Picture taking method and apparatus

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#Method and apparatus is disclosed to enhance the quality and usefulness of picture taking for pleasure, commercial, or other business purposes. In a preferred embodiment, stereo photogrammetry is combined with digital image acquisition to acquire or store scenes and poses of interest, and/or to interact with the subject in order to provide data to or from a computer. Other preferred embodiments illustrate applications to control of display systems.

#FIG. 1 illustrates means by which users engaged in digital camera based activities, or other activities, using a computer can have their pictures taken.

#FIG. 2 illustrates a method for taking pictures when certain pre programmed poses of objects, sequences of poses, or relationships of objects are represented.

#FIG. 3 illustrates a self timer like mode, or when specific dates or other circumstances exist, including a system embodiment for taking pictures in shopping malls or other locales and providing instant print or other hardcopy capability (e.g. On a tee shirt).

#FIG. 1

#Illustrated in FIG. 1 of the invention is means by which users engaged in digital camera based activities, or other activities, using a computer can have their pictures taken, and in this context, FIG. 1 resembles that of co-pending referenced application 9 above. A single camera, or a set, such as a stereo pair are employed to see portions of an object, such as a person, a part of a person such as a hand, leg, foot, fingers, or head, and/or to view datums on an object, portion of an object, or an object held by the person or with which the person interacts. In addition, multiple persons and objects can be seen.

#Where a single camera is employed, 2D measurements of object location relative to the camera (x and y perpendicular to the camera axis) are all that is possible, unless datums of known shape or spacing are used on the object viewed. Where a stereo pair or more of cameras are employed, 3D (xyz) data of a single point can be provided, for example retro-reflector 50 on the head 52 of person 51. In both cases where 3 or more datums are used on an object, 6 Degree of freedom data can be obtained, allowing object orientation in 3 angular axes as well as range in 3 axes to be obtained. With two or more cameras, such 3D data may also be obtained using other features of objects such as edges of arms and the likely using known photogrammetric techniques.