Camera configurable for autonomous operation

1. A method of automatically capturing an image with an image capture device comprising:

selecting an automatic image trigger condition;

entering a threshold level corresponding to the automatic image trigger condition, wherein reaching the threshold level of the automatic trigger condition indicates that a suitable image can be captured;

monitoring of a signal for detecting the automatic image trigger condition; and

automatically operating the image capture device to capture at least one digital image upon the automatic detection of the automatic image trigger condition meeting the threshold level.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting the automatic image trigger condition further comprises selecting the presence of predetermined image content in the field of view of the image capture device.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein selecting the presence of predetermined image content comprises selecting the predetermined image content from a portion of an image previously captured and stored in the image capture device.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein selecting the predetermined image content from a portion of an image previously captured and stored in the image capture device further comprises indicating the predetermined image content by using a touchscreen.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein selecting the predetermined image content from a portion of an image previously captured and stored in the image captured device further comprises outlining the predetermined image content from a group consisting of an object, animal and person from the previously captured and stored image displayed on the image capture device.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein selecting the predetermined image content further comprises selecting the predetermined image content from a portion of digital image that is accessible to the image capture device.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising accessing the digital images via a network.

8. The method of claim 2 further comprising analyzing an image collection to select the predetermined image content.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein analyzing the image collection to select the predetermined image content further comprises analyzing image metadata.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein analyzing the image collection to select the predetermined image content further comprises using an Image Value Index.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein analyzing the image collection to select the predetermined image content further comprises analyzing the image content.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting a region of interest in the obtained at least one digital image; and

cropping the at least one digital image automatically according to the region of interest in the image, and forming a conditioned digital image.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting the at least one automatic image trigger further comprises selecting the automatic image trigger from the group consisting of laughter, applause, transition in volume level over a predefined threshold, a spoken term or phrase, a sound made by a prompt device, a certain person's voice, presence of a preferred subject in the field of view of the image capture device, a change in temperature, a change in vibration, a change in spectrum, a change in infrared, a change in ultraviolet, a change in electric field, a change in magnetic field, a change in radiation, and a change in air flow.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of monitoring a signal further comprises using a sensor to produce a signal and monitoring the signal from the sensor, wherein the sensor is selected from the group consisting of an audio sensor, a heat sensor, a vibration sensor, a spectral sensor, an ultraviolet sensor, an infrared sensor, an electric field sensor, a magnetic field sensor, a radiation sensor, an air flow sensor, a motion sensor or an image sensor.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the at least one digital image further comprises obtaining an image capture set having both at least one still image and a predetermined number of seconds of video preceeding the detection of the automatic image trigger condition.

16. A method of claim 15 , wherein obtaining an image capture set further comprises obtaining a combination of at least one still image, a predetermined number of seconds of video preceding the detection of the automatic image trigger condition and a predetermined number of seconds of video following the detection of the automatic image trigger condition.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the still image is automatically cropped using information from the video.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the still image is automatically cropped using information from the automatic image trigger condition.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of monitoring the signal is provided by analyzing images from an image sensor.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising detecting motion using the image sensor.

21. The method of claim 1 , wherein monitoring the signal further comprises detecting changes in light level in excess of a predetermined threshold value.

22. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting the automatic image trigger condition further comprises selecting more than one automatic image trigger condition, with corresponding thresholds and obtaining at least one digital image upon detecting that all of the more than one automatic image trigger conditions thresholds have been met.

23. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting the automatic image trigger condition comprises accepting predetermined default conditions for the image capture device.

24. The method of claim 1 , wherein the automatic image trigger condition for obtaining the at least one digital image further comprises detecting motion starting or motion stopping in the field of view of the image capture device.