Precapture Control Unit for Image Pickup Apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional image pickup apparatuses face challenges in reducing the loss of photography opportunities due to a time lag between issuing a photographing instruction and the start of actual recording, and the lack of automatic precapture function activation when not explicitly set by the user.
Innovation Solution
An image pickup apparatus that initiates photographing preparation based on a first instruction and performs actual photography based on a second instruction, equipped with a precapture function that automatically turns on when specific conditions are met, such as a high photographing failure probability evaluation value, lens aperture value, or focal length, to record images in a temporary memory.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the precapture function is activated manually by user setting, then the system complexity is reduced, but the loss of photography opportunities increases when users forget to activate it
Solution Approach 1:
The camera system automatically determines and activates the precapture function based on analyzed photography conditions (aperture value, focal length, subject distance) without requiring manual user configuration. The system serves itself by autonomously deciding when precapture photography should be performed, eliminating the need for users to remember to activate the function while preventing loss of photography opportunities.
2Loss of time
If the precapture function is automatically activated based on photography conditions, then the loss of photography opportunities is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary analysis of photography conditions (obtaining aperture value, focal length, subject distance) before the actual photography moment to determine whether precapture should be activated. By evaluating these parameters in advance and automatically making the decision, the system reduces photography opportunities loss without requiring complex real-time processing or manual intervention during the critical shooting moment.
3Reliability
If precapture photographing is performed continuously, then the reliability of capturing desired images is improved, but the energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the operational parameters of precapture photographing based on evaluated photography conditions. When conditions indicate high probability of capturing desired images (specific aperture values, focal lengths, subject distances), the system activates precapture; otherwise, it remains inactive. This conditional parameter adjustment maintains high capture reliability while avoiding continuous operation that would waste energy.
Data Source
AI summary
An image pickup apparatus reducing a loss of opportunities for photographing is provided. The image pickup apparatus, which starts photographing preparation based on a first photographing instruction and performs actual photographing based on a second photographing instruction, includes an image pickup device to generate a photographed image, a temporary recording memory to temporarily record the photographed image, a precapture photographing control unit to, when a precapture function is turned on, control precapture photographing to record the photographed image in the temporary recording memory based on the first photographing instruction, an accepting unit to accept an instruction to switch turning-on/turning-off of the precapture function, and an obtaining unit to obtain a photographing failure probability evaluation value. The precapture photographing control unit turns on the precapture function when the photographing failure probability evaluation value exceeds a predetermined threshold value, and executes the precapture photographing when the first photographing instruction has been issued.