JPH11191856A - Device and method for picking up image - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To permit satisfactory image pickup while miniaturizing a device and reducing the influence of reflected illumination light caused by spectacles or the like by controlling the light emission of an illuminating means for illuminating an image pickup object, and controlling a glance guiding means for guiding the glance of the image pickup object. SOLUTION: This device is provided with a glance guiding device 6 composed of a light emitting element representative as a light emitting diode(LED) or the like. When an image recognizing part 3 can not identify an eyeball, the state of no recognition is communicated through an input/output bus 9 to a microprocessor unit 4. While receiving the report, the microprocessor unit 4 turns on the glance guiding device 6, calls the person of an object so as to turn the glance of the person toward the glance guiding device 6 and permits the recognition of the eyeball by inputting an image through a camera unit part 1 and a camera signal processing part 2 to the image recognizing part 3 so that the illumination light reflected by the eyeball can come to an area unnecessary for recognizing the eyeball. Thus, the reflection of illumination light caused by the eyeball can be reduced.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image pickup apparatus for illuminating a face or the like of a person and picking up an image. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When a person, especially a face, is imaged, if the person is wearing glasses, the illumination light illuminating the person is reflected by the glasses and forms an image with an imaging lens. The reflected light of the spectacles is superimposed on the person image, and the image becomes unsightly. Further, when image processing is performed on a captured image using an image recognition system, data may be lost and processing may not be performed properly.

[0003] The phenomenon in which reflected light from the spectacles forms an image on the imaging lens depends on the angle between the optical axis of the imaging lens and the optical axis of the illumination device. In general, the smaller the angle between the imaging lens and the optical axis of the illumination, the smaller the angle. That phenomenon is likely to occur.

[0004] For this reason, in general, an imaging apparatus in which an imaging lens and an illumination are arranged so as to increase the angle between the imaging lens and the optical axis of the illumination is often used.

For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-21611 discloses that the angle between the optical axis of an imaging lens and the optical axis of a lighting device is set to be equal to or larger than a predetermined angle, and that the influence of reflected light from glasses is reduced. In order to reduce the size, an imaging device that limits the light emission conditions of illumination has been proposed.

[0006]

However, if the imaging lens and the illuminating device are arranged apart from each other so that the angle between the optical axes thereof becomes a predetermined angle, there is a problem that the size of the imaging device becomes large.

The phenomenon in which the reflected light of the illumination light from the spectacles is imaged by the imaging lens occurs in various ways depending on the direction of the face of the person to be imaged, the angle of attachment of the spectacles to the face, and the curvature of the lens according to the power. However, as described above, it is difficult to completely eliminate this phenomenon only by increasing the angle between the optical axes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made under such circumstances, and has an image pickup apparatus and an image pickup method which can be formed in a small size and can perform good image pickup by reducing the influence of illumination reflected light by eyeglasses or the like. It is intended to provide.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, an imaging apparatus is configured as in the following (1) to (6) and an imaging method is configured as in the following (7). .

(1) Imaging means having an imaging lens and an imaging element for imaging an object to be imaged, camera signal processing means for processing a signal of an image taken by the imaging means, and a camera signal processing means arranged near the imaging means. An imaging apparatus comprising: an illumination unit that illuminates an imaging target; a light emission control unit that controls light emission of the illumination unit; a gaze guidance unit that guides a gaze of the imaging target; and a control unit that controls the gaze guidance unit.

(2) The imaging apparatus according to the above (1), wherein a light emitting element is used as the line-of-sight guiding means.

(3) The imaging apparatus according to the above (1), wherein a voice is used as the visual line guidance means.

(4) The imaging apparatus according to the above (1), wherein guidance by a display is used as the line-of-sight guidance means.

(5) An image recognizing means for recognizing an eyeball of the subject person is provided, and the control means sets a gaze when the image recognizing means cannot recognize the eyeball of the subject person based on a signal from the camera signal processing means. The imaging device according to (1), wherein the guidance device is operated.

(6) The imaging device according to (1), wherein the line-of-sight guidance device is a plurality of light-emitting elements arranged around the illumination means.

(7) An image pickup method using an image pickup device provided with an illuminating means for illuminating a subject, wherein a step A for judging whether or not the eyeball of the subject person can be recognized, and the eyeball cannot be recognized in this step A And performing a step of inducing that the direction of the face of the subject person changes when the determination is made.

[0017]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to examples of an image pickup apparatus.

[0018]

1 to 4 show an "imaging device" according to a first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the first embodiment, and FIG. FIG. 3 is a top view illustrating a positional relationship among a subject, a lighting device, and a gaze guidance device. FIG. 3 is a top view illustrating movement of the subject when gaze guidance is performed.
Is a flowchart of a basic operation.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes an imaging lens 100, C
A camera unit comprising a two-dimensional image sensor 101 represented by a CD or C-MOS sensor, and a pre-stage signal processing circuit 102; 2 a camera signal processor; 3 an image recognition unit;
4 is a system control microprocessor unit (MP
U), 5 is an output interface circuit unit for a gaze guidance device, 6 is a gaze guidance device, 7 is a lighting drive circuit unit, 8 is a lighting device, and 9 is an input / output bus. 110 is a subject, 11
1 is glasses.

The operation will be described below with reference to the drawings. The image of the subject 110 is illuminated by the illumination device 8, captured by the camera unit 1, and converted into an electric signal. In addition, the lighting device 8 may be single or plural. The converted electric signal is subjected to signal processing by the signal processing unit 2 and input to the image recognition unit 3 to identify an eyeball. At this time, even if the signal processing form of the camera signal processing unit 2 is analog processing, digital processing (DSP) or mixed analog / digital processing, any form is possible as long as the image recognition unit 3 can recognize the eyeball. . Camera unit 1, Camera signal processing unit 2, Image recognition unit 3
Are mutually connected to the microprocessor unit 4 by an input / output bus 9, and each is controlled by the microprocessor unit 4. Here, in the case where the person who is the subject wears glasses, when the face is illuminated by the illumination device 8, the camera unit 1 may catch the reflected light of the illumination light source by the glasses, and the image recognizing unit 3 may use the eyeball. Image cannot be obtained. In order to solve such a problem, in this embodiment, a light emitting diode (L
A gaze guidance device 6 including a light emitting element represented by ED) is provided. When the image recognizing unit 3 cannot identify the eyeball, the image recognizing unit 3 communicates the fact that the eyeball is not recognized to the microprocessor unit 4 via the input / output bus 9. The microprocessor unit 4 receives this and the gaze guidance device 6
Is turned on to urge the subject person to direct the line of sight of the subject person toward the line-of-sight guidance device 6 so that the reflected image of the illumination light from the glasses comes to an area unnecessary for recognition by the eyeball. Input to the image recognition unit 3 via the unit 1 and the camera signal processing unit 2 enables recognition of the eyeball.

FIG. 3 shows the state of the subject after the gaze guidance. As shown in FIG. 3, by turning on one of the left and right gaze guidance devices 601 and 602 according to the situation, a better eyeball image can be obtained.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the basic operation of the gaze guidance apparatus 6 of the present embodiment. According to FIG. 4, when the image recognition unit 3 cannot recognize the eyeball (S41, N
O), the gaze guidance device 601 operates to start guiding the gaze of the subject (S42). Here, when the image recognition unit 3 cannot recognize the eyeball (S43, NO), the gaze guidance device 60
1 is stopped and the gaze guidance device 602 is operated (S4
5). Here, if the eyeball cannot be recognized (S46), a series of operations is repeated until the eyeball recognition is completed (S4).
7, S42 to S46).

The recognition in the eyeball recognition step of S43 may be to detect that the pattern recognition result of the pupil or iris of the eyeball does not match the pattern registered in advance, or to detect the peak of the image signal of the eyeball. It may detect a state where the signal is too large or a state where the contrast is insufficient.

In this embodiment, an example has been described in which the gaze guidance device is disposed horizontally with respect to the subject person.
If the effect of preventing the reflection of the illumination light can be obtained, the arrangement in the up, down, left, and right directions can be freely selected and arranged.

As described above, according to this embodiment,
A human image with little reflection of illumination light by the glasses can be obtained with a small-sized imaging device.

Further, the above configuration can improve the accuracy of pattern recognition when an individual is identified by pattern recognition of an eyeball, such as a pupil or an iris.

(Embodiment 2) FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an "imaging device" according to Embodiment 2. In this embodiment,
An external display device 10 composed of a two-dimensional display element typified by a liquid crystal (LCD) and a cathode ray tube (CRT) and an external display interface circuit unit 11 are provided side by side in the visual line guidance device 6 of the first embodiment. . The external display device 10 is connected to the input / output bus 9 via the external display interface circuit unit 11.
Is connected to and controlled by the microprocessor unit 4. With this configuration, at the same time as the gaze guidance device 6 is turned on, a message guidance by script or a direction instruction by pictographic symbols is displayed on the external display device 10 so as to pay attention to the person who is the subject. It is also possible to add voice guidance. In this way, it is possible to more effectively guide the gaze of the person who is the subject.

[0028]

As described above, according to the present invention,
The restriction on the arrangement of the illumination means can be relaxed, the size of the imaging device can be reduced, and the reflection of illumination light by the glasses can be reduced.

Further, it goes without saying that the present invention is applicable not only to eyeball pattern recognition but also to a system for identifying an individual by performing facial pattern recognition.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a positional relationship of a gaze guidance device according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a change in a subject during gaze guidance;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a basic operation of the gaze guidance device;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a second embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Camera unit part 2 Camera signal processing part 4 Microprocessor unit 6 Eye guidance device 8 Lighting device

──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification symbol FI H04N 5/222 G06F 15/62 380 15/64 325G

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. An image pickup means having an image pickup lens and an image pickup element for picking up an image of an object to be picked up, a camera signal processing means for processing a signal of an image picked up by the image pickup means, and an image pickup means arranged near the image pickup means An illumination unit that illuminates the object, a light emission control unit that controls light emission of the illumination unit, a gaze guidance unit that guides a gaze of the imaging target, and a control unit that controls the gaze guidance unit. Imaging device. 2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a light emitting element is used as the line-of-sight guidance means. 3. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a voice is used as the line-of-sight guidance means. 4. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a guidance by a display is used as the line-of-sight guidance means. 5. An image recognizing means for recognizing an eyeball of a subject person, wherein the control means sets a gaze guide when the image recognizing means cannot recognize the eyeball of the subject person based on a signal from a camera signal processing means. 2. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the means is operated. 6. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the gaze guidance device includes a plurality of light emitting elements disposed around the illumination unit. 7. An imaging method using an imaging device provided with an illuminating means for illuminating a subject, wherein a step A for determining whether or not the eyeball of the subject person can be recognized, and a step A in which the eyeball cannot be recognized in step A. A step B of inducing a change in the direction of the face of the subject person when the determination is made.