System and method for displaying an image composition template

• US 7,349,020 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2003
• Issued: 03/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Stockton, Kenneth R., Miner, Kathy Louise, Barrios, Sarah J., Stavely, Donald J., Battles, Amy E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ye; Lin
• Assistant Examiner(s): HERNANDEZ, NELSON D
• Application Number:
  US10/694,108
• Publication Number:
  US 20050088542A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,611 Days
• Field of Search: 348/333.01, 348/333.02, 348/333.03, 348/333.12, 348/333.04, 348/207.99, 348/239, 382/243, 382/278, 382/287, 382/291, 382/313
• US Class Current: 348/333.02
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• 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 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• 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

Abstract

A system and method for displaying image composition templates with preview images is described. One embodiment comprises analyzing at least one characteristic of a preview image, determining a nature of the preview image based upon the analyzed characteristic, selecting an image composition template corresponding to the determined nature of the preview image and displaying the selected image composition template concurrently with the preview image.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a plurality of image composition templates, each of the image composition templates associated with at least one of a plurality of preview image natures, at least one image composition template corresponding to a predefined subject matter;

a photosensor configured to sense an image;

a display configured to display a preview image corresponding to the sensed image; and

a processor configured to perform an analysis of at least one characteristic of the preview image;

wherein the processor is configured to determine a nature of the preview image based on an analysis of the at least one characteristic of the preview image through employment of a scene analysis algorithm to identify coarse attributes of the preview image;

wherein the processor is configured to employ the scene analysis algorithm to select the image composition template based upon the nature of the preview image in which the processor divides the preview image into a coarse grid and compares the coarse grid against a number of pre-stored grid patterns to determine a best match with one of the pre-stored grid patterns associated with a corresponding one of the image composition templates.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to employ the scene analysis algorithm to compare the coarse grid against a number of pre-stored grid patterns to determine a best match based on the relative brightness, color, or other scene attributes.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the image composition templates is uniquely associated with the nature of the preview image.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to employ the scene analysis algorithm to analyze for presence of strong horizontal features with consideration that a horizontal feature near a vertical center of the image may indicate a horizon line dividing the image in two and a template can be presented that suggests moving the horizon line so as to place the horizon along an upper one third or a lower one third of the image.

5. The system of claim 3, further comprising a menu displayed on the display, the menu configured to select one of the plurality of image composition templates associated with the nature of the preview image.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a memory configured to store logic configured to analyze the nature of the preview image, wherein the logic comprises the scene analysis algorithm.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a memory configured to store the image composition template.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a viewfinder, the viewfinder configured to display a view of the preview image concurrently with the image composition template.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the preview image is concurrently displayed with the image composition template on the display.

10. A method comprising the steps of:

analyzing at least one characteristic of a preview image by a digital camera, wherein each image composition template of a plurality of image composition templates is associated with at least one of a plurality of preview image natures;

automatically determining a nature of the preview image by the digital camera based upon the analyzed characteristic through employment of a scene analysis algorithm to identify coarse attributes of the preview image;

automatically selecting an image composition template by the digital camera corresponding to the determined nature of the preview image through employment of the scene analysis algorithm to divide the preview image into a coarse grid and compare the coarse grid against a number of pre-stored grid patterns for determination of a best match with one of the pre-stored grid patterns associated with a corresponding one of the image composition templates; and

displaying the selected image composition template concurrently with the preview image.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of receiving data corresponding to the preview image from a photosensor.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of displaying comprises displaying the selected image composition template concurrently with the preview image on a display.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of displaying comprises displaying the selected image composition template concurrently with a view corresponding to the preview image on a viewfinder.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

capturing an image corresponding to the preview image with an image capture device; and

saving captured image data corresponding to the captured image.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of saving the selected image composition template as part of the captured image data.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

associating the selected image composition template with the captured image data; and

saving the selected image composition template.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of saving image data corresponding to the preview image.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of automatically selecting the image composition template comprises:

employing the scene analysis algorithm to cause one or more coarse grids to identify;

predominantly white and blue in elements of one or more upper grids indicative of sky; and

predominantly darker green, brown, or gray elements of one or more lower grids indicative of landscape.

19. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of associating a plurality of image composition templates uniquely with a plurality of preview images.

20. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of retrieving the selected image composition template from a memory.

21. A system for displaying image composition templates with preview images, comprising:

means for displaying a preview image on a display;

means for analyzing at least one characteristic of the preview image, wherein each image composition template of a plurality of image composition templates is associated with at least one of a plurality of preview image natures;

means for automatically determining a nature of the preview image based upon the analyzed characteristic through employment of a scene analysis algorithm to identify coarse attributes of the preview image;

means for selecting an image composition template corresponding to the determined nature of the preview image through employment of the scene analysis algorithm to divide the preview image into a coarse grid and compare the coarse grid against a number of pre-stored grid patterns for determination of a best match with one of the prestored grid patterns associated with a corresponding one of the image composition templates; and

means for displaying the selected image composition template concurrently with the preview image.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising means for displaying the selected image composition template concurrently with the preview image on the display.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the means for selecting the image composition template comprises:

means for employing the scene analysis algorithm to cause one or more coarse grids to identify;

predominantly white and blue in elements of one or more upper grids indicative of sky; and

predominantly darker green, brown, or gray elements of one or more lower grids indicative of landscape;

the system further comprising means for displaying the selected image composition template concurrently with a view corresponding to the preview image on a viewfinder.

24. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

means for capturing an image corresponding to the preview image with an image capture device; and

means for saving captured image data corresponding to the captured image.

25. A computer readable tangible medium having a program for displaying image composition templates with preview images, the program comprising logic that when executed by an image capturing device would perform the steps of:

receiving data corresponding to a preview image from a photosensor;

analyzing at least one characteristic of a preview image by the image capturing device, wherein each image composition template of a plurality of image composition templates is associated with at least one of a plurality of preview image natures;

determining a nature of the preview image by the image capturing device based upon the analyzed characteristic through employment of a scene analysis algorithm to identify coarse attributes of the preview image;

selecting an image composition template by the image capturing device corresponding to the determined nature of the preview image through employment of the scene analysis algorithm to divide the preview image into a coarse grid and compare the coarse grid against a number of pre-stored grid patterns for determination of a best match with one of the pre-stored grid patterns associated with a corresponding one of the image composition templates; and

displaying the selected image composition template concurrently with the preview image.