Camera device having first and second cameras, and method of operating same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11575821-B2
Application number	US-201917278023-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 19, 2019
Priority date	Sep 21, 2018
Publication date	Feb 7, 2023
Grant date	Feb 7, 2023

Abstract

A camera device including first and second cameras, focal position information of the first camera and focal position information of the second camera are matched with each other. Also, the accuracy of the current focal position of the first camera is determined based on the phase difference of images obtained by the first camera when the first camera is auto-focused. Subsequently, when the accuracy of the current focal position of the first camera is low, an accurate focal position of the first camera is tracked by using the matched focal position information of the second camera. When an auto-focusing function of the first camera is activated, focal position movements are tracked by using the focal position information of the second camera as well as zoom tracking of the first camera, and thus, the accuracy can be improved.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of operating a camera device, comprising:
detecting a first phase difference by comparing a reference image and a first image acquired by a first camera;
detecting a second phase difference by comparing the reference image and a second image acquired by a second camera; and
determining a focal movement position of a second focus lens of the second camera by using the second phase difference,
wherein when the first phase difference is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, determining a focal movement position of a first focus lens of the first camera by using the focal movement position of the second focus lens of the second camera.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the focal movement position of the first focus lens or the second focus lens is a movement distance of the first or second focus lens or a change in curvature of the first or second focus lens.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second focus lenses includes a liquid lens.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the focal movement position of the first focus lens is determined based on a relationship between the focal movement position of the second focus lens and the focal movement position of the first focus lens.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the determining of the focal movement position of the first focus lens includes:
acquiring the focal movement position of the first focus lens corresponding to the focal movement position of the second focus lens from a pre-stored compensation table; and
determining the acquired focal movement position as the focal movement position of the first focus lens, and
wherein the compensation table includes:
a focal movement position of the second focus lens to be applied for each phase difference of the second image; and
a focal movement position of the first focus lens corresponding to a focal movement position of the second focus lens determined based on the relationship.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reference image is an image having a phase difference of 0 acquired at the best focal position of the first or second focus lens.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a zoom position of a zoom lens of the first camera and a focal position of the first focus lens before the first image is acquired,
wherein the zoom position of the zoom lens and the focal position of the first focus lens are determined based on the zoom position of the zoom lens divided according to a distance to a subject and first focal position information of the first focus lens corresponding to the zoom position.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
wherein when the first phase difference is less than the threshold value, maintaining the focal position of the first focus lens determined based on the first focal position information.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second images is a moving picture including a plurality of frames.

10. A camera device, comprising:
a first camera including a first focus lens and configured to acquire a first image;
a second camera including a second focus lens and configured to acquire a second image; and
a controller configured to detect a first phase difference between a reference image and the first image and a second phase difference between the reference image and the second image,
wherein the controller is configured to:
determine a focal movement position of the second focus lens of the second camera by using the second phase difference; and
determine a focal movement position of the first focus lens of the first camera using the focal movement position of the second focus lens of the second camera when the first phase difference is greater than or equal to a preset threshold.

11. The camera device of claim 10 , wherein the first camera includes a zoom lens,
wherein the first camera is configured to acquire the first image having the first phase difference different from the reference image through the first focus lens,
wherein the second camera is configured to acquire the second image having the second phase difference different from the reference image through the second focus lens, and
wherein the controller is configured to:
calculate the first phase difference and the second phase difference;
compare the first phase difference and a preset threshold; and
determine the focal movement position of the second focus lens by using the second phase difference.

12. The camera device of claim 10 , wherein the focal movement position of the second focus lens is a movement distance of the second lens or a change in curvature of the second focus lens.

13. The camera device of claim 10 , wherein at least one of the first and second focus lenses includes a liquid lens.

14. The camera device of claim 10 , wherein the focal movement position of the first focus lens is determined based on a relationship between the focal movement position of the second focus lens and the focal movement position of the first focus lens.

15. The camera device of claim 14 , further comprising:
a storage configured to store a compensation table for a focal movement position of the first focus lens corresponding to a focal movement position of the second focus lens,
wherein the compensation table includes:
a focal movement position of the second focus lens to be applied for each phase difference of the second image; and
a focal movement position of the first focus lens corresponding to a focal movement position of the second focus lens determined based on the relationship, and

wherein the controller is configured to:
acquire the focal movement position of the first focus lens corresponding to the focal movement position of the second focus lens from the stored compensation table; and
determine the acquired focal movement position as the focal movement position of the first focus lens.

16. The camera device of claim 10 , wherein the reference image is an image having a phase difference of 0 acquired at a best focal position of the first or second focus lens.

17. The camera device of claim 10 , wherein the first camera includes a zoom lens,
wherein the controller is configured to determine a zoom position of the zoom lens of the first camera and a focal position of the first focus lens before the first image is acquired, and
wherein the zoom position of the zoom lens and the focal position of the first focus lens are determined based on the zoom position of the zoom lens divided according to a distance to a subject and first focal position information of the first focus lens corresponding to the zoom position.

18. The camera device of claim 17 , wherein the controller is configured to maintain the focal position of the first focus lens determined based on the first focal position information when the first phase difference is less than the threshold value.

19. The camera device of claim 10 , wherein at least one of the first and second images is a moving picture including a plurality of frames.

20. The camera device of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to:
receive from a set, a focal movement position of the first focus lens determined based on the focal movement position of the second focus lens from a set when the first phase difference is greater than or equal to the threshold value; and
move the first focus lens to the received focal movement position.

Assignees

• Lg Innotek Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Min
• Oh Jun Seok

Classifications

• H04N23/69

  Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming · CPC title

• H04N23/90

  Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums · CPC title

• G02B3/14

  of variable focal length · CPC title

• H04N23/45

  for generating image signals from two or more image sensors being of different type or operating in different modes, e.g. with a CMOS sensor for moving images in combination with a charge-coupled device [CCD] for still images · CPC title

• G02B3/12

  Fluid-filled or evacuated lenses · CPC title