The Maui Dive Institute has several patents pending for various technologies related to our Charter. The patent described in partial detail on this page for the SeaScape™ underwater housings (patent pending) is currently available for licensing. For details on licensing this technology or to get the full text of the patent, please contact our contracts department via email at licensing@mauidiver.com.

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Generic, Non-mechanical Control of Cameras in Hostile Environments

ABSTRACT

A controller and protective housing for cameras located in hostile environments that activates camera functions generically and non-mechanically. No knowledge of the physical layout of a camera is necessary to provide programmable access to functions of virtually any digital still camera or digital video camera (42) contained by an air- and/or watertight housing (20). The camera, secured to the inside of the housing via an attachment mechanism (40), has its various functions invoked by way of activators (58). The activators relay requests to a digital controller (36) that initiates and manages instructions sent to the camera through the camera’s own communications channels.

SUMMARY

In accordance with the present invention a non-mechanical imaging system controller (a “controller”) for hostile environments comprises a housing, a way of attaching and securing a camera, a non-mechanized system to control any camera, and a system to activate the controller.

Objects and Advantages

In the world of analog photography where images are captured on a physical medium (such as 35mm and medium-format filmstrips, or VHS, 8mm, or other motion picture films), a photographer (professional or amateur) will commonly own only a small number of cameras. The photographer may obtain housings for each of these cameras, and will probably use these cameras and their housings for many years. In fact, the practical life span of many of these cameras is well over 20 years.

This is not the case with the digital recording technologies used in today’s digital cameras. With respect to semiconductor theory (on which digital cameras are based), Moore’s Law indicates that semiconductors will double in speed and capacity every 18 months. At this rate, today’s digital cameras will be relatively obsolete in 12 to 18 months, replaced by smaller, faster alternatives. Current trends prove this out as camera manufacturers introduce cheaper, faster, more capable digital cameras every few months.

At the same time, while film cameras have been the mainstay for underwater photography for many years, digital cameras are now available that produce images rivaling those of film cameras. The images available from digital cameras will soon eclipse the resolution available from their analog counterparts. With this trend will come the need for new housings that support these digital cameras.

Primary Challenges

Thus, there are two primary challenges for producers of digital camera housings. These challenges relate to the usable life of digital cameras and the trend toward constant changes in camera design:

(i) The effective life span of any specific model of digital camera is very short.

Typically, housings for cameras are relatively expensive when compared to the cost of the camera. Camera owners were willing to spend this money for a camera and housing they would likely use for 10 to 20 years. But, in the digital camera market where the camera owner is likely to replace the camera after 18 months (we see this trend over and over again in the desktop computer market), buying a digital camera housing becomes a very expensive repeat purchase.

(ii) The cameras available today will probably be significantly redesigned within 12 months.

Digital camera manufacturers constantly add new features to and redesign their exiting offerings to stay competitive in a very competitive market. Thus, the time during which any given digital camera is marketable is significantly reduced. This fact, along with the large number of offerings in the digital camera market, forces housing manufacturers to make difficult decisions about which specific cameras are likely to be marketable long enough to justify the high cost of designing and producing a housing.

This controller addresses both of these primary challenges. Unlike the previously cited inventions, this controller uniquely provides the advantages of usability, upgradeability, adaptability, and generality.

(i) Usability

The controls on the outside of the housing can be programmed to invoke virtually any function of the camera (one button could invoke the ‘shutter release’ while another might change the color balance of the image). These controls would be customizable (either by replacing the controller system or via a computer program designed to change the mapping of the buttons to the camera’s functions). This customization by owners would allow access to the features that each owner prized. For example, a professional underwater photographer may be interested in controlling aperture, shutter speed, and color balance while an amateur may only be interested in capturing basic images.

(ii) Upgradability

When a camera owner purchases a new camera, this controller can be upgraded to apply to both the new camera and the old and, thus, does not require the purchase of an entirely new housing.

(iii) Adaptability

An owner can employ the same housing for several cameras. For example, a scuba diver could execute a dive using her digital video (DV) camera and then execute a second dive using her digital still camera.

(iv) Generality

Housing manufacturers can build housings for specific purposes instead of for specific cameras. For example, one housing could be designed for the casual pool-goer or skin-diver (less expensive; not for rigorous application) whereas another could be created for recreational scuba divers (more rigorous) and still another for technical/professional divers (very rigorous).

Thus, this controller brings entirely new capabilities to owners of any digitally-controllable camera through usability, upgradability, adaptability, and generality.

DRAWINGS

Drawing Figures

Fig 1 shows general aspects of the exterior of the housing and the external activators.

Fig 2 shows the right side handle with an external activation assembly and buttons.

Fig 5A shows an exterior, right side view of the housing and handle.

Fig 5B shows an exterior, top side view of the housing and handles.

Fig 6 shows an interior, rear view of the attachment mechanism and the controller.

Fig 7 shows an interior, top view cross-section of an attachment mechanism and platform.

Fig 8A shows a side view of an attachment mechanism.

Fig 8B shows a side view of an attachment assembly.

Fig 9 shows the operation of the attachment assembly.

Fig 10 shows various aspects of a controller.

Fig 12 shows the partial operation of the housing and lenses.

Fig 13A shows a cross-section of the right side handle and external and internal activation assemblies.

Fig 13B shows a cross-section and various details of an external activation assembly and an internal activation assembly.

Fig 14 is a block wiring diagram showing various aspects of communication between the components.

Reference Numerals In Drawings

20 housing

22 handles

22L left handle

22R right handle

28 lenses

28F front lens

28R rear lens

30 attachment platform

32 attachment platform horizontal adjustment slot

34 attachment platform rail

36 printed circuit board controller

38 universal serial bus cable connector

40 attachment assembly

40A attachment thumbscrew

40B attachment tightener

42 camera

44 universal serial bus cable

46 locking mechanism

48 O-ring

50 computer processor

51 nonvolatile memory

52 memory

54 input/output controller

56 power source

58 external activation assembly

60 button

62 ceramic magnet

64 external activation spring

65 activation pin

66 internal activation assembly

68 internal activation plate

70 internal activation lead

72 internal activation spring

74 internal activation lead

76 magnetic switch

78 power lead

80 power lead

82 power lead

84 power lead

86 nonvolatile memory lead

88 memory lead

90 controller lead

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