Devices and methods for capturing and interacting with enhanced digital images

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11835985-B2
Application number	US-202218089397-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 27, 2022
Priority date	Jun 7, 2015
Publication date	Dec 5, 2023
Grant date	Dec 5, 2023

Abstract

An electronic device having a camera, while displaying a live preview for the camera, detects activation of a shutter button at a first time. In response, the electronic device acquires, by the camera, a representative image that represents a first sequence of images, and a plurality of images after acquiring the representative image, and also displays an indication in the live preview that the camera is capturing images for the first sequence of images. The electronic device groups images acquired by the camera in temporal proximity to the activation of the shutter button at the first time into the first sequence of images, such that the first sequence of images includes a plurality of images acquired by the camera prior to detecting activation of the shutter button at the first time, the representative image, and the plurality of images acquired by the camera after acquiring the representative image.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
at an electronic device with a display, a camera, one or more processors, and memory:
displaying a live preview for the camera on the display;
while displaying the live preview, detecting activation of a shutter button at a first time; and
in response to detecting activation of the shutter button at the first time:
acquiring, by the camera, a representative image that represents a first sequence of images; and
acquiring, by the camera, a plurality of images after acquiring the representative image;
while acquiring the representative image and the plurality of images after acquiring the representative image, displaying an indication in the live preview that the camera is capturing images for the first sequence of images; and
grouping images acquired by the camera in temporal proximity to the activation of the shutter button at the first time into the first sequence of images, wherein the first sequence of images includes:
a plurality of images acquired by the camera prior to detecting activation of the shutter button at the first time;
the representative image that represents the first sequence of images; and
the plurality of images acquired by the camera after acquiring the representative image.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first sequence of images is acquired while the electronic device is in a first media acquisition mode.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
detecting a user input to disable the first media acquisition mode;
while the first media acquisition mode is disabled, detecting activation of the shutter button; and
in response to detecting activation of the shutter button while the first media acquisition mode is disabled, acquiring a still image.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the electronic device includes a plurality of user-selectable media acquisition modes including a still image acquisition mode distinct from the first media acquisition mode.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device acquires and stores images and then deletes images that are not grouped into a respective plurality of images that are in temporal proximity to activation of the shutter button at a respective time.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the indication in the live preview that the camera is obtaining images for the first sequence of images is an animation.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the animation is displayed while the electronic device captures the remaining images that will be included in the grouped images.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the animation lasts for an amount of time that corresponds to an amount of time after the activation of the shutter button that the camera is acquiring images for the first sequence of images.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of images, in the first sequence of images, that are acquired prior to detecting activation of the shutter button at the first time meet one or more predefined grouping criteria.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the predefined grouping criteria include selecting a predefined number of images that were acquired prior to detecting activation of the shutter button.

11. An electronic device, comprising:
a display;
a camera;
one or more processors;
memory; and
one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for:
displaying a live preview for the camera on the display;
while displaying the live preview, detecting activation of a shutter button at a first time; and
in response to detecting activation of the shutter button at the first time:
acquiring, by the camera, a representative image that represents a first sequence of images; and
acquiring, by the camera, a plurality of images after acquiring the representative image;
while acquiring the representative image and the plurality of images after acquiring the representative image, displaying an indication in the live preview that the camera is capturing images for the first sequence of images; and
grouping images acquired by the camera in temporal proximity to the activation of the shutter button at the first time into the first sequence of images, wherein the first sequence of images includes:
a plurality of images acquired by the camera prior to detecting activation of the shutter button at the first time;
the representative image that represents the first sequence of images; and
the plurality of images acquired by the camera after acquiring the representative image.

12. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the first sequence of images is acquired while the electronic device is in a first media acquisition mode.

13. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the one or more programs include instructions for:
detecting a user input to disable the first media acquisition mode;
while the first media acquisition mode is disabled, detecting activation of the shutter button; and
in response to detecting activation of the shutter button while the first media acquisition mode is disabled, acquiring a still image.

14. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the electronic device includes a plurality of user-selectable media acquisition modes including a still image acquisition mode distinct from the first media acquisition mode.

15. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the electronic device acquires and stores images and then deletes images that are not grouped into a respective plurality of images that are in temporal proximity to activation of the shutter button at a respective time.

16. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the indication in the live preview that the camera is obtaining images for the first sequence of images is an animation.

17. The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein the one or more programs include instructions for displaying the animation while the electronic device captures the remaining images that will be included in the grouped images.

18. The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein the animation lasts for an amount of time that corresponds to an amount of time after the activation of the shutter button that the camera is acquiring images for the first sequence of images.

19. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of images, in the first sequence of images, that are acquired prior to detecting activation of the shutter button at the first time meet one or more predefined grouping criteria.

20. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions that, when executed by an electronic device with a display and a camera, cause the electronic device to:
display a live preview for the camera on the display;
while displaying the live preview, detect activation of a shutter button at a first time; and
in response to detecting activation of the shutter button at the first time:
acquire, by the camera, a representative image that represents a first sequence of images; and
acquire, by the camera, a plurality of images after acquiring the representative image;
while acquiring the representative image and the plurality of images after acquiring the representative image, display an indication in the live preview that the camera is capturing images for the first sequence of images; and
group images acquired by the camera in temporal proximity to the activation of the shutter button at the

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Penha Henrique D
• Bauer Sebastian J
• Chaudhri Imran A
• Clarke Graham R
• Dye Alan C
• Federighi Craig M
• Guzman Aurelio
• Ive Jonathan
• King Nicholas V
• Manzari Behkish J
• Mezak Charles A
• Titi Justin S
• Wilson Christopher I
• Harris Elliott B
• Kim Emilie

Classifications

• G06F3/0487 Primary

  using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser · CPC title

• G06F3/0485

  Scrolling or panning · CPC title

• G06F3/0488

  using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures · CPC title

• G06F3/04817

  using icons (graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34) · CPC title

• G06F3/04842 Primary

  Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence) · CPC title