CAMERA SYSTEM AND METHOD OF DISPLAYING PHOTOS

• US 20120019703A1
• Filed: 07/22/2010
• Published: 01/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Thôrn, Karl Ola
• Application Number:
  US12/841,388
• Publication Number:
  US 20120019703A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/333.03
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20012 Locally adaptive
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30201 Face
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/70 Denoising; Smoothing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/61 based on recognised objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/632 for displaying or modifying preview images prior to image capturing, e.g. variety of image resolutions or capturing parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/959 by adjusting depth of field during image capture, e.g. maximising or setting range based on scene characteristics

Abstract

Photos captured using a light-field camera may be displayed on a display. The focus of the photo is adjusted to place an object at which the user is looking into focus. Objects at other depths in the scene captured in the photo may be displayed to be out of focus, such as in a manner similar to which humans visually perceive the world around them.

Claims

1. A method of displaying a digital photo, comprising:

displaying image data from an image file on a display, the image data captured with a light-field camera assembly and representing a scene having a plurality of objects at different focus depths;

detecting eye gaze of a user and indentifying one of the objects at which the user is looking; and

focusing the displayed image data by bringing the displayed image data for the identified object into focus.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting a change in the eye gaze of the user to a different object and refocusing the displayed image data to bring the different object into focus.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the focusing includes displaying objects having focus depths that are different than the focus depth of the identified object to be out of focus.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the focusing includes bringing additional objects at the focus depth of the identified object into focus.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the focusing includes displaying portions of the displayed image data radially surrounding the identified object to be out of focus to simulate human vision where objects surrounding an object at which visual attention is directed appears with less distinction than the object at which the visual attention is directed.

6. An electronic device that displays a digital photo, comprising:

a display configured to display image data from an image file, the image data captured with a light-field camera assembly and representing a scene having a plurality of objects at different focus depths;

a camera arranged to capture images of a user while the user views the displayed image data; and

a control circuit configured to;

detect eye gaze of a user and indentify one of the objects at which the user is looking; and

control the display of the image data to focus the displayed image data to bring the displayed image data for the identified object into focus.

7. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the control circuit is further configured to detect a change in the eye gaze of the user to a different object and refocus the displayed image data to bring the different object into focus.

8. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the display of the image data is controlled to display objects having focus depths that are different than the focus depth of the identified object to be out of focus.

9. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the display of the image data is controlled to display additional objects at the focus depth of the identified object to be in focus.

10. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the display of the image data is controlled to display portions of the displayed image data radially surrounding the identified object to be out of focus to simulate human vision where objects surrounding an object at which visual attention is directed appears with less distinction than the object at which the visual attention is directed.

11. The electronic device of claim 6, further comprising the light-field camera assembly that captured the image data and a memory to store the image data.