1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates generally to methods for determining operational settings, and, more particularly to methods for determining operational settings according to location information, and related devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the convenience of portable devices, such as mobile phones, smart phones, and PDAs, one can easily carry such devices when traveling. Some functions on the devices, however, are location (e.g. country) related. For example, television signal formats differ by country. In USA, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Philippines, Taiwan, and others, the TV signal format is NTSC (National Television System Committee). In Australia, China, Germany, Hong Kong, Singapore, and others, the TV signal format is PAL (Phase Alternation by Line). In France, Egypt, Iran, Vietnam, and others, the TV signal format is SECAM (Systeme Electronique Couleur Avec Memoire). If a portable device with TV-related functions is carried from USA to China, its TV signal format must be changed from NTSC to PAL, otherwise the portable device may not operate properly with a TV. Conventionally, the necessary changes in operational settings of portable devices are performed manually using certain user interfaces, which is inconvenient and time-consuming.
Methods for determining operational settings and related devices are provided.
In an exemplary embodiment of a method for determining operational settings, country information is retrieved on a device. An operational setting of a function on the device is determined based on the country information.
In another exemplary embodiment of a device, means for retrieving/acquiring first country information; and means for determining an operational setting of a function on the device based on the first country information are provided.
In another exemplary embodiment of a method for determining output signal format/exposure time of a function for use in a device, a table comprising a plurality of first fields for recording country information and a plurality of second fields, each of which being corresponding to one first field, for recording output signal formats/exposure time is provided. Then, country information on the device is acquired, and an output signal format/exposure time of a function on the device is determined based on the country information by looking up the table.
Another exemplary embodiment of a system comprises a GPS satellite, a mobile station, and a GPS server. The GPS satellite broadcasts GPS signals. The mobile station receives the GPS signals from the GPS satellite, and sends the GPS signals to the GPS server. The GPS server calculates position information accordingly, determines country information according to the position information, and sends the country information to the mobile station.
Another exemplary embodiment of a mobile station comprises a communication unit, and a processor. The communication unit listens to a control channel provided by a communication network, and receives system information of the communication network from the control channel. The processor retrieves country information from the system information, and determines an operational setting of a function on the mobile station based on the country information.
Another exemplary embodiment of a device comprises a GPS antenna, a GPS receiver, and processor. The GPS receiver receives and decodes the positioning signals broadcasted by GPS satellites via the GPS antenna, and calculates position information accordingly. The processor retrieves country information according to the position information, and determines an operational setting of a function on the mobile station based on the country information.
Another exemplary embodiment of a mobile station comprises a communication unit, and a processor. The communication unit listens to a control channel provided by a communication network, and receives system information of the communication network from the control channel. The processor retrieves country information from the system information, and determines proper exposure times for capturing images using an image sensor based on the country information.
Another exemplary embodiment of a device comprises a GPS antenna, a GPS receiver, and processor. The GPS receiver receives and decodes the positioning signals broadcasted by GPS satellites via the GPS antenna, and calculates position information accordingly. The processor retrieves country information according to the position information, and determines proper exposure times for capturing images using an image sensor based on the country information.
Methods for determining operational settings may take the form of program code embodied in a tangible media. When the program code is loaded into and executed by a machine, the machine becomes an apparatus for practicing the disclosed method.
The invention will become more fully understood by referring to the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Methods for determining operational settings and related devices are provided.
Several methods of retrieving country information (implemented in S310) are provided.
In an embodiment of a country map, the contours of respective countries in longitude and latitude are recorded. Once the position information, such as longitude and latitude of the device 210 is acquired, it is determined whether the longitude and latitude falls into any contours of a country. If so, the country is determined. In another embodiment of a country map, one or more circular regions are recorded for each country. Each circular region has a radius and longitude and latitude. Once the position information, such as longitude and latitude of the device 210 is acquired, it is determined whether the longitude and latitude falls into any circular region of a country. If so, the country having the circular region that the longitude and latitude falls into is determined. It is understood that the finer the circular regions are, the more accurate the country determination will be. In still another embodiment of a country map, one or more rectangular regions are recorded for each country. Each rectangular region is defined by longitudes and latitudes at its corners. Once the position information, such as longitude and latitude of the device 210 is acquired, it is determined whether the longitude and latitude falls into any rectangular region of a country. If so, the country having the rectangular region that the longitude and latitude falls into is determined. Similarly, the finer the rectangular regions are, the more accurate the country determination will be.
In some embodiments, the country information can be retrieved in the device 210. That is the country map is stored in the device 210, and the generation of position information, and determination of country information using the position information and the country map are performed in the device 210. In some embodiments, the generation of position information, and determination of country information can be performed by a GPS server.
It is understood that the country information can be set via an interface, for example a LCD display and a key pad (not shown), of the device 110/210 by a user. Furthermore, in some embodiments, after the device obtains the country information, the device can show the obtained country information on the interface for the user to confirm. If the user thinks the obtained country information is incorrect, the user can override and select a different country via the interface.
Additionally, the country information can be also derived from the city information set via an interface, for example a LCD display and a key pad (not shown), of the device 110/210 by the user. For example, when traveling from one country to another, the user may change the time zone of the device 110/210 manually by selecting the destination city from a city list provided in the device 110/210. The device 110/210 has a mapping table (not shown) associating a specific city to its corresponding country information, thus the device 110/210 can base on the user's city selection to obtain the country information by looking up the mapping table.
Several examples of operational setting determination for specific functions (implemented in S320) are provided.
An output controller 1330 is controlled by the processor 1305 to perform signal output operation. The output controller 1330 comprises an output signal format setting register 1331 for output signal format setting. The processor 1305 can change the output signal format by programming the output signal format setting register 1331.
A GPS receiver 1320 and a GPS antenna 1321 are optional. If they exist, the GPS receiver 1320 can receive and decode the position signals broadcasted by the GPS satellites via the GPS antenna 1321, and accordingly generate coordinate data indicating the location of the mobile phone system on earth. The coordinate data outputted by the GPS receiver 1320 is accessible to processor 1305, which can control the output signal format setting according to the coordinate data.
In the system in
As described above, a country map may be represented in one or more circular regions. In some embodiments, if the country information is determined according to the position information of the device 210, the area of a circular region may be the transmission area of a TV transmitter. In this way, the setting for output signal format will be more accurate.
The time adjustment module 1340 is controlled by the processor 1305 to perform time adjustment. The time adjustment module 1340 comprises current country information 1342, previously located country information 1343, and a time zone table 1344. The time zone table 1344 comprises a plurality of first fields for storing country codes, and a plurality of second fields. Each of the second fields corresponds to a first field for storing time zone(s) (standard time) where the country represented by the corresponding country code is located and covers. The adjustment module 1340 adjusts the system time of the system clock 1341 according to the current country information 1342, the previously located country information 1343, and the time zone table 1344. The detail of time adjustment is discussed in
Similarly, the GPS receiver 1320 and the GPS antenna 1321 are optional in the mobile phone system of
Similarly, in the system in
It can be easily understood that as for the device 210 having the GPS receiver 213, the information of time zone can be provided according to the position information, i.e. the longitude and latitude of the device 210.
The exchange rate determination module 1350 is controlled by the processor 1305 to determine exchange rates. The exchange rate determination module 1350 comprises current country information 1351, previously located country information 1352, and an exchange rate table 1353. The exchange rate table 1353 comprises a plurality of first fields for storing country codes, and a plurality of second fields. Each of the second fields corresponds to a first field for storing the exchange rate between the circulated currency in the country represented by the corresponding country code and a specific country dollar, such as the United States dollar. The exchange rate determination module 1350 determines an exchange rate 1354 according to the current country information 1351, the previously located country information 1352, and the exchange rate table 1353. The detail of exchange rate determination is discussed in
Similarly, the GPS receiver 1320 and the GPS antenna 1321 are optional in the system of
Similarly, in the system of
Digital camera function is becoming a popular application on mobile phones nowadays. In such a mobile phone a digital camera module is included, thus allows the user to take photographs or videos conveniently. The imaging principle of digital cameras is similar to that of conventional film cameras. The reflected light from objects is focused inside the camera via optical lens onto an imaging device. For a film camera, the reflected light causes a chemical change to the photographic material coated on the film, and the film need be developed after the darkroom process to obtain photos. For a digital camera, the imaging device is a light-sensitive semiconductor device called image sensor. When the image sensor is exposed to input light focused by the lens, the image sensor converts the light into electric charges representative of the light intensity. The electric charge strength is then read out and processed by an image processor to reconstruct the image captured by the sensor. Usually the reconstructed image data is further compressed to reduce its size, and eventually is stored as a computer readable file, such as a JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) file, to a storage media.
Two types of image sensors are commonly used in digital cameras: CCD (Charge Coupled Device) and CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) image sensors. Inside both types of sensors are large arrays composing of rows of photo-sensitive elements (called pixel), each of which is capable of recording the incoming light intensity electrically. To obtain a complete image captured by the image sensor, the rows of pixels are read out one by one by an image processor, where the pixel data are processed to reconstruct the captured image.
CMOS image sensors usually consume less operating power than CCD sensors, thus are widely used in cameras in mobile phones. Furthermore, due to size and cost considerations, a light exposure method called rolling shutter is often employed. In an image sensor exposed by rolling shutter, a few rows of pixels are exposed at one time. A complete image is built by
1. Reading the most exposed row of pixels, and then deactivating the row to stop its exposure;
2. Starting the exposure of the next unexposed row adjacent to the exposed ones;
3. Repeating the above steps on the next most exposed row and the next unexposed row, until all rows of the image sensor are read out.
During the exposure period, each pixel of the exposed rows accumulates its incoming light energy in the form of electrical charge. The accumulated electrical charge will be stronger if the incoming light is brighter and the exposure time is longer.
In an image sensor using rolling shutter, the rows of the sensor are exposed sequentially. To make the captured image looked smooth and natural, the light source should have constant luminance during the exposure periods of all rows of the image sensor. If, on the contrary, the luminance of the light source varies with time, the rows of the image sensor will pick up the change in luminance. As a result, the captured image will exhibit bands of different brightness, which phenomenon is called banding.
It is known that some lamps, such as conventional fluorescent lamps and incandescent lamps, flicker at a frequency twice the AC power line frequency. This effect, which is caused by the voltage fluctuation of the power source, is called lamp flicker. For example, in the United States the AC power frequency is 60 Hz, thus lamps would flicker at 120 Hz. In China, where a 50 Hz AC power is used, the lamp flicker frequency would be 100 Hz. When a camera with image sensor adopting rolling shutter is used in an environment illuminated with flickering lamps, banding could be severe because the lamps are generating unsteady light energy over the exposure periods of sensor rows.
A technique known to the industry which can reduce banding is to set the exposure time of the image sensor to a multiple of the reciprocal of the lamp flicker frequency. For example, in the United States to reduce the banding effect, the exposure time of the rolling shutter image sensor should be set to a multiple of 1/120 second, such as 1/120 second, 1/60 second and 1/30 second, whereas in China, exposure time should be set to a multiple of 1/100 second, such as 1/100 second, 1/50 second and 1/25 second.
Since the lamp flicker frequency is generally related to the AC power line frequency which differs by regions, to avoid banding the exposure time of a camera needs to be properly set whenever it is used. For a camera mobile phone that may be used in many places in the world, manually setting the camera sensor exposure timing would be troublesome to the user. Besides, the user may not be knowledgeable of the proper setting so wrong exposure timing could be selected. Therefore, the present invention discloses methods that change or help to change the camera exposure time setting based on the location or country information.
The image sensor module 1307 captures images by focusing incoming light via the lens 1308 onto the image sensor 1309, which outputs the raw image data to the image processor 1310. The image processor 1310 has a timing generator unit 1311 generating some image sensor control signals based on timing settings configured by the processor 1305, and one of the timing settings is the exposure time of the sensor that is controlled by the exposure time setting register 1314. The processor 1305 can change the exposure time by programming the exposure time setting register 1314. Images processed and reconstructed by the image processor 1310 are compressed by an image compressor 1312 to reduce the data sizes. Eventually the compressed image data is stored to the memory 1306, or another storage media 1313, again under the control of the processor 1305.
Similarly, the GPS Receiver 1320 and the GPS antenna 1321 are optional in the system of
Similarly, in the system of
It is understood that if several fluorescent lamps frequencies are used in a country, all the fluorescent lamps frequencies may be stored in the table, and the most commonly used frequency can be set as a default. In some embodiments, the device 110 may show all of the acceptable fluorescent lamps frequencies on the interface for user selection. Further, if several fluorescent lamps frequencies are respectively used in areas of a country, the specific fluorescent lamps frequency of one area can be located from a table recording respective areas and corresponding fluorescent lamps frequencies according to the position information generated by the GPS receiver 213 of the device 210. It is also understood that if no GPS signal is received, the previous position information can be used for locating fluorescent lamps frequency. In some embodiments, if no GPS signal is received, the system information from BCCH can be used for locating fluorescent lamps frequency. After setting the exposure time corresponding to the located fluorescent lamps frequency, the accumulated exposure energies for A and B are equalized, thus eliminating the banding situation.
Image sensors not using rolling shutter (e.g. mechanical shutter) may expose all its pixels at the same time thus are free of banding. When such a sensor captures images continuously very quickly, the flicker of light source could cause uneven brightness of the captured images. The presented invention can also apply to sensors.
It should be understood that not only the operation setting can be determined according to the obtained country information/position information, but also some country/area related information can be provided according to the same. For example, the voltage information and/or circulated currency regarding to the country/area represented by the obtained country information/position information can be provided when the user travels to different countries/areas.
As for the device 210 having the GPS receiver 213, an automatic operational setting of camera mode can be provided.
Methods for determining operational settings, or certain aspects or portions thereof, may take the form of program code (i.e., executable instructions) embodied in tangible media, such as products, floppy diskettes, CD-ROMS, hard drives, or any other machine-readable storage medium, wherein, when the program code is loaded into and executed by a machine, such as a computer, the machine thereby becomes an apparatus for practicing the methods. The methods may also be embodied in the form of program code transmitted over some transmission medium, such as electrical wiring or cabling, through fiber optics, or via any other form of transmission, wherein, when the program code is received and loaded into and executed by a machine, such as a computer, the machine becomes an apparatus for practicing the disclosed methods. When implemented on a general-purpose processor, the program code combines with the processor to provide a unique apparatus that operates analogously to application specific logic circuits.
While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. Those who are skilled in- this technology can still make various alterations and modifications without departing from the scope and spirit of this invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention shall be defined and protected by the following claims and their equivalents.
This application is a Continuation-In-Part of application Ser. No. 11/220,323, filed on Sep. 6, 2005, which is a Continuation-In-Part of application Ser. No. 11/091,166, filed on Mar. 28, 2005.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 11091166 | Mar 2005 | US |
Child | 11374823 | Mar 2006 | US |
Parent | 11220323 | Sep 2005 | US |
Child | 11374823 | Mar 2006 | US |