Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
  • G03B—APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OR FOR PROJECTING OR VIEWING THEM; APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS EMPLOYING ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR
  • G03B15/00—Special procedures for taking photographs; Apparatus therefor
  • G03B15/02—Illuminating scene
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
  • G03B—APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OR FOR PROJECTING OR VIEWING THEM; APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS EMPLOYING ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR
  • G03B15/00—Special procedures for taking photographs; Apparatus therefor
  • G03B15/02—Illuminating scene
  • G03B15/06—Special arrangements of screening, diffusing, or reflecting devices, e.g. in studio
  • G03B15/07—Arrangements of lamps in studios
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
  • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
  • G02B6/0001—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings specially adapted for lighting devices or systems
  • G02B6/0011—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings specially adapted for lighting devices or systems the light guides being planar or of plate-like form
  • G02B6/0033—Means for improving the coupling-out of light from the light guide
  • G02B6/0035—Means for improving the coupling-out of light from the light guide provided on the surface of the light guide or in the bulk of it
  • G02B6/0045—Means for improving the coupling-out of light from the light guide provided on the surface of the light guide or in the bulk of it by shaping at least a portion of the light guide
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
  • G03B—APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OR FOR PROJECTING OR VIEWING THEM; APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS EMPLOYING ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR
  • G03B17/00—Details of cameras or camera bodies; Accessories therefor
  • G03B17/56—Accessories
  • G03B17/561—Support related camera accessories
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N23/00—Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
  • H04N23/70—Circuitry for compensating brightness variation in the scene
  • H04N23/74—Circuitry for compensating brightness variation in the scene by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
  • G01N21/00—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of optical means, i.e. using sub-millimetre waves, infrared, visible or ultraviolet light
  • G01N21/84—Systems specially adapted for particular applications
  • G01N21/88—Investigating the presence of flaws or contamination
  • G01N21/8806—Specially adapted optical and illumination features
  • G01N2021/8812—Diffuse illumination, e.g. "sky"
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
  • G03B—APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OR FOR PROJECTING OR VIEWING THEM; APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS EMPLOYING ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR
  • G03B2206/00—Systems for exchange of information between different pieces of apparatus, e.g. for exchanging trimming information, for photo finishing
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
  • G03B—APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OR FOR PROJECTING OR VIEWING THEM; APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS EMPLOYING ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR
  • G03B2215/00—Special procedures for taking photographs; Apparatus therefor
  • G03B2215/05—Combinations of cameras with electronic flash units
  • G03B2215/0589—Diffusors, filters or refraction means

Definitions

• the present invention relates to an illumination box, for shooting an object by means of a camera or a camera, comprising an envelope defining a housing, closed, for an object to be examined and comprising a bottom and a cover, an illumination system comprising a plurality of light sources arranged around the envelope, the cover being made of a material ensuring the transmission of at least part of the light emitted by the light sources towards the interior of the housing, and having an internal surface providing diffusion of the light transmitted inside the housing, the cover comprising a hole intended to be obstructed by the objective of a photographic device or of a camera arranged ( e) outside the envelope to shoot the object.
• patent application US 2003/0193800 A1 describes several embodiments of an illumination box making it possible to uniformly illuminate an object to be photographed placed inside the box.
• the box according to the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7 comprises a bottom surmounted by a parallelepipedic cover.
• Several light sources are arranged vertically around a central parallelepipedic housing delimited by a sheet of light-diffusing material.
• a device for taking shots of an object is arranged above the housing, outside the cover. Access to the interior of the housing is not very clear according to this embodiment, but this document provides, in another embodiment ( Figure 5) that the cover is provided with a side door providing access to housing.
• the boxes presented in this document do not allow the implementation of a sufficiently uniform illumination of the object to be examined to claim a shooting quality comparable to that obtained in a real studio. professional photographer.
• the light sources not arranged in a sufficiently regular manner around the housing, but in addition several dark areas are inevitable and could be detected on the shots, depending on the nature of the object to be examined, in particular if the latter comprises at least one reflective surface as is for example the case of a watch with its glass and sometimes its case.
• the bottom and the access door(s) to the housing constitute such dark areas, so any faces of the object to be examined oriented towards the bottom or the top of the box will not be as well illuminated as its sides. side faces.
• a main object of the present invention is to provide an illumination box of alternative construction to that of the boxes already known from the prior art, making it possible to obtain a quality of illumination superior to that of the latter.
• the present invention relates more particularly to an illumination box of the type mentioned above, characterized in that its bottom is also made of a material ensuring the transmission of at least part of the light emitted by the light sources towards the interior of the housing, and having an internal surface providing diffusion of the light transmitted inside the housing, and by the fact that the envelope fulfills a light guide function over its entire extent to ensure substantially homogeneous illumination of the housing.
• the light emitted by the light sources propagates throughout the envelope and avoids the appearance of any dark zone which would be detectable when taking pictures of the object to be examined, the light thus reaching to the object from all directions.
• the interface between the bottom and the cover be arranged in such a way that part of the light emitted by the light sources can pass from the bottom to the cover and vice versa.
• the cover has a generally curved shape with no sharp edges.
• the cover may comprise at least a first mobile or removable portion, such that the cover is capable of presenting a closed configuration, in which the mobile or removable portion contributes to creating a surface continuous interior of the cover, and an open configuration, in which the movable or removable portion clears a passage through the cover, allowing a user to introduce the object into the housing, to extract it, and to handle it before, during or after a shot.
• the entire envelope fulfills the function of a light guide, part of the light emitted by the light sources passes inside the mobile or removable portion when it is in place in the cover, thus preventing it from creating a dark zone as is typically the case in prior devices.
• the cover may comprise at least a second mobile or removable portion similar to the first mobile or removable portion, thus allowing a user to manipulate an object inside the housing with its two hands before, during or after a shot.
• the bottom can comprise a fixed peripheral portion with reference to the cover and having a circular hole in which is arranged a central disc-shaped portion, defining a turntable and capable of being driven in rotation from the outside of the envelope, the peripheral and central portions being arranged and dimensioned relative to each other so as to define a continuous internal surface of the bottom and in such a way that a part of the light emitted by the light sources can switch from one to the other.
• the object can be moved inside the housing while maintaining optimal lighting conditions.
• the light sources can also be distributed in a substantially regular manner around the cover, and for at least one light source to be arranged on at least one side of the bottom to emit light directly into the bottom. At least one light source can also be arranged under the bottom to provide backlighting of the object to be examined! necessary.
• the box according to the invention comprises a protective shell arranged around the cover, at a sufficient distance from the latter to define a space in which is arranged at least part of the light sources, the shell having a window substantially aligned with the hole in the cover through which shots can be taken.
• the shell it is advantageous to provide for the shell to carry a support for a camera, a smartphone, a tablet or a camera.
• the box can include a device for controlling the light sources making it possible to adjust the properties of the light emitted by the latter, in particular its intensity and its temperature.
• the light sources can be controlled individually and/or in groups.
• the box may include a remote control device for a camera, a smartphone, a tablet or a camera, in particular for triggering a shot.
• FIG. 1 shows a simplified perspective view of an illumination box according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention
• FIG. 2 shows a simplified side view of part of the illumination box of Figure 1;
• FIG. 3 shows a simplified perspective view of the illumination box of Figure 1 on which part of the box is removed to reveal certain construction details;
• FIG. 4 shows a simplified perspective view of an illumination box according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention
• FIG. 5 shows a simplified top view of part of the illumination box of Figure 4,
• FIG. 6 shows a simplified perspective view of the illumination box of Figure 4 on which part of the box is removed to reveal certain construction details.
• Figure 1 shows a simplified perspective view of an illumination box 1 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
• Such an illumination box can have multiple uses. Indeed, not only can it be intended for taking pictures, by means of a camera (possibly that of a smartphone or a tablet) or a camera, of an object of limited dimensions , by way of non-limiting illustrative example of a watch or piece of jewelry, by avoiding transporting the object to be examined to a professional photographic studio where, in particular, the installation of lighting adapted to a particular object can be complex.
• the quality of illumination of the object to be examined will not be exactly the same as in a real photographic studio, it will approach it as closely as possible.
• such an illumination box can also be used to present an object to a remote person by retransmission of images from a camera through an Internet connection.
• the illumination box 1 according to the present invention lends itself perfectly well to these different uses.
• the illumination box 1 comprises a bottom 2 covered with a cover 4, itself surmounted by a shell 6.
• the distance between the cover 4 and the shell 6 is sufficient to define a space in which light sources 8 are arranged, the latter being illustrated in FIG. 1 in the form of strips of LEDs without limitation.
• the bottom 2 and the cover 4 together form an envelope delimiting a housing 10 in which can be positioned an object to be examined, in particular of which shots must be taken by means of a camera or a camera.
• the cover 4 is made of a material allowing a large part of the light emitted by the light sources 8 to pass and having at least one internal surface providing diffusion of the light towards the interior of the housing 10.
• the cover 4 can be made of Plexiglas of which at least the internal face is frosted or sandblasted. A person skilled in the art may choose any other suitable material without departing from the scope of the invention.
• the cover 4 fulfills the role of a light guide: the light emitted by the light sources 8 which enters the cover 4 spreads over its entire extent to emerge in a substantially uniform manner in the housing 10 by being broadcast.
• the cover 4 of the illumination box 1 comprises two movable portions or removable (not shown) each of which has a shape complementary to that of a side opening 12 defining a passage through the cover 4, allowing a user to introduce the object to be examined into the housing 10, from extract and manipulate it there.
• each movable or removable portion fulfills the function of a door making it possible to completely enclose the object to be examined in the housing 10.
• each movable or removable portion is made of a material optically compatible with that of the rest of the cover 4 (that is to say here having a similar or even identical refractive index), preferably the same material, and has substantially the same thickness as the rest of the cover 4.
• the illumination box 1 can comprise one or more access doors to its housing 10 without however presenting dark areas as is the case with the devices of the prior art.
• the movable or removable portions can be retained in place in the openings 12 by any suitable means without departing from the scope of the present invention, in particular by hinges positioned outside the envelope, or by implementing at least one tab or a suitable rim made on the outer periphery of the movable or removable portion, intended to rest on the outer surface of the cover 4, around the openings 12.
• the bottom 2 is also made of a material optically compatible with that of the cover 4, preferably the same material.
• the interface between the bottom 2 and the cover 4 allows light to pass freely from one to the other and allows the bottom 2 to contribute to the illumination of the housing 10.
• this characteristic also allows the implementation of backlighting, if necessary, by arranging at least one light source under the bottom 2.
• the shell 6 is made of an opaque material, not only for a question of user comfort, avoiding dazzling it, but also to retain as much light as possible. interior of light box 1.
• Figures 2 and 3 show respectively simplified partial side and perspective views of the illumination box 1, allowing a better understanding of certain construction details.
• a light source 8 is also arranged against an edge of the bottom 2 so that the latter can actively contribute to the illumination of the housing 10.
• at least one light source 8 can be arranged under the bottom (not shown) to allow the implementation of backlighting of the object to be examined.
• the bottom 2 actively transmits light into the housing 10, which also makes it possible to completely mask the junctions between the bottom 2 and the cover 4 insofar as the latter are also luminous, as all the rest of the envelope.
• the whole of the envelope behaves like a light guide, over its entire extent, that is to say both at the level of the cover 4, of the bottom 2 and the interface between these two elements, giving rise to a continuous and uniform illumination of much better quality than with the devices of the prior art.
• the cover 4 here advantageously has a curved general shape devoid of any sharp edge to allow the uniformity of the illumination in the housing 10 to be optimized as much as possible.
• a camera 14 in the space located between the cover 4 and the shell 6 (FIGS. 1 and 2) or, alternatively, a camera, a camera, a smartphone or a tablet can be placed ) in place outside the hull 6.
• the cover 4 thus comprises a hole 16 allowing shots to be taken from outside the envelope delimiting the housing 10.
• the latter is also provided with a window (not visible) located substantially in alignment with the hole 16 of the cover 4.
• a suitable support 18 can be provided on the shell 6, as illustrated in FIG. 3, here being a support for a smartphone.
• the illumination box 1 can comprise a device 20 for controlling the light sources 8 arranged in the housing 10, or possibly even removable in a manner analogous to a remote control.
• this device 20 can in particular make it possible to adjust the properties of the light emitted by the light sources 8, such as for example its intensity and/or its temperature.
• the light sources 8 can preferably be controlled individually and/or in groups associated with different areas of the envelope, in particular their power.
• control device 20 also makes it possible to remotely control a shooting device, such as a camera, a camera, a smartphone or a tablet.
• a shooting device such as a camera, a camera, a smartphone or a tablet.
• the bottom 2 may comprise a peripheral portion 24 fixed with reference to the cover 4 and having a circular hole in which is arranged a central disc-shaped portion defining the turntable 22.
• Different mechanisms for driving the turntable 22 in rotation can be provided while remaining within the framework of the present invention.
• provision can be made for a transparent plate (not visible) to be made integral with the turntable 22 by being located outside the housing 10.
• this transparent plate would be manipulated by a user from outside the housing. , to rotate the turntable 22 and therefore the object to be examined, without creating a dark zone under the turntable 22.
• FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 represent respective views, in perspective, partial from above and in perspective with partial masking, simplified, of an illumination box 100 according to an alternative embodiment of the preferred mode of the present invention.
• the illumination box 100 is simply distinguished from the illumination box 1 by its general domed shape.
• the illumination box 100 is shown in Figures 4 to 6 in its variant comprising an internal camera 14, arranged in the space between the cover 4 and the shell 6.
• This dome shape allows in particular the production of a more compact illumination box than that illustrated in Figures 1 to 3.
• the person skilled in the art will not encounter any particular difficulty in adapting this teaching to produce an illumination box having a shape different from those presented here by way of non-limiting illustration without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the attached set of claims.

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• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Optics & Photonics (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Multimedia (AREA)
• Signal Processing (AREA)
• Studio Devices (AREA)
• Stroboscope Apparatuses (AREA)
• Accessories Of Cameras (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=74105987

Family Applications (2)

Family Applications After (1)

Country Status (5)

Families Citing this family (1)

Family Cites Families (10)

• 2020
  • 2020-12-14 WO PCT/EP2020/086032 patent/WO2022128061A1/fr unknown
  • 2020-12-14 EP EP20833752.7A patent/EP4260140A1/fr active Pending
• 2021
  • 2021-10-28 US US18/256,409 patent/US20240069415A1/en active Pending
  • 2021-10-28 CN CN202180083764.XA patent/CN116569027A/zh active Pending
  • 2021-10-28 EP EP21801901.6A patent/EP4260141A1/fr active Pending
  • 2021-10-28 JP JP2023558933A patent/JP2023553761A/ja active Pending
  • 2021-10-28 WO PCT/EP2021/080010 patent/WO2022128225A1/fr active Application Filing

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