Method and apparatus for providing live view and instant review in an image capture device

• US 7,379,097 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2002
• Issued: 05/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: FlashPoint Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: FlashPoint Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Anderson, Eric C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ye; Lin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Aggarwal; Yogesh K.
• Application Number:
  US10/154,496
• Publication Number:
  US 20020186307A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,195 Days
• Field of Search: 348/222.1, 348/223.1, 348272-275, 348/296, 348/297, 348/280, 348/229.1
• US Class Current: 348/222.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0044 for image preview or review, e.g. to help the user position a sheet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00442 Simultaneous viewing of a plurality of images, e.g. using a mosaic display arrangement of thumbnails
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00453 arranged in a two dimensional array
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00458 Sequential viewing of a plurality of images, e.g. browsing or scrolling
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2137 with temporary storage before final recording, e.g. in a frame buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2158 using a detachable storage unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32128 attached to the image data, e.g. file header, transmitted message header, information on the same page or in the same computer file as the image for information embedded in the image H04N1/32144
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3264 of sound signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/632 for displaying or modifying preview images prior to image capturing, e.g. variety of image resolutions or capturing parameters

Abstract

A method and system for providing instant review of a last image in an image capture device is disclosed. The image capture device includes a viewfinder for displaying a live image and each image of a plurality of previously captured images. The method and system include selecting instant review of the last image captured by the image capture device, determining the status and location of the last image, and providing the last image to the viewfinder for display. Therefore, the image capture device is capable of displaying the last image substantially immediately after the last image has been captured. In another aspect, the image capture device contains an image processing system. In this aspect, the method and system include allowing a user to access a play mode and a review mode while the last image captured undergoes processing by the image processing system.

Claims

1. A method for providing instant review of a last image captured by an image capture device, the image capture device including a viewfinder for displaying a live image and each image of a plurality of previously captured images and an image processing system for processing each of the plurality of previously captured images and providing a plurality of screennail images which correspond to the plurality of previously captured images, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) allowing a user to select instant review of the last image captured by the image capture device;

(b) determining a status and location of the last image;

(c) providing the last image to the viewfinder for display, wherein the image capture device is capable of displaying the last image substantially immediately after the last image has been captured;

(d) allowing the user to access a play mode and a review mode while the last image captured undergoes processing by the image processing system; and

(e) retrieving, resizing, and providing a particular screennail image to the viewfinder if the play mode has been accessed and the particular screennail image has been generated.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the image capture device further includes a buffer for storing an image for display on the viewfinder, and wherein step (b) further comprises the step of:

(b1) determining if the last image is stored in the buffer; and

step (c) further comprises the step of;

(c1) providing the last image from the buffer to the viewfinder if the last image is stored in the buffer.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein step (b) further comprises the step of:

(b2) checking the status of the last image in the image processing system if the last image is not stored in the buffer.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein step (b2) further comprises the step of:

(b2i) determining if a screennail image corresponding to the last image has been generated; and

wherein step (c) further comprises the step of;

(c2) retrieving and resizing the screennail image and providing the screennail image to the viewfinder if the screennail image corresponding to the last image has been generated.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein step (c2) further comprises the steps of:

(c2i) creating the screennail image if the screennail image has not been generated.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein step (a) further comprises the step of:

(a1) providing a switch for allowing the user to access the instant review mode.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the switch further comprises a locked position, the locked position for locking the image capture device in the review mode, wherein the image capture device further includes a shutter button, and wherein step (a1) further comprises the step of:

(a1i) allowing the user to place the switch in the locked position; and

wherein step (a) further comprises the step of;

(a2) allowing the user to depress the shutter button to capture a next image, wherein the next image becomes the last image.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the shutter button further includes a first position and a second position, the second position for capturing the image, where step (a2) further comprises the step of:

(a2i) allowing the user to depress the shutter button to the second position to capture the last image;

the method further comprising the step of;

(f) removing the last image from the viewfinder if the shutter button is released and depressed into the first position after capture of the last image.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of:

(g) providing the last image to the viewfinder it the shutter button is again released from the first position.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the image capture device is a digital camera.

11. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of:

(f) removing the last image from the viewfinder when a predetermined time interval has elapsed.

12. The method of claim 5 wherein step (a) further comprises the step of:

(a1) accessing an instant review mode via an icon displayed on the viewfinder.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the image processing system further provides a plurality of thumbnail images corresponding to the plurality of previously captured images, wherein step (b2) further comprises the step of:

(b2ii) determining whether a portion of the plurality of thumbnail images have been generated; and

wherein step (d) further comprises the step of;

(d1) retrieving, resizing, and providing the portion of the plurality of thumbnail images to the viewfinder if the review mode has been accessed.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein step (e) further comprises the steps of:

(e1) creating the screennail image if the screennail image has not been generated.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein step (d1) further comprises the steps of:

(d1i) creating the portion of the plurality of thumbnail images if a thumbnail image of the portion of the plurality of thumbnail images has not been generated.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the image capture device is a digital camera.

17. An image capture device for providing instant review of a last image captured by the image capture device comprising:

an image processing system for processing each of a plurality of previously captured images, the image processing system allowing a user to access a play mode and a review mode while the last image captured undergoes processing by the image processing system, where the image processing system provides a plurality of screennail images corresponding to the plurality of previously captured images;

a viewfinder for displaying a live image and each image of the plurality of previously captured images;

selection means coupled with the viewfinder for selecting instant review of the last image captured by the image capture device;

means coupled to the selection means for determining a status and location of the last image and for determining if a particular screennail image has been generated;

means coupled to the determining means for providing the last image to the viewfinder for display;

wherein the image capture device is capable of displaying the last image substantially immediately after the last image has been captured; and

means for retrieving, resizing, and providing the particular screennail image to the viewfinder if the play mode has been accessed.

18. The image capture device of claim 17 further comprising:

a buffer coupled to the viewfinder for storing an image for display on the viewfinder;

wherein the determining means further comprise;

buffer determining means for determining if the last image is stored in the buffer; and

wherein the last image providing means further comprise;

means coupled to the buffer for providing the last image from the buffer to the viewfinder if the last image is stored in the buffer.

19. The image capture device of claim 18 wherein the determining means further comprise:

means for checking the status of the last image in the image processing system if the last image is not stored in the buffer.

20. The image capture device of claim 19 wherein the determining means further comprise:

screennail determining means for determining if a screennail image has been generated, and wherein the last image providing means further comprise;

means for retrieving, decompressing, and resizing the screennail image if the screennail image has been generated; and

means coupled to the retrieving means for providing the screennail image to the viewfinder.

21. The image capture device of claim 20 wherein the last image providing means further comprise:

means coupled to the means for providing the screennail image to the viewfinder for creating the screennail image if the screennail image has not been generated.

22. The image capture device of claim 21 wherein the selection means further comprise:

a switch for accessing an instant review mode.

23. The image capture device of claim 22 wherein the switch further comprises:

a locked position, the locked position for locking the image capture device in the instant review mode;

the image capture device further comprising;

a shutter button coupled to the switch for capturing the image and activating the instant review mode.

24. The image capture device of claim 23 wherein the shutter button further comprises:

a first position and a second position, the second position for capturing the image; and

wherein the image capture device further comprises;

means coupled to the viewfinder for removing the last image from the viewfinder if the shutter button is released and depressed into the first position.

25. The image capture device of claim 24 further comprising:

means coupled to the shutter button for providing the last image to the viewfinder if the shutter button is released from the first position.

26. The image capture device of claim 23 further comprising:

means coupled to the viewfinder for removing the last image from the viewfinder when a predetermined time interval has elapsed.

27. The image capture device of claim 21 wherein the selection means further comprise:

means for accessing an instant review mode via an icon displayed on the viewfinder.

28. The image capture device of claim 27 wherein the viewfinder further comprises an LCD screen.

29. The image capture device of claim 28 further comprising:

means for annotating the last image captured.

30. The image capture device of claim 29 wherein the annotating means further comprise:

means for adding sound to the last image captured.

31. The image capture device of claim 30 wherein the image capture device is a digital camera.

32. The system of claim 23 wherein the image processing system further provides a plurality of thumbnail images corresponding to the plurality of previously captured images, the status and location determining means further comprise:

means for determining whether a portion of the plurality of thumbnail images have been generated; and

the system further comprising;

means for retrieving, resizing, and providing the portion of the plurality of thumbnail images to the viewfinder if review mode has been accessed.

33. The system of claim 32 wherein the screennail retrieving means further comprise:

means for creating the screennail image if the screennail image has not been generated.

34. The system of claim 33 wherein the thumbnail retrieving means further comprise:

means for creating the portion of the plurality of thumbnail images if a thumbnail image of the portion of the plurality of thumbnail images has not been generated.

35. The system of claim 34 wherein the image capture device is a digital camera.