Image capturing apparatus and control method for selecting from successively-captured images

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9641746-B2
Application number	US-201514861865-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 22, 2015
Priority date	Mar 21, 2013
Publication date	May 2, 2017
Grant date	May 2, 2017

Abstract

A mobile phone includes a display, a capturing module configured to obtain a photographed image, a touch detection module configured to receive a touch operation, a main storage module and an auxiliary storage module, and a control module. The control module temporarily stores in the main storage module successively photographed images photographed at a predetermined time interval by the capturing module, and displays a postview screen for allowing a user to select a predetermined photographed image from a successively photographed image group stored in the main storage module when the touch detection module receives a touch operation with respect to a shutter icon. The control module stores a selected photographed image in the auxiliary storage module when the touch detection module receives a touch operation with respect to a photographed image.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An image capturing apparatus, comprising:
a display;
a camera configured to successively capture images at a predetermined time interval;
at least one memory; and
at least one processor configured to,
even before a shutter operation is performed, control the camera to successively capture a first set of images at the predetermined interval, and temporarily store the first set of images in the at least one memory, and,
after the shutter operation is performed,
control the camera to successively capture a second set of images at the predetermined interval, and temporarily store the second set of images in the at least one memory,
control the display to display a selection screen for allowing a user to select at least one image from a combined set of images comprising both the first set of images and the second set of images,
store the selected at least one image in the at least one memory, and
delete all unselected images in the combined set of images from the at least one memory.

2. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to control the camera to:
before the shutter operation is performed, temporarily store, at most, a number of images, representing a predetermined time period, as the first set of images, and,
after the shutter operation is performed, temporarily store the same number of images, representing the same predetermined time period, as the second set of images.

3. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to control the display to shift between images, from the combined set of images, included in the selection screen in accordance with a user operation.

4. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the display is a touch panel display, and wherein the user operation is a touch operation on the touch panel display.

5. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the touch operation is a slide operation comprising a moving continuous touch, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to shift between images, from the combined set of images, included in the selection screen in accordance with a movement amount of the continuous touch.

6. An image capturing apparatus comprising:
a display module;
a capturing module configured to capture successively first images at a predetermined time interval;
an operation receiving module configured to receive an operation;
a first storage module and a second storage module; and
at least one processor configured to
store temporarily the first images in the first storage module,
cause the display module to display a selection screen for allowing a user to select one of the first images when the operation receiving module receives a first operation, and
store the one of the first images in the second storage module when the operation receiving module receives an operation to select the one of the first images

wherein the capturing module is configured to continue to capture successively the first images at the predetermined time interval, until a predetermined time period elapses after the first operation is performed,
wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the display module to display the selection screen including an image of the first images, and
wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the display module to display an initial screen of the selection screen, the initial screen including an image captured at time point which is closest to a time point at which the first operation is performed among the first images.

7. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein, in accordance with a slide operation on the selection screen, one of the first images is displayed in full size successively and continuously in an order of capturing timing.

8. The image capturing apparatus comprising:
a display module;
a capturing module configured to capture successively first images at a predetermined time interval;
an operation receiving module configured to receive an operation;
a first storage module and a second storage module; and
at least one processor configured to
store temporarily the first images in the first storage module,
cause the display module to display a selection screen for allowing a user to select one of the first images when the operation receiving module receives a first operation, and
store the one of the first images in the second storage module when the operation receiving module receives an operation to select the one of the first images,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to shift the image included in the selection screen in accordance with a second operation received by the operation receiving module,
wherein the operation receiving module includes a touch detection module configured to detect a touch operation with respect to the display module,
wherein the at least one processor is configured to
cause the display module to display the selection screen including a first operation object for selecting the one of the first images, and
shift the image included in the selection screen in accordance with the touch operation on the first operation object,
wherein the capturing module is configured to capture successively second images which are different from the first images,
wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the display module to display a reference screen including one of the second images, the one of the second images being updated at a time interval, the reference screen including a second operation object, and
wherein the operation receiving module is configured to receive the touch operation on the second operation object as the first operation.

9. A control method for an image capturing apparatus comprising:
even before a shutter operation is performed, successively capturing a first set of images at a predetermined time interval, and temporarily storing the first set of images in at least one memory; and,
after the shutter operation is performed,
successively capturing a second set of images at the predetermined interval, and temporarily storing the second set of images in the at least one memory,
displaying a selection screen for allowing a user to select at least one image from a combined set of images comprising both the first set of images and the second set of images,
storing the selected at least one image in the at least one memory, and
deleting all unselected images in the combined set of images from the at least one memory.

Assignees

• Kyocera Corp

Inventors

• Tsunoda Hiroshi

Classifications

• H04N1/2145

  of a sequence of images for selection of a single frame before final recording, e.g. from a continuous sequence captured before and after shutter-release · CPC title

• G06F3/04855

  Interaction with scrollbars · CPC title

• H04N1/0044

  for image preview or review, e.g. to help the user position a sheet · CPC title

• G06F3/0485

  Scrolling or panning · CPC title

• G06F3/0488 Primary

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