JP2008205735A - Image input device and computer program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To efficiently use a storage device in an image input device by managing the power source of the storage device in the image input device. <P>SOLUTION: The image input device includes: an image processing means for writing/reading image data with respect to the storage device for storing the image data; a power source supply means for supplying the power source to the storage device and the image processing means; a changeover means for changing-over the states of power supply from the power source supply means to the storage device; and a control means for controlling the changeover means. The control means controls the changeover means so as to supply the power source to the storage device during a period when writing/reading is performed to the storage device, and controls the changeover means so as to stop the power source supply to the storage device during a period when writing/reading is not performed to the storage device. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image input device and a computer program.

  Conventionally, in an image input device such as a digital camera or a digital video camera, a compact flash (registered trademark) or a semiconductor memory such as an SD memory card has been mainly used as a storage device for image data.

  FIG. 10 shows a configuration of a conventional image input apparatus. The image input device 10 includes a control unit 2, an image input and image processing unit 3, an optical member 4, a storage device 5, an operation unit 6, and a power supply control unit 11.

  The power supply control unit 11 performs power supply control in the image input device 1 including the power supply of the storage device 5 in accordance with a control signal from the control unit 2. The control unit 2 controls the power supply control unit 11 and the image processing unit 3 according to the state of the image input device 10. The control unit 2 also communicates with the storage device 5 to obtain information for identifying the storage device 5.

  The image processing unit 3 processes the image information input via the optical member 4 based on the start instruction of the photographing operation received by the operation unit 6, generates image data, and stores the generated image data in the storage device 5. Send. The image processing unit 3 can also include a display unit for displaying image data. The display unit may be configured by a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display. The image processing unit 3 reads the image data from the storage device 5 based on the instruction to start the reproduction operation of the image data received by the operation unit 6 and displays it on the display unit.

  The storage device 5 stores therein the image data received from the image processing unit 3. The storage device 5 is also realized as a semiconductor memory such as a compact flash (registered trademark) or an SD memory card, and is mounted in a dedicated slot and integrated with the image input device 100.

  The configuration of the power supply control unit 11 is as shown in FIG. The power control unit 11 includes a battery 30 and a DCDC converter 11. The battery 30 is connected to the DCDC converter 11. The DCDC converter 11 converts the voltage of the power supplied from the battery 30 in accordance with the control signal 12 supplied from the control unit 2 to generate the power supply 16 for each unit of the image input device 10. The DC / DC converter 11 also supplies a power supply 13 to the storage device 5.

  Next, a sequence in which the power control unit 11 of the image input apparatus 10 supplies power to the storage device 5 will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 12, reference numeral 1201 denotes an operation for the storage device 5. Reference numeral 1202 denotes a waveform of the control signal 12 for supplying power from the DCDC converter 11 to the storage device 5. In 1202, the LOW state corresponds to the power supply stop state from the DCDC converter 11, and the HIGH state corresponds to the power supply state from the DCDC converter 11. Reference numeral 1203 denotes an operation state of the storage device 5 that is powered and operated in accordance with the control signal 12. Therefore, the LOW state of 1203 corresponding to the LOW state of the control signal 12 indicates that the operation of the storage device 5 is stopped and the storage device 5 is activated and operated when the control signal 12 is in the HIGH state. It becomes a state. Further, when the control signal 12 shifts from HIGH to LOW, the storage device 5 also stops operating correspondingly.

  In FIG. 12, the horizontal axis represents time. At time t11, the power button included in the operation unit 6 is operated, and the main power supply of the image input apparatus 10 is turned on. At the same time when the main power supply is turned on, the control signal 12 is in a HIGH state. In response to this, the power supply of the storage device 5 is turned on, and the storage device 5 is in an operating state. Then, by transferring information between the image processing unit 3 and the storage device 5, information of the storage device 5 is acquired, and further, stored information is confirmed.

  Thereafter, when a shutter switch included in the operation unit 6 is operated at time t12, image data generated in response to the operation is stored in the storage device 5. At time t13, when the playback button included in the operation unit 6 is operated, the image data stored in the storage device 5 is read according to the operation.

Further, at time t14, when the power button is operated and the main power supply of the image input apparatus 10 is cut off, the control signal 12 becomes LOW, and the power supply to the storage device 5 is cut off correspondingly, and the operation stops. It becomes a state.
JP 2001-84063 A

  In the power supply method to the storage device described above, even when access from the image processing unit is not accepted, the storage device is always in a power supply state, and the power supply of the battery 30 is wasted. . In this situation, if the capacity of the storage device is increased in accordance with the increase in the size of the recorded image in the image input device, the power is consumed to maintain the operation state of the storage device, and it becomes impossible to shoot immediately. A problem occurs. In addition, when a device such as an HDD that can supply a large storage capacity at a low cost is used as a storage device, there is a problem that power supply cannot be performed because the power consumption of the device is large.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that power management of a storage device is performed in an image input device so that the storage device can be efficiently used in the image input device.

The present invention for solving the above problems is an image input device,
Image processing means for writing and reading image data to and from a storage device for storing image data;
Power supply means for supplying power to the storage device and the image processing means;
Switching means for switching a state of the power supply from the power supply means to the storage device;
Control means for controlling the switching means,
The control means includes
While the writing or reading to the storage device is being performed, the switching means is controlled so that power is supplied to the storage device,
While the writing or reading to the storage device is not performed, the switching unit is controlled so that power supply to the storage device is stopped.

  According to the present invention, power management of a storage device is performed in the image input device, and the storage device can be efficiently used in the image input device.

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

[First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 shows a configuration example of an image input apparatus corresponding to an embodiment of the invention. In FIG. 1, the image input device 100 includes a power supply control unit 1, a control unit 2, an image processing unit 3, an optical member 4, a storage device 5, and an operation unit 6.

  The image input device corresponding to this embodiment can be realized as, for example, a digital still camera, a digital video camera, a mobile phone with a camera, a mobile information terminal with a camera, or a notebook computer.

  The power supply control unit 1 performs power supply control in the image input device 1 including the power supply of the storage device 5 in accordance with a control signal from the control unit 2. The control unit 2 controls the power supply control unit 1 and the image processing unit 3 according to the state of the image input device 100. The control unit 2 also communicates with the storage device to obtain information for identifying the storage device 5.

  The image processing unit 3 processes the image information input via the optical member 4 based on the start instruction of the photographing operation received by the operation unit 6, generates image data, and stores the generated image data in the storage device 5. Send. The image processing unit 3 can also include a display unit for displaying image data and a notification message. The display unit may be configured by a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display. The image processing unit 3 reads the image data from the storage device 5 based on the instruction to start the reproduction operation of the image data received by the operation unit 6 and displays it on the display unit.

  The storage device 5 stores therein the image data received from the image processing unit 3. The storage device 5 is also realized as a semiconductor memory such as a compact flash (registered trademark) or an SD memory card, and is mounted in a dedicated slot and integrated with the image input device 100.

  The configuration of the power control unit 1 is as shown in FIG. The power supply control unit 1 includes a battery 30, a DCDC converter 11, and a switch 14. The battery 30 and the DCDC converter 11 are connected to each other and function as power supply means. The DCDC converter 11 converts the voltage of the power supplied from the battery 30 in accordance with the control signal 12 supplied from the control unit 2 to generate the power supply 16 for each unit of the image input device 100. The DCDC converter 11 is also connected to the switch 14. The switch 14 functions as a switching unit that switches ON / OFF according to a switching signal 15 from the control unit 2 and switches a power supply state to the storage device 5. Thereby, the supply of the power supply 13 to the storage device 5 can be controlled independently of the power supply to other components in the image input apparatus 100.

  Next, a sequence in which the power supply control unit 1 supplies power to the storage device 5 when the image input apparatus 100 is activated will be described with reference to FIG.

  In FIG. 3, reference numeral 301 denotes an operation for the storage device 5. Reference numeral 302 denotes a waveform of the switching signal 15 from the control unit 2. In 302, the LOW state corresponds to the OFF state of the switch 14, and the supply of the power supply 13 from the DCDC converter 11 to the storage device 5 is stopped. On the other hand, the HIGH state corresponds to the ON state of the switch 14, and the power supply 13 is supplied from the DCDC converter 11 to the storage device 5.

  Reference numeral 303 denotes an operation state of the storage device 5 in which the supply of the power supply 13 is controlled according to the switching signal 15. Therefore, in the LOW state of 303 corresponding to the LOW state of the switching signal 15, the storage device 5 is in the operation stop state, and when the switching signal 15 is in the HIGH state, the storage device 5 is activated and is in the operating state. Become. Further, when the switching signal 15 shifts from HIGH to LOW, the storage device 5 also stops operating correspondingly.

  In FIG. 3, the horizontal axis represents time. At time t1, the power button included in the operation unit 6 is operated, and the main power source of the image input apparatus 100 is turned on. At the same time as the main power supply is turned on, the switching signal 15 is in a HIGH state. In response to this, the power supply of the storage device 5 is turned on, and the storage device 5 is in an operating state. Then, information is exchanged between the control unit 2 and the storage device 5 to acquire information of the storage device 5, and further, stored information is confirmed. Here, the information of the storage device 5 includes a serial number or the like as identification information for identifying the storage device 5. This operation is hereinafter referred to as “initial operation”. The initial operation is an operation that needs to be executed in order to use the storage device 5 in the image input device 1 when the storage device 5 is activated. When this initial operation ends, the control unit 2 shifts the switching signal 15 to the LOW state and stops the supply of the power supply 13 to the storage device 5.

  Next, a sequence in which the power supply control unit 1 supplies power to the storage device 5 during the photographing operation of the image input apparatus 100 will be described with reference to FIG.

  In FIG. 4, 401 indicates an operation for the storage device 5. Reference numeral 402 denotes a waveform of the switching signal 15 from the control unit 2. In 402, the LOW state corresponds to the OFF state of the switch 14, and the supply of the power supply 13 from the DCDC converter 11 to the storage device 5 is stopped. On the other hand, the HIGH state corresponds to the ON state of the switch 14, and the power supply 13 is supplied from the DCDC converter 11 to the storage device 5.

  Reference numeral 403 denotes an operation state of the storage device 5 in which the supply of the power supply 13 is controlled according to the switching signal 15. Accordingly, when the switching signal 15 is in the LOW state corresponding to the LOW state, the storage device 5 is in the operation stop state, and when the switching signal 15 is in the HIGH state, the storage device 5 is activated and is in the operating state. Become. Further, when the switching signal 15 shifts from HIGH to LOW, the storage device 5 also stops operating correspondingly.

  In FIG. 4, the horizontal axis represents time. At time t2, in order to start a photographing operation in the image input apparatus 100, an operation of a shutter switch included in the operation unit 6 is performed. In response to this operation, the switching signal 15 is in a HIGH state, and in response to this, the power of the storage device 5 is turned on, and the storage device 5 is in an operating state. Thereafter, an initial operation is performed. When it is found that the information in the storage device 5 obtained in the initial operation is different from the information confirmed at the previous activation, the control unit 2 uses the display unit as a notification unit to The user may be notified of this. In this case, for example, it is conceivable that the storage device 5 has been replaced with another storage device.

  Thereafter, the image data generated according to the operation of the shutter switch is stored in the storage device 5. When the storage of the image data is finished, the control unit 2 shifts the switching signal 15 to the LOW state and stops the supply of the power source 13 to the storage device 5. However, when the next photographing operation is started when the storage of the image data is completed, the switching signal 15 is maintained in the HIGH state, and the newly generated image data is stored.

  Next, a sequence in which the power supply control unit 1 supplies power to the storage device 5 when the image input device 100 reproduces image data will be described with reference to FIG.

  In FIG. 5, reference numeral 501 denotes an operation for the storage device 5. Reference numeral 502 denotes a waveform of the switching signal 15 from the control unit 2. In 502, the LOW state corresponds to the OFF state of the switch 14, and the supply of the power supply 13 from the DCDC converter 11 to the storage device 5 is stopped. On the other hand, the HIGH state corresponds to the ON state of the switch 14, and the power supply 13 is supplied from the DCDC converter 11 to the storage device 5.

  Reference numeral 503 denotes an operation state of the storage device 5 in which the supply of the power supply 13 is controlled according to the switching signal 15. Therefore, when the switching signal 15 is in the LOW state corresponding to the LOW state, the storage device 5 is in the operation stop state, and when the switching signal 15 is in the HIGH state, the storage device 5 is activated and is in the operating state. Become. Further, when the switching signal 15 shifts from HIGH to LOW, the storage device 5 also stops operating correspondingly.

  In FIG. 5, the horizontal axis represents time. At time t3, in order to start the reproduction operation of the image data stored in the storage device 5, the reproduction button included in the operation unit 6 is operated. In response to this operation, the switching signal 15 is in a HIGH state, and in response to this, the power of the storage device 5 is turned on, and the storage device 5 is in an operating state. Thereafter, an initial operation is performed. When it is found that the information in the storage device 5 obtained in the initial operation is different from the information confirmed at the previous activation, the control unit 2 uses the display unit as a notification unit to The user may be notified of this. In this case, for example, it is conceivable that the storage device 5 has been replaced with another storage device.

  Thereafter, the image data read from the storage device 5 in response to the button operation is provided to the image processing unit 3, and reproduction display is performed on the display unit. When the reproduction and display of the image data is finished, the control unit 2 shifts the switching signal 15 to the LOW state and stops the supply of the power supply 13 to the storage device 5. However, when the button operation for reproducing the next image data has been performed at the time when the reproduction of the image data is finished, the switching signal 15 is maintained in the HIGH state and the image data is reproduced. Is called.

  As described above, according to this embodiment, only when access to the storage device 5 is required, the power supply of the image input device 100 is performed by supplying power from the power control unit 1 to the storage device 5. It can be used efficiently. This also makes it possible to mount a storage device with a large capacity and a large amount of power consumption on the image input device 100.

[Second Embodiment]
With reference to FIG. 6, the apparatus configuration corresponding to the present embodiment will be described. In the present embodiment, the recording device 5 is realized as a hard disk arranged outside the image input device 100. Therefore, the image input apparatus 100 corresponding to this embodiment is configured as shown in FIG.

  In FIG. 6, the digital camera 20 is connected to a hard disk 22 that is an external storage device via a USB cable 21 via USB. The digital camera 20 includes the power supply control unit 1, the control unit 2, the image processing unit 3, and the optical member 4 in FIG. The hard disk 22 functions as the storage device 5.

  In the present embodiment, the digital camera 20 is configured to behave as a USB host with respect to the hard disk 22. The hard disk 22 is a bus power device that operates with power supplied from a USB host using a USB power line (VBUS). The VBUS for supplying power from the digital camera to the 20 hard disks 22 corresponds to the power supply 13 in FIG. This VBUS is turned ON / OFF by a switching signal from the control unit 2 in the digital camera 20, and power supply to the hard disk 22 is controlled. Hereinafter, power supply control to the hard disk 22 by the digital camera 20 in such a configuration will be described.

  Next, a sequence in which the power supply control unit 1 supplies power to the hard disk 22 when the digital camera 20 is activated will be described with reference to FIG.

  In FIG. 7, reference numeral 701 denotes an operation for the hard disk 22. Reference numeral 702 denotes a waveform of the switching signal 15 from the control unit 2. In 702, the LOW state corresponds to the OFF state of the switch 14, and the power supply to the hard disk 22 using VBUS is stopped. On the other hand, the HIGH state corresponds to the ON state of the switch 14, and power is supplied to the hard disk 22 using VBUS.

  Reference numeral 703 denotes an operating state of the hard disk 22 in which power supply by VBUS is controlled in accordance with the switching signal 15. Therefore, when the switching signal 15 is in the LOW state corresponding to the LOW state, the hard disk 22 is in the operation stop state, and when the switching signal 15 is in the HIGH state, the hard disk 22 is activated and becomes in the operating state. When the switching signal 15 shifts from HIGH to LOW, the hard disk 22 also stops operating correspondingly.

  In FIG. 7, the horizontal axis represents time. At time t4, the power button included in the operation unit 6 is operated, and the main power of the digital camera 20 is turned on. At the same time as the main power is turned on, the switching signal 15 is in a HIGH state, the hard disk 22 is powered on via VBUS, and the hard disk 22 is in an operating state. Thereafter, enumeration is performed, and after the device information is confirmed by the control unit 2, the partition information, FAT, and directory entry information of the hard disk are read and the stored information is confirmed. The device information includes identification information for identifying the hard disk 22 such as a connected device type of the hard disk 22 and a serial number. This operation is hereinafter referred to as “initial operation”. The initial operation is an operation that needs to be executed in order for the digital camera 20 to use the hard disk 22 when the hard disk 22 is activated. When this initial operation ends, the control unit 2 shifts the switching signal 15 to the LOW state and stops the supply of VBUS to the hard disk 22.

  Next, a sequence in which the power supply control unit 1 supplies power to the hard disk 22 during a shooting operation with the digital camera 20 will be described with reference to FIG.

  In FIG. 8, reference numeral 801 denotes an operation on the hard disk 22. Reference numeral 802 denotes a waveform of the switching signal 15 from the control unit 2. In 802, the LOW state corresponds to the OFF state of the switch 14, and power supply to the hard disk 22 using VBUS is stopped. On the other hand, the HIGH state corresponds to the ON state of the switch 14, and power is supplied to the hard disk 22 using VBUS.

  Reference numeral 803 denotes an operating state of the hard disk 22 in which power supply by VBUS is controlled in accordance with the switching signal 15. Therefore, when the switching signal 15 is in the LOW state corresponding to the LOW state, the hard disk 22 is in the operation stop state, and when the switching signal 15 is in the HIGH state, the hard disk 22 is activated and enters the operating state. When the switching signal 15 shifts from HIGH to LOW, the hard disk 22 also stops operating correspondingly.

  In FIG. 8, the horizontal axis represents time. At time t5, a shutter switch included in the operation unit 6 is operated in order to start a shooting operation in the digital camera 20. In response to this operation, the switching signal 15 is in a HIGH state, and in response to this, the power of the hard disk 22 is turned on via the VBUS, and the hard disk 22 is in an operating state. After that, the initial operation is performed. If it is found that the device information confirmed in the initial operation is different from the information confirmed at the previous start-up, the control unit 2 uses the display unit as a notification means to inform the user to that effect. You may be notified. In this case, for example, it is conceivable that the hard disk 22 has been replaced with another storage device.

  Thereafter, the image data generated according to the operation of the shutter switch is stored in the hard disk 22. When the storage of the image data is finished, the control unit 2 shifts the switching signal 15 to the LOW state and stops the power supply to the hard disk 22 by the VBUS. However, when the next photographing operation is started when the storage of the image data is completed, the switching signal 15 is maintained in the HIGH state, and the newly generated image data is stored.

  Next, a sequence in which the power supply control unit 1 supplies power to the hard disk 22 when the digital camera 20 reproduces image data will be described with reference to FIG.

  In FIG. 9, reference numeral 901 denotes an operation on the hard disk 22. Reference numeral 902 denotes a waveform of the switching signal 15 from the control unit 2. In 902, the LOW state corresponds to the OFF state of the switch 14, and the power supply to the hard disk 22 using VBUS is stopped. On the other hand, the HIGH state corresponds to the ON state of the switch 14, and power is supplied to the hard disk 22 using VBUS.

  Reference numeral 903 denotes an operating state of the hard disk 22 in which power supply by VBUS is controlled according to the switching signal 15. Accordingly, when the switching signal 15 is in the LOW state corresponding to the LOW state, the hard disk 22 is in an operation stop state, and when the switching signal 15 is in the HIGH state, the hard disk 22 is activated and becomes in an operating state. When the switching signal 15 shifts from HIGH to LOW, the hard disk 22 also stops operating correspondingly.

  In FIG. 9, the horizontal axis represents time. At time t6, in order to start the reproduction operation of the image data stored in the hard disk 22, the reproduction button included in the operation unit 6 is operated. In response to this operation, the switching signal 15 is in a HIGH state, correspondingly, the hard disk 22 is turned on via the VBUS, and the hard disk 22 is in an operating state. After that, the initial operation is performed. If it is found that the device information confirmed in the initial operation is different from the information confirmed at the previous start-up, the control unit 2 uses the display unit as a notification means to inform the user to that effect. You may be notified. In this case, for example, it is conceivable that the hard disk 22 has been replaced with another storage device.

  Thereafter, the image data read from the hard disk 22 in response to the button operation is provided to the image processing unit 3 and is reproduced and displayed on the display unit. When the reproduction of the image data is finished, the control unit 2 shifts the switching signal 15 to the LOW state, and stops the power supply to the hard disk 22 via the VBUS. However, when the button operation for reproducing the next image data has been performed at the time when the reproduction of the image data is finished, the switching signal 15 is maintained in the HIGH state and the image data is reproduced. Is called.

  By performing power supply control to the hard disk 22 via the VBUS according to the above sequence, the image input apparatus 100 can be realized by mounting the hard disk 22 as the storage device 5 in the digital camera 20.

  Even when using an external storage device in this way, the power supply of the image input device can be used efficiently by controlling the power supply only when access to the storage device is required. can do. This also makes it possible to attach a storage device having a large capacity and a large amount of power consumption, such as a hard disk, to the image input device.

  In addition, the operation of the image input device such as a digital camera can be easily managed by starting the power supply to the storage device by the operation of starting the photographing operation and the operation of starting the reproduction of the image.

[Other Embodiments]
The object of the present invention can also be achieved by supplying a storage medium in which a program code of software that realizes the above-described function is recorded to a system, and the system reads and executes the program code. In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments, and the storage medium storing the program code constitutes the present invention. In addition, an operating system (OS) running on a computer performs part or all of actual processing based on an instruction of the program code, and the above-described functions are realized by the processing.

  Furthermore, you may implement | achieve with the following forms. That is, the program code read from the storage medium is written into a memory provided in a function expansion card inserted into the computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer. Then, based on the instruction of the program code, the case where the above-described functions are realized by the CPU included in the function expansion card or the function expansion unit performing part or all of the actual processing is also included.

  When the present invention is applied to the storage medium, the storage medium stores program codes corresponding to the flowcharts described above.

It is a figure which shows the structural example of the image input device corresponding to the 1st Embodiment of invention. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the power supply control part 1 corresponding to the 1st Embodiment of invention. FIG. 5 is a timing chart showing an example of a sequence at the time of starting the image input apparatus 100, corresponding to the first embodiment of the invention. It is a timing chart showing an example of a sequence at the time of photographing operation corresponding to the 1st embodiment of the invention. It is a timing diagram which shows an example of the sequence at the time of image reproduction corresponding to the 1st Embodiment of invention. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the image input device 100 corresponding to the 2nd Embodiment of invention. It is a timing chart showing an example of a sequence at the time of starting of image input device 100 corresponding to a 2nd embodiment of the invention. It is a timing chart showing an example of a sequence at the time of photographing operation corresponding to a 2nd embodiment of the invention. It is a timing chart showing an example of a sequence at the time of image reproduction corresponding to a 2nd embodiment of the invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of the conventional image input device. It is a figure which shows the structure of the conventional power supply control part. It is a timing diagram which shows the conventional sequence.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Power supply control part 2 Control part 3 Image processing part 4 Optical member 5 Memory | storage device 6 Operation part 100 Image input device

Claims (6)

Image processing means for writing and reading image data to and from a storage device for storing image data;
Power supply means for supplying power to the storage device and the image processing means;
Switching means for switching the state of the power supply from the power supply means to the storage device;
Control means for controlling the switching means,
The control means includes
While the writing or reading to the storage device is being performed, the switching means is controlled so that power is supplied to the storage device,
An image input device that controls the switching unit so that power supply to the storage device is stopped while writing to or reading from the storage device is not performed.   The image input device according to claim 1, wherein the storage device is a semiconductor memory attached to the image input device.   The image input device according to claim 1, wherein the storage device is an external storage device connected to the image input device via USB. An operation unit for receiving an instruction to write or read image data to or from the storage device;
When the storage device is in an operation stop state due to the stop of the power supply when the instruction is received via the operation means, the control means controls the switching means so that the power supply is performed. The image input device according to claim 1, wherein the storage device is activated.   When the storage device is activated, the control means obtains identification information for identifying the storage device from the storage device, and when information different from the identification information obtained at the previous activation is obtained. The image input device according to claim 4, wherein notification is made to the user by a notification means.   A computer program for causing a computer to function as the image input device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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