Wireless communication terminal having function for automatically controlling flash and method thereof

• US 20060125929A1
• Filed: 12/13/2005
• Published: 06/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Pantech & Curitel Communications Incorporated (Pantech Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Pantech & Curitel Communications Incorporated (Pantech Incorporated)
• Inventors: Choi, Sung-Hwan
• Application Number:
  US11/303,058
• Publication Number:
  US 20060125929A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/211.200
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/72 Combination of two or more compensation controls

Abstract

A wireless communication terminal having a function for automatically controlling a flash and a method thereof are disclosed. The wireless communication terminal includes: an image capturing unit for obtaining an image of an object in real-time, converting the obtained image to an electric image signal, and automatically controlling a gain according to brightness of the electric image signal; an input unit for receiving an image capturing signal; a controller for confirming a gain value of an image signal which is automatically controlled in the image capturing unit when the image capturing signal is inputted through the input unit, comparing the confirmed gain value of the image signal with a predetermined threshold value, and generating a control signal according to the comparison signal; and a light emitting unit for emitting light in response to the control signal from the controller.

Claims

1. A wireless communication terminal having a function for automatically turning on/off a flash, comprising:

an image capturing unit for obtaining an image of an object in real-time, converting the obtained image to an electric image signal, and automatically controlling a gain according to brightness of the electric image signal;

an input unit for receiving an image capturing signal;

a controller for confirming a gain value of an image signal which is automatically controlled in the image capturing unit when the image capturing signal is inputted through the input unit, comparing the confirmed gain value of the image signal with a predetermined threshold value, and generating a control signal according to the comparison signal; and

a light emitting unit for emitting light in response to the control signal from the controller.

2. The wireless communication terminal having a function of automatically turning on/off a flash as recited in claim 1, wherein the image capturing unit includes:

an image capturing element for obtaining an image of an object and converting the obtained image to an electric image signal;

a noise eliminating unit for eliminating noises of the image signal obtained from the image capturing element;

a gain amplifying unit for controlling a gain value according to brightness of the image signal transferred from the noise eliminating unit; and

an analog-to-digital converter for converting an analog image signal transferred from the gain amplifying unit to a digital image signal.

3. The wireless communication terminal having a function of automatically turning on/off a flash as recited in claim 2, wherein the controller confirms the gain value of the gain amplifying unit through an IIC (inter integrated circuit) communication.

4. The wireless communication terminal having a function of automatically turning on/off a flash as recited in claim 1, wherein the controller outputs an enable signal as the control signal to turn on the light emitting unit when the gain value is larger than a predetermined threshold value, and outputs a disable signal as the control signal to turn off the light emitting when the gain value is smaller than the predetermined threshold value.

5. A method for automatically controlling a flash in a wireless communication terminal, the method comprising the steps of:

obtaining an image of an object when an image capturing signal is inputted;

converting the obtained image to an electric image signal and controlling a gain value according to brightness of the image signal;

determining whether the brightness of the image signal, which is controlled according to the gain value, is proper or not;

re-controlling the gain value when the brightness of the image signal is not proper and comparing the gain value and a predetermined threshold value when the brightness of the image signal is proper; and

outputting a control signal to turn on/off a light emitting unit according to the comparison result.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein in the outputting of the controlling signal, an enable signal is outputted as the control signal to turn on the light emitting unit when the gain value is larger than the predetermined threshold value, and a disable signal is outputted as the control signal to turn off the light emitting unit when the gain value is smaller than the predetermined threshold value.