Single-control image-taking apparatus
OwnerOliver Markus Haynoldinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
According to one embodiment, an image-taking apparatus wherein a first actuation of a control element locks image-taking parameters and a subsequent actuation of this control element causes a picture to be taken. In one embodiment, the apparatus is a cellular telephone equipped with a camera wherein a first press on the volume up button locks focus and exposure. The photographer can then recompose the picture according to the ‘half-press’ technique and take a picture with a subsequent press on the volume up button. Other embodiments are described.
Claims57
An apparatus comprising a camera and at least one binary control element,
- said binary control element being characterized by having exactly two mutually exclusive user interaction states, actuated and non-actuated, and being adapted so that an actuation by a user transitions said binary control element from said non-actuated state to said actuated state,
- wherein a first actuation of said binary control element locks at least one image-taking parameter of said camera and a subsequent actuation of said binary control element causes a picture to be taken by said camera using said image-taking parameter locked by said first actuation.
An apparatus comprising a camera and two volume control elements wherein actuation of a first of said volume control elements locks at least one image-taking parameter of said camera and subsequent actuation of the other of said volume control elements causes a picture to be taken by said camera using said image-taking parameter locked by said previous actuation of said first volume control element.
A method for controlling image-taking parameters and triggering the taking of an image by a camera using at least one binary control element,
- said binary control element being characterized by having exactly two mutually exclusive user interaction states, actuated and non-actuated, and being adapted so that an actuation by a user transitions said binary control element from said non-actuated state to said actuated state,
- wherein a first actuation of said binary control element locks at least one image-taking parameter of said camera and a subsequent actuation of said binary control element causes a picture to be taken by said camera using said image-taking parameter locked by said first actuation.
A method for controlling a camera using an apparatus equipped with two volume control elements wherein actuation of a first of said volume control elements locks at least one image-taking parameter of said camera and subsequent actuation of the other of said volume control elements causes a picture to be taken by said camera using said image-taking parameter locked by said previous actuation of said first volume control element.
A portable apparatus comprising
- a volume control element primarily dedicated to lowering the volume of an audio signal,
- a volume control element primarily dedicated to increasing the volume of an audio signal, and
- a microprocessor,
- said microprocessor being adapted to switch between different user interaction states, and
- said microprocessor further being adapted so that in some of said user interaction states a first actuation of one of said volume control elements causes a first predetermined action not related to changing said volume and a subsequent actuation of said volume control element causes a second predetermined action not related to changing said volume,
- said first predetermined action comprising one predetermined sequence of steps, and
- said second predetermined action comprising another predetermined sequence of steps substantively different from said sequence of steps of said first action.
A machine-implemented method for controlling a software-implemented function on a portable apparatus, comprising at least one processor controlling said apparatus
- observing actuation of a volume control element primarily dedicated to changing the audio volume on a portable device, contingent upon said device being in a state where a function other than changing said volume is desirable upon actuation of said volume control element,
- checking from state stored in electronic memory whether said actuation of said volume control element is to be taken as a first or as a subsequent actuation of said volume control element,
- executing a first predetermined software action not related to changing said volume if said actuation is to be taken as a first actuation, and
- executing a second predetermined software action not related to changing said volume if said actuation is to be taken as a subsequent actuation,
- said first predetermined action comprising one predetermined sequence of steps, and
- said second predetermined action comprising another predetermined sequence of steps substantively different from said sequence of steps of said first action.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.