JP2007013858A - Photograph seal creating apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent boring feelings from being given to a user by means of techniques, other than games, during a print waiting time. <P>SOLUTION: A preview synthetic dynamic image resulting from composing an object moving image photographed before photographing an object still picture and at least one of a background image and a foreground image is stored and this stored synthetic dynamic image is displayed during a waiting time (print waiting time) when printing out a synthetic still picture. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention is installed in an amusement facility such as an amusement park or an amusement park, and prints a composite image of a still image of a subject and an editing image such as a graffiti image (a graffiti line drawing image or various stamp images) on sticker paper. The present invention relates to an apparatus for creating a photo sticker.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a photo sticker creating device, also called an image print creating device or a photo sticker vending machine, takes a subject that is a user with a digital camera, and the photographed image (still image of the subject) and a graffiti image (or subject image) And a synthesized image obtained by synthesizing a foreground image or background image (frame image) and a graffiti image, which have been selected in advance by the user, on a sticker sheet and outputting them. In the graffiti operation performed by the user, a plurality of graffiti character images are displayed on the display screen, and the user selects an arbitrary graffiti image from among them, and the selected graffiti image is placed at an arbitrary position. Arranging or letting the user perform arbitrary line drawing, etc., thereby generating a graffiti image that suits or prefers the user.

The touch stick is provided for the above graffiti operations, etc., and the function that allows the user to edit the graffiti on the photographed image is almost standardized in the photo sticker creation device. A photographic sticker creating apparatus having a function that can be performed is known (for example, see Patent Document 1).
JP 2002-304669 A

  Most of the users of photo sticker creation devices are young women, and such young women have many uses of photo sticker creation devices and are accustomed to graffiti editing operations, and enjoy graffiti playing time greatly. It is out. Also, at the time of shooting, he enjoys the shooting play time by deciding a pose with his friends while watching a preview combined moving image such as a foreground image or background image combined with a subject moving image.

  By the way, in the photo sticker creation apparatus, the printing performance is improved after the user gives an instruction to print, and after the printing on the sticker paper is completed and the printed photo sticker paper is discharged. For this reason, it cannot be denied that a certain amount of waiting time (printing waiting time) occurs.

  From the point of view of customer satisfaction, it is important not only to make the photo stickers that have been created, but also to make sure that the waiting time for printing is not boring. In other words, when printing takes time, users who were looking forward to seeing photos at first will gradually complain. Further, even if the appearance of the seal is increased to the maximum level, whether or not the user likes the created seal differs depending on the individual. As described above, if attention is not paid to the printing waiting time, there is a possibility that it may cause a bad image to the user.

  Therefore, in order not to lower customer satisfaction, by having the user enjoy the game during the printing waiting time, the user can effectively use the boring time waiting for printing, and the game There are models that have a bonus function for clearing (such as making it possible to shoot again). This game has been devised to be as simple as possible so that the user can do without any explanation of the game operation method, etc., but because it is simplified, it is boring to the user, Further, it has been pointed out that if the operation method is not well understood, the user may feel uncomfortable. For this reason, it has been desired that the user is not bored during the printing waiting time by a method other than the game.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to prevent a user from being bored by a method other than a game during a printing waiting time.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention
Shooting means for photographing a subject, display means for displaying a still image of the photographed subject, input means for performing an image editing operation such as a graffiti operation on the still image of the subject, an editing image such as a graffiti image, In a photo sticker creating apparatus comprising: an image processing unit that synthesizes a still image of a subject; and a print output unit that prints out the synthesized still image that has been synthesized.
Means for storing a combined moving image for preview that combines a moving image of the subject shot by the shooting unit before shooting a still image of the subject with at least one of a background image and a foreground image;
Means for displaying the stored synthesized moving image on the display means during a waiting time when printing a synthesized still image;
The structure which has is taken.

  According to the present invention, a combined moving image for preview is stored by combining a subject moving image shot before shooting a subject still image and at least one of a background image and a foreground image, and the stored combined image. Since the moving image is displayed in the waiting time (print waiting time) when the composite still image is printed out, the user can view his / her shooting scenery from a third party viewpoint. As a result, the user does not feel bored in the printing waiting time, so that an automatic photo sticker creating apparatus with high customer satisfaction can be realized.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 to 8 relate to a photo sticker creating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as the present embodiment), and FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an appearance of the photo sticker creating apparatus of the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing a side view of the photographic sticker creating apparatus of FIG. 1 as viewed from the direction of arrow A.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the outer shape of the photo sticker creating apparatus of the present embodiment is a box-shaped casing, and is formed from one side portion of the casing that is opened. It is structured so that a person can go in and out, and the opening is partitioned by a curtain using a light-shielding material. In addition, you may be the structure where the both sides of the housing | casing were opened.

  In the case of the photo sticker creating apparatus, a photographing room that is a space that can accommodate a subject to be photographed is provided. In this embodiment, a back surface that irradiates illumination light from the back side of the subject that entered the photographing room. Illumination means are provided.

  The photo sticker creating apparatus according to the present embodiment includes a main body device 1, a rear side sub-housing 2 whose front side is opened, a floor board 3, and a roof portion 4. The housing 2 is arranged at a predetermined distance. A space between the main device 1 and the back side sub-casing 2 is a passage 5 through which a plurality of or a single subject (user) can enter and exit in the back side sub-casing 2 (that is, the photographing room). In this embodiment, this passage 5 functions also as an editing room. As shown in FIG. 2, a back side illumination unit 2a for irradiating a subject from the back side is provided on the back side of the back side sub-casing 2 facing the main unit 1. The back side illumination unit 2a The transparent screen (or acrylic plate) 2b is separated from the subject.

  FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of the main device 1, and FIG. 4 is an explanatory view including the internal structure of the main device 1 as viewed from the front. As shown in FIG. 4, a digital camera 6 (hereinafter referred to as camera 6) for capturing a moving image for preview display and for capturing a still image of the subject is installed in the front center of the main unit 1. Has been. Further, strobes 11 </ b> A to 11 </ b> C are installed on the upper part and the left and right sides of the main device 1. The strobes 11A to 11C emit light only when a subject is photographed with the camera 6, and the brightness of the photographed image can be adjusted by the intensity of the light.

  In addition, lights 12A to 12C that are always lit and illuminate the periphery of the user who is operating are installed above and to the left and right of the main body device 1. In addition, a liquid crystal monitor 15 for confirming a moving image (preview image) that is actually captured when a subject is photographed is disposed below the vicinity of the camera 6. With this liquid crystal monitor 15, the user (subject) can adjust and confirm the standing position, the pose, the face position, etc. while viewing his / her moving image displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 15 at the time of shooting.

  A display 7 with a touch panel for displaying an operation screen, a progress status, guidance, and the like is provided near the trunk of the main body device 1. When the user touches an icon on the touch panel surface with the touch pen 16 constituting a part of the input means, the display 7 with the touch panel detects the position and starts a function or operation assigned to the icon displayed at the contact position. .

  In addition, a speaker 17, a microphone 19, a switch panel 8, a charging device 9, a power supply 10 for a strobe, a personal computer 13 (hereinafter referred to as a PC 13), a printer 14, a UPS 18, and a caster 19 are provided.

  The speaker 17 outputs music being operated and voice of guidance. The microphone 19 collects sound in the photographing room and converts it into a sound signal. The billing apparatus 9 accepts and stores a usage fee. The charging device 9 is removable in consideration of the free setting. The power supply 10 for strobe supplies power corresponding to the brightness selected by the user to the strobes 11A to 11C.

  The PC 13 is in charge of overall control of the entire main body device 1 (or the entire photo sticker creating apparatus). This PC 13 is an image for providing a graffiti function to a user by processing or editing a photographed subject image and a photographed subject image. It has editing processing functions, printing control functions, and the like.

  The printer 14 prints and outputs an image on a predetermined sheet. The UPS 18 is an uninterruptible power supply that supplies power even during a power failure. The caster 20 is used when the photo sticker creating apparatus is moved, and is locked after the position of the main body apparatus 1 is determined. The switch panel 8 is a panel to which a test switch and a volume switch are fixed.

  FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the main device 1. As shown in FIG. 5, in the PC 13, a CPU (central processing unit) 501, a memory 502, an I / O control unit 503, an audio output unit 504, a pattern memory 505, an image processing unit 506, an image output unit 507, data storage A unit 508 and the like are provided. The CPU 501 is connected to each component in the PC 13 and performs various processes and controls in cooperation with each component in the PC 13. In addition, the CPU 501 controls the components connected to the I / O control unit 503, the image output unit 507, and the audio output unit 504, receives data, and outputs data.

  The CPU 501 performs various controls / processes such as image data / audio data storage / retrieve control, various image processing, image display control, audio output control, printer output control, and the like.

  The memory 502 stores, as a program, commands issued to the CPU 501, or a group of commands that are control procedures such as composite moving image generation processing, subject still image correction processing, composite still image generation processing, and printing processing. Also, the processing data of the CPU 501 is temporarily stored as work data.

  The audio output unit 504 is connected to the speaker 17 for audio reproduction, and reproduces guides, music, sound effects, and the like for the user. Further, the audio output unit 504 takes an image before shooting (before shooting a still image) during the print waiting time. Play the sound recorded in the room.

  In the pattern memory 505, image data for synthesis (foreground moving image data, background moving image data, various image data for graffiti editing, etc.) to be superimposed on the subject image, and operation menu / guidance displayed on the display 7 with a touch panel. And various data such as guidance voice data to be output to the speaker 17 are stored.

  The data storage unit 508 stores image data captured from the camera 6 and audio data captured from the microphone 19, as well as a composite video image for preview to be shown to the user before shooting (before shooting a still image), , A corrected image of a captured subject still image, a combined still image of a corrected subject still image and a frame image (foreground image or background image), or a result of graffiti performed by a user on this combined still image A composite still image of a graffiti image, a corrected subject still image, and a frame image (foreground image or background image) is stored.

  The image processing unit 506 cooperates with the CPU 501 to perform processing for correcting image distortion, color, luminance, and density on the still image data of the subject stored in the data storage unit 508, and the corrected subject. Various image processes such as a process for combining and editing a still image and an image for synthesis prepared in the data storage unit 505 are performed.

  The image output unit 507 is connected to the display 7 with a touch panel and the printer 14. The display 7 with a touch panel displays an image for explanation and operation to the user, a composite still image of a corrected still image and a frame image of a photographed subject, a composite image of an editing process or a result of the editing process, and the like. To do. Further, the display 7 with a touch panel displays a composite moving image for preview that is captured and combined and stored before shooting (before shooting a still image) during the print waiting time. The printer 14 shoots, edits / combines, and prints the laid out image on a sticker sheet (or a postcard).

  The I / O control unit 503 is connected to a digital camera I / F (interface) 511 and receives image data captured by the camera 6 and audio data input from the microphone 19.

  Further, the I / O control unit 503 is connected to the display 7 with a touch panel, and receives operation data from the touch panel 7a of the display 7 with a touch panel. The touch panel 7a is an input panel provided on the display screen surface of the display 7 with a touch panel. For example, the touch panel 7a is used to display an operation menu on the display screen of the display 7 with a touch panel and input various selection conditions with the touch pen 16. To do.

  In addition, the I / O control unit 503 is connected to the charging device 9 and detects whether or not a coin has been inserted, whether or not an illegal coin has been inserted, according to control from the CPU 501. That is, the shape and weight of the inserted coin is measured, and the coins that are suspected of not being genuine coins are further judged on the front and back of the coins. Whether the inserted coins are genuine coins, fraudulent or counterfeit coins It is determined whether or not. Also, it is determined whether or not a coin with a specified charge has been inserted.

  Further, the I / O control unit 503 is connected to the strobe power supply 10 and controls the strobe power supply 10 to apply a voltage to the strobes 11A to 11C so that the entire light emitting surface emits light uniformly.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an outline of the processing flow in the photo sticker creating apparatus of this embodiment.

  As an operation on the management side, first, the power is turned on. When the power is turned on, the lighting operation of the fluorescent lamp lighting device is confirmed to confirm the operation of the device, the PC 13 is activated, the shutter speed and aperture are set to prepare for camera shooting, and the printer 14 is ready for printing and warms up. Is started (step S601). When the initial setting in step S601 is completed, a demonstration for accepting customer operation is started, and a photo sticker creation apparatus is introduced and an operation procedure is demonstrated (step S602).

  When the user actually uses the apparatus and a predetermined number of coins are inserted in order to start shooting, a processing procedure for shooting is displayed on the display 7 with the touch panel. Although not shown here, a screen for selecting a shooting condition of “wide”, “slim”, or “up” is displayed to the user, and the user can select “wide” or “slim "Or" Up "is selected (step S603). Next, in this embodiment, a screen for selecting what kind of foreground moving image or background moving image is displayed. The user selects a foreground moving image and a background moving image used for shooting (step S604). Although the selection method of the foreground moving image and the background moving image is arbitrary, in this embodiment, for example, a plurality of sets of foreground moving images and background moving images that are image data associated with each other are prepared, and By selecting one by the story name, the foreground moving image and the background moving image are selected. Note that the foreground moving image and the background moving image may be selected separately, or only one of the foreground moving image and the background moving image may be selected. Alternatively, a foreground still image and a background still image may be prepared instead of the foreground moving image and the background moving image, and either or either of the foreground still image and the background still image may be selected.

  Next, foreground moving image masking processing is performed on the foreground moving image with the story name selected in step S604 (step S605). The image data of the foreground moving image includes attribute data indicating the portion to be made transparent and the portion to be put out in front of the subject. Using this attribute data, the required portion of the foreground moving image is made transparent. By processing, the foreground moving image is masked.

  In this embodiment, at the time of shooting, the subject moving image captured by the camera 6 is combined with the foreground moving image and the background moving image selected by the user, and the generated combined moving image for preview is displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 15. The data is displayed above and stored in the data storage unit 508 (step S606). In other words, the background portion of the subject moving image actually captured by the camera 6 is replaced with the background moving image by the chroma key process, and the masked foreground moving image is pasted on the moving image thus processed. In this way, a composite moving image for preview is generated by combining the subject moving image, the foreground moving image, and the background moving image. The subject moving image used at this time uses moving image data output at a low resolution by the camera 6, and the foreground moving image and the background moving image used at this time also have a low resolution. Thus, the moving image data is used, thereby simplifying the image processing and shortening the generation time of the synthesized moving image for preview. In step S606, the audio data captured from the microphone 17 is stored in the data storage unit 508 in synchronization with the preview synthesized moving image at the same time as the preview synthesized moving image is stored.

  In a state where the generated composite moving image for preview is displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 15, for example, a countdown value indicating a shutter timing for taking a still image is displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 15, or from the speaker 17. A countdown sound indicating the shutter timing is output, and the still image of the subject is taken by the camera 6 at the timing when the strobes 11A to 11C emit light (step S607). At the time of shooting the still image, the output from the camera 6 is switched to the high-resolution still image output instead of the low-resolution image output described above.

  FIG. 7 shows a state of generating / displaying / storing a synthesized moving image for previewing and storing a sound and a state of still image shooting in step S607 and step S608.

  Next, the photographed subject still image is subjected to image distortion, color, brightness, density correction processing, and image clipping processing (predetermined field angle region clipping processing) (step S608). Then, high-resolution subject still image data that has been shot and subjected to correction processing or the like is stored in the data storage unit 508 (step S609).

  Next, the size of the corrected subject still image is reduced, and the foreground and background still image data at the still image shooting timing of the subject still image are appropriately extracted from the foreground moving image and the background moving image, respectively. The foreground still image and the background still image that have been generated and extracted and generated are reduced in accordance with the size of the subject still image, and the reduced subject still image, the reduced foreground still image, and the reduced background still image Are combined to generate a reduced composite still image (step S610). As described above, the reason why the image is reduced is that the user does not decide which image to print at this time, and the result of combining the still image shooting is limited in the display area of the display 7 with the touch panel. This is because it is necessary to display a plurality of images side by side.

  Then, the above-described processing from step S606 to step S610 is repeated, for example, three times, and all the three reduced synthesized still images obtained by reducing and synthesizing still images are displayed on the display 7 with the touch panel. The user determines what he / she wants to print out of the three reduced composite still images (step S611).

  Since the image determined in step S611 is a reduced reduced combined still image for display, the subject still image of the original size stored in step S609 and the foreground moving image corresponding to the subject still image are stored. The image data is appropriately extracted and generated from the moving image and the background moving image, and the foreground still image and the background still image having a size corresponding to the subject still image are combined to generate a combined still image for printing (step S612). ). The generated composite still image for printing is stored in the data storage unit 508 and displayed on the display 7 with a touch panel.

  The user performs an arbitrary graffiti operation (graffiti editing play) on the display 7 with a touch panel on the composite still image generated in step S612 (step S613). In the graffiti operation performed by the user, a plurality of character images for graffiti are displayed on the display 7 with a touch panel, and an arbitrary character image is selected by the user, and the selected character image is moved to an arbitrary position. It can be placed on the screen, or the user can draw arbitrary lines, change the color of the character image or line drawing image of any part, etc., so that the graffiti that suits the user's desire or preference Generate an image. The combined still image generated in step S612 and the generated graffiti image are sequentially combined, displayed on the display 7 with a touch panel in real time, and sequentially rewritten and stored in the data storage unit 508.

  When the predetermined time has elapsed or when the user instructs completion of graffiti, the process proceeds to print layout selection processing in step S614. In step S614, in order to prompt the user to select a print layout, a plurality of templates of print results are displayed on the display 7 with a touch panel, and the user is made to select from among them. For example, the user can select whether to print on a 16-divided, 8-divided, or 4-divided sticker.

  Thereafter, the process proceeds to a printing process (step S615) in which the image edited with the layout selected in step S614 is printed by the printer 14, and the user waits for the printing to be completed and the photo sticker paper to be discharged.

  Then, during the waiting time (printing waiting time) from when this printing is completed until the printed photo sticker paper is discharged, the preview image before taking a still image stored in the data storage unit 503 is stored. The synthesized moving image is displayed on the display 7 with the touch panel, and the sound in the photographing room before taking a still image stored in the data storage unit 503 is synchronized with the display of the synthesized moving image from the speaker 17. Output (step S616).

  FIG. 8 shows an example of a shooting scene (preview synthesized moving image) displayed at the time waiting for printing. When the process enters the print waiting state, a telop indicating the Xth shooting scene and a status during printing are displayed on the display 7 with the touch panel. After that, a synthesized moving image that is a photographed landscape is displayed, and sound is output in synchronization with this. This is repeated as many times as the number of shooting. When printing is completed, a telop indicating that printing is completed is displayed, and a series of processing ends.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the photographed scene (the synthesized moving image for preview), which is photographed before the still image of the subject is photographed, is displayed in the print waiting time, and the sound at the time of photographing is also displayed. The user can see his / her own shooting scenery from a third party's point of view, and can also review each other's shooting situation. , The user will not feel bored in the waiting time for printing.

  Note that the shooting scenery (composition video for preview) that is displayed at the time waiting for printing is slow-forward, frame-by-frame, stop playback, black-and-white display, negative / positive reverse display of the black-and-white processing, and color. You may comprise so that a change display of a mode, a density | concentration, a mosaic process display, etc. can be performed suitably.

It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance of the photographic sticker production apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the side which looked at the photograph sticker production apparatus of FIG. 1 from the arrow A direction. It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance of the main body apparatus in the photograph sticker production apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the main body apparatus in the photograph sticker production apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention from the front, and shows an internal structure. It is a block diagram which shows the outline of a functional structure in the photograph sticker production apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the outline of the flow of a process in the photograph sticker production apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the mode of the production | generation of the composite moving image for a preview, display, memory | storage, and the memory | storage of audio | voice, and the mode of still image photography in the photo sticker production apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the photography scenery (synthetic moving image for a preview) displayed at the time waiting for printing in the photograph sticker production apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main body apparatus 2 Back side sub-casing 3 Floor board 4 Roof part 5 Passage 6 Digital camera (camera)
7 Display with Touch Panel 7a Touch Panel 8 Switch Panel 9 Billing Device 10 Power Supply for Strobe 11A-11C Strobe 12A-12C Light 13 Personal Computer (PC)
14 Printer 15 LCD Monitor 16 Touch Pen 17 Speaker 18 UPS
19 microphone 20 caster 501 CPU (central processing unit)
502 Memory 503 I / O Control Unit 504 Audio Output Unit 505 Pattern Memory 506 Image Processing Unit 507 Image Output Unit 508 Data Storage Unit 511 Digital Camera I / F

Claims (2)

Shooting means for photographing a subject, display means for displaying a still image of the photographed subject, input means for performing an image editing operation such as a graffiti operation on the still image of the subject, an editing image such as a graffiti image, In a photo sticker creating apparatus comprising: an image processing unit that synthesizes a still image of a subject; and a print output unit that prints out the synthesized still image.
Means for storing a combined moving image for preview that combines a moving image of the subject shot by the shooting unit before shooting a still image of the subject with at least one of a background image and a foreground image;
Means for displaying the stored synthesized moving image on the display means during a waiting time when printing a synthesized still image;
A photo sticker creating apparatus comprising: In the photo sticker creating apparatus according to claim 1,
Means for storing the sound in the photographing room before photographing the subject still image in synchronization with the synthesized moving image for preview;
Means for outputting the stored voice in synchronization with the display of the synthesized moving image during the waiting time when the synthesized still image is printed out,
A photo sticker creating apparatus comprising: