KR101943318B1 - Mobile Terminal and Controling Method for Thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

A camera lens for receiving and refracting an image of a subject; An imaging device for converting an image incident through the lens into a digital image; An actuator for repeatedly moving the camera lens forward and backward to change a focal length of an image input to the image pickup device; A temporary memory for storing a digital image converted by the image pickup element in a set time amount; A display unit for outputting a digital image stored in the temporary memory; And a control unit for outputting an image stored in the temporary memory of the predetermined amount of time before the shutter is pressed when the shutter of the camera is depressed, on the display unit, You can get a multifocal digital image with a choice of focus.

Description

Technical Field [0001] The present invention relates to a mobile terminal and a control method thereof,

The present invention relates to a mobile terminal having a camera module capable of selecting a focus after capturing an image and a control method thereof.

The terminal can move And can be divided into a mobile / portable terminal and a stationary terminal depending on whether the mobile terminal is a mobile terminal or a mobile terminal. The mobile terminal can be divided into a handheld terminal and a vehicle mount terminal according to whether the user can directly carry the mobile terminal.

Such a terminal has various functions, for example, in the form of a multimedia device having multiple functions such as photographing and photographing of a moving picture, reproduction of a music or video file, reception of a game and broadcasting, etc. .

As the multimedia device is implemented, the function of the camera is important for recording, and the functions of the camera mounted on the mobile terminal are changing more and more precisely.

An object of the present invention is to provide a mobile terminal having a camera module capable of minimizing the distortion of an existing camera structure and selecting a focus after an image is captured, and a control method thereof.

Disclosure of Invention Technical Goals The present invention has been proposed in order to meet the above-mentioned needs, and is directed to a camera lens which receives an image of a subject and refracts the image. An imaging device for converting an image incident through the lens into a digital image; An actuator for repeatedly moving the camera lens forward and backward to change a focal length of an image input to the image pickup device; A temporary memory for storing a digital image converted by the image pickup element in a set time amount; A display unit for outputting a digital image stored in the temporary memory; And a control unit for outputting an image stored in the temporary memory of the set time amount to the display unit before the photographing command is inputted when the photographing command is inputted.

The temporary memory may divide the position of the lens moving during the set time into N stages and store a digital image of an image incident on the image sensing element when the lens is positioned at each stage.

The capacity of the temporary memory may be equal to or greater than N times the size of the digital image converted by the imaging device.

The size of the digital image converted by the imaging device may be the same as the digital size of the image to be finally stored.

The time taken for the actuator to reciprocate the lens back and forth one time may be twice the set time.

Wherein the control unit synthesizes a focused portion of the digital image stored in the temporary memory to store the multifocal digital image in the temporary memory.

When the user selects a portion of the multifocal digital image,

Wherein the control unit outputs only the digital image focused on the selected portion to the display unit or stores the digital image in the main memory.

The control unit may output the digital image stored in the temporary memory to the display unit, and may store only the digital image selected by the user in the main memory.

The control unit outputs the digital images stored in the temporary memory to the display unit, generates a multifocal digital image by combining the focused parts of the digital image selected by the user, and outputs the digital image to the display unit, Lt; / RTI >

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of controlling an image pickup apparatus, the method comprising: moving a camera lens repeatedly in a longitudinal direction to change a focal length of an image input to the image pickup device; Converting an image input to the image pickup device into a digital image and storing a digital image in a temporary memory for a preset time; Receiving a photographing command; And stopping recording the image capturing command in the temporary memory of the image input to the image capturing device after inputting; And outputting the image stored in the temporary memory to the display unit.

The outputting of the digital image to the display unit may output a plurality of digital images converted in the amount of the set time among the digital images stored in the temporary memory to the display unit.

Selecting at least one of images stored in the temporary memory after outputting the plurality of digital images to the display unit; And storing the selected image in a main memory.

Selecting a plurality of images stored in the temporary memory after outputting the plurality of digital images to the display unit; Combining the focused portions of the selected plurality of digital images to generate a multifocal digital image; And outputting the multifocal digital image to the display unit or storing the digital image in the main memory.

Further comprising the step of synthesizing a focused portion of the digital image stored in the temporary memory to generate a multifocus image and storing the multifocus image in the temporary memory before outputting to the display unit, May output the multi-focus image among the images stored in the temporary memory.

Selecting a portion of the multi-focus image after outputting to the display unit; And storing the digital image focused on the selected portion of the digital image stored in the temporary memory in the main memory.

According to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, a multifocal digital image can be obtained in which the focus can be selected after the image is captured even if the distortion is minimized in the existing camera structure.

Further, by generating a plurality of digital images with different focuses,

The effects obtained by the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and other effects not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description will be.

1 is a block diagram of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a front perspective view of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a rear perspective view of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a mobile terminal related to the operation of the camera of the present invention.
5 is a conceptual diagram showing a moving state of the lens of the present invention.
6 is a conceptual diagram showing a method of generating a multifocal digital image of the present invention.
7 is a front view showing a mobile terminal that outputs a digital image stored in a temporary memory according to an embodiment of the present invention to a display unit.
8 is a front view showing a mobile terminal that outputs a digital image stored in a temporary memory according to another embodiment of the present invention to a display unit.

Hereinafter, a mobile terminal related to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The suffix "module" and " part "for the components used in the following description are given or mixed in consideration of ease of specification, and do not have their own meaning or role.

The mobile terminal described in this specification may include a mobile phone, a smart phone, a laptop computer, a digital broadcasting terminal, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistants), a PMP (Portable Multimedia Player), navigation and the like.

However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the configuration according to the embodiments described herein may be applied to a fixed terminal such as a digital TV, a desktop computer, and the like, unless the configuration is applicable only to a mobile terminal.

1 is a block diagram of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. The mobile terminal 100 includes a wireless communication unit 110, an audio / video input unit 120, a user input unit 130, a sensing unit 140, an output unit 150, a memory 160, A controller 170, a controller 180, a power supply 190, and the like. The components shown in FIG. 1 are not essential, and a mobile terminal having more or fewer components may be implemented.

Hereinafter, the components will be described in order.

The wireless communication unit 110 may include one or more modules for enabling wireless communication between the mobile terminal 100 and the wireless communication system or between the mobile terminal 100 and the network in which the mobile terminal 100 is located. For example, the wireless communication unit 110 may include a broadcast receiving module 111, a mobile communication module 112, a wireless Internet module 113, a short range communication module 114, and a location information module 115 .

The broadcast receiving module 111 receives broadcast signals and / or broadcast-related information from an external broadcast management server through a broadcast channel. The broadcast channel may include a satellite channel and a terrestrial channel. Two or more broadcast receiving modules may be provided to the mobile terminal 100 for simultaneous broadcast reception or broadcast channel switching for at least two broadcast channels.

The broadcast management server may refer to a server for generating and transmitting broadcast signals and / or broadcast related information, or a server for receiving broadcast signals and / or broadcast related information generated by the broadcast management server and transmitting the generated broadcast signals and / or broadcast related information. The broadcast signal may include a TV broadcast signal, a radio broadcast signal, a data broadcast signal, and a broadcast signal in which a data broadcast signal is combined with a TV broadcast signal or a radio broadcast signal.

The broadcast-related information means information related to a broadcast channel, a broadcast program, or a broadcast service provider. The broadcast-related information may also be provided through a mobile communication network. In this case, it may be received by the mobile communication module 112.

The broadcast-related information may exist in various forms. For example, an EPG (Electronic Program Guide) of DMB (Digital Multimedia Broadcasting) or an ESG (Electronic Service Guide) of Digital Video Broadcast-Handheld (DVB-H).

For example, the broadcast receiving module 111 may be a Digital Multimedia Broadcasting-Terrestrial (DMB-T), a Digital Multimedia Broadcasting-Satellite (DMB-S), a Media Forward Link Only (Mobile Broadcasting Business Management System), ISDB-T (Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting (ISDB-T)), Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (MBMS) Digital Broadcast-Terrestrial) or the like. Of course, the broadcast receiving module 111 may be adapted to other broadcasting systems as well as the digital broadcasting system described above.

The broadcast signal and / or broadcast related information received through the broadcast receiving module 111 may be stored in the memory 160.

The mobile communication module 112 may be coupled to a base station, an external terminal, or a server on a mobile communication network, such as, but not limited to, Gobal System for Mobile communications (GSM), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband CDMA Transmits and receives wireless signals with one. The wireless signal may include various types of data depending on a voice call signal, a video call signal or a text / multimedia message transmission / reception.

The wireless Internet module 113 is a module for wireless Internet access, and may be built in or externally attached to the mobile terminal 100. Wireless Internet technologies include WLAN (Wi-Fi), Wibro (Wireless broadband), Wimax (World Interoperability for Microwave Access), HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access), GSM, CDMA, WCDMA, LTE Evolution (but not limited to) may be used.

The wireless Internet module 113, which performs wireless Internet access through the mobile communication network, is connected to the mobile communication module 110 through the mobile communication network, for example, from the viewpoint that the wireless Internet access by Wibro, HSDPA, GSM, CDMA, WCDMA, LTE, (112). ≪ / RTI >

The short-range communication module 114 refers to a module for short-range communication. Bluetooth, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), infrared data association (IrDA), Ultra Wideband (UWB), ZigBee, and the like can be used as a short range communication technology.

The position information module 115 is a module for obtaining the position of the mobile terminal, and a representative example thereof is a Global Position System (GPS) module. According to the current technology, the GPS module 115 calculates distance information and accurate time information from three or more satellites, and then applies trigonometry to the calculated information to obtain a three-dimensional string of latitude, longitude, The location information can be accurately calculated. At present, a method of calculating position and time information using three satellites and correcting an error of the calculated position and time information using another satellite is widely used. In addition, the GPS module 115 can calculate speed information by continuously calculating the current position in real time.

Referring to FIG. 1, an A / V (Audio / Video) input unit 120 is for inputting an audio signal or a video signal, and may include a camera 121 and a microphone 122. The camera 121 processes image frames such as still images or moving images obtained by the image sensor in the video communication mode or the photographing mode. The processed image frame can be displayed on the display unit 151. [

The image frame processed by the camera 121 may be stored in the memory 160 or transmitted to the outside through the wireless communication unit 110. [ Two or more cameras 121 may be provided depending on the use environment.

The microphone 122 receives an external sound signal through a microphone in a communication mode, a recording mode, a voice recognition mode, or the like, and processes it as electrical voice data. The processed voice data can be converted into a form that can be transmitted to the mobile communication base station through the mobile communication module 112 when the voice data is in the call mode, and output. Various noise reduction algorithms may be implemented in the microphone 122 to remove noise generated in receiving an external sound signal.

The user input unit 130 generates input data for a user to control the operation of the terminal. The user input unit 130 may include a button 136 located on the front, rear, or side of the mobile terminal 100, and a touch sensor (static / static) 137. Although not shown, ), A dome switch, a jog wheel, a jog switch, and the like.

The sensing unit 140 senses the current state of the mobile terminal 100 such as the open / close state of the mobile terminal 100, the position of the mobile terminal 100, the presence or absence of user contact, the orientation of the mobile terminal, And generates a sensing signal for controlling the operation of the mobile terminal 100. For example, when the mobile terminal 100 is in the form of a slide phone, it is possible to sense whether the slide phone is opened or closed. It is also possible to sense whether the power supply unit 190 is powered on, whether the interface unit 170 is connected to an external device, and the like. Meanwhile, the sensing unit 140 may include a proximity sensor 141. (The proximity sensor will be described later).

The output unit 150 is for generating output related to the visual, auditory or tactile sense and includes a display unit 151, an audio output module 152, an alarm unit 153, and a haptic module 154 .

The display unit 151 displays (outputs) information processed by the mobile terminal 100. For example, when the mobile terminal is in the call mode, a UI (User Interface) or a GUI (Graphic User Interface) associated with a call is displayed. When the mobile terminal 100 is in the video communication mode or the photographing mode, the photographed and / or received video or UI and GUI are displayed.

The display unit 151 may be a liquid crystal display (LCD), a thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT LCD), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), a flexible display display, and a 3D display.

Some of these displays may be transparent or light transmissive so that they can be seen through. This can be referred to as a transparent display, and a typical example of the transparent display is TOLED (Transparent OLED) and the like. The rear structure of the display unit 151 may also be of a light transmission type. With this structure, the user can see an object located behind the terminal body through the area occupied by the display unit 151 of the terminal body.

There may be two or more display units 151 according to the embodiment of the mobile terminal 100. For example, in the mobile terminal 100, a plurality of display portions may be spaced apart from one another or may be disposed integrally with each other, or may be disposed on different surfaces.

In the case where the display unit 151 and the touch sensor 137 have a mutual layer structure or are integrally formed (hereinafter referred to as a 'touch screen'), the display unit 151 may be used as an input device . The touch sensor 137 may be stacked on the display unit 151 to form a layer structure when the touch sensor 137 has a form of a touch film, a touch sheet, a touch pad, or the like. And may be integrally formed.

The touch sensor 137 may be configured to convert a change in a pressure applied to a specific part of the display part 151 or a capacitance generated in a specific part of the display part 151 into an electrical input signal. The touch sensor 137 can be configured to detect not only the position and area to be touched but also the pressure at the time of touch.

If there is a touch input to the touch sensor 137, the corresponding signal (s) is sent to the touch controller (not shown). The touch controller processes the signal (s) and transmits the corresponding data to the controller 180. Thus, the control unit 180 can know which area of the display unit 151 is touched or the like.

The proximity sensor 141 may be disposed in an inner region of the mobile terminal or in the vicinity of the touch screen, which is enclosed by the touch screen. The proximity sensor refers to a sensor that detects the presence or absence of an object approaching a predetermined detection surface or a nearby object without mechanical contact using the force of an electromagnetic field or infrared rays. The proximity sensor has a longer life span than the contact sensor and its utilization is also high.

Examples of the proximity sensor include a transmission type photoelectric sensor, a direct reflection type photoelectric sensor, a mirror reflection type photoelectric sensor, a high frequency oscillation type proximity sensor, a capacitive proximity sensor, a magnetic proximity sensor, and an infrared proximity sensor. And to detect the proximity of the pointer by the change of the electric field along the proximity of the pointer when the touch screen is electrostatic. In this case, the touch screen (touch sensor) may be classified as a proximity sensor.

Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the act of recognizing that the pointer is positioned on the touch screen while the pointer is not in contact with the touch screen is referred to as "proximity touch" The act of actually contacting the pointer on the touch screen may be referred to as "contact touch. &Quot; The location where the pointer is proximately touched on the touch screen may refer to a position where the pointer corresponds vertically to the touch screen when the pointer is touched.

The proximity sensor detects a proximity touch and a proximity touch pattern (e.g., a proximity touch distance, a proximity touch direction, a proximity touch speed, a proximity touch time, a proximity touch position, a proximity touch movement state, and the like). Information corresponding to the detected proximity touch operation and the proximity touch pattern may be output on the touch screen.

The audio output module 152 may output audio data received from the wireless communication unit 110 or stored in the memory 160 in a call signal reception mode, a call mode or a recording mode, a voice recognition mode, a broadcast reception mode, The sound output module 152 also outputs sound signals related to functions (e.g., call signal reception sound, message reception sound, etc.) performed in the mobile terminal 100. [ The audio output module 152 may include a receiver, a speaker, a buzzer, and the like.

The alarm unit 153 outputs a signal for notifying the occurrence of an event of the mobile terminal 100. Examples of events that occur in the mobile terminal include call signal reception, message reception, key signal input, touch input, and the like. The alarm unit 153 may output a signal for notifying the occurrence of an event in a form other than the video signal or the audio signal, for example, vibration. In this case, the display unit 151 and the audio output module 152 may be a type of the alarm unit 153. The display unit 151 and the audio output module 152 may be connected to the display unit 151 or the audio output module 152, .

The haptic module 154 generates various tactile effects that the user can feel. A typical example of the haptic effect generated by the haptic module 154 is vibration. The intensity and pattern of the vibration generated by the hit module 154 can be controlled. For example, different vibrations may be synthesized and output or sequentially output.

In addition to the vibration, the haptic module 154 may include a pin arrangement vertically moving with respect to the contact skin surface, a spraying force or a suction force of the air through the injection port or the suction port, a touch on the skin surface, contact with an electrode, And various tactile effects such as an effect of reproducing a cold sensation using an endothermic or exothermic element can be generated.

The haptic module 154 can be implemented not only to transmit the tactile effect through the direct contact but also to allow the user to feel the tactile effect through the muscular sensation of the finger or arm. At least two haptic modules 154 may be provided according to the configuration of the mobile terminal 100.

The memory unit 160 may store a program for processing and controlling the control unit 180 and temporarily store the input / output data (e.g., telephone directory, message, audio, For example. The memory unit 160 may store the frequency of use of each of the data (for example, each telephone number, each message, and frequency of use for each multimedia).

In addition, the memory unit 160 may store data on vibration and sound of various patterns output when the touch is input on the touch screen.

The memory 160 may be a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (for example, SD or XD memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), PROM A disk, and / or an optical disk. The mobile terminal 100 may operate in association with a web storage that performs a storage function of the memory 160 on the Internet.

The interface unit 170 serves as a path for communication with all external devices connected to the mobile terminal 100. The interface unit 170 receives data from an external device or supplies power to each component in the mobile terminal 100 or transmits data to the external device. For example, a wired / wireless headset port, an external charger port, a wired / wireless data port, a memory card port, a port for connecting a device having an identification module, an audio I / O port, A video input / output (I / O) port, an earphone port, and the like may be included in the interface unit 170.

The identification module is a chip for storing various information for authenticating the use right of the mobile terminal 100 and includes a user identification module (UIM), a subscriber identity module (SIM), a general user authentication module A Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM), and the like. Devices with identification modules (hereinafter referred to as "identification devices") can be manufactured in a smart card format. Accordingly, the identification device can be connected to the terminal 100 through the port.

When the mobile terminal 100 is connected to an external cradle, the interface unit may be a path through which power from the cradle is supplied to the mobile terminal 100, or various command signals input by the user to the cradle may be transmitted It can be a passage to be transmitted to the terminal. The various command signals or the power source input from the cradle may be operated as a signal for recognizing that the mobile terminal is correctly mounted on the cradle.

The controller 180 typically controls the overall operation of the mobile terminal. For example, voice communication, data communication, video communication, and the like. The control unit 180 may include a multimedia module 181 for multimedia playback. The multimedia module 181 may be implemented in the control unit 180 or may be implemented separately from the control unit 180. [

The controller 180 may perform a pattern recognition process for recognizing handwriting input or drawing input performed on the touch screen as characters and images, respectively.

The power supply unit 190 receives external power and internal power under the control of the controller 180 and supplies power necessary for operation of the respective components. The power supply unit 190 may include, for example, a battery, a connection port, a power supply control unit, and a charge monitoring unit.

The battery may be an internal battery configured to be chargeable, and may be detachably coupled to the terminal body for charging or the like. The connection port may be configured as an example of an interface 170 through which an external charger for supplying power for charging the battery is electrically connected.

The various embodiments described herein may be embodied in a recording medium readable by a computer or similar device using, for example, software, hardware, or a combination thereof.

According to a hardware implementation, the embodiments described herein may be implemented as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays May be implemented using at least one of a processor, controllers, micro-controllers, microprocessors, and other electronic units for performing other functions. In some cases, The embodiments described may be implemented by the control unit 180 itself.

According to a software implementation, embodiments such as the procedures and functions described herein may be implemented with separate software modules. Each of the software modules may perform one or more of the functions and operations described herein. Software code can be implemented in a software application written in a suitable programming language. The software code is stored in the memory 160 and can be executed by the control unit 180. [

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a mobile terminal or a portable terminal according to the present invention, as viewed from the front.

The disclosed mobile terminal 100 includes a bar-shaped terminal body. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and can be applied to various structures such as a slide type, a folder type, a swing type, and a swivel type in which two or more bodies are relatively movably coupled.

The body of the mobile terminal 100 includes a casing 101, 102, In this embodiment, the case may be divided into a front case 101 and a rear case 102. [ A variety of electronic components are embedded in the space formed between the front case 101 and the rear case 102.

A component such as a USIM card and a memory card, such as an auxiliary storage medium 165, which may be detached, may include an opening in the case so as to be inserted into the case from the outside. Slots may be formed on the side of the case so that the auxiliary storage medium 165 may be inserted from the side of the mobile terminal 100 and card slots 166 and 167 may be formed on the surface of the rear case 102 It is possible.

The cases 101, 102, and 103 may be formed by injection molding synthetic resin or may be formed of a metal material such as stainless steel (STS) or titanium (Ti).

The display unit 151, the sound output unit 152, the camera 121, the user input units 130/131 and 132, the microphone 122, and the interface 170 may be disposed in the terminal cases 101 and 102.

The display unit 151 occupies most of the main surface of the front case 101. A sound output unit 152 and a camera 121 are disposed in an area adjacent to one end of both ends of the display unit 151 and a user input unit 131 and a microphone 122 are disposed in an area adjacent to the other end. The user input unit 132 and the interface 170 may be disposed on the side surfaces of the front case 101 and the rear case 102. [

The user input unit 130 is operated to receive a command for controlling the operation of the mobile terminal 100 and may include a plurality of operation units 131, 132, and 133. The operation units 131, 132, and 133 may be collectively referred to as a manipulating portion.

The contents inputted by the first or second operation unit 131 or 132 may be variously set. For example, the first operation unit 131 receives a command such as start, end, scroll, and the like, and the second operation unit 132 inputs a command such as adjustment of the sound output from the sound output unit 152 And the third operation unit 133 can receive commands such as activation / deactivation of the touch recognition mode of the display unit 151 and the like.

The operation units 131, 132 and 133 may have a button system recognized when a user applies pressure and a touch sensor 137 may be provided to the operation units 131, 132 and 133 in addition to the display unit 151 So that the user's command can be received only by the user's touch.

3 is a rear perspective view of the mobile terminal shown in FIG.

Referring to FIG. 3, a camera 121 'may be further mounted on the rear surface of the terminal body, that is, the rear case 102. The camera 121 'may have a photographing direction substantially opposite to the camera 121 (see FIG. 2), and may be a camera having the same or different pixels as the camera 121.

For example, the camera 121 may have a low pixel so that the face of the user can be photographed and transmitted to the other party in case of a video call or the like, and the camera 121 ' It is preferable to have a large number of pixels. The cameras 121 and 121 'may be installed in the terminal body such that they can be rotated or pop-up.

A flash 123 and a mirror 124 may be additionally disposed adjacent to the camera 121 '. The flash 123 illuminates the subject when the subject is photographed by the camera 121 '. The mirror 124 allows the user to illuminate the user's own face or the like when the user intends to shoot himself / herself (self-photographing) using the camera 121 '.

An acoustic output 152 'may be additionally disposed on the rear surface of the terminal body. The sound output 152 'on the rear side of the body may implement the stereo function together with the sound output 152 (see FIG. 2) of the front side of the body, and may be used for the implementation of the speakerphone mode during a call.

In addition to the antenna for talking and the like, a broadcast signal reception antenna 116 may be additionally disposed on the side of the terminal body. The antenna 116, which forms part of the broadcast receiving module 111 (see FIG. 1), can be installed to be able to be drawn out from the terminal body.

4 is a conceptual view briefly showing a camera of the mobile terminal of the present invention and a configuration related to its operation. The mobile terminal of the present invention comprises a camera lens 1211, an imaging device 1212, an actuator 1213, a temporary memory 162, a main memory 161, a display unit 151, and a control unit 180.

The camera lens 1211 receives and refracts an image of an object incident from the outside of the mobile terminal 100 and transmits the refracted image to the imaging element 1212. [ Although the camera lens 1211 is shown as one convex lens in the figure, this is for convenience and a plurality of lenses may be used.

The actuator 1213 moves the lens 1211 in the front, rear, left, and right directions to change the focal length of the image input to the imaging device 1212. In general, in the case of the mobile terminal 100 equipped with the auto focus function, the actuator 1213 can automatically move the lens 1211 so as to focus on the selected object. Alternatively, the user can arbitrarily adjust the actuator 1213 to focus the light.

In particular, the actuator 1213 of the present invention is characterized in that the focal length of an image input to the imaging device 1212 is changed by repeatedly moving the lens 1211 back and forth, left and right. At this time, the actuator 1213 may operate so that the physical moving distance of the lens 1211 is uniform, or the lens can be moved so that the focal length of the lens 1211 can be uniformly increased or decreased.

The image pickup device 1212 is an apparatus for converting an analog image input through the camera lens 1211 into a digital image. Capacity varies depending on sharpness, resolution, type of digital image, and the like, and an image pickup device 1212 capable of generating a high-resolution digital image is gradually being developed.

The initial image pickup device 1212 converts only the image at the moment when the image pickup command is input into a digital image and stores it. Recently, however, since the image is viewed from the display unit 151 rather than the finder, It should be converted. In order for the moving image to be smoothly displayed, at least 12 digital images are required per second, and in some cases, further digital images may be generated and provided to the display unit 151.

The conventional imaging device 1212 only generates a small amount of digital image for the image to be provided to the display unit 151, but the capacity of the digital image converted by the imaging device 1212 of the present invention before the imaging command is input Is characterized in that it corresponds to the size of the finally stored digital image. In order to use the digital image generated before the shooting command is inputted.

The temporary memory 162 is a device for temporarily storing a digital image obtained by converting the image input to the image sensing device 1212. The number of digital images stored in the temporary memory 162 is limited by the above- Depending on the size of the digital image to be converted by the image pickup device 1212. [

In particular, the temporary memory 162 of the present invention is characterized by storing the digital image converted by the image pickup element 1212 in a set time amount. The distance by which the lens 1211 is moved by the actuator 1213 during the set time is divided into N steps and the digital image of the image incident on the image pickup element 1212 when the lens 1211 is positioned at each step . Therefore, the capacity of the temporary memory 162 of the present invention is equal to or larger than N times the size of the digital image converted by the image pickup device 1212. [

For example, if a single digital image is about 2 MB and uses an image pickup device 1212 that generates 24 digital images per second, it calculates the minimum capacity of the temporary memory 162. If the time taken for the actuator 1213 to move forward or backward is about 0.5 seconds, the set time can be 0.5 seconds, and a minimum capacity of 2 * 12 = 24 MB is required in the temporary memory 162.

At this time, it is preferable that the movement period of the lens 1211, that is, the time taken for the actuator 1213 to move the lens 1211 forward or backward is equal to the set time. In this case, all images within the focal length range that can be obtained during the set time can be obtained. Thus, the time taken for the actuator 1213 to reciprocate once and then forward through the lens 1211 can be set to twice the set time, as described above.

The control unit 180 may store the digital image converted by the image pickup device 1212 in the temporary memory 162 or the main memory 161 or may control the display unit 151 to output the stored digital image. In addition, the stored digital image can be converted and processed. More specifically, when a photographing command is input, a digital image stored in the temporary memory 162 is output to the display unit 151 for a predetermined amount of time before the photographing instruction is input.

The digital image output to the display unit 151 may be the digital image 1010, 1020, 1030, or 1040 stored every time the focal length is changed or may be a multifocal digital image 1050 that is converted.

The converted image is obtained by synthesizing a focused part of a plurality of digital images 1010, 1020, 1030, and 1040 having various focuses stored in the temporary memory 162 as shown in FIG. 6 to generate a multi-focus digital image 1050 ).

For this multifocal digital image 1050, a plurality of images with slightly different focuses are required, and the position of the lens 1211 is moved by the actuator 1213 of the present invention and input to the image pickup device 1212 Converted into a digital image and stores the digital image in the temporary memory 162. The plurality of digital images having different focuses stored in the temporary memory 162 may be provided with basic data capable of generating a multi-focus image.

That is, using the digital image stored in the temporary memory 162 during the set time, the controller 180 generates a multifocal digital image 1050 in which the photographed object is mostly focused on the screen. Such a multifocal digital image 1050 has the advantage that a user can obtain a clear image without focusing on the focus.

Obtaining the multifocal digital image 1050 in this manner is possible by controlling the camera and the actuator 1213 which are conventionally mounted on the mobile terminal. Therefore, it is possible to simplify the structure by minimizing the structural change without mounting the camera module having the long lens 1211 on the mobile terminal.

7 shows that the control unit 180 outputs a plurality of digital images 1010, 1020, 1030, and 1040 having different focuses to the display unit 151, and FIG. And the focus digital image 1050 is output to the display unit 151. [

7, the digital image is converted into a digital image by the image sensing element 1212 for a set time before the image sensing instruction is inputted to the display unit 151, and a plurality of digital images 1010, 1020, 1030, 1040 Is output.

1020, 1030, and 1040 having the same screen but different focuses can be made and the display unit 151 can display the digital images 1010, 1020, 1030, and 1040 on the display unit 1212 because the set time is short, To the user.

When the user selects one of the digital images 1010, the digital image 1010 can be enlarged and displayed or stored in the main memory 161. Alternatively, when two or more digital images are selected, a focused portion of the selected digital image may be synthesized to output a multifocal digital image to the display unit 151 or may be stored in the main memory 161.

Referring to FIG. 8, the controller 180 combines the plurality of digital images 1010, 1020, 1030, and 1040 stored in the temporary memory 162 to generate one multifocal digital image 1050, 151, respectively. When a specific portion is selected from the multifocal digital image 1050 output to the display unit 151, the digital image 1010 focused on the selected portion is stored in the main memory 161 or outputted to the display unit 151 .

At this time, the focus pointers (f1, f2, f3, f4) can be displayed on the screen to clarify the focused portion.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, when a user selects a portion of a plurality of digital images 1010, 1020, 1030, and 1040 or selects a portion of a multi-focal digital image 1050, The user can directly touch the display unit 151 to select it, and if not, the button key can be operated to select it.

9 is a flowchart illustrating a method of generating digital images 1010, 1020, 1030, 1040, and 1050 using the mobile terminal 100 of the present invention.

First, the camera lens 1211 is repeatedly moved forward and backward to change the focal length of the image input to the image pickup device 1212 (S10). As shown in FIG. 5, when the actuator 1213 moves the lens 1211 in a predetermined range in a predetermined period, the focus distance changes, and the object focused on the image input to the image sensing element 1212 changes.

Next, the image input to the image pickup device 1212 is converted into a digital image, and a digital image of a predetermined amount of time is stored in the temporary memory (S20). Digital image refers to conversion of an analog image into electronic information, which is performed by the image sensor 1212.

As shown in FIG. 6, a plurality of digital images 1010, 1020, 1030, and 1040 having different focuses photographed within the set time may be generated.

The set time coincides with the time required for the actuator 1213 to move the lens 1211 forward or backward, and if the focused image is within the focal length range that the imaging device 1212 can capture during the set time, Can be converted into digital images 1010, 1020, 1030, and 1040, respectively.

The number of digital images stored during the set time may vary depending on the period of the actuator 1213, the set time, and the number of digital images converted per second. Although FIG. 6 shows four digital images 1010, 1020, 1030, and 1040 for convenience of explanation, the present invention is not limited thereto. The image pickup device 1212 converts the digital images 1010, 1020, 1030, and 1040 focused on objects a, b, c, and d located at different distances during the set time.

The image pickup device 1212 continuously generates a digital image until a photographing command is input, and the control unit 180 stores the digital image of the preset amount of time in the temporary memory 162. [ At this time, the temporary memory 162 is required to have a minimum capacity to store the converted digital image during the set time.

When the photographing instruction is inputted (S30), the photographing of the image input to the image sensing device 1212 after the photographing instruction is inputted is stopped in the temporary memory 162 (S40) To the display unit (S50).

At this time, when the user inputs a photographing instruction as long as the user does not intentionally shake the mobile terminal, there is not a large difference between the photographed image and the photographed image for the set time, and only the focal distance is different.

The digital images 1010, 1020, 1030, and 1040 having different focal distances stored in the temporary memory 162 are output to the display unit 151 of the mobile terminal (see FIG. 7) 151 (see Fig. 8).

7, the digital images 1010, 1020, 1030, and 1040 having different focal distances stored in the temporary memory 162 are output to the display unit 151 of the mobile terminal (S50) If at least one of the digital images stored in the temporary memory 162 is selected (S61), the selected digital image 1010 is stored in the main memory (S62)

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 8, before the step S50 of converting the plurality of digital images stored for the set time into the multifocal digital image and outputting the digital image to the display unit 151 for output to the display unit 151, A focused image of the image stored in the memory 162 is synthesized to generate a multifocus image 1050 and stored in the temporary memory 162 (S45). The synthesized multifocus image 1050 of the images stored in the temporary memory 162 is output (S55).

Thereafter, when a portion of the multifocal digital image 1050 is selected (S65), a digital image 1010 focused on the selected portion (a) is stored in the main memory 161 (S66). When two or more portions are selected, a plurality of digital images can be stored in the main memory 161. [

Alternatively, a multi-focus digital image focused on a plurality of selected objects of the user may be stored in the main memory 161. [

According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, a multi-focal digital image can be photographed while minimizing the structural change of the existing mobile terminal, and it is also applicable to a thin mobile terminal since several lenses are not required for a multifocal digital image It is possible to use it.

100: mobile terminal 110: wireless communication unit
120: A / V input / output unit 121: camera
130: user input unit 140: sensing unit
150: output unit 151: display unit
160: memory 161: main memory
162: Temporary memory 170: Interface section
180: control unit 190: power supply unit
1211: lens 1212: image pickup element
1213: Actuator
1010, 1020, 1030, 1040, 1050: digital image

Claims (15)

A camera lens for receiving and refracting an image of a subject;
An imaging device for converting an image incident through the lens into a digital image;
An actuator for repeatedly moving the camera lens forward and backward to change a focal length of an image input to the image pickup device;
A temporary memory for storing a digital image converted by the image pickup element in a set time amount;
A display unit for outputting a digital image stored in the temporary memory; And
When a photographing command is input, a multifocal digital image generated by synthesizing a digital image stored in the temporary memory and a focused portion of the digital image stored in the temporary memory before the photographing command is input is displayed on the display unit And a control unit for outputting,
Wherein the controller outputs only a digital image focused on the selected portion to the display unit or stores the digital image in the main memory when a portion of the multifocal digital image is selected. The method according to claim 1,
The temporary memory
Wherein the position of the moving lens during the set time is divided into N steps and the digital image of the image incident on the image pickup device is stored when the lens is positioned at each step. 3. The method of claim 2,
The capacity of the temporary memory
Is equal to or larger than N times the size of the digital image converted by the image pickup element. The method according to claim 1,
The size of the digital image converted in the image pickup element is
And a digital size of an image to be finally stored. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the time required for the actuator to reciprocate once and back around the lens is twice the set time. delete delete The method according to claim 1,
The control unit
Outputting the digital images stored in the temporary memory to the display unit,
Wherein only the digital image selected by the user is stored in the main memory. The method according to claim 1,
The control unit
Outputting the digital images stored in the temporary memory to the display unit,
Wherein the multifocal digital image is generated by synthesizing the focused portion of the digital image selected by the user and output to the display unit or stored in the main memory. delete delete delete delete delete delete

Images