Eastman-kodak Company

Glenn W Johnson

David J Glogan

Nelson D Hozman

Norbert Koenig

Clay A Dunsmore

Frederick W Harvey

Jason M Avery

Device for mounting a tethered camera on a portable computer, including a base attached to a back of the computer's screen housing via an adhesive, a holder for the camera removably engaged to the base via cooperating mating members formed thereon, and a hinge in the holder allowing movement of the camera. The hinge includes two coil springs assembled over a pair of split shafts incorporated in the holder to provide a relatively high friction force on a pair of pins non-movably attached to the camera. The camera and holder combination can be attached to or detached from the base as need be, but the base can remain unobtrusively attached to the housing. When attached to the housing, the camera is stably held in position to allow easier hands-free use of the camera. A separate stand is also provided which can similarly mated with the holder.

Device for mounting a camera on a computer

An electronic apparatus for receiving a memory card. A card connector is disposed in an opening of an exterior wall of the electronic apparatus. A door connected to the electronic apparatus pivots between and open and closed position. In the open position, a slot integral with the door removably receives the memory card. In the closed position, an exterior surface of the door covers the opening. An aperture in the slot is arranged in overlapping registration with the electrical connection portion when the door is in the closed position whereby, when a memory card is disposed within the slot, a terminal portion of the memory card forms an electrical connection with the electrical connection portion.

Electronic apparatus adapted to receive a memory card

An aperture and lens mechanism for a camera, includes a rotatably mounted lens barrel supporting a lens and moveable in a direction parallel to the optical axis of the lens in response to rotation; an aperture support mounted for movement parallel to the optical axis of the lens and spring biased into contact with the lens barrel for movement therewith; and an aperture blade defining an aperture, the aperture blade being mounted on the aperture support for movement between a first position where the aperture is centered on the optical axis of the lens and a second position away from the optical axis of the lens.

Aperture and lens mechanism

A card connector ( ) having a guide portion ( ) to ease loading/unloading of a memory card ( ). The card connector ( ) includes a substantially rectangular slot ( ) defined by a top edge ( ), a pair of side edges ( ), and a bottom margin ( ). The guide portion ( ) is disposed adjacent the slot ( ) and has a bottom wall ( ) and a pair of side walls ( ). A first tapered feature ( ), disposed on the bottom wall ( ), is directed from a leading edge ( ) of the bottom wall ( ) toward the bottom margin ( ) of the slot ( ). Each of the side walls ( ) has a second tapered feature ( ) directed from a leading edge ( ) of the side wall ( ) toward one of the pair of side edges of the slot ( ). The guide portion ( ) will prevent stubbing of the memory card ( ) against edges of the card connector ( ) slot ( ) and may be retro-fit onto an existing card connector assembly.

Card connector having a guide portion

A sensor package assembly for use with an optical assembly includes an optics base mechanism for supporting the optical assembly in relation to an optical axis, an image sensor mounted on a lead frame, and a sensor mounting frame for locating and supporting the image sensor in relation to the optical axis. The optics base mechanism has at least three optics-related locator features, and the sensor mounting frame also has at least three frame-related locator features. By fastening the optics base mechanism and the sensor mounting frame together with the image sensor interposed therebetween such that the optics-related locator features are oriented in opposed relation to the frame-related locator features with the lead frame pinched therebetween, the tilt of the image sensor is controlled relative to the optical axis.

Sensor tilt control for a digital camera

A base assembly for supporting a digital camera includes a weighted plate having a frictional surface for contacting a supporting surface and constraining the camera relative to a horizontal orientation; a pivoting member having an extension for connecting to the camera and a pivot axis about which the camera can swivel relative to the base assembly; and a frictional pad molded upon a sheet metal spring positioned between the weighted plate and the pivoting member. The base assembly includes means for urging the pivoting member against the frictional pad so as to provide sufficient friction between the frictional pad and the pivoting member to constrain rotational motion of the camera in a vertical orientation.

Base for a tethered digital camera

An optical assembly includes a lens assembly having a lens barrel for supporting a lens along an optical axis, an optical base having an opening aligned with the optical axis, and a plurality of ramps and a corresponding plurality of reference locators circumferentially arranged around the lens assembly and the opening in the optical base in order to slide against one another. A retaining element biases the lens assembly against the optical base with the ramps and the reference locators likewise biased therebetween against each other. Consequently, the ramps and reference locators provide an arrangement for focusing the lens assembly. The optical assembly also includes a factory focus tab attached to the lens assembly and accessible during the manufacturing operation for focusing the lens assembly by moving the ramps against the reference locators, and a focus adjuster assembly accessible during user focus for focusing the lens assembly by moving the ramps against the reference locators. The ramps thereby provide the adjustment of the lens position during both factory focus and user focus of the lens.

Optical assembly having a dual purpose focus

A camera includes a self-timer operable to delay picture taking for a predetermined interval and an electronic flash having a variable re-charge time. Operation of the self-timer is prevented when the predetermined interval is less than the re-charge time of the electronic flash.

Camera with self-timer and electronic flash

A camera includes a shutter button for commencing a picture taking sequence to record an image on a photographic filmstrip and a mode button for selecting an operating mode of the camera. The mode button is operable to select a mid-roll rewind mode of the camera in which the filmstrip, having one or more unexposed image frames, is wound back into a cartridge in the camera. The mid-roll rewind mode is actuated by the shutter button. Preferably, the shutter button must be operated for a longer period of time to actuate the mid-roll rewind mode than to commence the picture-taking sequence.

Camera with mid-roll rewind mode

A method of bypassing film that is inadvertently fogged in a pre-wind camera includes detecting the opening of the camera back, storing the frame number corresponding to the opening of the camera back, determining which frames are fogged, and bypassing these fogged frames during the normal operation of the camera. A camera in accordance with the invention also can take into consideration the ambient light level, the film speed, and the length of time the door was open, and then select the appropriate number of frames to be advanced from a look-up table in order to bypass the fogged frames.

Camera and method for bypassing fogged photographic film

A camera in accordance with the invention includes a display circuit that uses the decay voltage of a storage capacitor to determine the time interval during which an information display of the camera will be illuminated. When the storage capacitor decay voltage falls below a predetermined value, power to the information display is removed. The storage capacitor is used to power another camera system and therefore is not an additional component necessary for the display circuit alone.

Camera display circuit

In a bottom loading camera, a loading chamber receives a film cartridge in an axial direction substantially at the same time a film leader projecting from the cartridge is transversely received in a feed path between the loading chamber and a take-up chamber. By mounting a back door for pivoting proximate an end of the camera body closest to the loading chamber, a cartridge positioning member on the door can axially depress the cartridge in the chamber to properly position the cartridge as the door is initially closed. Then, with continued closure of the back door, cooperating means on the door and adjacent the feed path can transversely position the film leader to straighten it along the path in the event the leader is skewed. Next, a film guide on the door can urge the forward end of the film leader against a take-up spool in the take-up chamber to enable the spool to engage the leader end. Thus, the leader end will have benefited from any previous correction to the film cartridge or the film leader.

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Webster, NY, United States of America

Glenn W Johnson