Mobile terminal and control method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9686531-B2
Application number	US-201213649322-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 11, 2012
Priority date	Nov 22, 2011
Publication date	Jun 20, 2017
Grant date	Jun 20, 2017

Abstract

A mobile terminal may include a camera module and a controller. The camera module may include a first capture unit to capture a subject to acquire a first image, a second capture unit to capture the subject to acquire a second image, an actuator disposed at least one of the first capture unit and the second capture unit, and a drive unit configured to drive the actuator. The controller may analyze a perceived 3-dimensional (3D) image formed by using the first image and the second image, and may produce a relative position compensation value corresponding to a relative displacement between the first capture unit and the second capture unit according to a result of the analysis. The drive unit may drive the actuator to control a relative position between the first capture unit and the second capture unit based on the relative position compensation value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mobile terminal, comprising:
a first camera module including a first capture unit to capture an object to acquire a first image, a first actuator, and a first case enclosing the first capture unit and the first actuator;
a second camera module including a second capture unit, separated from the first capture unit, to capture the object to acquire a second image, a second actuator, and a second case enclosing the second capture unit and the second actuator,
wherein the first capture unit includes a first lens unit and a first image sensor, the first image sensor fixedly attached on the first case for converting an optical signal received through the first lens unit into an electrical signal, and the second capture unit includes a second lens unit and a second image sensor, the second image sensor fixedly attached on the second case for converting an optical signal received through the second lens unit into an electrical signal, and
wherein the first actuator is configured to control a location of the first lens unit with respect to the first image sensor, and the second actuator is configured to control a location of the second lens unit with respect to the second image sensor;
a controller to analyze a perceived 3-dimensional (3D) image formed by using the first image and the second image, and to determine a relative displacement between the first capture unit and the second capture unit based on a result of the analysis; and
a drive unit to drive at least one of the first actuator or the second actuator so as to move at least one of the first lens unit or the second lens unit based on the relative displacement such that an axis of the first capture unit becomes parallel to an axis of the second capture unit in spite of a misalignment between the first case and the second case, wherein the axis of the first capture unit is formed via a center of the first lens unit and a center of the first image sensor, and the axis of the second capture unit is formed via a center of the second lens unit and a center of the second image sensor.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the relative displacement based on an amount of data lost from at least one of the first image or the second image that form the perceived 3-dimensional image.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the first camera module includes a displacement sensor to determine a displacement with respect to a reference position of the first capture unit.

4. A method of controlling a mobile terminal having a first camera module, a second camera module, a drive unit, and a controller, the method comprising:
capturing, through a first capture unit of the first camera module and a second capture unit of the second camera module, to acquire a first image and a second image, respectively, wherein the first camera module includes the first capture unit, a first actuator, and a first case enclosing the first capture unit and the first actuator, and the second camera module includes the second capture unit, a second actuator, and a second case enclosing the second capture unit and the second actuator, wherein the drive unit drives at least one of the first actuator or the second actuator, wherein the first capture unit includes a first lens unit and a first image sensor, the first image sensor fixedly attached on the first case for converting an optical signal received through the first lens unit into an electrical signal, and the second capture unit includes a second lens unit and a second image sensor, the second image sensor fixedly attached on the second case for converting an optical signal received through the second lens unit into an electrical signal, and wherein the first actuator is configured to control a location of the first lens unit with respect to the first image sensor, and the second actuator is configured to control a location of the second lens unit with respect to the second image sensor;
analyzing, via the controller, a perceived 3-dimensional (3D) image formed by using the first image and the second image, and determining a relative displacement between the first capture unit and the second capture unit based on a result of the analyzing; and
driving at least one of the first actuator or the second actuator using the drive unit so as to move at least one of the first lens unit or the second lens unit based on the relative displacement such that an axis of the first capture unit becomes parallel to an axis of the second capture unit in spite of a misalignment between the first case and the second case, wherein the axis of the first capture unit is formed via a center of the first lens unit and a center of the first image sensor, and the axis of the second capture unit is formed via a center of the second lens unit and a center of the second image sensor.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein determining the relative displacement comprises determining the relative displacement based on an amount of data lost from at least one of the first image or the second image that form the perceived 3-dimensional image.

6. A mobile terminal, comprising:
a first camera comprising a first capture unit to acquire a first image of an object and a first case enclosing the first capture unit;
a second camera comprising a second capture unit to acquire a second image of an object and a second case enclosing the second capture unit, wherein the first capture unit includes a first lens unit and a first image sensor, the first image sensor fixedly attached on the first case for converting an optical signal received through the first lens unit into an electrical signal, and the second capture unit includes a second lens unit and a second image sensor, the second image sensor fixedly attached on the second case for converting an optical signal received through the second lens unit into an electrical signal;
an actuator to control a location of the first lens unit with respect to the first image sensor and to control a location of the second lens unit with respect to the second image sensor;
a controller to determine a relative displacement between the first capture unit and the second capture unit based on an analysis of an image formed by the first image and the second image;
a display to display a perceived three-dimensional (3D) image based on the first image and the second image after the actuator configures an axis of the first capture unit parallel to an axis of the second capture unit; and
a drive unit to drive the actuator so as to move at least one of the first lens unit or the second lens unit based on the relative displacement such that an axis of the first capture unit becomes parallel to an axis of the second capture unit in spite of a misalignment between the first case and the second case, wherein the axis of the first capture unit is formed via a center of the first lens unit and a center of the first image sensor, and the axis of the second capture unit is formed via a center of the second lens unit and a center of the second image sensor.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the relative displacement based on data lost from at least one of the first image or the second image.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 6 , wherein the first camera includes a sensor to determine a displacement with respect to a reference position of the first capture unit.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Ko Dongseuck
• Cheon Jeeyoung

Classifications

• H04N13/0239 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04N13/0296

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04N13/0246

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04N13/239 Primary

  using two two-dimensional [2D] image sensors having a relative position equal to or related to the interocular distance (H04N13/243 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04B1/40 Primary

  Circuits · CPC title