Camera image selection based on detected device movement

• US 8,624,998 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2009
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: James, Bryan, Hodge, Andrew, Lindahl, Aram
• Primary Examiner(s): LAM, HUNG H
• Application Number:
  US12/479,470
• Publication Number:
  US 20100309334A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,677 Days
• Field of Search: 348/231.2, 348/340, 348/E5.024
• US Class Current: 348/231.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/68 for stable pick-up of the scene, e.g. compensating for camera body vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/144 Movement detection for video coding H04N19/503; analysis of motion in general G06T7/20

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for selecting one or more of several images captured in sequence and stored in a buffer in response to receiving a user instruction to store a captured image. An electronic device can capture information describing the movement of the device at the time each of the several images was captured, such that each image can be associated with specific device movement information. The electronic device can then select the one of the captured and buffered images for which the movement information of the device satisfies particular criteria. This can ensure that the particular image stored is not blurry due to device movement at the time the image was captured.

Claims

1. A method for storing an image captured by a lens of an electronic device, comprising:

capturing a plurality of images using the lens, each of the images having a corresponding capture time;

storing the captured images in a buffer;

detecting movement information describing movement of the electronic device using a motion sensing component;

associating each image in the buffer with movement information detected at a time corresponding to the image'"'"'s capture time, wherein the act of associating further comprises;

storing the detected movement information as movement information values in a second buffer;

associating a first time stamp with each of the captured images in the buffer;

associating a second time stamp with each of the movement information values stored in the second buffer; and

associating captured images and movement information values based, at least in part, on a relationship between the first time stamps and the second time stamps;

receiving an instruction to store a captured image;

identifying one or more images in the buffer having associated movement information that satisfies a movement threshold; and

selecting one of the identified one or more images for storage, wherein the act of selecting one of the identified one or more images for storage comprises selecting an image from the identified one or more images having a corresponding capture time that is closest in time to the time that the instruction to store the captured image was received.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of storing the captured images in a buffer further comprises:

determining that the buffer is full; and

replacing an oldest captured image in the buffer with a newest image captured by the lens.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of associating each image in the buffer with movement information further comprises embedding as metadata, for each captured image in the buffer, the movement information detected at the time corresponding to the image'"'"'s capture time.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of detecting movement information describing movement of the electronic device using a motion sensing component comprises processing acceleration information from the motion sensing component to identify at least one of velocity and displacement information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of selecting one of the identified one or more images for storage further comprises determining whether each of the identified one or more images was captured before or after the instruction to store the captured image was received.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a value of the movement threshold is selected based on at least one of:

conditions of an environment in which the plurality of images are captured, attributes of the captured images, and lens settings.

7. An electronic device operative to capture and store images, comprising:

a lens operative to capture images;

a memory operative to store captured images in a buffer;

a motion sensing component operative to quantify movement of the electronic device; and

a processor operative to execute instructions stored in the memory to cause the processor to;

direct the lens to sequentially capture images;

direct the motion sensing component to quantify device movement during a time period that the lens captures images;

direct the memory to store each of the sequentially captured images in the buffer, wherein the most recently captured images replace older captured images stored in the buffer when the buffer is full;

associate each image in the buffer with a quantified device movement value, wherein the instructions to associate further comprise instructions to;

store the quantified device movement values as movement information values in a second buffer;

associate a first time stamp with each of the captured images in the buffer;

associate a second time stamp with each of the movement information values stored in the second buffer; and

associate captured images and movement information values based, at least in part, on a relationship between the first time stamps and the second time stamps;

receive an instruction to store a captured image;

identify one or more images in the buffer having an associated device movement value that satisfies a movement threshold, wherein the movement threshold is selected based on at least one of;

environmental conditions, attributes of the sequentially captured images, and lens settings; and

select one of the identified one or more images for storage in the memory, wherein the instructions to cause the processor to select one of the identified one or more images for storage in the memory comprise instructions to select an image from the identified one or more images having a corresponding capture time that is closest in time to the time that the instruction to store the captured image was received.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the images stored in the buffer are captured both before and after the instruction to store a captured image is received.

9. The electronic device of claim 7, further comprising instructions stored in the memory to cause the processor to determine a buffer size based on at least one of:

an amount of memory available;

a number of captured images to store; and

a duration from the current time.

10. Non-transitory computer readable media for storing an image captured by a lens of an electronic device, comprising computer-readable instructions recorded thereon to cause a processor to:

capture a plurality of images using the lens;

store the captured images in a first buffer;

detect movement information values describing movement of the electronic device using a motion sensing component;

store the detected movement information values in a second buffer;

associate each captured image in the first buffer with detected movement information values detected at a time the image was captured, wherein the instructions to associate further comprise instructions to;

associate a first time stamp with each of the captured images in the first buffer;

associate a second time stamp with each of the movement information values stored in the second buffer; and

associate captured images and movement information values based, at least in part, on a relationship between the first time stamps and the second time stamps;

receive an instruction to store a captured image;

identify one or more images in the first buffer having associated movement information that satisfies a movement threshold; and

select one of the identified one or more images, wherein the instructions to cause the processor to select one of the identified one or more images comprise instructions to select an image from the identified one or more images having a corresponding capture time that is closest in time to the time that the instruction to store the captured image was received.