CAMERA WITH MULTIPLE VIEWFINDERS

• US 20080239103A1
• Filed: 04/02/2007
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Bocking, Andrew, Andrade, Russell
• Granted Patent: US 8,154,625 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/240.99
• 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

Abstract

A novel method and apparatus for controlling the display of a portable electronic device having a user input device and a camera function; the portable electronic device including a photosensor chip having a sensor array of a predetermined number of rows and columns of pixels for converting radiant energy into electronic signals representing an image for display via a viewfinder. The method comprises selecting via the user input a zoom level and viewfinder resolution for the camera application, and in the event the zoom level is 1× then scaling the predetermined number of rows and columns of pixels to the selected viewfinder resolution and generating an image corresponding thereto; and in the event the zoom level is greater than 1× then cropping a region of interest of the predetermined number of rows and columns of pixels in accordance with the zoom level and then scaling the cropped region of interest in accordance with the viewfinder resolution and generating an image corresponding thereto.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the display of a portable electronic device having a user input device and a camera function;

the portable electronic device including a photosensor chip having a sensor array of a predetermined number of rows and columns of pixels for converting radiant energy into electronic signals representing an image for display via a viewfinder;

the method comprising;

selecting via said user input a zoom level and viewfinder resolution for said camera application;

in the event said zoom level is 1×

then scaling said predetermined number of rows and columns of pixels to said selected viewfinder resolution and generating an image corresponding thereto; and

in the event said zoom level is greater than 1×

then cropping a region of interest of said predetermined number of rows and columns of pixels in accordance with said zoom level and then scaling the cropped region of interest in accordance with said viewfinder resolution and generating an image corresponding thereto.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said viewfinder resolution is one of either 240×

180 or 320×

240.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said predetermined number of rows and columns of pixels is 1600×

1200.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said 1600×

1200 pixels are scaled to 320×

240 for a 1×

zoom level.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein said 1600×

1200 pixels are cropped to 800×

600 and then scaled to 320×

240 for a 2×

zoom level.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein said 1600×

1200 pixels are cropped to 400×

300 and then scaled to 320×

240 for a 4×

zoom level.

16. A computer readable medium for storing a set of programming instructions according to the methods of claims 1-6.

7. A portable electronic device comprising:

at least one user input device selecting an input a zoom level and viewfinder resolution;

a photosensor chip having a sensor array of a predetermined number of rows and columns of pixels;

a display;

a persistent storage device; and

a processor interconnecting said user input device, photosensor chip, display, and persistent storage device, and configured to

in the event said zoom level is 1×

, scale said predetermined number of rows and columns of pixels to said selected viewfinder resolution and generate an image corresponding thereto on said display; and

in the event said zoom level is greater than 1×

, crop a region of interest of said predetermined number of rows and columns of pixels in accordance with said zoom level and then scale the cropped region of interest in accordance with said viewfinder resolution and generate an image corresponding thereto on said display.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein said at least one user input is a trackball and wherein said processor is configured to receive rolling input from said trackball and to generate said image according to one of either an enlarged or reduced field of view of said image on said viewfinder depending on a direction of said rolling input.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein said processor is further configured to receive a signal corresponding to said trackball being depressed, and, responsive to said signal, capture for saving on said persistent storage device a captured image;

said captured image corresponding to said image on said viewfinder according to said zoom level.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein said rolling input in a first direction represents zooming-in and rolling input in a second direction, opposite to said first direction, represents zooming-out.

11. The device of claim 7 wherein said viewfinder resolution is one of either 240×

180 or 320×

240.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein said predetermined number of rows and columns of pixels is 1600×

1200.

13. The device of claim 12 wherein said processor scales said 1600×

1200 pixels to 320×

240 for a 1×

zoom level.

14. The device of claim 12 wherein said processor crops said 1600×

1200 pixels to 800×

600 and then scales said pixels to 320×

240 for a 2×

zoom level.

15. The device of claim 12 wherein said processor crops said 1600×

1200 pixels to 400×

300 and then scales said pixels to 320×

240 for a 4×

zoom level.

17. The device of claim 7, wherein said at least one user input is a microphone for voice activating said processor to generate said image according to one of either an enlarged or reduced field of view of said image on said viewfinder based on user voice commands.

18. The device of claim 7, wherein said at least one user input is a microphone (50) for voice activating said processor to crop said region of interest based on user voice commands.