SMART TARGETS FACILITATING THE CAPTURE OF CONTIGUOUS IMAGES

• US 20140118483A1
• Filed: 06/10/2013
• Published: 05/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Rapoport, Evan, Robertson, Christian, Ettinger, Scott, Mehta, Nirav Bipinchandra
• Granted Patent: US 8,773,502 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/36
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/58 Means for changing the camera field of view without moving the camera body, e.g. nutating or panning of optics or image sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6812 based on additional sensors, e.g. acceleration sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2628 Alteration of picture size, shape, position or orientation, e.g. zooming, rotation, rolling, perspective, translation

Abstract

Systems and methods facilitating the capture of contiguous images suitable for composition into a wide-angle or panoramic image. The method may include displaying smart graphical targets on an image capture graphical user interface representing target focal points to direct a camera to in order capture images with sufficient continuity or overlap for panorama creation. In one implementation, the method may include automatically capturing an image when the center of the current field of view is aligned with or within a threshold distance of a target focal point. In another implementation, the method may provide graphical targets along multiple axes. In another implementation the method may provide graphical targets for creating a panoramic image adhering to a certain aspect ratio. In another implementation, the method may suggest graphical targets on the motion of a camera after capturing a first image.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a computing device and from an image capture device, a first image captured by the image capture device;

outputting, for display at a display device, a representation of the first image and a graphical target that corresponds to a center of a region representing a potential second image to be captured, the region partially overlapping the representation of the first image;

outputting, for display at the display device, a representation of a center of a current field of view of the image capture device;

receiving, at the computing device, a second image captured by the image capture device, the second image captured responsive to determining that the representation of the center of the current field of view of the image capture device is within a threshold distance, on the display device, of the graphical target; and

outputting, for display at the display device, in response to receiving the second image and for display, a representation of the first image and the second image.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

directing the image capture device to automatically capture the second image in response to determining that the representation of the center of the current field of view of the image capture device is within the threshold distance, on the display device, of the graphical target.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

outputting, for display at the display device, an indication that the representation of the center of the current field of view of the image capture device is within the threshold distance, on the display device, of the graphical target.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

disabling user access to an image capture functionality of the image capture device after receiving the first image from the image capture device; and

enabling user access to the image capture functionality in response to determining that the representation of the center of the current field of view of the image capture device is within the threshold distance, on the display device, of the graphical target.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, after receiving the first image from the image capture device, a change in the current field of view of the image capture device; and

selecting the graphical target in response to, and based on, the detected change in the current field of view of the image capture device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an indication of a target aspect ratio; and

selecting the graphical target based on the indication of the target aspect ratio.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the graphical target is a first graphical target; and

the first image was captured by the image capture device responsive to a determination that the center of the current field of view of the image capture device was at a second graphical target, and wherein the second graphical target is disposed, on the display device, in a direction at least two degrees of freedom from the first graphical target.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

outputting, for display, an indication of a fixed reference frame relative to the current field of view of the image capture device.

9. A system comprising:

a display device;

at least one processor operatively coupled to the display device;

an image capture device coupled to the at least one processor; and

at least one memory operatively coupled to the at least one processor and configured for storing data and instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to;

receive, at the at least one processor and from an image capture device, a first image captured by the image capture device;

output, for display at the display device, a representation of the first image and a graphical target that corresponds to a center of a region representing a potential second image to be captured, the region partially overlapping the representation of the first image;

output, for display at the display device, a representation of a center of a current field of view of the image capture device;

receive, at the at least one processor, a second image captured by the image capture device, the second image captured responsive to determining that the representation of the center of the current field of view of the image capture device is within a threshold distance, on the display device, of the graphical target; and

output, for display at the display device, in response to receiving the second image and for display, a representation of the first image and the second image.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the at least one processor to:

prompt the image capture device to automatically capture the second image in response to determining that the representation of the center of the current field of view of the image capture device is within the threshold distance of the graphical target.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the at least one processor to:

output, for presentation, an indication that the representation of the center of the current field of view of the image capture device is within the threshold distance of the graphical target.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the at least one processor to:

disable user access to an image capture functionality of the image capture device after receiving the first image by the image capture device;

enable user access to the image capture functionality in response to determining that the representation of the center of the current field of view of the image capture device is within the threshold distance of the graphical target.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the at least one processor to:

detect, after receiving the first image by the image capture device;

a change in the current field of view of the image capture device; and

select the graphical target in response to, and based on, the detected change in the current field of view of the image capture device.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the at least one processor to:

receive an indication of a target aspect ratio; and

select the graphical target based on the indication of the target aspect ratio.

15. A computer-readable medium that stores instructions that, when executed by at least one processor in a system, cause the at least one processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving, at the at least one processor and from an image capture device, a first image captured by the image capture device;

outputting, for display at a display device, a representation of the first image and a graphical target that corresponds to a center of a region representing a potential second image to be captured, the region partially overlapping the representation of the first image;

outputting, for display at the display device, a representation of a center of a current field of view of the image capture device;

receiving, at least one processor, a second image captured by the image capture device, the second image captured responsive to determining that the image capture device is within a threshold distance, on the display device, of the graphical target; and

outputting, for display at the display device, in response to receiving the second image and for display, a representation of the first image and the second image.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising directing the image capture device to automatically capture the second image in response to determining that the representation of the center of the current field of view of the image capture device is within the threshold distance, on the display device, of the graphical target.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

disabling user access to an image capture functionality of the image capture device after receiving the first image by the image capture device;

enabling user access to the image capture functionality in response to determining that the representation of the center of the current field of view of the image capture device is within the threshold distance of the graphical target.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

detecting, after receiving the first image by the image capture device;

a change in the current field of view of the image capture device; and

selecting the graphical target in response to, and based on, the detected change in current field of view of the image capture device.

19. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

receiving an indication of a target aspect ratio; and

selecting the graphical target based on the indication of the target aspect ratio.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the graphical target is a first graphical target; and

the first image was captured by the image capture device responsive to a determination that center of the center of the current field of view of the image capture device was at a second graphical target, and wherein the second graphical target is disposed in a direction at least two degrees of freedom, on the display device, from the first graphical target.