Method and apparatus for dual camera shutter

• US 9,019,415 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2012
• Issued: 04/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Ma, Wan Shun Vincent, Wu, Hung-Hsin, Shanmugavadivelu, Karthikeyan, Golikeri, Adarsh Abhay
• Primary Examiner(s): Vieaux, Gary C
• Application Number:
  US13/662,368
• Publication Number:
  US 20140028885A1
• Time in Patent Office: 914 Days
• Field of Search: 348/333.1
• US Class Current: 348/333.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/611 where the recognised objects include parts of the human body
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/667 Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes

Abstract

Described herein are methods and devices that employ a dual shutter button feature associated with an image capture device to recommend a capture mode to a user based on one or more parameters analyzed by the image capture system. As described, providing a primary shutter button and a secondary shutter button enables the user to capture in both a standard capture mode by using the primary shutter button and in an alternate mode by using a secondary shutter button.

Claims

1. An image capture system having a processor and a display, comprising:

an image sensor configured to capture a target image of a scene;

an image analysis module configured to determine at least one context for the scene of the target image;

a data storage configured to store the target image; and

a user interface configured to display at least one shutter button that when selected by a user captures and stores the target image to the data storage using first settings, and wherein, in response to the determination of the context of the scene, the user interface also displays at least one additional shutter button that when selected by the user captures and stores the target image to the data storage using second settings, the second settings associated with the context.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface is further configured to receive user feedback regarding the at least one shutter button or the at least one additional shutter button.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a capture module configured to apply, for capture of the target image, either a subset of the first settings for image capture or a subset of the second settings for image capture, based on the at least one shutter button or the at least one additional shutter button.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a processing module configured to apply either a subset of the first settings for post-processing or a subset of the second settings for post-processing to the target image based on with a selected shutter button the at least one shutter button or the at least one additional shutter button.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the image capture device is a mobile communications device, a digital camera, or a video camera.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises a touch interface and one or both of the at least one shutter button and the at least one additional shutter button comprise a touch sensitive shutter button.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises a flat-panel display and a menu selection device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the image analysis module is configured to determine a context of a landscape scene, a portrait scene, a night scene, a low-light scene, a high dynamic range scene, or a sports scene.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the storage module comprises solid state memory.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the solid state memory comprises flash memory.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that when executed by a processor perform a method comprising:

capturing raw data representing the target image;

analyzing the raw data to determine a context of the scene of the target image;

displaying a first shutter button on a user interface that when activated by a user captures and stores the target image to a data storage using first settings;

displaying a second shutter button on the user interface that when activated by the user captures and stores the target image to the data storage using second settings associated with the determined context;

determining whether the first shutter button or the second button is activated by the user; and

capturing and storing the target image to the data storage using the first settings corresponding to the first shutter button when the first shutter button is activated, or capturing and storing the target image to the data storage using the second settings corresponding to the second shutter button when the second shutter button is activated.

12. An image capture system having a processor and a display, comprising:

means for capturing a target image of a scene;

means for determining at least one context for the scene of the target image;

means for storing the target image; and

means for displaying at least one shutter button that when selected by a user captures and stores the target image to the means for storing using first settings, said means further configured to display, in response to the determination of the context of the scene, at least one additional shutter button that when selected b the user captures and stores the target image to the means for storing using second settings associated with the context.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the first settings comprise default image capture and/or processing settings.

14. The system of claim 12, further comprising means for a user selecting a shutter button.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the means for displaying at least one shutter button comprises a touch interface and one or both of the at least one shutter button and the at least one additional shutter button comprises a touch sensitive shutter button.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the means for determining at least one context comprises a context estimation module comprising instructions configured to be run on a processor.

17. A method of capturing a target image of a scene, the method comprising:

capturing raw data representing the target image;

analyzing the raw data to determine a context of the scene of the target image;

displaying a first shutter button on a user interface that when activated by a user captures and stores the target image to a data storage using first settings;

displaying a second shutter button on the user interface that when activated by the user captures and stores the target image to the data storage using second settings associated with the determined context;

determining whether the first shutter button or the second button is activated by the user; and

capturing and storing the target image to the data storage using the first settings corresponding to the first shutter button when the first shutter button is activated, or capturing and storing the target image to the data storage using the second settings corresponding to the second shutter button when the second shutter button is activated.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein capturing and storing the target image to the data storage further comprises applying one or both of image capture settings and post-processing settings corresponding to the activated shutter button.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising estimating a second context and displaying a third shutter button that when activated by the user captures and stores the tar et image to the data storage using third settings associated with the second context.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising displaying preview images to the user.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein analyzing the raw data to determine a context of the scene of the target image comprises the step of determining the context is a landscape scene, a portrait scene, a night scene, a low-light scene, a high dynamic range scene, or a sports scene.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein capturing the target image further comprises receiving data regarding user selection of one of the first or second shutter buttons.