Digital camera having low power capture mode

摘要

A digital camera system providing a low-power image capture mode includes an image capture system, an image display and a power management system. The power management system is used to provide a normal image capture mode wherein captured digital images are displayed on the image display as they are captured, and a low-power image capture mode wherein captured digital images are not displayed on the image display as they are captured. A user interface includes a first user control for selecting between the normal image capture mode and the low-power image capture mode, and a second user control for initiating a video capture operation. The system is configured such that if the first user control is activated while a digital video is being captured, the power management system switches between the normal image capture mode and the low-power image capture mode without interrupting the video capture operation.

主权项

1. A digital camera system providing a low-power image capture mode, comprising:
a first image capture system including:
a first image sensor for capturing a digital image; anda first optical system, having a first optical axis, for forming an image of a scene onto the first image sensor; a second image capture system including:
a second image sensor for capturing a digital image; anda second optical system, having a second optical axis, for forming an image of a scene onto the second image sensor, wherein the second optical axis is different from the first optical axis; an image display; a power management system providing a normal image capture mode wherein captured digital images are displayed on the image display as they are captured and a low-power image capture mode wherein captured digital images are not displayed on the image display as they are captured; a user interface including a plurality of controls, including:
a first control for selecting between the normal image capture mode and the low-power image capture mode;a second control for initiating a video capture operation; anda third control for selecting between the first and second image capture systems; a data processing system; a storage memory for storing captured images; and a program memory communicatively connected to the data processing system and storing instructions configured to cause the data processing system to:
set the digital camera system to operate in either the normal image capture mode or the low-power image capture mode in response to activation of the first control;initiate a video capture operation in response to activation of the second control;capture a sequence of digital images and display the sequence of digital images on the image display as the sequence of digital images is captured when the digital camera system is set to operate in the normal image capture mode;capture a sequence of digital images and not display the sequence of digital images on the image display as it is captured when the digital camera system is set to operate in the low-power image capture mode;store the captured sequence of digital images in the storage memory;switch, in response to activation of the first control, between the normal image capture mode and the low-power image capture mode without interrupting the video capture operation; andautomatically switch to the low-power image capture mode in response to activation of the third control to select the second image capture system.