Patent ID: 7071969

Claim:
In a computer-controlled image capturing system that includes an imaging device that captures a live video image of a display object and a remote computer terminal connected to the imaging device to receive image data from the imaging device relating to the display object and to transmit control signals to the imaging device, a method of remotely adjusting an operating parameter of the imaging device, the method comprising: (a) determining a parameter value range for the operating parameter; (b) dividing the parameter value range into a plurality of operating parameter values, (c) transmitting a parameter control signal from the remote computer terminal to the imaging device that causes the image capture system to capture a plurality of still images, each still image corresponding to the live video image captured when the imaging device is operating at a corresponding one of the plurality of operating parameter values; (d) simultaneously displaying the plurality of still images, (e) selecting a preferred still image from the plurality of displayed still images; (f) determining an updated parameter value range for the operating parameter based upon the operating parameter value associated with the selected preferred still image; (g) dividing the updated parameter value range into a plurality of updated operating parameter values; (h) transmitting an updated parameter control signal from the remote computer terminal to the imaging device that causes the image capture system to capture a plurality of still images, each updated still image corresponding to the live video image captured when the imaging device is operating at a corresponding one of the plurality of updated operating parameter values; (i) repeating steps (d)–(h) above with respect to iteratively updated operating parameter value ranges until a final still image is selected; and (j) transmitting a final parameter control signal from the remote computer terminal to the imaging device such that the imaging device captures a final live video image using the updated operating parameter control value associated with the selected final still image.