Arrangement for macro photography

• US 8,970,738 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2011
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Alakarhu, Juha
• Primary Examiner(s): Jerabek, Kelly L
• Application Number:
  US14/129,314
• Publication Number:
  US 20140125846A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,342 Days
• Field of Search: 348/240.99, 3482401-2403, 396 76- 77, 396/79, 396 85- 88
• US Class Current: 348/240.99
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/102 controlled by a microcomputer cameras with interchangeable lenses G03B17/14
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 13/20 Rangefinders coupled with focusing arrangements, e.g. adjustment of rangefinder automatically focusing camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/69 Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming

Abstract

An apparatus for capturing images. The apparatus includes a camera unit configured to capture images of target objects, and a processing unit configured to control the apparatus to detect close-up photography conditions, and to automatically zoom said camera unit in response to said detection.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a camera unit configured to capture images of target objects, and

a processor configured to control the apparatus;

to detect close-up photography conditions,

in response to said detection to automatically zoom said camera unit, and

to gradually increase a zoom ratio as distance to the target object decreases.

2. An apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to control the apparatus

to perform said zooming by automatically increasing the zoom ratio.

3. An apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises:

a distance estimation unit configured to observe distance to a target object, and wherein the processor is further configured to control the apparatus

to detect the close-up photography conditions by detecting that observed distance to the target object is smaller than a predefined threshold distance.

4. An apparatus of claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to control the apparatus

to increase the zoom ratio up to a predefined optimal zoom ratio.

5. An apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to control the apparatus

to increase the zoom ratio up to a predefined optimal zoom ratio.

6. An apparatus of claim 5, wherein said optimal zoom ratio is maximum zoom ratio.

7. An apparatus of claim 1, wherein the camera unit is configured to enable full focusing range at any zoom ratio.

8. An apparatus of claim 1, wherein the camera unit comprises optical zoom.

9. An apparatus of claim 1, wherein the camera unit comprises digital zoom.

10. A method, comprising:

capturing images of target objects with a camera unit,

detecting close-up photography conditions,

in response to said detection, automatically zooming said camera unit, and

gradually increasing a zoom ratio as distance to the target object decreases.

11. A method of claim 10, further comprising

performing said zooming by automatically increasing the zoom ratio.

12. A method of claim 10, further comprising

observing distance to a target object, and

detecting the close-up photography conditions by detecting that observed distance to the target object is smaller than a predefined threshold distance.

13. A method of claim 10, further comprising

increasing the zoom ratio up to a predefined optimal zoom ratio.

14. A method of claim 13, wherein said optimal zoom ratio is maximum zoom ratio.

15. A computer program embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer executable program code which, when executed by at least one processor of an apparatus, causes the apparatus to perform:

capturing images of target objects with a camera unit,

detecting close-up photography conditions,

in response to said detection, automatically zooming said camera unit, and

gradually increasing a zoom ratio as distance to the target object decreases.