Virtual Director Viewfinder Mechanical Control Integration

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Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional director's viewfinders are limited in their ability to preview and adjust camera settings for virtual cinematography, as they rely on physical setups and cannot easily incorporate virtual space elements or real-time adjustments.

Innovation Solution

A virtual director's viewfinder device with mechanical controls for aperture, focal length, and aspect ratio, connected to a computer system that generates images based on user inputs, allowing for real-time preview and combination of virtual and physical scene elements.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a traditional director's viewfinder is used for physical cinematography, then the director can view the scene as it would appear through the camera's lens, but the device cannot easily incorporate virtual space elements or real-time adjustments

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveability to incorporate virtual space elementsVSAvoidcomplexity of integrating virtual and physical systems

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a virtual copy of the physical cinematography system by rendering a virtual scene that replicates the camera's field of view, aperture, focal length, and other settings. This virtual copy allows the director to preview and adjust settings without physically changing equipment or blocking the actual scene setup, thereby incorporating virtual elements while maintaining operational simplicity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces a computer-generated virtual scene as an intermediary between the physical camera and the director's viewfinder. This intermediary layer combines real-time camera setting data with virtual environment rendering, allowing the director to evaluate both physical and virtual elements simultaneously without directly modifying the physical cinematography system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If physical sets and conventional cameras are used, then the director can evaluate camera settings in real-time, but the process is time-consuming and less efficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveefficiency of cinematography processVSAvoidtime required for setup and evaluation

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary evaluation by rendering a virtual preview of the scene with proposed camera settings before the actual physical shoot. This allows the director to assess composition, lighting, and framing in advance, making informed decisions about camera settings and reducing the need for time-consuming physical adjustments during production.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical process of physically adjusting camera equipment and blocking sets with a computational system that automatically renders virtual previews based on digital camera settings. This substitution eliminates the need for physical trial-and-error adjustments, significantly reducing the time required for setup and evaluation while maintaining creative control.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Loss of information

If the director's viewfinder matches camera settings, then the director can evaluate lens, aperture, zoom and aspect ratio, but the device lacks the capability to generate and display virtual images

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinformation about virtual space elementsVSAvoidcomplexity of adding virtual image generation

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system merges the traditional director's viewfinder functionality with virtual image generation capabilities by integrating a computer system that renders virtual scenes. The viewfinder displays a composite image that combines real-time camera setting data with computer-generated virtual environment elements, allowing the director to evaluate both physical and virtual components simultaneously without requiring separate devices.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS9094608B1Virtual director's viewfinder

Publication Date: 2015.07.28 LUCASFILM ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY LTD

AI summary

A virtual director's viewfinder includes: a housing with a form factor of a director's viewfinder; at least one mechanical viewfinder control connected to the housing, the virtual director's viewfinder encoding a setting of the mechanical viewfinder control into digital setting information; at least one communication device for communication of the digital setting information to a computer system, and for receiving from the computer system an image generated using the digital setting information; and a display device that presents at least the image received from the computer system.