CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application claims the benefit under 35 USC 119(a) of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2019-0176827 filed on Dec. 27, 2019 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

BACKGROUND

1. Field

This application relates to an image capturing apparatus, an electronic device with a camera module, and a camera module control method.

2. Description of Related Art

Electronic devices, such as smartphones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), digital video cameras, digital still cameras, network systems, personal computers (PCs), monitors, tablet PCs, laptop PCs, netbook PCs, televisions, video game machines, smartwatches, automotive components, and the like, have been miniaturized.

Therefore, it may be easy to reduce the sizes of components included in an electronic device. However, it may be difficult to reduce a display area and/or a touch detection area of the electronic device, as compared with the other components of the electronic device.

The electronic device may include a camera module, which captures an external image. The camera module may utilize an image capturing path to capture an image external to the electronic device. In view of the image capturing path of the camera module, it may be more difficult to reduce the display area and/or the touch detection area of the electronic device.

SUMMARY

This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

In a general aspect, an image capturing apparatus includes a display member, configured to display an image; a camera module, disposed behind the display member; and a touch sensor member, configured to detect a touch input; wherein the camera module is configured to: capture a first image in a first position in front of the display member or in front of the touch sensor member, and capture a second image in a second position in front of the display member or in front of the touch sensor member, the second position being different from the first position, wherein an image capturing position of the camera module is moved such that at least a portion of a non-captured region, covered by the display member or the touch sensor member in one of the first image and the second image, is not covered in the other of the first image and the second image.

The camera module may be configured to capture the second image after the image capturing position is moved in a first direction, and may be configured to capture a third image after the image capturing position is moved in a second direction, and the image capturing position of the camera module may be moved such that at least a portion of a first non-captured region and a second non-captured region, that is covered with the display member or the touch sensor member in one of the first image, the second image, and the third image, is not covered in a remainder of the first image, the second image, and the third image.

The apparatus may further include a processor, configured to generate a composite image by composing regions other than the first non-captured region and the second non-captured region, in one of the first image, the second image, and the third image, and first and second composite regions corresponding to the first non-captured region and the second non-captured region in a remainder of the first image, the second image, and the third image.

The apparatus may further include a driver, configured to receive first and second camera control signals from the processor, and control the image capturing position of the camera module based on the first and second camera control signals, wherein the processor is configured to: store camera movement path information; generate the first camera control signal based on a determination that the camera module has captured the first image, and based on the camera movement path information, and generate the second camera control signal based on a determination that the camera module has captured the second image, and based on the camera movement path information.

The apparatus may further include a controller configured to: store camera movement path information; generate a first camera control signal based on a determination that the camera module has captured the first image, and based on the camera movement path information; and generate a second camera control signal based on a determination that the camera module has captured the second image, and based on the camera movement path information; and a driver, configured to control the image capturing position of the camera module based on the first camera control signal and the second camera control signal.

The apparatus may further include a driver, configured to: store camera movement path information; move the image capturing position of the camera module in a first direction based on a determination that the camera module has captured the first image, and based on the camera movement path information; move the image capturing position of the camera module in a second direction based on a determination that the camera module has captured the second image, and based on the camera movement path information.

The camera module may be further configured to capture a fourth image after the image capturing position is moved in a third direction, and one of the first direction, the second direction, and the third direction is diagonal to a remainder of the first direction, the second direction, and the third direction.

The display member or the touch sensor member may be configured to cover a front surface of the camera module.

The display member or the touch sensor member may include an electric wire, and the non-captured region is covered by the electric wire.

The camera module may be configured to capture a pre-image before capturing the first image, and the image capturing position of the camera module may be moved by an image capturing movement distance that is determined based on a thickness of a region corresponding to the electric wire in the pre-image.

The camera module may be configured to capture a pre-image before capturing the first image, and is configured to capture a plurality of images including the first image and the second image, the image capturing position of the camera module is sequentially moved by a number of times that is determined based on a number of a plurality of regions divided by a region corresponding to the electric wire, and a number of the plurality of images is determined based on the number of the plurality of divided regions.

In a general aspect, an electronic device includes a display member configured to display an image; a camera module disposed behind the display member and configured to capture a first image in a first position in front of the display member, and to capture a second image in a second position in front of the display member, wherein the first position is different from the second position; and a controller configured to control an image capturing position of the camera module such that at least a portion of a non-captured region, covered by the display member in one of the first image and the second image, is not covered in the other of the first image and the second image.

The display member may be configured to cover a front surface of the camera module.

The device may further include a processor configured to generate a composite image by composing regions other than the non-captured region, in one of the first image and the second image, and a composite region, corresponding to the non-captured regions, in the other of the first image and the second image.

The device may include a controller, configured to store camera movement path information, and to generate a camera control signal based on a determination that the camera module has captured the first image and the camera movement path information, wherein the driver is configured to control the image capturing position of the camera module based on the camera control signal.

The camera module may be configured to capture a pre-image before capturing the first image, and one of the processor, the controller, and the driver may be configured to determine an image capturing position movement distance based on a thickness of a region that is covered by the display member in the pre-image, and store the camera movement path information based on the image capturing position movement distance.

The camera module may be configured to capture a pre-image before capturing the first image, and capture a plurality of images including the first image and the second image, and one of the processor, the controller, and the driver may be configured to determine a number of camera movement times based on a number of a plurality of regions divided by a region covered by the display member in the pre-images, and store the camera movement path information based on the number of times of camera movement.

The driver may be configured to move the image capturing position of the camera module in a first direction, and move the image capturing position of the camera module in a second direction after the camera module captures the first image, and the camera module may be configured to capture a third image after the driver moves the image capturing position in the second direction.

The driver may be configured to move the image capturing position of the camera module in a third direction after the camera module captures the third image, the camera module is configured to capture a fourth image after the driver moves the image capturing position in the third direction, and one of the first direction, the second direction, and the third direction is diagonal to a remainder of the first direction, the second direction, and the third direction.

In a general aspect, a camera module control method includes requesting, by an electronic device, camera movement path information which includes a path through which an image capturing position of the camera module is moved; capturing a first image of the camera module; controlling a movement of the image capturing position of the camera module in a first direction based on the camera movement path information until the camera module captures a second image after the camera module captures the first image; capturing a third image of the camera module; controlling movement of the image capturing position of the camera module in a second direction based on the camera movement path information until the camera module captures the third image after the camera module captures the second image; and generating a composite image by composing regions other than a first non-captured region and a second non-captured region, in one of the first image, the second image, and the third image, and a composite region corresponding to the first non-captured region and the second non-captured regions, in a remainder of the first image, the second image, and the third image.

In a general aspect, an electronic device includes a display element; a camera module including an image capturing device; wherein the image capturing device is configured to: capture a first image disposed in a first image capturing position path of the camera module; and capture a second image disposed in a second image-capturing position path of the camera module; a processor, configured to compare the first image and the second image, and determine whether a portion of the first image and the second image is covered by a portion of the display element; and a controller, configured to capture a third image based on a result of the comparing.

The device may include a driver configured to move a lens of the camera module to control the movement between the first image-capturing position and the second image-capturing position.

The processor may be configured to generate a composite image from the first image, the second image and the third image, and output the composite image.

The composite image may be generated by composing regions of the first image excluding regions covered by the portion of the display element, with regions of the one or more second images that overlap the excluded regions of the first image.

In a general aspect, an electronic device includes a processor; a driver; and a camera module configured to: capture, in a first image-capturing position, a first image including an obscured region disposed in an image capturing path of the camera module; and capture, in a second camera module position, a second image excluding the obscured region; wherein the first image-capturing position is different from the second image-capturing position, and wherein the processor is configured to generate a composite image by composing regions of the first image other than the obscured region, with a composite region of the second image overlapping the obscured region.

The processor may be configured to determine thickness information of the obscured region, and generate image capturing position movement information of the camera module based on the thickness information.

The driver may be configured to move a lens of the camera module in one of an x-axis direction and a y-axis direction to control the image capturing position of the camera module.

The processor may be configured to generate camera movement path information based on a pre-image that is captured by the camera module before the capturing of the first image.

Other features and aspects will be apparent from the following detailed description, the drawings, and the claims.

