1 wherein said window is lateral to said exposure opening.
- 3. The camera of claim 1 wherein said window is divided into a series of spaced apart holes.
- 4. The camera of claim 3 wherein said holes are non-uniformly positioned across said exposure frame.
- 5. The camera of claim 1 wherein said mask core has a pair of opposed ends and said window adjoins said exposure opening and is spaced from said ends.
- 6. The camera of claim 5 further comprising a lamp adjoining one of said ends.
- 7. The camera of claim 1 wherein said mask core includes a light transmissive support and a light modifying layer joined to said support.
- 8. The camera of claim 1 further comprising a viewfinder aligned with said exposure frame and a viewfinder mask movable by said drive in tandem with said mask core, between a plurality of positions relative to said viewfinder.
- 9. The camera of claim 1 wherein said mask core has one or more light shading portions, each said shading portion being attenuative of transmitted light.
- 10. The camera of claim 9 wherein said mask core has one or more light transmitting portions, each said transmitting portion being at least partially light transmissive.
- 11. The camera of claim 10 wherein at least part of at least one of said light shading and light transmissive portions is a color filter.
- 12. The camera of claim 10 wherein at least part of each of said light shading and light transmissive portions is a color filter.
- 13. The camera of claim 10 wherein said light shading and light transmitting portions are aligned, in an axial direction, with said window and one or both of said light shading and light transmitting portions are divided into differently configured sectors about said axis of rotation.
- 14. The camera of claim 10 wherein said light shading and light transmitting portions are disposed in an arrangement defining numeric values in a mathematical base higher than two.
- 15. The camera of claim 1 further comprising a taking lens directing light to said exposure frame, and wherein said mask core is disposed between said taking lens and said exposure frame.
- 16. A camera comprising:a shell; a taking lens disposed in said shell; a camera-frame disposed in said shell, said camera-frame having an exposure frame disposed to receive light from said taking lens, said exposure frame surrounding an exposure opening, said exposure frame having a window laterally adjoining said exposure opening, said camera-frame having a passageway extending transverse to said exposure frame; a mask core mounted in said passageway, said mask core being rotatable about an axis of rotation extending along said passageway, said mask core having a plurality of light shading portions, each said shading portion being attenuative of transmitted light, said mask core having a plurality of light transmitting portions, each said transmitting portion being at least partially light transmissive, said mask core having a plurality of sectors, said portions having a different configuration in each of said sectors; a drive coupled to said mask core, said drive selectively rotating said mask core to align each of said sectors with said window, in alternation.
- 17. The camera of claim 16 further comprising a baffle directing light from said taking lens to said mask core.
- 18. A method for encoding information on photographic film comprising the steps of:transmitting a light image through an exposure opening surrounded by an exposure frame to a filmstrip held by said exposure frame; during said transmitting, directing light through a passageway that extends transverse to an exposure frame holding a filmstrip; propagating said light through a window in said exposure frame to said filmstrip, said window being spaced from said exposure opening; during said directing, modulating said light to encode a pattern on said filmstrip.
- 19. The method of claim 18 wherein said directing further comprises, admitting light into a cylindrical mask core disposed in said passageway.
- 20. The method of claim 19 wherein said admitting of said light is into one of two opposed longitudinal ends of said mask core.
- 21. The method of claim 18 wherein said modulating further comprises filtering part of said light.
- 22. A camera comprising:a body having an exposure frame surrounding an exposure opening, said exposure frame having a window; a mask core mounted in said body, said mask core having an axis of rotation extending transverse to said exposure frame, said mask core having a plurality of sectors arranged about said axis of rotation, each said sector having an active position adjoining said window, each said sector shading said window differently in the respective said active position; a drive coupled to said mask core, said drive selectively rotating said mask core between said active positions of each of said sectors; wherein said window is divided into a series of spaced apart holes.
- 23. The camera of claim 22 wherein said holes are non-uniformly positioned across said exposure frame.
- 24. A camera comprising:a shell; a taking lens disposed in said shell; a camera-frame disposed in said shell, said camera-frame having an exposure frame disposed to receive light from said taking lens, said exposure frame surrounding an exposure opening, said exposure frame having a window laterally adjoining said exposure opening, said camera-frame having a passageway extending transverse to said exposure frame; a mask core mounted in said passageway, said mask core being rotatable about an axis of rotation extending along said passageway, said mask core having a plurality of light shading portions, each said shading portion being attenuative of transmitted light, said mask core having a plurality of light transmitting portions, each said transmitting portion being at least partially light transmissive, said mask core having a plurality of sectors, said portions having a different configuration in each of said sectors; a drive coupled to said mask core, said drive selectively rotating said mask core to align each of said sectors with said window, in alternation; and a baffle directing light from said taking lens to said mask core.
- 25. A method for encoding information on photographic film comprising the steps of:directing light through a passageway that extends transverse to an exposure frame holding a filmstrip; propagating said light through a window in said exposure frame to said filmstrip, said window being spaced from said exposure opening; during said directing, modulating said light to encode a pattern on said filmstrip; and concurrent with said directing, propagating, and modulating, capturing an image on a film frame of said filmstrip in non-overlapping relation to said pattern.
- 26. The method of claim 25 wherein said admitting of said light is into one of two opposed longitudinal ends of a mask core disposed in said passageway, said window is between said ends, and said propagating is from said mask core and then through said window.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Reference is made to commonly assigned, co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/269,598, entitled: PHOTOGRAPHY SYSTEMS AND METHODS UTILIZING FILTER-ENCODED IMAGES, filed Oct. 11, 2002, in the names of Joel S. Lawther, Anthony DiRisio, David C. Smart, Edward B. Gindele; Ser. No. 10/269,715, entitled: CAMERAS, METHODS, AND SYSTEMS WITH PARTIAL-SHADING ENCODEMENTS, filed Oct. 11, 2002 in the names of David C. Smart, Anthony DiRisio, Joel S. Lawther, Robert Luke Walker, Edward B. Gindele, David A. Hodder; Ser. No. 10/269,321, entitled: CAMERA HAVING ROTARY OPTICAL ENCODER, filed Oct. 11, 2002 in the names of David C. Smart, Craig A. Baker; Ser. No. 10/269,622, entitled: METHODS, APPARATUS, AND SYSTEMS FOR DETECTING PARTIAL-SHADING ENCODEMENT FILTERING, filed Oct. 11, 2002 in the names of Edward B. Gindele Joel S. Lawther, David C. Smart.
US Referenced Citations (7)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
54-26721 |
Feb 1979 |
JP |
4328537 |
Nov 1992 |
JP |