Multi-Camera Device Soft Shutter Button Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Multi-camera devices for depth photography and depth video applications face challenges in synchronizing and numbering frames captured by multiple world-facing cameras, particularly due to the likelihood of camera sensors being blocked by the user's hands or objects, which affects the quality of depth data capture.
Innovation Solution
A multi-camera device with 3 or more camera sensors, including a high-resolution camera and stereo camera sensors, is configured with a soft shutter button positioned on the opposite side to reduce blocking, and equipped with viewfinder logic for synchronized frame capture and blocking determination logic to alert the user if any sensors are obstructed, ensuring all cameras operate concurrently and capture frames in sequence.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the shutter button is positioned near the camera sensors on the world-facing side, then the user can easily operate the shutter button, but the user's hands are more likely to block the camera sensors
Solution Approach 1:
The shutter button is inverted from the conventional location near the camera sensors to the opposite side of the device. This inversion resolves the contradiction by making the shutter button operable from a location that does not interfere with the camera sensors, thus eliminating the blocking issue while maintaining ease of operation.
2Measurement precision
If multiple camera sensors are used for depth photography, then the depth data quality is improved, but the likelihood of at least one sensor being blocked increases
Solution Approach 1:
By inverting the shutter button location to the opposite side of the device from the camera sensors, the user's hand position during operation is redirected away from the sensor array. This allows multiple camera sensors to be used for improved depth data quality without increasing the probability of obstruction.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the shutter button is placed on the opposite side coordinated with camera sensor locations, then the likelihood of blocking is reduced, but the device design becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The opposite side of the device is utilized as a multi-functional zone that accommodates both the shutter button and provides an ergonomic grip area. This universal design approach resolves the contradiction by making the same spatial region serve multiple purposes, thereby reducing blocking without significantly increasing device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatuses, methods and storage medium associated with multi-camera devices are disclosed herein. In embodiments, a multi-camera device may include 3 or more camera sensors disposed on a world facing side of the multi-camera device. Further, the multi-camera device may be configured to provide a soft shutter button at a location on an opposite side to the world facing side, coordinated with locations of the 3 or more camera sensors that reduces likelihood of blocking of one or more of the 3 or more camera sensors. Other embodiments may be disclosed or claimed.