Method to determine length and area measurements within a smartphone camera image

A mobile communication device comprising:

• a processor operably coupled to a memory and to a wireless communication subsystem operable to send and receive data;
• a camera operably coupled to the processor;
• a sensor operably connected to provide to the processor a distance between the camera and an element viewable by the camera;
• instructions stored in the memory that when executed by the processor perform the following:
• taking an image with the camera,
• using the sensor to determine a distance between the camera and at least one object recorded in the image,
• time-stamping when the image was taken and when the distance was determined,
• storing the distance data with the image as metadata,
• receiving, at a later time, a request for a desired measurement comprising one of a desired length measurement or a desired area measurement of an element in the image,
• calculating the desired measurement using the stored time-stamped image and the distance data, wherein using the time-stamped image includes determining a number of pixels identified in the request, and a field of view, and
• providing the desired measurement to the user.