Abstract:
a camera that enables a photographer to take pictures of himself as he takes pictures of other subjects. The camera has an image-collecting system (lens and CCD) pointed in the forward direction as in an ordinary video camera; it also has an image-collecting system pointed substantially backward towards the photographer. Electronic means in the camera combines the images such that the forward view is the main picture and the backward view (the photographer) appears as a picture-in-picture.

Description:
FEDERAL SPONSORED R&amp;D  
         [0001]    None  
         RELATED APPLICATIONS  
         [0002]    No known related application  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    The invention relates to photography, more specifically photography for the purpose of remembering special events.  
           [0004]    Photography has been a popular way to remember special moments in people&#39;s lives;—especially happy moments such as weddings, holidays, vacations, reunions, etc. In most social groups (including families), there is usually one member who takes most of the pictures, so he (or she) ends up being absent from the pictures most of the time. Of course, there are many ways to overcome this problem:—group pictures can be taken with the camera on a tripod while using a self-timer; members of the group can take turns taking pictures; or someone from outside the group (eg., a hired professional photographer) be asked to take the pictures. It is even better to have a camera that enables a photographer to take a picture of himself behind the camera while he is taking a picture of other subjects in front of the camera.  
           [0005]    The kind of photography most commonly used to remember special moments are “snap-shots” (still pictures) and “movies” (moving pictures). Snap shots are mostly taken on film or with a digital camera. Several dacades ago, home movies used to be taken with 8 mm or super 8 movie cameras, but film-type home-movie cameras are now mostly replaced by video cameras (camcorders). In any type of photography, the possibility of adding the photographer to the picture gives that picture an extra “personal touch”.  
           [0006]    It is the purpose of the present invention to provide a camera with a capability to take composite pictures each having one part showing the main subject in front of the camera while the photographer is shown in a smaller picture inside the main picture (picture-in-picture).  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    One preferred embodiment of the invention provides a video camera that enables a photographer to take pictures of himself as he takes pictures of other subjects. The camera has an image-collecting system (lens and CCD) pointed in the forward direction as in an ordinary video camera; it also has an image-collecting system pointed substantially backward towards the photographer. Electronic means in the camera combines the images such that the forward view is the main picture and the backward view (the photographer) appears in a picture-in-picture.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]    [0008]FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a camera which is a preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 2 shows a flow chart of the image collecting, processing, and storage means in a camera according to the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010]    A camera  10  according to the present invention is shown in FIG. 1. Like an ordinary video camera, camera  10  has a lens  11 , a view-finder  12 , and miscellaneous control buttons  13 . Unlike ordinary video cameras, camera  10  also has a second lens  14  mounted on an extension housing  15 . The extension housing  15  is attached to the main housing  16  by means of a swivel (not shown in FIG. 1) that enables some adjustment of the angle between the two lenses  11  and  14 .  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 2 shows a flow-chart to illustrate the functions of various parts of the camera  10 . Lenses  11  and  14  are used to generate images that are picked up by charge coupled devices (CCD&#39;s)  17  and  18 . Together, lens  11  and CCD  17  form an image-collecting system  19 ; similarly, lens  14  and CCD  18  form an image-collecting system  20 . Outputs of the CCD&#39;s are of course electrical (video) signals (electronic images). These signals are fed to an image-processing system  21 , which serves as means for combining the images into one combined picture  22 . The output of the image-processing system  21  is also fed to a magnetic tape recorder  23  which serves as means for saving the picture  22 . The output of the image-processing system  21  is also fed to the viewfinder  12 .  
         [0012]    [0012]FIGS. 1 and 2 show the image-collecting system  19  collecting images  24  from an object  25  in an area  26  centered around a direction  27  in front of the camera  10 . Similarly, the image-collecting system  20  collects images  28  from an object  29  in an area  30  centered around a direction  31  behind the camera  10  (towards the photographer).  
         [0013]    The images that have been collected by systems  19  and  20  are processed in system  21  to give a combined picture  32  shown in view finder  12 . Most areas of the combined picture  32  are occupied by the main picture  33  which is a picture of the images collected by system  19 . A smaller area is allowed for the images collected by system  20 , and these images appear as a picture-in-picture  34 .  
         [0014]    Optionally the picture-in-picture feature can be turned off by pushing one of the buttons  13 ; also optionally, the picture-in-picture feature is turned on and off automatically by a times switch so that the photographer is shown in the picture for a predetermined period of time and then turned off. When the picture-in-picture is turned off, then only images from collection system  19  is shown.  
         [0015]    Manufacture of a camera such as the one shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 requires no new technology. Most of the parts are standard parts in ordinary camcorders. An inexpensive surveillance camera might be used as the second image-collecting system  20 . Electronic circuits (IC&#39;s) for generating picture-in-picture are available for home-entertainment televisions.  
         [0016]    A magnetic tape recorder  23  is shown in FIG. 2 as the means for saving the picture. Magnetic tapes are indeed the most commonly used means for data-storage in camcorders, however, there are also camcorders using other means (such as optical discs) for data storage. Therefore the means for saving pictures is not limited to Magnetic tapes.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIGS. 1 and 2 show the image-collecting system  19  collecting images  24  from an object  25  in an area  26  centered around a direction  27  in front of the camera  10 . Similarly, the image-collecting system  20  collects images  28  from an object  29  in an area  30  centered around a direction  31  behind the camera  10  (towards the photographer).  
         [0018]    The images that have been collected by systems  19  and  20  are processed in system  21  to give a combined picture  32  shown in view finder  12 . Most areas of the combined picture  32  are occupied by the main picture  33  which is a picture of the images collected by system  19 . A smaller area is allowed for the images collected by system  20 , and these images appear as a picture-in-picture  34 .  
         [0019]    Optionally the picture-in-picture feature can be turned off by pushing one of the buttons  13 ; also optionally, the picture-in-picture feature is turned on and off automatically by a timed switch so the photographer is shown in the picture for a predetermined period of time and then turned off. When the picture-in-picture is turned off, then only images from collection system  19  is shown.  
         [0020]    Manufacture of a camera such as the one shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 requires no new technology. Most of the parts are standard parts in ordinary camcorders. An inexpensive surveillance camera might be used as the second image-collecting system  20 . Electronic circuits (IC&#39;s) for generating picture-in-picture are available for home-entertainment televisions.  
         [0021]    A magnetic tape recorder  23  is shown in FIG. 2 as the means for saving the picture. Magnetic tapes are indeed the most commonly used means for data-storage in camcorders, however, there are also camcorders using other means (such as optical discs) for data storage. Therefore the means for saving pictures is not limited to Magnetic tapes.  
         [0022]    CCD&#39;s  17  and  18  were shown in FIG. 2 for converting the optical images to electrical signals. Other devices could have been used instead of CCD&#39;s for such conversion—it is well known that several decades ago, CCD&#39;s were seldom used in video cameras, in those days, video cameras had vidicons. Video cameras of the future may have use other devices instead of CCD&#39;s and vidicons.  
         [0023]    Another application for the present invention is for digital still-cameras. A digital still-camera embodiment of the invention will probably be different from camera  10  (shown in FIG. 1) in exterior appearance, but it will have similar image-collecting systems and similar integrated circuits for generating picture-in-picture. Digital still-cameras typically use digital electronic memory devices for data storage.  
         [0024]    There are many variations of applications for the invention, for example, a camera can be made to function in a mode in which the main picture is moving (video) but the picture-in-picture is frozen (still) and/or appear only for short moments of time. Cameras can be made with mirror(s) or prism(s) in the image-collecting systems so the lens(es) and CCD (&#39;s) do not necessarily point directly at the respective subjects. Such variations are useful in some situations and would no doubt be easily devised by anyone skilled in the art.  
         [0025]    Cameras can be made with the second image-collecting system  20  so compact that the whole thing (including lens  14  and CCD  18 ) can be imbedded into the main housing  16 , with the lens  14  peeping out a window, thus not needing to have an extension housing  15  at all.  
         [0026]    Specific preferred embodiments have been described here to illustrate the features of the invention, they should not be construed to limit the invention. Scope of the invention is defined by the claims below.