Automated Dual Camera Image Overlay and Retention
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for combining images from multiple cameras on smartphones require excessive manual user interface manipulations and increased storage due to the need to retain both original and combined images, lacking an objective determination of which images to retain.
Innovation Solution
A method that receives capture streams from multiple cameras, identifies a region for overlay, generates a combined frame through image component analysis, and determines if it meets predetermined image rules such as the rule-of-thirds or golden spiral, automatically producing and storing the combined image if it meets the threshold criteria.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual user interface manipulations are used to combine images from multiple cameras, then users can control the combination process, but the number of manual operations increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-service by automatically analyzing captured images, identifying key components, applying composition rules, and determining whether to retain combined images without user intervention. The computational imaging pipeline autonomously completes the entire image combination workflow that would otherwise require manual user interface manipulations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical user interface operations with computational algorithms. Image component analysis, rule evaluation, and combination decisions are performed through software-based image processing rather than manual dragging, dropping, and selecting operations in a user interface.
2Reliability
If both original and combined images are retained to maintain non-destructive editing, then image quality is preserved, but storage requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system discards combined images that do not meet predetermined composition criteria (such as rule-of-thirds or golden spiral rules) while retaining only those that do. This selective retention approach maintains image quality for worthy combinations while discarding poor combinations, thereby reducing overall storage requirements compared to retaining all combined images.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the retention criterion from retaining all combined images to retaining only those meeting specific composition quality parameters. By evaluating images against predetermined rules and thresholds, the system dynamically determines which images to keep based on their compositional merit rather than universally retaining all outputs.
3Productivity
If automated image combination is implemented, then manual operations are reduced, but the complexity of the image processing system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The automated image processing system is segmented into distinct functional modules: image capture, component identification, rule evaluation, combination generation, and retention decision. This modular segmentation manages system complexity by organizing complex processing tasks into manageable, independent stages that can be implemented and maintained separately.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a universal image processing pipeline that handles multiple camera combinations (front-facing and rear-facing cameras) and applies multiple composition rules (rule-of-thirds, golden spiral, etc.) through a single integrated system. This multi-functional approach manages complexity by consolidating diverse processing requirements into one unified framework rather than creating separate systems for each scenario.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are provided for enabling improved image capture at a computing device comprising a plurality of cameras. First and second capture streams, from respective first and second cameras of a computing device, are received at the computing device, wherein the first and second cameras face in different directions. A region of the first capture stream to include as an overlay over a portion of the second capture stream is identified. It is determined that a combined frame comprising a frame from the second capture stream with an overlay from the region of the first capture stream meets threshold criterion based on image component analysis, and, in response to the determining, an image based on the combined frame is stored in a non-transitory memory.