Device and method for adjusting image orientation

• US 7,724,296 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2006
• Issued: 05/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Lönn, Fredrik Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan; Jason
• Assistant Examiner(s): KHAN, USMAN A
• Application Number:
  US11/425,395
• Publication Number:
  US 20070296820A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,434 Days
• Field of Search: 348/14.01, 348/239, 348/333.01, 348/333.12, 348/207.99
• US Class Current: 348/333.12
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30201 Face
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/70 Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras camera calibration G06T7/80
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/73 using feature-based methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/242 by image rotation, e.g. by 90 degrees
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/165 using facial parts and geometric relationships

Abstract

A camera device (1) comprising a support structure (10), a primary camera (16) carried by the support structure, and a secondary camera (15) carried by the support structure. When the primary camera (16) is operated to capture an image of an object, the secondary camera (15) captures an image of a user of the camera device (1). An orientation detector (17) is connected to the secondary camera (15), configured to identify images features in the image captured by the secondary camera, such as the eyes and mouth of the user, and to determine rotation orientation of the image relative to a reference orientation. A data storing device (20, 21) is configured to store image data of images captured by the primary camera in an orientation dependent on determined rotation orientation. This way all images may be stored in a common orientation, regardless of which orientation the camera device was held in when the images were captured.

Claims

1. A camera device, comprising:

a support structure;

a primary camera carried by the support structure;

a secondary camera carried by the support structure;

an orientation detector connected to the secondary camera, configured to identify images features in an image captured by the secondary camera, and to determine rotation orientation of the image relative to a reference orientation;

a data storing device configured to store image data of images captured by the primary camera in an orientation dependent on the rotation orientation that was determined from the image captured by the secondary camera.

2. The camera device of claim 1, wherein the primary camera has a primary field of view, and the secondary camera has a secondary field of view which does not overlap with the primary field of view.

3. The camera device of claim 1, wherein the primary camera has a primary field of view, and the secondary camera has a secondary field of view, wherein the primary field of view and the secondary field of view are aimed in substantially opposite directions.

4. The camera device of claim 1, comprising a display device carried by the support structure, configured to act as a viewfinder for the primary camera, and having a normal viewing direction lying within a field of view of the secondary camera.

5. The camera device of claim 1, wherein the orientation detector is configured to identify three or more features from an image captured by the secondary camera.

6. The camera device of claim 1, wherein the orientation detector is configured to identify image features of a human user.

7. The camera device of claim 6, wherein the image features includes facial features.

8. The camera device of claim 6, wherein the image features includes an eye.

9. The camera device of claim 6, wherein the image features includes a mouth.

10. The camera device of claim 6, wherein the image features includes a chin.

11. The camera device of claim 6, wherein the image features includes an eyebrow.

12. The camera device of claim 1, comprising an image recording trigger, configured to activate the data storing device to store image data of an image captured by the primary camera, and the orientation detector to identify images features and determine the rotation orientation of an image captured by the secondary camera.

13. The camera device of claim 1, wherein the orientation detector is configured to detect the orientation of a captured image relative to a vertical orientation and a horizontal orientation, and to determine that the support structure is either vertically oriented or horizontally orientated dependent on which of these orientations matches closest with the captured image of the secondary camera.

14. The camera device of claim 1, wherein the data storing device is configured to store image data in the orientation as captured by the primary camera, or rotated in one or more steps of 90°

as determined by the orientation detector.

15. The camera device of claim 1, incorporated in a mobile phone.

16. A method for adjusting image orientation in a camera device, comprising the steps of:

capturing an image using a primary camera carried by a support structure;

capturing an image using a secondary camera carried by the support structure;

identifying image features in the image captured by the secondary camera,

determining rotation orientation of the image captured by the secondary camera relative to a reference orientation;

storing image data of the image captured by the primary camera in a memory in an orientation dependent on the rotation orientation that was determined from the image captured by the secondary camera.

17. The method of claim 16, comprising the step of:

arranging the primary and the secondary cameras on the support structure such that a primary field of view of the primary camera does not overlap with a secondary field of view of the secondary camera.

18. The method of claim 16, comprising the step of:

aiming the primary camera and the secondary in substantially opposite directions.

19. The method of claim 16, comprising the steps of:

aiming the primary camera towards an object;

aiming the secondary camera towards a user of the camera device.

20. The method of claim 16, comprising the steps of:

presenting an image of an object as captured on a display device carried by the support structure, acting as a viewfinder for the primary camera;

aiming the secondary camera towards a user of the camera device in a viewing direction of the display.

21. The method of claim 16, comprising the step of:

identifying three or more features from an image captured by the secondary camera.

22. The method of claim 16, comprising the step of:

identifying image features of a human user.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the image features includes facial features.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the image features includes an eye.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the image features includes a mouth.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the image features includes a chin.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein the image features includes an eyebrow.

28. The method of claim 16, comprising the steps of:

activating an image recording trigger, and responsive to said activation

determining the relative rotation orientation of the image captured by the secondary camera, and

storing image data of an image captured by the primary camera in an orientation dependent on the determined relative orientation.

29. The method of claim 16, comprising the steps of:

detecting the orientation of an image captured by the secondary camera relative to a vertical orientation and a horizontal orientation;

determining that the support structure is either vertically oriented or horizontally orientated dependent on which of these orientations matches closest with the captured image of the secondary camera.

30. The method of claim 16, comprising the step of:

storing image data in the orientation as captured by the primary camera, or rotated in one or more steps of 90°

corresponding to the determined rotation orientation.