Electronic device and method for controlling operation of camera-related application based on memory status of the electronic device thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10609276-B2
Application number	US-201715432079-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 14, 2017
Priority date	Feb 19, 2016
Publication date	Mar 31, 2020
Grant date	Mar 31, 2020

Abstract

An electronic device may include a display, a camera module, a processor electrically coupled to the display and the camera module, and a memory electrically coupled to the processor. The memory may store instructions executed by the processor to monitor a state of the electronic device and control execution of a camera-related application based on at least one portion of a result of monitoring the state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a display;
a camera module;
a processor electrically coupled to the display and the camera module;
a first memory storing data relating to applications installed in the electronic device; and
a second memory storing an image generated for displaying on the display,
wherein the first memory stores program instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:
identify, in response to execution of a camera-related application, an available amount of the first memory, and
compare the available amount of the first memory to a predetermined first reference value, whether to determine when to decode an image related to an execution screen of the camera-related application, and map the decoded image onto the second memory relative to a user input,

wherein when the available amount is greater than predetermined first reference value, the image is decoded prior to receiving a user input, and when the available amount is less than the predetermined first reference value, the image is decoded after receiving the user input.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions are further executed by processor to:
in response to the available amount of the first memory is greater than or equal to the predetermined first reference value, before detecting the user input for controlling the camera-related application, decode an image related to an execution screen of the camera-related application, map the decoded image onto the second memory, and render an image to be output to the display based on the image mapped onto the second memory for display upon detection of the user input; and
in response to the available amount of the first memory is less than the predetermined first reference value, in response to detecting the user input, decode the image related to an execution screen of the camera-related application, map the decoded image onto the second memory, and render an image to be output to the display based on the image mapped onto the second memory.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the program instructions are executed by the processor to:
in response to the available amount of the first memory is less than a predetermined second reference value and greater than or equal to the predetermined first reference value, before detecting the user input, decode the image related to the execution screen of the camera-related application, map the decoded image onto the second memory if the user input is detected, and render an image to be output to the display based on the image mapped onto the second memory.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising: at least one sensor, the program instructions further executed by the processor to:
measure an environmental illuminance via the at least one sensor and adjusting a frame rate of the camera module in the camera-related application in proportion to the measured environmental illuminance.

5. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the program instructions are further executed by the processor to adjust a number of buffers allocated in the first memory for a camera-related operation of the electronic device according to the adjusted frame rate.

6. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the program instructions are further executed by the processor to:
identify an operating mode of the camera-related application; and
if the identified operating mode is a continuous shooting mode, set at least one of a continuous shooting speed and a number frames to execute continuous shooting according to an environmental illuminance as measured by a sensor according to at least one of the available amount of the first memory, or a sensor.

7. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the program instructions are further executed by the processor to:
if the identified operating mode is a panorama shooting mode, adjust a resolution of an image captured according at least one of the available amount of the first memory and the environmental illuminance as detected by a sensor.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions are further executed by the processor to:
in response to detecting a user input activating the camera-related application, identify the available amount of the first memory,
generate a plurality of threads when the camera-related application is activated and process the plurality of threads in parallel if the available amount of the first memory is greater than or equal to a predetermined third reference value, and
process at least one portion of the plurality of threads sequentially according to a predetermined processing reference value if the available amount of the first memory is less than the predetermined third reference value.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the program instructions are further executed by the processor to determine an order of execution for the plurality of threads according to a memory amount utilized for processing each of the plurality of threads.

10. A method in an electronic device, comprising:
identifying, in response to execution of a camera-related application, an available amount of a first memory storing data relating to applications installed in the electronic device; and
comparing the available amount of the first memory to a predetermined first reference value to determine when to decode an image related to an execution screen of the camera-related application and map the decoded image onto a second memory storing an image generated for displaying on a display, relative to a user input,
wherein when the available amount is greater than predetermined first reference value, the image is decoded prior to receiving a user input, and when the available amount is less than the predetermined first reference value, the image is decoded after receiving the user input.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the operation of determining comprises:
in response to the available amount of the first memory is greater than or equal to the predetermined first reference value, before detecting a user input for controlling the camera-related application, decoding an image related to an execution screen of the camera-related application, mapping the decoded image onto the second memory, and rendering an image to be output to the display based on the image mapped onto the second memory for display upon detection of the user input; and
in response to the available amount of the first memory is less than the predetermined first reference value, in response to detecting the user input, decoding the image related to the execution screen of the camera-related application, mapping the decoded image onto the second memory, and rendering the image to be output to the display based on the image mapped onto the second memory.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
in response to the available amount of the first memory is less than a predetermined second reference value and greater than or equal to the predetermined first reference value, before detecting the user input, decoding an image related to the execution screen of the camera-related application, mapping the decoded image onto the second memory if the user input is detected, and rendering an image to be output to the display based on the image mapped onto the second memory.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
measuring an environmental illuminance via a sensor of the electronic device and adjusting a frame rate of a camera module in the camera-related application in proportion to the measured environmental illuminance.

14. The method of claim

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Wooyong
• Kwon Beomjoon
• PARK Jaeyoel
• Park Junyoung
• Lee Kihuk

Classifications

• H04N5/907

  using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories (H04N5/91 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04N5/23229

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04N5/772 Primary

  the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure · CPC title

• H04N5/2257

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04N5/23216 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic