Capture of sensory data in association with digital still images

• US 20040075753A1
• Filed: 10/18/2002
• Published: 04/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Battles, Amy E., Thorland, Miles Kevin, Pyle, Norman Conrad
• Granted Patent: US 7,173,655 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/231.6
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2009/8084 using transform coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/7921 for more than one processing mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

Abstract

Method and apparatus for capturing a variable length of sensory data in association with still image data. The sensory data are generated from a sensor signal beginning prior to capture of a still image and ending a selected period after capturing the still image. The sensory data are stored in temporary storage. Still image data are generated in response to a control signal to capture a still image, and the still image data are also stored in the temporary storage. A default portion of the sensory data in association with the image data is stored in non-volatile storage. The default portion of sensory data in non-volatile storage is conditionally replaced with a selected subset of the sensory data from the temporary storage if the user selects replacement.

Claims

1. A method of operating a digital camera, comprising:

generating sensory data from a sensor signal beginning at a selected time associated with capture of a still image and ending a selected period after capturing the still image, and storing the sensory data in temporary storage;

generating still image data in response to a control signal to capture an image, and storing the still image data in the temporary storage;

storing a default portion of the sensory data in association with the still image data in non-volatile storage; and

conditionally replacing the default portion of sensory data in non-volatile storage with a selected subset of the sensory data from the temporary storage if the user selects replacement.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the subset of the sensory data from the temporary storage that replaces the default portion of sensory data in non-volatile storage includes all the sensory data in temporary storage.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected period has a beginning and an end, and the subset of the sensory data from the temporary storage that replaces the default portion of sensory data in non-volatile storage spans from the beginning of the selected period to a time before the end of selected period.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected period has a beginning and an end, and the subset of the sensory data from the temporary storage that replaces the default portion of sensory data in non-volatile storage spans from a time after the beginning of the selected period to a time before the end of selected period.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected period has a beginning and an end, and the subset of the sensory data from the temporary storage that replaces the default portion of sensory data in non-volatile storage spans from a time after the beginning of the selected period to the end of selected period.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the sensory data in a circular buffer in temporary storage.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensory data comprises audio data.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensory data comprises video data.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensory data comprises audio data and video data.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected time at which generation of sensory data begins is before capture of the still image.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the camera includes a shutter release with associated S0, S1, and S2 states, the method further comprising commencing sensory data capture when the shutter release is in the S1 state.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising overwriting the sensory data in temporary storage when sensory data capture commences for another image.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected time at which generation of sensory data begins is after capture of the still image.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the camera includes a shutter release with associated S0, S1, and S2 states, the method further comprising commencing sensory data capture when the shutter release is in the S2 state.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising overwriting the sensory data in temporary storage when sensory data capture commences for another image.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the camera includes a record-control switch, the method further comprising commencing sensory data capture when the record-control switch is activated.

17. A digital camera, comprising:

means for generating sensory data from a sensor signal beginning at a selected time associated with capturing a still image and ending a selected period after capturing the still image, and storing the sensory data in temporary storage;

means for generating still image data in response to a control signal to capture an image, and storing the still image data in the temporary storage;

means for storing a default portion of the sensory data in association with the still image data in non-volatile storage; and

means for conditionally replacing the default portion of sensory data in non-volatile storage with a selected subset of the sensory data from the temporary storage if the user selects replacement.

18. A digital camera, comprising:

a processing unit;

a user interface coupled to the processing unit;

a memory arrangement coupled to the processing unit;

an image-capture circuit arrangement coupled to the processing unit and configured to capture still image data in response to user control actions;

an audio-capture circuit arrangement coupled to the processing unit and configured to capture audio data; and

wherein the processing unit is configured to initiate capture of audio data beginning at a selected time associated with capture of still image data and ending a selected period after capture of the still image data, and temporarily store the audio data in the memory arrangement, permanently store a default portion of the audio data in association with the still image data in the memory arrangement, and conditionally replace the default portion of audio data with a selected subset of the temporarily-stored audio data in response to user control.

19. The camera of claim 18, wherein the selected time at which capture of audio data begins is before capture of the still image.

20. The camera of claim 19, further comprising a shutter release with associated S0, S1, and S2 states, wherein the processing unit is further configured to commence capture of audio data when the shutter release is in the S1 state.

21. The camera of claim 20, wherein the processing unit is further configured to overwrite the temporarily stored audio data when audio data capture commences for another image.

22. The camera of claim 18, wherein the selected time at which capture of audio data begins is after capture of the still image.

23. The camera of claim 22, further comprising a shutter release with associated S0, S1, and S2 states, wherein the processing unit is further configured to commence audio data capture when the shutter release is in the S2 state.

24. The camera of claim 23, wherein the processing unit is further configured to overwrite the temporarily stored audio data when audio data capture commences for another image.

25. The camera of claim 18, further comprising a record-control switch, wherein the processing unit is further configured to commence audio data capture when the record-control switch is activated.

26. A digital camera, comprising:

a processing unit;

a user interface coupled to the processing unit;

a memory arrangement coupled to the processing unit;

an image-capture circuit arrangement coupled to the processing unit and configured to capture video data and still image data in response to user control actions;

an audio-capture circuit arrangement coupled to the processing unit and configured to capture audio data; and

wherein the processing unit is configured to initiate capture of audio data and video data beginning at a selected time associated with capture of still image data and ending a selected period after capture of the still image data, and temporarily store the video data and audio data in the memory arrangement, permanently store a default portion of the video data and audio data in association with the still image data in the memory arrangement, and conditionally replace the default portion of the video data and audio data with selected subsets of the temporarily-stored video data and audio data in response to user control.

27. The camera of claim 26, wherein the selected time at which capture of video data and audio data begins is before capture of the still image.

28. The camera of claim 27, further comprising a shutter release with associated S0, S1, and S2 states, wherein the processing unit is further configured to commence capture of video data and audio data when the shutter release is in the S1 state.

29. The camera of claim 28, wherein the processing unit is further configured to overwrite the temporarily stored video data and audio data when capture of video data and audio data commences for another image.

30. The camera of claim 26, wherein the selected time at which capture of video data and audio data begins is after capture of the still image.

31. The camera of claim 30, further comprising a shutter release with associated S0, S1, and S2 states, wherein the processing unit is further configured to commence capture of video data and audio data when the shutter release is in the S2 state.

32. The camera of claim 31, wherein the processing unit is further configured to overwrite the temporarily stored video data and audio data when capture of video data nad audio data commences for another image.

33. The camera of claim 26, further comprising a record-control switch, wherein the processing unit is further configured to commence capture of video data and audio data when the record-control switch is activated.