Patent Publication Number: US-2011076002-A1

Title: Image Capturing Device and Method

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority of Taiwanese Application No. 098132924, filed on Sep. 29, 2009. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an image capturing device and method that minimize blurring of captured images. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     When taking pictures with digital cameras, pressing of a shutter button mechanism usually shakes the camera and may result in blurry captured image. Many techniques have been proposed to solve this problem, such as optical compensation or image processing compensation. However, the optical compensation technique increases the manufacturing cost of cameras, whereas the image processing compensation technique has limited effect. Another technique is to introduce a time delay after the shutter button mechanism is pressed when capturing images. However, users are unable to grasp the timing of taking pictures and may lose opportunities of capturing instantaneous images. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an image capturing device and method that may minimize blurring of captured images. 
     Accordingly, an image capturing device of the present invention includes an image sensing unit, a shutter button mechanism, and a control unit. 
     The shutter button mechanism is operable to generate a trigger signal when pressed and to generate a release signal when the shutter button mechanism is released after being pressed. 
     The control unit is coupled to the image sensing unit and the shutter button mechanism, and is configured to perform, in response to the release signal from the shutter button mechanism, a picture taking procedure for controlling the image sensing unit to capture an image. 
     According to another aspect, an image capturing method of the present invention is to be performed using an image capturing device includes an image sensing unit, a shutter button mechanism, and a control unit coupled to the image sensing unit and the shutter button mechanism. The image sensing unit includes a lens module, and an image sensor for capturing images via the lens module. The shutter button mechanism is operable to generate a release signal when the shutter button mechanism is released after being pressed. The control unit is configured to perform a picture taking procedure for controlling the image sensing unit to capture an image. The image capturing method includes: 
     configuring the control unit to perform the picture taking procedure in response to the release signal from the shutter button mechanism. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic view illustrating a preferred embodiment of an image capturing device and method of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram illustrating an image sensing unit, a shutter button mechanism, and a control unit of the preferred embodiment; and 
         FIG. 3  is a flowchart illustrating operation of the control unit of the preferred embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , a preferred embodiment of an image capturing device  200  of the present invention includes an image sensing unit  20 , a shutter button mechanism  30 , and a control unit  40 . 
     The image sensing unit  20  includes a lens module  21 , an image sensor  22  for capturing images via the lens module  21 , and a mechanical shutter mechanism  23 . 
     The shutter button mechanism  30  is operable to generate a trigger signal when pressed and to generate a release signal when the shutter button mechanism  30  is released after being pressed. The shutter button mechanism  30  is one of a mechanical switch mechanism and a touch panel in this embodiment. 
     The control unit  40  is coupled to the image sensing unit  20  and the shutter button mechanism  30  and is configured to perform, in response to the release signal from the shutter button mechanism  30 , a picture taking procedure  41  for controlling the image sensing unit  20  to capture an image. In this embodiment, the control unit  40  controls the mechanical shutter mechanism  23  for image capturing and further controls activation and subsequent deactivation of the image sensor  22  when the control unit  40  performs the picture taking procedure  41 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 , the image capturing method of this invention is to be performed using the image capturing device  200  that includes the image sensing unit  20 , the shutter button mechanism  30 , and the control unit  40  coupled to the image sensing unit  20  and the shutter button mechanism  30 . The image sensing unit  20  includes the lens module  21 , the image sensor  22  for capturing images via the lens module  21 , and the mechanical shutter mechanism  23 . The shutter button mechanism  30  is operable to generate a trigger signal when pressed and to generate a release signal when the shutter button mechanism  30  is released after being pressed. The control unit  40  is configured to perform the picture taking procedure  41  for controlling the image sensing unit  20  to capture an image. The image capturing method includes: 
     configuring the control unit  40  to perform the picture taking procedure  41  in response to the release signal from the shutter button mechanism  30 . In this embodiment, the control unit  40  is configured to control the image sensor  22  and the mechanical shutter mechanism  23  for image capturing when the control unit  40  performs the picture taking procedure  41 . 
     When taking pictures, the shutter button mechanism  30  is operable to generate a trigger signal when pressed and to generate a release signal when the shutter button mechanism  30  is released after being pressed. In this way, the image sensor  22  captures an image without disturbance distributed to pressing of the shutter button mechanism  30 , and blurring the captured image may be minimized accordingly. 
     Furthermore, the control unit  40  may be configured to control activation and subsequent deactivation of the image sensor  22  as an electronic shutter mechanism instead of adopting the mechanical shutter mechanism  23  when the control unit  40  performs the picture taking procedure  41 , in other embodiments of this invention. 
     Moreover, digital cameras designed such that half-pressing of a shutter button mechanism allows auto-focusing to be performed are known in the art. The present invention may be combined with the conventional function, i.e., performing auto-focusing before the release signal is generated, in other embodiments of this invention. 
     While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.