JP2005354210A - Image reproduction system and image filling system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image reproduction system capable of displaying an optimum image according to situation by effectively utilizing user authentication technology. <P>SOLUTION: In the image reproduction system, figure image data which are photographed using a camera 1A or 1B by users 10A and 10B, and an authentication signal which is based on the figure image data, are taken into a base station 40 through Web site 30. An image folder is generated on the basis of the authentication signal at a folder generator 19, and is recorded. If users 10A and 10B appreciate photographed images with a reproducing device 50, the facial information of the users 10A and 10B is taken in the base station 40 through the Web site 30, and the facial information is authenticated by a personal authentication processor 17. On the basis of the authentication result, the image data in the image folder are selected and reproduced, and it is taken in the reproducing device 50 side through the Web site 30, for reproduction. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an image reproduction system for analyzing image data, converting it into an album, and reproducing an image optimal for a viewer, and an image filing system for the image data.

  At present, image data is flooded due to the spread of digital cameras and the like, and it is now possible to easily reproduce images other than communication and paper printing such as transmission and reception of image data.

  In the situation described above, the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 relates to reception selection of a television image, and is not limited to the past reception frequency, and a program according to the viewer's preference based on the personal recognition result. The present invention relates to a television channel selection apparatus capable of selecting and presenting.

The technique disclosed in Patent Document 2 extracts feature amount data from face image data captured from a camera, and determines a feature amount from the feature amount data. The present invention relates to personal authentication in which the face image data is registered in a database, the feature amount is registered as text data, and the face image data can be searched by specifying the feature amount as a search condition.
Patent Document 1 is Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-243309. Patent Document 2 is Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-085992.

  However, the technique of Patent Document 1 described above is merely a technique for selecting a favorite television channel, and does not include handling of recording of image data at the time of shooting. Further, the technique of Patent Document 2 described above is an image search technique for the face itself, and is not a technique for a photo appreciation method.

  In recent years, cameras have been installed in personal mobile phones, and the use of cameras has become more personalized. However, since it is easy to shoot anywhere, image data has increased, making it difficult to organize and taking pictures with great effort. However, there are cases where playback is not possible when the user wants to watch. There are also other situations where the worst data is lost. On the other hand, there is a demand for an image reproduction system that can classify and appropriately select an appropriate piece of image data from among many image data, and a system that can prevent private images from being reproduced anywhere.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an image reproduction system and an image filing system capable of effectively using user authentication technology and displaying an optimum image according to the situation. And

  According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image reproduction system for creating a folder having a first authentication means for authenticating a user and an authentication signal from the first authentication means, and recording the image folder in a recording means. And a second reproducing unit different from the first authenticating unit, and according to a result of the second authenticating unit, a selective reproducing unit for selecting one of the image folders in the recording unit to be reproduced. Have

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the image reproduction system according to the first aspect, the folder forming means includes a determination means for determining a relationship between a plurality of users, and according to a determination result of the determination means. Record data from multiple cameras in a common folder.

  The image reproduction system according to claim 3 of the present invention includes a determination unit that determines a relationship between a plurality of users, and according to the determination result, an image folder forming unit that records data of a plurality of cameras in a common folder; A reproducing unit that determines that any one of the plurality of users uses the reproducing unit and reproduces the image data recorded in the folder;

  The image filing system according to claim 4 of the present invention creates a folder name representing the image from the feature portion of the face portion of the person from the photographed image, and creates an image having a similar face feature portion in the folder. To summarize.

  According to the image reproduction system and the image filing system according to the present invention, not only the information of the photographer but also the information of the subject of the photographed image is analyzed and used effectively at the time of classification, the data is efficiently searched, privacy protection, etc. It is possible to enjoy image reproduction in consideration of the above, and to efficiently reproduce an optimum image according to the situation when viewing the image. In other words, the information on the face of the photographed subject is used to the maximum, so that images containing the same subject can be placed in the same folder or classified by similar file names, making it easy to search and view An image filing system can be constructed, and the best images can be classified and played back by the best users.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an image reproduction system including an image filing system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  The image reproduction system 100 of this embodiment mainly includes cameras (digital cameras) 1A and 1B including a first authentication unit, a Web site 30, first and second authentication units, a folder creation unit, a recording unit, A base station 40 including a selective reproduction unit and the like, and a reproduction apparatus 50 including a second authentication unit and a reproduction unit are included.

  In the cameras 1A and 1B, for example, each photographer captures each other's subject image, photographs the respective image data files 3 and 4, and generates them. The image data file 3 includes camera information 3a, image data 3b which is data of the image itself, and date information 3c indicating a shooting date. Similarly, the image data file 4 includes camera information 4a, image data 4b which is data of the image itself, and date information 4c indicating the shooting date and time. The camera information 3a and 4a are information regarding the captured cameras 1A and 1B, and are personal information when the camera is for personal use. This personal information includes information for authenticating the user generated by the first authentication means built in the cameras 1A and 1B.

  The example shown in FIG. 1 shows a state in which two persons (photographers) 10A and 10B are taking images of each other as a commemorative photo by the cameras 1A and 1B.

  The image data files 3 and 4 obtained by photographing may be transmitted as transmission data to the base station 40 by a wired line such as a telephone line. Here, a computer (not shown) is used to indicate the hot spot 5. Is transmitted to the base station 40 via the Internet website 30 by the wireless LAN method.

  The control unit of the base station 40 includes a determination unit that determines a relationship among a plurality of users, a folder formation unit that creates an image folder, an association unit 18 that includes a recording unit that records image data, a folder creation unit 19, and a transmission folder. A transmission folder selection unit 21 to be selected, a data unit 22 storing user data corresponding to the number of users, a first and second authentication means, a personal authentication processing unit 17 for performing personal authentication processing, And a transmission folder selection unit 21.

  In the base station 40 that has received the transmission data from the cameras 1A and 1B, the control unit associates a plurality of image data files including date information 14, personal information (camera information) 15, and image information 16 as the transmission data. This is performed by the associating unit 18 and a folder is created by the folder creating unit 19. In this folder, related files are collected. That is, by comparing the facial features from the face information of the user stored in the data part 22 in the personal authentication processing part 17 and the face information reflected in the image data 3b, 4b in the transmission data, It is determined who is shown in the data 3b, 4b (personal authentication). By this determination, the association unit 18 associates the camera user with the photographed person. The associated image data is recorded in the same folder so that both the photographer and the photographed person can enjoy the image data. It is assumed that the base station 40 has this personal authentication information.

  The reproduction apparatus 50 mainly includes a control unit, a memory unit 7, an image data development unit 8, a monitor unit 9, and a photographing lens 11, which is an image acquisition unit including a second authentication unit, an image sensor 12, and face information. And a recording unit 13. The playback device 50 can communicate with the base station 40 through the Web site 30.

  In the playback device 50, when the viewers 10A and 10B are positioned in front of the monitor to view the captured image data, the faces of the viewers 10A and 10B are captured by the image sensor 12. The face image data is taken into the face information recording unit 13 and sent to the base station 40 via the Web site 30. On the base station 40 side, the face image information is taken in as the viewer face information 20, and the personal authentication processing unit 17 determines who is the viewer of the monitor device based on the data in the data unit 22. Based on the determination result, the transmission folder selection unit 21 selects the above-described association folder related to the viewer. The image data of the selected folder is transmitted from the base station 40 to the playback device 50 via the website 30 and is taken into the memory unit 7 of the playback device 50.

  If the viewers 10A and 10B are the same person as the photographers 10A and 10B who photographed with the cameras 1A and 1B, the image data file in the selected folder contains the image of the image of the person in question. The image data files 3 and 4 are obtained. The image data is taken into the memory unit 7. Then, the image data is developed by the image data developing unit 8, displayed on the monitor unit 9, and observed by the viewers 10A and 10B.

  As described above, according to the image reproduction system 100 of the present embodiment, the relationship between the photographed camera and the photographed person is associated, and it is assumed that both the photographer and the photographed person have the right to enjoy the image. It is collected as image data of an association file. When the viewers 10A and 10B want to view the image album collected by the base station 40 using the playback device 50, they simply sit in front of a television with a camera unit 9 (a television capable of internet communication) in the home. You can watch at. That is, the computer on the base station 40 side determines that the image is a photographed image of a relationship between two people based on the date and data sent, for example, traveling together during the same period or at the same time. Edit and send photos for viewing in chronological order. The edited image data is received by the television set in the home and can be viewed.

  In the case of a system that does not have the above-described image data filing function, the viewer 10A cannot see his / her own photograph taken by the other party, but can only see a photograph of the other party's subject 10B. In addition, even if each other's photos are seen, the order may be out of order.

  As photography devices become more personalized, images cannot be played back in chronological order unless an album is created by combining the shooting results of multiple cameras, and the flow of consciousness will be interrupted, creating beautiful memories. It will be difficult to reproduce. According to the system 100 of this embodiment, such a situation is improved, and no matter how many cameras are taken, photographs taken of the same group are reproduced in time series on the same trip, so there is no sense of incongruity. Recollection is possible.

Next, processing operations such as shooting, transmission, filing, and reproduction in the image reproduction system 100 to which the image filing system of the present embodiment is applied will be described with reference to each flowchart and the like.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart of photographing / transmission processing in the image reproduction system 100 of the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a flowchart of an electronic watermark process applied when image data needs to be protected in the transmission process during the photographing / transmission process of FIG. FIG. 4 shows an image screen showing an example of an area in which encryption is written in image data when encryption processing is performed by the electronic watermark processing. FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the folder creation process in the base station of the image reproduction system of this embodiment. FIG. 6 shows an example of a classified photograph in a modified example related to folder classification. FIG. 7 shows another example of the classified photograph in the modified example related to the folder classification. FIG. 8 is a flowchart of the playback process in the playback device of the image playback system of this embodiment.

  In the image reproduction system 100 of the present embodiment, when image data to be reproduced is captured (captured) by the camera and further image data is transmitted to the base station, the imaging / transmission process of FIG. 2 is executed. This shooting / transmission process is executed under the control of a personal computer with a camera, but the same applies even if the image data shot by the camera 1A or 2B is transmitted using a personal computer capable of internet communication. Processing is possible.

  In the shooting / transmission process, a shooting instruction is issued in step S01, and image information is acquired in step S02. In step S03, shooting date / time information is acquired, and image data files 3 and 4 (FIG. 1) are generated.

  If the transmission permission instruction is confirmed in step S04, the process proceeds to step S05, and the image data files 3 and 4 enter the hot spot 5 etc. via the website 30 together with the transmission source information, or are transmitted to the base station 40 by wire. Is done.

  The transmission source information includes information about the camera, and further includes data encryption information applied when an electronic watermark technique is used to protect transmission image data with a copyright or the like.

  The transmission process of the sender information by the electronic watermark technique will be described with reference to the flowchart of the electronic watermark process in the figure and the image example by the transmission image data in FIG.

  This electronic watermark processing is executed under the control of the camera-side personal computer. First, in step S40, a range where the change in the image signal in the transmission image data is large is determined, and the range is set as a coordinate designating unit. For example, the coordinate designating unit 60a of the image 60 shown in the image example of FIG. In step S41, the encrypted format is written in the coordinate designating portion in the range where the change in the image signal is large. In step S42, the transmission source information is written in the coordinate designating unit. In this way, even if an encrypted signal of a modified format other than image data is mixed in a portion where the signal changes drastically in the image data, it is not noticeable, and the source information is transferred to the image data with little influence on the image. Can be sent with. Then, the image data is prevented from being illegally copied by decrypting the image data on the base station 40 side based on the transmission source information, and reproduction is prohibited when it is distributed to other than the related parties even if it is copied. Or deleted.

  Next, folder creation processing in the base station 40 that has received the image data will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  The folder creation process is executed by the control unit of the base station 40. First, the associating unit 18 performs individual identification based on the image information 16 in the image data file received in step S11. The personal identification is performed by detecting the characteristics of the face portion of the person in the received image information, comparing the characteristics of the face of the person (user) registered in the base station 40, and the person in the image is the base station. 40, so-called personal authentication is performed to determine which of the registered persons. In this personal authentication technology, it is possible to apply a technology that analyzes the characteristics of the eyes and nose of a person used in the security field in recent years and authenticates who the person is.

  Subsequently, in step S12, it is checked whether or not the individual has been identified, that is, whether or not a person in the image has been registered in the data section 22 of the base station 40. The process proceeds to step S13. However, if the person of the image has not been registered, or if the image is unclear and the person cannot be identified (personal authentication has failed), the process proceeds to step S15.

  When the process proceeds to step S13, it is considered that at least two people, the photographer and the photographed subject, are related to each other, excluding the case where he / she photographed himself / herself. Therefore, the image data is recorded in a common folder for a plurality of people (for example, two people). In step S14, the common folder is classified and recorded as a multi-name folder.

  When the process proceeds to step S15, the image data is recorded in the folder of the photographer who is the user of the camera which is always understood. In step S16, the photographer's folder is classified and recorded as a personal name folder.

  Subsequently, in step S17, the classified folders are further rearranged in time series, and further reclassified for each date in step S18. For example, a file name “10A · 10B / 2004.01.17 (date)” is given to a folder related to the persons 10A and 10B in the image, and a folder related to the person 10A in the case of an individual is A file name such as “10A / 2004.01.17 (date)” is attached.

  As described above, by having a folder with a common name for the photographer and the photographed person (there may be a plurality of photographed persons), the photographer himself / herself photographed himself / herself is grouped in time series as video. Then, one or two people can view the images in the folder during image reproduction to be described later. At the same time, you can eliminate the dissatisfaction that you could not see a picture of yourself.

  In the folder creation process described above, the folder in which the image is placed is divided as in the process of step S13 or S15 depending on whether it can be specified by the check in step S12 of FIG. May be placed in both folders depending on the situation. Then, it is possible to appreciate only the photographs 61, 62, 63,... Taken by the playback device 50 described later as shown in FIG. 6, or photographs taken by several persons as shown in FIG. Can be managed in a lump, and displayed in chronological order, and photos taken by other people can be viewed together with the photos 61 taken by the user.

  Next, a reproduction process in which captured image data captured by the base station 40 is captured via the website 30 and viewed by the playback device 50 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  The reproduction process is a communication process performed in cooperation with the control unit of the reproduction apparatus 50 and the control unit of the base station 40, and controls the base station as a service of the base station 40 based on a request from the reproduction apparatus 50. An image is selected by the function of the unit, transmitted, and observed on the playback device 50 side. First, when an image observation communication request is made from the playback device 50 side, in step S20, the face image of the viewer (for example, the viewers 10A and 10B) located in front of the monitor 9 is the photographing lens 11 as image acquisition means. The face information is recorded in the face information recording unit 13. The face information is transmitted to the base station 40 via the website 30.

  On the base station 40 side, steps S21 to S30 are executed based on the transmitted viewer face information 20. That is, it is checked whether or not there are a plurality of viewers based on the face image data transmitted in step S21. When there are a plurality of viewers, the process proceeds to step S22. When there are not a plurality of viewers, in other words, in a state of personal viewing, the process proceeds to step S26.

  If the process proceeds to step S22, the personal authentication processing unit 17 identifies the person who has been registered as a viewer based on the transmitted face information, and the process proceeds to step S23. In step S23, it is checked whether or not it is possible to reproduce multiple images. If yes, the process proceeds to step S24. If not possible, the process proceeds to step S28.

  When the process proceeds to step S26, the personal authentication processing unit 17 identifies the person who has been registered as the viewer based on the transmitted face information, and the process proceeds to step S28.

  In step S24, the transmission folder selection unit 21 searches the plurality of folder names recorded to select the corresponding folder.

  In step S28, the transmission folder selection unit 21 selects a corresponding folder by a search with priority given to the personal name folder recorded.

  Then, it progresses to step S30 and the newest folder is selected. In this process, the earliest folder in the series of date folders may be selected.

  After step S31, image search and display processing is executed by Internet communication between the base station 40 side and the playback device 50 side. That is, in step S31, the photo of the selected folder is transmitted from the base station 40 to the playback device 50 side via the website 30, and the playback device 50 side receives the image data of the transmitted folder. Then, it is taken into the memory unit 7 as sample image data. Then, the sample image data is developed by the developing unit 8 and the sample image is displayed on the monitor 9.

  If the viewer sees the sample image in step S32 and reproduction is permitted, the process proceeds to step S33, and the images in the designated folder are sequentially reproduced. If the viewer does not permit reproduction, the process proceeds to step S34, another folder is selected, and the process returns to step S31.

  When the personal name folder is searched in step S28, basically, an image of yourself taken by another person cannot be seen. However, when the process proceeds to step S34 in the later processing and another folder is selected, an image taken by another person can be viewed by selecting a folder containing the user's name from among a plurality of folders. It is possible to do.

  As described above, according to the image reproduction apparatus of the present embodiment, the face portion of the captured image and the image of the viewer's face are analyzed, and the reproduction image related to the viewer is selected based on the result. Therefore, it is possible to efficiently show the desired image to the person who wants to see it.

  As a first modification example in which the system is more simply used with respect to the image reproduction system 100 of the above-described embodiment, an image reproduction system that applies the folder creation process as shown in FIG. 9 and the reproduction process as shown in FIG. 10 is also proposed. can do.

  In the present modification, in the folder creation process of FIG. 9, it is possible to specify that the image can be disclosed in the image signal, and it is determined whether or not the image can be disclosed in step S51. If possible, the process proceeds to step S52. The computer of the base station 40 identifies the individual shown by the face authentication technique from the image information, and classifies and records the image in the personal name folder at any time in step S53.

  When the user accesses the base station 40 having the personal name folder as described above and performs image reproduction, the computer acquires viewer face image information in step S61 in the reproduction process of FIG. The individual viewer is identified from the image, and the image is read from the personal name folder created in step S53 in step S62.

  In the system of this modified example that performs such control, it is possible to provide an album system that allows users to view all of the images that they have taken (publicly available), and moreover, to efficiently view images that the viewer wants to see. It is possible to search well.

  If the above-described concept is further developed, it is possible to propose a second modification of the image reproduction system in which a folder is created and read only by facial features without specifying an individual name. 10 and 11 show flowcharts of folder creation processing and reproduction processing applied to the system of this modification, respectively.

  In the system of this modification, it is not necessary to register an individual name, and the system can be simplified. This is a system that does not represent a folder name by an individual name or the like, but converts human face information into data and directly uses the data as a folder name.

  In the folder creation process in the present modification shown in FIG. 11, face classification is executed in step S <b> 71 under the control of the computer of the base station 40. In step S72, a folder name is generated based on the face image. For example, when the face image of the person is the image 71 in FIG. 13, the eyebrows and the eye feature portion 71a which is a part of the face are cut out, and data indicating the feature is extracted from the feature portion 71a. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of the signalized state of the cut out characteristic portion 71a. Shading information for each dot of the effective image portion w × h of the feature portion 71a is converted into digital information (0111100..., 0001100...) As feature data, and the feature data is applied as a folder name.

  When the user accesses the base station 40 having such a folder and performs image reproduction, the computer executes the viewer's face classification transmitted in step S81 in the reproduction process of FIG. 12, and step S82. The corresponding folder is searched from the digital information which is the facial feature data. Thereafter, image reproduction of the searched folder is performed.

  In the system of this modification, authentication is not performed using the image feature as described above, but the name representing the image is used as it is, so that it is not necessary to have a huge data library. It also eliminates the need for user registration. In addition, authentication is not directly linked to personal information, and the system is advantageous in terms of security.

  The image reproduction system and the image filing system according to the present invention can be applied for photo appreciation for selecting a captured image and displaying and reproducing it efficiently.

1 is a block configuration diagram illustrating a configuration of an image reproduction system including an image filing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a flowchart of photographing / transmission processing in the image reproduction system of FIG. 1. 3 is a flowchart of electronic watermark processing applied when image data needs to be protected in transmission processing during shooting / transmission processing in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 shows an image screen showing an example of a region in which encryption is written in image data when encryption processing is performed in the electronic watermark processing of FIG. 3. 2 is a flowchart of folder creation processing at a base station of the image reproduction system of FIG. 1. 2 shows an example of photos classified by a modification of folder classification in the image reproduction system of FIG. FIG. 8 shows another example of photos classified by a variation of folder classification in the image reproduction system of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a reproduction process in the reproduction device of the image reproduction system in FIG. 1. It is a flowchart of the 1st modification of the folder creation process in the image reproduction system of FIG. FIG. 10 is a flowchart of reproduction processing after processing by the folder creation processing of FIG. 9. FIG. 10 is a flowchart of a second modification of folder creation processing in the image reproduction system of FIG. 1. It is a flowchart of the reproduction | regeneration processing after the process by the folder creation process of FIG. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a state in which a feature portion is designated from a human face image when performing face classification in the folder creation processing of FIG. 11. It is a figure which shows the signalization state of the characteristic part of the face image of the cut-out person shown in FIG. 13 in the folder creation process of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

1A, 1B ... Camera (first authentication means)
11 ... Photography lens (second authentication means)
12 Image sensor (second authentication means)
13: Face information recording unit (second authentication means)
17: Personal authentication processing unit (first and second authentication means)
18 ... Association part (determination means)
19 ... Folder creation part (Recording means, folder forming means,
Image folder forming means)
40 ... Base station (folder forming means)
50. Reproduction device (selective reproduction means, reproduction means)
71a ... Characteristic part (characteristic part)

Agent Patent Attorney Susumu Ito

Claims (4)

A camera having a first authentication means for authenticating a user;
A folder forming means for creating an image folder in accordance with the authentication signal of the first authentication means and recording it in the recording means;
A selection reproduction unit that includes a second authentication unit that is different from the first authentication unit, and selects an image folder to be reproduced from among the image folders in the recording unit according to a result of the second authentication unit;
An image reproduction system comprising: The said folder formation means has a determination means which determines the relationship of a some user, and records the data of several cameras in a common folder according to the determination result of the said determination means. Image playback system. An image folder forming unit for determining a relationship between a plurality of users, and recording data of a plurality of cameras in a common folder according to the determination result;
A reproduction unit that determines that any of the plurality of users uses the reproduction unit and reproduces the image data recorded in the folder;
An image reproduction system comprising: An image filing system characterized in that a folder name representing an image is created from a feature portion of a human face portion from a photographed image, and images having similar face feature portions are collected in the folder.

Images