JP3269470B2 - Imaging device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to an image pickup apparatus such as a digital camera (electronic still camera) and a digital video camera, and more particularly to an image pickup apparatus for recording information using a digital watermark function.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Recently, a digital camera (electronic still camera) has been widely used as an image pickup apparatus. This digital camera converts an image photographed by a CCD into an electric signal and records it as an image file. Therefore, there is an advantage that image processing and data transfer can be easily performed. The captured image is recorded in a built-in memory and transferred to a personal computer or the like connected to a cable, and can also be recorded on a memory card or a mini disk (MD). In recent years, video cameras have been able to digitize and record moving images.

On the other hand, some personal computers can use a digital watermark function for recording copyright information in image data such as photographs and illustrations, so that copyright can be appropriately protected. With the digital watermark function, the author's name and creation date are embedded in the image data so that they cannot be perceived by the naked eye.
Unless special software is used, the embedded copyright information cannot be seen.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and has made it possible to record information for specifying an image in a photographed image by using a digital watermark function. It is intended to provide an image pickup device.

[0005]

To achieve the above object, according to the Invention The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1 of the present invention, a shooting
The first electronic device is provided between the image pickup unit with the lens
In addition to interposing a half mirror with a sitter,
An eye photographing lens having an image display unit opposite thereto has a second
With a half mirror with an electronic shutter
In the signal processing section, the first and first half mirrors
By controlling the opening and closing of the electronic shutter,
The surrounding image captured by the image capturing unit and the image of the photographer's eye
Are alternately imaged by the image photographing unit, and thus photographed.
Digitally watermarks the image of the photographer's eye on the surrounding image
A composite image is formed . A device that records a captured image as digital data, such as a digital camera (electronic still camera) or a digital video camera, is applied to the image capturing device. The image capturing means is C
It is composed of a CD (light receiving element) or the like, and converts a captured image into an electric signal. In addition,
Claim 2 relates to a spread spectrum method as an electronic watermarking process.
Using the PN sequence used in the direct spreading method,
Spreads the frequency spectrum of the data to provide specific information
It is characterized in that it is synthesized.
The process is to divide the image into blocks,
Perform frequency conversion and change frequency components to obtain specific information
It is characterized by being synthesized .

[0006] Further, as a method of the electronic watermark, a PN sequence used in a direct spread method of a spread spectrum method is used to spread a frequency spectrum of image data and synthesize specific information, or a method of combining an image into blocks. A known method such as a method of dividing, performing frequency conversion for each block, and changing frequency components to synthesize specific information is adopted.

Here, the information for specifying the image to be combined with the captured image includes a photographer's name and signature for specifying the photographer, and a serial number for specifying this device. And optical system control information (aperture, focus, shutter speed, etc.) at the time of photographing that specifies photographing conditions.

Here, the eye information includes a retinal pattern in the fundus of the photographer's eyeball, an iris pattern and color in the eyeball, and the like. In order to obtain such eye information, the photographer's eye may be photographed almost simultaneously with the photographing.

Here, the photographing place and the photographing date and time may be inputted and set in advance, but it is preferable to set them automatically. Therefore, GPS (Global Positioning)
System) It has a function to receive radio waves transmitted from satellites and measure the latitude, longitude and altitude of the shooting location. Also, a built-in clock is used to obtain the shooting date and time. The “information for specifying the shooting location and / or the shooting date and time” indicates that either the information for specifying both or the information for specifying one of them may be used.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the image capturing apparatus. Here, the configuration of a digital camera C (electronic still camera) is shown as an image capturing device, but the present invention is not limited to this, and any device that records a captured image as digital data may be used. A digital video camera or the like that records moving images may be used.

An illustrated digital camera C includes an optical system control unit 1 for controlling an optical system such as an aperture and a focus, and a CC.
D, an image pickup unit comprising an image pickup tube and the like, constituting an image pickup means, an image display unit 3 constituted by a liquid crystal display or the like for displaying a photographed image, a shutter button necessary for photographing, an aperture and a focus. Operating unit 4 including a matching mechanism, a power switch, etc., a program memory 5 in which a control program is recorded in advance, and a signal processing unit for controlling each unit.
The CPU 6 constitutes a unit, an image memory 7 for storing photographed image data, a clock 8 for measuring the current time (including the date), and a plurality of satellites launched in low earth orbit. A location information detection unit 9 for detecting the longitude, latitude, and altitude of the position of the camera C by receiving radio waves, and a grip unit and an operation unit 4 for holding the camera C are provided. And a fingerprint detecting unit 10 for detecting the image of the image.

The CPU 6 controls each unit according to a control program stored in the program memory 5. When the operation unit 4 is operated, the optical system control unit 1 controls the optical system, and the image pickup unit. 2, the surrounding image is taken. The photographed image is converted into an electric signal and stored in the image memory 7. At this time, or thereafter, as necessary, the image data stored in the image memory 7 is reproduced and displayed on the image display unit 3.

In the present invention, information for specifying the photographed image is recorded on the image photographed by the image pickup section 2 by using a digital watermark function. The PN sequence used for the direct spread method of the spread spectrum method is used for the digital watermarking method.
Known methods such as a method of synthesizing specific information by spreading a frequency spectrum of image data and a method of dividing an image into blocks, performing frequency conversion for each block, and changing frequency components to synthesize specific information, and the like. Use the method. Further, the image data may be encrypted using a public key or a secret key registered in the camera C in advance, and then synthesized by a digital watermark.

The information to be synthesized by the digital watermark can be dispersed and inserted into the entire image plane. Therefore, even if another person cuts and pastes another image and synthesizes it, the portion without the digital watermark information is included. By finding, it can be proved that the image is an illegally synthesized image. In addition, when digital watermark information is included but the content of the information is different from the information of other parts, it can be understood that another image has been synthesized.

The information for specifying an image includes information for specifying the photographer, such as the photographer's name and signature, and the information is stored in advance by operating the operation section 4 or from the image pickup section 2. It is stored in a memory (not shown) by shooting.
When an image is photographed, the CPU 6 combines the information stored in the memory with the image data by digital watermarking. That is, the CPU 6 constitutes means for recording specific information using the digital watermark function.

The information for specifying an image includes a serial number for specifying the camera C stored in the program memory 5 in advance, and information (aperture, focus, shutter, and the like) of the optical system control unit 1 at the time of shooting. Shooting conditions such as speed). When viewing the information synthesized by the digital watermark, if a dedicated program stored in the program memory 5 is used, information for specifying the image is extracted from the images stored in the image memory 7 and the image display unit 3
Can be displayed. In the camera C, the synthesized information may not be viewed, and the information may be viewed by a personal computer or the like to which the image data has been transferred from the image memory 7.

Next, a case in which information on the eyes of the photographer is used as information for specifying an image will be described. FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing a means for obtaining the eye information. Here, the information of the eye e includes a retinal pattern on the fundus in the eyeball of the photographer, a iris pattern (wrinkle) and color in the eyeball, but is not limited thereto. Any information that can be identified by a person is acceptable. In order to obtain the information on the eye e, the eye e of the photographer may be photographed almost simultaneously with the photographing.

In FIG. 1, reference numerals 1a to 1d denote optical system means controlled by an optical system control unit 1. Reference numeral 1a denotes a surrounding photographic lens by an image pickup unit 2, and 1b and 1c denote first and second power supplies. A half mirror with a child shutter, 1d is a lens for photographing the eye e. The image passing through the photographing lens 1a passes through a first half mirror 1b having an open shutter,
The image is captured by the image capturing unit 2 (). At this time,
The shutter of the second half mirror 1c is closed . Next, the shutters of the first and second half mirrors 1b and 1c
When the opening and closing are switched , the image of the eye e passing through the photographing lens 1a is reflected by the half mirrors 1c and 1b, and is photographed by the image photographing unit 2 using the image display unit 3 which emits white light as a light source (). (). Then, the CPU 6 combines the image () of the eye e with the surrounding image () captured by the image capturing unit 2 using the digital watermark function.

As described above, if the information of the eye e of the photographer is used as the information to be recorded, the photographer can be specified automatically and reliably. When determining the photographer of a specific image, an image of the eye of the determined person may be photographed, an image of the eye e synthesized by digital watermarking may be extracted, and the two may be compared. In addition, since the camera C includes the fingerprint detection unit 10, the image of the fingerprint of the photographer is detected by the reading sensor of the fingerprint detection unit 10 and captured, and the fingerprint image data is stored in the information for identifying the photographer. It can also be. In this case as well, the fingerprint image is combined with the photographed image using the digital watermark function, similarly to the information on the eye e described above. As the fingerprint image, not all of the fingerprint, for example, a characteristic portion such as a portion where the fingerprint line is interrupted or a partial image including a portion where the fingerprint line is connected may be extracted.

The fingerprint detection unit 10 may be provided on the surface of the shutter button of the operation unit 4, so that the fingerprint can be automatically read without any special operation. In addition, the fingerprint image is detected during normal photographing by using the eye e.
May be performed by placing a finger on a portion (see FIG. 2) where the contact is made. Next, the operation of the digital camera C shown in FIG. 1 will be described with reference to flowcharts (100 to 108).

When photographing is started, photographing data is first stored in the image memory 7 (100). Next, optical system control information such as aperture, focus, and shutter speed is read from the optical system control unit 1 (101), and date and time information (1
02), the location information (103) is read from the location information detecting section 9. Then, the electronic shutters 1b and 1c are switched for fundus photography, the fundus is photographed, and the fundus feature is extracted (104 to 106, see FIG. 2).

Next, the characteristic amount of the fundus and step 10
Each information read by 1, 102, and 103 is encrypted and embedded in photographing data by a digital watermarking method (107), and the photographing data is stored again in the image memory 7 (108). Here, in order to specify a captured image using an electronic watermark function in an image captured by the image capturing unit 2, information for specifying a capturing location (103) and a capturing date and time (102) is recorded. The shooting location and the shooting date and time may be input and set in advance by operating the operation unit 4, but as shown in FIG. Part 9
It is preferable that the automatic setting be provided by providing a clock 8 as a means for obtaining information for specifying the shooting time.

In this case, fundus information (retinal information) is used as the information of the photographer's eye e. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the iris information may be used as described above. It may be. Further, here, optical system control information (101), which is information for specifying an image, a feature amount (106) of the photographer's fundus, date and time information (102),
Although all the place information (103) is embedded in the photographing data, the present invention is not limited to this, and at least one or more pieces of information may be embedded.

In the above, the description has been made mainly of the case where the present invention is applied to the digital camera C. However, the image pickup apparatus of the present invention may be a digital video camera. In this case, in the configuration of the digital camera C in FIG. 1, the image memory 7 serves as an image recording unit that records a captured image on a video tape. In a digital video camera, information for identifying a photographed image, such as information for identifying a photographer, information for identifying a photographing location, and a photographing date and time, is stored in each frame of a video image to be photographed or at a predetermined interval. What is necessary is just to make it record by using a digital watermark function in each frame and in the synchronization signal part inserted between each frame image.

[0025]

As can be understood from the above description, the contract
According to the image capturing apparatus of the present invention described in claims 1 to 3,
Since information of the photographer's eyes is recorded in the photographed image by using the digital watermark function, the information can be used for protecting the copyright of the image and certifying the photographer.

[0026]

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of an image capturing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing a means for obtaining eye information.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation of the image pickup device of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 C Digital camera 1 Optical system control unit 2 Image pickup unit 3 Image display unit 4 Operation unit 5 Program memory 6 CPU 7 Image memory 8 Clock 9 Location information detection unit 10 Fingerprint detection unit e Eye of photographer

────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-10-308943 (JP, A) JP-A-10-19025 (JP, A) JP-A-2000-50043 (JP, A) JP-A-2000-50193 ( JP, A) (58) Fields surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H04N 5/76-5/956 H04N 1/387 H04N 5/225 H04N 101: 00

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. An image pickup unit provided with a photographic lens,
In the meantime, through the half mirror with the first electronic shutter
Lens for eye photography with an image display
Has a half-mirror with a second electronic shutter in the meantime.
The signal processing unit includes the first and second
Switching control of the opening and closing of the electronic shutter of the half mirror 1
Surrounding images taken by the image pickup unit
And the image of the photographer's eye
The surrounding image taken in this way
It is configured to form a composite image obtained by digitally watermarking the image.
This image as the image pickup apparatus. 2. An image according to claim 1, wherein the image of the photographer's eye is directly read by a spread spectrum method.
Using the PN sequence used for the spreading method,
Spread the frequency spectrum and synthesize specific information
An image capturing device that is subjected to digital watermark processing. 3. An image according to claim 1, wherein the image of the photographer's eye is obtained by dividing the image into blocks.
Performs frequency conversion for each lock, changes frequency components, and
Digital watermarking is performed by synthesizing
Image pickup device.