Image capture system with embedded active filtering, and image capturing method for the same
AssigneeHTC Corporation
InventorsFu-Cheng Fan, Ming-Tien Lin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An active filter includes a transparent area and a non-transparent area; a first cavity arranged in the transparent area and formed between a first pair of electrode plates; a second cavity arranged in the non-transparent area and formed between a second pair of electrode plates, wherein the second cavity connects to the first cavity through a first passage; a first liquid flowing between the first cavity and the second cavity for filtering light within a first wavelength range; and a controller for selectively applying a voltage difference to the first pair of electrode plates or the second pair of electrode plates to make the first liquid flow into one of the first cavity and the second cavity.
Claims14
An image capture system, comprising:
- a camera module and a processor,
- wherein the camera is operated in a first mode or a second mode and comprises:
- a lens;
- an infrared flashlight;
- an active filter configured to switch to a first state to filter light within a first wavelength range when the camera is operated in the first mode, and configured to switch to a second state to filter light within a second wavelength range when the camera is operated in the second mode, wherein the first wavelength range is not equal to the second wavelength range;
- and
- an image sensor capable of sensing light within the first wavelength range and the second wavelength range,
- wherein the processor is connected to the camera module and configured to instruct the camera module to operate in the first mode or the second mode for capturing an image, and
- wherein the processor is further used for:
- instructing the camera module to do automatic focus to acquire a preview image when the camera module is operated in the first mode;
- determining if focus is successful or not according to the preview image to instruct or not to instruct the camera module to operate in the second mode;
- and
- turning on the infrared flashlight and instructing the camera module to do automatic focus when the camera module is instructed to operate in the second mode.
An image capturing method, comprising:
- providing a camera module operated in a first mode or a second mode;
- and
- instructing the camera module to operate in the first mode or the second mode to capture images,
- wherein the camera module comprises:
- a lens;
- an active filter switched to a first state to filter light within a first wavelength range when the camera is operated in the first mode, and switched to a second state to filter light within a second wavelength range when the camera is operated in the second mode, wherein the first wavelength range is not equal to the second wavelength range;
- and
- an image sensor for sensing light within the first wavelength range and the second wavelength range,
- wherein the image capturing method further comprises:
- providing an infrared flashlight;
- instructing the camera module to do automatic focus to acquire a preview image when the camera module is operated in the first mode;
- determining if focus is successful or not according to the preview image to instruct or not to instruct the camera module to operate in the second mode;
- and
- turning on the infrared flashlight and instructing the camera module to do automatic focus when the camera module is instructed to operate in the second mode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.