Electronic apparatus and method of controlling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9729797-B2
Application number	US-201414532248-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 4, 2014
Priority date	Nov 20, 2013
Publication date	Aug 8, 2017
Grant date	Aug 8, 2017

Abstract

A shutter lag from when a shutter button is fully pressed to when an exposure is actually performed may be reduced by performing a precedence operation for a state transition of a shutter when the shutter button is half pressed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of controlling an electronic apparatus operating by using a focal plane shutter, the method comprising:
displaying a live-view in a normal open state of the focal plane shutter;
receiving a first shutter release signal and controlling a precedence operation for an exposure of an image sensor according to the received first shutter release signal;
receiving a second shutter release signal and performing the exposure according to the received second shutter release signal; and
reading out an electric signal accumulated in the image sensor,
wherein the precedence operation is performed in parallel to a focus detection operation and comprises:
holding the focal plane shutter by using an electromagnet by driving a mechanism coupled to the focal plane shutter; and
outputting a first timing signal for supplying power to the electromagnet when the first shutter release signal is received.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mechanism is a rotating-cam.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising driving a motor transferring power to the rotating-cam.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising outputting a second timing signal for stopping power supplied to the electromagnet according to the second shutter release signal.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the controlling of the precedence operation comprises:
releasing the mechanism holding a front curtain and a rear curtain of the focal plane shutter in the normal open state; and
outputting timing signals for supplying power to a front electromagnet of the front curtain and a rear electromagnet of the rear curtain.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the performing of the exposure comprises:
outputting a second timing signal for stopping power supplied to the front electromagnet according to the second shutter release signal; and
outputting a reset signal to a corresponding row line of the image sensor to correspond to a location of the rear curtain driven on the image sensor according to the second timing signal.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the reset signal has an offset time.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the offset time is set to be identical to a time lag from an output timing of the second timing signal for stopping power supplied to the rear electromagnet to a timing when the rear curtain starts to be driven.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein a rear curtain of the focal plane shutter operates as an electronic front curtain by outputting a reset signal to a corresponding row line of the image sensor corresponding to a location driven on the image sensor.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the precedence operation is a charging operation of the rear curtain.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein a motor for driving the focal plane shutter is driven according to the first shutter release signal.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the precedence operation is processed in parallel to a focus detection operation according to the first shutter release signal.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the normal open state is a state in which a front curtain and a rear curtain of the focal plane shutter are opened.

14. An electronic apparatus comprising:
a focal plane shutter;
an electromagnet;
an image sensor;
a display unit; and
a controller that:
displays a live-view on the display unit during a normal open state of the focal plane shutter;
receives a first shutter release signal;
controls a precedence operation for an exposure of the image sensor according to the received first shutter release signal, wherein the precedence operation is an operation of holding the focal place shutter by using the electromagnet by driving a mechanism coupled to the focal plane shutter, and wherein the precedence operation is performed in parallel to a focus detection operation;
receives a second shutter release signal;
performs the exposure according to the received second shutter release signal; and
reads out an electric signal accumulated in the image sensor; and

an electromagnet driver that outputs a first timing signal for supplying power to the electromagnet when the first shutter release signal is received.

15. The electronic apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the mechanism is a rotating-cam.

16. The electronic apparatus of claim 15 , further comprising a shutter driver for driving a motor transferring power to the rotating-cam.

17. The electronic apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the electromagnet driver:
outputs a second timing signal for stopping power supplied to the electromagnet according to the second shutter release signal.

18. The electronic apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising:
a front electromagnet:
a rear curtain;

wherein the controller:
outputs a second timing signal for stopping power supplied to the front electromagnet according to the second shutter release signal; and
outputs a reset signal to a corresponding row line of the image sensor to correspond to a location of the rear curtain driven on the image sensor according to the second timing signal.

19. The electronic apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the reset signal has an offset time, wherein the offset time is set to be the same as a time lag from an output timing of the second timing signal for stopping power supplied to the front electromagnet to a timing when the rear curtain starts to be driven.

20. The electronic apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising:
a rear curtain of the focal plane shutter that operates as an electronic front curtain by outputting a reset signal to a corresponding row line of the image sensor corresponding to a location driven on the image sensor.

21. The electronic apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the precedence operation is a charging operation of the rear curtain.

22. The electronic apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising:
a motor for driving the focal plane shutter that is driven according to the first shutter release signal.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Myung-Hun

Classifications

• H04N23/73 Primary

  by influencing the exposure time · CPC title

• H04N23/673 Primary

  based on contrast or high frequency components of image signals, e.g. hill climbing method · CPC title

• H04N23/63

  by using electronic viewfinders · CPC title

• H04N5/2353 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G03B9/42

  with adjustable slot; with mechanism controlling relative movement of plates to form slot · CPC title