Patent Publication Number: US-2005117899-A1

Title: Digital imaging conversion system for conventional film cameras

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
      Not Applicable  
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
      Not Applicable  
     REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISK APPENDIX  
      Not Applicable  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      There are literally tens of millions of conventional film cameras currently still in operation worldwide, and not all amateur and professional photographers are willing to sell the equipment they have come to know and love and start over with digital systems. The system would actually cost less than a medium—end 35 mm camera body, and allow the photographers to use both conventional film and digital media at the highest resolution with their existing equipment.  
      As it currently stands in the field of photography, one must have separate systems for both conventional film and digital imaging. The Digifilm system allows a conventional film system the flexibility for both, along with the ability to transport images instantly for review via wireless internet and cellular communications technology.  
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      A digital hardware system designed to provide photographers with conventional film cameras a digital media alternative to conventional photosensitive film, with the option of allowing interface of components with a variety of storage, media and transport devices. The system could be fitted with a variety of commonly used interface options—Bluetooth, T-Mobile, Universal Serial Bus, Fire Wire, and wireless network devices would all be viable destinations of images captured, edited and stored in the system. Depending on the format of the camera equipment the system would be utilized with, the system may consist of one or more devices, each with many integrated components. The inventory of components of the system would remain the same in all formats, but different size limitations of the film format in the camera to be used, in conjunction with the end destination of the images captured would necessitate different configurations of the system devices. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1 —Depicts Flow of Image Data through the system.  
       FIG. 2 —Depicts Film Plane side view of Image Collector Cartridge, showing and listing internal and external components.  
       FIG. 3 —Depicts external rear and side views of Image Collector Cartridge, showing and listing external components.  
       FIG. 4 —Depicts external bottom view of Image Collector Cartridge with Image Sensor Module assembled, showing and listing external components.  
       FIG. 5 —Depicts external top view of Image Collector Cartridge with Image Sensor Module detached, showing and listing external components.  
       FIG. 6 —Depicts Film Plane side view of Image Collector Cartridge for a Large-Format plate film camera, showing and listing internal and external components.  
       FIG. 7 —Depicts Film Plane side view of Image Sensor Module detached from Image Collector Cartridge. Shown are all external components.  
       FIG. 8 —Depicts all side views of Image Downloading Port, showing and listing all external components.  
       FIG. 9 —Depicts Internal top view of Image Downloading Port, showing and listing all internal and external components. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
     A. System Overview  
      The system is a fairly simple concept, comprised of existing hardware components used in Computers, Video Cards and Digital Cameras configure into devices which allow for a digital synthesis of film exposure and processing in any conventional film camera. The configuration of the system devices and components thereof would be dictated by the special constraints of the film format in question. Naturally, a larger film format would allow for more capacity for components in-camera than the smaller film formats.  
     B. System Devices  
      IMAGE COLLECTOR CARTRIDGE— 
      Consisting of a hollow casing in the shape of whatever film format the camera is to be used with to properly fit inside the camera. The shell of this device could be composed of either pressed metal or molded plastic. Inside the shell of the cartridge would be a small Graphics Processing Unit with RAW file processing capabilities, a large Buffer (Random Access Memory Module), Battery Power Source, Memory Usage Indicator (Stop winder servo device), and Peripheral Download Interface Plug, all fixed to a miniaturized circuit board. Extending from the inside edge of the cartridge over the film plane of the camera would be a card of very thin, high-tensile material covered with a photosensitive laminate on the film-plane side, essentially configured as one film frame sized photovoltaic sensor. The two pieces would interface via pressure pin socket, with the Image Collector Sensor Module allowing for different exposure speed ratings. Once inserted into the camera, the power on the unit would be enabled, and the photographer could begin taking digital images with the camera until the Buffer Memory (RAM) modules inside the cartridge became full and the stop winder servo device signaled that images needed to be downloaded to storage media, emptying the Buffer Memory and allowing the cartridge to be used again. In smaller film formats, the cartridge would need to be interfaced to an Image Downloading Port to achieve this. Larger format cartridges would have the components of both devices integrated in the Image Collector Cartridge.  
      IMAGE DOWNLOADING PORT— 
      This device would serve the function of allowing more permanent storage of the images collected, emptying the Buffer Memory of the Image Collector Cartridge, and providing interface with various end-use destinations for the images stored inside it. The Image Downloading Port itself would simply be a plastic or metal box with an assortment of input and output interfaces, as well as a Compact Disc Recorder tray. An internal circuit board would hold a small microprocessor, random access memory, graphics processor, and basic input/output interface ports. To begin processing, the Image Collector Cartridge would connect to the Image Downloading Port via the Peripheral Download Interface Plug. The Image Downloading Port would in turn interface with a number of different media storage, printing and transport devices. Equipped with a Central Processing Unit, more Random Access Memory, mobile rack for a hard drive, smart card writer, Universal Serial Bus, Fire Wire, Blue Tooth, T-Mobile, or wireless network adapter interface as well as a connection for a monitor display, the Image Downloading Port is what truly would give the system the large amount of versatility to make it a commercially viable invention. Various configurations would be completely customizable with modular design segments depending on the needs of the photographer, and the limitations of the equipment the system is utilized with.