Device, system and method for image capture device using weather information

• US 8,797,415 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2011
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Arnold, Baron
• Primary Examiner(s): Velez, Roberto
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kao, Yih-Sien
• Application Number:
  US13/245,400
• Publication Number:
  US 20130076926A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,044 Days
• Field of Search: 348/223.1, 348/239, 348/211.99
• US Class Current: 348/211.99
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/76 by influencing the image signals

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a method for capturing an image using an image capture device equipped with a processor. The method includes receiving an electromagnetic signal transmitted from a remote station, determining a location of the image capture device based on the received electromagnetic signal, establishing communication over a network between the image capture device and a remote server, transmitting a request to the remote server for weather information pertaining to the determined location; receiving the weather information, determining an ambient lighting value based on the weather information, capturing an image using the image capture device, and processing the captured image using the determined ambient lighting value.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining, by a processor of an image capture device, a location of the image capture device;

receiving, at the image capture device, and from a remote server, weather information corresponding to the determined location, the weather information including current weather information for a first time and weather forecast information for a future time period extending beyond the first time;

capturing, by the image capture device, at a second time subsequent to the first time and within the future time period, an image;

responsive to determining, by the processor, that the image capture device is not able to communicate with the remote server at the second time, automatically adjusting, by the processor, based at least on the weather forecast information, at least one setting for processing the captured image; and

processing, by the processor, the captured image using the automatically adjusted at least one setting.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the captured image using the automatically adjusted at least one setting includes automatically adjusting at least one of a white balance, hue, saturation, sharpness, or contrast of the captured image.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one of:

saving, by the processor the processed image in memory;

or

outputting, by the processor, for display, the processed image.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the weather information includes at least one of a temperature and a moisture indicator.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the location of the image capture device comprises:

determining whether the image capture device is indoors or outdoors.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the image is one of a still image and a video image.

7. An image capture device, comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to;

determine a location of the image capture device;

receive, from a remote server, weather information corresponding to the determined location, the weather information including current weather information for a first time and weather forecast information for a future time period extending beyond the first time;

capture an image at a second time subsequent to the first time and within the future time period;

responsive to determining that the image capture device is not able to communicate with the remote server at the second time, automatically adjust, based at least on the weather forecast information, at least one setting for processing the captured image; and

process the captured image using the automatically adjusted at least one setting.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the at least one processor is configured to process the captured image by adjusting at least one of a white balance, hue, saturation, sharpness, or contrast of the captured image.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to:

save the processed image in memory.

10. The device of claim 7, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to:

output the processed image for display.

11. The device of claim 7, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to:

capture an initial image when receiving the weather information;

determine whether the image capture device is indoors or outdoors when capturing the initial image;

determine an initial ambient lighting value based on at least one of the weather information when capturing the initial image and whether the image capture device is indoors or outdoors when capturing the initial image; and

process the initial image using at least one setting based on the initial ambient lighting value.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to:

responsive to determining that the image capture device is outdoors when capturing the initial image, determine the initial ambient lighting value based on the weather information.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to:

responsive to determining that the image capture device is indoors when capturing the initial image, determine the initial ambient lighting value without the weather information.

14. A system comprising:

an image capture device configured to determine a location of the image capture device;

a network; and

a remote server configured to transmit to the image capture device, weather information corresponding to the determined location, the weather information including current weather information for a first time and weather forecast information for a future time period extending beyond the first time;

wherein the image capture device is further configured to;

capture an image at a second time subsequent to the first time and within the future time period;

responsive to determining that the image capture device is not able to communicate with the remote server at the second time, automatically adjust, based at least on the weather forecast information, at least one setting for processing the captured image; and

process the captured image using the automatically adjusted at least one setting.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the image capture device is further configured to:

capture an initial image when receiving the weather information;

determine an initial ambient lighting value based on at least one of the weather information for the current time and the determined location; and

process the captured initial image using at least one setting based on the initial ambient lighting value.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the image capture device is further configured to determine the initial ambient lighting value based on only the determined location when the determined location corresponds to an indoor location, and wherein the image capture device is configured to determine the initial ambient lighting value based on the weather information for the first time and the determined location when the determined location corresponds to an outdoor location.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one setting is at least one of a white balance, hue, saturation, sharpness, or contrast of the captured image.