KR100796340B1 - Mobile device with dual camera and method for photography using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a portable terminal having a camera function, to reduce the load on the portable terminal when capturing a high quality image.

To this end, the present invention provides a portable terminal having a high pixel camera unit and a low pixel camera unit, and a shooting method using the same, comprising: a step 1 of determining whether a shooting mode is used; 3 steps in which one of the shooting modes, the transfer movie shooting mode, and the normal movie shooting mode is selected, the general movie shooting mode is selected and waits for input of the shooting key, and the high resolution camera unit is A portable terminal having a dual camera comprising five steps of operating, six steps of storing a video inputted from the high pixel camera unit in a storage unit, and seven steps of stopping the high pixel camera unit and completing storage of the video when a shooting completion key is input; It provides a shooting method using.

According to this, since the image input from the low pixel camera unit is displayed as a preview image, and the image input from the high pixel camera unit is processed and stored as image data, thereby displaying the preview image using only the high pixel camera unit and storing the image data. Compared with the related art, the load on the portable terminal can be reduced.

 Portable terminals, low-pixel cameras, video frames, dual cameras, video for transmission

Description

A mobile terminal having a dual camera and a shooting method using the same {mobile device with dual camera and method for photography using the same}

1 is a block diagram schematically showing an internal configuration of a portable terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a flowchart illustrating a photographing method using a portable terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a flowchart illustrating a general video recording method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a flowchart illustrating a method of capturing moving images according to an embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a flowchart illustrating a still image photographing method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

<Description of Symbols for Main Parts of Drawings>

10: wireless communication unit 20: data processing unit

30: audio processing unit 40: key input unit

42: shooting mode switch key 44: shooting key

46: transmission key 50: camera unit

50a: high-pixel camera unit 50b: low-pixel camera unit

60: image processing unit 70: display unit

80: storage unit 90: control unit

100: portable terminal

The present invention relates to a portable terminal having a camera function, and more particularly, to a portable terminal having a dual camera capable of reducing the load on the portable terminal when capturing a high quality image, and a photographing method using the same.

In general, a portable terminal is a personal mobile communication services terminal, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a smart phone, a next-generation mobile communication terminal (International Mobile Telecommunication 2000: IMT-2000). And a terminal capable of implementing various functions using an application program including wireless communication while being carried by an individual such as a wireless LAN terminal.

Such portable terminals have various functions such as video call, electronic organizer, voice or video storage function, internet function, entertainment function, etc. in the early simple voice call and short message transmission function. In addition to these functions, a portable terminal equipped with an additional digital camera function is introduced, so that a user can easily capture and store a desired video or still image (hereinafter, all referred to as a video), use it as a wallpaper, or use an email or other The user is provided with a function for transmitting to a portable terminal.

Recently, high performance digital cameras ranging from 5 million pixels to 8 million pixels have been installed in portable terminals. Therefore, even if the image is taken using a portable terminal, it is possible to obtain a high quality image similar to a conventional camera in terms of image quality.

In general, a conventional portable terminal equipped with a digital camera displays a preview image input from the digital camera on a display screen when the user sets the portable terminal to an image capturing mode for capturing an image. When is input, the image input from the digital camera is stored in a storage unit such as a memory.

However, when the portable terminal is equipped with a high performance digital camera, a large amount of image data is input during image capturing. Accordingly, since a large amount of video data to be input is displayed on the display screen, and simultaneously framed and stored in the storage unit, there is a problem that the portable terminal is heavily loaded.

In addition, when photographing and storing a moving image with a high-performance digital camera, since it is stored as a high-quality image, the size of the image data becomes very large. Therefore, when transmitting the stored video to other people using the portable terminal, the transmission time is long, there is a problem that the user has to pay a high data transmission fee.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to solve the problems of the prior art as described above, a portable terminal having a dual camera that can reduce the load of the portable terminal when taking an image using a digital camera and a recording method using the same To provide.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a portable terminal having a dual camera capable of easily photographing and storing a moving video and a photographing method using the same.

The present invention for achieving the above object is a portable terminal having a dual camera, a portable terminal having a camera function, the camera unit including a low pixel camera unit, a high pixel camera unit, the image input from the camera unit frame unit An image processing unit connected to the image processing unit, the display unit displaying the preview image through the screen to the outside, a storage unit storing image data transmitted from the image processing unit, and a storage unit storing the image input from the camera unit And a control unit configured to store an image input from the high pixel camera unit when capturing a still image and a general video in a storage unit, and storing an image input from the low pixel camera unit in a storage unit when capturing a moving image. Is characteristic.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the control unit transmits the image input from the low pixel camera unit to the display unit to use the preview image.

In addition, the present invention is a shooting method using a portable terminal having a dual camera consisting of a high pixel camera unit and a low pixel camera unit, step 1 of determining whether the shooting mode, in the shooting mode, to display the preview image through the low pixel camera unit Step 3, 3 steps in which the shooting mode of any one of the still image shooting modes, the transfer movie shooting mode, and the normal movie shooting mode is selected, the normal movie shooting mode is selected, and the fourth step of waiting for the input of the shooting key, the shooting key Is input, 5 steps of operating the high pixel camera unit, 6 steps of storing the video inputted from the high pixel camera unit in the storage unit, and 7 steps of stopping the high pixel camera unit and completing storage of the video when the shooting completion key is input. It is characterized by including.

In the present invention, while the steps 3 to 7 are performed, the preview image is preferably an image input through the low pixel camera unit.

In addition, the third step of the present invention is the P1 step of determining whether the still image shooting mode in the shooting mode, the P2 step of determining whether the video recording mode for transmission, if not the still image shooting mode, and the transfer video shooting in the P2 step If not in the mode, it may include a step P3 to determine the normal video shooting mode.

Also, in the still image capturing mode, the present invention provides a step S1 of operating a high pixel camera unit when a shooting key is input, step S2 of storing a still image input from a high pixel camera unit and a low pixel camera unit in a storage unit, and a high pixel camera. It is preferable to include the S3 step of stopping the part.

In this case, in the step S2, it is preferable to store the high quality still image input from the high pixel camera unit as a basic image, and to store the low quality still image input from the low pixel camera unit as a thumbnail image. In addition, while the steps S1 to S3 are performed, it is preferable that the preview image is displayed as an image input through the low pixel camera unit.

In addition, after the step S3, the present invention may further include the step of transmitting a stored high-quality image, or a thumbnail image to the wireless communication, if a transmission command is input.

In addition, the present invention in the transfer video recording mode, when the shooting key is input to store the video input from the low-pixel camera unit to the storage unit, and when the shooting completion key is input, the storage of the transmission video is completed It is preferred to include the M2 step.

In this case, if a transmission command is input after the M2 step, the method may further include transmitting the stored transmission video through wireless communication.

In addition, the first step of the present invention is preferably performed when the low pixel camera portion and the high pixel camera portion face the same direction.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In describing the embodiments, descriptions of technical contents which are well known in the technical field to which the present invention belongs and are not directly related to the present invention will be omitted. In addition, detailed description of components having substantially the same configuration and function will be omitted.

For the same reason, some components in the accompanying drawings are exaggerated, omitted, or schematically illustrated, and the size of each component does not entirely reflect the actual size.

1 is a view schematically showing the internal configuration of a portable terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the portable terminal 100 according to the present embodiment includes a control unit 90, a wireless communication unit 10, a data processing unit 20, an audio processing unit 30, a key input unit 40, and a camera unit 50. ), An image processor 60, a display unit 70, and a storage unit 80.

The controller 90 performs an overall control operation of the portable terminal 100. In addition, the controller 90 of the present exemplary embodiment controls the images input from the camera unit 50, that is, the still image, the general video, and the video for transmission, and stores them in the storage 80.

The wireless communication unit 10 performs a function of transmitting and receiving corresponding data for wireless communication of the portable terminal 100. The wireless communication unit 10 may include an RF transmitter for upconverting and amplifying a frequency of a transmitted signal, and an RF receiver for low noise amplifying and downconverting a received signal. In addition, the wireless communication unit 10 may receive data through a wireless channel and output the data to the data processing unit 20, and receive data transmitted from the data processing unit 20 and transmit the data through the wireless channel.

The data processor 20 includes a transmission module for encoding and modulating a signal for transmission through a wireless channel, and a reception module for demodulating and decoding a signal received through a wireless channel. In addition, the data processor 20 demodulates / decodes the received data and provides the received data to the controller 90.

The audio processor 30 may be configured of a codec (Coder / Decoder), and the codec may include a data codec for processing packet data and an audio codec for processing an audio signal such as voice. Accordingly, the audio processor 30 converts the digital audio signal received by the data processor 20 into an analog signal through an audio codec and reproduces it through a speaker during a voice call of the portable terminal 100, and is input from a microphone. The analog audio signal is converted into a digital audio signal through an audio codec and provided to the data processor 20.

The key input unit 40 includes a plurality of letter keys (not shown) for inputting numbers and text information, and control keys (not shown) for operation control of the portable terminal 100. In addition, the key input unit 40 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a shooting mode switching key 42, a shooting key 44, and a transmission key 46.

The shooting mode switch key 42 is a key for selecting a still image shooting mode, a normal video shooting mode, and a transfer video shooting mode when the portable terminal 100 enters a shooting mode. Each time the shooting mode switch key 42 is input, the shooting mode is sequentially changed. The shooting mode switch key 42 of the present embodiment may use individual keys for each shooting mode without using one key.

The photographing key 44 is a key for storing an image input to the camera unit 50 in the storage unit 80. In the present embodiment, the user uses the shooting key 44 in both the case where the user wants to enter the shooting mode from the normal operation mode, when shooting is to be started, and when shooting is completed. However, it is not limited thereto.

The transmission key 46 is a key for transmitting a still image or a transmission video stored in the storage unit 80 to another person. When the user inputs the transmission key 46, the transmission image 46 is a portable terminal. It is transmitted to the other party through the wireless communication unit 10 of (100).

The photographing mode switch key 42, the photographing key 44, and the transmission key 46 may be implemented in software, or may be implemented in hardware in connection with various character keys and control keys.

The camera unit 50 according to the present invention includes a high pixel camera unit 50a and a low pixel camera unit 50b. Each of the high pixel camera unit 50a and the low pixel camera unit 50b captures an image captured by a lens, and converts the photographed optical signal into an electrical signal, and digitally captures an analog image signal captured from the camera sensor. And a signal processing unit for converting the data into data. Here, the camera sensor may be a charge coupled device (CCD) sensor, and the signal processor may be implemented as a digital signal processor (DSP), but is not limited thereto.

In the present embodiment, the high pixel camera unit 50a uses a camera module of a high pixel, that is, a camera module of 5 million pixels or more, and is used when capturing a still image or a general video. In addition, the low pixel camera unit 50b uses a low pixel camera module, that is, a camera module of 1 million pixels or less, and is used for capturing a preview image and a moving video.

The high pixel camera unit 50a and the low pixel camera unit 50b may be rotatably installed, respectively, but the high pixel camera unit 50a and the low pixel camera unit 50b may be configured to input the same subject when capturing an image. They face in the same direction.

The image processor 60 processes the image signal output from the low pixel camera unit 50b in units of frames, and then outputs the image data in accordance with the display characteristics and the size of the display unit 70. In addition, the image processor 60 transmits the image data obtained by compressing the image signals output from the high pixel camera unit 50a and the low pixel camera unit 50b to the controller 90. In the present embodiment, one image processing unit 60 processes all the images input from the high pixel camera unit 50a and the low pixel camera unit 50b. However, if necessary, the high pixel camera unit 50a and the low pixel camera are processed. It is also possible to connect separate image processing units 60 to the unit 50b.

The image processor 60 includes an image codec, and performs a function of compressing image data displayed on the display unit 70 in a set manner or restoring the compressed image data to original image data. The image codec may be a JPEG codec, an MPEG codec, a wavelet codec, or the like.

The display unit 70 displays image data output from the image processor 60 on a screen. The display unit 70 may be a liquid crystal display (LCD). In this case, the display unit 70 may include an LCD controller, a memory capable of storing image data, and an LCD display device. In this case, when the LCD is implemented using the touch screen method, the screen of the display unit 70 may be operated as an input unit.

The storage unit 80 includes a program memory and data memories. The program memory stores programs for controlling general operations of the portable terminal 100. The data memory stores data generated while executing programs, a still image or a general video input through the high pixel camera unit 50a, and a transmission video input through the low pixel camera unit 50b. .

2 is a flowchart schematically illustrating a photographing method using a portable terminal having a dual camera according to an embodiment of the present invention.

1 and 2, first, the controller 90 determines whether the high pixel camera unit 50a and the low pixel camera unit 50b face the same direction (S110). When the directions of the high pixel camera unit 50a and the low pixel camera unit 50b are not the same, the camera unit 50 may be used in a video call or the like, but is not set to the photographing mode.

When the directions of the high pixel camera unit 50a and the low pixel camera unit 50b are the same, a step of checking whether the photographing key 44 is input is performed (S120). When the photographing key 44 is input, the controller 90 switches the portable terminal 100 from the normal operation mode to the photographing mode.

When the portable terminal 100 is switched to the shooting mode, the control unit 90 quickly operates the low pixel camera unit 50b (S130).

The low pixel camera unit 50b transmits an input image to the image processor 60, and the image processor 60 processes the image into image data and transmits the image data to the display unit 70. Therefore, when the portable terminal 100 enters the shooting mode, the image of the low pixel camera unit 50b is displayed on the screen of the display unit 70 (S140).

Thereafter, the user selects one of the various shooting modes by using the shooting mode switch key 42 (S150 and S160). The portable terminal according to the present exemplary embodiment includes three shooting modes of a still image shooting mode S170, a normal video shooting mode S180, and a transfer video shooting mode S190. Every time) is inputted, the above-described shooting modes are sequentially changed and applied to the portable terminal 100.

Among the various shooting modes, the method of using the general video shooting mode will be described first.

3 is a flowchart illustrating a general video recording method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, when the user sets the normal video recording mode through the shooting mode switch key 42, the controller 90 continuously displays the image of the low pixel camera unit 50b as a preview image. The display waits for input of a shooting command (S181).

When the photographing command is inputted to the controller 90 as the user inputs the photographing key 44, the controller 90 quickly operates the high pixel camera unit 50a (S182). The image input from the high pixel camera unit 50a is processed into image data by the image processing unit 60 and then stored in the storage unit 80 (S183). At this time, the controller 90 continuously displays an image input to the low pixel camera unit 50b on the display unit 70 of the portable terminal 100. That is, the image input to the high pixel camera unit 50a is not displayed on the display unit 70, but is immediately stored in the storage unit through the image processing unit 60, but the user recognizes the operation of the high pixel camera unit 50a. If not, only the image of the low pixel camera unit 50b displayed on the display unit 70 is photographed.

Subsequently, a step of inputting a photographing completion command is performed (S184). When the user inputs the shooting key 44 again to complete the shooting of the moving image, the controller 90 gives a name to the transfer video file stored in the storage unit, ends the shooting, and the high pixel camera unit 50a. The driving of the motor is stopped (S185). At this time, the image input to the low pixel camera unit 50b is continuously displayed on the screen of the display unit 70. Accordingly, in the portable terminal 100 of the present invention, an image input to the low pixel camera unit 50b is displayed on the display unit 70, and a video stored in the storage unit 80 is input to the high pixel camera unit 50a. Since the image is stored, it is possible to reduce the load on the portable terminal 100 and store high quality video.

When the shooting of the video is completed through the above process, the portable terminal 100 waits for the shooting mode end command (S186). If the photographing mode end command is not input, the controller 90 continues to display the image of the low pixel camera unit 50b on the display unit 70 and wait. On the other hand, when a shooting mode end command is input by the user, the controller 90 stops the operation of the low-pixel camera unit 50b used to send the preview image (S200 of FIG. 2), and the portable terminal 100. ) Is switched to normal operation mode.

Next, the video recording mode for transmission will be described.

4 is a flowchart illustrating a method for capturing moving images according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, when the user sets the transmission video shooting mode through the shooting mode switch key 42 (S160), the controller 90 continuously maintains an image of the low pixel camera unit 50b. Waits for input of the shooting command while displaying it as a preview image.

When a shooting command is input to the controller 90 as the user inputs the shooting key 44 (S191), the controller 90 quickly receives an image input from the low pixel camera unit 50b in the image processor 60. After processing the image data, it is stored in the storage unit 80 (S192). Therefore, the image input from the low pixel camera unit 50b is displayed on the display unit 70 and simultaneously stored in the storage unit 80 via the image processing unit 60.

Subsequently, a step of inputting a photographing completion command is performed (S193). When the user inputs the shooting key 44 again to complete the recording of the video, the controller 90 completes the storing of the video for transmission stored in the storage 80, and names the stored video file for transmission. After assigning, shooting is terminated (S194). At this time, the low pixel camera unit 50b continues to operate and displays the preview image on the display unit 70.

Subsequently, a step of determining whether a transfer command is input is performed (S195). When a user inputs a transmission key 46 to transmit a transmission video file stored in the storage unit 80 to another person, a transmission command is transmitted from the transmission key 46 to the controller 90. Accordingly, the controller 90 performs a series of processes such as asking the user for the reception number of the other party, and then transmits the corresponding transmission video file through the wireless communication unit 10 (S196).

When the shooting of the transmission video is completed through the above process, the portable terminal 100 waits for the shooting mode end command (S197). The process after this is the same as when the above-described normal video recording mode ends. That is, the control unit 90 continues to display the image of the low pixel camera unit 50b on the display unit 70 when the shooting mode end command is not input, and when the shooting mode end command is input, the low pixel camera unit 50b After stopping the operation (S230), the portable terminal 100 switches to the normal operation mode.

Next, the still image shooting mode will be described.

5 is a flowchart illustrating a still image photographing method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

1 and 5, when the user sets the still image shooting mode through the shooting mode switch key 42 (S150 of FIG. 2), the controller 90 controls the image of the low pixel camera unit 50b. Is displayed as a preview image continuously and waits for input of a shooting command.

When the photographing command is input to the controller 90 as the user inputs the photographing key 44 (S171), the controller 90 quickly operates the high pixel camera unit 50a (S172). The still image input from the high pixel camera unit 50a is processed by the image processing unit 60 into image data, and then stored in the storage unit as a basic image (S173). In this process, the image input to the low pixel camera unit 50b is continuously displayed on the display unit 70 of the portable terminal 100. That is, the still image input from the high pixel camera unit 50a is not displayed on the display unit 70, but is directly stored in the storage unit 80 via the image processing unit 60, but the user has such a high pixel camera unit 50a. Operation is not recognized, and only the image of the low pixel camera unit 50b appearing on the display unit 70 is photographed.

In addition, when the photographing key 44 is input, the controller 90 stores the image input from the low pixel camera unit 50b in the storage unit 80 as a thumbnail image (S174). In other words, when the photographing command is input, the storage unit 80 simultaneously stores the basic image which is a still image input from the high pixel camera unit 50a and the thumbnail image input from the low pixel camera unit 50b. Therefore, when the user looks at the list of still images stored in the storage unit 80 after the photographing is completed, the process of generating a thumbnail image separately may be omitted.

Next, the control unit 90 stops driving the high pixel camera unit 50a (S175). At this time, the image input to the low pixel camera unit 50b is continuously displayed on the screen of the display unit 70. Therefore, the user can take a high-quality still image while viewing an image input from the low pixel camera unit 50b through the display unit 70, thereby reducing the load on the portable terminal 100 when shooting.

Subsequently, a step of determining whether a transfer command is input is performed (S176). When a user inputs a transmission key 46 to transmit a still image file stored in the storage unit 80 to another person, a transmission command is transmitted from the transmission key 46 to the controller 90. Accordingly, the controller 90 transmits the corresponding still image file through the wireless communication unit 10 after going through a series of processes such as asking the user for the reception number of the counterpart (S177).

When shooting of the still image is completed through the above process, the portable terminal 100 waits for a shooting mode end command (S178). Since the following process is the same as when the above-mentioned normal video recording mode and the transmission video recording mode, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

On the other hand, a portable terminal having a dual camera according to the present invention and a shooting method using the same is not limited to the embodiment, various modifications are possible by those skilled in the art within the technical idea of the present invention. For example, the normal video recording mode, the still image shooting mode, and the transmission video shooting mode according to the present embodiment may immediately switch to the normal operation mode when the user inputs a specific key (eg, an end key). .

In addition, in the present embodiment, the image is limited to be photographed only when two cameras face the same direction, but each camera may be applied to be photographed separately. In addition, the present embodiment shows an example applied to a portable terminal having a camera function, but may be variously applied to any electronic device having a digital camera function.

In addition, various elements and regions in the drawings are schematically drawn. Accordingly, the present invention is not limited by the relative size or spacing drawn in the accompanying drawings.

As described above, a portable terminal having a dual camera and a shooting method using the same according to the present invention capture a high quality video and a still image using a high pixel camera unit, use a low pixel camera unit, display a preview image, and transmit a video. Since the image is captured, the load on the portable terminal can be reduced compared to the conventional method of displaying and storing the preview image using only the high pixel camera unit. In addition, it is possible to easily transmit a wireless video by photographing and storing the transmission video.

Claims (12)

In a portable terminal having a camera function, A camera unit including a low pixel camera unit and a high pixel camera unit; An image processing unit processing an image input from the camera unit in units of frames; A display unit connected to the image processor and configured to externally display a preview image through a screen; A storage unit which stores image data transmitted from the image processor; And And a controller configured to store an image input to the image processor from the camera unit in the storage unit. The control unit stores an image input from the high pixel camera unit when capturing a still image and a general video in the storage unit, and stores an image input from the low pixel camera unit in the storage unit when capturing a moving image. Portable terminal having a dual camera. The portable terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller transmits an image input from the low pixel camera unit to the display unit to use the preview image. delete In a photographing method of a portable terminal having a high pixel camera portion and a low pixel camera portion, Step 1 to determine whether the shooting mode; Displaying the preview image through the low pixel camera unit in the photographing mode; 3 steps of selecting one of the still image shooting modes, the transfer video shooting mode, and the normal video shooting mode; 4 steps of selecting a normal video recording mode and waiting for input of a recording key; Step 5 of operating the high pixel camera unit when a photographing key is input; Storing the video inputted from the high pixel camera unit in a storage unit; And And a seventh step of stopping the high pixel camera unit when the photographing completion key is input and completing the storing of the video. While the steps 3 to 7 are performed, the preview image is a video input through the low-pixel camera unit is displayed, characterized in that the recording method using a portable terminal having a dual camera. The method of claim 4, wherein the three steps, A P1 step of determining whether the still image is in the shooting mode; A step P2 of determining whether the moving picture photographing mode is the non-still picture photographing mode; And And a step P3 of determining the normal video recording mode when the video recording mode is not the transmission video recording mode in the step P2. The method according to claim 4, wherein in the still image shooting mode, Step S1 of operating the high pixel camera unit when a photographing key is input; Step S2 of storing the still image input from the high pixel camera unit and the low pixel camera unit in the storage unit; And S3 step of stopping the high-pixel camera unit; recording method using a portable terminal having a dual camera comprising a The method of claim 6, wherein the step S2, A high-resolution still image input from the high pixel camera unit is stored as a basic image, and a low-quality still image input from the low pixel camera unit is stored as a thumbnail image. . The method of claim 6, wherein the preview image is displayed through the low pixel camera unit while the steps S1 to S3 are performed. According to claim 7, After the step S3, And transmitting the stored high quality image or the thumbnail image through wireless communication when a transmission command is input. The method of claim 4, wherein in the transmission video recording mode, An M1 step of storing a video inputted from the low pixel camera unit in the storage unit when a photographing key is input; And M2 step of completing the storage of the transmission video when the shooting completion key is input; recording method using a portable terminal having a dual camera, comprising a. The photographing method of claim 10, further comprising: transmitting the stored video for transmission by wireless communication when a transmission command is input after the M2 step. The method of claim 4, wherein the first step is performed when the low pixel camera unit and the high pixel camera unit face the same direction.

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