Mobile terminal and image capturing method thereof

• US 8,314,859 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2009
• Issued: 11/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Jong-Hwan, Park, Nam-Yong
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, LUONG TRUNG
• Application Number:
  US12/354,125
• Publication Number:
  US 20090295943A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,405 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 348/231.99
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/021 using combined folding and rotation motions combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0214 Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0233 Including a rotatable display body part
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0247 comprising more than two body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/145 Handheld terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/531 being rotatable or detachable
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/81 for suppressing or minimising disturbance in the image signal generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/144 camera and display on the same optical axis, e.g. optically multiplexing the camera and display for eye to eye contact

Abstract

A mobile terminal including a transparent display module, a camera arranged in correspondence to a rear surface of the transparent display module, and configured to capture an image of a subject through the transparent display module, and a controller configured to detect interference image information included in the captured image of the subject and to compensate the captured image of the subject based or the detected interference.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a transparent display module;

a camera arranged in correspondence to a first surface of the transparent display module, and configured to capture an image of a subject through the transparent display module; and

a controller configured to detect interference image information included in the image of the subject captured through the transparent display module and to compensate the image of the subject based on the interference image information,

wherein when the controller detects the interference image information included in the image of the subject captured through the transparent display module has a value more than a reference value, the controller is further configured to increase a transparency of the transparent display module.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, further comprising:

a memory configured to store compensation data used by the controller to compensate the image of the subject captured through the transparent display module.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein the compensation data includes at least one of color information (R, G, B), luminance information, brightness information, gamma control information or contrast information.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein the memory is further configured to further store a compensation function including a mathematical algorithm used by the controller to compensate the image of the subject captured through the transparent display module.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein when the controller detects the interference image information included in the image of the subject captured through the transparent display module has a value less than the reference value, the controller is further configured to compensate the image of the subject based on one of a preset compensation data or a compensation function.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to increase the transparency of the transparent display module by changing a size, a shape or a color of information output on the transparent display module.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to divide the transparent display module into a plurality of display regions, and to control the transparency of a display region corresponding to a location of the camera.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 7, wherein the controller is further configured to insert a specific image or a specific text along with the image of the subject captured through the transparent display module at a position corresponding to the location of the camera.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 7, wherein the controller is further configured to control a transparency of a display region having an area corresponding to a size of the camera.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the transparent display module comprises an organic light emitting diode (TOLED) module.

21. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the reference value is used to determine if the interference image information included in the image of the subject is within a range for correction by the compensation data so that the image of the subject is properly captured by the camera irrespective of a presence of the interference image information, and to determine if the interference image information included in the image of the subject is beyond the range for correction by the compensation data so that an image on the transparent display module through which the image of the subject is captured by the camera and which causes the interference image information is removed by increasing the transparency of the image on the transparent display module before the image of the subject is captured by the camera.

11. A method of controlling a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

capturing an image of a subject through a transparent display module via a camera arranged in correspondence to a first surface of the transparent display module;

detecting interference image information included in the image of the subject captured through the transparent display module; and

compensating the image of the subject based on the interference image information,

wherein when the detecting detects the interference image information included in the image of the subject captured through the transparent display module has a value more than a reference value, the compensating increases a transparency of the transparent display module.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

storing compensation data used by the controller to compensate the image of the subject captured through the transparent display module in a memory of the mobile terminal.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the compensation data includes at least one of color information (R, G, B), luminance information, brightness information, gamma control information or contrast information.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

storing a compensation function including a mathematical algorithm used by the controller to compensate the image of the subject captured through the transparent display module in the memory of the mobile terminal.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein when the detecting detects the interference image information included in the image of the subject captured through the transparent display module has a value less than the reference value, the compensating compensates the image of the subject based on one of a preset compensation data or a compensation function.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the compensating increases the transparency of the transparent display module by changing a size, a shape or a color of information output on the transparent display module.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

dividing the transparent display module into a plurality of display regions; and

controlling the transparency of a display region corresponding to a location of the camera.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the controlling inserts a specific image or a specific text along with the image of the subject at a position corresponding to the location of the camera.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the controlling controls a transparency of a display region having an area corresponding to a size of the camera.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the transparent display module comprises an organic light emitting diode (TOLED) module.