Peer Device Remote Flashlight Control for Camera Illumination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Portable electronic devices face challenges in enhancing their photographic performance due to limitations in flash lighting, especially when capturing images of subjects far from the camera or in low-light conditions, as their built-in flashlights are often insufficient.
Innovation Solution
A method where a peer portable electronic device acts as a remote flashlight source by collecting environment information, determining necessary photographic parameters, and activating its flashlight to assist in photographic operations of another device, enhancing image quality through wireless communication and coordinated flash control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a built-in flashlight is used for photographic operations, then the device structure remains simple, but the illumination intensity is insufficient for distant subjects or low-light conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges two separate portable electronic devices into a collaborative photographic system. The first device (assistant device) provides flashlight illumination while the second device (host device) captures the image. This combination allows the system to achieve high illumination intensity without requiring each individual device to have a powerful built-in flashlight, thus resolving the contradiction between illumination intensity and device structure simplicity.
2Reliability
If the flashlight is activated to assist photographic operations in low-light conditions, then the picture quality improves, but the energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements partial action by having only the assistant device activate its flashlight while the host device performs the photographic capture. This distributed functionality allows the system to achieve reliable picture quality in low-light conditions without both devices consuming energy simultaneously, thereby reducing overall energy consumption while maintaining picture quality.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a remote flashlight source from a peer device is used, then the adaptability to various lighting conditions and subject positions improves, but the wireless communication and coordination complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the host device transmits environmental information (such as lighting conditions and subject position data) to the assistant device via wireless communication. The assistant device uses this feedback to adjust its flashlight illumination accordingly. This feedback loop enables the system to adapt to various lighting conditions and subject positions while keeping the communication coordination manageable through automated parameter transmission.
Data Source
AI summary
A wireless communications system. A first portable electronic device collects environment information via an image sensor, transmits the environment information to a second portable electronic device, and activates a flashlight in response to a flashlight assistant request signal for assisting in a photographic operation of the second portable electronic device. The second portable electronic device communicates with the first portable electronic device to receive the environment information, determines at least one photographic parameter for a camera module according to the environment information, transmits the flashlight assistant request signal to the first portable electronic device, and performs the photographic operation according to the photographic parameter.