Abstract:
A digital camera can employ logic to delay capturing a still image after a person has operated the control button until such time as predetermined subject criteria are met, e.g., the subject is smiling with eyes open, three or more players are in the field of view to ensure a good action shot, etc.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates generally to digital cameras.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Digital cameras can capture still images when a user manipulates a shutter button. Manipulation of the shutter button can signal a processor in the digital camera to move a shutter mechanism, similar to what occurs in non-digital cameras, to allow light to impinge on a digital imaging device, typically a charge-coupled device (CCD). The CCD in turn converts light into electric signals that are sent to the processor for generating an image. Or, in some digital cameras, opening a lens cover and activating the camera allows light to impinge on the CCD, with the signals from the CCD being used to generate a video stream of images and with manipulation of the shutter button not necessarily causing actuation of a shutter mechanism but instead signalling to the processor to “grab” one of the images in the stream as a still image. Accordingly, regardless of whether manipulation of the shutter button actually causes a shutter mechanism to “expose” the CCD or simply causes an image in a stream of images to be “grabbed”, it is to be appreciated that the user establishes a still image by manipulating the shutter button to cause the processor to capture a still image.  
         [0003]     As recognized by the present invention, digital cameras can suffer many of the same drawbacks as non-digital camera when taking a picture, namely, causing a still image to be generated at a less than opportune time for the subject. For example, the still image might be generated at the instant the subject blinks, or fails to smile. In other contexts, it might be desired to take an action photo of a sporting event, but it can be difficult, giving the fast-moving nature of the game, to generate a still image at an action point at precisely the moment the action occurs. Thus, for instance, a still image of a soccer match, instead of being generated just as the ball pierces the plane of the goal, might not be generated until the ball is already in the net. In any case, it may be appreciated that the present invention recognizes that it would be advantageous to couple the generation of a still image to one or more criteria that are subject-dependent.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     A digital camera includes a housing that can have a shutter button which may be manipulated by a user to indicate a desire to generate a still image. An imaging element such as a CCD is on the housing, and a processor is on the housing for receiving signals from the digital imaging element and the shutter button. As set forth below, the processor executes logic to capture a still image only when a user has manipulated the shutter button to indicate a desire to take a picture, and when at least one predetermined subject criterion has been satisfied. By “subject criterion” is meant an attribute of the subject that is independent of the camera, i.e., that does not include whether the subject is “in focus” at the camera but rather indicates one or more attributes possessed by the subject, for example, particular facial expressions such as open eyes and smiles, or the subject being plural human subjects in an image, or yet again a ball being in the air above the ground.  
         [0005]     In non-limiting implementations a shutter mechanism can be provided on the housing. The shutter mechanism can be movable to a picture configuration, in which light from outside the housing can impinge on the imaging element. The shutter mechanism can also be movable to a blocking configuration, in which light from outside the housing is substantially blocked from the imaging element.  
         [0006]     In another aspect, a digital camera includes a housing, an imaging element on the housing, and a processor on the housing. The processor receives signals from the digital imaging element and accesses digital templates representing at least one predetermined subject criterion to execute logic to capture a still image from the imaging element only when the at least one predetermined subject criterion has been satisfied.  
         [0007]     In still another aspect, a method for taking a digital picture includes receiving at least one subject criterion embodied by a digital template, and receiving a signal indicating a user desire to take a digital picture conforming to the subject criterion. The method also includes receiving an image from a CCD, comparing the image to the template, and, based on the comparison and after the reception of the signal from the user, determining whether to capture the image from the CCD.  
         [0008]     The details of the present invention, both as to its structure and operation, can best be understood in reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts, and in which: 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]      FIG. 1  shows one non-limiting camera system; and  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  is a flow chart of the present logic. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0011]     Referring initially to  FIG. 1 , a digital camera is shown, generally designated  10 , that includes a housing  12  and a processor  14  within the housing  12 . The processor  14  is a digital processor that executes logic shown herein, as well as conventionally controlling various components of the camera  10  and receiving and processing electrical signals from an imaging device such as a CCD  16  in the camera  10  to produce still images and, in some implementations, a video stream of images in accordance with digital photography principles known in the art.  
         [0012]     The processor  14  may be implemented by plural processors if desired. The logic may be implemented on a logic module  18  accessible to the processor  14 . The logic module  18  may be solid state memory or other type of memory. In any case, it is to be understood that the processor  14  executes some or all of the logic below. The flow charts herein illustrate the structure of the logic modules of the present invention as embodied in computer program software. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the flow charts illustrate the structures of logic elements, such as computer program code elements or electronic logic circuits, that function according to this invention. Manifestly, the invention is practiced in its essential embodiment by a machine component that renders the logic elements in a form that instructs a digital processing apparatus (that is, a computer or microprocessor) to perform a sequence of function steps corresponding to those shown. Internal logic could be as simple as a state machine.  
         [0013]     In other words, the present logic may be established as a computer program that is executed by a processor as a series of computer-executable instructions. In addition to residing on hard disk drives, these instructions may reside, for example, in RAM, or the instructions may be stored on magnetic tape, electronic read-only memory, or other appropriate data storage device.  
         [0014]      FIG. 1  shows that a manipulable shutter button  20  is provided on the housing  12  and is electrically connected to the processor  14  to allow a user to indicate, by appropriately manipulating the shutter button  20 , a desire to “take a picture” (i.e., to capture a still image). While the term “shutter button” is used herein for convention, and indeed while  FIG. 1  shows that the particular non-limiting camera  10  shown may include a shutter mechanism  22  that can be moved in response to manipulation of the shutter button  20 , it is to be understood that “shutter button” encompasses any user control that is manipulated or otherwise operated to receive an indication of a user&#39;s desire to have the processor  14  take a picture.  
         [0015]     When a shutter mechanism  22  is provided, it can be movable under control of the processor  14  in response to signals from the shutter button  20  to a picture configuration, in which light from outside the housing  12  can impinge on the CCD  16 . The shutter mechanism  22  is also movable to a blocking configuration, in which light from outside the housing  12  is substantially blocked from the CCD  16 .  
         [0016]     If desired, a camera lens  24  can be provided on the housing  12 . The lens  24  may be movable by the processor  14  as appropriate for focus. While the shutter mechanism  22  is shown in  FIG. 1  as being interposed between the lens  24  and CCD  16 , its actual location in the housing  12  is not limiting. Image storage  26  can also be provided in the housing  12 , either in non-movable (internal) storage form and/or in removable (e.g., disk-based) storage form. The processor  14  can store still images in the image storage  26 .  
         [0017]     Now referring to  FIG. 2 , the inventive logic executed by the processor  14  is shown. Commencing at block  28 , the processor  14  receives, from a user or from the vendor of the camera  10 , one or more predetermined picture-taking criteria, which is then used to recognize and collect digital video data. Specifically, the criteria are subject-oriented, i.e., the criteria define subject attributes that must be present to capture a still image. Non-limiting examples of subject criteria include capturing a still image when three or more individuals enter the robot&#39;s reference frame, or when an individual&#39;s facial expressions change or assume a predetermined expression, e.g., eyes open and smiling or when a ball (e.g., at a sporting event) is in the air above the ground. To this end, a menu of subject-oriented criteria can be provided to the user on a display of the camera  10 , and the user can select which criteria, if any, he or she wishes to employ to capture a still image. Or, advanced users/vendors can program criteria into the camera  10 , and a user can simply select “on” or “off” to indicate whether the subject-oriented criteria are to be used or not.  
         [0018]     It may now be appreciated that the processor  14  can employ image recognition principles, such as face recognition principles, to recognize whether the subject-oriented criteria are present. Consequently, in some embodiments the step at block  28  includes loading into the camera  10  (e.g., into the storage  26  at block  30  in  FIG. 2 ) what can be thought of as digital templates of desired facial expressions, which can be compared later by the processor  14  to actual images generated from the CCD  16  to determine whether the actual images “match” the appropriate template within empirically established fuzzy criteria. Other templates can be included that might include plural figures in an image template. Or, “templates” may be established by and/or used in conjunction with rules, such as a rule that allows the processor to recognize ground in an image and objects of particular shapes (such as balls) that are distanced above the ground.  
         [0019]     Moving to block  32 , when a user desires that a still image be captured, the user can signal this desire by operating the shutter button  20 . In some implementations, it is not necessary to operate the shutter button. Instead, the user need simply activate the camera  10  to indicate a desire to take a picture, with the CCD  16  generating a signal stream representing a constant video stream and with the processor  16  grabbing one or more frames in the stream to establish the capture of a still image whenever the subject-oriented criteria are satisfied.  
         [0020]     In any case, once the user has evinced a desire to capture a still image using the subject-oriented criteria established at block  28 , the logic flows to block  34 , wherein when the processor  14  detects a match of an image from the CCD  16  to the subject-oriented criteria, the processor  14  captures the matching image and, if desired, stores it in the storage  26 . After the data has been collected, the processor  14  can then provide any number of options to the user concerning processing and storage of the data. Examples of this include a user&#39;s desire to permanently store a still-frame segment from the video stream and using collected data to make a “virtual scrapbook.” 
         [0021]     While the particular DIGITAL CAMERA WITH AUTOMATIC FUNCTIONS as herein shown and described in detail is fully capable of attaining the above-described objects of the invention, it is to be understood that it is the presently preferred embodiment of the present invention and is thus representative of the subject matter which is broadly contemplated by the present invention, that the scope of the present invention fully encompasses other embodiments which may become obvious to those skilled in the art, and that the scope of the present invention is accordingly to be limited by nothing other than the appended claims, in which reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless explicitly so stated, but rather “one or more”. It is not necessary for a device or method to address each and every problem sought to be solved by the present invention, for it to be encompassed by the present claims. Furthermore, no element, component, or method step in the present disclosure is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether the element, component, or method step is explicitly recited in the claims. Absent express definitions herein, claim terms are to be given all ordinary and accustomed meanings that are not irreconcilable with the present specification and file history.