Modifiable lighting device and photography light box

Abstract

Disclosed is a lighting device (1) comprising a wall (3), the optical properties of which are electrically adjustable, and a plurality of light sources (2) for illuminating an object (9) through the wall (3), the optical properties of at least one region (310) of the wall (3) being electrically adjustable between a state in which the at least one region (310) is translucent and a state in which the at least one region (310) is transparent. Also disclosed is a photography light box (5) comprising a bottom (51) and such a lighting device (1), the lighting device (1) being arranged so that it covers the bottom (51) and is configured to define, with the bottom (51), a housing (50) intended to receive an object (9) that is to be illuminated for the purpose of photographing it.

Description

[0001] Modular lighting device and shooting box

[0002] The present invention relates to a modular lighting device for taking still or moving pictures of objects. The present invention also relates to a shooting box comprising such a lighting device.

[0003] Lighting is an essential parameter when photographing objects in order to highlight their aesthetic qualities, for example their brightness, texture and / or color. Indirect, soft lighting will reveal other aesthetic aspects of the object than direct, hard lighting. Optimizing lighting in the studio often requires several tens of minutes, even a few hours of adjustment to find the compromise between direct and indirect lighting, the direct lighting angle in relation to the shooting angle, the lighting color, the intensity, etc., which will bring out the characteristics that we want to highlight in the photos and / or video shots.

[0004] To facilitate adjustments, there are shooting boxes that act as small photographic studios, often portable, in which light sources are installed to illuminate an object placed in the box. An advantage of such shooting boxes is that the light sources are generally fixed and preconfigured to satisfactorily illuminate an object located in the middle of the box, thus avoiding the need to redo all the adjustments for each new object. Some shooting boxes allow you to choose between direct or indirect lighting of the object, to combine the two, to change the intensity and / or color of the light sources, etc.

[0005] A limitation of such shooting boxes is that the number and arrangement of light sources are generally fixed, which limits the possibilities for modulating the lighting, particularly in the choice of the angle(s) of incidence of direct lighting.

[0006] An aim of the present invention is to propose a lighting device allowing great modularity and good reproducibility of the lighting settings of an object to be illuminated with a view to taking still and / or animated photographs.

[0007] Another aim of the present invention is to propose a shooting box, preferably portable, allowing the lighting to be modulated to adapt it simply and optimally to each new object to be lit with a view to taking still and / or animated shots.

[0008] These and other objects are achieved by a lighting device comprising a partition having electrically adjustable optical properties and a plurality of light sources for illuminating an object through the partition, the optical properties of at least one area of ​​the partition being electrically adjustable between a state in which the at least one area is translucent and a state in which the at least one area is transparent.

[0009] Thanks to the change in state of the at least one zone, it is possible to determine in an easily reproducible manner by an electrical signal whether the light source(s) located opposite this zone illuminate the object directly or indirectly, without this requiring the installation of new light sources and / or the addition of diffuser screens and / or light reflectors.

[0010] The partition preferably comprises a transparent support, for example made of glass or plexiglass, at least partially covered with an electro-optical film. The film is for example a polymer dispersed liquid crystal film (PDLC). Preferably, the partition comprises a plurality of zones whose optical properties are electrically adjustable between a state in which the zone is translucent and a state in which the zone is transparent.

[0011] Preferably, the optical properties of each zone of the plurality of zones are electrically adjustable independently of the optical properties of the other zones of the plurality of zones and / or the optical properties of the remainder of the partition.

[0012] The multiplication of such zones and their independent control of each other offers a multitude of possibilities in modulating the lighting in the home, in particular in the intensity and the angle(s) of incidence of direct lighting, without the need for additional light sources.

[0013] The zones of the plurality of zones are for example contiguous or disjointed and regularly distributed over at least a portion of the surface of the partition.

[0014] Each light source of the plurality of light sources is preferably individually controllable, independently of the other light sources of the plurality of light sources, which contributes to the multitude of possibilities for modulating the lighting in intensity, color and / or temperature.

[0015] The above-mentioned aims and other advantages are also achieved by a shooting box comprising a background and such a lighting device, the lighting device being configured and arranged as a cover on the background to define with the background a housing intended to receive an object to be illuminated for the purpose of shooting it. The lighting device thus forms a cover of direct and / or indirect, adjustable light on the housing of the shooting box.

[0016] Preferably, the camera box comprises a camera and / or a hole intended to be obstructed by the lens of a camera, for taking pictures of an object arranged in the housing and illuminated by the lighting device.

[0017] The partition of the lighting device is preferably convex and does not have any corners in order to avoid any discontinuity in the lighting which could create visible shadow areas in the shots.

[0018] The shooting box preferably includes a controller for individually controlling the at least one area of ​​the partition and each light source of the plurality of light sources.

[0019] Optionally, the bottom of the shooting box also includes such a lighting device in order to be able to illuminate from below and in a modular manner an object placed in the housing.

[0020] The camera box preferably includes a network interface for remote transmission of still and / or moving images taken by the camera. This makes it possible to remotely present an object in the camera box, for example for sale to a particular customer and / or presentation to a group of interested persons.

[0021] The invention will be better understood by reading the description below, illustrated by the figures where:

[0022] - Figure 1 is a schematic representation of a lighting device according to the invention;

[0023] - Figure 2 illustrates an embodiment of a partition of a lighting device comprising zones whose optical properties are adjustable independently of the optical properties of the other zones; - Figure 3 illustrates another embodiment of a partition of a lighting device comprising zones whose optical properties are adjustable independently of the optical properties of the other zones and / or of the rest of the partition;

[0024] - Figure 4 schematically illustrates a shooting box comprising a lighting device according to the invention;

[0025] - Figure 5 is a section of a shooting box comprising a lighting device according to the invention.

[0026] With reference to Figure 1, the lighting device 1 of the invention comprises a partition 3 and a plurality of light sources 2 arranged to illuminate an object 9 through the partition 3. The object 9 to be illuminated is thus arranged on the side of the partition 3 opposite the light sources 2, for example on a display stand 90. The object 9 is for example a wristwatch, a piece of jewelry, or any other object to be illuminated for the purpose of taking still and / or animated photographs thereof. Preferably, an opaque wall 4 is arranged on the side of the light sources 2 opposite the partition 3 in order to contain the light emitted by the light sources 2 towards the partition 3 and / or in order to prevent any light source external to the lighting device 1 from illuminating the object 9 through the partition 3. Preferably, each light source 2 is individually controllable, for example in intensity, color and / or color temperature. The 2 light sources are for example RGB LEDs.The light sources 2 are preferably distributed regularly opposite the surface of the partition 3, for example in a matrix, in an offset matrix, or according to any other suitable distribution. According to the illustrated embodiment, the lighting device 1 is arranged on one side of the object 9. It is of course conceivable within the scope of the invention to provide a lighting device whose partition forms a housing intended to receive an object and closed on several sides, and / or to provide a plurality of lighting devices according to the invention to surround an object to be illuminated on several sides.

[0027] According to the invention, the optical properties of the partition 3 are electrically adjustable in order to modulate the diffusion by the partition 3 of the light emitted towards the object 9 by the light sources 2. Preferably, the optical properties of the partition 3 are electrically adjustable between a state in which at least one zone of the partition 3 is transparent and a state in which said at least one zone of the partition 3 is translucent. When said at least one zone of the partition 3 is transparent, the light emitted by the light source(s) 2 located opposite this zone directly illuminates any object 9 arranged on the other side of the partition 3. When said at least one zone of the partition 3 is translucent, like frosted glass for example, the light emitted by the light source(s) 2 located opposite this zone is diffused by the translucent zone and indirectly illuminates the object 9 arranged on the other side of the partition 3.The partition 3 comprises, for example, a support 30 made of a transparent material, for example glass or plexiglass, covered at least partially with an electro-optical film 31. The film 31 is, for example, a polymer-dispersed liquid crystal film (PDLC). The film 31 comprises two electrodes on either side of the polymer. When an electrical voltage is applied between the electrodes, the liquid crystals align in the polymer and the film 31 becomes transparent. When no voltage is applied between the electrodes, the liquid crystals return to a random distribution in the polymer and the film 31 is then translucent. The level of transparency is preferably gradually adjustable between the translucent state and the fully transparent state depending on the level of the voltage applied between the electrodes.The voltage applied between the electrodes is preferably controlled using a controller (not shown) of the lighting device 1. Other types of electro-optical materials with similar properties are conceivable within the scope of the invention.

[0028] Preferably, the partition 3 comprises several zones whose optical properties are electrically adjustable between a translucent state and a transparent state, the optical properties of each zone being preferably adjustable independently of the optical properties of the other zones and / or of the rest of the partition 3. The illumination of the object 9 through the partition 3 can thus be modulated by activating or deactivating certain zones in order to obtain a direct or indirect transmission through each of these zones of the light emitted towards the object 9 by the corresponding light sources 2. When one or more zones are activated to be transparent, the light emitted by the light source(s) 2 opposite this or these zones illuminates the object 9 directly, while the light emitted by the other light sources 2 of the lighting device 1 illuminates the object 9 indirectly.This makes it possible to illuminate all or part of the object 9 directly with one or more determined angles of incidence, depending on the location of the zone(s) chosen to be transparent, so as, for example, to highlight one or more characteristics of the object 9 in the shots, such as, for example, the shine of a stone and / or the texture of a surface. The relative position of the electro-optical zones and the light sources 2 being fixed and the optical properties of the zones and the lighting of the light sources 2 being electrically controlled, it is easy to reproduce a particular light combination at any time.

[0029] According to an embodiment illustrated schematically in Figure 2, the film 31 comprises a plurality of contiguous zones 310, each of which can be controlled independently of the others. The zones 310 are for example formed by portions of films distributed over several superimposed layers and electrically insulated from each other, each zone 310 corresponding to a portion of film, two neighboring portions of film preferably being arranged on different layers in order to avoid any electrical contact between them which could lead to involuntary activation of a zone 310 adjacent to the one to be activated. Alternatively, the electrodes are formed on transparent layers on each face of the film 31 and structured so that each pair of electrodes activates only one zone 310.

[0030] According to another embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, the film 31 comprises non-contiguous zones 310 distributed for example regularly on the surface of the film 31 or on a part of the film 31. Each zone 310 is associated with a pair of electrodes making it possible to apply an electrical voltage to the zone 310 and thus control its optical properties independently of the optical properties of the rest of the film 31 and the other zones 310. The zones 310 are for example formed by etching, or structuring, the film 31 to separate the electro-optical material of the zones 310 from the electro-optical material of the rest of the film 31.

[0031] The surface of each zone 310 corresponds for example to a surface of the partition 3 opposite a single light source 2, as illustrated for example in Figure 2, and / or corresponds to a surface of the partition 3 opposite a group of light sources 2, as illustrated for example in Figure 3. It is of course conceivable within the scope of the invention to provide individually controllable zones of different sizes and / or shapes on the same partition and / or zones distributed irregularly.

[0032] According to one aspect of the invention, the lighting device 1 is applied to a shooting box 5, one embodiment of which is schematically illustrated in Figure 4. The shooting box 5 is preferably essentially closed and preferably portable by a single user 8. The shooting box 5 comprises, for example, a base 51 and a lighting device 1 according to the invention, arranged as a cover on the base 51 and configured to define with the latter a housing 50 intended to receive an object 9 to be presented. The lighting device 1 is preferably covered with an opaque shell 4 forming the outer walls of the shooting box 5. The partition 3 of the lighting device 1 of the shooting box 5 is preferably convex and free of corners to avoid discontinuities in the lighting, in particular in diffuse indirect lighting, which could create visible shadow areas on the shots.The shooting box 5 comprises at least one opening 52, preferably exactly two openings 52 on either side of the front face of the shooting box 5, to allow a user 8 to introduce an object 9 into the shooting box 5, to extract it and to manipulate it, preferably with two hands.

[0033] The shooting box also preferably comprises a shooting device not shown in Figure 4, arranged to take pictures of an object 9 arranged in the housing 50. The shooting device preferably allows both photographs and videos to be taken. Other types of shooting devices are however conceivable within the scope of the invention. The shooting device is for example arranged between the partition 3 and the wall 4, the partition 3 comprising for example a hole intended to receive the lens of the shooting device to allow it to photograph the interior of the housing 50.According to certain embodiments, the hole in the partition 3 is not empty, but is materialized by a portion of the partition 3 which is transparent, for example a portion of the partition 3 on which the transparent support is not covered with electro-optical film, or a portion of the partition 3 which is electrically activated so that it is transparent as soon as the camera box 5 is switched on. The hole is preferably configured to be essentially closed by the lens of the camera in order to limit discontinuities in the lighting device 1 which could cause shadows on the shots. According to another embodiment, the camera is of reduced size and is arranged inside the housing 50, against the partition 3.According to certain embodiments, the camera comprises at least two different focal lengths, materialized for example by two lenses, in order to allow zooming on the product without the user having to move the product and consequently with less deformation than when the object 9 is brought close to the lens. According to other embodiments, the camera is independent of the camera box, for example an SLR camera, a smartphone, a tablet, etc. The camera box then comprises an opening through the wall and the partition, substantially the size of the lens of the camera to allow it to photograph the interior of the housing from the exterior of the camera box, and preferably a support for fixing the camera to the camera box.

[0034] According to certain embodiments, the still or animated images captured by the camera, internal or external to the camera box, are displayed, preferably live, on a screen not shown in Figure 4 visible to the user 8, so that the user 8 manipulating an object 9 in the housing can see live the result of his manipulations. The camera and / or the hole(s) in the partition 3 and / or the wall 4 are preferably arranged so that the angle of view of the object 9 in the housing 50 by the camera corresponds to the angle of view that the user 8 would have on the object 9 when manipulating it in front of him, so that the manipulation of the object 9 in the housing 50 followed on the screen appears natural to the user 8.

[0035] According to the invention, the optical properties of the partition 3 of the lighting device 1 of the shooting box 5 are electrically adjustable. Preferably, the partition 3 comprises zones not visible in FIG. 4 whose optical properties are electrically adjustable between a translucent state and a transparent state, as described above. Activating one or more zones to make them transparent makes it possible to determine which light sources 2 of the lighting device 1 will illuminate an object 9 placed in the housing 50 directly. Preferably, the other light sources 2 will participate in the indirect lighting of the object 9, their light being diffused by the rest of the partition 3 which is translucent.Preferably, the zones whose optical properties can be electrically activated are arranged, for example regularly, over the entire partition 3 so that the possibilities for direct and / or indirect lighting are as numerous as possible.

[0036] Preferably, the shooting box 5 comprises a controller (not shown) configured to preferably control all of the electrical and / or electronic components of the shooting box 5, such as the light sources 2, the partition 3, in particular the electrically controllable zones, the shooting device, the screen, etc. Preferably, the controller makes it possible to memorize the settings of these different components so as to easily allow the reproducibility of specific lighting, in particular its color, its intensity, the origin and intensity of the direct lighting, etc. This makes it possible in particular to easily memorize and reproduce the settings of the lighting device 1 of the shooting box 5 resulting for example in lighting particularly suited to a type of object, material, etc.

[0037] According to certain embodiments, the camera box 5 comprises a network interface (not shown) making it possible to transmit remotely, for example to a remote user, on a broadcast channel, for example a social network, the images captured by the camera.

[0038] Figure 5 is a sectional view of another embodiment of a camera box 5 according to the invention. According to this embodiment, the camera 54 is arranged between the partition 3 of the lighting device and the lens of the camera 54 closes a hole 55 formed in the partition 3.

[0039] Zones 310 whose optical properties are electrically adjustable are distributed over the partition 3 to allow direct illumination of an object (not shown) arranged in the housing 50. The illustrated zones 310 are arranged near the hole 55 so that the angle of incidence of the direct light on an object arranged in the housing 50 is close to the shooting angle. Another configuration and / or arrangement of the zones whose optical properties are electrically adjustable is however possible within the scope of the invention, as explained above. In particular, the zones whose optical properties are electrically adjustable can be distributed regularly over the entire partition 3.

[0040] According to the illustrated embodiment, the camera box 5 further comprises a screen 53 for displaying the images captured by the camera 54. The screen 53 is for example arranged on the camera box 5, facing a user who would stand in front of the camera box to manipulate an object in the housing 50. The screen 53 preferably also comprises a camera and a microphone (not shown) to allow a user, for example, to conduct a video conference with a remote interlocutor, preferably through a communication interface (not shown). The screen 53 preferably also comprises an interface for accessing the various settings of the camera box, for example for lighting, remote communications, etc. controlled by the controller (not shown).The screen 53 is for example a touch screen allowing a user to access these settings through menus displayed on the screen. Optionally, a control panel 56, for example a touch panel, located in the housing 50 allows a user handling an object in the housing 50 to access at least some of these settings, for example pre-recorded settings.

[0041] The camera box 5 preferably comprises a controller (not shown) for controlling the various elements of the camera box 5, for example the light sources 2, the film 31, in particular to enable individual activation of the various zones, the screen 53, the camera 54, the communication interface, etc. The various functionalities of the controller are, for example, accessible by a keyboard (not shown) and / or by the screen 53 in the form of a touch screen. Preferably, the camera box 5 further comprises a control panel 56 located in the housing, preferably on a part of the bottom 51 outside the field of view of the camera and easily accessible by the hand of the user 8.

[0042] Optionally, the bottom 51 of the shooting box 5 according to the invention also comprises a lighting device 1 according to the invention, the bottom 51 comprising light sources 2 intended to illuminate from below directly and / or indirectly an object placed in the housing 50 through a generally translucent partition 3 of which at least one zone not shown can be made transparent by applying an electrical voltage.

[0043] According to the illustrated embodiments, the shooting box 5 comprises a lighting device 1 arranged as a cover on the bottom 51, preferably a lighting device whose partition 3 is convex and forms a shell on the bottom. Optionally, the bottom 51 also comprises a lighting device according to the invention. It is of course conceivable within the scope of the invention that the shooting box comprises a lighting device according to the invention which covers only one side of the housing, or several lighting devices each covering one side and / or the ceiling of the housing.

Claims

Claims 1. Lighting device (1) comprising a partition (3) whose optical properties are electrically adjustable and a plurality of light sources (2) for illuminating an object (9) through the partition (3), the optical properties of at least one zone (310) of the partition (3) being electrically adjustable between a state in which the at least one zone (310) is translucent and a state in which the at least one zone (310) is transparent.

2. Lighting device (1) according to the preceding claim, the partition (3) comprising a transparent support (30) covered at least partially with an electro-optical film (31).

3. Lighting device (1) according to the preceding claim, the film (31) being a polymer-dispersed liquid crystal film (Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystals, PDLC).

4. Lighting device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, the partition (3) comprising a plurality of zones (310) whose optical properties are electrically adjustable between a state in which the zone (310) is translucent and a state in which the zone (310) is transparent.

5. Lighting device (1) according to the preceding claim, the optical properties of each zone (310) of the plurality of zones (310) being electrically adjustable independently of the optical properties of the other zones (310) of the plurality of zones (310) and / or the optical properties of the rest of the partition (3).

6. Lighting device (1) according to one of claims 4 and 5, the zones (310) of the plurality of zones (310) being contiguous.

7. Lighting device (1) according to one of claims 4 and 5, the zones (310) of the plurality of zones (310) being disjointed and distributed regularly over at least a portion of the surface of the partition (3).

8. Lighting device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, each light source (2) of the plurality of light sources (2) being individually controllable, independently of the other light sources (2) of the plurality of light sources (2).

9. Shooting box (5) comprising a bottom (51) and a lighting device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, the lighting device (1) being arranged as a cover on the bottom (51) and configured to define with the bottom (51) a housing (50) intended to receive an object (9) to be lit for the purpose of shooting it.

10. Camera box (5) according to the preceding claim comprising a camera (54) and / or a hole (55) intended to be obstructed by the lens of a camera, for taking pictures of an object (9) arranged in the housing (50) and illuminated by the lighting device (1).

11. Shooting box (5) according to one of claims 9 and 10, the partition (3) of the lighting device (1) being convex and not having a corner.

12. A shooting box (5) according to one of claims 9 to 11, comprising a controller for individually controlling the at least one zone (310) of the partition (3) and each light source (2) of the plurality of light sources (2).

13. Shooting box (5) according to one of claims 9 to 12, the bottom (51) also comprising a lighting device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 8.

14. Camera box (5) according to one of claims 9 to 13, comprising a communication interface for the remote transmission of still and / or animated images taken by the camera.

Images