IMAGE SIGNAL PROCESSING APPARATUS AND METHOD THEREOF IN MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS TERMINAL

• US 20090122154A1
• Filed: 01/09/2009
• Published: 05/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: LEE, Tae-Haeng
• Granted Patent: US 9,065,997 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/222.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/145 Handheld terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/45 for generating image signals from two or more image sensors being of different type or operating in different modes, e.g. with a CMOS sensor for moving images in combination with a charge-coupled device [CCD] for still images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/667 Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes

Abstract

An image signal processing apparatus and a method thereof which can simplify design of a circuit for controlling each of camera modules when a terminal has two camera modules therein, the image signal processing apparatus includes: first and second camera modules for capturing a subject; a digital signal processor for controlling each operation of the first and second camera modules and processing image signals captured by the first and the second camera modules; and a switch module for supplying control signals inputted through the digital signal processor to the first and second camera modules, and selectively outputting the image signals captured by the first and second camera modules to the digital signal processor.

Claims

1-24. -24. (canceled)

25. An image signal processing apparatus in a mobile communications terminal, comprising:

a first image capturing unit mounted on a back side of the mobile terminal such that a first plurality of objects is captured in a first direction;

a second image capturing unit mounted on a front side of the mobile terminal such that a second plurality of objects is captured in a second direction; and

a control unit for selectively operating at least one of the first and second image capturing units according to a capture mode.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the capture mode comprises at least one of a capture menu for capturing the first or second plurality of objects, an edit menu for editing the first or second plurality of captured objects, and a transmit menu for transmitting the first or second plurality of captured objects.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the first direction is not the same as the second direction.

28. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the first direction is the back side the mobile terminal and the second direction is the front side of the mobile terminal.

29. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the capture mode is selected via one of a user input and a system default.

30. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the capture mode is one of a general camera mode or a video communication mode.

31. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the both first and second image capturing units are operated in a general camera mode and a video communication mode.

32. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the first and second image capturing units comprise cameras.

33. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein either the first image capturing unit comprises a high resolution camera and the second image capturing unit comprises a low resolution camera or the first image capturing unit comprises a low resolution camera and the second image capturing unit comprises a high resolution camera.

34. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the first and second image capturing units are used to take one or more still pictures of the first plurality of objects or to record one or more videos of the second plurality of objects.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the one or more still pictures are taken in a general camera mode and the one or more videos are recorded in the video communication mode.

36. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the first image capturing unit is used to capture the first plurality of objects in a landscape mode and the second image capturing unit is used to capture the second plurality of objects in a portrait mode.

37. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the at least one of the first image capturing unit and second image capturing unit is selected according to the capture mode.

38. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the first and second plurality of objects may be captured using both the first and second image capturing units if both the first and second image capturing units are operated in a general camera mode.

39. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the first image capturing unit is automatically operated if the video communication mode is selected and the second image capturing unit is automatically operated if the general cameral mode is selected.

40. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the at least one of the first and second image capturing units operated in the capture mode is automatically re-operated when same capture mode is reactivated.

41. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the second image capturing unit is automatically re-operated after the general camera mode is exited after the second image capturing unit is used to capture the second plurality of objects and the general camera mode is reactivated by the user.

42. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the first image capturing unit is automatically operated if the general camera mode is selected and the second image capturing unit is automatically operated if the video communication mode is selected.

43. A method for capturing a plurality of objects using a plurality of image capturing modules in a mobile communications terminal, the method comprising:

capturing at least one of the plurality of objects in a first direction using a first image capturing module mounted on a back side of the mobile communications terminal; and

capturing at least one of the plurality of objects in a second direction using a second image capturing module mounted on a front side of the mobile terminal of the mobile communications terminal; and

operating at least one of the first image capturing module and second image capturing module according to a capture mode.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the capture mode is one of a general camera mode or a video communication mode.

45. The method of claim 43, wherein the capture mode comprises at least one of a capture menu for capturing the first or second plurality of objects, an edit menu for editing the first or second plurality of captured objects, or a transmit menu for transmitting the first or second plurality of captured objects.

46. The method of claim 43, wherein the first direction is the back side the mobile communication terminal and the second direction is the front side of the mobile communication terminal.

47. The method of claim 43, wherein either the first image capturing unit comprises a high resolution camera and the second image capturing unit comprises a low resolution camera or the first image capturing unit comprises a low resolution camera and the second image capturing unit comprises a high resolution camera.

48. The method of claim 43, wherein the first and second image capturing units are used to take one or more still pictures of the first plurality of objects or to record one or more videos of the second plurality of objects.

49. The method of claim 43, wherein the first image capturing module is used to capture at least one of the plurality of objects in a landscape mode and the second image capturing module is used to capture at least one of the plurality of objects in a portrait mode.

50. The method of claim 43, wherein the second image capturing module is automatically operated if the general cameral mode is selected, and the first image capturing module is automatically operated if the video communication mode is selected.

51. The method of claim 43, wherein the second image capturing module is automatically re-operated when the general camera mode is re-activated after the general camera mode is exited after the second image capturing module is used to capture the at least one of the plurality of objects.

52. The method of claim 43, wherein the at least one of the first and second image capturing modules operated in the capture mode is automatically re-operated when same capture mode is reactivated or reselected.

53. An image signal processing apparatus in a mobile communications terminal, comprising:

a first image capturing unit mounted on a back side of the mobile terminal such that a first plurality of objects is captured in a first direction;

a second image capturing unit mounted on a front side of the mobile terminal such that a second plurality of objects is captured in a second direction; and

a control unit for selectively operating at least one of the first and second image capturing units according to a capture mode comprising one of a general camera mode or a video communication mode,

wherein the first image capturing unit is operated if the general camera mode is selected and the second image capturing unit is operated if the video communication mode is selected.

54. The apparatus of claim 53, wherein the capture mode is selected via one of a user input and a system default.

55. A method for capturing a plurality of objects using a plurality of image capturing modules in a mobile communications terminal, the method comprising:

capturing at least one of the plurality of objects in a first direction using a first image capturing module mounted on a back side of the mobile communications terminal; and

capturing at least one of the plurality of objects in a second direction using a second image capturing module mounted on a front side of the mobile terminal of the mobile communications terminal; and

operating at least one of the first and second image capturing modules according to a capture mode comprising one of a general camera mode or a video communication mode,

wherein the first image capturing module is operated if the general camera mode is selected and the second image capturing module is operated if the video communication mode is selected.

56. The method of claim 55, wherein the capture mode is selected via one of a user input and a system default.