U.S. patent application number 16/459607 was filed with the patent office on 2020-05-21 for system and method for sensor-driven automatic device interaction.
The applicant listed for this patent is SMPL Inc.. Invention is credited to Mark Thomas Hennings.
Application Number | 20200162658 16/459607 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 65230490 |
Filed Date | 2020-05-21 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20200162658 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hennings; Mark Thomas |
May 21, 2020 |
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SENSOR-DRIVEN AUTOMATIC DEVICE
INTERACTION
Abstract
A system and method for sensor-driven automatic device
interaction, comprising a sensor aggregator that receives a
plurality of sensor data from a plurality of hardware sensors,
analyzes at least a portion of the sensor data, determines a sensor
threshold, iteratively compares the results of the analysis to the
sensor threshold, and directs the operation of a camera based on
the results of the comparison.
Inventors: |
Hennings; Mark Thomas;
(Highlands Ranch, CO) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
SMPL Inc. |
Austin |
TX |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
65230490 |
Appl. No.: |
16/459607 |
Filed: |
July 2, 2019 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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16054349 |
Aug 3, 2018 |
10367987 |
|
|
16459607 |
|
|
|
|
62541094 |
Aug 4, 2017 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04N 5/23203 20130101;
H04N 5/23218 20180801; H04N 5/232 20130101; H04N 5/232127 20180801;
H04N 5/23258 20130101; H04N 5/2327 20130101; H04N 5/23251
20130101 |
International
Class: |
H04N 5/232 20060101
H04N005/232 |
Claims
1. A method for setting a threshold for directing a photographic
device comprising the steps of: (a) receiving, at a sensor
aggregator, a first motion value and a second motion value, wherein
the second motion value is not the same as the first motion value;;
(b) calculating, by a threshold calculator, a time elapsed value,
the time elapsed value calculated based on time difference between
the first motion value and the second motion value; (c) obtaining,
by the threshold calculator, a threshold value in a user profile if
the threshold value is available in the user profile; (d)adjusting,
by the threshold calculator, the threshold value based on
additional available data; and (f) directing, by a processor, the
photographic device to perform an action if the elapsed time value
is below the adjusted threshold.
2. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of adjusting the
threshold value is comprised of changing, by a threshold
calculator, the threshold value based on available time elapsed
value.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of adjusting the
threshold value based on available time elapsed value further
comprises the steps of: checking, by the threshold calculator, a
first elapsed time: setting, by the threshold calculator, the first
elapsed time equal to the elapsed time if the first elapsed time is
zero, otherwise, setting, by the threshold calculator, a previous
elapsed time equal to the elapsed time; and raising, by the
threshold calculator, the threshold.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of adjusting the
threshold value based on available time elapsed value further
comprises the step of raising, by the threshold calculator, the
threshold if the current elapsed time is greater than the
previously elapsed time;
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of adjusting the
threshold value based on available time elapsed value further
comprises the step of finalizing, by the threshold calculator, the
threshold if the first elapsed time when subtracted from current
elapsed time is greater than the threshold.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of adjusting the
threshold value is comprised of changing, by the threshold
calculator, the threshold value based on shutter speed data
available for the photographic device.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of adjusting the
threshold value based on available shutter speed data further
comprises the steps of: lowering the threshold, and finalizing the
motion threshold if the shutter speed is below a prespecified
shutter speed threshold, otherwise, raising the motion threshold,
and finalizing the motion threshold.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a Continuation application of U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 16/054,349, filed Aug. 3, 2018, entitle
"SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SENSOR-DRIVEN AUTOMATIC CAMERA INTERACTION."
Both applications, including the instant application, claim
priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No.
62/541,094, filed Aug. 4, 2017, entitled "SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR
SENSOR-DRIVEN AUTOMATIC CAMERA INTERACTION." The entire content of
both applications is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND
Field of the Art
[0002] The disclosure relates to the field of device stabilization,
and more particularly to the field of utilizing onboard device
sensors to automatically direct the behavior of a device.
Discussion of the State of the Art
[0003] It is common practice with smart phones that come with
cameras on the same side as the display screen, to take a "selfie"
by holding the camera out and pressing a button to trigger the
shutter. However, many times the very act of pressing a button adds
additional motion to the camera, resulting in a blurry
photo--especially in low light conditions. In addition, it can be
precarious holding the phone out and having to use a thumb or other
finger. Many phones have been dropped because of this awkward
requirement and some people have been injured or died because of
the high amount of attention required to take a good selfie in
precarious situations.
[0004] What is needed, is a means to eliminate the need for a
button press to operate the camera, using device sensors to
automatically direct camera operation to ensure the safety of the
user as well as the capture of an ideal photograph.
SUMMARY
[0005] Accordingly, the inventor has conceived and reduced to
practice, a system and method for sensor-driven automatic camera
interaction.
[0006] According to one aspect, a system for sensor-driven
automatic camera interaction, comprising a sensor aggregator
comprising at least a processor, a memory, and a plurality of
programming instructions stored in the memory and operating on the
processor, wherein the programmable instructions, when operating on
the processor, cause the processor to: receive sensor data from a
plurality of hardware sensors; analyze at least a portion of the
sensor data; determine a sensor threshold; compare the results of
the analysis to the sensor threshold; and direct the operation of a
camera based on the results of the comparison, is disclosed.
[0007] According to another aspect, a method for sensor-driven
automatic camera interaction, comprising the steps of: receiving,
at a sensor aggregator comprising at least a processor, a memory,
and a plurality of programming instructions stored in the memory
and operating on the processor, sensor data from a plurality of
hardware sensors; analyzing at least a portion of the sensor data;
determining a sensor threshold; comparing the results of the
analysis to the sensor threshold; and directing the operation of a
hardware camera based on the results of the comparison, is
disclosed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES
[0008] The accompanying drawings illustrate several embodiments
and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles
of the invention according to the embodiments. It will be
appreciated by one skilled in the art that the particular
arrangements illustrated in the drawings are merely exemplary and
are not to be considered as limiting of the scope of the invention
or the claims herein in any way.
[0009] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary system
architecture for sensor-driven automatic camera interaction,
according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.
[0010] FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary method
for sensor-driven automatic camera interaction, according to a
preferred embodiment of the invention.
[0011] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary method
for dynamic calculation of a motion-based sensor threshold value,
according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.
[0012] FIG. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary method
for calculating when a target stability has been reached, according
to a preferred embodiment of the invention.
[0013] FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary hardware
architecture of a computing device, according to a preferred
embodiment of the invention.
[0014] FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary logical
architecture for a client device, according to a preferred
embodiment of the invention.
[0015] FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an exemplary architectural
arrangement of clients, servers, and external services, according
to a preferred embodiment of the invention.
[0016] FIG. 8 is another block diagram illustrating an exemplary
hardware architecture of a computing device, according to a
preferred embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0017] The inventor has conceived, and reduced to practice, a
system and method for sensor-driven automatic camera
interaction.
[0018] One or more different embodiments may be described in the
present application. Further, for one or more of the embodiments
described herein, numerous alternative arrangements may be
described; it should be appreciated that these are presented for
illustrative purposes only and are not limiting of the embodiments
contained herein or the claims presented herein in any way. One or
more of the arrangements may be widely applicable to numerous
embodiments, as may be readily apparent from the disclosure. In
general, arrangements are described in sufficient detail to enable
those skilled in the art to practice one or more of the
embodiments, and it should be appreciated that other arrangements
may be utilized and that structural, logical, software, electrical
and other changes may be made without departing from the scope of
the embodiments. Particular features of one or more of the
embodiments described herein may be described with reference to one
or more particular embodiments or figures that form a part of the
present disclosure, and in which are shown, by way of illustration,
specific arrangements of one or more of the aspects. It should be
appreciated, however, that such features are not limited to usage
in the one or more particular embodiments or figures with reference
to which they are described. The present disclosure is neither a
literal description of all arrangements of one or more of the
embodiments nor a listing of features of one or more of the
embodiments that must be present in all arrangements.
[0019] Headings of sections provided in this patent application and
the title of this patent application are for convenience only and
are not to be taken as limiting the disclosure in any way.
[0020] Devices that are in communication with each other need not
be in continuous communication with each other, unless expressly
specified otherwise. In addition, devices that are in communication
with each other may communicate directly or indirectly through one
or more communication means or intermediaries, logical or
physical.
[0021] A description of an aspect with several components in
communication with each other does not imply that all such
components are required. To the contrary, a variety of optional
components may be described to illustrate a wide variety of
possible embodiments and in order to more fully illustrate one or
more embodiments. Similarly, although process steps, method steps,
algorithms or the like may be described in a sequential order, such
processes, methods and algorithms may generally be configured to
work in alternate orders, unless specifically stated to the
contrary. In other words, any sequence or order of steps that may
be described in this patent application does not, in and of itself,
indicate a requirement that the steps be performed in that order.
The steps of described processes may be performed in any order
practical. Further, some steps may be performed simultaneously
despite being described or implied as occurring non-simultaneously
(e.g., because one step is described after the other step).
Moreover, the illustration of a process by its depiction in a
drawing does not imply that the illustrated process is exclusive of
other variations and modifications thereto, does not imply that the
illustrated process or any of its steps are necessary to one or
more of the embodiments, and does not imply that the illustrated
process is preferred. Also, steps are generally described once per
aspect, but this does not mean they must occur once, or that they
may only occur once each time a process, method, or algorithm is
carried out or executed. Some steps may be omitted in some
embodiments or some occurrences, or some steps may be executed more
than once in a given aspect or occurrence.
[0022] When a single device or article is described herein, it will
be readily apparent that more than one device or article may be
used in place of a single device or article. Similarly, where more
than one device or article is described herein, it will be readily
apparent that a single device or article may be used in place of
the more than one device or article.
[0023] The functionality or the features of a device may be
alternatively embodied by one or more other devices that are not
explicitly described as having such functionality or features.
Thus, other embodiments need not include the device itself.
[0024] Techniques and mechanisms described or referenced herein
will sometimes be described in singular form for clarity. However,
it should be appreciated that particular embodiments may include
multiple iterations of a technique or multiple instantiations of a
mechanism unless noted otherwise. Process descriptions or blocks in
figures should be understood as representing modules, segments, or
portions of code which include one or more executable instructions
for implementing specific logical functions or steps in the
process. Alternate implementations are included within the scope of
various embodiments in which, for example, functions may be
executed out of order from that shown or discussed, including
substantially concurrently or in reverse order, depending on the
functionality involved, as would be understood by those having
ordinary skill in the art.
Conceptual Architecture
[0025] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary system
architecture 100 for sensor-driven automatic camera interaction,
according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. According to
the embodiment, a camera 101 may be controlled ordinarily via a
variety of manual controls 102, such as (for example, including but
not limited to) a physical shutter button, zoom control such as a
slider, or on-screen controls such as in the case of a smartphone
or similar mobile device with a camera 101. This commonly requires
a user to directly operate the camera 101 in order to take
photographs, which may not always be easy or safe (for example,
attempting to take a "selfie" picture in an awkward position or
hazardous environment, such as on a bridge or a busy street).
Moreover, it is often difficult for users to take high-quality
photographs when hand-holding a camera 101, moving about, or taking
a photograph with multiple moving subjects because of the motion
and interference that is typically associated with such an
operation. For example, group photographs or photographs taken from
hand-held cameras 101 often suffer from motion blur and have other
artifacts that often degrade the perceived quality or visual appeal
of a photograph. The invention claimed and disclosed herein
automates the camera operation to reduce the number of steps that a
user has to take to capture a photograph, and at the same time,
enables the camera 101 to take photographs that are more visually
appealing by reducing, for example, motion blur that may otherwise
be captured in a photograph. To automate camera operation, and to
take high-quality photographs, by, for example, reducing motion
blur in captured photographs, the inventive system and method
disclosed herein, utilize information from and related to one or
more of the following: one or more sensors, the camera 101, and
historical data associated with one or more users. In one
embodiment, the inventive system and method utilize a plurality of
hardware sensors 110a-n such as (for example, including but not
limited to) accelerometer, gyroscope, compass, barometer, or other
sensor types to automate certain camera functions and to take
photographs that are more visually appealing, by, for example,
reducing motion blur in captured photographs. Specifically, in one
embodiment, one or more hardware sensors 110a-n may be polled by a
polling module 111 to collect sensor data and provide it to a
sensor aggregator 112. Sensor aggregator 112 may then analyze the
sensor data and a threshold calculator 113 may determine if a
configured threshold is met (as described below in FIG. 3) or, in
some embodiments, optionally configure a new threshold or modify an
existing threshold based on the received sensor data. For example,
a configured threshold may define a specific value for an
accelerometer or gyroscope sensor, which may suggest that the
camera 101 is stationary for a period of time that is sufficient to
take a visually appealing photograph, including, for example, a
photograph with minimal motion blur. In one embodiment, the
threshold may be adjusted to account for the shutter speed that may
be set by the camera 101 to take a picture. For example, if the
shutter speed is slow, and likely to produce a photograph that may
include motion blur, then the threshold for amount of stability
required to take a photograph may be changed. In another example,
the threshold may be adjusted to account for time data as may be
received from the camera 101. Once the sensor aggregator 112
determines that a pre-calculated or a newly calculated threshold is
met, then the camera 101 may be directed to capture one or more
images.
[0026] Various operational parameters or features of polling module
111, sensor aggregator 112 and threshold calculator 113 may be
determined from stored information in one or more databases, such
as (for example, including but not limited to) a configuration
database 114 that may store and provide operation configuration
such as sensor thresholds or polling rates, and may be configured
through an administration module 115 to set these stored values. A
user database 116 may store and provide user-related information,
including, but not limited to user-specific adaptations,
thresholds, or user account information. The databases, including
the user database 116, configuration database 114, and admin module
115 may be incorporated in or accessibly by a plurality of remote
databases 121a-n, which may be accessible via a network 120 to
enable remote configuration or administration of a connected device
100.
[0027] Thresholds for directing a camera may be personalized to
each one or more users or devices that may utilize the inventive
system and method disclosed herein. Generally, a threshold may be
personalized by modifying, gradually and over time, a general
threshold to accommodate a user's particular movements, posture, or
general tendencies. For example, if a user tends to shake the
camera 101 at a particular rate after hand-holding it for a
pre-determined amount of time, then the relevant threshold may be
modified to accommodate this particular tendency. This feature may
be implemented, as also described elsewhere in the specification,
by raising the target value associated with a motion sensor readout
after a predetermined amount of time, i.e., the threshold may be
more lenient after a user has hand-held the camera for a
pre-determined period of time. This concept may be implemented in a
variety of other ways. For example, the motion sensor target value
may be raised or lowered depending on the amount of time that a
user has hand-held the camera 101. Other tendencies may be
incorporated in personalized threshold as well, including, but not
limited to, the amount of time it takes a user to position a
subject within a frame, the amount of time it takes the user to
position the camera, the amount of movement that the subject
typically makes during one or more predetermined time periods, if
the camera 101 is positioned at a desired or preferred angle and/or
distance from the subject, etc. When a threshold is met, the camera
101 may be directed to perform an operation without the aid of
manual controls 102, providing automated camera operation through
monitoring one or more of the following: onboard hardware sensors
110a-n, user database 116, and/or camera 101. In one embodiment,
the user tendencies may be aggregated. For example, in some
arrangements, a form of multi-user capacity may be provided for by
producing user-specific thresholds for multiple users based on
their specific movement patterns or other sensor-derived data.
According to a particular arrangement or use case, a user may be
prompted or presented with the option to select from a plurality of
available threshold models, which may (for example) be identified
in a variety of ways, such as by user name or sensor type (for
example, selecting "use accelerometer" or "use Bob"). This may be
used to provide multi-user capabilities for a camera even on
devices that may not ordinarily provide such capacity at the
hardware or operating system level (as is common with mobile
devices that are primarily designed for use by a single user).
[0028] In some use cases, a combination of manual controls 102 and
sensor-driven operation may be used, for example to enable a user
to manually control certain camera functions such as zoom or focus,
while sensors drive the operation of the camera shutter or other
functions. Another exemplary use of combined operation may be a
manually-operated camera that may override the user's manual input,
for example as a safety feature to lock out certain camera
functions based on sensor information. For example, if a user if
moving rapidly (as may indicate they are driving), camera operation
may be limited or disabled, or a warning or confirmation prompt may
be presented to the user (in a smartphone or similar device
arrangement). It should be appreciated that a wide variety of
arrangements and use cases may be possible utilizing the
sensor-driven camera operation of the aspect, and the specific
nature of camera operation, sensor types, or threshold values may
vary according to an intended use case or the nature of the device
being used.
[0029] Not all mobile devices or cameras may have the same hardware
sensors, and thresholds may be adapted to utilize available
sensors. Another example may be a digital camera that is not a
smartphone or other "smart" mobile device, that may have very
limited hardware sensors onboard. In such an arrangement, the
camera itself may be considered a logical sensor, providing optical
or photographic data that may be polled and analyzed accordingly.
For example, by analyzing the view through the camera, it may be
inferred that the camera is being held in a safe and steady
position when the image falls below a certain variance threshold
(that is, when the view through the camera is sufficiently steady
and not changing rapidly, as would be a clear indicator of
movement).
Detailed Description of Exemplary Embodiments
[0030] FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary method
200 for sensor-driven automatic camera interaction, according to
one aspect. According to the aspect, in an initial step 201 a
polling module 111 may receive sensor data from a plurality of
hardware sensors 110a-n, such as (for example, including but not
limited to) accelerometer, gyroscope, compass, barometer, or other
sensor data. This sensor data may then be provided to a sensor
aggregator 112, which may collate 202 and analyze 203 the data. The
analysis may include comparing a number of data points against each
other to identify patterns or trends (such as to determine that
movement of the camera is slowing down, for example) and/or to
compare sensor data against threshold values. If a threshold value
is met 204, such as (for example, including but not limited to) a
sufficiently low degree of movement, or a particular angle or
orientation, the sensor aggregator 112 may direct the operation 205
of a camera 101, such as to operate the shutter and take a
photograph based on the sensor data and threshold values. If a
threshold value is not met, operation may continue with further
sensor data polling 201, so that the camera may continue to monitor
for the appropriate moment (as determined by the sensor data and
threshold values) to operate.
[0031] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary method
300 for dynamically calculating and setting a threshold value, in
accordance with one embodiment of the invention. As described
above, the threshold value is used to direct the camera 101, by,
for example, directing it to capture a photograph, change the
aperture, change the shutter speed, change the sensitivity, etc. In
effect, the threshold value pre-determines conditions for taking a
photograph. And, when the conditions are met (i.e. the threshold is
satisfied), the camera 101 is directed to perform an action, such
as capturing a photograph without additional user input. FIG. 3
illustrates a process for setting a threshold related to motion
data, but the process may be used or modified to calculate other
types of thresholds, in accordance with the description in this
specification. The method begins by first checking the current
elapsed time 301 since the camera was initiated (generally, by
starting a camera software app or activating a camera mode on a
device). The elapsed time value may measure a number of items,
including, but not limited to, the amount of time that has elapsed
between two a change in motion. Thus, if a user is able to hold the
camera steady for a long time, then the elapsed time value may be
large. If, however, the user in able to hold the camera steady for
only a short amount of time, then the elapsed time value may be
small. In one embodiment, the elapsed time value may be calculated
based on the amount of time that passes between a first motion
sensor value and a second, changed, motion sensor value. In one
embodiment, the threshold calculator 113 may check for the presence
of an existing user profile 302, and if present may load any
configured threshold data associated with the user. This may
optionally include overriding a threshold-determination process
entirely and directly setting a threshold 314 as configured in the
user's profile, according to the particular profile setup. If the
process is not overridden, then it continues by determining whether
the value of a variable storing the initial elapsed time is set to
0 303, and if so 304 the value may then be changed to the current
elapsed time. If the value is not 0, such as, if step 304 had been
previously performed, then the current elapsed time is stored in a
variable for the previous elapsed time separately 305. In one
embodiment, the elapsed times may be stored in a table or an array,
with each subsequent time entered into a new row. This allows
incremental time checks to be compared and stored, enforcing a
stateful model of the elapsed time during operation.
[0032] After setting or updating the elapsed time accordingly, a
preliminary motion threshold may be raised 307 to restrict the
criteria for camera activation before checking the previously-set
elapsed time variable 306 again. In some embodiments, this step of
raising the motion threshold 307 need not be performed. In such an
instance, for example, a motion threshold may be set arbitrarily or
may be set based on some pre-determined assumptions or calculations
based on the value of the current elapsed time that is recorded in
step 301. If the current elapsed time exceeds the previous elapsed
time 308, as may indicate that a user is able to hold the camera
sufficiently steady for a photograph to be taken, the motion
threshold may be raised 315 (or raised again) to ensure it is not
too lax. If the previously-recorded elapsed time is equal or
greater than the current, the motion threshold may be kept 309.
When the difference between the current and initial motion
threshold values exceeds the elapsed threshold value 310 (that is,
the motion threshold with elapsed time values), the threshold may
be set 314 and normal sensor aggregation and operation may begin
(as an appropriate threshold has now been determined for the user).
If not, the camera's shutter speeds may be checked 311 to bring an
external constant into consideration, and if the shutter speed is
low the motion threshold may be lowered 312 before being set 314
(to accommodate a threshold appropriate for the camera hardware),
and if the shutter speed is high the motion threshold may be raised
313 and set 314 to again set a value appropriate for the hardware.
It should be appreciated that, in some embodiments, what defines a
shutter speed being "low" may be dependent on available light, or
based on the subject, for example an environment such as a sporting
event that may have increased motion. In some embodiments, a low
shutter speed is defined as being too low to freeze action when a
still image is captured. A high shutter speed may refer, in some
embodiments, to a fast shutter speed, whereby the faster the
shutter speed, the shorter the time the image sensor is exposed to
light. For example, if the subject of a photograph is birds, a
sufficient shutter speed may be 1/1000th second or faster. However,
for general photography of slower-moving subjects, images may be
properly captured at 1/200th second, 1/100th second, or even longer
without introducing motion blur. low and high shutter speeds, as
used herein, is with reference to image capture to freeze
motion.
[0033] FIG. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary method
400 for calculating when a target stability has been reached,
according to an aspect. According to the aspect, in an initial step
401 a sensor aggregator 112 may receive a plurality of motion data
points from a polling module 111 monitoring a plurality of hardware
sensors 110a-n, such as instantaneous recordings of gyroscope data
to detect the position and orientation of the device. These points
may be used to calculate a weighted average of motion data over the
last interval between camera activations 402, and data points may
be weighted based on how recently they were captured 403. A motion
threshold may be calculated 404 by a threshold calculator (this
process is described in detail above, referring to FIG. 3), and the
weighted average of motion data may then be compared to the
established motion threshold 405. If the threshold is too high,
data collection may continue at step 401, and if too low (that is,
if the device is sufficiently stationary) the most-recent data
points may be checked against the threshold value 406. If the
recent data points meet the threshold requirements, a target
stability has been reached 407 and the device is sufficiently
steady, and the sensor aggregator 112 may direct the operation of
camera hardware 408 such as to activate the shutter, adjust focus,
or other camera operations as configured (as described above, in
FIG. 1).
Hardware Architecture
[0034] Generally, the techniques disclosed herein may be
implemented on hardware or a combination of software and hardware.
For example, they may be implemented in an operating system kernel,
in a separate user process, in a library package bound into network
applications, on a specially constructed machine, on an
application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or on a network
interface card.
[0035] Software/hardware hybrid implementations of at least some of
the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented on a
programmable network-resident machine (which should be understood
to include intermittently connected network-aware machines)
selectively activated or reconfigured by a computer program stored
in memory. Such network devices may have multiple network
interfaces that may be configured or designed to utilize different
types of network communication protocols. A general architecture
for some of these machines may be described herein in order to
illustrate one or more exemplary means by which a given unit of
functionality may be implemented. According to specific
embodiments, at least some of the features or functionalities of
the various embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented on one
or more general-purpose computers associated with one or more
networks, such as for example an end-user computer system, a client
computer, a network server or other server system, a mobile
computing device (e.g., tablet computing device, mobile phone,
smartphone, laptop, or other appropriate computing device), a
consumer electronic device, a music player, or any other suitable
electronic device, router, switch, or other suitable device, or any
combination thereof. In at least some embodiments, at least some of
the features or functionalities of the various embodiments
disclosed herein may be implemented in one or more virtualized
computing environments (e.g., network computing clouds, virtual
machines hosted on one or more physical computing machines, or
other appropriate virtual environments).
[0036] Referring now to FIG. 5, there is shown a block diagram
depicting an exemplary computing device 10 suitable for
implementing at least a portion of the features or functionalities
disclosed herein. Computing device 10 may be, for example, any one
of the computing machines listed in the previous paragraph, or
indeed any other electronic device capable of executing software-
or hardware-based instructions according to one or more programs
stored in memory. Computing device 10 may be configured to
communicate with a plurality of other computing devices, such as
clients or servers, over communications networks such as a wide
area network a metropolitan area network, a local area network, a
wireless network, the Internet, or any other network, using known
protocols for such communication, whether wireless or wired.
[0037] In one aspect, computing device 10 includes one or more
central processing units (CPU) 12, one or more interfaces 15, and
one or more busses 14 (such as a peripheral component interconnect
(PCI) bus). When acting under the control of appropriate software
or firmware, CPU 12 may be responsible for implementing specific
functions associated with the functions of a specifically
configured computing device or machine. For example, in at least
one aspect, a computing device 10 may be configured or designed to
function as a server system utilizing CPU 12, local memory 11
and/or remote memory 16, and interface(s) 15. In at least one
aspect, CPU 12 may be caused to perform one or more of the
different types of functions and/or operations under the control of
software modules or components, which for example, may include an
operating system and any appropriate applications software,
drivers, and the like.
[0038] CPU 12 may include one or more processors 13 such as, for
example, a processor from one of the Intel, ARM, Qualcomm, and AMD
families of microprocessors. In some embodiments, processors 13 may
include specially designed hardware such as application-specific
integrated circuits (ASICs), electrically erasable programmable
read-only memories (EEPROMs), field-programmable gate arrays
(FPGAs), and so forth, for controlling operations of computing
device 10. In a particular aspect, a local memory 11 (such as
non-volatile random-access memory (RAM) and/or read-only memory
(ROM), including for example one or more levels of cached memory)
may also form part of CPU 12. However, there are many different
ways in which memory may be coupled to system 10. Memory 11 may be
used for a variety of purposes such as, for example, caching and/or
storing data, programming instructions, and the like. It should be
further appreciated that CPU 12 may be one of a variety of
system-on-a-chip (SOC) type hardware that may include additional
hardware such as memory or graphics processing chips, such as a
QUALCOMM SNAPDRAGON.TM. or SAMSUNG EXYNOS.TM. CPU as are becoming
increasingly common in the art, such as for use in mobile devices
or integrated devices.
[0039] As used herein, the term "processor" is not limited merely
to those integrated circuits referred to in the art as a processor,
a mobile processor, or a microprocessor, but broadly refers to a
microcontroller, a microcomputer, a programmable logic controller,
an application-specific integrated circuit, and any other
programmable circuit.
[0040] In one aspect, interfaces 15 are provided as network
interface cards (NICs). Generally, NICs control the sending and
receiving of data packets over a computer network; other types of
interfaces 15 may for example support other peripherals used with
computing device 10. Among the interfaces that may be provided are
Ethernet interfaces, frame relay interfaces, cable interfaces, DSL
interfaces, token ring interfaces, graphics interfaces, and the
like. In addition, various types of interfaces may be provided such
as, for example, universal serial bus (USB), Serial, Ethernet,
FIREWIRE.TM., THUNDERBOLT.TM., PCI, parallel, radio frequency (RF),
BLUETOOTH.TM., near-field communications (e.g., using near-field
magnetics), 802.11 (WiFi), frame relay, TCP/IP, ISDN, fast Ethernet
interfaces, Gigabit Ethernet interfaces, Serial ATA (SATA) or
external SATA (ESATA) interfaces, high-definition multimedia
interface (HDMI), digital visual interface (DVI), analog or digital
audio interfaces, asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) interfaces,
high-speed serial interface (HSSI) interfaces, Point of Sale (POS)
interfaces, fiber data distributed interfaces (FDDIs), and the
like. Generally, such interfaces 15 may include physical ports
appropriate for communication with appropriate media. In some
cases, they may also include an independent processor (such as a
dedicated audio or video processor, as is common in the art for
high-fidelity A/V hardware interfaces) and, in some instances,
volatile and/or non-volatile memory (e.g., RAM).
[0041] Although the system shown in FIG. 5 illustrates one specific
architecture for a computing device 10 for implementing one or more
of the embodiments described herein, it is by no means the only
device architecture on which at least a portion of the features and
techniques described herein may be implemented. For example,
architectures having one or any number of processors 13 may be
used, and such processors 13 may be present in a single device or
distributed among any number of devices. In one aspect, single
processor 13 handles communications as well as routing
computations, while in other embodiments a separate dedicated
communications processor may be provided. In various embodiments,
different types of features or functionalities may be implemented
in a system according to the aspect that includes a client device
(such as a tablet device or smartphone running client software) and
server systems (such as a server system described in more detail
below).
[0042] Regardless of network device configuration, the system of an
aspect may employ one or more memories or memory modules (such as,
for example, remote memory block 16 and local memory 11) configured
to store data, program instructions for the general-purpose network
operations, or other information relating to the functionality of
the embodiments described herein (or any combinations of the
above). Program instructions may control execution of or comprise
an operating system and/or one or more applications, for example.
Memory 16 or memories 11, 16 may also be configured to store data
structures, configuration data, encryption data, historical system
operations information, or any other specific or generic
non-program information described herein.
[0043] Because such information and program instructions may be
employed to implement one or more systems or methods described
herein, at least some network device embodiments may include
nontransitory machine-readable storage media, which, for example,
may be configured or designed to store program instructions, state
information, and the like for performing various operations
described herein. Examples of such nontransitory machine-readable
storage media include, but are not limited to, magnetic media such
as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tape; optical media such
as CD-ROM disks; magneto-optical media such as optical disks, and
hardware devices that are specially configured to store and perform
program instructions, such as read-only memory devices (ROM), flash
memory (as is common in mobile devices and integrated systems),
solid state drives (SSD) and "hybrid SSD" storage drives that may
combine physical components of solid state and hard disk drives in
a single hardware device (as are becoming increasingly common in
the art with regard to personal computers), memristor memory,
random access memory (RAM), and the like. It should be appreciated
that such storage means may be integral and non-removable (such as
RAM hardware modules that may be soldered onto a motherboard or
otherwise integrated into an electronic device), or they may be
removable such as swappable flash memory modules (such as "thumb
drives" or other removable media designed for rapidly exchanging
physical storage devices), "hot-swappable" hard disk drives or
solid state drives, removable optical storage discs, or other such
removable media, and that such integral and removable storage media
may be utilized interchangeably. Examples of program instructions
include both object code, such as may be produced by a compiler,
machine code, such as may be produced by an assembler or a linker,
byte code, such as may be generated by for example a JAVA.TM.
compiler and may be executed using a Java virtual machine or
equivalent, or files containing higher level code that may be
executed by the computer using an interpreter (for example, scripts
written in Python, Perl, Ruby, Groovy, or any other scripting
language).
[0044] In some embodiments, systems may be implemented on a
standalone computing system. Referring now to FIG. 6, there is
shown a block diagram depicting a typical exemplary architecture of
one or more embodiments or components thereof on a standalone
computing system. Computing device 20 includes processors 21 that
may run software that carry out one or more functions or
applications of embodiments, such as for example a client
application 24. Processors 21 may carry out computing instructions
under control of an operating system 22 such as, for example, a
version of MICROSOFT WINDOWS.TM. operating system, APPLE macOS.TM.
or iOS.TM. operating systems, some variety of the Linux operating
system, ANDROID.TM. operating system, or the like. In many cases,
one or more shared services 23 may be operable in system 20, and
may be useful for providing common services to client applications
24. Services 23 may for example be WINDOWS.TM. services, user-space
common services in a Linux environment, or any other type of common
service architecture used with operating system 21. Input devices
28 may be of any type suitable for receiving user input, including
for example a keyboard, touchscreen, microphone (for example, for
voice input), mouse, touchpad, trackball, or any combination
thereof. Output devices 27 may be of any type suitable for
providing output to one or more users, whether remote or local to
system 20, and may include for example one or more screens for
visual output, speakers, printers, or any combination thereof.
Memory 25 may be random-access memory having any structure and
architecture known in the art, for use by processors 21, for
example to run software. Storage devices 26 may be any magnetic,
optical, mechanical, memristor, or electrical storage device for
storage of data in digital form (such as those described above,
referring to FIG. 5). Examples of storage devices 26 include flash
memory, magnetic hard drive, CD-ROM, and/or the like.
[0045] In some embodiments, systems may be implemented on a
distributed computing network, such as one having any number of
clients and/or servers. Referring now to FIG. 7, there is shown a
block diagram depicting an exemplary architecture 30 for
implementing at least a portion of a system according to one aspect
on a distributed computing network. According to the aspect, any
number of clients 33 may be provided. Each client 33 may run
software for implementing client-side portions of a system; clients
may comprise a system 20 such as that illustrated in FIG. 6. In
addition, any number of servers 32 may be provided for handling
requests received from one or more clients 33. Clients 33 and
servers 32 may communicate with one another via one or more
electronic networks 31, which may be in various embodiments any of
the Internet, a wide area network, a mobile telephony network (such
as CDMA or GSM cellular networks), a wireless network (such as
WiFi, WiMAX, LTE, and so forth), or a local area network (or indeed
any network topology known in the art; the aspect does not prefer
any one network topology over any other). Networks 31 may be
implemented using any known network protocols, including for
example wired and/or wireless protocols.
[0046] In addition, in some embodiments, servers 32 may call
external services 37 when needed to obtain additional information,
or to refer to additional data concerning a particular call.
Communications with external services 37 may take place, for
example, via one or more networks 31. In various embodiments,
external services 37 may comprise web-enabled services or
functionality related to or installed on the hardware device
itself. For example, in one aspect where client applications 24 are
implemented on a smartphone or other electronic device, client
applications 24 may obtain information stored in a server system 32
in the cloud or on an external service 37 deployed on one or more
of a particular enterprise's or user's premises.
[0047] In some embodiments, clients 33 or servers 32 (or both) may
make use of one or more specialized services or appliances that may
be deployed locally or remotely across one or more networks 31. For
example, one or more databases 34 may be used or referred to by one
or more embodiments. It should be understood by one having ordinary
skill in the art that databases 34 may be arranged in a wide
variety of architectures and using a wide variety of data access
and manipulation means. For example, in various embodiments one or
more databases 34 may comprise a relational database system using a
structured query language (SQL), while others may comprise an
alternative data storage technology such as those referred to in
the art as "NoSQL" (for example, HADOOP CASSANDRA.TM., GOOGLE
BIGTABLE.TM., and so forth). In some embodiments, variant database
architectures such as column-oriented databases, in-memory
databases, clustered databases, distributed databases, or even flat
file data repositories may be used according to the aspect. It will
be appreciated by one having ordinary skill in the art that any
combination of known or future database technologies may be used as
appropriate, unless a specific database technology or a specific
arrangement of components is specified for a particular aspect
described herein. Moreover, it should be appreciated that the term
"database" as used herein may refer to a physical database machine,
a cluster of machines acting as a single database system, or a
logical database within an overall database management system.
Unless a specific meaning is specified for a given use of the term
"database", it should be construed to mean any of these senses of
the word, all of which are understood as a plain meaning of the
term "database" by those having ordinary skill in the art.
[0048] Similarly, some embodiments may make use of one or more
security systems 36 and configuration systems 35. Security and
configuration management are common information technology (IT) and
web functions, and some amount of each are generally associated
with any IT or web systems. It should be understood by one having
ordinary skill in the art that any configuration or security
subsystems known in the art now or in the future may be used in
conjunction with embodiments without limitation, unless a specific
security 36 or configuration system 35 or approach is specifically
required by the description of any specific aspect.
[0049] FIG. 8 shows an exemplary overview of a computer system 40
as may be used in any of the various locations throughout the
system. It is exemplary of any computer that may execute code to
process data. Various modifications and changes may be made to
computer system 40 without departing from the broader scope of the
system and method disclosed herein. Central processor unit (CPU) 41
is connected to bus 42, to which bus is also connected memory 43,
nonvolatile memory 44, display 47, input/output (I/O) unit 48, and
network interface card (NIC) 53. I/O unit 48 may, typically, be
connected to keyboard 49, pointing device 50, hard disk 52, and
real-time clock 51. NIC 53 connects to network 54, which may be the
Internet or a local network, which local network may or may not
have connections to the Internet. Also shown as part of system 40
is power supply unit 45 connected, in this example, to a main
alternating current (AC) supply 46. Not shown are batteries that
could be present, and many other devices and modifications that are
well known but are not applicable to the specific novel functions
of the current system and method disclosed herein. It should be
appreciated that some or all components illustrated may be
combined, such as in various integrated applications, for example
Qualcomm or Samsung system-on-a-chip (SOC) devices, or whenever it
may be appropriate to combine multiple capabilities or functions
into a single hardware device (for instance, in mobile devices such
as smartphones, video game consoles, in-vehicle computer systems
such as navigation or multimedia systems in automobiles, or other
integrated hardware devices).
[0050] In various embodiments, functionality for implementing
systems or methods of various embodiments may be distributed among
any number of client and/or server components. For example, various
software modules may be implemented for performing various
functions in connection with the system of any particular aspect,
and such modules may be variously implemented to run on server
and/or client components.
[0051] The skilled person will be aware of a range of possible
modifications of the various embodiments described above.
Accordingly, the present invention is defined by the claims and
their equivalents.
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