Patent US5706049A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5706049A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Camera that records an active image area identifier with an image
Assignee: Intellectual Ventures Fund 83 LLC
•
Filing: 1995-11-30
•
Granted: 1998-01-06
•
Expires: 2015-11-30
Abstract
Abstract A camera includes an image receiver for capturing an image of an object, an optical section for directing image light from the object to the image receiver, and a viewfinder for viewing the object prior to capture together with a tile pattern for specifying active "hot spot" areas in the viewed image. The tile pattern in the viewfinder is composed of a plurality of individual tile areas that are visible through the viewfinder together with the image of the object. The camera further includes means for designating one or more individual tile areas as active areas of the image, and means for recording a location of the active areas in a memory location accessible to apparatus external to the camera. The camera is part of a system in which the apparatus external to the camera is a computer. A program in the computer is responsive to the recorded locations for enabling one or more specific actions to be assigned to the active areas of the recorded image when the image is accessed by the computer.
Inventors
- 👤 Omid A. Moghadam
- 👤 Stuart F. Ring
- 👤 John R. Squilla
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 17:16
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N5/00; H04N5/76; H04N5/765; H04N5/77; H04N5/772; H04N1/00; H04N1/21; H04N1/2104; H04N1/2112; H04N1/2158; H04N23/00; H04N23/60; H04N23/63; H04N23/633; H04N23/635; H04N1/00127; H04N1/00204; H04N2101/00; H04N2201/00; H04N2201/32; H04N2201/3201; H04N2201/3225; H04N5/91; H04N5/92; H04N5/9201; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S358/00; Y10S358/906
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 29
Claim 1
Independent Claim
179 words
A camera including an image receiver for capturing an image of an object, an optical section for directing image light from the object to the image receiver, a viewfinder for viewing the object prior to capture, and a memory location that is accessible to an apparatus external to the camera, said camera comprising: means for generating a pattern in the viewfinder composed of a plurality of individual areas that are visible through the viewfinder together with the image of the object; means for designating one or more individual areas as one or more active areas of the image, said one or more individual areas comprising a subset of the individual areas visible together with the image and which are used in the apparatus external to the camera for special processing distinct from processing applied to areas not designated by said designating means; means for associating the captured image with the memory location; and means for recording a location of said one or more active areas in the memory location that is accessible to the apparatus external to the camera.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
179 words
A camera including an image receiver for capturing an image of an object, an optical section for directing image light from the object to the image receiver, a viewfinder for viewing the object prior to capture, and a memory location that is accessible to an apparatus external to the camera, said camera comprising: means for generating a pattern in the viewfinder composed of a plurality of individual areas that are visible through the viewfinder together with the image of the object; means for designating one or more individual areas as one or more active areas of the image, said one or more individual areas comprising a subset of the individual areas visible together with the image and which are used in the apparatus external to the camera for special processing distinct from processing applied to areas not designated by said designating means; means for associating the captured image with the memory location; and means for recording a location of said one or more active areas in the memory location that is accessible to the apparatus external to the camera.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
33 words
A camera as claimed in claim 1 further including an internal memory for storing a plurality of different patterns, and wherein the generating means includes a selector for selecting one of the patterns.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
32 words
A camera as claimed in claim 1 wherein the memory location is in a removable memory, and wherein the recording means records the location of the active areas in the removable memory.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
43 words
A camera as claimed in claim 3 wherein the image receiver is an electronic image sensor that produces an image signal representative of the image, and the image signal is stored together with the location of the active areas on the removable memory.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
35 words
A camera as claimed in claim 1 wherein the image receiver is photographic film, the memory location is on the film, and the recording means records the location of the active areas on the film.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
35 words
A camera as claimed in claim 5 wherein the film includes a magnetic area and the recording means is a magnetic recording means that records the location of the active areas on the magnetic area.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
32 words
A camera as claimed in claim 5 wherein the recording means is a light emitting means that records a data signal on the film indicative of the location of the active areas.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
50 words
A camera as claimed in claim 1 for use in a system in which the apparatus external to the camera is a computer that includes a program responsive to the recorded locations for enabling one or more specific actions to be assigned to the active areas of the recorded image.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
81 words
A camera as claimed in claim 1 wherein the viewfinder is an optical viewfinder having an auxiliary optical path for viewing the object prior to capture and an electro-optical display panel positioned relative to the auxiliary optical path to be visible through the viewfinder, and wherein the generating means activates the display panel to generate a secondary image of the pattern composed of the plurality of individual areas that are visible through the viewfinder together with the image of the object.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
16 words
A camera as claimed in claim 9 wherein the electro-optical display is a liquid crystal display.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
30 words
A camera as claimed in claim 10 wherein a beamsplitter is included in the auxiliary optical path to direct the secondary image from the liquid crystal display through the viewfinder.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
88 words
A camera as claimed in claim 1 wherein the image receiver is an electronic image sensor that produces an image signal representative of the image, the viewfinder is an electronic viewfinder having an electronic display for viewing the object prior to capture, and wherein the generating means generates an electronic image signal of the pattern that is electronically combined with the image signal, said electronic image signal composed of the plurality of individual areas that are visible on the electronic display together with the image of the object.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
222 words
A camera including an image receiver for capturing an image of an object, an optical section having an optical path for directing image light from the object to the image receiver, and a viewfinder having an auxiliary optical path for viewing the object prior to capture, said camera comprising: an electro-optical display panel positioned relative to the auxiliary optical path to be visible through the viewfinder; a memory for storing a plurality of different tile patterns each composed of a plurality of individual tile areas; a selector for selecting a particular tile pattern stored in the memory; means responsive to the memory for activating the display panel to generate a tiled image of the particular tile pattern, said tiled image composed of a plurality of individual tile areas that are visible through the viewfinder together with the image of the object; means for designating one or more individual tile areas as one or more active areas of the image, said one or more individual areas comprising a subset of the individual areas visible together with the image and which are used in an apparatus external to the camera for special processing distinct from processing applied to areas not designated by said designating means; and means for storing a location of said one or more active areas in association with the captured image.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
222 words
A camera including an image receiver for capturing an image of an object, an optical section having an optical path for directing image light from the object to the image receiver, and a viewfinder having an auxiliary optical path for viewing the object prior to capture, said camera comprising: an electro-optical display panel positioned relative to the auxiliary optical path to be visible through the viewfinder; a memory for storing a plurality of different tile patterns each composed of a plurality of individual tile areas; a selector for selecting a particular tile pattern stored in the memory; means responsive to the memory for activating the display panel to generate a tiled image of the particular tile pattern, said tiled image composed of a plurality of individual tile areas that are visible through the viewfinder together with the image of the object; means for designating one or more individual tile areas as one or more active areas of the image, said one or more individual areas comprising a subset of the individual areas visible together with the image and which are used in an apparatus external to the camera for special processing distinct from processing applied to areas not designated by said designating means; and means for storing a location of said one or more active areas in association with the captured image.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
30 words
A camera as claimed in claim 13 further including a removable output memory, and wherein the storing means stores the location of the active areas on the removable output memory.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
44 words
A camera as claimed in claim 14 wherein the image receiver is an electronic image sensor that generates an image signal representative of the image, and the image signal is stored together with the location of the active areas on the removable output memory.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
28 words
A camera as claimed in claim 13 wherein the image receiver is photographic film, and the storing means stores the location of the active areas on the film.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
35 words
A camera as claimed in claim 16 wherein the film includes a magnetic area and the storing means is a magnetic recording means that records the location of the active areas on the magnetic area.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
16 words
A camera as claimed in claim 13 wherein the electro-optical display is a liquid crystal display.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
30 words
A camera as claimed in claim 18 wherein a beamsplitter is included in the auxiliary optical path to direct the tiled image from the liquid crystal display through the viewfinder.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
184 words
A method for identifying and designating active areas in an image, said image captured by a camera including an image receiver, an optical section for directing image light from an object to the image receiver, a viewfinder for viewing the object prior to capture, and a memory location that is accessible to an apparatus external to the camera, said method comprising the steps of: generating a pattern in the viewfinder composed of a plurality of individual areas that are visible through the viewfinder together with the image of the object; designating one or more individual areas as one or more active areas of the image, said one or more individual areas comprising a subset of the individual areas visible together with the image and which are used in the apparatus external to the camera for special processing distinct from processing applied to areas not designated by said designating means; means for associating the captured image with the memory location; and recording a location of said one or more active areas in the memory location that is accessible to the apparatus external to the camera.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
184 words
A method for identifying and designating active areas in an image, said image captured by a camera including an image receiver, an optical section for directing image light from an object to the image receiver, a viewfinder for viewing the object prior to capture, and a memory location that is accessible to an apparatus external to the camera, said method comprising the steps of: generating a pattern in the viewfinder composed of a plurality of individual areas that are visible through the viewfinder together with the image of the object; designating one or more individual areas as one or more active areas of the image, said one or more individual areas comprising a subset of the individual areas visible together with the image and which are used in the apparatus external to the camera for special processing distinct from processing applied to areas not designated by said designating means; means for associating the captured image with the memory location; and recording a location of said one or more active areas in the memory location that is accessible to the apparatus external to the camera.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method as claimed in claim 20 further including the steps of storing a plurality of different patterns, and selecting one of the patterns.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method as claimed in claim 20 wherein the memory location is in a removable memory, and the method further includes the step of recording the location of the active areas in the removable memory.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
49 words
A method as claimed in claim 21 wherein the image receiver is an electronic image sensor that produces an image signal representative of the image, and the method further includes the step of storing the image signal together with the location of the active areas on the removable memory.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
39 words
A method as claimed in claim 20 wherein the image receiver is photographic film, the memory location is on the film, and the method further includes the step of recording the location of the active areas on the film.
Claim 28
Independent Claim
260 words
A system for identifying and designating active areas in an image, said system including a digital camera and a peripheral processor, said system comprising: (A) the digital camera including an electronic image sensor for capturing an image of an object and generating an image signal representative of the object; an optical section for directing image light from the object to the image sensor; a viewfinder for viewing the object prior to capture; a memory; means for generating a pattern in the viewfinder composed of a plurality of individual areas that are visible through the viewfinder together with the image of the object; means for designating one or more individual areas as one or more active areas of the image, said one or more individual areas comprising a subset of the individual areas visible together with the image and which are used in the peripheral processor for special processing distinct from processing applied to areas not designated by said designating means; and means for recording the image signal in the memory together with location data identifying the location of said one or more active areas; and (B) the peripheral processor including: a computer for accessing the memory and generating a display signal from the image signal and the location data; a monitor responsive to the display signal for displaying a screen image of the object together with the active areas; and a program running on the computer and responsive to the recorded locations for enabling one or more specific actions to be assigned to the active areas of the recorded image.
Claim 29
Independent Claim
260 words
A system for identifying and designating active areas in an image, said system including a digital camera and a peripheral processor, said system comprising: (A) the digital camera including an electronic image sensor for capturing an image of an object and generating an image signal representative of the object; an optical section for directing image light from the object to the image sensor; a viewfinder for viewing the object prior to capture; a memory; means for generating a pattern in the viewfinder composed of a plurality of individual areas that are visible through the viewfinder together with the image of the object; means for designating one or more individual areas as one or more active areas of the image, said one or more individual areas comprising a subset of the individual areas visible together with the image and which are used in the peripheral processor for special processing distinct from processing applied to areas not designated by said designating means; and means for recording the image signal in the memory together with location data identifying the location of said one or more active areas; and (B) the peripheral processor including: a computer for accessing the memory and generating a display signal from the image signal and the location data; a monitor responsive to the display signal for displaying a screen image of the object together with the active areas; and a program running on the computer and responsive to the recorded locations for enabling one or more specific actions to be assigned to the active areas of the recorded image.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4325080A
Cited
US4812912A
Cited
US4775898A
Cited
US4837633A
Cited
US5128768A
Cited
US5341169A
Cited
US5187585A
Cited
US5223934A
Cited
US5267042A
Cited
US5280359A
Cited
US5398062A
Cited
US5526138A
Cited
US5430482A
Cited
US5515099A
Cited
US5477264A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2001-01-05 | 2001-07-07 | 2002-01-06 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2005-01-05 | 2005-07-07 | 2006-01-06 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2009-01-05 | 2009-07-07 | 2010-01-06 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |