JP4302571B2 - Imaging device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a photographing apparatus that transmits and receives radio waves to and from a wireless tag.

  Imaging devices such as digital cameras and mobile phones with digital cameras have become widespread because their size and performance have been improved and an object to be photographed can be photographed accurately and simply. Objects to be photographed by the photographing device include information described in books and magazines lined up in stores as well as people and landscapes, exhibits in museums and museums, etc., and are generally selected freely by the photographer It is.

  On the other hand, there are cases where the owner of the object to be photographed does not want to be photographed due to problems such as copyright. For example, in a museum or the like, a warning or warning is given that an exhibit is prohibited from being photographed, and measures such as temporarily keeping a photographing device such as a mobile phone at the time of admission are taken. There are a wide variety of shooting targets, and it is extremely difficult for all photographers to determine whether or not shooting is possible for all shooting targets, and there is a possibility that shooting is prohibited without paying attention.

  In recent years, wireless tags that can wirelessly identify the type of an object without contact have become widespread, also called RFID tags, IC tags, ID tags, sesame grain IC chips, and the like. Increased to replace barcode. A wireless tag can be added to a product such as a book or CD, and used for product management such as grasping the amount of inventory in circulation and preventing theft of the product. For example, information on unpurchased products is given to the wireless tag of the product before the checkout, and the wireless tag of the product for which the check has been made is rewritten with the purchased information at the cash register. The exit gate automatically reads the information of the RFID tag attached to the product passing by the RFID tag reader, permits the passage if the purchased information is obtained, and the buzzer if it is not rewritten to the purchased information. Sound.

Patent Document 1 proposes an automatic photographing system, an automatic photographing method, and an automatic photographing service that allow a user to carry a wireless tag and record the photographed image and the wireless tag ID in association with each other. In Patent Document 1, it is not determined whether or not the photographing object is prohibited from photographing.
JP 2003-116127 A

An object of this invention is to provide the imaging device which determines whether a photography target object is a photography prohibition.

An imaging apparatus according to the present invention includes an imaging unit, an imaging availability determination device, and an imaging prevention processing unit, the imaging unit includes a zoom mechanism, and the imaging availability determination device includes an anti-radio tag transmission / reception unit and a range setting unit. And the wireless tag transmission / reception means includes wireless tag information including whether or not photographing is possible from a wireless tag attached to the photographing object by transmitting / receiving radio waves or a wireless tag installed in the vicinity of the photographing object The range setting means decreases the output intensity of the radio wave transmitted from the wireless tag transmission / reception means as the zoom mechanism of the imaging means widens the angle of view, and the range setting means decreases the angle of view as the zoom mechanism decreases the angle of view. strengthening the output intensity of the radio wave to be transmitted from the transmitting and receiving means, said determining means, photographing prohibited when the information indicating the photographing prohibition on the wireless tag information read by the wireless-tag transmitting and receiving means are included Determined, read in except if it contains information indicating the photographing prohibition on the wireless tag information judged to be photographed, the photographing prevention processing means, when it is determined that the photographing prohibition by said determining means, said imaging The image capturing of the photographing object by the means is stopped.

The photographing availability determination apparatus includes a photographing prohibition item storage unit that stores in advance a pair of an item and a value that are determined to be photographing prohibition, and the determination unit includes an item included in the read wireless tag information and a value of the item Is stored in the shooting prohibited item storage unit, it is determined that shooting is prohibited, and the item included in the read wireless tag information and the value of the item are stored in the shooting prohibited item storage unit. In addition to the above, it is determined that photographing is possible.

The range setting means increases the output angle of the radio wave transmitted from the wireless tag transmission / reception means as the zoom mechanism of the imaging means widens the angle of view, and from the wireless tag transmission / reception means as the zoom mechanism decreases the angle of view. The output angle of the radio wave to be transmitted is narrowed.

The photographing availability determination apparatus includes a distance measuring unit that measures a distance to a photographing object, and the range setting unit outputs a radio wave transmitted from the wireless tag transmission / reception unit as the distance to the photographing object is longer. The strength is increased, and the output strength of the radio wave transmitted from the wireless tag transmission / reception means is decreased as the distance to the object to be photographed is shorter.

According to the photographing apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to determine whether or not the photographing object is prohibited from photographing by receiving the wireless tag information. Moreover, the radio tag information possessed by the radio tag in the imaging target range can be reliably acquired by the imaging availability determination device capable of setting the radio wave transmission range. Further, according to the photographing apparatus of the present invention, when it is determined that photographing is prohibited, normal photographing can be disabled by performing photographing prohibiting processing. In addition, by enabling the output intensity and output angle of radio waves to be set in conjunction with the zoom mechanism, it is possible to reliably acquire the wireless tag information held by the wireless tag in the shooting target range, and the shooting target is prohibited from shooting. When the determination is made, normal shooting can be disabled by performing shooting prohibition processing.

  The image capturing apparatus 1 of the first embodiment captures images such as still images and moving images, performs storage, display, external output, and the like. As illustrated in the configuration diagram of FIG. An operation display unit 12, an image memory 13, an image processing unit 14, a photographing prevention processing unit 15, a CPU 16, a ROM 17, a RAM 18, and a system bus 19. The photographing apparatus includes a digital camera, a camera-equipped mobile phone, a digital video camera, an analog camera, a digital video camera, and the like.

  The photographing availability determination device 10 includes an anti-radio tag transmission / reception unit 20, a wireless tag information analysis unit 21, a photographing prohibited item storage unit 22, and a determination unit 23.

  The wireless tag transmission / reception unit 20 includes a modulation / demodulation control circuit 30, a modulation circuit 31, a transmission antenna 32, a reception antenna 33, and a demodulation circuit 34. The modulation / demodulation control circuit 30 outputs data for reading the wireless tag information from the wireless tag 5 to the modulation circuit 31, and the modulation circuit 31 modulates the data and transmits it as a radio wave signal from the transmission antenna 32. Radio waves from the wireless tag 5 are received by the receiving antenna 33, demodulated by the demodulation circuit 34, and wireless tag information is read by the modulation / demodulation control circuit 30.

  In the wireless tag information, for example, as shown in the example of FIG. 2, each piece of information having a value of 1 or 0 is assigned to each bit of the 128-bit wireless tag information. For example, the 100th bit is an item of a shooting enable / disable setting flag. A value of 1 means that shooting is prohibited, and a value of 0 means that shooting is possible. The 90th bit is an item of a purchased flag, a value of 1 means purchased, and a value of 0 means not purchased. The 79th bit to the 70th bit are items of type information, a value 0 indicates a book, a value 1 indicates a painting, a value 2 indicates meat, and a value 3 indicates fresh fish. Decimal values are converted to binary numbers and stored. The meaning of each bit depends on standardized specifications.

  The wireless tag information analysis unit 21 analyzes the wireless tag information received by the wireless tag transmission / reception unit 20 and extracts each item and value included in the wireless tag information. The photographing prohibition item storage unit 22 stores in advance items and values that prohibit photographing. When the value of the item extracted by the wireless tag information analysis unit 21 is stored in the photographing prohibition item storage unit 25, the determination unit 23 outputs a photographing prohibition determination and the item extracted by the wireless tag information analysis unit 21 Is not stored in the shooting prohibition item storage unit 25, a shooting enable determination is output.

  The imaging unit 11 includes an imaging element 40, a work memory 41, and an image display element 42. The image sensor 40 captures image data into the work memory 41 using a lens / CCD or CMOS, and the image display element 42 displays the image data captured in the work memory 41 on the screen. The operation display unit 12 includes a shooting mode button and a shutter button. When the shooting mode button is pressed, the image display device 42 starts to capture an image and displays the image on the image display device 42. When the shutter button is pressed, the image data captured by the image sensor 40 is stored in the image memory 13. The image processing unit 14 performs various types of image processing such as mosaic processing, all white / all black processing, and overwriting of shooting prohibition marks on the captured image.

  The photographing prevention processing unit 15 causes the imaging unit 11 to stop capturing an image from the image sensor 40 to the work memory 41 when the photographing availability determination device 10 determines that photographing is prohibited, and causes the operation display unit 12 to display “Try to shoot”. The shooting prevention processing is performed to display “The object is prohibited to shoot”. When it is determined that the photographing is possible by the photographing availability determination device 10, the image pickup unit 11 is made to take in an image from the image pickup device 40 to the work memory 41 and display on the operation display unit 12 that the photographing is possible.

  The CPU 16 controls the operation of the entire photographing apparatus 1. The ROM 17 stores a control program or the like that is read by the CPU 16 to operate the photographing apparatus 1. The RAM 18 is appropriately used as a work memory for the CPU 16. The system bus 19 transmits signals among the photographing availability determination device 10, the imaging unit 11, the operation display unit 12, the image memory 13, the image processing unit 14, the photographing prevention processing unit 15, the CPU 16, the ROM 17, and the RAM 18.

  As shown in the block diagram of FIG. 3, the wireless tag 5 includes a coil 50, a capacitor 51, a rectifying / smoothing circuit 52, an EEPROM 53, and a modem circuit 54. The coil 50 generates a current by the magnetic field of the received radio signal, the capacitor 51 smoothes the generated current, and the rectifying / smoothing circuit 52 rectifies the smoothed current and supplies the power source Vdd. The EEPROM 53 stores wireless tag information and retains data even when power is not supplied. The modulation / demodulation circuit 54 demodulates the radio wave signal transmitted from the radio tag transceiver 20, reads the radio tag information from the EEPROM 53 in response to a request to read the radio tag information included in the demodulated data, and converts the radio tag information. Create and modulate a signal that contains it to transmit radio waves. The wireless tag 5 is attached to an object to be photographed such as a product such as a book or an exhibit such as a picture, or is arranged close to the object to be photographed.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the processing of the photographing availability determination apparatus 10. When the photographing mode button is pressed from the operation display unit 12 (step S10), the wireless tag transmission / reception unit 20 transmits a radio wave signal requesting reading of the wireless tag information (step S11). When receiving the response from the wireless tag, the wireless tag transmission / reception unit 20 sends the received wireless tag information to the wireless tag information analysis unit 21 (step S12). The wireless tag information analysis unit 21 analyzes the data string of the wireless tag information and acquires each item such as a photographing availability setting flag, a purchased flag, and type information, and the value of each item (step S13). The determination unit 23 checks whether the acquired item value is included in the photographing prohibition item storage unit 22, and determines that photographing is prohibited when the acquired item value is included in the photographing prohibition item storage unit 22 ( In step S14), determination information for prohibiting photographing is output (step S15). For example, if the item of the purchased flag is stored as a value of “not purchased” in the shooting prohibited item storage unit 22 and the value of the item of the purchased flag acquired from the wireless tag information is not purchased, shooting is prohibited. Is determined. The determination unit 23 determines that photographing is possible when the acquired item value is not included in the photographing prohibition item storage unit 22 (step S14). If it is determined that photographing is possible, or the wireless tag transmission / reception unit If 20 does not receive a response from the wireless tag, determination information indicating that photographing is possible is output (step S16).

  Note that the determination unit 23 of the photographing availability determination device 10 determines whether the read wireless tag information includes information indicating photographing prohibition, and if included, determines that photographing is prohibited and is included. It may be determined that photography is possible except when there is an image.

  The photographing prevention process is performed according to the flowchart of FIG. When the shooting prohibition determination information is output from the determination unit 23 (step S20), the shooting prevention processing unit 16 causes the image pickup unit 11 to stop capturing images from the image sensor 40 to the work memory 41 (step S21). The operation display unit 12 is displayed such as “the object to be photographed is a photograph prohibited object” (step S22). When the determination information indicating that the photographing is possible is output from the determination unit 23 (step S20), the photographing prevention processing unit 16 cancels the stop of the image capturing from the image sensor 40 to the work memory 41 in the imaging unit 11 (step S23). ), The fact that photography is possible is displayed on the operation display unit 12 (step S24).

  Note that the shooting prevention process is a process that makes it impossible to press the shutter button of the operation display unit 12 while the shooting prohibition determination information is being output by the shooting permission determination device 10, or even if the shutter button is pressed. Processing in which image data is not stored in the image memory 13 may be used. In addition, in the shooting prevention process, the image processing unit 14 performs mosaic processing or the like on the image data output from the imaging element 40 of the imaging unit 11 while the shooting prohibition determination information is output by the shooting permission determination device 10. The image processing may be performed. In the case of an analog camera, the shooting prevention process is a process that does not open the lens / shutter (also referred to as an opening / closing curtain) provided in the image pickup unit 11 while the shooting prohibition determination information is output by the shooting permission determination device 10. May be. Further, in the shooting prevention process, when the shooting prohibition determination information is output from the shooting permission / inhibition determination apparatus 10, a sound such as “the object to be shot is a shooting prohibited object” is output from the operation display unit 12. It is good.

  By automatically comparing the items and values included in the wireless tag information of the wireless tag 5 with the photographing prohibited items stored in the photographing device 1, it is automatically determined whether the photographing object is prohibited from photographing or can be photographed. Then, the photographing can be automatically prohibited by stopping the capturing of the image from the image sensor 40 according to the judgment of the photographing prohibition.

  As shown in the detailed configuration diagram of FIG. 6, the photographing availability detection unit 60 included in the photographing device 6 of the second embodiment is a distance measurement unit 61 in the photographing availability determination device 10 included in the photographing device 1 of the first embodiment. And a range setting unit 62. The distance measuring unit 61 has a function of measuring the distance to the object to be photographed, and may measure the distance by an autofocus function. The range setting unit 62 sets the output range of the radio signal by setting the output intensity of the radio signal transmitted from the transmission antenna 32 by the modulation circuit 31 as the distance measured by the distance measurement unit 61 is longer. The relationship between the distance to the object to be imaged and the output intensity of the radio signal to be transmitted may be stored in advance. By measuring the distance, the output intensity of the radio signal can be set accurately.

  The processing of the photographing availability detection unit 60 is shown in the flowchart of FIG. When the shooting mode button is pressed from the operation display unit 12 (step S30), the distance measuring unit 61 measures the distance to the shooting target (step S31), and the range setting unit 62 modulates according to the measured distance. The output intensity of the radio wave signal transmitted from the transmission antenna 32 by the circuit 31 is set (step S32). The wireless tag transmission / reception unit 20 transmits a radio signal requesting reading of the wireless tag information with the set output intensity (step S33). When receiving the response from the wireless tag, the wireless tag transmission / reception unit 20 sends the received wireless tag information to the wireless tag information analysis unit 21 (step S34). The wireless tag information analysis unit 21 analyzes the data string of the wireless tag information, and acquires each item and the value of each item such as a photographing availability setting flag, a purchased flag, and type information (step S35). The determination unit 23 checks whether the acquired item value is included in the photographing prohibition item storage unit 22, and determines that photographing is prohibited when the acquired item value is included in the photographing prohibition item storage unit 22 ( In step S36, determination information for prohibiting photographing is output (step S37). The determination unit 23 determines that photographing is possible when the acquired item value is not included in the photographing prohibition item storage unit 22 (step S36). If it is determined that photographing is possible, or the wireless tag transmission / reception unit If 20 does not receive a response from the wireless tag, determination information indicating that photographing is possible is output (step S38).

  The photographing prevention process performed by the photographing prevention processing unit 16 is the same as that in the first embodiment. The imaging device 6 sets the output intensity of the radio signal with the range setting unit 62 according to the distance to the object to be imaged measured by the distance measuring unit 61, so that the wireless tag information included in the wireless tag 5 in the shootable range is set. Can be read accurately.

  As shown in the detailed configuration diagram of FIG. 8, the photographing availability detection unit 70 included in the photographing device 7 of the third embodiment is included in the range setting unit 71 in the photographing availability determination device 10 included in the photographing device 1 of the first embodiment. Have The imaging unit 11 has a zoom mechanism 43, and the operation display unit 12 has a zoom button. The closer the zoom button is set to the telephoto side, the more the image pickup unit 11 captures an image by narrowing the angle of view by the zoom mechanism 43, and the closer the zoom button is set to the wide angle side, the more the image pickup unit 11 is set to the angle of view by the zoom mechanism 43. Widen to capture images.

  The range setting unit 71 sets the output range of the radio signal transmitted from the transmission antenna 32 by the modulation circuit 31. The closer the zoom button is set to the telephoto side, the farther the distance to the object to be photographed is. Therefore, the modulation circuit 31 sets the output intensity of the radio signal transmitted from the transmission antenna 32 to be larger, and the zoom button is set closer to the wide angle side. Since the distance to the object to be photographed is shorter as the distance is increased, the modulation circuit 31 sets the output intensity of the radio signal transmitted from the transmission antenna 32 to be smaller. Further, the range setting unit 71 covers the transmission antenna 32 with metal to block radio waves, and sets a transmission angle by providing a radio wave opening whose size can be adjusted in the same direction as the lens. With directivity, the aperture is set smaller as the zoom button is set closer to the telephoto side, and the aperture is set larger as the zoom button is set closer to the wide-angle side.

  The process of the photographing availability detection unit 70 is shown in the flowchart of FIG. When the shooting mode button is pressed from the operation display unit 12 (step S40), the range setting unit 71 outputs the radio signal intensity that the modulation circuit 31 transmits from the transmission antenna 32 as the zoom button is set closer to the telephoto side. Is set larger and the aperture is made smaller. The closer the zoom button is set to the wide-angle side, the smaller the output intensity of the radio signal transmitted from the transmission antenna 32 by the modulation circuit 31 and the larger the aperture is set (step S41). ). The wireless tag transmission / reception unit 20 transmits a radio signal for requesting reading of the wireless tag information with the set output intensity (step S42). When receiving the response from the wireless tag, the wireless tag transmission / reception unit 20 sends the received wireless tag information to the wireless tag information analysis unit 21 (step S43). The wireless tag information analysis unit 21 analyzes the data string of the wireless tag information and acquires each item and the value of each item, such as a photographing availability setting flag, a purchased flag, and type information (step S44). The determination unit 23 checks whether the acquired item value is included in the photographing prohibition item storage unit 22, and determines that photographing is prohibited when the acquired item value is included in the photographing prohibition item storage unit 22 ( In step S45), determination information for prohibiting photographing is output (step S46). The determination unit 23 determines that photographing is possible when the acquired item value is not included in the photographing prohibition item storage unit 22 (step S45). If it is determined that photographing is possible, or the wireless tag transmission / reception unit If 20 does not receive a response from the wireless tag, determination information indicating that photographing is possible is output (step S47).

  The photographing prevention process performed by the photographing prevention processing unit 16 is the same as that in the first embodiment. The imaging device 7 accurately reads out the RFID tag information of the wireless tag 5 in the shootable range by setting the directivity and output intensity of the radio signal with the range setting unit 71 in conjunction with the setting of the zoom mechanism 43. be able to.

It is a block diagram of an imaging device. It is a figure which shows the example of the content of radio | wireless tag information. It is a block diagram of a wireless tag. It is a flowchart showing operation | movement of a photography availability determination apparatus. It is a flowchart showing operation | movement of a imaging | photography prevention process part. It is a block diagram of the imaging device which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a flowchart showing operation | movement of the imaging | photography availability determination apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a block diagram of the imaging device which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a flowchart showing operation | movement of the imaging | photography availability determination apparatus which concerns on 3rd Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

1; photographing device, 5; wireless tag, 6; photographing device, 7; photographing device,
10: Imaging availability determination device, 11: Imaging unit, 12: Operation display unit, 13: Image memory,
14; Image processing unit, 15; Shooting prevention processing unit, 16; CPU, 17; ROM,
18; RAM, 19; system bus, 20;
21; RFID tag information analysis unit, 22; photographing prohibition item storage unit, 23; determination unit,
30; modulation / demodulation control circuit, 31; modulation circuit, 32; transmission antenna, 33; reception antenna,
34; demodulation circuit, 40; imaging device, 41; work memory, 42; image display device,
43; Zoom mechanism, 50; Coil, 51; Capacitor, 52; Rectification smoothing circuit,
53; EEPROM, 54; Modulation / demodulation circuit, 60; Shooting availability determination device, 61; Distance measurement unit, 62; Range setting unit, 70; Shooting availability determination device, 71;

Claims (4)

An imaging unit, a shooting availability determination device, and a shooting prevention processing unit;
The imaging means has a zoom mechanism,
The photographing availability determination device includes a wireless tag transmission / reception unit, a range setting unit, and a determination unit ,
The wireless tag transmission / reception means reads out wireless tag information including the possibility of photographing from a wireless tag attached to the photographing object by transmitting / receiving radio waves or a wireless tag installed in the vicinity of the photographing object,
The range setting means weakens the output intensity of the radio wave transmitted from the wireless tag transmission / reception means as the zoom mechanism of the imaging means widens the angle of view, and from the wireless tag transmission / reception means as the zoom mechanism narrows the angle of view. Increase the output strength of the radio wave to be transmitted,
The determination means determines that photographing is prohibited when the wireless tag information read by the wireless tag transmission / reception means includes photographing prohibition, and the read wireless tag information includes information indicating photographing prohibition. It is determined that photography is possible except when
The photographing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the photographing preventing processing unit stops capturing the image of the photographing target by the photographing unit when the judging unit determines that photographing is prohibited. The photographing availability determination device includes a photographing prohibition item storage unit that stores in advance a pair of an item and a value that are determined to be photographing prohibition,
The determination unit determines that photographing is prohibited when the item included in the read wireless tag information and the value of the item are stored in the photographing prohibited item storage unit, and the item included in the read wireless tag information The photographing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the photographing apparatus determines that photographing is possible except when the photographing value and the value of the item are stored in the photographing prohibition item storage unit . The range setting means increases the output angle of the radio wave transmitted from the wireless tag transmission / reception means as the zoom mechanism of the imaging means widens the angle of view, and from the wireless tag transmission / reception means as the zoom mechanism decreases the angle of view. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an output angle of a radio wave to be transmitted is narrowed. The photographing availability determination device includes a distance measuring unit that measures a distance to a photographing object,
The range setting means increases the output intensity of the radio wave transmitted from the wireless tag transmission / reception means as the distance to the object to be photographed increases, and the radio wave transmitted from the wireless tag transmission / reception means as the distance to the object to be photographed decreases. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the output intensity of the camera is weakened.

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