Android bound service camera initialization

• US 9,313,377 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2013
• Issued: 04/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Todeschini, Erik, Deloge, Stephen Patrick, Anderson, Donald
• Primary Examiner(s): Berhan, Ahmed A
• Application Number:
  US13/780,196
• Publication Number:
  US 20140104451A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,139 Days
• Field of Search: 348/345
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/2247 Characters composed of bars, e.g. CMC-7
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/00 Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/617 Upgrading or updating of programs or applications for camera control

Abstract

A mobile device includes a camera, a user interface system, and a processor communicatively coupled to the camera and the user interface system. The processor is typically configured for running a first application. The first application is typically configured for (i) accessing the camera, (ii) upon the initialization of the first application, initializing the camera, and (iii) maintaining the camera in an initialized state as long as the first application is running. The application may be further configured for focusing the camera and maintaining the camera in a focused state as long as the first application is running.

Claims

1. A mobile device, comprising:

a memory storing a first application;

a camera; and

a processor, wherein said memory, said camera, and said processor are communicatively coupled by at least one interface circuit, the processor being configured for running said first application, the first application being configured for;

accessing the camera;

running a first camera sequence for accessing image data from the camera;

upon initialization of the first application, running an instance of a camera object maintained in said memory independently of said camera service;

maintaining the camera in an initialized state via the camera object as long as the first application is running and after the camera sequence accessing live image data from the camera has been terminated.

2. The mobile device according to claim 1, wherein the first application is configured for, upon initializing the camera, allowing an initial focusing of the camera on live image data.

3. The mobile device according to claim 2, wherein the first application is configured for maintaining the camera in a focused state in regard to image data from the camera as long as the first application is running.

4. The mobile device according to claim 1, wherein maintaining the camera in an initialized state as long as the first application is running, whether or not said camera is in use, comprises maintaining camera initialization when the first application is not accessing the camera, when a sequence accessing image data has been terminated, or when a camera preview has been terminated.

5. The mobile device according to claim 1, wherein maintaining the camera in an initialized state comprises, when the first application is accessing the camera, regularly running a camera autofocus cycle and maintaining a focused state and an initialized state when the application is not accessing the camera.

6. The mobile device according to claim 1, wherein the first application is configured for, during termination of the first application, releasing the camera.

7. The mobile device according to claim 1, further comprising a user interface system generating a visual display.

8. The mobile device according to claim 7, wherein the first application is configured for, while accessing the camera, displaying live image data from the camera on the visual display.

9. The mobile device according to claim 7, wherein the first application is configured for, when live image data from the camera is not displayed on the visual display, maintaining the camera in an initialized state.

10. The mobile device according to claim 1, wherein the first application is configured for decoding barcodes from image data received from accessing the camera.

11. A mobile device, comprising:

a memory storing a first application, a camera service, and a camera object in respective memory blocks;

a camera;

a user interface system, the user interface system comprising a visual display; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the camera and the user interface system, the processor being configured for running (i) the Android operating system and (ii) said first application within the Android operating system, the first application being configured for;

upon being initialized, (i) initiating a camera singleton class or initiating a local camera service by extending the Android service class and (ii) creating an instance of the camera object with the initiated singleton class or initiated local camera service;

running a first camera sequence for accessing image data from the camera; and

maintaining the instance of the camera object as long as the first application is running and after the first camera sequence accessing image data has been terminated.

12. The mobile device according to claim 11, further comprising a first camera sequence within said first application, wherein said first camera sequence comprises an instruction for binding said first application to the local camera service, and thereafter capturing an image from the camera.

13. The mobile device according to claim 11, wherein running the first camera sequence comprises capturing an image from the camera.

14. The mobile device according to claim 13, wherein the first application is configured for, before capturing an image, focusing the camera.

15. The mobile device according to claim 14, wherein running the first camera sequence comprises displaying a preview of the camera on the visual display before capturing an image from the camera.

16. The mobile device according to claim 15, wherein the first application is configured for maintaining the camera in a focused state in regard to image data previously accessed by the first application whether or not a preview of the camera is displayed on the visual display.

17. The mobile device according to claim 15, wherein maintaining the instance of the camera object as long as the first application is running comprises maintaining the instance of the camera object when a preview of the camera is not displayed on the visual display.

18. The mobile device according to claim 15, wherein maintaining the instance of the camera object as long as the first application is running comprises releasing the camera during termination of the first application.

19. The mobile device according to claim 15, wherein running the first camera sequence comprises, after capturing an image, decoding a barcode from the image.

20. A mobile device comprising:

a camera;

a memory separately storing a first application, a camera service, and a camera object in respective memory blocks, wherein said first application is configured to maintain said camera object in said memory independently of said camera service and further configured to run a first camera sequence for accessing image data from the camera;

a processor configured to run said first application and said camera service;

wherein said camera, memory, and processor are communicatively coupled by at least one interface circuit; and

wherein said first application runs an instance of the camera object and maintains the camera in an initialized state as long as the first application is running and after the camera sequence accessing live image data from the camera has been terminated.