# US 2013/0155255 A1 · Electronic device and method for controlling camera of the electronic device according to gestures > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0155255 A1 - Document ID: US20130155255A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/688,245 - Filed: 2012-11-29 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2011-12-17 - Assignees: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.; Fu Tai Hua Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. - Inventors: QI-LONG YU - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130155255A1 ## CPC - H04N 23/66: Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices - H04N 23/23: from thermal infrared radiation - H04N 23/61: based on recognised objects - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract A method for controlling a camera according to gestures for an electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes an optical camera, an infrared camera and a storage unit. The storage unit stores a table recording relationships between gestures for controlling camera and photographic commands. The method includes the following steps: generating a signal for activating a composite mode of the electronic device; controlling the optical camera to record real-time videos, and controlling the infrared camera to record real-time color temperature photographs; determining whether the gesture of the user is a gesture for controlling camera according to the video and the corresponding color temperature photograph; controlling the electronic device to enter a photographic mode when the gesture of the user is a gesture for controlling photography; and determining a camera command and executing the determined photography command. An electronic device using the method is also provided. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for controlling camera according to gestures, the method used for an electronic device having an optical camera, an infrared camera, and a storage unit storing a table recording the mapping relationship between a plurality of camera control gestures and a plurality of camera control commands, the method comprising: generating a signal for activating a composite mode for the electronic device in response to a user's input; controlling the electronic device to enter the composite mode in response to the signal; controlling the optical camera to record a real-time video of a gesture of a user, and controlling the infrared camera to capture a real-time color temperature image of the gesture of the user; identifying whether the gesture of the user is a camera control gesture by analyzing the real-time video and the color temperature image of the gesture of the user; controlling the electronic device to quit the composite mode and to enter a camera-activated mode, if the gesture of the user is a camera control gesture; and determining a camera control command according to the identified camera control gesture and the table, and executing the camera control command associated with the identified camera control gesture. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method as described in claim 1, wherein the step of “identifying whether the gesture of the user is a camera control gesture” comprises: synthesizing a composite image by using the real-time video photographed by the optical camera and the color temperature image captured by the infrared camera, the real-time video and the color temperature image being captured at a substantially same time; and identifying whether the gesture of the user is a camera control gesture according to the composite image. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method as described in claim 2, wherein the step “identifying whether the gesture of the user is a camera control gesture according to the composite image” comprises: identifying a hand image in the composite image; and identifying whether the gesture of the user is a camera control gesture according to the identified hand image and the table. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method as described in claim 1, wherein the camera control gesture is selected from the group consisting of: putting up a single finger, putting up two fingers, and putting up three fingers. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method as described in claim 4, wherein if the camera control gesture is holding up a single finger, the associated camera control command is to take a photo, if the camera control gesture is holding up two fingers, the associated camera control command is to record a video, and if the camera control gesture is holding up three fingers, the associated camera control command is to stop recording a video. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method as described in claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a mobile phone or a digital camera. ### Claim 7 An electronic device comprising: a storage unit, storing table recording the mapping relationship between a plurality of camera control gestures and a plurality of camera control commands; an input unit, configured for generating a signal for activating a composite mode for the electronic device in response to a user's input; an optical camera; an infrared camera; and a processor comprising: a mode control module, configured for controlling the electronic device to enter the composite mode in response to the signal for activating a composite mode, and controlling the electronic device to quit the composite mode and to enter a camera control mode if the gesture of the user is a camera control gesture; a camera control module, configured for controlling the optical camera to photograph a real-time video of a gesture of a user, and controlling the infrared camera to take a real-time color temperature image of the gesture of the user, when the electronic device is in the composite mode; and a gesture identification module, configured for identifying whether the gesture of the user is a cameral control gesture by analyzing the real-time video and the real-time color temperature image, the camera control module, configured for determining a camera control command according to the identified camera control gesture and the table, and executing the determined camera control command ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The electronic device as described in claim 7, further comprising an image synthesis module configured for synthesizing a composite image by using the real-time video photographed by the optical camera and the color temperature image captured by the infrared camera, wherein the real-time video and the color temperature image are captured at a substantially same time. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The electronic device as described in claim 8, wherein the gesture identification module is further configured for identifying a hand image in the composite image, and determining whether the gesture of the user is a camera control gesture according to the identified hand image. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The electronic device as described in claim 7, wherein camera control gesture is selected from the group consisting of: holding up a single finger, holding up two fingers, and holding up three fingers. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The electronic device as described in claim 10, wherein if the camera control gesture is holding up a single finger, the associated camera command is to take a photo, if the camera control gesture is holding up two fingers, the associated camera command is to record a video, and if the camera control gesture is holding up three fingers, the associated camera command is to stop recording a video. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The electronic device as described in claim 7, wherein the infrared camera is an infrared thermal imaging camera. ### Claim 13 (depends on 7) The electronic device as described in claim 7, wherein the electronic device is a mobile phone or a digital camera.