Compensating for delays inherent in digital still camera imaging
First Claim
1. A method of compensating for delay inherent in an electronic still imaging apparatus employing digital processing of image signals corresponding to a still image and storage of the processed image signals in a long-term digital memory, said imaging apparatus including an area image sensor having a two-dimensional array of photosites corresponding to picture elements of the image and means for exposing said sensor to image light and converting said image light so that digital image information is generated for each photosite, the method comprising the following steps:
- (1) digitally capturing a collection of images at substantially regular intervals and storing the images in a buffer memory;
(2) manually indicating a moment in time to capture;
(3) determining and selecting among the images in the buffer memory at least one image to be kept that corresponds most closely in time to a predetermined amount of time prior to said manual indication;
(4) removing all but the selected image from the buffer memory; and
(5) selectively processing and moving and storing the selected image in the long-term memory.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The delays in digital still cameras due to the lag between the press of the shutter release and the shutter opening and due to the reaction time of the photographer are compensated for by continuously capturing and storing images and by selecting a desired one of the images based on the lags. Upon processing an indication from the photographer, the camera begins capturing images at regular images and stores the most recent images in a first-in first-out buffer. At a second indication from the photographer, the camera selects, in accordance with the lags, the image in the buffer a fixed amount of time prior to the second indication for further processing. In this way, both the delay due to human reaction time and the delay due to shutter lag have been compensated for.
49 Citations
24 Claims
-
1. A method of compensating for delay inherent in an electronic still imaging apparatus employing digital processing of image signals corresponding to a still image and storage of the processed image signals in a long-term digital memory, said imaging apparatus including an area image sensor having a two-dimensional array of photosites corresponding to picture elements of the image and means for exposing said sensor to image light and converting said image light so that digital image information is generated for each photosite, the method comprising the following steps:
-
(1) digitally capturing a collection of images at substantially regular intervals and storing the images in a buffer memory;
(2) manually indicating a moment in time to capture;
(3) determining and selecting among the images in the buffer memory at least one image to be kept that corresponds most closely in time to a predetermined amount of time prior to said manual indication;
(4) removing all but the selected image from the buffer memory; and
(5) selectively processing and moving and storing the selected image in the long-term memory. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. A method of compensating for delay inherent in an electronic still imaging apparatus employing digital processing of image signals corresponding to a still image and storage of the processed image signals in a long-term digital memory, said imaging apparatus including an area image sensor having a two-dimensional array of photosites corresponding to picture elements of the image and means for exposing said sensor to image light and converting said image light so that digital image information is generated for each photosite, the method comprising the following steps:
-
(1) digitally capturing a collection of images at substantially regular intervals whereby the images cover a span of time;
(2) manually indicating a moment in time to capture within the span of time;
(3) determining and selecting among the collection of images at least one image to be kept that corresponds most closely in time to a predetermined amount of time prior to said manual indication; and
(4) storing the selected image in the long-term memory. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A method of compensating for delay inherent in an electronic still imaging apparatus employing digital processing of image signals corresponding to a still image and storage of the processed image signals in a long-term digital memory, said imaging apparatus including an area image sensor having a two-dimensional array of photosites corresponding to picture elements of the image and means for exposing said sensor to image light and converting said image light so that digital image information is generated for each photosite, the method comprising the following steps:
-
(1) digitally capturing a collection of properly exposed, in focus images at substantially regular intervals, the collection of images covering a span of time;
(2) storing said digital images in an image buffer;
(3) manually indicating an intension to capture an image;
(4) selecting an image in said buffer that corresponds most closely in time to the point in time a predetermined amount of time prior to said indication to capture the image;
(5) processing said selected image from the buffer to obtain a digital color image; and
(6) storing the digital color image in the long-term storage. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
-
-
23. A method for compensating delay inherent in an electronic still imaging apparatus employing digital processing of image signals corresponding to a still image and storage of the processed image signals in a long-term digital memory, said imaging apparatus including an area image sensor having a two-dimensional array of photosites corresponding to picture elements of the image and means for exposing said sensor to image light and converting said image light so that digital image information is generated for each photosite, the method comprising the following steps:
-
(1) digitally capturing a collection of properly exposed, in focus images at substantially regular intervals, the collection of images covering a span of time;
(2) processing and storing each image of the collection to the long-term storage before a next mage of the collection is captured;
(3) manually indicating an intention for permanently capturing an image;
(4) selecting at least one of the images in the long-term storage that corresponds most closely in time to a predetermined amount of time prior to said indication; and
(5) deleting all images from long-term storage other than the selected image. - View Dependent Claims (24)
-
Specification