Imaging system with delayed verification image presentation

• US 20040155967A1
• Filed: 02/06/2003
• Published: 08/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Monument Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Belz, Steven M., Jourdan, Arlene T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,301,562 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/207.99
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/00 Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/42 by switching between different modes of operation using different resolutions or aspect ratios, e.g. switching between interlaced and non-interlaced mode

Abstract

An imaging system and method are provided. In accordance with the method a trigger signal is detected and an image of a scene is captured in response to the trigger signal. The image is presented. A verification mode is determined and the presentation of the captured image is ended at a first ending time when a first verification mode is determined the presentation of the captured image is ended at a second ending time when a second verification mode is determined.

Claims

1. A method for operating an imaging system, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting a trigger signal;

capturing an image of a scene in response to the trigger signal;

presenting the captured image;

determining a verification mode;

ending the presentation of the captured image at a first ending time when a first verification mode is determined; and

ending the presentation of the captured image at a second ending time when a second verification mode is determined.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining a verification mode comprises determining a verification mode based upon analysis of the captured image.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of detecting a verification mode selection wherein the step of determining the verification mode comprises determining the verification mode based upon the verification mode selection.

4. The imaging system of claim 1, further comprising the step of receiving a signal having information wherein the step of determining the verification mode comprises determining the verification mode based upon the information received.

5. The imaging system of claim 1 further comprising the step of determining an image capture mode, wherein the step of determining a verification mode comprises determining the verification mode based upon the determined image capture mode.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of detecting a self-timer image capture mode signal, capturing the image at a predetermined time after the trigger signal when the self-timer image capture mode signal is detected and wherein the step of determining a verification mode comprises determining the second verification mode when the self-timer image capture mode signal is detected.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of presenting the image comprises beginning presentation of the image at a first starting time when the first verification mode is determined and beginning presentation of the image at a second starting time that is different from the first starting time when the second verification mode is determined.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of ending the presentation of the captured mage at a second ending time comprises the steps of determining a distance between the imaging system and a subject of the image and using the determined distance to determine the second ending time.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of ending the presentation of the captured image at a second ending time comprises the steps of capturing additional images of the scene after the image has been captured, analyzing the additional images, and determining the second ending time based upon the analysis of the additional images.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of detecting a trigger signal comprises the steps of receiving a remotely transmitted signal and generating a trigger signal based upon the received signal and wherein the step of ending the presentation of the captured image at a second ending time further comprises determining the second ending time based upon the trigger signal.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the step detecting a trigger signal comprises receiving a transmitted signal and generating a trigger signal representative of a signal strength of the received signal and wherein the processor determines the second ending time based upon the signal strength as represented in the trigger signal.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the image comprises a single image.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the image comprises a stream of image information.

43. The imaging system of claim 1 wherein the image is a single image.

44. The imaging system of claim 1 wherein the image comprises a stream of image information.

49. The imaging system of claim 43, wherein the processor determines the amount of time that the second ending time is after the first ending time is based upon analysis of the archival image.

14. A method for operating an imaging system, the method comprising:

detecting a trigger signal;

detecting a separated capture mode signal;

capturing an archival mage in response to the trigger signal;

providing an evaluation image that corresponds to the archival image;

presenting the evaluation image;

ending presentation of the evaluation image at a first ending time after the trigger signal when a separated capture mode signal is not detected; and

ending presentation of the evaluation image at a second ending time after the trigger signal when a separated capture mode signal is detected;

wherein the second ending time is after the first ending time.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the archival image is captured at a predetermined time after the trigger signal when a separated capture mode signal is detected.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of detecting the separated capture mode signal comprises detecting a broadcast signal.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of detecting the separated capture mode signal comprises detecting a signal generated by a user control.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the image comprises a single image.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the archival image comprises a stream of image information, and wherein the step of providing an evaluation image comprises forming an evaluation image based upon the image information in the stream of image information.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the separated capture mode is user selected.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein the separated capture mode is automatically selected.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of presenting the evaluation image comprises starting the presentation of the image at a first start time when the separated mode signal is detected, and starting the presentation of the evaluation image at a second start time when the separated mode is not detected, further wherein the first start time begins after the second start time.

23. The method of claim 14, wherein the separated mode signal comprises a self-timer signal.

24. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of receiving a input signal and determining an amount of time that the second ending time is after the first ending time based upon the input signal.

25. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of analyzing the scene captured in the archival image and determining a second ending time based upon analysis of the scene.

26. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of determining a focus distance for capturing the archival image and determining a second ending time based upon a focus distance.

27. A method for operating an imaging system, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting a trigger signal;

detecting whether a self-timer mode signal has been generated;

capturing archival image and forming an evaluation image based upon the archival image for presentation on a display;

displaying the evaluation image within a first time period when a self-timer signal is not detected; and

displaying the evaluation image within a second time period that extends beyond the first time period when the separated captured mode signal is detected;

wherein the step of capturing the archival image comprises the steps of capturing the archival image at a predetermined time after the trigger signal when the self-timer signal is detected.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the extent to which the second period extends beyond the first time period is determined automatically.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the second period begins after the first period.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the step of capturing an archival image comprises capturing a stream of archival image information and the step of forming an evaluation image comprises forming an evaluation image based upon the stream of archival image information.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein the step of capturing an archival image comprises capturing a sequence of archival images and the step of forming an archival image comprises forming an evaluation image based upon the sequence of archival images.

32. An imaging system comprising:

a trigger system having a trigger circuit generating a trigger signal;

an image capture system adapted to capture an image of a scene in response the trigger signal;

a display for presenting images; and

a processor adapted to receive the captured image, to form an evaluation image for presentation on the display, and to cause the display to present the evaluation image;

wherein said processor determines a verification mode and ends the presentation of the captured image at a first time when a first verification mode is determined and ends the presentation of the evaluation image at second time when a second verification mode is determined.

33. The imaging system of claim 32, wherein the processor determines the verification mode based upon analysis of the captured image.

34. The imaging system of claim 32, further comprising a verification mode selection input wherein the processor determines the verification mode based upon the mode selection input.

35. The imaging system of claim 32, further comprising user controls adapted to receive input from which the processor can determine the verification mode and wherein the processor determines the verification mode based upon input received from the user controls.

36. The imaging system of claim 32 wherein the processor is further adapted to cooperate with the image capture system to capture images in more than one mode and wherein the processor determines the verification mode based upon the mode of image capture.

37. The imaging some of claim 32, further comprising a self-timer mode selector wherein the processor causes the image capture system to capture an image in a predetermined time after a trigger signal when the self-timer mode is selected and wherein the processor determines the second verification mode when the self-timer mode is selected.

38. The imaging system of claim 32 further comprising a rangefinder, wherein said processor operates said rangefinder after image capture and uses information from the rangefinder to determine the second starting time.

39. The imaging system of claim 32, wherein the processor causes the image capture system to capture additional images after the image is captured and analyzes the additional images to determine the second starting time.

40. The imaging system of claim 32, wherein the trigger system comprises a receiver adapted to receive a signal from a location that is separated from the imaging system and to generate a trigger signal based upon the received signal and wherein the processor determines the second starting time based upon the trigger signal.

41. The imaging system of claim 32, wherein the trigger system comprises a receiver adapted to receive a signal from a location that is separated from the imaging system and to generate a trigger signal representative of the signal strength of the received signal and wherein the processor determines the second starting time based upon the signal strength as represented in the trigger signal.

42. The imaging system of claim 32 wherein the processor is further adapted to begin presentation of the evaluation image at a first starting time when the first verification mode is determined and to begin presentation of the evaluation image at a second starting time when the second verification mode is determined.

45. An imaging system comprising:

a separated capture mode detector;

a trigger system having a trigger circuit adapted to generate a trigger signal;

an image capture system adapted to capture an archival image in response to the trigger signal;

a display for presenting images; and

,

a processor receiving the captured archival image, processing the captured archival image to form an evaluation image and causing the display to present the evaluation image;

wherein the processor ends presentation of the evaluation image at a first ending time after the trigger signal when a separated capture mode signal is not detected and ends presentation of the captured image at a second ending time after the trigger signal when a separated capture mode signal is detected; and

wherein the second ending time is after the first ending time.

46. The imaging system of claim 45, wherein the image capture system has a timer that causes the archival image to be captured at a first capture time after the trigger signal when the separated capture mode is not selected and at a second capture time after the trigger signal when the separated capture mode is selected, wherein the second capture time is after the first capture time.

47. The imaging system of claim 45, wherein the processor causes the display to begin presentation of the evaluation image at a first starting time when a separated capture mode signal is not detected and to begin display of the captured image at a second starting time when a separated capture mode signal is detected and wherein the second starting time is after the first starting time.

48. The imaging system of claim 45, wherein the imaging system comprises a range finding system for determining the distance from the imaging system to a subject of the archival image and the processor determines the amount of time that the second ending time is after beyond the first ending time based upon the distance from the imaging system to the subject of the image.

50. The imaging system of claim 45 further comprising a communication module adapted to receive a signal from a remote source and to generate a trigger signal in response thereto, wherein said processor is adapted to select the separated capture made when a trigger signal is generated based upon the remotely received signal.

52. The imaging system of claim 48, wherein the second period begins after the first period.

53. The imaging system of claim 48, wherein the separated capture mode signal comprises a self-timer signal.

51. An imaging system comprising:

a self-timer mode input generating a self-timer mode selection signal;

a trigger system having a trigger circuit generating a trigger signal;

an image capture system for capturing an archival image of the scene in response to a capture signal;

a display for presenting an image; and

,

a processor receiving the archival image and forming an evaluation image based upon the archival image;

wherein the processor detects whether a self-timer signal has been generated and generates a capture signal at a predetermined period of time after the trigger signal when the self-timer mode is selected and wherein the processor causes the evaluation image to be displayed within a first time period when the self-timer mode is not selected and a second time period when the self-timer mode is selected with the second time period extending beyond the first time period.

54. An image capture system for capturing and displaying images;

said image capture system comprising;

a mode selector;

a trigger generating a trigger signal;

an image capture unit for capturing images;

a display for presenting captured images; and

a processor means causing the image capture unit to capture an image of the scene in response to the trigger signal with the processing means further being adapted to cause a captured image to be presented on a display either within a first time period or within a second time period that extends beyond the first time period;

wherein the processing means selects the time period for presentation of the captured image based upon the selected mode.