Image Capture Thresholding for Time-Lapse Sequences
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional photography methods face challenges in capturing desired images due to equipment constraints and operation modes, often resulting in missed shots with long intervals or unnecessary images with short intervals, particularly when photographing processes like flower blooming and fading.
Innovation Solution
A method and device that monitor current time to determine preset shooting times, take pictures when significant changes occur (determined by image differences exceeding a threshold), and save images only when changes are notable, optimizing memory usage and user time by automatically selecting suitable shots for generating moving images or videos.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple pictures are taken at certain times to capture blooming and fading process, then the desired pictures can be captured, but the shooting interval must be long which may cause missed shots
Solution Approach 1:
The system compares the current picture with the previous picture taken at a preset shooting time, and based on the comparison result (whether significant change is detected), determines whether to save the current picture. This feedback mechanism ensures that only pictures with significant changes are saved, capturing desired moments reliably without requiring long shooting intervals.
2Reliability
If short shooting interval is used to avoid missed shots, then more pictures are captured, but unnecessary pictures with inconspicuous or no change are taken
Solution Approach 1:
The system compares the current picture with the previous picture and only saves pictures where significant changes are detected. This feedback-based filtering reduces the quantity of saved pictures by eliminating unnecessary duplicates while maintaining reliability of capturing desired changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of picture saving from a fixed time-based approach to a change-based approach. By using image difference comparison and threshold judgment, the system dynamically determines whether to save a picture based on the degree of change detected, rather than saving all pictures taken at fixed intervals.
3Reliability
If all pictures are saved regardless of change, then no desired pictures are missed, but memory space is wasted on unnecessary images
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback from image comparison to determine saving decisions. By comparing current and previous pictures and evaluating whether the difference exceeds a threshold, the system selectively saves only necessary pictures, reducing memory space consumption while maintaining completeness of meaningful picture collection.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the saving criterion from a fixed parameter (save all pictures) to a dynamic parameter (save only if change exceeds threshold). This allows the system to adaptively control memory usage based on the actual content changes in the pictures.
Data Source
AI summary
A photographing method for use in a device includes: monitoring a current time and determining whether the current time reaches a preset shooting time; taking a first picture of an object when it is determined that the current time reaches the preset shooting time; determining a difference between a first image in a preset area of the first picture and a second image in the preset area of a second picture taken at a previous preset shooting time, the preset area corresponding to the object; and saving the first picture if the determined difference is equal to or greater than a preset threshold value.