Patent ID: 7162102

Claim:
A method for producing a cropped digital image, comprising the steps of: providing a plurality of partially overlapping source digital images; providing a cropping aspect ratio L:H, the cropping aspect ratio being the ratio of the length to the height of the cropped digital image; providing a cropping criterion, the cropping criterion being a criterion for the size and location of the cropped digital image; combining the source digital images to form a composite digital image; automatically selecting the cropping region of the composite digital image according to the cropping criterion, said cropping region being a rectangular region having said aspect ratio L:H, and having size and location determined by the cropping criterion; and, cropping the composite digital image to the cropping region to form a cropped digital image; wherein the cropping criterion specifies that the cropped digital image is the composite digital image region that is largest in area of one of the sets: a) the set of all composite digital image regions having said aspect ratio L:H that are centered at the centroid of the composite digital image; and b) the set of all composite digital image regions having said aspect ratio L:H that are centered at the centroid of the main subject of the composite digital image.