USER-FEEDBACK VIDEO STABILIZATION DEVICE AND METHOD

Abstract

A device and method to provide the user of a video recording device, like a smartphone, on-screen feedback to control the stability of the output video. The demarcation of a shape on the screen indicates the bounds of the material to be included in the resultant output video. The shape moves, as required, on the screen in the direction intended to stabilize the video. Device embodiments may also comprise facilitations for maintaining the shape's location relative to the screen, in the event that the shape hits one of the screen's edges; in that way, the video recording can accommodate scene movements. Other embodiments provide capability for locking onto a physical location in space, regardless of camera position or orientation.

Claims

1. A video-recording device, wherein the user is provided on-screen feedback to control the stability of the output video comprising: a shape to clearly indicate the contents of the resultant output video within it; the motion of the shape in the direction intended to stabilize the video when such motion is required; option where the translation motion of the device in the 3 physical axes as well as rotational motion around each of the 3 axes may not be fully taken into consideration, with a limit placed on the actionable device motion information to at least one datum; algorithm wherein the motion of the shape on the screen in the direction intended to stabilize the video is in a direction approximately opposite of the motion of the video-recording device.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the motion of the device is determined using at least one inertial sensor onboard the device, like an accelerometer.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the motion of the device is determined using depth-field imaging sensors onboard the device.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the motion of the device is determined using an analysis of the video with a frame to frame comparison.

5. The device of claim 1, where the option is provided to remove the space surrounding the shape off the bounds of the screen, with the algorithms of the device working in the background, but the screen only shows the contents of the output video.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the location that the recording shape refers to in physical space changes as the box hits an edge of the screen, with the shape's relative location to the screen remaining constant.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the location of the recording shape relative to the screen changes using a spring-like motion to pull the shape back to any specified location on the screen including the centre of the screen, with velocity assigned to the motion at any specific point in time;

8. The device of claim 7, where such velocity depends on an acceleration, in turn depending on the distance between the box's current location, and the desired final location.

9. A video-recording device, wherein the user is provided on-screen feedback to control the stability of the output video comprising: a shape to clearly indicate the contents of the resultant output video within it; the motion of the shape in the direction intended to stabilize the video when such motion is required; option where the translation motion of the device in the 3 physical axes as well as rotational motion around each of the 3 axes may not be fully taken into consideration, with a limit placed on the actionable device motion information to at least one datum; algorithm where the motion of the shape in the direction intended to stabilize the video is in a direction that maintains a recording of a particular physical location in space.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the motion of the device is determined using at least one inertial sensor onboard the device, like an accelerometer.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the motion of the device is determined using depth-field imaging sensors onboard the device.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein the motion of the device is determined using an analysis of the video with a frame to frame comparison.

13. The device of claim 9, where the option is provided to remove the space surrounding the shape off the bounds of the screen, with the algorithms of the device working in the background, but the screen only shows the contents of the output video.

14. The device of claim 9, wherein the location that the recording shape refers to in physical space changes as the box hits an edge of the screen, with the shape's relative location to the screen remaining constant.

15. The device of claim 9, wherein the location of the recording shape relative to the screen changes using a spring-like motion to pull the shape back to any specified location on the screen including the centre of the screen, with velocity assigned to the motion at any specific point in time;

16. The device of claim 15, where such velocity depends on an acceleration, in turn depending on the distance between the box's current location, and the desired final location.

17. A video-recording method, wherein the user is provided on-screen feedback to control the stability of the output video comprising: a shape to clearly indicate the contents of the resultant output video within it; the motion of the shape in the direction intended to stabilize the video when such motion is required; option where the translation motion of the device in the 3 physical axes as well as rotational motion around each of the 3 axes may not be fully taken into consideration, with a limit placed on the actionable device motion information to at least one datum; algorithm wherein the motion of the shape on the screen in the direction intended to stabilize the video is in a direction opposite of the motion of the video-recording device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the motion of the device is determined using at least one inertial sensor onboard the device, like an accelerometer.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the motion of the device is determined using depth-field imaging sensors onboard the device.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the motion of the device is determined using an analysis of the video with a frame to frame comparison.

21. The method of claim 17, where the option is provided to remove the space surrounding the shape off the bounds of the screen, with the algorithms of the device working in the background, but the screen only shows the contents of the output video.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the location that the recording shape refers to in physical space changes as the box hits an edge of the screen, with the shape's relative location to the screen remaining constant.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein the location of the recording shape relative to the screen changes using a spring-like motion to pull the shape back to any specified location on the screen including the centre of the screen, with velocity assigned to the motion at any specific point in time;

24. The method of claim 23, where such velocity depends on an acceleration, in turn depending on the distance between the box's current location, and the desired final location.

25. A video-recording method, wherein the user is provided on-screen feedback to control the stability of the output video comprising: a shape to clearly indicate the contents of the resultant output video within it; the motion of the shape in the direction intended to stabilize the video when such motion is required; option where the translation motion of the device in the 3 physical axes as well as rotational motion around each of the 3 axes may not be fully taken into consideration, with a limit placed on the actionable device motion information to at least one datum; algorithm where the motion of the shape in the direction intended to stabilize the video is in a direction that maintains a recording of a particular physical location in space.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the motion of the device is determined using at least one inertial sensor onboard the device, like an accelerometer.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the motion of the device is determined using depth-field imaging sensors onboard the device.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the motion of the device is determined using an analysis of the video with a frame to frame comparison.

29. The method of claim 25, where the option is provided to remove the space surrounding the shape off the bounds of the screen, with the algorithms of the device working in the background, but the screen only shows the contents of the output video.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein the location that the recording shape refers to in physical space changes as the box hits an edge of the screen, with the shape's relative location to the screen remaining constant.

31. The method of claim 25, wherein the location of the recording shape relative to the screen changes using a spring-like motion to pull the shape back to any specified location on the screen including the centre of the screen, with velocity assigned to the motion at any specific point in time;

32. The method of claim 31, where such velocity depends on an acceleration, in turn depending on the distance between the box's current location, and the desired final location.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] FIG. 1 illustrates a video recording device with a screen, in this case a smartphone.

[0016] FIG. 2 shows the smartphone with a shape, in this case a rectangle, on the screen indicating the bounds of the output video, as well as the objects of interest being recorded.

[0017] FIG. 3 shows the smartphone about to move in one direction as the video output bounding box moves in the opposite direction.

[0018] FIG. 4 shows the location of the smartphone, box, and objects of interest after the move.

[0019] FIG. 5 shows the video output box hitting the left edge of the screen, where it remains as the smartphone continues to move towards the right.

[0020] FIG. 6 shows the automatic re-centering of the box to the centre of the screen, another method for the box to move on the screen.

[0021] FIG. 7 shows a smartphone about to undergo a rotation, along with the bounding box for video output, as well as the object of interest in the video.

[0022] FIG. 8 shows a smartphone after rotation along with the morphed shape of the video output bounding trapezoid, along with the distorted object of interest compared to the original frame.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] It should be reiterated that the embodiments described in the figures and in the following description are those of a few embodiments only. Such other embodiments that would be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art(s) to which the invention pertains are also contemplated herein.

[0024] Turning to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a video recording device 1 with a screen 2. For the sake of an example, the device 1 shown here is a smartphone. FIG. 2 illustrates the smartphone 1 where a camera view is seen on the screen 2, including the output video bounding area 3 and the object(s) of interest 4. It should be mentioned that the shape of the output video bounding area 3 can be that of any shape, but is shown here and in the successive figures as a quadrilateral for the sake of simplicity. FIG. 3 illustrates the smartphone 1 about to move in one direction, where the bounding box 3 will attempt to remain focused on the same object(s) of interest 4 in the same area of physical space, so the box 3 will move in the opposite direction. FIG. 4 shows the location of the smartphone 1, box 3, and objects of interest 4 after the move on the screen 2. If the motion shown in FIG. 3 continues, the box 3 will hit the edge of the screen 2 of the smartphone 1. FIG. 5 shows the smartphone 1 continuing in its described motion as the video output bounding box 3 remains in the same location on the screen 2, but of course the object(s) of interest 4 now occupy a new location relative to the video output box 3.

[0025] Another embodiment is featured in FIG. 6. After the motion described in FIG. 3, the box 3 is no longer in the centre of the screen 2. FIG. 6 shows a motionless smartphone 1 after the motion described in FIG. 3. However, an automatic re-centering process applies an acceleration to the box 3, dependent on the distance between the centre of the box 3 and the centre of the screen 2, to return the box 3 to the centre of the screen 2.

[0026] FIG. 7 describes another embodiment that examines how the software might deal with rotation. FIG. 7 illustrates a smartphone 1 about to undergo a rotation, along with the bounding box 3 for video output, as well as the object of interest 4 in the video. FIG. 8 shows the smartphone 1 after rotation, with object of interest 4 occupying a distorted figure on the screen 2 compared to the original frame. The bounding box 3 for the output video morphs into a trapezoid to compensate; resultant video will continue to be shown as a rectangle with the distortion corrected for. It is worth mentioning that the distortions shown in FIG. 8 are an exaggeration for clarification purposes; real effects may be much subtler.