Panoramic Camera Guide Image System for Automatic Angle Alignment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Users find it difficult to photograph panoramic images easily and conveniently, even with devices equipped with panorama functions, due to the need for continuous adjustment of angles.

Innovation Solution

An electronic device and method that provide a plurality of guide images to assist users in photographing panoramic images by displaying guide images and controlling the photographing focus, allowing automatic photography at matching angles, and combining image data to generate panoramic image data.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If the photographing apparatus continuously photographs images at various angles to create panoramic images, then the panoramic image quality is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to the need for continuous angle adjustment

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepanoramic image qualityVSAvoidease of photographing
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-calculates and displays multiple guide images showing target positions before the user actually photographs. This allows the user to plan and execute the panoramic photographing by simply moving to predetermined positions marked by the guide images, eliminating the need for continuous real-time angle adjustment and calculation during the actual photographing process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The guide images serve as an intermediary between the user and the complex panoramic photographing process. Instead of directly requiring the user to continuously adjust angles and understand panoramic stitching requirements, the guide images provide visual cues and target positions that simplify the user's task to merely moving to the indicated positions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If the photographing apparatus provides detailed guide information for panoramic photographing, then the ease of operation is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of photographingVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The guide image generation unit utilizes existing system components (image sensing unit, storage unit, and processing capabilities) to create guide images. By repurposing these existing multi-functional components for guide image generation, the system provides detailed guidance without requiring separate dedicated hardware for each function, thus avoiding excessive complexity increase.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system automatically generates and displays guide images based on the panoramic photographing parameters and scene analysis, without requiring manual configuration or complex user setup. The apparatus serves itself by autonomously determining guide image content, target positions, and photographing parameters, reducing the operational burden on users while maintaining system functionality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP3614662B1Photographing apparatus for photographing panoramic image and method thereof
Publication Date: 2023.03.15 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD
  • EP3614662B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2(e)
  • EP3614662B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3614662B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

A photographing apparatus is provided. The photographing apparatus includes a photographing unit, a display unit for displaying a screen image corresponding to light entering the photographing unit, a sensor which senses a motion of the photographing apparatus, a graphic processor which generates a plurality of guide images and a photographing focus for photographing a panoramic image and displays the plurality of guide images and the photographing focus on the screen image, and changes a position of the photographing focus according to the motion of the photographing apparatus, a controller for controlling the photographing unit to automatically photograph, if the photographing focus matches one of the plurality of guide images, and a storage unit which stores photographed image data panoramic image.