Image photographing apparatus, image photographing system for performing photographing by using multiple image photographing apparatuses, and image photographing methods thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9813629-B2
Application number	US-201514806956-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 23, 2015
Priority date	Aug 14, 2014
Publication date	Nov 7, 2017
Grant date	Nov 7, 2017

Abstract

An image photographing apparatus, an image photographing method thereof, and an image photographing system using a plurality of image photographing apparatuses, and an image photographing method thereof are provided. The image photographing apparatus includes: a camera configured to capture a first image of a subject by using a lens having a first focal distance; a combiner configured to combine the image photographing apparatus with another image photographing apparatus including a lens having a second focal distance different from the first focal distance; a controller configured to, in response to a photographing command being input, control the camera and the another image photographing apparatus to respectively perform photographing; an image processor configured to generate a captured image by using the first image captured by the camera and a second image captured by the another image photographing apparatus; and a display configured to display the captured image.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image photographing apparatus comprising:
a camera comprising a first lens having a first focal distance, the camera being configured to capture a first image by using the first lens having the first focal distance;
a combiner configured to combine the image photographing apparatus with another image photographing apparatus comprising a second lens having a second focal distance longer than the first focal distance;
a controller configured to, in response to a photographing command, control the camera and the another image photographing apparatus to respectively perform photographing;
an image processor configured to generate a captured image by using the first image captured by the camera and a second image captured by the another image photographing apparatus; and
a display configured to display the captured image,
wherein the controller is further configured to control the image processor to overlap the second image with a local area of the first image and generate the captured image comprising a border line for distinguishing the second and first images from each other, and
wherein the controller is further configured to, in response to a user command being input to adjust a magnification of the captured image, adjust a photographing magnification of at least one selected from the camera and the another image photographing apparatus.

2. The image photographing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to, in response to the photographing command being transmitted from the another image photographing apparatus, control the camera to capture thea subject according to the photographing command.

3. The image photographing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
an inputter configured to receive the photographing command,
wherein the controller is configured to, in response to the photographing command being input, control the camera to capture a subject and transmit the photographing command to the another image photographing apparatus.

4. The image photographing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
an interface configured to be electrically connected to an interface of the another image photographing apparatus in response to the another image photographing apparatus being combined with the image photographing apparatus through the combiner.

5. The image photographing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control the display to display the first image on a whole area of the display in response to a first image part being touched on the captured image displayed on the display, and control the display to display the second image on the whole area of the display in response to a second image part being touched on the captured image.

6. The image photographing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first image is a first live view image, and the second image is a second live view image,
wherein the controller is configured to control the image processor to display, on the display, an integrated live view, in which a second live view captured by the another image photographing apparatus overlaps with a local area of a first live view captured by the camera and, in response to a photographing command being input, control the image processor to generate a captured image corresponding to the integrated live view.

7. The image photographing apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to control the image processor to, in response to the first live view being displayed and a user-selected local area being selected from the first live view according to a user manipulation, overlap the second live view captured by the another image photographing apparatus in an arbitrary local area.

8. The image photographing apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to determine a photographing magnification according to a size of the user-selected local area to control the camera so as to capture a subject at the photographing magnification and transmit a control command for controlling the photographing magnification of the another image photographing apparatus.

9. The image photographing apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising:
a storage configured to store the captured image,
wherein the controller is configured to, in response to a continuous photographing command, control the display to display the first live view on the display, control the another image photographing apparatus to perform continuous photographing, and store a generated continuous captured image in the storage.

10. The image photographing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a sensor configured to sense a motion of the image photographing apparatus,
wherein the controller is configured to, in response to a barrel of the another image photographing apparatus being lengthened, a subject being captured, and the motion of the image photographing apparatus meeting a threshold condition, control a length of the barrel of the another image photographing apparatus.

11. The image photographing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the combiner comprises a structure with which one of the another image photographing apparatus and a battery cover is selectively detachably combined.

12. An image photographing method of an image photographing apparatus, the image photographing method comprising:
in response to the image photographing apparatus and another image photographing apparatus being combined with each other and a photographing command being received, capturing a first image of a subject through the image photographing apparatus and a second image of the subject through the another image photographing apparatus, wherein the image photographing apparatus comprises a first lens having a first focal distance and the another image photographing apparatus comprises a second lens having a second focal longer than the first focal distance;
generating a captured image by using the first image captured by the image photographing apparatus and the second image captured by the another image photographing apparatus;
displaying the captured image; and
in response to a user command being input to adjust a magnification of the captured image, adjusting a photographing magnification of at least one selected from the image photographing apparatus and the another image photographing apparatus,
wherein the second image overlaps with a local area of the first image, and the captured image comprises a border line for distinguishing the second and first images from each other is generated.

13. The image photographing method of claim 12 , wherein in response to the photographing command being transmitted from the another image photographing apparatus, the subject is captured according to the photographing command.

14. The image photographing method of claim 12 , further comprising:
receiving the photographing command through an inputter of the image photographing apparatus; and
capturing the subject according to the photographing command and transmitting the photographing command to the another image photographing apparatus.

15. The image photographing method of claim 12 , further comprising:
in response to the image photographing apparatus being physically combined with the another image photographing apparatus, electrically connecting the image photographing apparatus to an interface of the another image photographing apparatus.

16. The image photographing method of claim 12 , wherein the first image is displayed on a whole area of a display in response to a first image part being touched on the displayed captured image, and the second image is dis

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Jin-Won
• Lee Yong-Hee

Classifications

• H04N23/58 Primary

  Means for changing the camera field of view without moving the camera body, e.g. nutating or panning of optics or image sensors · CPC title

• H04N23/69 Primary

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

• H04N23/663

  for controlling interchangeable camera parts based on electronic image sensor signals · CPC title

• H04N23/51 Primary

  Housings · CPC title

• H04N23/55

  Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof · CPC title