US 7139027 B1
A camera having a removable image bearing medium for camera captured images that includes film or a digital memory includes a display disposed relative to the removable image bearing medium so that the display is removable from the camera with the removable image bearing medium, such display displaying images for information related to captured images. The display is actuated to provide images of one or more captured images or information related to such one or more captured images; and the display being positioned for viewing by a user.
1. A camera having a removable image bearing medium for camera captured images that includes film or a digital memory comprising:
(a) a power source disposed in the camera;
(b) a display disposed relative to the removable image bearing medium so that the display is removable from the camera with the removable image bearing medium, wherein the display receives power from the power source when the display is in the camera and the display is disconnected from the power source when it is removed from the camera, and wherein the display responds to the applied power source when in the camera for displaying image(s) or information related to captured image(s) and continues to display such image(s) or information related to captured image(s) after removal from the camera and disconnection from the power source so that no power is applied to the display; and
(c) means for actuating the display and applying the power source to provide images of one or more captured images or information related to such one or more captured images wherein neither the display nor the removable image bearing medium includes a power source to provide power to the display when the display is removed from the camera.
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The present invention relates to cameras having removable image bearing media.
Current silver halide film cameras have displays for indicating settings and status conditions, such as frame number, of the camera. Often, the display uses twisted nematic liquid crystals that that requires continuous electrical drive to display information. Cameras with this type of display are usually turned on only for short periods of time to preserve battery life. When the cameras are turned off, the liquid crystal display goes blank. An operator must turn on the camera to determine the status of the camera. These cameras typically incorporate a high voltage supply to drive an electronic flash built into the camera, and utilize cartridges that contain the film in a light tight environment.
Many digital cameras use liquid crystal displays to display a captured image. Displays in these cameras are also nematic liquid crystals displays that can drain an electronic camera power supply in a short period of time.
Many digital cameras also use removable memory cards to store images. There is no way to tell how much capacity remains or what images reside on these memory cards without turning the camera on.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a convenient way for a viewer to view a display on an image bearing medium whether in the camera or removed from the camera for viewing.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a convenient way to view the display on image bearing medium that presents an indication of camera status to the user.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a camera with a display on the image bearing medium that presents the indication of camera status to the user.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a means for changing the display on the image bearing medium prior to removal from the camera such that the display reflects the status of the image bearing media and not necessarily the camera.
These objects are achieved by a camera having a removable image bearing medium for camera captured images that includes film or a digital memory comprising:
(a) a display disposed relative to the removable image bearing medium so that the display is removable from the camera with the removable image bearing medium, such display displaying images for information related to captured images;
(b) means for actuating the display to provide images of one or more captured images or information related to such one or more captured images; and
(c) the display being positioned for viewing by a user.
It is a feature of the present invention that a display is provided on a removable image bearing medium and can be viewed either in the camera or after removal from the camera.
Another feature of the invention that the display itself can be made detachable from the image bearing medium and reused.
A top sectional view of a silver halide film camera 10 is shown in
The status of camera 10 is shown on a display 35 in camera 10. Typically, display 35 shows the number of the current frame of film, the operational mode of flash tube 42, and operating parameters of optic 26. The status of the camera 10 can also be shown on the memory display 37. In more complex cameras, display 35 is a conventional nematic liquid crystal display. Nematic liquid crystal fluids act in conjunction with polarizing filters to act as a shutter to reflect or transmit light. Transmitted light is selectively reflected from a surface behind the display to provide light indicia. The reflected light provides a white indicia. When light is blocked by the polarizing filters, the imager area is dark. Nematic liquid crystals must have a continuous electrical field across the display to display information.
The chiral doped nematic liquid crystal materials have the advantage of maintaining a given condition indefinitely after the field is removed. Ambient light striking memory material can be reflected light 70, providing a “light” image or can become absorbed light 72 which provides a “dark” image. The light modulation is effective in two conditions, which will be described in more detail below. Cholesteric liquid crystal materials can be Merck BL112, BL118 or BL126 which are available from EM Industries of Hawthorne, N.Y. In one experiment, two glass plates were coated with transparent Indium-Tin-Oxide (ITO) to form transparent top conductor 62 and bottom conductor 64. A laser beam was used to pattern the ITO coatings and 4 micron spacer beads were applied to one of the plates. The two plates were bonded together, with the spacer beads providing a 4 micron gap between the two plates. Black paint was applied to the back of the display over bottom conductor 64 to absorb light passing through memory material 60. The gap between the plates was filled with E. M. Industries (Hawthorne, N.Y.) chiral nematic fluid BL126 to act as memory material 60. A 3 millisecond pulse at 100 volts across areas on transparent top conductor 62 and bottom conductor 64 would convert the BL126 memory material 60 to a reflective “bright” areas. A 3 millisecond pulse at 40 volts would clear memory material 60 so that incident light was absorbed by the black paint and create “dark” areas. Such a display can be used to display camera status on memory display 37 for conventional camera 10 or display 54 for electronic camera 12. The memory display 37 includes the memory material 60 which is selected to be effective in a first condition for changing the state of the memory material 60 to display an image and effective in a second condition for preventing the display of the image. The memory material 60 is selected so that after displaying the image the memory material 60 continues to display the image after the removal of the applied high voltage. As will be seen shortly when a voltage less than the high voltage is applied to the memory material 60, the memory material 60 is caused to be in its second condition.
Camera controller 30 uses high-low voltage select line 92 to changes the voltage applied to memory display 37. Memory display 37 contains chiral nematic liquid crystal memory material 60 to hold either a reflective or transmissive condition for each segment of memory display 37.
Bar indicator 135 is a display that indicates the remaining storage space on the memory card. Time or date display 140 is an indication of the date of capture of at least one of the images stored on the card. Image display 145 is a representation of at least one image file stored on the card. Image display 145 can be a small image that depicts many image files stored on the card, or could be a portion of one image.
Battery status indicator 150 shows an indication of camera battery condition. Electronic camera 12 can access the memory display 54 on removable memory card 52 to indicate this and other conditions of the electronic camera 12. Resolution indicator 155 shows the result of a user selection for resolution and resulting file size. Memory display 54 can be used to this and other selections made by the user.
When removable memory card 52 is inserted into electronic camera 12, communication is initiated by which an indicia of the capabilities of display 54 are communicated to camera 12. In this way, electronic camera 12 can format signals sent to the display as desired for effective communication to the user. Alternately, if the display is pre-formatted such that certain icons are provided, the communication between electronic camera 12 and removable memory card 52 can establish this fact.
Upon power-down of camera 12 or upon indication of removal of removable memory card 52, electronic camera 12 can change display 54 to indicate only the condition of removable memory card 52 thereby removing all camera status indication prior to removal of the image bearing medium 52. There is little value in displaying the condition of electronic camera 12 if removable memory card 52 is separated from electronic camera 12. Mechanical interlocks or warning lights or sounds can be employed to prevent the user from removing card 52 from electronic camera 12 before the pre-removal writing process is complete.
Display 54 can be integrally secured to the removable memory card 52. However, it can also be detachable and thus a user can detach it from the removable memory card 52. This feature permits the display 54 to be reusable on different memory cards and can provide significant cost advantages.
The invention has been described in detail with particular reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention.