Using gravity to direct a rotatable camera in a handheld electronic device

• US 8,159,363 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2009
• Issued: 04/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Song, Jae Ryee
• Primary Examiner(s): POPE, DARYL C
• Application Number:
  US12/371,768
• Publication Number:
  US 20100207774A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,156 Days
• Field of Search: 340/995.17, 340/995.19, 340/995.24, 340/686.6, 340/540, 701/211, 701/208, 701/209
• US Class Current: 340/686.6
• 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 23/61 based on recognised objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/695 Control of camera direction for changing a field of view, e.g. pan, tilt or based on tracking of objects

Abstract

In a handheld electronic device, a motor is controlled to adjust, according to input received at a user-input element of the device, an angle of rotation of a camera module about a rotation axis of the camera module. The camera module is partially embedded in a housing of the device. An image sensor is embedded in the camera module and senses an image in a field of view that is centered around a line of sight. The line of sight is perpendicular to the rotation axis. An orientation of the housing relative to a direction of gravity is sensed, and the motor is controlled to rotate the camera module and hence the line of sight about the rotation axis to achieve a particular angle between the line of sight and the direction of gravity.

Claims

1. A handheld electronic device comprising:

a housing;

a processor enclosed within the housing;

a camera module partially embedded in the housing, wherein the camera module is rotatable relative to the housing about a rotation axis of the camera module;

an image sensor embedded in the camera module to sense an image in a field of view that is centered around a line of sight, wherein the line of sight is perpendicular to the rotation axis;

a display controlled by the processor to display the image;

a motor coupled to the housing and to the camera module, wherein the motor is controllable by the processor to rotate the camera module and hence the line of sight about the rotation axis relative to the housing;

a tilt sensor coupled to the processor to sense an orientation of the housing relative to a direction of gravity;

an angle indicator coupled to the processor to detect an angle of rotation of the camera module and hence the line of sight about the rotation axis relative to a reference axis that is perpendicular to the rotation axis; and

a memory able to store executable code which, when executed by the processor, controls the motor to rotate the camera module and hence the line of sight about the rotation axis to achieve and to keep a particular angle between the line of sight and the direction of gravity, based on the information from the tilt sensor and the angle indicator.

2. The handheld electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a user-input element coupled to the processor,

wherein the executable code, when executed by the processor, sets the particular angle as a function of input received at the user-input element.

3. The handheld electronic device of claim 1, wherein the tilt sensor comprises an accelerometer.

4. The handheld electronic device of claim 1, wherein the tilt sensor comprises a gyroscope.

5. The handheld electronic device of claim 1, wherein the executable code, when executed by the processor, further controls the motor to rotate the camera module and hence the line of sight about the rotation axis as the orientation changes to maintain the particular angle between the line of sight and the direction of gravity.

6. The handheld electronic device of claim 5, further comprising:

a user-input element coupled to the processor,

wherein the executable code, when executed by the processor, sets the particular angle as a function of input received at the user-input element.

7. The handheld electronic device of claim 5, wherein an indication of the particular angle is preprogrammed to the memory.

8. The handheld electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a user-input element coupled to the processor,

wherein the memory is able to store a plurality of indications of angles between the line of sight and the direction of gravity, and

wherein the executable code, when executed by the processor, selects the particular angle from the plurality as a function of input received at the user-input element.

9. The handheld electronic device of claim 1, wherein a plurality of indications of angles between the line of sight and the direction of gravity are preprogrammed to the memory, and wherein the executable code, when executed by the processor, selects the particular angle from the plurality according to predefined criteria.

10. A method performed in a handheld electronic device, the method comprising:

displaying in a display of the handheld electronic device an image sensed by an image sensor embedded in a camera module, wherein the image is sensed in a field of view that is centered around a line of sight;

sensing an orientation of a housing of the handheld electronic device relative to a direction of gravity, wherein the camera module is partially embedded in said housing and is rotatable relative to the housing about a rotation axis of the camera module;

detecting an angle of rotation, relative to a reference axis, of the camera module and hence of the line of sight about a rotation axis of the camera module, wherein the line of sight is perpendicular to the rotation axis; and

controlling a motor of the handheld electronic device to rotate the camera module and hence the line of sight about the rotation axis to achieve a particular angle between the line of sight and the direction of gravity, based at least on the orientation of the housing relative to a direction of gravity and the angle of rotation of the camera module.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

preprogramming the particular angle to the handheld electronic device.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving input at a user-input element of the handheld electronic device; and

setting the particular angle according to the input.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving input at a user-input element of the handheld electronic device,

wherein controlling the motor comprises controlling the motor according to the input.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

controlling the motor to rotate the camera module and hence the line of sight about the rotation axis as the orientation changes to maintain the particular angle between the line of sight and the direction of gravity.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

detecting an event that appears in the image; and

consequently, producing an effect to alert of the event.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the event is appearance of an object.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the event is detection of motion of an object.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the effect is an audible effect.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the effect is a visual effect.

20. The method claim 10, further comprising:

storing a plurality of indications of angles between the line of sight and the direction of gravity in the handheld electronic device; and

receiving input at a user-input element of the handheld electronic device and setting the particular angle from the plurality according as a function of the input.

21. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

preprogramming a plurality of indications of angles between the line of sight and the direction of gravity to the handheld electronic device; and

selecting the particular angle from the plurality according to predefined criteria.