# US 7,746,404 B2 · Digital camera with panoramic image capture > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,746,404 B2 - Document ID: US7746404B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 10/705,188 - Filed: 2003-11-10 - Published: 2005-05-12 - Granted: 2010-06-29 - Earliest claimed: 2003-11-10 - Assignees: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. - Inventors: Yining Deng; Qian Lin; Jian Fan; Pere Obrador; Ullas Gargi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7746404B2 ## CPC - H04N 1/215: {Recording a sequence of still pictures, e.g. burst mode} - H04N 1/2112: {using still video cameras} - H04N 1/3876: {Recombination of partial images to recreate the original image} - H04N 23/698: for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture - H04N 2013/0088: {Synthesising a monoscopic image signal from stereoscopic images, e.g. synthesising a panoramic or high resolution monoscopic image} - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract A method for generating a panoramic image that enables a user to obtain panoramic photographs with a digital camera without the aid of a computer system or specialized lenses. A digital camera according to the present techniques captures a series of image frames as a user pans the digital camera through a panoramic image scene and combines the captured image frames while the image frames are being captured. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for generating a panoramic image; comprising: a camera capturing a series of image frames each of a portion of a panoramic image scene; said camera combining the image frames into a panoramic image while said camera is capturing said series of image frames; wherein said capturing comprises said camera capturing a first image frame having a resolution that corresponds to a resolution of the panoramic image; and said camera capturing a second image frame having a resolution that corresponds to the resolution of the panoramic image if a relative motion between the first and second image frames is detected. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising said camera determining the relative motion by capturing a series of image frames having a resolution that is lower than the resolution of the panoramic image. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2 wherein the lower resolution is selected to maintain an overlap in the image frames having the lower resolution in response to the relative motion. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising said camera detecting the relative motion using a motion sensor. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4 further comprising said camera discarding an overlapping portion of one of the first and second image frames from the memory. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein combining comprises combining the first and the second image frames in response to the relative motion. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising said camera capturing a set of image frames that define a set of boundaries of the panoramic image. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising: said camera performing a zoom in on an object of interest in the panoramic image; said camera capturing an image frame that provides a sample of the object of interest such that the image frame of the object of interest has a higher resolution than the image frames obtained from a remainder of the panoramic image; said camera recording a set of metadata pertaining to the zoom; and said camera combining the image frame of the object of interest with the remainder of the panoramic image in response to the metadata. ### Claim 9 A method for generating a panoramic image, said method comprising: a camera capturing a series of image frames each of a portion of a panoramic image scene; and said camera combining the image frames into a panoramic image while the series of image frames is being obtained and providing a visual feedback to a user that indicates the progress of the panoramic image wherein providing a visual feedback comprises providing a depiction of areas of the panoramic image that need to be re-sampled. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein providing a visual feedback comprises said camera providing a depiction of missing areas of the panoramic image. ### Claim 11 A camera comprising: image sensor for capturing a series of image frames each of a portion of a panoramic image scene including a first image frame having a resolution that corresponds to a resolution of a panoramic image and a second image frame having a resolution that corresponds to the resolution of said panoramic image; and processor that combines the first and second image frames into the panoramic image while the series of image frames is being obtained if a relative motion between the first and second image frames is detected. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The camera of claim 11, wherein the image frames include one or more image frames having a resolution that corresponds to a resolution of the panoramic image and one or more image frames having a resolution that is lower than the resolution of the panoramic image. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The camera of claim 11 wherein the processor determines the relative motion. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The camera of claim 11 further comprising a motion sensor. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The camera of claim 11 further comprising a memory for storing portions of the image frames for the panoramic image. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The camera of claim 11 wherein the image frames each comprise a strip of the panoramic image scene. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The camera of claim 11 further comprising means for providing a visual feedback to a user that indicates the progress of the panoramic image. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The camera of claim 11 further comprising means for performing a zoom in on an object of interest in the panoramic image such that the image sensor captures an image frame of the object of interest having a higher resolution than the image frames obtained from a remainder of the panoramic image and the processor records a set of metadata pertaining to the zoom. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The camera of claim 18 wherein the processor combines the image frame of the object of interest with the remainder of the panoramic image in response to the metadata.