Mobile Device with Integrated Camera Operations

• US 20080165259A1
• Filed: 03/19/2008
• Published: 07/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Nobels, Jonathan
• Granted Patent: US 8,018,518 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/231.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00127 Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera

Abstract

A mobile device with an integrated camera responsive to signals from a camera activator. The mobile device includes application programs capable of editing documents. The user triggers the device operating system to switch from an active application program in which the user is editing a document to a camera application by activating the camera activator. The user then captures an image by again triggering the camera activator, whereupon the active application is restored and the image data is inserted within the document. The captured image is directly inserted into an input field within the open document in the active application.

Claims

1. A method of capturing image data and inserting the image data into an active document on a mobile device, the mobile device including a camera, a camera activator, and a camera listener interface, the mobile device further including an active application in which the active document is open and a camera application, the method comprising:

determining that the active application is open in an editable mode and enabling the camera listener interface in response thereto; and

when the camera listener interface is enabled,

receiving a first signal from the camera activator,

suspending operation of the active application in response to detection of the first signal and invoking the camera application,

detecting a second signal from the camera activator, and

in response to detection of said second signal, capturing image data via the camera, and automatically resuming operation of the active application and inserting said image data into said active document open in the active application.

2. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the mobile device further includes a processor and the camera activator is configured to generate an interrupt on activation, and wherein the steps of receiving the first signal and receiving the second signal comprise receiving a first interrupt signal at the processor and receiving a second interrupt signal at the processor, respectively, and wherein enabling the camera listener interface includes registering the camera listener interface with the processor as handler of interrupt signals from the camera activator.

3. The method claimed in claim 2, wherein receiving the first interrupt signal and receiving the second interrupt signal include notifying the camera listener interface.

4. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein determining includes determining that the active document has an active input field capable of receiving image data.

5. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein suspending includes activating the camera application in a viewfinder mode.

6. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein said active document includes a document selected from the group including an e-mail message, an instant message, a word processing document, a spreadsheet, a contact entry, a personal profile, a calendar entry, a memo, a task reminder, and a multimedia message.

7. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of capturing image data includes creating an image object containing said image data.

8. The method claim in claim 7 wherein said step of inserting includes passing said image object to said active application, whereupon said active application inserts said image data within an input field in said active document.

9. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the camera activator includes a triggering device selected from the group including a button, a key, a switch, a dial, a touch pad, a touch screen, a key combination, and a software device.

10. A mobile device, comprising:

a processor and associated memory, the processor being configured to run an active application and a camera application, the active application being configured to open an active document;

a camera for capturing images and providing image data for said images to said processor;

a cam-era activator responsive to user activation; and

a camera listener interface configured to be enabled when the active application is determined to be in an editable mode, and wherein the camera listener interface is further configured to detect a first signal from said camera activator and to cause the processor to suspend the active application in response to said first signal from said camera activator, and,

wherein the camera listener interface is further configured to detect a second signal and, in response thereto, to cause the camera to capture the image data and to cause the processor to resume said active application and to pass said active application said image data for insertion into the active document within said active application.

11. The mobile device claimed in claim 10, wherein the camera activator is configured to generate an interrupt on activation, and wherein the camera listener interface is configured to be registered with the processor as handler of interrupt signals from the camera activator when the active application is determined to be in editable mode.

12. The mobile device claimed in claim 10, wherein said camera application outputs an image object containing said image data, and wherein said camera listener interface invokes said camera application in response to said first signal.

13. The mobile device claimed in claim 12, wherein said camera application is invoked in a viewfinder mode, whereby said display screen outputs an image corresponding to a view through said camera.

14. The mobile device claimed in claim 10, wherein said active document includes a document selected from the group including an email message, an instant message, a word processing document, a spreadsheet, a contact entry, a personal profile, a calendar entry, a memo, a task reminder, and a multimedia message.

15. The mobile device claimed in claim 10, wherein said camera activator includes a triggering device selected from the group including a button, a key, a switch, a dial, a touch pad, a touch screen, a key combination, and a software device.

16. The mobile device claimed in claim 10, wherein said camera listener interface is incorporated within an operating system associated with said processor.

17. A handheld device, comprising:

processing means for running an active application and a camera application, the active application being configured to open an active document;

imaging means for capturing images and providing image data for said images to said processing means;

activation means responsive to user activation; and

a camera listener means configured to be enabled when the active application is determined to be in an editable mode, and wherein the camera listener means is for detecting a first signal from said activation means and for causing the processing means to suspend the active application in response to said first signal from said activation means, and,

wherein the camera listener means includes means for detecting a second signal and, in response thereto, causing the imaging means to capture the image data and to cause the processing means to resume said active application and to pass said active application said image data for insertion into the active document within said active application.

18. A mobile device for capturing image data and inserting the image data into an active document on the mobile device, the mobile device including a camera, a camera activator, and a camera listener interface, the mobile device further including an active application in which the active document is open and a camera application, the mobile device including a processor and memory storing processor-executable instructions, the processor-executable instructions comprising:

instructions for determining that the active application is open in an editable mode and enabling the camera listener interface in response thereto; and

instructions executable when the camera listener interface is enabled,

for receiving a first signal from the camera activator,

for suspending operation of the active application in response to detection of the first signal and invoking the camera application,

for detecting a second signal from the camera activator, and

for capturing image data via the camera in response to detection of said second signal, and automatically resuming operation of the active application and inserting said image data into said active document open in the active application.