Video capture

Abstract

To provide video capture with a portable computing device.SOLUTION: A method of operating a portable computing device, a portable computing device and a graphical user interface are also disclosed that are used while a video is captured. Embodiments include generating a video feed for display in a landscape mode in a viewing window.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to video capture by a portable computing device. Methods of operating a portable computing device while capturing video are also disclosed. In some forms, the methods may be embodied as instructions for operating a portable computing device according to such methods, or as a portable computing device configured to perform such methods. [Background technology]

[0002] Smartphones are commonly used to capture video and photographs. The quality of images captured on smartphones has generally improved, particularly as provided by the increasing pixel count of the camera within the smartphone, and with the widespread use and relatively low cost of smartphones, video taken with smartphones is finding more use in applications where high quality video or images are desirable, such as filmmaking, news and media reporting, journalism, or broadcast media.

[0003] As used herein, the terms "shot," "video," "motion picture," "film," "footage," and "clip" are used interchangeably to mean a digital video that includes a sequence of at least two digital images or frames.

[0004] Digital images, videos, image sensors, displays, etc. can be described in terms of "pixels." As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, what constitutes a "pixel" in each context varies technically; for example, it can be data representing light intensity and optionally color, a light receiver, a light emitter, etc. Pixels are typically arranged in rectangular arrays. Such rectangular arrays can be described as having dimensions of N pixels by M pixels, where N is not equal to M. Thus, rectangular arrays have one "long" dimension with more pixels than the other "short" dimension. In this specification, when a device, device component (e.g., an image sensor or display), image, or video is described as having an "orientation" or similar concept, the orientation is named according to whether the long dimension (as counted in pixels) of the image, image capture device, or display device is along its height or width, unless the context dictates otherwise.

[0005] The conventions of calling such orientations "landscape", "portrait", "horizontal", "vertical", "tall" or "wide" and variations thereof are not intended to limit the subject matter of the image or the actual orientation of the device, component or image, but are chosen for ease of reference and understanding by those of ordinary skill in the art.

[0006] "Portrait orientation", "portrait" or "vertical" in relation to an image or video refers to an image or video that is taller than it is wide, i.e., its long dimension is in the height direction. "Portrait orientation", "portrait" or "vertical" in relation to a camera is intended to refer to a camera orientation or configuration in which the camera's image sensor or sensors natively capture images or videos that are taller than they are wide, i.e., the sensor or sensors have more pixels in the height dimension than in the width dimension. Thus, a conventional camera in a portrait orientation captures images or videos that are taller than they are wide. "Portrait orientation", "portrait" or "vertical" in relation to a physical display or display window of a user interface is intended to refer to a physical display or display window orientation or configuration in which the physical display or display window is taller than it is wide, i.e., the physical display or display window has its long dimension in the height direction.

[0007] "Landscape orientation", "landscape" or "vertical" in relation to an image or video refers to an image or video that is wider than it is tall, i.e., its longer dimension is in the width direction. "Landscape orientation", "landscape" or "horizontal" in relation to a camera is intended to refer to a camera orientation or arrangement in which the camera's image sensor or sensors natively capture images or videos that are wider than they are tall, i.e., the sensor or sensors have more pixels in the width dimension than in the height dimension. Thus, a conventional camera in a landscape orientation captures images or videos that are wide. "Landscape orientation", "landscape" or "horizontal" in relation to a physical display or display window of a user interface is intended to refer to a physical display or display window orientation or arrangement in which the physical display or display window is wider than it is tall, i.e., the physical display or display window has more pixels in the width direction than in the height direction. For example, conventional television screens are traditionally viewed in landscape orientation.

[0008] The systems, devices, methods and techniques described herein, as well as components thereof, are known to the inventors, and therefore, unless otherwise indicated, it should not be assumed that any of such systems, devices, methods, techniques or components thereof described are cited as prior art merely by inclusion in the background and other parts of this specification, or that such systems, devices, methods, techniques and components would be generally known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In a first aspect, a portable computing device is provided. The portable computing device may include a display on a first side of the portable computing device, the display having a major dimension and a minor dimension, and at least one camera having a field of view facing rearward from the rear of the camera. The at least one camera having a field of view facing rearward from the rear of the camera may have at least one image sensor arranged to capture video having a substantially rectangular video frame having a second major dimension and a second minor dimension. The at least one camera and the display may share a common orientation such that the first major dimension and the second major dimension are aligned. The portable computing device also includes one or more processors, a memory, and one or more programs stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors to cause the portable computing device to display a first video feed from the at least one camera on the display in a landscape orientation when the at least one camera and the display are in a landscape orientation, and to display a second video feed from the at least one camera on the display in a landscape orientation when the at least one camera and the display are in a portrait orientation.

[0010] Displaying a second video feed from at least one camera in a landscape orientation on a display when the at least one camera and display are in a portrait orientation may include capturing video in a portrait orientation and displaying a portion of the captured video in a display window of a graphical user interface so as to display the second video feed from the camera in a landscape orientation on the display, the display window being in a landscape orientation when the display is in a portrait orientation.

[0011] The portable computing device may have a third major dimension and a third minor dimension when the portable computing device is viewed in a direction perpendicular to the display, the third major dimension being aligned with the first major dimension and the second major dimension.

[0012] The display window of the graphical user interface may have a fourth major dimension and a fourth minor dimension, the major dimension of the display window being aligned with the second minor dimension.

[0013] The portion of the captured video displayed in the display window as the second video feed can include substantially the entire range of the frames of the captured video across the second minor dimension. The portion of the captured video displayed in the display window as the second video feed can include a portion of the frames of the captured video along the second major dimension.

[0014] The one or more programs cause a portable computing device to determine whether the display is in a landscape or portrait orientation. The portable computing device can include one or more sensors configured to indicate orientation data for determining whether the display is in a landscape or portrait orientation.

[0015] The portable computing device may be configured to capture portrait orientation video when the camera is in a portrait orientation and to discard unseen portions of the captured video that are not included in the second video feed.

[0016] In some embodiments, the portable computing device may be further configured to capture portrait orientation video when the camera is in a portrait orientation and to display a horizontal band of the captured portrait orientation video such that the band is wider than it is tall, thereby displaying the second video feed from the at least one camera in a landscape orientation on the display.

[0017] The portable computing device may be configured to receive a user input to record a video and, in response to the user input, to store in memory a landscape video corresponding to the second video feed when the at least one camera and display are in a portrait orientation. The portable computing device may be configured to receive a user input to end recording of the video.

[0018] In some embodiments, the landscape video may be stored at the resolution of the second video feed, at a user-selected resolution different from the resolution of the second video feed, or at the full resolution captured by at least one image sensor of the at least one camera.

[0019] At least one camera may be further configured to store a proxy of said landscape video.

[0020] The portable computing device may be a smartphone.

[0021] In a further aspect, a method implemented by a portable computing device is provided that includes displaying a first video feed from at least one camera of the portable computing device in a landscape orientation on a display of the portable computing device when the at least one camera and the display are in a landscape orientation, and displaying a second video feed from the at least one camera on the display in a landscape orientation when the at least one camera and the display are in a portrait orientation.

[0022] Displaying a second video feed from at least one camera in a landscape orientation on a display when the at least one camera and display are in a portrait orientation may include capturing video in a portrait orientation and displaying a portion of the captured video in a display window of a graphical user interface such that the second video feed from the camera is displayed in a landscape orientation on the display, the display window being in a landscape orientation when the display is in a portrait orientation.

[0023] The method may further include determining whether the display is in a landscape or portrait orientation.

[0024] The method may further include capturing portrait orientation video when the camera is in a portrait orientation, and discarding unseen portions of the captured video that are not included in the second video feed.

[0025] The method may further include receiving a user input to record a video and, in response to the user input, storing in memory a landscape video corresponding to the second video feed when the at least one camera and display are in a portrait orientation.

[0026] The landscape video may be stored at the resolution of the second video feed, at a user-selected resolution different from the resolution of the second video feed, or at the full resolution captured by at least one image sensor of the at least one camera.

[0027] The method may further include generating a proxy for the wide-screen video. The proxy may be stored. The proxy may be transmitted to a second device for storage and for use in other post-production activities, such as editing or color grading.

[0028] The method may be performed on a smartphone that may include at least one camera having a display and a field of view facing rearward from a rear of the camera, the at least one camera having at least one image sensor arranged and configured to capture video having a substantially rectangular video frame having a second major dimension and a second minor dimension, the at least one camera and the display sharing a common orientation such that the first major dimension and the second major dimension are aligned, one or more processors and memories, and one or more programs stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors to cause the portable computing device to perform an embodiment of the method.

[0029] In a further aspect, the present disclosure provides a graphical user interface for a portable computing device that operates in a first mode, in which the graphical user interface is configured to display a first video feed from at least one camera of the portable computing device in a display window on the display in a landscape orientation when the at least one camera and the display are in a landscape orientation, and a second mode, in which the graphical user interface is configured to display a second video feed from the at least one camera of the portable computing device in a display window on the display in a landscape orientation when the at least one camera and the display are in a portrait orientation.

[0030] The graphical user interface (GUI) may further display a button that may be touched by a user to provide user input to the portable computing device to start recording the video shown in the display window. While the file recording is in progress, the GUI may display a button that may be touched by a user to provide user input to the portable computing device to stop recording the video shown in the display window. This may be a second mode of operation of the button that activated recording.

[0031] A smartphone including such a graphical user interface forms yet another aspect of the present disclosure.

[0032] A further aspect of the present disclosure provides a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs including instructions that, when executed by a portable electronic device having a display and one or more cameras, cause the electronic device to perform a method according to an aspect of the present disclosure.

[0033] In embodiments of the above aspects, the portable electronic device may be a smartphone, such as an Apple iPhone®, or a smartphone from another manufacturer that runs the Android operating system. In another embodiment, the portable electronic device may be a tablet computer, a handheld gaming unit, or other similar handheld electronic device.

[0034] A still further aspect of the invention provides a method implemented by a portable computing device having a display, the method including: capturing video with at least one camera of the portable computing device; in accordance with a determination that the portable computing device or display is in a landscape orientation, displaying a first video feed from the captured video in a landscape orientation on a graphical user interface of the device; and in accordance with a determination that the portable computing device or display is in a portrait orientation, generating a second video feed in a landscape orientation from the captured video.

[0035] The method may further include displaying a second video feed from the captured video on a graphical user interface of the portable computing device in a landscape orientation.

[0036] While the invention disclosed herein is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments are shown by way of example in the drawings and described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the drawings and detailed description are not intended to limit the invention to the specific forms disclosed. Moreover, all alternative combinations of two or more of the individual features mentioned or evident from this specification or drawings include additional aspects or disclosures of the invention that may form the subject matter of the claims. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0037] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a first embodiment of a portable device.

[0038] [Diagram 2] 1A-1D are front and rear views of a portable electronic device in the form of a smartphone.

[0039] [Figure 3A] FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional camera operation graphical user interface that enables, among other things, viewfinding and video recording. [Figure 3B] FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional camera operation graphical user interface that enables, among other things, viewfinding and video recording.

[0040] [Figure 4] FIG. 2 illustrates a graphical user interface according to one embodiment of the present disclosure in a landscape orientation that enables, among other things, viewfinding and video recording.

[0041] [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 illustrates, among other things, a graphical user interface according to one embodiment of the present disclosure in a portrait orientation that enables viewfinding and video recording.

[0042] [Figure 6] FIG. 2 illustrates a process for generating a first video feed and a second video feed according to one embodiment.

[0043] [Figure 7] 1 is a flowchart outlining some methods that may be implemented in embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] 1 is a flowchart outlining some methods that may be implemented in embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] 1 is a flowchart outlining some methods that may be implemented in embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0044] Detailed Description In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be apparent that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring significant details.

[0045] Many smartphones have the ability to generate panoramic images, and can be held in a portrait orientation to generate a landscape image. This is done by stitching together multiple images or portions of images captured as the camera is panned across the scene. However, it is not possible or feasible to create a video in such a way that each frame of the video requires the same panning and stitching process.

[0046] The inventor(s) have noted that in some cases it is advantageous to generate video with a portable computing device in a given orientation (portrait or landscape) even if the portable computing device is positioned in the other orientation (landscape or portrait, respectively).

[0047] One embodiment includes a method of operating a portable device having a camera that captures video in a portrait orientation, where the portable device stores a landscape orientation video that includes frames that are a portion of the frames of said video captured in portrait mode, in some embodiments of which remaining frames of the video captured in portrait mode that are not part of the portion are not stored.

[0048] 1 provides a block diagram illustrating an example of a portable device 1000 in which an embodiment of the disclosure can be implemented. The portable device 1000 may be a smartphone, a tablet computer, a handheld gaming unit, or a similar device. The device 1000 includes a bus 1002 or other communication mechanism for communicating information and a hardware processor 1004 coupled to the bus 1002 for processing information. The hardware processor 1004 may be, for example, one or more general-purpose microprocessors, one or more graphics processing units, or other types of processing units, or a combination thereof.

[0049] The device 1000 also includes a main memory 1006, such as a random access memory (RAM) or other dynamic storage device, coupled to the bus 1002 for storing information and instructions to be executed by the processor 1004. The main memory 1006 may also be used for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during execution of instructions to be executed by the processor 1004. Such instructions, when stored in a non-transitory storage medium accessible to the processor 1004, make the device 1000 a special-purpose machine customized and configured to perform the operations specified in the instructions.

[0050] The device 1000 may further include a read only memory (ROM) 1008 or other static storage device coupled to the bus 1002 for storing static information and instructions for the processor 1004. A storage device 1010, including a storage medium such as a solid state disk, flash memory, or magnetic disk, may be provided and coupled to the bus 1002 for storing information and instructions including color correction applications and / or image and video data that may be subject to color correction.

[0051] The device 1000 includes a display 1012 (such as one or more LCD, LED, OLED, touch screen displays, or other displays) that may be coupled via a bus 1002 to display information to a user. As shown in FIG. 1, the display 1012 is rectangular in shape, with N pixels horizontally and M pixels vertically, where N is not equal to M. Thus, a rectangular pixel array has one "long" dimension (in this case the N dimension) that has more pixels than the other "short" dimension (in this case the M dimension). When the device 1000 is used in the orientation shown, the display can be considered to be in a landscape orientation, since the width of the display is greater than the height of the display. When the device 1000 is rotated 90 degrees, the display 1012 is in a portrait orientation, since its height is greater than its width. It can also be observed that the device 1000 has a housing 1001 that is generally shaped in a manner similar to the display, such that the long and short dimensions of the housing are aligned with the long and short dimensions of the display 1012. It is therefore convenient to think of the device 1000 itself as having a portrait and landscape orientation that matches the orientation of the display 1012.

[0052] The device 1000 may also include one or more input devices 1014. The input devices 1014 may be provided to allow a user to interact or interface with the device 1000. For example, the input devices 1014 may include, but are not limited to, a touch pad, a switch, a knob, a slider, a scroll wheel, a touch screen, one or more buttons (e.g., a keyboard), a joystick, a trackball. Each input device 1014 may be coupled to the bus 1002 to communicate information and command selections to the processor 1004 to provide one or more control functions for making selections or issuing commands related to the manipulation device 1000. In one form, the display 1012 is a touch screen display capable of sensing multiple simultaneous touches and thus also operates as an input device in combination with an associated graphical user interface.

[0053] The device 1000 may also include a sensor system 1016 comprising one or more sensors or receivers (i..n), such as, for example, environmental sensors, tilt sensors, accelerometers, gyroscopes, Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) antennas / receivers (e.g., GPS receivers), for communicating information regarding the device, the user, or the environment to the processor 1004.

[0054] The electronic device 1000 may also include one or more audio components to present or receive audio information in the form of sounds, electrical signals, or data representing sounds. The audio components may be connected to the bus 1002 as needed through appropriate circuitry or processing systems, such as, for example, a sound card, a DAC or ADC stage, etc. Examples of audio components include, but are not limited to, an audio speaker (1022), an audio jack, an audio line out terminal, a buzzer, a microphone (1024), or combinations thereof.

[0055] The device 100 also includes one or more cameras 1030, 1032, 1034. Each of the cameras 1030, 1032, 1034 includes at least one image sensor 1040, 1042, 1044 and an optical system 1045, 1046, 1047, respectively. The optical systems 1045, 1046, 1047 can include one or more suitable lenses, optical filters, mirrors, or other optical elements that can operate to capture light from an environment surrounding the electronic device 100 and direct it to the respective image sensor(s) 1040, 1042, 1044. The image sensor(s) 1040, 1042, 1044 optionally include one or more charge-coupled devices (CCDs), complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) phototransistors, or any other suitable type of optical sensor, and operate to receive light from the projected environment through their respective optical systems 1045, 1046, 1047 and convert the received light into image data representative of the image.

[0056] The device 1000 includes two rear cameras 1030, 1032 and one front camera 1034. The front camera 1034 is configured to capture images from the side of the device 1000 where the display is seen, so that the front camera 1034 may be particularly convenient for a user to capture an image of themselves while looking at the display 1012, for example, during a video conference, taking a "selfie". The rear cameras 1030, 1032 face away from the user when the user is looking at the display 1012. The two rear cameras 1030, 1032 may be different from each other, for example, possessing different optics, different sensors, different geometric shapes, or a combination thereof, such that the cameras have different imaging characteristics. This allows the camera with the most appropriate imaging characteristics to be selected when taking a particular image, or allows the same (or similar) scene to be imaged by both cameras in parallel.

[0057] The image sensor(s) 1040, 1042, 1044 of each camera 1030, 1032, 1034 generates a digital image of a given size that can be represented by the number of pixels in each of the horizontal and vertical directions. Thus, each of the image sensor(s) 1040, 1042, 1044 and the images generated thereby can be considered to have an orientation that can be described as either "portrait" or "landscape" as defined above. Note that when a camera has multiple sensors, the relevant orientation is defined by the orientation of the overall sensor arrangement and its corresponding resulting image, which may be the same or different from the orientation of one or more sensors in the arrangement. Thus, the orientation of the sensor(s) of a camera defines the orientation of the camera. Each camera 1030, 1032, 1034 can generate images of the same or different sizes or dimensions.

[0058] At least one of the rear cameras 1030, 1032 is physically arranged with respect to the display such that the orientation of the camera matches the orientation of the display 1012. This facilitates using the display 1012 as a viewfinder for the camera (for either or both of the cameras 1030, 1032) since the orientations of the display 1012 and the camera (for either or both of the cameras 1030, 1032) match, thus allowing a relatively large image to be used for viewfinding.

[0059] According to at least one embodiment, the techniques herein are performed by the device 1000 in response to the processor 1004 executing one or more sequences of one or more instructions contained in the main memory 1006. Such instructions may be read into the main memory 1006 from another storage medium, such as a remote database. Execution of the sequences of instructions contained in the main memory 1006 causes the processor 1004 to perform the process steps described herein. In alternative embodiments, hardwired circuitry may be used in place of or in combination with software instructions. The storage medium may also be used to store image or video files on which color correction may be performed.

[0060] The term "storage media" or "storage medium" as used herein refers to any non-transitory medium that stores data and / or instructions that cause a machine to operate in a specific manner. Such storage media may include non-volatile media and / or volatile media. Non-volatile media include, for example, optical or magnetic disks, such as storage device 1010. Volatile media include dynamic memory, such as main memory 1006. Common forms of storage media include, for example, floppy disks, hard disk drives, solid state drives, magnetic tape, or any other magnetic data storage medium, CD-ROM, any other optical data storage medium, any physical medium with a pattern of holes, RAM, PROM, and EPROM, FLASH-EPROM, NVRAM, any other memory chip or cartridge. The storage medium may be local in the sense of being connected to bus 1002, or may be remote, as long as it is communicatively coupled to device 1000 via a network connection. In this regard, device 1000 may also include a communication interface 1018 coupled to bus 1002.

[0061] The communication interface 1018 provides bidirectional data communication coupling to a communication network 1050 or another device. For example, the communication interface 1018 may include one or more wired network interfaces, such as, for example, a USB interface, a Thunderbolt interface, an Ethernet interface, a cable modem, an ISDN card, and one or more wireless communication interfaces, such as, for example, a Bluetooth interface, a WLAN interface (e.g., IEEE 802.11x), a satellite communication interface, a cellular communication interface, and the like. In this example, the communication interface 1018 includes a broadband cellular interface 1020. The cellular interface 1020 can operate according to any cellular communication method, such as 4G, 5G, or a future standard.

[0062] In any such implementation, communication interface 1018 sends and receives electrical, electromagnetic or optical signals that carry digital data streams representing various types of information.

[0063] Device 1000 also includes a power supply (not shown for simplicity) that provides power to the components of device 1000. The power supply may include one or more batteries for providing power, but may also be coupled to an external power source, for example via a charging cable or network connection (e.g., USB), to allow charging or operation directly from the external power source.

[0064] FIG. 2 shows a further example of a device 1000 in the form of a smartphone. The device 1000 is shown from the front (left) and rear (right). The front view shows a display 1012 which forms part of the housing 1001 of the portable computing device and covers almost the entire front of the device 1000, except for the bezel surrounding the display 1012. The front view also shows an opening or window through which a camera 1034 can take front-facing images, and an opening for a speaker 1022. The device includes an input device in the form of several buttons 1014. The rear view shows the location of the lenses 1045 and 1047 of the two rear cameras 1030, 1032, respectively.

[0065] Figure 3A shows the same device 1000 as in Figure 2 in a portrait orientation, and illustrates a graphical user interface (GUI) 300 that is used by a user to operate and interact with the cameras 1030, 1032, 1034 of the device 1000. The GUI 300 includes a main display window 302. The display window 302 has a long dimension that aligns with the long dimension of the display 1012 and the device itself 1000, and is therefore in a portrait orientation. The display window 302 displays the video feed from the camera and acts as a viewfinder for the user of the camera, allowing the user to view the scene being captured by the camera.

[0066] The GUI also includes a software-defined button 304 that is touched by the user to provide user input to the device to start recording video (and also to stop recording video). A capture mode menu 306 is provided to allow the user to select different modes in which the camera(s) may operate. In this case, "Video" is selected. A current clip recording time 308 is also shown at the top of the GUI 300. The timer is at 00:00:00 since the device 1000 of Figures 3A and 3B is not recording. The GUI 300 also provides a display box 310 that shows a thumbnail of the last captured video / photo so that the user can view that clip / image, for example, within a display software or a separate display interface. The GUI 300 also shows the following capture parameters: zoom level 312, frame rate 314, capture resolution 316, flash or lighting conditions 318. The GUI 300 also has a camera selection button 320 that allows the user to select to use the front camera 1034 or the rear camera 1030, 1032.

[0067] When the device 1000 is rotated by the user, the sensor system 1016 can sense this using, for example, tilt sensor(s) or accelerometer(s), gyroscope(s), etc., and send a signal to the processor system 1004 indicating that the device is now in a different orientation. In response, the program can modify the GUI to change its layout accordingly. FIG. 3B shows the same device 1000 and GUI 300L in landscape mode. The graphical user interface 300L is nearly identical to the GUI of FIG. 3A, except for the arrangement of some GUI elements that correspond to the different layout of the display window 302. The main difference is that the display window 302 is now wider than it is tall, i.e., its long dimension is horizontal. As in portrait mode, the orientation of the display window of the GUI 300 generally matches the orientation of the cameras 1030, 1032 and the device 1000. Elements of the landscape mode of GUI 300L that perform the same functions as those of the portrait mode of GUI 300 share common reference numbers and will not be described again for the sake of brevity.

[0068] Figure 4 illustrates a device 1000 configured with an embodiment of a GUI according to an aspect of the present disclosure. Figure 5 illustrates a second mode of operation of the same GUI, as described below.

[0069] In FIG. 4, device 1000 is shown in a landscape orientation such that the device's longest dimension is horizontal and its shortest dimension is vertical. The overall appearance of GUI 400 is similar to that of FIG. 3B in that it has a landscape-oriented display window 402 that occupies most of the area of ​​display 1012, a video record button 404, a frame rate indication 414, and a resolution indicator 416. Display window 402 displays the video feed from the camera and acts as a viewfinder for the camera's user, allowing the user to view the scene being captured by the camera. GUI 400 also includes a series of indicators 421-426 that indicate various image capture parameters (lens focal length 421, shutter angle 422, aperture 423, ISO 424, white balance temperature 425, and tint 426) currently applied to the camera. GUI 400 also includes a series of buttons 430 in the form of icons that the user can select by touching touchscreen display 1012 to toggle between application features or adjust settings. A series of additional buttons 432 are provided that, when selected, activate GUI elements that allow for adjusting or setting additional camera parameters such as autofocus mode, exposure, etc.

[0070] A meter 434 is provided to allow a user to monitor the level of audio being received by a microphone (e.g., 1024 or an external microphone(s) connected to device 1000). A color content analysis display element 436 is also provided to allow color parameters of the scene to be visualized. In this example, element 436 shows a color histogram of R, G and B content. Other GUI elements may be added or some may be removed to simplify the appearance or operation of the GUI. A timecode display 438 is also provided at the top of the GUI. Detailed functions of components 421-438 will not be described herein to avoid obscuring other parts of the device and relevant details of its operation.

[0071] Figure 5 shows device 1000 illustrating the GUI in a second mode of operation. Device 1000 is shown in a portrait orientation, with the device's longest dimension vertical and its shortest dimension horizontal. The illustrated GUI is an alternative mode of operation to the GUI of Figure 4 that is used when device 1000 is in a portrait orientation.

[0072] The overall appearance of GUI 400P ("P" indicates portrait) is similar to that of FIG. 4 and includes similar elements to convey common information. GIU 400P includes a video record button 404, a frame rate indication 414, and a resolution indicator 416. GUI 400P also includes a series of indicators 421-426 that indicate various image capture parameters currently applied to the camera (lens focal length 421, shutter angle 422, aperture 423, ISO 424, white balance temperature 425, and tint 426). GUI 400P also includes a series of buttons 430 that are selectable to toggle application functions or adjust settings. A series of additional buttons 432 are provided that, when selected, activate GUI elements that allow adjustment or setting of additional camera parameters such as autofocus mode, exposure, etc. A meter 434 is provided to allow the user to monitor the level of audio being received by the microphone (e.g., 1024 or an external microphone(s) connected to device 1000). A color content analysis display element 436 is also provided to enable the color parameters of the scene to be visualized. Elements in the landscape mode of GUI 400 that perform the same functions as in the portrait mode of GUI 400P share common reference numbers and will not be described again for the sake of brevity.

[0073] The GUI 400P also includes a display window 402P. However, the display windows 402P are all aligned with each other and are no longer oriented in the same direction as the display 1012, the device, or camera(s) 1030, 1032, which are all in portrait orientation. Instead, the display windows 402P are in landscape orientation. The display window 402P displays a video feed from the active camera(s) and acts as a viewfinder for the camera user, allowing the user to see the scene being captured by the camera. However, because the orientation of the camera(s) is aligned with the display 1012, or typically, more generally, the device housing, the orientation of the video feed does not match the orientation of the display window 402P.

[0074] To address this issue, embodiments of the present disclosure may generate a second video feed that is different from the video feed shown in the display window 402 of the GUI 400 used when the device 1000 is in a landscape orientation. The second video feed includes only a selected portion of the video frame captured by the camera(s) 1030, 1032 in a portrait orientation. This selected portion has a shape that is in the landscape orientation. In some embodiments, the major dimension (i.e., its width) of the selected portion of the frame included in the second video feed is the same as the minor dimension of the frame captured by the camera(s). In some embodiments, the viewable resolution of the display window 402P may not match the resolution of the frame captured by the camera(s), in such cases the displayed frame of the second video feed may be scaled accordingly.

[0075] FIG. 6 illustrates generally the difference between frames comprising a first video feed and a second video feed, as well as their relative sizes and extents.

[0076] Panel (a) shows a scene 600 that may be captured by a device 1000 adapted to practice an embodiment of the present disclosure. When the device 1000 is in a landscape orientation, the field of view captured by the cameras (e.g., 1030, 1032) is the portion of the scene bounded by a dash-dotted box 602. Thus, a frame of a video feed of the scene 600 as captured by the cameras (e.g., 1030, 1032) and displayed in the display window 402 of the GUI 400 resembles the image 604 shown in panel (b) surrounded by the dash-dotted box.

[0077] When the device 1000 is in a portrait orientation, the field of view captured by the cameras (e.g., 1030, 1032) is the portion of the scene bounded by the solid box 606. However, a frame of the second video feed of the scene 600 as captured by the cameras (e.g., 1030, 1032) and displayed in the display window 402P of the GUI 400P does not resemble the image 608 shown in panel (c) surrounded by the solid box because the display window 402P is in a landscape orientation rather than a portrait orientation like the image 608. Instead, only a portion of the image 608 is used in each frame of the second video feed. An exemplary portion 610 is shown in panel (d). The portion 610 can be created by cropping the top and bottom of the image 608, as shown by the dotted lines in panel (d), such that only the portion 610 remains in the second video feed. As can be seen from this example, the width of the frame 610 is the same as the height of the frame 604. This maximizes the size and resolution of the frame 610 while converting the video feed into a second video feed with a landscape orientation. Although this results in a lower maximum resolution image, the resolution of modern imaging sensors in portable devices can still allow for recording of high quality video acceptable for most end uses. Although it depends on the exact size of the camera's sensor(s), a camera with a sensor capable of capturing 4K video in a landscape orientation can typically generate a second video feed of the type described above that meets or exceeds 1080p (or 2K) resolution. In some forms, the camera(s) are configured to capture video at the maximum resolution of the HD or UHD format. This maximum resolution applies to landscape recording (as implemented using GUI 300 of FIG. 3A) and traditional portrait capture, but landscape clips generated from a portrait-oriented second video feed can be recorded in a format having approximately half the resolution.As will be appreciated, the maximum width (in pixels) of a landscape clip generated from a portrait-oriented second video feed is determined by the number of pixels in the short dimension of the camera(s) capturing the image. The height (counted in pixels) of the second video feed and the landscape clip may be determined by reference to a desired video format or aspect ratio.

[0078] Generally speaking, any landscape shaped portion of an image produced by the camera(s) may be used as a frame of the second video feed, but in some embodiments, a selected portion of an image produced by the camera(s) and used in the second video feed (e.g., image 610) may be defined by the camera control software as a band across the center of the portrait orientation frame captured by the camera(s) (e.g., a band across the center of frame 608). An example of this is shown in panel (d) of Figure 6. Such a band may be defined by a distance (e.g., a number of lines of pixels) above and below the center line of the portrait orientation frame.

[0079] In addition to displaying the second video feed on the landscape display window 402P, the device 1000 is configured to begin recording when the user provides an input to record the video (e.g., by touching a button 404 on the user interface 400P). In response to the user input, the device 1000 saves in memory the landscape video corresponding to the second video feed. That is, rather than saving the entire portrait orientation video feed (i.e., the frame corresponding to frame 608), only the portion of the captured frame that corresponds to the second video feed is saved (i.e., the frame corresponding to frame portion 610). The landscape video may be stored at any desired resolution, such as the resolution of the second video feed, or the full resolution captured by at least one image sensor of the camera, or some user-selected resolution different from the second video feed. A second user input on the button 404 can stop the recording.

[0080] Other embodiments may store the full-frame video in portrait orientation along with data (e.g., stored as metadata in the video file) specifying the portion of the frame that contains or corresponds to the second video feed shown in the display window 402P.

[0081] In some embodiments, the device may be programmed to generate a proxy that corresponds to a stored video file. A proxy is typically a working copy of the captured footage that has different parameters than the original video file, e.g., lower resolution, higher compression, different encoding, lower quality, smaller file size.

[0082] In embodiments in which only files representing a landscape version of the second video feed are stored, creation of the proxy is simplified because the file size of the original stored file is typically smaller than the full-frame video, making generation of the proxy less resource intensive, and furthermore, there is no need to separately encode or store data specifying the portions of the frames that contain or correspond to the second video feed.

[0083] FIG. 7 shows a flowchart overview of a method for operating a portable device to capture video, according to one embodiment. The method 700 begins by capturing a series of images comprising a video 702. The portable device determines, at 704, whether the device or its display is in a landscape or portrait orientation. Although the flowchart 700 shows steps 702 and 704 in succession, the order of the steps is not important. In fact, both may be performed consecutively and effectively simultaneously while the camera is active. If the device or its display is in landscape mode, then, at 706, a video feed, also in landscape mode, is displayed on the device's graphical user interface. If the device or its display is in portrait mode, then, at 708, a second video feed, also in landscape mode, is generated and displayed within the device's graphical user interface at 710.

[0084] FIG. 8 shows a general flow chart of a method for a portable device to save a video file, according to one embodiment of the disclosure. The process 800 begins by receiving a user input to record a video 802, for example, by detecting a user touching a touch screen of the device to press a capture button on the portable device's GUI. The device begins saving a video file at 804, including a second video feed that includes only a portion of the frames captured by the device's camera(s). The portion in the second video feed is a landscape orientation portion selected from a portrait orientation image captured by the camera(s). Once the device receives a user input to stop recording at 806, for example, by again detecting a user touching a touch screen of the device to press a capture button on the portable device's GUI, the file saving process ends, for example, by saving the appropriate end of the file data 808. In some embodiments, the device can also generate a proxy of the saved file 810. This may be performed after the file saving at 808 is completed, or may be initiated while the file saving is in progress, for example, initiated after step 804 and performed in parallel with the file saving process. It should be noted that receipt of the instruction to record video may also trigger the device to begin generating and storing the second video feed at the desired resolution or frame rate for storage, although the second video feed may be generated at a reduced resolution or frame rate until the user provides input to save the video at 802. The entire video processing does not need to take place while not recording, which may reduce required processing resources and thereby conserve battery power.

[0085] FIG. 9 shows a flow chart of an example of a method 900 for generating a second video feed from the portrait video captured in step 708 of FIG. 7. In step 902, a portion of the portrait video to be included in the landscape video feed is determined. This may be fixed according to a rule or user selection. In one form, a fixed number of lines of video from above and below the center of the portrait frame are included in the determined portion. The number of lines may be determined based on the aspect ratio of the video file to be saved or the desired video format. The aspect ratio may be selected to match an industry standard or commonly used aspect ratio.

[0086] The unselected portions of the portrait video are discarded rather than saved at 904. The selected portions of the frames displayed in the second video feed are then displayed in landscape format within the display of device 1000. Note that while the GUI may not display the full resolution of the second video feed or display it at the full frame rate, the entire second video feed is created for storage when a record operation is triggered as shown in FIG.

[0087] The definitions expressly provided herein for terms contained in the appended claims shall govern the meaning of those terms as used in the claims. No element, property, feature, advantage or attribute not expressly recited in a claim shall limit the scope of the claim in any respect.

[0088] As used herein, the terms "including" and "comprises" (and variations of these terms, such as "including," "including," "comprising," "comprises," "including," etc.) are intended to be inclusive and not intended to exclude additional features, components, integers or steps.

[0089] For aspects of the disclosure described using flowcharts, a given flowchart step may be performed in a variety of ways and by a variety of devices, systems, or system modules. Unless otherwise stated as essential, a particular flowchart step may be divided into multiple steps and / or multiple flowchart steps may be combined into a single step. Additionally, unless otherwise stated as essential, the order of steps may be changed without departing from the scope of the disclosure.

Claims

1. 1. A portable computing device, comprising: a display on a first side of the portable computing device, the display having a major dimension and a minor dimension; at least one camera having a rearward facing field of view; one or more processors; Memory, One or more programs Equipped with the at least one camera having at least one image sensor arranged to capture video having a substantially rectangular video frame having a second major dimension and a second minor dimension; the at least one camera and the display share a common orientation such that the first major dimension and the second major dimension are aligned; The one or more programs are stored in the memory and are executed by the one or more processors on the portable computing device to: displaying a first video feed from the at least one camera on the display in a landscape orientation when the at least one camera and the display are in a landscape orientation; displaying a second video feed from the at least one camera on the display in a landscape orientation when the at least one camera and the display are in a portrait orientation; 23. A portable computing device configured to execute a program to cause a computer to

2. When the at least one camera and the display are in a portrait orientation, displaying a second video feed from the at least one camera on the display in a landscape orientation may include: capturing video in portrait orientation; displaying a portion of the captured video within a display window of a graphical user interface such that the second video feed from the at least one camera is displayed in a landscape orientation on the display, the display window being in a landscape orientation when the display is in a portrait orientation; 10. The portable computing device of claim 1, comprising:

3. 3. The portable computing device of claim 1, wherein the portable computing device has a third major dimension and a third minor dimension when the portable computing device is viewed in a direction perpendicular to the display, the third major dimension being aligned with the first major dimension and the second major dimension.

4. 4. The portable computing device of claim 2, wherein the display window of the graphical user interface has a fourth major dimension and a fourth minor dimension, the major dimension of the display window being aligned with the second minor dimension.

5. 5. The portable computing device of claim 4, wherein the portion of the captured video displayed within the display window as the second video feed includes substantially the entire extent of the frames of the captured video across the second minor dimension.

6. 6. The portable computing device of claim 5, wherein the portion of the captured video displayed in the display window as the second video feed includes a portion of the frame of the captured video along the second major dimension.

7. 7. The portable computing device of claim 1, wherein the one or more programs cause the portable computing device to determine whether the display is in a landscape or portrait orientation.

8. The portable computing device comprises: capturing portrait orientation video when the camera is in a portrait orientation; 8. The portable computing device of claim 1 , further configured to discard unviewed portions of the captured portrait orientation video that are not included in the second video feed.

9. 9. The portable computing device of claim 1, wherein the portable computing device is configured to receive a user input to record a video and, in response to the user input, to store in memory a landscape video corresponding to the second video feed when the at least one camera and the display are in a portrait orientation.

10. The landscape video is at the resolution of the second video feed; or at a user selected resolution different from the resolution of the second video feed; or A portable computing device according to any preceding claim, wherein images are stored in full resolution as captured by the at least one image sensor of the at least one camera.

11. 11. The portable computing device of claim 9, wherein the at least one camera is further configured to store a proxy of the wide-screen video.

12. The portable computing device of any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the device is a smartphone.

13. 1. A method performed by a portable computing device, comprising: displaying a first video feed from the at least one camera of a portable computing device in a landscape orientation on the display of the portable computing device when the at least one camera and the display are in a landscape orientation; displaying a second video feed from the at least one camera on the display in a landscape orientation when the at least one camera and the display are in a portrait orientation; A method comprising:

14. When the at least one camera and the display are in a portrait orientation, displaying the second video feed from the at least one camera on the display in a landscape orientation includes: capturing video in portrait orientation; displaying a portion of the captured video within a display window of a graphical user interface such that the second video feed from the camera is displayed in a landscape orientation on the display, the display window being in a landscape orientation when the display is in a portrait orientation; The method of claim 13, comprising:

15. 15. The method of claim 13 or 14, further comprising determining whether the display is in a landscape or portrait orientation.

16. capturing portrait orientation video when the camera is in a portrait orientation; discarding unviewed portions of the captured video that are not included in the second video feed; The method of any one of claims 13 to 15, further comprising:

17. receiving a user input to record a video; storing in a memory, in response to the user input, a landscape video corresponding to the second video feed when the at least one camera and the display are in a portrait orientation; The method of any one of claims 13 to 16, further comprising:

18. The landscape video is at the resolution of the second video feed; or at a user selected resolution different from the resolution of the second video feed; or 20. The method of claim 17, wherein the images are stored in full resolution as captured by the at least one image sensor of the at least one camera.

19. The method of claim 17 or 18, further comprising the steps of generating a proxy for the wide-screen video and storing the proxy.

20. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 19, wherein the portable computing device is a smartphone.

21. 1. A graphical user interface for a portable computing device, comprising: a first mode in which the graphical user interface is configured to display a first video feed from the at least one camera of the portable computing device in a viewing window on the display in a landscape orientation when the at least one camera and the display are in a landscape orientation; and The graphical user interface operates in a second mode configured to display a second video feed from the at least one camera of the portable computing device in a display window on the display in a landscape orientation when the at least one camera and the display are in a portrait orientation.

22. 22. The graphical user interface of claim 21, further displaying a button that can be touched by a user to provide user input to the portable computing device to begin recording of a video shown in the display window.

23. 23. The graphical user interface of claim 22, wherein file recording is in progress while displaying a button that may be touched by a user to provide user input to the portable computing device to stop recording of the video shown in the display window.

24. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions that, when executed by a portable electronic device having a display and one or more cameras, cause the electronic device to perform the method of any one of claims 13 to 20.

25. A smartphone comprising a graphical user interface according to any one of claims 21 to 23.

26. 1. A method implemented by a portable computing device having a display, comprising: capturing video with at least one camera of the portable computing device; displaying a first video feed from the captured video in a landscape orientation on a graphical user interface of the portable computing device or the display in accordance with a determination that the portable computing device or the display is in a landscape orientation; generating a second video feed from the captured video in a landscape orientation in accordance with a determination that the portable computing device or the display is in a portrait orientation; A method comprising:

27. 27. The method of claim 26, further comprising displaying the second video feed from the captured video on the graphical user interface of the portable computing device in a landscape orientation.

Images