Method for creating content using a camera of a portable terminal and a portable terminal adapted therefor

• US 8,564,682 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2010
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Jeong Yun
• Primary Examiner(s): LAM, HUNG H
• Application Number:
  US12/817,757
• Publication Number:
  US 20100321534A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,223 Days
• Field of Search: 348/333.05, 348/333.12, 348/222.1, 348/E5.053, 725/105
• US Class Current: 348/222.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/00 2D [Two Dimensional] image generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10004 Still image; Photographic image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20221 Image fusion; Image merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/12 Edge-based segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/667 Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/80 Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2621 Cameras specially adapted for the electronic generation of special effects during image pickup, e.g. digital cameras, camcorders, video cameras having integrated special effects capability
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/272 Means for inserting a foreground image in a background image, i.e. inlay, outlay

Abstract

A method for creating content and a portable terminal adapted therefor. An image is selected. The camera captures an image of at least one object from within an image currently being received by the camera. New content is created by combining the captured image of the at least one object with the selected image.

Claims

1. A method for creating content in a portable terminal, comprising:

selecting a composite mode from a camera menu after executing a camera function;

displaying an image selected by a user on a preview screen;

capturing an image of at least one object that is recognized within an image being received by a camera in the portable terminal;

extracting at least one object from image data input through the camera according to a compactness of pixels corresponding to an edge portion of each object recognized by the camera unit; and

creating the content by combining the captured image of the at least one object with the image selected by the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein capturing the image of the at least one object comprises:

displaying the at least one object on an auxiliary screen that is overlaid on the selected image; and

detecting a signal requesting that the image of the at least one object being displayed be captured.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein capturing the image of the at least one object further comprises:

detecting an object recognition mode as a plane recognition mode;

identifying a compactness of pixels corresponding to an edge portion of the at least one object recognized by the camera; and

detecting the at least one object according to an identification result.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein capturing the image of the at least one object further comprises:

detecting an object recognition mode as a hue recognition mode;

identifying a hue of each object recognized by the camera; and

detecting the at least one object according to an identification result.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein creating the content comprises:

displaying the created content on the preview screen.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

storing the created content displayed on the preview screen, when a storing request signal is detected.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the created content via a multimedia message or short-range wireless communication.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the auxiliary screen can be moved to another area of the preview screen.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the auxiliary screen can be enlarged or reduced corresponding to a zoom in/out function.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein a size of the auxiliary screen can be changed.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein a size of the at least one object is variable according to a change of the size of the auxiliary screen.

12. A portable terminal for creating content, comprising:

a camera unit for capturing an image of at least one object from an image being received by the camera unit when a composite mode from a camera menu is selected after executing a camera function;

a display unit for displaying a selected image and the image of the at least one object captured by the camera unit on a preview screen; and

a controller for creating the content by combining the captured image of the at least one object with the selected image,

wherein the controller comprises;

an object extracting unit for extracting at least one object from image data input through the camera; and

a combining unit for combining the image of the at least one object with the selected image,

wherein the object extracting unit extracts the at least one object according to a compactness of pixels corresponding to an edge portion of each object recognized by the camera unit.

13. The portable terminal of claim 12, wherein the controller detects a signal to request to capture the image of the at least one object.

14. The portable terminal of claim 12, wherein the object extracting unit extracts the at least one object by identifying a hue of each object recognized by the camera unit.

15. The portable terminal of claim 12, wherein the controller displays the created content on the preview screen.

16. The portable terminal of claim 12, further comprising:

a storage unit for storing the created content.

17. The portable terminal of claim 12, further comprising a Radio Frequency (RF) communication unit for transmitting the created content via a multimedia message or short-range wireless communication.

18. The portable terminal of claim 12, wherein the display unit displays the image of the at least one object on an auxiliary screen that is overlaid on the preview screen.