Mobile device, computer device and image control method thereof for editing image via undefined image processing function

An image control method, applied to a mobile device including a camera service platform, wherein the mobile device complies an image transmission protocol and establishes an event queue and an extension unit according to the image transmission protocol, wherein the image control method comprises: receiving at least one control parameter of an image processing function of a camera service platform; generating a control item of the image processing function according to the controlling parameter; mapping the control item to a database and transmitting a notification including the control item to a computer device to transmit an image between the computer device and the mobile device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The disclosure relates to an image control method and, more particularly, to an image control method for electronic devices.

Description of the Related Art

Nowadays, a mobile device usually equips with a camera, and varies applications cooperating with the camera are thus developed, such as applications utilizing USB video class (UVC) to transmit images between a camera of the mobile device and a desktop computer.

Conventionally, an extension unit as defined by UVC in the mobile device should be supported by the computer device since UVC does not support the control items that do not originally exist in the mobile device. As a result, the general software developers cannot control to edit the captured image via a self-defined image processing function.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An image control method, applied to a mobile device with a camera service platform, the mobile device complies with an image transmission protocol and establishes an event queue and an extension unit according to the image transmission protocol, wherein the image control method comprises: receiving at least one control parameter of an image processing function of the camera service platform; generating a control item of the image processing function according to the control parameter; mapping the control item to a data base; and transmitting a notification including the control item to a computer device to transmit an image between the computer device and the mobile device.

A mobile device including a camera service platform is provided. The mobile device includes a storage unit and a processing unit. The storage unit stores a plurality of modules. The processing unit is coupled to the storage unit, and the processing unit accesses and executes the plurality of modules. The plurality of modules include an algorithm determining module and a generating module. The algorithm determining module receives at least one control parameter of an image processing function of the camera service platform. The generating module generates a control item of the image processing function according to the control parameter, maps the control item to a database, and transmits a notification including the control item to a computer device which has image transmission with the mobile device.

An image control method applied to a computer device is provided. The image control method includes the steps of: receiving a notification including a control item, wherein the notification is corresponding to an image processing function of a camera service platform, and the control item event is corresponding to a control item which is generated according to the image processing function; generating a control interface for controlling the image processing function to edit an image in respond to the notification; generating a control signal according to a control operation when the control interface receives the control operation corresponding to the image processing function; transmitting the control signal. The control signal includes at least one actual control parameter related to the control operation.

A computer device is provided. The computer device includes an extension processing module an application interface module. The extension processing module receives a notification including a control item event, wherein the notification is corresponding to an image processing function of a camera service platform, and the control item event is corresponding to the control item generated according to the image processing function. The application interface module with a control interface for controlling the image processing function to edit an image in respond to the notification. The extension processing module generates a control signal according to a control operation when the control interface receives the control operation corresponding to the image processing function, and transmits the control signal. The control signal includes at least one actual control parameter related to the control operation.

In sum, the image control method and the mobile device make the image processing function of the new registered camera service platform show as the control item of the data structure which conforms to the image transmission protocol, and then the computer device generates the corresponding control interface according to the control item.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1is a functional block diagram showing a computer device and a mobile device in an embodiment. In the embodiment, a computer device110is a personal computer, a notebook computer, a workstation or other computers that support image transmission, which is not limited herein. The mobile device120includes a camera service platform, such as a smartphone, a tablet computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA) that support image transmission, which is not limited herein.

The computer device110includes a storage unit112and a processing unit114. The mobile device120includes a storage unit122and a processing unit124. The storage unit112,122are used to stores data, such as a memory, a hard disk drive, which is not limited herein. In an embodiment, the storage unit112,122includes a plurality of modules.

The processing unit114,124are a central processing unit (CPU), a digital signal processing (DSP), a plurality of microprocessors, one or a plurality of microprocessors integrated with a digital signal processor, a controller, a microcontroller, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an integrated circuit, a state machine, or a processor of an advanced RISC machine (ARM), which is not limited herein.

In the embodiment, the processing unit114of the computer device110accesses an application interface module112_1and an extension processing module112_2stored in the storage unit112. The processing unit124of the mobile device120accesses the algorithm determining module122_1and the generating module122_2stored in the storage unit122to execute the steps of an image control method.

FIG. 2is a flow chart showing an image control method in an embodiment. The image control method can be executed by the mobile device120inFIG. 1, and the steps of the image control method are illustrated in details cooperating with the components inFIG. 1.

In step S210, the algorithm determining module122_1receives at least one control parameter of a first image processing function of a camera service platform. The camera service platform is an application of an image/video processing function or a control filters function developed by a vendor or a third party software developer, such as a parameter adjusting function, wherein the parameter is a white balance, an exposure value, a focal distance, photographic sensitivity, which is not limited herein. In an embodiment, the first image processing function is the image processing function of the camera service platform, such as beautify, special effect, time rewind, scene establishing functions, which is not limited herein. The image processing function can be realized by executing the image processing algorithm.

In an embodiment, the control parameter is data used to control the first image processing function, such as a category, a name, a method, an interval, a parameter and a priority, which is not limited herein. The priority, for example, is being earlier in a sequence of executing the first image processing function among a plurality of image processing functions when these image processing functions are applied to process an image simultaneously.

In an embodiment, the first image processing function is named as “time rewind”, the control parameter can be expressed as “category: shuttle flying; name: time rewind; method: range; interval: 0.2; parameter: −2 to 1; priority: 6”. The priority here represents the execution sequence of the first image processing function is the sixth when the first image processing function and other image processing functions are applied to process an image simultaneously.

In an embodiment, the algorithm determining module122_1configures a control path of the first image processing function according to the priority. The control path is corresponding to an execution sequence of the first image processing function and at least one existing image processing function. In an embodiment, the existing image processing function means that the image processing function is already existed in the mobile device120before the first image processing function installed in the mobile device120. In an embodiment, the existing image processing function has a corresponding control path. For example, when the priority of the first image processing function is 2, the control path of the first image processing function is configured after a control path of the existing processing function whose priority is 1. As a result, when the first image processing function and the processing function are applied to an image simultaneously, the mobile device120accesses the processing function to process the image according to the control path, and then the mobile device120accesses the first image processing function to process the image according to the control path of the first image processing function.

In step S220, the generating module122_2generates a control item of the first image processing function according to at least one control parameter. In an embodiment, the control item is data structure including a file descriptor or a statement. For example, when the mobile device120and the computer device110support UVC, the data structure complies with the UVC protocol. Since each data field corresponding to the control item of the UVC protocol has a specific definition, the mobile device120and the computer device110can match certain information based on the data structure of the control item. The data field is such as Name, Max, Min, Default and Current, which is not limited herein. In an embodiment, the data structure can adjusts adaptively according to the current used image transmission protocol.

In step S230, the generating module122_2maps the control item to a database and transmits a notification NO to the computer device110which has image transmission with the mobile device120. In an embodiment, the notification NO includes a control item event corresponding to the control item. In an embodiment, the database is a storage block of the storage unit122, and the storage block is used to store the control item corresponding to the first image processing function and the existing image processing functions. In an embodiment, the control item event is the data or the statement for noticing the computer device110that a new registered camera service platform arises at the current mobile device120.

When a new registered camera service platform exists in the mobile device120, the algorithm determining module122_1generates the corresponding control item according to the image processing function, and the control item is stored in the database. Further, the generating module122_2transmits the notification NO to the computer device110which has image transmission with the mobile device120, and the generating module122_2controls the image processing function of the mobile device120via the computer device110.

After the generating module122_2transmits the notification NO to the computer device110, the computer device110generates a control interface corresponding to the first image processing function. Therefore, the first image processing function of editing an image of the mobile device120is controlled via the control interface of the computer device110. The operation after that the computer device110receives the notification of the control item is illustrated in the embodiment ofFIG. 3.

FIG. 3is a flow chart showing the image control method inFIG. 2. The image control method in the embodiment can be executed by the computer device110inFIG. 1, and the steps of the image control method are illustrated in details cooperating with the components inFIG. 1.

After step S230, the extension processing module112_2receives the notification NO from the mobile device110in step S310. As stated in the above embodiment, the notification NO is corresponding to the first image processing function of an initial registered camera service platform. In an embodiment, the notification NO includes the control item event corresponding to the control item.

In step S320, the application interface module112_1newly adds a control interface for controlling the first image processing function of editing an image in respond to the notification NO. The image, for example, is the image of the mobile device120which is edited via the computer device110, or the image which is stored in the storage unit122of the mobile device120, or the image which is captured by the sensor unit of the mobile device120, which is not limited herein.

After the extension processing module112_2receives the notification NO, the application interface module112_1generates the control interface for controlling the first image processing function accordingly. The control interface includes an element corresponding to a control condition, such as a data field, a start key of each control parameter, which is not limited herein. As a result, when the image captured by the mobile device120is edited in the computer device110, the control parameter of the first image processing function can be adjusted at the control interface to edit the image.

In step S330, when the control interface receives a control operation of the first image processing function, the extension processing module112_2generates a control signal CS according to the control operation. Furthermore, in step S340, the extension processing module112_2transmits the control signal CS.

In an embodiment, the computer device110integrates control operations of the first image processing function to be the control signal CS, and the control signal CS is transmitted back to the mobile device120to control the mobile device120, and the image is edited or processed according to the executed control operation. The extension processing module112_2makes an adjusted control parameter (an actual control parameter) generate the control signal CS with the data structure the same as that of the control item, and then the mobile device120can receive the adjusted control parameter from the control signal CS.

In respond to the control signal CS transmitted from the computer device110, the mobile device120further includes a feature detecting module112_3and a video processing unit112_4to execute corresponding image processing operations.

FIG. 4is a flow chart showing the image control method inFIG. 3. The image control method in the embodiment can be executed by the mobile device120inFIG. 1; the steps of the image control method are illustrated in details cooperating with the components inFIG. 1.

After step S340, in step S410, when the generating module122_2receives the control signal CS, the generating module122_2searches the control item matched with the control signal CS in the database. When the database has a control item which is corresponding to the same image processing function as that of the control signal CS, the generating module122_2defines the control item as a control item matched with the control signal CS, which is not limited herein.

In step S420, the generating module122_2receives at least one actual control parameter (an adjusted control parameter) from the control signal CS.

In step S430, the video processing unit122_4edits an image to be a processed image according to the at least one control parameter. The image, for example, is the image of the mobile device120which is edited via the computer device110, and image is captured by a feature detecting module122_3. The image, for example, is the image which is stored in the storage unit122of the mobile device120, or the image is captured by the sensor unit of the mobile device120, which is not limited herein. Moreover, in step S440, the video processing unit122_4converts the processed image to an image to be transmitted which conforms to a format of the image transmission protocol.

In the image control method, the mobile device120generates the corresponding control item according to the image processing function of the new registered camera service platform, and the mobile device120notifies the computer device110of the corresponding control item event. The computer device110generates the control interface corresponding to the image processing function according to the control item, and the image processing function is controlled in the computer device110to edit the control parameter of an image. The computer device110transmits a control operation of an image processing function which is to be executed back to the mobile device120to allow the mobile device120to edit an image accordingly.

In an embodiment, regardless of the image transmission standard for image transmission between the mobile device120and the computer device110, the method and the mobile device in the embodiments also can be operated under the existing architecture of the image transmission standard accordingly.

FIG. 5is a functional block diagram showing a computer device and a mobile device in an embodiment. In an embodiment, the framework of the computer device110is similar to that ofFIG. 1, and the details are omitted herein. The mobile device120′ includes a sensor unit124and an extension mechanism122′. The extension mechanism122′ includes an algorithm determining module122_1, a generating module122_2, a feature detecting module122_3, a video processing unit122_4and a database122_5. A camera service platform123registered in the mobile device120′ includes an algorithm module123_1, a feature control module123_2, a video processing unit123_3and a switching unit123_4.

In an embodiment, the sensor unit124is controlled by an image capture component of a capture module127, the image capture component, for example, is a charge coupled device (CCD) lens, or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor transistors (CMOS) lens, which is not limited herein. Corresponding to the current used image transmission protocol, the mobile device120′ includes a virtualization module126′ to configure the mobile device120′ corresponding to the current used image transmission protocol. In the embodiment, the UVC protocol is used. The method in the embodiment is also adaptive to other image transmission protocol.

FIG. 6is a flow chart showing the image control method inFIG. 2toFIG. 4. The image control method in the embodiment can be executed by a mobile device120′ inFIG. 5; the steps of the image control method are illustrated in details cooperating with the components inFIG. 5.

In step S610, the virtualization module126virtualizes the mobile device120′ to be the device utilizing the image transmission protocol. In respond to the current used the UVC protocol, the virtualization module126virtualizes the mobile device120′ to be a device utilizing the UVC protocol. Further, the virtualization module126establish an event queue (event queue)125_1, an extension unit (extension unit)125_2and a video queue (video queue)125_3which are corresponding to the UVC protocol. The virtualization operation of establishing the event queue125_1, the extension unit125_2and the video queue125_3by the virtualization module126can be regards as that the virtualization module126configures the mobile device120′ corresponding to the current used image transmission protocol, which is not limited herein.

In step S620, the capturing module127controls the sensor unit124of the mobile device120′ to receive an image, or the capturing module127receives an image from the storage unit122of the mobile device120′. Then, the modules of the extension mechanism122′ execute the steps S210to S230according to the embodiment inFIG. 2.

When the camera service platform123is registered in the mobile device120′, the algorithm determining module122_1receives the first image processing function from the algorithm module123_1. Then, the generating module122_2generates the control item corresponding to the first image processing function, and the control item is mapped to the database122_5, and the notification NO′ of the control item event corresponding to the control item is transmitted via the extension unit125_2and the event queue125_1. In the embodiment, the extension unit125_2converts the notification NO′ to an instruction format conforming to the UVC standard, and the converted notification NO′ is transmitted to the computer device110via the event queue125_1.

The operations of the computer device110in respond to the notification NO′ can refer to the embodiment inFIG. 3, and the details are omitted herein. When the generating module122_2receives the control signal CS′ via the event queue125_1and the extension unit125_2, the modules of the extension mechanism122′ executes the steps S410to S440according to the embodiment inFIG. 4.

After the generating module122_2searches out the control item matched with the control signal CS' in the database122_5, the video processing unit122_4controls the image processing function corresponding to the control item according to the actual control parameter of the control signal CS′, so as to edit the image to be the processed image. In step S630, the video processing unit122_4stores the image to be transmitted to the video queue125_3, and the video queue125_3transmits the image to be transmitted to the computer device110.

In an embodiment, when the control signal received by the event queue125_1is used to control the camera service platform123to apply the existing image processing function on the image captured by the sensor unit124, the generating module122_2notifies the feature control module123_2via the feature detecting module122_3, the feature control module123_2notifies the sensor unit124accordingly. After the sensor unit124captures an image according to the control signal, the algorithm module123_1cooperates with the video processing unit123_3to apply the existing image processing function on the image. The switching unit123_4transmits the image generated by the video processing unit123_3to the algorithm determining module122_1. The modules of the extension mechanism122′ executes the steps S410to S440and S630according to the embodiment inFIG. 6.

In an embodiment, when the control signal received by the event queue125_1is used to control the camera service platform123to apply the existing image processing function on the image captured by the sensor unit124, the event queue125_1notifies the feature control module123_2, and the feature control module123_2notifies the sensor unit124accordingly. After the sensor unit124captures an image in respond to the control signal, the algorithm module123_1cooperates with the video processing unit123_3to apply the existing image processing function on the image. The switching unit123_4transmits the image generated by the video processing unit123_3to the video queue125_3. The video queue125_3transmits the image from the switching unit123_4to the computer device110.

In sum, the image control method and the mobile device can make the image processing function of the new registered camera service platform show as the control item of the data structure which conforms to the image transmission protocol, and then the computer device generates the corresponding control interface according to the control item. Therefore, even when the current used image transmission protocol (such as UVC) does not define a specific function of the image processing function, the computer device can still control the image processing function to edit the image of the mobile device via the control interface.