CONTROLLING METHOD FOR ELECTRONIC APPARATUS WITH ONE SWITCH BUTTON

• US 20150207994A1
• Filed: 01/16/2015
• Published: 07/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Original Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Inventors: FOLCHI, David, SANGCO, Nicole Pauline, KUO, Ting-Chia, CHEN, Hui-Ping
• Granted Patent: US 9,578,239 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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

A controlling method suitable for an electronic apparatus is disclosed. The electronic apparatus includes a camera module and a switch button. The controlling method includes following steps. A holding duration is measured started from a first time point when the switch button is pressed down. In response to the holding duration ends within a first threshold period, a singular image is generated. In response to the holding duration exceeds the first threshold period and ends within a second threshold period from the first time point, a series of burst images during the holding duration is generated. In response to the holding duration exceeds the second threshold period, a series of burst images during the second threshold period is generated, and also a video is generated.

Claims

1. A controlling method, suitable for an electronic apparatus comprising a camera module and a switch button, the controlling method comprising:

sensing a signal from the switch button indicating whether the switch button is pressed down;

measuring a holding duration of the switch button; and

determining the holding duration relative to a first threshold period and a second threshold period, and selectively triggering a singular shooting mode, a burst shooting mode and a video recording mode of the camera module according to the holding duration.

2. The controlling method of claim 1, wherein the holding duration is started from a first time point when the switch button is pressed down, the step of selectively triggering the singular shooting mode, the burst shooting mode and the video recording mode of the camera module of the camera module according to the holding duration further comprising:

in response to the holding duration ends within the first threshold period from the first time point, triggering the singular shooting mode for generating a singular image captured by the camera module at the first time point;

in response to the holding duration exceeds the first threshold period and ends within the second threshold period from the first time point, triggering the burst shooting mode for generating a series of burst images captured by the camera module during the holding duration; and

in response to the holding duration exceeds the second threshold period, triggering the burst shooting mode for generating a series of burst images captured by the camera module during the second threshold period, and triggering the video recording mode for generating a video recorded by the camera module started from a second time point corresponding to the second threshold period, wherein the second time point is later than the first time point.

3. The controlling method of claim 2, wherein the electronic apparatus further comprising a sensor and a memory unit, the controlling method comprising:

in response to the sensor is triggered, activating the camera module to capture a series of temporary images periodically; and

storing the temporary images into a queue of the memory unit in chronological order.

4. The controlling method of claim 3, wherein the sensor is a grip sensor or a pressure sensor, and the sensor is triggered when the electronic apparatus is grasped.

5. The controlling method of claim 3, wherein in response to the holding duration ends within the first threshold period, the singular image is generated by dumping one of the temporary images corresponding to the first time point.

6. The controlling method of claim 3, wherein in response to the holding duration exceeds the first threshold period and ends within the second threshold period, the series of burst images are generated by dumping a series of the temporary images corresponding to the holding duration.

7. The controlling method of claim 6, wherein the series of burst images further comprises at least one pre-captured image, the pre-captured image is generated by dumping at least one of the temporary images captured between a third time point and the first time point, the third time point is earlier than the first time point.

8. The controlling method of claim 3, wherein in response to the holding duration exceeds the second threshold period, the series of burst images are generated by dumping a series of the temporary images corresponding to the second threshold period.

9. The controlling method of claim 8, wherein the series of burst images further comprises at least one pre-captured image, the pre-captured image is generated by dumping at least one of the temporary images captured between a third time point and the first time point, the third time point is earlier than the first time point.

10. The controlling method of claim 3, wherein in response to the holding duration exceeds the second threshold period, the camera module is switched into the video recording mode at the second time point for recording the video after the second time point.

11. An electronic apparatus, comprising:

a camera module;

a switch button, configured for generating a signal corresponding to whether the switch button is pressed down; and

a controller module, coupled with the camera module and the switch button, wherein the controller module is configured for sensing the signal from the switch button, measuring a holding duration of the switch button, determining the holding duration relative to a first threshold period and a second threshold period, and selectively triggering a singular shooting mode, a burst shooting mode and a video recording mode of the camera module according to the holding duration.

12. The electronic apparatus of claim 11, wherein the holding duration is started from a first time point when the switch button is pressed down,

in response to the holding duration ends within the first threshold period from the first time point, the controller module is configured for triggering the singular shooting mode for generating a singular image captured by the camera module at the first time point;

in response to the holding duration exceeds the first threshold period and ends within the second threshold period from the first time point, the controller module is configured for triggering the burst shooting mode for generating a series of burst images captured by the camera module during the holding duration; and

in response to the holding duration exceeds the second threshold period, the controller module is configured for triggering the burst shooting mode for generating a series of burst images captured by the camera module during the second threshold period, and further configured for triggering the video recording mode for generating a video recorded by the camera module started from a second time point corresponding to the second threshold period, the second time point is later than the first time point.

13. The electronic apparatus of claim 12, wherein the electronic apparatus further comprises:

a memory unit; and

a sensor, in response to the sensor is triggered, the controller module activates the camera module to capture a series of temporary images periodically, and the temporary images are stored into a queue of the memory unit in chronological order.

14. The electronic apparatus of claim 13, wherein the sensor is a grip sensor or a pressure sensor, and the sensor is triggered when the electronic apparatus is grasped.

15. The electronic apparatus of claim 13, wherein in response to the holding duration ends within the first threshold period, the controller module generates the singular image by dumping one of the temporary images corresponding to the first time point.

16. The electronic apparatus of claim 13, wherein in response to the holding duration exceeds the first threshold period and ends within the second threshold period, the controller module generates the series of burst images by dumping a series of the temporary images corresponding to the holding duration.

17. The electronic apparatus of claim 16, wherein the series of burst images further comprises at least one pre-captured image, the controller module generates the pre-captured image by dumping at least one of the temporary images captured between a third time point and the first time point, the third time point is earlier than the first time point.

18. The electronic apparatus of claim 13, wherein in response to the holding duration exceeds the second threshold period, the controller module generates the series of burst images by dumping a series of the temporary images corresponding to the second threshold period.

19. The electronic apparatus of claim 18, wherein the series of burst images further comprises at least one pre-captured image, the controller module generates the pre-captured image by dumping at least one of the temporary images captured between a third time point and the first time point, the third time point is earlier than the first time point.

20. The electronic apparatus of claim 13, wherein in response to the holding duration exceeds the second threshold period, the camera module is switched from a photo-capturing mode into a video-recording mode at the second time point for recording the video after the second time point.