Digital Camera Auto-Focus Stability Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Digital photographing apparatuses often fail to maintain focus on subjects, leading to frustration when images are out of focus despite auto-focusing attempts, as they do not effectively determine and maintain focus on target subjects over a reference time.
Innovation Solution
A digital photographing apparatus and method that determines target subjects from an input image, extracts focus values, and auto-photographs when the focus values remain within an in-focus range for a reference time, with features for prioritizing subjects and capturing still images during video recording.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If auto-focusing operation is performed to obtain clearer image, then image quality is improved, but the system fails to maintain focus on target subjects leading to out-of-focus images
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors focus values of target subjects and uses this feedback to determine when to trigger auto-photographing. The in-focus determination unit receives focus values and determines whether they stay within the in-focus range for a reference time, creating a closed-loop feedback mechanism that reliably maintains focus on target subjects.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by determining target subjects in advance and continuously tracking their focus values before triggering the photographing operation. The in-focus determination unit evaluates focus stability over a reference time period before initiating the capture, ensuring focus is maintained prior to the actual photographing event.
2Measurement precision
If the system continuously monitors focus values to ensure in-focus range, then focus accuracy is improved, but processing time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies partial monitoring by focusing only on determined target subjects rather than the entire scene. The in-focus determination unit evaluates focus values specifically for these identified targets over a reference time period, achieving sufficient focus accuracy without the excessive processing burden of analyzing all pixels continuously.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses periodic evaluation by checking whether focus values stay within the in-focus range for a reference time duration. This periodic assessment approach balances measurement precision with processing efficiency, as it samples focus values at intervals rather than continuously analyzing every change.
3Productivity
If the system auto-photographs whenever focus is achieved, then productivity is improved, but image quality deteriorates due to premature capture
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary verification by determining whether focus values remain stable within the in-focus range for a reference time before triggering photographing. This preliminary stability check ensures that captures occur only when focus is reliably maintained, preventing premature photography while maintaining high productivity through automated triggering.
Solution Approach 2:
The photographing control unit uses feedback from the in-focus determination unit to decide when to trigger auto-photographing. The system monitors whether focus values continuously stay within the in-focus range over the reference time period, and only initiates capture when this feedback confirms stable focus, thereby ensuring both speed and quality.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a digital photographing apparatus, a method of controlling the same, and a computer-readable medium for storing a program for executing the method. In the method of controlling a digital photographing apparatus, at least one target subject is determined from an input image. A target subject focus value of the at least one target subject is extracted while auto-focusing the at least one target subject. It is determined whether the target subject focus value stays within an in-focus range for a reference time or longer. The at least one target subject is auto-photographed when the target subject focus value is stays within the in-focus range for the reference time or longer.