JP2005277811A - Imaging device and photographing prevention system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an imaging device and a photographing prevention system capable of easily inhibiting a photographing act at a particular place such as a bookstore. <P>SOLUTION: A near infrared ray light source 1 is installed at a photographing inhibited place such as a bookstore and emits a near infrared ray for indicating inhibited photographing to an entire area wherein the photographing is inhibited, in particular, emits a near infrared ray that can be distinguished from a visible light emitted from the conventional lighting apparatus 3 by a camera-attached mobile phone 4. Preferably, the light source 1 better emits a near infrared ray pulse 2 having one or more kinds of particular pulse patterns denoting the inhibited photographing. Thus, the near infrared ray can more easily be distinguished from the visible light. The camera-attached mobile phone 4 includes a photographing preventing function for limiting the photographing function in accordance with the near infrared ray emitted from the near infrared ray light source 1. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an imaging device such as a camera-equipped mobile phone, and a photographing prevention system for prohibiting unauthorized photographing at a specific place such as a bookstore using the imaging device.

  In recent years, image sensors such as a charge coupled device (CCD) and a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) have been greatly reduced in size and increased in pixel count. Therefore, in recent years, a small but high-performance imaging device has been developed and rapidly spread. For example, camera-equipped mobile phones equipped with small imaging modules have been rapidly spreading in recent years.

  With the advent of such a small and high-performance imaging device, in recent years, illegal photographing using the same has increased and has become a social problem. In particular, digital shoplifting using a camera-equipped mobile phone is a new social problem. Digital shoplifting generally refers to the contents of books such as magazines sold at bookstores, etc. without the purchase of a book using a mobile phone without a camera, and the information is recorded digitally. Acquiring (shoplifting). In addition to digital shoplifting, there are other problems such as photographing art works without permission in the museum, and voyeurism ignoring the privacy of the person.

As means for preventing voyeurism, for example, one disclosed in Patent Document 1 below has been proposed. In Patent Document 1, voyeurism prevention information issued by a voyeurism prevention information generating device is detected from an image signal obtained from a captured image, and a voyeurism prevention signal indicating that the voyeurism prevention information has been imaged is output. Control to turn off is performed. This was developed mainly as a means for preventing privacy infringement, and it is assumed that a voyeurism prevention information generator is attached to a subject that is not desired to be voyeurized. Moreover, in order to detect voyeurism prevention information from the image signal obtained from a captured image, visible light is used for transmission of voyeurism prevention information. In particular, an example of emitting green visible light as voyeurism prevention information is described (paragraphs [0106] to [0118]).
JP 2001-169175 A

  However, in the method described in Patent Document 1, it is assumed that a voyeurism prevention information generation device is attached to each subject, and that it is easy to be noticed when used in a wide range because it uses visible light. Therefore, for example, it is difficult to prohibit photography of a specific place such as a bookstore in order to prevent digital shoplifting.

  The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an imaging apparatus and an imaging prevention system that can easily prohibit illegal imaging at a specific place such as a bookstore.

  An imaging prevention system according to the present invention includes an imaging device and a light source that emits near infrared light indicating that photography is prohibited over an entire area where photography is prohibited, which is installed in a photography prohibited place. When the imaging device emits an imaging element having sensitivity to visible light and near-infrared light, and near-infrared light indicating that photographing is prohibited from the light source and enters the imaging element, And detecting means for detecting this, and control means for performing control such that the photographing function of the image pickup device is limited when near infrared light is detected by the detecting means.

  The imaging apparatus according to the present invention emits near-infrared light indicating that photographing is prohibited from an imaging element having sensitivity to visible light and near-infrared light and a light source installed in a photographing-prohibited place. A detection unit that detects the incident when entering the image sensor, and a control unit that performs control such that the photographing function of the image sensor is limited when the detection unit detects the incidence of near infrared light. It is equipped with.

  In the imaging apparatus and the imaging prevention system according to the present invention, the imaging apparatus may have a macro imaging function, and the control unit may perform control such that use of the macro imaging function is restricted.

  Also, when the light source emits near-infrared light having a specific pulse pattern indicating that photographing is prohibited, and the control means detects near-infrared light having the specific pulse pattern, the photographing is performed. You may make it perform control in which a function is restrict | limited.

  The image sensor has an effective pixel area that receives visible light from a photographic subject, and a near-infrared light receiving area that is provided outside the effective pixel area and receives near-infrared light from a light source. May be.

  In the imaging apparatus and the imaging prevention system according to the present invention, the imaging element has sensitivity to visible light and near infrared light, and the near infrared indicating that imaging is prohibited from a light source installed in an imaging prohibited place. This is detected when light is emitted and it enters the image sensor. Then, when the near-infrared light is detected, control is performed so that the photographing function of the image sensor is limited. Accordingly, by installing a light source at a shooting prohibited place and irradiating the entire area where shooting is prohibited with near infrared light, illegal shooting actions at a specific place such as a bookstore can be easily prohibited. In addition, since near infrared light is used instead of visible light, the light from the light source is not noticed by humans and is easy to implement.

  According to the imaging apparatus or the imaging prevention system according to the present invention, when near-infrared light indicating that imaging is prohibited is emitted from a light source installed at an imaging-prohibited location, Because it has been controlled so that the shooting function is restricted, by installing a light source in a shooting prohibited place, near infrared light is irradiated to the whole area where shooting is prohibited, and a specific place such as a bookstore It is possible to easily prohibit illegal photographing in

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows a configuration example of a photographing prevention system using an imaging apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. This photographing prevention system is for preventing a user 5 such as a camera-equipped mobile phone 4 from photographing a book 6 without permission, so-called digital shoplifting, in a bookstore, for example. In addition, it can also be applied to prevent unauthorized photography of art works at museums and voyeurism that infringe on privacy.

  This photographing prevention system includes a near-infrared light source 1. The near-infrared light source 1 is installed in a photographing-prohibited place such as a bookstore, and in the near-infrared light that indicates that photographing is prohibited in the entire region where photographing is prohibited, particularly in the mobile phone 4 with a camera, Near-infrared light having a light intensity that can be distinguished from the emitted visible light is emitted. Preferably, the near-infrared light pulse 2 having a specific one or a plurality of types of pulse patterns indicating that photographing is prohibited may be emitted. This makes it easier to distinguish from visible light. FIG. 1 shows a configuration example in which the dedicated near-infrared light source 1 is provided separately from the general illumination device 3 that emits visible light. However, the function of the near-infrared light source 1 is incorporated into the illumination device 3 and integrated. You may make it.

  The camera-equipped mobile phone 4 corresponds to a specific example of the imaging apparatus of the present invention, and has a shooting prevention function in which the shooting function is limited according to the near infrared light emitted from the near infrared light source 1. .

  FIG. 2 shows a configuration example of the camera-equipped mobile phone 4. The camera-equipped mobile phone 4 includes a photographing lens 10, an optical filter 11, and a CCD 12 as an image sensor. In place of the CCD 12, another image sensor such as a CMOS may be used. The taking lens 10 is for optically forming a subject image. A subject image by the taking lens 10 is formed on the light receiving surface of the CCD 12. The optical filter 11 allows only light having a specific wavelength to pass through the CCD 12. The CCD 12 outputs an imaging signal corresponding to the subject image by the photographing lens 10.

  FIG. 3 shows a configuration example of the pixel area on the light receiving surface 51 of the CCD 12. The CCD 12 is provided with an effective pixel area 52 that receives visible light from a photographic subject, and a near-infrared light receiving area 53 that is provided outside the effective pixel area 52 and receives near-infrared light from the near-infrared light source 1. And have. A large number of photosensors are arranged in a plane in these areas. For example, red (R), green (G), and blue (B) color filters are provided in the photosensor in the effective pixel area 52 in a predetermined structure. The near-infrared light receiving area 53 only needs to be able to detect the reception of near-infrared light, and only a part of the illustrated area may be used instead of all of the illustrated areas. Further, near infrared light may be received by the sensor portion for receiving red light in the effective pixel area 52 without providing the near infrared light receiving area 53. In this case, the near-infrared light pulse 2 having a specific pulse pattern is used as the near-infrared light for imaging control, so that it can be distinguished from normal red light.

  FIG. 4 shows the spectral sensitivity characteristics of the CCD 12 alone. Generally, the wavelength range of visible light is around 380 nm to around 780 nm. The wavelength region of near infrared light is generally around 780 nm to around 2.5 μm. In general, the spectral sensitivity of a color CCD mounted on a camera for a mobile phone or a digital still camera is sensitive not only to visible light but also to the near infrared region near 780 nm to 1000 nm, which is insensitive to human eyes. have. However, in an ordinary imaging device, an infrared cut filter or a low-pass filter is provided immediately before the CCD as the optical filter 11, and all near infrared light is often cut. As shown in FIG. 4, the CCD 12 in the present embodiment is also sensitive to visible light and near-infrared light, but does not cut all near-infrared light. Near-infrared light in the wavelength band is allowed to pass through and is actively used for controlling the photographing function.

  FIG. 5 shows the spectral transmittance characteristics of the optical filter 11. The optical filter 11 allows light in the visible region 61 to pass, cuts about 700 nm to a specific wavelength band in the near infrared region, passes light in the specific near infrared region 62, and passes the specific near infrared light. It has a band-pass filter characteristic that cuts a wavelength band longer than the light in the region 62.

  FIG. 6 shows spectral sensitivity characteristics in a state where the optical filter 11 and the CCD 12 are combined. As shown in FIG. 6, the CCD 12 is sensitive to the light in the visible region 71 and the light in the specific near-infrared region 72 when combined with the optical filter 11. The near-infrared light source 1 emits light of at least this specific near-infrared region 72.

  The camera-equipped mobile phone 4 also includes a CDS (Correlated Double Sampler) / AGC (Automatic Gain Control) circuit 13, a timing control circuit 14, an A / D (analog / digital) conversion circuit 15, and a signal processing circuit 16. , An image memory 17, a control unit 18, and a near-infrared signal detection unit 19. The camera-equipped mobile phone 4 further includes a card I / F (interface) 21, a memory card 22, a telephone unit 23, a VRAM (Video Random Access Memory) 24, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) 25, and an operation unit. 41.

  The CDS / AGC circuit 13 is a circuit for removing noise included in the image pickup signal from the CCD 12 and performing gain adjustment so that the signal level becomes a predetermined level. The A / D conversion circuit 15 is for converting the imaging signal into a digital signal. The timing control circuit 14 generates a timing signal and controls the CCD 12, the CDS / AGC circuit 13, and the A / D conversion circuit 15 to operate at a predetermined timing. The timing control circuit 14 controls, for example, the readout timing of the imaging signal in the CCD 12. The signal processing circuit 16 includes a line memory, a matrix circuit, a YC processing unit, an encoder, and the like. The signal processing circuit 16 performs various image correction processes on the digital image signals of each color of R, G, B, for example, and converts them into a luminance signal Y and a color difference (chroma) signal C by a YC processing unit. The video signal is converted and output. The image memory 17 is for storing the video signal output from the signal processing circuit 16.

  The memory card 22 is an external storage memory (for example, smart media) for recording captured image data and the like. The card I / F 21 is an interface for transmitting and receiving image data between the memory card 22 and the main body. The telephone unit 23 is a circuit unit for realizing a telephone function. The VRAM 24 is for temporarily storing image data to be displayed on the LCD 25. The LCD 25 displays various menus related to the telephone function and images taken by the photographing function. The operation unit 41 includes various operation keys related to a telephone function, various operation keys related to a shooting function, operation switches, and the like.

  When the near-infrared light emitted from the light source 1 enters the CCD 12 and the CCD 12 outputs an imaging signal (near-infrared signal) corresponding to the near-infrared light, The near-infrared signal is detected. The control part 18 is for performing operation control of each part, and has a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The control unit 18 performs control to limit the photographing function based on the near infrared signal detected by the near infrared signal detection unit 19.

  Next, the operation of the photographing prevention system and the camera-equipped mobile phone 4 configured as described above, particularly the operation relating to the photographing prevention function in the camera-equipped cellular phone 4 will be described in detail.

  FIG. 7 shows the flow of the photographing operation in the camera-equipped mobile phone 4. The control unit 18 monitors the state of a photographing switch (not shown) of the operation unit 41 (step S11), and monitors whether the user 5 of the camera-equipped mobile phone 4 uses the photographing function. When the photographing switch is turned on (step S11; Y), the control unit 18 determines whether or not the near infrared signal is detected by the near infrared signal detection unit 19 (step S12). If it is determined that a near-infrared signal has been detected (step S12; Y), the control unit 18 further determines whether or not the near-infrared signal is a signal indicating that photographing is prohibited (step S13).

  For example, the determination as to whether or not it is a photographing prohibition signal is performed as follows. For example, if the configuration is such that the near-infrared light pulse 2 having a specific pulse pattern indicating that photographing is prohibited is emitted from the near-infrared light source 1, the pulse pattern is identified. It is also possible to identify simply by the light intensity distribution. In this case, for example, light from a specific near-infrared region 72 as shown in FIG. 6 is emitted from the near-infrared light source 1 with an intensity of a predetermined value or more. The control unit 18 determines whether or not the signal intensity of the near-infrared signal detected by the near-infrared signal detection unit 19 is equal to or higher than a predetermined setting value. Judged as a prohibition signal.

  When the near-infrared signal is not detected in the near-infrared signal detection unit 19 (step S12; N), and even if the near-infrared signal is detected, the control unit 18 determines that it is not a photographing prohibition signal. If so (step S13; N), the camera enters a normal shooting mode in which shooting is possible (step S14). In this case, the CCD 12 outputs an imaging signal corresponding to the subject image formed on the light receiving surface via the photographing lens 10 and the optical filter 11. The imaging signal is converted into digital image signals of, for example, R, G, and B colors through the CDS / AGC circuit 13 and the A / D conversion circuit 15 and input to the signal processing circuit 16. The signal processing circuit 16 performs various types of image correction processing, performs YC processing for converting the luminance signal Y and the color difference signal C, and the like, for example, converts it into an NTSC video signal and outputs it. The video signal output from the signal processing circuit 16 is recorded in the image memory 17. Further, the control unit 18 outputs and records the video signal to the external memory card 22 via the card I / F 21 according to the operation of the user, or outputs it to the LCD 25 to display the photographing content. Process.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the detected near-infrared signal is a signal indicating that photography is prohibited (step S13; Y), the control unit 18 causes the user 5 of the camera-equipped mobile phone 4 to take a photography-prohibited place such as a bookstore. It is determined that the camera has entered, and the mode for restricting the photographing function is entered (step S15). As a restriction | limiting of the imaging | photography function by the control part 18, the following processes are performed, for example. For example, the photographing function is turned off by turning off the power supply to the CCD 12. Further, for example, a changeover switch may be provided in the signal input unit or the signal output unit of the signal processing circuit 16 to block the input or output of the signal. In particular, in order to prevent digital shoplifting, it is generally considered sufficient to prohibit close-up photography, so at least the macro photography function is prohibited for models equipped with macro photography functions. Control may be performed. For example, if the zoom lens has a macro photographing function, control for prohibiting zoom movement to the wide-angle side may be performed. Further, when the macro photographing mode is entered, the power supply to the CCD 12 may be turned off. For example, if a photographic lens dedicated to macro photography is provided, the output of the photographic signal through the photographic lens may be cut off.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, near-infrared light indicating that photographing is prohibited is emitted from the near-infrared light source 1 installed at a photographing-prohibited place, and this is detected by the camera-equipped mobile phone 4. In such a case, control is performed so that the shooting function is limited, so that the entire area where shooting is prohibited is irradiated with near-infrared light, and unauthorized shooting at specific locations such as bookstores is easily prohibited. can do. In particular, since near-infrared light, not visible light, is used as a signal for imaging control, light from the light source is not noticed by humans and is easier to implement than when using visible light. In addition, since the spectral sensitivity of color CCDs mounted on mobile phone cameras and digital still cameras generally uses sensitivity not only in the visible light but also in the near-infrared region, the cost is low. Easy to implement.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, A various deformation | transformation implementation is possible. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the camera-equipped mobile phone has been described as an example of the imaging device. However, the present invention is not limited to the camera-equipped mobile phone but can be applied to a digital still camera, a digital video camera, and the like.

It is a figure for demonstrating the structural example and application scene of the imaging | photography prevention system which concern on one embodiment of this invention. 1 is a circuit diagram illustrating a configuration example of a camera-equipped mobile phone as an imaging device according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows the example of 1 structure of the pixel area in the light-receiving surface of CCD. It is a characteristic view which shows an example of the spectral sensitivity of CCD. It is a characteristic view which shows an example of the spectral transmittance of an optical filter. It is a characteristic view which shows the spectral sensitivity characteristic in the state which combined the optical filter and CCD. It is a flowchart which shows an example of imaging | photography operation | movement.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Near-infrared light source, 2 ... Near-infrared light pulse, 3 ... Illuminating device, 4 ... Camera-equipped mobile phone, 5 ... User, 6 ... Book, 10 ... Shooting lens, 11 ... Optical filter, 12 ... CCD, 16 ... signal processing circuit, 18 ... control unit, 19 ... near infrared signal detection unit.

Claims (8)

An imaging device;
A light source that emits near-infrared light indicating that photography is prohibited over the entire area where photography is prohibited.
The imaging device is
An imaging device having sensitivity to visible light and near-infrared light;
When near-infrared light indicating that photographing is prohibited is emitted from the light source and it is incident on the image sensor, detection means for detecting that,
And a control unit that performs control such that a shooting function of the image sensor is limited when the detection unit detects the incidence of the near-infrared light. The imaging device has a macro shooting function,
The photographing prevention system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit performs control such that use of the macro photographing function is restricted. The light source emits near infrared light having a specific pulse pattern indicating that photographing is prohibited,
3. The control unit according to claim 1, wherein the control unit performs control such that the imaging function is limited when near infrared light having the specific pulse pattern is detected by the detection unit. The shooting prevention system described. The imaging device has an effective pixel area that receives visible light from a photographic subject, and a near-infrared light receiving area that is provided outside the effective pixel area and receives near-infrared light from the light source. The photographing prevention system according to any one of claims 1 to 3. An imaging device having sensitivity to visible light and near-infrared light;
When a near-infrared light indicating that photographing is prohibited is emitted from a light source installed in a photographing prohibited place, and when it is incident on the image sensor, detection means for detecting that,
An imaging apparatus comprising: control means for performing control such that a photographing function of the imaging element is limited when the near-infrared light is detected by the detection means. It has a macro shooting function,
The imaging apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the control unit performs control such that use of the macro imaging function is restricted. The detection means detects when near-infrared light having a specific pulse pattern indicating that photographing is prohibited from the light source,
7. The control unit according to claim 5, wherein the control unit performs control such that the imaging function is limited when near-infrared light having the specific pulse pattern is detected by the detection unit. The imaging device described. The imaging device has an effective pixel area that receives visible light from a photographic subject, and a near-infrared light receiving area that is provided outside the effective pixel area and receives near-infrared light from the light source. The imaging device according to claim 5, wherein

Images