DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHING APPARATUS

• US 20110043605A1
• Filed: 08/18/2010
• Published: 02/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Hwang, Soon-hoon
• Granted Patent: US 8,619,119 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/36
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/00 General purpose image data processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture

Abstract

Provided is a digital photographing apparatus and method for panoramic photographing. The digital photographing apparatus includes an image pickup device that generates data from incident light, an acceleration sensor that detects motion of the digital photographing apparatus in a first direction, and a time interval determiner that determines a continuous photographing time interval for panoramic photographing, according to the motion detected by the acceleration sensor.

Claims

1. A digital photographing apparatus for panoramic photographing, the digital photographing apparatus comprising:

an image pickup device that generates data from incident light;

an acceleration sensor that detects motion of the digital photographing apparatus in a first direction; and

a time interval determiner that determines a continuous photographing time interval for panoramic photographing, according to the motion detected by the acceleration sensor.

2. The digital photographing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the time interval determiner determines the continuous photographing time interval to be shorter as the motion is greater.

3. The digital photographing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the time interval determiner determines the continuous photographing time interval continuously during the panoramic photographing.

4. The digital photographing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first direction is a horizontal direction with respect to the ground.

5. The digital photographing apparatus of claim 4, wherein the acceleration sensor detects motion in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

6. The digital photographing apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a success determiner that determines whether the panoramic photographing has been performed successfully by comparing the amount of the motion in the second direction detected by the acceleration sensor with a predetermined amount.

7. The digital photographing apparatus of claim 6, wherein the success determiner determines that the panoramic photographing has failed, if the amount of the motion in the second direction is greater than the predetermined amount.

8. The digital photographing apparatus of claim 7, wherein, when the success determiner determines that the panoramic photographing has failed, the digital photographing apparatus notifies a user about the failure.

9. A digital photographing apparatus for panoramic photographing, the digital photographing apparatus comprising:

an image pickup device that generates data from incident light;

an acceleration sensor that detects motion in a first direction of the digital photographing apparatus; and

a success determiner that determines whether the panoramic photographing has succeeded by comparing the amount of the motion in the first direction detected by the acceleration sensor with a predetermined amount.

10. The digital photographing apparatus of claim 9, wherein the success determiner determines that the panoramic photographing has failed if the amount of the motion in the first direction is larger than the predetermined amount.

11. The digital photographing apparatus of claim 10, wherein, when the success determiner determines failure, the digital photographing apparatus notifies a user about the failure.

12. The digital photographing apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first direction is perpendicular to a horizontal direction with respect to the ground.

13. A method of generating panoramic photos, the method comprising:

providing a digital photographing apparatus including an image pick device, an acceleration sensor and a time interval determiner;

generating data from incident light;

detecting, by the acceleration sensor, motion of the digital photographing apparatus in a first direction; and

determining, by the time interval determiner, continuous photographing time interval for panoramic photographing, according to the motion detected by the acceleration sensor.

14. A method of generating panoramic photos according to claim 13, wherein the continuous photographing time interval is shorter as the motion is greater.

15. A method of generating panoramic photos according to claim 13, wherein the continuous photographing time interval is determined continuously during the panoramic photographing.

16. A method of generating panoramic photos according to claim 13, wherein the first direction is a horizontal direction with respect to the ground.

17. A method of generating panoramic photos according to claim 13, further comprising detecting motion in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

18. A method of generating panoramic photos according to claim 13, further comprising determining whether the panoramic photographing has been performed successfully by comparing the amount of the motion in the second direction detected by the acceleration sensor with a predetermined amount.

19. A method of generating panoramic photos according to claim 13, further comprising determining that the panoramic photographing has failed if the amount of the motion in the second direction is greater than the predetermined amount.

20. A method of generating panoramic photos according to claim 13, further comprising notifying a user when the determining step determines that the panoramic photographing has failed.