Method, Device, Mobile Terminal and Computer Program Product for a Camera Motion Detection Based Scheme for Improving Camera Input User Interface Functionalities

• US 20080007620A1
• Filed: 07/06/2006
• Published: 01/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Wang, Kongqiao, Kangas, Jari A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,184,166 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/154
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/63 Scene text, e.g. street names
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/145 Handheld terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/64 Computer-aided capture of images, e.g. transfer from script file into camera, check of taken image quality, advice or proposal for image composition or decision on when to take image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/188 Capturing isolated or intermittent images triggered by the occurrence of a predetermined event, e.g. an object reaching a predetermined position signal generation from motion picture films H04N5/253

Abstract

A device for utilizing camera motion detection for a camera input interface includes a feature extractor, a feature tracker and a capture module. The feature extractor is configured to determine at least one obvious feature in an image frame. The feature tracker is in communication with the feature extractor. The feature tracker is configured to determine an amount of movement of the at least one obvious feature in a subsequent image frame and compare the amount of movement to a threshold. The capture module is in communication with the feature tracker. The capture module is configured to capture an image in response to the comparison of the amount of movement to the threshold.

Claims

11. A computer program product for utilizing camera motion detection for a camera input interface, the computer program product comprising at least one computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

a first executable portion for determining at least one obvious feature in an image frame;

a second executable portion for determining an amount of movement of the at least one obvious feature in a subsequent image frame;

a third executable portion for comparing the amount of movement to a threshold; and

a fourth executable portion for capturing an image in response to the comparison of the amount of movement to the threshold.

1. A method of utilizing camera motion detection for a camera input interface, the method comprising:

determining at least one obvious feature in an image frame;

determining an amount of movement of the at least one obvious feature in a subsequent image frame;

comparing the amount of movement to a threshold; and

capturing an image in response to the comparison of the amount of movement to the threshold.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein determining the at least one obvious feature comprises performing a mathematical comparison between a greyscale value of each pixel of an image to a greyscale value of each adjacent pixel and defining a particular pixel as an obvious feature in response to the pixel having a greyscale value that differs from the greyscale value of the adjacent pixels in at least two directions by at least a predefined amount.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein determining the at least one obvious feature comprises determining a corner block, the corner block being defined as a block of the image frame corresponding to a corner of an object represented in the image frame.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein determining the corner block is performed by comparing a greyscale value of the corner block to greyscale values of blocks surrounding the corner block.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein determining the at least one obvious feature comprises determining a predetermined number of obvious features.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein capturing the image further comprises capturing the image in response to the amount of movement being below the threshold for each of a number of subsequent image frames corresponding to a predetermined time period.

7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising determining a plurality of obvious features and wherein capturing the image further comprises capturing the image in response to the amount of movement of each of the plurality of obvious features being below the threshold.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein capturing the image further comprises capturing the image in response to the amount of movement being below the threshold for each of a predetermined number of subsequent image frames.

9. A method according to claim 1, further comprising determining whether the at least one obvious feature has a matching feature in the subsequent image frame

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein determining whether the at least one obvious feature has the matching feature in the subsequent image frame comprises:

disposing a matching region concentrically relative to the a first feature in a first image frame;

aligning boundaries of the first image frame with boundaries of a second image frame having a second feature; and

determining whether the second feature is disposed within the matching region.

12. A computer program product according to claim 11, wherein the first executable portion includes instructions for performing a mathematical comparison between a greyscale value of each pixel of an image to a greyscale value of each adjacent pixel and defining a particular pixel as an obvious feature in response to the pixel having a greyscale value that differs from the greyscale value of the adjacent pixels in at least two directions by at least a predefined amount.

13. A computer program product according to claim 11, wherein the first executable portion includes instructions for determining a corner block, the corner block being defined as a block of the image frame corresponding to a corner of an object represented in the image frame.

14. A computer program product according to claim 13, wherein the first executable portion further includes instructions for comparing a greyscale value of the corner block to greyscale values of blocks surrounding the corner block.

16. A computer program product according to claim 11, wherein the fourth executable portion further includes instructions for capturing the image in response to the amount of movement being below the threshold for each of a number of subsequent image frames corresponding to a predetermined time period.

17. A computer program product according to claim 11, wherein the fourth executable portion further includes instructions for capturing the image in response to the amount of movement being below the threshold for each of a predetermined number of subsequent image frames.

13-1. A computer program product according to claim 11, wherein the first executable portion includes instructions for determining a predetermined number of obvious features.

18. A device for utilizing camera motion detection for a camera input interface, the device comprising:

a feature extractor configured to determine at least one obvious feature in an image frame;

a feature tracker in communication with the feature extractor, the feature tracker being configured to determine an amount of movement of the at least one obvious feature in a subsequent image frame and compare the amount of movement to a threshold; and

a capture module in communication with the feature tracker, the capture module being configured to capture an image in response to the comparison of the amount of movement to the threshold.

19. A device according to claim 18, wherein the feature tracker is further configured to perform a mathematical comparison between a greyscale value of each pixel of an image to a greyscale value of each adjacent pixel and defining a particular pixel as an obvious feature in response to the pixel having a greyscale value that differs from the greyscale value of the adjacent pixels in at least two directions by at least a predefined amount.

20. A device according to claim 18, wherein the obvious feature is a corner block and the feature extractor is further configured to determine the corner block as a block of the image frame corresponding to a corner of an object represented in the image frame.

21. A device according to claim 20, wherein the feature extractor is further configured to determine the corner block by comparing a greyscale value of the corner block to greyscale values of blocks surrounding the corner block.

22. A device according to claim 18, wherein the feature extractor is further configured to determine a predetermined number of obvious features.

23. A device according to claim 18, wherein the feature tracker is further configured to vary the threshold in response to a user input.

24. A device according to claim 18, wherein the feature tracker is further configured to vary the threshold in response to a number of the obvious features.

25. A device according to claim 18, wherein the feature extractor is configured to determine a plurality of obvious features and the capture module is configured to capture the image in response to the amount of movement being of each of the plurality of obvious features being below the threshold.

26. A device according to claim 18, wherein the capture module is configured to capture the image in response to the amount of movement being below the threshold for each of a number of subsequent image frames corresponding to a predetermined time period.

27. A device according to claim 18, wherein the feature tracker is further configured to determine whether the at least one obvious feature has a matching feature in the subsequent image frame

28. A device according to claim 26, wherein the feature tracker is further configured to:

dispose a matching region concentrically relative to the a first feature in a first image frame;

align boundaries of the first image frame with boundaries of a second image frame having a second feature; and

determine whether the second feature is disposed within the matching region.

30. A mobile terminal according to claim 18, wherein the feature tracker is further configured to perform a mathematical comparison between a greyscale value of each pixel of an image to a greyscale value of each adjacent pixel and defining a particular pixel as an obvious feature in response to the pixel having a greyscale value that differs from the greyscale value of the adjacent pixels in at least two directions by at least a predefined amount.

29. A mobile terminal for utilizing camera motion detection for camera input interface, the mobile terminal comprising:

a feature extractor configured to determine at least one obvious feature in an image frame;

a feature tracker in communication with the feature extractor, the feature tracker being configured to determine an amount of movement of the at least one obvious feature in a subsequent image frame and compare the amount of movement to a threshold; and

a capture module in communication with the feature tracker, the capture module being configured to capture an image in response to the amount of movement being below the threshold.

31. A mobile terminal according to claim 29, wherein the obvious feature is a corner block and the feature extractor is further configured to determine the corner block as a block of the image frame corresponding to a corner of an object represented in the image frame.

32. A mobile terminal according to claim 31, wherein the feature extractor is further configured to determine the corner block by comparing a greyscale value of the corner block to greyscale values of blocks surrounding the corner block.

33. A mobile terminal according to claim 29, wherein the feature extractor is further configured to determine a predetermined number of obvious features.

34. A mobile terminal according to claim 29, wherein the feature extractor is configured to determine a plurality of obvious features and the capture module is configured to capture the image in response to the amount of movement being of each of the plurality of obvious features being below the threshold.

35. A mobile terminal according to claim 29, wherein the capture module is configured to capture the image in response to the amount of movement being below the threshold for each of a number of subsequent image frames corresponding to a predetermined time period.