Camera Shooting Control Using Pre-Triggered 3A Lock

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing shooting response time in electronic devices is slow due to multiple interactions between the camera application and the hardware abstraction layer, leading to a prolonged time from shutter triggering to photo capture, which affects the user's shooting experience.

Innovation Solution

The electronic device sends an instruction for shooting in advance when the user taps the shutter, determining if the 3A state is locked, allowing it to obtain an image frame without repeated interactions, thereby reducing processing time.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the camera application interacts with the hardware abstraction layer multiple times to ensure proper shooting parameters and convergence, then the shooting quality and reliability are improved, but the shooting response time increases and shooting speed decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveshooting qualityVSAvoidshooting response time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by continuously maintaining the 3A algorithm convergence state and pre-processing image data before the actual shooting trigger. When the user taps the shutter, the system has already prepared the convergence state and can immediately capture the image without waiting for multiple interaction cycles, thus reducing response time while ensuring quality

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The 3A algorithm convergence process is made continuous rather than intermittent. The system continuously monitors and maintains convergence state, and the hardware abstraction layer continuously processes image data in the background. This continuous action eliminates the need for repeated start-stop interaction cycles, reducing the time loss between shutter trigger and image capture

Inventive Principle:
Principle #20Continuity of useful action

2Measurement precision

If the camera application waits for 3A convergence confirmation before sending shooting commands, then the shooting parameter accuracy is improved, but the shooting response speed decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveshooting parameter accuracyVSAvoidshooting response speed
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary convergence detection and parameter optimization before the actual shooting moment. The hardware abstraction layer continuously evaluates the 3A convergence state in advance, so when the shutter is triggered, the parameters are already optimized and ready for immediate capture, eliminating the need to wait for convergence confirmation after triggering

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The hardware abstraction layer autonomously monitors its own convergence state and manages the shooting process without requiring repeated confirmation requests from the camera application. The system self-services by continuously tracking parameter convergence and automatically determining when shooting conditions are optimal, thus improving response speed while maintaining parameter accuracy

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP4262226B1Photographing method and related device
Publication Date: 2025.10.29 HONOR DEVICE CO LTD
  • EP4262226B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4262226B1 patent drawingFigure 2A
  • EP4262226B1 patent drawingFigure 2B

AI summary

This application provides a shooting method and a related device. According to the shooting method, a camera application in an electronic device may send an instruction of shooting in advance through a custom interface when a user taps a shutter control. The instruction of shooting in advance is for triggering a shooting process in advance. The electronic device may determine a current 3A state based on the instruction of shooting. If the current 3A state is a 3 A lock state, the electronic device obtains an image frame. In the foregoing process, the electronic device may further capture a variable exposure frame in advance, and obtain an image in a buffered frame queue based on address information and a reference count of the image. The electronic device may further determine an entire jitter amount of the image based on a jitter amount of each row of pixels of the image. In the foregoing shooting method, the electronic device may not only increase a shooting response speed of the electronic device, but also select a clearer image for fusion more accurately. This increases definition of a shot image and improves shooting experience of the user.