Patent Publication Number: US-2011074979-A1

Title: Image capture device

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to image capture devices, and particularly, to an image capture device for creating photo identifications (IDs). 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     The process of capturing an image by an image capture device, transmitting, and then editing it, typically on a computer, to meet specific size requirements, is a resolvable inconvenience. 
     Therefore, it is desirable to provide an image captured device, which can overcome the above-mentioned limitations. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a functional diagram of an image capture device, according to one embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic view showing how a portrait photo is converted into a corresponding photo ID by the image capture device of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a rear planar view of the image capture device of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a rear planar view of the image capture device, according to another embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , an image capture device  10 , according to one embodiment, is a digital still camera. However, the image capture device  10  is not limited to this embodiment but can be any image capture-ready device, such as a web-cam or cell phone. 
     The image capture device  10  includes an image capture module  100 , a processor  200 , a storage system  300 , a user interface  400 , a setting module  500 , a face recognition module  600 , a determination module  700 , and an image edition module  800 . 
     Also referring to  FIG. 2 , the image capture module  100  such as a camera module is configured to capture a portrait photo  102 . 
     The setting module  500 , the face recognition module  600 , the determination module  700 , and the image edition module  800 , may be embodied in, and fully automated via software code modules executed by one or more general purpose computers or processors, for example, the processor  200 . The software code modules may be stored in any type of computer-readable medium or other storage device, for example, the storage system  300 . Alternatively, some or all of the modules may be embodied in specialized computer hardware or communication apparatus. 
     The storage system  300  stores a number of different size settings of photo IDs. Commonly, driver license and other ID cards of different countries, have different photo ID size requirements. For example, Chinese ID cards require a 1-inch photo (25 mm×35 mm) of which a facial portion is about 18 mm×26 mm. 
     The user interface  400  is configured for user interaction with the image capture device  10 . For example, the user interface  400  can display information such as a preview of portrait photo to the user and/or receive user inputs by the user. Referring to  FIGS. 3-4 , the user interface  400  can include a touch panel  402 . 
     The setting module  500  is configured to set sizes of photo IDs to be created by the image capture device  10 , responding to user inputs through the user interface  400 . For example, the setting module  500  can display the size settings as options  404  on the touch panel  402  (see  FIG. 3 ). The setting module  500  then sets sizes of the photo IDs to be created in response to contacts with the touch panel  402  (i.e., a user input). As shown in  FIG. 3 , the setting module  500  drives the touch panel  402  to show the following options  404 : “1-inch,” “1.5-inch,” and “2-inch,” and sets the size of a photo ID to be created as: 25 mm×35 mm (photo size) and 18 mm×26 mm (facial portion size) by touching the corresponding option  404 . Alternatively, as shown in  FIG. 4 , the setting module  500  can also drive the touch panel  402  to display editable dialog windows  406 , whereby the setting module  500  can determine the sizes of the photo IDs to be created in response to user edits of the windows  406 . 
     In  FIGS. 1-2 , the face recognition module  600  is configured to recognize a facial portion  106  of the portrait photo  102 . Many algorithms including nerve network, nerve network plus fast Fourier transform, fuzzy plus nerve network, RGB normalized color, fuzzy color, principle component analysis, and algorithm template, are usable by the face recognition module  600 . 
     The determination module  700  determines a boundary  108  of a photo ID  104  to be converted from the portrait photo  102  based upon the set sizes and the recognized facial portion  106 . In particular, the determination module  700  is configured to zoom in or out the portrait photo  102  until the zoomed facial portion  110  meets preset size requirements, for example, a width of 18 mm and a height of 26 mm, and to calculate coordinates of the center M and to determine the boundary  108  of the photo ID  104  which interprets the center M of the zoomed facial portion  110  as the center thereof. 
     The image edition module  800  is configured to cut the zoomed portrait photo  112  along the boundary  108  to create the photo ID  104 . 
     While various embodiments have been described, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited thereto. To the contrary, various modifications and similar arrangements (as would be apparent to those skilled in the art), are also intended to be covered. Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.