Device and method for photo and video capture

• US 9,781,335 B1
• Filed: 12/08/2016
• Issued: 10/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snap, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Snap, Inc.
• Inventors: Marlin, Richard E., Mathias, Michael J., Diakov, Kristian D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Diep, Trung
• Application Number:
  US15/373,236
• Time in Patent Office: 299 Days
• Field of Search: 3482118, 34833301, 34833305, 348376, 345173, 396298
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/212 Motion video recording combined with still video recording television signal recording H04N5/76
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/633 for displaying additional information relating to control or operation of the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• 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 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/7921 for more than one processing mode

Abstract

A single user input element in an image capture device is used for both photo and video capture. Based on a first user interface activity, a timing reference is engaged at a first reference time. In a first case, photo capture is performed. In the first case, a second reference time is based on a second user interface activity, and the timing reference indicates a passage of time between the two reference times is shorter than a particular time interval. In a second case, video capture is performed. In the second case, the timing reference indicates a passage of time since the first reference time is equal to or longer than the particular time interval. Video capture is stopped based on a subsequent user interface activity. The user interface activities may comprise detecting actions based on the same type of physical manipulation of the single user input.

Claims

1. An image capture device comprising:

an image sensor capable of being configured to capture an image or video;

a single user input element capable of detecting user interface activity;

a processor coupled with the image sensor and configured to perform operations comprising;

detecting a state change of the single user input element from an OFF state to an ON state;

determining a duration of the ON state;

providing a first distinct signal indicating that an image capture is triggered, based on the duration of the ON state being less than a time interval; and

providing a second distinct signal indicating that a video recording is triggered, based on the duration of the ON state being greater than the time interval, wherein the video recording is captured until a state change of the single user input element from the ON state to the OFF state is detected.

2. The image capture device of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

storing still image data from the image sensor based on the duration of the ON state being less than the time interval.

3. The image capture device of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

storing the video recording based on the duration of the ON state being greater than the time interval.

4. The image capture device of claim 1, further comprising:

a timing reference coupled with the processor; and

wherein determining the duration of the ON state comprises;

engaging the timing reference at a first reference time based on detecting the state change of the single user input element from an OFF state to an ON state; and

determining a passage of time since the first reference time.

5. The image capture device of claim 4, wherein providing the first distinct signal indicating that the image capture is triggered, based on the duration of the ON state being less than the time interval, is based on determining that the passage of time since the first reference time is shorter than the time interval.

6. The image capture device of claim 4, wherein providing the second distinct signal indicating that the video recording is triggered, based on the duration of the ON state being greater than the time interval, is based on determining that the passage of time since the first reference time is equal to or longer than the time interval.

7. The image capture device of claim 1, further comprising:

a touchscreen, and wherein the single user input element is a touch-sensitive area of the touchscreen.

8. The image capture device of claim 1, wherein the single user input element comprises a button, a key, a screen area of an input display, or a touch-sensitive area of a touchscreen.

9. The image capture device of claim 1, wherein the first distinct signal or the second distinct signal comprises a distinct audio signal or a distinct visual signal.

10. A method comprising:

detecting, by an image capture device, a state change of a single user input element from an OFF state to an ON state;

determining, by the image capture device, a duration of the ON state;

providing, by the image capture device, a first distinct signal indicating that an image capture is triggered, based on the duration of the ON state being less than a time interval; and

providing, by the image capture device, a second distinct signal indicating that a video recording is triggered, based on the duration of the ON state being greater than the time interval, wherein the video recording is captured until a state change of the single user input element from the ON state to the OFF state is detected.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

storing still image data from the image capture device based on the duration of the ON state being less than the time interval.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

storing the video recording based on the duration of the ON state being greater than the time interval.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein determining the duration of the ON state comprises:

engaging a timing reference at a first reference time based on detecting the state change of the single user input element from an OFF state to an ON state; and

determining a passage of time since the first reference time.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein providing the first distinct signal indicating that the image capture is triggered, based on the duration of the ON state being less than the time interval, is based on determining that the passage of time since the first reference time is shorter than the time interval.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein providing the second distinct signal indicating that the video recording is triggered, based on the duration of the ON state being greater than the time interval, is based on determining that the passage of time since the first reference time is equal to or longer than the time interval.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the single user input element comprises a button, a key, a screen area of an input display, or a touch-sensitive area of a touchscreen.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the first distinct signal or the second distinct signal comprises a distinct audio signal or a distinct visual signal.

18. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing therein instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause an image capture device to perform operations comprising:

detecting a state change of a single user input element from an OFF state to an ON state;

determining a duration of the ON state;

providing a first distinct signal indicating that an image capture is triggered, based on the duration of the ON state being less than a time interval; and

providing a second distinct signal indicating that a video recording is triggered, based on the duration of the ON state being greater than the time interval, wherein the video recording is captured until a state change of the single user input element from the ON state to the OFF state is detected.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein determining the duration of the ON state comprises:

engaging a timing reference at a first reference time based on detecting the state change of the single user input element from an OFF state to an ON state; and

determining a passage of time since the first reference time.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein providing the first distinct signal indicating that the image capture is triggered, based on the duration of the ON state being less than the time interval, is based on determining that the passage of time since the first reference time is shorter than the time interval, and wherein providing the second distinct signal indicating that the video recording is triggered, based on the duration of the ON state being greater than the time interval, is based on determining that the passage of time since the first reference time is equal to or longer than the time interval.