IMAGE SELECTION BASED ON IMAGE CONTENT

• US 20120057754A1
• Filed: 11/11/2011
• Published: 03/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lawrence A. Booth Jr., Randy R. Dunton
• Original Assignee: Lawrence A. Booth Jr., Randy R. Dunton
• Inventors: DUNTON, Randy R., BOOTH, Lawrence A. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 8,693,728 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/103
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/785 using colour or luminescence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0007 Image acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/90 Determination of colour characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/507 Summing image-intensity values; Histogram projection analysis
• 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: H04N 23/60 Control of cameras or camera modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure

Abstract

An image capture system comprises an image input and processing unit. The image input obtains image information which is then passed to the processing unit. The processing unit is coupled to the image input for determining image metrics on the image information. The processing unit initiates a capture sequence when the image metrics meet a predetermined condition. The capture sequence may store one or more images, or it may indicate that one or more images have been detected. In one embodiment, the image input is a CMOS or CCD sensor.

Claims

1. A method of detecting an image comprising:

sampling two images at different points in time;

determining an image metric for the two images;

measuring a rate of change of the image metric; and

indicating that there is a match with an image profile if the rate of change of the image metric matches a first predetermined condition.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

sampling a subsequent image;

determining a second image metric for the subsequent image;

measuring a rate of change of the second image metric;

indicating that there is a match with the image profile if the rate of change of the second image metric matches a second predetermined condition.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein indicating that there is a match with the image profile is accomplished by triggering an image capture sequence.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein sampling the two images comprises:

capturing an image through any one of a CMOS or a CCD sensor.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein sampling the two images comprises:

receiving an input from a video stream.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the image profile includes colorimetric data or photometric data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the two images includes user defined thresholds.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the image profile is derived from a histogram of a background image.

9. A machine readable medium having instructions stored therein, which when executed, cause a machine to perform a set of operations comprising:

sampling two images at different points in time;

determining an image metric for the two images;

measuring a rate of change of the image metric; and

indicating that there is a match with an image profile if the rate of change of the image metric matches a first predetermined condition.

11. The machine readable medium of claim 9, having further instructions stored therein, which when executed cause a machine to perform a set of operations comprising:

sampling a subsequent image;

determining a second image metric for the subsequent image;

measuring a rate of change of the second image metric; and

indicating that there is a match with the image profile if the rate of change of the second image metric matches a second predetermined condition.

12. The machine readable medium of claim 9, wherein indicating that there is a match with the image profile is accomplished by triggering an image capture sequence.

13. The machine readable medium of claim 11, wherein sampling the two images comprises:

capturing an image through any one of a CMOS or a CCD sensor.

14. The machine readable medium of claim 9, wherein sampling the first image comprises:

capturing an image through any one of a CMOS or a CCD sensor.

15. The machine readable medium of claim 9, wherein sampling the two images comprises:

receiving an input from a video stream.

16. The machine readable medium of claim 9, wherein the image profile includes colorimetric data or photometric data.

17. The machine readable medium of claim 9, wherein at least one of the two images includes user defined thresholds.

18. The machine readable medium of claim 9, wherein the image profile is derived from a histogram of a background image.