Devices and methods for capturing and interacting with enhanced digital images

• US 9,860,451 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2015
• Issued: 01/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Penha, Henrique D., Bauer, Sebastian J., Chaudhri, Imran A., Clarke, Graham R., Dye, Alan C., Federighi, Craig M., Guzman, Aurelio, Ive, Jonathan, King, Nicholas V., Manzari, Behkish J., Mezak, Charles A., Titi, Justin S., Wilson, Christopher I., Harris, Elliott B., Kim, Emilie
• Primary Examiner(s): DAGNEW, MEKONNEN D
• Application Number:
  US14/863,432
• Publication Number:
  US 20160360116A1
• Time in Patent Office: 832 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0487 using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/10 Image acquisition document image scanning and transmission H04N1/00; control of digital cameras H04N23/60
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/00 Scenes; Scene-specific elements control of digital cameras H04N23/60
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/005 Reproducing at a different information rate from the information rate of recording for television signals H04N5/783
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/031 Electronic editing of digitised analogue information signals, e.g. audio or video signals
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2125 Display of information relating to the still picture recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2145 of a sequence of images for selection of a single frame before final recording, e.g. from a continuous sequence captured before and after shutter-release
• 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 23/632 : for displaying or modifying preview images prior to image capturing, e.g. variety of image resolutions or capturing parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/634 : Warning indications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/64 : Computer-aided capture of images, e.g. transfer from script file into camera, check of taken image quality, advice or proposal for image composition or decision on when to take image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/73 : by influencing the exposure time

Abstract

An electronic device includes a camera. While in a first media acquisition mode for the camera the device displays a live preview on the display. While displaying the live preview, the device detects activation of a shutter button. In response to detecting activation of the shutter button, the device groups a plurality of images acquired by the camera in temporal proximity to the activation of the shutter button into a sequence of images. The sequence of images includes: a plurality of images acquired by the camera prior to detecting activation of the shutter button; a representative image that represents the first sequence of images and was acquired by the camera after one or more of the other images in the first sequence of images; and a plurality of images acquired by the camera after acquiring the representative image.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

at an electronic device with a display, a camera, one or more processors, and memory;

while in a first media acquisition mode for the camera;

displaying a live preview on the display;

while displaying the live preview, detecting activation of a shutter button at a first time; and

in response to detecting activation of the shutter button at the first time;

grouping a plurality of images acquired by the camera in temporal proximity to the activation of the shutter button at the first time into a first sequence of images, wherein the first sequence of images includes;

 

a plurality of images acquired by the camera at a first resolution prior to detecting activation of the shutter button at the first time;

 

a representative image that represents the first sequence of images and was acquired by the camera at a second resolution after one or more of the other images in the first sequence of images; and

 

a plurality of images acquired by the camera at the first resolution after acquiring the representative image;

 

wherein the second resolution is higher than the first resolution of the images in the first sequence other than the representative image.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, the plurality of images acquired prior to detecting activation of the shutter button at the first time is a predefined number of images.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, the plurality of images acquired prior to detecting activation of the shutter button at the first time is images that are within a predefined time prior to the first time.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein, the plurality of images acquired prior to detecting activation of the shutter button at the first time is images that are within a predefined time prior to a time at which the representative image is acquired.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein, the plurality of images acquired prior to detecting activation of the shutter button at the first time are from a range of time between the first time and a second time that is prior to the first time, and acquiring the plurality of images prior to detecting activation of the shutter button at the first time is independent of detecting an interaction with the shutter button that is temporally proximate to the second time.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of images, in the first sequence of images, that are acquired prior to detecting activation of the shutter button at the first time meet one or more predefined grouping criteria.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the predefined grouping criteria include selecting a predefined number of images prior to detecting activation of the shutter button.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the predefined grouping criteria include selecting a predefined number of images prior to the representative image.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the predefined grouping criteria include selecting images in a predefined range of time immediately prior to detecting activation of the shutter button.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the predefined grouping criteria include selecting images in a predefined range of time immediately prior to the time at which the representative image is acquired.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the device begins acquiring and storing images upon entering the first media acquisition mode and then deletes images that are not grouped into a respective plurality of images that are in temporal proximity to activation of the shutter button at a respective time while in the first media acquisition mode.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the device begins acquiring and storing images upon displaying the live preview and then deletes images that are not grouped into a respective plurality of images that are in temporal proximity to activation of the shutter button at a respective time while in the first media acquisition mode.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the device acquires and stores images while displaying the live preview, independent of detecting activations of the shutter button, and deletes acquired and stored images that are not grouped into a respective plurality of images that are in temporal proximity to activation of the shutter button at a respective time while in the first media acquisition mode.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the first sequence of images are stored as a first distinct set of images in the memory.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the live preview displays images at a first resolution and the first sequence of images includes images, at the first resolution, that were displayed in the live preview.

16. The method of claim 1, including:

in response to detecting activation of the shutter button at the first time;

associating, with the first sequence of images, audio that corresponds to the first sequence of images.

17. The method of claim 1, including:

in response to detecting activation of the shutter button at the first time;

associating, with the first sequence of images, metadata that corresponds to the first sequence of images.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the first media acquisition mode is configured to be enabled or disabled by a user of the device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein:

the live preview is displayed as part of a media capture user interface that includes an affordance for enabling the first media acquisition mode;

while the first media acquisition mode is enabled, the affordance is animated; and

while the first media acquisition mode is disabled, the affordance is not animated.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein parameters for a respective sequence of images grouped in response to detecting a respective activation of the shutter button are configurable by a user of the device.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the live preview is displayed as part of a media capture user interface that includes an affordance for enabling the first media acquisition mode; and

the shutter button is a software button displayed in the media capture user interface; and

the method includes;

in response to detecting the activation of the shutter button, displaying an animation associated with the shutter button that lasts for an amount of time that corresponds to an amount of time after the activation of the shutter button that the camera is acquiring images for the first sequence of images.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of images acquired by the camera prior to detecting activation of the shutter button at the first time are stored in a first form in the memory prior to detecting activation of the shutter button at the first time and are stored in a second form in the memory in response to detecting activation of the shutter button at the first time.

23. The method of claim 1, including:

after detecting activation of the shutter button at the first time, detecting a next activation of the shutter button at a second time; and

in response to detecting the next activation of the shutter button at the second time;

grouping a plurality of images acquired by the camera in temporal proximity to the activation of the shutter button at the second time into a second sequence of images, wherein the second sequence of images includes;

a plurality of images acquired by the camera prior to detecting activation of the shutter button at the second time; and

a representative image that represents the second sequence of images and was acquired by the camera after one or more of the other images in the second sequence of images.

24. The method of claim 1, including automatically excluding blurred images from the first sequence of images.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first sequence of images includes;

an initial image in the first sequence of images,

a first number of images acquired between the initial image and the representative image,

a final image in the first sequence of images, and

a second number of images acquired between the representative image and the final image; and

the method includes;

detecting an input that corresponds to a request to change the representative image in the first sequence of images; and

in response to detecting the input that corresponds to the request to change the representative image in the first sequence of images;

changing the representative image to a revised representative image in accordance with the detected input; and

changing the grouped plurality of images in the first sequence of images by adding images at one end of the first sequence of images and deleting images at the other end of the first sequence of images in accordance with the detected input such that the first sequence of images has a revised initial image and a revised final image.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the display is a touch-sensitive display, and the method includes:

receiving a request to display the representative image from the first sequence of images;

in response to receiving the request to display the representative image, displaying the representative image on the touch-sensitive display;

while displaying the representative image, receiving a touch input on the touch-sensitive display on the representative image, the touch input including a characteristic that changes with time; and

in response to receiving the touch input on the touch-sensitive display on the representative image, displaying images in the first sequence of images at a rate that is determined based on the change in the characteristic of the touch input over time.

27. An electronic device, comprising:

a display;

a camera;

one or more processors;

memory; and

one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for;

while in a first media acquisition mode for the camera;

displaying a live preview on the display;

while displaying the live preview, detecting activation of a shutter button at a first time; and

in response to detecting activation of the shutter button at the first time;

grouping a plurality of images acquired by the camera in temporal proximity to the activation of the shutter button at the first time into a first sequence of images, wherein the first sequence of images includes;

a plurality of images acquired by the camera at a first resolution prior to detecting activation of the shutter button at the first time;

a representative image that represents the first sequence of images and was acquired by the camera at a second resolution after one or more of the other images in the first sequence of images; and

a plurality of images acquired by the camera at the first resolution after acquiring the representative image;

wherein the second resolution is higher than the first resolution of the images in the first sequence other than the representative image.

28. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by an electronic device with a display, a camera, memory, and one or more processors, cause the device to:

while in a first media acquisition mode for the camera;

display a live preview on the display;

while displaying the live preview, detect activation of a shutter button at a first time; and

in response to detecting activation of the shutter button at the first time;

group a plurality of images acquired by the camera in temporal proximity to the activation of the shutter button at the first time into a first sequence of images, wherein the first sequence of images includes;

a plurality of images acquired by the camera at a first resolution prior to detecting activation of the shutter button at the first time;

a representative image that represents the first sequence of images and was acquired by the camera at a second resolution after one or more of the other images in the first sequence of images; and

a plurality of images acquired by the camera at the first resolution after acquiring the representative image;

wherein the second resolution is higher than the first resolution of the images in the first sequence other than the representative image.