Device and method for capturing images and switching images through a drag operation

• US 10,419,677 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2016
• Issued: 09/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kosaka, Junichi, Yoneda, Kenichi, Komatsu, Hidehiro, Hama, Tatsuya, Shirakawa, Miyuki, Yoshioka, Keiichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hsu, Amy R
• Application Number:
  US15/081,230
• Publication Number:
  US 20160212351A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,271 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2145 of a sequence of images for selection of a single frame before final recording, e.g. from a continuous sequence captured before and after shutter-release
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet

Abstract

An image capturing apparatus that includes one or more image sensors configured to capture a plurality of images and store the captured images in a memory. The apparatus also includes a circuitry that detects an input trigger and continues to capture new images in response to the trigger. The numbers of new images captured are equal in magnitude to half the magnitude of the capacity of the memory. The first new image captured after detecting the trigger is tagged as a reference image. In response to the number of new images captured, the sensors are deactivated and the reference image is displayed immediately on a display panel. On detecting an input operation, the apparatus displays a target image from the plurality of images captured in a quick and efficient manner.

Claims

1. An image capturing apparatus comprising:

a display;

an image sensor configured to capture a plurality of images at a capture rate;

a memory configured to store the plurality of captured images; and

circuitry configured to;

detect an input trigger;

control the image sensor to capture the plurality of images, at least some of the plurality of images being captured before the input trigger;

select one of the plurality of images in response to the input trigger;

control the display to display the selected image, wherein at least a part of the display which displays the selected image is defined as an operation touch area to be used by a user to selectively switch among the plurality of images;

control the display, according to a continuous drag operation in the operational touch area, to switch from display of the selected image to display of another image among the plurality of images by displaying at least one intermediate image among the plurality of images before display of the another image, wherein a number of frames to be switched from a currently displayed image corresponds to a displacement of an instruction object in a predetermined direction in the operational touch area during the drag operations;

during the continuous drag operation, control the display to display each of the number of frames including the at least one intermediate image successively; and

control the display to display said another image.

2. The image capturing apparatus of claim 1, wherein a magnitude of a capacity of memory is at least a magnitude of the capture rate over two seconds.

3. The image capturing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to assign a time stamp to one or more of the plurality of captured images, the time stamp corresponding to a time at which said one or more of the plurality of captured images were captured by the image capturing apparatus.

4. The image capturing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the input trigger is a touch operation detected by the circuitry on a surface of the display.

5. The image capturing apparatus of claim 4, wherein the input trigger corresponds to a touch operation performed at a corresponding position to a displayed position of a shutter button that is displayed on the display.

6. The image capturing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the operational touch area includes a marker that indicates a direction of movement of the displacement.

7. The image capturing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the memory is a ring buffer that is configured to store the plurality of captured images at sequential memory locations.

8. The image capturing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to define an entirety of the display as the operational touch area.

9. An image capturing method performed by an image capturing apparatus that includes a display, circuitry, an image sensor configured to capture a plurality of images at a capture rate, and a memory configured to store the plurality of captured images, the method comprising:

detecting, using the circuitry, an input trigger;

capturing, using the image sensor, the plurality of images, at least some of the plurality of images being captured before the input trigger;

selecting, using the circuitry, one of the plurality of images in response to the input trigger;

displaying the selected image, wherein at least a part of the display which displays the selected image is defined as an operational touch area to be used by a user to selectively switch among the plurality of images;

switching, according to a continuous drag operation in the operational touch area, display of the selected image to display of another image among the plurality of images by displaying at least one intermediate image among the plurality of images before display of the another image, wherein a number of frames to be switched from a currently displayed image corresponds to a displacement of an instruction object in a predetermined direction in the operational touch area during the drag operation;

during the continuous drag operation, controlling the display to display each of the number of frames including the at least one intermediate image successively; and

controlling the display to display said another image.

10. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions that when executed by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to execute a method comprising:

detecting an input trigger;

capturing, using an image sensor, the plurality of images, at least some of the plurality of images being captured before the input trigger;

selecting one of the plurality of images in response to the input trigger;

displaying the selected image, wherein at least a part of the display which displays the selected image is defined as an operational touch area to be used by a user to selectively switch among the plurality of images;

switching, according to a continuous drag operation in the operational touch area, display of the selected image to display of another image among the plurality of images by displaying at least one intermediate image among the plurality of images before display of the another image, wherein a number of frames to be switched from a currently displayed image corresponds to a displacement of an instruction object in a predetermined direction in the operational touch area during the drag operation;

during the continuous drag operation, controlling the display to display each of the number of frames including the at least one intermediate image successively; and

displaying said another image.