Method for predicting quantity of taking pictures

• US 7,773,147 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2007
• Issued: 08/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Altek Corporation
• Original Assignee: Altek Corporation
• Inventors: Chuang, Shih-Fang
• Primary Examiner(s): Ye; Lin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Don
• Application Number:
  US11/703,123
• Publication Number:
  US 20080158390A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,280 Days
• Field of Search: 348/372, 348/333.02, 348/333.04, 348/333.13, 320/106, 320/124, 320/158, 320/159, 320/163, 320/164, 340/636.1, 340/636.11, 340/636.12, 340/636.13, 340/636.15, 396301-304, 396/539
• US Class Current: 348/372
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/633 for displaying additional information relating to control or operation of the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/651 for reducing power consumption by affecting camera operations, e.g. sleep mode, hibernation mode or power off of selective parts of the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure

Abstract

A method for predicting the quantity of pictures that can be taken is applied to a picture-taking function of a digital still camera. Firstly, a lookup table is individually built for different power using operations of a battery according to the operational modes of the picture-taking function. Next, the method looks up the corresponding lookup table according to an obtained battery voltage value of the digital still camera and the operational mode. Finally, a quantity of pictures that can be taken is obtained from the lookup table, and is displayed on a display unit of the digital still camera and is provided to the user. Thereby, the user can change the operational mode to reduce power consumption and take more pictures.

Claims

1. A method for predicting a quantity of pictures that can be taken for a digital still camera using a proprietary battery, comprising:

building a lookup table, wherein the lookup table includes a power consumption column, a battery discharging power column, and a picture-taking quantity column for recording a relationship between a battery voltage value and a quantity of pictures to be taken, wherein the quantity of pictures to be taken stored in the picture-taking quantity column is determined by calculating a ratio between a power consumption value stored in the power consumption column and a power discharging value stored in the battery discharging power column;

obtaining the battery voltage value of the digital still camera and looking up the lookup table to determine whether the battery voltage value obtained is recorded in the lookup table; and

if the battery voltage value obtained has been recorded in the lookup table obtaining the quantity of pictures to be taken from the picture-taking quantity column associated with the batter voltage value, or otherwise updating the lookup table according to the battery voltage value.

2. The method for predicting the quantity of pictures that can be taken as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lookup table comprises a voltage column, and a current consumption column.

3. The method for predicting the quantity of pictures that can be taken as claimed in claim 2, wherein the current of the current consumption column is obtained by measuring current via a current probe when the digital still camera is operating under an operational mode.

4. The method for predicting the quantity of pictures that can be taken as claimed in claim 2, wherein each power value of the battery discharging power column is generated by calculating corresponding voltage value of the voltage column according to a battery characteristic curve diagram.

5. The method for predicting the quantity of pictures that can be taken as claimed in claim 1, wherein the battery voltage value of the digital still camera is converted by an analog-to-digital converter.

6. The method for predicting the quantity of pictures that can be taken as claimed in claim 1, wherein the quantity of pictures that can be taken is displayed on a display unit of the digital still camera as a suggestion.

7. The method for predicting the quantity of pictures that can be taken as claimed in claim 6, wherein the suggestion is a text or a pattern.

8. A method for predicting the quantity of pictures that can be taken for a picture-taking function of a digital still camera using a proprietary battery, comprising:

individually building a lookup table having a power consumption column, a battery discharging power column, and a picture-taking quantity column according to operational modes of the picture-taking function, wherein the lookup table records a relationship between a battery voltage value and a quantity of pictures to be taken, wherein the quantity of pictures to be taken stored in the picture-taking quantity column is determined by calculating a ratio between a power consumption value stored in the power consumption column and a power discharging value stored in the battery discharging power column;

obtaining the battery voltage value of the digital still camera and looking up the corresponding lookup table according to the operational mode of the picture-taking function to determine whether the battery voltage value obtained is recorded in the lookup table; and

if the battery voltage value obtained has been recorded in the lookup table obtaining the quantity of pictures to be taken from the picture-taking quantity column associated with the battery voltage value, or otherwise updating the lookup table according to the battery voltage value obtained.

9. The method for predicting the quantity of pictures that can be taken as claimed in claim 8, wherein the operational mode of the picture-taking function is a normal mode, a flash mode, a live view mode, or a zoom mode.

10. The method for predicting the quantity of pictures that can be taken as claimed in claim 8, wherein the lookup table comprises a voltage column, and a current consumption column.

11. The method for predicting the quantity of pictures that can be taken as claimed in claim 10, wherein the current of the current consumption column is obtained by measuring current via a current probe when the digital still camera is operating under the operational mode.

12. The method for predicting the quantity of pictures that can be taken as claimed in claim 10, wherein each power value of the battery discharging power column is generated by calculating corresponding voltage value of the voltage column according to a battery characteristic curve diagram.

13. The method for predicting the quantity of pictures that can be taken as claimed in claim 8, wherein the battery voltage value of the digital still camera is converted by an analog-to-digital converter.

14. The method for predicting the quantity of pictures that can be taken as claimed in claim 8, wherein the quantity of pictures that can be taken is displayed on a display unit of the digital still camera as a suggestion.

15. The method for predicting the quantity of pictures that can be taken as claimed in claim 14, wherein the suggestion is a text or a pattern.

16. The method for predicting the quantity of pictures that can be taken as claimed in claim 14, wherein the battery voltage value of the digital still camera is repeatedly obtained to continuously obtain the quantity of pictures that can be taken after the suggestion is displayed.