Electronic apparatus and method for main processor and image processor booting

• US 9,521,324 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2014
• Issued: 12/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Jang, Nam-young, Hong, Sung-bin
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Chia-Wei A
• Application Number:
  US14/566,031
• Publication Number:
  US 20150288881A1
• Time in Patent Office: 734 Days
• Field of Search: 348/222.1, 348/372, 348/374
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/65 Control of camera operation in relation to power supply

Abstract

An electronic apparatus and a method of controlling the same are described. A method of controlling an electronic apparatus having a main processor and an image processor includes: booting the main processor and the image processor according to a power input signal of the photographing apparatus; when the image processor is completely booted, performing a photographing preparation operation; photographing an object, performed by the image processor, in response to a shutter release signal; and generating photographing data of the object, performed by the image processor.

Claims

1. A method of controlling an electronic apparatus comprising a main processor and an image processor, the method comprising:

booting the main processor and the image processor according to a power input signal of the electronic apparatus;

when the image processor is completely booted, performing a photographing preparation operation;

photographing an object, performed by the image processor, in response to a shutter release signal; and

generating photographing data of the object, performed by the image processors;

when the main processor is completely booted, determining whether the main processor or the image processor has photographing control authorization according to a photographing mode of the electronic apparatus,

wherein, when the photographing mode of the electronic apparatus is a normal mode, it is determined that the main processor has the photographing control authorization, and

when the photographing mode of the electronic apparatus is a photographing optimizing mode, it is determined that the image processor has the photographing control authorization.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the generated photographing data in a storage unit of the image processor.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the storage unit comprises a first storage unit, the method further comprising:

determining whether the main processor is completely booted,

wherein, when the main processor is completely booted, photographing data stored in the first storage unit of the image processor is transmitted to a second storage unit of the main processor.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein it is determined whether the main processor is completely booted based on whether a booting complete flag of the main processor is set.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

when the main processor is completely booted, changing a storage path of photographing data that is to be captured to the second storage unit of the main processor.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the photographing preparation operation comprises at least one of driving of a lens unit and an imaging device, driving of a display unit that displays the photographing data, driving of an audio unit that controls input/output of audio data included in the photographing data, driving of a user interface unit for photographing the object, or driving of a manipulation unit that receives the shutter release signal.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein, when it is determined that the image processor has the photographing control authorization, the image processor controls driving of a display unit that displays the photographing data, driving of an audio unit that controls input/output of audio data corresponding to the photographing data, driving of a user interface unit for photographing the object, and driving of a manipulation unit that receives the shutter release signal.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein, when it is determined that the main processor has the photographing control authorization, the main processor controls driving of a display unit that displays the photographing data, driving of an audio unit that controls input/output of audio data corresponding to the photographing data, driving of a user interface unit for photographing the object, and driving of a manipulation unit that receives the shutter release signal.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the generated photographing data in a shared storage unit.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

after the main processor is completely booted,

receiving a reproduction request for the photographing data, performed by the main processor; and

outputting the stored photographing data on a display unit by accessing the shared storage unit, performed by the main processor.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the shared storage unit is implemented in a chip along with the image processor.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the shared storage unit is implemented in a chip along with the main processor.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the photographing data comprises still image data or moving image data.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein, according to whether the main processor is completely booted, one of the image processor and the main processor has display control authorization for displaying the generated photographing data on a display unit.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the main processor is an application processor.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a computer program for executing the method of claim 1.

17. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a main processor and an image processor;

wherein the main processor and the image processor start being booted according to a power input signal of the electronic apparatus, and

when the image processor is completely booted, the image processor performs a photographing preparation operation, photographs an object in response to a shutter release signal, and generates photographing data of the object;

wherein, when the main processor is completely booted, the electronic apparatus determines whether the main processor or the image processor has photographing control authorization according to a photographing mode of the electronic apparatus,

when the photographing mode of the electronic apparatus is a normal mode, the electronic apparatus determines that the main processor has the photographing control authorization, and

when the photographing mode of the electronic apparatus is a photographing optimizing mode, the electronic apparatus determines that the image processor has the photographing control authorization.

18. The electronic apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

a first storage unit communicatively connected to the image processor; and

a second storage unit communicatively connected to the main processor,

wherein the image processor stores the photographing data in the first storage unit.

19. The electronic apparatus of claim 18, wherein the image processor determines whether the main processor is completely booted, and, when the main processor is completely booted, transmits photographing data stored in the first storage unit to the second storage unit.

20. The electronic apparatus of claim 19, wherein the image processor determines whether the main processor is completely booted based on whether a booting complete flag of the main processor is set.

21. The electronic apparatus of claim 19, wherein, when the main processor is completely booted, the image processor changes a storage path of photographing data that is to be captured to the second storage unit.

22. The electronic apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

a lens unit, an imaging device, a display unit that displays the photographing data, an audio unit that controls input/output of audio data corresponding to the photographing data, a user interface unit for photographing the object, and a manipulation unit that receives the shutter release signal;

wherein the photographing preparation operation performed by the image processor comprises at least one of driving of the lens unit and the imaging device, driving of the display unit, driving of the audio unit, driving of the user interface unit, or driving of the manipulation unit.

23. The electronic apparatus of claim 17, wherein, when the electronic apparatus determines that the image processor has the photographing control authorization, the image processor controls driving of a display unit that displays the photographing data, driving of an audio unit that controls input/output of audio data corresponding to the photographing data, driving of a user interface unit for photographing the object, and driving of a manipulation unit that receives the shutter release signal, and

wherein, when the electronic apparatus determines that the main processor has the photographing control authorization, the main processor controls driving of the display unit that displays the photographing data, driving of the audio unit that controls input/output of audio data corresponding to the photographing data, driving of the user interface unit for photographing the object, and driving of the manipulation unit that receives the shutter release signal.

24. The electronic apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

a shared storage unit for storing the generated photographing data.

25. The electronic apparatus of claim 24, wherein, after the main processor is completely booted, when the main processor receives a reproduction request for the photographing data, the main processor outputs the stored photographing data on a display unit by accessing the shared storage unit.

26. The electronic apparatus of claim 24, wherein the shared storage unit is implemented in a chip along with the image processor.

27. The electronic apparatus of claim 24, wherein the shared storage unit is implemented in a chip along with the main processor.

28. The electronic apparatus of claim 17, wherein the main processor and the image processor are implemented in a same chip.