Apparatus and method for providing illumination of camera in electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11445097-B2
Application number	US-202017060867-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 1, 2020
Priority date	Oct 7, 2019
Publication date	Sep 13, 2022
Grant date	Sep 13, 2022

Abstract

An electronic device and control method thereof capable of utilizing a display as illumination light for a camera that is being used to capture images is provided. The electronic device includes a foldable display; a camera; a processor; and a memory operatively connected to the processor, wherein the memory may store instructions that cause, when executed, the processor to detect a user input for activating the camera; identify a state of the foldable display based on the user input; display a live view of an object obtained by the camera through a designated region of the foldable display based on a first state of the foldable display; divide the foldable display into a first region for a live view and a second region for a lighting plate with respect to a folding site based on a second state of the foldable display; display a live view of an object obtained by the camera based on the first region; and output illumination light based on the second region.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a foldable display;
a camera;
a processor; and
a memory operatively connected to the processor,
wherein the memory stores instructions that cause, when executed, the processor to:
identify a state of the electronic device;
receive a user input for activating the camera;
if the state of the electronic device is in a fully unfolded state of the foldable display when the camera is activated, display a live view of an image obtained through the camera on a screen of the foldable display in the fully unfolded state;
in response to the state of the electronic device changing from the fully unfolded state to a partially unfolded state of the foldable display with an angle relative to a folding site, identify a first region and a second region of the foldable display divided according to the folding site; and
while in the partially unfolded state and in a camera mode for taking a selfie, display the live view of the image obtained through the camera on the first region of the foldable display and use the second region of the foldable display to illuminate light for illuminating a face of a person taking a selfie.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the processor to:
detect a transition of the foldable display to the partially unfolded state with the angle less than a specified angle in the camera mode; and
divide the foldable display into the first region and the second region based on the folding site in response to detecting the transition to the unfolded state.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the foldable display includes at least one folding axis and is divided into at least two regions based on the at least one folding axis, and
wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the processor to identify the first region and the second region based on the at least one folding axis.

4. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein a direction of the camera is different from a direction of illuminating light from the second region.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the processor to:
identify a state of the foldable display in response to the user input;
display a live view of an object obtained by the camera through a designated region of the foldable display based on a first state of the foldable display; and
divide the foldable display into the first region for the live view and the second region for a lighting plate with respect to the folding site based on a second state of the foldable display.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the processor to provide a transition animation when separating the first region and the second region.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the processor to:
move the live view in a slide manner to the first region and display it thereon; and
provide a user interface related to a lighting plate in a fade-in manner on the second region.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the processor to generate a lighting plate by using at least two regions based on at least two folding sites.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the processor to provide different illumination light for the at least two regions.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the processor to provide a shooting function in response to a user input on the second region.

11. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the processor to provide a virtual boundary identical to a boundary of a shooting result regardless of a rotation direction of the electronic device in response to the electronic device being rotated.

12. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the processor to:
divide the foldable display into a first region and a second region when the electronic device is in an unfolded state with an angle less than a specified angle and enter a camera mode;
display a live view of an image obtained by the camera on the first region; and
set the second region as a lighting plate for illumination of the camera.

13. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the processor to provide a user interface for operating the lighting plate on the second region.

14. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the processor to provide a user interface for operating the lighting plate on the lighting plate while outputting illumination light through the second region.

15. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the processor to:
detect a user input for a specified object in the partially unfolded state of the electronic device with the angle relative to the folding site; and
divide the foldable display into the first region and the second region in response to the user input.

16. An operation method of an electronic device including a foldable display, the operation method comprising:
identifying a state of the electronic device;
receiving a user input for activating a camera;
if the state of the electronic device is in a fully unfolded state of the foldable display when the camera is activated, displaying a live view of an image obtained through the camera on a screen of the foldable display in the fully unfolded state;
in response to the state of the electronic device changing from the fully unfolded state to a partially unfolded state of the foldable display with an angle relative to a folding site, identifying a first region and a second region of the foldable display divided according to the folding site; and
while in the partially unfolded state and in a camera mode for taking a selfie, displaying the live view of the image obtained through the camera on the first region of the foldable display and using the second region of the foldable display to illuminate light for illuminating a face of a person taking a selfie.

17. The operation method of claim 16 , further comprising:
detecting a transition of the foldable display to the partially unfolded state with the angle less than a specified angle in the camera mode; and
dividing the foldable display into the first region and the second region based on the folding site in response to detecting the transition to the unfolded state.

18. The operation method of claim 16 , further comprising:
identifying a state of the foldable display in response to the user input;
displaying a live view of an object obtained by the camera on a designated region of the foldable display based on a first state of the foldable display; and
dividing the foldable display into a first region for a live view and a second region for a lighting plate with respect to the folding site based on a second state of the foldable display.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ko Juhyun
• Park Sooyoun
• Park Youngseok
• Bae Donghwan
• Jang Minsuk

Classifications

• G06F1/1641 Primary

  the display being formed by a plurality of foldable display components (G06F1/1647 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04N23/53

  of electronic viewfinders, e.g. rotatable or detachable · CPC title

• H04N23/633

  for displaying additional information relating to control or operation of the camera · CPC title

• H04N23/632

  for displaying or modifying preview images prior to image capturing, e.g. variety of image resolutions or capturing parameters · CPC title

• H04N23/57

  Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices · CPC title