Assisted Video Creation Utilizing a Camera

• US 20100220197A1
• Filed: 03/01/2010
• Published: 09/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Burning Moon, LLC
• Original Assignee: Burning Moon, LLC
• Inventors: Hashimoto, Kaz, Dukellis, John Nicholas
• Granted Patent: US 8,860,865 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/207.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0253 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/184 Intellectual property management
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/28 by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording G11B27/22 takes precedence
• 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 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/667 Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/262 Studio circuits, e.g. for mixing, switching-over, change of character of image, other special effects ; Cameras specially adapted for the electronic generation of special effects

Abstract

The invention allows for persons to create motion photo videos or MPVs from photographs, video segments, personal narratives or animation by use of templates. Templates are created for specific songs, may be created or further modified by any person. MPVs are novel because they very quickly and inexpensively enable users to select a song and accompanying pre-made template and create a high-quality synchronized custom music video using their own hand-selected visual material. These custom videos can be shared by users with friends or can be published on the Internet and can be easily modified by swapping visual material or updating templates. Additionally, image capture devices may be employed to assist the user in capture, composition, and selection of images to be placed in pre-defined template bins, resulting in instant high-quality director-assisted video creation.

Claims

1. A digital camera or camera equipped device, such as a cellular phone or PDA, that uses a template during the composition, capture, or selection of an image or sequence of images where the template contains pre-defined bins for the eventual placement of images into a video.

2. ) The invention in (1) where the template is used to create a motion photo video assembled in real-time for display to a person using images and the template is associated with a song that resides on the device or may be downloaded from another digital device.

3. ) The invention in (1) where the template is used to create a video in a conventional digital video format such as .mp4, .avi, quicktime, .mov, wherein the template utilizes images from generated from the image capture device and wherein the template is associated with a song that resides on the device or may be downloaded from another digital device.

4. ) The invention in (2) or (3) where the template utilizes predefined bins synchronized with a specific song and where the bins are associated with visual effects to be performed on the images.

5. ) The use of a software-based template to create a video synchronized to a specific piece of music where the template contains bins which are pre-defined by a person, where each bin may receive one or more images captured with or selected by an image capture device or the user of the device, wherein the template defines how each bin displays its contents over time to result in the instant generation of a synchronized video.

6. ) The invention in (1) that (a) allows a user to compose and capture images, (b) provides a template associated with music for the images to be placed into and (c) generates a video, for example a motion photo video, which may be displayed on the camera or another digital device or (d) generates a video or motion photo video transmitted to another device via wired or wireless transmission.

7. ) The method in (5) which employs the use of an instruction set or library of standard commands that may be invoked by the template and where the instruction set or library exists separately from the template on an integrated circuit component within the camera.

8. ) The method in (5) where a person may modify the template to adjust the timing of bins.

9. ) The method in (5) where a person selects which image or set of images is placed in each pre-defined bin in the template.

10. ) The invention in (5) wherein a template provides direction on a display to guide a user in the composition of an image prior to image capture, where the template consists of pre-specified instructions on how one or more images are to be captured or displayed.

11. ) The method in (5) where the template is generated and displayed using software embedded in a device for capturing images, the device including cameras for still and video image capture or a phone equipped with a camera or camera equipped device and where the template may include sample images or music associated with a given template.

12. ) The method in (5) or software associated with the method in (5) to provide visual indicators shown on the display of the camera or camera equipped device to provide instructions specifying transitions, where the transitions include as inter-bin transitions such as fades or where the transitions include intra-bin transitions such as pan and zoom effects.

13. ) The method in (5) where the template or software associated with the template assists the camera user in composition of images, such as the placement or location of a subject relative to backgrounds, landscapes or other subjects.

14. ) The method in (5) where the template or software associated with the template provides visual indicators shown on the display of the camera or camera equipped device, including the use of shapes to dictate the placement of a subject, such as position of the subject'"'"'s eyes relative to a particular location highlighted on a LCD display or within a camera viewfinder device.

15. ) The invention in (5) that allows the user or subject to hear the song associated with a template and where visual or audio direction regarding image capture may be associated with the song.

16. ) The method in (5) where the template or software associated with the template instructs the camera or camera equipped device to capture multiple images upon a single command to a camera, including the push of a button, a switch, a wireless remote or a timer.

17. ) The method in (5) where the template or software associated with the template communicates to electronics embedded in a camera or camera equipped device to direct the capture of multiple images taken at different settings where the settings may include depth of focus, shutter speed, ISO level, flash intensity or synchronization or focal point.

18. ) The method in (5) where the template or software associated with the template provides instructions to the image capture device to capture multiple images at one or more depth-of-focus settings and the use of the images as part of a transition effect in a video.

19. ) The method in (5) where the template or software associated with the template provides instructions to the image capture device to capture multiple images to be used to create a three-dimensional image or image sequence, where one or more capture devices are used.

20. ) The method in (5) where the template or software associated with the template provides instructions to the image capture device to capture of one or more images and where multiple images may include a sequence of images to convey motion in a video.

21. ) The method in (5) and the use of a camera or camera equipped device display to select a particular image to be placed in a specific bin, before or after the image is captured.

22. ) The method in (5) where the template or software associated with the template instructs an image capture device to select a field of view that is wide enough to allow for panning.

23. ) The loading or embedding of template processing hardware or software and additional software into a camera or camera equipped device to assist a user in camera-specific composition, to enable certain modes of image capture or to view the original template or resulting motion photo video using the template objects.

24. ) The implementation of template processing and additional software to assist in camera-specific composition, enable certain modes of image capture or view the original template or resulting motion photo video in a semiconductor device, such as a FPGA, programmable DSP, ASIC or microprocessor.

25. ) The method in (5) where viewing of the resulting video on the input capture device display may be embedded as part of the input capture device or where the resulting video is transferred to a digital device such as a television, a digital frame, or a computer monitor.

26. ) The method in (5) to generate a motion photo video consisting of a sequence of images synchronized to music, stored in the form of a software object, where the object may be a video or the captured images with a computer instruction set to specify the template style to specify transition effects.

27. ) The transfer of a motion photo video from a from a camera or camera equipped device to a another digital device such as a computer, phone, television, frame, digital book, printer, disk drive or digital media such as a DVD, CD, flash or USB based memory device.

28. ) The method in (5) where the resulting motion photo video is embedded in a personal or commercial webpage, either through the direction of the user or automated through software residing on the camera, personal computer or web server.

29. ) The method in (5) where the use includes (a) the purchase of a song or some form of a digital media license for music or (b) where the music is associated with or linked to a given template or where the sending of an object or link of an object to another person results in the purchase of a song or some form of a digital media license for music.

30. ) The method in (5) used to graphically display a template with a sample image and where a media player that synchronizes the images transitions to music and where additional images may be provided to show the beginning and end of the intra-image transitions.

31. ) A method for selling music that includes (a) the provision of a template synchronized to a particular song (b) the template residing on a camera or camera based device, and (c) the purchase of the song.

32. ) The invention in (1) and the use of a method for selling camera or camera enable devices such as cellular phones that includes the provision of a visual template synchronized to a particular song that allows users to create a personalized video, such as a motion photo video.

33. ) The invention in (5) in the form of a game where the camera user may be prompted to capture images at a particular location or with a particular subject or item in a particular manner leading to completion of a task or story or a score based on the image captured or composed.

34. ) The invention in (5) where the resulting set of images or the motion photo video is used to create a photobook, a videobook, a scrapbook or is included in a digital book.