COMPOSITE IMAGING METHOD AND SYSTEM

• US 20110193972A1
• Filed: 12/22/2010
• Published: 08/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Marino, Frank, Zacks, Carolyn A., Harel, Dan, Telek, Michael J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,600,191 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/207.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/00 2D [Two Dimensional] image generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/174 Facial expression recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00167 Processing or editing H04N1/00196 - H04N1/00201 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3872 Repositioning or masking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3876 Recombination of partial images to recreate the original image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/611 where the recognised objects include parts of the human body
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/951 by using two or more images to influence resolution, frame rate or aspect ratio
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2621 Cameras specially adapted for the electronic generation of special effects during image pickup, e.g. digital cameras, camcorders, video cameras having integrated special effects capability

Abstract

In a first aspect of the invention, a method is provided for forming a group image. In accordance with the method, a set of imaging information is obtained depicting a scene over a period of time. Elements in the set of imaging information are distinguished and attributes of the elements in the set of image information are examined. Imaging information is selected from the set of imaging information depicting each element with the selection being made according to the attributes for that element. A group image is formed based upon the set of imaging information with the archival image incorporating the selected image information.

Claims

1. A method for forming a composite image of a scene, the method comprising:

(a) using an imaging device to capture a set of images depicting a scene over a period of time;

(b) acquiring user input from an input device indicating a desired mood or expression;

(c) using a processor to automatically identify objects and their associated elements within the set of images, the elements having attributes corresponding to the indicted mood or expression;

(d) automatically ordering the objects according to an attribute of elements relative to the indicated mood or expression;

(e) selecting objects from the set of images depicting elements according to the ordering;

(f) forming a composite image of the scene based upon the set of images incorporating the selected objects; and

(g) displaying the composite image on an electronic display or storing the composite image in an electronic storage device.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the processor is remote from the imaging device.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the selecting is automatically performed by the processor or responsive to user input.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the desired mood or expression is one of;

happy, sad, cynical, angry, neutral, smiling, or smiling broadly.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the desired mood or expression is eyes opened.

6. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the imaging device is a digital still camera, a motion image camera, a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant, a hand held tablet, a desktop computer, a notebook computer, a image processing appliance, an internet appliances, or a kiosk.

7. The method as set forth in claim 2 wherein the remote processor is linked to the said imaging device via a network.

8. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the input device is a touch screen input, a 4-way switch, a 6-way switch, an 8-way switch, a stylus system, a trackball system, a joystick system, a voice recognition system, or a gesture recognition system.

9. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the set of images is video images.

10. A method for forming a composite image of a scene, the method comprising:

(a) acquiring user input indicating a desired mood or expression depicted by the subjects in a scene from an input device associated with an imaging device;

(b) capturing a set of imaging information depicting the said scene over a period of time with said imaging device;

(c) automatically identifying elements within the set of imaging information having attributes related to the said indicted mood or expression;

(d) storing in an electronic storage device archival still image information including portions of the set of imaging information depicting each of the elements according to an attribute relative to the said indicated mood or expression;

(e) forming a composite image of said scene based upon the stored archival still image information incorporating said portions of the set of stored archival still image information; and

(f) storing the composite image as data in the electronic storage device.

11. The method as set forth in claim 11 wherein:

the processor is remote from the imaging device.

12. The method as set forth in claim 11 wherein:

the processor is internal to the imaging device.

13. The method as set forth in claim 11 wherein:

the captured imaging information is stored in a first in first out in a memory buffer.

14. The method as set forth in claim 13 wherein:

the captured imaging information in the first in first out in a memory buffer is video image information.

15. A method for forming a composite image, the method comprising:

(a) capturing a an image of a scene using a sensor;

(b) transmitting the image to one or more remote recipients over a communications network;

(c) receiving feedback over the communications network regarding an element of the digital image;

(d) forming a modified image by modifying an element of the digital image in response to the received feed back; and

(e) displaying the modified image on an electronic display or storing the composite image in an electronic, storage device.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the captured image is part of a series of images of a scene captured over a period of time;

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the modified image is modified using an element from another of the images of the series of images of the scene.

18. A method for forming a group image, the method comprising:

(a) capturing a group image of a scene using a sensor;

(b) storing the group image in an electronic storage device;

(c) providing the group image to a plurality of users over a communication network, each of the plurality of users associated with an element of the group image;

(d) receiving feedback information from at least one of the plurality of users regarding an element of the group image; and

(e) modifying an element of the stored group image in response to the received feedback information; and

(f) providing the modified group image to the plurality of users over the communication network;