JP2010283791A - Communication system, communication method, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To assure easier setting among communication terminals for making communication. <P>SOLUTION: In the case where a transmitting object image and a number of sheets of transmitting images are set and a communication standard is selected for a digital camera 10 in the transmitting side for communication between a couple of digital cameras 10, the digital camera in the transmitting side is instructed to display a mark, for example, in accordance with the selected communication standard over the transmitting object image. When a user takes an image of a display section 32 of the digital camera 10 in the transmitting side with a digital camera 10 in the receiving side, this digital camera 10 in the receiving side selects the optimum communication standard, based on the image taken and receives the transmitting object images of the predetermined number of sheets. Thus a user of the digital camera 10 in the receiving side obtains the images only by taking the image of the display section 32 of the digital camera 10 in the transmitting side without performing any operation required for communication and inputting any data such as the code required for authentication. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a communication system, a communication method, and a program, and more particularly to a communication system having a transmission terminal and a reception terminal, and a communication method and program for communicating information between the transmission terminal and the reception terminal.

  Images received by a digital camera or a mobile phone having a photographing function can be received by another receiving terminal based on a communication standard such as Bluetooth (Bluetooth), wireless LAN (Local Area Network), or IrDA (Infrared Data Association). In the case of transmission to a device, it is necessary to make a predetermined setting for communication in both the transmission source device and the transmission destination device. For example, after the user of the transmission source communication terminal selects an image to be transmitted and selects a communication standard, the user of the transmission destination communication terminal selects the communication standard selected in the transmission source communication terminal. It is necessary to match the communication standards between the communication terminals by performing an operation for selection.

  In general, in order to complete an operation on a communication terminal, it is necessary to input a plurality of commands to the communication terminal, such as a command for executing display of a function screen and a command for selecting a specific function. In particular, since communication terminals place importance on portability, this type of operation is often complicated to some extent. Therefore, various techniques for easily performing an operation including a plurality of commands of this type have been proposed (for example, see Patent Document 1).

JP 2006-25075 A

  For example, the technique described in Patent Literature 1 captures an operation content represented by a plurality of symbols and character strings and captures the operation content into a communication terminal, thereby allowing a specific operation to be performed without inputting a plurality of commands to the communication terminal. It is a technology that makes it possible to complete However, since this technique requires a medium on which the operation content is displayed, it is difficult to apply it to operations such as unifying the communication method among portable terminals.

  The present invention has been made under the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to easily perform setting between communication terminals that perform communication.

  In order to achieve the above object, a communication system of the present invention acquires a transmission terminal having display means for displaying communication information for transmitting the image together with an image to be transmitted, and an image displayed on the display means. And a receiving terminal that receives information from the transmitting terminal using the communication information.

  The receiving terminal may include a photographing unit that photographs an image displayed by the display unit, and may acquire the communication information from the image photographed by the photographing unit.

  Further, the communication information may include information related to a communication method of the transmitting terminal, and the receiving terminal may select a communication method for receiving information from the transmitting terminal based on the information related to the communication method. Good.

  The communication information may include authentication information between the transmitting terminal and the receiving terminal, and the transmitting terminal may execute authentication based on the authentication information before transmitting the image.

  The communication information may be characters, numbers, or figures corresponding to the content of the communication information.

  The communication information may be displayed so as to overlap the image.

  The display unit may alternately display the communication information and the image.

  The communication information may include the number of images to be transmitted.

  In order to achieve the above object, a communication method of the present invention is a communication method for communicating information between a transmission terminal and a reception terminal, and transmits the image together with the image to be transmitted to the transmission terminal. And displaying the communication information for performing, and causing the receiving terminal to acquire the communication information from the image displayed by the transmitting terminal.

  In order to achieve the above object, the program of the present invention causes the control means of the transmission terminal to execute a procedure for displaying communication information for transmitting the image together with the image to be transmitted.

  Moreover, the program of this invention makes the control means of a receiving terminal perform the procedure which acquires communication information from the image which the transmission terminal displayed.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, it becomes possible to set easily between the communication terminals in which communication is performed.

1 is a block diagram of a digital camera according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows the display part of a digital camera. It is a flowchart for demonstrating operation | movement of the digital camera which transmits information. It is a flowchart for demonstrating operation | movement of the digital camera which receives information. It is a figure for demonstrating the modification of a mark.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a digital camera 10 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the digital camera 10 includes a photographing unit 31, a display unit 32, a display buffer 33, a command image creation unit 34, a communication unit 35, a command image extraction unit 36, a command image analysis unit 37, and a command input unit. 38, a control unit 20 for comprehensively controlling the above-described units, and a bus 21 for connecting the control unit 20 to the display unit 32 and the like.

  The photographing unit 31 is a unit that converts an image acquired by photographing a subject into an electric signal and outputs the electric signal. In the photographing unit 31, light incident through the optical system is converted into an electric signal by a CCD sensor (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) sensor, and is output to the control unit 20.

  The display unit 32 includes, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display). The display unit 32 displays an image based on the image data stored in the display buffer 33 according to an instruction from the control unit 20.

  The display buffer 33 sequentially stores the image data supplied from the photographing unit 31 via the control unit 20 and the image data created by the command image creation unit 34.

  The command image creation unit 34 creates an image (hereinafter also referred to as a command image) corresponding to the command input by the user via the command input unit 38, and outputs data relating to the created command image.

  The communication unit 35 includes, for example, a wireless LAN interface, a Bluetooth unit, an IrDA unit, and the like. And based on communication standards, such as Bluetooth and IrDA, it communicates with another information communication apparatus.

  The command image extraction unit 36 refers to the image photographed by the photographing unit 31 based on an instruction from the control unit 20, and if the command image representing a predetermined command is included in the referenced image, the command image extraction unit 36 Extract images.

  The command image analysis unit 37 analyzes the command image extracted by the command image extraction unit 36 based on an instruction from the control unit 20 and specifies the meaning content of the command corresponding to the command image.

  As can be seen from FIG. 2, the command input unit 38 includes a power switch for driving the digital camera 10, a shutter button for instructing photographing of the subject, a zoom key for setting the focal length of the optical system, and photographing. It includes various button switches for managing the image data. A user can operate the digital camera 10 via the command input unit 38.

  The control unit 20 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a main storage unit including a RAM (Random Access Memory) functioning as a work area of the CPU, a ROM (Read Only Memory), and a nonvolatile memory such as a magnetic disk. It consists of an auxiliary storage unit.

  The control unit 20 controls the imaging unit 31 according to various parameters and programs stored in the auxiliary storage unit and images the subject. Then, based on a user instruction input from the command input unit 38, each unit is controlled to transmit an image captured by the imaging unit 31 to another receiving terminal. If the image captured by the imaging unit 31 includes a command image indicating a predetermined command, processing corresponding to the command image is executed. Thereby, for example, the digital camera 10 can easily transmit and receive the captured image with the digital camera 10 having the same function as the digital camera 10.

  In the digital camera 10 according to the above-described embodiment, the control unit 20 controls the command image creation unit 34, the command image extraction unit 36, and the command image analysis unit 37. However, the configuration is not limited thereto. The control unit 20 may realize some or all of the functions of the command image creation unit 34, the command image extraction unit 36, and the command image analysis unit 37 according to various parameters and programs stored in the auxiliary storage unit. . In addition, in an image processor or the like connected to the control unit 20, some or all of the functions of the command image creation unit 34, the command image extraction unit 36, and the command image analysis unit 37 may be realized.

Hereinafter, image transmission / reception between the transmission source digital camera 10 and the transmission destination digital camera 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. In the following description, for convenience display and the digital camera 10 _A digital camera 10 of the transmission source, the digital camera 10 of the destination to the digital camera 10 _B. Further, each unit constituting the digital cameras 10 _A and 10 _B is displayed as, for example, the control unit 10 _A or the control unit 10 _B.

The flowchart of FIG. 3, a flowchart corresponding to the program to be executed by the digital camera 10 _A as side communication terminal which transmits an image. Further, the flowchart of FIG. 4 is a flowchart corresponding to the program to be executed by the digital camera 10 _B as side communication terminal for receiving an image.

Digital camera 10 _A control unit 20 _A, and the control unit 20 _B each digital camera 10 _B, when the power switch by the user is turned on, executes the processing shown in the flow chart shown in FIGS. 3 or 4 To do.

First, the control section 20 _A of the digital camera 10 _A is the first step S201, to check for a command from the user. For example, when the user operates the command input unit 38 to input a transmission target image and the number of transmissions to be transmitted, and selects a communication standard such as Bluetooth or IrDA, the determination in step S201 is positive. Is done. On the other hand, if any of the transmission target image, the number of transmissions, and the communication standard is not input, the determination in step S201 is negative. The control unit 20 _A, when this determination is affirmative the process proceeds to the next step S202.

In step S202, the control unit 20 _A, in response to input from a user, selects an image to be transmitted. Then, the control unit 20 _A stores information about the transmitted image to the display buffer 33 _A. As a result, the transmission target image is displayed on the display unit 32.

In the next step S203, the control unit 20 _A, in response to input from a user, determines the number to be transmitted of the image to be transmitted.

In the next step S204, the control unit 20 _A instructs the creation of the command image to the command image producing unit 34 _A. Command image producing unit 34 _A creates a command image corresponding to the command corresponding to the user input, stores information about the command image to the display buffer 33 _A. For example, when Bluetooth is selected as the communication standard by the user, the command image creation unit 34 _A creates image information related to the mark M1 indicating that Bluetooth is selected as the communication standard, and the display buffer 33 _A To store. Thereby, as can be seen by referring to FIG. 2 as an example, the mark M1 is displayed in a state of being superimposed on the transmission target image displayed on the display unit 32.

Further, the command image producing unit 34 _A creates image information about the command image M2, which means that transmits three transmission target image is stored in the display buffer 33 _A. Thereby, as can be seen with reference to FIG. 2, the command image M <b> 2 is displayed in a state of being superimposed on the transmission target image displayed on the display unit 32.

In the next step S205, the control unit 20 _A includes the communication unit 35 _A, and instructs the waiting communication connection request from the digital camera 10 _B. The communication unit 35 _A has received a communication connection request from the digital camera 10 _B (step S205: Yes), the control unit 20 _A proceeds to the next step S206. Thus, the communication between the digital camera 10 _A and the digital camera 10 _B is started.

On the other hand, the control section 20 _B of the digital camera 10 _B, when the power switch by the user is turned on to prepare for shooting by the user. When the shutter button of the digital camera 10 _B is pressed by the user to instruct the imaging to the imaging unit 31 _B. Then, the control unit 20 _B, the image of the imaging result, when it is determined that the display unit 32 of the digital camera 10 _A shown in FIG. 2 (step S301: Yes), the process proceeds to the next step S302 .

In the next step S302, the control unit 20 _B is the command image extracting unit 36 _B, to indicate the extracted command image. Command image extracting unit 36 _B performs extraction of all commands the image included in the image taken by the digital camera 10 _B. For example, extraction of the command image, may be stored templates corresponding to the command image in advance in the digital camera 10 _B, it can be realized by performing the template matching processing for the image obtained by photographing. In the present embodiment, for example, the image of the mark M1 and the image of the mark M2 shown in FIG. 2 are extracted.

In the next step S303, the control unit 20 _B is the command image analysis unit 37 _B, to indicate the analysis of the command image. Command image analysis unit 37 _B analyzes the extracted command image in step S302, it identifies the command corresponding to the command image. For example, the command image analysis unit 37 _B is by analyzing the image of the mark M1, the control section 20 _A of the digital camera 10 _A, the grasp that the selected Bluetooth as the communication standard. Further, the command image analysis unit 37 _B is by analyzing the image of the mark M2, the control section 20 _A of the digital camera 10 _A grasps that it has ready to send three pictures to be transmitted.

In the next step S304, the control unit 20 _B causes the communication unit 35 _B, to indicate the access to the digital camera 10 _A. The communication unit 35 _B, based on the analysis result in step S303, select the Bluetooth as the communication standard to access the digital camera 10 _A. Thereby, the digital camera _10A and the digital camera _10B are connected. Next, the communication unit 35 _B is an analysis result in step S303, notifies the digital camera 10 _A. The analysis result is, for example, the contents of commands corresponding to the mark M1 and the mark M2.

Control unit 20 _A of the digital camera 10 _A, in step S206, the contents of the command corresponding to the mark M1 and the mark M2 as the analysis result notified by the control section 20 _B of the digital camera 10 _B is, the digital camera 10 _A It is determined whether or not the command contents of the marks M1 and M2 displayed on the display unit 32 match. If the contents of the command corresponding to the mark M1 and the mark M2 as the analysis result notified by the control section 20 _B coincides with the command content of the mark M1 and the mark M2 is displayed on the display unit 32 of the digital camera 10 _A In step S206, the determination in step S206 is affirmed. If they do not match, the determination in step S206 is denied. The control unit 20 _A is, if the determination in step S206 is negative (Step S206: No), after cutting the communication connection, the process ends. Further, if the determination in step S206 is affirmative (step S206: Yes), the control unit 20 _A proceeds to the next step S207.

In the next step S207, the control unit 20 _A instructs the transmission of the transmission target image to the communication section 35 _A. The communication unit 35 _A performs the transmission of the transmission target image a predetermined number.

In the next step S208, the control unit 20 _A is performed in the transmission of the transmission target image by the communication unit 35 _A determines whether or not it is completed. When the transmission by the communication unit 35 _A is not completed, the determination in step S208 is negative, when the transmission by the communication unit 35 _A is completed, the determination in step S208 is affirmative. The control unit 20 _A is, if the determination in step S208 is negative, the process returns to step S207, until the determination in step S208 is affirmative, repeatedly executes the processing in step S207 and step S208. On the other hand, if the determination in step S208 is affirmative, the control unit 20 _A proceeds to the next step S209.

In the next step S209, the control unit 20 _A includes the communication unit 35 _A, to indicate the end of communication. Thus, the digital camera 10 _A and communicate with the digital camera 10 _B is cut.

On the other hand, the control section 20 _B of the digital camera 10 _B, at step S305, and instructs the reception of the transmission target image to the communication section 35 _B. The communication unit 35 _B is to receive the transmitted image transmitted from the digital camera 10 _A.

In the next step S306, the control unit 20 _B stores the transmitted image received example display buffer 33 _B, or the like in a storage medium (not shown).

In the next step S307, the control unit 20 _B determines whether the reception of the transmitted image is completed. For example, when the reception of all three images to be transmitted is completed, the determination here is affirmed. When the reception of all three images to be transmitted is not completed, the determination here is negative. Is done. The control unit 20 _B, when the determination is negative at step S307, the process returns to step S305, until the determination in step S307 is affirmative, repeats the processes of steps S305~ step S307. On the other hand, if the determination in step S307 is affirmed, the process proceeds to the next step S308.

In the next step S308, the control unit 20 _B causes the communication unit 35 _B, to indicate the end of communication. Thus, the digital camera 10 _A and communicate with the digital camera 10 _B is cut.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the digital camera 10 _A, setting of the transmission target image, setting of the transmission number, and when the selection of the communication standard is performed, superimposed on transmitted images, according to the transmission number For example marks M2, and for example, marks M1 corresponding to the selected communication standard, is displayed on the display unit 32 _a. Then, the user, when imaging the display portion 32 _A of the digital camera 10 _A is performed by the digital camera 10 _B, the controller 20 _B of the digital camera 10 _B selects the optimal communication standards on the basis of the captured image A predetermined number of images to be transmitted are received. Therefore, the user of the digital camera 10 _B as the transmission destination can simply shoot the display unit 32 _A of the digital camera 10 _A without inputting information such as an operation necessary for communication or a code necessary for authentication. it is possible to acquire images from the digital camera 10 _a.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited by the said embodiment.

For example, in the above embodiment, the digital camera 10 _A of the transmission source, quadrangle by mark M2, which consist of a combination of numbers and shapes that are shown on the display unit 32 _A, has been displaying the number of transmitted sheets, as shown in FIG. 5, for example The content of the command corresponding to the mark M3 may be defined as, for example, that the number of transmitted sheets is four. The digital camera 10 _B of the transmission destination reads the numbers shown at a predetermined location, such as corners of the upper left of the display section 32 _A, it is also possible to grasp the number as the transmission number.

In short, if the transmission destination digital camera 10 _B can automatically set the transmission standard and the like based on the display content of the display unit 32 _A of the transmission source digital camera 10 _A , the transmission source digital camera 10 _B can be used. format such graphics to be displayed on the display unit 32 _a of _a is not limited.

Further, in the present embodiment, a user on the basis of the image obtained by pressing the shutter button of the digital camera 10 _B of the transmission destination, settings such as the communication standard case has been described to be performed. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, for example, the display unit 32 _A of the transmission source of the digital camera 10 _A, based on the preview screen when located in the visual field of the destination of the digital camera 10 _B , the control unit 20 _B of the transmission destination digital camera 10 and _B may execute the setting such as the communication standard.

In this embodiment, the control unit 20 _B of the transmission destination digital camera 10 _B notifies the transmission source digital camera 10 _A of the contents of the command corresponding to the mark M 1 and the mark M 2, and the transmission source digital camera. 10 _a control unit 20 _a of, has been described a case where the authentication using the notified contents. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, for example, the display unit 32 _A of the transmission source of the digital camera 10 _A is, together with the transmission target image, symbols, characters, or to display the code consists of numbers or the like Using this, authentication between the transmission destination digital camera 10 _B and the transmission source digital camera 10 _A may be performed.

Further, in the present embodiment, the display portion 32 _A of the transmission source of the digital camera 10 _A includes a mark M1 or the like, a case has been described in which a transmitted image is displayed superimposed, not limited to this, the sender of the digital camera 10 _a of the display unit 32 _a, and the mark M1 or the like, and transmits the target image may be displayed separately. Further, the display unit 32 _A of the transmission source of the digital camera 10 _A includes a transmission target image and the mark M1 or the like, may be displayed alternately. For example, the user only time it is not possible to recognize with the naked eye, if possible to display the mark M1 or the like on the display portion 32 _A of the transmission source of the digital camera 10 _A, thereby recognizing only the transmission target image to the user You can also.

In the present exemplary form, the display portion 32 _A of the transmission source of the digital camera 10 _A, marks M1 corresponding to the communication standard, and only the marks M2 corresponding to the transmission number is set to be displayed, information regarding the communication Is not limited to these. For example, the size of the image to be transmitted, and the mark corresponding to the respective information, such as file format, may be displayed on the display unit 32 _A of the transmission source of the digital camera 10 _A.

Further, for example, the exposure time of the transmitted image, the photographing conditions such as shutter speed, and displayed on the display unit 32 _A of the transmission source of the digital camera 10 _A, the digital camera 10 _B of the transmission destination, captured by the digital camera 10 _B It is also possible to grasp the shooting conditions of the transmission target image by extracting a mark from the obtained image.

  In the embodiment, the program executed by the control unit of the digital camera 10 is a flexible disk, a CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read-Only Memory), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), an MO (Magneto-Optical disk), or the like. An apparatus for executing the above-described processing may be configured by storing and distributing the program in a computer-readable recording medium and installing the program in the digital camera 10.

  Further, the program may be stored in a disk device or the like of a predetermined server device on a communication network such as the Internet, and may be downloaded, for example, superimposed on a carrier wave.

  Note that when the above functions are realized by sharing an OS (Operating System) or when the functions are realized by cooperation between the OS and an application, only the part other than the OS may be stored in a medium and distributed. You may also download it.

  It should be noted that the present invention can be variously modified and modified without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the present invention. Further, the above-described embodiment is for explaining the present invention, and does not limit the scope of the present invention. That is, the scope of the present invention is shown not by the embodiments but by the claims. Various modifications within the scope of the claims and within the scope of the equivalent invention are considered to be within the scope of the present invention.

  The communication system, communication method, and program of the present invention are suitable for communicating information.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Digital camera, 20 ... Control part, 21 ... Bus, 31 ... Shooting unit, 32 ... Display part, 33 ... Display buffer, 34 ... Command image creation part, 35 ... Communication part, 36 ... Command image extraction part, 37 ... Command image analysis unit, 38 ... command input unit, M1, M2, M3 ... mark

Claims (11)

A transmission terminal having display means for displaying communication information for transmitting the image together with the image to be transmitted;
A receiving terminal for receiving information from the transmitting terminal, using the communication information acquired from the image displayed on the display means;
A communication system comprising: The receiving terminal includes a photographing means for photographing an image displayed by the display means,
The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the communication information is acquired from an image photographed by the photographing unit. The communication information includes information on a communication method of the transmission terminal,
The communication system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the receiving terminal selects a communication method for receiving information from the transmitting terminal based on information on the communication method. The communication information includes authentication information between the transmitting terminal and the receiving terminal,
The communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the transmission terminal executes authentication based on the authentication information before transmitting the image.   The communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the communication information is a character, a number, or a figure corresponding to the content of the communication information.   The communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the communication information is displayed so as to overlap the image.   The communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the display unit alternately displays the communication information and the image.   The communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the communication information includes a number of images to be transmitted. A communication method for communicating information between a transmitting terminal and a receiving terminal,
Displaying the communication information for transmitting the image together with the image to be transmitted on the transmission terminal;
Causing the receiving terminal to acquire the communication information from an image displayed by the transmitting terminal;
Including a communication method.   The program for making the control means of a transmission terminal perform the procedure which displays the communication information for transmitting the said image with the image to transmit.   A program for causing a control means of a receiving terminal to execute a procedure for acquiring communication information from an image displayed by a transmitting terminal.

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