JP2011172037A - Wireless device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a technology capable of simplifying an authentication process for permitting a connection. <P>SOLUTION: A reception part 50 of one wireless device connected to one image pickup device has an image for authentication displayed on a monitor on the one image pickup device, and receives a connection request together with the image for authentication displayed on the monitor mounted on the one image pickup device and imaged by the other image pickup device, from the other wireless device connected to the other image pickup device. An obtainig part 52 obtains an image for reference to be compared with the received image for authentication from the one image pickup device. An authenitcation part 54 authenticates the connection with the other wireless device on the basis of the obtained image for reference and the received image for authentication. A response part 56, when permitting the connection with the other wireless device by authentication, transmits the connection permission to the other wireless device. A communication part 30 transmits the connection permission to conduct the communication with the other wireless device. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to communication technology, and more particularly, to a wireless device that communicates image data.

  In recent years, various electronic devices have been requested to connect to a network. In particular, when the electronic device is an imaging device such as a digital camera, an advantage is obtained in that transmission of captured image data is facilitated by connecting to a network. However, when a digital camera is connected by a cable or fiber, it takes time to prepare a cable. Therefore, a wireless connection method is desired for portable small electronic devices such as digital cameras. In addition, in order to easily realize wireless connection, it is desired to construct a peer-to-peer network that does not require an access point.

  However, even in that case, it is required to recognize the external device of the communication partner safely and easily. To cope with this, the digital camera stores personal identification information about the external device, and after extracting subject information from the captured data, establishes a wireless connection when the subject information matches the identification information. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).

JP 2009-124438 A

  It is desirable that authentication processing between communication devices be simple. In addition, identification information of a person related to a communication device to be connected may not be stored in advance in the digital camera. The processing amount of the digital camera increases due to the generation of new identification information. In order to suppress an increase in processing amount in the digital camera, it is desirable to effectively use information already acquired by the digital camera. However, in that case, it is also required to suppress a decrease in safety.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a technique for simplifying an authentication process for permitting a connection.

  In order to solve the above problems, a wireless device according to an aspect of the present invention is a wireless device that can be connected to an imaging device, and an image for authentication displayed on a monitor mounted on the imaging device is another imaging device. Together with an authentication image captured by another imaging device from another wireless device that has been imaged and connected to another imaging device, a reception unit that receives a connection request, and an authentication image that is received at the reception unit Based on the acquisition unit that acquires the reference image to be compared from the imaging device, the reference image acquired in the acquisition unit, and the authentication image received in the reception unit. When the connection of another wireless device is permitted by the authentication unit that authenticates the connection and the authentication in the authentication unit, the response unit that transmits the connection permission to the other wireless device, and the response unit that transmits the connection permission Perform communication with the wireless device It comprises a signal unit.

  Another aspect of the present invention is also a wireless device. This device is a wireless device that can be connected to an imaging device, and an acquisition unit that acquires an authentication image from an imaging device that has captured an authentication image displayed on a monitor mounted on another imaging device; A request unit that transmits a connection request to another wireless device connected to another imaging apparatus together with an authentication image acquired by the acquisition unit, and another wireless device that has received the connection request from the request unit authenticates A reception unit that receives connection permission from another wireless device when the connection is permitted by authentication using an image for communication, and a communication unit that executes communication with the other wireless device when the reception unit receives the connection permission And comprising.

  It should be noted that any combination of the above-described constituent elements and a conversion of the expression of the present invention between a method, an apparatus, a system, a recording medium, a computer program, etc. are also effective as an aspect of the present invention.

  According to the present invention, authentication processing for permitting connection can be simplified.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the communication system which concerns on the Example of this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of the imaging device of FIG. It is a figure which shows the structure of the 1st radio | wireless apparatus of FIG. It is a figure which shows the structure of the 2nd radio | wireless apparatus of FIG. It is a sequence diagram which shows the communication procedure by the communication system of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the transmission procedure by the 1st radio | wireless apparatus of FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a reception procedure by the second wireless device in FIG. 4.

  Before describing the present invention in detail, an outline will be described. Embodiments of the present invention relate to a communication system including two digital cameras equipped with a communication function. Here, one of the digital cameras (hereinafter referred to as “first digital camera”) requests connection to the other digital camera (hereinafter referred to as “second digital camera”), and the second digital camera Assume that the first digital camera is authenticated. When authentication is performed, the first digital camera transmits image data to the second digital camera. As described above, the following processing is executed in the communication system in order to easily execute the authentication processing and suppress the decrease in safety.

  Before starting the connection process, the second digital camera displays the already captured image data on the monitor. The first digital camera captures image data displayed on the monitor of the second digital camera. The first digital camera transmits a connection request to the second digital camera. At that time, the first digital camera also transmits the captured image data. The second digital camera permits connection to the first digital camera if the received image data is close to its own image data. Thereafter, the second digital camera notifies the first digital camera of permission of connection, and the first digital camera transmits image data to the second digital camera.

  FIG. 1 shows a configuration of a communication system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The communication system 100 includes a first imaging device 10 a and a second imaging device 10 b that are collectively referred to as the imaging device 10, and a first wireless device 12 a and a second wireless device 12 b that are collectively referred to as a wireless device 12. A combination of the first imaging device 10a and the first wireless device 12a corresponds to the first digital camera described above, and a combination of the second imaging device 10b and the second wireless device 12b corresponds to the second digital camera described above. To do. The wireless device 12 may be built in the imaging device 10 or may be connected to the imaging device 10 by a cable or the like as shown in FIG. Here, as an example, the latter configuration is assumed.

  The first imaging device 10a captures an image and stores data of the captured image. Hereinafter, the image itself and the digital data of the image are referred to as “image data” without distinction. Further, the image data may be a moving image or a still image, but here, the latter is the object of description for the sake of clarity. The image data may be an image obtained by performing a predetermined process on the captured image, such as a thumbnail image. The first imaging device 10a outputs the image data to the first wireless device 12a.

  The first wireless device 12a can be connected to the first imaging device 10a, and is connected to the first imaging device 10a with a cable as described above. The first wireless device 12a has a communication function corresponding to a wireless LAN or the like, and executes communication with the second wireless device 12b. In general, the first wireless device 12a and the second wireless device 12b have the same configuration. Here, for the sake of clarity, the image data transmission side is the first wireless device 12a, and the image data Is the second wireless device 12b.

  The first wireless device 12a stores the image data in a packet signal and transmits the packet signal to the second wireless device 12b. The second wireless device 12b receives the packet signal from the first wireless device 12a. The second wireless device 12b extracts image data from the packet signal and outputs the image data to the second imaging device 10b. As described above, the second wireless device 12b and the second imaging device 10b are connected by a cable. The second imaging device 10b receives image data from the second wireless device 12b and stores the image data. The second imaging device 10b displays image data.

  As described above, image data is transmitted from the first imaging device 10a to the second imaging device 10b via the first wireless device 12a and the second wireless device 12b. Here, in order to improve the security of the communication system 100, an authentication process should be performed between the first wireless device 12a and the second wireless device 12b prior to communication. Here, it is assumed that the first wireless device 12a requests connection and the second wireless device 12b permits connection. Further, it is desirable that the user process in the authentication process is simple.

  FIG. 2 shows the configuration of the imaging apparatus 10. The imaging device 10 includes an imaging unit 20, a monitor 22, a storage unit 24, a control unit 26, and an IF unit 28. The imaging unit 20 generates a moving image or a still image. The generated moving image or still image corresponds to the above-described image data. The imaging unit 20 outputs the image data to the control unit 26.

  The storage unit 24 receives image data captured by the imaging unit 20 from the control unit 26. The storage unit 24 stores image data. Since the image data is digital data, the storage unit 24 is a storage medium such as a hard disk. The storage unit 24 outputs image data in response to an instruction from the control unit 26. In response to an instruction from the control unit 26, the monitor 22 receives the image data stored in the storage unit 24 and displays the image data. The monitor 22 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display.

  The IF unit 28 connects the wireless device 12 (not shown). The IF unit 28 performs communication with the wireless device 12. For example, the IF unit 28 outputs the image data stored in the storage unit 24 to the wireless device 12 via the control unit 26. The IF unit 28 receives image data from the wireless device 12 and outputs the image data to the control unit 26. Further, the IF unit 28 receives information from the wireless device 12 and outputs the information to the control unit 26. The IF unit 28 receives information from the control unit 26 and outputs the information to the wireless device 12. The IF unit 28 corresponds to USB, for example.

  The control unit 26 controls the operation of the imaging device 10. The control unit 26 receives image data from the imaging unit 20 and the IF unit 28 and stores the image data in the storage unit 24. Further, the control unit 26 receives the image data from the storage unit 24, displays the image data on the monitor 22, and outputs the image data from the IF unit 28. An instruction to display image data on the monitor 22 is received from the wireless device 12 via the IF unit 28, for example.

  This configuration can be realized in terms of hardware by a CPU, memory, or other LSI of any computer, and in terms of software, it can be realized by a program loaded in the memory, but here it is realized by their cooperation. Draw functional blocks. Accordingly, those skilled in the art will understand that these functional blocks can be realized in various forms by hardware only, software only, or a combination thereof.

  FIG. 3 shows the configuration of the first radio apparatus 12a. The first wireless device 12a includes a communication unit 30, a connection processing unit 32, an IF unit 34, and a control unit 36. The connection processing unit 32 includes an acquisition unit 40, a request unit 42, a reception unit 44, and a permission unit 46. As described above, the wireless device 12 includes the configuration of the first wireless device 12a and the configuration of the second wireless device 12b. Here, the description will focus on the function of requesting connection and transmitting image data. .

  The communication unit 30 executes a wireless LAN communication function. The communication unit 30 receives predetermined information from the connection processing unit 32 or the IF unit 34, and generates a packet signal in which the predetermined information is stored. The communication unit 30 performs modulation processing, DA conversion processing, frequency conversion processing, amplification processing, and the like on the packet signal, and the resultant packet signal (hereinafter also referred to as “packet signal”) is not illustrated from the antenna. It transmits to the 2nd radio | wireless apparatus 12b. In addition, the communication unit 30 receives a packet signal from the second wireless device 12b (not shown) with an antenna. The communication unit 30 performs frequency conversion processing, AD conversion processing, and demodulation processing on the packet signal, and generates a packet signal as a demodulation result. The communication unit 30 extracts predetermined information from the packet signal. The communication unit 30 outputs predetermined information to the connection processing unit 32 or the IF unit 34.

  The IF unit 34 connects the IF unit 28 in the imaging apparatus 10 of FIG. The IF unit 34 corresponds to the USB similarly to the IF unit 28. The IF unit 34 receives image data and information from the IF unit 28, outputs the image data to the communication unit 30, and outputs information to the connection processing unit 32. The IF unit 34 outputs image data and information to the IF unit 28.

  When the user desires a connection from the first imaging device 10a to the second imaging device 10b, the user operates the second imaging device 10b, so that the control unit 26 of the second imaging device 10b is stored in the storage unit 24. Any one is extracted from the stored image data, and the image data (hereinafter referred to as “image data for authentication”) is displayed on the monitor 22. This operation corresponds to a connection request instruction from the user. In order to receive a connection request instruction, the imaging apparatus 10 in FIG. 2 includes a button (not shown). The imaging unit 20 of the first imaging device 10a captures the authentication image data displayed on the monitor 22 mounted on the second imaging device 10b. The IF unit 28 outputs the authentication image data imaged by the imaging unit 20 together with a connection request instruction.

  The acquisition unit 40 acquires authentication image data captured by the first imaging device 10a via the IF unit 34. The acquisition unit 40 receives a connection request instruction via the IF unit 34. The acquisition unit 40 outputs the acquired authentication image data to the request unit 42 together with a connection request instruction. Upon receiving the authentication image data from the acquisition unit 40, the request unit 42 generates a signal for requesting connection to the second wireless device 12b (not shown) (hereinafter referred to as “connection request”). Here, the request unit 42 includes the authentication image data received from the acquisition unit 40 in the connection request. The request unit 42 outputs a connection request to the communication unit 30.

  The communication unit 30 transmits a packet signal including a connection request together with the authentication image data to the second wireless device 12b. When the second wireless device 12b receives the packet signal from the first wireless device 12a, the second wireless device 12b performs authentication using the image data for authentication in response to the connection request. The authentication process will be described later. When the second wireless device 12b permits the connection of the first wireless device 12a by the authentication process, the second wireless device 12b includes a packet including a signal indicating connection permission (hereinafter referred to as “connection permission”). The signal is transmitted to the first radio apparatus 12a.

  The communication unit 30 receives the packet signal from the second radio apparatus 12b and outputs a connection permission to the reception unit 44. The reception unit 44 receives connection permission from the communication unit 30 by the second wireless device 12b. When accepting the connection permission, the receiving unit 44 recognizes the connection between the first wireless device 12a and the second wireless device 12b and notifies the permission unit 46 of the start of communication. Upon accepting the notification from the accepting unit 44, the permitting unit 46 permits the communication unit 30 to communicate with the second wireless device 12b. When communication is permitted by the permission unit 46, the communication unit 30 performs communication with the second wireless device 12b. Specifically, the IF unit 34 receives image data from the first imaging device 10 a (not shown) and outputs the image data to the communication unit 30. The communication unit 30 transmits a packet signal including the image data to the second wireless device 12b.

  FIG. 4 shows the configuration of the second radio apparatus 12b. The second wireless device 12b includes a communication unit 30, a connection processing unit 32, an IF unit 34, and a control unit 36. The connection processing unit 32 includes a reception unit 50, an acquisition unit 52, an authentication unit 54, a response unit 56, and a permission unit 58. As described above, the wireless device 12 includes the configuration of the first wireless device 12a and the configuration of the second wireless device 12b. Here, the description will focus on the function of permitting connection and receiving image data. .

  As described above, when the connection process is started, the authentication image data stored in the storage unit 24 is displayed on the monitor 22 of the second imaging device 10b. The communication unit 30, the IF unit 34, and the control unit 36 are the same as those in FIG. The communication unit 30 receives a packet signal from the first wireless device 12a (not shown). The communication unit 30 extracts a connection request from the packet signal and outputs the connection request to the reception unit 50. The receiving unit 50 receives a connection request from the communication unit 30. As described above, the connection request includes image data for authentication captured by the first imaging device 10a (not shown). The receiving unit 50 outputs image data for authentication to the authentication unit 54. In addition, the reception unit 50 instructs the acquisition unit 52 to acquire reference image data from the second imaging device 10b connected to the second wireless device 12b.

  When receiving the instruction from the receiving unit 50, the acquiring unit 52 requests the second imaging device 10b to output reference image data via the IF unit 34. The reference image data is an image to be compared with the authentication image data received by the receiving unit 50, and is the same image data as the authentication image data displayed by the second imaging device 10b. As the reference image data, image data that has already been captured by the second imaging device 10b and is stored in the storage unit 24 of the second imaging device 10b is used. Further, the reference image data may be changed while any one of the plurality of image data stored in the storage unit 24 is changed. In that case, the authentication image data is also changed in accordance with the change of the reference image data. Thereafter, the acquisition unit 52 acquires reference image data from the second imaging device 10b via the IF unit 34. The acquisition unit 52 outputs the reference image data to the authentication unit 54.

  The authentication unit 54 inputs the reference image data acquired by the acquisition unit 52 and the authentication image data received by the reception unit 50. The authentication unit 54 performs an authentication process on the first wireless device 12a based on the reference image data and the authentication image data. More specifically, a difference between the reference image data and the authentication image data is derived using a known technique. If the difference is smaller than the threshold value, the authentication unit 54 permits the connection of the first wireless device 12a. On the other hand, if the difference is equal to or greater than the threshold value, the authentication unit 54 rejects the connection of the first wireless device 12a. The authentication unit 54 outputs the authentication result, that is, whether the connection is permitted or not, to the response unit 56 and the permission unit 58.

  The response unit 56 receives the authentication result from the authentication unit 54. When the authentication result is permission of connection, the response unit 56 generates a signal for permitting connection of the first wireless device 12a (hereinafter referred to as “connection permission”). On the other hand, if the authentication result is a connection rejection, the response unit 56 generates a signal for rejecting the connection of the first wireless device 12a (hereinafter referred to as “connection rejection”). The response unit 56 outputs connection permission or connection rejection to the communication unit 30. The communication unit 30 transmits a packet signal including connection permission or connection rejection to the first radio apparatus 12a.

  The permission unit 58 receives the authentication result from the authentication unit 54. When the authentication result is permission of connection, the permission unit 58 permits the communication unit 30 to communicate with the first wireless device 12a. On the other hand, when the authentication result is connection rejection, the permission unit 58 prohibits the communication unit 30 from communicating with the first wireless device 12a. After transmitting the packet signal including the connection permission, the communication unit 30 executes communication with the first wireless device 12a. That is, the communication unit 30 receives a packet signal including image data from the first imaging device 10 a and outputs the image data to the IF unit 34. The IF unit 34 outputs the image data to the second imaging device 10b.

  An outline of the operation of the communication system 100 configured as above will be described. FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram illustrating a communication procedure by the communication system 100. The second imaging device 10b displays the authentication image data (S10). The first imaging device 10a captures image data for authentication (S12). The first imaging device 10a outputs image data for authentication to the first wireless device 12a (S14). The first wireless device 12a generates a connection request including authentication image data (S16). The first wireless device 12a transmits a connection request to the second wireless device 12b (S18). The second imaging device 10b notifies the second wireless device 12b of the reference image data (S20). The second wireless device 12b performs authentication based on the authentication image data and the reference image data (S22). The second wireless device 12b generates a connection permission (S24). The second wireless device 12b transmits a connection permission to the first wireless device 12a (S26). The first imaging device 10a outputs image data to the first wireless device 12a (S28), the first wireless device 12a transmits image data to the second wireless device 12b (S30), and the second wireless device 12b The image data is output to the second imaging device 10b (S32).

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a transmission procedure by the first radio apparatus 12a. The acquisition unit 40 acquires the captured image data for authentication from the first imaging device 10a via the IF unit 34 (S40). The request unit 42 transmits a connection request including image data for authentication to the second wireless device 12b via the communication unit 30 (S42). If the reception unit 44 receives a connection permission from the second wireless device 12b (Y in S44), the communication unit 30 transmits image data to the second wireless device 12b (S46). If the accepting unit 44 does not receive the connection permission (N in S44), the process ends.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a reception procedure by the second radio apparatus 12b. The accepting unit 50 receives a connection request from the first wireless device 12a via the communication unit 30 (S50). The acquisition unit 52 acquires reference image data from the second imaging device 10b via the IF unit 34 (S52). In the authentication unit 54, if the difference between the authentication image data and the reference image data is smaller than the threshold value (Y in S54), the response unit 56 gives the first connection permission via the communication unit 30. The data is transmitted to the wireless device 12a (S56). The communication unit 30 receives image data from the first wireless device 12a (S58). On the other hand, if the difference is not smaller than the threshold value in the authentication unit 54 (N in S54), the process ends.

  According to the embodiment of the present invention, the authentication image data displayed by the imaging device and the reference image data that is the same as the authentication image data are used for authentication, so that the authentication process for connection is simplified. Can be. In addition, since image data already stored in the imaging apparatus is used as the authentication image data and the reference image data, it is possible to reduce processing for newly creating image data. In addition, since processing for newly creating image data is reduced, the amount of processing can be reduced and the user's effort can be reduced. Further, since the image data for authentication and the image data for reference are changed, safety can be improved.

  In the above, this invention was demonstrated based on the Example. This embodiment is an exemplification, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made to the combination of each component and each processing process, and such modifications are also within the scope of the present invention. .

  In the embodiment of the present invention, the first imaging device 10a captures an image displayed by the second imaging device 10b, and the second wireless device 12b performs authentication based on the connection request transmitted by the first wireless device 12a. is doing. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the first wireless device 12a may perform authentication based on the connection request transmitted by the second wireless device 12b. At that time, the second imaging device 10b captures an image displayed by the first imaging device 10a. That is, the roles of the combination of the first imaging device 10a and the first wireless device 12a and the combination of the second imaging device 10b and the second wireless device 12b are reversed. Furthermore, after the above processing, when the authentication result is exchanged between the first wireless device 12a and the second wireless device 12, and the connection is permitted in both authentication results, the first wireless device 12a The connection with the second wireless device 12 may be permitted. Separately, the result of authentication by the second wireless device 12b is transmitted to the first wireless device 12a, and the first wireless device 12a keeps the second wireless device 12b as it is based on the authentication result received after transmitting the authentication request. You may authenticate. According to this modification, bidirectional communication between the first wireless device 12a and the second wireless device 12b can be realized.

  10 imaging devices, 12 wireless devices, 20 imaging units, 22 monitors, 24 storage units, 26 control units, 28 IF units, 30 communication units, 32 connection processing units, 34 IF units, 36 control units, 40 acquisition units, 42 requests Unit, 44 reception unit, 46 permission unit, 50 reception unit, 52 acquisition unit, 54 authentication unit, 56 response unit, 58 permission unit, 100 communication system.

Claims (4)

A wireless device connectable to an imaging device,
An image for authentication displayed on a monitor mounted on the imaging device is captured by another imaging device, and an authentication image captured by another imaging device from another wireless device connected to the other imaging device A reception unit that receives a connection request,
An acquisition unit that acquires from the imaging device a reference image to be compared with the authentication image received in the reception unit;
An authentication unit that authenticates connection with another wireless device based on the reference image acquired in the acquisition unit and the authentication image received in the reception unit;
A response unit that transmits connection permission to another wireless device when the connection of the other wireless device is permitted by the authentication in the authentication unit;
When the response unit transmits a connection permission, a communication unit that performs communication with another wireless device;
A wireless device comprising:   The wireless device according to claim 1, wherein the acquisition unit acquires an image that has already been captured by the imaging device as a reference image.   The wireless device according to claim 1, wherein the reference image acquired by the acquisition unit is changed. A wireless device connectable to an imaging device,
An acquisition unit that acquires an authentication image from an imaging device that captures an authentication image displayed on a monitor mounted on another imaging device;
A request unit that transmits a connection request to another wireless device connected to another imaging device, together with the authentication image acquired in the acquisition unit,
When the other wireless device that has received the connection request from the request unit permits the connection by authentication using an image for authentication, a reception unit that receives connection permission from the other wireless device;
When the reception unit receives a connection permission, a communication unit that performs communication with another wireless device;
A wireless device comprising:

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