KR101778561B1 - Pollution detect and inform apparatus of camera, and control method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a pollution detection and notice apparatus of a camera and a control method thereof, comprising: an image analysis portion to distinguish a user area and an analysis area of a boundary of the user area from a partial area of an image filed in a camera module; a pollution detection portion to detect pollution of a lens of the camera module and a protection cover using the image analyzed in the image analysis portion; and a control portion to control driving of a display portion to notify users of occurrence of pollution when pollution is detected in the pollution detection portion. By using the present invention, a pollution state of the camera filming an interior space provided in an electronic device is able to be detected; the pollution state is able to be displayed in the display portion when pollution is detected; and the pollution state is able to be transmitted to a users mobile terminal for notification.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for detecting a contamination of a camera,

More particularly, the present invention relates to a camera for detecting and guiding the contamination of a camera lens or a protective cover applied to an electronic apparatus, ≪ / RTI >

Recently, due to the development and miniaturization of camera technology, cameras that capture and provide internal images to various electronic devices such as refrigerators and electric ovens as well as mobile devices such as smart phones and tablet PCs are being applied.

In general, a user of a mobile device such as a smart phone concentrates only on the operation of capturing an image by unconsciously driving the UI, while the camera lens or the protective cover may be contaminated by human fingerprints or other foreign matter.

Here, when the camera lens or the protective cover is contaminated, the user does not perceive such image deterioration as the camera viewfinder or the display shows a slight fog image deterioration.

However, when the camera lens or the protective cover is contaminated, considerable image quality deterioration occurs in the actually photographed image.

In order to solve such a problem, a technique for detecting contamination of a camera lens or a protective cover is disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 3 below.

A second step of comparing a contrast value of the obtained image with a previously stored reference contrast value; and a second step of comparing the contrast value of the image obtained in the comparison step with a reference contrast And a third step of outputting a contamination occurrence signal when the value of the pollution degree is outside the range of the value of the value of the pollution degree of the camera module protective cover glass.

Patent Document 2 describes a process of emitting light from a portable terminal including a camera module to a lens cover, detecting a reflection amount returned from a lens cover, comparing a reflection amount with a predetermined reference value, There is disclosed a camera lens protective cover pollution alarm method including a step of performing an alarm operation for notifying contamination of a cover.

Patent Literature 3 discloses a camera unit for photographing the outside using a lens to generate image information, an image analyzing unit for analyzing the number of pixels according to the brightness value of the image information to generate a histogram, and a lens histogram And a pollution degree analyzing unit for measuring the degree of pollution of the lens.

Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2012-0002106 (published on Jan. 5, 2012) Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2007-0005959 (published on January 11, 2007) Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2015-0073671 (published July 7, 2015)

However, as in Patent Documents 1 to 3, the camera contamination detection method according to the related art has a problem that a contrast value of an image photographed by a portable terminal, a reflection amount of light reflected from a protective cover, To detect the presence or absence of contamination.

Therefore, it is difficult to apply to recent electronic appliances such as a refrigerator or an electronic oven to which a camera is applied, and there is a limit in accurately detecting contamination of a camera lens or a protective cover.

Therefore, it is required to develop a technology for detecting the deterioration of image quality of a lens or a protective cover in advance in a camera applied to an electronic device such as a refrigerator or an electronic oven, which is affected by moisture or heat, and informing the user.

In addition, when a camera is applied to a refrigerator, there is a problem that the field of view of the camera module can not be secured smoothly depending on the alignment state of the food.

In order to solve such a problem, when a large number of cameras are installed in the storage space, there is a problem that the manufacturing cost increases due to an increase in the number of cameras.

An object of the present invention is to provide a camera for detecting and guiding the contamination of a camera for photographing the inside of an electronic device such as a refrigerator or an electronic oven and a control method thereof .

Another object of the present invention is to provide a camera for detecting the contamination of a camera using a change in photographed images, and a control method thereof.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a contamination detecting and guiding device for a camera, which can check the alignment state of food stored in a storage space using the detection of a target image when a target image is detected, And to provide a control method thereof.

In order to achieve the above object, a camera according to the present invention is a camera for detecting and guiding the contamination of a camera module, the camera module including a user area and an outer area of the user area, A contamination detecting unit for detecting contamination of a lens or a protective cover of the camera module by using the image analyzed by the image analyzing unit; And a control unit for controlling driving of the display unit to guide the display unit.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of controlling a camera for detecting and controlling contamination of a camera, the method comprising: (a) (B) analyzing a target image included in the analysis region; (c) analyzing the target image by using a result of analyzing the target image using a contamination detecting unit; And (d) if the contamination is detected in the step (c), informing the user of the occurrence of contamination using the display unit.

As described above, according to the present invention, the contamination detecting and guiding apparatus and the control method thereof can detect the contamination state of the camera that photographs the internal space provided in the electronic apparatus, and when the contamination is detected, Or to transmit the information to the user's portable terminal so as to guide the contamination state.

That is, according to the present invention, when the present invention is applied to an electronic oven for cooking food, the user region and the analysis region are distinguished from the image taken inside the cooking chamber, and the contamination state of the camera is detected using the target image included in the analysis region Can be obtained.

According to the present invention, when applied to a refrigerator in which foods or drinks are refrigerated or frozen, it is possible to detect the presence or absence of contamination due to moisture or foreign matter in the storage space, and to guide the user in real time.

Further, according to the present invention, when applied to a refrigerator, it is possible to check the alignment state of the food stored in the storage space using the detection of the target image, guide the user to rearrange the food, The number of cameras can be minimized and manufacturing cost can be reduced.

In addition, according to the present invention, a user area is displayed on a screen of a display unit or transmitted to a user's portable terminal in a photographed image to check the cooking state or storage state of the food in real time, It is possible to make it possible to cope with this problem.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a contamination detecting and guiding apparatus for a camera according to a first embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 2 is an illustration of a target,
3 is a diagram illustrating an image captured by a camera module,
FIG. 4 is a flow chart for explaining steps of a method for controlling a contamination detection guiding apparatus of a camera according to a first embodiment of the present invention,
FIG. 5 is a front view of a refrigerator to which a contamination detecting and guiding device for a camera according to a second embodiment of the present invention is applied,
6 is an exemplary view of an image taken inside the refrigerator;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A camera according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The present invention detects contamination of a camera applied to an electronic device such as an electronic oven or a refrigerator that stores food for cooking or refrigeration or freezes the inside thereof, and guides the user.

Therefore, the case of applying to the electronic oven will be described as the first embodiment, and the case of applying to the refrigerator will be described as the second embodiment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a contamination detecting and guiding apparatus for a camera according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG.

The apparatus for detecting and guiding the contamination of the camera 10 according to the present embodiment is applied to an electronic oven, a microwave oven, and an electronic oven (hereinafter, abbreviated as "electronic oven") for cooking food stored in a cooking chamber.

1, a contamination detecting and guiding apparatus 10 for a camera according to a first embodiment of the present invention includes a user area A and a user area A, An image analyzing unit 11 for analyzing an image of a target 24 included in the analysis area B and dividing the image into an outer analysis area B (see FIG. 3) A contamination detecting unit 12 for detecting contamination of the lens 22 or the protective cover 23 of the display unit 14 or the communication cover 15 and a control unit 15 for controlling driving of the display unit 14 or the communication module 15 (13).

In the present embodiment, the control unit 13 is described as being provided as a main controller for controlling the driving of the cooking apparatus provided in the electronic oven.

Of course, the present invention is not limited thereto, and may be provided as a separate controller communicably connected to the main controller.

The apparatus 10 for detecting and guiding the contamination of a camera according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a power supply unit 16 that receives power from a commercial power source and supplies power to each apparatus, And a storage unit 17 for storing a driving program for driving the display unit.

The camera module 20 includes a camera 21 for photographing the inside of the cooking chamber, a lens 22 provided at the tip of the camera 21 and a protective cover 23 for preventing dust, moisture and foreign substances from entering the lens 22 ).

The camera module 20 may include at least one or more camera modules 20 so that the camera module 20 can photograph the inside of the cooking chamber at various angles.

The camera 21 may be provided with various types of cameras such as a general camera or an infrared camera to which an infrared filter is applied.

On the other hand, since the high-temperature heat is generated in the cooking chamber in the cooking chamber, the camera module 20 is formed of a housing made of a material having excellent heat resistance so as to prevent damage or failure due to heat generated in the cooking chamber Not shown).

Likewise, the protective cover 23 preferably has heat resistance and is made of a transparent material so that the camera 21 can capture images clearly.

The lens 22 may be provided as a wide angle lens so that the whole area inside the cooking chamber can be photographed.

The cooking chamber of the electronic oven may be provided with a target 24 having a predetermined pattern so as to determine the sharpness of the image in order to detect the contamination of the camera.

For example, Figure 2 is an illustration of a target.

The targets 24 may be formed in a plurality of stripe shapes or lattice shapes arranged in parallel in the horizontal or vertical direction as shown in Figs. 2A to 2B.

Alternatively, the target 24 may be formed in a plurality of lines or blocks, which are displayed in various colors, as shown in Fig. 2 (c).

Therefore, the present invention can detect the contamination of the lens 22 or the protective cover 23 of the camera by using the sharpness change of the image of the target placed inside the cooking chamber.

The interior of the cooking chamber of the electronic oven may be provided with an illumination module (30) for illuminating the inside of the cooking chamber so that the user can check the cooking process during cooking.

The lighting module 30 may include a plurality of LEDs installed at various angles on the inner surface of the cooking chamber.

3 is a diagram illustrating an image captured by a camera module.

FIG. 3 (a) shows an entire image taken by a camera module, and FIG. 3 (b) illustrates an image displayed on a screen of a portable terminal.

As shown in FIG. 3 (a), the image captured by the camera module 20 includes a target 24 installed in the cooking chamber.

The image analyzing unit 11 divides a predetermined area in the photographed image into the user area A and analyzes the image of the target 24 included in the outer area of the user area A, do.

For example, the user area A is set as an area of 30 ° and 50 ° in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction in the center of the camera 21, and the analysis area B is set as an area of 40 ° and 60 ° Lt; / RTI >

On the other hand, the electronic oven includes a display unit 14 provided as an LED display so as to display various cooking functions.

The electronic oven can provide a function of transmitting the cooking process to the portable terminal 40 such as a smart phone or a tablet PC of the user in cooperation with the home network system.

Therefore, the control unit 13 can control the communication module 15 to transmit only the image of the area divided into the user area A in the image analysis unit 11 to the user's portable terminal.

To this end, the communication module 15 may be connected to the Internet through a wired communication method through a communication cable or a wireless communication method such as Wi-Fi via a router provided indoors.

To this end, the portable terminal 40 is installed with a dedicated application, and the user executes the dedicated application to confirm the galley room image of the electronic oven through communication with the controller 13, and controls the camera lens 22 and the protective cover 23 ) Can be confirmed.

As shown in FIG. 3 (b), the portable terminal 40 receives the image of the user area A transmitted through the communication module 15 and displays the image on the screen.

Then, the portable terminal 40 displays an operation command menu for controlling the operation of the electronic oven by executing the dedicated application, and can transmit the operation command inputted through the user's operation.

The contamination detection unit 12 compares the result of analyzing the target image in the image analysis unit 11 with the reference data of the target image stored in advance in the storage unit 17, If it exceeds, it can be detected as a contaminated state.

Here, the contamination detecting unit 12 can detect the contamination state using not only the sharpness of the image but also the characteristics of various images such as sensitivity of the color.

Next, a method of controlling the contamination detecting and guiding apparatus of the camera according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating steps of a method for controlling a contamination detection guide apparatus for a camera according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

When the power switch (not shown) is turned on in step S10 of FIG. 4, the power supply unit 16 receives commercial power and supplies power to each device. And controls the driving of the camera module 20 so as to photograph the inside of the cooking chamber.

In step S12, the camera 21 of the camera module 20 photographs the interior of the cooking chamber and transmits the photographed image to the image analysis unit 11. [

In step S14, the image analysis unit 11 distinguishes the user area A and the analysis area B from the image received from the camera module 20. [

At this time, the control unit 13 controls the operation of the communication module 15 so that the image analysis unit 11 transmits the user area A image to the user's portable terminal 40 (S16).

Accordingly, the user can check the cooking process of the food in real time through the image displayed on the screen of the portable terminal 40.

The image analysis unit 11 stores the image of the analysis region B in the storage unit 17 and analyzes the image of the target 24 included in the analysis region B in step S18.

In step S20, the contamination detecting unit 12 compares the result of analyzing the image of the target 24 with the reference data stored in the storage unit 17 in advance.

At this time, the pollution detection unit 12 can compare the analysis result and the change amount of the reference data with preset set values.

If the analyzed result and the amount of change of the reference data exceed the set value as a result of the comparison at step S20, the contamination is determined to be the contaminated state of the camera lens 22 or the protective cover 23 and the contamination is detected at step S22.

If the contamination of the camera lens 22 or the protective cover 23 is detected in step S22, the control unit 13 controls the warning lamp provided on the display unit 14 to light up to guide the contaminated state, To control the driving of the communication module 15 so as to notify the contamination state.

On the other hand, if the contamination of the camera lens 22 or the protective cover 23 is not detected in step S22, the control unit 13 checks whether a predetermined cooking time has elapsed for cooking food.

If it is determined in step S26 that the cooking time is unprocessed, the control unit 13 controls the steps S12 to S26 to be repeated until the cooking time has elapsed.

If the cooking time elapses as a result of the inspection in step S26, the control unit 13 stops the operation of the electronic oven and the camera 10 for detecting contamination and the guide apparatus 10, and terminates the process.

According to the above-described process, the present invention can detect a contamination state of a camera that photographs an internal space provided in an electronic device such as an electronic oven, display a contamination state on a display unit when contamination is detected, And can be transmitted to guide the status.

The contamination detecting and guiding device of the camera according to the second embodiment of the present invention is applied to an electronic device such as a refrigerator or a kimchi refrigerator in which food is housed and stored by refrigeration or freezing.

As the refrigerator is applied with the refrigeration cycle for storing the food in the refrigerator or the refrigerator, the refrigerator is supplied with water or cool air in the storage space in which the food is stored, to the lens 22 or the protective cover 23 of the camera module 20 Contamination may occur.

Therefore, the apparatus 10 for detecting and guiding the contamination of the camera according to the second embodiment of the present invention detects contamination such as seaweed by moisture or cold air in the storage space, and guides the user.

The apparatus for detecting and guiding the contamination of a camera 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is similar to that of the apparatus for detecting and guiding the contamination of a camera described with reference to Fig. 1, The image of the inside of the refrigerator can be displayed on the screen of the display unit 14 by using it as the display unit 14. [

For example, FIG. 5 is a front view of a refrigerator to which a contamination detecting and guiding apparatus for a camera according to a second embodiment of the present invention is applied.

The control unit 13 can control the driving of the display unit 14 so that the image of the user area A divided by the image analysis unit 11 is displayed on the screen.

Accordingly, the user can confirm the stored food through the screen of the display unit 14 provided on the front surface of the refrigerator, and detect the contamination of the lens 22 of the camera module 20, And the contamination state of the protective cover 23 can be confirmed in real time.

Of course, in the second embodiment of the present invention, the control unit 13 transmits the image of the user area A to the user's portable terminal 40 in the image taken inside the refrigerator, transmits the contamination detection result, Can guide.

Meanwhile, in the second embodiment of the present invention, the contamination detecting unit 12 can check the alignment state of the food stored in the storage space using the result of analyzing the target image in the image analyzing unit 11.

For example, FIG. 6 is an illustration of an image taken inside the refrigerator.

When the bulky foods are stored close to the camera module 20 as shown in the upper part of FIG. 6, the field of view of the camera module 20 may be interrupted.

Therefore, in the second embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of targets 24 are provided at predetermined positions on the inner surface of the storage space, and the control unit 13 controls the rearrangement of the food to the user according to whether the target image of the contamination detection unit 12 is detected Or to control the user's portable terminal 40 to notify the user of the relocation of the food through the communication module 15. [

As described above, when the present invention is applied to a refrigerator, it is possible to inspect the alignment state of the food stored in the storage space using the detection of the target image, and guide the user to rearrange the food.

Accordingly, the present invention minimizes the number of cameras installed in the storage space of the refrigerator, thereby reducing manufacturing costs.

Although the invention made by the present inventors has been described concretely with the above embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and it goes without saying that various changes can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

In the above embodiments, an electronic oven for cooking food and a refrigerator for storing food and storing the food in a refrigerator or a freezer are described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and various types and uses of electronic devices It can be applied to the device to photograph and display the space, and to detect and guide the contamination state of the camera.

The present invention is applied to a technique of detecting a contamination state of a camera that photographs an internal space provided in an electronic device, displaying a contamination state on a display unit when contamination is detected, or transmitting the contamination state to a user's portable terminal to guide the contamination state.

10: Camera contamination detection and guidance device
11: Image analysis unit 12: Pollution detection unit
13: control unit 14: display unit
15: communication module 16: power supply part
17: storage unit 20: camera module
21: camera 22: lens
23: protective cover 24: target
30: illumination module 40: portable terminal
A: User area B: Analysis area

Claims (12)

An apparatus for detecting and guiding the contamination of a camera that captures a space inside an electronic device,
An image analyzer for dividing a part of the images taken by the camera module into a user area and an analysis area outside the user area and analyzing a target image included in the analysis area;
A contamination detector for detecting contamination of a lens or a protective cover of the camera module using the image analyzed by the image analyzer; And
A controller for controlling driving of the display unit to guide the user of contamination occurrence when the contamination detecting unit detects contamination; Lt; / RTI >
Wherein the user area is set at an angle of 30 ° and 50 ° in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction at the center of the camera and the analysis area is set at an angle of 40 ° and 60 °,
Wherein the contamination detecting unit compares the analysis result using the characteristic information of the image including the sharpness of the target image and the sensitivity of the color and the reference data of the target image stored in advance, Is detected as a contaminated state when the amount of the pollutant is greater than the predetermined value. The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising a communication module for communicating with the portable terminal of the user in a wired communication or wireless communication manner,
Wherein the control unit provides the user area image to be displayed on a screen of the display unit or the portable terminal,
And controls driving of the communication module to guide the portable terminal of the occurrence of the contamination when the contamination of the lens or the protective cover of the camera module is detected. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the portable terminal is provided with a dedicated application for controlling the operation of the electronic device and controlling the display of the image transmitted through the communication module on the screen. delete 4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
Wherein the targets are formed in a plurality of stripe shapes or lattice shapes arranged side by side in the horizontal or vertical direction or formed in a plurality of lines or block shapes displayed in colors of different colors. Device. 6. The method of claim 5,
The contamination detecting unit detects a target image using the analysis result of the image analyzing unit,
Wherein the control unit controls the communication module to control driving of the display unit to guide reordering of food when the target image is not detected or notify reordering to the portable terminal of the user. A control method of a device for detecting and guiding a contamination of a camera that photographs a space inside an electronic device using the contamination detecting and guiding device of the camera according to claim 1,
(a) dividing a part of the image taken by the camera module into an image area of the user area and an outer area of the user area using the image analyzing part,
(b) analyzing a target image included in the analysis region,
(c) detecting the contamination of the lens or protective cover of the camera module using the result of analysis of the target image using the contamination detecting unit; and
(d) if the contamination is detected in the step (c), informing the user of the occurrence of contamination using the display unit,
In the step (c), the contamination detecting unit may compare the result of the analysis using the characteristic information of the image including at least one of the sharpness of the target image and the sensitivity of the color, and the reference data of the target image stored in advance, And when the amount of change of the reference data exceeds a predetermined set value, the control unit detects the contaminated state. 8. The method of claim 7,
(e) transmitting the user area image to a user's portable terminal through a communication module,
Wherein the control unit controls the driving of the communication module to notify the user of the portable terminal of the occurrence of the contamination of the camera in the step (d). 9. The method of claim 8,
Wherein the portable terminal executes a dedicated application to control an operation of the electronic device and displays an image transmitted through the communication module on a screen. delete 10. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 9,
Wherein the targets are formed in a plurality of stripe shapes or lattice shapes arranged side by side in the horizontal or vertical direction or formed in a plurality of lines or block shapes displayed in colors of different colors. A method of controlling a device. 12. The method of claim 11,
(f) detecting a target image using the analysis result of the image analysis unit using the contamination detection unit; and
(g) guiding the rearrangement of food through the display unit when the target image is not detected, or notifying the rearrangement of food to the portable terminal of the user.

Images