1117results about "Viewfinders" patented technology

A “Panoramic Viewfinder” provides an intuitive interactive viewfinder display which operates on a digital camera display screen. This interactive viewfinder provides real-time assistance in capturing images for constructing panoramic image mosaics. The Panoramic Viewfinder “brushes” a panorama from images captured in any order, while providing visual feedback to the user for ensuring that desired scene elements will appear in the final panorama. This visual feedback presents real-time stitched previews of the panorama while capturing images. In one embodiment, the viewfinder display of the Panoramic Viewfinder includes a “mosaic preview” which presents a stitched mosaic preview of the captured images; a live display window representing a “current content” of the camera viewfinder, which is mapped to a matching location within the mosaic preview; and an optional panoramic “cropping frame” overlaid onto the mosaic preview which illustrates a section of the mosaic which will survive a rectangular cropping of the mosaic.

An image capturing apparatus for capturing and recording images, including a function switch section for switching at least first and second image capturing functions, a first operation member which is operated to start image capturing in the first image capturing function or the second image capturing function, and a second operation member which is operated to execute functions other than the first and second image capturing functions, wherein on condition that the function switch section is switched to execute image capturing in the first image capturing function in response to operation of the first operation member, image capturing in the second image capturing function is executed when the second operation member is operated.

The present invention provides a self-photographing device for taking pictures single-handedly. The self-photographing device can accommodate various digital cameras, single-lens camera, and camera phones, and can provide an adequate distance between the camera and the photographer for better self-shooting. The self-photographing device comprises a picture-taking unit, a stage rotation unit, a telescopic pole unit, a folding joint unit and a grip unit. After use, the self-photographing device can be folded into a size not larger than 228×87×87 cm and is suitable for being carried in a handbag.The present invention also provides a method for using a self-photographing device to take a picture or shooting a video single-handedly.The abovementioned self-photographing device and method enable a photographer to take picture of 1) oneself, 2) oneself with one's family and friends, or 3) others and scenery with a bird's eye view or a behind-a-door view.

This invention provides a camera system, including voice recognition, one or multiple microphones, gaze tracking, touch sensitive inputs and others. The voice recognition unit is operable for, among other things, receiving multiple different voice commands, recognizing the vocal commands, associating the different voice commands to one camera command and controlling at least some aspect of the digital camera operation in response to these voice commands. The gaze tracking unit is operable for, among other things, determining the location on the viewfinder image that the user is gazing upon. One aspect of the touch sensitive inputs provides that the touch sensitive pad is mouse-like and is operable for, among other things, receiving user touch inputs to control at least some aspect of the camera operation. Another aspect of the disclosed invention provides for gesture recognition to be used to interface with and control the camera system.

A holographic waveguide display comprises: a source of light; at least one switchable grating layer comprising a multiplicity of grating regions each switchable between a diffracting state and a non diffracting state; means for spatio-temporally modulating light from the source to provide image light comprising at least one beam deflector for scanning the light in at least one of two orthogonal directions and at least one modulator for amplitude modulating the light. A first scanned angular range of light is diffracted through a first area into a first field of view by a first set of grating regions, and through a second area into to the first field of view by a second set of grating regions. Each grating region of the first and second sets has a first grating function. The first and second areas lie within an exit pupil of the display.

The information terminal body may be designed to foldably pivot a pair of flat cases each having a display unit through a hinge which is equipped with a photographing optical system for the camera function unit of which optical axis of lens is perpendicular to an axial center of the hinge. The display units display information from communication channels and images taken in by the camera. The cases may have the display units such that the display units face outside in a folded state. At least one of the two display units may be a finder for photographers, while the other may be a finder for the subject persons. The terminal is equipped with a shutter button and a terminal operation button. The terminal operation button works also as a shutter button. The information terminal is also equipped with a viewfinder for the camera lens system.

A camera support assembly including an elongated support, such as a extensible support, which support extends between a base assembly and a handgrip, whereby a user of the camera may secure a camera to the base assembly and, while holding the handgrip, position the camera a distance away, which may be greater than arms length, to capture a still or moving image of the user, of an obstructed scene, or of hard to reach and / or unsafe areas.

A process and apparatus is described to improve a digital camera user interface and increase ease of use and functionality of a digital camera by quickly, accurately and robustly permitting cursor control and designation in a digital camera display. A digital camera is used as a pointing device such as a mouse or trackball. The motion of the camera is detected, and the motion of the camera is used to position graphic elements on the camera's own display. The camera's motion can be detected with sensors, such as gyroscopes, or the camera itself can be used as a motion sensor. One application of this involves using the camera as a computer mouse, or like a gun-sight, to select images from a sheet of low-resolution (“thumbnail”) images. The motion of the camera is tracked, and the user aims at the desired image from a sheet of thumbnail images. The thumbnails appear to be fixed relative to the world because the camera can continuously reposition them in the display based upon the motion of the camera. The user can then select a thumbnail in an intuitive manner by simply pointing the camera at the desired thumbnail. For alternative embodiments, the interface can be used to select regions of greater extent than can be viewed in the viewer or to virtually review images.

An aspect of the present invention provides a lens-interchangeable camera which has operability equal to a right-handed user and a left-handed user without necessity of any addition of extra members and without sacrificing a design for a smaller size. Since a camera according to the present invention does not need any extra members, a user-friendly camera which eliminates any disadvantage for a use by left-handed persons at a high level that any conventional cameras have not yet achieved can be achieved. Also, since a camera body can be disposed on a left side as needed even for a right-handed user and the right-handed user can operate the camera body only with his / her left hand, this form is convenient when the user picks up images while the user is operating another apparatus with his / her right hand.

A fully automatic, head mounted, hand and eye free camera System and photography are disclosed. The fully automatic, head mounted, hand and eye free camera System consist of three components: A) a head mounted camera header, B) a portable personal computer, and C) a hand hold controller. The component A (head mounted camera header) is composed of two set of eye ball trackers / range finder / digital camera headers. The component B (portable personal computer) control eye ball tracker and the range finder to determine the direction of eye sight and the distance between the eye and the target, and adjusts the lens of the digital camera header to aim at and focus on target to take pictures or record video and to save the pictures or video to the storage of the portable personal computer. The user control whole system by pressing the buttons at component C (hand hold controller). The aiming, focusing, and the capturing procedure is automatic, continuous, and in the real time, and is a true process of “What you see is what you get (photo or video)”.