JP4957563B2 - Image transmission device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to transfer of a captured image by wireless communication.

  Conventionally, in order to pass images taken by an image capturing device such as a digital still camera or a mobile phone with a camera function between multiple users, you can pass a photo that has been printed on photographic paper or the Internet in the form of an electronic file. It was common to hand it over.

On the other hand, Patent Document 1 discloses an image capturing apparatus including a communication unit. Thereby, a picked-up image can be transmitted and received in real time at the shooting site.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-087615

  However, exchanging captured images using wireless communication means requires complicated operations such as setting registration between devices and designation of a transmission target image.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an imaging apparatus that can easily transmit and receive a captured image using wireless technology without requiring a complicated operation.

  In order to achieve the above object, an image transmission apparatus according to the present invention includes a recording unit that stores image data in a recording medium in association with imaging date / time information or recording date / time information recorded on the recording medium, and an external device. In response to the transmission request, transmission means for transmitting the image data stored in the recording medium to the external apparatus that has requested transmission, and time information indicating the date and time when the transmission request from the external apparatus is received or a transmission request are received. Time information extracting means for extracting the time information received at the time. The transmission means selects and transmits image data matching a predetermined condition from the image data stored in the recording medium according to the time information extracted by the time information extraction means and the date / time information associated with the image data. To do.

  As a result, it is possible to automatically select and transmit image data captured at a timing close to the transmission request.

  The image transmission apparatus of the present invention may further include a period determining unit that determines a predetermined period based on the time information extracted by the time information extracting unit. In this case, the transmission unit may transmit the image data associated with the date / time information when the time indicated by the date / time information associated with the image data is within the determined period.

  As a result, it is possible to automatically select and transmit image data captured within a predetermined period up to the time of transmission request or stored in a recording medium.

  Based on the time information extracted by the time information extracting means, a period determining means for determining a predetermined period, a period acquiring means for acquiring receivable period information relating to a receivable period from an external device, and a period determined by the period determining means And a period selection unit that selects a short period by comparing the period indicated by the receivable period information acquired by the period acquisition unit. In this case, when the time indicated by the date / time information associated with the image data is within the selected period, the transmission unit may transmit the image data associated with the date / time information.

  Further, when the image transmitting apparatus of the present invention includes the period determining means, the period determining means is obtained by adding or subtracting a predetermined correction time to the time indicated by the time information extracted by the time information extracting means or the time. You may make it determine time as the end of a predetermined period.

  The image transmission apparatus according to the present invention may further include an external device search unit that searches for an external device that can be connected to the self device. In this case, the transmission unit may be set to be communicable with the external device searched by the external device search unit in response to the transmission request from the external device and issuing the transmission request.

  The image transmission apparatus of the present invention may further include a distance measurement unit that measures the distance between the own apparatus and the external apparatus. In this case, when the measured distance is longer than the predetermined distance, the transmission unit can be set not to be communicable with the external device.

  In addition, when the image transmission apparatus of the present invention includes an external device search unit, a group information holding unit that sets a group to which the own device belongs and holds group information indicating the set group, and an external device from the external device Group information acquisition means for acquiring group information. In this case, the transmission means can be set not to be communicable with external devices belonging to different groups.

  The image transmission apparatus according to the present invention may further include capacity acquisition means for acquiring capacity information indicating a capacity that can be transmitted from an external apparatus. In this case, the transmission means adjusts the total capacity of the image data to be transmitted so as not to exceed the capacity indicated by the acquired capacity information, and transmits the image data to the external device that acquired the capacity information. Also good.

  When the image transmission apparatus according to the present invention includes a capacity acquisition unit, the capacity information may be remaining amount information indicating a remaining recordable amount of a recording medium attached to the external device.

  In addition, when the image transmission apparatus of the present invention includes a capacity acquisition unit, the transmission unit preferentially transmits image data captured at a time close to the time indicated by the time information extracted by the time information extraction unit. Also good.

  The image transmission apparatus of the present invention may further include an information amount reducing unit that reduces the information amount of the image data stored in the storage medium. In this case, the transmission unit may transmit the image data whose information amount has been reduced by the information amount reduction unit.

  In addition, the image transmission apparatus according to the present invention includes a period determination unit that determines a predetermined period based on the time information extracted by the time information extraction unit, and an information amount that reduces an information amount of image data stored in the storage medium. And a reduction means. In this case, the information amount reduction means reduces the amount of information reduction as the image data is closer to the end of the period determined by the period determination means among the image data stored in the storage medium, and the transmission means If the time indicated by the date / time information associated with is the time within the determined period, the image data in which the information amount of the image data associated with the date / time information is reduced may be transmitted.

  The image transmission apparatus according to the present invention may further include a receiving unit that receives a user instruction as to whether or not to transmit each piece of image data stored in the recording medium. In this case, the transmission unit can transmit the image data for which the instruction to transmit is received by the reception unit.

  The image transmission apparatus according to the present invention also provides moving image data for a predetermined time when the recording time of the moving image data exceeds a predetermined period when the image data stored in the recording medium is moving image data. Editing means for editing the original moving image data may be provided.

  With this configuration, at the moment when someone wants to take an image taken by someone else at the shooting site, you can simply press a specific button provided on the image shooting device, Attempts to connect to a specific number of image capture devices, and automatically selects and transmits only images captured within the time range close to the timing when the specific button is pressed, resulting in simple operation It is possible to obtain only images that meet your requirements.

  In addition, wireless communication means have a limited range of radio waves, so people who are around you are likely to be aiming at the same subject for the same purpose, and there is no need for authentication at the time of connection. Since there is no problem even if an image is transmitted / received by communicating with an unspecified number of devices, an image taken by a stranger can be obtained without requiring negotiation.

  Furthermore, since the transmission image is automatically selected within a specific time range based on the date and time when the specific button is pressed, the image is not taken at the shooting site stored in the counterpart device. It is also possible to prevent erroneous transmission of private captured images.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a digital camera according to an embodiment of the present invention. This digital camera includes an optical system 110, a CCD image sensor 120, an ADC 130 that performs A / D conversion on the output signal of the CCD image sensor 120, and image processing that performs image processing on the captured subject image and converts it into an image format such as JPEG. Unit 140, buffer 150, controller 160 for controlling the entire digital still camera, card slot 170, removable memory card 180, liquid crystal monitor 190, operation member 200, flash memory 210, and communication unit 220. With.

  The controller 160 stores the image data in the memory card 180 in a state associated with the imaging date / time information or the recording date / time information recorded on the recording medium.

  The communication unit 220 is a unit for executing wireless communication compliant with the Wi-Fi standard, for example. In response to a transmission request from the external device, the communication unit 220 transmits the image data stored in the memory card 180 to the external device that has requested transmission. The communication unit 220 selects and transmits image data that matches a predetermined condition from the image data stored in the memory card 180 according to the time information extracted by the controller 160 and the date / time information associated with the image data. To do.

  The controller 160 extracts time information indicating the date and time when the transmission request from the external apparatus is received or the time information received when the transmission request is received.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the digital camera 10 includes a release button 201, an up key 202, a right key 203, a down key 204, a left key 205, an enter button 206, and a receive button 207. .

  The controller 160 is an example of a recording unit of the present invention. The memory card 180 is an example of the recording medium of the present invention. The communication unit 220 is an example of a transmission unit of the present invention. The controller 160 is an example of time information extraction means of the present invention. The controller 160 is an example of a period determination unit of the present invention. The controller 160 is an example of a period acquisition unit of the present invention. The controller 160 is an example of a period selection unit of the present invention. The communication unit 220 is an example of an external device search unit of the present invention. The communication unit 220 is an example of a distance measuring unit according to the present invention. The controller 160 is an example of a group information holding unit of the present invention. The controller 160 is an example of a group information acquisition unit of the present invention. The controller 160 is an example of a capacity acquisition unit of the present invention. The controller 160 is an example of the information amount reducing means of the present invention. The operation member 200 is an example of a reception unit according to the present invention. The controller 160 is an example of an editing unit of the present invention.

  FIG. 3 is an example of an operation flow of an imaging operation in the digital camera.

  When the release button 201 is pressed (S11), the CCD image sensor 120 captures light taken from the optical system 110 under the control of the controller 160, converts the light into a digital signal by the ADC 130, and an appropriate image is displayed in the image processing unit 140. Processing is performed to generate image data (S12).

  Further, the current time, that is, photographing date / time information is acquired from the timer 161 in the controller 160 (S13), and an image file is generated (S15). At this time, the current time, shooting parameters, etc. acquired in step S13 are stored in the header part (S14). The generated image file is stored in the memory card 180 connected via the card slot 170 (S16).

  FIG. 4 shows an example of the structure of the image file generated in the image file generation step S15.

  The header part D1 stores the shooting date / time information D11 and the thumbnail image D12 generated in the image data generation step S12. The main image D2 is stored after the header portion D1.

  Next, an operation when the user wants a photographed image taken by another person around him and presses the reception button 207 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG.

  In FIG. 6, the user's own digital camera is assumed to be a camera B (20). The reception button 207 is a button that is pressed when a photographed image is desired from the camera A (10), the camera C (30), or the camera D (40) owned by people around him.

  When the reception button 207 is pressed, the controller 160 interprets it as a connection start instruction (S21). The controller 160 instructs the communication unit 220 that performs communication based on IEEE802.11g to enumerate communicable digital cameras existing around. If the listed digital cameras are camera A (10), camera C (30), and camera D (40), the communication unit 220 connects to the first camera A (10) (S22). When the connection is established, first, the current time is acquired (S23). This time is defined as the second date and time. In addition, the first date and time, which goes back a predetermined time from the second date and time, is obtained by calculation. The amount of time to go back may be a value fixedly defined in the digital camera or a set value recorded in the flash memory 210 or the like. The camera A (10) searches the memory card 180 to determine whether there is an image taken in the time range from the first date and time to the second date and time (S24). Then, the image data is transmitted from the camera A (10) to the camera B (20) (S25). When the acquisition of the image data is completed, the connection between the camera B (20) and the camera A (10) is closed, and if there are other digital cameras listed, connection to the camera is performed (S26).

  The communication mode in the connection establishment step (S22) is one-to-one communication in the ad hoc mode, and the mutual IP address assignment when the digital cameras operate in the receiving operation mode is assigned to the communication unit unique to the device. A unique algorithm is created by using a predetermined algorithm based on the MAC address and manufacturing serial number, and a protocol such as UPnP is used for mutual address resolution when establishing a connection. . Digital camera enumeration processing is also possible using SSDP (Simple Service Discover Protocol) defined by UPnP. On the other hand, the camera A (10), the camera C (30), and the camera D (40) place the communication unit 220 in the connection operation mode standby state so that the camera B (20) can enumerate at any time. There is a need.

  The connection authentication in the connection establishment step (S22) may or may not be performed. When connection authentication is performed, grouping can be realized by, for example, registering an affiliation name in advance in a digital camera and setting only a partner having the same affiliation name as a connection target.

  The communication unit 220 may be connected to all devices existing within the reach of the radio wave, but is provided with a distance measuring unit that measures the distance between devices using measured values of electric field strength, etc. You may make it not connect with the digital camera outside the range of distance.

  Note that the device that generates the first date and time and the second date and time may be the camera A (10) or the camera B (10). Generally, there are cases where the clock settings of both digital cameras are significantly different. In such a case, if the time range is determined based on the timer on the camera A (10) side at the timing when the connection is established, the predetermined time is left as it is. However, if the time range is determined based on the timer on the camera B (20) side, the instructed time range is invalid for the camera A (10). In order to make this incorrect time range value a correct time range, it is necessary to calculate the offset value of the difference between both clocks and correct the time value in the time range, and then perform a search process.

  On the other hand, an advantage of determining the time range based on the timer on the camera B (20) side is that the time range can be absolutely defined based on the date and time when the user presses the reception button 207. When there are a plurality of digital cameras on the transmission side as shown in FIG. 6 and it takes time to perform a receiving operation with the first digital camera, the connection establishment of the second digital camera is delayed by that time. This deviation becomes more prominent in the third and subsequent units. When the time range is determined based on the timer on the camera A (10) side, as a result, a large number of unnecessary images taken after the reception button 207 is pressed may be sent. In this case, as means for correcting the time lag after the second unit, the camera B (20) side remembers the date and time when it first passed through the connection establishment step (S22), and the connection establishment step after the second time. A method of notifying the camera A (10) of the difference value from the previous date and time when passing through (S22), and using it as a time correction parameter when generating the date and time with the camera A (10) is conceivable. .

  The user may want to set the time range defined by the first date and time and the second date and time. For example, if it is desired to limit the image to within 5 minutes from the timing when the reception button 207 is pressed, the setting menu displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 190 is operated using the up / down / left / right keys 202 to 205 and the enter button 206, and “5 Set the time in minutes. This time of “5 minutes” has two meanings. One is a “time range for transmission” when the user is in a position to receive transmission, and the other is a “time range for transmission” when the user is in a position for transmission. These may be set as separate items or as a single item. In determining the final time range, it is necessary to select a setting value with a narrower time range among the two setting values. This is because it is necessary to prevent unnecessary image transmission and private image transmission. It should be noted that the time range once set is preferably stored in the flash memory 210.

  In addition, immediately before the image acquisition step (S25), a step of displaying a list of images scheduled to be transmitted is provided on the camera A (10) side so that the images can be selected or the transmission can be instructed. May be.

  FIG. 7 is a specific example of an image file stored in the memory card 180 of the camera A (10). Assume that there are a total of five image files to which serial number names P10000001 to P1000005 are assigned. For example, the current date is July 2, 2007 16:01. Furthermore, if the predetermined time range is 60 minutes, the first date and time will be July 2, 2007 15:01, and the second date and time will be July 2, 2007 16:01. At this time, two images, P1000004 and P1000005, are selected in the image search step (S24).

  Next, an operation for selecting an image file based on the free space of the memory card 180 of the camera B (20) will be described with reference to FIGS.

  When the reception button 207 is pressed, the controller 160 interprets it as a connection start instruction (S31). The controller 160 instructs the communication unit 220 that performs communication based on IEEE802.11g to enumerate communicable digital cameras existing around. If the listed digital cameras are camera A (10), camera C (30), and camera D (40), the communication unit 220 connects to the first camera A (10) (S32). When the connection is established, first, the current time is acquired (S33). This time is defined as the second date and time. In addition, the first date and time, which goes back a predetermined time from the second date and time, is obtained by calculation. The amount of time to go back may be a value fixedly defined in the digital camera or a set value recorded in the flash memory 210 or the like. The camera A (10) searches the memory card 180 for whether there is an image taken in the time range from the first date and time to the second date and time (S34). The free space of the memory card 180 is acquired from the camera A (10) to the camera B (20) via S (S35). Image data is transmitted from the camera A (10) to the camera B (20) in order from the closest to the second date and time within the acquired free space (S36). When the acquisition of the image data is completed, the connection between the camera B (20) and the camera A (10) is closed, and when there is still a free space and there are other digital cameras listed, Connection is made (S37).

  It should be noted that the above operation may be performed using a limited capacity value set in advance in the camera B (20) instead of the free capacity value of the memory card 180. The limited capacity is, for example, a capacity value that is 10% of the total capacity of the memory card 180, is fixed up to 100 megabytes, or the camera B (20) side wants to limit transmission.

  In addition to the method of limiting the number of image files transmitted and received by the total capacity as described above, a method of reducing the capacity of the image file itself by providing a captured image information amount reducing step is also conceivable. By doing so, the communication load of the communication unit 220 can be reduced.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 9, in the transmission operation, the information of the target image is acquired (S41), and the information amount reduction step (S42) is characterized in that the amount of information to be reduced increases as the time approaches the first date and time. By providing the above, it may be configured such that an image taken at a date and time closer to the second date and time can obtain a higher quality image.

  Next, the operation when the captured image is a moving image will be described with reference to FIG.

  In FIG. 10, t0 is the date and time when the reception button 207 is pressed, t1 is the time when the recording button is pressed in the moving image shooting device, and moving image shooting is started, and t2 is the stop button in the moving image shooting device. Then, the time when the moving image shooting is finished, t3 is the first date and time that goes back a predetermined time from the time t0, and the time range from t3 to t0 is the transmission target of the image.

  Here, for example, the time t0 is 14:02, the time t1 is 12:00, the time t2 is 14:00, and the time t3 is 13:57. At this time, although the predetermined time is 5 minutes, since the shooting of the moving image ends at t2, that is, 14:00, the time to be transmitted is the transmission target time indicated by t3 to t2, that is, 13:57 to 14 It is a moving image for 3 minutes until 0:00. By duplicating and transmitting the moving image in the time range from t3 to t0 from the original moving image, it is possible to obtain only a moving image shot at a portion close to the time when the reception button 207 is pressed. In addition, it is possible to reduce the communication load of the communication unit 220 far more than to obtain all the moving images recorded from the time t1 to the time t2.

  In the present embodiment, the digital camera has been described as an example of the image capturing device. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a camera function of a mobile phone or a digital video camera may be used.

  The present invention is not limited to the present embodiment.

For example, the communication mode between devices may be communication via an access point in infrastructure mode instead of one-to-one communication in ad hoc mode. In this case, automatic assignment of IP addresses is also possible. Further, a standard other than IEEE802.11g , for example, IEEE802.15.1 or IEEE802.11a may be used as a communication standard.

  Further, for example, the reception button 207 may be implemented as one function that can be traced from a menu operation, instead of arranging a dedicated button.

  The present invention is applicable to an image transmission apparatus having a wireless image transmission function. More specifically, the present invention can be applied to a digital still camera, a movie, and a mobile phone terminal with a camera function.

1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a digital still camera according to an embodiment of the present invention. The rear view of the digital still camera concerning an embodiment of the invention 6 is a flowchart for explaining an imaging operation of the digital still camera according to the embodiment of the present invention. Diagram showing image file structure The flowchart for demonstrating the transmission operation of the digital still camera concerning embodiment of this invention Diagram for explaining the communication status between multiple cameras The figure which shows the correspondence between the file name of the captured image file and the captured date and time The flowchart for demonstrating the transmission operation of the digital still camera concerning embodiment of this invention 6 is a flowchart for explaining an image transmission operation of the digital still camera according to the embodiment of the present invention. Timing chart to explain what to send when sending video

Explanation of symbols

160 controller 170 card slot 180 memory card 190 liquid crystal monitor 200 operation member 201 release button 207 reception button 210 flash memory 220 communication unit

Claims (14)

Recording means for storing image data in the recording medium in association with imaging date / time information or recording date / time information recorded on the recording medium;
In response to a transmission request from an external device, transmission means for transmitting image data stored in the recording medium to the external device that has made the transmission request;
And time information extraction means for extracting the time information indicating the date and time of receiving the transmission request from the external device,
A period determining means for determining a period that goes back a predetermined time from the time information extracted by the time information extracting means;
The transmission means transmits the image data associated with the date / time information when the time indicated by the date / time information associated with the image data is included in the period determined by the period determination means;
Image transmission device. Period acquisition means for acquiring receivable period information relating to a receivable period from the external device;
A period selection unit that selects a short period by comparing the period determined by the period determination unit with the period indicated by the receivable period information acquired by the period acquisition unit;
The transmission unit transmits the image data associated with the date / time information when the time indicated by the date / time information associated with the image data is included in the period selected by the period selection unit;
The image transmission apparatus according to claim 1. The period determining means determines the time obtained by adding or subtracting a predetermined correction time to the time indicated by the time information extracted by the time information extracting means as the end of the period.
The image transmission apparatus according to claim 1. An external device search means for searching for an external device connectable with the own device;
The transmission means is set to be communicable with an external device searched by the external device search means in response to a transmission request from an external device and issuing the transmission request.
The image transmission apparatus according to claim 1. Group information holding means for setting a group to which the device belongs and holding group information indicating the set group;
Group information acquisition means for acquiring group information of the external device from the external device,
The transmission means is not set to be communicable with external devices belonging to different groups.
The image photographing device according to claim 4. Capacity acquisition means for acquiring capacity information indicating the capacity that can be transmitted from the external device,
The transmission means adjusts the total capacity of image data to be transmitted so as not to exceed the capacity indicated by the acquired capacity information, and transmits the image data to the external device that acquired the capacity information.
The image transmission apparatus according to claim 1. For each image data stored in the recording medium, further comprising a receiving means for receiving a user instruction as to whether to transmit,
The transmission means is capable of transmitting image data that has received an instruction to transmit by the reception means;
The image transmission apparatus according to claim 1. Recording means for storing image data in the recording medium in association with imaging date / time information or recording date / time information recorded on the recording medium;
In response to a transmission request from an external device, transmission means for transmitting image data stored in the recording medium to the external device that has made the transmission request;
Time information extraction means for extracting time information received when receiving a transmission request from the external device,
The time information is information of a period that goes back a predetermined time from the time when a transmission request is made from the external device,
Period determining means for determining a predetermined period based on the time information extracted by the time information extracting means;
The transmission means transmits the image data associated with the date / time information when the time indicated by the date / time information associated with the image data is included in the predetermined period.
Image transmission device. Period acquisition means for acquiring receivable period information relating to a receivable period from the external device;
A period selection unit that selects a short period by comparing the predetermined period determined by the period determination unit with the period indicated by the receivable period information acquired by the period acquisition unit;
The transmission means transmits the image data associated with the date / time information when the time indicated by the date / time information associated with the image data is included in the selected period.
The image transmission device according to claim 8. The period determining means determines the time obtained by adding or subtracting a predetermined correction time to the time information extracted by the time information extracting means as the end of the predetermined period;
The image transmission device according to claim 8. An external device search means for searching for an external device connectable with the own device;
The transmission means is set to be communicable with an external device searched by the external device search means in response to a transmission request from an external device and issuing the transmission request.
The image transmission device according to claim 8. Group information holding means for setting a group to which the device belongs and holding group information indicating the set group;
Group information acquisition means for acquiring group information of the external device from the external device,
The transmission means is not set to be communicable with external devices belonging to different groups.
The image photographing device according to claim 11. Capacity acquisition means for acquiring capacity information indicating the capacity that can be transmitted from the external device,
The transmission means adjusts the total capacity of image data to be transmitted so as not to exceed the capacity indicated by the acquired capacity information, and transmits the image data to the external device that acquired the capacity information.
The image transmission apparatus according to claim 1. For each image data stored in the recording medium, further comprising a receiving means for receiving a user instruction as to whether to transmit,
The transmission means is capable of transmitting image data that has received an instruction to transmit by the reception means;
The image transmission device according to claim 8.

Images