Electronic device comprising plurality of cameras, and operating method thereof

Abstract

An electronic device according to an embodiment may comprise: a plurality of image sensors; a memory; and at least one processor electrically connected to the plurality of image sensors and the memory. The at least one processor may obtain image frames output from each of the plurality of image sensors and a time stamp of each of the image frames in response to a photographing start event; control a timing at which an image frame of at least one of the plurality of image sensors is output on the basis of the obtained time stamp to control at least one of the plurality of image sensors such that image frames output afterward are output at least at one or more different time points, obtain information about a photographing environment of each of the image frames, determine an exposure value of each of the plurality of image sensors such that at least two of the plurality of image sensors have different exposure values in response to a change in the information about the photographing environment of at least one of the image frames, and obtain an image frame from the plurality of image sensors on the basis of the determined exposure value corresponding to the changed information about the photographing environment. Other various embodiments identified through the specification are possible.

Description

Electronic device including multiple cameras and method of operating the same

[0001] Various embodiments disclosed in this document relate to an electronic device including a plurality of cameras and a method of operating the same.

[0002] With the recent advancement of digital technology, various types of electronic devices, such as mobile terminals, personal digital assistants (PDAs), electronic notebooks, smartphones, tablet PCs (personal computers), and / or wearable devices, are being widely used. To support and enhance functionality, the hardware and software of these electronic devices are constantly being improved.

[0003] For example, an electronic device may display an image detected from a built-in camera as a preview image in preview mode. Furthermore, the electronic device may obtain a command to start shooting by a user pressing a shooting button (e.g., a shutter button), and store the image captured by the camera after the user presses the shooting button.

[0004] Electronic devices may include electronic devices that a user can wear on their face, such as a head-mounted device (HMD). Head-mounted devices can be useful for implementing virtual reality, augmented reality, and / or mixed reality. For example, the electronic device can implement virtual reality by providing a stereoscopic image of a virtual space in a game enjoyed through a television or computer monitor while blocking the image of the actual space in which the user is staying. For example, the electronic device can provide an environment in which the user can visually perceive an actual image of the space in which the user is staying, while implementing a virtual image to provide the user with various visual information, thereby providing augmented reality.

[0005] The above information may be provided as background art to aid in understanding the present disclosure. No claim or determination is made as to whether any of the above is applicable as prior art in connection with the present disclosure.

[0006] An electronic device according to an embodiment may include a plurality of image sensors, a memory, and at least one processor electrically connected to the plurality of image sensors and the memory. The at least one processor may, in response to a capture start event, obtain image frames output from each of the plurality of image sensors and a time stamp of each of the image frames, and, based on the obtained time stamp, control the timing at which an image frame of at least one of the plurality of image sensors is output so that subsequently output image frames are output at least at one or more different points in time, control at least one of the plurality of image sensors, obtain information regarding a capture environment of each of the image frames, and, in response to a change in information regarding the capture environment of at least one of the image frames, determine an exposure value of each of the plurality of image sensors so that at least two or more of the plurality of image sensors have different exposure values, and, based on the determined exposure value corresponding to the information regarding the changed capture environment, obtain image frames from the plurality of image sensors.

[0007] According to an embodiment, an operating method of an electronic device including a plurality of image sensors may include, in response to a shooting start event, obtaining image frames output from each of the plurality of image sensors and a time stamp of each of the image frames; controlling, based on the obtained time stamp, a timing at which image frames of the plurality of image sensors are output so that image frames output thereafter are output at least at one or more different points in time; obtaining information regarding a shooting environment of each of the image frames; determining, in response to a change in information regarding the shooting environment of at least one of the image frames, an exposure value of each of the plurality of image sensors so that at least two or more of the plurality of image sensors have different exposure values; and obtaining image frames from the plurality of image sensors based on the determined exposure value corresponding to the information regarding the changed shooting environment.

[0008] Figure 1 is a perspective view of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0009] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the electronic device of Figure 1 viewed from another direction.

[0010] FIG. 3 illustrates a structure for an electronic device and a camera module according to one embodiment.

[0011] Figure 4 is a block diagram of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0012] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the time stamps of each image frame acquired from the first image sensor and the time stamps of each image frame acquired from the second image sensor over time.

[0013] Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0014] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an operation for controlling multiple image sensors according to one embodiment.

[0015] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the time stamp of each image frame acquired from each of a plurality of image sensors according to an embodiment of the present invention over time.

[0016] FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining an operation of determining an exposure value of each of a first image sensor and a second image sensor according to one embodiment, and acquiring subsequent image frames based on the determined exposure values.

[0017] FIG. 10A is a diagram for explaining an operation of determining an exposure value of each of a plurality of image sensors according to one embodiment and acquiring subsequent image frames based on the determined exposure value.

[0018] FIG. 10b is a diagram for explaining an operation of determining an exposure value when image frames are acquired from a first image sensor and a second image sensor at the same time according to one embodiment.

[0019] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining an operation of controlling multiple image sensors when a capture event occurs according to one embodiment.

[0020] FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of an electronic device when a capture event occurs according to an embodiment.

[0021] Fig. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of outputting a preview image according to one embodiment.

[0022] FIG. 14 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a concept of controlling a function related to shooting in an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0023] FIG. 15 is a diagram for comparing a case where image frames are not output at at least one or more different points in time and a case where image frames are output at at least one or more different points in time according to one embodiment.

[0024] FIG. 16 is a diagram for comparing a case where image frames are not output at at least one different point in time and a case where image frames are output at at least one different point in time according to one embodiment.

[0025] FIG. 17 is a block diagram of an electronic device within a network environment according to various embodiments.

[0026] FIG. 18 is a block diagram illustrating a camera module according to various embodiments.

[0027] In connection with the description of the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals may be used for identical or similar components.

[0028] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the attached drawings. However, this is not intended to limit the present disclosure to specific embodiments, and it should be understood that various modifications, equivalents, and / or alternatives of the embodiments of the present disclosure are included.

[0029] An electronic device according to various embodiments of the present document may include, for example, at least one of a smartphone, a tablet personal computer (PC), a mobile phone, a video phone, an e-book reader, a desktop personal computer (PC), a laptop personal computer (PC), a netbook computer, a workstation, a server, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable multimedia player (PMP), an MP3 player, a mobile medical device, a camera, or a wearable device. According to various embodiments, the wearable device may include at least one of an accessory type (e.g., a watch, a ring, a bracelet, an anklet, a necklace, glasses, contact lenses, or a head-mounted device (HMD)), a fabric or clothing-integrated type (e.g., an electronic garment), a body-attached type (e.g., a skin pad or a tattoo), or a bio-implantable type (e.g., an implantable circuit).

[0030] In some embodiments, the electronic device may be a home appliance. The home appliance may include, for example, at least one of a television, a digital video disk (DVD) player, an audio device, a refrigerator, an air conditioner, a vacuum cleaner, an oven, a microwave oven, a washing machine, an air purifier, a set-top box, a home automation control panel, a security control panel, a TV box, a game console, an electronic dictionary, an electronic key, a camcorder, or an electronic picture frame.

[0031] In one embodiment, the electronic device may be any of various medical devices (e.g., various portable medical measuring devices (e.g., blood glucose meter, heart rate meter, blood pressure meter, or body temperature meter), magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computer tomography (CT), camera, or ultrasound), navigation device, global navigation satellite system (GNSS), event data recorder (EDR), flight data recorder (FDR), automobile infotainment device, electronic equipment for ships (e.g., marine navigation device or gyrocompass), avionics, security device, head unit for vehicles, industrial or home robot, automatic teller's machine (ATM) of financial institution, point of sales (POS) of store, or internet of things device (e.g., light bulb, various sensors, electric or gas meter, sprinkler device, fire alarm, thermostat, It may include at least one of the following: a streetlight, a toaster, exercise equipment, a hot water tank, a heater, or a boiler.

[0032] According to some embodiments, the electronic device may include at least one of a piece of furniture or a building / structure, an electronic board, an electronic signature receiving device, a projector, or various measuring devices (e.g., a water, electricity, gas, or radio wave measuring device). In various embodiments, the electronic device may be a combination of one or more of the various devices described above. The electronic device according to some embodiments may be a flexible electronic device. In addition, the electronic device according to the embodiments of the present document is not limited to the devices described above, and may include new electronic devices developed according to technological advancements.

[0033] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an electronic device (100) according to one embodiment. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the electronic device (100) of Fig. 1 viewed from another direction.

[0034] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an electronic device (100) according to one embodiment is an electronic device in the form of glasses, which allows a user to visually perceive surrounding objects or environments while wearing the electronic device (100). For example, the electronic device (100) may be a head-mounted device (HMD) or smart glasses that can provide images directly in front of the user's eyes.

[0035] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (100) may include a housing that forms the exterior of the electronic device (100). The housing may provide a space in which components of the electronic device (100) may be placed. For example, the housing may include a front surface (111), a rear surface (112), and a side surface (113) that surrounds at least a portion between the front surface (111) and the rear surface (112).

[0036] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (100) may include at least one display member that is disposed within a housing and can output a visual image. For example, the electronic device (100) may include at least one display member that can provide visual information (or an image) to a user. For example, the electronic device (100) may include a first display member (121) and a second display member (122). At least one display member may include a module equipped with a lens, a display, a waveguide, and / or a touch circuit. According to one embodiment, the display member may be formed transparently or translucently. According to one embodiment, the display member may include a window member that can adjust the light transmittance by adjusting the glass of a translucent material or a tinting concentration.

[0037] According to one embodiment, at least one indicator member may be positioned at a position corresponding to the user's eyes. In one example, the indicator members may be provided as a pair, and may be positioned to correspond to the user's left and right eyes, respectively, when the electronic device (100) is worn on the user's body. For example, referring to FIG. 2, the indicator members may include a first indicator member (121) and a second indicator member (122) positioned spaced apart from the first indicator member (121). The first indicator member (121) may be positioned to correspond to the user's right eye, and the second indicator member (122) may be positioned to correspond to the user's left eye.

[0038] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (100) may include a plurality of camera modules (e.g., a first camera module (221) and a second camera module (222)). For example, the electronic device (100) may use the camera modules to acquire and / or recognize visual images of objects or environments viewed by the user or in a direction toward which the electronic device (100) is directed. The electronic device (100) may use the camera modules to receive information about objects or environments from an external electronic device through a network. The electronic device (100) may provide the received information about objects or environments to the user in a visual form through a display member. For example, the electronic device (100) may implement augmented reality and / or mixed reality by visualizing information about objects or environments and combining it with actual images of the user's surroundings.

[0039] According to one embodiment, the camera module can capture still images and / or video. The camera module may include at least one of a lens, at least one image sensor, an image signal processor, or a flash. According to one embodiment, the camera module may be arranged around the display member (121, 122).

[0040] According to one embodiment, the camera module may include a first camera module (221) and a second camera module (222). According to one embodiment, the first camera module (221) and the second camera module (222) may capture external images. According to one embodiment, the first camera module (221) and the second camera module (222) may capture external images through first optical holes formed in the lens frame. For example, the first camera module (221) and the second camera module (222) may include a high-resolution color camera. For example, the first camera module (221) and the second camera module (222) may be HR (high resolution) or PV (photo video) cameras. According to one embodiment, the first camera module (221) and the second camera module (222) may provide an auto focus (AF) function and an optical image stabilizer (OIS) function. According to one embodiment, the first camera module (221) and the second camera module (222) may be GS or RS cameras.

[0041] According to one embodiment, the first camera module (221) and the second camera module (222) may have the same shooting environment. For example, the first camera module (221) and the second camera module (222) may include a pass-through camera. In one example, the same shooting environment may include a case where the angle of view of the first camera module (221) has a field of view (FOV) that at least partially overlaps with the angle of view of the second camera module (222).

[0042] According to one embodiment, the electronic device can use information acquired through the first camera module (221) and the second camera module (222) as information about the shooting environment. For example, if the angle of view of the first camera module (221) does not overlap with the angle of view of the second camera module (222), the electronic device can use information acquired through the first camera module (221) and the second camera module (222) as information about the shooting environment. For example, the electronic device can predict at least one of the user's movement or the illuminance value of the next scene based on the user's movement information included in the information about the shooting environment. The electronic device can determine the exposure value of the image frame based on the predicted illuminance value.

[0043] According to one embodiment, the first camera module (221) and the second camera module (222) may be used to preview a real scene for a video see through (VST) operation. According to one embodiment, the first camera module (221) and the second camera module (222) may be used to reinforce distance information with respect to a subject. According to one embodiment, the first camera module (221) and the second camera module (222) may also be used to recognize an object through a 2D image acquired by capturing a scene. According to one embodiment, the first camera module (221) and the second camera module (222) may include at least one of a HeT camera, a HaT camera, or a FT camera. However, the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0044] According to one embodiment, the preview images acquired through the first camera module (221) and the second camera module (222) may be displayed through the display members (121, 122). For example, the preview image acquired through the first camera module (221) may be displayed through the first display member (121), and the preview image acquired through the second camera module (222) may be displayed through the second display member (122).

[0045] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (100) may include a flash (not shown) positioned adjacent to the first camera module (221) and the second camera module (222). For example, the flash (not shown) may provide light to increase brightness (e.g., illuminance) around the electronic device (100) when acquiring external images of the first camera module (221) and the second camera module (222). The flash (not shown) may reduce difficulties in acquiring images due to dark environments, mixing of various light sources, and / or reflection of light.

[0046] In one embodiment, the camera module may include a third camera module (230). In one embodiment, the third camera module (230) may be used to determine the distance to a subject.

[0047] According to one embodiment, the camera module may include a fourth camera module (241, 242). According to one embodiment, the fourth camera module (241, 242) may capture a trajectory of a user's eye (e.g., pupil) or gaze. For example, the fourth camera module (241, 242) may include a light-emitting unit (e.g., IR LED) (not shown) configured to emit light in an infrared band and a camera structure (not shown) configured to capture a reflection pattern of light emitted by the light-emitting unit toward the user's eye. According to one embodiment, the processor may adjust the position of the virtual image projected on the display member (121, 122) so that the virtual image corresponds to the direction in which the user's pupil is looking. According to one embodiment, the fourth camera module (241, 242) may track a trajectory of the user's eye or gaze by using a plurality of fourth camera modules having the same specifications and performance.

[0048] According to one embodiment, the fourth camera module (241, 242) may periodically or aperiodically transmit information related to the trajectory of the user's eyes or gaze (e.g., trajectory information) to the processor. According to one embodiment, the fourth camera module (241, 242) may transmit the trajectory information to the processor when it detects that the user's gaze has changed (e.g., the eyes move more than a reference value while the head is still) based on the trajectory information.

[0049] In one embodiment, the camera module, the fifth camera module (251, 252), may be used to detect a user's facial expression. In one example, the fifth camera module (251, 252) may include a face tracking (FT) camera.

[0050] According to one embodiment, the camera module may include a sixth camera module (211, 212, 213, 214). According to one embodiment, the sixth camera module may capture a user's motion through a second optical hole formed in the lens frame. For example, the sixth camera module may capture a user's gesture (e.g., hand motion). The sixth camera module may be disposed at both side ends of the housing. For example, the sixth camera module may be disposed at each of the two ends of the housing. According to one embodiment, the sixth camera module may be a global shutter (GS) type camera. For example, the sixth camera module may be a camera that supports 3DoF (degrees of freedom) or 6DoF and may provide 360-degree space (e.g., omnidirectional), position recognition, and / or movement recognition. According to one embodiment, the sixth camera module may perform simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) and user movement recognition functions using multiple global shutter cameras of the same specifications and performance as stereo cameras. According to one embodiment, the sixth camera module may include an infrared (IR) camera (e.g., a time of flight (TOF) camera or a structured light camera). For example, the IR camera may operate as at least a part of a sensor module for detecting a distance to a subject.

[0051] According to one embodiment, the third camera module, the fourth camera module, the fifth camera module, and / or the sixth camera module may include multiple camera modules. The electronic device (100) may include multiple camera modules, each having different properties (e.g., angles of view) or functions. The electronic device (100) may control changing the angles of view of the camera modules based on a user's selection and / or trajectory information. For example, at least one of the multiple camera modules may be a wide-angle camera, and at least another may be a telephoto camera.

[0052] According to one embodiment, the processor may determine the movement of the electronic device (100) and / or the movement of the user by using information of the electronic device (100) obtained by using at least one of a gesture sensor, a gyro sensor, or an acceleration sensor of the sensor module and a user's motion (e.g., approach of the user's body to the electronic device (100)) obtained by using the sixth camera module (211, 212, 213, 214). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (100) may include, in addition to the described sensors, a magnetic (geomagnetic) sensor capable of measuring a direction by using a magnetic field and magnetism, and / or a Hall sensor capable of obtaining movement information (e.g., a moving direction or a moving distance) by using the strength of a magnetic field. For example, the processor may determine the movement of the electronic device (100) and / or the movement of the user based on information obtained from the magnetic (geomagnetic) sensor and / or the Hall sensor.

[0053] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (100) can perform an input function (e.g., a touch and / or pressure sensing function) that enables interaction with a user. For example, a component configured to perform a touch and / or pressure sensing function (e.g., a touch sensor and / or a pressure sensor) may be disposed on at least a portion of the electronic device (100). The electronic device (100) can control a virtual image output through the display member (121, 122) based on information acquired through the component. For example, the sensor related to the touch and / or pressure sensing function may be configured in various ways, such as a resistive type, a capacitive type, an electromagnetic induction (EM) type, or an optical type. According to one embodiment, the component configured to perform the touch and / or pressure sensing function may have part or all of the same configuration as the input module (1750) of FIG. 17.

[0054] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (100) may include a circuit board (e.g., a printed circuit board (PCB), a printed board assembly (PBA), a flexible PCB (FPCB), or a rigid-flexible PCB (RFPCB)) that accommodates components for driving the electronic device (100). For example, the circuit board may include at least one integrated circuit chip. At least one of a processor (not shown), a memory (not shown), a power management module (not shown), or a communication module may be provided on the integrated circuit chip. According to one embodiment, the circuit board may be disposed within a housing. For example, the circuit board may include a first circuit board and a second circuit board. According to one embodiment, the communication module may be mounted on the first circuit board, and the processor may be mounted on the second circuit board. According to one embodiment, the circuit board may be electrically connected to a battery through a power transmission structure. According to one embodiment, the circuit board (241) may be an interposer board.

[0055] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (100) may include a battery. The battery may be electrically connected to components of the electronic device (100). The battery may supply power to components of the electronic device (100).

[0056] According to one embodiment, the present disclosure may be applied to an electronic device including a plurality of camera modules (e.g., a first camera module and a second camera module) having the same shooting environment. For example, the electronic device of the present disclosure may control image frames to be output from each of the image sensors included in the plurality of camera modules at at least one different point in time. When the electronic device of the present disclosure detects a change in the shooting environment (e.g., when the illuminance value of the detected shooting environment changes), the exposure value corresponding to information about the shooting environment (e.g., the illuminance value of the shooting environment) may be quickly derived based on the exposure value of each of the image frames output at at least one different point in time.

[0057] FIG. 3 illustrates the structure of an electronic device (300) and a camera module according to one embodiment.

[0058] The electronic device (300) and camera module of FIG. 3 can be referenced by the electronic device (100) and camera modules of FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0059] FIG. 3 is a schematic drawing of an exterior of an electronic device (300) equipped with a first camera module (380) according to one embodiment, and the first camera module (380). Although the embodiment of FIG. 3 is illustrated and described based on a mobile device, for example, a smart phone, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the embodiment can be applied to any electronic device equipped with a camera among various electronic devices or mobile devices.

[0060] Referring to FIG. 3, a display (310) may be arranged on the front of an electronic device (300) according to an embodiment. In an embodiment, the display (310) may occupy most of the front of the electronic device (300). The front of the electronic device (300) may include the display (310) and a bezel (390) surrounding at least a portion of an edge of the display (310). The display (310) may include a flat area and a curved area extending from the flat area toward a side of the electronic device (300). The electronic device (300) illustrated in FIG. 3 is an example, and various embodiments are possible. For example, the display (310) of the electronic device (300) may include only a flat area without a curved area, or may have a curved area on only one edge rather than both sides. Additionally, in one embodiment, the curved area may extend to the rear of the electronic device (300), so that the electronic device (300) may have an additional flat area.

[0061] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may additionally include a speaker (not shown), a receiver (not shown), a front camera (361), a proximity sensor (not shown), and / or a home key (not shown). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may be provided such that the rear cover (350) is integrated with the main body of the electronic device. In one embodiment, the rear cover (350) may be separated from the main body of the electronic device (300) and may have a form in which the battery can be replaced. The rear cover (350) may also be referred to as a battery cover or a back cover.

[0062] According to one embodiment, a fingerprint sensor (371) for recognizing a user's fingerprint may be included in a first area (370) of the display (310). When the display (310) is viewed from the front, the fingerprint sensor (371) may be positioned on a lower layer of the display (310) so that it is not visible to the user or may be positioned so that it is difficult to recognize. In addition to the fingerprint sensor (371), an additional sensor for user / biometric authentication may be positioned in a portion of the display (310). In one embodiment, the sensor for user / biometric authentication may be positioned in a portion of the bezel (390). For example, an IR (infrared) sensor for iris authentication may be exposed through a portion of the display (310) or through a portion of the bezel (390).

[0063] In one embodiment, a front camera (361) may be arranged in a second area (360) on the front side of the electronic device (300). In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the front camera (361) is illustrated as being visually exposed through an area of ​​the display (310), but in one embodiment, the front camera (361) may be visually exposed through a bezel (390). In one embodiment (not shown), the display (310) may include at least one of an audio module, a sensor module (e.g., a sensor (363)), a camera module (e.g., a front camera (361)), and a light-emitting element (not shown) on the back side of the second area (360). For example, the camera module may be arranged on the front side and / or the side side of the electronic device (300) so as to face the front side and / or the side side. For example, the front camera (361) may be a hidden under display camera (UDC) that is not visually exposed to the second area (360).

[0064] In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may include one or more front cameras (361). For example, the electronic device (300) may include two front cameras, such as a first front camera and a second front camera. In one embodiment, the first front camera and the second front camera may be the same type of cameras with equivalent specifications (e.g., pixels), but in one embodiment, the first front camera and the second front camera may be implemented as cameras with different specifications. The electronic device (300) may support functions related to dual cameras (e.g., 3D shooting, auto focus, etc.) through the two front cameras. The description of the front camera mentioned above may be applied identically or similarly to the rear camera of the electronic device (300).

[0065] In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may additionally be equipped with various hardware or sensors (363) to assist in taking pictures, such as a flash. For example, the electronic device (300) may include a distance sensor (e.g., a time of flight (TOF) sensor) for detecting the distance between a subject and the electronic device (300). The distance sensor may be applied to both the front camera (361) and / or the rear camera. The distance sensor may be separately arranged or may be included and arranged in the front camera (361) and / or the rear camera.

[0066] In one embodiment, at least one physical key may be arranged on the side of the electronic device (300). For example, a first function key (351) for turning the display (310) ON / OFF or turning the power of the electronic device (300) ON / OFF may be arranged on the right edge based on the front of the electronic device (300). In one embodiment, a second function key (352) for controlling the volume or screen brightness of the electronic device (300) may be arranged on the left edge based on the front of the electronic device (300). In addition, additional buttons or keys may be arranged on the front or back of the electronic device (300). For example, a physical button or touch button mapped to a designated function may be arranged on the lower area of ​​the bezel (390) of the front.

[0067] The electronic device (300) illustrated in FIG. 3 is merely an example and does not limit the form of the device to which the technical concepts disclosed in this disclosure are applicable. For example, the technical concepts of this disclosure may be applied to foldable electronic devices that employ a flexible display and hinge structure and can be folded in either a horizontal or vertical direction, rollable electronic devices capable of rolling, tablets, or laptops.

[0068] Referring to FIG. 3, an electronic device (300) according to an embodiment may include a plurality of camera modules. For example, the electronic device (300) may include a first camera module (380), a second camera module (381), and / or a third camera module (382). However, the electronic device (300) may omit at least one of the above-described camera modules, or may further include at least one camera module. The description of the first camera module (380) described below may refer to the second camera module (381) and / or the third camera module (382).

[0069] According to one embodiment, the first camera module (380) may include a lens assembly (311), a housing (313), an infrared cut filter (315), and / or an image sensor (320). The electronic device (300) may include an image signal processor (ISP) (330) electrically connected to the image sensor (320). In one embodiment, the image signal processor (330) may be understood to be included in the first camera module (380), or in one embodiment, the image signal processor (330) may be understood to be configured to be included in a processor (e.g., the processor (210) of FIG. 2) distinct from the first camera module (380).

[0070] In one embodiment, the lens assembly (311) may have different numbers, arrangements, and / or types of lenses depending on the front camera (361) and the rear camera. Depending on the type of the lens assembly (311), the front camera (361) and the rear camera may have different characteristics (e.g., focal length, maximum magnification). The lens assembly (311) may move forward and backward along an optical axis (not shown) and may operate to change the focal length so that a target object that serves as a subject can be captured clearly.

[0071] In one embodiment, the first camera module (380) may include a barrel (not shown) including a lens assembly (311) aligned on an optical axis, and a housing (313) including at least one coil (not shown) and / or a magnet (not shown) surrounding the periphery of the barrel about the optical axis (not shown). In one embodiment, the first camera module (380) may perform a stabilization function (e.g., optical image stabilization; OIS) of an image acquired by an image sensor (320) using the at least one coil and / or magnet included in the housing (313). For example, the at least one coil and the magnet may electromagnetically interact with each other under the control of a control circuit. For example, the first camera module (380) can control the direction and / or intensity of the current passing through at least one coil under the control of the processor to control the electromagnetic force, and can move (or rotate) at least a portion of the lens assembly (311) and the lens carrier (not shown) including the lens assembly (311) in a direction substantially perpendicular to the optical axis (not shown) by using the Lorentz force caused by the electromagnetic force.

[0072] In one embodiment, the first camera module (380) may use a different method for image stabilization. For example, the first camera module (380) may utilize video digital image stabilization (VDIS). In one embodiment, the first camera module (380) may include a method for compensating for image shake by performing software processing on the data output value of the image sensor (320). For example, the first camera module (380) may extract a motion vector based on the difference between frames of an image (different image) through VDIS, which is a digital shake correction, and increase the clarity through image processing. In addition, the first camera module (380) may extract a motion vector based on an image through VDIS, and may recognize the movement of the subject itself as shake in addition to the shake of the electronic device (300). In the present disclosure, the camera module may be referred to as a camera device.

[0073] In one embodiment, the infrared cut filter (315) may be disposed on the upper surface of the image sensor (320). For example, the infrared cut filter (315) may be disposed between the image sensor (320) and the lens assembly (311). Accordingly, the image of the subject passing through the lens assembly (311) may be partially filtered by the infrared cut filter (315) and then detected by the image sensor (320).

[0074] In one embodiment, the image sensor (320) may be disposed on the upper surface of a printed circuit board (340) (e.g., a printed circuit board (PCB), a printed board assembly (PBA), a flexible PCB (FPCB), or a rigid-flexible PCB (RFPCB)). The image sensor (320) may be electrically connected to an image signal processor (330) connected to the printed circuit board (340) by a connector (325). A flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) or a cable may be used as the connector (325).

[0075] In one embodiment, the image sensor (320) may be a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensor or a charged coupled device (CCD) sensor. The image sensor (320) may have a plurality of individual pixels integrated therein, and each individual pixel may include a micro lens, a color filter, and / or a photodiode. Each individual pixel may be a type of photodetector that may convert input light into an electrical signal. The photodetector may include a photodiode (PD). For example, the image sensor (320) may amplify a current generated by light received through the lens assembly (311) through the photoelectric effect of the photodetector. For example, each individual pixel may include a photoelectric transformation element (or a position sensitive detector (PSD)) and a plurality of transistors.

[0076] In one embodiment, light information of a subject incident through a lens assembly (311) may be converted into an electrical signal by an image sensor (320) and input to an image signal processor (330).

[0077] In one embodiment, when the image signal processor (330) and the image sensor (320) are physically separated, a sensor interface conforming to an appropriate standard may electrically connect the image sensor (320) and the image signal processor (330).

[0078] In one embodiment, the image signal processor (330) may perform image processing on electrically converted image data. The image processing operation in the image signal processor (330) may be divided into pre-ISP (hereinafter, pre-processing) and ISP chain (hereinafter, post-processing). Image processing before the demosaicing operation may refer to pre-processing, and image processing after the demosaicing operation may refer to post-processing. The pre-processing operation may include 3A processing, lens shading correction, edge enhancement, dead pixel correction, and / or knee correction. The 3A may include at least one of AWB (auto white balance), AE (auto exposure), and AF (auto focusing). The post-processing operation may include at least one of changing a sensor index value, changing a tuning parameter, and adjusting an aspect ratio. The post-processing operation may include an operation of processing image data output from the image sensor (320) or image data output from the scaler. The image signal processor (330) may adjust at least one of contrast, sharpness, saturation, and dithering of the image through the post-processing operation. Here, the contrast, sharpness, and / or saturation adjustment procedure may be performed in a YUV color space, and the dithering procedure may be performed in an RGB (red, green, blue) color space. Some of the pre-processing operations may be performed in the post-processing operation, or some of the post-processing operations may be performed in the pre-processing operation.Additionally, some of the above preprocessing operations may overlap with some of the operations in postprocessing.

[0079] In one embodiment, the first camera module (380) may be disposed on the front as well as the rear of the electronic device (300). In addition, the electronic device (300) may include multiple camera modules in addition to one first camera module (380) to improve camera performance. For example, the electronic device (300) may further include a front camera (361) for video calling or self-camera shooting. The front camera (361) may support a relatively lower pixel count compared to the rear camera module. The front camera (361) may be relatively smaller than the first camera module (380) of the rear camera. For example, the electronic device (300) may further include a second camera module (381) and / or a third camera module (382). In one example, the present disclosure may be applied to a first camera module (380), a second camera module (381), and / or a third camera module (382) of an electronic device (300).

[0080] Figure 4 is a block diagram of an electronic device (400) according to one embodiment.

[0081] The electronic device (400) of FIG. 4 can be referenced by the electronic device (100) of FIGS. 1 and 2, and the electronic device (300) of FIG. 3.

[0082] Referring to FIG. 4, the electronic device (400) may include a first camera device (410), a second camera device (420), a memory (450), a display (470), and / or a sensor (460). However, the components of the electronic device (400) are not limited thereto. For example, the electronic device (400) may omit at least one of the components described above, or may further include at least one other component. For example, the electronic device (400) may omit the sensor (460) and / or the display (470).

[0083] According to one embodiment, the processor (440) may execute calculations or data processing related to control and / or communication of at least one other component of the electronic device (400) using instructions stored in the memory (450) of the electronic device (400). According to one embodiment, the processor (440) may be understood to include at least one processor. For example, the processor (440) may be understood to include at least one of a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a micro controller unit (MCU), a sensor hub, a supplementary processor, a communication processor, an application processor, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an image signal processor (ISP), and / or a communication processor (CP), and may have a plurality of cores.

[0084] According to one embodiment, the memory (450) may store instructions that cause the processor (440) to process data or control components of the electronic device (400) to perform operations of the electronic device (400) when executed. In addition, the memory (450) may store various data by the processor (440). For example, the processor (440) may store various image data acquired through at least one of the first camera device (410) or the second camera device (420) in the memory (450).

[0085] According to one embodiment, the memory (450) may be divided into at least one memory area. For example, the memory (450) may include a memory area for storing a plurality of image frames acquired through at least one of the first camera device (410) or the second camera device (420).

[0086] Additionally, the memory (450) may include a memory area for storing an image with improved quality based on at least one image frame among a plurality of image frames acquired through at least one of the first camera device (410) or the second camera device (420).

[0087] According to one embodiment, the memory area for storing a plurality of image frames acquired through at least one of the first camera device (410) or the second camera device (420) may be configured as a buffer memory, but is not limited thereto.

[0088] In one embodiment, the processor (440) may delete some of the data stored in the memory (450). For example, the processor (440) may delete a plurality of image frames stored in the memory (450).

[0089] According to one embodiment, the display (470) may include a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode (LED) display, or an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display. According to one embodiment, the display (470) may display various contents (e.g., text, images, videos, icons, and / or symbols, etc.). For example, the display (470) may display at least one image among images acquired through at least one of the first camera device (410) or the second camera device (420). Additionally, the display (470) may display at least one image stored in the memory (450). According to one embodiment, the display (470) may display a preview image.

[0090] According to one embodiment, the display (470) may display a user interface related to shooting when shooting is in progress through at least one of the first camera device (410) or the second camera device (420) of the electronic device (400). According to one embodiment, the display (470) may display a visual object (e.g., a shooting button) for a shooting command.

[0091] According to one embodiment, the processor (440) may obtain a shooting start command through the display (470). For example, the electronic device (400) may perform shooting by receiving a user's touch input for a visual object displayed on the display (470). In addition, the processor (440) may obtain at least one shooting command subsequent to the shooting start command through the display (470). According to various embodiments, the processor (440) may obtain the shooting command by using various configurations of the electronic device (400) in addition to the display (470).

[0092] In one embodiment, the processor (440) may acquire a shooting start command. In one embodiment, the processor (440) may determine that a shooting command acquired after a specified time has elapsed since the last acquired shooting command is a shooting start command. For example, the processor (440) may use a timer to determine whether a shooting start event acquired after a specified time has elapsed is a shooting start event.

[0093] According to one embodiment, the processor (440) may determine a start shooting event in response to a start shooting command. According to one embodiment, the start shooting event may include an event in which the frame rate of at least one image sensor among the plurality of image sensors is less than or equal to a specified value. For example, the start shooting event may include at least one of an event in which a camera is run or an event in which a preview operation is run. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the start shooting event may include a capture event. In one example, the start shooting event may include an event in which the frame rate of at least one image sensor among the plurality of image sensors is less than or equal to 30 fps.

[0094] According to one embodiment, the processor (440) may acquire a plurality of image frames through at least one of the first camera device (410) or the second camera device (420) in response to a shooting start event. For example, the processor (440) may acquire a plurality of image frames through a plurality of image sensors.

[0095] According to one embodiment, a camera module (e.g., a first camera device (410)) may include at least one image sensor. The electronic device (400) may include a plurality of camera modules (e.g., a first camera device (410) and a second camera device (420)), thereby including a plurality of image sensors. For example, the electronic device (400) may include a first image sensor and a second image sensor. However, the number of image sensors included in the electronic device (400) is not limited thereto.

[0096] According to one embodiment, the processor (440) may obtain image frames from each of the plurality of image sensors and a time stamp for each of the image frames in response to a capture start event.

[0097] According to one embodiment, the processor (440) may control at least one of the plurality of image sensors to output image frames at at least one different point in time based on the acquired time stamp. For example, the processor (440) may control the timing at which an image frame is output from at least one of the plurality of image sensors. By controlling the timing at which the image frame is output, the image frames output thereafter may be output at at least one different point in time.

[0098] According to one embodiment, the processor (440) can determine the shooting environment. According to one embodiment, the processor (440) can determine the shooting environment using a plurality of image sensors. For example, the processor (440) can determine the shooting environment based on image frames output from each of the plurality of image sensors in response to a shooting start event or a shooting event. For example, the processor (440) can determine the shooting environment including the lighting situation and / or the saturation situation.

[0099] According to one embodiment, the processor (440) can obtain information about a shooting environment. For example, the processor (440) can obtain information about a shooting environment using an image sensor of a camera module (e.g., a first camera device (410) and a second camera device (420)). For example, the processor (440) can obtain information about a shooting environment of each of the image frames output from a plurality of image sensors using the image frames output from the image sensors. In one example, the information about the shooting environment can include at least information about the ambient brightness of the electronic device (400). According to one embodiment, the processor (440) can obtain an exposure value of each of the plurality of image sensors.

[0100] In one embodiment, the processor (440) may determine whether information regarding the shooting environment of each image frame has changed. For example, the processor (440) may compare information regarding the shooting environment of an image frame with information regarding the shooting environment of a subsequent image frame. In one example, a change in information regarding the shooting environment may include a change in information regarding the ambient brightness of the electronic device.

[0101] According to one embodiment, the processor (440) may determine an exposure value of each of the plurality of image sensors such that at least two of the plurality of image sensors have different exposure values ​​in response to a change in information about a shooting environment of at least one image frame. For example, the processor (440) may determine an exposure value of each of the plurality of image sensors such that at least two of the plurality of image sensors have different exposure values ​​based on a change in information about the ambient brightness of the electronic device. In one example, the processor (440) may change an exposure value (e.g., the determined exposure value) of each of the plurality of image sensors such that at least two of the plurality of image sensors have different exposure values. For example, the processor (440) may change an exposure value of each of the plurality of image sensors such that the exposure value of each of the plurality of image sensors converges to an exposure value corresponding to information about the changed shooting environment. According to one embodiment, the processor (440) may acquire subsequent image frames from the plurality of image sensors based on the determined exposure values. For example, the processor (440) can obtain subsequent image frames from a plurality of image sensors having exposure values ​​corresponding to information about a shooting environment in which the exposure values ​​of each of the plurality of image sensors have changed.

[0102] According to one embodiment, the processor (440) may display at least one image frame from among a plurality of image frames acquired through at least one of the first camera device (410) or the second camera device (420) as a preview image on the display (470). According to one embodiment, the processor (440) may store the plurality of image frames acquired through at least one of the first camera device (410) or the second camera device (420) in the memory (450) in response to a shooting start event. For example, the processor (440) may store the plurality of image frames in a buffer memory area of ​​the memory (450). According to one embodiment, the buffer memory area may correspond to an internal data structure. According to one embodiment, the processor (440) may store the plurality of image frames without compression.

[0103] In one embodiment, the processor (440) may obtain a shooting command subsequent to a shooting start command. For example, the processor (440) may obtain a shooting command for continuous shooting. In one embodiment, the processor (440) may generate an image with improved quality in response to the shooting command.

[0104] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the time stamps of each image frame acquired from the first image sensor (A) and the time stamps of each image frame acquired from the second image sensor (B) over time.

[0105] The contents and components of FIG. 5 may be referenced by the contents and components of FIGS. 1 to 4 described above. The same terms and / or reference numerals are used for components that are identical or substantially identical to those described above, and any duplicate descriptions are omitted.

[0106] The various embodiments provided in connection with FIG. 5 and the drawings below may be understood to be performed by the electronic device (100) described in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the electronic device (300) described in FIG. 3, and the electronic device (400) described in FIG. 4.

[0107] According to one embodiment, at least one processor may, in response to a capture start event, obtain image frames (510) output from each of a plurality of image sensors, and a time stamp for each of the image frames (510). For example, referring to FIG. 5, at least one processor may, in response to a capture start event, obtain a first time stamp for a first image frame (511) from a first image sensor (A), and obtain a second time stamp for a second image frame (512) from a second image sensor (B).

[0108] In the present disclosure, a 'time stamp' may indicate a time point at which each image frame is acquired (or output) through each of a plurality of image sensors. For example, the first time stamp may indicate a time point (t1) at which a first image frame (511) is acquired through a first image sensor (A). For example, the second time stamp may indicate a time point (t1) at which a second image frame (512) is acquired through a second image sensor (B). For example, the third time stamp may indicate a time point (t2) at which a third image frame (513) is acquired through the first image sensor (A).

[0109] According to one embodiment, at least one processor may control a timing at which an image frame of at least one image sensor among a plurality of image sensors (e.g., a first image sensor (A) and a second image sensor (B)) is output based on an acquired time stamp. For example, the at least one processor may control at least one of the plurality of image sensors so that image frames to be output subsequently are output at at least one or more different points in time. For example, the at least one processor may control the first image sensor (A) and the second image sensor (B) so that a third image frame (513) and a fourth image frame (514) are output at different points in time based on the acquired first time stamp and the acquired second time stamp. For example, the at least one processor may control a timing at which the third image frame (513) is output and / or a timing at which the fourth image frame (514) is output.

[0110] For example, at least one processor may compare the acquired timestamps. For example, at least one processor may generate a difference value between a first timestamp and a second timestamp.

[0111] For example, at least one processor can determine whether a value obtained by comparing the acquired time stamps is within a specified range. For example, at least one processor can determine whether a difference value between a first time stamp and a second time stamp is within a specified range. For example, referring to FIG. 5, the difference value between the first time stamp and the second time stamp may be 0. The at least one processor can control the output timing of at least one image frame of the first image sensor (A) or the second image sensor (B) based on whether the generated difference value is within the specified range. For example, the at least one processor can control the output timing of the second image sensor (B) when the generated difference value is within the specified range. For example, referring to FIG. 5, the at least one processor can delay the output timing of the fourth image frame (514) following the second image frame (512) of the second image sensor (B) later than the third image frame (513). For example, the output time of the fourth image frame (514) may be later than the output time (t2) of the third image frame (513) subsequent to the first image frame (511) of the first image sensor (A). Accordingly, the subsequent image frames (520) may be output at at least one or more different time points. For example, the third image frame (513) and the fourth image frame (514) may be output at different time points.

[0112] According to one embodiment, at least one processor may control at least one of the plurality of image sensors to output subsequent image frames at at least one different point in time based on time stamps of image frames (520) output at different points in time. For example, at least one processor may control the first image sensor (A) and the second image sensor (B) to output the fifth image frame (515) and the sixth image frame (516) at different points in time based on the third time stamp and the fourth time stamp.

[0113] For example, at least one processor may compare the acquired timestamps. For example, at least one processor may generate a difference value between a third timestamp and a fourth timestamp.

[0114] For example, at least one processor can determine whether a value obtained by comparing the acquired time stamps is within a specified range. For example, at least one processor can determine whether a difference value between a third time stamp and a fourth time stamp is within a specified range. At least one processor can control an output time of each of the image frames of the plurality of image sensors based on whether the generated difference value is within a specified range. For example, at least one processor can control an output time of at least one of the image frames of the first image sensor (A) or the second image sensor (B) based on whether the generated difference value is within a specified range. For example, at least one processor can control an output time of the second image sensor (B) when the generated difference value is within a specified range. For example, referring to FIG. 5, at least one processor can generate a difference value between a third time stamp and a fourth time stamp. At least one processor may further delay the output time of the sixth image frame (516) subsequent to the fourth image frame (514) of the second image sensor (B) based on the difference value being within a specified range. For example, the difference between the output time (t3) of the fifth image frame (515) and the output time of the sixth image frame (516) may be greater than the difference between the output time (t2) of the third image frame (513) and the output time of the fourth image frame (514). For example, when referring to the first region (S1), the interval between the first time stamp and the third time stamp may be the same as the interval between the third time stamp and the fifth time stamp. The interval between the second time stamp and the fourth time stamp may be less than the interval between the fourth time stamp and the sixth time stamp.

[0115] According to one embodiment, at least one processor can keep the output timing of a plurality of image frames constant based on whether the generated difference value is not within a specified range. For example, at least one processor can keep the output timing of the image frames of the first image sensor (A) and the second image sensor (B) constant based on whether the generated difference value is not within a specified range. For example, at least one processor can keep the output timing of the second image sensor (B) constant when the generated difference value is not within a specified range.

[0116] For example, referring to FIG. 5, at least one processor can generate a difference value between a fifth time stamp and a sixth time stamp. At least one processor can maintain the output time of the second image sensor (B) constant based on the difference value not being within a specified range. For example, after the output time (t3) of the fifth image frame (515), the interval between the image frame output through the first image sensor (A) and the image frame output through the second image sensor (B) can be constant.

[0117] Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0118] The electronic device and its components of FIG. 6 may be referenced by the electronic device and its components of FIGS. 1 to 5 described above. The same terms are used for components that are identical or substantially identical to those described above, and any redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0119] According to one embodiment, the operation of the electronic device may include an operation of obtaining a shooting start command (610), an operation of obtaining a time stamp of each of the image frames (620), an operation of controlling a timing at which the image frames are output (630), an operation of obtaining information about a shooting environment of each of the image frames (640), an operation of determining an exposure value of each of the plurality of image sensors (650), and an operation of obtaining subsequent image frames based on the determined exposure value (660). However, the operation of the electronic device is not limited thereto. For example, the operation of the electronic device may omit at least one of the above-described operations or may further include at least one operation. For example, when the timing at which the image frames of the plurality of image frames are output is different, operation 620 and / or operation 630 may be omitted.

[0120] According to one embodiment, in operation 610, the electronic device may obtain a shooting start command. For example, the electronic device may detect the occurrence of a shooting start event. For example, the electronic device may determine whether a shooting start event has occurred in response to the shooting start command. For example, the electronic device may determine whether a frame rate of at least one image sensor among a plurality of image sensors is less than or equal to a specified value in response to the shooting start command. The shooting start event may be defined in various ways. In one example, the shooting start event may be a shooting start input obtained from a user. For example, detection of an icon or button mapped to shooting start, a voice input, etc. may correspond to a recording end event. In one example, the shooting start event may include an event of outputting a preview. In one example, the shooting start event may include a case where the frame rate of the plurality of image sensors is less than or equal to about 30 fps. For example, a start shooting event may include, but is not limited to, at least one of a preview event or a capture event.

[0121] According to one embodiment, in operation 620, the electronic device, in response to a capture start event, may obtain image frames and a time stamp for each of the image frames from each of a plurality of image sensors (e.g., the first image sensor (A) and the second image sensor (B) of FIG. 5). The description of operation 620 may be referred to in the description of FIG. 5 described above.

[0122] According to one embodiment, in operation 630, the electronic device may control the timing at which image frames of the plurality of image sensors are output based on the acquired time stamp. For example, the electronic device may control at least one of the plurality of image sensors so that the image frames are output at at least one or more different points in time. For example, the electronic device may adjust the frame rate of at least one image sensor of the plurality of image sensors so that the image frames are output at at least one or more different points in time. For example, the electronic device may adjust the frame rates of the first image sensor and / or the second image sensor so that the second image frame is output from the second image sensor at a second point in time between a first point in time at which a first image frame is output from the first image sensor and a third point in time at which a third image frame is output from the first image sensor. For example, the electronic device may control the plurality of image sensors so that a difference value between the first time stamp and the second time stamp does not fall within a specified range by adjusting the frame rate of at least one image sensor of the plurality of image sensors. The contents of operation 630 may be referred to by the description of FIG. 5 described above.

[0123] According to one embodiment, in operation 640, the electronic device may obtain information regarding the shooting environment of each of the image frames of the plurality of image sensors. For example, the electronic device may obtain information regarding the shooting environment of each of the image frames output at least at one or more different points in time.

[0124] In one embodiment, at step 640, the electronic device may determine whether information regarding the acquired shooting environment has changed. For example, the electronic device may compare information regarding the shooting environment of an image frame with information regarding the shooting environment of a subsequent image frame.

[0125] According to one embodiment, in operation 650, the electronic device may determine an exposure value of each of the plurality of image sensors based on a change in information about a photographing environment of the electronic device (e.g., a change in an illuminance value of the photographing environment of the electronic device). For example, the electronic device may obtain an exposure value of each of the plurality of image sensors. The electronic device may determine the exposure value of each of the plurality of image sensors based on at least one of the obtained exposure value or the obtained information about the photographing environment. For example, the electronic device may determine the exposure value of each of the plurality of image sensors such that at least two of the plurality of image sensors have different exposure values. In one example, the electronic device may change the exposure value of each of the plurality of image sensors such that the determined exposure value converges to an exposure value corresponding to the information about the changed photographing environment. The exposure value of each of the plurality of image sensors may be different from the determined exposure value of each of the plurality of image sensors.

[0126] According to one embodiment, when the output points of image frames acquired from each of a plurality of image sensors are different, the electronic device may determine the exposure value of each of the plurality of image sensors so that different exposure values ​​are applied to each output point of the image frames. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, when the output points of image frames acquired from each of the plurality of image sensors are the same, the electronic device may determine the exposure value of each of the plurality of image sensors so that at least two of the plurality of image sensors have different exposure values.

[0127] According to one embodiment, in operation 660, the electronic device may acquire subsequent image frames from the plurality of image sensors based on the determined exposure value. For example, the electronic device may acquire subsequent image frames from the plurality of image sensors based on the determined exposure value corresponding to information about the changed photographing environment. Details regarding operations 640, 650, and 660 will be described in detail later with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10A.

[0128] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an operation for controlling multiple image sensors according to one embodiment.

[0129] According to one embodiment, the process of FIG. 7 may be performed after operation 620 of FIG. 6. Operation 630 of FIG. 6 may include operations 710, 720, and 730 of FIG. 7. The process of FIG. 7 may be referenced by the contents of FIG. 5.

[0130] According to one embodiment, in operation 710, the electronic device may obtain a first time stamp for a first image frame (e.g., the first image frame 511 of FIG. 5) from a first image sensor (e.g., the first image sensor (A) of FIG. 5) in response to a capture start event. In operation 710, the electronic device may obtain a second time stamp for a second image frame (e.g., the second image frame 512 of FIG. 5) from a second image sensor (e.g., the second image sensor (B) of FIG. 5) in response to a capture start event. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the electronic device may further include at least one image sensor. For example, the electronic device may obtain time stamps for each of a plurality of image frames from a third image sensor, and may obtain time stamps for each of a plurality of image frames from a fourth image sensor. For example, in operation 710, the electronic device may obtain time stamps for a third image frame subsequent to the second image frame from the third image sensor. A timestamp, and a timestamp for a fourth image frame subsequent to the third image frame from the fourth image sensor can be further obtained.

[0131] According to one embodiment, in operation 720, the electronic device may generate a difference value between a first time stamp and a second time stamp. The difference value between the first time stamp and the second time stamp may include a time difference between a time when a first image frame is acquired (or output) through a first image sensor and a time when a second image frame is acquired (or output) through a second image sensor. In one example, referring to FIG. 5, the difference value between the first time stamp and the second time stamp may include an interval between a first image frame (511) and a second image frame (512).

[0132] According to one embodiment, in operation 730, the electronic device may determine whether the generated difference value is within a specified range. The electronic device may control the timing at which image frames of at least one of the first image sensor or the second image sensor are output based on whether the generated difference value is within the specified range. For example, the electronic device may further delay the timing at which image frames of the second image sensor are output with respect to the timing at which image frames of the first image sensor are output based on whether the generated difference value is within the specified range. The meaning of being within the specified range may include a case where a time difference between a time at which the first image frame is acquired (or output) through the first image sensor and a time at which the second image frame is acquired (or output) through the second image sensor is less than or equal to a specified time.

[0133] According to one embodiment, when the generated difference value is within the specified range, the electronic device may repeat operations 710, 720, and 730 until it is determined that the generated difference value is not within the specified range. For example, the electronic device may obtain a third time stamp regarding a third image frame subsequent to a first image frame through a first image sensor, and may obtain a fourth time stamp regarding a fourth image frame subsequent to the second image frame through a second image sensor. The electronic device may generate a difference value between the third time stamp and the fourth time stamp. The electronic device may determine whether the generated difference value is within the specified range. The electronic device may control an output timing of at least one of the image frames of the first image sensor or the second image sensor based on whether the generated difference value is within the specified range.

[0134] According to one embodiment, in operation 730, the electronic device may maintain the output timings of the image frames of the first image sensor and the second image sensor constant based on whether the generated difference value is not within a specified range. For example, the electronic device may maintain the output timings of the image frames of the second image sensor relative to the output timings of the image frames of the first image sensor based on whether the generated difference value is not within a specified range. Accordingly, an interval between a time stamp for an image frame output through the first image sensor and a time stamp for an image frame output through the second image sensor may be maintained constant. The meaning of not being within the specified range may include a case where a time difference between a time point at which the first image frame is acquired (or output) through the first image sensor and a time point at which the second image frame is acquired (or output) through the second image sensor is greater than a specified time.

[0135] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the time stamp of each image frame acquired from each of a plurality of image sensors according to an embodiment of the present invention over time.

[0136] The contents of Fig. 8 may be referenced by the contents of Figs. 5 to 7. For example, the first image sensor (A) and the second image sensor (B) of Fig. 8 may be referenced by the first image sensor (A) and the second image sensor (B) of Fig. 8.

[0137] According to one embodiment, an electronic device may include a plurality of image sensors. For example, the electronic device may include a first image sensor (A), a second image sensor (B), and a third image sensor (C). However, the number of image sensors included in the electronic device is not limited thereto. For example, the electronic device may further include at least one image sensor.

[0138] According to one embodiment, at least one processor may, in response to a capture start event, obtain image frames from each of a plurality of image sensors, and a time stamp for each of the image frames. For example, referring to FIG. 8, at least one processor may, in response to a capture start event, obtain a first time stamp for a first image frame (811) from a first image sensor (A), a second time stamp for a second image frame (812) from a second image sensor (B), and a third time stamp for a third image frame (813) from a third image sensor (C). The first time stamp may indicate a time point (t1) at which the first image frame (811) is acquired through the first image sensor (A). For example, the second time stamp may indicate a time point (t1) at which the second image frame (812) is acquired through the second image sensor (B). The third time stamp may indicate the time point (t1) at which the third image frame (813) is acquired through the third image sensor (C).

[0139] According to one embodiment, at least one processor may control at least one of the plurality of image sensors so that subsequent image frames are output at at least one different point in time based on the acquired time stamp. For example, at least one processor may control the first image sensor (A) and the second image sensor (B) so that the fourth image frame (814) and the fifth image frame (815) are output at different points in time based on the acquired first time stamp and the acquired second time stamp.

[0140] For example, at least one processor can compare the acquired time stamps. For example, at least one processor can generate a difference value between the first time stamp and the second time stamp. For example, at least one processor can determine whether the value obtained by comparing the acquired time stamps is within a specified range. For example, at least one processor can determine whether the difference value between the first time stamp and the second time stamp is within a specified range. For example, referring to FIG. 8, the difference value between the first time stamp and the second time stamp may be 0. The at least one processor can control the output timing of at least one of the image frames of the first image sensor (A) or the second image sensor (B) based on whether the generated difference value is within the specified range. For example, the at least one processor can control the output timing of the second image sensor (B) when the generated difference value is within the specified range.

[0141] For example, referring to FIG. 8, at least one processor may delay the output time of the fifth image frame (815) subsequent to the second image frame (812) of the second image sensor (B) later than the fourth image frame (814). For example, the output time of the fifth image frame (815) may be later than the output time (t2) of the fourth image frame (814) subsequent to the first image frame (811) of the first image sensor (A). Accordingly, image frames output from the plurality of image sensors may be output at at least one or more different time points. For example, the fourth image frame (814) and the fifth image frame (815) may be output at different time points.

[0142] According to one embodiment, at least one processor may control at least one of the plurality of image sensors so that subsequent image frames are output at at least one different point in time based on time stamps of image frames output at different points in time. For example, at least one processor may control the first image sensor (A) and the second image sensor (B) so that the sixth image frame (816) and the seventh image frame (817) are output at different points in time based on the fourth time stamp and the fifth time stamp.

[0143] For example, at least one processor can compare the acquired time stamps. For example, at least one processor can generate a difference value between the fourth time stamp and the fifth time stamp. For example, at least one processor can determine whether the value obtained by comparing the acquired time stamps is within a specified range. For example, at least one processor can determine whether the difference value between the fourth time stamp and the fifth time stamp is within a specified range. At least one processor can control the output timing of each of the image frames of the plurality of image sensors based on whether the generated difference value is within the specified range. For example, at least one processor can control the output timing of at least one of the image frames of the first image sensor (A) or the second image sensor (B) based on whether the generated difference value is within the specified range. For example, at least one processor can control the output timing of the second image sensor (B) when the generated difference value is within the specified range. For example, referring to FIG. 8, at least one processor can generate a difference value between the fourth time stamp and the fifth time stamp. At least one processor may further delay the output time of the seventh image frame (817) subsequent to the fifth image frame (815) of the second image sensor (B) based on the difference value being within a specified range. For example, with reference to the second region (S2), the difference between the output time (t3) of the sixth image frame (816) and the output time of the seventh image frame (817) may be greater than the difference between the output time (t2) of the fourth image frame (814) and the output time of the fifth image frame (815). For example, the interval between the first time stamp and the fourth time stamp may be the same as the interval between the fourth time stamp and the sixth time stamp.The interval between the second time stamp and the fifth time stamp may be less than the interval between the fifth time stamp and the seventh time stamp.

[0144] According to one embodiment, at least one processor can keep the output timing of a plurality of image frames constant based on whether the generated difference value is not within a specified range. For example, at least one processor can keep the output timing of the image frames of the first image sensor (A) and the second image sensor (B) constant based on whether the generated difference value is not within a specified range. For example, at least one processor can keep the output timing of the second image sensor (B) constant when the generated difference value is not within a specified range.

[0145] For example, referring to FIG. 8, at least one processor can generate a difference value between the seventh time stamp and the sixth time stamp. At least one processor can maintain the output time of the second image sensor (B) constant based on the difference value not being included in a specified range. For example, the interval between the image frame output through the first image sensor (A) and the image frame output through the second image sensor (B) after the output time (t3) of the sixth image frame (816) can be constant.

[0146] According to one embodiment, based on maintaining the output timings of image frames of the first image sensor (A) and the second image sensor (B) constant, at least one of the plurality of image sensors can be controlled so that subsequent image frames are output at different timings. For example, at least one processor can control the first image sensor (A) and the third image sensor (C) so that subsequent image frames are output at different timings.

[0147] For example, at least one processor can compare the acquired time stamps. For example, at least one processor can generate a difference value between a sixth time stamp and a time stamp acquired through the third image sensor (C) at the same time as the sixth time stamp. For example, at least one processor can determine whether the value obtained by comparing the acquired time stamps is within a specified range. For example, at least one processor can determine whether a difference value between a sixth time stamp and a time stamp acquired through the third image sensor (C) at the same time as the sixth time stamp is within a specified range. At least one processor can control the output time of at least one of the image frames of the first image sensor (A) or the third image sensor (C) based on whether the generated difference value is within the specified range. For example, at least one processor can control the output time of the third image sensor (C) when the generated difference value is within the specified range.

[0148] For example, referring to FIG. 8, at least one processor can delay the output timing of an image frame of a third image sensor (C) relative to the image frame of the first image sensor (A) and the image frame of the second image sensor (B). Accordingly, image frames output from a plurality of image sensors can be output at at least one different timing.

[0149] In one embodiment, at least one processor may control at least one of the plurality of image sensors so that subsequent image frames are output at different times based on time stamps of the image frames output at different times. For example, at least one processor may control the first image sensor (A) and the third image sensor (C) so that the ninth image frame (819) and the seventh image frame (818) are output at different times based on the sixth time stamp and the seventh time stamp.

[0150] According to one embodiment, at least one processor can compare the acquired time stamps. For example, at least one processor can generate a difference value between an eighth time stamp and a ninth time stamp. For example, at least one processor can determine whether a value obtained by comparing the acquired time stamps is within a specified range. For example, at least one processor can determine whether a difference value between the eighth time stamp and the ninth time stamp is within a specified range. At least one processor can control the output timing of each of the image frames of the plurality of image sensors based on whether the generated difference value is within a specified range. For example, at least one processor can control the output timing of at least one of the first image sensor (A) or the third image sensor (C) based on whether the generated difference value is within a specified range. For example, at least one processor can control the output timing of the third image sensor (C) when the generated difference value is within a specified range.

[0151] For example, referring to FIG. 8, at least one processor may generate a difference value between the eighth time stamp and the ninth time stamp. The at least one processor may further delay the output time of the twelfth image frame (822) subsequent to the ninth image frame (819) of the third image sensor (C) based on the difference value being within a specified range. For example, referring to the third region (S3), the difference between the output time (t5) of the tenth image frame (820) and the output time of the twelfth image frame (822) may be greater than the difference between the output time (t4) of the eighth image frame (818) and the output time of the ninth image frame (819). For example, the interval between the eighth time stamp and the tenth time stamp may be the same as the interval between the sixth time stamp and the tenth time stamp. The interval between the twelfth time stamp and the ninth time stamp may be greater than the interval between the ninth time stamp and the sixth time stamp.

[0152] According to one embodiment, at least one processor may keep the output timings of a plurality of image frames constant based on whether the generated difference value is not within a specified range. For example, at least one processor may keep the output timings of the image frames of the first image sensor (A) and the third image sensor (C) constant based on whether the generated difference value is not within a specified range. For example, at least one processor may keep the output timing of the third image sensor (C) constant when the generated difference value is not within a specified range. For example, referring to FIG. 8, at least one processor may generate a difference value between a tenth time stamp and a twelfth time stamp. At least one processor may keep the output timing of the third image sensor (C) constant based on whether the difference value is not within a specified range. For example, after the output time point (t5) of the 10th image frame (820), the interval between the image frame output through the first image sensor (A) and the image frame output through the second image sensor (B), and the interval between the image frame output through the first image sensor (A) and the image frame output through the third image sensor (C) may be constant.

[0153] When referring to the fourth area (S4), for example, after the output time (t5) of the 10th image frame (820), at least one processor can obtain an image frame output through the second image sensor (B) and an image frame output through the third image sensor (C) between the image frame output through the first image sensor (A) and the next image frame output through the first image sensor (A).

[0154] For example, after the output time (t5) of the 10th image frame (820), at least one processor can obtain an image frame output through the third image sensor (C) and an image frame output through the first image sensor (A) between the image frame output through the second image sensor (B) and the next image frame output through the second image sensor (B). For example, after the output time (t5) of the 10th image frame (820), at least one processor can obtain an image frame output through the first image sensor (A) and an image frame output through the second image sensor (B) between the image frame output through the third image sensor (C) and the next image frame output through the third image sensor (C).

[0155] FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining an operation of determining an exposure value of each of a first image sensor (A) and a second image sensor (B) according to one embodiment, and acquiring subsequent image frames based on the determined exposure values.

[0156] The content of FIG. 9 is a drawing for explaining an operation of determining the exposure value of each image sensor so that each image sensor has a different exposure value when the time at which the image frames are output is different for each image sensor (e.g., the first image sensor (A) and the second image sensor (B)).

[0157] The contents of Fig. 9 correspond to operations 640, 650, and 660 of Fig. 6, and may be referenced by the contents of operations 640, 650, and 660 of Fig. 6. For example, the contents of Fig. 9 may be subsequent to the contents of Fig. 5 and / or Fig. 8. However, the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0158] Referring to FIG. 9, image frames (920) according to one embodiment may include image frames output at different points in time through a plurality of image sensors. For example, a first image frame (911) output through a first image sensor (A), a second image frame (912) output through a second image sensor (B) and subsequent to the first image frame (911), a third image frame (913) output through the first image sensor (A) and subsequent to the second image frame (912), and a fourth image frame (914) output through the second image sensor (B) and subsequent to the third image frame (913) may be output at different points in time.

[0159] According to one embodiment, at least one processor may determine an exposure value of each of a plurality of image sensors in response to obtaining information about a shooting environment of an electronic device. For example, an exposure value of subsequent image frames (e.g., image frames (930)) may be determined based on at least one of information about a shooting environment of each of the output image frames (e.g., image frames (920)) or an exposure value of each of the plurality of image sensors. According to one embodiment, at least one processor may determine an exposure value of each of the plurality of image sensors such that the plurality of image sensors have different exposure values. Hereinafter, an operation of determining an exposure value of each of the plurality of image sensors will be described in detail.

[0160] According to one embodiment, at least one processor may obtain information about the photographing environment of the electronic device. For example, the at least one processor may obtain information about the ambient brightness of the electronic device. For example, the at least one processor may detect a change in the ambient brightness of the electronic device through at least one sensor (e.g., sensor (460) of FIG. 4). For example, referring to FIG. 9, the at least one processor may detect a change in the ambient brightness of the electronic device at a point in time between t6 and t7.

[0161] According to one embodiment, with reference to FIG. 9, the section between t6 and t7 may refer to a section in which the ambient brightness of the electronic device changes (e.g., a section in which the illuminance value of the shooting environment changes), and the section between t7 and t8 may refer to a section in which the exposure value of each of the plurality of image sensors is set to correspond to the ambient brightness of the electronic device (e.g., the illuminance value of the shooting environment).

[0162] According to one embodiment, before the ambient brightness of the electronic device changes, the first image sensor (A) may have a first exposure value (921) and the second image sensor (B) may have a second exposure value (922). For example, the first image frame (911) may be an image frame output based on the first exposure value (921) of the first image sensor (A). For example, the second image frame (912) may be an image frame output based on the second exposure value (922) of the second image sensor (B).

[0163] According to one embodiment, at least one processor can obtain information about the shooting environment of each of the image frames (e.g., illuminance value) and the exposure value of each of the plurality of image sensors. For example, referring to FIG. 9, at least one processor can obtain information about the shooting environment (s1) of a first image frame (911), a first exposure value (921) of a first image sensor (A), information about the shooting environment (s3) of a second image frame (912), and a second exposure value (922) of a second image sensor (B).

[0164] According to one embodiment, at least one processor may detect a change in the shooting environment of the electronic device (e.g., a change in the illuminance value of the shooting environment of the electronic device). For example, the at least one processor may detect a change in the shooting environment of the electronic device (e.g., a change in the illuminance value of the shooting environment of the electronic device) after a point in time (between t6 and t7) at which the shooting environment of the electronic device changes. For example, at least one processor can obtain information about the changed shooting environment of the electronic device based on an image frame (e.g., the second image frame (912) and / or the third image frame (913)) output after the point in time (between t6 and t7) at which the shooting environment of the electronic device changes. For example, at least one processor can compare information (s1) about the shooting environment of the first image frame (911) with information (s2) about the shooting environment of the second image frame (912). At least one processor can detect that the information about the shooting environment of the electronic device has changed based on a result of comparing the information (s1) about the shooting environment of the first image frame (911) with the information (s2) about the shooting environment of the second image frame (912).

[0165] According to one embodiment, at least one processor may determine an exposure value of each of the plurality of image sensors such that at least two of the plurality of image sensors have different exposure values ​​in response to a change in information about the shooting environment of the electronic device from information about the shooting environment (s1) to information about the shooting environment (s2). For example, the at least one processor may determine a third exposure value (923) of the first image sensor (A) based on at least one of the information about the shooting environment (s1) of the first image frame (911), the first exposure value (921) of the first image sensor (A), the information about the shooting environment (s3) of the second image frame (912), or the second exposure value (922) of the second image sensor (B). The third exposure value (923) may have a different value from the first exposure value (921) and / or the second exposure value (922).

[0166] According to one embodiment, at least one processor may acquire subsequent image frames from a plurality of image sensors based on the determined exposure value. For example, at least one processor may control a first image sensor (A) to output a third image frame (913) subsequent to a second image frame (912) based on the determined third exposure value (923).

[0167] According to one embodiment, at least one processor can obtain information (s5) about the shooting environment of the third image frame (913). According to one embodiment, at least one processor can detect that the information about the shooting environment is changed. For example, at least one processor can compare information (s2) about the shooting environment of the second image frame (913) with information (s3) about the shooting environment of the third image frame (913). At least one processor can detect that the information about the shooting environment of the electronic device is changed based on the result of the comparison between information (s2) about the shooting environment of the second image frame (912) and information (s3) about the shooting environment of the third image frame (913).

[0168] According to one embodiment, at least one processor may determine an exposure value of each of the plurality of image sensors such that at least two of the plurality of image sensors have different exposure values ​​in response to a change in information about the shooting environment of the electronic device from information about the shooting environment (s2) to information about the shooting environment (s3). For example, the at least one processor may determine a fourth exposure value (924) of the second image sensor (B) based on at least one of the information about the shooting environment (s2) of the second image frame (912), the second exposure value (922) of the second image sensor (B), the information about the shooting environment (s5) of the third image frame (913), or the third exposure value (923) of the first image sensor (A). The at least one processor may determine the fourth exposure value (924) that is different from the second exposure value (922) and / or the third exposure value (923) as the exposure value of the second image sensor (B). According to one embodiment, the at least one processor may repeatedly perform the above process. For example, at least one processor may repeat the above process until the determined exposure value corresponds to information about the changed shooting environment.

[0169] According to one embodiment, at least one processor may acquire subsequent image frames from a plurality of image sensors based on the determined exposure value corresponding to the information about the changed shooting environment. For example, at least one processor may determine a fifth exposure value (925) of the first image sensor (A) based on at least one of the information about the shooting environment (s5) of the third image frame (913), the third exposure value (923) of the first image sensor (A), the information about the shooting environment (s5) of the fourth image frame (914), or the determined fourth exposure value (924) of the second image sensor (B). The fifth exposure value (925) of the first image sensor (A) may correspond to the information about the changed shooting environment (s5). For example, the determined fifth exposure value (925) may be an exposure value of the first image sensor (A). For example, the determined fifth exposure value (925) may be an exposure value of the first image sensor (A) corresponding to information about the shooting environment of the electronic device (e.g., information about the ambient brightness of the electronic device, or the illuminance value of the shooting environment).

[0170] According to one embodiment, at least one processor may acquire subsequent image frames from a plurality of image sensors based on the determined exposure value. For example, at least one processor may control the first image sensor (A) to output a fifth image frame (915) subsequent to the fourth image frame (914) based on the determined fifth exposure value (925).

[0171] According to one embodiment, at least one processor may determine a sixth exposure value (926) of the second image sensor (B) based on at least one of information about the shooting environment (s5) of the fourth image frame (914), the fourth exposure value (924) of the second image sensor (B), information about the shooting environment (s5) of the fifth image frame (915), or the determined fifth exposure value (925) of the first image sensor (A). The sixth exposure value (926) of the second image sensor (B) may correspond to information about the changed shooting environment (s5). For example, the determined sixth exposure value (926) may be an exposure value of the second image sensor (B). For example, the determined sixth exposure value (926) may be an exposure value of the second image sensor (B) that corresponds to information about the shooting environment of the electronic device (for example, information about the ambient brightness of the electronic device, or an illuminance value of the shooting environment).

[0172] According to one embodiment, at least one processor may acquire subsequent image frames from a plurality of image sensors based on the determined exposure value. For example, at least one processor may control the second image sensor (B) to output a sixth image frame (916) subsequent to the fifth image frame (915) based on the determined sixth exposure value (926).

[0173] FIG. 10A is a diagram for explaining an operation of determining an exposure value of each of a plurality of image sensors according to one embodiment and acquiring subsequent image frames based on the determined exposure value.

[0174] The contents of Fig. 10a can be referenced by the contents of Fig. 9 described above.

[0175] Referring to FIG. 10A, an electronic device according to one embodiment may include a plurality of image sensors. For example, the electronic device may include a first image sensor (A), a second image sensor (B), a third image sensor (C), and a fourth image sensor (D).

[0176] Referring to FIG. 10A, an electronic device according to an embodiment can obtain image frames output at different times through a plurality of image sensors (for example, a first image frame (1011) output through a first image sensor (A), a second image frame (1012) output through a second image sensor (B) and subsequent to the first image frame (1011), a third image frame (1013) output through a third image sensor (C) and subsequent to the second image frame (1012), a fourth image frame (1014) output through a fourth image sensor (D) and subsequent to the third image frame (1013), and a fifth image frame (1015) output through the first image sensor (A) and subsequent to the fourth image frame (1014).

[0177] According to one embodiment, at least one processor may obtain information about the photographing environment of the electronic device. For example, the at least one processor may obtain information about the ambient brightness of the electronic device. For example, the at least one processor may detect a change in the ambient brightness of the electronic device based on an image frame obtained through an image sensor. For example, referring to FIG. 10A, the at least one processor may detect a change in the ambient brightness of the electronic device at a point in time between t6 and t7.

[0178] According to one embodiment, with reference to FIG. 10A, the section between t6 and t7 may refer to a section in which the ambient brightness of the electronic device changes (e.g., a section in which the illuminance value of the shooting environment changes), and the section between t7 and t8 may refer to a section in which the exposure value of each of the plurality of image sensors is set to correspond to the ambient brightness of the electronic device (e.g., the illuminance value of the shooting environment).

[0179] According to one embodiment, compared to the electronic device of FIG. 9, the electronic device of FIG. 10A may further include at least one image sensor. Accordingly, the electronic device of FIG. 10A may acquire exposure values ​​of each of the plurality of image sensors corresponding to the ambient brightness of the electronic device (e.g., illuminance values ​​of a photographing environment) faster than the electronic device of FIG. 9 (e.g., time required to converge to the exposure values ​​of each of the plurality of image sensors). Accordingly, a user may quickly acquire a stabilized (e.g., having a brightness value corresponding to the ambient brightness of the electronic device and / or being clear) preview image, and the time required for the electronic device to prepare for a capture event may be accelerated.

[0180] According to one embodiment, before the ambient brightness of the electronic device changes, the first image sensor (A) may have a first exposure value (1021), the second image sensor (B) may have a second exposure value (1022), the third image sensor (C) may have a third exposure value (1023), and the fourth image sensor (D) may have a fourth exposure value (1024). For example, the first image frame (1011) may be an image frame output based on the first exposure value (1021) of the first image sensor (A). For example, the second image frame (1012) may be an image frame output based on the second exposure value (1022) of the second image sensor (B). For example, the third image frame (1013) may be an image frame output based on the third exposure value (1023) of the third image sensor (C). For example, the fourth image frame (1014) may be an image frame output based on the fourth exposure value (1024) of the fourth image sensor (D).

[0181] According to one embodiment, at least one processor can obtain information about the shooting environment of the image frames (e.g., illuminance value) and the exposure value of each of the plurality of image sensors. For example, referring to FIG. 10A, at least one processor can obtain information (s1) about the shooting environment of a first image frame (1011) and a first exposure value (1021) of the first image sensor (A). At least one processor can obtain information (s2) about the shooting environment of a second image frame (1012) and a second exposure value (1022) of the second image sensor (B). At least one processor can obtain information (s3) about the shooting environment of a third image frame (1013) and a third exposure value (1023) of the third image sensor (C). At least one processor can obtain information (s4) about the shooting environment of a fourth image frame (1014) and a fourth exposure value (1024) of the fourth image sensor (D).

[0182] According to one embodiment, at least one processor may determine an exposure value of each of the plurality of image sensors based on at least one of the acquired information about the shooting environment or the exposure values ​​of each of the plurality of image sensors. For example, at least one processor may determine an exposure value of each of the plurality of image sensors such that at least two of the plurality of image sensors have different exposure values ​​based on at least one of the acquired information about the shooting environment or the exposure values ​​of each of the plurality of image sensors.

[0183] Referring to FIG. 10A, at least one processor may determine a fifth exposure value (1025) of the first image sensor (A) based on at least one of information (s1) about a shooting environment of a first image frame (1011), a first exposure value (1021) of a first image sensor (A), information (s2) about a shooting environment of a second image frame (1012), a second exposure value (1022) of a second image sensor (B), information (s3) about a shooting environment of a third image frame (1013), a third exposure value (1023) of a third image sensor (C), information (s4) about a shooting environment of a fourth image frame (1014), or a fourth exposure value (1024) of a fourth image sensor (D).

[0184] In one example, the determined fifth exposure value (1025) may be an exposure value of the first image sensor (A). For example, the determined fifth exposure value (1025) may be an exposure value of the first image sensor (A) corresponding to information about the shooting environment of the electronic device (e.g., information about the ambient brightness of the electronic device, or an illuminance value of the shooting environment).

[0185] Referring to FIG. 10A, at least one processor can obtain information (s2) about a shooting environment of a second image frame (1012) and a second exposure value (1022) of a second image sensor (B). At least one processor can obtain information (s3) about a shooting environment of a third image frame (1013) and a third exposure value (1023) of a third image sensor (C). At least one processor can obtain information (s4) about a shooting environment of a fourth image frame (1014) and a fourth exposure value (1024) of a fourth image sensor (D). At least one processor can obtain information (s5) about a shooting environment of a fifth image frame (1015) and a determined fifth exposure value (1025) of a first image sensor (A).

[0186] According to one embodiment, at least one processor may determine a sixth exposure value (1026) of the second image sensor (B) based on at least one of information about a shooting environment (s2) of the second image frame (1012), a second exposure value (1022) of the second image sensor (B), information about a shooting environment (s3) of the third image frame (1013), a third exposure value (1023) of the third image sensor (C), information about a shooting environment (s4) of the fourth image frame (1014), a fourth exposure value (1024) of the fourth image sensor (D), information about a shooting environment (s5) of the fifth image frame (1015), or a determined fifth exposure value (1025) of the first image sensor (A).

[0187] In one example, the determined sixth exposure value (1026) may be an exposure value of the second image sensor (B). For example, the determined sixth exposure value (1026) may be an exposure value of the second image sensor (B) corresponding to information about the shooting environment of the electronic device (e.g., information about the ambient brightness of the electronic device, or an illuminance value of the shooting environment).

[0188] Referring to FIG. 10A, at least one processor can obtain information (s3) about a shooting environment of a third image frame (1013) and a third exposure value (1023) of a third image sensor (C). At least one processor can obtain information (s4) about a shooting environment of a fourth image frame (1014) and a fourth exposure value (1024) of a fourth image sensor (D). At least one processor can obtain information (s5) about a shooting environment of a fifth image frame (1015) and a determined fifth exposure value (1025) of a first image sensor (A). At least one processor can obtain information (s5) about a shooting environment of a sixth image frame (1016) and a sixth exposure value (1026) of a second image sensor (B).

[0189] According to one embodiment, at least one processor may determine a seventh exposure value (1027) of the third image sensor (C) based on at least one of information (s3) about a shooting environment of a third image frame (1013), a third exposure value (1023) of a third image sensor (C), information (s4) about a shooting environment of a fourth image frame (1014), a fourth exposure value (1024) of a fourth image sensor (D), information (s5) about a shooting environment of a fifth image frame (1015), a determined fifth exposure value (1025) of the first image sensor (A), information (s5) about a shooting environment of a sixth image frame (1016), or a sixth exposure value (1026) of the second image sensor (B).

[0190] In one example, the determined seventh exposure value (1027) may be an exposure value of the third image sensor (C). For example, the determined seventh exposure value (1027) may be an exposure value of the third image sensor (C) corresponding to information about the shooting environment of the electronic device (e.g., information about the ambient brightness of the electronic device, or an illuminance value of the shooting environment).

[0191] Referring to FIG. 10A, at least one processor can obtain information (s4) about a shooting environment of a fourth image frame (1014) and a fourth exposure value (1024) of a fourth image sensor (D). At least one processor can obtain information (s5) about a shooting environment of a fifth image frame (1015) and a determined fifth exposure value (1025) of a first image sensor (A). At least one processor can obtain information (s5) about a shooting environment of a sixth image frame (1016) and a sixth exposure value (1026) of a second image sensor (B). At least one processor can obtain information (s5) about a shooting environment of a seventh image frame (1017) and a seventh exposure value (1027) of a third image sensor (C).

[0192] According to one embodiment, at least one processor may determine an eighth exposure value (1028) of the fourth image sensor (D) based on at least one of information (s4) about a shooting environment of the fourth image frame (1014), a fourth exposure value (1024) of the fourth image sensor (D), information (s5) about a shooting environment of the fifth image frame (1015), a determined fifth exposure value (1025) of the first image sensor (A), information (s5) about a shooting environment of the sixth image frame (1016), a sixth exposure value (1026) of the second image sensor (B), information (s5) about a shooting environment of the seventh image frame (1017), and a seventh exposure value (1027) of the third image sensor (C).

[0193] In one example, the determined eighth exposure value (1028) may be an exposure value of the fourth image sensor (D). For example, the determined eighth exposure value (1028) may be an exposure value of the fourth image sensor (D) corresponding to information about the shooting environment of the electronic device (e.g., information about the ambient brightness of the electronic device, or an illuminance value of the shooting environment).

[0194] According to one embodiment, at least one processor may acquire subsequent image frames from a plurality of image sensors based on the determined exposure value. For example, at least one processor may control the first image sensor (A) to output a fifth image frame (1015) subsequent to the fourth image frame (1014) based on the determined fifth exposure value (1025).

[0195] For example, at least one processor may control the second image sensor (B) to output a sixth image frame (1016) subsequent to the fifth image frame (1015) based on the determined sixth exposure value (1026).

[0196] For example, at least one processor may control the third image sensor (C) to output a seventh image frame (1017) subsequent to the sixth image frame (1016) based on the determined seventh exposure value (1027).

[0197] For example, at least one processor may control the fourth image sensor (D) to output an eighth image frame (1018) subsequent to the seventh image frame (1017) based on the determined eighth exposure value (1028).

[0198] FIG. 10b is a diagram for explaining an operation of determining an exposure value when image frames are acquired from a first image sensor and a second image sensor at the same time according to one embodiment.

[0199] The contents of Fig. 10b can be referenced by the description of Figs. 1 to 10a described above.

[0200] The content of FIG. 10b is a drawing for explaining an operation of determining the exposure value of each of the plurality of image sensors so that each of the plurality of image sensors has a different exposure value when the time at which the image frames are output is the same for each of the plurality of image sensors.

[0201] According to one embodiment, the image frames of the plurality of image sensors may be output at the same time. For example, when a capture event occurs (see the contents of FIG. 11 described below), the image frames of the plurality of image sensors may be output at the same time. For example, referring to FIG. 10b, the time point (A1) at which the first image frame (1011a) of the first image sensor (A) is output may be the same as the time point (A1) at which the second image frame (1012a) is output.

[0202] According to one embodiment, at least one processor can detect that the shooting environment of the electronic device has changed (e.g., the illuminance value of the shooting environment of the electronic device has changed). For example, the at least one processor can detect that the shooting environment of the electronic device has changed (e.g., the illuminance value of the shooting environment of the electronic device has changed) after a point in time (A2) at which the shooting environment of the electronic device has changed. For example, the at least one processor can obtain information about the changed shooting environment of the electronic device based on an image frame (e.g., a third image frame (1013a) and / or a fourth image frame (1014a)) output after a point in time (A2) at which the shooting environment of the electronic device has changed.

[0203] For example, at least one processor may compare information (s1) about the shooting environment of the first image frame (1011a) with information (s5) about the shooting environment of the third image frame (1013a). At least one processor may detect that information about the shooting environment of the electronic device has changed based on the result of the comparison between the information (s1) about the shooting environment of the first image frame (1011a) and the information (s5) about the shooting environment of the third image frame (1013a).

[0204] For example, at least one processor may compare information (s1) about the shooting environment of the second image frame (1012a) with information (s5) about the shooting environment of the fourth image frame (1014a). For example, at least one processor may compare information (s1) about the shooting environment of the first image frame (1011a) with information (s5) about the shooting environment of the fourth image frame (1014a). For example, at least one processor may compare information (s1) about the shooting environment of the second image frame (1012a) with information (s5) about the shooting environment of the third image frame (1013a).

[0205] According to one embodiment, at least one processor may determine an exposure value of each of the plurality of image sensors such that at least two of the plurality of image sensors have different exposure values ​​in response to information about the shooting environment of the electronic device being changed from information about the shooting environment (s1) to information about the shooting environment (s5). For example, at least one processor may determine an exposure value of a first image sensor (A) from a first exposure value (1021a) to a third exposure value (1023a). At least one processor may determine an exposure value of a second image sensor (B) from a second exposure value (1022a) to a fourth exposure value (1024a). At least one processor may determine the exposure value of the first image sensor (A) to be different from the exposure value of the second image sensor (B). For example, the third exposure value (1023a) and the fourth exposure value (1024a) may be different from each other.

[0206] According to one embodiment, at least one processor may determine exposure values ​​(e.g., exposure values ​​corresponding to information about a changed shooting environment) of the first image sensor (A) and the second image sensor (B) based on the third exposure value (1023a) and / or the fourth exposure value (1024a). For example, at least one processor may determine the exposure value of the first image sensor (A) as the fifth exposure value (1025a) and the exposure value of the second image sensor (B) as the sixth exposure value (1026a) based on the third exposure value (1023a) and / or the fourth exposure value (1024a).

[0207] According to one embodiment, at least one processor can determine the exposure values ​​of each of the first image sensor (A) and the second image sensor (B) such that the exposure values ​​of each of the first image sensor (A) and the second image sensor (B) converge to exposure values ​​corresponding to information about the shooting environment. According to one embodiment, at least one processor can repeatedly perform the process. For example, at least one processor can repeatedly perform the process until the determined exposure values ​​correspond to information about the changed shooting environment. For example, at least one processor can determine the exposure value of the first image sensor (A) as the seventh exposure value (1027a) and determine the exposure value of the second image sensor (B) as the eighth exposure value (1028a) based on the fifth exposure value (1025a) and / or the sixth exposure value (1026a).

[0208] For example, the seventh exposure value (1027a) of the first image sensor (A) may correspond to information (s5) about the changed shooting environment. For example, the determined seventh exposure value (1027a) may be an exposure value of the first image sensor (A). For example, the determined seventh exposure value (1027a) may be an exposure value of the first image sensor (A) that corresponds to information about the shooting environment of the electronic device (e.g., information about the ambient brightness of the electronic device, or an illuminance value of the shooting environment).

[0209] For example, the eighth exposure value (1028a) of the second image sensor (B) may correspond to information (s5) about the changed shooting environment. For example, the determined eighth exposure value (1028a) may be an exposure value of the second image sensor (B). For example, the determined eighth exposure value (1028a) may be an exposure value of the second image sensor (B) that corresponds to information about the shooting environment of the electronic device (e.g., information about the ambient brightness of the electronic device, or an illuminance value of the shooting environment).

[0210] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining an operation of controlling multiple image sensors when a capture event occurs according to one embodiment.

[0211] The contents of Fig. 11 can be referenced by the description of Figs. 1 to 10b described above.

[0212] According to one embodiment, an electronic device (e.g., at least one processor) may obtain a capture command (e.g., a command to start a capture event). For example, referring to FIG. 11, the electronic device may obtain a capture event prior to a time point t9. In one example, the electronic device may perform a capture event by receiving a user's touch input for a visual object displayed on a display (e.g., the display (470) of FIG. 4). In one example, the at least one processor may obtain at least one capture event subsequent to a capture start event through the display (470). According to various embodiments, the at least one processor may obtain the capture command using various configurations of the electronic device other than the display (470).

[0213] According to one embodiment, at least one processor may, in response to a capture event, obtain a time stamp for each of the image frames output from each of the plurality of image sensors. For example, referring to FIG. 11, at least one processor may, in response to a capture event, obtain a first time stamp for a first image frame (1111) from a first image sensor (A), obtain a second time stamp for a second image frame (1112) from a second image sensor (B), obtain a third time stamp for a third image frame (1113) from a third image sensor (C), and obtain a fourth image frame (1114) from a fourth image sensor (D).

[0214] According to one embodiment, at least one processor may control at least one of the plurality of image sensors so that image frames output from the plurality of image sensors are output at the same point in time based on the acquired time stamp. For example, at least one processor may control the first image sensor (A), the second image sensor (B), the third image sensor (C), and / or the fourth image sensor (D) so that image frames output through the first image sensor (A), the second image sensor (B), the third image sensor (C), and the fourth image sensor (D) are output at the same point in time based on the first time stamp, the second time stamp, the third time stamp, and / or the fourth time stamp.

[0215] A configuration for adjusting the timing at which image frames are output from each of a plurality of image sensors according to one embodiment may be referred to by the contents of FIG. 5. For example, at least one processor may adjust the frame rate of at least one image sensor among the plurality of image sensors so that image frames output from the plurality of image sensors are output at the same timing.

[0216] According to one embodiment, at least one processor may acquire a capture image based on image frames output from multiple image sensors at the same point in time. For example, referring to FIG. 11, a fifth image frame (1115), a sixth image frame (1116), a seventh image frame (1117), and an eighth image frame (1118) may be collectively output at a point in time between t11 and t12. According to one embodiment, at least one processor may output the acquired capture image through a display (e.g., a display (470) of FIG. 4).

[0217] In one embodiment, the at least one processor may, in response to acquiring a capture image, control at least one of the plurality of image sensors such that subsequent image frames are output at at least one or more different points in time. For example, the at least one processor may, in response to acquiring a capture image, control the first image sensor (A), the second image sensor (B), the third image sensor (C), and / or the fourth image sensor (D) such that respective image frames output through the first image sensor (A), the second image sensor (B), the third image sensor (C), and the fourth image sensor (D) are output at at least one or more different points in time.

[0218] According to one embodiment, in response to acquiring a captured image, at least one processor may acquire a timestamp of each image frame from each of a plurality of image sensors. According to one embodiment, the at least one processor may compare the acquired timestamps. For example, the at least one processor may generate a difference value of the acquired timestamps. According to one embodiment, the at least one processor may determine whether the generated difference value is within a specified range. According to one embodiment, the at least one processor may control a timing at which at least one of the plurality of image sensors outputs image frames based on whether the generated difference value is within the specified range. According to one embodiment, the at least one processor may maintain a timing at which the plurality of image sensors output image frames based on whether the generated difference value is not within the specified range.

[0219] According to one embodiment, the capture event is merely an example of the present disclosure, and the contents of FIG. 11 are not limited to the capture event. For example, the contents of FIG. 11 can be applied to various cases where image frames output from multiple image sensors are output at the same time.

[0220] FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of an electronic device when a capture event occurs according to an embodiment.

[0221] The contents of FIG. 12 may be referenced by FIG. 11. According to one embodiment, the process of FIG. 12 may be performed after operation 630 of FIG. 6.

[0222] According to one embodiment, in operation 1210, the electronic device may detect the occurrence of a capture event. A capture event may be defined in various ways. In one embodiment, the capture event may be a capture input obtained from a user. For example, the detection of an icon or button mapped to a capture input, a voice input, etc. may correspond to a capture event.

[0223] According to one embodiment, in operation 1220, the electronic device may obtain a timestamp of each of the image frames output from the plurality of image sensors in response to the occurrence of a capture event. In operation 1230, the electronic device may control the timing at which the image frames output from the plurality of image sensors are output based on the obtained timestamp. For example, the electronic device may control at least one of the plurality of image sensors so that the image frames output from the plurality of image sensors are output at the same time. In operation 1240, the electronic device may obtain a capture image based on the image frames output from the plurality of image sensors at the same time.

[0224] According to one embodiment, in operation 1250, the electronic device may control the timing at which image frames of the plurality of image sensors are output. For example, in response to acquiring a captured image, the electronic device may control at least one of the plurality of image sensors so that the image frames output from the plurality of image sensors are output at at least one or more different points in time. For example, in response to acquiring a captured image, at least one processor may acquire a time stamp of each of the image frames from each of the plurality of image sensors. According to one embodiment, the at least one processor may compare the acquired time stamps. For example, the at least one processor may generate a difference value of the acquired time stamps. According to one embodiment, the at least one processor may determine whether the generated difference value is within a specified range. According to one embodiment, the at least one processor may control the timing at which at least one of the plurality of image sensors outputs the image frames based on whether the generated difference value is within the specified range. According to one embodiment, the at least one processor may maintain the timing at which the plurality of image sensors output the image frames based on whether the generated difference value is not within the specified range.

[0225] According to one embodiment, operation 640 of FIG. 6 may be performed after the process of FIG. 12.

[0226] Fig. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of outputting a preview image according to one embodiment.

[0227] The process of FIG. 13 may be performed after operation 660 of FIG. 6.

[0228] According to one embodiment, in operation 1310, the electronic device (e.g., at least one processor) may generate a preview image based on at least one image frame among the image frames output from each of the plurality of image sensors (e.g., the image frames (930) of FIG. 9). For example, referring to FIG. 9, the at least one processor may generate the preview image based on at least one image frame among the image frames output after t8. For example, the at least one processor may generate the preview image based on the fifth image frame (915) of the first image sensor (A) and / or the sixth image frame (916) of the second image sensor (B). In one example, the generated preview image may be a stabilized image (e.g., having a brightness value corresponding to the ambient brightness of the electronic device and / or being sharp).

[0229] In one embodiment, at operation 1320, the electronic device (e.g., at least one processor) may control a display (e.g., display (470) of FIG. 4) to output the generated preview image. For example, the electronic device may control the display to output a stabilized preview image through the display. Accordingly, the user may view the stabilized preview image through the display.

[0230] FIG. 14 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a concept of controlling a function related to shooting in an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0231] The electronic device and its components of FIG. 14 may be referenced by the electronic device and its components of FIGS. 1 to 13 described above. The same terms are used for components that are identical or substantially identical to those described above, and any duplicate descriptions are omitted.

[0232] Referring to FIG. 14, an electronic device according to an embodiment may include a plurality of image sensors, a memory (1440), and a processor (1430) electrically connected to the plurality of image sensors and the memory (1440). However, the components of the electronic device are not limited thereto. For example, the electronic device may omit at least one of the components described above, or may further include at least one other component. For example, the electronic device may further include a display (1450). According to an embodiment, the plurality of image sensors may include a first image sensor (1410) and a second image sensor (1420). However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the plurality of image sensors may further include at least one image sensor.

[0233] According to one embodiment, the electronic device may utilize hardware and / or software to support various photographing-related functions. For example, the processor (1430) may include a control unit (1510), a data receiving unit (1520), a timing control unit (1530), a first image sensor exposure control unit (1540), a second image sensor exposure control unit (1550), and an integrated exposure control unit (1560) by executing commands stored in the memory (1440). In various embodiments, a software unit different from that illustrated in FIG. 14 may be implemented. For example, at least two components may be integrated into one component, or one component may be split into two or more components. In addition, the hardware and software may share a single function to improve work performance. For example, the electronic device may include both an encoder implemented in hardware and an encoder implemented in software, and a portion of data acquired through at least one camera device may be processed by the hardware encoder, and the remaining portion may be processed by the software encoder.

[0234] In one embodiment, the control unit (1510) can control a plurality of image sensors (e.g., a first image sensor (1410) and a second image sensor (1420)) to output an image frame related to a preview (e.g., a fifth image frame (915) of FIG. 9). In one example, the control unit (1510) can adjust a frame rate of at least one image sensor among the plurality of image sensors. In one embodiment, the control unit (1510) can adjust an ISO value.

[0235] In one embodiment, the data receiving unit (1520) can obtain image frames from a plurality of image sensors (e.g., a first image sensor (1410) and a second image sensor (1420)). According to one embodiment, the data receiving unit (1520) can generate a time stamp for each of the image frames obtained from the plurality of image sensors. In one example, the data receiving unit (1520) can transmit the obtained image frames to a processor (1430) (e.g., an ISP).

[0236] In one embodiment, the timing control unit (1530) can control the timing at which image frames of each of the plurality of image sensors are output. For example, the timing control unit (1530) can control at least one of the plurality of image sensors to output an image frame at a timing determined based on the time stamps of the image frames acquired through the data receiving unit (1520). For example, the timing control unit (1530) can determine the timing at which the plurality of image sensors output image frames based on the time stamps of the image frames of each of the plurality of image sensors generated by the data receiving unit (1520).

[0237] In one embodiment, the image sensor exposure control unit may determine the exposure value of each of the plurality of image sensors based on at least one of information about the shooting environment of the image frames output from each of the plurality of image sensors or the exposure value of each of the plurality of image sensors. For example, the first image sensor exposure control unit (1540) may determine the exposure value of the first image sensor (1410) based on at least one of information about the shooting environment of the image frames output from the first image sensor (1410) or the exposure value of the first image sensor. For example, the second image sensor exposure control unit (1550) may determine the exposure value of the second image sensor (1420) based on at least one of information about the shooting environment of the image frames output from the first image sensor (1410) or the exposure value of the first image sensor. In one embodiment, the image sensor exposure control unit may include the first image sensor exposure control unit (1540) and the second image sensor exposure control unit (1550). However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the image sensor exposure control unit may further include at least one image sensor exposure control unit.

[0238] According to one embodiment, the integrated exposure control unit (1560) may determine the integrated exposure value based on the determined exposure value of the first image sensor and the exposure value of the second image sensor. The integrated exposure control unit (1560) may compare the determined integrated exposure value with the illumination values ​​acquired from the image sensors. For example, the integrated exposure control unit (1560) may compare the determined integrated exposure value with the first illumination value acquired from the first image sensor and the second illumination value acquired from the second image sensor. According to one embodiment, the integrated exposure control unit (1560) may determine at least one of an exposure value, an ISO value, or a shutter speed value to be applied to subsequently output image frames based on the comparison result. For example, the integrated exposure control unit (1560) may determine at least one of an exposure value, an ISO value, or a shutter speed value to be applied to subsequently output image frames in response to detecting a change in illumination. According to one embodiment, the integrated exposure control unit (1560) can transmit at least one of an exposure value, an ISO value, or a shutter speed value determined by image sensors that acquire subsequently output image frames.

[0239] In the embodiment of FIG. 14, the functions performed by the control unit (1510), the data receiving unit (1520), the timing control unit (1530), the first image sensor exposure control unit (1540), the second image sensor exposure control unit (1550), and the integrated exposure control unit (1560) can be understood as being performed by the processor (1430) executing commands stored in the memory (1440). In addition, in various embodiments, the electronic device can use one or more hardware processing circuits to perform various functions and operations disclosed in the present document. For example, an application processor (AP) included in a mobile device, an image signaling processor (ISP) mounted on a camera module, a DDIC, a touch IC, a communication processor (CP), a hardware encoder, etc. can be used to implement various embodiments disclosed in the present document. The processor (1430) in this document can be understood to include at least one processor described above.

[0240] Additionally, the hardware / software connection relationships illustrated in Figure 14 are for convenience of explanation and do not limit the flow / direction of data or commands. Components included in an electronic device may have various electrical / operational connection relationships.

[0241] FIG. 15 is a diagram for comparing a case where image frames are not output at at least one or more different points in time and a case where image frames are output at at least one or more different points in time according to one embodiment.

[0242] The graph illustrated on the left side of Fig. 15 may be a graph (e.g., a graph related to prior art) showing changes in exposure values ​​of image sensors when image frames are not output at at least one or more different points in time. The graph illustrated on the right side of Fig. 15 may be a graph showing changes in exposure values ​​of image sensors when image frames are output at at least one or more different points in time.

[0243] Referring to the left graph of FIG. 15, an electronic device can acquire an exposure value from a single image sensor. For example, an electronic device according to a comparative example can be delayed by the frame rate of the image sensor by acquiring an exposure value from a single image sensor. The time at which the electronic device according to the comparative example acquires an exposure value from the image sensor can be a first time (1501).

[0244] In contrast, referring to the right graph of FIG. 15, the electronic device of the present disclosure can obtain the exposure values ​​of each of the plurality of image sensors at different points in time from each of the plurality of image sensors. By obtaining the exposure values ​​of each of the plurality of image sensors at different points in time from each of the plurality of image sensors, the electronic device of the present disclosure can obtain the exposure values ​​from the image sensors at a second time (1502) that is shorter than the first time (1501).

[0245] FIG. 16 is a diagram for comparing a case where image frames are not output at at least one different point in time and a case where image frames are output at at least one different point in time according to one embodiment.

[0246] Referring to the left graph of Fig. 16, an electronic device according to a comparative example can obtain an exposure value from one image sensor. In the electronic device according to the comparative example, the time for obtaining the exposure value of the image sensor may be a third time (1601).

[0247] In contrast, referring to the right graph of FIG. 16, the electronic device of the present disclosure can obtain the exposure values ​​of each of the plurality of image sensors at different points in time from each of the plurality of image sensors. By obtaining the exposure values ​​of each of the plurality of image sensors at different points in time from each of the plurality of image sensors, the time for obtaining the exposure values ​​of the image sensors can be a fourth time (1602) that is shorter than the third time (1601). Accordingly, the electronic device of the present disclosure can reduce the time for obtaining the exposure values ​​of the image sensors for a certain period of time. Accordingly, the time for a user to obtain a stabilized preview image can be reduced.

[0248] Below, with reference to FIGS. 17 and 18, we specify and expand upon devices to which various embodiments disclosed in this document can be applied or expanded.

[0249] FIG. 17 is a block diagram of an electronic device (1701) within a network environment (1700) according to various embodiments.

[0250] Referring to FIG. 17, in a network environment (1700), an electronic device (1701) may communicate with an electronic device (1702) via a first network (1798) (e.g., a short-range wireless communication network), or may communicate with at least one of an electronic device (1704) or a server (1708) via a second network (1799) (e.g., a long-range wireless communication network). In one embodiment, the electronic device (1701) may communicate with the electronic device (1704) via the server (1708). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (1701) may include a processor (1720), a memory (1730), an input module (1750), an audio output module (1755), a display module (1760), an audio module (1770), a sensor module (1776), an interface (1777), a connection terminal (1778), a haptic module (1779), a camera module (1780), a power management module (1788), a battery (1789), a communication module (1790), a subscriber identification module (1796), or an antenna module (1797). In some embodiments, the electronic device (1701) may omit at least one of these components (e.g., the connection terminal (1778)), or may have one or more other components added. In some embodiments, some of these components (e.g., sensor module (1776), camera module (1780), or antenna module (1797)) may be integrated into a single component (e.g., display module (1760)).

[0251] The processor (1720) may, for example, execute software (e.g., a program (1740)) to control at least one other component (e.g., a hardware or software component) of the electronic device (1701) connected to the processor (1720) and perform various data processing or operations. According to one embodiment, as at least a part of the data processing or operations, the processor (1720) may store commands or data received from other components (e.g., a sensor module (1776) or a communication module (1790)) in a volatile memory (1732), process the commands or data stored in the volatile memory (1732), and store result data in a non-volatile memory (1734). According to one embodiment, the processor (1720) may include a main processor (1721) (e.g., a central processing unit or an application processor) or an auxiliary processor (1723) (e.g., a graphics processing unit, a neural processing unit (NPU), an image signal processor, a sensor hub processor, or a communication processor) that can operate independently or together with the main processor (1721). For example, when the electronic device (1701) includes the main processor (1721) and the auxiliary processor (1723), the auxiliary processor (1723) may be configured to use less power than the main processor (1721) or to be specialized for a given function. The auxiliary processor (1723) may be implemented separately from the main processor (1721) or as a part thereof.

[0252] The auxiliary processor (1723) may control at least a portion of functions or states associated with at least one component (e.g., a display module (1760), a sensor module (1776), or a communication module (1790)) of the electronic device (1701), for example, on behalf of the main processor (1721) while the main processor (1721) is in an inactive (e.g., sleep) state, or together with the main processor (1721) while the main processor (1721) is in an active (e.g., application execution) state. In one embodiment, the auxiliary processor (1723) (e.g., an image signal processor or a communication processor) may be implemented as a part of another functionally related component (e.g., a camera module (1780) or a communication module (1790)). In one embodiment, the auxiliary processor (1723) (e.g., a neural network processing unit) may include a hardware structure specialized for processing artificial intelligence models. The artificial intelligence models may be generated through machine learning. This learning can be performed, for example, on the electronic device (1701) where the artificial intelligence model is executed, or can be performed through a separate server (e.g., server (1708)). The learning algorithm can include, for example, supervised learning, unsupervised learning, semi-supervised learning, or reinforcement learning, but is not limited to the examples described above. The artificial intelligence model can include multiple artificial neural network layers.The artificial neural network may be one of a deep neural network (DNN), a convolutional neural network (CNN), a recurrent neural network (RNN), a restricted Boltzmann machine (RBM), a deep belief network (DBN), a bidirectional recurrent deep neural network (BRDNN), a deep Q-network, or a combination of two or more of the foregoing examples, but is not limited thereto. In addition to, or alternatively to, a hardware structure, an artificial intelligence model may also include a software structure.

[0253] The memory (1730) can store various data used by at least one component (e.g., the processor (1720) or the sensor module (1776)) of the electronic device (1701). The data can include, for example, software (e.g., the program (1740)) and input data or output data for commands related thereto. The memory (1730) can include volatile memory (1732) or non-volatile memory (1734).

[0254] The program (1740) may be stored as software in memory (1730) and may include, for example, an operating system (1742), middleware (1744), or an application (1746).

[0255] The input module (1750) can receive commands or data to be used in a component of the electronic device (1701) (e.g., a processor (1720)) from an external source (e.g., a user) of the electronic device (1701). The input module (1750) can include, for example, a microphone, a mouse, a keyboard, a key (e.g., a button), or a digital pen (e.g., a stylus pen).

[0256] The audio output module (1755) can output audio signals to the outside of the electronic device (1701). The audio output module (1755) can include, for example, a speaker or a receiver. The speaker can be used for general purposes, such as multimedia playback or recording playback. The receiver can be used to receive incoming calls. In one embodiment, the receiver can be implemented separately from the speaker or as part of the speaker.

[0257] The display module (1760) can visually provide information to an external party (e.g., a user) of the electronic device (1701). The display module (1760) may include, for example, a display, a holographic device, or a projector, and a control circuit for controlling the device. In one embodiment, the display module (1760) may include a touch sensor configured to detect a touch, or a pressure sensor configured to measure the intensity of a force generated by a touch.

[0258] The audio module (1770) can convert sound into an electrical signal, or vice versa. According to one embodiment, the audio module (1770) can acquire sound through the input module (1750), output sound through the sound output module (1755), or an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (1702)) (e.g., speaker or headphone) directly or wirelessly connected to the electronic device (1701).

[0259] The sensor module (1776) can detect the operating status (e.g., power or temperature) of the electronic device (1701) or the external environmental status (e.g., user status) and generate an electrical signal or data value corresponding to the detected status. According to one embodiment, the sensor module (1776) can include, for example, a gesture sensor, a gyro sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a grip sensor, a proximity sensor, a color sensor, an IR (infrared) sensor, a biometric sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or an illuminance sensor.

[0260] The interface (1777) may support one or more designated protocols that may be used to directly or wirelessly connect the electronic device (1701) with an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (1702)). In one embodiment, the interface (1777) may include, for example, a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI), a universal serial bus (USB) interface, an SD card interface, or an audio interface.

[0261] The connection terminal (1778) may include a connector through which the electronic device (1701) may be physically connected to an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (1702)). In one embodiment, the connection terminal (1778) may include, for example, an HDMI connector, a USB connector, an SD card connector, or an audio connector (e.g., a headphone connector).

[0262] The haptic module (1779) can convert electrical signals into mechanical stimuli (e.g., vibration or movement) or electrical stimuli that a user can perceive through tactile or kinesthetic sensations. In one embodiment, the haptic module (1779) may include, for example, a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electrical stimulation device.

[0263] The camera module (1780) can capture still images and videos. In one embodiment, the camera module (1780) may include one or more lenses, image sensors, image signal processors, or flashes.

[0264] The power management module (1788) can manage the power supplied to the electronic device (1701). According to one embodiment, the power management module (1788) can be implemented as, for example, at least a part of a power management integrated circuit (PMIC).

[0265] A battery (1789) may power at least one component of the electronic device (1701). In one embodiment, the battery (1789) may include, for example, a non-rechargeable primary battery, a rechargeable secondary battery, or a fuel cell.

[0266] The communication module (1790) may support the establishment of a direct (e.g., wired) communication channel or a wireless communication channel between the electronic device (1701) and an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (1702), electronic device (1704), or server (1708)), and the performance of communication through the established communication channel. The communication module (1790) may operate independently from the processor (1720) (e.g., application processor) and may include one or more communication processors that support direct (e.g., wired) communication or wireless communication. According to one embodiment, the communication module (1790) may include a wireless communication module (1792) (e.g., a cellular communication module, a short-range wireless communication module, or a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) communication module) or a wired communication module (1794) (e.g., a local area network (LAN) communication module, or a power line communication module). Any of these communication modules may communicate with an external electronic device (1704) via a first network (1798) (e.g., a short-range communication network such as Bluetooth, wireless fidelity (WiFi) direct, or infrared data association (IrDA)) or a second network (1799) (e.g., a long-range communication network such as a legacy cellular network, a 5G network, a next-generation communication network, the Internet, or a computer network (e.g., a local area network or a wide area network)). These various types of communication modules may be integrated into a single component (e.g., a single chip) or implemented as multiple separate components (e.g., multiple chips). The wireless communication module (1792) may use subscriber information (e.g., an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI)) stored in the subscriber identification module (1796) to identify or authenticate the electronic device (1701) within a communication network such as the first network (1798) or the second network (1799).

[0267] The wireless communication module (1792) can support 5G networks and next-generation communication technologies following the 4G network, such as NR access technology (new radio access technology). The NR access technology can support high-speed transmission of high-capacity data (eMBB (enhanced mobile broadband)), minimization of terminal power and connection of multiple terminals (mMTC (massive machine type communications)), or high reliability and low latency communications (URLLC (ultra-reliable and low-latency communications)). The wireless communication module (1792) can support, for example, a high-frequency band (e.g., mmWave band) to achieve a high data transmission rate. The wireless communication module (1792) may support various technologies for securing performance in high-frequency bands, such as beamforming, massive multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO), full dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antenna, analog beam-forming, or large scale antenna. The wireless communication module (1792) may support various requirements specified in the electronic device (1701), an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (1704)), or a network system (e.g., the second network (1799)). According to one embodiment, the wireless communication module (1792) can support a peak data rate (e.g., 20 Gbps or more) for eMBB realization, a loss coverage (e.g., 164 dB or less) for mMTC realization, or a U-plane latency (e.g., 0.5 ms or less for downlink (DL) and uplink (UL), or 1 ms or less for round trip) for URLLC realization.

[0268] The antenna module (1797) can transmit or receive signals or power to or from an external device (e.g., an external electronic device). In one embodiment, the antenna module (1797) may include an antenna including a radiator formed of a conductor or a conductive pattern formed on a substrate (e.g., a PCB). In one embodiment, the antenna module (1797) may include a plurality of antennas (e.g., an array antenna). In this case, at least one antenna suitable for a communication method used in a communication network, such as the first network (1798) or the second network (1799), may be selected from the plurality of antennas by, for example, the communication module (1790). A signal or power may be transmitted or received between the communication module (1790) and the external electronic device via the selected at least one antenna. In some embodiments, in addition to the radiator, another component (e.g., a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC)) may be additionally formed as a part of the antenna module (1797).

[0269] According to various embodiments, the antenna module (1797) may form a mmWave antenna module. In one embodiment, the mmWave antenna module may include a printed circuit board, an RFIC disposed on or adjacent a first side (e.g., a bottom side) of the printed circuit board and capable of supporting a designated high frequency band (e.g., a mmWave band), and a plurality of antennas (e.g., an array antenna) disposed on or adjacent a second side (e.g., a top side or a side) of the printed circuit board and capable of transmitting or receiving signals in the designated high frequency band.

[0270] At least some of the components can be interconnected and exchange signals (e.g., commands or data) with each other via a communication method between peripheral devices (e.g., a bus, general purpose input and output (GPIO), serial peripheral interface (SPI), or mobile industry processor interface (MIPI)).

[0271] According to one embodiment, commands or data may be transmitted or received between the electronic device (1701) and an external electronic device (1704) via a server (1708) connected to a second network (1799). Each of the external electronic devices (1702 or 1404) may be the same or a different type of device as the electronic device (1701). According to one embodiment, all or part of the operations executed in the electronic device (1701) may be executed in one or more of the external electronic devices (1702, 1404, or 1408). For example, when the electronic device (1701) is to perform a certain function or service automatically or in response to a request from a user or another device, the electronic device (1701) may, instead of or in addition to executing the function or service itself, request one or more external electronic devices to perform the function or at least a part of the service. One or more external electronic devices that receive the request may execute at least a portion of the requested function or service, or additional functions or services related to the request, and transmit the result of the execution to the electronic device (1701). The electronic device (1701) may process the result as is or additionally and provide it as at least a portion of a response to the request. For this purpose, cloud computing, distributed computing, mobile edge computing (MEC), or client-server computing technology may be used, for example. The electronic device (1701) may provide an ultra-low latency service using distributed computing or mobile edge computing, for example. In one embodiment, the external electronic device (1704) may include an Internet of Things (IoT) device. The server (1708) may be an intelligent server utilizing machine learning and / or a neural network. According to one embodiment, the external electronic device (1704) or the server (1708) may be included in a second network (1799).The electronic device (1701) can be applied to intelligent services (e.g., smart home, smart city, smart car, or healthcare) based on 5G communication technology and IoT-related technology.

[0272] Electronic devices according to the various embodiments disclosed in this document may take various forms. Electronic devices may include, for example, portable communication devices (e.g., smartphones), computer devices, portable multimedia devices, portable medical devices, cameras, wearable devices, or home appliances. Electronic devices according to the embodiments of this document are not limited to the aforementioned devices.

[0273] The various embodiments of this document and the terminology used therein are not intended to limit the technical features described in this document to specific embodiments, but should be understood to include various modifications, equivalents, or substitutes of the embodiments. In connection with the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used for similar or related components. The singular form of a noun corresponding to an item may include one or more items, unless the relevant context clearly indicates otherwise. In this document, each of the phrases "A or B", "at least one of A and B", "at least one of A or B", "A, B, or C", "at least one of A, B, and C", and "at least one of A, B, or C" can include any one of the items listed together in the corresponding phrase among those phrases, or all possible combinations thereof. Terms such as "first," "second," or "first" or "second" may be used merely to distinguish one component from another, and do not limit the components in any other respect (e.g., importance or order). When a component (e.g., a first component) is referred to as "coupled" or "connected" to another (e.g., a second component), with or without the terms "functionally" or "communicatively," it means that the component can be connected to the other component directly (e.g., wired), wirelessly, or through a third component.

[0274] The term "module" used in various embodiments of this document may include a unit implemented in hardware, software, or firmware, and may be used interchangeably with terms such as logic, logic block, component, or circuit. A module may be an integral component, or a minimum unit or part of a component that performs one or more functions. For example, according to one embodiment, a module may be implemented in the form of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0275] Various embodiments of the present document may be implemented as software (e.g., a program (1740)) including one or more instructions stored in a storage medium (e.g., an internal memory (1736) or an external memory (1738)) readable by a machine (e.g., an electronic device (1701)). For example, a processor (e.g., a processor (1720)) of the machine (e.g., an electronic device (1701)) may call at least one instruction among the one or more instructions stored from the storage medium and execute it. This enables the machine to operate to perform at least one function according to the at least one called instruction. The one or more instructions may include code generated by a compiler or code executable by an interpreter. The machine-readable storage medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Here, 'non-transitory' simply means that the storage medium is a tangible device and does not contain signals (e.g., electromagnetic waves), and the term does not distinguish between cases where data is stored semi-permanently or temporarily on the storage medium.

[0276] According to one embodiment, the method according to various embodiments disclosed in this document may be provided as a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded between sellers and buyers as a product. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a device-readable storage medium (e.g., compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM)) or may be provided through an application store (e.g., Play Store). TM ) or directly between two user devices (e.g., smart phones), online distribution (e.g., downloading or uploading). In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product may be at least temporarily stored or temporarily created in a machine-readable storage medium, such as the memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or an intermediary server.

[0277] According to various embodiments, each component (e.g., a module or a program) of the described components may include one or more entities, and some of the entities may be separated and placed in other components. According to various embodiments, one or more components or operations of the aforementioned components may be omitted, or one or more other components or operations may be added. Alternatively or additionally, a plurality of components (e.g., a module or a program) may be integrated into a single component. In such a case, the integrated component may perform one or more functions of each of the plurality of components identically or similarly to those performed by the corresponding component among the plurality of components prior to integration. According to various embodiments, the operations performed by a module, program, or other component may be executed sequentially, in parallel, iteratively, or heuristically, or one or more of the operations may be executed in a different order, omitted, or one or more other operations may be added.

[0278] FIG. 18 is a block diagram (1800) illustrating a camera module (1780) according to various embodiments.

[0279] Referring to FIG. 18, a camera module (1780) may include a lens assembly (1810), a flash (1820), an image sensor (1830), an image stabilizer (1840), a memory (1850) (e.g., a buffer memory), or an image signal processor (1860). The lens assembly (1810) may collect light emitted from a subject that is a target of image capturing. The lens assembly (1810) may include one or more lenses. According to one embodiment, the camera module (1780) may include a plurality of lens assemblies (1810). In this case, the camera module (1780) may form, for example, a dual camera, a 360-degree camera, or a spherical camera. Some of the plurality of lens assemblies (1810) may have the same lens properties (e.g., angle of view, focal length, autofocus, f-number, or optical zoom), or at least one lens assembly may have one or more lens properties that differ from the lens properties of the other lens assemblies. A lens assembly (1810) may include, for example, a wide-angle lens or a telephoto lens.

[0280] The flash (1820) can emit light used to enhance light emitted or reflected from a subject. In one embodiment, the flash (1820) can include one or more light-emitting diodes (e.g., red-green-blue (RGB) LEDs, white LEDs, infrared LEDs, or ultraviolet LEDs), or a xenon lamp. The image sensor (1830) can acquire an image corresponding to the subject by converting light emitted or reflected from the subject and transmitted through the lens assembly (1810) into an electrical signal. In one embodiment, the image sensor (1830) can include one image sensor selected from among image sensors having different properties, such as an RGB sensor, a black and white (BW) sensor, an IR sensor, or a UV sensor, a plurality of image sensors having the same property, or a plurality of image sensors having different properties. Each image sensor included in the image sensor (1830) may be implemented using, for example, a CCD (charged coupled device) sensor or a CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) sensor.

[0281] The image stabilizer (1840) can move at least one lens included in the lens assembly (1810) or the image sensor (1830) in a specific direction or control the operating characteristics of the image sensor (1830) (e.g., adjust the read-out timing) in response to movement of the camera module (1780) or the electronic device including the same (e.g., the electronic device (1701) of FIG. 17). This allows compensating for at least some of the negative effects of the movement on the captured image. In one embodiment, the image stabilizer (1840) can detect such movement of the camera module (1780) or the electronic device (1701) by using a gyro sensor (not shown) or an acceleration sensor (not shown) disposed inside or outside the camera module (1780). According to one embodiment, the image stabilizer (1840) may be implemented as, for example, an optical image stabilizer. The memory (1850) may temporarily store at least a portion of the image acquired through the image sensor (1830) for the next image processing task. For example, when image acquisition is delayed due to a shutter or a plurality of images are acquired at high speed, the acquired original image (e.g., a Bayer-patterned image or a high-resolution image) may be stored in the memory (1850), and a corresponding copy image (e.g., a low-resolution image) may be previewed through the display module (1760). Thereafter, when a specified condition is satisfied (e.g., a user input or a system command), at least a portion of the original image stored in the memory (1850) may be acquired and processed, for example, by the image signal processor (1860). According to one embodiment, the memory (1850) may be configured as at least a portion of the memory (1730), or as a separate memory that operates independently therefrom.

[0282] The image signal processor (1860) can perform one or more image processing operations on an image acquired through an image sensor (1830) or an image stored in a memory (1850). One or more image processing operations may include, for example, depth map generation, 3D modeling, panorama generation, feature extraction, image synthesis, or image compensation (e.g., noise reduction, resolution adjustment, brightness adjustment, blurring, sharpening, or softening). Additionally or alternatively, the image signal processor (1860) may perform control (e.g., exposure time control, or read-out timing control) on at least one of the components included in the camera module (1780) (e.g., the image sensor (1830)). An image processed by the image signal processor (1860) may be stored back in the memory (1850) for further processing or provided to an external component of the camera module (1780) (e.g., the memory (1730), the display module (1760), the electronic device (1702), the electronic device (1704), or the server (1708) of FIG. 17). In one embodiment, the image signal processor (1860) may be configured to: The processor (1860) may be configured as at least a part of the processor (1720) of FIG. 17, or may be configured as a separate processor that operates independently of the processor (1720). If the image signal processor (1860) is configured as a separate processor from the processor (1720), at least one image processed by the image signal processor (1860) may be displayed through the display module (1760) as is or after undergoing additional image processing by the processor (1720).

[0283] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (1701) may include a plurality of camera modules (1780), each having different properties or functions. In this case, for example, at least one of the plurality of camera modules (1780) may be a wide-angle camera, and at least another may be a telephoto camera. Similarly, at least one of the plurality of camera modules (1780) may be a front-facing camera, and at least another may be a rear-facing camera.

[0284] As described above, an electronic device according to an embodiment may include a plurality of image sensors, a memory, and at least one processor electrically connected to the plurality of image sensors and the memory. The at least one processor may, in response to a capture start event, obtain image frames output from each of the plurality of image sensors and a time stamp of each of the image frames, and, based on the obtained time stamp, control the timing at which an image frame of at least one of the plurality of image sensors is output so that subsequently output image frames are output at at least one or more different points in time, control at least one of the plurality of image sensors, obtain information regarding a capture environment of each of the image frames, and, in response to a change in information regarding the capture environment of at least one of the image frames, determine an exposure value of each of the plurality of image sensors so that at least two or more of the plurality of image sensors have different exposure values, and, based on the determined exposure value corresponding to the information regarding the changed capture environment, obtain image frames from the plurality of image sensors.

[0285] According to one embodiment, the plurality of image sensors may include a first image sensor and a second image sensor.

[0286] In one embodiment, the at least one processor may, in response to the capture start event, obtain a first time stamp for a first image frame from the first image sensor, obtain a second time stamp for the second image frame from the second image sensor, and generate a difference value between the first time stamp and the second time stamp.

[0287] According to one embodiment, the at least one processor can control the timing at which image frames of at least one of the first image sensor or the second image sensor are output based on whether the generated difference value falls within a specified range.

[0288] According to one embodiment, the at least one processor may obtain a third image frame output through the first image sensor, and a fourth image frame output through the second image sensor and subsequent to the third image frame, obtain information about a shooting environment of the third image frame and information about a shooting environment of the fourth image frame, obtain a first exposure value of the first image sensor and a second exposure value of the second image sensor, and in response to a change in information about a shooting environment of at least one of the image frames subsequent to the fourth image frame, determine an exposure value of at least one of the first image sensor or the second image sensor such that the first exposure value of the first image sensor and the second exposure value of the second image sensor have different exposure values.

[0289] According to one embodiment, the at least one processor can change the exposure value of each of the plurality of image sensors such that the exposure value of each of the plurality of image sensors converges to the determined exposure value corresponding to the information about the changed photographing environment.

[0290] According to one embodiment, the at least one processor, in response to a capture event, obtains a time stamp of each of the image frames output from each of the plurality of image sensors, and, based on the obtained time stamp, controls the timing at which the image frames of the plurality of image sensors are output so that the image frames output thereafter are output at the same time point.

[0291] According to one embodiment, the at least one processor may obtain a capture image based on image frames output from the plurality of image sensors at the same point in time, and in response to obtaining the capture image, control at least one of the plurality of image sensors to control a timing at which image frames of the plurality of image sensors are output so that image frames output thereafter are output at at least one or more different points in time.

[0292] In one embodiment, the capture start event may include an event in which the frame rate of at least one image sensor among the plurality of image sensors is less than or equal to a specified value. The at least one processor may adjust the frame rate of at least one image sensor among the plurality of image sensors so that image frames are output at at least one or more different points in time.

[0293] According to one embodiment, the information about the shooting environment may include at least information about the ambient brightness of the electronic device. The at least one processor may determine an exposure value of each of the plurality of image sensors such that at least two of the plurality of image sensors have different exposure values ​​based on a change in the information about the ambient brightness of the electronic device.

[0294] According to one embodiment, the electronic device may further include a display. The at least one processor may generate a preview image based on at least one image frame among image frames output from each of the plurality of image sensors, and control the preview image to be output through the display.

[0295] As described above, an operating method of an electronic device including a plurality of image sensors according to an embodiment may include, in response to a shooting start event, an operation of obtaining image frames output from each of the plurality of image sensors and a time stamp of each of the image frames, an operation of controlling a timing at which image frames of the plurality of image sensors are output based on the obtained time stamp so that image frames output thereafter are output at least at one or more different points in time, an operation of obtaining information about a shooting environment of each of the image frames, an operation of determining an exposure value of each of the plurality of image sensors so that at least two or more image sensors of the plurality of image sensors have different exposure values ​​in response to a change in information about the shooting environment of at least one of the image frames, and an operation of obtaining image frames from the plurality of image sensors based on the determined exposure value corresponding to the information about the changed shooting environment.

[0296] According to one embodiment, the plurality of image sensors may include a first image sensor and a second image sensor.

[0297] According to one embodiment, the operation of controlling the plurality of image sensors may further include, in response to the shooting start event, obtaining a first time stamp regarding a first image frame from the first image sensor, obtaining a second time stamp regarding a second image frame from the second image sensor, and generating a difference value between the first time stamp and the second time stamp.

[0298] According to one embodiment, the operation of controlling the plurality of image sensors may further include an operation of controlling a timing at which image frames of at least one of the first image sensor or the second image sensor are output based on whether the generated difference value is within a specified range.

[0299] According to one embodiment, the operating method of the electronic device may include an operation of acquiring a third image frame output through the first image sensor and a fourth image frame output through the second image sensor and subsequent to the third image frame, an operation of acquiring information about a shooting environment of the third image frame and information about a shooting environment of the fourth image frame, an operation of acquiring a first exposure value of the first image sensor and a second exposure value of the second image sensor, and an operation of determining an exposure value of at least one of the first image sensor or the second image sensor such that the first exposure value of the first image sensor and the second exposure value of the second image sensor have different exposure values ​​in response to a change in information about a shooting environment of at least one of the image frames subsequent to the fourth image frame.

[0300] According to one embodiment, the operating method of the electronic device may include changing an exposure value of each of the plurality of image sensors so that the exposure value of each of the plurality of image sensors converges to the determined exposure value corresponding to information about the changed photographing environment.

[0301] According to one embodiment, the operating method of the electronic device may further include, in response to a capture event, obtaining a time stamp of each of image frames output from each of the plurality of image sensors; controlling, based on the obtained time stamp, a timing at which image frames of the plurality of image sensors are output, so that image frames output thereafter are output at the same time point; obtaining a capture image based on the image frames output from the plurality of image sensors at the same time point; and controlling, in response to obtaining the capture image, at least one of the plurality of image sensors, so that image frames output thereafter are output at at least one different time point.

[0302] In one embodiment, the act of controlling the plurality of image sensors may include the act of adjusting a frame rate of at least one image sensor among the plurality of image sensors so that the image frames are output at at least one different point in time.

[0303] According to one embodiment, the electronic device may further include a display. The method of operating the electronic device may further include an operation of generating a preview image based on at least one image frame among image frames output from each of the plurality of image sensors, and an operation of controlling the preview image to be output through the display.

[0304] In the present disclosure, a function or operation performed by an electronic device may be performed by one or more processors executing one or more instructions included in a program stored in a memory. The function or operation of the electronic device mentioned in the present disclosure may be performed by one processor executing one or more instructions, or may be performed by a combination of multiple processors executing one or more instructions. The processor mentioned in the present disclosure may be understood to include a circuit for performing an operation or controlling other components of the electronic device. For example, the one or more processors may include a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor unit (MPU), an application processor (AP), a communication processor (CP), a neural processing unit (NPU), a system on a chip (SoC), or an integrated circuit (IC) configured to execute one or more instructions. The one or more processors may be configured to perform the operation of the electronic device described above.

[0305] In the present disclosure, a program (software module, software) may be stored in a non-volatile memory including a random access memory (RAM), a flash memory, a read only memory (ROM), an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), a magnetic disc storage device, a compact disc ROM (CD-ROM), digital versatile discs (DVDs) or other forms of optical storage devices, a magnetic cassette. Or, it may be stored in a memory formed by a combination of some or all of these. The memory may be formed by a single storage medium or may be formed by a combination of a plurality of storage media. The one or more instructions may be stored in a single storage medium or may be distributed and stored in a plurality of storage media.

Claims

1. In electronic devices, Multiple image sensors; processor; and A memory for storing instructions, wherein the instructions are executed by the processor so that the electronic device: In response to a start shooting event, image frames output from each of the plurality of image sensors and a time stamp for each of the image frames are obtained, Based on the acquired time stamp, controlling the timing at which an image frame of at least one image sensor among the plurality of image sensors is output so that image frames output thereafter are output at at least one or more different points in time, and controlling at least one of the plurality of image sensors; Obtain information about the shooting environment of each of the above image frames, In response to a change in information about a shooting environment of at least one of the image frames, determining an exposure value of each of the plurality of image sensors so that at least two of the plurality of image sensors have different exposure values, and Based on the information about the changed shooting environment and the corresponding determined exposure value, image frames are acquired from the plurality of image sensors. Electronic devices.

2. In claim 1, The above plurality of image sensors include a first image sensor and a second image sensor, Electronic devices.

3. In claim 2, The above instructions are executed by the processor so that the electronic device: In response to the above shooting start event, obtaining a first time stamp for a first image frame from the first image sensor, and obtaining a second time stamp for a second image frame from the second image sensor, Generating a difference value between the first time stamp and the second time stamp, Electronic devices.

4. In claim 3, The above instructions are executed by the processor so that the electronic device: Controlling the timing at which image frames of at least one of the first image sensor or the second image sensor are output based on whether the generated difference value is within a specified range. Electronic devices.

5. In claim 2, The above instructions are executed by the processor so that the electronic device: Obtaining a third image frame output through the first image sensor, and a fourth image frame output through the second image sensor and subsequent to the third image frame, Obtain information about the shooting environment of the third image frame and information about the shooting environment of the fourth image frame, Obtaining a first exposure value of the first image sensor and a second exposure value of the second image sensor, In response to a change in information about a shooting environment of at least one of the image frames subsequent to the fourth image frame, determining an exposure value of at least one of the first image sensor or the second image sensor such that the first exposure value of the first image sensor and the second exposure value of the second image sensor have different exposure values. Electronic devices.

6. In claim 1, The above instructions are executed by the processor so that the electronic device: Changing the exposure value of each of the plurality of image sensors so that the exposure value of each of the plurality of image sensors converges to the determined exposure value corresponding to the information about the changed shooting environment. Electronic devices.

7. In claim 1, The above instructions are executed by the processor so that the electronic device: In response to a capture event, a timestamp of each image frame output from each of the plurality of image sensors is obtained, Based on the acquired time stamp, controlling the timing at which image frames of the plurality of image sensors are output so that image frames output thereafter are output at the same time, and controlling at least one of the plurality of image sensors. Electronic devices.

8. In claim 7, The above instructions are executed by the processor so that the electronic device: Based on image frames output from the above multiple image sensors at the same time, a capture image is obtained, In response to acquiring the captured image, controlling the timing at which image frames of the plurality of image sensors are output so that image frames output thereafter are output at at least one different point in time, Electronic devices.

9. In claim 1, The above shooting start event includes an event in which the frame rate of at least one image sensor among the plurality of image sensors is less than or equal to a specified value, The above instructions are executed by the processor so that the electronic device: Adjusting the frame rate of at least one image sensor among the plurality of image sensors so that image frames are output at at least one different point in time; Electronic devices.

10. In claim 1, The information about the above shooting environment includes at least information about the ambient brightness of the electronic device, The above instructions are executed by the processor so that the electronic device: Based on a change in information about the ambient brightness of the electronic device, determining an exposure value of each of the plurality of image sensors so that at least two of the plurality of image sensors have different exposure values. Electronic devices.

11. In claim 1, Including more displays, The above instructions are executed by the processor so that the electronic device: Generating a preview image based on at least one image frame among the image frames output from each of the plurality of image sensors, Controlling the above preview image to be output through the above display, Electronic devices.

12. A method of operating an electronic device including a plurality of image sensors, In response to a capture start event, an operation of obtaining image frames output from each of the plurality of image sensors and a time stamp of each of the image frames; An operation of controlling at least one of the plurality of image sensors based on the acquired time stamp to control the timing at which an image frame of at least one image sensor among the plurality of image sensors is output so that image frames output thereafter are output at at least one or more different points in time; An operation of obtaining information about the shooting environment of each of the above image frames; An operation of determining an exposure value of each of the plurality of image sensors so that at least two of the plurality of image sensors have different exposure values ​​in response to a change in information about a shooting environment of at least one of the image frames; and An operation of acquiring image frames from the plurality of image sensors based on the information about the changed shooting environment and the corresponding determined exposure value; including; How it works.

13. In claim 12, The above plurality of image sensors include a first image sensor and a second image sensor, How it works.

14. In claim 13, The operation of controlling the above multiple image sensors is as follows: In response to the above shooting start event, an operation of obtaining a first time stamp regarding a first image frame from the first image sensor and a second time stamp regarding a second image frame from the second image sensor; and An operation of generating a difference value between the first time stamp and the second time stamp; further comprising; How it works.

15. In claim 14, The operation of controlling the above multiple image sensors is as follows: Further comprising an operation of controlling the timing at which image frames of at least one of the first image sensor or the second image sensor are output based on whether the generated difference value is within a specified range. How it works.

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