U.S. patent application number 10/693446 was filed with the patent office on 2005-07-07 for pointing device for digital camera display.
Invention is credited to Silverstein, D. Amnon.
Application Number | 20050146622 10/693446 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 23925099 |
Filed Date | 2005-07-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050146622 |
Kind Code |
A9 |
Silverstein, D. Amnon |
July 7, 2005 |
Pointing device for digital camera display
Abstract
A process and apparatus is described to improve a digital camera
user interface and increase ease of use and functionality of a
digital camera by quickly, accurately and robustly permitting
cursor control and designation in a digital camera display. A
digital camera is used as a pointing device such as a mouse or
trackball. The motion of the camera is detected, and the motion of
the camera is used to position graphic elements on the camera's own
display. The camera's motion can be detected with sensors, such as
gyroscopes, or the camera itself can be used as a motion sensor.
One application of this involves using the camera as a computer
mouse, or like a gun-sight, to select images from a sheet of
low-resolution ("thumbnail") images. The motion of the camera is
tracked, and the user aims at the desired image from a sheet of
thumbnail images. The thumbnails appear to be fixed relative to the
world because the camera can continuously reposition them in the
display based upon the motion of the camera. The user can then
select a thumbnail in an intuitive manner by simply pointing the
camera at the desired thumbnail. For alternative embodiments, the
interface can be used to select regions of greater extent than can
be viewed in the viewer or to virtually review images.
Inventors: |
Silverstein, D. Amnon;
(Redwood City, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
HEWLETT-PACKARD COMPANY
Intellectual Property Administration
P.O. Box 272400
Fort Collins
CO
80527-2400
US
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Prior
Publication: |
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Document Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 0085455 A1 |
May 6, 2004 |
|
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Family ID: |
23925099 |
Appl. No.: |
10/693446 |
Filed: |
October 24, 2003 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10693446 |
Oct 24, 2003 |
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09484667 |
Jan 18, 2000 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
348/211.4 ;
348/E5.047 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 1/1626 20130101;
G06F 1/1686 20130101; G06F 2200/1637 20130101; H04N 5/232945
20180801; G06F 3/0304 20130101; H04N 5/232935 20180801 |
Class at
Publication: |
348/211.4 |
International
Class: |
H04N 005/232 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A process for a camera having a display, the process comprising
the steps of: displaying a cursor and a plurality of icons on the
display; moving the camera; sensing motion of the camera; based on
the motion, repositioning the icons in the display until the cursor
is on a target icon of the plurality of icons; and selecting the
target icon.
2. The process as set forth in claim 1, wherein at least one of the
icons is repositioned to appear to be fixed in space with regard to
an image being viewed in the display.
3. The process as set forth in claim 2, wherein the at least one of
the icons is repositioned in a direction opposite, and of
corresponding magnitude, to the motion of the camera.
4. The process as set forth in claim 1, wherein the display is a
viewfinder.
5. The process as set forth in claim 1, wherein the motion is
sensed using a non-optical motion detector.
6. The process as set forth in claim 1, wherein the motion is
sensed using an optical motion detector.
7. The process as set forth in claim 1, wherein the target icon is
a thumbnail image.
8. The process as set forth in claim 7, including the step of
performing image manipulation on a high resolution image associated
with the thumbnail image.
9. The process as set forth in claim 8, including the step of
transferring the manipulated high resolution image to a device
external to the camera.
10. The process as set forth in claim 1, wherein the target icon is
associated with a function to be performed when the target icon is
selected.
11. A process for a camera having a display, the process comprising
the steps of: displaying a cursor and a first portion of a scene on
the display; using the cursor to select a first location within the
first portion; moving the camera to display a second portion of a
scene on the display; sensing motion of the camera; displaying the
cursor based on the motion; and using the cursor to select a second
location within the second portion such that the first and second
locations define a region of the scene, the region being of greater
extent than is displayed in the display.
12. The process as set forth in claim 11, wherein an operation is
performed on the region.
13. The process as set forth in claim 12, wherein the operation
includes the step of capturing a panoramic image having the extent
of the region.
14. The process as set forth in claim 13, wherein the step of
capturing the panoramic image includes displaying an indicator on
the display to guide movement of the camera.
15. The process as set forth in claim 12, wherein the operation
includes the step of zooming the camera to display the region in
the display.
16. A process for a camera having a display, the process comprising
the steps of: displaying a first portion of an image on the
display; moving the camera; sensing motion of the camera; and based
on the motion, displaying a second portion of the image on the
display.
17. The process as set forth in claim 16, wherein the image is a
panoramic image.
18. The process as set forth in claim 16, wherein the image has a
resolution greater than the display.
19. A camera having a display, the camera comprising: a motion
sensor to sense motion of the camera; circuitry to display a cursor
and a plurality of icons on the display, based on the motion, the
circuitry repositioning the icons in the display until the cursor
is on a target icon of the plurality of icons; and a selector to
select the target icon.
20. A camera having a display, the camera comprising: a motion
sensor to sense motion of the camera; a selector; and circuitry to
displaying a cursor and a first portion of a scene on the display,
if the cursor and selector is used to select a first location
within the first portion, and the camera is moved to display a
second portion of a scene on the display, the circuitry displays
the cursor based on the motion so that the cursor can be used to
select a second location within the second portion such that the
first and second locations define a region of the scene, the region
being of greater extent than is displayed in the display.
21. A camera having a display, the camera comprising: a motion
sensor to sense motion of the camera; and circuitry to displaying a
first portion of an image on the display, and if motion of the
camera is sensed, based on the motion, the circuitry displaying a
second portion of the image on the display.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to digital cameras and, more
particularly, to a pointing device-based graphical user interface
that uses the camera display.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] Digital cameras have not generally used pointing devices to
interact with the interface presented on the display. Typically,
they use a set of push buttons to step through menus and to select
images from memory for display and deletion. New digital cameras
may rely on micro display devices, instead of the now more common
panel display. To view a micro display, the user needs to hold the
display close to his or her eye and view the display through an
eyepiece. This arrangement makes the interface controls more
difficult to use, because the user will not be able to see the
controls while viewing the display.
[0005] U.S. Pat. No. 5,808,678, Yuji Sakaegi, entitled "Method and
Apparatus for Designing a Position on a View Finder Based on Motion
Detection", which issued Sep. 15, 1998, describes the use of a
switch, trackball, joystick or camera-motion controlled cursor to
interact with the interface presented on a digital camera display.
In the case of the switch, trackball or joystick, it is awkward to
designate locations or icons when looking through the camera
veiwfinder because the user must hold the camera while manipulating
the controls. In the latter case, the motion of the camera is used
to move the cursor about the viewfinder interface and select icons
therein. This interface is also awkward to use, however, because
the motion causes the cursor to wander around the viewing area in
an unintuitive way.
[0006] Thus, it can be seen that modern user interface techniques
impose ease of use and functionality limits upon digital cameras,
and hinder the use of these cameras in many applications.
[0007] Therefore, there is an unresolved need for an improved user
interface technique that can increase digital camera ease of use
and functionality by quickly, accurately and robustly permitting
cursor control and designation in a digital camera display.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] A process and apparatus is described to improve a digital
camera user interface and increase ease of use and functionality of
a digital camera by quickly, accurately and robustly permitting
cursor control and designation in a digital camera display.
[0009] A digital camera is used as a pointing device such as a
mouse or trackball. The motion of the camera is detected, and the
motion of the camera is used to position graphic elements on the
camera's own display. The camera's motion can be detected with
sensors, such as gyroscopes, or the camera itself can be used as a
motion sensor. One application of this involves using the camera as
a computer mouse, or like a gun-sight, to select images from a
sheet of low-resolution ("thumbnail") images. The motion of the
camera is tracked, and the user aims at the desired image from a
sheet of thumbnail images. The thumbnails appear to be fixed
relative to the world because the camera can continuously
reposition them in the display based upon the motion of the camera.
The user can then select a thumbnail in an intuitive manner by
simply pointing the camera at the desired thumbnail.
[0010] For alternative embodiments, the interface can be used to
select regions of greater extent than can be viewed in the viewer
or to virtually review images.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] The invention will be readily understood by the following
detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings,
wherein like reference numerals designate like structural elements,
and in which:
[0012] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a pointing
device-based graphical user interface system for a digital camera
display according to the present invention;
[0013] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a digital imaging system
having a pointing device-based graphical user interface camera
according to the present invention;
[0014] FIGS. 3a and 3b illustrate use of the camera as a pointing
device to select thumbnail images according to an embodiment of the
present invention;
[0015] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating how the thumbnail images of
FIGS. 3a and 3b are made to appear to be motionless relative to
objects of the scene;
[0016] FIGS. 5a and 5b illustrate use of the camera as a pointing
device to select a portion of the scene larger than the viewfinder
according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0017] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating heads-up display of status
information according to an embodiment of the present
invention;
[0018] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating use of heads-up data during
a guided swipe of a panoramic scene according to an embodiment of
the present invention;
[0019] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating tracking during virtual
review of the panoramic scene according to an embodiment of the
present invention;
[0020] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating image manipulation
according to an embodiment of the present invention; and
[0021] FIGS. 10a and 10b illustrate use of the camera as a pointing
device to select thumbnail images for high resolution page layout
according to an embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0022] Embodiments of the invention are discussed below with
reference to FIGS. 1-10b. Those skilled in the art will readily
appreciate that the detailed description given herein with respect
to these figures is for explanatory purposes, however, because the
invention extends beyond these limited embodiments.
[0023] The invention described here allows a digital camera to be
used as a pointing device such as a mouse or trackball. The motion
of the camera is detected, and the motion of the camera is used to
position graphic elements on the camera's own display. The camera's
motion can be detected with sensors, such as gyroscopes, or the
camera itself can be used as a motion sensor. One application of
this involves using the camera as a computer mouse, or like a
gun-sight, to select images from a sheet of low-resolution
("thumbnail") images. The motion of the camera is tracked, and the
user aims at the desired image from a sheet of thumbnail images.
This application is illustrated in greater detail below in
connection with FIGS. 3a, 3b and 4.
[0024] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a pointing
device-based graphical user interface system for a digital camera
display according to the present invention. In digital camera 100,
an image is captured by image capture unit 110. The image capture
unit 110 can be selected from among the many such devices known in
the art. Preferably, image capture unit 110 will be either a CCD or
CMOS imaging device, as is commonly used for image sensing in
modern digital cameras.
[0025] One or more of a series of images captured by image capture
unit 110 will be stored at least temporarily in memory 120. For one
embodiment of the present invention, motion detection unit 130 uses
the changes between subsequent images to calculate an amount and
direction of motion for camera 100. There are many techniques known
in the art for calculation of motion based upon changes in captured
images. One such method is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,808,678,
Yuji Sakaegi, entitled "Method and Apparatus for Designing a
Position on a View Finder Based on Motion Detection", which issued
Sep. 15, 1998. Another such method is described in U.S. Pat. No.
5,786,804, Gary B. Gordon, entitled "Method and System for Tracking
Attitude", which issued Jul. 28, 1998.
[0026] Note that, although the system of FIG. 1 teaches the use of
one image capture unit 110, for an alternative embodiment, a first
image capture unit can be used for capture of the digital picture
taken by the camera and separate image capture unit can be used for
the motion detection.
[0027] Also note that, for another embodiment of the present
invention, motion detection is not performed optically by comparing
subsequent images. Instead, for these embodiments, non-optical
motion sensing techniques that are also well known in the art are
used. One such method would be to use gyroscopes as described, for
example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,825,350, Case, Jr. et al., "Electronic
Pointing Apparatus and Method", which issued Oct. 20, 1998.
[0028] As will be described below in greater detail, control unit
140 causes merge unit 150 to combine the motion detection
information with the captured image and then this merged
information is displayed on display 160. For example, a cursor and
a set of icons, such as thumbnail images, could be merged with the
series of images being captured by capture unit 110. Motion of the
camera 100 would be detected and cause the thumbnail images to move
within the display. When the desired icon moves under the cursor,
the user could select this target icon by using selection unit 170.
It is preferred that selection unit 170 be a switch on the camera
100. However, other forms of selection, such as voice command
detection, are known in the art and could be employed
alternatively.
[0029] Examples of suitable displays 160 include viewfinder micro
displays such as are manufactured by the MicroDisplay Corporation,
San Pablo, Calif., USA, or by Displaytech, of Longmont, Colo., USA.
Although it is preferred that display 160 be a view finder micro
display, there are many forms of suitable displays such as panel
displays that are well known in the art.
[0030] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a digital imaging system
having a pointing device-based graphical user interface camera
according to the present invention. In FIG. 2, camera 100 is shown
coupled to external device 210. The coupling can be accomplished
using wire cable or fiber optic links. The coupling can also be
accomplished using a wireless link such as infrared or radio links.
External device 210 can include any of the many known external
devices that are commonly associated with digital cameras such as a
computer, external memory, modem, or printer. It is to be
understood, however, that digital camera 100 need not be linked to
external device 210 for the present invention to be practiced.
[0031] In FIG. 2 it can be seen that for this embodiment, camera
100 has a display 160 and three selection buttons 170A, 170B and
170C. Note that image capture unit 180 is shown in FIG. 2 as being
shaded because the image capture unit is generally located on the
side of the camera opposite to the side having the display 160.
[0032] For this embodiment, three selection buttons, 170A, 170B and
170C, are shown. For this example, selection button 170A is used to
operate an optical or electronic zoom. Buttons 170B and 170C are
used together in an application-specific manner. For example,
button 170C can be used to enter a particular mode, such as
thumbnail image selection. In the thumbnail image selection mode,
button 170B can then be used to select a particular thumbnail image
when the camera motion causes the target thumbnail icon to be moved
under the cursor.
[0033] Note that this arrangement of buttons makes it easy to use
camera 100 as a gun-sight-like pointing device within a graphical
user interface. Digital cameras have not generally used pointing
devices to interact with the interface presented on the display.
Typically, they use a set of push buttons to step through menus and
to select images from memory for display and deletion. To view a
micro display, the user needs to hold the display close to his or
her eye and view the display through an eyepiece. This arrangement
makes the interface controls more difficult to use, because the
user will not be able to see the controls while viewing the
display.
[0034] The present invention allows the user to interact with the
information display in a way similar to the computer mouse. For one
embodiment of the present invention, the entire body of the camera
is moved, and the movement of the camera is recorded. The motion
information can then be used to position a cursor, or to position
graphic elements. For example, graphic elements can be positioned
so they stay fixed relative to the world as the user moves the
camera.
[0035] With most digital still cameras, the user can load a
previously captured image to the display by selecting it from a
grid of low-resolution ("thumbnail") images. The thumbnail is
selected by pressing buttons that move a cursor across the
thumbnails until the desired picture is under the cursor. With the
new method, the user can look into a micro display and will be
presented with the thumbnails. A computer within the camera can
continuously reposition the thumbnails so they appear to be fixed
relative to the world. The user can then select a thumbnail by
simply pointing the camera at the desired thumbnail.
[0036] For one embodiment of the present implementation, the
position of the camera is tracked by optical flow. The camera
records a sequence of images. By comparing the images with each
other, the motion of the camera can be estimated. Determining the
motion of the camera by comparing sequential images taken with the
camera is well described in the literature, and this approach has
the advantage of not requiring any additional hardware. Alternative
implementations use sensors such as gyroscopes, tilt sensors,
compasses, or a GPS receiver to measure the position of the camera.
These solutions may be more robust, but may also be more expensive
to implement.
Using the Camera like a Mouse
[0037] FIGS. 3a and 3b illustrate use of the camera as a pointing
device to select thumbnail images according to an embodiment of the
present invention. In FIG. 3a, a sheet of thumbnail images is shown
superimposed on a view through the camera. The cross hair is a
cursor, and for one embodiment, the cursor is always fixed relative
to the camera, e.g., the cross hair cursor is fixed in the center
of the view. The sheet of thumbnail images is fixed relative to the
world by using motion tracking. That is, the computer constantly
repositions the sheet as the camera moves, so the sheet seems to be
fixed in position relative to the objects seen through the camera.
As shown in FIG. 3b, when the user moves the camera, the cursor
moves relative to the world and to the world-fixed thumbnails. This
allows the user to select an image by simply pointing the camera at
the desired image. The camera itself is used as the only pointing
device. No other mouse, joystick or other device need be used to
move the cursor.
How it Works
[0038] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating how the thumbnail images of
FIGS. 3a and 3b are made to appear to be motionless relative to
objects of the scene. Motion tracking software tracks the motion of
image features in the scene. For example, the image of the computer
monitor on the desk moved down and slightly right between frame 1
and frame 2. The sheet of thumbnails is moved by the same amount,
and in the same direction, as the features in the scene. The sheet
thus appears to be motionless relative to the objects in the scene
(such as the computer monitor).
[0039] Because the thumbnails appear fixed relative to the world,
the user can use the camera like a gun-sight. The cross hairs stay
fixed relative to the camera, and the sheet of thumbnails stays
fixed relative to the world, so the user can place the cross hairs
on the desired thumbnail by simply aiming the camera. This feature
provides a very simple to use and intuitive user interface.
[0040] The viewfinder display may be a micro display that is viewed
directly through some optics. Such a display has inherit advantages
over a panel display, because it is typically brighter, higher
resolution, has more colors, subtends a larger viewing angle, and
requires less power. In one viewing mode, the operator of the
camera can see the display at the same time as the scene. The
display can be partially transparent, be optically mixed with the
world by means of a beamsplitter, or digitally mixed with an image
captured with the camera.
[0041] In a second alternative mode, the direct view of the scene
is closed off, perhaps by means of a shutter. In this mode only the
images on the display can be seen. There could also be other
alternative modes where part of the scene is masked off, and in
these regions only the display can be seen. For example, the
operator could view a mixture of an optical view of the scene with
graphics in the top half of the display, and only graphical status
information against a black background in the bottom half of the
display. The masking can even be done with an electronic element,
where the display information can be made to appear as an opaque
overlay to the optical view of the scene.
[0042] The motion tracking keeps track of the camera's angular
position in the world. As previously described, this can be done by
tracking motion using the camera's light sensors, or it could be
done with other instruments such as a compass, a gyroscope, a GPS
sensor, or the like.
Virtual Selection
[0043] For one embodiment, the camera is used to select positions
or regions of the scene. The operator simply points the camera at
objects or locations in the scene, and then uses a button or the
like to indicate the selection. These regions can then be used to
assist in the capture or processing of the image.
[0044] FIGS. 5a and 5b illustrate use of the camera as a pointing
device to select a portion of the scene according to an embodiment
of the present invention. For example, a rectangular region that is
larger than the viewfinder of the camera can be selected by marking
two opposite corners of the region. In this example, the selected
rectangle is the dotted rectangle of FIG. 5b. The viewfinder is
illustrated by the solid rectangle, and the cross-shaped cursor is
used to select the first corner of the region in FIG. 5a, and the
second, diagonal corner of the region in FIG. 5b. Note that
alternative shaped areas can be designated. For example, two points
could be specified to define a center and radius to designate a
circular region, or N points could be chosen to specify an N-sided
polygonal region.
[0045] Regardless of its shape, the region can be used for several
purposes. It can delimit the boundaries of a region to be captured
using multiple tiled images. It can be a region that is supposed to
receive special processing, such as reduced image compression to
preserve important details. It can also be used to change the zoom,
so the camera can capture the framed region without any waste due
to cropping.
[0046] Selected locations can be fixed in space by tracking the
camera's movement. Alternatively, moving selected targets can be
tracked by means such as motion tracking. For example, a soccer
player's face could be selected. Motion tracking would then track
the face, and the focus could automatically be adjusted to keep
this face in focus.
[0047] Important scene locations that would aid in image capture
can also be marked. For example, the light source can be marked,
and this information can greatly aid color correction or other
image processing. Note that the light source need not be located
within the image to be photographed. For one embodiment, the
photographer can collect information for image processing by
pointing the camera at the light source (or sources), either before
or after capturing the image. For an alternative embodiment, the
subject can be marked for auto-focus. Areas of the view can also be
marked as triggers, where image motion in a trigger area will make
the camera take a picture. For example, a tripod-mounted camera
could be set to take a picture if motion is detected crossing the
finish line of a racetrack.
Heads-up Information
[0048] As shown in FIG. 6, a viewfinder display that has
look-through capability can display information that is usually
presented on a small status-display. It can show the state of the
flash, the amount of storage remaining, the degree of compression,
and the like. If the user requires more information, the cursor can
easily be moved over the status display to select a more detailed
display of information. The information is easier to access from
the viewfinder display, because it can be seen while the picture is
being framed. When using the virtual selection described above, the
heads-up display can show the user the region or locations that
have been selected. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating use of
heads-up data during guided swipe of a panoramic scene according to
an embodiment of the present invention. In this example of
capturing a large region with multiple tiled images, the camera can
show the operator the selected region (the dashed rectangle), the
area of the selected region that had already been captured
(slightly darkened), and instructions on which way to point the
camera to capture the unrecorded parts of the region (the left
arrow).
Virtual Review
[0049] With motion tracking and a viewfinder display, the operator
can be presented with a virtual panorama. FIG. 8 is a diagram
illustrating tracking during virtual review of the panoramic scene
according to an embodiment of the present invention. After capture
and tiling to form an oversized image, such as a panorama, the user
can view the panorama by looking into the viewfinder. Moving the
camera will cause the panorama (the dashed rectangle) to move in
the opposite direction in the camera, thus giving the impression
that a large scene is being viewed through the window of the
viewfinder (the solid rectangle). The operator will feel immersed
in the panoramic scene. Alternatively, images that have more pixels
than the micro display can show can be displayed. The operator
simply moves the camera to view different parts of the image.
Image Manipulation
[0050] The combination of a high-resolution colorful viewfinder
display with a camera permits the camera to be used for image
manipulations such as cropping, color correction and page layout.
FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating image manipulation according to an
embodiment of the present invention. In this example, the cursor
can be used to adjust the contrast, brightness or hue of the
selected image by dragging the slider for the appropriate icon.
[0051] FIGS. 10a and 10b illustrate use of the camera as a pointing
device to select thumbnail images for high resolution page layout
according to an embodiment of the present invention. The cursor is
used to select thumbnail images in FIG. 10a. The cursor is then
used in FIG. 10b to select a page layout style and to cause the
resulting image to be sent to a printer for printing.
[0052] One advantage to performing these operations on the camera
instead of after downloading the images to the computer is that the
processing can be done before image compression. Some operations
can also reduce the size of the image, which will thereby reduce
the storage requirements for the image. For example, regions that
were discarded when an image was cropped would not need to be
stored on the camera. Further, this can eliminate the need for an
external computer altogether. The images can be sent directly to
the printer or other external device.
Super-resolution and Stereoscopic Imaging
[0053] If the position of the camera is very precisely known, a
higher resolution image can be synthesized from several images
taken with slightly different locations. Also, by tracking the
camera's position and possibly even guiding the operator to the
correct position, a second image could be captured at a location
that provides a good stereoscopic pair to the first image. The
camera could also be used as a stereoscopic display device if it
had two viewfinder displays. Alternatively, if the camera had two
capture devices, stereoscopic images could be captured more easily,
and stereoscopic panoramas could be captured. These panoramas could
be reviewed with stereoscopic viewfinders in the virtual mode
previously described.
Games
[0054] By having computer graphics combined with an optical view of
the scene, new types of games would be possible. Game elements
could be superimposed on the view of the scene, and motion tracking
of the camera could be used to position the elements so they stay
fixed relative to the scene. For example, a computer graphic image
of a ball could be launched from the camera. It could then be made
to appear as if the ball had hit an object in the scene. The place
where the ball had hit could be marked with further graphics.
Tracking Position
[0055] If the full position of the camera in multiple dimensions is
collected, by means of GPS for example, this information can be
used to automatically record where and when the picture was taken.
Any information on the angular position of the camera, the time of
day, and the geographic location of the camera can also be used for
color correcting the image. For example, if the picture were taken
at night, the camera would not use color correction for daylight.
Or, if it is known that the camera was facing north at 3 pm at a
certain location, the position of the sun could be determined, and
some useful characteristics of the sunlight could be estimated
which would allow improved image processing.
[0056] The many features and advantages of the invention are
apparent from the written description and thus it is intended by
the appended claims to cover all such features and advantages of
the invention. Further, because numerous modifications and changes
will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired
to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation as
illustrated and described. Hence, all suitable modifications and
equivalents may be resorted to as falling within the scope of the
invention.
* * * * *