Abstract:
A camera retained in a waterproof underwater housing is controlled remotely and conveniently by a diver holding a hand-held remote device. The device can be a removable handle on the underwater housing, communicating with the camera, usually a movie camera, by infrared or other wireless protocol. Key functional camera settings, which would normally require navigation through a menu tree with a series of steps and selections, are selected by a single press of a button on the hand-held device. An important example is white balance calibration, which typically must be reset for every five feet of depth change.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention concerns underwater photography, and particularly relates to remote controls for a digital camera contained in a waterproof underwater housing. The invention relates in particular to the problem of selecting desired settings for the camera while diving, involving settings that require navigation through a menu tree to reach the desired selection. 
         [0002]    For underwater photography, divers typically use a camera mounted in a specifically designed underwater camera housing, sealed against intrusion of water. To operate the camera a waterproof mechanical plunger or lever might be provided to activate the shutter, and still cameras typically have an auto focus feature. In the case of movie cameras, these often are provided with a hand-held remote device not only to activate filming but also for selection of photography settings. These include, among many others, a white balance function. In underwater photography the blue-green color of the water acts as a filter that removes much of the red, orange and yellow light, to a greater and greater extent with depth. A diver photographing in daylight must reset white balance with every approximately five feet of depth change. The problem is that a typical video camera requires about six menu selection steps to reach and reset the white balance feature. This requires the diver, viewing the camera&#39;s monitor screen or a special monitor built into the back of the underwater housing, to use buttons including an arrow key to execute five or six selections or key entries. The entries must be made in a sequential path with delays as the camera processes and responds to each entry. 
         [0003]    In prior underwater camera housings the buttons or keys such as present on a particular camera, or present on a remote device provided for the camera, have been reproduced or incorporated in a handle or handles for the waterproof camera housing. The diver thus went through the required sequence of steps using the buttons incorporated in the handle, while watching the video monitor screen (the camera housing has a back monitor that reproduces the image on the camera&#39;s monitor). A wireless protocol such as infrared typically is used for communication between the handle/remote device and the camera. 
         [0004]    Needed adjustments to underwater photography camera settings are cumbersome and time consuming for divers, and this is particularly true in the case of function settings that must be made fairly frequently, such as the white balance setting. This concern is addressed by the present invention described below. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    A camera retained in a waterproof underwater housing is controlled remotely and conveniently by a diver holding a hand-held remote device. The device can be a removable handle on the underwater housing, communicating with the camera, usually a movie camera, by infrared or other wireless protocol. Key functional camera settings, which would normally require navigation through a menu tree with a series of steps and selections, are selected by a single press of a button on the hand-held device. An important example is white balance calibration, which typically must be reset for every five feet of depth change. 
         [0006]    This shortcut is effected by placing, preferably in a hand-held remote device that is configured as a removable side handle for an underwater camera housing, a button that activates a signal emitter to produce and send to the camera a series of selection signals, in correct sequence and with the minimum required pause between signals as is required for the camera to accept and execute each selection. The user pushes the button preferably only once and experiences a few seconds of delay before the actual selection is effectuated. Thus, for example, the button for white balance is pushed as the diver reaches a new depth, and as he watches the monitor screen the colors will be re-balanced after a few seconds delay. 
         [0007]    In a preferred embodiment the handle with remote control features, and preferably both handles, left and right, are removable and are independently water-sealed. Both the underwater housing and the handles are water-sealed, so that in the event of removal of the handle or damage to the handle, the camera housing will not be flooded. These and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment, considered along with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing an underwater camera housing of the invention. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view in perspective showing the components of the underwater camera housing and indicating assembly. 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing a digital video camera mounted on a camera tray that slides into the underwater housing as indicated in  FIG. 2 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 3A  is a perspective view from the rear of the camera housing without front and back elements. 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a rear view of the camera housing. 
           [0013]      FIGS. 4A and 4B  are detail views showing control buttons on handles for the housing. 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a flow chart indicating activation of a customized button on a handle to generate a series of remote control signals to the camera for selection of a specified function setting. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0015]    In the drawings,  FIG. 1  shows an underwater camera housing  10  with a main casing or body  12 , a front lens or window  14  and left and right handles  16  and  18 , respectively, secured to the housing body. In a preferred embodiment these handles are removable from the camera housing, even underwater, with the camera housing body and handles both independently water-sealed. 
         [0016]      FIG. 2  indicates assembly of a preferred embodiment of the underwater camera housing  10 . The body  12  of the housing is shown as an essentially hollow tubular shell, with fittings  20  and  22  at left and right for receiving and securing the handles  16  and  18 . The handles are connected in an optically transmissive way, with small windows or ports in both the handle and handle fitting for transmitting control signals, typically infrared remote camera control signals. Digital video cameras are typically provided with remote control capability via an infrared remote device (often used on land, not underwater), and these handles are fitted with electronics so as to be capable of transmitting essentially the same signals as available on the manufacturer-provided remote device for the camera. 
         [0017]    The housing body includes a slide track shown at  24  at left and right, in lower part of the housing. This track receives a camera tray  26  which includes or receives an appropriate camera mount attachment  27  for the intended camera. The camera mount  27  has a hole  28  for a standard threaded tripod mount bolt (not shown) to secure to the bottom of a video camera. Such holes  28  can be provided at several different locations in the camera mount  27  for different cameras. 
         [0018]      FIG. 3  shows a camera  30  mounted on the camera tray  26 , with a video connector cable  32  from the tray connected to the camera&#39;s video output port. Note that the camera has its own onboard batteries. This enables, as indicated in  FIG. 2 , the camera tray  26  to connect with a monitor back  34  of the housing, via pin connectors seen at  36  in  FIG. 2 . All images that would be displayed on the camera&#39;s built-in monitor are thus transferred to the monitor screen  38  of the monitor back  34 . An alignment device  37  on the front of the tray  26  engages with a mating device at the front of the housing to assure accurate alignment. The device can use pin connectors (although electrical connection need not be made there). 
         [0019]      FIG. 2  also shows a battery pack  40  for the monitor back  34 . In the model shown, power from the battery pack is connected into the monitor back using a coaxial connector  42 . 
         [0020]    The exploded view of  FIG. 2  also shows O-ring type seals  44  against water intrusion, at the connection between the monitor back  34  and the housing body  12  and also between the forward end of the body  12  and a front plate  46 . The front lens or window  14  is threadedly secured to the front plate in a sealed connection. The front plate  46  includes, as is typical, an orange filter  48  that can be manipulated into or out of position using an external lever  50 . 
         [0021]    The underwater housing handles  16  and  18  are shown at left and right. Preferably each handle has command buttons such as shown at  52  on the handle  18 , these being used to send optical command signals through a window  54  of the handle and through the window of the housing fitting  22  or  20  to be received by the camera. In the case of particular camera models, a flexible fiber optic or light pipe may be needed inside the housing to communicate the signals, normally infrared, from the receiving window of the fitting  20 ,  22  to the receiving device on the camera. As noted above, the handles, at sealed optic ports, as well as the housing fittings  20 ,  22  are independently water-sealed in this preferred embodiment. Connections between the handles  16 ,  18  and the fittings  20 ,  22  can be made by a threaded collar, at  22 . With the independent seals, any trauma to the handle will not result in flooding of the camera housing, nor of the handle itself. This eliminates a common failure point of many underwater housings. 
         [0022]      FIG. 3A  shows the camera housing  12  with handles  16  and  18  and without the front plate  46  or back  34 . The camera tray  26  is closely fitted in the housing, and when the monitor back  34  is attached the electrical connections are made via the pin connector  36 . Preferably a spring (not shown) is included at the front of the housing, engaged by the tray  26  to create spring pressure to urge the tray toward the rear. Once the spring engages, further pushing causes a latch (not shown) to drop in place, locking the camera in the correct position so it is the correct optical distance from the glass optics of the housing. 
         [0023]      FIG. 4  shows the assembled camera housing  12  in rear view, with the handles  16  and  18  secured.  FIGS. 4A and 4B  show upper ends of the left and right underwater housing handles  16  and  18  for this preferred embodiment, showing connections  51  for lights (see also  FIG. 1 ) and also indicating selection buttons  52 . Note that each handle has its own onboard batteries, contained in a lower gripping part of the handle  16   a,    18   a,  respectively. These batteries power the electronics contained in the handles. Within each handle, especially the upper portion of the handle beneath the buttons  52 , are electronics capable of generating command signals to the camera contained within the underwater casing. As noted above these will generate the same family of command signals as can be generated directly on the video camera itself or via a remote control device which is sold with the video camera. The left handle in  FIG. 4A  has navigation buttons for up, down, left and right as seen at  52   a,    52   b,    52   c  and  52   d,  respectively. These are used for navigating a menu shown on the monitor  38  when needed. Also included is an “Enter” command button  52   e,  which is needed only when navigating with the up/down, etc. keys through a series of selections. The buttons  52   b  and  52   d  can also be used for remotely turning filming lights (not shown) on and off. For this function the handles can send an IR control signal for the lights into the housing cavity. The monitor back  34  has a receiver (not shown) that detects the signal and re-transmits the signal back outside the housing through a light pipe (not shown) to a light port  54  ( FIG. 2 ) which directs the signal at another receiver located immediately adjacent to the light pipe, on the battery pod that is part of the light system (not shown), the battery pod being attachable to the housing via slide rails  12   a  at the bottom of the housing (assembly shown on the website uwimaging.com). Once the battery pod receives the command signal it turns the lights on or off as directed. In this manner the diver has control of all functions needed to take video or still images underwater, all from the control handles. This alternative function, control of lights, can be activated by holding the button for more than one second. 
         [0024]    The handle on the right in this embodiment ( FIG. 4B ) has telephoto and wide angle buttons  52   f  and  52   g,  i.e. zoom control, an auto focus/manual focus selector button  52   h.  Manual focus is accomplished by pushing in and turning an external knob (not shown) on the side of the housing so as to engage a camera focus knob  53 , and watching the image on the screen much as one would a camera on the surface by rotating the optic ring. Also shown is a record button  52   i.  An LED indicator light  52   j  confirms that the camera is recording (this can also be confirmed by observing the video monitor screen  38 ). 
         [0025]    All of the above described control buttons may operate in the same manner as provided with buttons on the camera and on the camera&#39;s dedicated remote device. However, a camera function control which is time consuming and cumbersome to operate underwater, normally requiring a considerable number of steps to navigate through a menu tree to make the selection, is effected in the apparatus of the invention by a customized button that provides access to commands normally not accessible with a single user input. This is shown as the button  52   k.  In this illustrated form of the invention the function is described as the white balance function of the camera, explained above. There are other camera functions and adjustments that require multiple user inputs as well, but this particular function in underwater video photography is particularly important because of the need to frequently reset white balance as one changes depth during diving. Prior to this invention, a diver operating, for example, a Sony video camera and seeking to reset white balance would have to go through many steps to set white balance. The camera typically includes touch screen, and with touch screen operation on the camera itself a user might go through a sequence of about six menu steps to enter the white balance selection. The touch screen provides “short cuts”, and when navigating with IR remote operation this can be many more steps using arrow and enter buttons. All the while the diver must be watching the monitor. As an example, the Sony model CX520 Custom WB Macro requires a long sequence of commands for accomplishing white balance resetting, effected by the device of the invention by sending the following sequence of signals: up/up/up/enter/down/enter/down/right/down/enter/down/enter/up/up/up/up/up/enter. For the Sony XR550 camera, the sequence of IR commands is as follows, with explanations at right: 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                 IR Sequence 
                 Command Explanation 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 up (3) 
                 activates the menu screen which overlays the 
               
               
                   
                 menus on the video screen. Multiple “up” 
               
               
                   
                 commands needed to ensure cursor is in top 
               
               
                   
                 left corner regardless of cursor′s start 
               
               
                   
                 position. 
               
               
                 enter 
                 brings up the “my menu” screen which allows 
               
               
                   
                 the user fast access to often used commands 
               
               
                 down 
                 moves cursor to the white balance button 
               
               
                   
                 which is programmed to appear on the my menu 
               
               
                   
                 screen 
               
               
                 enter 
                 selects white balance and brings up the white 
               
               
                   
                 balance sub-menu (shown at the bottom of the 
               
               
                   
                 page) 
               
               
                 down 
                 white balance has 5 buttons: 
               
               
                   
                 auto/indoor/outdoor/one push manual/white 
               
               
                   
                 balance 
               
               
                 right 
                 navigate cursor down to auto (above) then 
               
               
                   
                 across to outdoor 
               
               
                 down 
                 then down to one push 
               
               
                 enter 
                 selects “one push” as white balance mode if 
               
               
                   
                 not set this way already 
               
               
                 down 
                 then down to white balance command 
               
               
                 enter 
                 tells camera to perform the white balance 
               
               
                   
                 function (camera is preset to assume one push 
               
               
                   
                 selected above). The following commands are 
               
               
                   
                 to exit out of the menu system. 
               
               
                 up 
                 reverse out of this screen to get the cursor 
               
               
                   
                 back to the main menu 
               
               
                 up 
                 up to outdoor 
               
               
                 up 
                 up to “ok” 
               
               
                 up (3) 
                 commands are necessary to ensure cursor is in 
               
               
                   
                 the top left corner. Sometimes the camera 
               
               
                   
                 ignores a command or two while processing the 
               
               
                   
                 CWB. 
               
               
                 enter 
                 selects ok command which returns screen to 
               
               
                   
                 main display and normal camera function 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0026]    With the invention, the diver simply pushes the white balance button  52   k,  without the need to watch the monitor. There will be a delay of a few seconds, then the reset white balance will show a re-balanced color image. 
         [0027]    This customized one-push command signal is provided not by modifying any electronics or programming within the camera, but instead by reproducing the series of command signals in sequence as needed to navigate through the resetting of white balance as noted above. In the chain of signals automatically sent following pushing of the white balance  52   k,  there are included required pauses between the signals to allow the camera to act on each instruction. 
         [0028]    In addition or alternative to the white balance function, other functions that would ordinarily require multiple sequential inputs can be provided with customized buttons. These can include, for example, lens settings (aspect ratio) and manual exposure control (shutter speed and aperture). 
         [0029]    The command sequences are stored in memory contained in the handle. The command sequence is preset on manufacture of the underwater housing apparatus for the most popular model of camera used in underwater photography, but if the user has a different model he can select the program that matches the camera. In one preferred scheme this is accomplished by holding down a set of keys for two seconds to change the program. As one example, if the user has a Sony XR520 camera he would hold down on the right handle  18  the “record” and zoom or telephoto keys ( 52   i  and  52   f  in  FIG. 4B ) simultaneously for two seconds and the handle will change to the XR520 command sequence, remaining with that sequence until the user changes cameras and resets the program by holding, together, a different set of buttons. This enables one camera housing (with handles) to be used for a variety of different cameras. The underwater housing of the invention is provided with programming to handle multiple camera configurations. Thus, a dealer can stock a single housing, and if the customer intends to use the housing with, for example, a Sony 550 camera, the dealer (or the customer) holds down a set of buttons on the handles that set the handles to send the correct sequence for white balance for that particular camera. If instead the customer intends to use the camera with, for example, a Canon S20, he holds down a different set of buttons on the handle to set the handle to the correct white balance sequence for the Canon S20. The handles may also be programmed to allow the dealer or user to open the handles or connect to the handles to upload new code in the future to support new cameras. Since many cameras have different mounting arrangements and different optical positions, the dealer or user may also need to adjust or change the camera tray  26  to fit the specific camera to be used. All this is in contrast to conventional camera housings, which would require a user to buy an entirely new housing when switching to a different camera. 
         [0030]      FIG. 5  is a simplified flow chart showing operation of a customized button of the underwater camera housing as one preferred embodiment of the invention, for one type of camera, the Sony XR550. The chart shows a sequence of command signals sent by IR to the camera, as in the sequence listing above. Others may include more steps in the sequence. 
         [0031]    The flow chart indicates the camera is on, at the block  55 . The camera has its own battery and can be turned on before the camera housing is closed, or in a preferred form of the invention the camera can be turned on/off when in the housing by pushing a button  39  on the monitor back  34  below the screen ( FIG. 2 ). When at depth the diver pushes the white balance customized button  52 k on the handle, as indicated at  56 . In response, the remote device, which is the electronics in the handle in this case, sends an optical signal for “up”, noted in the block  58 . The optical signal passes from the handle through the connection into the housing and either bounces around in the housing to find the camera input sensor or the light signal is conducted through a light pipe (not shown) located in the housing. As noted at the block  60 , a preselected pause is interjected after the “up” signal has been sent, to give the camera the needed time to execute the command. This pause may be, for example, about one-half second to one second, and is interposed before each following command. 
         [0032]    The sequence listing above explains the effect of the command signals in navigation of the menu. 
         [0033]    Next, the remote sends a signal, noted at  62 , corresponding to “enter”. Again, a pause is imposed between signals, noted at  64 . In the block  66 , the remote device sends a signal for “down”, then another pause occurs as at  68 , then another “enter”, at  70 . Another pause at  72 , then another “down” signal, at  74 . Another pause follows as noted at  76 , then a signal for “right” ( 78 ). Another pause at  79 , then a “down” signal at  80 , pause at  81 , “enter” at  82 . Another pause at  84 , “down” at  86 , a pause at  88  and an “enter” signal at  90 . Another pause at  92 , then five sequential “up” command signals are sent, as indicated in blocks  94  and  98 , separated by pauses ( 96 ). After a final pause an “enter” signal is sent at  100 . As noted above, these last commands return the screen to the main display and normal camera function. The automatic white balance adjustment has been carried out. 
         [0034]    The sequence of commands described above for the white balance function (or for any other multi-input function selection for the camera) can easily be implemented in electronics and programming within the remote/handle by one of skill in the art. The generated signals are similar to those produced by the manufacturer-supplied remote device for the video camera, but the sequence of signals is programmed to occur automatically as needed, and as explained in the flow chart. For other cameras other programmed command sequences will be executed. 
         [0035]    The above described preferred embodiments are intended to illustrate the principles of the invention, but not to limit its scope. Other embodiments and variations to these preferred embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art and may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.