Content information gathering apparatus system and method

• US 6,606,117 B1
• Filed: 09/14/1998
• Issued: 08/12/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Windle, John Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): HO, TUAN V
• Application Number:
  US09/152,322
• Time in Patent Office: 1,793 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.5225, 348/207.99, 348/207.1, 348/222.1, 348/231.99, 348/231.3, 348/231.5, 348/231.6, 348/239, 348/333.01, 348/333.02, 348/333.05, 348/333.11, 348/333.12, 348/375
• US Class Current: 348/239
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00183 Photography assistance, e.g. displaying suggestions to the user
• 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 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3254 Orientation, e.g. landscape or portrait; Location or order of the image data, e.g. in memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3263 of a graphical motif or symbol, e.g. Christmas symbol, logo H04N2201/3211 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/64 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

A content gathering apparatus (100) including content collecting means (101) for gathering content information and template storage means (103) for storing at least one template including a plurality of template instructions. Processing means (104) are used to implement the template instructions. A user interface (105) displays information to a user of the apparatus (100). The template instructions, when executed, provide composition suggestions to the user of the content gathering apparatus (100) in relation to enhancing composition of the content information collected, the suggestions being provided via the user interface (105). Methods and systems for implementing the invention are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A content gathering apparatus for gathering predetermined forms of content information, said apparatus including:

content collecting means for gathering content information, said content information including at least audio data;

template storage means for storing at least one template, each template including a plurality of template instructions; and

processing means for executing the template instructions, wherein the template instructions when executed provide composition instructions for enhancing composition of the content information collected.

2. A content gathering apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a user interface, wherein the composition instructions are provided as suggestions to a user of the content gathering apparatus via said user interface.

3. A content gathering apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the composition instructions are implemented by the content gathering apparatus in the absence of countermanding instructions.

4. A software storage medium bearing content information which has been composition enhanced by means of the apparatus defined by claim 3.

5. A content gathering apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said composition suggestions include one or more of the following types of advice:

light arrangements;

focus

best angles;

orientations;

zoom;

pan.

6. A content gathering apparatus according to claim 1, further including content information storage means for storing the gathered content information.

7. A content gathering apparatus according to claim 1, further including communication means for uploading the at least one template to the gathering apparatus.

8. A content gathering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the template instructions are coded machine instructions for the content collecting means.

9. A content gathering apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the content collecting means receives said coded machine instructions and accordingly alters at least the composition of the gathered content information.

10. A content gathering apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a user interface, wherein the user interface includes input means for allowing user input in response to display of information.

11. A content gathering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein additional data associated with the gathered content information is collected, said additional data being encodable as metadata to be associated with the gathered content information.

12. A content gathering apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the additional data is selected from the group consisting of the following pieces of information in relation to the content information gathered:

date and time;

location;

apparatus orientation information;

apparatus setting information; and

information on user selected options.

13. A content gathering apparatus according to claim 11, wherein execution of the template instructions is dependent on said additional data.

14. A content gathering apparatus according to claim 1, the content gathering apparatus being selected from the group consisting of:

a still camera;

a video recorder;

an image capture device;

an audio recorder;

an audio mixer; and

an audio capture device.

15. A content gathering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the instructions are generated at least in part on the basis of the content information gathered.

16. A content gathering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein template instructions associated with at least a plurality of templates are stored in a read only memory means of said content gathering apparatus.

17. A content gathering apparatus according to claim 1, further including input means for allowing user input in response to the composition instructions, and wherein the data input via said user input means is associated with the collected content information.

18. A content gathering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the template instructions when executed provide composition instructions in relation to an order in which to collect the content information.

19. A content gathering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the template instructions when executed provide composition instructions in relation to encoding of the content information collected.

20. A content gathering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the template instructions when executed provide composition instructions in relation to metadata to be associated with the content information collected.

21. A content gathering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the content information includes a sequential plurality of images.

30. A software storage medium bearing content information which has been composition enhanced by means of the apparatus defined in any one of claims 1 to 3, 6 to 12, 14, or 27 to 29.

22. A method of gathering predetermined forms of content information using a content gathering apparatus, including the steps of:

providing at least one template to the content gathering apparatus, the at least one template including a plurality of template instructions;

capturing content information with the content gathering apparatus, said content information including at least audio data;

executing the template instructions to generate composition instructions based on the captured content information; and

composing said content information in accordance with the composition instructions.

23. A method according to claim 22, further including the step of storing the enhanced content information in a storage means associated with the content gathering apparatus.

24. A method according to claim 22 or 23, further including the step of downloading the composition enhanced content information to an external device.

25. A software storage medium bearing content information which has been composition enhanced by means of the method of any one of claims 22 to 24.

26. A software storage medium bearing content information which has been composition enhanced by means of the method of claim 24.

27. An apparatus including a readable storage medium having a computer program recorded therein for enhancing gathered content information, said apparatus including:

means for uploading at least one template from the readable storage medium, the at least one template including a plurality of template instructions;

means for gathering content information;

a computer processor for executing said template instructions, thereby to generate composition instructions based on the content information, said content information including at least audio data; and

means for composing said content information in accordance with the composition instructions.

28. An apparatus according to claim 27, further including means for storing the enhanced content information on a storage means.

29. An apparatus according to claim 28, further including means for downloading the enhanced content information to an external device.

31. A system for enhancing composition of gathered content information, the system including:

content collecting means for gathering content information, said content information including at least audio data,

template storage means for storing at least one template, each template including a plurality of template instructions; and

processing means for executing the template instructions, wherein the template instructions when executed provide composition instructions for enhancing composition of the content information collected.

32. A system according to claim 31, further including a computer for storing a plurality of templates for selective uploading to the template storage means.

33. A system according to claim 32, wherein the content collecting means, template storage means, processing means and a user interface are implemented on a content gathering apparatus.

34. A system according to claim 33, the user interface including user input means for allowing a user to input responses to the composition instructions.

35. A system according to claim 34, wherein the computer is programmed with software for manipulating the gathered content information on the basis of the composition instructions and user responses thereto.

36. A software storage medium bearing content information which has been composition enhanced by means of the system of any one of claims 31 to 35.

37. A content gathering system according to claim 31, further including a user interface, wherein the composition instructions are provided as suggestions to a user of the content gathering apparatus via said user interface.

38. A content gathering apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the composition instructions are implemented by the system in the absence of countermanding instructions from the user.

39. A content gathering apparatus for gathering predetermined forms of content information, said apparatus including:

content collecting means for collecting content information;

metadata collecting means for collecting metadata from a plurality of different types of sources, said metadata being associated with the collected content information;

template storage means for storing at least one template, each template including a plurality of template instructions; and

processing means for executing the template instructions depending on any metadata collected, wherein the temple instructions when executed provide composition instructions for enhancing composition of the content information collected.

40. A content gathering apparatus according to claim 39, further including a user interface, wherein the composition instructions are provided as suggestions to a user of the content gathering apparatus via said user interface.

41. A content gathering apparatus according to claim 40, wherein the suggestions are generated at least in part on the basis of the content information gathered.

42. A content gathering apparatus according to claim 39, wherein the composition instructions are implemented by the content gathering apparatus in the absence of countermanding instructions.

43. A content gathering apparatus according to claim 39, wherein execution of the template instructions is dependent on the metadata.

44. A content gathering apparatus according to claim 39, further including input means for allowing user input in response to the composition suggestions.

45. A content gathering apparatus according to claim 44, wherein data input via said user input means forms further metadata for association with the collected content information.

46. A content gathering apparatus according to claim 45, wherein execution of the template instructions is further dependent on the data input via said user input means.

47. A content gathering apparatus according to claim 39, further including content information storage means for storing the gathered content information.

48. A content gathering apparatus according to claim 39, further including communication means for uploading said at least one template to the gathering apparatus.

49. A content gathering apparatus according to claim 39, wherein the content information gathered includes at least one of audio data, motion image data and still image data.

50. A content gathering apparatus according to claim 49, wherein the content information includes audio data and the template instructions when executed provide suggestions in relation to a mode of capturing the audio data.

51. A content gathering apparatus according to claim 50, wherein the mode of capturing the audio data is further dependent on a type of the audio data.

52. A content gathering apparatus according to claim 50, wherein the audio data is processed based on the mode of capturing the audio data.

53. A content gathering apparatus according to claim 49, wherein the content information includes audio data, where the template instructions when executed provide suggestions in relation to mixing of the audio data.

54. A content gathering apparatus according to claim 39, wherein the metadata is selected from the group consisting of the following pieces of information in relation to the content information gathered:

data and time;

location;

apparatus orientation information;

apparatus setting information; and

information on user selected options.

55. A content gathering apparatus according to claim 39, the content gathering apparatus being selected from the group consisting of:

a still camera;

a video recorder;

an image capture device;

an audio recorder;

an audio mixer; and

an audio capture device.