JP2003330097A - Automatic imaging device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an automatic imaging device which digitally and automatically adjusts the size of an image according to the purpose of use. <P>SOLUTION: The automatic imaging device 1 has a mirror 8, a camera 9, a control part 10, a printer 11, and a half-mirror 14 installed and trims an image picked up by the camera 9 by an image data process part 20 of the control part 10. The image data processing part 20 performs the trimming process by discriminating colors of pixels from the top to the bottom of the image, setting a detected pixel to the top of the head when detecting the pixel having a color different from a background color, determining the top position of a trimming range according to the top of the head, and then determining the bottom position of the trimming range according to the top position. Further, a lateral size is determined based upon the top of the head as the center and the trimming range is extracted. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic image pickup apparatus for picking up an image of a subject with an image pickup device and printing out the picked-up image. In particular, it is capable of automatically and digitally adjusting the size of the image according to the intended use. The present invention relates to an automatic image pickup device capable of performing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, it has been installed indoors or outdoors such as in a station yard or a shopping center, and is a box type in which a photographer can easily obtain a resume, a driver's license or a passport ID photo. Automatic imaging devices are known. Here, the identification photograph and the like are important information for identifying the person, and the demand for using these box-type automatic image pickup devices is high.

However, since the ID photograph is used for identifying a person, the photographed person's head must be included in the correct position. Therefore, in the conventional automatic image pickup device, it is necessary for the person to be imaged to adjust the height of the chair and to align the line of sight of the person to the height of the camera.

[0004]

However, due to individual differences in the size of the head of the person to be imaged, errors in the alignment of the line of sight, and changes in the size of the face due to the posture of the person to be imaged,
For example, the photograph may not completely include the head of the person to be photographed, or the size of the head may be too small or too large, and a photograph that does not fit the specified size of the ID photograph may be printed. Sometimes. In addition, the above-described line-of-sight matching operation itself is complicated for the person to be imaged.

Further, for example, the prescribed size for a passport is 45 mm long × 35 mm wide, the prescribed size for a general resume is 40 mm long × 30 mm wide, and the prescribed size for a driver's license is 30 mm × 24 mm wide. Each ID photo has a specified size. Therefore, in the conventional automatic image pickup device, it is necessary to print a rather large photograph and cut the photographed person into a specified size by using scissors or a cutter. The work itself of cutting a photo such as is included in a correct position in the photo is also complicated for the person to be imaged.

Therefore, the present invention provides an automatic image pickup apparatus capable of automatically adjusting the size of a certification photograph according to the application and automatically adjusting the head of the person to be photographed to the correct position in the photograph. The purpose is to provide.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, the invention of claim 1 is an automatic image pickup apparatus for picking up an image of a subject with an image pickup device and printing out the picked-up image. Storage means for storing in advance, identification means for identifying the position of the subject in the image captured by the image sensor based on the background color stored in the storage means, and for the subject based on the identification result of the identification means And an automatic trimming means for automatically trimming the optimum range of the image.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, the identifying means includes a color comparing means for comparing the color of the pixel forming the image with the background color stored in the storage means. It is further characterized in that the optimum range of the image is automatically trimmed based on the pixel at the uppermost position in the image which is judged to be different from the background color by the color comparing means.

[0009]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of an automatic image pickup apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an automatic image pickup apparatus 1 according to the present invention.

In the automatic image pickup apparatus 1 according to the present invention, a digital camera is adopted as the camera 9 for picking up the imaged person 5 in place of the conventional film type optical camera. The necessary processing such as development and transfer printing is not required to enable simplification of the structure, and management of replenishment of developing solution and treatment of waste solution are also unnecessary.

An automatic image pickup apparatus 1 according to the present invention shown in FIG.
In the interior, the imaging space 2 and the imaging mechanism space 3 are divided by a partition plate 4. In the imaging space 2, a chair 6 on which a person to be imaged 5 sits is provided, and a backrest portion of the person to be imaged 5 is provided. Is provided with a rear panel 7, and an entrance (not shown) that is opened and closed with a curtain is installed on the side of the imaging space 2. Although white is generally used as the color of the rear panel 7 (background color), a configuration other than white may be used. Further, the chair 6 may or may not be adjustable in height, and the chair 6 may not be installed.

Further, in the image pickup mechanism space 3, a mirror 8 for reflecting an image of the person 5 to be photographed sitting on the chair 6 to the camera 9,
A camera 9, which is an image pickup mechanism for picking up an image of the person 5 to be picked up reflected by the mirror 8, and a control section 1 for processing the picked up image.
0, a printer 11 that prints an image processed by the control unit 10, a safe 12 that stores coins and bills that are the imaging charges inserted by the person to be imaged 5, an operation panel 13 for instructing the start of imaging and various selections. Further, a half mirror 14 is installed on the part of the partition plate 4 where the face of the person to be imaged 5 sitting on the chair 6 faces the front when facing the front. The shape of the automatic imaging device 1 may be changed to various shapes, and the camera 9 may be installed immediately after the half mirror 14.

Here, the range taken by the camera 9 is wide,
For example, the camera 9 is capable of capturing images from the ceiling of the automatic image capturing apparatus 1 to the lower half of the person to be imaged 5.

In the automatic image pickup apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the optical path length from the person to be imaged 5 to the camera 9 is from the distance A from the person to be imaged 5 to the half mirror 14 and from the half mirror 14 to the mirror 8. It is a distance (A + B + C) obtained by adding the distance B and the distance C from the mirror 8 to the camera 9.
Here, as compared with the conventional automatic image pickup device in which the camera 9 is installed behind the half mirror 14, in the automatic image pickup device 1 according to the present invention, the optical path length from the person to be imaged 5 to the camera 9 is a distance (B + C). You're away.

Therefore, the optical path length (B + C) from the half mirror 14 to the camera shown in FIG. 1 and the optical path length A from the subject 5 to the half mirror 14 are made equal (B + C =).
As a result, the self-confidence image reflected by the half mirror 14 which the person to be imaged 5 confirms reaches the person to be imaged 5 through the distance of the optical path length (A + A), and is actually captured by the camera 9. Since the image of the imager 5 arrives via the distance of the optical path length (A + B + C = A + A), the image of the person himself / herself reflected by the half mirror 14 confirmed by the imaged person 5 and the imaged object actually captured by the camera 9 are captured. Since the images of the person 5 are the same,
The image that is imagined from the self-confidence image reflected in the half mirror 14 and the image actually captured by the camera 9 match.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the details of the control unit 10.

As shown in FIG. 2, the control unit 10 includes an operation panel processing unit 15 for controlling the operation panel 13, a printer control unit 16 for controlling the printer 11, a camera control unit 17 for controlling the camera 9, A billing unit 18 that controls the charged coins and bills and controls for billing for change, an image data storage unit 19 that stores an image captured by the camera 9, an image data processing unit 20 that processes an image, an image data processing The printer 11 for printing the image processed by the unit 20
The image data output unit 21 for outputting the background color, the background color storage unit 22 for storing the background color (color of the rear panel 7), and the main control unit 23 for controlling these units. here,
Since the image of the person to be imaged 5 reflected by the mirror 8 is inverted by the mirror 8, the image captured by the camera 9 is also inverted. Therefore, the image data processing unit 20 performs an inversion process for correcting the image inversion.

Next, the processing procedure from image pickup to printing in the automatic image pickup apparatus 1 according to the present invention will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

The person to be imaged 5 is an image pickup space 2 of the automatic image pickup device 1.
When the user enters the room and sits on the chair 6, a fee is charged and the operation panel 13 is operated (step S301). The person to be imaged 5 is the operation panel 1
When the selection of the type of the ID photo and the like is instructed in 3 and the start of imaging is instructed, imaging is started (step S302).

The image of the person 5 to be photographed by the camera 9 is
It is temporarily stored in the image data storage unit 19 (step S30
3) Then, the image data processing unit 20 performs an inversion process to correct the image inversion (step S304), and the image subjected to the inversion process is subjected to a trimming process to determine the range of the image to be printed (step S304). In step S305, the trimmed image is output to the printer 11 (step S306), and the processing procedure ends.

Next, the procedure of the image trimming process in the image data processing unit 20 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. The procedure of the image trimming process will be described by taking the case of extracting the standard size range (45 mm in length × 35 mm in width) of the ID photo for passport as an example.

When the image of the person to be photographed 5 captured by the camera 9 is input to the image data processing unit 20 and the reversing process for correcting the image reversal ends, the trimming process starts.

The image data processing unit 20 identifies the color of the pixel from the top of the image toward the bottom of the image (step S4).
01), when a pixel having a color different from the background color stored in the background color storage unit 22 is detected (YES in step S402), the detected pixel is set to the top vertex (step S403).

Then, a position 7 ± 2 mm above the set apex is set as the uppermost position of the standard size range (step S404), and a position 45 mm below the uppermost position is set as the lowermost position of the standard size range. (45 mm)
Is determined (step S405). Further, the lateral size (35 mm) is determined around the set head vertex (step S
406), Determine the standard size range of the ID photo for passport.

Then, the vertical size of the face (the length from the top of the head to the chin portion of the face) is calculated from the image, and it is confirmed whether the vertical size of the face is within the standard (27 ± 2 mm) (step S40).
7) If it is within the standard (YE in step S407)
S), the processing procedure ends.

If the vertical size of the face is out of the standard (NO in step S407), the vertical size of the face is 27 ± 2.
If it is larger than mm (YES in step S408), the image is reduced (step S409), and if the vertical size of the face is smaller than 27 ± 2 mm (step S408).
If NO, the image is enlarged (step S410), and when the image enlargement or reduction processing is completed, the trimming processing procedure is restarted (return to step S401).

Next, the procedure of the trimming process will be described in detail. Similar to the flowchart shown in FIG. 4, the procedure of the trimming process in the case of extracting the standard size range of the passport ID photo will be described as an example.

FIG. 5 shows an image 24 of the person to be imaged captured by the camera 9.

Since the image pickup range of the camera 9 is wide, the image 24 shown in FIG. 5 is picked up in a wide range. Here, the range surrounded by the dotted line represents the standard size range 25 of the ID photo for passport, and the automatic image pickup apparatus 1 according to the present invention is
It is possible to automatically extract the range surrounded by the dotted line.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the pixel color identification processing performed by the image data processing unit 20.

First, when the image data processing unit 20 receives the image 24, the color identification process is started from the pixel 26 at the upper left end of the image 24. Here, the color identification process is a process of comparing the color of the pixel with the background color stored in the background color storage unit 22, and when the identification result of the color identification process is the same color, the color identification of the pixel on the right side is performed. When the process is performed and the color identification process is completed up to the right end pixel, the color identification process is performed from the pixel at the left end one step lower, and the color identification process is continued until the identification result is determined to be a different color.

When the discrimination result is judged to be a different color,
The color identification processing is stopped, and the pixel 27 determined to have a different color is set as the apex.

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the processing performed by the image data processing unit 20 to determine the top position 29 of the standard size range from the top vertex 28.

The image data processing unit 20 determines the position separated by 7 ± 2 mm upward from the top vertex 28 set by the color identification process as the uppermost position 29 within the standard size range. Here, the dotted line shown in FIG. 7 is the uppermost position 29 within the standard size range.
Is a line indicating.

FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the processing performed by the image data processing unit 20 to determine the range of standard sizes.

When the image data processing unit 20 determines the uppermost position 29 of the standard size range, the uppermost positions 29 to 45 are determined.
The lowest position in the standard size range is 3 mm below.
Decide to 0. Here, the dotted line shown in FIG. 8 is a line indicating the lowermost position 30 in the standard size range, and the standard size vertical size (45 mm) of the passport ID photo is determined.

Further, the head apex 28 is set at the center, and the position 17 ± 2 mm leftward from the head apex 28 is determined as the leftmost position 31 within the standard size range, and the leftmost position 31 to 35 m.
A position separated by m is determined as the rightmost position 32 in the standard size range. Here, the dotted line shown in FIG. 8 is the leftmost position 31 of the standard size range, and the dotted line is the rightmost position 32 of the standard size range. The horizontal size (35 mm) of the standard size of the passport ID photo is shown. Will be decided. A position separated by 17 ± 2 mm to the right from the apex 28 is determined as the rightmost position 32 in the standard size range, and a position separated by 35 mm from the rightmost position 32 is determined as the leftmost position 31 in the standard size range. It may be configured to be, and 17 ± 2 mm to the left from the apex 28 of the head.
A configuration may be adopted in which the distant position is determined as the leftmost position 31 in the standard size range, and the position 17 ± 2 mm to the right from the apex 28 is determined as the rightmost position 32 in the standard size range.

Since the head vertex 28 set by the color identification process is not necessarily the center of the face of the person to be imaged 5,
When determining the horizontal size, the color identification processing is performed until the identification result of the color identification processing is first determined to be a different color until the identification result is determined to be the same color, and the center of the pixel for which the identification result is determined to be a different color. A configuration in which the pixel is set as the horizontal center position may be used.

FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining a process performed by the image data processing unit 20 for confirming whether the vertical size of the face of the person to be imaged 5 is within the standard or outside the standard when the range of the standard size is determined. .

As shown in FIG. 9, there is a standard in which the vertical size of the face is 27 ± 2 mm in the ID photo for passport. Therefore, when the image data processing unit 20 determines the standard size range, the image data processing unit 20 calculates the vertical size of the face of the person to be photographed 5 from the image in which the standard size range is determined, and the calculated vertical size of the face is within the standard or outside the standard. Check if Then, when the vertical size of the face is larger than the standard, the image data processing unit 20 adjusts the vertical size of the face within the standard by performing image reduction processing, and when the vertical size of the face is smaller than the standard. The image data processing unit 20 adjusts the vertical size of the face within the standard by performing the image enlargement process, and performs the trimming process again on the image that has been subjected to the enlargement or reduction process.

FIG. 10 is a view showing an example of the certification photograph 33 output from the printer 11.

When all the image processing is completed in the image data processing unit 20, the image is output to the printer 11, and the printer 11 outputs the certification photograph 33 shown in FIG. Here, in the ID photo shown in FIG. 10, four images are attached, and all four images have the standard size of the ID photo for a passport.
When using, use the scissors or a cutter to cut the image frame 34
Just turn off.

Here, in the above embodiment, the passport ID photo has been taken as an example for explaining the automatic image pickup apparatus 1 according to the present invention. However, regardless of the type of ID photo, it is for a driver's license or general resume. It is also applicable to ID photos for various purposes, various tests, and visas for each country. Further, the automatic image pickup apparatus 1 according to the present invention can be applied to photographs such as snap photographs as well as ID photographs.

[0045]

As described above, according to the present invention, by adopting a digital camera and digitally processing the picked-up image, the size of the certification photograph can be automatically adjusted according to the purpose, and the subject photograph can be automatically adjusted. It is possible to automatically adjust the head of the photographer so that the photographer's head is in the correct position in the photograph.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an automatic image pickup apparatus 1 according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing details of a control unit 10.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure from image pickup to printing in the automatic image pickup apparatus 1 according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a procedure of image trimming processing in the image data processing unit 20.

FIG. 5 is an image 24 of a person to be imaged captured by a camera 9.

6 is a diagram illustrating pixel color identification processing performed by the image data processing unit 20. FIG.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a process performed by the image data processing unit 20 to determine an uppermost position 29 within a standard size range from a vertex 28.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a process of determining a range of standard sizes performed by the image data processing unit 20.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a process performed by the image data processing unit 20 to confirm whether the vertical size of the face of the person to be imaged 5 is within the standard or outside the standard when the range of the standard size is determined.

FIG. 10 is a certification photograph 33 output from the printer 11.
It is a figure which shows an example.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Automatic imaging device 2 Imaging space 3 Imaging mechanism space 4 partition boards 5 Person to be imaged 6 chairs 7 Rear panel 8 mirror 9 cameras 10 Control unit 11 Printer 12 safes 13 Operation panel 14 Half mirror 15 Operation panel processing unit 16 Printer control unit 17 Camera control unit 18 Billing Department 19 Image data storage 20 Image data processing unit 21 Image data output section 22 Background color memory 23 Main control unit 24 images 25 standard size range 26 Top leftmost pixel 27 Pixels determined to be different colors 28 vertices 29 The highest position within the standard size range 30 bottom position of standard size range 31 Leftmost position in the standard size range 32 Rightmost position in the standard size range 33 ID photo 34 Image frame

Front page continuation (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification code FI theme code (reference) G07F 17/26 G07F 17/26 5C022 H04N 1/387 H04N 1/387 5C052 5/222 5/222 Z 5C076 5/76 5 / 76 EF Term (Reference) 2C187 AD13 BF42 DB09 DB28 2H104 AA19 BC35 BC48 2H106 AA87 BA37 5B047 AA07 AB02 BB06 CA12 CA14 CB12 CB13 CB23 5B057 AA11 BA02 CE09 CH11 DA07 AC02 FA02A02 AC02 A02 AC02 A02 AC02 A02 AC02 AA13 AC42 A02 AC02 A02 AC02 AA13 AC02 FD10 5C076 AA02 AA21 AA22 CA10 CB02

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An automatic image pickup device for picking up an image of a subject with an image pickup device and printing out the picked-up image, comprising: storage means for storing a background color of the subject in advance; and a background color stored in the storage means. And an automatic trimming means for automatically trimming the optimum range of the image with respect to the subject based on the identification result of the identifying means. Characteristic automatic imaging device. 2. The identifying means further comprises a color comparing means for comparing a color of a pixel forming the image with a background color stored in the storing means, and the color comparing means determines a color different from the background color. 2. The automatic image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the optimum range of the image is automatically trimmed based on the pixel at the highest position in the image determined to be present.