JP2013201635A - Document camera - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a document camera that captures an image excellent in white balance by reducing occurrence of a hot spot without increasing an entire document camera in size.SOLUTION: A document camera 100 comprises: an illumination section 160 for illuminating a photographic subject, document 101; a light shield section, seal member 180, that is installed between the illumination section 160 and the document 101 and partially shields light from the illumination section 160; an imaging section 150 that is installed in the vicinity of the illumination section 160 and images the document 101; and a transmission member, cover glass 170, that is installed between the illumination section 160 and the document 101 and transmits the light from the illumination section 160 therethrough. The seal member 180 is installed on the cover glass 170. Further, the illumination section 160 comprises a light-emitting device, LED light source 161, for emitting the light and a substrate 162 on which the LED light source 161 is mounted. The seal member 180 is installed opposite to the LED light source 161.

Description

  The present invention relates to a document camera.

  A document camera is a device that captures an image of a subject, sends data to a personal computer or a projector, displays the image of the subject on the screen of the personal computer, and projects the image of the subject using a projector. When the subject has a gloss such as a photograph or catalog, the illumination unit of the document camera may be reflected to generate a hot spot. Some document cameras have a color tone correction function that corrects the image data picked up by the image pickup unit so that white is accurately projected in white, that is, a so-called white balance function.

  The document camera device (document camera) disclosed in Patent Document 1 uses a digital camera having a trapezoidal correction function as an imaging device, and subjects a subject from a plurality of locations while maintaining a predetermined positional relationship between the imaging device and the illumination device. It is disclosed that image data other than the image data captured from right above is corrected to image data captured from the front, and then the image data is combined into a single image data. The document camera can obtain beautiful still image data with high image quality without a hot spot.

JP 2006-279828 A

The document camera disclosed in Patent Document 1 needs to capture a plurality of images with respect to a subject, and has a problem that an image to be viewed cannot be captured immediately. Note that in a document camera having a white balance function, color correction is performed on image data in which a hot spot is reflected with reference to the hot spot portion, and the image data is captured as image data. For this reason, when the corrected image data is projected by a projector or the like, a projected image in which the white balance is lost is obtained. In addition, there is a problem that the whole (particularly, the four corners when the subject is rectangular) becomes dark.
Accordingly, there has been a demand for a document camera that captures an image with excellent white balance by reducing the occurrence of hot spots without increasing the size of the entire document camera.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is to solve at least a part of the problems described above, and the invention can be implemented as the following forms or application examples.

  Application Example 1 A document camera according to this application example includes an illumination unit that illuminates a subject, a light-shielding unit that is installed between the illumination unit and the subject, and that partially shields light from the illumination unit, and an illumination unit And an imaging unit that images a subject.

  According to such a document camera, since the light from the illumination unit is partially shielded by the light shielding unit, the light from the illumination unit can be reduced from directly hitting the subject. The generation of spots can be reduced. Thereby, a document camera that captures an image with excellent white balance can be realized.

  Application Example 2 In the document camera according to the application example, the document camera includes a transmission member that is installed between the illumination unit and the subject and transmits light from the illumination unit, and the light shielding unit is installed on the transmission member. Preferably it is.

  According to such a document camera, since the light-shielding portion is installed on the transmission member, the light-shielding portion can be configured without increasing the size.

  Application Example 3 In the document camera according to the application example described above, the illumination unit includes a light emitting element that emits light and a substrate on which the light emitting element is mounted, and the light shielding unit is disposed relative to the light emitting element. It is preferable.

  According to such a document camera, since the light-shielding portion is disposed relative to the light-emitting element, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of hot spots because light from the light-emitting element can be directly applied to the subject. Can do.

  Application Example 4 In the document camera according to the application example described above, it is preferable that a diffusion member that diffuses the light reflected by the light shielding portion is provided on the substrate surface around the light emitting element.

  When the light emitted from the illumination unit is reflected by the light shielding unit, the reflected light is incident on the substrate surface, so that light including the color of the substrate surface (for example, the green color of the resist covering the substrate surface) is applied to the subject. In some cases, the subject is captured by the imaging unit including the color of the substrate. However, according to the document camera, a diffusing member for diffusing the light reflected by the light-shielding portion is provided on the substrate surface around the light emitting element, so that the subject is imaged in a state including the color of the substrate. Therefore, the subject can be imaged with a more natural color.

  Application Example 5 In the document camera according to the application example described above, it is preferable that a cylindrical member installed so as to surround the light emitting element and the transmission member is provided between the illumination unit and the transmission member. .

  According to such a document camera, the reflected light from the light shielding portion is reflected by the inner surface of the cylindrical member, so that the reflected light does not hit the substrate surface. This prevents light including the color of the substrate surface from being reflected toward the subject, thereby preventing the subject from being captured by the imaging unit including the color of the substrate.

  Application Example 6 In the document camera according to the application example described above, it is preferable that the inner surface of the cylindrical member diffuses light from the light emitting element or light reflected by the light shielding portion.

  According to such a document camera, the light from the light emitting element or the light reflected by the light shielding portion is diffused on the inner surface of the cylindrical member. The diffused light can illuminate the subject and further suppress the occurrence of hot spots.

  Application Example 7 In the document camera according to the application example described above, it is preferable that the light shielding portion is configured using at least one of printing, painting, sticking, and molding.

  According to such a document camera, the light shielding portion can be configured by a simple method.

The figure which shows the document camera which concerns on 1st Embodiment. The schematic sectional drawing which shows an illumination part and an imaging part. The schematic sectional drawing which shows the illumination part which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. The schematic sectional drawing which shows the illumination part which concerns on 3rd Embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings.
(First embodiment)

  FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a document camera 100 according to the first embodiment, FIG. 1A is a perspective view of the document camera 100 as viewed from above, and FIG. 1B is a first arm portion. It is the top view which looked at 110 from the bottom face side. A schematic configuration of the document camera 100 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 1A, the document camera 100 includes a first arm unit 110 having an imaging unit 150 at the center, a second arm unit 120 that supports the first arm unit 110, and a second arm unit 120. And a third arm portion 130 that supports the first arm portion 130. The document camera 100 also includes a main body 140 having an operation unit 145.

  The document camera 100 also includes a connecting portion 115 that connects the first arm portion 110 and the second arm portion 120, and the first arm portion 110 is rotatably connected to the second arm portion 120. . The document camera 100 also includes a connecting portion 125 that connects the second arm portion 120 and the third arm portion 130, and the second arm portion 120 is rotatably connected to the third arm portion 130. . Similarly, the document camera 100 includes a connecting portion 135 that connects the third arm portion 130 and the main body 140, and the third arm portion 130 is rotatably connected to the main body 140. The connecting portions 115, 125, and 135 are configured to be fixed at their rotational positions when the arm portions are rotated.

  Although not shown, the main body 140 includes a USB (Universal Serial Bus) connector 141 for connecting the document camera 100 to a projector, a personal computer, and other electronic devices. Although not described in detail, the operation unit 145 includes a document camera switch, an autofocus switch, a zoom switch (zoom-in switch, zoom-out switch), an LED (Light Emitting Diode) light source switch, and the like.

  As shown in FIG. 1B, the first arm unit 110 includes an imaging unit 150 and an illumination unit 160. The imaging unit 150 as a camera includes an imaging element 151 and a lens 152 such as a 5 million pixel CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) or a CCD (Charge Coupled Device). Note that the imaging unit 150 is installed in the vicinity of the illumination unit 160. A pair of illumination units 160 are installed near both sides of the imaging unit 150. The illumination unit 160 includes an LED light source 161 as a light emitting element and a substrate 162 on which the LED light source 161 is mounted.

  The document camera 100 also has an autofocus function and a zoom function. The power is turned on by the power switch of the operation unit 145, autofocus is performed by the autofocus switch, and zoom-in is performed by the zoom switch (zoom-in switch, zoom-out switch). Or it is configured to zoom out.

An example of how to use the document camera 100 will be briefly described.
First, the document camera 100 is placed on a desk and connected to a commercial outlet using a power cable (not shown). Next, the document camera 100 is connected to a projector (not shown) using a USB cable (not shown). Next, turn on the projector. Next, the document camera 100 is turned on with the power switch of the document camera 100.

  Next, the document 101 as a subject is placed on a desk facing the imaging unit 150. Next, while confirming the image of the document 101 displayed on the screen (not shown) via the projector, the document 101 is arranged at a correct position and angle.

  At that time, an autofocus switch and a zoom switch (zoom-in switch or zoom-out switch) are used as necessary. As a result, the desired document 101 is correctly displayed on the screen. Thereafter, the use of the document camera 100 is continued while changing the subject as necessary. The above is the basic usage method of the document camera 100.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the illumination unit 160 and the imaging unit 150. The configuration and operation around the illumination unit 160 will be described with reference to FIG.

  A cover glass 170 on a transparent disk as a transmission member that transmits light from the illumination unit 160 is installed in a portion of the exterior casing 111 that faces the illumination unit 160 of the first arm unit 110. A seal member 180 serving as a light-shielding portion is installed (attached) at the center of the outer surface of the cover glass 170 so as to face the LED light source 161. In the present embodiment, the seal member 180 is a disk and is formed of a white plastic film with an adhesive.

  As described above, the illumination unit 160 includes the LED light source 161 and the substrate 162 on which the LED light source 161 is mounted. A diffusion member 190 that diffuses the light reflected by the seal member 180 is provided on the surface of the substrate 162 that faces the cover glass 170 around the LED light source 161. In the present embodiment, the diffusing member 190 is formed by printing on the surface of the substrate 162 that diffuses light in a white color.

  Specifically, the color of the surface of the substrate 162 before the diffusion member 190 is installed is the green color of the resist (not shown). In this embodiment, the diffusing member 190 is formed by performing printing that diffuses light in a white color on the surface of the resist.

Next, the operation of light emitted from the LED light source 161 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 2, the light emitted from the LED light source 161 proceeds in the direction of the document 101 (the direction of the cover glass 170), and is reflected by the seal member 180 installed on the outer surface of the cover glass 170.

  Conventionally, the light emitted from the LED light source 161 illuminates the print 101 directly as shown by a two-dot chain line A in FIG. It was. Further, when the document 101 is imaged by the imaging unit 150, the shining LED light source 161 is reflected as a hot spot.

  The light reflected by the seal member 180 is diffused by the diffusion member 190 installed on the surface of the substrate 162 and reflected toward the cover glass 170. This diffused and reflected light (indicated by broken line B in FIG. 2) passes through the cover glass 170 and illuminates the document 101. Then, the imaging unit 150 images the document 101 illuminated in this way.

  Note that the seal member 180 is not attached to the entire outer surface of the cover glass 170. Therefore, the seal member 180 partially blocks light from the LED light source 161. Therefore, as indicated by the solid line C in FIG. 2, the light emitted from the LED light source 161 may pass through the outside of the seal member 180 to illuminate the document 101. However, since most of the direct light from the LED light source 161 can be blocked, the occurrence of hot spots can be reduced as compared with the conventional case.

  Therefore, when the document 101 is imaged by the imaging unit 150, the LED light source 161 can be reduced from being reflected as a hot spot. Therefore, the image capturing unit 150 can capture an image with appropriate color tone correction and excellent white balance.

According to the first embodiment described above, the following effects can be obtained.
According to the document camera 100 of the present embodiment, the light from the LED light source 161 can be reduced from directly hitting the document 101 by partially shielding the light from the LED light source 161 by the sealing member 180 as a light shielding unit. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of hot spots in which the LED light source 161 is reflected. As a result, the document camera 100 that captures an image with excellent white balance can be realized.

  According to the document camera 100 of the present embodiment, the seal member 180 serving as the light shielding portion is installed on the cover glass 170, and thus can be configured without increasing the size of the light shielding portion.

  According to the document camera 100 of the present embodiment, since the seal member 180 is disposed relative to the LED light source 161, it is possible to reduce the light from the LED light source 161 from directly hitting the document 101. Can be reduced.

  According to the document camera 100 of the present embodiment, the diffusion member 190 that diffuses the light reflected by the seal member 180 is installed on the surface of the substrate 162 around the LED light source 161. Thereby, since the light reflected by the seal member 180 is diffused by the diffusion member 190, it is possible to prevent the document 101 from being captured in a state where the color of the substrate 162 is included, and to make the document 101 more natural. Images can be captured in various colors.

  According to the document camera 100 of the present embodiment, the diffusion member 190 that diffuses the light reflected by the seal member 180 is installed on the surface of the substrate 162 around the LED light source 161. Thereby, since the light reflected by the seal member 180 is diffused by the diffusion member 190, the hot spot is reduced by the diffused light, and the document 101 can be illuminated with uniform brightness. Therefore, when the document 101 illuminated in this way is imaged by the imaging unit 150, if the document 101 has a rectangular shape, the four corners of the document 101 are also corrected to the same brightness as the central portion, and the whole is bright. Is displayed.

  According to the document camera 100 of the present embodiment, the seal member 180 serving as a light shielding unit is formed of a white plastic film and is attached to the cover glass 170 and installed. Thereby, a light-shielding part is realizable with a simple structure.

According to the document camera 100 of the present embodiment, the seal member 180 and the diffusing member 190 are made of a white material. As a result, the amount of light that illuminates the document 101 can be increased as compared with a case where the light is made of a black material, and the document 101 can be illuminated brightly.
(Second Embodiment)

  FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the illumination unit 160 according to the second embodiment. The configuration and operation around the illumination unit 160 will be described with reference to FIG.

  The configuration around the illumination unit 160 of this embodiment is different from that of the first embodiment in that a cylindrical member 200 is used instead of the diffusion member 190 installed on the surface of the substrate 162. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment. The same code | symbol is attached to the structure similar to 1st Embodiment.

  The cylindrical member 200 of the present embodiment is a cylindrical member that is installed so as to surround the LED light source 161 and the cover glass 170. In the present embodiment, the cylindrical member 200 is generally conical and has a trapezoidal side surface. In this embodiment, the inner surface 201 of the cylindrical member 200 is printed with white light diffusion.

Next, the operation of light emitted from the LED light source 161 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 3, the light emitted from the LED light source 161 travels in the direction of the cover glass 170 and is reflected by the seal member 180 installed on the outer surface of the cover glass 170. The light reflected by the seal member 180 is diffused by the inner surface 201 of the cylindrical member 200 and reflected toward the cover glass 170. This diffused and reflected light (indicated by a broken line D in FIG. 3) passes through the cover glass 170 and illuminates the document 101. Then, the imaging unit 150 images the document 101 illuminated in this way.

  A part of the light emitted from the LED light source 161 is directly incident on the inner surface 201 of the cylindrical member 200 and diffused. Further, as in the first embodiment, a part of the emitted light is transmitted through the outside of the seal member 180 to illuminate the document 101 as indicated by the solid line C.

According to the second embodiment described above, the following effects can be obtained in addition to the effects of the first embodiment.
According to the document camera 100 of this embodiment, the cylindrical member 200 installed so that the LED light source 161 and the cover glass 170 may be enclosed is installed. Thereby, since the light reflected by the seal member 180 is diffused by the cylindrical member 200, it is possible to prevent the document 101 from being captured in a state in which the color of the substrate 162 is included. Images can be taken with more natural colors.

According to the document camera 100 of the present embodiment, the light from the LED light source 161 or the light reflected by the seal member 180 is diffused by the inner surface 201 of the cylindrical member 200. The diffused light can illuminate the document 101 and suppress the occurrence of hot spots.
(Third embodiment)

  FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the illumination unit 160 according to the third embodiment. The configuration and operation around the illumination unit 160 will be described with reference to FIG.

  The configuration around the illumination unit 160 of the present embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that a light shielding region 175 is formed inside the cover glass 170 instead of the seal member 180 as the light shielding unit. . Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment. The same code | symbol is attached to the structure similar to 1st Embodiment.

  The cover glass 170 of this embodiment is formed by injection molding a transparent synthetic resin material. The light shielding region 175 of the present embodiment is formed by so-called two-color molding in which a cover glass 170 is molded using a white synthetic resin material having light shielding properties. The light shielding region 175 is formed so as to be opposed to the LED light source 161, and specifically, is formed in a disc shape with the center portion of the cover glass 170 as the center. The light shielding region 175 shields light from the LED light source 161.

Next, the operation of light emitted from the LED light source 161 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 4, the light emitted from the LED light source 161 travels in the direction of the cover glass 170 and is reflected by the light shielding region 175 of the cover glass 170. The light reflected by the light shielding region 175 is diffused by the diffusion member 190 and reflected in the direction of the cover glass 170. The diffused and reflected light (indicated by a broken line E in FIG. 4) passes through the cover glass 170 and illuminates the document 101. Then, the imaging unit 150 images the document 101 illuminated in this way.

  Note that part of the light emitted from the LED light source 161 passes through the outside of the seal member 180 and illuminates the document 101 as indicated by the solid line C, as in the first embodiment.

According to the third embodiment described above, the following effects can be obtained.
According to the document camera 100 of the present embodiment, the light from the LED light source 161 is partially shielded by the light shielding region 175 formed on the cover glass 170 as a light shielding unit, so that the light from the LED light source 161 is transmitted to the document 101. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of hot spots in which the LED light source 161 is reflected. As a result, the document camera 100 that captures an image with excellent white balance can be realized.

  According to the document camera 100 of the present embodiment, the light shielding region 175 as the light shielding portion is formed integrally with the cover glass 170, so that the light shielding portion can be configured without increasing the size.

  According to the document camera 100 of the present embodiment, since the light shielding region 175 is disposed relative to the LED light source 161, light from the LED light source 161 can be reduced from directly hitting the document 101. Can be reduced.

  According to the document camera 100 of the present embodiment, the cover glass 170 has the light shielding region 175, and the diffusion member 190 is installed on the surface of the substrate 162. Thereby, since the light reflected by the light shielding region 175 is diffused by the diffusing member 190, it is possible to prevent the document 101 from being captured in a state in which the color of the substrate 162 is included. Images can be captured with natural colors.

  According to the document camera 100 of this embodiment, the light reflected by the light shielding region 175 is diffused by the diffusion member 190. The diffused light can illuminate the document 101 and suppress the occurrence of hot spots. In addition, the document 101 can be illuminated with uniform brightness. Therefore, when the document 101 illuminated in this way is imaged by the imaging unit 150, if the document 101 has a rectangular shape, the four corners of the document 101 are also corrected to the same brightness as the central portion, and the whole is bright. Is displayed.

  According to the document camera 100 of the present embodiment, the light shielding region 175 as a light shielding portion is formed in two colors using a white synthetic resin material and is integrally formed with the cover glass 170. Thereby, a light-shielding part is realizable with a simple structure.

  According to the document camera 100 of the present embodiment, the light shielding region 175 and the diffusing member 190 are made of a white material. As a result, the amount of light that illuminates the document 101 can be increased as compared with a case where the light is made of a black material, and the document 101 can be illuminated brightly.

  It should be noted that the above-described embodiment can be implemented with various changes and improvements without departing from the scope of the invention. A modification will be described below.

  In the document camera 100 according to the first embodiment, a seal member 180 as a light shielding unit and a diffusion member 190 that diffuses light reflected by the seal member 180 are provided. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and only the light shielding portion may be installed. In this case, the light shielding unit is preferably formed of a member that makes it difficult to reflect the light emitted from the LED light source 161, and reduces the reflection of light including the color of the surface of the substrate 162. The same applies to the second and third embodiments.

  In the document camera 100 according to the first embodiment, the seal member 180 serving as the light shielding unit is a member having a light shielding rate of 100%. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a sealing member having a light shielding rate of less than 100% may be used. The same applies to the seal member 180 of the second embodiment.

  In the document camera 100 of the third embodiment, the light shielding region 175 as the light shielding portion uses a member having a light shielding rate of 100%. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and it may be formed using a resin material having a light shielding rate of less than 100%.

  In the document camera 100 according to the first embodiment, the seal member 180 as a light shielding unit is installed on the outer surface of the cover glass 170, but may be installed on the inner surface. The same applies to the seal member 180 of the second embodiment.

  In the document camera 100 of the first embodiment, the seal member 180 as a light shielding portion is formed of a white plastic film with an adhesive. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the light shielding portion may be formed on the outer surface or inner surface of the cover glass 170 by white printing or painting. Moreover, it may not be white. The same applies to the seal member 180 of the second embodiment.

  In the document camera 100 of the third embodiment, the light shielding region 175 as the light shielding portion is formed integrally with the cover glass 170 by two-color molding. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the cover glass 170 may be formed separately, and the light shielding region 175 may be fitted to a predetermined portion of the cover glass 170 later.

  In the document camera 100 according to the third embodiment, the light shielding region 175 as the light shielding portion is formed using a white synthetic resin material having a light shielding property. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and molding may be performed using a synthetic resin material that is not white.

  In the document camera 100 of the third embodiment, the light reflected by the light shielding region 175 is diffused by the diffusion member 190. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the cylindrical member 200 used in the second embodiment may be used in place of the diffusing member 190, and the light reflected by the light shielding region 175 may be diffused by the cylindrical member 200.

  In the document camera 100 according to the first embodiment, the seal member 180 serving as a light shielding portion is installed on the cover glass 170. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the light shielding portion may be configured and installed separately from the cover glass 170 without being attached or printed. In this case, the light shielding portion may be installed between the LED light source 161 and the cover glass 170 or between the cover glass 170 and the subject (document 101).

  The document camera 100 according to the first embodiment employs an LED light source 161 as a light emitting element constituting the illumination unit 160. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and various solid light emitting elements such as an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) element and a silicon light emitting element may be adopted.

  In the first embodiment, the document camera 100 is connected to the projector. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the document camera 100 may be connected to a personal computer.

  The document camera 100 of the first embodiment has been described as an example in which the document camera 100 is connected to a projector using a USB cable. However, the connection method is not limited to this. For example, the document camera 100 may be connected to a projector, a personal computer, or a network using a video composite cable, a DVI cable, an HDMI cable, a network cable, a wireless interface, or the like.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 ... Document camera, 101 ... Document, 150 ... Imaging part, 151 ... Imaging element, 160 ... Illumination part, 161 ... LED light source, 162 ... Board | substrate, 170 ... Cover glass, 175 ... Light-shielding area | region, 180 ... Sealing member, 190 ... Diffusion member, 200 ... cylindrical member, 201 ... inner surface.

Claims (7)

An illumination unit that illuminates the subject;
A light-shielding unit that is installed between the illumination unit and the subject and partially shields light from the illumination unit;
A document camera, comprising: an imaging unit that is installed in the vicinity of the illumination unit and images the subject. The document camera according to claim 1,
It is installed between the illumination unit and the subject, and includes a transmission member that transmits the light from the illumination unit,
The document camera according to claim 1, wherein the light shielding portion is disposed on the transmission member. The document camera according to claim 1 or 2,
The illumination unit includes a light emitting element that emits the light and a substrate on which the light emitting element is mounted,
The document camera according to claim 1, wherein the light-shielding portion is disposed relative to the light-emitting element. The document camera according to claim 3,
A document camera, wherein a diffusion member for diffusing the light reflected by the light shielding portion is provided on the substrate surface around the light emitting element. The document camera according to claim 3,
A document camera comprising a cylindrical member installed so as to surround the light emitting element and the transmission member between the illumination unit and the transmission member. The document camera according to claim 5,
The document camera according to claim 1, wherein an inner surface of the cylindrical member diffuses the light from the light emitting element or the light reflected by the light shielding portion. The document camera according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The document camera characterized in that the light-shielding portion is configured by using at least one of printing, painting, sticking, and molding.

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