Mobile terminal and photographing method for the same

• US 8,412,228 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2008
• Issued: 04/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Yoon, Young Kwon
• Primary Examiner(s): Edouard, Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wyche, Myron
• Application Number:
  US12/272,133
• Publication Number:
  US 20090131104A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,597 Days
• Field of Search: 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 348/207.1, 348/22.1, 348/241, 348/272, 348/27, 396/275
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/20 for generating image signals from infrared radiation only
• 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 23/70 Circuitry for compensating brightness variation in the scene
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure

Abstract

A mobile terminal and photographing method for the same are disclosed. The mobile terminal includes an optical section receiving optical signals, an image sensor comprising color sensor elements detecting sensing-image information from a transmitted optical signal, and infrared sensor elements detecting infrared-image information from the transmitted optical signal and an image processing unit producing infrared-image information of the color sensor elements, using the detected infrared-image information.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal comprising:

an optical section receiving optical signals;

an image sensor comprising;

color sensor elements detecting sensing-image information from a transmitted optical signal, and

infrared sensor elements detecting infrared-image information from the transmitted optical signal, said color sensor elements and infrared sensor elements being interspersed within a matrix structure; and

an image processing unit for;

determining an illuminance level of the optical signals;

detecting an infrared image from the infrared sensor elements and

producing an infrared-image from the infrared sensor elements when the illuminance is determined to be low; and

producing a color-image when the illuminance is determined to be normal, wherein the color image is obtained by excluding the infrared-image information of the infrared sensor elements from the sensing-image information of the color sensor elements.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the image processing unit produces color-image information of the infrared sensor elements, and restores color-image information of the color sensor elements and infrared sensor elements, using the produced color-image information.

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

a control unit controlling, in response to an image capture request, an operation to measure the illuminance on the basis of received optical signals, to initiate, when the measured illuminance is lower than or equal to a preset reference value, the low illuminance mode for photographing, and to initiate, when the measured illuminance is higher than the preset reference value, the normal illuminance mode for photographing.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 1, further comprising a buffer storing the detected infrared-image information in correspondence with positions of the individual infrared sensor elements, and storing the detected sensing-image information in correspondence with positions of the individual color sensor elements.

5. A photographing method for a mobile terminal, comprising:

receiving, in response to an image capture request, optical signals;

detecting sensing-image information of the optical signal through color sensor elements, and detecting infrared-image information of the optical signal through infrared sensor elements;

measuring an illuminance level of the optical signals; and

producing an infrared-image from the infrared sensor elements when the measured illuminance is low and a color-image when the measured illuminance is normal, wherein the color image is obtained by excluding the infrared-image information of the infrared sensor elements from the sensing-image information of the color sensor elements.

6. The photographing method of claim 5, further comprising:

producing color-image information of the infrared sensor elements using the produced color-image information; and

restoring color-image information of the color sensor elements and infrared sensor elements.

7. The photographing method of claim 5, further comprising:

initiating, when the measured illuminance is lower than or equal to a preset reference value, the low illuminance mode for photographing, and initiating, when the measured illuminance is higher than the preset reference value, the normal illuminance mode for photographing.

8. An image processing device comprising:

a processor in communication with a memory, the memory containing code which when accessed by the processor causes the processor to;

receive a plurality of optical signals from corresponding ones of a plurality of sensor elements arranged in a matrix, said optical signals being in a visible light range and an infrared light range;

determine a level of illumination of said received optical signals;

perform one of;

a low level illumination process when said determined level of illumination is no greater than a preset reference level, said low level illumination process comprising;

storing optical signals associated with said infrared light range; and

generating an image based on said stored optical signals; and

a normal illumination process when said determined level illumination is greater than the preset reference level, the normal illumination process comprising;

storing optical signals associated with the infrared light range and the visible light range; and

generating an image based on the stored optical signals, wherein the signals associated with the infrared light range are excluded.

9. The device of claim 8, further comprising:

interpolating said stored visible light range signals; and

generating the image based on said interpolated stored visible light signals.

10. An image processing device comprising:

a processor in communication with a memory, the memory containing code which when accessed by the processor causes the processor to;

receive a plurality of optical signals from corresponding ones of a plurality of sensor elements arranged in a matrix, said optical signals being in a visible light range and an infrared light range;

determine a time of day;

perform a normal level illumination process when said determined time of day is greater than a preset reference level, said normal level illumination process comprising;

storing the optical signals; and

generating an image based on said stored optical signals by excluding the optical signals associated with the infrared light range; and

perform a low level illumination process when said determined time of day is less than a preset reference level, said low level illumination process comprising;

storing the optical signals in the infrared light range; and

generating an image based on said stored optical signals.