US5682197A — Electronic panoramic camera for use with an exter…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 125 words

An electronic camera comprising an image sensor for producing image data, an output section from which the image data is communicated to an external processor, and an electronic control processor for transferring the image data to the output section, the improvement wherein the camera includes a mode selector for indicating whether the camera is to be used for panoramic pictures or for conventional format pictures, panoramic alignment indicia for aligning the camera relative to a subject at junctures defined by the indicia, and the electronic control processor includes a panoramic mode indicator and image addresses for the indicia with the image data when the mode selector is set for panoramic pictures in order to tag the image data for downstream processing in the external processor.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 125 words

An electronic camera comprising an image sensor for producing image data, an output section from which the image data is communicated to an external processor, and an electronic control processor for transferring the image data to the output section, the improvement wherein the camera includes a mode selector for indicating whether the camera is to be used for panoramic pictures or for conventional format pictures, panoramic alignment indicia for aligning the camera relative to a subject at junctures defined by the indicia, and the electronic control processor includes a panoramic mode indicator and image addresses for the indicia with the image data when the mode selector is set for panoramic pictures in order to tag the image data for downstream processing in the external processor.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 35 words

A camera as claimed in claim 1 wherein the camera captures a sequence of images and the panoramic mode indicator indicates which among the sequence of images are to be combined into a panoramic picture.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 39 words

A camera as claimed in claim 2 wherein the panoramic alignment indicia is used for aligning the camera relative to the sequence of images, such alignment facilitating subsequent production of a panoramic picture of the aligned sequence of images.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 64 words

A camera as claimed in claim 2 wherein the electronic control processor also includes a number and order of the sequence of images with the image data when the mode selector is set for panoramic pictures, the number and order specifying the number of images in a particular panoramic picture and the order of the panoramic picture within a sequence of panoramic pictures, respectively.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 44 words

An electronic imaging system including the camera as claimed in claim 2 wherein the external processor generates the panoramic picture, and wherein the external processor is responsive to the panoramic mode indicator for determining which images are to be processed into the panoramic picture.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 145 words

An electronic camera comprising an image sensor for producing image data from a sequence of images, a storage section from which the image data is communicated to an external processor, and an electronic control processor for transferring the image data to the storage section, the improvement wherein the camera includes a mode selector for indicating whether the camera is to be used for panoramic pictures or for conventional format pictures, a viewfinder having panoramic alignment indicia that are used for aligning the camera relative to the sequence of images for subsequently generating a panoramic picture, and the electronic control processor records a panoramic mode indicator and image addresses for the indicia in a data field accompanying the image data for each image when the mode selector is set for panoramic pictures in order to tag the image data for downstream processing in the external processor.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 145 words

An electronic camera comprising an image sensor for producing image data from a sequence of images, a storage section from which the image data is communicated to an external processor, and an electronic control processor for transferring the image data to the storage section, the improvement wherein the camera includes a mode selector for indicating whether the camera is to be used for panoramic pictures or for conventional format pictures, a viewfinder having panoramic alignment indicia that are used for aligning the camera relative to the sequence of images for subsequently generating a panoramic picture, and the electronic control processor records a panoramic mode indicator and image addresses for the indicia in a data field accompanying the image data for each image when the mode selector is set for panoramic pictures in order to tag the image data for downstream processing in the external processor.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 64 words

A camera as claimed in claim 6 wherein the electronic control processor also includes a number and order of the sequence of images with the image data when the mode selector is set for panoramic pictures, the number and order specifying the number of images in a particular panoramic picture and the order of the panoramic picture within a sequence of panoramic pictures, respectively.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 48 words

An electronic imaging system including the camera as claimed in claim 6 wherein the external processor generates the panoramic picture, and wherein the external processor is responsive to the data field including the panoramic mode indicator for determining which images are to be processed into a panoramic picture.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 53 words

A system as claimed in claim 8 wherein the storage section in the camera includes a removable storage element that is used to transfer the image data, the panoramic mode indicator and the image addresses for the indicia in the data field accompanying the image data from the camera to the external processor.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 150 words

An electronic camera comprising an image sensor for producing image data from a sequence of images, a storage section from which the image data is communicated to an external processor, and an electronic control processor for transferring the image data to the storage section, the improvement wherein the camera includes a mode selector for indicating the camera is to be used for panoramic pictures, a viewfinder having at least two spaced indicia that are used for aligning the camera relative to a subject at junctures defined by said indicia when capturing a sequence of images for a panoramic picture, and means for storing addresses locating the indicia within an image field captured by the camera, wherein the electronic control processor records a panoramic mode indicator and the addresses locating the indicia in a header accompanying the image data for each image when the mode selector is set for panoramic pictures.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 150 words

An electronic camera comprising an image sensor for producing image data from a sequence of images, a storage section from which the image data is communicated to an external processor, and an electronic control processor for transferring the image data to the storage section, the improvement wherein the camera includes a mode selector for indicating the camera is to be used for panoramic pictures, a viewfinder having at least two spaced indicia that are used for aligning the camera relative to a subject at junctures defined by said indicia when capturing a sequence of images for a panoramic picture, and means for storing addresses locating the indicia within an image field captured by the camera, wherein the electronic control processor records a panoramic mode indicator and the addresses locating the indicia in a header accompanying the image data for each image when the mode selector is set for panoramic pictures.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 64 words

A camera as claimed in claim 10 wherein the electronic control processor also includes a number and order of the sequence of images with the image data when the mode selector is set for panoramic pictures, the number and order specifying the number of images in a particular panoramic picture and the order of the panoramic picture within a sequence of panoramic pictures, respectively.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 47 words

An electronic imaging system including the camera as claimed in claim 10 wherein the external processor generates the panoramic picture, and wherein the external processor is responsive to the panoramic mode indicator in the header for determining which images are to be processed into a panoramic picture.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 52 words

A system as claimed in claim 12 wherein the storage section in the camera includes a removable storage element that is used to transfer the image data, the panoramic mode indicator and the image addresses for the indicia in the header accompanying the image data from the camera to the external processor.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 84 words

A camera used for capturing a sequence of images to generate a panoramic picture, the improvement wherein the camera includes a viewfinder having at least two spaced indicia that are used for aligning the camera relative to a subject at junctures defined by said indicia when capturing the sequence of images for the panoramic picture and means for storing addresses locating the indicia within an image field captured by the camera, said addresses subsequently used in processing the images to generate the panoramic picture.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 84 words

A camera used for capturing a sequence of images to generate a panoramic picture, the improvement wherein the camera includes a viewfinder having at least two spaced indicia that are used for aligning the camera relative to a subject at junctures defined by said indicia when capturing the sequence of images for the panoramic picture and means for storing addresses locating the indicia within an image field captured by the camera, said addresses subsequently used in processing the images to generate the panoramic picture.

Claim 19

Independent Claim 146 words

A method for generating a panoramic picture from a sequence of conventional format images captured by an electronic camera, said method comprising the steps of: indicating whether the camera is to be used for capturing a panoramic image or a conventional image; defining the juncture between images by relation to indicia displayed in a viewfinder on the camera; generating image data corresponding to a related sequence of conventional format images; including a panoramic mode indicator and image addresses for the indicia with the image data corresponding to the related sequence of conventional images when the camera is to be used for capturing the panoramic image in order to tag the image for downstream processing; selecting image data for processing by reference to the panoramic mode indicator; and processing the selected image data into panoramic picture by reference to the image addresses defining the juncture between images.

Claim 20

Independent Claim 146 words

A method for generating a panoramic picture from a sequence of conventional format images captured by an electronic camera, said method comprising the steps of: indicating whether the camera is to be used for capturing a panoramic image or a conventional image; defining the juncture between images by relation to indicia displayed in a viewfinder on the camera; generating image data corresponding to a related sequence of conventional format images; including a panoramic mode indicator and image addresses for the indicia with the image data corresponding to the related sequence of conventional images when the camera is to be used for capturing the panoramic image in order to tag the image for downstream processing; selecting image data for processing by reference to the panoramic mode indicator; and processing the selected image data into panoramic picture by reference to the image addresses defining the juncture between images.

Claim 21

Independent Claim 159 words

A method for generating a panoramic picture in an external processor from a sequence of conventional format images captured by an electronic camera, said method comprising the steps of: indicating that the camera is to be used for capturing a panoramic image; aligning a related sequence of conventional format images by use of two panoramic indicia in a viewfinder of the camera; capturing each related image in the sequence by displacing the field of view of the camera for each image such that alternate panoramic indicia for adjacent images are aligned relative to a common feature; generating image data corresponding to the related sequence of conventional images; storing addresses locating the indicia within an image field captured by the camera; and including a panoramic mode indicator and the addresses locating the indicia with the image data corresponding to the related sequence of conventional images in order to process the image data into the panoramic picture in the external processor.

Claim 22

Independent Claim 159 words

A method for generating a panoramic picture in an external processor from a sequence of conventional format images captured by an electronic camera, said method comprising the steps of: indicating that the camera is to be used for capturing a panoramic image; aligning a related sequence of conventional format images by use of two panoramic indicia in a viewfinder of the camera; capturing each related image in the sequence by displacing the field of view of the camera for each image such that alternate panoramic indicia for adjacent images are aligned relative to a common feature; generating image data corresponding to the related sequence of conventional images; storing addresses locating the indicia within an image field captured by the camera; and including a panoramic mode indicator and the addresses locating the indicia with the image data corresponding to the related sequence of conventional images in order to process the image data into the panoramic picture in the external processor.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 40 words

The method as claimed in claim 16 further comprising the steps of: selecting image data for processing by reference to the panoramic mode indicator and the addresses locating the indicia; and processing the selected image data into the panoramic picture.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2000-10-27	2001-04-28	2001-10-28	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2004-10-27	2005-04-28	2005-10-28	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2008-10-27	2009-04-28	2009-10-28	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Electronic panoramic camera for use with an external processor

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