Abstract: A method is provided for determining an area of importance in an archival image. In accordance with this method, eye information including eye gaze direction information captured during an image capture sequence for the archival image is obtained. An area of importance in the archival image is determined based upon the eye information. Area of importance data characterizing the area of importance is associated with the archival image.

Abstract: A communication device is provided having a transceiver adapted to send and receive wireless communication signals and a contact surface. A contact circuit is adapted to detect contact of another communication device with said contact surface. A controller is adapted to enable communication only between the communication device and detected communication devices.

Abstract: An optical converter and method for making same is provided. In accordance with the method, the present invention provides an improved apparatus and methods for fabrication of an optical converter. In one aspect of the invention a method for forming an optical converter is provided. In accordance with this method at least two light guide ribbon structures are provided, with each light guide ribbon structure formed by the steps of roll molding a substrate having a pattern of channels with each channel extending from an input edge to an output edge of said substrate and forming light guides extending along each of the channels from the input edge to the output edge. The at least two light guide ribbon structures are assembled in a stacked arrangement.

Abstract: A holder for holding at least one image bearing medium, with each at least one image bearing medium having a radio frequency transponder associated therewith, the holder having a holding body to receive and hold at least one image bearing medium an antenna and a radio frequency communication circuit operable to sense a first electromagnetic signal transmitted by the remote reader, generate a second electromagnetic signal in the holding body with the second electromagnetic signal adapted to cause the radio frequency transponders associated with said at least one medium held by the holding body to respond with electromagnetic signals that can be used to identify the mediums within the holding body, wherein the radio frequency communication circuit further transmits electromagnetic signals that can be used to identify the mediums within the holding body to the remote reader.

Abstract: A camera adjusts the aspect ratio of a viewfinder image. The camera has a body and a capture unit mounted in the body. The capture unit has an imager and storage media operatively connected to the imager. The capture unit selectively captures an electronic image of a scene. A viewfinder of the camera displays a light image of the scene. A cropper is disposed in the body. The cropper is switchable among a plurality of settings. Each setting defines a different rectangular cross-sectioned window in the viewfinder. A cropping control is operatively connected to the capture unit and cropper. The cropping control has a cropping input element that is accessible external to the body. The cropping input element is movable between first and second opposed cropping control positions to change the settings. The cropping control positions define a cropping control axis perpendicular to an optical axis of the capture unit.

Abstract: Cameras and methods are provided for recording more than one image on a photosensitive element. The cameras and methods record the images in the form of separate patterns of concentrated image elements. Apparatuses and methods are provided for recovering images from the concentrated image elements.

Abstract: An inkjet printer adapted to sense type of supplied consumable receiver media, inks, printhead, and cleaning fluid. A transponder attached to a consumable is coupled to a memory device capable of storing information characteristic of the consumable. A transceiver is disposed within the inkjet printer, with antennae disposed for polling an individual transponder attached to each consumable. The transponder is capable of receiving a first RF frequency electromagnetic field from the transceiver and deriving power and address information from the first frequency, then generating a second RF frequency electromagnetic field in response, where the second electromagnetic field is characteristic of the data stored in memory. As instructed by a machine control logic processor, the transceiver can both read manufacturing data from the transponder about the consumable and write usage and processing data to the transponder for storage in memory.

Abstract: A digital image processing method is taught for detecting human irises in a digital image. The method comprises the steps measuring the red intensity of the pixels in the image, determining the probability that each pixel is an iris based upon the red intensity of the pixel, determining the probability that each pixel is not an iris based upon the red intensity of the pixel; and determining whether the pixel is an iris by analyzing the relationship between the probability that the pixel is an iris and the probability that the pixel is not an iris. In one embodiment of the present invention, the determination as to whether a pixel is an iris pixel is then made based upon the application of a Bayes model to the probability that the pixel is not an iris, the probability of the occurrence of an iris in the identified region and probability of the occurrence of a non-iris pixel in the identified region.

Abstract: In one aspect of the present invention, camera electrical system is provided for use in a family of recyclable cameras each camera having a set of desired electronic functions. The camera electrical system has a first electronic circuit for performing a first set of electronic operations including charging a flash capacitor and discharging the flash capacitor through a flash tube to cause a flash of light during photography; said first electronic circuit having a first set of electrical contacts. More than one second electronic circuit is provided. Each second circuit has contacts to engage at least one of the first set of electrical contacts, wherein the first electronic circuit and each of said second electronic circuits are adapted to cooperate in a combined circuit comprising the first electronic circuit and more than one of said second circuits to perform the set of desired camera functions.

Abstract: A camera and method are usable for capturing images of scenes illuminated by ambient light. The camera has a body and an electronic imager disposed in the body. The electronic imager captures an ambient light image as a multicolored electronic image. A color detector is disposed in the body. The color detector measures the ambient light to provide a color value. A user interface disposed on the outside of said body, shows the electronic image and an indication of the color value. The indication is independent of the color balance of the electronic image.

Abstract: Methods and apparatii are provided that use a photosensitive element that is photosensitive to light within a predetermined range of exposure levels to capture images including exposure levels that are outside of the predetermined range of exposure levels. The photosensitive element is exposed to light from a scene. The light from the scene is fractured into concentrated and residual portions with the concentrated portions being directed to form a pattern of concentrated image elements on the photosensitive element when light from the scene is within a first exposure range with the residual portion of the light being directed to form a residual image when light from the scene is within a second exposure range. The light from the scene is adapted also so that the pattern of concentrated image elements is formed in a predefined pattern of concentrated image areas on the photosensitive element.

Abstract: In a camera and method, the electronic image initially made available for viewing, following deactivation and reactivation of a display, depends upon the duration of inactivity and the prior electronic image viewed. In the method, a series of electronic images are sequentially captured and stored in memory in a camera. An image display of the camera is then selectively activated. A default image is shown on the display responsive to the activating. The display is selectively switched to a user selected image following the showing of the default image. The display is deactivated at the end of a display deactivation time period and selectively reactivated following the deactivating. The default image is shown, responsive to the reactivating, when the deactivating is prior to the switching. The user selected image is shown, responsive to the reactivating, when the deactivating follows the switching and the reactivating is during a first time period following the deactivating.

Abstract: In a hybrid camera and method, the number of stored electronic images protected from overwriting is not fixed, but instead changes depending upon the film unit used in the camera. In the method, a first film unit is loaded in the camera. The first film unit has a first quantity of available film frames. An equal quantity of corresponding electronic images is less than the capacity of memory in the camera. The first quantity is determined by the camera and a tag number is set to an integer value equal to or less than the difference between the image capacity, in units of space for individual ones of the electronic images, and the first quantity. A plurality of electronic images are captured in the camera and stored in the memory. Individual tags are selectively assigned to one or more of the electronic images. The first film unit is removed and a second film unit is loaded in the camera. The second film unit has a second quantity of available film frames that is less than the image capacity.

Abstract: A flash circuit for use in a camera, the flash charging circuit comprising a flash light discharge circuit having a light emitting element electrically connected to a flash capacitor; a flash triggering circuit connected to the flash light discharge circuit with the flash triggering circuit having a trigger signal generating circuit generating a signal that enables energy from the energy storage device to be converted into light by the light emitting element; a voltage conversion circuit connected between a battery and the flash capacitor to convert energy from a source voltage into a higher voltage to charge the flash capacitor; a timer circuit to cause the voltage conversion circuit to operate when the voltage at a timing capacitor is within a range of voltages, said timer circuit having a time constant circuit connected to the timing capacitor to discharge energy stored in the timing capacitor at a predetermined rate; a reset circuit that resets the timing capacitor voltage to a voltage that is within the

Abstract: A film core article and methods for making the same are provided. The film core article has a generally cylindrical outer surface adapted to receive said length of film, said outer surface further comprising a recess formed in the outer surface and shaped to receive a housing of a circuitry chip of a radio-frequency transponder provided on a flexible substrate that is joined to the outer surface before the core receives the length of film.

Abstract: According to a feature of the present invention, a method is provided for using a two-dimensional matrix of light emitting elements to display an image electronically encoded in the form of illumination values. An array of elements including less than all of the elements in the matrix to display the image is defined. A sweep rate for writing the illumination values for the elements in the array is determined, and a sweep signal having the illumination values for the elements in the array is generated, where the sweep signal writes illumination values for the elements in the array at the determined sweep rate. According to another embodiment of the present invention, a display driver generates an image encoded in the form of illumination values.

Abstract: In one aspect, an imaging system is provided. The imaging system has a taking lens unit adapted to focus light from a scene, and a beam splitter receiving light from the scene with a portion of the received light traveling from the beam splitter to a first imaging surface and a portion of the received light traveling from the beam splitter to a second imaging surface. A first image capture system is provided for capturing an image based upon the light traveling to the first imaging surface, and a second image capture system is provided for capturing a second image based upon the image formed at the second imaging surface. An array of micro-lenses is in optical association with the first imaging surface, with each micro-lens in the array concentrating a first fraction of the light from the beam splitter onto concentrated image areas of the first imaging surface. Wherein the first image capture system forms an image based upon the light concentrated onto the concentrated image areas.

Abstract: A continuous inkjet printer in which a continuous ink stream is deflected at the printhead nozzle bore without the need for charged deflection plates or tunnels. The printhead includes a primary ink delivery channel which delivers a primary flow of pressurized ink through an ink staging chamber to the nozzle bore to create an undeflected ink stream from the printhead. A secondary ink delivery channel adjacent to the primary channel is controlled by a thermally actuated valve to selectively create a lateral flow of pressurized ink into the primary flow thereby causing the emitted ink stream to deflect in a direction opposite to the direction from which the secondary ink stream impinges the primary ink stream in the ink staging chamber.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a digital image processing method for detecting human eyes in a digital image. This method comprises the steps of: detecting iris pixels in the image; clustering the iris pixels, and selecting at least one of the following methods to identify eye positions: applying geometric reasoning to detect eye positions using the iris pixel clusters; applying a summation of squared difference method using the iris pixel clusters to detect eye positions; and applying a summation of squared difference method to detect eye positions from the pixels in the image. The method applied is selected on the basis of the number of iris pixel clusters. In another embodiment, the present invention also comprises a computer program product.

Abstract: In one aspect of the invention, what is provided is a camera body adapted to be joined to a cover having an outer electronic circuit with a set of electrical contacts, said contacts being positioned by the cover in relation to an aperture. The camera body comprises a primary electronic circuit with a set of electrical contacts adapted to engage the electrical contacts of the outer electronic circuit and to cooperate therewith to perform a set of camera functions when the set of electrical contacts from the outer electronic circuit is held against the set of electrical contacts from the inner electronic circuit. A post is aligned with the set of electrical contacts of the inner electronic circuit said post being adapted to engage an aperture in the cover so that as the cover is joined to the body, the set of electrical contacts from the outer electronic circuit is aligned with the set of electrical contacts from the inner electronic circuit.