Released today by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the patent application called "Image Capture Device with Image Capture continue" considering a process in which the camera captures your smartphones and processes a sequence of images fast at the same time.
This in itself may not seem too innovative. But taking a step further, your smartphone would then automatically select the best image of the cluster based on the exposure time and other factors.
The idea behind the patent must avoid a default frustrating many smartphone cameras - shutter lag. There is a delay between the time you press the button to take the picture and when the picture is actually taken. Such delays can cause blurry pictures or poorly made, especially if you are trying to photograph a fast moving object.
Human error as a trembling hand on the camera, can also lead to bad photos.
The process described in the patent from Apple allows you to keep your finger on the camera button to quickly take a series of pictures in sequence until you release your finger. These images are stored in a buffer. Technology would be buffered through the images, choose the best based on a variety of factors. You should have the opportunity to review the choice to see if you agree with it.
As the patent explains:...
The method can automatically select one of the buffered images based on one or more parameters. For example, the selection may be based on an exposure time of one of the buffered images and optionally an image quality parameter (e.g., image contrast). Alternatively, the selection may be based only on the image quality parameter. The sequence of images can be captured just prior to or concurrently with receiving the user request. The method can include automatically displaying the selected image on the display of the image capturing device.
