Linking captured images using short range communications

• US 20090213245A1
• Filed: 02/21/2008
• Published: 08/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Harper, Richard, Banks, Richard M., Gosset, Philip
• Granted Patent: US 8,743,223 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/231.300
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for linking captured images using short range communications or a personal area network are described. In an embodiment, an image capture device is described which detects devices in proximity to the device and stores data identifying the devices and the times when they were in proximity. In another embodiment, a computing-based device is described which uses the data stored by an image capture device to identify sequences of images which were captured by a group of devices in proximity to each other and to present these sequences to a viewer concurrently and in temporal alignment.

Claims

1. An image capture device comprising:

an image capture module arranged to capture images and to determine a capture time for each captured image;

a sensor arranged to detect devices in proximity to the image capture device and generate proximity data; and

a store for storing captured images, capture times and proximity data.

2. An image capture device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a wireless receiver and wherein the wireless receiver is arranged to:

detect a device in proximity to the image capture device; and

determine an identifier for the device and a detection time.

3. An image capture device according to claim 2, wherein the wireless receiver is arranged to use a discovery protocol to detect a device in proximity and determine an identifier for the device.

4. An image capture device according to claim 2, wherein the wireless receiver comprises one of a Bluetooth®

and a WiFi receiver.

5. An image capture device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of a capture time and proximity data is stored as metadata associated with a captured image.

6. An image capture device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a location sensor arranged to detect a location for each captured image.

7. An image capture device according to claim 1, wherein the image capture module comprises:

an image sensor; and

a processor;

and wherein the image capture device further comprises;

memory arranged to store executable instructions, which when executed cause the processor to;

store a capture time associated with each captured image;

detect devices in proximity using the sensor; and

store the proximity data, wherein the proximity data comprises an identifier for each detected device and a time of detection.

8. An image capture device according to claim 1, wherein the memory is further arranged to store executable instructions, which when executed cause the processor to:

use the sensor to detect when a device moves out of proximity to an image capture device; and

store a time of detection associated with the identifier for the device.

9. One or more tangible device-readable media with device-executable instructions for performing steps comprising:

storing a capture time associated with each captured image;

detecting devices in proximity to an image capture device; and

storing an identifier for each detected device and a time of detection.

10. One or more tangible device-readable media according to claim 9, further comprising device-executable instructions for performing steps comprising:

detecting when a device moves out of proximity to an image capture device; and

storing a time of detection associated with the identifier for the device.

11. One or more tangible device-readable media according to claim 9, further comprising device-executable instructions for performing steps comprising:

uploading image data, identifiers for detected devices and associated times of detection to a computing-based device.

12. One or more tangible device-readable media according to claim 9, wherein at least one of the capture time, identifier for a detected device and a time of detection are stored as metadata associated a captured image.

13. One or more tangible device-readable media with device-executable instructions for performing steps comprising:

receiving a plurality of images and associated data from a plurality of image capture devices, wherein the associated data comprises a capture time for each image;

storing the data;

identifying a plurality of sequences of images captured by a set of image capture devices whilst in proximity based on the associated data; and

presenting the plurality of sequences of images concurrently and in temporal alignment.

14. One or more tangible device-readable media according to claim 13, wherein the associated data further comprises at least one of proximity data and location data, wherein proximity data comprises an identifier for a proximate device and data detailing a time of proximity and wherein location data comprises a capture location associated with each image.

15. One or more tangible device-readable media according to claim 13, wherein identifying a plurality of sequences of images captured by a set of image capture devices whilst in proximity based on the associated data comprises:

searching stored data to identify a set of image capture devices in proximity to each other for a period of time;

identifying sequences of images captured by each identified device in the set during said period of time; and

linking the identified sequences of images.

16. One or more tangible device-readable media according to claim 15, wherein searching stored data to identify a set of image capture devices in proximity to each other for a period of time comprises:

searching stored data to identify an initial set of image capture devices in proximity to each other for a period of time; and

filtering the initial set of image capture devices based on defined criteria to generate the set of image capture devices.

17. One or more tangible device-readable media according to claim 13, wherein presenting the plurality of sequences of images concurrently and in temporal alignment comprises:

identifying a plurality of sequences for display; and

generating a display comprising the plurality of sequences in temporal alignment.

18. One or more tangible device-readable media according to claim 17, wherein generating a display comprising the plurality of sequences in temporal alignment comprises:

outputting each of the plurality of sequences to a different address, wherein each said address is associated with a region on a display.

19. One or more tangible device-readable media according to claim 17, wherein generating a display comprising the plurality of sequences in temporal alignment comprises:

displaying each of a plurality of sequences in temporal alignment in a different region of a display window.

20. One or more tangible device-readable media according to claim 17, wherein the display comprising the plurality of sequences in temporal alignment is generated in response to receiving a request.