Camera phone, method of controlling the camera phone, and photography support method used for the camera phone

Abstract

A camera phone according to an embodiment of the invention assists a user in photography upon generating a composite image based on captured images through mosaicing processing or super-resolution processing with the optimum amount of photography images. To that end, a photographing condition analyzing unit analyzing a current photographing condition is provided, and a condition analysis result from the photographing condition analyzing unit is displayed for a user.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will be more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a camera phone according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows a photographing condition analyzing unit and its peripheral blocks of the camera phone according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates motion information used in the camera phone according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 shows a camera movement track of the camera phone according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 shows a photographed area map created with a photographed-area creating unit of the camera phone according to the embodiment of the present invention based on a camera movement track;

FIG. 6 shows another photographed area map created with the photographed-area creating unit of the camera phone according to the embodiment of the present invention based on the camera movement track;

FIG. 7 shows another photographed area map created with the photographed-area creating unit of the camera phone according to the embodiment of the present invention based on the camera movement track;

FIG. 8 shows animation of a photographed area map created with the photographed-area creating unit of the camera phone according to the embodiment of the present invention based on the camera movement track;

FIGS. 9A and 9B show display image examples of a mask image generated with a mask image generating unit of the camera phone according to the embodiment of the present invention during photography;

FIG. 10 shows a display image example of a photographed area map created with the photographed-area creating unit of the camera phone according to the embodiment of the present invention based on the camera movement track after photography;

FIG. 11 is a flowchart of operations of the camera phone according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a block diagram of a general camera phone; and

FIG. 13 is a flowchart of operations of the general camera phone.

Claims

1. A camera phone, comprising: a camera capturing images to generate a composite image;a photographing condition analyzing unit analyzing a current photographing condition of the camera; anda photographing condition notifying unit notifying a user of an analysis result from the photographing condition analyzing unit.

2. The camera phone according to claim 1, wherein the photographing condition notifying unit notifies a user of the analysis result at least one of during or after capturing the images.

3. The camera phone according to claim 1, wherein the photographing condition analyzing unit analyzes at least one of a photographed area at present time, a superimposed amount of photography areas, and a camera movement track of the photographed area at present time.

4. The camera phone according to claim 2, wherein the photographing condition analyzing unit analyzes at least one of a photographed area at present time, a superimposed amount of photographed areas, and a camera movement track of the photographed area at present time.

5. The camera phone according to claim 1, wherein the photographing condition analyzing unit analyzes a movement track of the camera based on displacements in an X-axis direction and a Y-axis direction, which are derived from previous and subsequent images.

6. The camera phone according to claim 2, wherein the photographing condition analyzing unit analyzes a movement track of the camera based on displacements in an X-axis direction and a Y-axis direction, which are derived from previous and subsequent images.

7. The camera phone according to claim 1, further comprising: an image compressing unit executing image compression based on motion information derived from previous and subsequent images,the photographing condition analyzing unit analyzing a movement track of the camera based on motion information upon the image compression.

8. The camera phone according to claim 2, further comprising: an image compressing unit executing image compression based on motion information derived from previous and subsequent images,the photographing condition analyzing unit analyzing a movement track of the camera based on motion information upon the image compression.

9. The camera phone according to claim 5, wherein the photographing condition notifying unit is a display unit to display the movement track of the camera as the analysis result.

10. The camera phone according to claim 7, wherein the photographing condition notifying unit is a display unit to display the movement track of the camera as the analysis result.

11. The camera phone according to claim 5, wherein the photographing condition analyzing unit creates a photographed area map showing a superimposed amount of photographed areas based on the movement track of the camera, and the photographing condition notifying unit is a display unit to display the photographed area map as the analysis result.

12. The camera phone according to claim 7, wherein the photographing condition analyzing unit creates a photographed area map showing a superimposed amount of photographed areas based on the movement track of the camera, and the photographing condition notifying unit is a display unit to display the photographed area map as the analysis result.

13. The camera phone according to claim 1, wherein the photographing condition analyzing unit composes at least one of a shape of a photography area at present time, a superimposed amount of photographed areas, and a movement track of the camera in the photographed area at present time to a screen image during photography, and the photographing condition notifying unit is a display unit to display the composite image generated with the photographing condition analyzing unit as the analysis result.

14. The camera phone according to claim 2, wherein the photographing condition analyzing unit composes at least one of a shape of a photography area at present time, a superimposed amount of photographed areas, and a movement track of the camera in the photographed area at present time to a screen image during photography, and the photographing condition notifying unit is a display unit to display the composite image generated with the photographing condition analyzing unit as the analysis result.

15. The camera phone according to claim 1, wherein the composite image is obtained by combining an image of an area larger than an angle of field of the camera.

16. The camera phone according to claim 1, wherein the captured image is a moving picture.

17. The camera phone according to claim 1, further comprising a mosaicing processing unit generating a mosaic image based on the captured image.

18. The camera phone according to claim 17, further comprising a super-resolution processing unit generating a super-resolution image based on the captured image.

19. A method of controlling a camera phone, comprising: analyzing a current photographing condition of images captured for generating a composite image;notifying a user of an analysis result; andgenerating the composite image based on captured images.

20. A photography support method used in a camera phone, comprising: analyzing a current photographing condition of a photographic camera; andnotifying a user of an analysis result to generate a composite image.