JP2018170778A - Imaging apparatus, sound recording apparatus, and image alignment apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an imaging apparatus, a sound recording apparatus, and an image alignment apparatus capable of rearranging image data photographed with plural cameras into a photographing order without regard to date information.SOLUTION: A camera 1 comprises: an imaging sensor 12 and an image processing circuit 13 for photographing a subject and outputting image data; a sound data acquisition unit 30a for acquiring sound data when performing photographing; and an image file generation unit 30b which associates the image data outputted by the imaging sensor 12 and the image processing circuit 13 with the sound data acquired by the sound data acquisition unit 30a to generate one image file.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an imaging device, a recording device, and an image alignment device.

  Conventionally, as a means for preventing the duplication of file names of image data shot by a plurality of cameras, a method of renaming and recording a file name using shooting date / time information of image data has been disclosed (for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2006-24306 A

  However, if the date and time information set in multiple cameras is different (including when the clocks managed by each camera are shifted), or the image data is not associated with the date and time information, the image data is arranged in the order of shooting. I can't.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an imaging device, a recording device, and an image alignment device capable of rearranging image data captured by a plurality of cameras in the order of imaging, regardless of date information.

  The present invention solves the above problems by the following means.

An imaging apparatus according to the present invention includes an environmental sound data acquisition unit that acquires environmental sound data obtained by recording environmental sound, image data, and a sound that is a part of the environmental sound data and includes sound at the time of imaging the image data. The timing at which the image data is captured using the information receiving unit that receives data from another imaging device, and the sound data and the environmental sound data that are received from the other imaging device by the information receiving unit It is set as the structure provided with the specific | specification part which pinpoints.
The server device of the present invention includes an environmental sound data receiving unit that receives environmental sound data in which environmental sounds are recorded, captured image data, and a part of the environmental sound data when the image data is captured. An information receiving unit that receives sound data including sound and a specifying unit that specifies the timing at which image data is captured using the sound data and the environmental sound data are provided.
In addition, the said structure may be improved suitably, and at least one part may substitute for another structure.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an imaging device, a recording device, and an image alignment device capable of rearranging image data captured by a plurality of cameras in the order of imaging, regardless of date information.

1 is an overall configuration diagram of an image alignment system according to a first embodiment. It is a functional block diagram of the camera of a 1st embodiment. It is a functional block diagram of the recording server and image alignment server of 1st Embodiment. It is a processing outline figure at the time of image acquisition in the image alignment system of a 1st embodiment. It is a flowchart of the recording process of the recording server of 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the sampling in the recording server of 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart of the imaging | photography process of the camera of 1st Embodiment. It is a conceptual diagram of the image file preserve | saved at the camera of 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart of the preservation | save process of the image alignment server of 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the memory | storage part of the image alignment server of 1st Embodiment. It is a whole block diagram of the image alignment system of 2nd Embodiment. It is a functional block diagram of the camera of 2nd Embodiment. It is a processing outline figure at the time of image acquisition in the image alignment system of a 2nd embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the memory card of 2nd Embodiment.

(First embodiment)
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of an image alignment system 100 according to the first embodiment.
The image alignment system 100 is a system in which a plurality of cameras 1 (imaging devices), a recording server 4 (recording device), and an image alignment server 7 (image alignment device) can communicate via a communication network N. .
The plurality of cameras 1 of the image alignment system 100 and the microphone unit 51 (environmental sound collecting unit) of the recording server 4 are arranged, for example, in a concert venue (predetermined area).

The camera 1 creates an image file including image data output by shooting and sound data at the time of shooting.
The recording server 4 acquires sound (environmental sound) in a predetermined area captured by a plurality of cameras 1 and generates recording data (environmental sound data).
The image alignment server 7 acquires an image file including sound data from the camera 1 after shooting, and acquires recording data from the recording server 4. Then, the image alignment server 7 aligns the image files using the sound data and the recording data included in the image files.

Next, functional blocks of the image alignment system 100 will be described.
FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the camera 1 according to the first embodiment.
FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of the recording server 4 and the image alignment server 7 of the first embodiment.
2 includes a lens unit 10, a lens driving circuit 11, an image sensor 12, an image processing circuit 13, an operation unit 20, a control unit 30, a storage unit 31, a memory card 32, a display unit 33, and a wireless communication unit 34. Etc. are digital cameras.
The lens unit 10 is provided at the front portion of the camera 1, and has a zoom function that allows the light A <b> 1 of the subject to enter, enlarges or reduces the subject image according to the shooting purpose, and emits the image to the image sensor 12. It is.
The lens driving circuit 11 is a control circuit that moves the lens unit 10 in the optical axis direction based on the output signal of the control unit 30.
The image sensor 12 is, for example, a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor). The imaging element 12 is an element that exposes the light A1 emitted from the lens unit 10 and converts it into an electrical image signal. The image sensor 12 captures a subject image based on the output signal of the control unit 30.
The image processing circuit 13 is a circuit that converts the image signal converted by the image sensor 12 into image data. The image processing circuit 13 outputs the converted image data to the control unit 30. The imaging element 12 and the image processing circuit 13 are referred to as an imaging unit.

The operation unit 20 is a switch group for operation provided in the camera 1. The operation unit 20 includes a power switch 21, a release switch 22, a menu switch 23, an OK switch 24, and the like. Each switch of the operation unit 20 outputs operation information to the control unit 30.
The power switch 21 is a switch for turning on or off the power of the camera 1.
The release switch 22 is a switch that executes an operation related to imaging of a subject image. The release switch 22 includes a half-push switch SW1 and a full-push switch SW2.
The half-press switch SW1 is a switch for starting preparation for photographing such as photometry and distance measurement of the camera 1 (execution of autofocus (AF) or the like).
The full-press switch SW2 is a switch that executes imaging of a subject image. The camera 1 instructs acquisition of sound data at the time of shooting based on the operation of the release switch 22.

The menu switch 23 is, for example, a switch that displays a menu screen for setting a continuous shooting mode or a self-timer mode.
The OK switch 24 is a switch for determining the displayed mode on the menu screen displayed by the menu switch 23.

The control unit 30 is a control circuit that performs overall control of each unit of the camera 1 and includes, for example, a CPU. The control unit 30 is connected to the lens driving circuit 11, the image processing circuit 13, the operation unit 20, the storage unit 31, the memory card 32, the display unit 33, the wireless communication unit 34, and the like. In addition, the control unit 30 executes various functions in cooperation with the hardware described above by appropriately reading and executing various programs stored in the storage unit 31.
The control unit 30 includes a sound data acquisition unit 30a, an image file creation unit 30b, and the like.
The sound data acquisition unit 30 a is a control unit that acquires sound data from the recording server 4 via the wireless communication unit 34. Note that the sound data is data that constitutes a part of the recording data recorded by the recording server 4, and is information obtained by cutting data for a predetermined time from the recording data.
The image file creation unit 30b is a control unit that associates the image data output from the image processing circuit 13 and the sound data acquired by the sound data acquisition unit 30a into one image file.

The storage unit 31 is a storage device such as a semiconductor memory element for storing programs, information, and the like necessary for the operation of the camera 1.
Note that the computer in the present invention refers to an information processing apparatus including a control unit, a storage device, and the like, and the camera 1 is an information processing apparatus including a control unit 30, a storage unit 31, and the like. Included in the concept.
The memory card 32 is a storage medium such as a semiconductor memory that stores an image file in which image data captured by the camera 1 and sound data are associated with each other, and is detachably connected to the camera 1.
The display unit 33 is a liquid crystal monitor (LCD) that displays captured image data or displays a menu screen of the camera 1, and is provided on the back surface of the camera 1.
The wireless communication unit 34 is an interface unit for performing wireless communication with the recording server 4 and the image alignment server 7 via the communication network N. For the wireless communication unit 34, for example, a communication standard such as Bluetooth (IEEE 802.15.1) (registered trademark), wireless LAN (IEEE 802.11), or the like is used.

The recording server 4 illustrated in FIG. 3 includes a control unit 40, a storage unit 50, a microphone unit 51, an operation unit 52, a display unit 53, a wireless communication unit 54, and the like.
The control unit 40 is a control circuit that performs overall control of each unit of the recording server 4, and includes, for example, a CPU. The control unit 40 is connected to the storage unit 50, the microphone unit 51, the operation unit 52, the display unit 53, the wireless communication unit 54, and the like. In addition, the control unit 40 executes various functions in cooperation with the hardware described above by appropriately reading and executing various programs stored in the storage unit 50.
The control unit 40 includes an environmental sound data acquisition unit 41, a sampling unit 42, a sound request reception unit 43, a sound data transmission unit 44, and the like.

The environmental sound data acquisition unit 41 is a control unit that acquires environmental sound data output from the microphone unit 51.
The sampling unit 42 is a control unit that samples the environmental sound data acquired by the environmental sound data acquisition unit 41 and generates recording data.
The sound request receiving unit 43 is a control unit that receives a sound data request (acquisition request) from the camera 1.
The sound data transmitting unit 44 is a control unit that transmits recording data for a predetermined time from the time when the sound data request is received to the camera 1 as sound data.

The storage unit 50 is a storage device such as a semiconductor memory element for storing a program, information, and the like necessary for the operation of the recording server 4.
Note that the computer in the present invention refers to an information processing apparatus including a control unit, a storage device, and the like, and the recording server 4 is an information processing apparatus including a control unit 40, a storage unit 50, and the like. Included in computer concept.
The storage unit 50 includes a recording data storage unit 50a.
The recording data storage unit 50 a stores the recording data generated by the sampling unit 42.

The microphone unit 51 is a device that collects sound, and is, for example, a microphone. The microphone unit 51 is provided, for example, near the center of the concert hall, and efficiently collects the sound of the entire concert hall.
The operation unit 52 is an input device such as a keyboard and a mouse, for example.
The display unit 53 is a display device such as a liquid crystal panel, for example.
The wireless communication unit 54 is an interface unit for performing communication with the camera 1 and the image alignment server 7.

3 includes a control unit 70, a storage unit 80, an operation unit 82, a display unit 83, a wireless communication unit 84, and the like.
The control unit 70 is a control circuit that performs overall control of each unit of the image alignment server 7 and includes, for example, a CPU. The control unit 70 is connected to the storage unit 80, the operation unit 82, the display unit 83, the wireless communication unit 84, and the like. Further, the control unit 70 executes various functions in cooperation with the hardware described above by appropriately reading and executing various programs stored in the storage unit 80.
The control unit 70 includes an image file acquisition unit 71, a recording data acquisition unit 72 (environmental sound data acquisition unit), a position determination unit 73, an image alignment unit 74, a file name change unit 75, and the like.

The image file acquisition unit 71 is a control unit that acquires an image file from the camera 1.
The recording data acquisition unit 72 is a control unit that acquires recording data from the recording server 4.
The position determination unit 73 is a control unit that determines which position on the time axis of the recording data the sound data included in the image file is.
The image aligning unit 74 is a control unit that aligns the image files so that the time axes are arranged (in order) on the basis of the position on the time axis determined by the position determining unit 73.
The file name changing unit 75 is a control unit that changes the file name of the image file so that the order of the image files arranged by the image arranging unit 74 becomes the order.

The storage unit 80 is a storage device such as a semiconductor memory element for storing programs, information, and the like necessary for the operation of the image alignment server 7.
The computer in the present invention refers to an information processing apparatus including a control unit, a storage device, and the like. The image alignment server 7 is an information processing apparatus including a control unit 70, a storage unit 80, and the like. Included in the concept of computers.
The storage unit 80 includes an image file storage unit 80a, a recording data storage unit 80b (environmental sound data acquisition unit), and a post-processing image file storage unit 80c.
The image file storage unit 80 a stores the image file acquired by the image file acquisition unit 71.
The recording data storage unit 80 b stores the recording data acquired by the recording data acquisition unit 72.
The post-processing image file storage unit 80c aligns the image file stored in the image file storage unit 80a by the image alignment unit 74, and changes the file name of the image file after the file name changing unit 75 changes the file name. Store the image file.

The operation unit 82 is an input device such as a keyboard and a mouse.
The display unit 83 is a display device such as a liquid crystal panel, for example.
The wireless communication unit 84 is an interface unit for performing communication with the camera 1 and the recording server 4.

Next, processing of the camera 1 and the recording server 4 at the time of image acquisition in the image alignment system 100 will be described.
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of processing at the time of image acquisition in the image alignment system 100 of the first embodiment.
The recording server 4 samples the sound (environmental sound data) collected by the microphone unit 51 to generate recording data. The recording server 4 continues to generate recording data every time the microphone unit 51 collects sound. For example, at a concert venue, sound from the start to the end of the concert is recorded to generate recording data. Of course, the recording server 4 may omit the recording data in the silent section in order to reduce the data amount of the recording data.
The cameras 1A and 1B output image data by photographing processing. At that time, the cameras 1 </ b> A and 1 </ b> B communicate with the recording server 4 to acquire sound data that is a part of the recording data. Note that the sound data to be acquired is recorded data at a position at substantially the same time as when the image data was captured. Then, the cameras 1A and 1B generate one image file by associating the acquired sound data with the image data.
In the example of FIG. 4, the camera 1 </ b> A performs shooting three times and assigns image file names so as to be in the shooting order in the camera 1 </ b> A. In addition, the camera 1B performs shooting six times, and assigns image file names so as to be in the shooting order in the camera 1B. The cameras 1 </ b> A and 1 </ b> B are given image file names that are not duplicated in each camera 1. For this reason, the camera 1A and the camera 1B may have the same image file name as in the example of FIG.

Next, details of the processing of FIG. 4 will be described.
First, the processing of the recording server 4 will be described.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the recording process of the recording server 4 according to the first embodiment.
FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of sampling in the recording server 4 of the first embodiment.
In step S (hereinafter referred to as “S”) 1 in FIG. 5, the control unit 40 (environmental sound data acquisition unit 41) of the recording server 4 has received a recording start operation by the operation unit 52, for example. The environmental sound data output from the microphone unit 51 is acquired.
In S2, the control unit 40 (sampling unit 42) samples the environmental sound data at a predetermined interval to generate recording data. The sampling unit 42 performs sampling processing on the acquired environmental sound data as needed.

FIG. 6A illustrates a part of the environmental sound data acquired by the environmental sound data acquisition unit 41. The environmental sound data is an analog signal, and is represented by a waveform graph on the coordinate axis with the vertical axis representing volume and the horizontal axis representing time.
FIG. 6B is an example of recording data sampled by the sampling unit 42. The recording data is obtained by extracting environmental sound data in units of 100 ms (milliseconds), for example. The recorded data is a digital signal. In order to reduce the amount of data, recorded data and sound data may be compressed using various compression methods.
Returning to FIG. 5, in S <b> 3, the control unit 40 (sound request receiving unit 43) determines whether a sound data request is received from the camera 1. When the sound data request is received (S3: YES), the control unit 40 moves the process to S4. On the other hand, when the sound data request is not received (S3: NO), the control unit 40 moves the process to S6.

In S4, after receiving the sound data request from the camera 1, the control unit 40 acquires recording data for a predetermined time as sound data. The sound data may include, for example, recording data before receiving the sound data request in consideration of a communication delay from when the camera 1 performs shooting until the sound data request is received.
In S5, the control unit 40 (sound data transmission unit 44) transmits the acquired sound data to the camera 1 that has requested the sound data.
In S6, the control unit 40 determines whether or not to end the acquisition of the environmental sound data. Whether or not to end the acquisition of the environmental sound data can be determined, for example, based on whether or not a recording end operation by the operation unit 52 is accepted. When the acquisition of the environmental sound data is to be ended (S6: YES), the control unit 40 ends this process. On the other hand, when the acquisition of the environmental sound data is not finished (S6: NO), the control unit 40 moves the process to S3.

Next, processing of the camera 1 will be described.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart of the photographing process of the camera 1 according to the first embodiment.
FIG. 8 is a conceptual diagram of an image file stored in the camera 1 of the first embodiment.
In S21 of FIG. 7, the control unit 30 of the camera 1 determines whether or not the camera is turned on (ON). If the power is on (S21: YES), the controller 30 moves the process to S24. On the other hand, when the power is not on (S21: NO), the control unit 30 moves the process to S22.
In S <b> 22, the control unit 30 determines whether an operation of the power switch 21 is accepted. When the operation of the power switch 21 is received (S22: YES), the control unit 30 moves the process to S23. On the other hand, when the operation of the power switch is not accepted (S22: NO), the control unit 30 returns the process to S22.
In S <b> 23, the control unit 30 performs a power ON process for turning on the power of the camera 1 and supplies power to each unit of the camera 1.

In S24, the control unit 30 determines whether or not an operation of the power switch 21 of the camera 1 in a state where the power is turned on (ON) has been received. When the operation of the power switch 21 is received (S24: YES), the control unit 30 moves the process to S25, performs the process of shutting off (turning off) the power, and then ends this process. On the other hand, when the operation of the power switch 21 is not received (S24: NO), the control unit 30 moves the process to S26.
In S <b> 26, the control unit 30 determines whether an operation of the menu switch 23 has been accepted. When the operation of the menu switch 23 is accepted (S26: YES), the control unit 30 moves the process to S27, performs the menu process, and moves the process to S24. In the menu process, for example, a menu screen is displayed on the display unit 33, and selections by the operator of the camera 1 are received and various settings are performed. The various settings include a setting of a synchronization mode by sound that enables reception of sound data via the wireless communication unit 34. On the other hand, when the operation of the menu switch 23 is not received (S26: NO), the control unit 30 moves the process to S28.

In S28, the control unit 30 determines whether or not the sound synchronization mode is set. When the synchronization mode by sound is set (S28: YES), the control unit 30 moves the process to S29. On the other hand, when the synchronization mode by sound is not set (S28: NO), the control unit 30 moves the process to S30.
In S <b> 29, the control unit 30 determines whether or not a connection has been established with the recording server 4. This may cause the operator of the camera 1 to select whether or not to establish a connection with the recording server 4 and establish communication. When the connection is established to the recording server 4 (S29: YES), the control unit 30 moves the process to S31. On the other hand, when the connection is not established with respect to the recording server 4 (S29: NO), the control unit 30 moves the process to S30.
In S30, the control unit 30 sets so-called normal image storage processing. That is, in this case, the control unit 30 does not transmit a sound data request to the recording server 4 and does not acquire sound data. The image file does not include sound data.

In S31, it is determined whether or not the half-press switch SW1 has been operated (ON). If the half-press switch SW1 is ON (S31: YES), the control unit 30 moves the process to S32. On the other hand, when the half-press switch SW1 is not ON (S31: NO), the control unit 30 moves the process to S24.
In S32, the control unit 30 controls the lens driving circuit 11 to drive the lens unit 10 and performs an autofocus (AF) operation.

In S33, the control unit 30 determines whether or not the half-press switch SW1 is continuously operated. If the half-press switch SW1 is continuously operated (S33: YES), the control unit 30 moves the process to S34. On the other hand, when the half-press switch SW1 is not operated continuously (S33: NO), the control unit 30 moves the process to S24.
In S34, the control unit 30 determines whether or not the full press switch SW2 has been operated. When the full push switch SW2 is operated (S34: YES), the control unit 30 moves the process to S35. On the other hand, when the full press switch SW2 is not operated (S34: NO), the control unit 30 moves the process to S33.

In S35, the control unit 30 performs a photographing process and acquires image data.
In S36, the control unit 30 (sound data acquisition unit 30a) acquires sound data. Specifically, the sound data acquisition unit 30 a transmits a sound data request to the recording server 4. Then, the control unit 30 receives sound data from the recording server 4.
In S <b> 37, the control unit 30 associates the received sound data with the acquired image data, and stores them in the memory card 32 as one image file. Note that the sound data acquisition (transmission of sound data request) in S36 may be performed immediately after the full-press switch SW2 is operated (S34: YES), that is, before the image data acquisition in S35. Alternatively, it may be performed immediately after the half-press switch SW1 is operated (S31: YES).

FIG. 8 shows an image file 60 stored in the memory card 32. The image file 60 includes an attribute information part 61, an image data part 62, and a sound data part 63. The attribute information unit 61 stores, for example, an image file name and shooting date / time. The image data unit 62 stores image data acquired by photographing. The sound data unit 63 stores sound data received from the recording server 4.
Returning to FIG. 7, the control unit 30 moves the process to S24.
In addition, when the synchronous mode by sound is not set in S30, or when communication with the recording server 4 is out of communication, the control unit 30 does not perform the process of S36. The image file created by the control unit 30 in S37 includes the acquired image data and does not include sound data.

Next, a process for saving image files stored in a plurality of cameras 1 and rearranging them in the shooting order will be specifically described.
FIG. 9 is a flowchart of the storage process of the image alignment server 7 according to the first embodiment.
FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the storage unit 80 of the image alignment server 7 according to the first embodiment.
In S51 of FIG. 9, the control unit 70 (recording data acquisition unit 72) of the image alignment server 7 acquires the recording data stored in the recording server 4 via the communication network N and stores it in the recording data storage unit 80b. Let
In S52, the control unit 70 (image file acquisition unit 71) acquires image files stored in the plurality of cameras 1 via the communication network N and stores them in the image file storage unit 80a.

FIG. 10A shows the image file storage unit 80a. The image file storage unit 80a stores image files acquired from the two cameras 1A and 1B. The image alignment server 7 acquires the image files of the cameras 1A and 1B taken at the timing shown in FIG.
Returning to FIG. 9, in S <b> 53, the control unit 70 confirms whether there is sound data in the image file. If there is sound data in the image file (S53: YES), the control unit 70 moves the process to S54. On the other hand, when there is no sound data in the image file (S53: NO), the control unit 70 moves the process to S60. Note that, as described with reference to FIG. 7 described above, when the camera 1 performs shooting while being able to communicate with the recording server 4, sound data exists in the image file.

In S <b> 54, the control unit 70 (position determination unit 73) determines whether or not a sound match has been detected. Detecting the coincidence of sound means detecting the position on the time axis of the recording data that coincides with the sound data of the image file. If the sound match is detected (S54: YES), the controller 70 moves the process to S55. On the other hand, when the coincidence of the sound cannot be detected (S54: NO), the control unit 70 moves the process to S60.
In S55, the control unit 70 (position determination unit 73) acquires the position of the recording data that matches the sound data of the image file detected in S54.
In S56, the control unit 70 (image alignment unit 74) rearranges the image files according to the position of the recording data. Specifically, the control unit 70 rearranges the image files in the order of the positions on the time axis that coincide with the recorded data.

In S57, the control unit 70 (file name changing unit 75) changes the file names of the rearranged image files so as to be in the rearrangement order. The file name is, for example, a unique character (for example, “DSNC”) with a 4-digit number in order from 1 to 4 in order of rearrangement (if it is less than 4 digits, add “0” above to 4 digits). )).
In S58, the control unit 70 saves the changed content. Specifically, the control unit 70 stores the image file whose name file name has been changed in the processed image file storage unit 80c. Thereafter, the control unit 70 ends this process.
FIG. 10B shows the post-processing image file storage unit 80c. This is because the image files are rearranged in the shooting order shown in FIG. 4, and the file names of the image files are also in the shooting order.

Returning to FIG. 9, on the other hand, in S60, the control unit 70 determines whether or not the image file names are duplicated. If the image file names overlap (S60: YES), the control unit 70 moves the process to S61. On the other hand, if the image file names do not overlap (S60: NO), the control unit 70 ends this process.
In S61, the control unit 70 changes the file name by the user. When the user confirms the image file and inputs a new file name using the operation unit 82, the control unit 70 changes the image file name to the input file name. Thereafter, the control unit 70 moves the process to S58.

As described above, according to the first embodiment, the image alignment system 100 has the following effects.
(1) The camera 1 can be acquired by receiving, from the recording server 4, sound data that is part of the recording data acquired by the recording server 4 and includes sound at the time of shooting. The acquired sound data can be stored as one file in association with the image data.
The recording server 4 always acquires environmental sound data, and can transmit sound data that is a part of the sampled recording data in response to a request from the camera 1. Therefore, sound data can be acquired from the recording server 4 and associated with image data regardless of the shooting location of the camera 1. Even if the shooting location of the camera 1 is different, the recording data recorded by the recording server 4 and the sound to be acquired and its magnitude are not different. Therefore, there is a high possibility that a sound match can be detected in S54 (FIG. 9).

(2) The image alignment server 7 obtains image files from the plurality of cameras 1 and shoots with the plurality of cameras 1 by determining which position of the recording data the sound data included in the image files is. Image files can be rearranged in time series. Therefore, a plurality of image files can be rearranged in the shooting order using the sound data regardless of the date / time information.
Then, the image alignment server 7 can change the image file name so that the rearrangement order of the rearranged image files can be understood.
The image alignment server 7 can easily determine the degree of coincidence between the sound data and the recorded data because the sound data included in the image file and the recorded data are sampled at the same sampling interval. Easy to judge.

(Second Embodiment)
In the second embodiment, a description will be given of a method for rearranging image files taken by a plurality of cameras using only a camera. In the following description, parts that perform the same functions as those in the first embodiment described above are given the same reference numerals or the same reference numerals at the end, and redundant descriptions are omitted as appropriate.
FIG. 11 is an overall configuration diagram of an image alignment system 200 according to the second embodiment.
FIG. 12 is a functional block diagram of the camera 201 according to the second embodiment.
An image alignment system 200 shown in FIG. 11 is a system in which a plurality of cameras 1 and a camera 201 (imaging device) can communicate via a communication network N. The camera 201 can be considered as a camera having a part or all of the functions of the recording server 4 of the first embodiment and the image alignment server 7.
The plurality of cameras 1 and the camera 201 of the image alignment system 200 are arranged, for example, at a concert venue.

The camera 201 has a function of continuously recording sounds in a predetermined area captured by a plurality of cameras 1. In addition, the camera 201 acquires an image file taken by another camera 1. The camera 201 has a function of aligning the image file acquired from the other camera 1 and the image file captured by the camera 201 using the recording data.
As shown in FIG. 12, the camera 201 includes a lens unit 10, a lens driving circuit 11, an image sensor 12, an image processing circuit 13, an operation unit 20, a control unit 230, a storage unit 31, a memory card 232, a display unit 33, and a wireless communication. This is a digital camera having a communication unit 34, a microphone unit 235 (sound collecting unit), and the like.
The control unit 230 includes a sound data acquisition unit 230a, an image file creation unit 30b, a sampling unit 230c, a sound data transmission unit 230d, an image file acquisition unit 230e, an image alignment unit 230f, a file name change unit 230g, and the like.

The sound data acquisition unit 230a is a control unit that acquires environmental sound data output from the microphone unit 235.
The image file creation unit 30b is a control unit that associates the image data output from the image processing circuit 13 with a part of the environmental sound data acquired by the sound data acquisition unit 230a to form one image file. .
The sampling unit 230c is a control unit that samples the environmental sound data acquired by the sound data acquisition unit 230a and generates recording data. The sampling unit 230c samples a part of the environmental sound data acquired by the sound data acquisition unit 230a and associated with the image data at the same frequency as the environmental sound data.

The sound data transmission unit 230d is a control unit that transmits recording data for a predetermined time from the time when the sound data request is received to the camera 1.
The image file acquisition unit 230 e is a control unit that acquires an image file from the camera 1 via the wireless communication unit 34.
The image alignment unit 230f determines at which position on the time axis of the recording data the sound data included in the image file is, and the image file is converted into the time axis according to the determined position on the time axis. It is the control part which arranges so that it may become the arrangement | sequence (order) of.
The file name changing unit 230g is a control unit that changes the file names of the image files so that the image files are arranged in the order of the images arranged by the image arranging unit 230f.

The memory card 232 includes a recording data storage unit 232a.
The recording data storage unit 232a stores the recording data generated by the sampling unit 230c.
The microphone unit 235 is a device that collects sound, and is, for example, a microphone. The microphone unit 235 is provided in the front part of the camera 201 (see FIG. 11) and collects sounds around the camera 201.

Next, processing of the camera 201 and the camera 1 at the time of image acquisition in the image alignment system 200 will be described.
FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of processing at the time of image acquisition in the image alignment system 200 of the second embodiment.
The camera 201 samples the sound collected by the microphone unit 235 and generates recording data. The camera 201 continues to generate recording data every time the microphone unit 235 collects sound. The recording process of the recording data of the camera 201 is the same as the recording process by the recording server 4 of FIG.
The camera 201 outputs image data by shooting. At that time, the camera 201 generates one image file by associating sound data, which is a part of the generated recording data, with the image data.

On the other hand, the camera 1 outputs image data by photographing. At that time, the camera 1 performs wireless communication with the camera 201, acquires sound data that is a part of the recording data, and generates one image file in association with the image data.
The photographing process of the camera 201 and the camera 1 is the same as the photographing process by the camera 1 of FIG. In the case of the camera 201, the sound data associated with the image data is acquired in parallel with the process of generating the recording data without confirming the synchronization mode by sound (the process from S28 to S30 in FIG. 7 is not performed). To do.

Next, processing for saving image files stored in the plurality of cameras 1 and image files stored in the camera 201 and rearranging them in the shooting order will be described.
FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of the memory card 232 according to the second embodiment.
FIG. 14A shows the memory card 232 of the camera 201 when an image file is acquired from the camera 1 after shooting. The memory card 232 stores an image file captured by the camera 201 at the timing shown in FIG. 13 and an image file acquired from the camera 1. Further, the memory card 232 stores recording data in the recording data storage unit 232a.
The process in which the control unit 230 of the camera 201 rearranges the image files in the shooting order from the image files and the recording data stored in the memory card 232 and changes the image file names in the rearranged order is shown in FIG. This is the same as the storage process by the sorting server 7.

  FIG. 14B shows the memory card 232 after the rearrangement process. In addition to the data before rearrangement (FIG. 14A) (not shown), the image files are rearranged in the memory card 232 in the shooting order shown in FIG. 13, and the file names of the image files are changed in the shooting order. Stored image files are stored.

As described above, according to the second embodiment, the image alignment system 200 has the following effects.
The camera 201 can transmit sound data by wireless communication in response to a request from the camera 1.
The camera 201 can acquire the image files created by the camera 1 and arrange them in the order that matches the recorded data. Therefore, the image files stored in the plurality of cameras 1 and the cameras 201 can be rearranged in the order matching the recording data, that is, in time series.
Since the camera 201 has the wireless communication function, the recording function, and the image alignment function, the image file can be rearranged in time series only by the camera 201 and the other camera 1. Therefore, it can be performed with a simple device without requiring another device.

(Deformation)
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and changes as described below are possible, and these are also within the scope of the present invention.
(1) In each embodiment, it has been described that the camera acquires sound recording data at a position substantially the same as the time when the image data was captured by requesting sound data after the capturing process (imaging). However, the present invention is not limited to this, and any sound data that can acquire sound data at the time of photographing may be used. For example, the sound data request may be made on condition that the full push switch is pressed. Alternatively, the sound data request may be made on condition that the half-push switch is pressed. The predetermined time may be, for example, 1 second. It should be noted that the longer the time for obtaining sound data, the easier it is to see the coincidence with the position of the recorded data on the time axis.

(2) In each embodiment, the sound data included in the image file has been described as being used for rearranging the image files. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when image data is displayed, associated sound data may be output. By doing so, the user can enjoy the sound when the image data is acquired while viewing the image.
(3) In this embodiment, a camera has been described as an example. However, as long as it outputs image data, it is not limited to a camera, and may be a mobile phone provided with a camera function.
(4) In the present embodiment, it has been described that the file name is changed by the user when there is no sound data in the image file and the image file name is duplicated in the saving process. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the image file name may be automatically changed by a computer program so as not to overlap.

(5) In the first embodiment, the recording server has been described as an example. However, a recording device such as an IC recorder having a wireless communication function may be used instead of the recording server.
(6) In the first embodiment, the image alignment server has been described as being connected to the camera and the recording server via the communication network. However, the image alignment server may not have a communication function. In that case, the camera and the recording server may store the image file and the recording data in a removable storage medium, and the image alignment server may read the storage medium and store it in the storage unit.
(7) In each embodiment, the example in which the camera 1 acquires sound data from the recording server 4 or the camera 201 has been described. However, sound data may be acquired using the microphone unit 235 of the camera 1. If comprised in that way, sound data can be acquired even if the recording server 4 or the camera 201 and the camera 1 are not connected. In addition, it is possible to avoid problems caused by errors in the acquisition time of sound data due to communication delay.
In addition, although embodiment and a deformation | transformation form can also be used in combination suitably, detailed description is abbreviate | omitted. Further, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above.

  1, 1A, 1B, 201: Camera, 4: Recording server, 7: Image alignment server, 30, 230: Control unit, 30a, 230a: Sound data acquisition unit, 30b: Image file creation unit, 32, 232: Memory card , 34: wireless communication unit, 42, 230c: sampling unit, 44, 230d: sound data transmission unit, 51, 235: microphone unit, 73: position determination unit, 74, 230f: image alignment unit, 75, 230g: file name Change unit, 80a: Image file storage unit, 80b, 232a: Recording data storage unit, 100, 200: Image alignment system, 230e: Image file acquisition unit

Claims (5)

An environmental sound data acquisition unit for acquiring environmental sound data obtained by recording the environmental sound;
An information receiving unit that receives image data and sound data that is a part of the environmental sound data and includes sound at the time of imaging of the image data from another imaging device;
Using the sound data and the environmental sound data received by the information receiving unit from the other imaging device, a specifying unit that specifies the timing at which the image data is captured;
An imaging apparatus comprising: An imaging unit for imaging a subject and outputting image data;
A sound data receiving unit that receives sound data that is a part of the environmental sound data in which the environmental sound is recorded and is imaged by the imaging unit;
A transmission unit that associates the image data output by the imaging unit with the sound data received by the sound data reception unit and transmits the image data to a server device;
In the server device, an imaging device in which a timing at which the image data is captured is specified based on the transmitted sound data and the environmental sound data. An environmental sound data receiver for receiving environmental sound data in which the environmental sound is recorded;
An information receiving unit that receives captured image data and sound data that is part of the environmental sound data and includes sound at the time of capturing the image data;
A specifying unit for specifying a timing at which image data is captured using the sound data and the environmental sound data;
A server device comprising: The server device according to claim 3,
A server device further comprising an image alignment unit that rearranges the image data in the order in which the image data is captured based on the timing specified by the specifying unit. The server device according to claim 4,
A server apparatus further comprising a file name changing unit that changes the file names of the plurality of image data rearranged by the image arranging unit so that the file names are in the rearranged order.

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