Circular Buffer for Automatic Image Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile devices with camera functions face issues such as forgotten pictures or video recordings, inability to pause and resume image capture, and limited options for managing still images during camera application switches or battery drain, leading to missed important moments and inefficient memory usage.
Innovation Solution
The 'Magic Moments' application allows for serial capture and storage of still images with user-configurable intervals, enabling pause and resume functionality, background operation across camera applications, and efficient memory management, ensuring that the newest images are preserved and accessible at any time without interrupting the camera viewfinder.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the camera continuously stores pictures in buffer memory during preview, then the user can review pictures taken before and after shutter activation, but the buffer memory fills up excessively and important moments may be lost due to limited storage capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter of buffer management from static fixed-size buffering to dynamic circular buffering with automatic overflow management. When buffer capacity is exceeded, the system automatically overwrites oldest pictures while preserving newest pictures, adapting the buffer content dynamically based on usage patterns rather than using a fixed storage scheme
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by continuously capturing and storing pictures in buffer memory before the user actually activates the shutter. This preliminary capture ensures that pictures taken before the intended moment are preserved and available for review, allowing the user to go back in time and select the optimal picture
2Quantity of substance
If the user manually takes pictures only upon shutter activation, then storage space is conserved, but important moments are missed when the user forgets or delays activation
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides self-service by automatically capturing and managing pictures without requiring continuous user intervention. The camera autonomously decides when to capture pictures during preview mode and manages buffer overflow conditions, freeing the user from manual operation while ensuring important moments are captured
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary picture capture action continuously during preview mode before the user activates the shutter. This ensures that when the user does activate the shutter, the captured moment and surrounding moments are already preserved in the buffer, eliminating the risk of missed moments due to delayed activation
3Adaptability or versatility
If the camera application is switched or battery drains, then power consumption is managed or other applications can run, but the camera session terminates and any uncaptured pictures are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a copy mechanism by continuously maintaining picture data in buffer memory that can be persisted across application sessions. The circular buffer preserves picture data in a way that survives application termination and restart, allowing the user to recover and review pictures even after camera application switches or battery drain events
4Quantity of substance
If all captured pictures are stored in main memory, then permanent storage is achieved, but memory management becomes inefficient and review of recent pictures becomes cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments storage into two distinct parts: buffer memory for temporary holding of recent pictures during preview, and main memory for permanent storage of selected pictures. This segmentation allows efficient review of recent pictures in buffer without cluttering main memory, while maintaining the ability to permanently store only the pictures the user actually wants to keep
Solution Approach 2:
The system extracts the review function from permanent storage by maintaining a separate circular buffer that contains recent pictures for quick review. Users can review pictures in the buffer without accessing main memory, and only extract (copy) selected pictures to main memory for permanent storage, separating the review operation from permanent storage operations
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a method and apparatus for automatic image management in an imaging device. The method and apparatus includes serially capturing and temporarily storing a predetermined number of still images in a predetermined time interval; and if the new still images are stored when all of the predetermined number of still images are stored, discarding oldest still images and temporarily storing new still images, wherein the predetermined number of newest still images are stored in real time.