Methods and apparatuses for providing guide information for a camera

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9491370-B2
Application number	US-201414242093-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 1, 2014
Priority date	Apr 9, 2013
Publication date	Nov 8, 2016
Grant date	Nov 8, 2016

Abstract

The present invention relates to methods and apparatuses for providing guide information for a camera. An image is collected through the camera. The image includes a subject illuminated by a light source. An optimized direction is determined for the light source relative to the subject. Guide information is generated that specifies an adjustment of the light source relative to the subject for achieving the optimized direction for the light source. The generated guide information is outputted to provide a visual, audible, or tactile indication.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of providing guide information for a camera, the method comprising:
collecting an image through the camera, wherein the image includes a subject illuminated by a light source;
determining, by a controller, an optimized angle between a direction of a light source and the subject and a direction of the camera and the subject;
measuring, by the controller, an actual angle between the direction of the light source to the subject and the direction of the camera to the subject;
generating, by the controller, guide information that specifies an adjustment of the direction of the light source to the subject for achieving the optimized angle based on the difference between the optimized angle and the actual angle; and
displaying the generated guide information on a display.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the generating guide information comprises:
calculating movement information for at least one of the subject or the camera based on the difference between the optimized angle and the actual angle, wherein the movement information has a distance.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the measuring the actual angle comprises:
identifying a location of the subject in the image;
identifying a location of the light source by performing light brightness measuring within the image; and
identifying the direction of the light source to the subject based on the location of the subject and the location of the light source.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the identifying a location of the subject comprises:
accepting a user's input for selecting the subject among a plurality of subjects in the image; and
identifying a location in the image corresponding to the selected subject.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the identifying the location of the subject comprises extracting a face area of the subject by using a face detection algorithm.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the identifying a location of the light source comprises:
dividing the image into a plurality of areas;
measuring an exposure value for each of the plurality of areas;
dividing a face area of the image into a plurality of sub-areas of the face area;
measuring an exposure value for each of the plurality of sub-areas of the face area; and
identifying a location of the light source based on the exposure value for each of the plurality of areas of the image and the exposure value for each of the plurality of sub-areas of the face area.

7. The method of claim 3 , wherein the identifying of the location of the light source comprises:
dividing the image into a plurality of areas;
measuring an exposure value for each of the plurality of areas; and
identifying a location of the light source based on the measured exposure value for each of the plurality of areas.

8. The method of claim 2 , wherein displaying of guide information comprises displaying both a preview image of the image and the guide information.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the generating of guide information comprises:
identifying an angle difference between the actual angle and the optimized angle;
determining a distance between the camera and the subject;
calculating a curved movement distance based on the angle difference and the distance between the camera and the subject according to the following Formula 1; and
generating the guide information by using at least one of: (a) the identified angle difference, or (b) the curved movement distance;
l=r×θ   Formula 1

where, l is a curved movement distance, r is a distance between a camera and a subject, and Θ is an angle difference in radians.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein displaying of guide information comprises outputting at least one of a voice, a vibration, or light corresponding to the guide information.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the direction of the light source to the subject is any one of front light, plain light, side light, cross light, or back light.

12. An electronic device, comprising:
a camera configured to collect an image of a subject illuminated by a light source;
a controller connected to the camera and configured to determine an optimized angle between a direction of a light source and the subject and a direction of the camera and the subject, measure an actual angle between the direction of the light source to the subject and the direction of the camera to the subject and generate guide information that specifies an adjustment of the direction of the light source to the subject for achieving the optimized angle based on the difference between the optimized angle and the actual angle; and
a display connected to the controller and configured to display the guide information generated by the controller.

13. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the controller calculates movement information for at least one of the subject or the electronic device based on the difference between the optimized angle and the actual angle, wherein the movement information has a distance, and generates the guide information based on the movement information.

14. The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the controller identifies a location of the subject in the image, identifies a location of the light source by performing light brightness measuring within the image, and identifies the direction of the light source to the subject based on the location of the subject and the location of the light source.

15. The electronic device of claim 14 , further comprising an input device that accepts a user input for selecting the subject among a plurality of subjects in the image, wherein the controller identifies a location in the image corresponding to the selected subject.

16. The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein the controller extracts a face area of the subject by using a face detection algorithm.

17. The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein the controller divides the image into a plurality of areas, measures an exposure value for each of the plurality of areas, divides a face area of the image into a plurality of sub-areas of the face area, measures an exposure value for each of the plurality of sub-areas of the face area, and identifies a location of the light source based on the exposure value for each of the plurality of areas of the image and the exposure value for each of the plurality of sub-areas of the face area.

18. The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein the controller divides the image into a plurality of areas, measures an exposure value for each of the plurality of areas, and identifies a location of the light source based on the measured exposure value for each of the plurality of areas.

19. The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the display displays both a preview image of the image and the guide information under the control of the controller.

20. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the direction of the light source is any one of front light, plain light, side light, cross light, or back light.

21. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the controller receives a user input indicating optimized angle.

22. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the electronic device further comprises:
a satellite communication module configured to receive location information of the electronic device;
wherein the light source is the sun; and
wherein the controller is configured to determine the actual angle by determining a direction of the sun to the subject based on the location i

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yeo Jaeyung
• Kim Soyoung
• Kim Youngjoon
• Choi Bokun

Classifications

• G09G3/3406

  Control of illumination source (illumination devices structurally associated with liquid crystal cells G02F1/1336) · CPC title

• H04N23/63

  by using electronic viewfinders · CPC title

• H04N23/71 Primary

  Circuitry for evaluating the brightness variation · 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

• H04N23/633

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