WARNING MESSAGE CAMERA AND METHOD

• US 20030026609A1
• Filed: 07/17/2001
• Published: 02/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Parulski, Kenneth A.
• Granted Patent: US 6,539,177 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 396/281
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/20 visible in viewfinder
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00183 Photography assistance, e.g. displaying suggestions to the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0035 User-machine interface; Control console input or output arrangements for computers G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0044 for image preview or review, e.g. to help the user position a sheet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00477 Indicating status, e.g. of a job for control or supervision between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N2201/3219
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3219 of a job status, e.g. successful execution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3273 Display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/632 for displaying or modifying preview images prior to image capturing, e.g. variety of image resolutions or capturing parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/634 Warning indications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/64 Computer-aided capture of images, e.g. transfer from script file into camera, check of taken image quality, advice or proposal for image composition or decision on when to take image

Abstract

In a camera and method, an archival image is captured. During the capturing of the archival image, a plurality of evaluation images are also captured. A verification image is generated from the evaluation images. Characteristics of the evaluation images are compared to predetermined standard ranges and an output quality warning is generated when a characteristic is outside a respective range. The output quality warning is communicated while the verification image is displayed on the camera.

Claims

1. A photography method comprising the steps of:

capturing an archival image;

during said capturing of said archival image, capturing a plurality of evaluation images;

generating a verification image from said evaluation images;

comparing one or more characteristics of said evaluation images to respective predetermined standard ranges;

generating a output quality warning when any of said characteristics are outside a respective said predetermined standard range;

displaying said verification image on said camera; and

communicating said output quality warning during said displaying.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein at least two of said evaluation images are captured under different exposure conditions.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said capturing of said evaluation images further comprises capturing said a first of said evaluation images during a first time interval and capturing a second of said evaluation images during a second time interval, said time intervals having different durations.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said capturing of said evaluation images further comprises capturing a third of said evaluation images before and a fourth of said evaluation images after said capturing of said first and second evaluation images.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said capturing of said third evaluation image starts at the same time as said capturing of said archival image and said capturing of said fourth evaluation image ends at the same time as said capturing of said archival image.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein one of said evaluation images has a different exposure value than another of said evaluation images.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said capturing of one of said evaluation images starts at the same time as said capturing of said archival image and said capturing of another of said evaluation images ends at the same time as said capturing of said archival image.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said capturing of said evaluation images further comprises capturing a total of at least four evaluation images during said capturing of said archival image.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein at least two of said evaluation images are captured under different exposure conditions.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising changing a default print count to zero when any of said characteristics are outside the respective said predetermined standard range.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said warning is, at least in part, audible.

12. A photography method comprising the steps of:

capturing an archival image;

during said capturing of said archival image, capturing a sequence of evaluation images, at least two of said evaluation images being differently exposed;

comparing one or more characteristics of said evaluation images to respective predetermined standard ranges;

generating an output quality warning when any of said characteristics are outside a respective said predetermined standard range; and

displaying said output quality warning on said camera.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said capturing of said evaluation images further comprises capturing said a first of said evaluation images during a first time interval, capturing a second of said evaluation images during a second time interval having a different duration than said first time interval, and capturing a third of said evaluation images before and a fourth of said evaluation images after said capturing of said first and second of said evaluation images, said third and fourth of said evaluation images being differently exposed.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising changing a default print count to zero when any of said characteristics are outside the respective said predetermined standard range.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising changing a default print count to zero when any of said characteristics are outside the respective said predetermined standard range.

16. A camera comprising:

a body;

a capture system mounted in said body, said capture system capturing a scene image as an archival image and, during said capturing of said archival image, capturing a plurality of evaluation images, said evaluation images each having a plurality of image characteristics;

a look-up table disposed in said body, said look-up table having a plurality of predetermined standard ranges of said image characteristics;

an evaluator disposed in said body, said evaluator being operatively connected to said capture system, said evaluator comparing said image characteristics of said evaluation images to respective said predetermined standard ranges, said evaluator generating a output quality warning when any of said image characteristics are outside a respective said predetermined standard range; and

a display operatively connected to said evaluator, said display displaying said output quality warning.

17. The camera of claim 16 wherein said capture system captures at least two of said evaluation images under different exposure conditions.

18. The camera of claim 16 wherein said capture system captures one of said evaluation images starting at the same time as said capturing of said archival image and said captures another of said evaluation images ending at the same time as said capturing of said archival image.

19. A camera for use with a photographic film unit, said camera comprising:

a body;

a latent image capture unit disposed in said body, said latent image capture unit capturing a scene image as a latent image in said film unit;

an electronic capture unit disposed in said body, said electronic capture unit, capturing said scene image as a sequence of evaluation images, during said capturing of said latent image by said latent image capture unit, said evaluation images each having a plurality of image characteristics;

a look-up table disposed in said body, said look-up table having a plurality of predetermined standard ranges of said image characteristics;

an evaluator disposed in said body, said evaluator being operatively connected to said electronic capture unit, said evaluator comparing said image characteristics of said evaluation images to respective said predetermined standard ranges, said evaluator generating a output quality warning when any of said image characteristics are outside a respective said predetermined standard range; and

a display operatively connected to said evaluator, said display displaying said output quality warning.

20. The camera of claim 19 wherein said capture system captures at least two of said evaluation images under different exposure conditions.

21. The camera of claim 20 wherein said capture system captures one of said evaluation images starting at the same time as said capturing of said archival image and said captures another of said evaluation images ending at the same time as said capturing of said archival image.

22. The camera of claim 19 further comprising a data writer disposed in said camera said data writer writing a zero print count to said film unit in association with said latent image responsive to said output quality warning.

23. The camera of claim 19 further comprising a speaker operatively connected to said evaluator.