JP2003219268A - Photographing device and image forming method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a photographing device in which a configuration for performing a mechanical operation from a photographing means is eliminated, concretely, exposure control when both displaying and photographing a moving picture is accurately performed without using an ND (neutral density) filter, and a photographing device for identification photograph in which reliability and durability are remarkably improved by eliminating a shutter. <P>SOLUTION: This photographing device has a facial image photographing means for photographing the face of an object, a displaying means for displaying a facial image obtained by the photographing means, and a storing means for storing image data obtained by the photographing means. The photographing device has a controlling means for controlling electric charge amount accumulation time of the photographing means, and a controlling means for controlling an amplification factor of a video signal obtained by the photographing means. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a photographing device for print photographs and an image forming method used for, for example, an identification card, a student ID card, a passport, a resume, etc., and more particularly to a technique for controlling an optical system of the photographing device. Regarding

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Photographing apparatuses for illumination photography are very useful because they can obtain facial photograph prints of a predetermined size in a short time after inserting coins or bills. Such a photographing device for an identification photograph is, for example, a user enters a box-shaped photographing box, sits on a chair in the photographing box, the user presses a photographing button, and the user himself / herself becomes a subject and photographs the upper body of the user. Then, a print photograph in which a plurality of images are recorded is obtained on a sheet-shaped recording medium having a predetermined size.

In recent years, a photographing apparatus for identification photographs having an electronic image type photographing means using a video camera or the like has appeared, and the number of mechanical operation means is drastically reduced as compared with the conventional silver salt photography type photographing apparatus. However, even with a photographing device using an electronic image system, it was not possible to completely eliminate the mechanical operation means. Since the light amount adjusting means and the shutter means in the photographing means are indispensable constitutions for obtaining a printed photograph having a beautiful finished quality, mechanical operation having a certain degree of reliability has been used.

The light quantity adjusting means in the photographing apparatus for ID photo differs in the quantity of light entering the camera at the stage before photographing and at the stage of photographing using a strobe, and adjustment is made so that an appropriate quantity of light enters the camera at each stage. It is a thing. That is, the photographing device for ID photographs performs an operation called framing confirmation before photographing. This is to adjust the zoom ratio so that the subject's face is displayed as a moving image on the monitor so that the upper half of the body fits within the specified shooting frame. For example, the head and chin positions are set to determine the specified range of the shot image. . Then, this operation is mainly performed by manual setting by the user.

After the framing is confirmed, the image is taken. However, the light emitted from the strobe at the time of the photographing causes an environment in which the amount of light is much larger than that at the time of confirming the framing. Therefore, it is necessary to change the setting condition within a very short time so that the camera is set under the condition corresponding to the exposure environment at the time of shooting immediately after the framing confirmation is completed.

The specific operation for changing the condition in a short time is, specifically, squeezing of the camera or changing the gain of the video signal. That is, the squeezing change is adjusted in the direction to open the squeezing when displaying a moving image for framing confirmation, and to the direction in which the squeezing is closed when shooting with flash light. Further, the gain change of the video signal is designed to increase the sensitivity so that the imaging device can capture a large number of video signals during framing and decrease the sensitivity during imaging.

By the way, in the prior art, since the reproducibility of the squeezing is poor, the brightness (brightness) of the photographed image is changed, and it is no longer possible to obtain a print photograph of proper finish quality. There is a problem that the N ratio becomes poor and the moving image becomes difficult to see. An imaging device having a function capable of inserting / removing the ND filter on the front surface of the camera has appeared as a means for easily controlling the light amount at the time of displaying a moving image and at the time of shooting without causing such a problem.

In this photographing apparatus, an ND filter is inserted at the time of stroboscopic light emission for proper dimming exposure, and at the time of displaying a moving image for confirming framing, the ND filter is removed from the optical path to increase the amount of incident light. In this photographing device, the ND filter provided in front of the camera can be inserted / removed in a short time, and the light amount can be adjusted both at the time of displaying a moving image and at the time of photographing.

Further, in an electronic image type photographing apparatus, a shutter which operates in synchronization with strobe light emission is indispensable for obtaining a still image from a moving image. Specifically, a blade-type shutter is used to emit strobe light. Mechanical shutters are sometimes used to capture still images by moving the blades to open and close.

[0010]

However, in this photographing apparatus, since the ND filter is repeatedly inserted and removed during the display of moving images and during photographing, there is a problem that the ND filter cannot be properly inserted and removed with long-term use. . That is, there is a problem that the ND filter does not enter the optical path by a predetermined amount when a moving image is displayed for framing, or the ND filter remains in the optical path during shooting.
Further, the parts constituting the ND filter are easily damaged by repeated sliding, and it is necessary to replace the parts in a short time, and the maintenance system of the device is significantly reduced. As described above, the image pickup apparatus using the ND filter has a problem that the reproducibility of the operation is deteriorated due to repeated use and the durability of the parts is deteriorated.

Further, since the shutter incorporated in the video camera has a complicated structure like a blade type shutter and has many sliding parts, the reproducibility of the operation and the durability of parts are deteriorated due to long-term use. Easy to cause.

Further, the influence of the installation environment of the photographing device for the ID photo cannot be ignored, and the place is subject to frequent vibration such as under the elevated line, or the place having a lot of humidity such as a rural area, or In an imaging device installed in a harsh environment, such as an area with a large amount of salt, such as along the coast, the members that perform mechanical operations are more deteriorated, and reliability and durability are significantly reduced.

As described above, in order to achieve a photographing apparatus having high reliability and high durability, it has been considered to completely remove the structure for mechanically operating the photographing means, but it is quite easy to achieve. However, the ID photo-taking device, which does not have a mechanical structure in the shooting means, was still in the development stage.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and provides a photographing apparatus having high reliability and high durability that can withstand long-term use by eliminating the structure for mechanically operating the photographing means. The purpose is to do. Specifically, a photographing device capable of setting conditions suitable for each exposure environment at the time of displaying a moving image for confirming the framing and at the time of photographing with stroboscopic light emission without using a mechanism for mechanically inserting and removing the ND filter in the photographing means. The purpose is to provide.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a photographing apparatus capable of displaying a bright moving image with a proper squeezing when strobe light is emitted, without changing the setting of the squeezing both during displaying a moving image and during shooting.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a photographing apparatus which can obtain a printed photograph having a beautiful finished quality without using a mechanical shutter such as a blade type shutter which moves a member.

[0017]

Means for Solving the Problems The inventors of the present invention have made continuous studies and efforts every day, and paid attention to the charge accumulation time in the CCD used in the electronic image type photographing means, and when the moving image was displayed and when the moving image was photographed. We found that by changing the charge accumulation time in the CCD of the camera at the time, the shutter speed of the camera can be changed, and a bright moving image can be displayed at the squeezed value under the strobe lighting condition without inserting and removing the ND filter. It was

Further, the inventors of the present invention, after further studies, change the amplification factor of the video signal from the photographing means,
It has been found that a bright moving image can be displayed with a squeezing value under a stroboscopic light emission condition without inserting and removing an ND filter.

Further, the inventors have found that a still image can be obtained from a moving image by storing image data at the time of strobe light emission in a photographing device without using a shutter accompanied by mechanical operation.

That is, the present invention achieves the above object by any one of the structures described below.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, "a face image photographing means for photographing a face of a subject, a display means for displaying a face image obtained by the photographing means, and image data obtained by the photographing means are stored. And a storage unit for controlling the amount of electric charge accumulated in the photographing unit.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the charge storage amount in the CCD incorporated in the digital camera or the video camera is provided by having the control means for controlling the charge amount accumulated in the image pickup means in the photographing device. Can be changed between when displaying a moving image and when shooting. As a result, it is possible to display a bright moving image without taking the ND filter and to shoot without changing the squeezing setting of the camera.

According to a second aspect of the invention, "a face image photographing means for photographing a face of a subject, a display means for displaying a face image obtained by the photographing means, and image data obtained by the photographing means are stored. An image pickup apparatus having a storage unit for storing the charge amount, the image pickup apparatus having a control unit for controlling a charge amount accumulation time of the image pickup unit.
Is.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, by providing the control means for controlling the charge accumulation time in the photographing means in the photographing device, the CCD incorporated in the digital camera or the video camera, which is the photographing means, can be used. It is possible to change the amount of accumulated electric charge between when displaying a moving image and when shooting. As a result, it is possible to display a bright moving image and perform shooting without changing the squeezing setting of the camera without performing the insertion / removal operation of the ND filter.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, "a face image photographing means for photographing a face of a subject, a display means for displaying a face image obtained by the photographing means, and image data obtained by the photographing means are stored. And a storage unit for storing the image signal. The image capturing apparatus includes a control unit that controls an amplification factor of a video signal obtained by the image capturing unit.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, by including the control means for controlling the amplification factor of the video signal obtained by the photographing means, the amplification factor of the video signal is changed between the time of displaying a moving image and the time of photographing. It becomes possible. As a result, ND
A bright moving image can be displayed without inserting or removing a filter, and it is possible to shoot under strobe lighting without changing the aperture setting of the camera.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, "a face image photographing means for photographing a face of a subject, a display means for displaying a face image obtained by the photographing means, and image data obtained by the photographing means are stored. And a storage unit for controlling the amount of charge accumulated in the photographing unit and the amplification factor of a video signal obtained from the photographing unit. Image capturing device ”.

According to the invention described in claim 4, the control means capable of controlling two factors, that is, the amount of charge accumulated in the photographing means and the amplification factor of the video signal obtained by the photographing means, enables the camera to be controlled. It is possible to change the charge accumulation amount in the CCD and the amplification factor of the video signal between when the moving image is displayed and when the image is captured. As a result, a bright moving image can be displayed without inserting or removing the ND filter, and shooting can be performed under strobe lighting without changing the aperture setting of the camera. High reliability with no mechanical operation when adjusting the light amount. Thus, a photographing device having high durability is achieved.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, "a face image photographing means for photographing a face of a subject, a display means for displaying a face image obtained by the photographing means, and image data obtained by the photographing means are stored. And a storage unit for storing the charge amount of the image capturing unit and an amplification factor of a video signal obtained from the image capturing unit. Image capturing device ”.

According to the invention described in claim 5, the control means capable of controlling two factors, that is, the charge accumulation time in the photographing means and the amplification factor of the video signal obtained by the photographing means, controls the camera. It is possible to change the charge accumulation amount in the CCD and the amplification factor of the video signal between when the moving image is displayed and when the image is captured. As a result, a bright moving image can be displayed without inserting or removing the ND filter, and shooting can be performed under strobe lighting without changing the aperture setting of the camera. High reliability with no mechanical operation when adjusting the light amount. Thus, an imaging device having high durability and cost reduction can be achieved.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, "the photographing device has an indirect illumination device therein, and a control means for selecting image data obtained when the indirect illumination device emits light and storing the image data in a storage means. The imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

According to the sixth aspect of the invention, since the photographing device selectively stores only the image data when the indirect illumination device emits light, a shutter having a mechanical structure such as a blade-type shutter is unnecessary. Thus, a cost-reduced imaging device having high reliability and durability can be achieved.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, "processing means for producing image data for print output on a recording medium using the image data obtained when the indirect lighting device emits light stored in the storage means. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, by having a processing means for producing image data for a print photograph using the image data obtained when the indirect lighting device emits light, the photographing apparatus main body or If the photographing apparatus is connected to a network, it is possible to provide a beautiful finished quality face photograph image output on the recording medium from the printer connected to the network desired by the user.

The invention described in claim 8 is the “imaging device according to claim 6 or 7, wherein at least two of the indirect illumination devices are provided”.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, "at least one of the indirect illumination devices is arranged at a position which is one-third or less of a height above the ground in the center of the subject. The imaging device according to any one of 6 to 8 ”.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, "At least one of the indirect illumination devices is provided so that the ceiling of the photographing box serves as a reflecting surface. Imaging device according to any one of 9 ”.

The invention according to claim 11 is that "at least one of the indirect lighting devices has a guide number of 4".
It is 0 or more. The imaging device according to any one of claims 6 to 10.

According to the invention described in any one of claims 6 to 11, since the ND filter and the mechanical shutter are not required, the cost is reduced, the reliability is high, and the durability is high. At times, it is possible to provide a photographing apparatus capable of obtaining a high quality image having a beautiful finish quality by uniformly illuminating the subject and not generating a dark portion or a shining portion on the subject.

According to the twelfth aspect of the present invention, "The squeezing of the camera is changed by changing the charge accumulation amount of the camera when the moving image of the face of the subject is displayed on the monitor and when the face of the subject is photographed. Image forming method characterized by photographing the face of the subject under strobe light.

According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, "a camera squeezing is performed by changing an amplification factor of a video signal of the camera when a moving image of the face of the subject is displayed on the monitor and when the face of the subject is photographed. An image forming method characterized by photographing a face of a subject under stroboscopic light emission without change.

According to the twelfth and thirteenth aspects of the present invention, by adjusting the light amount of the camera by changing the charge accumulation amount of the CCD and the amplification factor of the video signal, the aperture value of the camera is always set to be constant. Therefore, it is possible to provide a high quality facial photograph image by the photographing device having high reliability.

According to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, "from the image data of the subject obtained in the moving image, the image data at the time of strobe light emission is selected and stored, and the stored image data is used for print output. And an image forming method ”.

According to the fourteenth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a facial photograph print having a beautiful finish quality.

[0045]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of a photographing apparatus according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the photographing apparatus having the box-shaped photographing box shown in this embodiment. 1 is a side view of the image capturing apparatus, FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the image capturing unit and control commands, FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the schematic configuration of the image capturing apparatus, and FIG.
Is a time chart showing an example of a charge storage time of a CCD during a moving image display period and strobe light emission, FIG. 5 is a front view showing an indirect lighting device arranged below, and FIG. 6 is a flowchart of the operation of the photographing device.

As shown in FIG. 1, the photographing apparatus 1 of this embodiment is a photographing apparatus for photographing a subject 3 located in a box-shaped photographing box 2. The inside of the photographing box 2 is divided into a photographing room 5 and a device room 6 by the front panel 4.

In the photographing room 5, a chair 10 is provided on the floor 2a of the photographing box 2, and a person to be photographed as a subject 3 sits in the chair 10 for photographing.

In the lighting room 5, indirect lighting devices 11 and 12 are provided.
Are provided on the floor 2a at the left and right rear sides of the chair 10, and the light emitting units 11a and 12a of the indirect lighting devices 11 and 12 are the chair 1
It is arranged at a position lower than the seat surface 10a of 0. The light emitting portions 11a and 12a of the indirect lighting devices 11 and 12 are provided at positions H2 and H3 that are one third or less of the ground height H1 of the central portion O1. The light emitting portions 11a and 12a of the indirect illumination devices 11 and 12 irradiate the front panel 4 so that the front panel 4 serves as a reflection surface and indirect light is incident from the front side of the subject 3.

On the upper rear side of the chair 10, the indirect lighting device 1 is provided.
3 is provided on the rear wall portion 2b of the photographing box 2. The light emitting unit 13a of the indirect illumination device 13 irradiates the ceiling 2c of the photographing box 2 so that the ceiling 2c serves as a reflecting surface, and the indirect light is incident on the subject 3 from above.

An indirect lighting device 14 is provided on the ceiling portion 2c at a position in front of the central portion O1. The light emitting portion 14a of the indirect illumination device 14 irradiates the ceiling portion 2c, and the ceiling portion 2c and the front panel 4 serve as a reflecting surface so that the indirect light strikes the subject 3 from above.

An indirect lighting device 15 is provided on the front panel 4 at a position on the front upper side of the chair 10. The light emitting portion 15a of the indirect illumination device 15 irradiates the reflecting surface 15b, and the indirect light reflected by the reflecting surface 15b is further reflected by the ceiling portion 2c and strikes the subject 3 from the front side.

Inside the apparatus room 6, there are arranged a photographing section 20, which is an image photographing means for photographing the subject 3, an illumination control section 21, a Bilbury coin mech 22, a user input section 23, a printer section 24, and a control section 25. Has been done.

The photographing section 20 includes a digital camera 200,
A mirror box 201 is arranged. The digital camera 200 has a CCD 200a, and a focus defining lens 202 is arranged in front of the CCD 200a. A front glass 204 is provided in the mirror box 201 at a position facing the subject 3. The light incident from the front glass 204 passes through the half mirror 205 and the focus regulating lens 202 to the CCD 200a of the digital camera 200.
The digital camera 200 photographs the subject 3 and outputs the subject 3 as an image signal.

The control unit 25 controls the image signal photographed by the digital camera 200, creates print image data for print output from the photographed image data, and stores the image data in the DVD 251, and Memory 2
54, an I / O control 252, a SCSI interface (I / F) 253, and controls the photographing unit 20, the illumination control unit 21, the Bilbury coin mech 22, and the printer unit 24.

The image of the subject 3 imaged by the digital camera 200 is displayed on the television monitor 207 which is a display means, and the image of the subject 3 can be viewed by the user who is the subject through the half mirror 205. Has become.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the controller 25
Is the digital camera 200, TV monitor 207, CC
The amount of charge accumulated in D200a, the charge accumulation time, and the amplification factor of the image signal captured by the digital camera 200 are controlled.

To control the amount of electric charge accumulated in the CCD 200a of the digital camera 200, specifically, when the user presses the form selection button 230, the control unit 25 displays on the television monitor 207 via the I / O control 252. Operates to display a moving image. When displaying a moving image, the control unit 2
5 is for setting the charge accumulation time of the CCD 200a in a direction to be delayed, that is, by slowing the shutter speed of the camera to display a bright and highly visible moving image.

Since the camera used in the photographing apparatus according to the present invention does not use a shutter having a mechanical structure in which a blade plate is combined and opened and closed, the shutter speed of the camera here means the CCD 200a.
Means the charge storage time, and the amount of charge storage is controlled by this.

The charge storage time capable of displaying a bright and highly visible moving image is 1/60 second to 1 in a normal video camera as long as it is an environment capable of sufficiently capturing continuous light such as a fluorescent lamp or an electric lamp. / 30 seconds. In an environment where such continuous light is not sufficiently obtained, 1/10 to 1/4
This can be achieved in seconds, but with such a charge accumulation time, a motion such as a frame drop becomes jerky, but in the image pickup apparatus of the present invention, the photographed person sits on a chair and stands still. There is no problem in practical use even with a dropped image.

From the control unit 25, the digital camera 20
The control information sent to 0 is sent via an interface such as a USB connecting the control unit 25 and the digital camera 200.

As described above, according to the present invention, when the moving image of the subject 3 is displayed on the television monitor 207 before photographing, the shutter speed of the digital camera is controlled so that the subject positioned in the box-shaped photographing box 2 can be monitored on the television monitor. It is possible to display a bright moving image on 207.

Further, in the present invention, the digital camera 200
By controlling the amplification rate of the obtained camera video signal by the control unit 25, a bright and highly visible moving image can be displayed on the television monitor 207. That is, a bright moving image display can be obtained by controlling so as to increase the amplification factor of the camera video signal.

When the amplification factor of the camera video signal obtained from the digital camera 200 is increased, the noise is increased and the image is displayed. However, since the amplification factor is restored at the time of shooting, CC
The exposure amount to D200a does not change. That is, since the image data itself does not change, therefore, it goes without saying that increasing the amplification factor does not affect the image quality of the printed photograph. There is no problem as long as the person to be photographed can confirm the moving image with the increased amplification factor.

As described above, in the present invention, when the moving image is displayed on the television monitor 207 before the subject 3 is photographed, the CCD 20 is displayed.
By setting the charge storage time of 0a longer or controlling it so as to increase the amplification factor of the video signal of the camera, the subject located in the box-shaped photographing box 2 is monitored by the television monitor 20.
It is possible to display a bright moving image with high visibility on the display 7.

Further, in the present invention, a bright moving image display may be performed by using both the control of the charge storage amount of the CCD 200a and the control of the amplification factor of the video signal. In this case, CCD
When it is difficult to display a moving image having a brightness that can withstand practical use only by controlling the charge storage time (shutter speed) of 200a, it is preferable to further control to increase the amplification factor of the video signal.

In the present invention, the charge accumulation time of the CCD 200a and the amplification factor of the camera video signal are controlled by connecting the control unit 25 and the digital camera 200 to an interface such as a USB and using commands through the interface. It The interface such as USB may be built in the device, externally attached, or any of them.

Next, when the user who is the subject 3 presses the photographing button 231, the controller 25 causes the I / O control 2 to operate.
Via 52, the charge accumulation time of the CCD 200a is set to be shortened. That is, at the time of shooting, the image data when the flash is emitted is stored in the storage means in the control unit 25 by increasing the shutter speed of the camera.

Further, in the case where the amplification factor of the video signal from the digital camera is changed in order to display a bright moving image, the amplification factor is lowered to the original level to perform photographing,
The image data at the time of strobe light emission is stored in the storage means of the control unit 25. Note that there are digital cameras that have a performance that does not affect the image data at the time of shooting even if shooting is performed with the amplification factor of the video signal under the setting conditions for moving image display. When using such a camera, It is possible to shoot with the same amplification rate for displaying moving images without lowering the amplification rate.

In this way, the digital camera 20 is photographed.
Image data at flash emission from 0 is USB
It is taken into the control unit 25 via an interface such as.

In the present invention, the squeezing of the camera does not change the setting at the time of shooting or displaying a moving image. Then, the aperture value set in the camera is set to a value under the condition that an appropriate exposure is achieved by the amount of strobe light. Specifically, it is necessary to have an aperture value of 5.6 or more in order to obtain a high-resolution image quality. Is more preferable, 8 to 22 is more preferable, and 11 to 16 is particularly preferable.

The charge accumulation time (shutter speed) of the CCD 200a at the time of photographing is within the range of strobe tuning, and is preferably 1/60 seconds or less, more preferably 1/125 to 1/250 seconds. . If the charge accumulation time is too slow, it will be affected by illumination for moving image display and external light, and it will be difficult to store image data at the time of flash emission in the storage means.

FIG. 4 is an example of a time chart showing the moving image display period of the digital camera according to the present invention and the charge accumulation time of the CCD 200a at the time of strobe light emission. That is, the CCD 200a uses the image data as an electrical signal in the control unit 25, for example, every 1/4 second in the moving image display period.
To be displayed as a moving image on the television monitor 207.
Further, at the time of photographing, the charge accumulation time is, for example, 1/12
The image data at the time of stroboscopic light emission is reliably captured with a proper exposure for 5 seconds, and the image data is stored in the storage means,
The print data is output on the recording medium.

The image data at the time of strobe light emission at the time of shooting is stored in the memory 254 and the DVD 251 in the control unit 25.
It is stored in a storage means such as.

The illumination control section 21 includes a strobe unit 21.
0, having a sync portion 211, in synchronization with the shutter,
Light emitting unit 1 of indirect illumination device 11, 12, 13, 14, 15
1a, 12a, 13a, 14a, and 15a are made to emit light.
The light emitting parts 11a, 12a, 13a, 14a, 15a include
Illumination is performed by strobe light using a xenon flash.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, in this embodiment, five indirect lighting devices 1 are provided inside the photographing box 2.
Subject 1, 12, 13, 14, 15 and subject 3
The subject 3 can be illuminated more uniformly from the front, lower, upper, and rear of the face of the subject with a simple configuration, but can be illuminated uniformly by illuminating with at least two indirect illumination devices. Thus, it is possible to obtain a high-quality image in which the face of the subject 3 does not have a dark portion or a shining portion.

Two of the indirect lighting devices 11 and 12 are
Position H that is one third or less than the ground clearance H1 at the center of the subject
2 and H3, the face of the subject 3 can be illuminated more uniformly by indirect light from below, but at least one indirect illumination device is one third or less than the ground clearance H1 at the center of the subject. It is possible to illuminate uniformly by illuminating at a position.

The two indirect lighting devices 13 and 15 are
The ceiling portion 2c of the photographing box 2 is provided as a reflecting surface, and the face of the subject 3 can be illuminated more uniformly by the indirect light from above, but at least one indirect lighting device is provided in the photographing box 2. By providing the ceiling portion 2c so as to serve as a reflecting surface, uniform illumination is possible.

Indirect lighting devices 11, 12, 13, 1
Five of Nos. 4 and 15 have a guide number of 40 or more, and a more stable photographing light amount can be surely obtained even in the daytime or at night, but it is stable by setting the guide number of at least one indirect lighting device to 40 or more. The amount of shooting light is obtained.

The Bilbury coin mech 22 is attached to the front panel 4 and sends an image pickup permission signal to the control unit 25 by inserting a coin to collect a preset charge.
If the input amount is large, change out. A receipt is also issued at the Bilbury CoinMech 22.

The user input section 23 is used for remote control of the apparatus, and includes a form selection button 230, a photographing button 231, an image display button 232, and a print button 23.
3, a reprint designation (reprint designation) button 234, and a printer selection button 236 are provided. The user input unit 23 is connected to the control unit 25. In addition,
In FIG. 2, the image identification information input unit 235 is described as an independent input unit, but in the present invention, for example, after pressing the reprint designation button 234, the image on the TV monitor screen 20 is displayed.
Alternatively, the image identification information may be input by displaying an instruction to input the image identification information on 7a and pressing the reprint designation button again.

The printer section 24 prints based on the image signal obtained by the digital camera 200 under the control of the control section 25. In this embodiment, the recording medium and the image receiving material are superposed and heated to transfer the recording layer of the recording medium to the image receiving layer of the image receiving material to form an image. A thermal transfer recording system is used in which an image is transferred to form an image. In this embodiment, a sublimation type video printer is used.
Further, in the present invention, as shown in FIG.
It is also possible to connect to the network 27 via 09 and press the printer selection button 236 of the photographing apparatus to output a print photograph to the printer 26 connected to the network outside the photographing apparatus. Further, in the present invention, the printer selection button 236 is also shown as an independent button in FIG. 3, but like the image identification information input means described above, the existing reprint designation button is pressed and then the printing means is displayed on the monitor screen. It is also possible to display by selecting and to press the print designation button again to perform output from another printer connected to the network.

The control section 25 includes a DVD 251, an I / O control 252, and a SCSI interface (I / F).
253 and a memory 254 are provided to control the photographing unit 20, the illumination control unit 21, the Bilbury coin mech 22, and the printer unit 24.

The DVD 251 is a recording medium of a digital recording system, stores moving picture information of how to use the photographing apparatus of the present invention, and a moving picture of how to use is displayed on the television monitor 207 as necessary. . Also, DVD25
Reference numeral 1 is for storing image data of an image of the subject 3 captured by the digital camera 200 at the time of strobe light emission, and storing the stored image data for an arbitrary fixed period. The storage of the image data of the image is not limited to the DVD 251, and may be stored in a storage unit such as the memory 254 or a hard disk. The I / O control 252 exchanges information with the strobe unit 210 of the lighting control unit 21, the Bilbury coin mech 22, the user input unit 23, and the control unit 25, and controls the information. The SCSI interface (I / F) 253 sends image information to the printer unit 24 at high speed. The memory 254 temporarily stores the image information taken by the digital camera 200. As described above, the DVD 25 is used in the present invention.
Instead of 1, the image information temporarily stored in the memory 254 may be used for reprinting.

Next, FIG. 6 is a flowchart of the operation of the photographing apparatus. In this image capturing apparatus 1, when the user who is the subject 3 sits on the chair 10 and charges a fee to the Bilbury coin mech 22 (step S1), the control unit 25 drives the image capturing unit 20, the illumination control unit 21, and the printer unit 24. to enable.

Next, the form selection button 230 of the user input section 23 is pressed to select a form (step S
2), the control unit 25 controls to lengthen the charge storage time of the CCD 200a and / or increase the amplification factor of the video signal obtained from the digital camera 200 (step S3), and the digital camera is displayed on the television monitor 207. 200
Is displayed as a bright and highly visible moving image (step S4).

Next, the control unit 25 controls the amplification factor of the video signal of the digital camera 200 and / or the control for shortening the charge accumulation time of the CCD 200a in preparation for photographing (step S5), after which photographing is performed. It is performed (step S6).

The control of the amplification rate of the video signal in step S5 is other than the control of returning the amplification rate set high in order to display a bright moving image on the television monitor 207 to the original level in step S3. In addition, even if the performance of the digital camera 200 is captured in a state where the amplification rate for displaying a bright moving image is obtained, if the image data at the time of flash firing is obtained without any effect, the image is captured with the amplification rate set when displaying the moving image. It is possible to

Further, by operating the photographing button 231, the control unit 2
Reference numeral 5 controls the strobe unit 210 and the synchronizing unit 211 of the lighting control unit 21, and controls the indirect lighting devices 11, 12, 13,
14 and 15 light emitting parts 11a, 12a, 13a, 14a,
The subject 3 is illuminated by causing 15a to emit light, and an image is taken by the digital camera 200 of the imaging unit 20. Digital camera 200
Shoots the subject 3 in synchronism with the light emission of the indirect lighting device, captures the image data captured during flash emission (step S7), and performs image processing to obtain image data for print output (step S7). S8), the image data for print output produced by image processing is added to the above-mentioned D
The data is temporarily stored in the VD 251, the memory 254 of the control unit 25, or a storage unit such as a hard disk. Here, the temporary storage refers to the time during which it is considered that the user will look at the finished print photograph and specify the reprint, and the installer can arbitrarily retain the stored image information. It is possible to set.

Image display button 23 of user input section 23
The image stored in the storage unit such as the DVD 251, the memory 254, or the hard disk by the operation 2 is displayed on the television monitor 2
07 is displayed (step S9). TV monitor 207
The image displayed on the screen can be viewed by the user through the half mirror 205. When the user presses the print button 233 of the user input unit 23 after checking the image, the S button on the control unit is pressed.
Image information is sent to the printer unit 24 at high speed through the CSI interface (I / F) 253.

The printer unit 24 prints a plurality of images obtained by photographing the digital camera 200 a plurality of times on the same recording medium (step S10). By printing a plurality of images obtained by shooting a plurality of times on the same recording medium in this way, for example, even if some of the images have a bad orientation of the subject, or if there is an image of a shooting failure with closed eyes, By making it possible to use it for identification cards, passports, etc. because there is an appropriate image in the rest, it is possible to obtain an image that can be used depending on the purpose without all images becoming unusable. By doing so, resource saving and cost reduction are achieved. Further, in the present invention, in addition to outputting a plurality of images taken a plurality of times on the same recording medium as described above, a plurality of same images may be output on the same recording medium.

The printer section 24 superimposes the recording medium and the image receiving material on each other to apply heat to transfer the color material of the recording layer of the recording medium to the image receiving layer of the image receiving material to form an image. By obtaining a print, the cost and size of the device can be reduced. Although the thermal sublimation recording method is used as the recording method of the printer, for example, a thermal melting transfer recording method, an induced thermal ablation transfer recording method, or the like can also be used. In the induced thermal ablation transfer recording method and the like, the color material layer itself or a layer formed below the color material layer is ablated by irradiation to provide a force necessary for the transfer. On the other hand, in the thermal fusion transfer recording method, the transition is caused by the thermal melting or thermal softening of the coloring material layer by irradiation. Further, the thermal sublimation recording method is a recording method in which ink particles are transferred by thermal sublimation.

After the printing is completed, the user confirms the finish of the obtained print, and if he / she wants reprinting such as additional printing, he or she pushes the reprint designation (reprint designation) button 234 of the user input section 23. Reprinting may be performed.

Further, in the photographing apparatus of the present invention, a means for confirming the photographed image by the user such as a display unit for image confirmation and a print selection button, and for inputting after confirming the finish of the print photograph is provided outside the photographing apparatus. It may be provided, and by shortening the photographing cycle by waiting the user who has finished photographing outside the photographing device and selecting reprinting outside the photographing device.

Further, in the present invention, the photographing apparatus 1 is the modem 20.
If it is connected to the network 27 through a line such as a telephone line or an ISDN line or the Internet via the printer selection button 2 of the user input unit 23
A print photograph may be output from the printer 26 other than the printer unit of the photographing apparatus 1 via the network 27 by the network 36.

When the printing is normally completed, the standby state is prepared for the next photographing, or if the user wishes to output the print again and again, the above operation is repeated to obtain a print photograph, and the printing is normally completed. (Step S1
1).

[0096]

According to the present invention, by eliminating the structure that mechanically operates from the photographing means in the self-type photographing device for ID photographs, it is possible to be affected by high reliability, high durability and installation environment. It has made it possible to provide a non-identification photography device.

That is, the present invention focuses on the charge accumulation time of the CCD used in the electronic image type photographing means, and changes the charge accumulation time of the CCD of the camera at the time of displaying a moving image and at the time of photographing to change the shutter of the camera. Allows you to change the speed,
As a result, they have found a photographing device that can display a bright moving image and photograph under strobe lighting conditions without setting the ND filter under the same aperture value setting.

Further, according to the present invention, it has been found that by changing the amplification factor of the video signal from the photographing means, it is possible to display a bright moving image with a squeezing value under the stroboscopic light emission condition without inserting and removing the ND filter. .

Further, the present invention has found a photographing device which can obtain a still image by storing image data at the time of stroboscopic light emission in the photographing device without using a shutter accompanied by mechanical operation.

Further, according to the present invention, since it is possible to display a moving image and photograph a still image at the time of strobe emission without changing the aperture value of the camera at all, it is possible to find a photographing device having high reliability. did.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of a photographing device.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a relationship between a photographing unit and control commands.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a photographing device.

FIG. 4 is a CCD during a moving image display period and stroboscopic light emission.
5 is a time chart showing an example of the charge accumulation time of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a front view showing an indirect lighting device arranged below.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of the operation of the image capturing apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Imaging device 2 shooting box 3 subject 4 Front panel 5 Shooting room 6 Equipment room 10 chairs 20 Shooting Department 25 Control unit 200 digital camera 200a CCD 207 TV monitor 251 DVD 254 memory

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification code FI theme code (reference) H04N 5/76 H04N 5/76 E (72) Inventor Yoshitaka Mukaihara No. 1 Sakuramachi, Hino City, Tokyo Konica Stock Association In-house F-term (reference) 2H104 AA19 BC48 5C022 AA13 AB12 AB15 AB17 AB20 AC26 AC42 5C024 AX04 BX01 CX54 CY50 DX04 EX34 EX41 GY01 HX18 HX58 5C052 AA03 AA04 AA12 AA17 AB04 DD02 EE02 EE03 FA01 FA01 FA04 FA04 FA04 FA04 FA04 FA04 FA04

Claims (14)

[Claims] 1. A photographing device having a face image photographing means for photographing a face of a subject, a display means for displaying a face image obtained by the photographing means, and a storage means for storing image data obtained by the photographing means. Therefore, the photographing device is
An image pickup apparatus comprising: a control unit that controls the amount of charge accumulated in the image pickup unit. 2. A photographing device having a face image photographing means for photographing a face of a subject, a display means for displaying a face image obtained by the photographing means, and a storage means for storing image data obtained by the photographing means. Therefore, the photographing device is
An image pickup apparatus comprising a control unit for controlling a charge amount accumulation time of the image pickup unit. 3. A photographing apparatus having a face image photographing means for photographing a face of a subject, a display means for displaying a face image obtained by the photographing means, and a storage means for storing image data obtained by the photographing means. Therefore, the photographing device is
An image pickup apparatus comprising a control unit for controlling an amplification factor of a video signal obtained from the image pickup unit. 4. A photographing device having a face image photographing means for photographing a face of a subject, a display means for displaying a face image obtained by the photographing means, and a storage means for storing image data obtained by the photographing means. Therefore, the photographing device is
An image pickup apparatus comprising: a control unit that controls an amount of electric charge accumulated in the image pickup unit and an amplification factor of a video signal obtained by the image pickup unit. 5. A photographing device having a face image photographing means for photographing a face of a subject, a display means for displaying a face image obtained by the photographing means, and a storage means for storing image data obtained by the photographing means. Therefore, the photographing device is
An image pickup apparatus comprising: a control unit that controls a charge amount accumulation time of the image pickup unit and an amplification factor of a video signal obtained by the image pickup unit. 6. The image capturing device has an indirect illumination device therein, and control means for selecting image data obtained when the indirect illumination device emits light and storing it in a storage device. The imaging device according to any one of 1 to 5. 7. A processing means for producing image data for print output onto a recording medium using the image data obtained when the indirect illumination device emits light stored in the storage means. Item 6. The imaging device according to item 6. 8. At least two of the indirect lighting devices.
The image capturing apparatus according to claim 6 or 7, further comprising an indirect illumination device. 9. At least one of the indirect lighting devices
9. The individual pieces are arranged at positions that are one-third or less than the height above the ground in the center of the subject, according to any one of claims 6 to 8.
The imaging device according to the item. 10. The indirect lighting device according to claim 6, wherein at least one of the indirect lighting devices is provided so that a ceiling portion of the photographing box serves as a reflecting surface. Shooting device. 11. The photographing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein at least one of the indirect illumination devices has a guide number of 40 or more. 12. By changing the amount of charge accumulation of the camera when a moving image of the subject's face is displayed on the monitor and when the subject's face is photographed, the amount of charge of the camera is not changed, and the subject is lit under strobe light emission. An image forming method characterized by photographing a face. 13. By changing the amplification factor of the video signal of the camera when the moving image of the face of the subject is displayed on the monitor and when the face of the subject is photographed, the strobe light is emitted without changing the squeezing of the camera. An image forming method characterized by photographing a face of a subject. 14. An image forming method, which comprises selecting image data when a flash is fired from image data of a subject obtained from a moving image, storing the image data, and performing print output using the image data stored. .