Patent Application
20080219656
Digital cameras are widely commercially available, ranging both in price and in operation from sophisticated single lens reflex (SLR) cameras used by professional photographers to inexpensive “point-and-shoot” cameras that nearly anyone can use with relative ease. Initially, these cameras were typically provided with built-in optical viewfinders along with a digital display (e.g., a liquid crystal display or LCD). Accordingly, the camera user could use either the optical viewfinder on the LCD display to frame their picture.
In the past several years, digital cameras have been introduced without optical viewfinders, e.g., in order to help keep costs down and/or make cameras smaller. Some camera users have become accustomed to framing their pictures using the LCD display, and accordingly do not find this to be a drawback. However, many camera users still prefer to the optical viewfinder for one reason or another. For example, some camera users find it difficult to view the image on an LCD display in bright sunlight. Other camera users find it awkward to hold the camera at some distance in front of them so that they can see the LCD display while trying to take a picture.
a and 3b illustrate alignment of an exemplary auxiliary viewfinder with the camera lens field-of-view.
a and 4b illustrate alternative alignment of an exemplary auxiliary viewfinder with the camera lens field-of-view.
Systems and methods are disclosed for implementing one or more auxiliary viewfinder(s) on a camera. In exemplary embodiments, the auxiliary viewfinder may be an optical viewfinder that can be connected/disconnected from the camera system. In another embodiment, the auxiliary viewfinder may include a micro-display. Generally, when a micro-display is used, there are no optics in the viewfinder. Instead, the digital content (image and/or user interface) displayed on the camera's onboard display (475,
Although the systems and methods are described herein as they may be implemented on a digital camera, it is noted that the systems and methods may also be implemented on any of a wide variety of other imaging devices and even other types of electronic devices (e.g., mobile phones, media players, etc.).
The exemplary camera system 100 shown in
In an exemplary embodiment, the auxiliary viewfinder 110 may include a lens 112 for focusing on the field-of-view of the camera lens 120. Auxiliary viewfinder 110 may be attached to the camera by connecting faster 114 to mating connection 118 as illustrated by arrows 116. The fastener 114 may be used to mechanically attach the auxiliary viewfinder 110 to body of the camera system 100 so that it remains intact even when users pick up and operate the camera system 100.
If power and/or data transfer is to be provided between the camera system 100 and the auxiliary viewfinder 110, the fastener 114 may also include a data port and/or power connecting for the auxiliary viewfinder 110. It is noted, however, that substitutions may be made. For example, the auxiliary viewfinder 110 may be battery powered, and a wireless or other suitable data transfer mechanism may be used.
In use, the auxiliary viewfinder 110 may be an optical viewfinder that can be connected/disconnected from the camera system, as illustrated in
a and 2b illustrate alignment of an exemplary auxiliary viewfinder 200 with the field-of-view of a camera lens 210. For purposes of illustration, a camera lens 210 is shown as it may be positioned in a camera system (e.g., the camera system 100 in
Camera lens, shutters, and image sensors, such as those illustrated in
When auxiliary viewfinder 200 is positioned adjacent the camera lens 210, the field-of-view 240 of the auxiliary viewfinder 200 may not be the same as the field-of-view 250 of the camera lens 210, as illustrated in
Auxiliary viewfinder 200 (or a lens within the auxiliary viewfinder 200) may be rotated to achieve field-of-view alignment according to any of a wide variety of different mechanisms. Auxiliary viewfinder 200 may be rotated automatically by an electric motor of manually during an initial calibration (e.g., at the manufacturing facility), or each time the auxiliary viewfinder 200 is attached to the camera system. Program code may also be provided to assist with automatic alignment, wherein the program code registers an image on the image sensor and receives feedback from the auxiliary viewfinder 200. The program code may then adjust the position of the auxiliary viewfinder 200 until the two images are the same or at least substantially the same. Other embodiments are also contemplated.
a and 3b illustrate alternative alignment of an exemplary auxiliary viewfinder 300 with the camera lens field-of-view 310. In this example, the camera lens field-of-view 310 is illustrated on the left-hand side of
It is readily observed in
Accordingly, the field-of-view of the auxiliary viewfinder 300 can be adjusted without having to physically move the auxiliary viewfinder. Alternatively, the field-of-view may be aligned using a combination of physically moving the auxiliary viewfinder 300 and moving the brackets 320 displayed for the user in the auxiliary viewfinder.
Operational components may also include a user interface engine 460. The user interface engine 460 may be operatively associated with various input devices 470 (e.g., buttons, knobs, switches, etc., on the camera 400) and an onboard display 475 (e.g., the camera LCD display). User interface engine 460 may be implemented to display images for the user and/or receive input from the user (e.g., to adjust various camera settings, select pictures to display, etc.).
In an exemplary embodiment the camera system 400 may include a control interface may be a mechanical mechanism or an electronic mechanism for positioning the auxiliary viewfinder so that a field-of-view for the auxiliary viewfinder is substantially the same as a field-of-view for the onboard viewfinder. For example, the control interface may include auxiliary viewfinder logic 480 and a port 490. The auxiliary viewfinder logic 480 may be operatively associated with the port 490 (e.g., an electrical, mechanical, and/or data port that mates with port 495 on the auxiliary viewfinder 405). When the auxiliary viewfinder 405 is connected to the camera 400, an electrical signal or other trigger (e.g., magnetic, mechanical switch) is received via port 490 to activate the auxiliary viewfinder logic 480. In other embodiments the user may manually activate the auxiliary viewfinder logic 480, e.g., by using input devices 470 via user interface engine 460 when the auxiliary viewfinder 405 is connected to the camera 400.
In an exemplary embodiment, auxiliary viewfinder logic 480 is implemented in program code (e.g., firmware and/or software) residing in memory on the digital camera and executable by a processor in the digital camera, such as the memory and processor typically provided with commercially available digital cameras. The auxiliary viewfinder logic 480 may be operatively associated with the image processing logic 440, e.g., for aligning the field-of-view of the auxiliary viewfinder 405 with the field-of-view of the camera lens 210 as discussed above for
It is noted that although the logic blocks are shown in
Before continuing, it is also noted that the embodiments shown and described above are merely exemplary. The systems and methods described herein, however, are not intended to be limited to these embodiments. Other embodiments are also contemplated as will be readily appreciated by those having ordinary skill in the art after becoming familiar with the teachings herein.
Exemplary operations may be embodied as logic instructions on one or more computer-readable medium. When executed on a processor (e.g., in the camera), the logic instructions implement the described operations. In an exemplary embodiment, the components and connections depicted in the figures may be implemented.
If the auxiliary viewfinder is not connected to the camera system, the onboard viewfinder is used in operation 530. If the auxiliary viewfinder is connected to the camera system, a number of options are available, some of which are illustrated by block 540.
In operation 550, the auxiliary viewfinder may be aligned with the camera lens (e.g., where the auxiliary viewfinder is mechanical and does not need to be powered on). If the auxiliary viewfinder is electronic, the auxiliary viewfinder may be powered on in operation 560, aligned with the camera lens in operation 561, and interfaced in operation 562 (e.g., the auxiliary viewfinder may be controlled by logic in the camera system).
Alternatively, the auxiliary viewfinder may be aligned with the camera lens at an earlier time (e.g., during calibration), and therefore does not need to be repeated each time the auxiliary view finder is connected to the camera system. For example, the auxiliary viewfinder may be powered on in operation 570, and then interfaced in operations 572.
It is noted that the exemplary operations described with reference to
It is also noted that the exemplary embodiments shown and described are provided for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting. Still other embodiments to implement an auxiliary viewfinder on a camera system are also contemplated.
