Shutter Button Drag Focus Control for Mobile Cameras
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile terminals often fail to accurately perform autofocus in low-light or close-up shooting environments, leading to misalignment of the lens unit despite user confirmation of proper focus alignment.
Innovation Solution
A focus control apparatus and method that allows manual focus control by using a shutter button and display to change the image focus based on the direction of a drag after the shutter button is touched in preview mode, adjusting the lens unit's position accordingly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If autofocus function is used, then ease of operation is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates in low-light or close-up shooting environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic focus control system that transitions from automatic focus (AF) to manual focus (MF) based on shooting conditions. The system detects low-light or close-up environments and automatically switches to manual focus mode, where the user can dynamically adjust focus by dragging the shutter button, thereby maintaining measurement precision while preserving ease of operation through automatic mode switching.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service focus adjustment by allowing users to directly manipulate the shutter button for focus control in manual focus mode. The drag distance and direction on the shutter button directly control the lens unit's movement, providing an intuitive and efficient focus adjustment mechanism that serves the user's needs without requiring separate controls.
2Measurement precision
If manual focus control is implemented, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the shutter button multi-functional by enabling it to serve both as a standard shutter release and as a manual focus control interface. When dragged in preview mode, the shutter button controls lens unit movement for focus adjustment. This universal design allows manual focus control without adding separate physical controls, thereby improving measurement precision while minimizing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges the focus control function with the existing shutter button interface. The drag operation on the shutter button combines the familiar shutter activation gesture with focus adjustment, integrating multiple functions into a single control element. This merging approach implements manual focus control without increasing device complexity through additional components.
3Productivity
If separate autofocus threads are used, then productivity is improved, but loss of energy increases due to CPU resource consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the focus control function from the complex multi-threaded autofocus system and implements it as a dedicated manual focus control mechanism. By separating focus adjustment from the automated AF threading process, the system eliminates the need for continuous CPU-intensive autofocus operations while maintaining focus control capability, thereby reducing energy loss without sacrificing productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
A focus control apparatus and method for controlling the focus manually is provided. The focus control apparatus includes a shutter button, a display for displaying an image whose focus is changed depending on a moving direction of a drag occurring after the shutter button is touched in a preview mode, and a controller for controlling the display to display the image whose focus is changed depending on the moving direction of the drag occurring after the shutter button is touched in the preview mode.