Mobile Terminal Front Camera Display Illumination
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile terminals lack a front flash capability, making it impossible to take photos in low illumination environments due to safety concerns of a user's proximity to the terminal.
Innovation Solution
A mobile terminal with a front camera and display unit that uses the display as an illumination source by controlling the brightness of the screen to provide sufficient light for photography, dividing the screen into areas to optimize light distribution and intensity, and using a rear flash when necessary.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a flash is disposed at the front of the terminal main body to enable photographing in low illumination environments, then the illumination intensity is improved, but the user's eyes may be hurt due to close distance
Solution Approach 1:
The display unit serves as an intermediary between the rear flash and the front camera subject. It transmits and diffuses the flash light through its pixels, creating a softer, more distributed illumination pattern that reduces eye strain while maintaining effective lighting for photographing
Solution Approach 2:
The display unit divides the illumination into different regions - a first area displaying the preview image with lower brightness and a second area displaying a white image with higher brightness to provide supplemental illumination, creating localized quality variations that optimize both viewing and photographing conditions
2Illumination intensity
If the display unit is used as an illumination source by controlling screen brightness, then the front camera photographing capability in low light is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The display unit performs multiple functions: it displays the preview image for the user to view, serves as an illumination source for the front camera in low light conditions, and provides a user interface for photographing controls, eliminating the need for a dedicated front flash component
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the display unit and illumination source into a single integrated component, merging the functions of visual display and light emission for photographing, thereby reducing overall device complexity while achieving the desired illumination effect
3Illumination intensity
If the display unit is divided into multiple areas with different brightness levels, then the light distribution is optimized, but the control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The display unit is segmented into a first area for displaying the preview image and a second area for displaying a white image to provide supplemental illumination, allowing different brightness levels in different regions to optimize both user viewing and photographing conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The controller dynamically adjusts the brightness levels and area divisions of the display unit based on photographing conditions, enabling flexible adaptation to different lighting environments while maintaining simple control logic through software algorithms
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables self-photographing in low illumination conditions without harming the user, providing a new-type user interface and extending camera functionality while preventing eye damage from excessive light.
Implementation Method 1
a display unit disposed at the front of the main body, the display unit displaying a preview image with respect to an image captured by the front camera
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B~1C
Figure 2(a)~3
AI summary
A mobile terminal includes a main body; a front camera disposed at a front side of the main body; a display disposed at the front side of the main body; and a controller configured to control the display such that the display displays a preview image within a first portion of the display, wherein the preview image is obtained via the front camera; displays the preview image within a second portion of the display in response to an input, wherein the first portion includes the second portion and further includes a remaining portion; and displays a second image within the remaining portion of the first portion in response to the input.