Image capturing device having continuous image capture
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method comprising:
- (a) entering an image capture mode;
(b) sequentially during the image capture mode capturing images with an image capturing device and associating metadata with each captured image;
(c) as each new image is captured during the sequential capturing, storing the new image and its associated metadata in a buffer until the buffer contains a predetermined number of the sequentially captured images and their associated metadata;
(d) as each additional new image is captured during the sequential capturing, storing the additional new image and its metadata in the buffer and discarding the oldest image of the predetermined number of the sequentially captured images and its metadata from the buffer;
(e) continuing operations (b) through (d) until a user request to capture an image is received;
(f) in response to the user request to capture an image, capturing a final image corresponding to the time of the user request, and associating metadata with the final image;
(g) storing the final image and its associated metadata;
(h) examining at least the metadata associated with the final image and at least the metadata associated with the predetermined number of images stored in the buffer;
(i) assigning an image quality parameter to the final image and to each of the predetermined number of images based upon the metadata associated with the images;
(j) selecting at least one of the predetermined number of images and the final image as likely desirable based upon the image quality assignments from operation (i);
(k) displaying the final image to the user;
(l) allowing the user to display the predetermined number of images from the buffer while identifying to the user which of the predetermined number of images was selected as likely desirable in operation (j);
(m) allowing the user to choose one of the predetermined number of images if the user determines that the chosen image is more desirable than the final image; and
(n) storing the chosen image.
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Abstract
Methods, devices, and systems for continuous image capturing are described herein. In one embodiment, a method includes continuously capturing a sequence of images with an image capturing device. The method may further include storing a predetermined number of the sequence of images in a buffer. The method may further include receiving a user request to capture an image. In response to the user request, the method may further include automatically selecting one of the buffered images based on an exposure time of one of the buffered images. The sequence of images is captured prior to or concurrently with receiving the user request.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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(a) entering an image capture mode; (b) sequentially during the image capture mode capturing images with an image capturing device and associating metadata with each captured image; (c) as each new image is captured during the sequential capturing, storing the new image and its associated metadata in a buffer until the buffer contains a predetermined number of the sequentially captured images and their associated metadata; (d) as each additional new image is captured during the sequential capturing, storing the additional new image and its metadata in the buffer and discarding the oldest image of the predetermined number of the sequentially captured images and its metadata from the buffer; (e) continuing operations (b) through (d) until a user request to capture an image is received; (f) in response to the user request to capture an image, capturing a final image corresponding to the time of the user request, and associating metadata with the final image; (g) storing the final image and its associated metadata; (h) examining at least the metadata associated with the final image and at least the metadata associated with the predetermined number of images stored in the buffer; (i) assigning an image quality parameter to the final image and to each of the predetermined number of images based upon the metadata associated with the images; (j) selecting at least one of the predetermined number of images and the final image as likely desirable based upon the image quality assignments from operation (i); (k) displaying the final image to the user; (l) allowing the user to display the predetermined number of images from the buffer while identifying to the user which of the predetermined number of images was selected as likely desirable in operation (j); (m) allowing the user to choose one of the predetermined number of images if the user determines that the chosen image is more desirable than the final image; and (n) storing the chosen image. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of capturing an image comprising:
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continuously capturing digital images with an image capturing device; storing each captured digital image in a data buffer having the capacity to store a predetermined number of captured digital images; during the continuous capture of digital images, receiving a user request via a shutter release to capture an image and capturing a final image concurrently with the user request; discontinuing the continuous capture of digital images; analyzing at least the exposure time of the final digital image and the predetermined number of continuously captured digital images stored in the data buffer; selecting one or more of the final digital image and the predetermined number of digital images stored in the buffer based upon the analysis of at least the exposure time for each digital image; displaying the final digital image and the predetermined number of digital images stored in the buffer to the user while indicating to the user the one or more selected images; allowing the user to select one of the displayed images; and storing the image selected by the user.
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13. A method of improving the results of taking a photograph with a digital image capture device, the method comprising:
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(a) selecting a camera mode for the digital image capture device; (b) displaying to a user on a viewfinder screen of the digital image capture device a video of the scene at which the digital image capture device is pointed; (c) while displaying the video, continuously capturing a sequence of images of the scene with the digital image capture device and storing a predetermined number of the sequence of images in a data buffer; (d) receiving a signal indicative of a user request to capture an image; (e) upon receiving the signal indicative of the user request, storing a final image captured as a result of receiving the signal; (f) analyzing information about the final image and the predetermined number of images stored in the buffer; (g) automatically selecting one or more of the final image and the predetermined number of images that is potentially desirable based upon at least one of an exposure time, an image contrast, an image resolution, and a dynamic range; (h) displaying to the user on the viewfinder screen the final image and the predetermined number of stored images with images selected by the automatically selecting operation being identified as potentially desirable; (i) allowing the user to select from among the images displayed in operation (h) an image that is desired by the user, and (j) storing the image selected by the user in operation (i) in a photo library.
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14. A non-transitory machine readable medium storing executable instructions which when executed by a data processing system cause the data processing system to perform a method comprising:
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(a) entering an image capture mode; (b) sequentially during the image capture mode capturing images with an image capturing device and associating metadata with each captured image; (c) as each new image is captured during the sequential capturing, storing the new image and its associated metadata in a buffer until the buffer contains a predetermined number of the sequentially captured images and their associated metadata; (d) as each additional new image is captured during the sequential capturing, storing the additional new image and its metadata in the buffer and discarding the oldest image of the predetermined number of the sequentially captured images and its metadata from the buffer; (e) continuing operations (b) through (d) until a user request to capture an image is received; (f) in response to the user request to capture an image, capturing a final image corresponding to the time of the user request, and associating metadata with the final image; (g) storing the final image and its associated metadata; (h) examining at least the metadata associated with the final image and at least the metadata associated with the predetermined number of images stored in the buffer; (i) assigning an image quality parameter to the final image and to each of the predetermined number of images based upon the metadata associated with the images; (j) selecting at least one of the predetermined number of images and the final image as likely desirable based upon the image quality assignments from operation (i); (k) displaying the final image to the user; (l) allowing the user to display the predetermined number of images from the buffer while identifying to the user which of the predetermined number of images was selected as likely desirable in operation (j); (m) allowing the user to choose one of the predetermined number of images if the user determines that the chosen image is more desirable than the final image; and (n) storing the chosen image. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification