Patent Application
20070058967
None
1. Field of the Present Disclosure
This disclosure relates generally to a portable camera capable of taking still or motion pictures and to an after market framing mirror adapted for attachment to the front face of the camera.
2. Description of Related Art
Chauhan, U.S. 2004/0170422, discloses a camera lens window with one or more mirrors surrounding it in a portable camera or particularly in a mobile camera telephone. When taking a self-portrait, a user can confirm the correct alignment of the self-portrait if he or she can see parts of his or her head in the mirror image surrounding a hole therein caused by lens window. Simjian, U.S. Pat. No. 1,709,598, discloses a pose-reflecting system for photographic apparatus, the combination with a camera and a lens-system thereof; of mirror-guiding means; a mirror-unit normally located in front of the lens-system to prevent the image of a person to be photographed from being recorded by the camera, and movable under the guidance of the mirror-guiding means from the normal position to permit the image to be recorded by the camera; whereby a person to be photographed may, beforehand, observe an accurate reflection of the image which the camera will record when the mirror is moved from its normal position. Pinkosh, U.S. Pat. No. 1,879,949, discloses a portable camera having a lens adjacent to a wall thereof for focusing an image upon a film or plate at the side of the lens opposite the image, of a convex finder rectangular in outline in proximity to the wall and arranged at a side of the lens out of alignment therewith, the finder mirror being adapted to make the image of a person being photographed visible to the person at a location upon the convex finder mirror substantially similar to the location at which the image is focused upon the film or plate, and the side edges of the mirror being adapted to serve as guides for situating the camera in a horizontal position. Gwozdecki, U.S. Pat. No. 1,992,068, discloses a camera that is provided with an objective, a finder assembly comprising a convex mirror having a central opening therein, a means for supporting the mirror in front of the objective so that the optical axis of the opening, the convex mirror having a curvature conforming to the equation R is grater than or equal to 2f where R is the radius of curvature of the mirror and f is the focal length of the objective, and a plurality of lines provided on the convex face of the mirror hand closing spaces whose areas correspond to the true images obtained at varying distances from the objective. Wheelan, U.S. Pat. No. 2,224,579, discloses a pose reflecting photographic apparatus comprising, in combination, a camera, a transparent reflector positioned in the path of light between the camera and a posing subject, and a walled cabinet structure snugly embracing the camera and extending forwardly from the reflector to cut off the passage of light from behind the reflector to the subject. Mosca, U.S. Pat. No. 2,531,783, discloses a stenoscopic camera comprising in combination a wall with a ‘very small image-creating stenoscopic entrance opening acting as “pinhole lens;” a converging mirror arranged in the stenoscopic camera with its axis inclined to the axis of the very small image-creating stenoscopic entrance opening in the path of the rays entering the stenoscopic camera through the very small image-creating stenoscopic entrance opening; a diverging mirror arranged in the stenoscopic camera in the path of the rays reflected by the converging mirror with its axis inclined to the axis of the very small image creating stenoscopic entrance opening and to the axis of the converging mirror; and a carrier for a photosensitive surface arranged in the stenoscopic camera in a path of the rays reflected by the diverging mirror inclined to the axis of the diverging mirror. Tanaka et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,490,029, discloses a framing mirror that is provided on the front part of a camera for enabling observation of the range of the scene to be photographed from the front of the camera is used for various displays by a liquid crystal display device. Various operation modes are set by a mode selection member and the state of the display portion of the liquid crystal display device arranged in front of the framing mirror changes in accordance with the set operation mode to effect various displays. In at least one of the operation modes the whole display portion of the liquid crystal display device becomes transparent, whereby it is possible to observe the framing mirror from the front of the camera. Alternatively, the framing mirror has a transparent portion at a marginal position and the liquid crystal display device is arranged behind the transparent portion so as to be observable from the front of the camera. The liquid crystal display device displays the same data as displayed by another liquid crystal display device which is arranged behind the framing mirror, for recording data on a photographic film. Ueda et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,560,261, discloses a camera for use with a disk film having a take lens window provided in the front side of a parallelepipedal housing closer to one lateral side thereof and a mirror device disposed at the center of the front side adjacent the window for observing the object. The mirror device is variable in its inclination to correct the parallax due to a variation in the distance of the object and has framing marks for indicating the field of view of the lens which differs with the object distance. The mirror device further has a coverage recognition sign which is observable only from a predetermined position within the coverage where an image of the object can be accurately observed on the device. Leuer, U.S. Pat. No. 4,999,657, discloses a mirror that is secured to a camera and adjusted so that a subject being photographed can see himself or herself in the mirror when the photograph is taken. The subject can take his or her own photograph, if desired. A mounting bracket is provided which can be secured to the camera after the camera is purchased. The mirror is easily secured to the mounting bracket for use, and can be readily removed for storage and transportation. Seya et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,619,295, discloses a camera cover that is attached to an existing camera, so that the user can take a photograph of himself or herself with an intended camera angle, scope and timing. A camera cover body, which comprises the camera cover to be removably attached to a camera, has a front portion covering a front side of the camera. The front portion is formed in a shape of a convex spherical surface and has an aperture in a position corresponding to a lens of the camera. A reflecting layer is formed on an inside of the front portion by aluminum evaporation, etc. The whole part of the front portion structures a convex mirror. Aizawa et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,496,657, discloses a camera that includes: a distance measuring device for measuring an object distance; a photometry device for measuring an object brightness; a mode setting device for setting a self portrait photographic mode to set a photographic condition appropriate for photographing a photographer oneself holding the camera; and a controller for controlling to perform photographing without conducting at least one of the measurement by the distance measuring device and the measurement by the photometry device when the self portrait photographic mode is set by the mode setting device. Kawamura, E.P. 1052537, discloses a focusing position selecting mechanism for determining focusing positions of a taking lens is provided with a selector member for selecting among a plurality of focusing positions including a focusing position for close-up photographing. In the front portion of the photographing unit a mirror is provided fixedly beside a finder window, and the photographer can take a picture of an object form the front with himself included in the composition by watching the mirror. On the front portion of the apparatus is indicated a focusing state of normal photographing so that the photographer may not make a mistake in photographing from the front at the normal focusing position.
Our prior art search described above teaches the use of convex lenses mounted to the front face of cameras, including cell phone cameras, for enabling self portrait. Such lenses may have framing marks for indicating the extend of a photograph taken at various distances and such mirrors may be mechanically attached to the front of a camera after the camera is purchased. The prior art fails to teach the use of an after-market product that is a convex-plano mirror with an adhesive backing wherein with a cover paper removed from the backing an adhesive surface is uncovered which may be used to secure the mirror to the front face of a camera. The mirror is preferably made of polycarbonate plastic with a silvered plano surface. The mirror also has anti-reflection and hard coating layers deposited onto the convex surface. The convex surface of the mirror has a clear plastic sheet adhered to it and this sheet has framing marks printed on it. However, the clear sheet may be peeled off the mirror and reapplied according to directions with the product to avoid parallex errors. The present disclosure distinguishes over the prior art providing heretofore unknown advantages as described in the following summary.
This disclosure teaches certain benefits in construction and use which give rise to the objectives described below.
An after-market product for attachment to a camera, lateral to a lens of the camera to enable photographing a self portrait while avoiding parallax error includes a mirror having a convex front surface and a plane rear surface; an adhesive layer engaged with the rear surface; a peelable cover sheet engaged with the adhesive layer; and a clear film layer having framing marks, the film layer adhesively engaged with and reengagable with the front surface for repositioning the framing marks so as to avoid parallax error.
A primary objective inherent in the above described apparatus and method of use is to provide advantages not taught by the prior art.
Another objective is to enable a well framed self portrait photograph.
A further objective is to enable the custom adjustment of framing marks for each camera using an after-market product attached to the camera.
A still further objective is to enable the custom adjustment of framing marks for each user of a specific camera wherein different users have differing arm lengths.
Other features and advantages of the described apparatus and method of use will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the presently described apparatus and method of its use.
The accompanying drawings illustrate at least one of the best mode embodiments of the present apparatus and method of it use. In such drawings:
The above described drawing figures illustrate the described apparatus and its method of use in at least one of its preferred, best mode embodiment, which is further defined in detail in the following description. Those having ordinary skill in the art may be able to make alterations and modifications what is described herein without departing from its spirit and scope. Therefore, it must be understood that what is illustrated is set forth only for the purposes of example and that it should not be taken as a limitation in the scope of the present apparatus and method of use.
The presently described apparatus, in one embodiment, is an after-market product, a mirror 10 that is purchased separately from a camera 20 and then attached to the front of the camera 20 so that a subject 5 may easily take a self portrait by framing her image in the mirror 10. The mirror 10 is capable of being adhered to any hand held camera 20 that has a front face 22 with a flat surface 24 to which the mirror 10 is secured. Such a front face 22 must be normal to the axis of the camera lens 26 so that the mirror 10 faces the subject 5 being photographed. If the front face 22 is not normal to the photographic axis, the mirror 10 cannot be used to position the camera 20 correctly. The use of the word “camera” in this disclosure shall be taken to mean any photographic device and may be, for instance, a hand-held camera, a camera on a tripod, a cell phone with photographic capability, etc., and such camera may use photographic film or may be a digital device.
The mirror 10 is placed on the surface 24, by necessity, in a position that is lateral to the lens 26 as shown in
To correct for parallax error, the subject must consciously move her image to one side in the mirror 10, and if the mirror 10 has primary framing marks 12, as shown in
Mirror 10 has a convex front surface 14 and a planar rear surface 16 as shown in
In one embodiment of the present apparatus, an adhesive layer 30 is engaged with the rear surface 16, and a cover sheet 32 is engaged with the adhesive layer 30, the cover sheet 32 being easily peeled away from the adhesive layer 30. A wax covered paper is typically used for this purpose and this cover sheet 32 prevents the adhesive layer 30 from coming into contact with any surface prior to being set against the camera surface 24 for mounting the mirror 10 onto the camera 20.
In the preferred embodiment however, instead of a simple adhesive layer 30, a wedge shaped layer 35 is preferably substituted, as shown in
A clear film layer 40 such as one made from a thin layer of electrostatic vinyl plastic film is provided with or without (
Without tilting the mirror 10, the secondary framing marks 52, 54, and 56 may be used to position the subject's image on the mirror 10 so as to compensate for parallax. To accomplish this, the film layer 40 is repositioned on the surface of the mirror 10 such that the secondary framing marks 52, 54, and 56 are repositioned off center on the mirror 10 at a position that allows the subject's image to be centered in the secondary framing marks and also in the resulting photograph for a given lens to subject distance. Such a repositioning is advantageously accomplished using the primary framing marks 12 as a reference or guide during repositioning. Without the primary framing marks 12 it is much harder to reposition the film 40.
In an alternate embodiment of the present apparatus the camera 20 provides permanent mounting and placement of mirror 10 on its front surface 22. The camera 20 and mirror 10 comprise a new product and not one for the after-market as described above. In this embodiment, the mirror 10 carries the primary framing marks 12 as described above, and the clear film 40 carries the secondary framing marks 52, 54, 56 as well.
The enablements described in detail above are considered novel over the prior art of record and are considered critical to the operation of at least one aspect of the apparatus and its method of use and to the achievement of the above described objectives. The words used in this specification to describe the instant embodiments are to be understood not only in the sense of their commonly defined meanings, but to include by special definition in this specification: structure, material or acts beyond the scope of the commonly defined meanings. Thus if an element can be understood in the context of this specification as including more than one meaning, then its use must be understood as being generic to all possible meanings supported by the specification and by the word or words describing the element.
The definitions of the words or drawing elements described herein are meant to include not only the combination of elements which are literally set forth, but all equivalent structure, material or acts for performing substantially the same function in substantially the same way to obtain substantially the same result. In this sense it is therefore contemplated that an equivalent substitution of two or more elements may be made for any one of the elements described and its various embodiments or that a single element may be substituted for two or more elements in a claim.
Changes from the claimed subject matter as viewed by a person with ordinary skill in the art, now known or later devised, are expressly contemplated as being equivalents within the scope intended and its various embodiments. Therefore, obvious substitutions now or later known to one with ordinary skill in the art are defined to be within the scope of the defined elements. This disclosure is thus meant to be understood to include what is specifically illustrated and described above, what is conceptually equivalent, what can be obviously substituted, and also what incorporates the essential ideas.
The scope of this description is to be interpreted only in conjunction with the appended claims and it is made clear, here, that each named inventor believes that the claimed subject matter is what is intended to be patented.
