JP2007295391A - Mobile information terminal with imaging function - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a mobile information terminal with an imaging function for making a stereoscopic imaging function established by a low cost with space saving without adding any special imaging device to a housing for 3-dimensional imaging. <P>SOLUTION: In a foldable mobile information terminal 1 having two imaging units 6, 9 at a front side and a back side, a notch shaped opening 8 for making an outdoor daylight for imaging pass therethrough is to be formed at a portion to be located in imaging direction of the front side imaging unit 6 on an upper portion 2 of the housing so that the front side imaging unit 6 does not be closed when the housing is closed. Thereby two imaging units 6, 9 concurrently become usable, then images acquired from the imaging units 6, 9 are to be processed for 3-dimensional images after being respectively correlated to images for a left eye or images for a right eye. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique of a portable information terminal with a photographing function such as a mobile phone having an image pickup means.

  2. Description of the Related Art Mobile information terminals, for example, mobile phones, which have a photographing function have become common, and various products are sold by competing manufacturers and used by many users. In order to differentiate among such various mobile phones and further appeal to users, mobile phones with shooting functions having higher-capacity shooting functions have been developed. For example, there is a mobile phone having a function of recording / reproducing a stereoscopic image.

Here, as a method for displaying a stereoscopic image, a display method called “binocular” that uses binocular parallax is generally used.
In other words, this binocular stereoscopic image display method uses a left-eye image and a right-eye image having binocular parallax (hereinafter referred to as “left-eye image” and “right-eye image”, respectively). The images are prepared and projected onto the left and right eyes, respectively, so that the image can be stereoscopically viewed.

As a binocular stereoscopic image display method, for example, there is a parallax barrier method. FIG. 8 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the parallax barrier method. FIG. 8A is a diagram illustrating the principle that parallax occurs. On the other hand, FIG.8 (b) is a figure which shows the screen displayed by a parallax barrier system.
An image 30a in which a left-eye image and a right-eye image (indicated by the characters “left” and “right”) as shown in FIG. 8B are arranged alternately every other pixel in the horizontal direction. Is displayed on the image display panel 30. As shown in FIG. 8A, by placing a parallax barrier 31 having slits 32 at an interval narrower than the interval between pixels of the same viewpoint on the front surface of the image display panel 30, an image for the left eye or an image for the right eye is displayed. These images are viewed only by the left eye 33l and the right eye 33r, respectively, and stereoscopic viewing can be performed. In a display unit of a mobile phone, for example, a liquid crystal shutter is used as a parallax barrier, and a slit is formed in the liquid crystal shutter when stereoscopically viewed, while a liquid crystal shutter is transparent when viewed in plan as a normal image. Control is performed as follows.

  That is, a stereoscopic image requires an image for the left eye and an image for the right eye. In order to perform stereoscopic imaging, it is necessary to simultaneously capture images from two locations having parallax for the left eye and the right eye. Therefore, two imaging means facing the same direction are required.

With respect to a portable information terminal such as a cellular phone capable of stereoscopic image processing, two imaging means are provided in the width direction of the cellular phone (see, for example, Patent Document 1), two imaging means are provided in the longitudinal direction of the cellular phone, There are disclosed an apparatus that takes a picture while holding it horizontally (for example, see Patent Document 2) and an apparatus that has two image pickup means on the side surface (for example, see Patent Document 3).
Further, it is of a folding type and has two image pickup means in the longitudinal direction of the upper unit, and rotates the unit by 90 ° to make it horizontally long to take images for the left eye and the right eye (See, for example, Patent Document 4).
JP-A-2005-151162 JP 2004-242092 A JP 2005-176284 A JP 2003-319043 A

  However, the two image pickup units facing the same direction provided in the mobile phone are not necessary for normal shooting. Therefore, in order to mount a stereoscopic photographing function on a mobile phone, it is necessary to provide a photographing element only for the stereoscopic photographing function. This increases the cost of the photographing apparatus and also becomes an obstacle to downsizing of the information terminal.

  In addition, some conventional mobile phones have imaging means at two locations, a front surface and a back surface, which are the same surface as a display surface for confirming a captured image. The imaging means on the back is used for the purpose of photographing a subject around a landscape or the like while a photographer confirms a photographed image in the same manner as a normal camera. The imaging means on the front side is often used for the purpose of taking a picture of the photographer himself for the purpose of a TV phone or the like.

However, such a foldable mobile phone having two image pickup means on the front and back faces cannot be photographed when the case is closed and the image pickup means on the front is hidden behind the case.
Further, even if the portable information terminal other than the mobile phone is a foldable type, the same problem as described above occurs when the stereoscopic photographing function is installed.

  In view of such a situation, the present invention provides a foldable portable information terminal having two image pickup means on the front and back surfaces, such that even when the casing is closed, the front image pickup means is hidden. Thus, it is possible to provide a portable information terminal with an imaging function that can use two imaging means at the same time and can take a stereoscopic image with images acquired from the imaging means as images for the left eye and right eye, respectively. is there.

In view of such a situation, in the portable information terminal according to the first invention, the first casing and the second casing constituting the outer shell of the main body are connected to each other so as to be relatively rotatable, and the first casing is caused by the relative rotation. The body display unit and the input unit of the second casing are separated and close to each other and are expanded / closed, and the first casing and the second casing are deployed in the expanded state. The body display unit, the input unit of the second casing, and the front side imaging means are positioned so as to face substantially the same direction, and the rear side imaging means is positioned on the back side with respect to the display unit of the first casing In an openable portable information terminal that
When the portable information terminal is in a closed state between the first casing and the second casing, the first casing and the rear-side imaging section can simultaneously capture images in the same direction. Form an opening in the body,
The image processing apparatus includes a control processing unit that records the image data captured by the two imaging units in association with left-eye image data and right-eye image data for stereoscopic image reproduction.

In the portable information terminal according to the second invention, one end in the planar direction of the first casing and the second casing is connected by a hinge, and one surface of the first casing and the second casing is connected to each other. Can be folded around the hinge so that it can be deployed and closed close to each other.
The first housing is characterized in that an opening for allowing outside light for photographing to pass is formed in a portion located in the imaging direction of the front side imaging means in the closed state.

  Further, the portable information terminal according to the third invention is characterized in that when the front side image pickup means is provided close to / separated from the hinge, the back side image pickup means is provided separately from / close to the hinge.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a portable information terminal that performs an enlargement / reduction correction process on the input image data in accordance with a difference in the number of pixels of the two image pickup means, thereby obtaining left-eye and right-eye image data. Are the same size.

  According to the portable information terminal of the present invention, in the foldable portable information terminal having two imaging means on the front and back surfaces, when the first and second housings are in the closed state, the first housing is connected to the front side. By forming an opening that allows the outside light for photographing to pass through the part located in the imaging direction of the imaging unit, the front side imaging unit and the back side imaging unit can simultaneously capture images from the same direction and acquired from the imaging unit. By associating images as left-eye and right-eye image data and using them for stereoscopic images, it is possible to achieve stereoscopic and low-cost, space-saving without adding a dedicated imaging device to the housing for stereoscopic imaging. A shooting function can be provided.

  In order to reproduce a three-dimensional image, the number of pixels of the left-eye and right-eye images must be the same. However, since image data correction processing is performed, it is not necessary that the two imaging means have the same number of pixels. The number of pixels can be adjusted to the characteristics when used separately, such as normal shooting for photographing the periphery and shooting for videophone.

  Embodiments of a portable information terminal according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

<First Embodiment>
FIG. 1 is an inner view of the portable information terminal when the portable information terminal is deployed in the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a rear view of the portable information terminal 1 of FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a stereoscopic image is captured by closing the casing of the portable information terminal 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  The portable information terminal 1 includes two casings (corresponding to a “first casing” at the top of the casing) 2 and a bottom section of the casing (“second casing”) that form an outer shell of the main body. 3) are connected to each other by a hinge 10, and one surface of the housing upper part 2 and the housing lower part 3 is separated and close to each other so as to be deployed and closed around the hinge 10. It can be bent.

  The housing upper part 2 is provided with a display unit 4 made of a liquid crystal display or the like on one side thereof, and a rear side imaging unit 9 for photographing a landscape or the like on the other side.

  On the side surface of the upper part 2 of the housing, there is provided a shutter button 7 for shooting for inputting a shooting operation instruction by the front side imaging unit 6 or the back side imaging unit 9.

  In addition, the housing lower part 3 is provided with an input unit 5 composed of push button keys and the like, and an imaging unit (hereinafter referred to as “front-side imaging unit”) 6 for photographing the operator himself.

Therefore, the portable information terminal 1 is configured such that the display unit 4 of the housing upper part 2 and the input unit 5 of the housing lower part 3 face in the same direction in a deployed state in which the housing upper part 2 and the housing lower part 3 are separated from each other. And the front side imaging part 6 is located in the front side of the housing | casing lower part 3 of the same surface as the display part 4 of the housing | casing upper part 2, and the back side imaging part is on the back side with respect to the said display part 4 of the housing | casing upper part 2. It is an open / close type where 9 is located.
The display unit 4 performs planar image display or stereoscopic image display by the parallax barrier method or the like as described with reference to FIG.

  The front side imaging unit 6 is used when taking a self-portrait with a TV phone or the like, and the operator can take an image of himself / herself while looking at the display unit 4.

  Furthermore, the front side imaging unit 6 is provided in the upper part 2 of the casing so that the front side imaging unit 6 is not blocked when the casing is closed with the casing upper part 2 and the casing lower part 3 being closest to each other. A notch-shaped opening 8 through which external light for photographing is passed is formed in a portion located in the imaging direction.

  As shown in FIG. 2, an image pickup unit (hereinafter referred to as “back side image pickup unit”) 9 is provided on the back surface of the housing upper part 2 of the portable information terminal. The photographer can take a picture of a subject such as a landscape by directing the back side image pickup unit 9 toward the shooting target while looking at the display unit 4.

  When shooting a stereoscopic image, the operator closes the casing as shown in FIG. 3 (closes the casing by moving the casing upper portion 2 and the casing lower portion 3 toward each other) and opens the opening 8. The front side imaging unit 6 can be used, and imaging on the same surface as the back side imaging unit 9 can be performed.

  For example, at the time of stereoscopic image shooting, by holding the case horizontally as shown in FIG. 3, the rear-side imaging unit 9 for normal shooting that captures a landscape or the like is used to display the left-eye image for operator shooting. The front-side imaging unit 6 captures the right eye image.

  As described above, in the foldable information terminal, by enabling the photographing on the same surface of the front side imaging unit and the rear side imaging unit in a state where the housing is closed, a dedicated information for stereoscopic shooting is provided. Without adding a photographing device to the housing, a stereoscopic photographing function can be provided with low cost and space saving.

  FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the portable information terminal according to the present invention.

  The portable information terminal according to the present invention includes front-side imaging units 6 and 21, back-side imaging units 9 and 23, input data processing units (A) 11 and (B) 12, a shutter button 7, a control processing unit 13, and a display unit. 4, an input unit 5, and a recording memory 14.

The input data processing units (A) 11 and (B) 12 perform rotation processing of images photographed by the front side imaging units 6 and 21 and the rear side imaging units 9 and 23, or correction processing such as enlargement / reduction.
The control processing unit 13 records the image data captured by the imaging units 6, 9, 21, and 23 in the recording memory 14, or stores it in the recording memory 14 according to an instruction from the user by operating the input unit 5. Each recorded data is processed and controlled to be displayed on the display unit 4.
The shutter button 7 is arranged separately from the input unit 5, but some buttons of the input unit 5 may be used.

  In the portable information terminal according to the present embodiment, when the control processing unit 13 detects that the shutter button 7 is pressed when the stereoscopic image shooting mode is selected, a rear-side imaging unit to which a left-eye image (or a right-eye image) is input 9 and 23 and image data are simultaneously acquired from the front-side imaging units 6 and 21 to which the right-eye image (or left-eye image) is input.

  The acquired image data for the left eye and right eye is subjected to 90 ° rotation processing in the input data processing units (A) 11 and (B) 12 respectively.

When there is a difference in the number of pixels between the front side imaging unit and the rear side imaging unit, the input data processing units (A) 11 and (B) 12 perform enlargement or reduction processing to obtain image data of the same size. It is corrected to.
For stereoscopic image reproduction, the number of pixels of the left-eye and right-eye images must be the same, but since correction processing is performed as described above, the two imaging units do not have to have the same number of pixels. The number of pixels can be adjusted to the characteristics when used separately, such as normal photographing for photographing the periphery and photographing for videophone.

  The left-eye and right-eye image data is stored in the recording memory 14 as stereoscopic image data in a state of being associated as the left-eye and right-eye images via the control processing unit 13.

Further, a stereoscopic image may be captured as a moving image instead of a still image.
When capturing as a moving image, for example, when pressing of the shutter button 7 is detected, data input from two imaging units 6 and 9 (21 and 23 in the second embodiment described later) are sequentially captured. In addition, the data is associated with the left eye data and the right eye data, and the respective data acquisition timings are associated with each other, further compressed, and stored in the recording memory 14.

<Second Embodiment>
FIG. 5 is an inner view of the portable information terminal 20 when the portable information terminal 20 is deployed in the second embodiment of the present invention, which is different from FIG. 1, and FIG. 6 is a rear view of the portable information terminal 20. FIG. 7 is a diagram when the casing of the portable information terminal 20 is closed.

  In the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the difference from the first embodiment is that the front side imaging unit 21 of the upper housing 2 is provided at a position away from the display unit 4 from the hinge 10. The corresponding opening 22 is formed in a cutout state at an end portion farther from the hinge 10 than the input portion 5 of the housing lower portion 3.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the difference from the first embodiment is that the back side imaging unit 23 for normal photography is provided at a position close to the hinge 10 of the lower part 3 of the housing. Others are the same as those in the first embodiment, and the same reference numerals are given to the same items.

  As shown in FIG. 7, when the casing is closed, the front side imaging unit 21 can be used from the opening 22 and is on the same surface as the back side imaging unit 23 as in the first embodiment. Shooting is possible.

  For example, at the time of stereoscopic image capturing, the rear-side imaging unit 23 captures the left-eye image and the front-side imaging unit 21 captures the right-eye image by holding the housing horizontally as shown in FIG.

  1 to 7 are examples of embodiments for carrying out the present invention, and the portable information terminal of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and does not depart from the gist of the present invention. Of course, various changes can be made.

It is an example of the inner figure at the time of expansion | deployment of the portable information terminal in the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is an example of the rear view at the time of expansion | deployment of the portable information terminal of FIG. It is an example of the figure which closed the housing | casing of the portable information terminal of FIG. It is an example of the block diagram which shows the structure of the portable information terminal in embodiment of this invention. It is an example of the inner figure at the time of expansion | deployment of the portable information terminal in the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is an example of the rear view at the time of expansion | deployment of the portable information terminal of FIG. It is an example of the figure which closed the housing | casing of the portable information terminal of FIG. It is a conceptual diagram for demonstrating a parallax barrier system, (a) is a principle explanatory drawing in which parallax arises, (b) is explanatory drawing of the display screen by a parallax barrier system.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,20 Portable information terminal 2 Case upper part 3 Case lower part 4 Display part 5 Input part 6, 21 Front side imaging part 7 Shutter button 8, 22 Opening part 9, 23 Rear side imaging part 10 Hinge 11, 12 Input data processing Unit 13 control processing unit 14 recording memory 30 image display panel 31 parallax barrier 32 slit 33l left eye 33r right eye

Claims (4)

The first casing and the second casing constituting the outer shell of the main body are coupled so as to be relatively rotatable, and the display section of the first casing and the input section of the second casing are separated from each other by the relative rotation. -It expands and closes in close proximity, and in the expanded state of the first casing and the second casing, the display section of the first casing, the input section of the second casing, and the front side In the openable portable information terminal in which the imaging unit is positioned so as to face substantially the same direction, and the back side imaging unit is positioned on the back side with respect to the display unit of the first housing,
When the portable information terminal is in a closed state between the first casing and the second casing, the first casing and the rear-side imaging section can simultaneously capture images in the same direction. Form an opening in the body,
A portable information terminal comprising: control processing means for recording image data picked up by the two image pickup means in association with each other as left-eye image data and right-eye image data for stereoscopic image reproduction. In the portable information terminal, one end in the planar direction of the first casing and the second casing is connected by a hinge, and one surface of the first casing and the second casing is separated and close to each other. It can be folded around the hinge so as to expand and close,
2. The first housing according to claim 1, wherein, in the closed state, an opening for allowing external light for imaging to pass is formed in a portion located in the imaging direction of the front-side imaging unit. Mobile information terminal.   3. The portable information terminal according to claim 1, wherein when the front side image pickup unit is provided close to or away from the hinge, the back side image pickup unit is provided close to or away from the hinge.   The left-eye image data and the right-eye image data have the same size by performing an enlargement or reduction correction process on the input image data in accordance with a difference in the number of pixels of the two imaging units. The portable information terminal according to any one of 1 to 3.

Images