User interface for a digital camera

• US 8,760,557 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2012
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Rydenhag, Daniel Tobias, Jorisch, Per Erik Anders, Arbsj, Jonas Ove
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Tuan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nazrul, Shahbaz
• Application Number:
  US13/541,365
• Publication Number:
  US 20130222666A1
• Time in Patent Office: 721 Days
• Field of Search: 348/239, 348/333.05, 348/333.11
• US Class Current: 348/333.11
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a user interface for a digital camera such as a digital camera built into a smartphone or other multipurpose portable electronic device. The user interface simultaneously displays an electronic viewfinder image and at least one other image such as a previously captured image. The previously captured image is located within the electronic viewfinder image. Designated input causes the previously captured image to be enlarged from an initial size to an enlarged size.

Claims

1. A method for displaying an electronic viewfinder on a touch-sensitive display of an electronic device having a digital image sensor for capturing images, the method comprising:

displaying a camera user interface on the touch-sensitive display when the electronic device is in a camera mode, the camera user interface including an electronic viewfinder for displaying a real-time image captured by the digital image sensor and a preview portion for displaying a previously captured image that partially overlays the electronic viewfinder,

resizing the preview portion of the camera user interface while the electronic viewfinder is maintained on a remainder of the touch-sensitive display in response to a designated touch gesture, wherein the preview portion is resized by an amount proportional to a distance from a start point of the designated touch gesture within the preview portion; and

selecting and displaying a new image in response to detecting an image selection gesture having a start point outside of the preview portion, wherein a preceding image is selected and displayed in response to detecting the image selection gesture being in a first direction and a succeeding image is selected and displayed in response to detecting the image selection gesture being in a second direction.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the previously captured image is a last captured image.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the preview portion is located towards a corner of the electronic viewfinder.

4. The method of claim 1,

wherein the previously captured image changes from a smaller and lower resolution image to a relatively larger and higher resolution image as the distance is increased and the previously captured image changes from a larger and higher resolution image to a relatively smaller and lower resolution image as the distance is decreased.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the designated touch gesture is a drag and hold gesture.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

changing from the camera mode to a photo viewer mode for viewing previously captured images in response to the preview portion being enlarged to a full screen size, wherein the changing comprises changing the displayed user interface on the touch-sensitive display from the camera user interface to a photo viewer user interface screen.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

changing from the camera mode to a photo viewer mode for viewing previously captured images in response to detecting a tap event in the preview portion, wherein the changing comprises changing the displayed user interface on the touch-sensitive display from the camera user interface to a photo viewer user interface screen.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the previously captured image is initially displayed within the photo viewer user interface screen.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

within the photo viewer user interface screen, selecting and displaying a preceding image within the photo viewer user interface screen in response to detecting an image selection gesture in a first direction;

within the photo viewer user interface screen, selecting and displaying a succeeding image within the photo viewer user interface screen in response to detecting an image selection gesture in a second direction.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the image selection gesture in a first direction is a left swipe and the image selection gesture in a second direction is a right swipe.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

cropping the previously captured image from an original aspect ratio to a cropped aspect ratio which matches an aspect ratio of the preview portion at a default size when the original aspect ratio is different than the aspect ratio of the preview portion;

wherein the previously captured image is displayed in the cropped aspect ratio when the preview portion is at a default size.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the previously captured image changes from a cropped image in the cropped aspect ratio to a full size image in the original aspect ratio in response to designated enlargement input.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the preview portion is located towards a bottom left corner of the electronic viewfinder.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic viewfinder occupies all of the touch-sensitive display and the preview portion is configured to display a single previously captured image that partially overlays the electronic viewfinder.

23. The method of claim 5, wherein the drag and hold gesture comprises a swipe.

11. A graphical user interface for a camera mode displayed on a touch-sensitive display of an electronic device in the camera mode, the electronic device having a digital image sensor for capturing images, the graphical user interface comprising:

an electronic viewfinder configured to display a real-time image captured by a digital image sensor; and

a preview portion configured to display a previously captured image that partially overlays the electronic viewfinder, wherein a size of the preview portion of the camera user interface is resizable in response to a designated touch gesture while the electronic viewfinder is maintained on a remainder of the touch-sensitive display, wherein the preview portion of the camera user interface is resized by an amount proportional to a distance from a start point of the designated touch gesture within the preview portion,

the graphical user interface configured to select and display a new image in response to detecting an image selection gesture having a start point outside of the preview portion, wherein a preceding image is selected and displayed in response to detecting the image selection gesture being in a first direction and a succeeding image is selected and displayed in response to detecting the image selection gesture being in a second direction.

12. An electronic device, comprising:

a processor;

a touch-sensitive display coupled to the processor;

a digital image sensor coupled to the processor;

wherein the processor is configured to;

display a camera user interface on the touch-sensitive display when the electronic device is in a camera mode, the camera user interface including an electronic viewfinder configured to display a real-time image captured by the digital image sensor and a preview portion configured to display a previously captured image that partially overlays the electronic viewfinder, the electronic viewfinder and the preview portion being maintained on the touch-sensitive display while the electronic device is in the camera mode; and

resize the preview portion of the camera user interface while the electronic viewfinder is maintained on a remainder of the touch-sensitive display in response to a designated touch gesture, wherein the preview portion is resized by an amount proportional to a distance from a start point of the designated touch gesture within the preview portion,

wherein the processor is further configured to select and display a new image in response to detecting an image selection gesture having a start point outside of the preview portion, wherein a preceding image is selected and displayed in response to detecting the image selection gesture being in a first direction and a succeeding image is selected and displayed in response to detecting the image selection gesture being in a second direction.

13. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the previously captured image changes from a smaller and lower resolution image to a relatively larger and higher resolution image as the distance is increased and the previously captured image changes from a larger and higher resolution image to a relatively smaller and lower resolution image as the distance is decreased.

14. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the designated touch gesture is a drag and hold gesture having a start point within the preview portion.

15. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to change from the camera mode to a photo viewer mode for viewing previously captured images in response to the preview portion being enlarged to a full screen size, wherein the changing comprises changing the displayed user interface on the touch-sensitive display from the camera user interface to a photo viewer user interface screen.

16. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to change from the camera mode to a photo viewer mode for viewing previously captured images in response to detecting a tap event in the preview portion, wherein the changing comprises changing the displayed user interface on the touch-sensitive display from the camera user interface to a photo viewer user interface screen.

17. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the previously captured image is initially displayed within the photo viewer user interface screen.

18. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the preview portion is located towards a corner of the electronic viewfinder.

24. The method of claim 14, wherein the drag and hold gesture comprises a swipe.

25. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing program instructions that when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method for displaying an electronic viewfinder on a touch-sensitive display of an electronic device having a digital image sensor for capturing images, the method comprising:

displaying a camera user interface on the touch-sensitive display when the electronic device is in a camera mode, the camera user interface including an electronic viewfinder for displaying a real-time image captured by the digital image sensor and a preview for displaying a previously captured image that partially overlays the electronic viewfinder,

resizing the preview portion of the camera user interface while the electronic viewfinder is maintained on a remainder of the touch-sensitive display in response to a designated touch gesture, wherein the preview portion is resized by an amount proportional to a distance from a start point of the designated touch gesture within the preview portion; and

selecting and displaying a new image in response to detecting an image selection gesture having a start point outside of the preview portion, wherein a preceding image is selected and displayed in response to detecting the image selection gesture being in a first direction and a succeeding image is selected and displayed in response to detecting the image selection gesture being in a second direction.