Methods and apparatus for receiving and storing in a camera a user controllable setting that is used to control composite image generation performed after image capture
A camera device including multiple optical chains receives user input indicating one or more user selectable control option setting(s), e.g., a user selected depth of field control option setting and an aspect ratio control option setting. The indicated control option settings are stored in memory in the camera device. Multiple optical chains of the camera device capture an image during an image capture time interval. A set of captured images are stored in a file along with metadata including the user indicated control option settings. A composite image is generated from a set of captured images in accordance with the stored indicated control option settings, e.g., generating a composite image with a user selected depth of field and/or a user selected aspect ratio. In some embodiments, at least some of the user selected control option settings are not used during image capture operations but are used in subsequent image processing.
1. A method comprising:
displaying a settings menu from which a user can select one of at least a depth of field (DOF) control option and an aspect ratio control option;
receiving, at a camera including multiple optical chains, user input indicating a user selectable image control option setting for use in controlling post image capture composite image generation, said user selectable image control option setting being a setting that is not used to control said multiple optical chains, said user selectable image control option setting being one of said depth of field (DOF) control option or said aspect ratio control option;
storing the user selectable image control option setting in a memory of said camera; and
presenting to a user of the camera, when the user input indicates selection of the depth of field control option, a user controllable depth of field slider for controlling a depth of field setting;
wherein said depth of field slider includes a position indicator dot indicating a current depth of field setting position and a plurality of small dots indicating a path over which the position indicator dot can be moved to a new depth of field setting; and
wherein the position indicator dot is a large dot which is at least as bright as the brightest small dot indicating the path over which the position indicator dot can move; and
operating multiple optical chains to capture images; and
controlling post image capture generation of a composite image from the images captured by the multiple optical chains based on the stored user selectable image control option setting.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
displaying a numerical indicator value indicating a new depth of field setting when the position indicator dot is moved to a new location on said depth of field slider, said numerical indicator value not being displayed over said new location while said depth of field position indicator dot is moved.
3. A method comprising:
displaying a settings menu from which a user can select one of at least a depth of field (DOF) control option and an aspect ratio control option;
receiving, at a camera including multiple optical chains, user input indicating a user selectable image control option setting for use in controlling post image capture composite image generation, said user selectable image control option setting being a setting that is not used to control said multiple optical chains, said user selectable image control option setting being one of said depth of field (DOF) control option or said aspect ratio control option;
storing the user selectable image control option setting in a memory of said camera;
presenting to a user of the camera, when the user input indicates selection of the depth of field control option, a user controllable depth of field slider for controlling a depth of field setting, wherein said depth of field slider includes a position indicator dot indicating a current depth of field setting position and a plurality of small dots indicating a path over which the position indicator dot can be moved to a new depth of field setting;
displaying a numerical indicator value indicating a new depth of field setting when the position indicator dot is moved to a new location on said depth of field slider, said numerical indicator value not being displayed over said new location while said depth of field position indicator dot is moved; and
wherein small dots on the path over which the position indicator dot can be moved are brighter on the side of the slider path matching the direction in which the slider was most recently moved than on the side of the slider path away from which the slider was most recently moved; and
operating multiple optical chains to capture images; and
controlling post image capture generation of a composite image from the images captured by the multiple optical chains based on the stored user selectable image control option setting.
4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:
when the user input indicates selection of the aspect ratio control option, presenting to the user of the camera a plurality of user selectable aspect ratios; and
monitoring for user input indicating selection of one of the user selectable aspect ratios.