Digital camera system having remote control

• US 8,934,045 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2012
• Issued: 01/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Karn, Keith Stoll, Krolczyk, Marc, Joza, Kazuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Tuan
• Assistant Examiner(s): GEBRIEL, SELAM T
• Application Number:
  US13/417,565
• Publication Number:
  US 20130235222A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,037 Days
• Field of Search: 348/211.99, 348/211.2, 348/211.3, 348/207.11
• US Class Current: 348/333.13
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/45 for generating image signals from two or more image sensors being of different type or operating in different modes, e.g. with a CMOS sensor for moving images in combination with a charge-coupled device [CCD] for still images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/52 Elements optimising image sensor operation, e.g. for electromagnetic interference [EMI] protection or temperature control by heat transfer or cooling elements
• 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 23/633 for displaying additional information relating to control or operation of the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/651 for reducing power consumption by affecting camera operations, e.g. sleep mode, hibernation mode or power off of selective parts of the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet

Abstract

A digital camera system includes an image capture module and a remote control module. The image capture module includes an image capture system and a first wireless communication system. The remote control module includes a status display with one or more status display elements for displaying status information pertaining to the image capture module, a battery-operated power supply, one or more user controls, a second wireless communication, and a power management system providing a normal-power state and a low-power state. The system is configured such that when a user activates one of the user controls while the remote control module is in the low-power state the remote control module is set to operate in the normal-power state, a status inquiry is sent to the image capture module, and returned status information is displayed on the status display.

Claims

1. A digital camera system, comprising:

an image capture module including;

a first image capture system including;

a first image sensor for capturing a digital image; and

a first optical system for forming an image of a first portion of a scene onto the first image sensor; and

a first wireless communication system; and

a remote control module including;

a remote control status display including one or more remote control status display elements for displaying status information pertaining to the image capture module;

a battery-operated power supply;

one or more remote control user controls;

a second wireless communication system for communicating with the first wireless communication system using a wireless interface; and

a power management system providing a normal-power state where the remote control status display and the second wireless communication system are active and a low-power state where the remote control status display and the second wireless system are inactive;

wherein when none of the remote control user controls have been activated for a predefined first time interval the power management system sets the remote control module to operate in the low-power state;

and wherein when a user activates one of the remote control user controls while the remote control module is in the low-power state;

the power management system sets the remote control module to operate in the normal-power state;

the remote control module sends a status inquiry to the image capture module using the second wireless communication system, and in response the image capture module sends status information back to the remote control module using the first wireless communication system; and

the status information is displayed using the remote control status display elements of the remote control status display.

2. The digital camera system of claim 1 wherein while the remote control module is in the normal power mode at least some of the remote control status display elements are powered down when none of the remote control user controls have been activated for a predefined second time interval, the second time interval being shorter than the first time interval.

3. The digital camera system of claim 1 wherein the remote control user controls include one or more command user controls for sending commands to the image capture module.

4. The digital camera system of claim 3 wherein the image capture module is used to capture digital videos, burst image sequences or time-lapse digital image sequences, and wherein the command user controls include a user control for initiating and terminating the capture of a digital video, a burst image sequence or a time-lapse digital image sequence.

5. The digital camera system of claim 4 wherein the remote control status display elements include a record status display element that provides an indication of whether a digital video, a burst image sequence or a time-lapse digital image sequence is being captured, and wherein the record status display element remains powered up until the capture of the digital video, the burst image sequence or the time lapse digital image sequence is terminated.

6. The digital camera system of claim 1 wherein the remote control user controls include a status inquiry user control for sending a status request to the image capture module.

7. The digital camera system of claim 3 wherein when a user activates the status inquiry user control, status information received from the image capture module in response to the status request is displayed using the remote control status display elements of the remote control status display.

8. The digital camera system of claim 1 wherein the remote control status display elements include a battery power status display element, a memory status display element, a wireless signal strength status display element or a record status display element.

9. The digital camera system of claim 1 wherein the image capture module further includes a capture module power management system that sets the image capture module to a low-power state after a period of inactivity, wherein the first wireless communication system is still powered up in the low-power state in order to sense signals transmitted by the second wireless communication system.

10. The digital camera system of claim 1 wherein the image capture module further includes a second image capture system including:

a second image sensor; and

a second optical system for forming an image of a second portion of the scene onto the second image sensor, wherein the second optical system is oriented in a different capture direction from the first optical system;

wherein an imaging system selection user control is provided for enabling a user to select between the first image capture system and the second image capture system.

11. The digital camera system of claim 10 wherein one of the remote control user controls provides the function of the imaging system selection user control.

12. The digital camera system of claim 10 wherein the second image camera module further includes:

an image display; and

a power management system providing a normal image capture mode wherein captured digital images are displayed on the image display as they are captured and a low-power image capture mode wherein captured digital images are not displayed on the image display as they are captured;

wherein the image capture module is automatically placed in the low-power image capture mode in response to user selection of the second image capture system.

13. The digital camera system of claim 10 wherein the first optical system and the second optical system have different focal lengths for capturing different fields-of-view of the scene.

14. The digital camera system of claim 10 wherein the first image sensor and the second image sensor have different resolutions.