DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE SAME

• US 20110187913A1
• Filed: 01/27/2011
• Published: 08/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Takahashi, Shinri
• Granted Patent: US 8,872,955 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/333.02
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/00 Details of cameras or camera bodies; Accessories therefor lens hoods or caps G03B11/04
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04101 2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/675 comprising setting of focusing regions

Abstract

Provided are a digital photographing apparatus including a 3D touch panel through which various manipulation signals of a photographer are input, and a method of controlling the digital photographing apparatus. Accordingly, not only plane coordinates information of an object is determined but also a distance between the object and the digital photographing apparatus is recognized as depth information to thereby control execution of a predetermined operation according to the depth information.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a digital photographing apparatus including a 3D touch panel, the method comprising:

determining plane coordinate information of an object over the 3D touch panel;

designating a subject area corresponding to the determined plane coordinate information of the object of an image input to the digital photographing apparatus;

determining depth information of the object over the 3D touch panel;

performing a photographing preparation operation with respect to a first image including the subject area, and according to the determined depth information of the object; and

capturing a second image including the subject area in relation to which the photographing preparation operation is performed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the photographing preparation operation is at least one selected from the group consisting of auto-focusing (AF), auto-exposure (AE), and auto-white balance (AWB).

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sensing a touch of the object on the 3D touch panel, wherein the second image including the subject area in relation to which the photographing preparation operation is captured in response to the sensing of the touch of the object.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein when a touch of the object is sensed while the photographing preparation operation is being performed, the second image of the subject area is captured after completing the photographing preparation operation.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein a setup of the digital photographing apparatus is locked or unlocked according to a result of the photographing preparation operation that is completed according to depth information of the object during a period from when the photographing preparation operation is completed to when a touch of the object is sensed.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein when the setup of the digital photographing apparatus is unlocked, a subject area corresponding to plane coordinate information of the object is designated again in an image input to the digital photographing apparatus.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein depth information of the object corresponds to a relative distance between the object and the 3D touch panel based on depth information of the object determined when the subject area is designated.

8. A method of controlling a digital photographing apparatus including a 3D touch panel, the method comprising:

determining plane coordinate information of an object over the 3D touch panel;

performing a first operation corresponding to the determined plane coordinate information of the object;

determining depth information of the object over the 3D touch panel; and

performing a second operation according to the depth information of the object.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the depth information of the object corresponds to a relative distance between the object and the 3D touch panel based on depth information of the object determined based on the determined plane coordinate information of the object.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

displaying a user interface that displays depth information of the object on the 3D touch panel.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

sensing a touch of the object on the 3D touch panel; and

performing a third operation corresponding to the sensed touch of the object.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein a zooming mode corresponding to the determined plane coordinate information of the object is started in a live-view mode, and a zooming magnification is set according to depth information of the object.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein a zooming area corresponding to the plane coordinate information of the object is selected in a playback mode, and a zooming magnification with respect to the zooming area is set according to depth information of the object that is determined when the zooming mode is started.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein a zooming mode corresponding to the plane coordinate information of the object is started in a live-view mode, and a zooming magnification is set according to depth information of the object, and an image that is input according to the set zooming magnification that is set to correspond to the sensed touch of the object is picked up.

15. A method of controlling a digital photographing apparatus including a 3D touch panel, the method comprising:

determining depth information of an object over the 3D touch panel;

performing a first operation corresponding to the depth information of the object;

sensing a touch of the object on the 3D touch panel; and

performing a second operation according to the sensed touch of the object.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein a menu to be set is selected from among a plurality of menus according to the depth information of the object, and an item corresponding to a touching position of the object is set among a plurality of items included in the menu that is selected to correspond to the touch of the object.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining plane coordinate information of the object on the 3D touch panel; and

starting a user setup mode corresponding to the plane coordinate information of the object.

18. A digital photographing apparatus comprising:

a 3D touch panel configured to determine plane coordinate information and depth information of an object;

a subject area setting unit configured to designate a subject area corresponding to the plane coordinate information of the object in an image input to the digital photographing apparatus;

a pre-processing control unit configured to perform a photographing preparation operation with respect to a first image of the subject area according to the depth information of the object; and

a photographing signal control unit configured to capture a second image of the subject area in relation to which the photographing preparation operation is performed.

19. The digital photographing apparatus of claim 18, wherein the photographing preparation operation is at least one selected from the group consisting of auto-focusing (AF), auto-exposure (AE), and auto-white balance (AWB).

20. The digital photographing apparatus of claim 18, wherein the 3D touch panel is configured to sense a touch of the object, and wherein the photographing signal control unit is configured to capture, after sensing the touch of the object, the second image of the subject area in relation to which the photographing preparation operation is performed.

21. The digital photographing apparatus of claim 18, wherein the photographing signal control unit is further configured to capture, when the 3D touch panel has sensed a touch of the object while the photographing preparation operation is being performed, the second image of the subject area after completing the photographing preparation operation.

22. The digital photographing apparatus of claim 18, further comprising a pre-processing setup locking/unlocking unit configured to lock or unlock a setup of the digital photographing apparatus according to a result of the photographing preparation operation that is completed according to depth information of the object during a period from when the photographing preparation operation is completed to when a touch of the object is sensed.

23. The digital photographing apparatus of claim 22, wherein the subject area setting unit is configured to designate, when the setup of the digital photographing apparatus is unlocked, a subject area corresponding to plane coordinate information of the object again in an image input to the digital photographing apparatus.

24. The digital photographing apparatus of claim 18, wherein depth information of the object corresponds to a relative distance between the object and the 3D touch panel based on depth information of the object determined when the subject area is designated.

25. A digital photographing apparatus comprising:

a 3D touch panel configured to determine plane coordinate information of an object and depth information of the object;

a first operation performing unit configured to perform a first operation corresponding to the plane coordinate information of the object; and

a second operation performing unit configured to perform a second operation according to the depth information of the object.

26. The digital photographing apparatus of claim 25, wherein the depth information of the object corresponds to a relative distance between the object and the 3D touch panel based on the depth information determined when the plane coordinate information of the object is determined.

27. The digital photographing apparatus of claim 25, wherein the 3D touch panel comprises a display unit displaying a user interface that displays depth information of the object.

28. The digital photographing apparatus of claim 25, further comprising a third operation performing unit configured to perform a third operation corresponding to the sensed touch of the object, if the 3D touch panel senses a touch of the object.

29. The digital photographing apparatus of claim 25, wherein the first operation performing unit is configured to start a zooming mode corresponding to the plane coordinate information of the object in a live-view mode, and the second operation performing unit is configured to set a zooming magnification according to depth information of the object.

30. The digital photographing apparatus of claim 25, wherein the first operation performing unit is configured to select a zooming area corresponding to the plane coordinate information of the object in a playback mode, and the second operation performing unit is configured to set a zooming magnification with respect to the zooming area according to depth information of the object.

31. The digital photographing apparatus of claim 28, wherein the first operation performing unit is configured to start a zooming mode corresponding to plane coordinate information of the object in a live-view mode, and the second operation performing unit is configured to set a zooming magnification with respect to the zooming area according to depth information of the object determined when the zooming mode is started, and the third operation performing unit is configured to pick up an image that is input according to the set zooming magnification that is set to correspond to the sensed touch of the object.

32. A digital photographing apparatus comprising:

a 3D touch panel configured to determine depth information of an object and sensing a touch of the object;

a first operation performing unit configured to perform a first operation corresponding to the depth information of the object; and

a second operation performing unit configured to perform a second operation corresponding to the sensed touch of the object.

33. The digital photographing apparatus of claim 32, wherein the first operation performing unit is configured to select a menu to be set from among a plurality of menus according to the depth information of the object determined when a user setup mode is started, and the second operation performing unit is configured to set an item corresponding to a touching position of the object from among a plurality of items included in the menu that is selected to correspond to the touch of the object.

34. The digital photographing apparatus of claim 32, wherein the 3D touch panel is further configured to determine plane coordinate information of the object, and the digital photographing apparatus further comprising:

a third operation performing unit configured to start a user setup mode corresponding to the plane coordinates information of the object.