Extended image digital photography

• US 20040201748A1
• Filed: 09/12/2001
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Brake, Gregory A., Goldstein, Tim
• Application Number:
  US09/954,598
• Publication Number:
  US 20040201748A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/231.99
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3873 defined only by a limited number of coordinate points or parameters, e.g. corners, centre; for trimming
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3876 Recombination of partial images to recreate the original image
• 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

Abstract

A digital camera is provided with a system for capturing at least one image of a scene, a system for displaying the captured image, system for cropping the displayed image, and system for storing an uncropped portion of the displayed image. Also provided is a method of controlling a digital camera including the steps of receiving at least one captured image from a photosensor, displaying the captured image, receiving cropping instructions for the displayed image, and storing an uncropped portion of the displayed image.

Claims

1. A digital camera, comprising:

means for capturing at least one image of a scene;

means for displaying said at least one captured image;

means for cropping the displayed at least one captured image; and

means for storing an uncropped portion of the displayed at least one captured image.

2. The digital camera recited in claim 1, further comprising means for deleting a cropped portion of displayed image.

3. The digital camera recited in claim 1 wherein said capturing means captures at least two images of the scene.

4. The digital camera recited in claim 3, further comprising means for merging the two captured images into the displayed image.

5. The digital camera recited in claim 1 wherein said at least two images of the scene are captured sequentially in time.

6. The digital camera recited in claim 4 wherein said at least two images of the scene are captured simultaneously.

7. The digital camera recited in claim 3 wherein said at least two images have an overlapping image field.

8. The digital camera recited in claim 3 wherein said at least two images have substantially the same image field.

9. A method of controlling the operation of a digital camera, comprising the steps of:

receiving at least one captured image from a photosensor;

displaying the captured image;

receiving cropping instructions for the displayed image;

storing an uncropped portion of the displayed image.

10. The method recited in claim 9 further comprising the step of deleting a cropped portion of the displayed image.

11. The method recited in claim 9 wherein said receiving step further comprises receiving at least two captured images from the photosensor.

12. The method recited in claim 11, further comprising the step of:

merging the two captured images into the displayed image.

13. The method recited in claim 11 further comprising the step of capturing said at least two images sequentially in time.

14. The method recited in claim 11 further comprising the step of capturing said at least two images simultaneously.

15. The method recited in claim 14 wherein said at least two images have an overlapping image field.

16. The method recited in claim 12 wherein said two images have the same image field.

17. A computer readable medium for controlling the operation of a digital camera, comprising:

logic that receives at least one captured image from a photosensor;

logic that displays the at least one captured image;

logic that receives cropping instructions for the displayed at least one captured image;

logic that stores an uncropped portion of the displayed at least one captured image; and

logic that deletes a cropped portion of the displayed image prior to storing the uncropped portion of the displayed image.

18. The computer readable medium recited in claim 17 wherein said receiving logic comprises further logic that receives at least two captured images from the photosensor.

19. The computer readable medium recited in claim 17 further comprising logic that merges the two captured images into the displayed image.

20. The computer readable medium recited in claim 18 wherein said at least two captured images are captured sequentially in time.

21. The computer readable medium recited in claim 18 wherein said two images are captured simultaneously.

22. The computer readable medium recited in claim 21 wherein said two images have a n over lapping image field.

23. The computer readable medium recited in claim 22 wherein said two images have the same image field.