APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CAPTURING IMAGE

• US 20100157128A1
• Filed: 12/11/2009
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Digital Imaging Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kang, Tae-hoon, Choi, Jae-joon, Kim, Eun-young
• Granted Patent: US 8,436,930 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/333.30
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/68 for stable pick-up of the scene, e.g. compensating for camera body vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/272 Means for inserting a foreground image in a background image, i.e. inlay, outlay

Abstract

A digital image processing apparatus configured to display a guide image of a previously captured image in a portion of a screen and a live view image in another portion of the screen, and configured to notify a user when the guide image and the live view image match each other. A method of operating a digital image processing apparatus that includes displaying a guide image on a display and trimming a central portion of the guide image; displaying a live view image in a central area of the display where the guide image is not displayed; and capturing the live view image when the guide image and the live view image are matched with each other.

Claims

1. A digital image processing apparatus comprising:

a digital signal processing unit configured to display a guide image of a previously captured image in a portion of a screen and a live view image in another portion of the screen, and a notification unit configured to notify a user when the guide image and the live view image match each other.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the digital signal processing unit is configured to capture an image when the guide image and the live view image match each other.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a guide image generation unit configured to generate the guide image by trimming a central portion of the previously captured image;

a display setting unit configured to display the guide image in the portion of the screen and the live view image in the another portion of the screen different from the portion of the screen;

a comparison unit configured to compare the guide image and the live view image to determine if the guide image and the live view image are matched with each other; and

a control unit configured to control capturing of an image when the guide image and the live view image are matched with each other.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the guide image generation unit further comprises a first area generation unit configured to generate a first area that is smaller than an overall screen area, and a display setting unit configured to display the guide image in an area of the screen obtained by deducting the first area from the overall screen area and the live view image in the first area.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a guide image generation unit comprising a layer extraction unit configured to extract first through fourth layers separated a predetermined distance from an edge of the screen from the guide image, and wherein the display setting unit is configured to display the guide image in the first through fourth layers and the live view image in a portion of the screen different from the first through fourth layers.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the guide image generation unit further comprises a coordinate setting unit configured to set first through fourth coordinates defining a rectangle of the screen, and the display setting unit configured to display on the screen the guide image outside the rectangle defined by the first through fourth coordinates and the live view image inside the rectangle defined by the first through fourth coordinates.

7. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the control unit adjusts transparency of the guide image based on at least one of photographing conditions and user settings.

8. A digital image processing apparatus comprising:

an area generation unit configured to generate a first area of a display smaller than an overall display area;

a display setting unit configured to display a live view image in the first area and to display a guide image that is a previously captured image in an area of the display other than the first area;

a notification unit configured to notify a user that the guide image and the live view image are matched with each other, when the guide image and the live view image are matched with each other; and

a control unit configured to control capture the live view image after the guide image and the live view image are matched and after receiving an input signal from a user.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the control unit adjusts transparency of the guide image.

10. A digital image processing apparatus comprising:

a layer extraction unit configured to extract first through fourth layers separated a predetermined distance from an edge of a display unit;

a display setting unit configured to display a guide image that is a previously captured image in the first through fourth layers and to display a live view image in an area of the display other than the first through fourth layers;

a notification unit configured to notify a user that the guide image and the live view image are matched with each other by changing the color of an edge side portion of the live view image or outputting a notification audio signal, when the guide image and the live view image are matched with each other; and

a control unit configured to control capturing of the live view image after the notification signal is output.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the control unit adjusts transparency of the guide image.

12. A digital image processing apparatus comprising:

a coordinate setting unit configured to set first through fourth coordinates defining a rectangle in a display unit displaying an image;

a display setting unit configured to display a guide image that is a previously captured image outside the rectangle defined by the first through fourth coordinates and a live view image inside the rectangle defined by the first through fourth coordinates;

a notification unit configured to notify a user that the guide image and the live view image are matched with each other by changing the color of an edge side portion of the live view image or outputting a notification audio signal, when the guide image and the live view image are matched with each other; and

a control unit configured to control capturing of the live view image after the notification signal is output.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the control unit adjusts transparency of the guide image.

14. A method of operating a digital image processing apparatus, the method comprising:

displaying a guide image on a display and trimming a central portion of the guide image;

displaying a live view image in a central area of the display where the guide image is not displayed; and

capturing the live view image when the guide image and the live view image are matched with each other.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising notifying a user that the guide image and the live view image are matched with each other by changing the color of an edge side portion of the live view image or outputting a notification audio signal, when the guide image and the live view image are matched with each other.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein a transparency of the guide image is adjusted.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein displaying a guide image comprises:

generating a first area smaller than an overall display area, and displaying the guide image in an area obtained by deleting the first area from the overall display area.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein displaying a guide image comprises:

generating first through fourth layers separated a predetermined distance from an edge of the display, displaying the live image on a portion of the display other than the first through fourth layers, and displaying the guide image in the first through fourth layers.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein displaying a guide image comprises:

generating first through fourth coordinates defining a rectangle area in the display, displaying the guide image outside the rectangle, and displaying the live image inside the rectangle.