Method and device for forming an image in an electronic device

• US 20030123069A1
• Filed: 12/20/2002
• Published: 07/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Perala, Timo Juhani
• Application Number:
  US10/325,241
• Publication Number:
  US 20030123069A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera constructional features concerning the integration of cameras in portable phones H04M1/0264
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/145 Handheld terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/671 in combination with active ranging signals, e.g. using light or sound signals emitted toward objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/69 Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming

Abstract

Method and device for capturing an object with a digital camera for creating an image in electric form, in which method said picture is transmitted to an electronic device. In the method the distance between a filmed object and a camera is regulary measured and the size of the captured object is maintained essentially the same in the transmitted picture automatically adjusting the picture size on grounds of measurement in accordance with the change in said distance.

Claims

1. A method for capturing an object with a digital camera in order to form an image in electric form, in which method captured image is transmitted to an electronic device, wherein in the method the distance between the object to be captured and the camera is regularly measured and the size of the object in the picture to be transmitted is maintained essentially of the same size by adjusting automatically the size of the picture on the basis of the said measurement in accordance with said change in the distance.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the measurement of the distance is based on the measurement of the change in magnitude of the signal reflected back.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the measurement of the distance is based on the measurement of the delay of the signal.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the measurement of the distance is based on the change in the quantity of thermal radiation received from the object.

5. A method in accordance with claims 1 to 4, wherein said measurement is carrid out continously.

6. A method in accordance with claim 5, wherein the object to be presented on said display is maintained of the same size by means of adjusting the digital zooming of the camera in response to the measured distance.

7. A method in accordance with claim 5, wherein the object to be presented on said display is maintained of the same size by means of adjusting the optical zooming of the camera in response to the measured distance.

8. A method in accordance with claims 6 or 7, wherein further in the method the zooming and the focusing of the camera are controlled in order to maintain said image to be sent optimally focused while the distance between the object and the camera change.

9. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the image is transmitted to an electronic device via transmission path.

10. A method in accordance with claim 9, wherein said transmission path is wireless.

11. A method in accordance with claim 10, wherein said wireless transmission path is a radio frequency connection in a cellular network.

12. An electronic device with a digital camera connected to it in order to create an image of an object to be captured in electrical form, said electronic device comprising tranmission means in order to transmit the picture created with said camera to at least one another electronic device, wherein said electronic device comprises means for measuring distance in order to measure the distance between the object to be captured and said camera and maintenance means to maintain the size of the object to be captures in the image to be transmitted essentially of the same size by automatically adjusting the size of the image on the basis of said measurement in accordance with said change in distance.

13. A device in accordance with claim 12, wherein said means for measuring distance have been arranged to measure said distance by means of sending and receiving an acoustic signal.

14. A device in accordance with claim 12, wherein said means for measuring distance have been arranged to measure said distance by means of sending and receiving an optical signal.

15. A device in accordance with claim 12, wherein said means for measuring distance have been arranged to measure said distance by means of receiving the thermal radiation reflecting from the object.

16. A device in accordance with claims 13 or 14, wherein said means for measuring distance have been arranged to measure the change in magnitude of the received signal.

17. A device in accordance with claims 13 or 14, wherein said means for measuring distance have been arranged to measure the delay of said sent signal.

18. A device in accordance with claims 12 or 17, wherein said means for measuring distance have been arranged to carry out said measurements continously.

19. A device in accordance with claims 12 to 18, wherein said maitenance means have been arranged to maintain the size of said object of the same size on the display of the device receiving the image by digitally adjusting the picture to be presented on the display.

20. A device in accordance with claims 12 to 18, wherein said maintenance means have been arranged to maintain the size of said object of the same size on the display of said device by adjusting the optical zoom of said camera.

21. A device in accordance with claims 19-20, wherein said maintenance means have, furthermore, been arranged to maintain the image to be formed optically focused while the distance between the object and said camera change.

22. A device in accordance with claims 12-21, wherein said device is a hand held device.

23. A device in accordance with claim 22, wherein the said device is a wireless communication device.

24. A computer programme product for an electronic device, with a digital camera connected to it, for creating an image of an object to be captured in electric form for transmitting the image to at least one another electronic device, wherein the computer program product comprises

computer program means for causing the measurement of the distance between the object to be captured and the camera regulary,

computer program means for maintaining the size of the object to be filmed in transmitted image of the same size by means of creating an automatic adjusting of the image size based on said measurements in accordance with the change in said distance.