# US 10,122,919 B2 · Digital image capture device having a panorama mode > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,122,919 B2 - Document ID: US10122919B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/672,743 - Filed: 2017-08-09 - Published: 2018-03-01 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2012-11-27 - Assignees: FotoNation Limited - Applicants: FotoNation Limited - Inventors: Igor Barcovschi; George Susanu; Serghei Carateev - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10122919B2 ## CPC - H04N 23/698: for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture - H04N 23/62: Control of parameters via user interfaces - H04N 23/63: by using electronic viewfinders - H04N 23/631: {Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters} - H04N 23/635: {Region indicators; Field of view indicators} - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract A hand-held digital camera has a touch-sensitive display screen (“touch screen”) for image preview and user control of the camera, and a user-selectable panorama mode. Upon entering panorama mode the camera superimposes upon the touch screen a horizontal rectangular bar whose width and/or height are user-adjustable by interaction with the touch screen to select a desired horizontal sweep angle. After the sweep angle is set the camera automatically captures successive horizontally overlapping images during a sweep of the device through the selected sweep angle. Subsequently the camera synthesizes a panoramic image from the successively captured images, the panoramic image having a width corresponding to the selected sweep angle. ## Claims ### Claim 1 In a hand-held digital image capture device of the type having a touch screen allowing a user to interact with and control camera functions by touching and manipulating icons, symbols, geometric figures or other items displayed on the touch screen by camera code instructions executed on a processor of the device, which instructions enable control of the camera functions, a method of acquiring a panoramic image of a selectable image sweep angle suitable for use when a user holds and sweeps the device through a field of view to create the panoramic image in accord with a selectable sweep angle, the method comprising: setting the device in a panoramic mode; displaying an item on the touch screen having a touch responsive feature by which the user is able to adjust a setting to select the sweep angle; and after the sweep angle is selected, in response to user input, commencing a digital photographic process based on execution of the camera code instructions, causing the device to automatically capture a plurality of successive overlapping images during a sweep of the device along the selected sweep angle. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further including generating the panoramic image from the plurality of successive overlapping images by synthesizing the plurality of successive overlapping images, the panoramic image having a panorama width or height corresponding to the selected sweep angle. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 where the item on the touch screen having the touch responsive feature by which the user adjusts a setting to select the sweep angle includes a line, displayed on the touch screen, having an adjustable dimension to select the sweep angle for the panoramic image. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3 where the item on the touch screen having the touch responsive feature by which the user adjusts a setting to select the sweep angle includes a rectangular bar having an adjustable horizontal or vertical dimension to select the sweep angle for the panoramic image. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3 where the item on the touch screen having the touch responsive feature is indicative of an angle corresponding to a currently selected sweep angle and changes when the user adjusts the sweep angle. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 where setting the device in a panoramic mode is effected by operating a button on a body portion of the device or via a touch screen function or via a voice actuated operation. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 where: the item on the touch screen having the touch responsive feature by which the user adjusts a setting to select the sweep angle includes a line, displayed on the touch screen, having a user adjustable dimension to select the sweep angle for the panoramic image; and a count of images in the plurality of successive overlapping images is determined based, at least in part, on the width of the line displayed on the touch screen. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 where the sweep angle of the device in the panorama mode is selected by manipulating a depiction of a pie chart displayed on the touch screen. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 where the processor executes code instructions that: cause setting of a zoom mode on the device; and in response to setting the zoom mode on the device, determine a start position for the sweep. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 where synthesizing the plurality of successive overlapping images comprises cropping one or more of the plurality of successive overlapping images in a vertical direction to allow a horizontal alignment of the plurality of successive overlapping images. ### Claim 11 In a hand-held digital image capture device of the type having a touch screen allowing a user to interact with and control camera functions by touching and manipulating icons, symbols, geometric figures or other items displayed on the touch screen by camera code instructions executed on a processor of the device, which instructions enable control of the camera functions, a method of acquiring a panoramic image based on an image sweep suitable for use when a user holds and sweeps the device through a field of view to create the panoramic image, the method comprising: setting the device in a panoramic mode; in response to user input, commencing a digital photographic process based on execution of the camera code instructions, causing the device to automatically capture a plurality of successive overlapping images during a sweep of the device along a predetermined sweep angle; and during a period in which the sweep is performed, displaying a variable item on the touch screen indicating a proportion of the predetermined sweep angle completed at different times during the period in which the sweep is performed. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 where a pie chart indicative of the predetermined sweep angle is displayed on the touch screen and the variable item is a display on the pie chart of the proportion of the predetermined sweep angle completed at different times during the period in which the sweep is performed. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 where, while the sweep is performed, an image is displayed on the touch screen and a rectangular bar superimposed on the screen indicates the predetermined sweep angle. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 where the variable item is a pie chart. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 where the sweep angle is adjustable. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 where the predetermined sweep angle is displayed on the touch screen with a shape having a dimension indicative of the sweep angle. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 further including generating the panoramic image from the plurality of successive overlapping images by synthesizing the plurality of successive overlapping images, the panoramic image having a panorama width or height corresponding to the predetermined sweep angle. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 where the predetermined sweep angle is user controlled and displayed on the touch screen while the device captures the plurality of successive overlapping images. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The device of claim 11 where setting the device in a panoramic mode is effected by operating a button on a body portion of the device or via a touch screen function or via a voice actuated operation. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 where: the item on the touch screen having the touch responsive feature indicating the proportion of the predetermined sweep angle completed at different times includes a shape which enables user adjustment of a setting to select the sweep angle, with control of the setting based on a user adjustable dimension of the shape, which dimension is selected by adjusting points along the shape to change the sweep angle for the panoramic image.