Immediate-Mode Camera for Portable Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional smartphones experience delays when transitioning from sleep mode to capturing images due to the need to wake up the application processor, display components, and camera-related applications, which consumes power and may result in missing fleeting moments.
Innovation Solution
An immediate-mode camera system that allows direct image capture through always-on user interface components without waking the application processor or camera-related applications, using a low-power, always-on digital camera connected via a fast hardware interface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If the smartphone is kept in sleep mode to conserve battery power, then power consumption is reduced and battery life is extended, but the camera cannot capture images immediately when needed
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the smartphone into two operational modes: a low-power sleep mode for normal operation, and an immediate-mode camera mode for rapid image capture. The camera subsystem can be independently activated from sleep mode through a dedicated hardware interface, allowing image capture without fully waking the main processor. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by enabling the camera to operate independently from the main system power state.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements preliminary action by maintaining a hardware interface and camera subsystem in a low-power ready state that can be rapidly activated. The always-on camera hardware and dedicated hardware interface are pre-configured to enable immediate image capture upon user input, even while the main processor remains in sleep mode. This preliminary preparation eliminates the delay associated with waking the full system.
2Speed
If the camera and display components are kept active to enable immediate image capture, then image capture speed is improved, but power consumption increases and battery life decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies local quality by activating only the specific camera hardware components needed for image capture rather than the entire smartphone system. The dedicated hardware interface and camera subsystem are localized and can be independently controlled, allowing rapid image capture while keeping the display, processor, and other high-power components in sleep mode. This localized activation achieves fast capture speed with minimal power consumption.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the smartphone is unlocked and camera applications are started to capture images, then full camera functionality is available, but the process takes several seconds causing delay
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts the essential image capture function from the full camera application ecosystem. By implementing a dedicated hardware interface and always-on camera subsystem, the system separates the core image capture capability from the application layer. This extraction allows immediate image capture through hardware triggers without needing to load or initialize camera applications, resolving the contradiction between functionality and access speed.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques are described for implementing an immediate-mode camera for integration into portable personal electronic device (PPED) environments. Embodiments of the IMC can include an integrated digital camera that can be triggered directly by one or more user interface components, without involving waking up the application processor, waking up display components, waking up digital camera components, and/or starting up camera-related applications. For example, if a user's smart phone is locked, and the user desired to capture a photo, the user can interact with particular UI components in a particular manner, thereby directly triggering capture of image data by the IMC substantially without delay. Implementations of the IMC can involve a low-power, always-on digital camera that is directly controllable by one or more always-on user interface components. The IMC components can be in communication with an always-on region of the application processor via a fast hardware interface.