Apparatus and method for rotating the display orientation of a captured image

An apparatus for rotating a display orientation of multicolor captured image data having an i-by-j pixel matrix with a pattern representative of an object, comprising:

• an image sensor, for generating the multicolor captured image data;
• an input device, for generating a portrait_left signal in response to a first user selection, a portrait_right signal in response to a second user selection, and a landscape signal in response to a third user selection;
• a memory, having:
• an auto-rotate unit comprising program instructions for selectively transforming the multicolor captured image data into portrait_left image data in response to the portrait_left signal, portrait_right image data in response to the protrait_right signal, and landscape image data in response to the landscape signal;
• and
• an image processing unit comprising program instructions for transforming the portrait_left image data, the portrait_right image data and the landscape image data into processed image data;
• and
• a processing unit, coupled to the image sensor, to the input device, and to the memory, for executing program instructions stored in the memory;
• wherein said image processing unit changes the number of pixel rows and pixel columns of the multicolor captured image data such that, from a defined referenced viewpoint, the portrait left image data, the portrait right image data, and the landscape image data, each includes the an (i−1)-by-(j−1) pixel matrix having said pattern.

A method for rotating a display orientation of image data representative of an object, comprising the steps of:

• generating image data with an image sensor;
• identifying an orientation of the image sensor relative to the object at a time substantially simultaneous with the generating step, where said identifying is performed by an orientation sensor;
• and
• selectively transferring data to an image processing unit in response to the identifying step;
• wherein said image processing unit rotates said display orientation of said image data and (a) said image processing unit processes an i-by-j array of said captured image data and said image sensor generates an i+1-by-j+1 array of said image data, or (b) an image capture unit generates an additional row and column of pixels for said captured image data from said image sensor
• wherein said image processing unit rotates said orientation of said image data by generating an additional row and column of pixels for said captured image data from said image sensor.

An apparatus for rotating a display orientation of multicolor image data having an i-by-j pixel matrix with a pattern representative of an object, comprising:

• means for generating multicolor image data with an image sensor, the image data having a Bayer pattern;
• orientation sensor means for identifying an orientation of said image sensor relative to said object at a time substantially simultaneous with said generating said multicolor image data;
• and
• means for selectively transferring said multicolor image data to an image processing unit in response to said means for identifying;
• wherein said image processing unit rotates said display orientation of said multicolor image data for providing rotated multicolor image data, and changes the number of pixel rows and pixel columns of said multicolor image data such that, from a defined referenced viewpoint, said rotated multicolor image data includes an (i−1)-by-(j−1) pixel matrix having said pattern.

A computer useable medium embodying computer readable program code for causing a computer to rotate a display orientation of multicolor image data having an i-by-j pixel matrix with a pattern representative of an object, by performing steps comprising:

• generating said multicolor image data with an image sensor, the image data having a Bayer pattern;
• identifying an orientation of the image sensor relative to the object at a time substantially simultaneous with the generating step, wherein said identifying of said orientation is performed with an orientation sensor;
• and
• selectively transferring image data to an image processing unit in response to the identifying step,
• wherein said image processing unit rotates said display orientation of said multicolor image data for providing rotated multicolor image data, and changes the number of pixel rows and pixel columns of said multicolor image data such that, from a defined referenced viewpoint, said rotated multicolor image data includes having an (i−1)-by-(j−1) pixel matrix having said pattern.

An apparatus for rotating a display orientation of multicolor captured image data having an i-by-j pixel matrix with a pattern representative of an object, comprising:

• an image sensor, for generating said multicolor captured image data, the image data having a Bayer pattern;
• an orientation sensor coupled to said image sensor, for generating a signal corresponding to the position of said image sensor relative to said object;
• and
• a hardware device, having an auto-rotate unit comprising circuits for selectively transforming said multicolor captured image data into rotated multicolor image data in response to said position signal, said hardware device coupled to said image sensor and to said orientation sensor;
• wherein, from a defined referenced viewpoint, said rotated multicolor image data includes an (i−1)-by-(j−1) pixel matrix having said pattern.

An apparatus for rotating a display orientation of captured image data representative of an object, the apparatus comprising:

• an image sensor, for generating said captured image data;
• an input device, for generating an orientation signal in response to a user selection;
• a memory, having an auto-rotate unit for selectively transforming said captured image data into rotated image data in response to said orientation signal from said input device;
• and
• an image processing unit coupled to said memory for processing the image data by generating at least one additional row and column of pixels for said captured image data from said image sensor.

A digital image capture device, comprising:

• an image sensor, for capturing image data;
• an orientation sensor, for generating an orientation signal indicating whether the image sensor is in a portrait or landscape position;
• and
• an auto-rotate unit coupled to the image sensor and the orientation sensor, for automatically rotating a subset of the image data in response to the orientation signal.

A method of rotating image data in a digital image capture device, comprising:

• capturing image data from an image sensor;
• providing an orientation signal indicating whether the image sensor is in a portrait or landscape position;
• and
• automatically rotating a subset of the captured image data in response to the orientation signal.

A computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of:

• capturing image data from an image sensor;
• providing an orientation signal indicating whether the image sensor is in a portrait or landscape orientation;
• and
• automatically rotating a subset of the captured image data in response to the orientation signal.

A digital image capture device, comprising:

• image sensor means for generating image data;
• means for generating an orientation signal indicating either a portrait orientation or a landscape orientation of the image sensor;
• and
• means for automatically rotating a subset of the image data in response to the orientation signal.

A digital image capture device, comprising:

• an image sensor, for generating said captured image data including a plurality of rows and columns of pixels;
• an orientation sensor coupled to said image sensor, for generating a position signal indicating whether the image sensor is in a portrait or landscape position;
• a memory, having an auto-rotate unit comprising program instructions for selectively transforming said captured image data into rotated image data in response to said position signal by processing at least one row of pixels and at least one column of pixels less than the plurality of rows and columns of pixels in the captured image data, said memory coupled to said image sensor and to said orientation sensor;
• and
• an image processing unit coupled to said memory for executing the stored program instructions to rotate said capture image data.

A method for rotating a display orientation of image data, comprising:

• generating image data with an image sensor including a plurality of rows and columns of pixels;
• determining with an orientation sensor a portrait orientation or a landscape orientation for the image data substantially simultaneously with generating the image data;
• and
• processing the image data with an image processing unit in response to the orientation signal to rotate the image data, by rotating less than all of the plurality of rows and columns of pixels of the image data.