System and method for contextual digital photography mode selection

Abstract

A digital camera having a plurality of photography modes, comprising: an image sensor; an optical system for imaging a scene onto the image sensor; an image capture control for initiating an image capture operation; a photography mode user interface for selecting between a plurality of photography modes, the photography modes having associated image capture and image processing settings; a power control for turning the digital camera on or off, wherein when the camera is in an off state and the power control is activated with a first activation pattern the digital camera is turned on and set to operate in a default photography mode and when the power control is activated with a second activation pattern the digital camera is turned on and set to operate in a previously selected photography mode.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of automatically selecting a photography mode comprising:
 storing, in a memory, a plurality of predetermined digital contexts, each digital context comprising a scene classification; 
 storing in the memory a plurality of photography modes and information associating each pre-determined digital context with a photography mode; 
 sensing a current digital context, the current digital context corresponding to a current sensed scene; 
 using a semantic scene classification algorithm to associate the current sensed scene with a current scene classification; 
 accessing the memory to determine if the current digital context, including the current scene classification, matches a stored predetermined digital context; 
 if the current digital context matches a stored predetermined digital context, selecting the photography mode associated with the stored predetermined digital context; 
 if the current digital context does not match a stored predetermined digital context, storing, in the memory, the current digital context as a new predetermined digital context and further storing, in the memory, an association between the new predetermined digital context and a photography mode indicated by receipt of user interface information associated with the current sensed scene. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the current digital context and each predetermined digital context comprise a plurality of scene information factors. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein determining if the current digital context matches a stored predetermined digital context comprises determining whether a plurality of scene information factors match between the current digital context and a predetermined digital context. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of scene information factors are chosen from the group of a time/date factor, a camera location factor, an audio similarity factor, and a scheduled event factor. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, if the current digital context matches a stored predetermined digital context, using the photography mode associated with the stored predetermined digital context to capture an image of the current sensed scene. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, if the current digital context does not match a stored predetermined digital context, using a default photography mode to capture an image of the current sensed scene. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , wherein the default photography mode is an automatic photography mode. 
     
     
       8. A non-transitory computer memory storing instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to:
 store, in a memory, a plurality of predetermined digital contexts; 
 store, in the memory, a plurality of photography modes and information associating each pre-determined digital context with a photography mode; 
 sense a current digital context, the current digital context corresponding to a current sensed scene; 
 access the memory to determine if the current digital context matches a stored predetermined digital context; 
 select the photography mode associated with the stored predetermined digital context if the current digital context matches a stored predetermined digital context; 
 store, in the memory, the current digital context as a new predetermined digital context and further store, in the memory, an association between the new predetermined digital context and a photography mode indicated by receipt of user interface information associated with the current sensed scene if the current digital context does not match a stored predetermined digital context. 
 
     
     
       9. The non-transitory computer memory of  claim 8 , wherein the current digital context and each predetermined digital context comprise a plurality of scene information factors. 
     
     
       10. The non-transitory computer memory of  claim 9 , wherein determining if the current digital context matches a stored predetermined digital context comprises determining whether a plurality of scene information factors match between the current digital context and a predetermined digital context. 
     
     
       11. The non-transitory computer memory of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of scene information factors are chosen from the group of a time/date factor, a camera location factor, an audio similarity factor, and a scheduled event factor. 
     
     
       12. The non-transitory computer memory of  claim 8 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to use the photography mode associated with the stored predetermined digital context to capture an image of the current sensed scene if the current digital context matches a stored predetermined digital context. 
     
     
       13. The non-transitory computer memory of  claim 8 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to use a default photography mode to capture an image of the current sensed scene if the current digital context does not match a stored predetermined digital context. 
     
     
       14. The non-transitory computer memory of  claim 13 , wherein the default photography mode is an automatic photography mode. 
     
     
       15. A digital image capture device, comprising:
 an image sensor; 
 an optical system communicatively coupled to the image sensor; 
 memory communicatively coupled to the image sensor; and 
 one or more processors communicatively coupled to the image sensor and the memory and configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to cause the one or more processors to:
 store, in a memory, a plurality of predetermined digital contexts; 
 store, in the memory, a plurality of photography modes and information associating each pre-determined digital context with a photography mode; 
 sense a current digital context, the current digital context corresponding to a current sensed scene; 
 access the memory to determine if the current digital context matches a stored predetermined digital context; 
 select the photography mode associated with the stored predetermined digital context if the current digital context matches a stored predetermined digital context; 
 store, in the memory, the current digital context as a new predetermined digital context and further store, in the memory, an association between the new predetermined digital context and a photography mode indicated by receipt of user interface information associated with the current sensed scene if the current digital context does not match a stored predetermined digital context. 
 
 
     
     
       16. The digital image capture device of  claim 15 , wherein the current digital context and each predetermined digital context comprise a plurality of scene information factors. 
     
     
       17. The digital image capture device of  claim 16 , wherein determining if the current digital context matches a stored predetermined digital context comprises determining whether a plurality of scene information factors match between the current digital context and a predetermined digital context. 
     
     
       18. The digital image capture device of  claim 15 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to use the photography mode associated with the stored predetermined digital context to capture an image of the current sensed scene if the current digital context matches a stored predetermined digital context. 
     
     
       19. The digital image capture device of  claim 15 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to use a default photography mode to capture an image of the current sensed scene if the current digital context does not match a stored predetermined digital context. 
     
     
       20. The digital image capture device of  claim 19 , wherein the default photography mode is an automatic photography mode.