Remote determination of image-acquisition settings and opportunities

Abstract

Pre-image-acquisition information is obtained by a digital camera and transmitted to a system external to the digital camera. The system is configured to provide image-acquisition settings to the digital camera. In this regard, the digital camera receives the image-acquisition settings from the external system and performs an image-acquisition sequence based at least upon the received image-acquisition settings. Accordingly, the determination of image-acquisition settings can be performed remotely from the digital camera, where data-processing resources can greatly exceed those within the digital camera.

1 . A method implemented by a digital camera for identifying image-acquisition settings, the method comprising the steps of:
 obtaining pre-image-acquisition information;   transmitting the pre-image-acquisition information to a system external to the digital camera, the system configured to provide image-acquisition settings;   receiving the image-acquisition settings from the system in response to the transmitting step; and   performing an image-acquisition sequence based at least upon the received image-acquisition settings or a derivative thereof.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least some of the pre-image-acquisition information is received from a system external to the digital camera. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the system is a portable digital assistant, another camera, or a server. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pre-image-acquisition information includes only an announcement of the digital camera's presence. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pre-image-acquisition information includes an announcement of the digital camera's presence. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of determining that it is appropriate to perform the image-acquisition sequence based at least upon an analysis of the received image-acquisition settings. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising the step of determining that performing the image-acquisition sequence is not appropriate based at least upon an analysis of the received image-acquisition settings. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising the step of presenting an indication configured to warn a user of the digital camera that performing the image-acquisition sequence is not appropriate. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising the step of modifying the image acquisition settings to improve the appropriateness of performing the image-acquisition sequence. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the image-acquisition sequence involves multiple image acquisitions, and wherein the multiple images are configured to be synthesized into a single image, a collage, or a video. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the received image-acquisition settings include an indication that performing the image-acquisition sequence is permitted, and wherein the method further comprises the step of determining that the image-acquisition sequence is permitted based at least upon the indication. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
 generating image data from the image-acquisition sequence; and   transmitting at least the image data and the pre-image-acquisition information to an image processing system external to the digital camera for processing.   
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the image-processing system and the system configured to provide image-acquisition settings are a same system. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising the step of receiving a processed image from the image processing system in response to the step of transmitting the image data and the pre-image-acquisition information. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising the step of obtaining image-acquisition information contemporaneously with the step of performing the image-acquisition sequence, wherein the step of transmitting at least the image data and the pre-image-acquisition information includes transmitting at least the image data, the pre-image acquisition information, and the acquisition information. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the image-acquisition information includes audio information, illumination information, camera position information, camera orientation information, motion information, temperature information, humidity information, ceiling detection information, distance-to-subject information, or spectral information. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein information in the pre-image-acquisition information and the image-acquisition information is of a same category. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising the step of verifying consistency between the information of the same category. 
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the image-acquisition sequence involves multiple image acquisitions, and wherein the received image acquisition settings include different image acquisition settings for different ones of the multiple image acquisitions. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of determining what metadata or an amount of detail in metadata that is recorded by a digital camera along with the image-acquisition sequence based at least upon an analysis of the received image-acquisition settings. 
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the pre-image-acquisition information includes (a) digital camera location information, (b) digital camera orientation information, (c) image content information from an image acquired by the digital camera just prior to performing the image acquisition sequence, or (d) combinations thereof, from which the indication that performing the image-acquisition sequence is permitted is based. 
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein
 (1) the pre-image-acquisition information includes (a) digital camera location information, (b) digital camera orientation information, (c) image content information from an image acquired by the digital camera just prior to performing the image acquisition sequence, or (d) combinations thereof,   (2) the image-acquisition settings limit the digital camera to using at least (a) a particular image-acquisition mode or parameter or (b) one of a particular set of image-acquisition modes or parameters, and   (3) the image-acquisition settings are configured to prevent (a) a particular use of the digital camera or (b) a particular object from being represented in an image acquired by the digital camera.   
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein an the image-acquisition mode(s) or parameter(s) include(s) a focus distance, a camera operating mode, a flash mode, a still or video mode, or a panorama or non-panorama mode. 
   
   
       24 . A method implemented by a digital camera for identifying an image-acquisition opportunity, the method comprising the steps of:
 obtaining pre-image-acquisition information indicating at least a present time;   transmitting the pre-image acquisition information to a system external to the digital camera;   receiving image-opportunity information from the system in response to the transmitting step, the image-opportunity information configured to guide a user of the digital camera towards the image acquisition opportunity, wherein the image-opportunity information indicates at least a time period in which the image-acquisition opportunity exists; and   presenting the image-opportunity information in a manner configured to present the image-opportunity information, or a derivative thereof, to a user of the digital camera.   
   
   
       25 . A system comprising:
 an image-acquisition-setting (“IAS”) providing system configured to provide image-acquisition settings; and   a digital camera external to the IAS providing system, the digital camera configured at least to:   obtain pre-image-acquisition information;   transmit the pre-image-acquisition information to the IAS providing system;   receive image-acquisition settings from the IAS providing system in response to transmitting the pre-image acquisition information to the IAS providing system; and   performing an image-acquisition sequence based at least upon the received image-acquisition settings.