Photographing and electronic apparatus using same based on light blocking analysis

• US 8,964,108 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2013
• Issued: 02/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Futaihua Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Futaihua Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Yu, Qi-Long
• Primary Examiner(s): HOGUE, DENNIS A
• Application Number:
  US13/870,984
• Publication Number:
  US 20130286279A1
• Time in Patent Office: 669 Days
• Field of Search: 348/148, 348/207.99, 348/211.99, 348/222.1, 348/294, 348345-356, 348/361, 348/370, 348/371, 348/211.4, 382/104
• US Class Current: 348/370
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/60 Control of cameras or camera modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/74 by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means

Abstract

An electronic apparatus includes a lighting device, an imaging device, and a photographing system. The lighting device emits visible light. The imaging device views a subject. Prior to an image capture, the photographing system recognizes blocking of a bright light by a subject'"'"'s hand or arm, where the bright spot of light and the photographing system controls the bright light to switch off and immediately capture an image.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus, comprising:

a lighting device that emits visible light;

an imaging device that acquires an image of a subject; and

a photographing system comprising;

an adjusting module that adjusts a direction of the visible light to make the light pass next to the subject;

a recognizing module that recognizes a bright spot of light formed when the subject blocks the visible light with a body part of the subject, and determines states of the bright spot of light by analyzing the image of the subject, the states of the bright spot of light determined by periods of time and frequencies of the blocking of the visible light by the subject; and

a controlling module that controls the imaging device to execute a different photographing function for each state of the bright spot of light,

wherein the recognizing module determines that the bright spot of light is continuous shining when the bright spot of light lasts more than one second, and determines that the bright spot of light is flashing when the bright spot of light lasts less than one second, and

wherein the states of the bright spot of light comprise at least a continuous shining state in which the bright spot of light lasts more than one second, a first flashing state in which the bright spot of light flashes once within a predetermined time interval, and a second flashing state in which the bright spot of light flashes twice within the predetermined time interval.

2. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the photographing system further comprises:

a setting module that presets a plurality of correspondences between the photographing functions and the states of the bright spot of light.

3. The electronic apparatus of claim 2, wherein the controlling module controls the imaging device to execute a capture when the bright spot of light is in the continuous shining state.

4. The electronic apparatus of claim 2, wherein the controlling module controls the imaging device to execute a continuous capture action when the bright spot light is in the first flashing state.

5. The electronic apparatus of claim 4, wherein the controlling module controls the imaging device to execute a switching between ON state and OFF state of a flash lamp when the bright spot of light is in the second flashing.

6. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the recognizing module recognizes the bright spot in the image of the subject when a bright area in the image is larger than 1.5 times of an average brightness of ambient light and a radius of the bright area is less than a predetermined value.

7. A photographing method being performed by execution of computer readable program code by a processor of an electronic apparatus, the method comprising:

adjusting a direction of visible light emitted by a lighting device of the electronic apparatus to make the visible light pass next to a subject;

acquiring an image of the subject with an image device of the electronic apparatus;

analyzing the image of the subject to recognize a bright spot of light formed when the subject blocks the visible light with a body part of the subject;

determining states of the bright spot of light by measuring periods of time and frequencies of the blocking of the visible light by the subject; and

executing a different photographing function of the imaging device for each state of the bright spot of light,

wherein the bright spot of light is determined to be continuous shining when the bright spot of light lasts more than one second, and the bright spot of light is determined to be flashing when the bright spot of light lasts less than one second, and

wherein the states of the bright spot of light comprises at least a continuous shining state in which the bright spot of light lasts more than one second, a first flashing state in which the bright spot of light flashes once within a predetermined time interval, and a second flashing state in which the bright spot of light flashes twice within the predetermined time interval.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein a capture action is executed when the bright spot of light is in the continuous shining state.

9. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein a continuous capture action is executed when the bright spot of light is in the first flashing state.

10. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein a switching action between ON state and OFF state of a flash lamp is executed when the bright spot of light is in the second flashing state.

11. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the bright spot of light is recognized when a bright area in the image is larger than 1.5 times of an average brightness of ambient light and a radius of the bright area is less than a predetermined value.

12. An electronic apparatus, comprising:

a lighting device that emits visible light;

an imaging device that acquires an image of a subject; and

a photographing system comprising;

an adjusting module that adjusts a direction of the visible light to make the visible light pass next to the subject;

a recognizing module that recognizes a bright spot of light formed when the subject blocks the visible light with a body part of the subject, and determines states of the bright spot of light by analyzing the image of the subject, the states of the bright spot of light determined by periods of time and frequencies of the blocking of the visible light by the subject; and

a controlling module that controls the imaging device to execute a different photographing function for each state of the bright spot of light.

13. The electronic apparatus of claim 12, wherein the photographing system further comprises:

a setting module that presets a plurality of correspondences between a plurality of photographing functions and a plurality of states of the bright spot of light.

14. The electronic apparatus of claim 13, wherein the states of the bright spot of light comprise a continuous shining state, the recognizing module determines the bright spot of light in the continuous shining state when the bright spot of light lasts more than one second, the controlling module controls the imaging device to execute a capture corresponding to the continuous shining state of the bright spot of light.

15. The electronic apparatus of claim 13, wherein the states of the bright spot of light comprise a flashing state, the recognizing module determines the bright spot of light in the flashing state when the bright spot of light lasts less than one second, the controlling module controls the imaging device to execute a continuous capture action when the bright spot of light flashes once within a predetermined time interval.

16. The electronic apparatus of claim 15, wherein the controlling module controls the imaging device to execute a switching between ON state and OFF state of a flash lamp when the bright spot of light flashes twice within the predetermined time interval.

17. The electronic apparatus of claim 12, wherein the recognizing module recognizes the bright spot in the image of the subject when a bright area in the image is larger than 1.5 times of an average brightness of ambient light and a radius of the bright area is less than a predetermined value.