Method of producing a still image

• US 8,866,929 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2013
• Issued: 10/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ability Enterprise Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Ability Enterprise Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Chen, Chi-De
• Primary Examiner(s): Haskins, Twyler
• Assistant Examiner(s): TEJANO, DWIGHT ALEX C
• Application Number:
  US13/936,772
• Publication Number:
  US 20130293758A1
• Time in Patent Office: 470 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 348/229.1
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/08 Trick photography
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/54 with projector
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2205/00 Adjustment of optical system relative to image or object surface other than for focusing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/58 Means for changing the camera field of view without moving the camera body, e.g. nutating or panning of optics or image sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/64 Computer-aided capture of images, e.g. transfer from script file into camera, check of taken image quality, advice or proposal for image composition or decision on when to take image
• 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

Abstract

A method of producing an image is disclosed. A reference track is received. The reference track is, optionally, displayed on a preview image with at least one light spot. Subsequently, a position of an incident light projected on an image sensor of an image capturing device is varied during an exposure period to trace the reference track. Accordingly, the image with a light track that traces the reference track is captured.

Claims

1. A method of producing a still image, comprising:

receiving a reference track;

displaying the reference track on a preview image captured, and the preview image has a light spot; and

varying a position of an incident light projected on an image sensor to trace the reference track during an exposure period to capture the still image,

wherein the light spot moves to follow a path of an outline, or a track of the reference track in the exposure period.

2. The method of claim 1, after receiving the reference track, further comprising:

subjecting the reference track to signal processing, low pass filtering, or band pass filtering.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the light spot of the preview image includes at least one pixel having a brightness value greater than brightness values of pixels of non-light spot portion of the preview image.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of varying the position of the incident light comprises:

moving a lens or the image sensor of the image capturing device relatively for the incident light projected on the image sensor according to the reference track during an exposure period.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein positions of the lens and the image sensor are held during a portion of the exposure period.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adjusting brightness values of pixels of the still image according to a length of the exposure period.

7. A non-transitory storage medium for storing data for accessing by an application program being executed on a data processing device to perform a method of producing a still image, the method comprising:

receiving a reference track;

displaying the reference track on a preview image captured, and the preview image has a light spot; and

varying a position of an incident light projected on an image sensor to trace the reference track during an exposure period to capture the still image,

wherein the light spot moves to follow a path of an outline, or a track of the reference track in the exposure period.

8. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 7, wherein after receiving the reference track, the method further comprises:

subjecting the reference track to signal processing, low pass filtering, or band pass filtering.

9. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 7, wherein the light spot of the preview image includes at least one pixel having a brightness value greater than brightness values of pixels of non-light spot portion of the preview image.

10. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 7, wherein the step of varying the position of the incident light comprises:

moving a lens or the image sensor of the image capturing device relatively for the incident light projected on the image sensor according to the reference track during an exposure period.

11. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 10, wherein positions of the lens and the image sensor are held during a portion of the exposure period.

12. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 7, wherein the method further comprises:

adjusting brightness values of pixels of the still image according to a length of the exposure period.

13. A device for producing a still image, comprising:

a receiver, receiving a reference track;

a display unit, displaying the reference track on a preview image captured, and the preview image having a light spot; and

a mechanism, varying a position of an incident light projected on an image sensor to trace the reference track during an exposure period to capture the still image, wherein the light spot moves to follow a path of an outline, or a track of the reference track in the exposure period.

14. The device of claim 13, further comprising:

a computer center for subjecting the reference track to signal processing, low pass filtering, or band pass filtering.

15. The device of claim 13, further comprising:

a lens driver for moving a lens or a sensor driving for moving the image sensor of the image capturing device relatively for the incident light projected on the image sensor according to the reference track during an exposure period.

16. The device of claim 13, further comprising:

a controller for holding the positions of the lens and the image sensor still during a portion of the exposure period.

17. The device of claim 13, wherein the device is movable according to the reference track during the exposure period when the position of the incident light varies.

18. The device of claim 13, further comprising:

a controller for holding the position of the incident light still during a portion of the exposure period.

19. The device of claim 13, wherein the receiver receives a plurality of the reference tracks, the device further comprising:

a shutter, being shutting down during a transition period in the exposure period between the adjacent reference tracks.

20. The device of claim 13, further comprising:

an adjuster for adjusting brightness values of pixels of the still image according to a length of the exposure period.