Image processing

• US 20060103731A1
• Filed: 10/19/2005
• Published: 05/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Pilu, Maurizio, Cheatle, Stephen Philip
• Granted Patent: US 9,210,324 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/207.990
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20132 Image cropping
• 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 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/67 Focus control based on electronic image sensor signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2628 Alteration of picture size, shape, position or orientation, e.g. zooming, rotation, rolling, perspective, translation

Abstract

A method of processing image data representing a captured image, the data generated using an image capture element of an image capture device, the method comprising generating state data representing at least one characteristic of motion of the image capture device and a status of at least one setting of the device during a predetermined time period, and processing the image data on the basis of the state data in order to provide a measure of the accuracy of framing of the captured image within a field of view of the device, and corresponding apparatus.

Claims

1. A method of processing image data representing a captured image, the data generated using an image capture element of an image capture device, the method comprising:

generating state data representing at least one characteristic of motion of the image capture device and a status of at least one setting of the device during a predetermined time period; and

processing the image data on the basis of the state data in order to provide a measure of the accuracy of framing of the captured image within a field of view of the device.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

processing the image data on the basis of the state data in order to provide a measure of the type of framing of the captured image within a field of view of the device

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the predetermined time period is a time period before the image is captured.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the image capture occurs within the predetermined time period.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the measure is a qualitative measure.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the measure is a quantative measure.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein processing the image data includes comparing the state data with data representing at least one model, the or each model representing at least one exemplary motion pattern and/or device setting pattern of the device, and processing the image data on the basis of the comparison.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the model data is at least one hidden Markov model.

9. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein comparing the state data further includes determining a model with the highest probability of representing the characteristic of motion of the image capture device and status of the or each setting of the device during the predetermined period.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising generating temporal data representing a time frame over which the image was captured, and processing generated image data on the basis of the temporal data.

11. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein determining the status of at least one setting of the device includes generating zoom data representing a status of a zoom function of the device during the predetermined time period, and processing the image data on the basis of the zoom data.

12. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

detecting an audio signal using an audio sensor of the device;

generating directional audio data representing a direction with respect to the audio sensor from which the audio signal was detected; and

processing generated image data on the basis of the directional audio data.

13. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

determining a subject of an image during the predetermined period;

generating image subject data representing a motion of a subject of the image within a field of view of the device during the period; and

processing the image data on the basis of the image subject data.

14. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

generating biometric data using at least one biometric sensor of the device, the biometric data representing any one or more of skin conductivity, heart rate, pupil dilation, blood pressure, or perspiration of a user of the device; and

processing the image data on the basis of the biometric data.

15. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a measure of the framing type and/or accuracy to a user of the device.

16. A method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the framing data represents whether the subject of the image is framed substantially centrally, or in a left hand, right hand, and/or upper or lower portion of the field of view.

17. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein determining the status of at least one device setting further comprises:

generating auto-focus data representing whether an image capture actuator of the device, the actuator operable to effect image capture, is in a state causing auto-focus of the device on a desired subject, followed by movement of the device in order to re-frame the desired subject whilst in focus, in the predetermined period; and

processing generated image data on the basis of the auto-focus data.

18. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein processing the generated image data includes removing a portion of the image.

19. A method as claimed in claim 18, wherein removing a portion of the image comprises:

determining a subset of image data representing a portion of the capture image, the portion including at least a region of the image comprising a desired subject of the image; and

deleting image data outside of the subset from a memory of the device to provide output image data representing a desired image.

20. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the image capture element is adapted to generate image data from a larger field of view of the device than that viewable by a user of the device, and wherein processing the image data representing a captured image includes using image data from a portion of the field of view not viewable by a user of the device.

21. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

alerting the user of the device that the measure of the accuracy of the framing is below a predetermined threshold value.

22. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device is adapted to accept input from a user, the input operable to override processing of the image data.

23. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising controlling at least one camera function on the basis of the state data.

24. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the temporal data forms part of the state data.

31. An image capture device operable in accordance with the method as claimed in claim 1.

35. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having thereon computer program instructions, such that, when said program is loaded in a memory of the computer, the instructions cause the computer to process image data in accordance with the method claimed in claim 1.

36. A program stored on computer-readable medium, the program comprising instructions configured to cause a computer to process image data in accordance with the method claimed in claim 1.

37. A logic circuit configured to operate in accordance with the method claimed in claim 1.

38. A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the zoom data forms part of the state data.

39. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the audio data forms part of the state data.

40. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the subject data forms part of the state data.

41. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the biometric data forms part of the state data.

42. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the framing data forms part of the state data.

43. A method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the auto-focus data forms part of the state data.

25. An image capture device comprising:

an image capture element operable to generate image data;

a processor; and

a state data generator for generating state data representing at least one characteristic of motion of the image capture device and a status of at least one setting of the device during a predetermined time period, wherein the processor is operable to process image data representing a captured image on the basis of the state data in order to provide a measure of the accuracy of framing of the captured image within a field of view of the device.

26. A device as claimed in claim 25, further comprising a memory comprising data representing at least one probabilistic model, the or each model representing at least one exemplary motion pattern and/or device setting pattern of the device.

27. A device as claimed in claim 25, further comprising an image capture actuator operable to effect capture of an image, the processor operable to generate auto-focus data representing whether the actuator is in a state causing auto-focus of the device on a desired subject, followed by movement of the device in order to re-frame the desired subject whilst in focus, in the predetermined period, and process generated image data on the basis of the auto-focus data.

28. A device as claimed in claim 25, wherein the device is operable to automatically focus on a subject within a field of view of the device.

29. A device as claimed in claim 25, wherein a user of the device effects focus of the device on a desired subject within a field of view of the device using a focus actuator of the device.

30. A device as claimed in claim 25, wherein the processor is operable to generate data representing a measure of a type of framing of a captured image within a field of view of the device.

32. An image capture device comprising:

an image capture element operable to generate image data;

a processor; and

a state data generator for generating state data representing at least one characteristic of motion of the image capture device and a status of at least one setting of the device during a predetermined time period, the processor being operable to process image data representing a captured image on the basis of the state data in order to provide crop data representing a measure of the accuracy and/or type of framing of the captured image within a field of view of the device, the processor operable to use the crop data in order to determine a subset of the captured image data suitable for deletion from a memory of the device.

33. A computer program product for use with a computer, said computer program product comprising:

a computer useable medium having computer executable program code embodied thereon, wherein said product is operable, in association with said computer, to generate state data representing at least one characteristic of motion of an image capture device and a status of at least one setting of the device during a predetermined time period; and

process image data on the basis of the state data in order to provide a measure of the type and/or accuracy of framing of the captured image within a field of view of the device.

34. A computer program, comprising machine readable instructions, wherein said program is arranged, in association with said machine, to generate state data representing at least one characteristic of motion of an image capture device and a status of at least one setting of the device during a predetermined time period;

and

process image data on the basis of the state data in order to provide a measure of the type and/or accuracy of framing of the captured image within a field of view of the device.