Apparatus and method for taking panoramic photograph

• US 20070263995A1
• Filed: 02/09/2007
• Published: 11/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Jae, Hong, Hyun, Park, Kyong
• Granted Patent: US 7,796,871 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 396/50
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 37/02 with scanning movement of lens or cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/68 for stable pick-up of the scene, e.g. compensating for camera body vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6812 based on additional sensors, e.g. acceleration sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/687 by shifting the lens or sensor position
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for taking a panoramic photograph are provided. While a lens of the apparatus is rotated, an angular velocity sensor such as a gyroscope outputs an angular velocity and calculates therefrom a rotation angle of the lens. Accordingly, a user can capture sequential image segments for the panoramic photograph at suitable rotation angles. Since unintended rotations due to a user'"'"'s hand trembling as well as user'"'"'s intended rotations can be detected, it may be easy to align overlapped portions of adjacent images and thereby to obtain suitable images for panoramic photograph combination. Also, a user can be informed of a capturable section and a rotating direction by using the calculated angular velocity, so the apparatus may promote a user'"'"'s convenience and without the need for a burdensome tripod.

Claims

1. An apparatus for taking a panoramic photograph, the apparatus comprising:

a camera module having a lens for capturing an image for the panoramic photograph;

a memory unit for storing the image captured by the camera module;

a display unit for visually exhibiting the image stored in the memory unit and offering a preview image when a capture mode is enabled;

an angular velocity sensor for outputting an angular velocity utilizing a perceived rotation of the lens;

a rotation angle calculator for receiving the angular velocity from the angular velocity sensor and calculating a corresponding rotation angle; and

a control unit for receiving the rotation angle from the rotation angle calculator and deciding a capturable section of the panoramic photograph.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display unit shows the capturable section of the panoramic photograph and a rotation direction of the lens.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the angular velocity sensor is a gyroscope.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the angular velocity sensor is geomagnetic sensor.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the angular velocity sensor outputs a horizontal angular velocity and a vertical angular velocity.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rotation angle calculator has a low pass filter.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit performs a process to compensate for a user'"'"'s hand-trembling.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a lens driving motor rotating the lens; and

a motor controller controlling the lens driving motor.

9. A method for taking a panoramic photograph, the method comprising steps of:

(a) capturing a first image of the panoramic photograph by operating a camera module having a lens and then storing the captured first image;

(b) calculating a first rotation angle of the lens from a first angular velocity according to a rotation of the lens;

(c) deciding whether the first rotation angle is within a capturable section having lowest and highest values;

(d) notifying a stop of the rotation of the lens when the first rotation angle is within the capturable section;

(e) calculating a second rotation angle of the lens from a second angular velocity according to a further rotation of the lens;

(f) deciding whether an absolute value of the second rotation angle is within a specific threshold value; and

(g) capturing a second image of the panoramic photograph by operating the camera module when the absolute value of the second rotation angle is within the specific threshold value and then storing the captured second image.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein when the first rotation angle is not within the capturable section as a result of step (c), step (b) is performed again after step (c).

11. The method of claim 9, wherein when the absolute value of the second rotation angle is not within the specific threshold value as a result of step (f), step (d) is performed again after step (f).

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the first rotation angle is in a first direction, one of horizontal and vertical directions.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

before step (b),

(a-1) computing the first rotation angle in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; and

(a-2) deciding whether an absolute value of the first rotation angle in the second direction is greater than a given value,

wherein when the absolute value of the first rotation angle in the second direction is not greater than the given value, step (b) is performed after step (a-2).

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

(a-3) when the absolute value of the first rotation angle in the second direction is greater than the given value, notifying a reverse rotation and then returning to step (a-1).

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the second rotation angle has a horizontal rotation angle and a vertical rotation angle.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

after step (f),

(f-1) deciding whether a stationary state remains until a specific time lapses, wherein when the stationary state remains for the specific time, step (g) is performed, and wherein when the stationary state does not remain for the specific time, step (d) is performed again.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein the notifying of the rotation stop in step (d) includes visually displaying with a text or an image on a display unit, operating a lamp, or generating a sound.

18. The method of claim 9, wherein step (c) includes:

(c-1) deciding whether the first rotation angle is smaller than the lowest value of the capturable section;

(c-2) notifying a forward rotation when the first rotation angle is smaller than the lowest value of the capturable section;

(c-3) deciding whether the first rotation angle is greater than the highest value of the capturable section when the first rotation angle is greater than the lowest value of the capturable section; and

(c-4) notifying a reverse rotation when the first rotation angle is greater than the highest value of the capturable section,

wherein step (d) is performed when the first rotation angle is smaller than the highest value of the capturable section.

19. A method for taking a panoramic photograph, the method comprising steps of:

(a) capturing a first image of the panoramic photograph by operating a camera module having a lens and then storing the captured first image;

(b) rotating the lens;

(c) calculating a rotation angle of the lens from an angular velocity according to rotation of the lens;

(d) deciding whether the rotation angle is within a capturable section having lowest and highest values;

(e) stopping the rotation of the lens when the rotation angle is within the capturable section; and

(f) capturing a second image of the panoramic photograph by operating the camera module and then storing the captured second image.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein when the rotation angle is not within the capturable section as a result of step (d), step (b) is performed again after step (d).