Automatic insertion of video into a photo story

• US 9,451,178 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2014
• Issued: 09/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Kelder, Mart, Lammers, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): DAGNEW, MEKONNEN D
• Application Number:
  US14/285,237
• Publication Number:
  US 20150341572A1
• Time in Patent Office: 852 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00 Scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission; Details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00196 Creation of a photo-montage, e.g. photoalbum H04N1/0019 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00198 Creation of a soft photo presentation, e.g. digital slide-show
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/60 Control of cameras or camera modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• 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
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/9265 with processing of the sound signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/08 Mouthpieces; Microphones; Attachments therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's

Abstract

Various embodiments provide a capture device, e.g., a camera, that is configured to have multiple capture modes including an image capture mode and a video capture mode. The capture device can be set to the image capture mode in which images or photos are periodically, automatically captured. Upon detection of a particular event, such as an audibly detectable event, the capture device automatically triggers the video capture mode and begins to capture video. After a period of time, the capture device can transition back to the image capture mode. Transition to the image capture mode can occur in various ways, e.g., after passage of a period of time, after the audibly detectable event terminates or attenuates, by way of user input and the like. In some embodiments, the capture device can be embodied as a wearable camera that is worn by a user.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

enabling, via a capture device, an image capture mode in which images are periodically and automatically captured;

capturing, via the capture device, one or more images in the image capture mode;

detecting, while the capture device is in the image capture mode, an audible event;

responsive to detecting the audible event, automatically triggering, via the capture device, a video capture mode in which video can be captured, the triggering causing the capture device to transition from the image capture mode to the video capture mode;

capturing, via the capture device, video in the video capture mode; and

transitioning, via the capture device, from the video capture mode to the image capture mode.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said detecting comprises capturing sound in the capture device'"'"'s ambient environment and comparing captured sound to one or more profiles stored in memory of the capture device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said detecting comprises capturing sound in the capture device'"'"'s ambient environment and comparing captured sound to a sound threshold.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said transitioning comprises automatically transitioning to the image capture mode.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said transitioning comprises automatically transitioning to the image capture mode after a period of time.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said transitioning comprises transitioning to the image capture mode after the audible event is no longer detected.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a photo story comprising chronologically ordered images and video.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more images and video comprises content, and further comprising grouping at least some of the content according to shared characteristics or properties.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the capture device comprises a wearable camera.

10. A system comprising:

a capture device configured to;

capture a plurality of still images in an image capture mode in which the plurality of still images are periodically and automatically captured by the capture device;

while the capture device is in the image capture mode, detect an audible event;

in response to detection of the audible event, automatically transition to a video capture mode in which video can be captured;

capture one or more videos in the video capture mode; and

transition from the video capture mode to the image capture mode.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a processor that is configured to enable grouping of both still images and the one or more videos together.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to enable grouping by providing the still images and one or more videos to a computing device or remote service sufficient to enable said grouping.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to enable grouping by enabling both the still images and said one or more videos to be grouped in a photo story in which content is arranged in a chronological order.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein said audible event is detected by the capture device using one or more stored sound profiles to which sound captured by the capture device is compared.

15. A capture device comprising:

a housing;

a camera lens supported by the housing and configured to enable capture of images and video;

a microphone configured to capture sound around the camera device;

a processor configured to perform operations comprising;

causing the camera lens to capture one or more images in an image capture mode;

detecting, using at least the microphone, an audible event while the capture device is in the image capture mode;

responsive to detecting the audible event, automatically triggering a video capture mode in which video can be captured by the camera lens and the microphone;

causing the camera lens and the microphone to capture video in the video capture mode; and

transitioning to the image capture mode.

16. The capture device of claim 15, wherein said detecting comprises capturing sound in the capture device'"'"'s ambient environment and comparing captured sound to one or more profiles stored in memory of the capture device.

17. The capture device of claim 15, wherein said transitioning comprises automatically transitioning to the image capture mode after a period of time.

18. The capture device of claim 15 further comprising providing a photo story comprising chronologically ordered images and video.

19. The capture device of claim 15, embodied as a wearable camera.

20. The capture device of claim 15, wherein said automatically triggering causes the capture device to transition from the image capture mode to the video capture mode.