Camera mounting and image capture

• US 20050018073A1
• Filed: 06/25/2004
• Published: 01/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Pilu, Maurizio
• Application Number:
  US10/877,676
• Publication Number:
  US 20050018073A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/375
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 5/00 Holders or carriers for hand articles; Holders or carriers for use while travelling or camping
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 13/00 Other supports for positioning apparatus or articles heads thereof F16M11/02 ; undercarriages thereof F16M11/20 ; adapted to be stuck in the ground A45F3/44 ; sockets or holders for poles or posts E04H12/22; Means for steadying hand-held apparatus or articles supports for measuring instruments G01D11/30; supports for casings of remote control switching devices H01H9/025
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 13/02 for supporting on, or attaching to, an object, e.g. tree, gate, window-frame, cycle
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 13/022 repositionable
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/50 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/60 Control of cameras or camera modules

Abstract

An exemplary camera embodiment is adapted for detection of a mounting arrangement. The embodiment comprises detecting at least one of a plurality of mounting inputs associated with mounting of an image capture device; identifying one of a plurality of image capture settings associated with the detected mounting input; and controlling capture of at least one image by the image capture device in accordance with the identified image capture setting.

Claims

1. An image capture system, comprising:

an image capture device, the image capture device comprising;

an image detector;

a plurality of user interface controls to select mounting inputs that each correspond to a plurality of mounting arrangements of the image capture device; and

a memory wherein a plurality of image capture settings associated with the mounting inputs are stored;

a processor that receives information from a selected mounting input, that accesses the associated image capture setting corresponding to the selected mounting input, and that controls image capture in accordance with the image capture setting; and

an image capture device mounting to fix the image capture device in a desired mounting arrangement on an object.

2. The image capture system of claim 1, wherein a selected one of the mounting inputs is selected by a user with the user interface controls.

3. The image capture system of claim 1, wherein one of the image capture settings comprises a motion stabilization setting.

4. The image capture system of claim 3, wherein images captured by the image detector are corrected for motion by the processor in accordance with the motion stabilization setting.

5. The image capture system of claim 1, wherein one of the image capture settings comprises a picture taking frequency that corresponds to the mounting arrangement of the image capture device.

6. The image capture system of claim 1, wherein one of the image capture settings comprises a picture exposure setting that corresponds to the mounting arrangement of the image capture device.

7. The image capture system of claim 1, wherein one of the image capture settings comprises a field of view setting that corresponds to the mounting arrangement of the image capture device.

8. The image capture system of claim 1, wherein the image capture settings for the mounting arrangement are associated with an expected use of the image capture device in that mounting arrangement.

9. The image capture system of claim 1, further comprising a harness coupled to the image capture device mounting, the harness wearable by a user.

10. The image capture system of claim 9, wherein the harness is adapted to be worn on a user'"'"'s head.

11. The image capture system of claim 9, wherein the harness is adapted to be worn on a user'"'"'s chest.

12. The image capture system of claim 9, wherein the harness is adapted to be worn on a user'"'"'s belt.

13. The image capture system of claim 1, wherein the image capture device mounting is configured to couple the image capture device to a vehicle or a person.

14. The image capture system of claim 1, wherein the image capture device mounting further comprises a clip.

15. The image capture system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of sensors, wherein the processor infers a mounting position from readings received from at least one of the sensors.

16. The image capture system of claim 15, wherein at least one of the sensors is a motion sensor.

17. The image capture system of claim 15, wherein at least one of the sensors is the image detector.

18. The image capture system of claim 15, wherein the inferred mounting position corresponds to a location where the image capture device is mounted on the object.

19. The image capture system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of mounting location buttons, wherein the processor infers the mounting arrangement from readings received from at least one of the mounting location buttons.

20. The image capture system of claim 19, wherein the inferred mounting arrangement corresponds to an orientation of the image capture device.

21. The image capture system of claim 19, further comprising a mount plate configured to actuate one of the plurality of mounting location buttons based upon proximity of the mounting button to be actuated.

22. The image capture system of claim 21, further comprising a harness coupled to the mount plate, the harness wearable by a user.

23. The image capture system of claim 21, further comprising a clip coupled to the mount plate, the clip configured to fasten to the object.

24. The image capture system of claim 21, further comprising a strap coupled to the mount plate, the strap configured to fasten to the object.

25. A method of configuring image capture, the method comprising:

detecting at least one of a plurality of mounting inputs associated with mounting of an image capture device;

identifying one of a plurality of image capture settings associated with the detected mounting input; and

controlling capture of at least one image by the image capture device in accordance with the identified image capture setting.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising selecting one of the plurality of mounting inputs.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the selecting further comprises receiving information from a user interface on the image capture device, whereby one of the plurality of mounting inputs is specified by a user interacting with the user interface.

28. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

receiving information from a motion sensor that senses motion of the image capture device; and

determining a motion stabilization setting from the sensed motion.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising correcting a captured image for motion in accordance with the motion stabilization setting.

30. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

receiving information from a position sensor that senses position of the image capture device; and

inferring a mounting position from the sensed position.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising correcting a captured image in accordance with the inferred mounting position.

32. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

receiving information from an orientation sensor that senses orientation of the image capture device; and

inferring an orientation of the image capture device from the sensed orientation information.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein further comprising correcting a captured image for orientation of the image capture device in accordance with the inferred orientation.

34. The method of claim 25, further comprising determining an image capture frequency setting based upon the detected mounting input, and wherein controlling further comprises capturing images in accordance with the image capture frequency setting.

35. The method of claim 25, further comprising determining an image capture exposure setting, and wherein controlling further comprises capturing images in accordance with the image capture exposure setting.

36. The method of claim 25, further comprising determining a field of view setting, and wherein controlling further comprises capturing images in accordance with the field of view setting.

37. The method of claim 25, further comprising associating an expected use of the image capture device with the image capture settings, such that one of the image capture settings is selected to correspond to the expected use.

38. The method of claim 25, further comprising receiving a user specification of an arrangement such that the detecting of the mounting input is based upon the user specification.

39. A system for configuring image capture, comprising:

means for detecting at least one of a plurality of mounting inputs associated with mounting of an image capture device;

means for identifying one of a plurality of image capture settings associated with the detected mounting input; and

means for controlling capture of images by the image capture device in accordance with the identified image capture setting.

40. The system of claim 39, further comprising means for receiving specification from a user corresponding to an image capture device arrangement such that the means for detecting the mounting input is based upon the user specification.

41. The system of claim 39, further comprising means for mounting the image capture device on a person.

42. The system of claim 39, further comprising means for mounting the image capture device on a vehicle.

43. The system of claim 39, further comprising:

means for determining motion of the image capture device; and

means for correcting a captured image for the determined motion.

44. The system of claim 39, further comprising:

means for determining orientation of the image capture device; and

means for correcting a captured image for the determined orientation.

45. The system of claim 39, further comprising:

means for determining location of the image capture device when the image capture device is located on an object; and

means for correcting a captured image for the determined location.

46. A program for configuring image capture stored on computer-readable medium, the program comprising logic configured to perform;

receiving information from at least one of a plurality of mounting inputs associated with mounting of an image capture device;

determining one of a plurality of image capture settings associated with the received information; and

controlling capture of images by the image capture device in accordance with the determined image capture setting.

47. The program of claim 46, wherein the logic is further configured to perform receiving a user specification of an image capture device arrangement such that the determined image capture setting is based upon the user specification.

48. The program of claim 46, wherein the logic is further configured to perform:

determining motion of the image capture device; and

correcting a captured image for the determined motion.

49. The program of claim 46, wherein the logic is further configured to perform:

determining orientation of the image capture device; and

correcting a captured image for the determined orientation.

50. The program of claim 46, wherein the logic is further configured to perform:

determining location of the image capture device when the image capture device is located on an object; and

correcting a captured image for the determined location.