Patent ID: 6298197
Filing Date: 2001-10-02
Classification: G03B,G07F,H04N

Abstract:
An automatic picture taking system in the form of a photo booth comprising a housing, a background boundary surface, and a picture taking zone for accommodating a person defined between said housing and said background boundary surface, said housing containing:a) an electronic imaging camera which is operable when actuated to produce an image output in the form of storable electronic image data representative of an image of said person in said zone and said background boundary surface,b) a visual display device arranged to display a picture to said person in said zone,c) a printer arranged to produce a print of a picture displayed on said visual display device,d) processing means for receiving, and storing said image data produced by said camera and for automatically isolating the image data representing the image of said person from the image data representing the image of said background boundary surface,e) data storage means storing further data representing a plurality of userselectable supplementary images,f) combining means for automatically combining in a user-selectable mode said isolated image data representing the image of said person with said further data representing a user-selected supplementary image thereby to produce combined data representing a combination of said isolated image and said user-selected supplementary image,g) control means operable when actuated to initiate, prior to printing, automatic display for user selection on said visual display device of said image of said person, said plurality of supplementary images, and said combination of images, and to control operation of said printer,h) user controls operable by the person to effect selection of said person's image, selection of one of said supplementary images, and selection of one of a plurality of combination modes of the combined selected person's image and the selected supplementary image,wherein after actuation of said camera and said control means, said control means is operable to effect:i. display on said visual display device of said image of said person for acceptance or rejection by operation of said user controls,ii. display on said visual display device of said supplementary images for selection by operation of said user controls,iii. display on said visual display device of a combination of an accepted said image of said person and a selected said supplementary image in a mode of combination selected by operation of said user controls, andiv. operation of said printer to produce a print of said combination of images in said selected mode.