WEARABLE DEVICE AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF

• US 20170134645A1
• Filed: 11/09/2016
• Published: 05/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KIM, Dae-hyun, CHOI, Yong-jin, KIM, Lae-kyoung, JUNG, Jin-hyuk
• Granted Patent: US 10,205,874 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1647 including at least an additional display G06F1/1692 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1686 the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/50 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/60 Control of cameras or camera modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/64 Computer-aided capture of images, e.g. transfer from script file into camera, check of taken image quality, advice or proposal for image composition or decision on when to take image
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/67 Focus control based on electronic image sensor signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6812 based on additional sensors, e.g. acceleration sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/69 Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming

Abstract

A wearable device and a control method thereof is provided. The wearable device includes a display configured to display time information, a camera configured to photograph an image, a sensor configured to sense a user'"'"'s motion, and a processor configured to analyze the user'"'"'s motion based on a sensing value sensed by the sensor and to perform an image photographing if the user'"'"'s motion satisfies an image photographing condition, thereby enabling the user to perform image photographing easily using the wearable device.

Claims

1. A wearable device comprising:

a display configured to display time information;

a camera configured to photograph an image;

a sensor configured to sense a first user'"'"'s motion; and

a processor configured to;

analyze the first user'"'"'s motion based on a sensing value sensed by the sensor, and

control the camera to photograph an image if the first user'"'"'s motion satisfies an image photographing condition.

2. The wearable device according to claim 1,

wherein the sensor comprises:

a first sensor configured to sense an acceleration caused by the first user'"'"'s motion; and

a second sensor configured to sense an angular velocity caused by the first user'"'"'s motion, and

wherein the image photographing condition comprises an acceleration value sensed by the first sensor being equal to or greater than a predetermined critical velocity and an angular variation detected from the angular velocity sensed by the second sensor being equal to or greater than a predetermined critical value.

3. The wearable device according to claim 2,

wherein the processor is further configured to control the camera to convert an operation mode of the camera to a standby mode if the acceleration value sensed by the first sensor is equal to or greater than the predetermined critical velocity, and

wherein the camera performs auto focusing during the standby mode.

4. The wearable device according to claim 2,

wherein the image photographing condition further comprises a second user'"'"'s motion not being sensed within a predetermined critical time after the first user'"'"'s motion, and

wherein, if the second user'"'"'s motion is sensed, the processor is further configured to:

control the camera to determine a direction of movement of the second user'"'"'s motion based on the acceleration value sensed by the first sensor, and

perform a photographic operation based on the determined direction of movement.

5. The wearable device according to claim 4, wherein the processor is further configured to:

control the camera to perform a zoom-in photographing operation if the direction of movement of the second user'"'"'s motion is a first direction of approaching a subject to be photographed, and

control the camera to perform a zoom-out photographing operation if the direction of movement of the second user'"'"'s motion is a second direction of distancing away from the subject to be photographed.

6. The wearable device according to claim 4, wherein the processor is further configured to control the camera to perform a photographing operation related to screen conversion if the direction of movement of the second user'"'"'s motion is a direction towards a ground.

7. The wearable device according to claim 1,

wherein the camera comprises a lens, and

wherein the lens is located in a central region of the display.

8. The wearable device according to claim 7, further comprising:

an input interface configured to receive input of a user command,

wherein the input interface comprises;

a bezel manipulator formed on a rim of the display; and

a jog dial formed on one side surface of the display, and

wherein the processor is further configured to control the camera to perform a zoom-in/zoom-out photographing operation according to at least one manipulating direction of one of the bezel manipulator and the jog dial.

9. The wearable device according to claim 8, wherein the camera moves the lens or the display up and down according to a control command regarding the zoom-in/zoom-out photographing operation.

10. The wearable device according to claim 7, wherein the display displays at least one of the time information and a plurality of contents user interfaces (UIs) on a region of the display other than the central region where the lens is located.

11. The wearable device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a body comprising the display, the sensor, and the processor; and

a band that is physically connected with the body and configured to be wearable on a body part of the user,

wherein the band comprises one of a flexible display panel or includes a sub-display in one region thereof, and

wherein the one of the flexible display panel or the sub-display is communicably connected to the body through an interface.

12. The wearable device according to claim 11,

wherein the band displays a live view image through the one of the flexible display panel or the sub-display, if the operation mode of the camera is a standby mode.

13. A control method of a wearable device comprising a body including a camera, and a band physically connected to the body and configured to be wearable on a body part of a user, the control method comprising:

sensing a first user'"'"'s motion using a plurality of sensors;

analyzing the first user'"'"'s motion based on a sensing value sensed by the plurality of sensors;

determining whether the first user'"'"'s motion satisfies an image photographing condition; and

photographing an image through the camera if the first user'"'"'s motion satisfies the image photographing condition.

14. The control method according to claim 13, wherein the image photographic condition comprises an acceleration value sensed by a first sensor of the plurality of sensors being equal to or greater than a predetermined critical velocity and an angular variation detected from an angular velocity sensed by a second sensor being equal to or greater than a predetermined critical value.

15. The control method according to claim 14, further comprising:

converting an operation mode of the camera to a standby mode if the acceleration value sensed by the first sensor is equal to or greater than the predetermined critical velocity,

wherein the camera performs auto focusing during the standby mode.

16. The control method according to claim 14, further comprising:

determining whether a second user'"'"'s motion is sensed within a predetermined critical time after the first user'"'"'s motion; and

if the second user'"'"'s motion is sensed, determining a direction of movement of the second user'"'"'s motion and controlling a photographing operation of the camera based on the determined direction of movement,

wherein the image photographing condition further comprises the second user'"'"'s motion not being sensed within the predetermined critical time.

17. The control method according to claim 16, wherein the controlling of photographing operation of the camera comprises:

performing a zoom-in photographing operation if the direction of movement of the second user'"'"'s motion is a first direction of approaching a subject to be photographed, and

performing a zoom-out photographing operation if the direction of movement of the second user'"'"'s motion is a second direction of distancing away from the subject to be photographed.

18. The control method according to claim 16,

wherein the controlling of photographing operation of the camera comprises performing a photographing operation related to screen conversion if the direction of movement of the second user'"'"'s motion is a direction towards a ground.

19. The control method according to claim 16,

wherein the controlling of photographing operation of the camera comprises performing a zoom-in/zoom-out photographing operation according to at least one manipulating direction of one of a bezel formed on a rim of the display configured to display time information and a jog dial formed on one side surface of the display.

20. The control method according to claim 15,

wherein the band is configured as one of a flexible display panel or includes a sub-display in one region thereof, and the one of the flexible display panel or the sub-display is communicably connected to the body through an interface, and

wherein the converting of the operation mode of the camera to the standby mode comprises displaying a live view image through the one of the flexible display panel or the sub-display.