DEVICE, SYSTEM, AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING LIGHT SOURCE TO CAPTURE IMAGE

• US 20120320262A1
• Filed: 06/18/2012
• Published: 12/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung LED Co., Ltd. (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: CHUNG, Tai-oh
• Application Number:
  US13/525,809
• Publication Number:
  US 20120320262A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/370
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission

Abstract

A light source control device according to the present invention includes an image capturing unit for capturing an image by using light emitted from a light source and reflected or scattered on a subject; a user interface for receiving information regarding optical characteristics of the light source; a control unit for generating a light source control signal for setting a lighting state of the light source by using the received information regarding optical characteristics; and a wireless communication module for transmitting the generated light source control signal to the light source.

Claims

1. A light source control device comprising:

an image capturing unit for capturing an image by using light emitted from a light source and reflected or scattered on a subject;

a user interface for receiving information regarding optical characteristics of the light source;

a control unit for generating a light source control signal for setting a lighting state of the light source by using the received information regarding optical characteristics; and

a wireless communication module for transmitting the generated light source control signal to the light source.

2. The light source control device of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication module is detachably attached to the light source control device.

3. The light source control device of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication module uses a wireless communication protocol selected from among wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi), wireless broadband internet (WiBro), high speed downlink packet access (HSDPA), wireless local area network (WLAN), home radio frequency (Home RF), worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX), ZigBee, Bluetooth, ultra wideband (UWB), infrared data association (IrDA), and shared wireless access protocol (SWAP) protocols.

4. The light source control device of claim 3, wherein the user interface receives information regarding the wireless communication protocol used by the wireless communication module, and

wherein the wireless communication module transmits the generated light source control signal to the light source by using the wireless communication protocol.

5. The light source control device of claim 1, wherein the optical characteristics comprise at least one of a color temperature, a color, a luminance, a light source position, and a light irradiation angle.

6. The light source control device of claim 5, further comprising a sensor unit for detecting at least one of a color temperature distribution, a color distribution, and a luminance distribution of a lighting space around the subject illuminated by the light source, and generating a detection signal,

wherein the control unit generates the light source control signal by using the generated detection signal.

7. The light source control device of claim 6, further comprising a storage unit for storing a reference distribution value regarding at least one of the color temperature, the color, and the luminance,

wherein the control unit calculates a difference between the detection signal and the reference distribution value and, if the calculated difference is out of a predetermined range, generates the light source control signal by using the generated detection signal.

8. The light source control device of claim 5, further comprising a storage unit for storing a reference distribution value regarding at least one of the color temperature, the color, and the luminance,

wherein the control unit detects at least one of a color temperature distribution, a color distribution, and a luminance distribution of the image captured by the image capturing unit, generates a detection signal, calculates a difference between the detection signal and the reference distribution value, and, if the calculated difference is out of a predetermined range, generates the light source control signal by using the generated detection signal.

9. A light source control system comprising:

a light source control device comprising;

an image capturing unit for capturing an image by using light emitted from a light source and reflected or scattered on a subject;

a user interface for receiving information regarding optical characteristics of the light source;

a control unit for generating a light source control signal for setting a lighting state of the light source by using the received information regarding optical characteristics; and

a wireless communication module for transmitting the generated light source control signal to the light source; and

the light source comprising;

a lamp;

a reception unit for receiving the light source control signal; and

a driving control unit for driving the lamp by using the received light source control signal.

10. The light source control system of claim 9, wherein the optical characteristics comprise at least one of a color temperature, a color, a luminance, a light source position, and a light irradiation angle.

11. The light source control system of claim 10, wherein the light source control device further comprises:

a sensor unit for detecting at least one of a color temperature distribution, a color distribution, and a luminance distribution of a lighting space around the subject illuminated by the light source, and generating a detection signal; and

a storage unit for storing a reference distribution value regarding at least one of the color temperature, the color, and the luminance, and

wherein the control unit calculates a difference between the detection signal and the reference distribution value and, if the calculated difference is out of a predetermined range, generates the light source control signal by using the generated detection signal.

12. The light source control system of claim 10, wherein the light source control device further comprises a storage unit for storing a reference distribution value regarding at least one of the color temperature, the color, and the luminance, and

wherein the control unit detects at least one of a color temperature distribution, a color distribution, and a luminance distribution of the image captured by the image capturing unit, generates a detection signal, calculates a difference between the detection signal and the reference distribution value, and, if the calculated difference is out of a predetermined range, generates the light source control signal by using the generated detection signal.

13. A light source control method comprising:

(a) setting information regarding optical characteristics of a light source;

(b) generating a light source control signal for setting a lighting state of the light source by using the set information regarding optical characteristics; and

(c) transmitting the generated light source control signal to the light source by using a wireless communication protocol.

14. The light source control method of claim 13, wherein the wireless communication module uses a wireless communication protocol selected from among wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi), wireless broadband internet (WiBro), high speed downlink packet access (HSDPA), wireless local area network (WLAN), home radio frequency (Home RF), worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX), ZigBee, Bluetooth, ultra wideband (UWB), infrared data association (IrDA), and shared wireless access protocol (SWAP) protocols.

15. The light source control method of claim 14, further comprising, before operation (b), setting information regarding the wireless communication protocol.

16. The light source control method of claim 13, wherein the optical characteristics comprise at least one of a color temperature, a color, a luminance, a light source position, and a light irradiation angle.

17. The light source control method of claim 16, further comprising, after operation (c):

detecting at least one of a color temperature distribution, a color distribution, and a luminance distribution of a lighting space around a subject illuminated by the light source, and generating a detection signal; and

generating the light source control signal by using the generated detection signal.

18. The light source control method of claim 17, further comprising calculating a difference between the detection signal and a reference distribution value regarding at least one of the color temperature, the color, and the luminance and, if the calculated difference is out of a predetermined range, generating the light source control signal by using the generated detection signal.

19. The light source control method of claim 16, further comprising:

capturing an image;

detecting at least one of a color temperature distribution, a color distribution, and a luminance distribution of the captured image, and generating a detection signal; and

calculating a difference between the detection signal and a reference distribution value regarding at least one of the color temperature, the color, and the luminance and, if the calculated difference is out of a predetermined range, generating the light source control signal by using the generated detection signal.