Electronic device for acquiring biological information of pet and its operation method

Abstract

The electronic device for acquiring biometric information of a pet includes a display, a front camera for capturing an image in a display direction of the display, a processor functionally coupled to the display and the front camera, and a memory functionally coupled to the processor, the processor captures an image of the pet captured through the front camera, displays the image of the pet on the display, extracts a feature object from the image of the pet, and stores the image of the feature object in the memory.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic device for acquiring biometric information of a pet and a method of operating the electronic device.

Background Art

[0002] In modern society, the demand for pets that can be emotionally relied on while living with humans is increasing. For various additional services such as life cycle management and health management of pets, the need to database and manage information on pets is increasing. Here, individual identification information of the pet is required, and objects that can be used according to the pet can be defined respectively. For example, similar to human fingerprints, it is known that the nose prints (the shape of the wrinkles on the nose) of dogs are all different for each individual, and generally, it is known that once a dog reaches adulthood (6 months after birth), its characteristics do not deform during the remaining life cycle. Therefore, in the case of dogs, it can be said that nose prints can be used as a means for identifying identity.

[0003] However, unlike humans who can take specific postures or use various sensors, it is not easy for pets to take specific postures or use sensors. Since language communication is impossible, methods such as forcibly fixing a pet in a specific posture or bringing it into contact with a sensor using a physical force or a tool such as a fixed frame can be considered, but it can be said that these are not desirable in terms of protecting the rights of pets and the sense of rejection of pet owners. Also, since a person who fixes the pet and a person who operates the biometric information acquisition device are required, there is a practical problem that it is difficult to proceed with the acquisition of biometric information alone.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The present invention provides an electronic device and a method of operating the electronic device that enable easy photography by allowing a person to be photographed to confirm the scene during photography in real time when acquiring biometric information of a pet using a camera.

[0005] The problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to those described above, and other problems not described above will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] An electronic device for acquiring biological information of a pet includes a display, a front camera that captures an image in the display direction of the display, a processor functionally coupled to the display and the front camera, and a memory functionally coupled to the processor. The processor captures an image of the pet captured via the front camera, displays the image of the pet via the display, extracts a feature object from the image of the pet, and stores an image of the feature object in the memory.

[0007] According to the present invention, the processor overlaps a graphic or a message at the position of the feature object in the image of the pet, and outputs an image of the pet with the graphic or the message overlapped via the display.

[0008] According to the present invention, the graphic or the message indicates the shooting state of the feature object.

[0009] According to the present invention, the electronic device further includes a touch sensor provided in a display area of the display. The processor acquires the position of a contact object or an attachment object that has come into contact with the display from the touch sensor, and controls the front camera so that the focus is set at the position of the contact object or the attachment object.

[0010] According to the present invention, the processor displays a marker in the display area of the display, tracks the position of the feature object, moves the marker so that the marker overlaps the feature object, and controls the front camera so that the focus is set at the position of the marker.

[0011] According to the present invention, the processor determines the position or posture of the pet from the image of the pet, and outputs, via the display, a graphic or message for a shooting guide based on the position or posture of the pet.

[0012] According to the present invention, the electronic device further includes a gyroscope sensor that measures the posture of the electronic device. The processor acquires posture information of the electronic device from the gyroscope sensor, and determines a reverse direction of the image based on the posture information.

[0013] According to the present invention, the electronic device further includes an illuminance sensor that measures the illuminance around the electronic device. The processor acquires illuminance information around the electronic device from the illuminance sensor, and controls the exposure of the front camera based on the illuminance information.

[0014] According to the present invention, the electronic device further includes a rear camera that captures an image in a direction opposite to the display direction of the display. The processor checks attribute information of the front camera, and determines whether the front camera can be activated based on the attribute information of the front camera.

[0015] According to the present invention, the attribute information of the front camera includes presence or absence of manual focus assistance, a shooting format, and a shooting size.

[0016] According to the present invention, the processor outputs, via the display, the attribute information of the front camera and whether the front camera can be activated.

[0017] According to the present invention, when activation of the front camera is impossible, the processor activates the rear camera.

[0018] According to the present invention, when the front camera is activatable, the processor outputs, via the display, an interface for selecting either the front camera or the rear camera.

[0019] According to the present invention, the processor evaluates the quality of the image of the feature object and transmits the image of the feature object that meets the quality condition to the server via the communication module. The quality evaluation condition is set to be different depending on whether the camera that captured the image of the feature object is the front camera or the rear camera.

[0020] A method for operating an electronic device for acquiring biometric information of a pet according to the present invention includes steps of capturing an image of the pet via a front camera, outputting the image via a display, extracting a feature object from the image, and storing the image of the feature object in a memory. The front camera captures an image in the display direction of the display.

Advantages of the Invention

[0021] According to the present invention, when photographing a pet, by capturing an image of the pet via a front camera that captures an image in the display direction of the display, a user can view the image of the pet being photographed in real time, and can acquire biometric information of the pet that is more suitable for identification or learning.

[0022] The effects of the present invention are not limited to those described above, and other effects not described above will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0023]

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0024] Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail so that those having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains can easily implement them. The present invention can be realized in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0025] To clearly explain the present invention, parts not related to the explanation are omitted, and the same reference numerals are assigned to the same or similar components throughout the specification.

[0026] Also, in some embodiments, for components having the same configuration, only the representative embodiments are described using the same reference numerals, and in other embodiments, only the configurations different from the representative embodiments are described.

[0027] Throughout the specification, when a part is said to be "connected (or coupled)" to another part, this includes not only the case where it is "directly connected (or coupled)", but also the case where it is "indirectly connected (or coupled)" with another member interposed therebetween. Also, when a part "includes" a certain component, this means that, unless otherwise stated to the contrary, it can further include other components, rather than excluding other components.

[0028] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, shall have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries shall be interpreted to have a meaning consistent with the context of the related art and shall not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless clearly defined in this application.

[0029] The present invention aims to provide an electronic device 1 for acquiring biometric information of a pet and a method for operating the electronic device 1. The biometric information of the pet is acquired for pet identification. The biometric information of the pet can include iris, facial shape, body shape, and the shape of wrinkles on the nose (nose print). In this document, the content of photographing the nose print of a puppy is mainly described as the biometric information of the pet. However, in the present invention, the scope of the pet is not limited to puppies, and the features used as identification information are not limited to nose prints, and various physical characteristics of pets can be used.

[0030] According to the present invention, the electronic device 1 photographs a pet using the front camera 31 and acquires the biometric information of the pet from the photographed image. The front camera 31 means the direction in which the display 20 of the electronic device 1 faces. The electronic device 1 may be a mobile device such as a smartphone or a tablet. Also, the electronic device 1 can correspond to a computing device (for example, a laptop computer, a desktop computer). In the case of a mobile device of a folding type such as a folding mobile phone, the front camera 31 can exist before and after folding. In the electronic device 1 according to the present invention, the front camera 31 may be provided inside or outside the display 20.

[0031] FIG. 1 shows an example of an electronic device 1 in which a front camera 31 is attached inside a display area. FIG. 1(a) shows the front F of the electronic device 1 with the front camera 31 attached inside the display area, and FIG. 1(b) shows the rear R of the electronic device 1. The appearance of the electronic device 1 can be composed of a frame 10, a display 20, a front camera 31, and a rear camera 32. In FIG. 1, the front camera 31 can be configured inside the screen area of the display 20. The front camera 31 and the rear camera 32 may each be composed of a plurality of cameras. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2, the front camera 31 may be attached outside the display area.

[0032] Referring to FIG. 3, the electronic device 1 according to the present invention includes a display 20, a front camera 31, a processor 40, and a memory 50. Optionally, the electronic device 1 may further include a rear camera 32. Optionally, the electronic device 1 may further include a gyro sensor 71, a touch sensor 72, or an illuminance sensor 73. Optionally, the electronic device 1 may further include a communication module 60, a speaker 81, or a microphone 82.

[0033] The display 20 is a device that outputs visual information. The display 20 can include a panel and a control circuit. The panel may be provided with a touch sensor 72. In particular, the display 20 can output an image of a pet during shooting (preview image, captured frame). Also, the display 20 can output an interface that provides information to the user in the process of acquiring the pet's biological information.

[0034] The camera (front camera 31 or rear camera 32) is a device for taking images (still images or videos). The camera can include one or more image sensors, lenses, camera controllers, image processing processors, and flashes. The camera can take images for acquiring the biological information of a pet. The characteristics of the camera (e.g., focus, exposure) can be controlled so that the feature objects for acquiring the biological information of the pet can be properly identified. As shown in FIG. 1, the front camera 31 is a camera that takes images in the display direction of the display 20, and as shown in FIG. 2, the rear camera 32 is a camera that takes images in the direction opposite to the display direction of the display 20. The camera may include not only the camera built in the electronic device 1 but also an external camera wired or wirelessly connected to the electronic device 1.

[0035] The processor 40 can perform operations and data processing for the operation of the electronic device 1 and control each module of the electronic device 1. The processor 40 can execute one or more software programs stored in the memory 50. The processor 40 can include a general-purpose processor (e.g., CPU) that executes an operating system for managing the overall operation of the electronic device 1. Also, the processor 40 can include a dedicated processor (e.g., GPU, NPU) for specific arithmetic processing. The processor 40 can include one or more processing circuits. The processor 40 can perform data processing and control operations for acquiring the biological information of a pet.

[0036] The memory 50 can store an operating system for the operation of the electronic device 1, programs such as applications, and data used in the execution process of the programs. The memory 50 can include volatile memory (e.g., DRAM) and non-volatile memory (e.g., flash memory). The memory 50 can store images for acquiring the biological information of a pet.

[0037] The communication module 60 provides an environment in which the electronic device 1 can communicate with external objects (e.g., servers, base stations, IoT devices, mobile devices). The communication module 60 can include an antenna, an RF circuit, and a communication processor. The communication module 60 can provide the data received from the external object to the processor 40. The communication module 60 can convert the data provided from the processor 40 and transmit it to the external object. The communication module 60 can receive the image data for biometric recognition of the pet provided from the processor 40 and transmit the image data to the server 2. As shown in FIG. 4, the electronic device 1 can communicate with the server 2. The electronic device 1 can acquire the biometric information of the pet and transmit the acquired biometric information to the server 2. The server 2 can store the biometric information in the database. The server 2 can perform data processing for learning or identifying the pet from the biometric information. The server 2 can generate the identification information of the pet from the biometric information and transmit the identification information of the pet to the electronic device 1.

[0038] That is, the electronic device 1 for acquiring the biometric information of the pet according to the present invention includes a display 20, a front camera 31 that captures an image in the display direction of the display 20, a processor 40 that is functionally coupled to the display 20 and the front camera 31, and a memory 50 that is functionally coupled to the processor 40. To acquire the biometric information of the pet, the processor 40 captures an image of the pet via the front camera 31, outputs the image of the pet via the display 20, extracts a feature object from the image of the pet, and stores the image of the feature object in the memory 50.

[0039] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an operation method of the electronic device 1 for acquiring pet biometric information according to the present invention. Hereinafter, the operation method of the electronic device 1 for acquiring pet biometric information according to the present invention can be performed by the processor 40. The operation method of the electronic device 1 for acquiring pet biometric information according to the present invention includes a step of capturing an image of a pet via the front camera 31 (S510), a step of outputting the image via the display 20 (S520), a step of extracting a feature object from the image (S530), and a step of storing an image of the feature object in the memory 50 (S540). The front camera 31 captures an image in the display direction of the display 20. Here, the shooting direction of the front camera 31 can correspond to the same direction as the display direction of the display 20, or can correspond to a direction within a substantially same range (a direction within 0 degrees to 90 degrees).

[0040] As shown in FIG. 6, the process of acquiring pet biometric information using the front camera 31 can be performed by the user HM capturing the pet PT while holding the electronic device 1. Compared with the case of using the rear camera 32, there are various advantages in performing shooting for acquiring pet PT biometric information using the front camera 31. Generally, pets such as puppies do not recognize shooting, so they look in other directions without staring at the camera. Also, most pets have the habit of not staying still and constantly moving their necks, so it is difficult to take a front photo in a form suitable for biometric recognition. Furthermore, since most users are not skilled at shooting, it is difficult to take an image in a form suitable for animal biometric recognition.

[0041] On the other hand, when shooting a pet using the front camera 31 as shown in FIG. 6, the user can confirm the image of the currently shot pet in real time, so that an image in a form more suitable for pet biometric recognition can be obtained. Also, the user can shoot while holding the pet, and since the shooting is performed in a more comfortable state for the user and the pet, an image in a form more suitable for biometric recognition can be obtained.

[0042] In step S510, the front camera 31 captures an image facing the front of the electronic device 1 (the display direction of the display 20). To obtain the pet's biometric information, the front camera 31 can capture the pet's face. Prior to the capture by the front camera 31, the processor 40 can determine whether to activate the front camera 31. That is, the processor 40 can determine whether to capture an image for obtaining the pet's biometric information using the front camera 31. The process of determining whether to activate the front camera 31 will be described with reference to FIG. 20. Also, prior to the capture by the front camera 31, an application program for pet biometric recognition can be executed.

[0043] In step S520, the pet's image is output via the display 20. As shown in FIG. 7, the processor 40 can output the pet's image (preview image) captured via the front camera 31 via the display 20. At this time, the user interface of the application program for pet biometric recognition can be output together. By outputting the pet's image via the display 20, the user can check the current pet capture status.

[0044] In step S530, the processor 40 extracts a feature object from the image of the pet. The feature object refers to an object having features that are different for each individual for biometric recognition of the pet. For example, the feature object can include the shape of the face, the shape of the wrinkles on the nose, and the iris. This document will explain, as an example, the process of obtaining an image of a puppy's nose with the shape of the wrinkles on the nose (nose print) as the feature object. The processor 40 can extract the feature object of the animal using the learning data and the object detection algorithm. According to an embodiment, the processor 40 can first detect the face area of the pet and then detect the nose area within the face area. The processor 40 can extract the feature object for each captured image frame of the pet. Also, the processor 40 can extract the feature object every Nth frame (N is a natural number of 2 or more). For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the nose area 100 of the puppy can be detected as the feature object.

[0045] In step S540, the processor 40 stores the image of the extracted feature object in the memory 50. The processor 40 can store the related information together with the image of the feature object. The related information can include user information, shooting time, camera information, and illuminance information. The processor 40 can evaluate the quality of the image of the feature object. That is, the operation method of the electronic device 1 can further include a step of performing a quality evaluation on the image of the feature object. The processor 40 defines the conditions for quality evaluation and determines whether the image meets the quality conditions, thereby determining whether the image of the feature object is suitable for biometric recognition. The quality evaluation conditions can include sharpness, brightness, and size. According to an embodiment, the processor 40 can determine whether the image of the feature object is a front photo of a pet. The processor 40 can transmit the image of the feature object that meets the quality conditions to the server 2 via the communication module 60. That is, the operation method of the electronic device 1 can further include a step of transmitting the image of the feature object to the server 2 when the image quality of the feature object meets the standard. Also, the processor 40 can perform image processing to convert the image of the feature object into a form suitable for biometric recognition.

[0046] After that, the server 2 can perform processing, learning, or biometric recognition on the image of the feature object. The server 2 can extract feature values from the image of the feature object. In the case of the pet registration procedure, the server 2 can store the image of the feature object, the feature values, and the identity information of the pet in the database. In the case of the pet identification procedure, the server 2 can search for a pet that matches (is similar to) the extracted feature values and transmit the identification information of the pet to the electronic device 1.

[0047] According to the present invention, the processor 40 overlaps a graphic or a message on the position of the feature object in the pet's image, and outputs the pet's image with the graphic or the message overlapped via the display 20. The graphic or the message indicates the shooting state of the feature object. Referring to FIG. 8, the step of outputting the pet's image (S520) includes a step of overlapping a graphic or a message on the position of the feature object in the pet's image (S710), and a step of outputting the pet's image with the graphic or the message overlapped via the display 20 (S720). By outputting the position of the feature object for biometric recognition of the pet and the shooting state of the feature object with a graphic or a message, the user can determine whether the shooting for biometric recognition of the animal is appropriately performed. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the processor 40 can overlap and display the graphic 150 as a marker 200 on the position of the pet's feature object. The graphic 150 can be an icon indicating the shooting state of the pet. According to the quality evaluation result of the feature object, the shape or color of the graphic 150 can be displayed differently. Also, the processor 40 can output a message 170 indicating information about the shooting state of the pet.

[0048] According to the present invention, the electronic device 1 further includes a touch sensor 72 provided in the display area 20A of the display 20. The processor 40 can obtain the position of the contact object 210 that has contacted the display 20 from the touch sensor 72 and control the front camera 31 so that the focus is set at the position of the contact object 210. The contact object can be, for example, a hand or an electronic pen. As shown in FIG. 10, the step of photographing an image of a pet (S510) includes the step of obtaining the position of the contact object 210 or the attachment 220 that has contacted the display 20 from the touch sensor 72 (S1010), and the step of controlling the front camera 31 so that the focus is set at the position of the contact object 210 or the attachment 220 (S1020). As shown in FIG. 11, an attachment 220 can be attached to the display area 20A of the display 20 of the electronic device 1. The attachment 220 can be physically attached to the surface of the display 20. The marker 200 and the attachment 220 are objects that guide the user so that the feature object of the pet being photographed is located in a specific area. Not only the physical attachment 220, but also an icon-shaped guide displayed on the display 20 can be used as the marker 200. The positions X1 and Y2 of the attachment 220 are detected by the touch sensor 72, and the processor 40 can control so that the focus of the front camera 31 is set at the detected positions X1 and Y1. When the processor 40 determines the position of the feature object in the image, the icon-shaped marker 200 displayed on the display can track and move to the detected object position and be displayed overlapping the feature object. In this case, the processor 40 can control so that the focus of the front camera 31 is set at the position of the marker 200.

[0049] As an embodiment, the display 20 is configured to reflect some light and can also function like a mirror. By reflecting the shape of the animal on the display 20, the user can perform photographing for biometric recognition using the front camera 31 while checking the state of the pet.

[0050] According to the present invention, the processor 40 determines the position or posture of the pet from the image of the pet, and outputs a graphic or message for a shooting guide based on the position or posture of the pet via the display 20. Referring to FIG. 12, the step of outputting an image via the display 20 (S520) includes a step of determining the position or posture of the pet from the image of the pet (S1210) and a step of outputting a graphic or message for a shooting guide based on the position or posture of the pet via the display 20 (S1220). Referring to FIG. 13, when the position of the pet during shooting is off and detection of the feature object is impossible, the processor 40 can output a guide graphic 310 that causes the user to rotate or move the electronic device 1 to the position of the pet. Also, as shown in FIG. 13, a message 320 that causes the user to rotate or move the electronic device 1 to the position of the pet can be output.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 14, when the pet turns its head and a front photo cannot be obtained, the processor 40 can output a guide graphic 330 or a guide message 340 that guides the user so that a front photo of the pet can be obtained. The processor 40 can detect the rotation direction of the pet's face. The processor 40 can output a guide graphic 330 or a guide message 340 that guides the pet to turn its head in the direction opposite to the rotation direction of the pet's face.

[0052] According to the present invention, the electronic device 1 further includes a gyro sensor 71 that measures the posture of the electronic device 1. The processor 40 can obtain the posture information of the electronic device 1 from the gyro sensor 71 and determine the inversion direction of the image based on the posture information. Referring to FIG. 15, the step of outputting an image via the display 20 (S520) includes a step of obtaining the posture information of the electronic device 1 from the gyro sensor 71 (S1510) and a step of determining the inversion direction of the image based on the posture information (S1520). When shooting through the front camera 31, it is preferable to invert the captured image for the convenience of user recognition and output it to the display 20. The processor 40 can invert the image captured by the front camera 31 with respect to the vertical axis (Y-axis) or the horizontal axis (X-axis) and output the inverted image via the display 20. When the gyro sensor 71 is not used, the processor 40 can also determine the shooting direction of the pet from the captured image and determine the inversion direction according to the shooting direction. Also, the inversion direction can be determined according to the shooting direction input by the user.

[0053] For example, as shown in FIG. 16, when shooting a pet in a state where the electronic device 1 is erected (portrait mode), the processor 40 can invert the image with respect to the vertical axis YA and output the inverted image to the display 20. As shown in FIG. 17, when shooting a pet in a state where the electronic device 1 is lying horizontally (landscape mode), the processor 40 can invert the image with respect to the horizontal axis XA and output the inverted image to the display 20.

[0054] According to the present invention, the electronic device 1 further includes an illuminance sensor 73 that measures the ambient illuminance. The processor 40 acquires the illuminance information of the periphery of the electronic device 1 from the illuminance sensor 73 and controls the exposure of the front camera 31 based on the illuminance information. Referring to FIG. 18, the step of photographing an image of a pet (S510) includes a step of acquiring the illuminance information of the periphery of the electronic device 1 from the illuminance sensor 73 (S1810) and a step of controlling the exposure of the front camera 31 based on the illuminance information (S1820). As shown in FIG. 19, the illuminance sensor 73 can be provided on the front surface of the electronic device 1. Since the illuminance sensor 73 is installed adjacent to the display 20 and the front camera 31, when photographing an image of a pet through the front camera 31, the processor 40 can control the exposure amount of the front camera 31 using the illuminance information measured by the illuminance sensor 73.

[0055] On the other hand, according to the present invention, before photographing for pet biometric recognition using the front camera 31 of the electronic device 1, a process of determining whether the front camera 31 can be activated can be performed. The front camera 31 of the electronic device 1 often has a degraded function compared to the rear camera 32. Therefore, when photographing a pet using the front camera 31, there is a possibility that an image unsuitable for biometric recognition is acquired. Thus, the processor 40 first determines whether the front camera 31 is a camera suitable for pet biometric recognition in advance. If it is determined that the front camera 31 is suitable, the front camera 31 can be activated to photograph the pet. The process of determining whether to activate the front camera 31 can be performed when an application program for pet biometric recognition is executed. The rear camera 32 is a camera that photographs an image in the direction opposite to the front camera 31.

[0056] Processor 40 first executes the camera management program stored in the memory 50 of the electronic device 1, and checks the list of cameras (camera ID list) built in or attached to the electronic device 1 via the camera management program. If the front camera 31 exists among the extracted cameras, the processor 40 can determine whether to capture an image via the front camera 31.

[0057] According to the present invention, the processor 40 checks the attribute information of the front camera 31, and determines whether the front camera 31 can be activated based on the attribute information of the front camera. The attribute information of the front camera 31 can include manual focus assistance, shooting format, shooting size, and hardware level information. The attribute information of the front camera 31 can be stored as data in the camera management program. For example, when the front camera 31 is a camera that supports manual focus, the shooting format and shooting size meet predetermined conditions, and the hardware level of the camera meets the reference level, the processor 40 can determine that the front camera 31 can be used to acquire the biological information of the pet.

[0058] The processor 40 can output the attribute information of the front camera 31 and whether the front camera 31 can be activated via the display 20. By displaying the attribute information of the front camera 31 and whether the front camera 31 can be activated, the user can confirm whether the front camera 31 can be used for acquiring the biological information of the pet.

[0059] When the front camera cannot be activated, the processor 40 can activate the rear camera 32. That is, the processor 40 can perform shooting for pet biometric recognition using the rear camera 32 without activating the front camera 31.

[0060] When the front camera 31 is activatable, the processor 40 can output an interface for selecting either the front camera 31 or the rear camera 32. For example, when the front camera is activatable, the processor 40 can output an interface that allows the user to select the camera. For example, while basically activating the rear camera 32 to display a preview image, an icon 400 that can switch the camera can be output at the lower right end of the application screen as shown in FIG. 21. When a touch input to the icon 400 is detected by the touch sensor 72, the processor 40 can activate the front camera 31 and display an image captured by the front camera 31 as a preview image on the display 20. When a touch input to the icon 400 is detected again during the shooting by the front camera 31, the processor 40 can output an image captured by the rear camera 32 again as a preview image on the display 20. As another example, before starting shooting, a list can be output that allows the user to select either the front camera 31 or the rear camera 32.

[0061] When the front camera 31 is selected, the processor 40 activates the front camera 31 and acquires an image for pet biometric recognition. When the rear camera 32 is selected, the processor 40 activates the rear camera 32 and acquires an image for pet biometric recognition.

[0062] That is, the operation method of the electronic device 1 according to the present invention includes a step of determining whether or not to activate the front camera 31. As shown in FIG. 20, the step of determining whether or not to activate the front camera 31 includes a step of checking the attribute information of the front camera 31 (S2005) and a step of determining whether or not the front camera 31 can be activated based on the attribute information of the front camera 31 (S2010). A step of outputting the attribute information and the activation availability of the front camera 31 via the display 20 (S2040) can be executed. When the front camera 31 can be activated, a step of outputting an interface for selecting either the front camera 31 or the rear camera 32 (S2015) can be executed. A step of determining whether or not the front camera 31 is selected via the interface (S2020), a step of activating the front camera 31 when the front camera 31 is selected (S2025), and a step of activating the rear camera 32 when the front camera 31 is not selected (S2030) are executed. Thereafter, a process of taking an image for biometric recognition of the pet via the selected camera can be executed.

[0063] After an image of a feature object for pet biometric recognition is acquired via the front camera 31 or the rear camera 32 on one side, a quality evaluation can be performed to determine whether the image of the feature object is suitable for pet learning or identification. According to the present invention, the processor 40 can evaluate the quality of the image of the feature object. The conditions defined for evaluating the quality of the image of the feature object can include sharpness, brightness, and size. The quality evaluation conditions may vary depending on whether the camera that captured the image of the feature object is the front camera 31 or the rear camera 32. For example, when determining the image quality through the size of the image of the feature object, the size condition of the image captured by the front camera 31 can be set larger than that of the rear camera 32. Generally, the front camera 31 is composed of a camera with lower performance compared to the rear camera 32. For example, the front camera 31 may have a degraded overall image quality compared to the rear camera 32 and may not support the OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) function, which is an anti-shake function. Therefore, when an image is captured via the front camera 31, the quality evaluation of the image of the feature object can be performed under higher-level quality conditions. Thereby, even when captured via the front camera 31, pet biometric recognition can be smoothly performed through the image of the feature object.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 22, the operation method of the electronic device 1 includes a step of capturing an image of a pet via the front camera 31 (S2210), a step of outputting the image via the display 20 (S2220), a step of extracting a feature object from the image (S2230), a step of storing the image of the feature object in the memory 50 (S2240), a step of evaluating the quality of the image of the feature object (S2250), and a step of transmitting the image of the feature object that meets the quality conditions to the server 2 via the communication module 60 (S2260). The quality evaluation conditions are set to vary depending on whether the camera that captured the image of the feature object is the front camera 31 or the rear camera 32.

[0065] When the processor 40 of the electronic device 1 transmits the image of the feature object to the server 2, it can transmit the camera information that captured the image as related information together with the image data. The server 2 can know which camera captured the image through the camera information. The server 2 can determine the processing method of the feature object based on the camera information. That is, the server 2 can process the image differently depending on whether the camera that captured the image is the front camera 31 or the rear camera 32.

[0066] This embodiment and the drawings attached to this specification only clearly show a part of the technical idea included in the present invention, and it is obvious that any modifications and specific embodiments that can be easily inferred by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technical idea included in the specification and drawings of the present invention are all included in the scope of the rights of the present invention.

[0067] Therefore, the idea of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, and not only the scope of the claims described later, but also any modifications equivalent or equivalent to this scope of claims belong to the category of the idea of the present invention.

Claims

1. An electronic device for acquiring biometric information of a pet, comprising: a display; a front camera for taking an image facing the display direction of the display; a rear camera for taking an image in a direction opposite to the display direction of the display; a processor functionally coupled to the display and the front camera; a memory functionally coupled to the processor, wherein the processor: checks the attribute information of the front camera; determines whether the front camera can be activated based on the attribute information of the front camera; takes an image of the pet via the front camera; outputs the image of the pet via the display; extracts a feature object from the image of the pet; stores an image of the feature object in the memory.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the attribute information of the front camera includes the presence or absence of manual focus assistance, the shooting format, and the shooting size.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the processor outputs the attribute information of the front camera and whether the front camera can be activated via the display.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the processor activates the rear camera when the front camera cannot be activated.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the processor outputs, via the display, an interface for selecting either the front camera or the rear camera when the front camera can be activated.

6. The processor evaluates the quality of the image of the feature object, transmits, via a communication module, an image of the feature object that meets the quality condition to a server, wherein the quality condition is set to be different depending on whether the camera that took the image of the feature object is the front camera or the rear camera.

7. An operating method of an electronic device for acquiring biometric information of a pet, the electronic device including a front camera for taking an image facing the display direction of a display and a rear camera for taking an image in a direction opposite to the display direction of the display, the method comprising: checking the attribute information of the front camera; determining whether the front camera can be activated based on the attribute information of the front camera; taking an image of the pet via the front camera; Outputting the image via the display; Extracting a feature object from the image; Storing an image of the feature object in a memory; and A method of operating an electronic device.

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