Photography – Studio structure – Object support
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-26
2001-05-22
Gray, David M. (Department: 2851)
Photography
Studio structure
Object support
C396S322000, C355S053000, C355S075000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06236811
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus for capturing an image and specifically for an image capturing apparatus for capturing a sequence of portions of a flat field image.
Digital cameras can be used to capture flat field images such as paintings, pictures, drawings, sketches and the like, (hereinafter referred to as the subject image) for storage in digital form. The captured digital data can then be processed, enhanced and combined with other digital information if desired. The digital data representing the subject image may then be displayed in printed media, via a monitor or any other known manner.
To achieve higher resolutions or to capture larger subject images, with limited storage capacities, it is possible to capture portions of the image in sequences and combine them together to form a digital data compilation representing the entire image. One method of digitally capturing flat field subject images includes taking a series of pictures of portions of the image with a digital camera and combining this series of digital photo sections digitally via software to create a digital reproduction of the original image. Accurate positioning of the camera and the subject image during the capture of each photo subsection facilitates recombination of the desired complete image. It is desirable to position the image accurately enough so that the pixels forming the digital representation of each image subsection can be aligned to recombine the subsections into the entire image. Uniform lighting is also required to accurately capture each photo section.
A reseau assembly, as disclosed in Leberl, et al (U.S. Pat. No. 4,926,505), is a known device for obtaining accurate camera positioning. The camera is mounted in the reseau assembly and the subject image is placed in a fixed position within the assembly. The camera is moved to each desired location within the confines of the reseau assembly to capture the corresponding photo section of the subject image. This assembly has limitations in that the reseau assembly must be sufficiently large to place the subject image therein for capture. If a large subject image is to be captured, a large reseau assembly must be used. The reseau assembly is complicated and constructing large assemblies can be quite costly. It is desirable to have a simpler, less costly method and device to capture the photo sections of a subject image which can accommodate an image of any size or can be constructed of sufficient size relatively inexpensively.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An image capturing apparatus for capturing a sequence of portions of a flat field subject image. The image capturing apparatus includes a camera assembly including a digital camera for digitally capturing portions of the subject image, and a lighting assembly for sufficiently illuminating the subject image. The camera and lighting assemblies are preferably connected together in a rigid, fixed relationship, although optionally they may not be rigidly connected together.
The image capturing apparatus further includes an image positioning jig for moving the subject image to a series of predetermined positions relative to the camera assembly for the capture of predetermined portions of the image. The image positioning jig includes a backing plate for supporting the subject image in an image plane. The camera and lighting assemblies are preferably disposed in a fixed, predetermined position relative to the image plane.
The image positioning jig further includes a positioning rail for abutting an edge of the subject image for slidable movement thereon. A plurality of rail locators are arranged on the backing plate in a plurality of spaced apart groups for positioning the positioning rail along the X-axis of the image plane. The groups of rail locators are spaced apart to position the positioning rail at different locations along the Y-axis of the image plane.
A plurality of image stops are disposed on the backing plate in regularly spaced rows oriented along the X-axis and columns oriented along the Y-axis. Together, the positioning rail and image stops abut adjoining edges of the image to align the image in predetermined positions for capture of a corresponding portion of the image by the camera.
The invention further includes a method of capturing a series of subsections of a flat field subject image. The subject image is placed on the positioning jig backing plate against the positioning rail. The subject image is placed at a first predetermined location defined by the location of the positioning rail on the Y-axis of the image plane, and the location of the image on the image positioning rail along the X-axis of the image plane. The camera captures a subsection of the image at that location.
Next, the image is moved along the positioning rail to a second location for capture of the next subsection of the image while the camera and lights remains in the fixed position. This procedure is repeated until an entire row of subsections of the image are captured. The image positioning rail is then moved to another location along the Y-axis and the entire procedure is repeated capturing another row of subsections of the image. Every subsection of the image can be captured in this manner and the subsections can then be combined to form the entire image.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2335697 (1943-11-01), Reyniers
patent: 2348457 (1944-05-01), Drehs
patent: 3241434 (1966-03-01), Lee et al.
patent: 4897678 (1990-01-01), Leberl et al.
patent: 5649032 (1997-07-01), Burt et al.
Artsafe, Ltd.
Gray David M.
Marshall & Melhorn LLC
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