METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR OPERATING SENSOR OF ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20170201684A1
• Filed: 12/08/2016
• Published: 07/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KANG, Seung-Goo, SIM, Hyun-Woo
• Granted Patent: US 10,382,686 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/57 Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices
• 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 23/6812 based on additional sensors, e.g. acceleration sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/687 by shifting the lens or sensor position
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an electronic device. The electronic device includes at least two camera modules, a motion sensor, and a control circuit configured to determine whether a first camera module of the at least two camera modules is activated, and when it is determined that the first camera module of the at least two camera modules is activated, control optical image stabilization of the first camera module using a signal received from the motion sensor.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

at least two camera modules including a first camera module and a second camera module;

a motion sensor; and

a control circuit configured to determine whether a first camera module is activated, and when it is determined that the first camera module is activated, control optical image stabilization of the first camera module using a signal received from the motion sensor.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein when it is determined that the first camera module is not activated and the second camera module is activated, the control circuit is further configured to control optical image stabilization of the second camera module using the signal received from the motion sensor.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the motion sensor is included in one of the first and second camera modules.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the motion sensor is included in a housing of the electronic device and outside of the first and second camera modules.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the motion sensor includes a gyro sensor for sensing a motion within a predetermined sensing range of at least a portion of the electronic device, and wherein the gyro sensor is capable of adjusting the predetermined sensing range.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the motion sensor senses a motion of at least a portion of the electronic device, senses a motion related to the electronic device within a first sensing range, and senses a motion related to the first camera module or the second camera module within a second sensing range.

7. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the first sensing range is greater than the second sensing range.

8. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the motion sensor senses a motion related to the first camera module or the second camera module and the electronic device within a third sensing range.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to determine a state of the electronic device using the signal received from the motion sensor, receive a first input for driving the first camera module, and control optical image stabilization related to the first camera module using the signal received from the motion sensor in response to the first input.

10. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to determine a state of the electronic device using the signal received from the motion sensor, receive a first input for driving the first camera module, and in response to the first input, stop determining the state of the electronic device using the signal received from the motion sensor and control optical image stabilization related to the first camera module using the signal from the motion sensor.

11. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the control circuit is further configured to receive a second input for driving the second camera module o, and control optical image stabilization related to the second camera module using the signal received from the motion sensor in response to the second input.

12. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the control circuit is further configured to receive a second input for driving the second camera module, and in response to the second input, stop determining the state of the electronic device and control of optical image stabilization related to the first camera module using the signal received from the motion sensor and control optical image stabilization related to the second camera module using the signal received from the motion sensor.

13. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the control circuit is further configured to receive a third input for driving the first and second camera modules in a dual mode, select any one of the first camera module or a second camera module in response to the third input, and control optical image stabilization related to the selected camera module using the signal received from the motion sensor.

14. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the control circuit is further configured to receive a fourth input for controlling optical image stabilization related to the first camera module and determination of the state of the electronic device and in response to the fourth input, determine the state of the electronic device and control optical image stabilization related to the first camera module using the signal received from the motion sensor.

15. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to control the optical image stabilization with respect to a direction in which the first camera module faces.

16. An electronic device, comprising:

a housing;

a first camera module exposed through a first portion of the housing and including a first optical image stabilizer;

a second camera module exposed through a second portion of the housing and including a second optical image stabilizer;

a sensor included in the housing and sensing a motion of at least a portion of the electronic device; and

a control circuit electrically connected with the first optical image stabilizer and the second optical image stabilizer and configured to, in response to receiving a signal from the sensor indicating a motion, provide a signal to both or a selected one of the first optical image stabilizer and the second optical image stabilizer.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the housing includes a first surface including the first portion and a second surface including the second portion, and wherein the electronic device further comprises a display exposed through a portion of the first surface.

18. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the sensor includes a gyro sensor, and wherein

the control circuit includes a processor electrically connected with both the gyro sensor and a memory, and wherein the memory stores instructions executed to enable the processor to receive a signal from the gyro sensor and control at least one of the first optical image stabilizer and the second optical image stabilizer according to the received signal.

19. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein the processor includes an application processor.

20. A non-transitory computer-recording medium run by at least one processor and retaining computer readable commands, wherein the commands are configured to determine whether a first camera module of at least two camera modules is activated, and when it is determined that the first camera module of the at least two camera modules is activated, control optical image stabilization of the first camera module using a signal received from the motion sensor.