Image processing method and electronic device supporting same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019364186-A1
Application number	US-201716473124-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 21, 2017
Priority date	Dec 23, 2016
Publication date	Nov 28, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electronic device includes an image sensor including a first pixel subset with a first sensitivity and a second pixel subset having with a second sensitivity, and a processor to process image data generated through the image sensor. The processor obtains image data through each of the first pixel subset and the second pixel subset, select at least one sub-image data based at least on the attribute information of the first sub-image data and the second sub-image data of the image data, and obtain focus information corresponding to the external subject using the selected sub-image data.

First claim

1 . An electronic device comprising:
an image sensor including a first pixel subset having at least one pixel with a first sensitivity and a second pixel subset having at least one pixel with a second sensitivity; and a processor to process image data generated through the image sensor, wherein the processor is configured to: obtain image data of an external subject through each of the first pixel subset and the second pixel subset; identify attribute information of first sub-image data, which corresponds to the first pixel subset, and attribute information of second sub-image data, which corresponds to the second pixel subset, of the image data; select at least one sub-image data of the first sub-image data and the second sub-image data, based at least on the attribute information of the first sub-image data and the attribute information of the second sub-image data; and obtain focus information corresponding to the external subject using the at least one sub-image data.

2 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
identify exposure information of the first sub-image data and the second sub-image data, through at least a portion of an operation of identifying the attribute information; and determine whether the exposure information satisfies a specified exposure condition.

3 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
select at least one sub-image data based on information on surrounding brightness of the electronic device.

4 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
compare the first sub-image data with the second sub-image data, and select the at least one sub-image data based on the comparison result.

5 . The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
another image sensor, wherein the processor is configured to: determine the focus information as focus information of the another image sensor corresponding to the external subject.

6 . The electronic device of claim 5 , further comprising:
a display, wherein the processor is configured to: obtain image data corresponding to the external subject through the another image sensor; and display the obtained image data through the display.

7 . The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a display, wherein the processor is configured to: display the at least one sub-image data through the display.

8 . The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the processor is configured to:
generate third sub-image data corresponding to remaining image data of the image data except for the at least one sub-image data; and output, to the display, image data, which is obtained by synthesizing the at least one sub-image data and the third sub-image data, through at least a portion of the displaying operation.

9 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
set sensitivity of the first pixel sub-set to a third sensitivity; and set sensitivity of the second pixel sub-set to fourth sensitivity.

10 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first sub-image data and the second sub-image data are simultaneously set through the image sensor.

11 . An electronic device comprising:
an image sensor including a plurality of pixels; and a processor, wherein the processor is configured to: set a first pixel subset of the plurality of pixels to have first sensitivity or first exposure time; set a second pixel subset of the plurality of pixels to have second sensitivity or second exposure time; obtain image data of an external subject through the first pixel subset and the second pixel subset; identify attribute information of first sub-image data, which corresponds to the first pixel subset, and of second sub-image data, which corresponds to the second pixel subset, of the image data; select at least one sub-image data of the first sub-image data and the second sub-image data, based at least on the attribute information of the first sub-image data and the attribute information of the second sub-image data; and determine focus information corresponding to the external subject using the at least one sub-image data.

12 . A method for processing an image, which is executed in an electronic device including an image sensor including a first pixel subset and a second pixel subset and a processor, the method comprising:
obtaining, by using the processor, image data of a subject outside the electronic device through the image sensor; identifying attribute information of first sub-image data, which corresponds to the first pixel subset, and of second sub-image data, which corresponds to the second pixel subset, of the image data; selecting at least one sub-image data of the first sub-image data and the second sub-image data, based at least on the attribute information of the first sub-image data and the attribute information of the second sub-image data; and determining focus information corresponding to the external subject using the at least one sub-image data.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
setting sensitivity of the first pixel sub-set included in the image sensor to first sensitivity or with first exposure time; and setting sensitivity of the second pixel sub-set included in the image sensor to second sensitivity or with second exposure time.

14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the identifying of the attribute information includes:
identifying exposure information of the first sub-image data and the second sub-image data; and determining whether the exposure information satisfies a specified exposure condition.

15 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
determining the focus information as focus information of another image sensor, which corresponds to the external subject, included in the electronic device.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Park Byeong Chan
• Kim Min Soo
• Kang In Koo
• Won Jong Hoon
• Kim Kwang Tai
• Yeom Dong Hyun
• Lee Ki Huk

Classifications

• H04N23/67

  Focus control based on electronic image sensor signals · CPC title

• H04N23/70 Primary

  Circuitry for compensating brightness variation in the scene · CPC title

• H04N25/585

  with pixels having different sensitivities within the sensor, e.g. fast or slow pixels or pixels having different sizes · CPC title

• H04N25/704

  Pixels specially adapted for focusing, e.g. phase difference pixel sets · CPC title

• H04N23/675 Primary

  comprising setting of focusing regions · CPC title