Determining camera auto-focus settings

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9854155-B1
Application number	US-201514741201-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jun 16, 2015
Priority date	Jun 16, 2015
Publication date	Dec 26, 2017
Grant date	Dec 26, 2017

Abstract

A system and method of determining a tilt angle of a portable computing device using a sensor indicating gravitational pull on the device; determining the tilt angle of a camera of the device; identifying a tilt angle range from a plurality of predetermined tilt angle ranges; determining a first focal length setting using a first array that associates the tilt angle range with the first focal length setting; determining an adjustment increment using a second array that associates the adjustment increment with the tilt angle range; and determining a second focal length setting of the camera using the adjustment increment according to an autofocus scan range algorithm. A portable computing device including a processor; a camera; and a memory device including instructions operable to be executed by the processor to perform a set of actions, enabling the portable computing device to perform the method.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a processor;
a camera;
a sensor that generates sensor data indicating a gravitational pull on the system;
a memory device including instructions that, upon execution by the processor, cause the system to:
determine a tilt angle of the camera using the sensor data;
identify a tilt angle range from a plurality of predetermined tilt angle ranges, wherein the tilt angle range overlaps with the tilt angle of the camera;
determine an initial focal length setting for the camera using a first associative array that associates the tilt angle range with the initial focal length setting;
determine an adjustment increment using a second associative array that associates the adjustment increment with the tilt angle range; and
determine a final focal length setting for the camera using the adjustment increment according to an autofocus scan range algorithm.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions upon execution further cause the system to:
capture first image data including a representation of an object within a field of view of the camera;
determine an identity of the object by comparing the first image data with second image data including representations of known objects;
determine a dimension of the object by comparing the identity of the object with dimensional data of known objects;
determine a distance from the camera to the object by comparing the dimension of the object with a scale of the representation of the object in the first image data relative to known dimensions associated with the camera;
analyze the distance to determine the initial focal length setting, wherein the initial focal length setting focuses the camera at the distance; and
analyze the distance to determine the adjustment increment using a third associative array that associates the adjustment increment with the distance.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system further comprises a touch screen, and wherein the instructions upon execution further cause the system to:
identify a touch gesture on the touch screen, the touch gesture being a pinch-to-zoom gesture or a tap-to-zoom gesture; and
analyze the touch gesture to determine a second initial focal length setting and a second adjustment increment.

4. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
determining a tilt angle of a camera of a computing device relative to an axis;
identifying a tilt angle range from a plurality of predetermined tilt angle ranges that include the tilt angle;
determining a first focal length setting for the camera based on first association data associating the tilt angle range and the first focal length setting;
determining an adjustment increment for an autofocus scan range algorithm based on second association data associating the adjustment increment and the tilt angle range; and
determining a second focal length setting for the camera by using the adjustment increment according to the autofocus scan range algorithm.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , further comprising:
determining altitude data representing an altitude of the computing device; and
determining the first focal length setting based on the first association data and the altitude data.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , further comprising:
determining a first weight factor associated with the tilt angle range;
determining a second weight factor associated with the altitude data; and
determining the autofocus scan range algorithm based on the first weight factor and the second weight factor.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , further comprising:
determining, from the altitude data, that an altitude of the camera exceeds a predetermined altitude; and
determining the second weight factor to be greater than the first weight factor.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , further comprising:
determining the tilt angle of the computing device using at least one of a gyroscope or an accelerometer.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , further comprising:
identifying a touch gesture on a touch screen of the computing device; and
determining the first focal length setting based on the first association data and the touch gesture.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , further comprising:
capturing first image data including a representation of an object within a field of view of the camera;
determining an identify of the object by comparing the first image data with second image data including representations of known objects;
determining a dimension of the object by comparing the identity of the object with dimensional data of known objects;
determining a distance from the camera to the object by comparing the dimension of the object with a scale of the representation of the object in the first image data relative to known dimensions associated with the camera; and
determining the first focal length setting based at least in part on the distance.

11. A computing device comprising:
a processor;
a camera;
a memory device including instructions that, upon execution by the processor, cause the computing device to:
determine a tilt angle of the camera relative to an axis;
identify a tilt angle range from a plurality of predetermined tilt angle ranges that include the tilt angle;
determine a first focal length setting for the camera based on a first association data associating the tilt angle range and the first focal length setting;
determine an adjustment increment for an autofocus scan range algorithm based on second association data associating the adjustment increment and the tilt angle range; and
determine a second focal length setting for the camera by using the adjustment increment according to the autofocus scan range algorithm.

12. The computing device of claim 11 , wherein the instructions upon execution further cause the computing device to:
determine altitude data representing an altitude of the computing device; and
determine the first focal length setting based on the first association data and the altitude data.

13. The computing device of claim 12 , wherein the instructions upon execution further cause the computing device to:
determine a first weight factor associated with the tilt angle range;
determine a second weight factor the altitude data; and
determine the first focal length setting based on the first weight factor and the second weight factor.

14. The computing device of claim 13 , wherein the instructions upon execution further cause the computing device to:
determine, from the altitude data, that an altitude of the computing device exceeds a predetermined altitude; and
determine the second weight factor to be greater than the first weight factor.

15. The computing device of claim 11 , wherein the instructions upon execution further cause the computing device to:
capture first image data including a representation of an object within a field of view of the camera;
determine an identify of the object by comparing the first image data with second image data including representations of known objects;
determine a dimension of the object by comparing the identity of the object with dimensional data of known objects;
determine a distance from the camera to the object by comparing the dimension of the object with a scale of the representation of the object in the first image data relative to known dimensions associated with the camera; and
determine the first focal length setting based at least in part on the distance.

16. The computing device of claim 11 , whe

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Sikka Avnish
• Liu Yue

Classifications

• H04N23/698

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

• H04N23/67

  Focus control based on electronic image sensor signals · CPC title

• H04N23/57

  Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices · CPC title

• G03B13/36 Primary

  Autofocus systems · CPC title

• H04N23/62 Primary

  Control of parameters via user interfaces · CPC title