Method for recognizing object by using camera, and electronic device supporting same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10972686-B2
Application number	US-201816485629-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 9, 2018
Priority date	Feb 14, 2017
Publication date	Apr 6, 2021
Grant date	Apr 6, 2021

Abstract

An electronic device includes a housing including a first surface, a display exposed through a first portion of the first surface, a first light emitting source exposed through a second portion of the first surface, an imaging sensor circuit that is exposed through a third portion of the first surface and is electrically connected with the first light emitting source, and a processor that is disposed in the housing and is electrically connected with the imaging sensor circuit. In addition, various embodiments recognized through the specification are possible.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device, comprising:
a housing including a first surface;
a display exposed through a first portion of the first surface;
a first light emitting source exposed through a second portion of the first surface;
an imaging sensor circuit that is exposed through a third portion of the first surface and is electrically connected with the first light emitting source; and
a processor that is disposed in the housing and is electrically connected with the imaging sensor circuit,
wherein the imaging sensor circuit is configured to:
receive an enable signal from the processor;
perform readout from a first time t 1 to a second time t 2 depending on the reception of the enable signal; and
provide a first synchronization signal to the first light emitting source from a third time t 3 to a fourth time t 4 and from a fifth time t 5 to a sixth time t 6 , and

wherein the first to sixth times t 1 to t 6 have a relationship of the third time t 3 <the fourth time t 4 ≤the first time t 1 <the fifth time t 5 <the sixth time t 6 ≤the second time t 2 .

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first light emitting source is configured to provide an infrared (IR) light.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , further comprising:
a second light emitting source exposed through a fourth portion of the first surface,
wherein the second light emitting source is configured to provide a visible light.

4. The electronic device of claim 3 ,
wherein the imaging sensor circuit is configured to provide a second synchronization signal to the second light emitting source from a seventh time t 7 to an eighth time t 8 , and
wherein the second time t 2 , the seventh time t 7 , and the eighth time t 8 have a relationship of the second time t 2 <the seventh time t 7 <the eighth time t 8 .

5. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the imaging sensor circuit ends the second synchronization signal before an exposure of a next frame is started.

6. An electronic device, comprising:
a memory;
a processor;
an image sensor configured to convert an external light into electronic image data; and
a light output unit configured to output a light of a specified wavelength,
wherein the image sensor is configured to:
transmit a first control signal to the light output unit such that the light output unit outputs a light of a first pulse and a second pulse based on a time when readout is started or a time when the readout is ended, and

wherein the second pulse is ended before a readout for a last row of the image sensor is started or at the same time as the time when the readout for the last row is started.

7. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the image sensor generates the first control signal such that the first pulse is started, after readout of a previous frame is ended.

8. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the image sensor generates the first control signal such that the first pulse is started, after a shutter operation of a previous frame is completed.

9. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the image sensor generates the first control signal such that the first pulse is ended, before the time when the readout is started or at the same time as the time when the readout is started.

10. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the image sensor generates the first control signal such that the second pulse is started, after readout for a first row of the image sensor is ended.

11. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the first pulse and the second pulse have the same duration.

12. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the image sensor transmits a second control signal to the light output unit to output a light of at least one sub-pulse output after the second pulse is output.

13. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the at least one sub-pulse is started after an exposure of a first frame is ended and is ended before an exposure of a second frame is started.

14. An object recognition method performed in an electronic device including a light output unit and an image sensor, the method comprising:
starting, by the image sensor, an exposure;
outputting, by the light output unit, a light of a first pulse based on a time when readout of the image sensor is started; and
outputting, by the light output unit, a light of a second pulse based on a time when the readout of the image sensor is ended,
wherein the second pulse is ended before a readout for a last row of the image sensor is started or at the same time as the time when the readout for the last row is started.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Dong Soo
• Kang Hwa Yong
• Park Min Young
• Sung Woon Tahk
• Yoon Young Kwon
• Kim Moon Soo
• Won Jong Hoon

Classifications

• H04N25/531 Primary

  by controlling rolling shutters in CMOS SSIS · CPC title

• H04N25/41

  Extracting pixel data from a plurality of image sensors simultaneously picking up an image, e.g. for increasing the field of view by combining the outputs of a plurality of sensors · CPC title

• H04N25/46

  by combining or binning pixels · CPC title

• H04N25/20

  for transforming only infrared radiation into image signals · CPC title

• H04N23/61

  based on recognised objects · CPC title