JP2009159395A - Digital camera with projector and projection system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a digital camera with a projector for facilitating access to image data of projection images. <P>SOLUTION: The digital camera 1 with the projector includes an imaging unit 40 for imaging an object image, a composition means 50 for generating the composite image of the projection image based on the image data and a one-dimensional code image or a two-dimensional code image for which information for communication is coded, and a projection unit 30 for projecting the composite image. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a digital camera with a projector and a projection system.

  Conventionally, a digital camera in which a projector is incorporated is known (for example, see Patent Document 1). In such a projector digital camera, an image photographed by the camera can be easily projected on a screen and observed by a large number of people.

JP 2005-250392 A

  However, when another person who is observing wants image data or a printed image of the projected image, for example, the image data recorded in the camera is once taken into a PC (personal computer), and the image is displayed. It was necessary to record data on a recording medium or print it with a printer, which was troublesome.

A digital camera with a projector according to a first aspect of the present invention is a composite image of a photographing unit that captures a subject image, a projection image based on image data, and a one-dimensional code image or two-dimensional code image in which communication information is encoded. It is characterized by comprising a synthesizing means for generating and a projection unit for projecting a synthesized image.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the digital camera with a projector according to the first aspect, the communication information includes a URL for accessing a server holding image data on a wireless network.
The invention according to claim 3 is the digital camera with a projector according to claim 1, further comprising wireless communication means, and the communication information is information for accessing the digital camera via the wireless communication means. And
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the digital camera with a projector according to any one of the first to third aspects, a first projection mode for projecting only a projection image based on image data, and a second for projecting a composite image. Mode switching means for switching between these projection modes.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a projection system comprising: the digital camera with a projector according to the second aspect; an imaging unit, a communication unit, and an extraction unit that extracts communication information from a composite image captured by the imaging unit; And a portable information device that accesses a server based on information.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the digital camera with a projector according to the third aspect, an imaging unit, a communication unit, and an extraction unit for extracting communication information from the composite image captured by the imaging unit are provided. And a portable information device for accessing the digital camera based on the digital camera.
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the projection system according to the sixth aspect, when the composite image projection command is received from the portable information device, the composite image is obtained from the first projection mode in which only the projection image based on the image data is projected. The digital camera is provided with mode switching means for switching to the second projection mode for projection.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to easily access image data of a projection image.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the concept of a projection system according to the present invention. Reference numeral 1 denotes a digital camera with a projector according to the present invention, and a projection image 7 based on image data recorded in a recording unit (memory card 110 described later) in the camera can be projected on the screen 2 by a built-in projector unit. . The configuration of the digital camera 1 will be described later. The service user of the electronic album (online album) accesses the Web server of the service provider (album site) via the network and registers (publishes) a desired image as an album, or the registered album You can browse images.

  For example, when an album publisher registers an image taken by the digital camera 1, first, image data is transferred to the PC 3. Then, registration is performed by connecting the PC 3 to the Internet 5 via the access point 4 and uploading the image data to the server 6. Of course, if the digital camera 1 itself has a wireless LAN connection function, the digital camera 1 may be connected to the Internet 5 and image data may be registered in the server 6.

  When the digital camera 1 projects an image, an image 8 of an information code obtained by encoding URL (Uniform Resource Locator) information of an electronic album site in which the image data of the projected image 7 is registered is displayed together with the image 7. Project. This URL may be the URL of the electronic album site as described above, or may be a URL for accessing each image data. Since such a URL is sent from the album site to the transmission side when image data is uploaded to the server 5, the URL is stored as Exif information of the image data. The digital camera 1 encodes the URL of this Exif information and projects it as an information code image 8. That is, a composite image of the image 7 and the information code image 8 is projected. The information code image 8 is projected only when the digital camera 1 is set to the mode for projecting the information code image 8, and only the image 7 is projected in the normal projection mode.

  Reference numeral 9 denotes a portable information device such as a camera-equipped mobile phone, which will be described below by taking a mobile phone as an example. When the observer who possesses the mobile phone 9 desires the image data of the image 7 projected on the screen 2, the code reading application of the mobile phone 9 is activated, and the mobile phone 9 makes the screen 2 The upper information code image 8 is photographed. In this case, since the information code image 8 projected on the screen 2 cannot be photographed when the flash is emitted, photographing is performed without emitting the flash.

  Here, the mobile phone 9 has been described as an example of a device that captures the information code image 8, but it is an imaging device with a communication function, such as a digital camera with a communication function, and has a code reading application. Any thing is good.

  By shooting the information code image 8, the URL encoded in the information code image 8 is read, and the URL is displayed on the display unit of the mobile phone 9. Then, by connecting to the displayed URL, the electronic album site 6 or a page on which an image of the site is posted can be accessed. Thereafter, by performing a predetermined procedure, the image data can be downloaded to the mobile phone 9 or printed out using a print service provided via the network. Of course, printing may be performed by the printer 10 connected to the PC 3.

<Configuration of digital camera>
FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of the digital camera 1. The digital camera 1 includes a projector unit 30, a photographing unit 40, and a control circuit 50 as main components. In addition to the memory 60 being connected to the control circuit 50, a projector switch 71s, a half-push switch 104a, a full-push switch 104b, a main switch 105, and a mode changeover switch 106s are connected. The half-push switch 104a and the full-push switch 104b each output an ON signal or an OFF signal to the control circuit 50 in conjunction with the pressing operation of the release button. Further, a liquid crystal display 107, a memory card interface 109, a battery 111, and a wireless LAN module unit 108 are connected to the control circuit 50.

  Based on the control program, the control circuit 50 performs a predetermined calculation using signals input from each unit constituting the digital camera 1 and sends a control signal to each unit of the digital camera 1 to perform a shooting operation and a projection operation. Control. The control program is stored in a nonvolatile memory (not shown) in the control circuit 50.

  The memory card interface 109 is an interface to which the memory card 110 can be attached and detached. The memory card interface 109 is an interface circuit that writes an image file to the memory card 110 and reads an image file recorded on the memory card 110 based on the control of the control circuit 50. The memory card 110 is a semiconductor memory card such as a compact flash (registered trademark) or an SD card. The wireless LAN module unit 108 performs processing such as data format conversion, encryption, modulation / demodulation, and frequency conversion, and transmits and receives data to and from the access point 4, the PC 3, the mobile phone 9, and the like.

  The photographing unit 40 includes a photographing lens 101, an image sensor (image sensor) 402, a lens driving circuit 403, and a photographing control circuit 404. As the image sensor 402, a CCD, a CMOS image sensor, or the like is used. The imaging control circuit 404 drives and controls the image sensor 402 and the lens driving circuit 403 according to a command from the control circuit 50 and performs predetermined image processing on the imaging signal (accumulated charge signal) output from the image sensor 402. . Image processing includes white balance processing and gamma processing.

  The photographing lens 101 forms a subject image on the imaging surface of the image sensor 402. The imaging control circuit 404 causes the image sensor 402 to start imaging in response to an imaging start instruction, reads the accumulated charge signal from the image sensor 402 after the imaging is completed, performs the above-described image processing, and sends it to the control circuit 50 as image data. To do. The lens driving circuit 403 drives the zoom lens (not shown) constituting the photographing lens 101 forward and backward in the optical axis direction (tele side or wide side) based on the zoom adjustment signal output from the photographing control circuit 404.

  In addition to the projection lens 301, the liquid crystal panel 302, the LED light source 303, and the like, the projector unit 30 controls the lens driving circuit 300, the liquid crystal panel 302, and the LED light source 303 that drive the projection lens 301, and the lens driving circuit 300. And a projection control circuit 306 for controlling the projection lens. The lens driving circuit 300 drives a focus lens (not shown) constituting the projection lens 301 based on the focus adjustment signal output from the projection control circuit 306.

  The digital camera 1 has a projection mode in which an image is projected by the projector unit 30 and a camera mode in which an image is photographed by the photographing unit 40 as operation modes. These are switched by operating the projector switch 71s. Further, the projection mode includes a mode in which only the image 7 is projected and a mode in which the above-described information code image 8 is also projected. Switching between these is performed by the mode switch 106s.

  In the camera mode, the electronic camera 1 captures an image by the imaging unit 40 and stores the captured image data as a captured image file in a recording medium (for example, the memory card 110 or the internal memory). In the playback mode, the digital camera 1 reads the captured image data from a recording medium (for example, the memory card 110 or the internal memory) and reproduces and displays a playback image based on the image data on the liquid crystal display 107. The shooting start instruction corresponds to an operation signal output in response to the pressing operation of the release button 104.

  If the mode is set so that the captured image data is sequentially uploaded to the server 6, the wireless LAN module unit 108 transmits the image data and receives related information (such as a URL) from the server 6. The related information is combined into a single file together with the image data as Exif information.

  On the other hand, in the projection mode, the captured image data is read from a recording medium (for example, the memory card 110 or the internal memory), and a reproduced image (still image or moving image) based on the image data is generated as a projection image. Projected by unit 30. At this time, if the mode for projecting the information code image 8 is set, the information code image 8 is projected together with the image 7.

  In the above-described embodiment, the information code image 8 includes a URL on the Internet, and the mobile phone 9 that has captured the information code image 8 downloads image data from the server 6. However, the digital camera 1 may be directly accessed by short-range wireless communication such as bluetooth, and image data may be received from the digital camera 1. In such a case, the information code image 8 includes, as information, information for accessing the image data of the projected image (encryption relating to the access right, file name of the image data), and the like.

  Here, the information code image 8 is projected regardless of whether or not the image data of the image 7 projected by another observer is desired, but the information code image 8 is projected from the mobile phone 9. The information code image 8 may be projected only when a signal requesting the above is transmitted to the digital camera 1. When there is no request for projection of the information code image 8, the information code image 8 is projected and only the image 7 is projected, so that viewing is not hindered. When receiving the projection request, the control circuit 50 of the digital camera 1 switches the mode switch 106s from off to on.

  As described above, the digital camera with a projector 1 according to the present embodiment can project a one-dimensional barcode or two-dimensional code as the information data image 8 together with the image 7. Therefore, information for accessing the image data can be acquired by photographing the information data image 8 with the mobile phone 9 or the like, so that the image data can be easily acquired from the server 6 or the digital camera 1. it can. In addition, it is possible to easily print an image using a print service on the network.

  In the above-described embodiment, the image data of the server 6 or the digital camera 1 is accessed to receive the data or print the image. However, the processing after the access is not limited thereto. In addition, although a one-dimensional code (for example, a barcode) or a two-dimensional code image is projected as the information code image 8, information may be embedded in the image using a digital watermark technique. In digital watermarking, information is embedded in an image by making a minute change that cannot be recognized by the human eye (for example, a slight change in image brightness or color). When detecting embedded information, the inserted information is detected by reading a change added to the image with a dedicated detection tool. If such a digital watermark is used, the information code image 8 is not superimposed on the projected image, and the observer does not feel unnaturalness.

  Note that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment as long as the characteristics of the present invention are not impaired.

It is a figure explaining the concept of the projection system by this invention. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a digital camera 1. FIG.

Explanation of symbols

  1: Digital camera with projector, 2: Screen, 4: Access point, 5: Internet, 6: Server, 7: Image, 8: Information code image, 9: Mobile phone, 30: Projector unit, 40: Shooting unit, 50 : Control circuit, 101: Shooting lens, 106s: Mode switch, 108: Wireless LAN module unit, 110: Memory card, 402: Image sensor

Claims (7)

A photographing unit for capturing a subject image;
A synthesizing unit that generates a synthesized image of the projection image based on the image data and the one-dimensional code image or the two-dimensional code image obtained by encoding the communication information;
A digital camera with a projector, comprising: a projection unit that projects the composite image. The digital camera with a projector according to claim 1,
The digital camera with a projector, wherein the communication information includes a URL for accessing a server that holds the image data on a wireless network. The digital camera with a projector according to claim 1,
A wireless communication means;
The digital camera with a projector, wherein the communication information is information for accessing the digital camera via the wireless communication means. In the digital camera with a projector according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A digital camera with a projector, comprising mode switching means for switching between a first projection mode for projecting only a projection image based on the image data and a second projection mode for projecting the composite image. A digital camera with a projector according to claim 2,
An image capturing unit; a communication unit; and an extraction unit that extracts the communication information from the composite image captured by the image capturing unit, and a portable information device that accesses the server based on the extracted communication information. Projection system. A digital camera with a projector according to claim 3,
An image capturing unit, a communication unit, and an extraction unit that extracts the communication information from the composite image captured by the image capturing unit, and a portable information device that accesses the digital camera based on the extracted communication information. Characteristic projection system. The projection system according to claim 6.
Upon receiving a composite image projection command from the portable information device, mode switching means for switching from a first projection mode that projects only the projection image based on the image data to a second projection mode that projects the composite image, A projection system provided in the digital camera.

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