Unified Camera Viewfinder Interface for Seamless Image Preview
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Solution Overview
Problem
Digital camera user interfaces on portable devices often require switching between capture and playback modes, leading to inefficiencies and delays due to the need for separate modes, which renders the camera inactive during image preview.
Innovation Solution
A user interface that allows simultaneous display of an electronic viewfinder with a real-time image and a previously captured image, enabling enlargement of the previewed image without switching to playback mode, thus keeping the camera active and improving computational efficiency by avoiding separate playback and camera modes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the camera switches to playback mode to display previously captured images, then the image preview can be displayed, but the camera becomes inactive and cannot capture new images
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the camera capture mode and image playback mode into a single unified interface. The electronic viewfinder continues to display real-time preview from the image sensor while simultaneously showing previously captured images in the same display area, eliminating the need to switch between separate modes. This allows the camera to remain active and capture new images while the user can review previous images.
Solution Approach 2:
The electronic viewfinder is designed to serve multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as both a real-time preview display for active camera capture and a playback display for previously captured images. This multi-functional design allows the single component to handle both camera operation and image review without requiring separate dedicated displays or modes.
2Ease of operation
If separate playback mode is implemented for viewing captured images, then image preview is enabled, but computational efficiency decreases due to mode switching
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the camera application and image playback functionality into a single continuous mode. The system maintains the camera active state while overlaying or integrating previously captured images within the same electronic viewfinder interface, eliminating the need to transition between separate camera mode and playback mode, thus reducing computational overhead and mode-switching complexity.
3Measurement precision
If full-screen playback mode is used to enlarge previously captured images, then image detail is improved, but the camera becomes inactive and real-time preview is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by allowing the user to enlarge and view details of previously captured images in a localized portion of the display while maintaining the real-time camera preview in other portions of the same display. This enables detailed image inspection without sacrificing overall camera functionality or requiring full-screen mode that would block the preview.
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
The present disclosure provides a user interface for a digital camera such as a digital camera built into a smartphone or other multipurpose portable electronic device. The user interface simultaneously displays an electronic viewfinder image and at least one other image such as a previously captured image. The previously captured image is located within the electronic viewfinder image. Designated input causes the previously captured image to be enlarged from an initial size to an enlarged size.