JP2007251754A - Electronic camera - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electronic camera which identifies an object without consuming a large-capacity memory for storing imaging data. <P>SOLUTION: The electronic camera is provided with: an imaging means for converting a photographed optical image into image data; an optical system for projecting the optical image of an object on the imaging means; an auto-focus means for controlling a focal point of the optical system; a database for storing object information containing a name of the object and its featured value; a featured value detection means for detecting the featured value of the object from the image data; and a retrieval means for performing retrieval by collating the featured value detected by the featured value detection means with a featured value of each of the objects stored in the database and extracting object information with a featured value closest to the featured value detected by the featured value detection means; and also a retrieval starting means for operating the retrieval means when the object is focused by the auto-focus means. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an electronic camera.

  If you take a stroll around a satoyama or mountain path, you will notice wild grasses, especially flowers and grass fruits. There are many occasions where you want to know what plants are the flowers and grass fruits that you see. However, it is often difficult to carry a picture book to identify those objects that are of interest to them because of restrictions such as the weight of the picture book and the time required for search operations. In addition, many people find it difficult to memorize the shape of the target object or to take a picture with a camera and search from the pictorial book after returning home. . Therefore, it has been difficult to easily identify the object during one walk or mountain climbing. In addition, there is a case where information necessary for identification is not obtained even if an identification operation is performed using a memory or an image of the target feature after returning home.

  In order to solve these problems, the following Patent Document 1 and Non-Patent Document 1 collect flowers and leaves from a target plant to be identified, shoot them on a black cloth or drawing paper, An automatic recognition system that extracts features such as colors and identifies a target has been proposed. The recognition rate of 95% or more is obtained by this method. Non-Patent Document 2 below uses a mobile phone to display the candidate of the flower by transmitting the three images of the image to be identified, the position information acquired by the GPS function, and the simple feature of the flower. A system for performing identification work has been proposed.

  However, in the systems described in Patent Document 1 and Non-Patent Document 1, it takes time and effort to collect the leaves and flowers to be identified and photograph them under a predetermined background. In addition, the method described in Non-Patent Document 2 performs a search from three types of information, that is, a feature amount of a flower, a time when the flower blooms, and a location using GPS without collecting a subject. The recognition rate is not as high as 55%. In Non-Patent Document 2, GPS is mainly used for creating a flower distribution map, and no usefulness based on position information has been found.

In order to solve such a problem, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-247436 (Patent Document 2) has a database storing feature quantities such as vegetables, fruits, and flowers in a digital camera. Describes a digital camera that identifies captured images of flowers and the like by comparing feature values of captured image data with feature values in a database.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-203242 JP 2002-247436 A IEICE Transactions D-II Vol.J84-D-II No.7 pp.1419-1429 July 2001 “Automatic Recognition of Wildflowers by Flowers and Leaves” Toyohashi University of Technology FIT 2004 (3rd Information Science and Technology Forum), I-042, September 2004 “Flower Information Retrieval System Using Mobile Phones” Wakayama University Koji Hara, Kotaro Tabata and others

  However, since the electronic camera described in Patent Document 2 searches the database based on the image data after shooting the subject, the time for shooting the subject even when only identifying the subject is performed. There was a disadvantage that only the operation time became longer.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an electronic camera capable of identifying a subject without photographing the subject.

  The first means for achieving the object includes an imaging means for converting a projected optical image into image data, an optical system for projecting an optical image of a subject onto the imaging means, and adjusting a focus of the optical system Auto focus means, a database for storing subject information including the subject name and its feature quantity, a feature quantity detection means for sensing the feature quantity of the subject from the image data, and the feature quantity detection means A search is performed by comparing the feature quantity with the feature quantity of each subject stored in the database, and the subject information having the feature quantity closest to the feature quantity detected by the feature quantity detection means is extracted. And a search start means for operating the search means when the autofocus means focuses on the subject. Is a La.

  In this means, the search means operates when the autofocus means focuses on the subject. In a general electronic camera, when the release button (shutter button) is pressed halfway, the autofocus means is activated to focus on the subject, and when the release button is pressed further, the image data captured by the imaging device is large. It is to be taken into the capacity memory.

  Therefore, in this means, for example, if the release button is pressed halfway, the search means works in that state and the subject can be identified. Therefore, the subject can be identified without taking in the image data into the large-capacity memory. If the user simply wants to identify the subject, it is not necessary to consume a large-capacity memory, and the subject can be identified without photographing the subject.

  The second means for solving the problem is the first means, wherein the search means extracts the subject information having the feature quantity closest to the feature quantity detected by the feature quantity detection means. And a display means for displaying the image data and at least a part of the subject information extracted by the search means.

  In this means, at least a part of the subject information including the captured image and the name and feature amount related to the identified subject can be displayed on the image display means. The image display means may function in the same manner as the display means (liquid crystal display means) of a normal electronic camera when such display is not performed. The display means used conventionally can be used for the purpose of this means as it is.

  The third means for solving the problem is the first means or the second means, further comprising selection means for selecting whether or not to operate the search means. Is.

  Since this means has a selection means for selecting whether or not to operate the search means, the electronic camera can be used properly depending on whether the user wants to use the camera as a normal electronic camera or to identify the subject. it can.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an electronic camera that can identify a subject without photographing the subject.

  Hereinafter, an electronic camera which is an example of an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of an electronic camera which is an example of an embodiment of the present invention. Most of these functions are the same as those of a conventional electronic camera, but a search switching button, a search start button (sometimes referred to as a release button in the description of the embodiment), and a search memory are included in the conventional electronic camera. Has been added to.

  An optical image of a subject is formed on a CCD which is an image pickup means by an optical system. The output of the CCD is sequentially stored in the finder memory via the imaging circuit (every fixed time), and the contents of the finder memory are displayed on the liquid crystal finder (display device) via the display circuit. When the release button is pressed halfway, the Af (autofocus) device locks the focus on the subject, and the output of the CCD that is in focus on the subject is displayed on the liquid crystal finder via the imaging circuit, finder memory, and display circuit. Is displayed. When the release button is pushed further, the output of the CCD is stored in the large-capacity memory via the imaging circuit. The above is a normal imaging process, and this point is not different from a conventional electronic camera (for example, one described in Patent Document 2).

  When the focus is locked, the electronic camera has a search mode for starting a database search, a shooting mode for shooting without searching the database, and a captured image data stored in a large-capacity memory. There are three operation modes of a playback mode displayed on the liquid crystal finder, and the search switching button is a button for outputting a switching signal for switching between the search mode and the photographing mode to the CPU. The playback button is a button for starting a playback mode.

  Thus, the present invention has an advantage that it is possible to select whether or not to search for names such as flowers. In addition to these three modes, the image data stored in the large-capacity memory is displayed on the LCD finder, and the database is searched to identify the subject displayed on the LCD finder. A search mode for reproduction may be provided. In this case, a search start button for reading image data from the large-capacity memory and outputting a start signal for starting a database search to the CPU based on the image data is added.

  The large-capacity memory is a memory that is provided in the electronic camera and stores captured image data, and may be shared with a memory card. As described above, the finder memory is a memory that stores data to be displayed on the liquid crystal finder.

  The database contains sample images and feature data of subjects that are candidates for identification (feature data: for example, if it is a flower, the number of petals, the color of the petals, the direction in which the flower blooms vertically upward, downward, horizontal, etc.) , An explanatory text (for example, an explanatory text such as a flower name (family, eye, etc.), a blooming time, a color, etc.) is stored. Hereinafter, the sample image, the feature data, and the explanatory text are referred to as subject information. The search memory is a memory that temporarily stores an image of a subject in order to extract a feature amount of the subject when identifying the subject.

  The feature amount detection means for detecting the feature amount of the subject from the image data, and the feature amount detected by the feature amount detection means is compared with the feature amount of each subject stored in the database. The search means for extracting the subject information having the feature quantity closest to the feature quantity detected by the feature quantity detection means is realized as a function of the CPU.

  Hereinafter, in the electronic camera as shown in FIG. 1, the process of identifying the subject will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. Note that the present invention can be applied to mountains, insects, and the like in addition to flowers.

  As described above, the electronic camera has three operation modes: a shooting mode for shooting flowers, a search mode for searching for flower names, and a playback mode for displaying captured image data on the liquid crystal finder. Since the playback mode is the same as that of a conventional electronic camera, description thereof is omitted.

  When the electronic camera is turned on, the search switching button is pressed, and either the search mode or the shooting mode is selected, the sequence shown in this flowchart starts. First, in step 1, the CPU repeatedly writes the CCD output data to the finder memory via the imaging circuit, and repeatedly displays the contents of the finder memory on the liquid crystal finder, so that the imaging circuit, the finder memory, and the display circuit are displayed. And control. At this time, as shown in FIG. 3A, the liquid crystal finder displays an image in which the focus is not on the flower. In this state, the reciprocation between step 2 and step 1 is repeated, and the process waits for the release button to be half-pressed.

  When the release button is half-pressed, the process proceeds to step 3 where the CPU controls the Af device to focus on the flower and lock the focus. FIG. 3B shows an image displayed on the liquid crystal finder when the focus is locked. Then, the CPU copies the image data written in the finder memory when the focus is locked to the search memory.

  Subsequently, the process proceeds to step 4 where the CPU determines whether the mode is a search mode or a shooting mode. In the search mode, the process proceeds to step 5. In step 5, the CPU newly creates image data in which the vertical and horizontal lengths of the image data written in the search memory are halved, and the comment “photograph” means the image data when the focus is locked. Are displayed on the upper left area of the liquid crystal finder as shown in FIG. 3C through the finder memory and the display circuit.

  Subsequently, the process proceeds to step 6, where the CPU extracts a feature quantity from the image data in the search memory, compares it with the feature data (feature quantity data) in the database, and retrieves the feature data from the database. The subject information that most closely matches the feature amount of the general memory is extracted.

  Subsequently, the process proceeds to step 7, and as shown in FIG. 3C, the CPU gives a sample image of subject information that best matches and a comment that is a sample that means a sample image read from the database. The image is displayed in the upper right area of the liquid crystal finder via the finder memory and the display circuit, and the explanatory text of this sample image ("dandelion" which is the name of the flower in FIG. 3C) is displayed below the liquid crystal finder. To do.

  As described above, the electronic camera searches the database when the focus is locked (that is, before writing image data to the large-capacity memory) and displays the flower name on the liquid crystal finder. There is an advantage displayed in time.

  Subsequently, the process proceeds to step 8, and the CPU waits for the release button to be fully pressed. If the release button is not fully pressed, the process proceeds to step 9, and the CPU detects whether the release button has been released. If the release button is released, the process returns to step 1. If the release button is not released, the release button is still half-pressed, so the process returns to step 8 and waits for the release button to be fully pressed.

  When the release button is fully pressed, the process proceeds to step 10, and the CPU copies the output of the CCD when the release button is fully pressed to the large-capacity memory via the imaging circuit, and is copied to the large-capacity memory. The obtained image data is displayed on the entire surface of the liquid crystal finder via the finder memory and the display circuit, and the process returns to step 1.

It is a functional block diagram of the electronic camera which is an example of embodiment of this invention. 2 is a flowchart for explaining a process of identifying a subject in the electronic camera as shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the example of the image displayed on a display apparatus.

Claims (3)

Imaging means for converting the projected optical image into image data;
An optical system for projecting an optical image of a subject onto the imaging means;
Autofocus means for adjusting the focus of the optical system;
A database for storing subject information including the name of the subject and its feature amount;
Feature amount detection means for detecting the feature amount of the subject from the image data;
A search is performed by comparing the feature amount detected by the feature amount detection unit with the feature amount of each subject stored in the database, and the feature amount closest to the feature amount detected by the feature amount detection unit Search means for extracting the subject information having:
With
An electronic camera comprising: a search start unit that activates the search unit when the autofocus unit focuses on the subject.   When the search means extracts the subject information having the feature quantity closest to the feature quantity detected by the feature quantity detection means, the image data and at least a part of the subject information extracted by the search means The electronic camera according to claim 1, further comprising display means for displaying the image.   3. The electronic camera according to claim 1, further comprising selection means for selecting whether or not to operate the search means.

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