Method for processing image, and electronic device therefor

Abstract

An electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may comprise a camera, a display, a processor, and a memory for storing instructions. When executed by the processor, the instructions enables the electronic device to: identify configuration information of the camera; determine, on the basis of at least one from among the identified configuration information, a lighting environment, the type of subject, or the strength of a neutral density (ND) filter effect, a first photographing configuration for providing a preview image; when a photographing command is identified while providing the preview image on the display on the basis of the first photographing configuration, determine a second photographing configuration for short exposure image acquisition and the number of times a short exposure image is captured; acquire a plurality of short exposure images on the basis of the second photographing configuration during a designated time interval; and synthesize at least some of the acquired plurality of short exposure images, thereby acquiring a long exposure image corresponding to the designated time interval. Other various embodiments identified by the present document are possible.

Description

Method for processing images and electronic devices thereof

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method for processing an image and an electronic device thereof.

[0002] As the possession of portable electronic devices has become more common in daily life, the use of their camera functions has increased significantly. Taking pictures with these devices has become an essential feature, to the point where camera functions are becoming a criterion for selecting a portable electronic device. Recently, as the camera functions of portable electronic devices have become more sophisticated, technologies are being applied to capture clear images in various shooting environments. For example, the effect of an ND (neutral density) filter can be provided, reducing the amount of light entering the camera while preserving the scene's color, depending on the scene characteristics or lighting conditions of the image the user is attempting to capture.

[0003] 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 related to the present disclosure.

[0004] An electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a camera, a display, a processor, and a memory storing instructions. The instructions, when executed by the processor, may cause the electronic device to check setting information of the camera. The instructions, when executed by the processor, may cause the electronic device to determine a first shooting setting for providing a preview image based on at least one of the checked setting information, a lighting environment, a type of a subject, or a strength of a neutral density (ND) filter effect. The instructions, when executed by the processor, may cause the electronic device to determine a second shooting setting for obtaining a short exposure image and the number of times a short exposure image is captured if a shooting command is confirmed while providing a preview image based on the first shooting setting on the display. The instructions, when executed by the processor, may cause the electronic device to acquire a plurality of short exposure images based on the second shooting settings during a specified time period. The instructions, when executed by the processor, may cause the electronic device to synthesize at least some of the acquired short exposure images to acquire a long exposure image corresponding to the specified time period.

[0005] A method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include an operation of checking setting information of a camera included in an electronic device. The method may include an operation of determining a first shooting setting for providing a preview image based on at least one of the checked setting information, a lighting environment, a type of a subject, or a strength of an ND (neutral density) filter effect. The method may include an operation of determining a second shooting setting for obtaining a short exposure image and a number of times to capture the short exposure image when a shooting command is confirmed while providing the preview image based on the first shooting setting through a display of the electronic device. The method may include an operation of obtaining a plurality of short exposure images based on the second shooting setting during a specified time period. The method may include an operation of obtaining a long exposure image corresponding to the specified time period by synthesizing at least some of the obtained plurality of short exposure images.

[0006] A computer-readable recording medium according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include programs executable on a computer. The programs may perform an operation of checking setting information of a camera included in an electronic device. The programs may perform an operation of determining a first shooting setting for providing a preview image based on at least one of the checked setting information, a lighting environment, a subject type, or the strength of an ND (neutral density) filter effect. The programs may perform an operation of determining a second shooting setting for obtaining a short exposure image and a number of shots of the short exposure image when a shooting command is confirmed while providing a preview image based on the first shooting setting through a display of the electronic device. The programs may perform an operation of obtaining a plurality of short exposure images based on the second shooting setting during a specified time period. The programs may perform an operation of obtaining a long exposure image corresponding to the specified time period by synthesizing at least some of the obtained plurality of short exposure images.

[0007] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device within a network environment according to one embodiment.

[0008] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a camera module according to various embodiments.

[0009] FIG. 3 is a drawing illustrating a configuration of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0010] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a method for generating a long exposure image with an ND filter effect applied, according to one embodiment.

[0011] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0012] FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method for determining shooting settings for acquiring a preview image in automatic mode, according to one embodiment.

[0013] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a method for updating user shooting settings while providing a preview image in automatic mode, according to one embodiment.

[0014] FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a method for determining shooting settings for acquiring a preview image in manual mode, according to one embodiment.

[0015] FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a method for generating a long exposure image with an ND filter effect applied using a plurality of short exposure images, according to one embodiment.

[0016] FIG. 10 is a drawing illustrating a detailed configuration of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0017] FIGS. 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating an ND filter effect expressed in a long exposure image based on dynamic changes in shooting settings for acquiring a short exposure image, according to one embodiment.

[0018] FIGS. 12a and 12b are diagrams illustrating a method of setting an ND filter effect through an execution screen of a camera application, according to one embodiment.

[0019] In connection with the description of the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals may be used for identical or similar components.

[0020] Hereinafter, various embodiments disclosed in this document will be described with reference to the attached drawings. It should be understood that this is not intended to limit the various embodiments of the present invention to a specific form, but rather encompasses various modifications, equivalents, and / or alternatives of the present invention.

[0021] An ND (neutral density) filter can provide a function to reduce the amount of light entering the camera when taking a picture. Electronic devices must set the exposure time short to obtain an image with appropriate brightness when the ND filter function is not applied. However, due to the short exposure time, the movement of the subject may not be expressed naturally. If the exposure time is increased to express the movement of the subject, the amount of light entering the camera during the exposure time also increases, which may result in an overexposed image. When the ND filter function is applied, the amount of light is reduced even when the exposure time is increased, making it possible to take a long-exposure image with appropriate brightness.

[0022] In electronic devices such as smartphones, the functionality of an ND filter can be provided through software. For example, the electronic device can acquire multiple short exposure images with the same brightness as the image to be acquired for an exposure time set by the user, and synthesize the acquired short exposure images to generate an image with a long exposure effect. To acquire a long exposure image, the electronic device can calculate the brightness of the resulting image (long exposure image) based on the camera shooting settings (e.g., ISO, SS, EV) set by the user, and when a shooting command is input, the electronic device can determine the shooting settings for acquiring the short exposure images used for synthesizing the resulting image and the number of shots of the short exposure images. The electronic device can synthesize multiple short exposure images acquired at equal intervals based on the determined shooting settings and number of shots to generate the resulting image. However, in this process, the scene characteristics of the image to be acquired by the user are not taken into account, and thus the quality of the long exposure image acquired as a result of the shooting may be degraded.

[0023] In various embodiments of the present disclosure, in addition to the shooting setting information set by the user, various embodiments can be provided for dynamically determining shooting settings for acquiring a short exposure image based on the characteristics of the scene to be captured (e.g., lighting environment, type of subject) to be captured, thereby efficiently acquiring a plurality of short exposure images necessary for generating a long exposure image. In addition, when the camera is set to auto mode, various embodiments can be provided for updating the shooting settings determined by the AE (auto exposure) algorithm of the camera based on the analysis results of the preview image provided before capturing, thereby acquiring a short exposure image.

[0024] The technical problems to be achieved in the present disclosure are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which this document pertains.

[0025] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an electronic device within a network environment (100) according to one embodiment.

[0026] Referring to FIG. 1, in a network environment (100), an electronic device (101) may communicate with an electronic device (102) via a first network (198) (e.g., a short-range wireless communication network), or may communicate with at least one of an electronic device (104) or a server (108) via a second network (199) (e.g., a long-range wireless communication network). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may communicate with the electronic device (104) via the server (108). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may include a processor (120), a memory (130), an input module (150), an audio output module (155), a display module (160), an audio module (170), a sensor module (176), an interface (177), a connection terminal (178), a haptic module (179), a camera module (180), a power management module (188), a battery (189), a communication module (190), a subscriber identification module (196), or an antenna module (197). In some embodiments, the electronic device (101) may omit at least one of these components (e.g., the connection terminal (178)), or may have one or more other components added. In some embodiments, some of these components (e.g., the sensor module (176), the camera module (180), or the antenna module (197)) may be integrated into one component (e.g., the display module (160)).

[0027] The processor (120) may control at least one other component (e.g., a hardware or software component) of the electronic device (101) connected to the processor (120) by executing, for example, software (e.g., a program (140)), and may perform various data processing or calculations. According to one embodiment, as at least a part of the data processing or calculation, the processor (120) may store a command or data received from another component (e.g., a sensor module (176) or a communication module (190)) in a volatile memory (132), process the command or data stored in the volatile memory (132), and store the resulting data in a non-volatile memory (134). According to one embodiment, the processor (120) may include a main processor (121) (e.g., a central processing unit or an application processor) or a secondary processor (123) (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 therewith. For example, if the electronic device (101) includes a main processor (121) and a secondary processor (123), the secondary processor (123) may be configured to use less power than the main processor (121) or to be specialized for a specified function. The secondary processor (123) may be implemented separately from the main processor (121) or as a part thereof.

[0028] The auxiliary processor (123) may control at least a part of functions or states associated with at least one component (e.g., a display module (160), a sensor module (176), or a communication module (190)) of the electronic device (101), for example, on behalf of the main processor (121) while the main processor (121) is in an inactive (e.g., sleep) state, or together with the main processor (121) while the main processor (121) is in an active (e.g., application execution) state. In one embodiment, the auxiliary processor (123) (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 (180) or a communication module (190)). In one embodiment, the auxiliary processor (123) (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 (101) itself where the artificial intelligence model is executed, or can be performed through a separate server (e.g., server (108)). 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 above, but is not limited to the examples described above. In addition to, or alternatively to, a hardware structure, an artificial intelligence model may include a software structure.

[0029] The memory (130) can store various data used by at least one component (e.g., processor (120) or sensor module (176)) of the electronic device (101). The data can include, for example, software (e.g., program (140)) and input data or output data for commands related thereto. The memory (130) can include volatile memory (132) or non-volatile memory (134).

[0030] The program (140) may be stored as software in the memory (130) and may include, for example, an operating system (142), middleware (144), or an application (146).

[0031] The input module (150) can receive commands or data to be used in a component of the electronic device (101) (e.g., a processor (120)) from an external source (e.g., a user) of the electronic device (101). The input module (150) 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).

[0032] The audio output module (155) can output audio signals to the outside of the electronic device (101). The audio output module (155) 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. According to one embodiment, the receiver can be implemented separately from the speaker or as part of the speaker.

[0033] The display module (160) can visually provide information to an external party (e.g., a user) of the electronic device (101). The display module (160) may include, for example, a display, a holographic device, or a projector and a control circuit for controlling the device. According to one embodiment, the display module (160) may include a touch sensor configured to detect a touch, or a pressure sensor configured to measure the intensity of a force generated by the touch.

[0034] The audio module (170) can convert sound into an electrical signal, or vice versa, convert an electrical signal into sound. According to one embodiment, the audio module (170) can acquire sound through the input module (150), output sound through the sound output module (155), or an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102)) (e.g., speaker or headphone) directly or wirelessly connected to the electronic device (101).

[0035] The sensor module (176) can detect the operating status (e.g., power or temperature) of the electronic device (101) 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 (176) 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.

[0036] The interface (177) may support one or more designated protocols that may be used to directly or wirelessly connect the electronic device (101) with an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (102)). In one embodiment, the interface (177) may include, for example, a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI), a universal serial bus (USB) interface, an SD card interface, or an audio interface.

[0037] The connection terminal (178) may include a connector through which the electronic device (101) may be physically connected to an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102)). According to one embodiment, the connection terminal (178) may include, for example, an HDMI connector, a USB connector, an SD card connector, or an audio connector (e.g., a headphone connector).

[0038] A haptic module (179) 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. According to one embodiment, the haptic module (179) can include, for example, a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electrical stimulation device.

[0039] The camera module (180) can capture still images and videos. According to one embodiment, the camera module (180) may include one or more lenses, image sensors, image signal processors, or flashes.

[0040] The power management module (188) can manage power supplied to the electronic device (101). According to one embodiment, the power management module (188) can be implemented as, for example, at least a part of a power management integrated circuit (PMIC).

[0041] A battery (189) may power at least one component of the electronic device (101). In one embodiment, the battery (189) may include, for example, a non-rechargeable primary battery, a rechargeable secondary battery, or a fuel cell.

[0042] The communication module (190) may support the establishment of a direct (e.g., wired) communication channel or a wireless communication channel between the electronic device (101) and an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102), electronic device (104), or server (108)), and the performance of communication through the established communication channel. The communication module (190) may operate independently from the processor (120) (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 (190) may include a wireless communication module (192) (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 (194) (e.g., a local area network (LAN) communication module, or a power line communication module). Among these communication modules, the corresponding communication module can communicate with an external electronic device (104) via a first network (198) (e.g., a short-range communication network such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi (wireless fidelity) direct, or IrDA (infrared data association)) or a second network (199) (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 LAN or WAN)). These various types of communication modules can 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 (192) can verify or authenticate the electronic device (101) within a communication network such as the first network (198) or the second network (199) by using subscriber information (e.g., an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI)) stored in the subscriber identification module (196).

[0043] The wireless communication module (192) 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 (URLLC (ultra-reliable and low-latency communications)). The wireless communication module (192) can support, for example, a high-frequency band (e.g., mmWave band) to achieve a high data transmission rate. The wireless communication module (192) can support various technologies for securing performance in a high-frequency band, 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 (192) can support various requirements specified in the electronic device (101), an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (104)), or a network system (e.g., the second network (199)). According to one embodiment, the wireless communication module (192) may 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.

[0044] The antenna module (197) can transmit or receive signals or power to or from an external device (e.g., an external electronic device). According to one embodiment, the antenna module (197) may include an antenna including a radiator formed of a conductor or a conductive pattern formed on a substrate (e.g., a PCB). According to one embodiment, the antenna module (197) 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 (198) or the second network (199), may be selected from the plurality of antennas, for example, by the communication module (190). A signal or power may be transmitted or received between the communication module (190) and an external electronic device via the selected at least one antenna. According to 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 (197).

[0045] According to various embodiments, the antenna module (197) may form a mmWave antenna module. According to one embodiment, the mmWave antenna module may include a printed circuit board, an RFIC disposed on or adjacent to a first surface (e.g., a bottom surface) 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 to a second surface (e.g., a top surface or a side surface) of the printed circuit board and capable of transmitting or receiving signals in the designated high-frequency band.

[0046] At least some of the above 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, GPIO (general purpose input and output), SPI (serial peripheral interface), or MIPI (mobile industry processor interface)).

[0047] According to one embodiment, commands or data may be transmitted or received between the electronic device (101) and an external electronic device (104) via a server (108) connected to a second network (199). Each of the external electronic devices (102 or 104) may be the same or a different type of device as the electronic device (101). According to one embodiment, all or part of the operations executed in the electronic device (101) may be executed in one or more of the external electronic devices (102, 104, or 108). For example, when the electronic device (101) is to perform a certain function or service automatically or in response to a request from a user or another device, the electronic device (101) 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 an additional function or service related to the request, and transmit the result of the execution to the electronic device (101). The electronic device (101) 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 (101) may provide an ultra-low latency service by using distributed computing or mobile edge computing, for example. In another embodiment, the external electronic device (104) may include an Internet of Things (IoT) device. The server (108) may be an intelligent server utilizing machine learning and / or a neural network. According to one embodiment, the external electronic device (104) or the server (108) may be included in the second network (199).The electronic device (101) 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.

[0048] FIG. 2 is a block diagram (200) illustrating a camera module (180) according to various embodiments.

[0049] Referring to FIG. 2, the camera module (180) may include a lens assembly (210), a flash (220), an image sensor (230), an image stabilizer (240), a memory (250) (e.g., a buffer memory), or an image signal processor (260). The lens assembly (210) may collect light emitted from a subject that is a target of image capturing. The lens assembly (210) may include one or more lenses. According to one embodiment, the camera module (180) may include a plurality of lens assemblies (210). In this case, the camera module (180) may form, for example, a dual camera, a 360-degree camera, or a spherical camera. Some of the plurality of lens assemblies (210) 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 are different from the lens properties of the other lens assemblies. A lens assembly (210) may include, for example, a wide-angle lens or a telephoto lens.

[0050] The flash (220) can emit light used to enhance light emitted or reflected from a subject. According to one embodiment, the flash (220) can include one or more light-emitting diodes (e.g., red-green-blue (RGB) LED, white LED, infrared LED, or ultraviolet LED), or a xenon lamp. The image sensor (230) can acquire an image corresponding to the subject by converting light emitted or reflected from the subject and transmitted through the lens assembly (210) into an electrical signal. According to one embodiment, the image sensor (230) 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 (230) can be implemented using, for example, a CCD (charged coupled device) sensor or a CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) sensor.

[0051] The image stabilizer (240) can move at least one lens or image sensor (230) included in the lens assembly (210) in a specific direction or control the operating characteristics of the image sensor (230) (e.g., adjusting the read-out timing, etc.) in response to the movement of the camera module (180) or the electronic device (101) including the same. This allows compensating for at least some of the negative effects of the movement on the captured image. In one embodiment, the image stabilizer (240) can detect such movement of the camera module (180) or the electronic device (101) using a gyro sensor (not shown) or an acceleration sensor (not shown) disposed inside or outside the camera module (180). In one embodiment, the image stabilizer (240) can be implemented as, for example, an optical image stabilizer. The memory (250) can temporarily store at least a portion of the image acquired through the image sensor (230) for the next image processing task. For example, when image acquisition is delayed due to the shutter, or when multiple images are acquired at high speed, the acquired original image (e.g., a Bayer-patterned image or a high-resolution image) is stored in the memory (250), and a corresponding copy image (e.g., a low-resolution image) can be previewed through the display module (160). 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 (250) can be acquired and processed, for example, by the image signal processor (260). According to one embodiment, the memory (250) can be configured as at least a portion of the memory (130) or as a separate memory that operates independently therefrom.

[0052] The image signal processor (260) can perform one or more image processing operations on an image acquired through an image sensor (230) or an image stored in a memory (250). The 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 (260) may perform control (e.g., exposure time control, read-out timing control, etc.) for at least one of the components included in the camera module (180) (e.g., image sensor (230)). An image processed by the image signal processor (260) may be stored back in the memory (250) for further processing or provided to an external component of the camera module (180) (e.g., memory (130), display module (160), electronic device (102), electronic device (104), or server (108)). According to one embodiment, the image signal processor (260) may include at least one of the processors (120). It may be configured as a separate processor that is configured as a part of the processor (120) or operates independently of the processor (120). If the image signal processor (260) is configured as a separate processor from the processor (120), at least one image processed by the image signal processor (260) may be displayed through the display module (160) as is or after undergoing additional image processing by the processor (120).

[0053] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may include a plurality of camera modules (180), each having different properties or functions. In this case, for example, at least one of the plurality of camera modules (180) 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 (180) may be a front camera, and at least another may be a rear camera.

[0054] FIG. 3 is a drawing illustrating the configuration of an electronic device (300) according to one embodiment.

[0055] Referring to FIG. 3, an electronic device (300) may include a camera (310), a display (320), a processor (330), or a memory (340) as a device that dynamically determines shooting settings for obtaining a single exposure image based on analyzed scene characteristics and the intensity of an ND filter effect while providing a preview image, obtains a plurality of single exposure images, and synthesizes the obtained single exposure images to obtain a long exposure image expressing a saturated area and object movement similar to an actual ND filter. In FIG. 3, the electronic device (300) may correspond to the electronic device (101) illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0056] In one embodiment, the camera (310) (e.g., the camera module (180) of FIG. 1) can capture a subject according to a user's operation. For example, when a camera application is executed, the camera (310) can acquire a preview image including the subject in units of frames, and when a shooting command (e.g., shutter button input) is input while displaying the preview image, the camera (310) can capture an image including the subject. According to various embodiments, when a shooting command is input, the camera (310) can perform shooting based on shooting settings (e.g., ISO sensitivity, shutter speed, or exposure value) determined by an AE (auto exposure) algorithm based on a shooting environment or shooting settings set by a user.

[0057] In one embodiment, the display (320) (e.g., the display module (160) of FIG. 1) may display an image acquired using the camera (310). For example, when a camera application is executed, the display (320) may display a preview image acquired from the camera (310). In another example, the display (320) may display an image acquired in response to an input shooting command while providing the preview image.

[0058] In one embodiment, the display (320) may be configured with at least one of a liquid crystal display (LCD), a thin film transistor LCD (TFT-LCD), an organic light emitting diode (OLED), a light emitting diode (LED), an active matrix organic LED (AMOLED), a flexible display, and a 3-dimensional display. In addition, some of these displays may be configured as transparent or light-transmitting so that the outside can be viewed through them. This may be configured in the form of a transparent display including a TOLED (transparent OLED).

[0059] In one embodiment, the memory (340) (e.g., the memory (130) of FIG. 1) may store instructions that, when executed, cause the electronic device (300) to perform various operations by the processor (330) (e.g., the processor (120) of FIG. 1). For example, the processor (330) may control operations to be performed to synthesize a plurality of short exposure images to obtain a long exposure image that expresses a saturated area and subject movement similar to an actual ND filter.

[0060] In one embodiment, when a camera application is executed, the processor (330) can check the setting information of the camera (310). The setting information may include at least one of ISO (International Standard Organization) sensitivity, shutter speed, exposure value, or intensity of a neutral density (ND) filter effect. The setting information can be set or changed through the execution screen of the camera application.

[0061] In one embodiment, the processor (330) may determine a first shooting setting for providing a preview image based on the confirmed setting information. The first shooting setting may include at least one of an ISO sensitivity, a shutter speed, or an exposure value that may actually be applied to the camera system while providing the preview image. For example, if the processor (330) confirms that the camera (310) is set to a manual mode, the processor (330) may confirm a setting value for each item of the setting information selected by the user. The processor (330) may determine a setting value for at least one item of the ISO sensitivity, the shutter speed, or the exposure value in response to the setting value for each item of the confirmed setting information, and may change the setting value for the at least one item based on the strength of the ND filter effect selected by the user. For example, if a user selects a setting value of 'ISO sensitivity 100, shutter speed 1 / 15, ND filter effect strength 2', the processor (330) can change it to another setting (e.g., 'ISO sensitivity 100, shutter speed 1 / 30 second', or 'ISO sensitivity 50, shutter speed 1 / 15 second') that has the same brightness as the setting information selected by the user. The processor (330) can determine the first shooting setting based on the changed setting value in order to provide a preview image that has the same brightness as the setting information selected by the user.

[0062] For another example, when the camera (310) is set to auto mode, the processor (330) may determine a setting value for at least one of the ISO sensitivity, shutter speed, or exposure value and the intensity of the ND filter effect based on at least one of the lighting environment or the type of the subject. At this time, the setting value for the at least one item and the intensity of the ND filter effect may be determined by an AE (auto exposure) algorithm based on an image frame analysis result acquired at a previous point in time. The processor (330) may change the setting value for the at least one item in consideration of the determined intensity of the ND filter effect, and may determine the changed setting value for the at least one item as a first shooting setting. The processor (330) may obtain a preview image based on the first shooting setting. The processor (330) may analyze the preview image while providing the obtained preview image on the display (320). The processor (330) can generate a plurality of shooting setting candidates based on the analysis results of the preview image, the setting values ​​for each item of the first shooting setting, and the intensity of the determined ND filter effect, and can select one shooting setting candidate from among the plurality of shooting setting candidates based on the analysis results of the preview image and the shooting policy of the camera.

[0063] According to various embodiments, the processor (330) may select one of a plurality of shooting setting candidates in the process of determining the first shooting setting. When a setting value for at least one of the ISO sensitivity, shutter speed, or exposure value is determined based on an AE algorithm, the processor (330) may determine the intensity of an applicable ND filter effect based on an analysis result of a preview image, and may generate a list including a plurality of other shooting setting candidates capable of obtaining an image having the same brightness as the setting value for the at least one item, taking into consideration the determined intensity of the ND filter effect. For example, if the setting value for at least one item is determined as 'ISO sensitivity 100, shutter speed 1 / 60 second', the processor (330) may determine all shooting settings and the intensity of the ND filter effect that can obtain an image with the same brightness as the plurality of shooting setting candidates (e.g., candidate 1 (ISO sensitivity 100, shutter speed 1 / 30, intensity of ND filter effect 2), candidate 2 (ISO sensitivity 100, shutter speed 1 / 15, intensity of ND filter effect 4), candidate 3 (ISO sensitivity 100, shutter speed 1 / 8, intensity of ND filter effect 8), candidate 4 (ISO sensitivity 100, shutter speed 1, effect of ND filter 64), etc.). The processor (330) may determine a shooting setting candidate selected from among the plurality of shooting setting candidates as the first shooting setting based on the analysis result of the preview image and the specified condition. Here, the analysis result of the preview image may include at least one of the lighting environment (e.g., day or night, indoor or outdoor) or the type of subject (e.g., water (waterfall, sea, fountain), car trail, night flash, or other general scene) analyzed while providing the preview image.The above-mentioned specified condition may be associated with a shooting policy of the camera (310) that defines which setting value of an item among the first shooting settings should be maintained or which setting value of an item can be changed. For example, when a shooting policy of 'maintain ISO sensitivity' is set, the processor (330) may exclude a shooting setting candidate having a setting value different from the ISO of the first shooting setting from among the plurality of shooting setting candidates. As another example, when the processor (330) determines as a result of analyzing the preview image 'daytime waterfall', the processor (330) may determine as the first shooting setting a shooting setting candidate having a setting value of the largest shutter speed among the remaining shooting setting candidates in the list. When the analysis result of the preview image is determined as a result of analyzing the preview image 'daytime general scene', the processor (330) may select as the first shooting setting a shooting setting candidate having a setting value of a shutter speed close to a specified value (e.g., 0.5 seconds) among the remaining shooting setting candidates in the list.

[0064] In one embodiment, the processor (330) may provide a preview image based on the first shooting settings through the display (320). While providing the preview image, the processor (330) may confirm that a user's shooting command (e.g., shutter button input) is received through the execution screen of the camera application.

[0065] In one embodiment, when the processor (330) confirms the shooting command while providing the preview image, the processor (330) may determine the second shooting settings for acquiring a short exposure image and the number of times to shoot the short exposure image. The processor (330) may determine the second shooting settings based on the confirmed setting information (e.g., ISO sensitivity, shutter speed, exposure value, or ND filter effect strength). For example, when the confirmed setting information is selected as 'ISO sensitivity 50, shutter speed 1 second, ND filter effect strength 8', the processor (330) may determine the setting values ​​of the second shooting settings as 'ISO sensitivity 50, shutter speed 1 / 8 second'.

[0066] According to various embodiments, the processor (330) may select one of a plurality of short exposure shooting setting candidates in the process of determining the second shooting setting. The processor (330) may generate a list including a plurality of short exposure shooting setting candidates to be used for generating a long exposure image based on the setting information confirmed while providing the preview image. The setting information may be a setting value for each shooting-related item of the camera (310) (e.g., ISO sensitivity, shutter speed, exposure value, or ND filter effect), and may be a value set by a user in the case of manual mode, or a value determined by an AE algorithm in the case of automatic mode. For example, if the confirmed setting information is 'ISO sensitivity 50, shutter speed 1 second, ND filter effect strength 8', all short exposure shooting settings capable of obtaining an image with the same brightness as the plurality of short exposure shooting setting candidates may be determined. The processor (330) may determine a single exposure shooting setting candidate selected from among the plurality of single exposure shooting setting candidates based on the hardware specifications of the camera (310) and specified conditions as the second shooting setting. Here, the hardware specifications may include a range selectable as a shooting setting in the camera (310) (e.g., a setting range of ISO sensitivity, a setting range of shutter speed, or a setting range of exposure value), and a maximum frame rate of the camera (310). The specified conditions may be associated with a shooting policy of the camera (310) that defines which setting value of an item among the confirmed setting information should be maintained or which setting value of an item can be changed when selecting the second shooting setting from among the plurality of single exposure shooting setting candidates.For example, if the setting range of the ISO sensitivity available in the camera (310) is 25 to 1500, and the setting range of the shutter speed is 1 / 125 second to 1 second, the processor (330) may exclude a short exposure shooting setting candidate that falls outside the range from among the plurality of short exposure shooting setting candidates. For another example, if the shooting policy of 'maintain ISO sensitivity' is set, the processor (330) may select a short exposure shooting setting candidate that has the same setting value as the ISO of the confirmed setting information from among the remaining short exposure shooting setting candidates in the list as the second shooting setting.

[0067] In one embodiment, the processor (330) may determine the number of shots of the short exposure image based on the shutter speed according to the confirmed setting information (e.g., the shutter speed set by the user in the case of manual mode, or the shutter speed determined by the processor (330) in the case of automatic mode), the shutter speed according to the second shooting setting, or the maximum frame rate of the camera (310). The processor (330) may compare the shutter speed of the second shooting setting with a limited shutter speed, and determine the number of shots of the short exposure image based on the comparison result. For example, if the shutter speed of the second shooting setting is greater than or equal to the limited shutter speed, the processor (330) may divide the shutter speed according to the confirmed setting information (e.g., the shutter speed set by the user in the case of manual mode, or the shutter speed determined by the processor (330) in the case of automatic mode) by the shutter speed of the second shooting setting, and determine the quotient as the number of shots of the short exposure image. At this time, the limited shutter speed may be determined based on the maximum frame rate (the number of images that can be acquired per second) of the camera (310). If the maximum frame rate of the camera (310) is 30 FPS, the limited shutter speed may be its reciprocal, i.e., approximately 0.033 seconds. If the shutter speed according to the confirmed setting information (e.g., the shutter speed set by the user in the manual mode, or the shutter speed determined by the processor (330) in the automatic mode) is 1 second, and the shutter speed of the second shooting setting is 0.25 seconds, the processor (330) may determine the number of single exposure image captures as the result of dividing the shutter speed (1 second) according to the confirmed setting information by the shutter speed (0.25 seconds) of the second shooting setting, which is 4.For another example, if the shutter speed of the second shooting setting is lower than the limited shutter speed, the processor (330) may determine the quotient obtained by dividing the shutter speed according to the confirmed setting information by the limited shutter speed as the number of shots of the single exposure image. If the shutter speed according to the confirmed setting information is 1 second and the shutter speed of the second shooting setting is 0.017 seconds, the processor (330) may determine the result of dividing the shutter speed (1 second) according to the confirmed setting information by the limited shutter speed (0.033 seconds), which is 30, as the number of shots of the single exposure image.

[0068] In one embodiment, the processor (330) may change the shutter speed of the second shooting settings based on a comparison result between the shutter speed of the second shooting settings and the limited shutter speed. The processor (330) may determine whether a setting value of the shutter speed according to the second shooting settings is greater than or equal to the limited shutter speed. If the determination result shows that the shutter speed of the second shooting settings is greater than or equal to the limited shutter speed, the processor (330) may define the setting value of the shutter speed according to the second shooting settings as a reference shutter speed, and may change the shutter speed of the second shooting settings to have a value less than or equal to the limited shutter speed. For example, the processor (330) may recalculate the shutter speed of the second shooting settings using a function based on the shutter speed according to the confirmed setting information (e.g., a shutter speed set by a user in case of manual mode, or a shutter speed determined by the processor (330) in case of automatic mode), the limited shutter speed, or the intensity of the ND filter effect, thereby updating the setting value of the shutter speed according to the second shooting settings. The above function may be a function having the characteristic of a monotonically decreasing function in which the calculation result remains the same or decreases as the intensity of the ND filter effect increases. If the shutter speed of the second shooting setting is determined to be less than the limited shutter speed as a result of the determination, the processor (330) may maintain the second shooting setting determined based on the confirmed setting information.

[0069] In one embodiment, the processor (330) may determine that the exposure value of the recalculated second shooting settings is set to a value less than or equal to the exposure value of the first shooting settings when the shutter speed of the second shooting settings is greater than or equal to the limited shutter speed. For example, when the confirmed setting information is 'ISO sensitivity 100, shutter speed 1 / 15 second', and the processor (330) confirms that the recalculated second shooting settings are 'ISO sensitivity 100, shutter speed 1 / 60 second', the processor (330) may determine that the exposure value of the short exposure image is set to a value 2EV lower than the exposure value of the long exposure image that the user wants to acquire. In this case, the processor (330) may correct the exposure value of the long exposure image based on the difference between the setting value of the shutter speed according to the updated second shooting settings and the reference shutter speed in the process of generating a long exposure image after acquiring the short exposure image, so that the long exposure image may be generated brighter than the exposure value of the acquired short exposure image.

[0070] In one embodiment, the processor (330) may acquire a plurality of short exposure images based on the second shooting settings. The processor (330) may acquire a plurality of short exposure images corresponding to the number of times the short exposure images are captured based on the second shooting settings during a specified time interval. The specified time interval may be determined in accordance with the shutter speed of the first shooting settings.

[0071] According to various embodiments, the processor (330) may vary the shutter speed of the short exposure images acquired during the specified time period and the time interval at which the short exposure images are acquired. For example, the processor (330) may set the shutter speeds of the odd-numbered images and the even-numbered images acquired during the specified time period to be different, or may set the time intervals at which the odd-numbered images and the even-numbered images are acquired to be different. As another example, when the lighting environment at the time of shooting is a dark situation with a specified brightness or less, the processor (330) may set the shutter speeds of the short exposure images acquired during the specified time period to be the same, and / or may set the short exposure images to be acquired at the same time interval.

[0072] In one embodiment, the processor (330) may synthesize at least some of the plurality of short exposure images to obtain a long exposure image corresponding to the specified time interval. According to various embodiments, the processor (330) may determine whether brightness correction is necessary for the long exposure image during the process of generating the long exposure image. For example, if it is determined that the exposure values ​​of the short exposure images are set lower than the exposure value of the long exposure image that the user wants to obtain, the processor (330) may determine an exposure compensation value for the long exposure image based on the exposure value of the second shooting setting, and may correct the brightness of the long exposure image based on the determined exposure compensation value.

[0073] In one embodiment, the processor (330) may determine whether the plurality of short exposure images used to generate the long exposure image were acquired in a stable situation. For example, the processor (330) may determine whether movement of the electronic device (300) occurred while acquiring the plurality of short exposure images using one or more sensors (e.g., the sensor module (176) of FIG. 1). The one or more sensors may include various types of sensors capable of detecting movement of the electronic device (300), such as a gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor, or other sensors capable of detecting movement of the electronic device (300). If it is determined that movement of the electronic device (300) occurred while acquiring the plurality of short exposure images, the processor (330) may generate the long exposure image by aligning at least a portion of the plurality of short exposure images and performing motion compensation and synthesis on the aligned short exposure images.

[0074] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a method for generating a long exposure image with an ND filter effect applied, according to one embodiment.

[0075] Referring to FIG. 4, the electronic device (300) can generate a long exposure image (410) with an ND filter effect applied using a plurality of short exposure images (400). When the electronic device (300) checks the setting information of a camera (e.g., the camera module (180) of FIG. 1 or the camera (310) of FIG. 3), the electronic device (300) can determine the shooting settings for acquiring a short exposure image by considering the strength of the ND filter effect according to the setting information. The setting information includes at least one of ISO sensitivity, shutter speed, exposure value, or ND filter effect strength, and the setting value for each item of the setting information can be set by the user in the manual mode and determined by the processor (e.g., the processor (120) of FIG. 1 or the processor (330) of FIG. 3) based on an AE algorithm in the automatic mode. The shooting settings for acquiring the short exposure image can include at least one of the ISO sensitivity, shutter speed, or exposure value that can actually be applied to the camera system while shooting is performed. For example, if the confirmed setting information is 'ISO sensitivity 100, shutter speed 1 second, ND filter effect strength 4', the electronic device (300) may determine the shooting settings for acquiring the single exposure image as 'ISO sensitivity 100, shutter speed 1 / 4 second'. As another example, if the shutter speed of the shooting settings for acquiring the single exposure image is greater than or equal to a limit shutter speed determined based on a maximum frame rate (e.g., 30 FPS) of a camera (e.g., the camera module (180) of FIG. 1 or the camera (310) of FIG. 3), the electronic device (300) may change the shutter speed of the shooting settings to have a value less than or equal to the limit shutter speed.

[0076] In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may acquire the plurality of short exposure images during a specified time period based on the determined shooting settings. The specified time period may correspond to a shutter speed according to the setting information (e.g., a shutter speed set by a user in manual mode, or a shutter speed determined by the processor (330) in automatic mode). Here, the electronic device (300) may determine the number of times to capture the short exposure images based on the shutter speed according to the setting information, the shutter speed according to the shooting settings for acquiring the short exposure images, or the limited shutter speed. For example, if the shutter speed of the shooting settings for acquiring the short exposure images is greater than or equal to the limited shutter speed, the electronic device (300) may determine the quotient obtained by dividing the shutter speed according to the setting information by the shutter speed of the shooting settings as the number of times to capture the short exposure images. For another example, if the shutter speed of the shooting settings is lower than the limited shutter speed, the electronic device (300) may determine the quotient obtained by dividing the shutter speed according to the setting information by the limited shutter speed as the number of shots of the single exposure image.

[0077] In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) can obtain a long exposure image (410) to which an ND filter effect is applied by synthesizing at least a portion of the acquired multiple short exposure images (400).

[0078] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an operating method of an electronic device (300) according to an embodiment. According to an embodiment, the electronic device (300) dynamically determines shooting settings for obtaining a short exposure image based on scene characteristics analyzed while providing a preview image and the intensity of an ND filter effect, thereby obtaining a plurality of short exposure images, and synthesizing the obtained short exposure images to obtain a long exposure image expressing a saturated area and object movement similar to an actual ND filter, which may correspond to the electronic device (101) illustrated in FIG. 1. The operations of FIG. 5 may be performed by a processor included in the electronic device (300) (e.g., the processor (120) of FIG. 1 or the processor (330) of FIG. 3).

[0079] Referring to FIG. 5, in operation 510, the electronic device (300) can check setting information of a camera (e.g., the camera module (180) of FIG. 1 or the camera (310) of FIG. 3). The setting information may include at least one of ISO (International Standard Organization) sensitivity, shutter speed, exposure value, or ND (neutral density) filter effect strength.

[0080] According to one embodiment, in operation 520, the electronic device (300) may determine a first shooting setting for providing a preview image based on the confirmed setting information. The first shooting setting may include at least one of an ISO sensitivity, a shutter speed, or an exposure value that may actually be applied to the camera system while providing the preview image. According to various embodiments, the electronic device (300) may determine the first shooting setting and the ND filter effect strength based on an AE (auto exposure) algorithm when the camera (310) is set to an auto mode. Specific details regarding the determination of the first shooting setting in operation 520 in an auto mode according to various embodiments will be described with reference to FIG. 6.

[0081] FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method for determining a first shooting setting for acquiring a preview image in an automatic mode, according to an embodiment. Referring to FIG. 6, in operation 610, the electronic device (300) can confirm that the setting information of the camera (310) is set to the automatic mode. In the automatic mode, the electronic device (300) can recognize all of the setting values ​​of the setting information as auto. For example, the electronic device (300) can recognize the setting information as 'ISO sensitivity auto, shutter speed auto, exposure value auto, ND filter effect strength auto'.

[0082] According to one embodiment, in operation 620, the electronic device (300) may determine user shooting setting values ​​based on the identified setting information. For example, the electronic device (300) may remove the value of the ND filter effect that cannot be changed by the camera system from the recognized setting information 'ISO sensitivity auto, shutter speed auto, exposure value auto, ND filter effect auto', and determine the values ​​of items that can actually be utilized by the camera system (e.g., 'ISO sensitivity auto, shutter speed auto, exposure value auto') as the user shooting setting values.

[0083] According to one embodiment, in operation 630, the electronic device (300) may convert the user shooting setting value into a system shooting setting value. The system shooting setting value may be determined based on an AE (auto exposure) algorithm. For example, the electronic device (300) may determine a setting value for at least one of the ISO sensitivity, shutter speed, or exposure value by considering at least one of the previously determined ISO sensitivity, shutter speed, and brightness of a preview image acquired based thereon.

[0084] According to one embodiment, in operation 640, the electronic device (300) may obtain a preview image frame by frame based on the system shooting setting value. In operation 645, the electronic device (300) may analyze the obtained preview image to obtain a brightness or scene analysis result for the preview image. The scene analysis result may include a lighting environment (e.g., day or night, indoor or outdoor) and / or a type of subject (e.g., water (waterfall, sea, fountain), car track, night flash, or other general scene) of the preview image. In operation 650, the electronic device (300) may check the intensity of an applicable ND filter effect based on the determined system shooting setting value and the preview image analysis result of operation 645, and update a user shooting setting value based on the checked intensity of the ND filter effect. Specific details regarding the update of the user shooting setting value of operation 650 in an automatic mode according to various embodiments will be described with reference to FIG. 7.

[0085] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a method for updating user shooting setting values ​​while providing a preview image in an automatic mode, according to an embodiment. Referring to FIG. 7, in operation 710, the electronic device (300) may determine a plurality of other shooting setting candidates capable of obtaining an image having the same brightness as the determined / changed system shooting setting values. For example, if the system shooting settings are determined to be 'ISO sensitivity 100, shutter speed 1 / 125 second', the electronic device (300) may determine a plurality of shooting setting candidates as shown in Table 1 below.

[0086] ISO sensitivity, Shutter speed (seconds), ND filter effect (strength), 501 / 302, 501 / 154, 1001 / 602, 1001 / 304, 2001 / 125, 22001 / 604

[0087] According to one embodiment, in operation 720, the electronic device (300) may select one of the plurality of shooting setting candidates based on the analysis result of the preview image and the shooting policy of the camera (310). For example, when the shooting policy of 'maintain ISO sensitivity' is set, the electronic device (300) may exclude a shooting setting candidate having a setting value different from the ISO sensitivity of 100 of the system shooting setting from among the plurality of shooting setting candidates. As another example, the electronic device (300) may select a shooting setting candidate having a shutter speed corresponding to the scene characteristic of the preview image obtained by analyzing the preview image from among the plurality of shooting setting candidates. The electronic device (300) may update the user shooting setting value based on the shooting setting candidate selected from among the plurality of shooting setting candidates.

[0088] Referring again to FIG. 6, at operation 660, the electronic device (300) may acquire the preview image based on the determined system shooting setting values, and render the acquired preview image and the updated user shooting setting values ​​on a display (e.g., the display module (160) of FIG. 1 or the display (320) of FIG. 3).

[0089] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (300) may determine the first shooting setting based on the setting information selected by the user when the camera (310) is set to manual mode. Specific details regarding the determination of the first shooting setting in operation 520 in manual mode according to various embodiments are described with reference to FIG. 8.

[0090] FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a method for determining a first shooting setting for acquiring a preview image in a manual mode, according to an embodiment. Referring to FIG. 8, in operation 810, the electronic device (300) can confirm that the setting information of the camera (310) is set to the manual mode. In the manual mode, the electronic device (300) can confirm the setting value for each item of the setting information selected by the user.

[0091] According to one embodiment, in operation 820, the electronic device (300) may determine a shooting setting value based on the setting value for each item of the confirmed setting information. For example, the electronic device (300) may determine a setting value for at least one item among ISO sensitivity, shutter speed, and exposure value in response to the setting value for each item of the confirmed setting information, and may change the setting value for the at least one item based on the intensity of the ND filter effect selected by the user. The electronic device (300) may determine the shooting setting value based on the setting value for the changed at least one item. For example, if the user selects the setting values ​​of 'ISO sensitivity 100, shutter speed 1 / 15, ND filter effect intensity 2', the electronic device (300) may determine the setting values ​​of 'ISO sensitivity 100, shutter speed 1 / 30 second' having the same brightness as the setting information selected by the user as the shooting setting value.

[0092] According to one embodiment, in operation 830, the electronic device (300) can render a preview image on the display (320) based on the shooting setting values. The electronic device (300) can predict the brightness of a long exposure image to be acquired in advance based on the preview image rendered on the display (320).

[0093] Referring again to FIG. 5, in operation 530, the electronic device (300) may provide a preview image acquired based on the first shooting settings, and in operation 540, determine whether a user's shooting command (e.g., shutter button input) is input while providing the preview image.

[0094] As a result of the above judgment, if the shooting command is not input (operation 540-No), the electronic device (300) returns to operation 530 and can continue to provide preview images.

[0095] As a result of the above determination, if the shooting command has been input (operation 540-Yes), the electronic device (300) can determine the second shooting settings for acquiring a single exposure image and the number of times to shoot a single exposure image in operation 550. According to one embodiment, the electronic device (300) can determine the second shooting settings based on the confirmed camera setting information (e.g., the updated user shooting settings in operation 650 or the setting information set by the user in operation 820). For example, if the confirmed setting information is 'ISO sensitivity 50, shutter speed 1 second, ND filter effect strength 8', the electronic device (300) can determine the setting values ​​of the second shooting settings as 'ISO sensitivity 50, shutter speed 1 / 8 second'. According to one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may determine the number of times to capture the single exposure image based on the confirmed setting information (e.g., a shutter speed set by a user in case of manual mode, or a shutter speed determined by a processor (330) in case of automatic mode), a shutter speed according to the second shooting setting, or a maximum frame rate of the camera (310) (i.e., the number of images that can be acquired per second). The electronic device (300) may determine the number of times to capture the single exposure image based on a comparison result between the shutter speed of the second shooting setting and a limited shutter speed. The limited shutter speed may be determined based on the maximum frame rate of the camera (310). If the maximum frame rate of the camera (310) is 30 FPS, the limited shutter speed may be its reciprocal, i.e., approximately 0.033 seconds. For example, if the shutter speed of the second shooting setting is greater than or equal to the limited shutter speed, the electronic device (300) may divide the confirmed setting information (e.g., the shutter speed set by the user in the case of manual mode, or the shutter speed determined by the processor (330) in the case of automatic mode) by the shutter speed of the second shooting setting and determine the quotient as the number of shots of the single exposure image.If the shutter speed according to the confirmed setting information is 1 second and the shutter speed of the second shooting setting is 0.25 seconds, the electronic device (300) may determine the number of times the single exposure image is captured as 4, which is a result of dividing the shutter speed (1 second) of the first shooting setting by the shutter speed (0.25 seconds) of the second shooting setting. For another example, if the shutter speed of the second shooting setting is smaller than the limited shutter speed, the electronic device (300) may determine the quotient obtained by dividing the shutter speed according to the confirmed setting information by the limited shutter speed as the number of times the single exposure image is captured. If the shutter speed according to the confirmed setting information is 1 second and the shutter speed of the second shooting setting is 0.017 seconds, the electronic device (300) may determine the number of times the single exposure image is captured as 30, which is a result of dividing the shutter speed (1 second) according to the setting information by the limited shutter speed (0.033 seconds).

[0096] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (300) may determine the second shooting setting by selecting one of a plurality of short exposure shooting setting candidates in operation 550. The electronic device (300) may determine a plurality of short exposure shooting setting candidates capable of obtaining a long exposure image by considering the identified setting information. For example, if the identified setting information is 'ISO sensitivity 50, shutter speed 1 second, ND filter effect strength 8', short exposure shooting settings capable of obtaining an image with the same brightness as the plurality of short exposure shooting setting candidates may be determined as shown in Table 2 below.

[0097] Single exposure shooting settings Candidate ISO sensitivity Shutter speed (sec) Exposure value (EV) 1121 / 202251 / 403501 / 8041001 / 15052001 / 30064001 / 60078001 / 1250816001 / 2500

[0098] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may determine a single exposure shooting setting candidate selected from among the plurality of single exposure shooting setting candidates based on the hardware specifications of the camera (310) and a specified condition as the second shooting setting. Here, the hardware specifications may include a range selectable as a shooting setting in the camera (310) (e.g., a setting range of ISO sensitivity, a setting range of shutter speed, or a setting range of exposure value), and a maximum frame rate of the camera (310). The specified condition may be associated with a shooting policy of the camera (310) that defines which of the items of the identified setting information should have a setting value or which of the items can have a setting value when selecting the second shooting setting from among the plurality of single exposure shooting setting candidates. For example, if the setting range of the ISO sensitivity available in the camera (310) is 25 to 1500, and the setting range of the shutter speed is 1 / 125 second to 1 second, the electronic device (300) can exclude short exposure shooting setting candidates 1 and 8 that fall outside the corresponding range from among the short exposure shooting setting candidates in Table 2. For another example, if the shooting policy of 'maintain ISO sensitivity' is set, the electronic device (300) can select short exposure shooting setting candidate 3 that has the same setting value as the ISO of the setting information from among the remaining short exposure shooting setting candidates in Table 2 as the second shooting setting.

[0099] According to various embodiments, the electronic device (300) may change the second shooting setting determined in operation 550 based on a comparison result between the shutter speed of the second shooting setting and the limited shutter speed. Specific details regarding the determination / change of the second shooting setting and acquisition of a single exposure image according to various embodiments are described with reference to FIG. 9.

[0100] FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a method for generating a long exposure image with an ND filter effect applied using a plurality of short exposure images, according to an embodiment. Referring to FIG. 9 , in operation 910, the electronic device (300) may determine whether the shutter speed of the second shooting setting is greater than or equal to the limited shutter speed.

[0101] As a result of the above determination, if the shutter speed of the second shooting setting is greater than or equal to the limited shutter speed (operation 910-Yes), the electronic device (300) may define the setting value of the shutter speed according to the second shooting setting as a reference shutter speed in operation 920 and change the shutter speed of the second shooting setting to have a value greater than or equal to the limited shutter speed. For example, the electronic device (300) may recalculate the shutter speed of the second shooting setting using a function based on the shutter speed of the second shooting setting, the limited shutter speed, or the intensity of the ND filter effect, thereby updating the setting value of the shutter speed according to the second shooting setting. The function may be a function having the characteristic of a monotonically decreasing function in which a calculation result remains the same or decreases as the intensity of the ND filter effect increases. The electronic device (300) can change the number of shots of the single exposure image based on the changed second shooting setting at operation 925, the shutter speed set by the user (or the shutter speed determined by the processor (330) in the automatic mode), or the maximum frame rate of the camera (310) (i.e., the number of images that can be acquired per second).

[0102] The electronic device (300) may calculate an exposure value of the second shooting settings based on the difference between the setting value of the shutter speed according to the changed second shooting settings and the reference shutter speed in operation 925, and determine an exposure compensation value for the long exposure image based on the calculated exposure value of the second shooting settings. For example, if the confirmed setting information is 'ISO sensitivity 100, shutter speed 1 second, ND filter effect strength 4', and the reference shutter speed is 1 / 4 second and the calculated exposure value of the second shooting settings is 1 / 15 second, the electronic device (300) may determine that the exposure value of the short exposure image is set to a value 2EV lower than the exposure value of the long exposure image that the user wants to acquire, and may compensate to increase the exposure value of the long exposure image by 2EV when generating the long exposure image. The electronic device (300) may acquire a plurality of short exposure images based on the second shooting settings of operation 920 in operation 930. In operation 930, the electronic device (300) can obtain metadata (e.g., shooting time, image format) for each of the plurality of single exposure images.

[0103] As a result of the above determination, if the shutter speed of the second shooting setting is less than the limited shutter speed (operation 910-No), the electronic device (300) can obtain a plurality of single exposure images and metadata for each single exposure image based on the second shooting setting of operation 550 in operation 930.

[0104] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may acquire the plurality of short exposure images based on the second shooting settings during a time period specified in operation 930. The specified time period may be determined in response to a shutter speed set by the user (or a shutter speed determined by the processor (330) in the automatic mode). According to various embodiments, the shutter speeds of the short exposure images acquired during the specified time period and the time intervals at which the short exposure images are acquired may be set to be the same or different. For example, the electronic device (300) may set the shutter speeds of odd-numbered images and even-numbered images among the short exposure images acquired during the specified time period to be different, or may set the time intervals at which the odd-numbered images and even-numbered images are acquired to be different. For another example, if the lighting environment at the time of shooting is a dark situation with a brightness lower than a specified level, the electronic device (300) may set the shutter speed of single-exposure images acquired during the specified time period to be the same, and / or may set the single-exposure images to be acquired at the same time interval.

[0105] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may analyze whether movement of the electronic device (300) occurred while acquiring the plurality of short exposure images in operation 935. For example, the electronic device (300) may determine the time at which each short exposure image was captured based on metadata for each of the plurality of short exposure images, and may determine whether movement of the electronic device (300) occurred at the corresponding time from one or more sensors (e.g., the sensor module (176) of FIG. 1). The one or more sensors may include a gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor, or various other types of sensors capable of detecting movement of the electronic device (300).

[0106] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may generate a long exposure image using the acquired multiple short exposure images in operation 940. In this process, the electronic device (300) may determine whether correction is required for the long exposure image. For example, if the electronic device (300) determines that the exposure values ​​of the short exposure images are set lower than the exposure value of the long exposure image that the user wants to acquire, the electronic device (300) may determine an exposure compensation value for the long exposure image based on the exposure value of the second shooting setting, and may correct the brightness of the long exposure image based on the determined exposure compensation value. As another example, if the electronic device (300) analyzes that movement of the electronic device (300) has occurred while acquiring the multiple short exposure images, the electronic device (300) may align at least some of the multiple short exposure images used to generate the long exposure image, and perform motion correction on the aligned short exposure image.

[0107] Referring again to FIG. 5, in operation 560, the electronic device (300) may acquire a plurality of short exposure images based on the determined second shooting settings, and in operation 570, synthesize at least a portion of the plurality of short exposure images to acquire a long exposure image corresponding to the specified time interval.

[0108] FIG. 10 is a drawing illustrating a detailed configuration of an electronic device (300) according to one embodiment. The functions or operations described with reference to FIG. 10 may be understood as functions performed by the processor (330) (e.g., application processor) of the electronic device (300) of FIG. 3. For example, the camera setting confirmation unit (1011), the preview shooting setting determination unit (1012), the preview image acquisition unit (1013), the preview image analysis unit (1014), the preview image rendering unit (1015), the shooting setting acquisition unit (1021) of the shooting unit (1020), the short exposure image shooting setting determination unit (1022), the short exposure image and metadata acquisition unit (1023), the exposure compensation value determination unit (1024), the long exposure image generation unit (1025), the motion sensor data acquisition unit (1026), the motion sensor data analysis unit (1027), and the short exposure image shake determination unit (1028) of the preview provision unit (1010) illustrated in FIG. 10 may be implemented as a software module including at least one command. The processor (330) may execute commands (e.g., instructions) stored in the memory (340) to implement the software modules illustrated in FIG. 10, and may control hardware related to the function (e.g., the camera (310), display (320), or memory (340) of FIG. 3). According to various embodiments, the electronic device (300) is not limited to the components illustrated in FIG. 10, and may additionally include components corresponding to the functions required in the electronic device (300) among the components illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0109] Referring to FIG. 10, the electronic device (300) may include a preview providing unit (1010) for providing a preview image acquired through a camera (310) and a photographing unit (1020) for acquiring a long exposure image in response to a photographing command input while providing the preview image.

[0110] In one embodiment, the preview providing unit (1010) may include a camera setting confirmation unit (1011), a preview shooting setting determination unit (1012), a preview image acquisition unit (1013), a preview image analysis unit (1014), or a preview image rendering unit (1015).

[0111] In one embodiment, the camera setting verification unit (1011) can verify the setting information of the camera (310) when the camera application is executed. The setting information may include at least one of ISO (International Standard Organization) sensitivity, shutter speed, exposure value, and ND (neutral density) filter effect strength.

[0112] In one embodiment, the preview shooting setting determination unit (1021) may determine a first shooting setting for providing a preview image based on the confirmed setting information. The first shooting setting may include at least one of an ISO sensitivity, a shutter speed, or an exposure value that may actually be applied to the camera system while providing the preview image.

[0113] According to various embodiments, when the camera (310) is set to auto mode, the preview shooting setting determination unit (1021) may obtain a setting value for at least one of the ISO sensitivity, shutter speed, or exposure value for obtaining a preview image using an AE (auto exposure) algorithm. The electronic device (300) may analyze the preview image while providing the preview image, and may check the intensity of an applicable ND filter effect based on the analysis result of the preview image (e.g., a lighting environment or a type of subject). The electronic device (300) may change the setting value of the at least one item based on the confirmed intensity of the ND filter effect, and may render the preview image on the display and provide it to the user based on the setting value for the changed at least one item and the intensity of the ND filter effect.

[0114] According to various embodiments, when the camera (310) is set to manual mode, the preview shooting setting determination unit (1021) may check the setting value for each item of the setting information selected by the user, and determine the setting value for at least one item among the ISO sensitivity, shutter speed, or exposure value in response to the setting value for each item of the checked setting information. The preview shooting setting determination unit (1021) may change the setting value for the at least one item based on the intensity of the ND filter effect selected by the user, and determine the first shooting setting based on the changed setting value.

[0115] In one embodiment, the preview image acquisition unit (1013) can acquire a preview image based on the determined first shooting settings using the camera (310).

[0116] In one embodiment, the preview image analysis unit (1014) can analyze the acquired preview image. The preview image analysis unit (1014) can analyze the most recently acquired preview image while providing the preview image. The analysis result of the preview image can include at least one of a lighting environment (e.g., day or night, indoor or outdoor) or a type of subject (e.g., water (waterfall, sea, fountain), car track, night flash, or other general scene) analyzed while providing the preview image. The preview image analysis unit (1014) can continuously analyze the preview image while providing the preview image. According to various embodiments, the first shooting setting can be continuously changed / updated based on the analysis result of the preview image while providing the preview image.

[0117] In one embodiment, the preview image rendering unit (1015) may render and provide a preview image obtained based on the first shooting settings on the display (320).

[0118] In one embodiment, when the electronic device (300) determines that a user's shooting command (e.g., shutter button input) is input while providing the preview image, the electronic device (300) may stop the update operation of the preview image by the preview providing unit (1010) and transmit the shooting command to the shooting unit (1020) for image acquisition.

[0119] In one embodiment, the shooting unit (1020) may include a shooting setting acquisition unit (1021), a short exposure image shooting setting determination unit (1022), a short exposure image and metadata acquisition unit (1023), an exposure compensation value determination unit (1024), a long exposure image generation unit (1025), a motion sensor data acquisition unit (1026), a motion sensor data analysis unit (1027), or a short exposure image shake determination unit (1028).

[0120] In one embodiment, when the shooting command is input, the shooting setting acquisition unit (1021) can acquire the shooting settings determined / updated while providing the preview image from the preview provision unit (1010). The shooting setting acquisition unit (1021) can also check the hardware specifications of the camera (310) and the shooting policy of the camera (310) required to determine the second shooting settings for acquiring a single exposure image. The hardware specifications may include a range selectable as a shooting setting in the camera (310) (e.g., a setting range of ISO sensitivity, a setting range of shutter speed, or a setting range of exposure value), and a maximum frame rate of the camera (310). The shooting policy can be understood as defining which setting values ​​of items should be maintained or which setting values ​​of items can be changed from the shooting settings determined / updated while providing the preview image in the process of determining the second shooting settings for acquiring the single exposure image.

[0121] In one embodiment, the short exposure image capture setting determination unit (1022) may determine a second capture setting for capturing a short exposure image based on the capture setting. According to various embodiments, the short exposure image capture setting determination unit (1022) may determine a plurality of short exposure capture setting candidates capable of capturing a long exposure image corresponding to the shutter speed of the capture setting, and may determine a short exposure capture setting candidate selected from among the plurality of short exposure capture setting candidates as the second capture setting. In this case, the short exposure image capture setting determination unit (1022) may select a short exposure capture setting candidate that satisfies the hardware specifications of the camera (310) and the capture policy of the camera (310) from among the plurality of short exposure capture setting candidates as the capture setting.

[0122] In addition, the short exposure image shooting setting determination unit (1022) can change the second shooting setting according to the result of comparing the shutter speed of the second shooting setting with the limited shutter speed. The short exposure image shooting setting determination unit (1022) can define the setting value of the shutter speed according to the second shooting setting as a reference shutter speed, and if the shutter speed of the second shooting setting is greater than or equal to the limited shutter speed, can change the shutter speed of the second shooting setting to have a value greater than or equal to the limited shutter speed. For example, the electronic device (300) can recalculate the shutter speed of the second shooting setting using a function based on the shutter speed of the second shooting setting, the limited shutter speed, or the intensity of the ND filter effect, and update the setting value of the shutter speed according to the second shooting setting. In addition, if the shutter speed of the second shooting setting is less than the limited shutter speed, the short exposure image shooting setting determination unit (1022) can maintain the second shooting setting.

[0123] In addition, the short exposure image shooting setting determination unit (1022) can determine the number of times to capture the short exposure image based on the shutter speed of the shooting setting, the shutter speed according to the second shooting setting, or the maximum frame rate of the camera (310). The short exposure image shooting setting determination unit (1022) can compare the shutter speed of the second shooting setting with a limited shutter speed and determine the number of times to capture the short exposure image based on the comparison result. For example, if the shutter speed of the second shooting setting is greater than or equal to the limited shutter speed, the short exposure image shooting setting determination unit (1022) can divide the shutter speed of the shooting setting by the shutter speed of the second shooting setting and determine the quotient as the number of times to capture the short exposure image. The limited shutter speed can be determined based on the maximum frame rate (i.e., the number of images that can be acquired per second) of the camera (310). For another example, if the shutter speed of the second shooting setting is smaller than the limited shutter speed, the single exposure image shooting setting determination unit (1022) may determine the quotient obtained by dividing the shutter speed of the shooting setting by the limited shutter speed as the number of shots of the single exposure image.

[0124] In one embodiment, the short-exposure image and metadata acquisition unit (1023) may acquire a plurality of short-exposure images and metadata (e.g., shooting time, image format) for each of the plurality of short-exposure images based on the second shooting settings. The short-exposure image and metadata acquisition unit (1023) may acquire a plurality of short-exposure images corresponding to the number of times the short-exposure images are captured based on the second shooting settings during a specified time period. The specified time period may be determined in response to a shutter speed of the identified shooting settings. According to various embodiments, the short-exposure image and metadata acquisition unit (1023) may vary the shutter speed of the short-exposure images acquired during the specified time period and the time interval at which the short-exposure images are acquired. For example, the short-exposure image and metadata acquisition unit (1023) may set the shutter speeds of odd-numbered images and even-numbered images among the short-exposure images acquired during the specified time interval to be different, or may set the time intervals at which the odd-numbered images and even-numbered images are acquired to be different. As another example, the short-exposure image and metadata acquisition unit (1023) may set the shutter speeds of the short-exposure images acquired during the specified time interval to be the same, and / or may set the short-exposure images to be acquired at the same time interval, when the lighting environment at the time of shooting is dark with a brightness lower than the specified brightness.

[0125] In one embodiment, the exposure compensation value determination unit (1024) may determine whether brightness compensation is necessary in the process of generating a long exposure image, and may determine an exposure compensation value for brightness compensation. For example, if the exposure values ​​of the short exposure images are determined to be set lower than the exposure value of a long exposure image that the user wishes to acquire, the exposure compensation value determination unit (1024) may determine an exposure compensation value for the long exposure image based on the exposure value of the second shooting setting.

[0126] In one embodiment, the long exposure image generation unit (1025) can synthesize at least some of the plurality of short exposure images to obtain a long exposure image corresponding to the specified time interval.

[0127] In one embodiment, the motion sensor data acquisition unit (1026) may acquire sensor data regarding the movement of the electronic device (300) detected at the time when the plurality of short exposure images were captured from one or more sensors (e.g., the sensor module (176) of FIG. 1) to determine whether the plurality of short exposure images used to generate the long exposure image were captured in a stable situation. The one or more sensors may include a gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor, or various other types of sensors capable of detecting the movement of the electronic device (300). The motion sensor data acquisition unit (1026) may acquire sensor data corresponding to the time when each short exposure image was captured based on metadata for each of the plurality of short exposure images.

[0128] In one embodiment, the motion sensor data analysis unit (1027) can analyze the acquired sensor data regarding the movement of the electronic device (300) to determine whether movement of the electronic device (300) occurred while acquiring the plurality of single-exposure images.

[0129] In one embodiment, if the short exposure image shake determination unit (1028) analyzes that movement of the electronic device (300) occurred while acquiring the plurality of short exposure images, it can align at least some of the short exposure images used to generate the long exposure image and perform motion compensation on the aligned short exposure images.

[0130] FIGS. 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating an ND filter effect expressed in a long exposure image based on dynamic changes in shooting settings for acquiring a short exposure image, according to one embodiment. According to various embodiments, the electronic device (300) can synthesize multiple short exposure images including the point light source to acquire an image capturing a strong point light source moving from top to bottom in a dark shooting environment.

[0131] In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may acquire a plurality of short exposure images during an exposure time set based on a user input or an AE algorithm. The plurality of short exposure images may be images taken of the point light source at different points in time during the exposure time. According to various embodiments, when the electronic device (300) photographs the point light source without applying an ND filter effect, the electronic device (300) may acquire short exposure images (1101, 1102, 1103) in which the point light source and its surrounding area are widely saturated, as shown in FIG. 11A. When the electronic device (300) synthesizes the acquired short exposure images (1101, 1102, 1103), the electronic device (300) may acquire a long exposure image (1110) in which a saturated area is expressed by overlapping according to a movement path of the point light source. In this case, the long exposure image (1110) may be an image in which a saturated area is expressed in a larger area than the actual movement of the light source.

[0132] In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) can dynamically change the shooting settings (e.g., ISO sensitivity, shutter speed, or exposure value) considering the ND filter effect, and acquire multiple short exposure images based on the changed shooting settings. For example, when 'ISO sensitivity 100, shutter speed 1 / 4, ND filter effect strength 2' is set, the electronic device (300) can determine the second shooting settings as 'ISO sensitivity 100, shutter speed 1 / 30 second' through the short exposure image shooting setting determination unit (1022), and the exposure compensation value determination unit (1024) can calculate that the second shooting settings are taken at a brightness 2EV lower based on the shooting settings and the second shooting setting values. When the electronic device (300) photographs the point light source based on the second shooting settings changed in consideration of the ND filter effect, the electronic device (300) can obtain short exposure images (1121, 1122, 1123) in which the saturation area due to the point light source is reduced, as shown in FIG. 11b. When the electronic device (300) synthesizes the obtained short exposure images (1121, 1122, 1123), the electronic device (300) can obtain a long exposure image (1130) in which the saturation area is expressed by overlapping according to the movement path of the point light source. At this time, the saturation area of ​​the light source included in the long exposure image (1130) can be expressed similarly to the movement area of ​​the actual light source.

[0133] FIGS. 12A and 12B are diagrams illustrating a method for setting an ND filter effect through a camera application execution screen according to one embodiment. According to various embodiments, the electronic device (300) can set / change an ND filter effect through the camera application execution screen while the camera application is running.

[0134] Referring to FIG. 12A, the electronic device (300) may provide a user interface through which a user can directly input / change settings (e.g., ISO sensitivity, shutter speed, exposure value, ND filter effect, etc.) of the camera (310) through the execution screen (1210) of the camera application. When the electronic device (300) detects a user input for an ND filter effect setting menu (1211) of the execution screen (1210), the electronic device (300) may display an interface (1221) at the bottom of the execution screen (1220) for setting / adjusting the strength of the ND filter effect. When the electronic device (300) confirms a user input for setting the strength of the ND filter effect to 2 through the interface (1221) of the execution screen (1220), the electronic device (300) may display that the ND filter effect is set to strength 2 at the top of the execution screen (1220). When the electronic device (300) confirms a user input to change the intensity of the ND filter effect to 128 through the interface (1231) of the execution screen (1230), it can display that the ND filter effect has been changed to intensity 128 at the top of the execution screen (1230).

[0135] Referring to FIG. 12B, when the camera (310) is set to automatic mode, the electronic device (300) may change the setting value of at least one of the ISO sensitivity, shutter speed, exposure value, and ND filter effect. For example, when the electronic device (300) confirms the automatic mode setting through the interface (1241) of the execution screen (1240), the electronic device (300) may display the set (or changed) ISO sensitivity (1252), shutter speed (1253), exposure value (1254), and ND filter effect strength (1251) through the execution screen (1250).

[0136] An electronic device (e.g., electronic device (300)) according to an embodiment includes a camera (310), a display (320), a processor (330), and a memory (340) storing instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor (330), cause the electronic device (300) to: check setting information of the camera (310), determine a first shooting setting for providing a preview image based on at least one of the checked setting information, a lighting environment, a type of a subject, or a strength of an ND (neutral density) filter effect; and, while providing a preview image based on the first shooting setting on the display (320), determine a second shooting setting for obtaining a short exposure image and the number of times to take a short exposure image; obtain a plurality of short exposure images based on the second shooting setting during a specified time period; and synthesize at least some of the obtained plurality of short exposure images to correspond to the specified time period. It is possible to obtain long exposure images.

[0137] In one embodiment, the setting information of the camera (310) may include at least one of ISO (International Standard Organization) sensitivity, shutter speed, exposure value, or ND filter effect strength.

[0138] In one embodiment, the instructions, when executed by the processor (330), may cause the electronic device (300) to determine a setting value for at least one of an ISO sensitivity, a shutter speed, or an exposure value based on at least one of a lighting environment or a type of a subject, and to determine a strength of an applicable ND filter effect while providing the preview image based on the determined setting value, if the electronic device (300) determines that the setting information is set to an auto mode.

[0139] In one embodiment, the instructions, when executed by the processor (330), may cause the electronic device (300) to determine the first shooting setting based on an AE (auto exposure) algorithm for an image frame analysis result.

[0140] In one embodiment, the instructions, when executed by the processor (330), may cause the electronic device (300) to determine a plurality of first shooting setting candidates based on a setting value for the at least one item and a strength of the ND filter effect, and to determine a first shooting setting candidate selected from among the plurality of first shooting setting candidates based on an analysis result of the preview image and a specified condition as the first shooting setting.

[0141] In one embodiment, the instructions, when executed by the processor (330), may cause the electronic device (300) to determine a setting value for at least one item among ISO sensitivity, shutter speed, or exposure value based on a setting value for each item of the setting information selected by the user, change the setting value for the at least one item based on a strength of an ND filter effect selected by the user, and determine the first shooting setting based on the changed setting value.

[0142] In one embodiment, the instructions, when executed by the processor (330), may cause the electronic device (300) to determine a second shooting setting for acquiring the single exposure image based on the identified setting information, and to determine the number of times the single exposure image is captured based on a shutter speed according to the setting information, a shutter speed according to the second shooting setting, or a maximum frame rate of the camera (310).

[0143] In one embodiment, the instructions, when executed by the processor (330), may cause the electronic device (300) to determine whether a setting value of a shutter speed according to the second shooting settings is greater than or equal to a limited shutter speed determined based on a maximum frame rate of the camera (310), and, if the setting value of the shutter speed according to the second shooting settings is greater than or equal to the limited shutter speed, determine the setting value of the shutter speed according to the second shooting settings as a reference shutter speed, and change the setting value of the shutter speed according to the second shooting settings based on the shutter speed according to the second shooting settings, the limited shutter speed, or the intensity of the ND filter effect. In one embodiment, the instructions, when executed by the processor (330), may cause the electronic device (300) to re-determine the number of shots of the short exposure image when the second shooting settings are changed.

[0144] In one embodiment, the instructions, when executed by the processor (330), may cause the electronic device (300) to calculate an exposure value according to the second shooting settings based on a difference between a set value of a shutter speed according to the changed second shooting settings and the reference shutter speed, and to determine an exposure compensation value for the long exposure image based on the determined exposure value according to the second shooting settings.

[0145] In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may further include one or more sensors that detect movement of the electronic device. The instructions, when executed by the processor (330), may cause the electronic device (300) to determine whether movement of the electronic device has occurred while acquiring the plurality of short exposure images using the one or more sensors, and, if it is determined that movement of the electronic device has occurred, to align at least a portion of the plurality of short exposure images, perform motion compensation on the aligned short exposure images, and then generate the long exposure image.

[0146] According to an embodiment, a method may include an operation of checking setting information of a camera (310) included in an electronic device (300), an operation of determining a first shooting setting for providing a preview image based on at least one of the checked setting information, a lighting environment, a type of a subject, or a strength of an ND (neutral density) filter effect, an operation of determining a second shooting setting for obtaining a short exposure image and a number of times to capture a short exposure image when a shooting command is confirmed while providing a preview image based on the first shooting setting through a display (320) of the electronic device (300), an operation of obtaining a plurality of short exposure images based on the second shooting setting during a specified time period, and an operation of synthesizing at least some of the obtained plurality of short exposure images to obtain a long exposure image corresponding to the specified time period.

[0147] In one embodiment, the setting information of the camera (310) may include at least one of ISO (International Standard Organization) sensitivity, shutter speed, exposure value, or ND filter effect strength.

[0148] In one embodiment, the operation of determining the first shooting setting may include an operation of determining a setting value for at least one of an ISO sensitivity, a shutter speed, or an exposure value and the strength of an ND filter effect based on at least one of a lighting environment or a type of a subject, if it is confirmed that the setting information is set to an auto mode.

[0149] In one embodiment, the operation of determining the first shooting setting may include an operation of determining the first shooting setting based on an AE (auto exposure) algorithm for an image frame analysis result.

[0150] In one embodiment, the operation of determining the first shooting setting may include an operation of checking the strength of an applicable ND filter effect based on an analysis result of the preview image, and updating a setting value of the at least one item based on the checked strength of the ND filter effect.

[0151] In one embodiment, the operation of determining the first shooting setting may include an operation of determining a plurality of first shooting setting candidates based on a setting value for the at least one item and a strength of an applicable ND filter effect, and an operation of determining a first shooting setting candidate selected from among the plurality of first shooting setting candidates based on an analysis result of the preview image and a specified condition as the first shooting setting.

[0152] In one embodiment, the operation of determining the first shooting setting may include, if it is confirmed that the setting information is set to a manual mode, an operation of determining a setting value for at least one item among ISO sensitivity, shutter speed, or exposure value based on a setting value for each item of the setting information selected by the user, an operation of changing a setting value for the at least one item based on a strength of an ND filter effect selected by the user, and an operation of determining the first shooting setting based on the changed setting value.

[0153] In one embodiment, the operation of determining the second shooting setting and the number of shots of the short exposure image may include an operation of determining the second shooting setting for obtaining the short exposure image based on the confirmed setting information, and an operation of determining the number of shots of the short exposure image based on a shutter speed according to the shooting setting, a shutter speed according to the second shooting setting, or a maximum frame rate of the camera (310).

[0154] In one embodiment, the operation of determining the second shooting setting may include an operation of determining whether the setting value of the shutter speed according to the second shooting setting is greater than or equal to a limited shutter speed determined based on a maximum frame rate of the camera (310), an operation of determining the setting value of the shutter speed according to the second shooting setting as a reference shutter speed if the setting value of the shutter speed according to the second shooting setting is greater than or equal to the limited shutter speed, and an operation of changing the setting value of the shutter speed according to the second shooting setting based on the shutter speed according to the second shooting setting, the limited shutter speed, or the intensity of the ND filter effect. In one embodiment, the operation of determining the second shooting setting may further include an operation of re-determining the number of shots of the short exposure image if it is confirmed that the second shooting setting has been changed.

[0155] In one embodiment, the method may further include an operation of calculating an exposure value according to the second shooting settings based on a difference between a set value of a shutter speed according to the changed second shooting settings and the reference shutter speed, and an operation of determining an exposure compensation value for the long exposure image based on the determined exposure value according to the second shooting settings.

[0156] In one embodiment, the operation of acquiring the long exposure image may include an operation of determining whether movement of the electronic device has occurred while acquiring the plurality of short exposure images using one or more sensors, an operation of matching at least a portion of the plurality of short exposure images if it is determined that movement of the electronic device has occurred, and an operation of performing motion compensation on the matched short exposure images and then generating the long exposure image.

[0157] In one embodiment, a computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon programs executable on a computer may be caused by the computer to perform the following actions: checking setting information of a camera included in an electronic device; determining a first shooting setting for providing a preview image based on the checked setting information, a lighting environment, a type of a subject, or a strength of an ND (neutral density) filter effect; determining a second shooting setting for obtaining a short exposure image and a number of times to capture a short exposure image when a shooting command is confirmed while providing a preview image based on the first shooting setting through a display of the electronic device; obtaining a plurality of short exposure images based on the second shooting setting during a specified time period; and obtaining a long exposure image corresponding to the specified time period by synthesizing at least some of the obtained plurality of short exposure images.

[0158] The effects that can be obtained from the present disclosure are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects that are not mentioned will be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains.

[0159] 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 disclosed in this document are not limited to the aforementioned devices.

[0160] 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 disclosed in this document are not limited to the aforementioned devices.

[0161] 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 of the items, unless the 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 component (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.

[0162] The term "module" as used herein 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 such 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).

[0163] Various embodiments of the present document may be implemented as software (e.g., a program (140)) including one or more commands stored in a storage medium (e.g., an internal memory (136) or an external memory (138)) readable by a machine (e.g., an electronic device (101)). For example, a processor (e.g., a processor (120)) of the machine (e.g., an electronic device (101)) may call at least one command among the one or more commands 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 command called. The one or more commands 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.

[0164] According to one embodiment, the method according to various embodiments disclosed in the present 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., smartphones), 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.

[0165] According to various embodiments, each component (e.g., a module or a program) of the above-described components may include a single or multiple entities. 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 the 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.

Claims

1. In an electronic device (300), Camera (310); display (320); Processor (330); and Contains a memory (340) for storing instructions, The above instructions, when executed by the processor (330), cause the electronic device (300) to: Check the setting information of the above camera (310), Determine the first shooting setting for providing a preview image based on at least one of the above-mentioned confirmed setting information, lighting environment, subject type, or strength of ND (neutral density) filter effect, When a shooting command is confirmed while providing a preview image based on the first shooting setting on the above display (320), the second shooting setting for obtaining a short exposure image and the number of shots of the short exposure image are determined, Acquire multiple single exposure images based on the second shooting settings during a specified time period, An electronic device that synthesizes at least some of the acquired multiple short exposure images to acquire a long exposure image corresponding to the designated time interval.

2. In claim 1, The setting information of the above camera (310) is: An electronic device comprising at least one of ISO (international standard organization) sensitivity, shutter speed, exposure value, or ND filter effect strength.

3. In claim 2, The above instructions, when executed by the processor (330), cause the electronic device (300) to: An electronic device that determines a setting value for at least one of the ISO sensitivity, shutter speed, or exposure value based on at least one of the lighting environment or the type of the subject, when confirming that the above setting information is set to auto mode.

4. In claim 3, The above instructions, when executed by the processor (330), cause the electronic device (300) to: An electronic device that determines the first shooting setting based on an AE (auto exposure) algorithm for the image frame analysis results.

5. In claim 4, The above instructions, when executed by the processor (330), cause the electronic device (300) to: Determine a plurality of first shooting setting candidates based on the setting value for at least one of the above items and the intensity of the ND filter effect, An electronic device that determines a first shooting setting candidate selected from among the plurality of first shooting setting candidates based on the analysis results of the preview image and specified conditions as the first shooting setting.

6. In claim 2, The above instructions, when executed by the processor (330), cause the electronic device (300) to: When it is confirmed that the above setting information is set to manual mode, the setting value for at least one item among ISO sensitivity, shutter speed, or exposure value is determined based on the setting value for each item of the above setting information selected by the user, Change the setting value for at least one item based on the strength of the ND filter effect selected by the user, An electronic device that determines the first shooting setting based on the changed setting value.

7. In claim 1, The above instructions, when executed by the processor (330), cause the electronic device (300) to: Based on the above-mentioned confirmed setting information, the second shooting setting for obtaining the single exposure image is determined, An electronic device that determines the number of shots of the single exposure image based on the shutter speed of the above setting information, the shutter speed according to the second shooting setting, or the maximum frame rate of the camera (310).

8. In claim 7, The above instructions, when executed by the processor (330), cause the electronic device (300) to: It is determined whether the setting value of the shutter speed according to the above second shooting setting is higher than the limited shutter speed determined based on the maximum frame rate of the camera (310), If the setting value of the shutter speed according to the second shooting setting is greater than or equal to the limited shutter speed, the setting value of the shutter speed according to the second shooting setting is determined as the reference shutter speed, Change the setting value of the shutter speed according to the second shooting setting based on the shutter speed according to the second shooting setting, the limited shutter speed or the intensity of the ND filter effect, An electronic device that re-determines the number of shots of the single exposure image when the second shooting setting is changed.

9. In claim 8, The above instructions, when executed by the processor (330), cause the electronic device (300) to: Calculate the exposure value according to the second shooting setting based on the difference between the shutter speed setting value according to the above-mentioned changed second shooting setting and the above-mentioned standard shutter speed, An electronic device that determines an exposure compensation value for the long exposure image based on the exposure value according to the second shooting setting determined above.

10. In claim 1, further comprising one or more sensors for detecting movement of the electronic device; The above instructions, when executed by the processor (330), cause the electronic device (300) to: Determining whether movement of the electronic device has occurred while acquiring the plurality of single exposure images using the one or more sensors; If it is determined that movement of the electronic device has occurred, at least a portion of the plurality of single exposure images are aligned, An electronic device that generates the long exposure image after performing motion compensation on the aligned short exposure image.

11. In the method, An action to check the setting information of a camera (310) included in an electronic device (300); An operation of determining a first shooting setting for providing a preview image based on at least one of the above-mentioned confirmed setting information, a lighting environment, a type of subject, or a strength of an ND (neutral density) filter effect; An operation of confirming a shooting command while providing a preview image based on the first shooting setting through the display (320) of the electronic device (300), determining the second shooting setting for obtaining a short exposure image and the number of times to shoot the short exposure image; An operation of acquiring multiple single exposure images based on the second shooting settings during a specified time period; and An operation of synthesizing at least some of the acquired multiple short exposure images to acquire a long exposure image corresponding to the designated time interval. A method comprising:

12. In claim 11, The action of determining the above first shooting setting is: When it is confirmed that the above setting information is set to auto mode, an operation of determining a setting value for at least one of the international standard organization (ISO) sensitivity, shutter speed, or exposure value based on at least one of the lighting environment or the type of the subject; An operation of determining a plurality of first shooting setting candidates based on a setting value for at least one of the above items and the intensity of the ND filter effect; and A method comprising an operation of determining a first shooting setting candidate selected from among the plurality of first shooting setting candidates based on the analysis results of the preview image and a specified condition as the first shooting setting.

13. In claim 12, The action of determining the above first shooting setting is: When it is confirmed that the above setting information is set to manual mode, an operation of determining a setting value for at least one item among ISO sensitivity, shutter speed, or exposure value based on the setting value for each item of the above setting information selected by the user; An action of changing a setting value for at least one item based on the strength of an ND filter effect selected by the user; and A method comprising an operation of determining the first shooting setting based on the changed setting value.

14. In claim 11, The above second shooting setting and the operation of determining the number of shots for the single exposure image are as follows: An operation of determining a second shooting setting for obtaining the single exposure image based on the above-mentioned confirmed setting information; and A method comprising an operation of determining the number of shots of the single exposure image based on a shutter speed according to the above shooting settings, a shutter speed according to the second shooting settings, or a maximum frame rate of the camera (310).

15. In claim 14, The action of determining the above second shooting setting is: An operation for determining whether the setting value of the shutter speed according to the second shooting setting is greater than or equal to the limited shutter speed determined based on the maximum frame rate of the camera (310); An operation of determining the setting value of the shutter speed according to the second shooting settings as a reference shutter speed when the setting value of the shutter speed according to the second shooting settings is greater than or equal to the limited shutter speed; An action of changing a setting value of the shutter speed according to the second shooting settings based on the shutter speed according to the second shooting settings, the limited shutter speed, or the intensity of the ND filter effect; An operation of calculating an exposure value according to the second shooting setting based on the difference between the setting value of the shutter speed according to the changed second shooting setting and the reference shutter speed; and Including an operation of determining an exposure compensation value for the long exposure image based on the exposure value according to the second shooting setting determined above, A method further comprising an action of re-determining the number of shots of the single exposure image when the second shooting setting is changed.

Images