IMAGE ALIGNMENT SYSTEM

• US 20080124064A1
• Filed: 12/21/2006
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Klinghult, Gunnar, Kleverman, Mats
• Granted Patent: US 7,567,752 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 396/50
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/20 visible in viewfinder
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1686 the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/60 Rotation of whole images or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators

Abstract

In an imaging device including an image recording arrangement, a tilt-sensor, and a display, a method may include detecting a tilt-angle for the image recording arrangement using the tilt-sensor; and presenting at least one marker-arrangement via the display indicative of the tilt-angle.

Claims

1. In an imaging device including an image recording arrangement, a tilt-sensor, and a display, a method comprising:

detecting a tilt-angle for the image recording arrangement using the tilt-sensor; and

presenting at least one marker-arrangement via the display indicative of the tilt-angle.

2. The method in claim 1, wherein the detecting the tilt-angle is performed by using information provided by at least one of a gyroscope arrangement or an accelerometer arrangement.

3. The method in claim 1, wherein the presenting the at least one marker-arrangement comprises:

providing a first transversal line substantially fixed to the image recording arrangement to indicate a substantially fixed angle with respect to the image recording arrangement, and

providing a second transversal line substantially fixed to the horizon to indicate a substantially fixed angle with respect to the horizon.

4. The method in claim 1, wherein the presenting the at least one marker-arrangement comprises:

providing a first longitudinal line substantially fixed to the image recording arrangement to indicate a substantially fixed angle with respect to the recording arrangement,

providing a second longitudinal line substantially fixed to the horizon to indicate a substantially fixed angle with respect to the horizon.

5. The method in claim 1 wherein the presenting the at least one marker-arrangement is performed by presenting:

providing a first crosshair substantially fixed to the image recording arrangement to indicate a substantially fixed angle with respect to the recording arrangement,

providing a second crosshair substantially fixed to the horizon to indicate a substantially fixed angle with respect to the horizon.

6. The method in claim 1, wherein the presenting the at least one marker-arrangement comprises:

providing a frame having a substantially similar shape as an image presented via the display and being substantially fixed to the horizon to indicate a substantially fixed angle with respect to the horizon.

7. The method in claim 6, further comprising:

maximizing the frame within the image.

8. The method in claim 7 further comprising:

selecting and storing an aligned subset of the image, wherein the subset is defined by the frame.

9. The method in claim 1, further comprising:

capturing the image; and

storing the captured image together with the tilt-angle α

.

10. A portable imaging device comprising:

an image recording arrangement to record images;

a tilt-sensor to sense a tilt-angle of the image recording arrangement;

a display arrangement to present images recorded by the image recording arrangement; and

an aligning-unit configured to present at least one marker-arrangement via said display arrangement indicative of said tilt-angle.

11. The portable imaging device in claim 10, wherein the tilt-sensor comprises a gyroscope arrangement or an accelerometer arrangement.

12. The portable imaging device in claim 10, wherein the at least one marker-arrangement comprises:

a first transversal line substantially fixed to the image recording arrangement so as to display a substantially fixed angle with respect to the recording arrangement; and

a second transversal line substantially fixed to the horizon so as to display a substantially fixed angle with respect to the horizon.

13. The portable imaging device in claim 10, wherein the at least one marker-arrangement comprises:

a first longitudinal line substantially fixed to the image recording arrangement so as to display a substantially fixed angle with respect to the recording arrangement; and

a second longitudinal line substantially fixed to the horizon so as to display a substantially fixed angle with respect to the horizon.

14. The portable imaging device in claim 10, wherein the at least one marker-arrangement comprises:

a first crosshair substantially fixed to the image recording arrangement so as to display a substantially fixed angle with respect to the recording arrangement, and

a second crosshair substantially fixed to the horizon so as to display a substantially fixed angle with respect to the horizon.

15. The portable imaging device in claim 10, wherein the at least one marker-arrangement comprises:

a frame having substantially a same shape as an image presented by the display arrangement and being substantially fixed to the horizon so as to display a substantially fixed angle with respect to the horizon.

16. The portable imaging device in claim 15, wherein the aligning-unit is arranged to operatively maximize the frame within the image.

17. The portable device in claim 16, wherein the aligning-unit is arranged to operatively select and store an aligned subset of a tilted image, which subset is defined by the frame.

18. The portable device in claim 10, wherein the aligning-unit is arranged to operatively store a tilted image together with the tilt-angle α

at which the image was recorded.

19. A computer program product stored on a computer usable medium, including readable program means for causing a portable device to execute, when said program means is loaded in a portable device, comprising:

an image recording arrangement for recording images,

a tilt-sensor for sensing a tilt-angle for the image recording arrangement,

a display arrangement for presenting images recorded by the image recording arrangement, and

an aligning-unit,

the steps of;

detecting a tilt-angle for the image recording arrangement using said tilt-sensor;

presenting at least one marker-arrangement on said display arrangement indicative of said tilt-angle.

20. A portable imaging device comprising:

means for recording images;

means for sensing a tilt-angle of the means for recording images;

means for rendering recorded images; and

means for presenting at least one marker-arrangement via said means for rendering recorded images indicative of said tilt-angle.