Abstract: A method and apparatus for changing operating modes in an image capture device. The image capture device includes a shutter button, a first operating mode for capturing images, and a second operating mode for displaying the captured images on a display device. The method and apparatus include providing the image capture device with two sets of navigational control buttons, wherein a direction of image scrolling on the display in the second operating mode is mapped to the first set of navigational control buttons. The method and apparatus further include switching between the operating modes of the image capture device using the second set of navigational control buttons, whereby a user may change operating modes with the same mechanism that is used for image scrolling.In a further embodiment of the present invention, the .pi.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for integrating a user interface across multiple operating modes of a digital camera including a display. When the digital camera is placed into each one of the multiple operating modes, mode-specific items corresponding to that mode are displayed on the display. The digital camera includes a first button and a second button for interacting with the multiple operating modes, where the first button has a first orientation, and the second button has a second orientation. The method and apparatus includes mapping an aligned set of mode-specific items in the display to the orientation of the first button. After the mode-specific items are displayed, the user scrolls from one mode-specific item to the next in the aligned set by pressing the first button and the display indicates which of the mode-specific items is a currently active item.

Abstract: A method and system for reviewing and navigating through images displayed on an image capture unit is provided. A method and system includes displaying images in a predetermined number of group types. Each of the group types indicates a number of images to be displayed at a time. The number of images displayed at a time being a page of images. The method includes selecting one group type from the predetermined number of group types and navigating through a plurality of images within the group type through the use of a highlighting area surrounding an image to be selected. Finally, the method and system includes selecting a particular image within the group type based upon the highlighted area. In one aspect, the method and system includes a four-way button to facilitate ease of movement between an image or cell and between pages of images. It also includes a mode button which allows for movement between group types and a view button to facilitate selection of a particular image.

Abstract: A system and method for managing an image related event is disclosed. In one aspect, the method and system remove an image file on a digital imaging device. The image file is capable of including incompletely processed data. A reference to the image file is stored in a database. The method and system include ensuring that removal of the image file will not affect processing of a second image file and removing the reference to the image file from the database. In another aspect, the method and system mount a volume on a digital imaging device. The volume contains an image file capable of including incompletely processed data. The method and system include detecting the insertion of the volume, mounting the volume, providing a database including a reference to the image file, and completing image processing of the image file if the image file contains incompletely processed data.

Abstract: A method and system is disclosed for accelerating a user interface on a display of an image capture unit. The image capture unit includes a plurality of image files for providing a plurality of images. In a first aspect, the method and system comprise selecting an image based upon a scrolling method and providing a predetermined number of speculation buffers. The method and system include organizing the predetermined number of speculation buffers based upon the selected image so as to assign each of the predetermined number of speculation buffers to store one of the plurality of images in response to the scrolling method. In a second aspect, the image capture unit operates in a plurality of modes The image capture unit also includes a plurality of input buffers which are utilized in one of the plurality of modes and are unutilized on at least one of the other of the plurality of modes.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for timelapse capture in an image capture unit. A system and method for timelapse capture according to the present invention comprises capturing a first image automatically; initiating a sleep mode after capturing the first image; and transitioning from the sleep mode into a wake mode prior to capturing a second image. According to the present invention, a system and method is provided which provides a digital camera with the ability to automatically place the digital camera in a sleep mode during the interval when the camera is inactive. The sleep mode minimizes power consumption during inactive periods of a timelapse capture sequence, thus allowing automation of timelapse sequences. The sleep mode can be initiated if a predetermined time interval is greater than a setup time required prior to initiating the next image capture.

Abstract: A method for grouping related images captured with an image capture device includes identifying a first group, the first group distinguishing at least one first image of an image capture method defined in the image capture device, and identifying a second group, the second group distinguishing at least one second image of one or more designated image characteristics, wherein the first and second groups provide structured relationships among images. The first group further includes a natural group and the image capture method further includes a time lapse capture. A system includes a digital image capture device, the digital image capture device capable of capturing and processing digital image data, and a central processing unit within the digital image capture device. The central processing unit further coordinates identification of a first group and identification of a second group, wherein the first and second groups provide structured relationships among images.

Abstract: A method and system for correcting the aspect ratio of an image captured by a digital camera is disclosed. In one aspect, the method and system include determining if the image requires cropping, decompressing the image, and cropping the image if the image required cropping. The image is then provided to a display. In another aspect, the method and system include cropping an image to a predetermined shape and providing the data to a display buffer.

Abstract: A method for systematic generation of one or more image groups to relate a plurality of images as a single group includes providing an image command sequence. The image command sequence controls an image capture session comprising one of a plurality of capture types, and further includes a first command, the first command initiating the image capture session and formation of a first group, a plurality of parameters, the plurality of parameters characterizing the first group as one of at least two image capture group formats, and a second command, the second command ending the image capture session, wherein the image command sequence results in the single group of related images, and wherein the related plurality of images are identified through use of the single group. A system includes a digital image capture device, the digital image capture device capable of capturing and processing image data, and a central processing unit within the digital image capture device.

Abstract: A method and system for accelerating a user interface on a display of an image capture unit is disclosed. The image capture unit includes a plurality of image files for providing a plurality of images, the image capture unit further includes controls for allowing an image to be viewed on the display and for allowing navigation between the plurality of images. In a first aspect a method and system in accordance with the present invention comprises providing a low resolution image, medium resolution image and high resolution image within each image file and allowing the medium resolution image to be viewed on the display. In a second aspect a method for accelerating a user interface on a display of an image capture unit in accordance with the present invention includes a plurality of image files for providing a plurality of images, each image file includes a high resolution image therein.

Abstract: A method and system for displaying a series of images captured by a digital camera, which includes a user interface that includes a view finder. The method and system first stores each of the captured images in memory, and then displays a plurality of image cells in the view finder, wherein each of the image cells corresponds to one of the captured images. The method and system further provides at least one of the image cells with an image area for displaying the corresponding captured image, and further provides the at least one image cell with an icon area for displaying additional information regarding the corresponding captured image.

Abstract: A method and system for managing a removable memory used in a digital camera. The method and system includes creating a camera folder on the removable memory corresponding to the digital camera when the removable memory is first inserted into the digital camera. When images are captured, the images are stored only in the folder, such that the removable memory can be used with more than one digital camera without image name conflicts.

Abstract: A method and system for creating a slide show with real-time audio in a digital camera. First audio is recorded that implicitly includes a time-based time-line. While the audio is being recorded, a plurality of images are captured, where each one of the plurality of images is captured at some time along the time-line. After capturing images, the recording of the audio is ended. The method and system further includes presenting a slide show from the plurality of images and the recorded audio by playing the recorded audio, while displaying each one of the plurality of images on a display device at the time that the image was captured along the time-line of the recorded audio.

Abstract: A method and system for automatically focusing an image within a still camera is disclosed. The method and system comprises providing initial focus and exposure values of the image, calculating an exposure setting for the image, and determining a plurality of focus zones for the image. The method and system includes moving the lens through the plurality of focus zones of the image to obtain exposure and focus information about the image. Through a method and system in accordance with the present invention, a digital still camera can produce a three-dimensional like data set of a scene.

Abstract: A fixed lens camera comprises a fixed focus lens, an infrared filter, and an optical low pass filter, all disposed in succession within a housing, coaxial with an optical axis. Light from a target passes through an aperture in the housing, and then through the lenses and filters. An image sensor receives the filtered light, and outputs a two-dimensional array signal of corresponding voltages proportional to the incident light striking each sensing element. The voltage signal from the image sensor is filtered using a high pass filter, and the high frequency components of the signal are measured to determine the relative focus of the light from the target. The signal measurement is displayed on a bar LCD to enable focusing of the lens by moving the camera along the optical axis while observing the LCD output.

Abstract: A fixed-focus camera having a retractable close-up lens, fixed-focus lens, infrared filter, and optical low-pass filter disposed along an optical axis within a housing. The close-up lens is switchable between a close-up position coaxial with the optical axis and a far position not coaxial with the optical axis. Light received from a target passes through an aperture in the housing and then through the lenses and filters. An image sensor receives the filtered light and outputs a two-dimensional array signal of corresponding voltages proportional to the energy of light striking each sensing element. The voltage signal from the image sensor is filtered using a high-pass filter and the high-frequency components of the signal are measured to determine a relative focal value for the light received from the target.