Image capturing device having continuous image capture

• US 10,511,772 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2018
• Issued: 12/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Brunner, Ralph, Bhogal, Nikhil, Batson, James David
• Primary Examiner(s): Lam, Hung H
• Application Number:
  US16/054,740
• Publication Number:
  US 20190037140A1
• Time in Patent Office: 501 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2137 with temporary storage before final recording, e.g. in a frame buffer
• 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 23/673 based on contrast or high frequency components of image signals, e.g. hill climbing method
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/675 comprising setting of focusing regions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6811 based on the image signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/683 performed by a processor, e.g. controlling the readout of an image memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/74 by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/144 Movement detection for video coding H04N19/503; analysis of motion in general G06T7/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/265 Mixing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

Methods, devices, and systems for continuous image capturing are described herein. In one embodiment, a method includes continuously capturing a sequence of images with an image capturing device. The method may further include storing a predetermined number of the sequence of images in a buffer. The method may further include receiving a user request to capture an image. In response to the user request, the method may further include automatically selecting one of the buffered images based on an exposure time of one of the buffered images. The sequence of images is captured prior to or concurrently with receiving the user request.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

(a) entering an image capture mode;

(b) sequentially during the image capture mode capturing images with an image capturing device and associating metadata with each captured image;

(c) as each new image is captured during the sequential capturing, storing the new image and its associated metadata in a buffer until the buffer contains a predetermined number of the sequentially captured images and their associated metadata;

(d) as each additional new image is captured during the sequential capturing, storing the additional new image and its metadata in the buffer and discarding the oldest image of the predetermined number of the sequentially captured images and its metadata from the buffer;

(e) continuing operations (b) through (d) until a user request to capture an image is received;

(f) in response to the user request to capture an image, capturing a final image corresponding to the time of the user request, and associating metadata with the final image;

(g) storing the final image and its associated metadata;

(h) examining at least the metadata associated with the final image and at least the metadata associated with the predetermined number of images stored in the buffer;

(i) assigning an image quality parameter to the final image and to each of the predetermined number of images based upon the metadata associated with the images;

(j) selecting at least one of the predetermined number of images and the final image as likely desirable based upon the image quality assignments from operation (i);

(k) displaying the final image to the user;

(l) allowing the user to display the predetermined number of images from the buffer while identifying to the user which of the predetermined number of images was selected as likely desirable in operation (j);

(m) allowing the user to choose one of the predetermined number of images if the user determines that the chosen image is more desirable than the final image; and

(n) storing the chosen image.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the metadata includes information indicative of the exposure time of the associated image and wherein operation (i) comprises assigning an image quality parameter based at least on the exposure time.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the metadata includes information indicative of the contrast of the associated image and wherein operation (i) comprises assigning an image quality parameter based at least on the contrast.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the metadata includes information indicative of the resolution of the associated image and wherein operation (i) comprises assigning an image quality parameter based at least on the resolution.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the metadata includes information indicative of the resolution of the associated image and wherein operation (i) comprises assigning an image quality parameter based at least on the resolution.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the metadata includes information indicative of the dynamic range of the associated image and wherein operation (i) comprises assigning an image quality parameter based at least on the dynamic range.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the metadata includes information indicative of the color rendering properties of the associated image and wherein operation (i) comprises assigning an image quality parameter based at least on the color rendering properties.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the metadata includes information indicative of the exposure time, contrast, resolution, dynamic range, and color rendering properties of the associated image and wherein operation (i) comprises assigning an image quality parameter based upon one or more of the exposure time, contrast, resolution, dynamic range, and color rendering properties.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the metadata includes information indicative of the focus of the associated image and wherein operation (i) comprises assigning an image quality parameter based at least on the focus.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9 wherein the metadata indicative of the focus of the associated image comprises a focus score.

11. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the metadata includes information indicative of camera shake during the capture of the associated image and wherein operation (i) comprises assigning an image quality parameter based at least on camera shake.

12. A method of capturing an image comprising:

continuously capturing digital images with an image capturing device;

storing each captured digital image in a data buffer having the capacity to store a predetermined number of captured digital images;

during the continuous capture of digital images, receiving a user request via a shutter release to capture an image and capturing a final image concurrently with the user request;

discontinuing the continuous capture of digital images;

analyzing at least the exposure time of the final digital image and the predetermined number of continuously captured digital images stored in the data buffer;

selecting one or more of the final digital image and the predetermined number of digital images stored in the buffer based upon the analysis of at least the exposure time for each digital image;

displaying the final digital image and the predetermined number of digital images stored in the buffer to the user while indicating to the user the one or more selected images;

allowing the user to select one of the displayed images; and

storing the image selected by the user.

13. A method of improving the results of taking a photograph with a digital image capture device, the method comprising:

(a) selecting a camera mode for the digital image capture device;

(b) displaying to a user on a viewfinder screen of the digital image capture device a video of the scene at which the digital image capture device is pointed;

(c) while displaying the video, continuously capturing a sequence of images of the scene with the digital image capture device and storing a predetermined number of the sequence of images in a data buffer;

(d) receiving a signal indicative of a user request to capture an image;

(e) upon receiving the signal indicative of the user request, storing a final image captured as a result of receiving the signal;

(f) analyzing information about the final image and the predetermined number of images stored in the buffer;

(g) automatically selecting one or more of the final image and the predetermined number of images that is potentially desirable based upon at least one of an exposure time, an image contrast, an image resolution, and a dynamic range;

(h) displaying to the user on the viewfinder screen the final image and the predetermined number of stored images with images selected by the automatically selecting operation being identified as potentially desirable;

(i) allowing the user to select from among the images displayed in operation (h) an image that is desired by the user, and

(j) storing the image selected by the user in operation (i) in a photo library.

14. A non-transitory machine readable medium storing executable instructions which when executed by a data processing system cause the data processing system to perform a method comprising:

(a) entering an image capture mode;

(b) sequentially during the image capture mode capturing images with an image capturing device and associating metadata with each captured image;

(c) as each new image is captured during the sequential capturing, storing the new image and its associated metadata in a buffer until the buffer contains a predetermined number of the sequentially captured images and their associated metadata;

(d) as each additional new image is captured during the sequential capturing, storing the additional new image and its metadata in the buffer and discarding the oldest image of the predetermined number of the sequentially captured images and its metadata from the buffer;

(e) continuing operations (b) through (d) until a user request to capture an image is received;

(f) in response to the user request to capture an image, capturing a final image corresponding to the time of the user request, and associating metadata with the final image;

(g) storing the final image and its associated metadata;

(h) examining at least the metadata associated with the final image and at least the metadata associated with the predetermined number of images stored in the buffer;

(i) assigning an image quality parameter to the final image and to each of the predetermined number of images based upon the metadata associated with the images;

(j) selecting at least one of the predetermined number of images and the final image as likely desirable based upon the image quality assignments from operation (i);

(k) displaying the final image to the user;

(l) allowing the user to display the predetermined number of images from the buffer while identifying to the user which of the predetermined number of images was selected as likely desirable in operation (j);

(m) allowing the user to choose one of the predetermined number of images if the user determines that the chosen image is more desirable than the final image; and

(n) storing the chosen image.

15. The medium as claimed in claim 14 wherein the metadata includes information indicative of the exposure time of the associated image and wherein operation (i) comprises assigning an image quality parameter based at least on the exposure time.

16. The medium as claimed in claim 14 wherein the metadata includes information indicative of the contrast of the associated image and wherein operation (i) comprises assigning an image quality parameter based at least on the contrast.

17. The medium as claimed in claim 14 wherein the metadata includes information indicative of the resolution of the associated image and wherein operation (i) comprises assigning an image quality parameter based at least on the resolution.

18. The medium as claimed in claim 14 wherein the metadata includes information indicative of the resolution of the associated image and wherein operation (i) comprises assigning an image quality parameter based at least on the resolution.

19. The medium as claimed in claim 14 wherein the metadata includes information indicative of the dynamic range of the associated image and wherein operation (i) comprises assigning an image quality parameter based at least on the dynamic range.

20. The medium as claimed in claim 14 wherein the metadata includes information indicative of the color rendering properties of the associated image and wherein operation (i) comprises assigning an image quality parameter based at least on the color rendering properties.

21. The medium as claimed in claim 14 wherein the metadata includes information indicative of the exposure time, contrast, resolution, dynamic range, and color rendering properties of the associated image and wherein operation (i) comprises assigning an image quality parameter based upon one or more of the exposure time, contrast, resolution, dynamic range, and color rendering properties.

22. The medium as claimed in claim 14 wherein the metadata includes information indicative of the focus of the associated image and wherein operation (i) comprises assigning an image quality parameter based at least on the focus.

23. The medium as claimed in claim 22 wherein the metadata indicative of the focus of the associated image comprises a focus score.

24. The medium as claimed in claim 14 wherein the metadata includes information indicative of camera shake during the capture of the associated image and wherein operation (i) comprises assigning an image quality parameter based at least on camera shake.