Eastman-kodak Company

Stephen P Smith

Dean A Johnson

William B Jones

Nicholas Sztanko

John J Ellis

William J Mitchell

An electronic camera includes a low resolution image sensor responsive to image light for generating a low resolution output signal that is used for camera control functions, such as image viewing, and a high resolution image sensor responsive to image light for generating a high resolution output signal that is used to produce an output image signal. The camera further includes an electronic display driven by the output signal from the low resolution image sensor, a zoom lens for varying the size of the image incident upon the high resolution image sensor and a zoom interpolator responsive to a zoom setting of the zoom lens. The output signal from the low resolution image sensor is then applied to the zoom interpolator, which processes the output signal so that the size of a display image obtained from the low resolution signal corresponds to the zoom setting of the zoom lens.

Electronic camera with dual resolution sensors

The system of the present invention increases the resolution of an image that may be formed from an image sensor without increasing the resolution of the sensor. An image beam is directed along a path through a color filter wheel and a single non-rotating transparent plate and impinges on a CCD (Charge Coupled Device). The transparent plate is positioned in a frame by flexures. A lever, controlled by a cam, exert a force on the transparent plate causing the transparent plate to tilt about the optical axis. The cam surface directs the lever to tilt the transparent plate in a plurality of discrete sampling positions. At each sampling position, the tilted transparent plate displaces the image beam in a different direction which allows each pixel of the CCD to sample a plurality of areas of the image. The color wheel is rotated to sequentially place each filter into the path of the image beam. The CCD sequentially receives the light passed through the transparent plate and color filter wheel and converts the image formed by the light to corresponding electrical signals. The electrical signals are stored and reordered by interleaving to form an image with increased resolution.

Lever actuated optical offset image sampling system

The system of the present invention increases the resolution of an image that may be formed from an image sensor without increasing the resolution of the sensor. An image beam is directed along a path through a color filter wheel and a single non-rotating transparent plate and impinges on a CCD (Charge Coupled Device). A cam body with an angled surface rotates about the optical axis of the image beam and tilts the transparent plate in a plurality of discrete sampling positions. At each sampling position, the tilted transparent plate displaces the image beam in a different direction. Therefore, each pixel of the CCD samples a plurality of areas of the image. The color wheel is rotated to sequentially place each filter into the path of the image beam. The CCD sequentially receives the light passed through the transparent plate and color filter wheel and converts the image formed by the light to corresponding electrical signals. The electrical signals are stored and reordered by interleaving to form an image with increased resolution.

Cam actuated optical offset image sampling system

In an automated data library comprising a plurality of storage areas each arranged to accept and store a data storage member, a reading device arranged to retrieve data from a data storage member, and carriage means arranged to selectively transfer data storage members between the storage area and the reading device. A lever is disposed along a side of the carriage adjacent the reading and is arranged for movement between a rest portion within the perimeter of the carriage and an extended position whereby the lever engages a data storage member extending from an opening in the reading device to fully insert the member into the device.

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Victor, NY, United States of America

Stephen P Smith