Camera phone and photographing method for a camera phone

• US 7,120,461 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2004
• Issued: 10/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Cho, Yoon Ho
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, DAVID Q
• Application Number:
  US10/833,319
• Publication Number:
  US 20040229646A1
• Time in Patent Office: 895 Days
• Field of Search: 396/296, 396/373, 396/221, 396/323, 396/324, 396/147, 396/328, 455/556.1, 455/525.1, 455/349, 348/348
• US Class Current: 455/556.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00183 Photography assistance, e.g. displaying suggestions to the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0035 User-machine interface; Control console input or output arrangements for computers G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0044 for image preview or review, e.g. to help the user position a sheet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• 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 camera phone and photographing method for a camera phone is provided which allows a camera phone to easily and precisely set a composition of a subject to be photographed. If a standard, preset composition guideline is not appropriate for a particular subject to be photographed, a user may select from a plurality of additional composition guidelines stored in a memory portion of the camera phone. These selections may be altered to select a particular subject by varying characteristics such as type, shape, and color, and may be further altered by adjusting coordinate values of the related composition guideline to further suit the particular subject to be photographed. This camera phone and photographing method provide enhanced precision and ease of use when both photographing with a camera phone and editing using various computer-related tools.

Claims

1. A photographing method, comprising:

selecting a standard composition guideline from a plurality of standard composition guidelines and displaying the selected standard composition guideline on a display unit of a device;

adjusting a coordinate value of the composition guideline to display a custom composition guideline which accommodates a subject to be photographed based on a signal from an input device of the device if the standard composition guideline does not accommodate the subject; and

photographing the subject through the displayed composition guideline.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the standard and custom composition guidelines are displayed on the display unit when the device is in a photographing mode.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising varying a type of the displayed composition guideline based on a user'"'"'s preference.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising varying a shape of the displayed composition guideline based on a user'"'"'s preference.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising varying a color of the displayed composition guideline based on a user'"'"'s preference.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising varying a type, shape, and/or color of the displayed composition guideline based on a user'"'"'s preference.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of standard composition guidelines are pre-stored in a memory portion of the device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of standard composition guidelines comprises at least a horizontal composition guideline, a horizontal and vertical composition guideline, a diagonal guideline, and a triangular composition guideline.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting a standard composition guideline and displaying the selected standard composition guideline on a display unit of a device further comprises replacing the selected standard composition guideline with another of the plurality of standard composition guidelines based on a user'"'"'s preference.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting a coordinate value based on a signal from an input device is done through user manipulation of the input device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the input device comprises a direction input device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the direction input device comprises a key input device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the coordinate value of the composition guideline is adjusted by a predetermined pixel unit.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the device comprises a camera.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the device comprises a camera phone.

16. The method of claim 6, wherein varying a type, shape, and/or color of the composition guideline comprises setting a type, a shape, and a color of the displayed composition guideline based on a signal from the input device.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein selecting a standard composition guideline and replacing the standard composition guideline is done based on a signal from the input device.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the coordinate value of the displayed composition guideline is varied by a predetermined pixel unit.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising displaying a preset composition guideline on the display unit and photographing the subject through the preset composition guideline when a signal is not received from the input device.

20. An apparatus, comprising:

means for selecting a standard composition guideline from a plurality of standard composition guidelines and displaying the selected standard composition guideline on a display unit of the apparatus;

means for adjusting a coordinate value of the composition guideline to display a custom composition guideline which accommodates a subject to be photographed based on a signal from an input device of the device if the standard composition guideline does not accommodate the subject; and

means for photographing the subject through the displayed composition guideline.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising means for varying the displayed composition guideline based on a user'"'"'s preference.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the means for varying comprises an input device.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the means for varying is configured to vary at least one of a shape, a color, and a type of the composition guideline based on a signal from the input device.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the means for varying comprises direction input means for varying a coordinate value of the composition guideline.

25. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising means for storing at least one composition guideline for selection by a user.

26. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the apparatus comprises a camera.

27. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the apparatus comprises a camera phone.

28. A device, comprising:

a body;

a display unit provided on the body and configured to display a composition guideline, wherein a coordinate value of the composition guideline may be varied through user manipulation of an input device of the device; and

a camera unit provided on the body and configured to photograph a subject through the displayed composition guideline.

29. The device of claim 28, wherein the input device is configured to vary at least one of a shape, a color, a type, and a coordinate value of the composition guideline.

30. The device of claim 29, wherein the input device comprises a direction input device.

31. The device of claim 30, wherein the direction input device comprises a key input.

32. The device of claim 28, further comprising a memory device configured to store at least one composition guideline.

33. The device of claim 28, wherein the device comprises a camera.

34. The device of claim 28, wherein the device comprises a camera phone.

35. The device of claim 29, wherein the input device is configured to vary at least one of a shape, a color, a type, and a coordinate value of the composition guideline based on a user'"'"'s preference.