Automatic image frame processing possibility detection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11962908-B2
Application number	US-201514660611-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 17, 2015
Priority date	Mar 17, 2015
Publication date	Apr 16, 2024
Grant date	Apr 16, 2024

Abstract

In one example, a plurality of image frames captured by a digital camera unit are received. Received image frames may be still images or frames of a video sequence. Received image frames are automatically analyzed for detecting a possibility to process a plurality of image frames.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a digital camera unit configured to capture images in a first image capturing mode and a second image capturing mode;
a display;
at least one processor; and
at least one memory storing program instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:
receive a plurality of image frames captured by the digital camera unit in the first image capturing mode, wherein the plurality of image frames are captured in a same capturing session; and
prior to processing the received plurality of image frames in the first image capturing mode:
analyze, automatically, the received plurality of image frames captured in the first image capturing mode;
based at least on the analyzing, suggest, to a user, the second image capturing mode to process at least one image frame from the received plurality of image frames captured in the first image capturing mode, the first image capturing mode being different than the second image capturing mode;
based at least on the suggesting, receive, from the user, a request to process, in the second image capturing mode, the at least one image frame from the received plurality of image frames captured in the first image capturing mode; and
based at least on the requesting, process, using the second image capturing mode, the at least one image frame from the received plurality of image frames captured in the first image capturing mode.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory further stores program instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:
after the suggestion and prior to processing the at least one image frame based on the second image capturing mode, receive a second plurality of image frames captured by the digital camera unit in the same capturing session as the received plurality of image frames.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the second plurality of image frames are captured in the second image capturing mode.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory further stores program instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus, in response to a determined possibility to combine at least two image frames, to combine at least two image frames from the received plurality of image frames into at least one combined image.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the at least one memory further stores program instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to store the combined image in the at least one memory.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the at least one memory further stores program instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to display the at least one combined image in an icon on the display as an indication of the possibility to combine the at least two image frames.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the possibility to process comprises detecting one of panorama, action shot and motion focus as a possible combination.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the possibility to process comprises best shot selection.

9. A method, comprising:
receiving a plurality of image frames captured by a digital camera unit configured to capture images in a first image capturing mode and a second image capturing mode, the plurality of image frames being captured in the first image capturing mode, wherein the plurality of image frames are captured in a same capturing session; and
prior to processing the received plurality of image frames in the first image capturing mode:
analyzing automatically the received plurality of image frames captured in the first image capturing mode;
based at least on the analyzing, suggest to a user, the second image capturing mode to process at least one image frame from the received plurality of image frames captured in the first image capturing mode, the first image capturing mode being different than the second image capturing mode;
based at least on the suggesting, receive, from the user, a request to process, in the second image capturing mode, the at least one image frame from the received plurality of image frames captured in the first image capturing mode; and
based at least on the requesting, processing using the second image capturing mode, the at least one image frame from the received plurality of image frames captured in the first image capturing mode.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the method further comprises providing an indication of a possibility to process in response to a determined possibility to post process the at least one image frame.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein an icon is displayed as the indication on a display.

12. The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the method further comprises combining at least two image frames from the received plurality of image frames into at least one combined image in response to a determined possibility to combine the at least two image frames.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12 , further comprising:
based at least one the suggestion and prior to processing the at least one image frame using second image capturing mode, capturing a second image frame by the digital camera unit in the second image capturing mode in the same capturing session as the received plurality of image frames; and
processing the at least one image frame and the second image frame using the second image capturing mode.

14. A computer readable storage device comprising executable instructions for causing at least one processor of a computing apparatus to perform operations comprising:
receiving a plurality of image frames captured by the digital camera unit configured to capture images in a first image capturing mode and a second image capturing mode, the plurality of image frames being captured in the first image capturing mode, wherein the plurality of image frames are captured in a same capturing session; and
prior to processing the received plurality of image frames in the first image capturing mode:
analyzing, automatically, the received plurality of image frames captured in the first image capturing mode;
based at least on the analyzing, suggest, to a user, the second image capturing mode to process at least one image frame from the received plurality of image frames captured in the first image capturing mode, the first image capturing mode being different than the second image capturing mode;
based at least on the suggesting, receive, from the user, a request to process, in the second image capturing mode, the at least one image frame from the received plurality of image frames captured in the first image capturing mode; and
based at least on the requesting, processing using the second image capturing mode, the at least one image frame from the received plurality of image frames captured in the first image capturing mode.

15. The computer readable storage device as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the executable instructions for causing the at least one processor of the computing apparatus to perform operations further comprise providing an indication of a possibility to process in response to a determined possibility to process the at least one image frame.

16. The computer readable storage device as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the executable instructions for causing the at least one processor of the computing apparatus to perform operations further comprise displaying an icon as an indication of a

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Pettersson Gustaf
• Windmark Johan

Classifications

• H04N23/698 Primary

  for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture · CPC title

• G06F3/048

  Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI] · CPC title

• G06T5/002

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06T5/003

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06T5/50

  using two or more images, e.g. averaging or subtraction · CPC title