Time-lapse photographing control method and apparatus, readable storage medium, and camera

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10623689-B2
Application number	US-201816128726-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 12, 2018
Priority date	Oct 10, 2017
Publication date	Apr 14, 2020
Grant date	Apr 14, 2020

Abstract

Embodiments of the disclosure provide a method, an apparatus, and a readable storage medium for controlling a time-lapse photographing. The method includes detecting whether a time-lapse photographing session has ended; determining a time of a next turning-on of the camera in response to the detection that the session has not ended, the time of the next turning-on of the camera being earlier than a time of a next photographing event, the time of the next photographing event being a sum of a time of a current photographing event and a time interval between photographing events; configuring a real time clock based on the time of the next turning-on of the camera; shutting down the camera; starting up the camera when the time of the next turning-on of the camera is reached; and taking a photograph when the time of the next photographing event is reached.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for controlling time-lapse photographing, comprising:
detecting whether a time-lapse photographing session has ended;
determining a time of a next turning-on of the camera in response to the detection that the time-lapse photographing session has not ended, the time of the next turning-on of the camera being earlier than a time of a next photographing event, the time of the next photographing event being a sum of a time of a current photographing event and a time interval between photographing events;
configuring a real time clock based on the time of the next turning-on of the camera;
obtaining the time of the next photographing event according to the time of the current photographing event and the time interval between photographing events;
determining a Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) value for data of the time of the next photographing event;
saving the data of the time of the next photographing event and the CRC value to a non-volatile storage device;
shutting down the camera;
starting up the camera when the time of the next turning-on of the camera is reached according to the real time clock;
reading the data of the time of the next photographing event from the non-volatile storage device;
determining a CRC check code for the data the time of the next photographing event;
if the CRC check code is consistent with the CRC value, using the saved data of the time of the next photographing event as the time of the next photographing event; and
when the time of the next photographing event is reached, taking the photograph.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein determining the time of the next turning-on of the camera further comprises:
determining, as the time of the next turning-on of the camera, a difference between the time of the next photographing event and a pre-turning-on time value.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
obtaining the time of the next photographing event according to the time of the current photographing event and the time interval between photographing events.

4. A time-lapse photographing control apparatus, comprising:
a memory configured to store a set of instructions; and
a processor configured to execute the set of instruction to cause the apparatus to:
detect whether a time-lapse photographing session has ended;
determine a time of a next turning-on of the camera in response to the detection that the time-lapse photographing session has not ended, the time of the next turning-on of the camera being earlier than a time of a next photographing event, the time of the next photographing event being a sum of a time of a current photographing event and a time interval between photographing events;
configure a real time clock based on the time of the next turning-on of the camera;
obtain the time of the next photographing event according to the time of the current photographing event and the time interval between photographing events;
determine a Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) value for data of the time of the next photographing event;
save the data of the time of the next photographing event and the CRC value to a non-volatile storage device;
shut down the camera;
start up the camera when the time of the next turning-on of the camera is reached according to the real time clock;
read the data of the time of the next photographing event from the non-volatile storage device;
determine a CRC check code for the data the time of the next photographing event;
if the CRC check code is consistent with the CRC value, use the saved data of the time of the next photographing event as the time of the next photographing event; and
when the time of the next photographing event is reached, take the photograph.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the set of instruction to cause the apparatus to determine the time of the next turning-on of the camera by:
determining, as the time of the next turning-on of the camera, a difference between the time of the next photographing event and a pre-turning-on time value.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the set of instruction to cause the apparatus to:
obtain the time of the next photographing event according to the time of the current photographing event and the time interval between photographing events.

7. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium that stores a set of instructions, when executed by at least one processor of an electronic device, cause the electronic device to perform a method for controlling a time-lapse photographing, the method comprising:
detecting whether a time-lapse photographing session has ended;
determining a time of a next turning-on of the camera in response to the detection that the time-lapse photographing session has not ended, the time of the next turning-on of the camera being earlier than a time of a next photographing event, the time of the next photographing event being a sum of a time of a current photographing event and a time interval between photographing events;
configuring a real time clock based on the time of the next turning-on of the camera;
obtaining the time of the next photographing event according to the time of the current photographing event and the time interval between photographing events;
determining a Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) value for data of the time of the next photographing event;
saving the data of the time of the next photographing event and the CRC value to a non-volatile storage device;
shutting down the camera;
starting up the camera when the time of the next turning-on of the camera is reached according to the real time clock;
reading the data of the time of the next photographing event from the non-volatile storage device;
determining a CRC check code for the data the time of the next photographing event;
if the CRC check code is consistent with the CRC value, using the saved data of the time of the next photographing event as the time of the next photographing event; and
when the time of the next photographing event is reached, taking the photograph.

Assignees

• Shanghai Xiaoyi Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Jin Li
• Zhang Xuewu

Classifications

• H04N1/00933

  Timing control or synchronising (H04N1/00928, H04N1/00931, H04N1/00954 and H04N1/0096 take precedence) · CPC title

• H04N5/77 Primary

  between a recording apparatus and a television camera · CPC title

• H04N1/00896

  using a low-power mode, e.g. standby · CPC title

• H04N1/00891

  Switching on or off, e.g. for saving power when not in use (H04N1/00896 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04N5/783

  Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate · CPC title