Continuous Auto Focusing Camera Control for Mobile Terminals

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing camera systems in portable terminals inefficiently manage focus control, leading to unnecessary current consumption and motion blur due to continuous focusing regardless of subject movement.

Innovation Solution

A method and apparatus for continuous auto focusing in portable terminals that divides the preview screen into tracking areas, allowing focus adjustment only when subject movement is detected within the focus area, using an object tracking technique to efficiently manage focus control.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If continuous focusing is performed regardless of subject movement, then focusing coverage is maintained, but current consumption increases and motion blur occurs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefocusing coverageVSAvoidcurrent consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic focus control by continuously monitoring subject movement within tracking areas and adjusting focus operations based on detected movement. The system transitions from static continuous focusing to dynamic conditional focusing, where focus operations are activated only when subject movement is detected, thereby reducing energy consumption while maintaining focusing reliability when needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs feedback mechanisms by detecting subject movement within tracking areas and using this information to control focus operations. The system continuously monitors the tracking areas, receives feedback about subject presence and movement, and adjusts focus operations accordingly, creating a closed-loop control system that optimizes energy usage while maintaining focus quality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If continuous focusing is performed regardless of subject movement, then focusing coverage is maintained, but motion blur phenomenon occurs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefocusing coverageVSAvoidmotion blur

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic focus control by continuously monitoring subject movement within tracking areas and adjusting focus operations based on detected movement. The system transitions from static continuous focusing to dynamic conditional focusing, where focus operations are activated only when subject movement is detected, thereby reducing energy consumption while maintaining focusing reliability when needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs feedback mechanisms by detecting subject movement within tracking areas and using this information to control focus operations. The system continuously monitors the tracking areas, receives feedback about subject presence and movement, and adjusts focus operations accordingly, creating a closed-loop control system that optimizes energy usage while maintaining focus quality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Reliability

If focus is adjusted continuously across the entire preview screen, then all areas are covered, but computational requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefocus coverageVSAvoidcomputational requirements

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the preview screen into multiple tracking areas, allowing the system to process and monitor specific regions independently rather than analyzing the entire screen. This segmentation reduces computational complexity by limiting focus operations to relevant areas where subjects are detected, while still maintaining comprehensive focus coverage across the full preview screen through coordinated tracking of multiple segments.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies different processing quality and computational effort to different regions of the preview screen based on subject presence. Tracking areas containing detected subjects receive intensive focus processing, while areas without subjects use reduced processing. This local quality approach optimizes computational resources by concentrating processing power where it is most needed while maintaining acceptable focus coverage elsewhere.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS9405170B2Method and apparatus for continuous auto focusing of a camera in a mobile terminal

Publication Date: 2016.08.02 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD

AI summary

A method of continuous auto focusing a camera in a portable terminal is provided. The method includes setting an arbitrary area of a preview screen as a focus area, the preview screen being divided into at least one tracking area, focusing on a subject located within the focus area and fixing a focus of the subject, and adjusting the focus with respect to the focus area when a movement of the subject is detected within the tracking area that includes the focus area.