READY CLICK CAMERA CONTROL

• US 20140247368A1
• Filed: 03/04/2013
• Published: 09/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Colby Labs LLC
• Original Assignee: Colby Labs LLC
• Inventors: CHINN, VICTOR K.
• Application Number:
  US13/784,234
• Publication Number:
  US 20140247368A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/207.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00403 Voice input means, e.g. voice commands
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32117 in a separate transmission or protocol signal prior to or subsequent to the image data transmission, e.g. in digital identification signal [DIS], in non standard setup [NSS] or in non standard field [NSF] for mode signalling H04N1/333
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/64 Computer-aided capture of images, e.g. transfer from script file into camera, check of taken image quality, advice or proposal for image composition or decision on when to take image

Abstract

Technologies relating to “ready click” camera control are disclosed. Camera devices may be equipped with a camera, a microphone, a processor, a memory, and a camera control system stored in the memory and executable by the processor. The camera control system may be configured to provide any of a variety of voice-interactive features, such as a voice-activated shutter, a voice-activated timer, a voice-activated flash, a voice-activated focus setting, a voice-activated ISO setting, a voice-activated scene setting, and/or a variety of other features, including both voice-interactive as well as other features described herein.

Claims

1. A camera device, comprising:

a camera;

a microphone;

a processor;

a memory; and

a camera control system stored in the memory and executable by the processor, wherein camera control system comprises;

a listening initiation control, wherein the camera control system is configured to initiate listening to sound data received via the microphone in response to a user activation of the listening initiation control;

a sound recognition system configured to recognize a predetermined camera activation sound pattern in the received sound data, wherein the camera control system is configured to activate the camera to take a photograph or begin recording a video in response to the predetermined camera activation sound pattern.

2. The camera device of claim 1, wherein the predetermined camera activation sound pattern comprises three or more syllables.

3. The camera device of claim 1, wherein the predetermined camera activation sound pattern comprises the words “

ready click”

.

4. The camera device of claim 1, further comprising a speaker, and wherein the camera control system is configured to output an audible notification by the speaker when initiating listening in response to the user activation of the listening initiation control.

5. The camera device of claim 1, further comprising a speaker, and wherein the camera control system is configured to output an audible request by the speaker for a subsequent voice input in response to receiving a sound pattern other than the predetermined camera activation sound pattern.

6. The camera device of claim 1, wherein the camera control system is configured to activate the camera in response to receiving one or more sound patterns other than the predetermined camera activation sound pattern.

7. The camera device of claim 1, further comprising a speaker, and wherein the camera control system comprises a timer initiation control, and wherein the camera control system is configured to:

output an audible countdown by the speaker in response to a user initiation of the timer initiation control; and

automatically activate the camera after the audible countdown.

8. The camera device of claim 1, further comprising a speaker, and wherein the camera control system is configured to output an audible notification by the speaker prior to activating the camera.

9. The camera device of claim 8, wherein the audible notification prior to activating the camera is user-customizable.

10. The camera device of claim 9, wherein the camera control system is configured to retrieve audible notifications from a network audible notifications service.

11. The camera device of claim 1, wherein the camera device is provided in a mobile communications device equipped with a camera Application Programming Interface (API) adapted for application-based pre-capture camera control, and wherein the camera control system comprises an application executable by the mobile communications device and configured to access the camera API.

12. The camera device of claim 1, wherein the camera control system is configured to provide one or more of a voice-activated timer, a voice-activated flash, a voice-activated focus setting, a voice-activated ISO setting, or a voice-activated scene setting.

13. The camera device of claim 1, further comprising a touch display, and wherein the camera control system is configured to display multiple camera activation controls on the touch display, the multiple camera activation controls comprising the listening initiation control, a timer initiation control, and a camera activation control.

14. The camera device of claim 1, further comprising a touch display, and wherein the camera control system is configured to display a rule of thirds grid with user-guided autofocus on the touch display, wherein the rule of thirds grid with user-guided autofocus is configured to receive a touch input at a position on the touch display, and to focus a camera image at the position in response to the touch input.

15. The camera device of claim 1, wherein the camera control system comprises a multi-photo control configured to receive a user selected number of photographs, and wherein the camera control system is configured to take a number of photographs according to the user selected number of photographs.

16. The camera device of claim 15, wherein the multi-photo control is configured to toggle between one and two photographs.

17. The camera device of claim 1, further comprising a display, and wherein the camera control system is configured to controllably display a composition guide on the display, wherein the composition guide is configured to trace a shape of a compositional element on the display.

18. The camera device of claim 17, wherein the compositional element comprises a human torso.

19. The camera device of claim 17, wherein the camera control system is configured to automatically focus on the traced shape or a predetermined portion thereof.

20. The camera device of claim 1, further comprising a display, and wherein the camera control system is configured to controllably display an indication of a camera activation control location and a written instruction to activate the camera at the camera activation control location.

21. The camera device of claim 1, further comprising a motion sensor, and wherein the camera control system comprises stability activation control configured to:

detect camera motion with the motion sensor;

delay camera activation when the camera is in motion; and

automatically activate the camera when the camera is stable.

22. The camera device of claim 1, further comprising a face recognition system configured to detect, prior to camera activation, an image of a face in a camera display area, and automatically focus the camera on the image of the face when the image of the face is detected.

23. The camera device of claim 22, wherein the camera control system comprises a face detection zone control configured to receive a user selected zone to detect face images, and wherein the camera control system is configured to detect face images in the user selected zone.

24. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer executable instructions executable by a processor, the instructions that, when executed by the processor, implement a camera control system, which causes the processor to:

provide a listening initiation control, wherein the camera control system is configured to initiate listening to sound data received via a microphone in response to a user activation of the listening initiation control; and

recognize a predetermined camera activation sound pattern in the received sound data, wherein the camera control system is configured to activate a camera to take a photograph or begin recording a video in response to the predetermined camera activation sound pattern.

25. A camera control system User Interface (UI), comprising:

multiple camera activation controls, the multiple camera activation controls comprising a listening initiation control, a timer initiation control, and a camera activation control;

wherein the listening initiation control is configured to initiate listening, by a camera control system, to sound data received via a microphone in response to a user activation of the listening initiation control, wherein the camera control system is configured to recognize a predetermined camera activation sound pattern in the received sound data and to activate a camera to take a photograph or begin recording a video in response to the predetermined camera activation sound pattern;

wherein the timer initiation control is configured to initiate a countdown and to automatically activate the camera after the countdown; and

wherein the camera activation control is configured to allow immediately activating the camera.

26. The camera control system UI of claim 25, wherein the camera control system UI comprises a field configured for user entry of a user-customizable audible notification, and wherein the camera control system is configured to output the audible notification by a speaker prior to activating the camera.

27. The camera control system UI of claim 25, wherein the UI comprises a user activated rule of thirds grid with user-guided autofocus on a touch display, wherein the rule of thirds grid with user-guided autofocus is configured to receive a touch input at a position on the touch display, and to focus the camera at the position in response to the touch input.

28. The camera control system UI of claim 25, wherein the UI comprises a user activated composition guide on the display, wherein the composition guide is configured to trace a shape of a compositional element comprising a human torso on the display.

29. The camera control system UI of claim 25, wherein the UI comprises a user activated indication of a camera activation control location and a written instruction to activate the camera at the camera activation control location.

30. The camera control system UI of claim 25, wherein the camera activation control is configured to allow immediately activating the camera in response to a user selection, and wherein the camera activation control is configurable by one or more different user selections to allow one or more of initiating listening or initiating a countdown to activating the camera.

31. The camera control system UI of claim 25, wherein the UI comprises a user activated stability activation control configured to:

adapt the camera control system to detect camera motion with a motion sensor;

delay camera activation when the camera is in motion; and

automatically activate the camera when the camera is stable.

32. The camera control system UI of claim 25, wherein the UI comprises a user activated face recognition setting that configures the camera control system to detect, prior to camera activation, an image of a face in a camera display area, and to automatically focus the camera on the image of the face when the image of the face is detected.

33. The camera control system UI of claim 32, wherein the camera control system comprises a face detection zone control configured to receive a user selected zone in which to detect face images, and wherein the camera control system is configured to detect face images in the user selected zone.