Multi-Camera Selfie Capture with Focused Background
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electronic devices with multiple cameras struggle to capture clear selfies, especially in situations where the background is out of focus, leading to blurred images.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a dual camera superimposed selfie capture (DCSSC) mode in electronic devices, which allows for simultaneous capture of a focused image of the user and a focused image of the background using multiple cameras, followed by the superimposition of the user's image onto the background image to create a composite image.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a front camera with a larger aperture is used for better low light performance, then the low light performance is improved, but the depth of field becomes smaller resulting in the background being out of focus or blurred
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the image capture task into two separate functions performed by two different cameras: the front camera captures the user's face with optimal aperture settings, while the rear camera captures the background with appropriate focus settings. This segmentation allows each camera to optimize for its specific function, resolving the contradiction between aperture size and depth of field.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the images captured by the front camera (user face) and the rear camera (background) into a single composite selfie image. This combining process allows the final image to simultaneously achieve both the low light performance from the front camera and the background focus clarity from the rear camera.
2Ease of operation
If a typical front camera is used for taking selfies, then the user's face can be captured, but the background and objects in the background become blurred and out of focus
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the selfie capture function into two parts: the front camera handles the user's face capture while the rear camera handles the background capture. This allows the simple operation of taking a selfie to be enhanced by dividing the imaging task between two cameras with different optical characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
The rear camera acts as an intermediary device that captures the background image separately and then this background image is used to replace or supplement the background portion of the front camera's image, thereby achieving background focus clarity without complicating the user's selfie-taking operation.
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple cameras are used to capture both the user and background in focus, then the image quality is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes use of the existing multi-camera system in the electronic device, which was originally designed for other purposes (such as rear camera photography), and repurposes it for selfie capture. This multi-functionality approach allows the device to achieve focused background selfies without adding dedicated new hardware, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables the device's existing rear camera to serve the dual purpose of its original function and the additional function of capturing focused backgrounds for selfies. This self-service approach allows the device to improve image quality using resources already available within the system.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device, a method and a computer program product for controlling multiple cameras. The method includes detecting, via at least one processor, activation of a first camera of an electronic device to capture a first image incorporating a first region of interest within a field of view of the first camera and in response to detecting selection of a dual camera superimposed selfie capture mode for completing the image capture, capturing, via the first camera, the first image that includes the first region of interest. The method further includes contemporaneously capturing, via a second camera, a second image containing at least one face, cropping a facial image comprising the at least one face from the second image and superimposing the facial image onto the first image to generate a first composite image.