Capturing images of active subjects according to activity profiles

• US 9,413,947 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2014
• Issued: 08/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Waddington, Alex Vaz
• Primary Examiner(s): Vieaux, Gary C
• Application Number:
  US14/448,199
• Publication Number:
  US 20160037055A1
• Time in Patent Office: 740 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet

Abstract

Techniques for capture of images of active subjects are described herein. In one or more implementations, a wearable device is configured to collect data regarding action of a subject associated with the wearable device during an activity. The wearable device then communicates with a user'"'"'s mobile phone or other computing device to trigger image capture in accordance with trigger points defined for the activity. This may involve streaming collected data for processing by the capturing computing device to recognize the triggers and/or sending indications of trigger points that are recognized by the wearable device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

defining an activity profile, the activity profile comprising trigger points for an activity, the trigger points being values for characteristics of action achieved during engagement in the activity;

collecting data via one or more sensors of a wearable device indicative of the action of a subject associated with the wearable device during the activity; and

causing a computing device including an image capture device in communication with the wearable device to capture one or more images of the action at the trigger points indicated by the data that is collected via the one or more sensors.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein causing the image capture device to capture the one or more images comprises streaming the collected data from the wearable device for analysis at the computing device to recognize the trigger points.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein causing the image capture device to capture the one or more images comprises analyzing the collected data at the wearable device to recognize the trigger points and communicating indications of the trigger points to the computing device to initiate capture of corresponding images by the image capture device.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the trigger points are recognized by comparing the data that is collected via the one or more sensors to the activity profile established for the activity.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the computing device is positioned at a location remote from the wearable device to enable capture of the images of the subject associated with the wearable device during the activity.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors of the wearable device are configured to measure values for characteristics of the action including one or more of motion, acceleration, physical attributes of the subject, speed, orientation, gestures, defined body movements, distance, and changes in position.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the image capturing device is implemented as a component of the wearable device.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the collected data includes data regarding movement of the subject during the activity.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the collected data includes data regarding proximity of the subject to the image capture device.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein capture of the one or more images includes capturing digital photographs.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein capture of the one or more images includes capturing a video clip.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, the activity profile further comprising techniques used to perform the image capture.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, the activity profile further comprising user-specific trigger points.

14. A wearable device comprising:

a processing system;

one or more sensors; and

one or more modules, that when executed by the processing system, cause the wearable device to perform operations to capture images of a subject engaged in an activity including;

obtaining data via the one or more sensors that is indicative of the action of the subject during the activity; and

communicating indications generated based on the obtained data to control timing of image capture by an image capture device in communication with the wearable device, the image capture device implemented by a computing device separate from the wearable device.

15. A wearable computing device as recited in claim 14, wherein the one or more modules further cause the wearable device to perform operations including:

recognizing trigger points at which operation of the image camera is triggered by comparing the obtained data to an activity profile established for the activity that is configured to associate characteristics of the action with the trigger points;

configuring the indications to convey the trigger points to the image capture device.

16. A wearable computing device as recited in claim 14, wherein another image capture device is integrated with the wearable device.

17. A computing device comprising:

a processing system;

an image processing device;

a network interface operable to establish a connection to a wearable device and exchange data with the wearable device; and

one or more computer-readable storage media having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the processing system, implement a capture module configured to;

define an activity profile, the activity profile comprising trigger points for an activity, the trigger points being values for characteristics of action achieved during engagement in the activity;

obtain data through the network interface communicated from the wearable device indicative of the action of a subject associated with the wearable device during the activity;

analyze the data to recognize the trigger points defined for the activity that are indicated by the data; and

capture one or more images of the action at trigger points responsive to recognition of the trigger points.

18. The computing device as recited in claim 17, wherein the capture module is further configured to capture the one or more images by controlling a shutter of the image capture device according to timing dictated by the trigger points.

19. The computing device as recited in claim 17, wherein the capture module is further configured to selectively communicate versions of the captured images back to the wearable device.

20. The computing device as recited in claim 17, the activity profile further comprising techniques used to perform the image capture.