Systems and methods for capturing images of objects

• US 8,648,931 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2011
• Issued: 02/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: MediaTek, Inc.
• Inventors: Chuang, Cheng Te, Chang, Yu-Chung, Chen, Cheng-Che
• Primary Examiner(s): Ye, Lin
• Assistant Examiner(s): HSU, AMY R
• Application Number:
  US13/043,753
• Publication Number:
  US 20110157421A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,070 Days
• Field of Search: 348/231.2, 348/231.3, 348/222.1
• US Class Current: 348/231.3
• 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 1/00384 Key input means, e.g. buttons or keypads electromechanical details of key input means in general H01H13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00411 the display also being used for user input, e.g. touch screen
• 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 2201/3254 Orientation, e.g. landscape or portrait; Location or order of the image data, e.g. in memory

Abstract

A method for generating an image object, performed by a mobile electronic device, comprises the following steps. The mobile electronic device comprises multiple shutter objects, and each shutter object corresponds to an orientation type. A signal generated by one of the shutter objects is detected. A orientation type is determined according to the shutter object generating the signal. The image object with the determined orientation type is stored.

Claims

1. A method for generating an image object, performed by an electronic device comprising a plurality of shutter objects for capturing images upon activation, each of the plurality of shutter objects corresponding to an orientation type, comprising:

detecting a signal generated by one of the plurality of the shutter objects;

determining an orientation type according to the shutter object generating the signal; and

storing the orientation type and rotating the image object according to the determined orientation type.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 further providing information indicating mapping relationships between shutter objects and orientation types, and the orientation type is determined according to the shutter object generating the signal and the information.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 wherein the information is provided according to placement of an image sensor located in the electronic apparatus.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the determined orientation type is stored in an orientation tag of a still image header file compatible with the exchangeable image file format (EXIF).

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the determined orientation type is stored in a user data box of an MPEG file.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the determined orientation type indicates one of the following representation situations:

row 0 of the stored image object is displayed at the top and column 0 of the stored image object is displayed at the left-hand side;

row 0 of the stored image object is displayed at the top and column 0 of the stored image object is displayed at the right-hand side;

row 0 of the stored image object is displayed at the bottom and column 0 of the stored image object is displayed at the right-hand side;

row 0 of the stored image object is displayed at the bottom and column 0 of the stored image object is displayed at the left-hand side;

row 0 of the stored image object is displayed at the left-hand side and column 0 of the stored image object is displayed at the top;

row 0 of the stored image object is displayed at the right-hand side and column 0 of the stored image object is displayed at the top;

row 0 of the stored image object is displayed at the right-hand side and column 0 of the stored image object is displayed at the bottom; and

row 0 of the stored image object is displayed at the left-hand side and column 0 of the stored image object is displayed at the bottom.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the image object is to be displayed in response to the stored orientation type.

8. A system for generating an image object, comprising:

a first shutter object for capturing images upon activation;

a second shutter object for capturing images upon activation; and

a processor coupling to the first and second shutter objects, detecting a signal, determining whether the signal is generated by the first shutter object or the second shutter object, determining a first orientation type when the signal is generated by the first shutter object, determining a second orientation type when the signal is generated by the second shutter object, storing the image object with the determined orientation type and rotating the image object according to the determined orientation type,

wherein the image object is to be displayed in response to the stored orientation type.

9. The system as claimed in claim 8 wherein the processor provides mapping relationships indicating that the first shutter object corresponds to the first orientation type and the second shutter object corresponds to the second orientation type.

10. The system as claimed in claim 9 wherein the first orientation type or the second orientation type is determined according to the provided mapping relationships.

11. The system as claimed in claim 8 further comprising a front panel and a lateral side, wherein a hard shutter key is placed at a keypad disposed on the front panel, a shutter button is disposed on the lateral side, at least one soft key is displayed on a touch panel disposed on the front panel, and the first and second shutter objects are any combination of the hard shutter key, the shutter button, and the at least one soft key.

12. The system as claimed in claim 8 wherein the determined orientation type is stored in an orientation tag of a still image header file compatible with the exchangeable image file format (EXIF).

13. The system as claimed in claim 8 wherein the determined orientation type is stored in a user data box of a MPEG file.

14. The system as claimed in claim 8 wherein the determined orientation type indicates one of the following representation situations:

row 0 of the stored image object is displayed at the top and column 0 of the stored image object is displayed at the left-hand side;

row 0 of the stored image object is displayed at the top and column 0 of the stored image object is displayed at the right-hand side;

row 0 of the stored image object is displayed at the bottom and column 0 of the stored image object is displayed at the right-hand side;

row 0 of the stored image object is displayed at the bottom and column 0 of the stored image object is displayed at the left-hand side;

row 0 of the stored image object is displayed at the left-hand side and column 0 of the stored image object is displayed at the top;

row 0 of the stored image object is displayed at the right-hand side and column 0 of the stored image object is displayed at the top;

row 0 of the stored image object is displayed at the right-hand side and column 0 of the stored image object is displayed at the bottom; and

row 0 of the stored image object is displayed at the left-hand side and column 0 of the stored image object is displayed at the bottom.