2688results about "Devices with fuctional camera" patented technology

An upper case and a lower case are rotatably connected in a connection part. The connection part is constructed by a rotary shaft supporting part integrated in the lower case, a rotary shaft which is integrated in the upper case and a part of which is rotatably fit into the rotary shaft supporting part, and a housing member having a part rotatably fit into the rotary shaft supporting part. A video camera and a camera lens are housed in the housing member. A display / operation part is provided almost in the whole upper case and a display / operation part is provided almost in the whole lower case. In the display / operation parts and, in addition to camera images of the video camera, a reception image, and various data, touch-type operation buttons are displayed. The display / operation parts and have the functions as the operation part as well as the display part. "Recording" mode, "transmission / reception" mode, and "information acquisition" mode can be selectively set and the device can be used according to the mode.

A camera phone includes a phone stage for generating voice signals, a first image sensor for generating a first sensor output, a first fixed focal length wide angle lens for forming a first image of the scene on the first image sensor, a second image sensor for generating a second sensor output, and a second fixed focal length telephoto lens pointing in the same direction as the first lens and forming a second image of the same scene on the second image sensor. A control element selects either the first sensor output from the first image sensor or the second sensor output from the second image sensor. A processing section produces the output image signals from the selected sensor output, and a cellular stage processes the image and voice signals for transmission over a cellular network.

Methods and systems in which a portable electronic device can be voice activated are disclosed. The portable electronic device can be a multi-function electronic device. The voice activation can be robust and context sensitive. The voice activation can also be utilized without any preparatory user action with respect to the portable electronic device. The portable electronic device can also interact with a media system.

Display apparatus including a display and an orientation sensitive interface mechanism is disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment, the orientation sensitive interface includes first and second loudspeaker pairs. The first loudspeaker pair includes first and second loudspeakers and the second loudspeaker pair includes the second and third loudspeaker. The first and second loudspeaker pairs are disposed along transverse directions to each other. The display apparatus comprises a switch which switches between the first loudspeaker pair and the second loudspeaker pair. By providing the respective loudspeaker pairs, and switching between them, it is possible to orient the display apparatus in transverse directions corresponding to respective loudspeaker pairs, yet maintain a substantially stereophonic reproduction for each orientation.

A communication device, wherein when the communication device is in a ringing mode, audio data is output from the speaker, and when the communication device is in a silent mode, audio data is converted to a text data and the text data is output from the display in a visual fashion.

A handheld electronic device (201) is provided. The device comprises (a) first (207) and second (209) displays; (b) a first processor adapted to run an operating system on the first display; and (c) a second processor capable of executing an operating system on the second display independently of the first processor.

Methods of interacting with a mixed reality are presented. A mobile device captures an image of a real-world object where the image has content information that can be used to control a mixed reality object through an offered command set. The mixed reality object can be real, virtual, or a mixture of both real and virtual.

A doorbell system can include a remote computing device and a doorbell that has a camera. The doorbell can enter a camera sleep mode wherein the camera is configured not to record. The remote computing device can be used to override a power setting of the doorbell to enable the doorbell to record a video. Then, the remote computing device can receive the video that was recorded by the doorbell.

The present invention relates to the field of hand-held devices that are equipped wit a processor and a digital camera for capturing motion video or still images. Images captured by the camera are used to determine motion of the hand-held device. A resulting motion signal is used as input to a user interface. Displayed images can be scrolled, zoomed or rotated by moving the hand-held device. The motion signal can also be used as input for graphical user interface to move a cursor or other object of the graphical user interface over the display. The invention relates further to a hand-held device provided with means for sensing motion, a display, a keypad with at least a first- and a second key, and a graphical user interface with objects and a cursor. The hand-held device also includes means for transforming the sensed motion of the handheld device into a signal suitable for moving the cursor over the display.

Mobile terminal with ergonomic imaging functions. The present invention, by way of example embodiments, provides for a mobile terminal with ergonomic imaging or camera functions. A single display can be used, for example in portrait mode while terminal functions are being used and in landscape mode while imaging functions are being used. The change between the two orientations can be accomplished automatically. In some embodiments, the capability is also provided to process an image for assignment to a terminal function, where the image has at least one display attribute that makes it at least partly unsuitable for use with the terminal function. The processing may include resizing, cropping, and / or rotating the image. This processing can be accomplished for example, so that a landscape image can be viewed conveniently in a portrait orientation.

A method and apparatus for a bonding process in a user terminal having a Bluetooth module. The method includes recognizing a barcode of a Bluetooth device to be connected using a camera module, acquiring bonding information of the Bluetooth device from the barcode, performing pairing with the Bluetooth device using the acquired bonding information, and establishing a connection between the user terminal and the Bluetooth device after performing pairing. The bonding information may also be acquired using a secure cable in another embodiment.

Technologies involving portable devices, such as smartphones and tablet computers, are disclosed. One arrangement enables a creator of content to select software with which that creator's content should be rendered—assuring continuity between artistic intention and delivery. Another uses the camera of a smartphone to identify nearby subjects, and take actions based thereon. Others rely on near field chip (RFID) identification of objects, or on identification of audio streams (e.g., music, voice). Some technologies concern improvements to the user interfaces associated with such devices. Others involve use of these devices in shopping, text entry, sign language interpretation, and vision-based discovery. Still other improvements are architectural in nature, e.g., relating to evidence-based state machines, and blackboard systems. Yet other technologies concern use of linked data in portable devices—some of which exploit GPU capabilities. Still other technologies concern computational photography. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

An image pickup device is constituted by a handset of cellular phone, wherein an image pickup unit photographs a user as first object, to output image data of a first image frame. A facial region detecting circuit retrieves a facial image portion of the user as first object according to image data of the first image frame. An image synthesizing circuit is supplied with image data of a second image frame including persons as second object. The facial image portion is synthesized in a background region being defined outside the persons as second object within the second image frame.

A smart watch is provided. The smart watch includes a band unit, a network unit, a display unit and a control unit. The band unit is configured to be worn on a user's wrist. The smart watch includes a band unit that is capable of being worn on a user and includes a wrist band layer disposed on the band unit, an image capture device disposed on the band unit, a power source coupled to the image capture device, a memory coupled to the image capture device, and a motion detector coupled to the memory. The smart watch includes a network unit located in the band unit and communicates wirelessly with at least one of a portable network device and a server and a display unit being coupled to the power source, and a control unit that includes a processor and coupled to the memory, the power source, the display unit, and the network unit, the control unit receiving information from the image capture device, and the motion detector and storing information in the memory.

A smart phone senses audio, imagery, and / or other stimulus from a user's environment, and acts autonomously to fulfill inferred or anticipated user desires. In one aspect, the detailed technology concerns phone-based cognition of a scene viewed by the phone's camera. The image processing tasks applied to the scene can be selected from among various alternatives by reference to resource costs, resource constraints, other stimulus information (e.g., audio), task substitutability, etc. The phone can apply more or less resources to an image processing task depending on how successfully the task is proceeding, or based on the user's apparent interest in the task. In some arrangements, data may be referred to the cloud for analysis, or for gleaning. Cognition, and identification of appropriate device response(s), can be aided by collateral information, such as context. A great number of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

Presented is a control system for augmenting a portable touch screen device having integral processing capability. The control system includes an enclosure configured for housing the portable touch screen device, an internal docking connector configured for communicatively mating with the portable touch screen device, and hard buttons. At least one of the hard buttons is functionally configured for use with an application program running on the portable touch screen device. The control system further includes first and second cameras disposed on the enclosure. The control system further includes a processor configured for converting button actuations into a digital format, and a first facility for communicating the digital format to the portable touch screen device via the internal docking connector. The application program is configured such that, during operation, the application program communicates the status of the one hard button to at least one external device.

A camera portion of a portable consumer device obtains data from a field of view, and at least a portion of the data is used to determine existence of an object in the field of view for which the information is available from a reference source. An indication is then provided to the user that the object is in the field of view. This can all be accomplished by a functionality, such as computer software, that executes on one or both of the device and a distal server. Objects within the field that the system can identify and provide information are deemed “linkable.” Once a user is presented with an indication of which objects around him are linkable, he can then directly point and click on the linkable objects without the “trial-and-error” process of pointing and clicking on non-linkable objects.

Wireless golf club motion capture apparatus configured to obtain spatial data from at least one sensor that is coupled with a microcontroller wherein the apparatus fits into a golf club handle or weight port or otherwise couples to a golf club. The apparatus may send a unique identifier and spatial data over a self-contained radio and antenna wirelessly to an external system that may analyze and display the spatial data in a user-friendly manner. The unique identifier and / or radio through use of non-interfering communications mechanisms allows for multiple clubs one or more players to be within range of a wireless receiver and not interfere. Adapters that may be specific to each golf club manufacture allow for coupling the apparatus to any type of golf club.

An notification and tracking system for a mobile device. The system includes a mobile device application that is adapted to be stored in memory on the mobile device. The application, upon activation, determines the GPS coordinates of the mobile device, records digital images over a period of time, sends a preset message from the mobile device to at least one recipient, preferably an emergency responder, such as a security monitoring station, and sends the GPS coordinates and the digital images. The coordinates and images may be sent to a remote server for storage and which can be accessed by the emergency responder. The coordinates and images are periodically updated and sent while the program is activated.

A mobile terminal including a speaker configured to output sound data, a microphone configured to receive voice data, a sensing unit configured to sense a touching operation of at least one of 1) the speaker or the microphone and 2) a neighborhood area of the speaker or the microphone, and a controller configured to control a volume of the speaker or the microphone based on the sensed touching operation of said at least one of 1) the speaker or the microphone and 2) the neighborhood area of the speaker or the microphone.

Mobile terminal with ergonomic imaging functions. The present invention, by way of example embodiments, provides for a mobile terminal with ergonomic imaging or camera functions. A single display can be used, for example in portrait mode while terminal functions are being used and in landscape mode while imaging functions are being used. The change between the two orientations can be accomplished automatically. In some embodiments, the capability is also provided to process an image for assignment to a terminal function, where the image has at least one display attribute that makes it at least partly unsuitable for use with the terminal function. The processing may include resizing, cropping, and / or rotating the image. This processing can be accomplished for example, so that a landscape image can be viewed conveniently in a portrait orientation.

Introduced is a method for using mobile communications devices for monitoring purposes. In one embodiment the method includes (1) a first mobile communications device to transmit a control signal to a second mobile communications device directing the second mobile communications device to capture an image with its camera and transmit the image to the first mobile communications device; and (2) displaying the image on a screen on the first mobile communications device.

A visual code system wherein camera-equipped mobile phones (or similar devices, such as wireless PDAs) are used to identify and decode images that contain one or more “visual codes.” By recognizing a code tag, the device can determine a bit pattern or an integer number encoded in the tag (the code value), the targeted object or image element, as well as additional parameters, such as the viewing angle of the camera. Code recognition is performed on the mobile device itself. When the mobile device is equipped with a wireless communication channel, it can be used to retrieve online content or to access information on the Internet based on the sensed code and its parameters. The retrieved content can then be presented on the mobile device.

The present invention relates to a method and system for carrying out water activities under or above water, comprising: (a) a cellular phone for enabling a user to carry out water activities; (b) a waterproof case having a front section and a back section, said waterproof case being suitable to contain said cellular phone, said back section comprising a control button(s) panel, including one or more control buttons, for remotely controlling said cellular phone; and (c) an electronic circuit, programmed according to the cellular phone type, for processing data for controlling said cellular phone by means of said one or more control buttons and for forwarding said data to said cellular phone, said electronic circuit communicating with both said cellular phone and said control button(s) panel.

The present invention discloses a portable digital camera communication apparatus which also serves as a PDA. The portable communication apparatus which performs both a phone operation mode and a PDA operation mode and has a digital camera includes: a first housing including an upper portion, a lower portion, a receiving space hollowed between the upper portion and the lower portion, and a planar surface provided at the bottom of the receiving space, a lens housing protruding from the upper portion in a longitudinal direction, a digital camera lens of the digital camera being exposed in a longitudinal direction of the lens housing; a second housing including an upper portion having a phone LCD and a phone keypad with a plurality of keys and a lower portion having a PDA touch screen, the PDA touch screen being adjacent to the planar surface in the phone operation mode, the phone keypad and the phone LCD being adjacent to the planar surface in the PDA operation mode; and a biaxial hinge unit for connecting the second housing to said first housing to allow said second housing to rotate about two perpendicular axes with respect to the first housing.

When no photographing is carried out, a control unit applies no voltage to a dimming film of a lens concealing plate, sets a light blocking state to scatter incident light, and prevents a camera lens from becoming visible. When an operator depresses a photographing mode selection key, the control unit applies a predetermined voltage to the dimming film to set a transparent state, thereby enabling photographing to be carried out. In this state, when photographing a landscape, the operator directs the camera lens to an object, sets a cellular phone ready, decides a composition by watching an image of the object displayed on a main display unit, and correcting a position of the cellular phone, and depresses the photographing mode key again.