enpan's Patent & Linux practice: 星軌拍攝變成自動計時器設定的專利

2022年8月31日星期三

星軌拍攝變成自動計時器設定的專利

這篇"私心地"介紹一件將本來手動拍攝的星軌變成相機內建以及自動化功能的專利，加上我的一些註解。看到這個專利，第一印象應該就是照相機內的拍攝模式的專利，仔細研讀後發現有點走鐘不符預期，但還是達到獲准專利的目的，並且想想，覺得星軌拍攝最重的元件真的是計時器，夜間伸手不見五指的環境其實燈號與計時的提示音還挺重要的。

Canon Inc.的美國專利US10313604涉及一種影像擷取裝置與控制方法（"Image capturing apparatus and control method thereof"），裝置就如照相機，特別是內建計時器，其中利用控制單元執行其中控制模式，大概就是一些厲害的相機內建的拍攝模式，想要講的是「縮時攝影」以及「疊合攝影」。

但取得這類專利並不容易，通過計時器控制拍攝時間的技術應該是很多很久的技術，結果Canon很技巧地從控制計時器LED功能的角度來取得我覺得是縮時或是疊合攝影的專利。

claim 1描述的裝置包括有發光器，這是用於告知計時器倒數計時的運作狀態（如電子快門裝置上的LED），以及記憶體與處理器，其中以控制單元控制發光器提供通知，裝置還包括從影像中辨識物件的物件偵測器，以及拍攝模式設定單元（就如照相機上的各種拍攝模式設定，如bulb），其中提出第一與第二拍攝模式，特別是第二模式是在暗處拍攝的模式，控制單元可以依據是否偵測到被拍攝物件來決定是否控制發光器發出通知。

1. An image capturing apparatus comprising:

a light emitter having a light source, configured to provide a notification of an operation status of a count-down operation of a self-timer when performing self-timer shooting, the notification being via light emission;

a memory and at least one processor, which function as:

a control unit configured to control the light emitter to provide the notification of the operation status of the self-timer in self-timer shooting if a predetermined condition that is assumed to be a shooting of a person is satisfied, and to control the light emitter not to provide the notification of the operation status of the self-timer in self timer shooting if the predetermined condition is not satisfied,

an object detector configured to detect a specific object from a captured image; and

a mode setting unit configured to set one of a plurality of operation modes,

wherein:

the predetermined condition includes a state where the object detector is detecting the specific object,

if the mode setting unit has set a first operation mode, the control unit is configured to control the light emitter to provide the notification of the operation status of the count-down operation of the self-timer in self-timer shooting irrespective of whether the object detector has detected the specific object, and

if the mode setting unit has set a second operation mode for a dark place, the control unit is configured to control the presence/absence of the notification of the operation status of the self-timer by the light emitter in accordance with whether the object detector has detected the specific object.

對我來說，專利範圍是技巧地以獲准專利為目的，說明書才是提供了解發明的最主要部分，若要取得星軌照片，如Fig. 9B, 9C，照相機內的軟體要執行很多流程，如圖8A~8D等。