Utilization of image tiling effects in photographs

• US 6,317,192 B1
• Filed: 07/10/1998
• Issued: 11/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Walmsley, Simon Robert, Lapstun, Paul, Silverbrook, Kia
• Primary Examiner(s): Gray, David M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim, Peter B.
• Application Number:
  US09/113,055
• Time in Patent Office: 1,222 Days
• Field of Search: 355/18, 396/57, 396/48, 396/374, 396/52, 396/50, 347/2, 348/416, 348/423, 348/333, 348/232, 348/222, 348/578, 348/580, 395/104, 395/125, 395/137, 395/139, 395/109, 358/459
• US Class Current: 355/18
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14 Structure thereof only for on-demand ink jet heads
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14314 Structure of ink jet print heads with electrostatically actuated membrane
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/16585 for paper-width or non-reciprocating print heads
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17596 Ink pumps, ink valves
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/041 Electromagnetic transducer
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/48 adapted for combination with other photographic or optical apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 27/00 Photographic printing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/79 in semiconductor storage media, e.g. directly-addressable memories
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/86 Secure or tamper-resistant housings
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2129 Authenticate client device independently of the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 1/121 by printing code marks applying code marks to labels B65C9/46; marking or coding completed packages B65B61/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/14 using light without selection of wavelength, e.g. sensing reflected white light G06K7/10831 - G06K7/1097 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1417 2D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/56 using storage elements with more than two stable states represented by steps, e.g. of voltage, current, phase, frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0044 for image preview or review, e.g. to help the user position a sheet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00965 using a plug-in memory module, e.g. memory card, memory stick
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2154 the still video camera incorporating a hardcopy reproducing device, e.g. a printer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32101 : Display, printing, storage or transmission of additional information, e.g. ID code, date and time or title
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32133 : on the same paper sheet, e.g. a facsimile page header
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 : Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3222 : of processing required or performed, e.g. forwarding, urgent or confidential handling
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3269 : of machine readable codes or marks, e.g. bar codes or glyphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3276 : of a customised additional information profile, e.g. a profile specific to a user ID
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/328 : Processing of the additional information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/00 : Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2628 : Alteration of picture size, shape, position or orientation, e.g. zooming, rotation, rolling, perspective, translation

Abstract

A handheld camera for the output of an image sensed by the camera, including a digital image capture device for the capturing of digital images; a tiling device for automatically adding tiling effects to a captured image to produce a tiled image; and a printer for printing out immediate photos by the camera. The tiling device is algorithmically driven by the captured image to produce the tiling effects.

Claims

1. A handheld camera for the output of an image sensed by said camera, said camera including:

a digital image capture device for digitally capturing an image;

tiling means for automatically adding tiling effects to a captured image to produce a tiled image, said tiling means being algorithmically driven by said captured image to produce said tiling effects; and

a printer device for printing out an image produced by said camera.

2. A handheld camera as claimed in claim 1 wherein tiling effect includes tessellating a tile in a vertical and horizontal direction.

3. A handheld camera as claimed in claim 1 wherein said tiling effects are applied only to a portion of said sensed image.

4. A handheld camera as claimed in claim 1 wherein said sensed image has an associated bump map utilized by said tiling means so as to produce 3-dimensional effects as part of said tiling effects.

5. A handheld camera as claimed in claim 1 wherein said tiling effects include opacity effects.

6. A handheld camera as claimed in claim 1 wherein said tiling effects include utilization of feedback from said sensed image.

7. A handheld camera as claimed in claim 1 wherein said tiling effects include texturing of said tiles.

8. A handheld camera as claimed in claim 1 wherein said tiling means is implemented as a microprogrammed series of Arithmetic Logic Units.

9. A method of producing an output image for a handheld camera, said method comprising the steps of:

digitally capturing an input image;

manipulating a captured image so as to automatically add tiling effects to said captured image, said step of manipulating being algorithmically driven by said captured image to produce said tiling effects; and

outputting said manipulated image on a printer device for printing out an image produced by said camera.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9 wherein said tiling effects are determined by a card containing encoded information inserted into said camera.