Photo sticker vending machine and method, photo sticker and photo sticker unit

• US 20040114193A1
• Filed: 09/16/2003
• Published: 06/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Inventors: Miwa, Tetsuya, Inage, Katsuyuki
• Application Number:
  US10/662,332
• Publication Number:
  US 20040114193A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/302
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/001 Texturing; Colouring; Generation of texture or colour inpainting G06T5/77
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00283 with a television apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00286 with studio circuitry, devices or equipment, e.g. television cameras television studio circuitry, devices or equipment per se H04N5/222
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00289 in a video photo booth or the like

Abstract

In the full-length image capture mode, a background of a captured image includes not only a background curtain but also the periphery. The image to be edited from multiple captured images is selected, and the brightness of the image is adjusted. After that, a range to be edited of the background is calculated from the background of the image through Chromakey processing. Then, the color corresponding to the degree of the brightness of the adjusted image is obtained from the stored colors of the background curtain. The calculated editing range of the background is then converted with the obtained color. As a result, the boundary of the background curtain and the periphery becomes inconspicuous, and the image having a good-looking background can be provided easily.

Claims

1. A photo sticker vending machine, comprising:

image capturing means for capturing an image of an object;

background providing means located behind said object for providing a background based on selection and control of a user;

determining means for determining whether said captured image includes said background provided by said background providing means and an additional image element;

converting means for converting a periphery of said captured image to include said additional image element;

display control means for controlling a display of the image converted by the converting means; and

printing means for printing the image converted by the converting means on a sticker sheet.

2. The photo sticker vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the background providing means provides multiple backgrounds having different colors and patterns based on selection and control by the user.

3. The photo sticker vending machine according to claim 2, further comprising:

memory means for storing the color and the patterns corresponding to the backgrounds provided by the background providing means.

4. The photo sticker vending machine according to claim 1, further comprising adjusting means for adjusting a brightness of the image, wherein said converting means further converts said periphery based on the brightness adjusted by said adjusting means.

5. The photo sticker vending machine according to claim 1, further comprising:

selecting means for selecting an image to be edited from a plurality of images captured by the image capture means; and

editing means for editing the image to be edited, and

wherein the determining means determines whether said background of said selected image is said background provided by the background providing means.

6. An image printing method for a photo sticker vending machine, comprising:

capturing an image;

receiving a user selection;

providing a background behind said object based on user selection;

determining whether said captured image includes said background at a periphery thereof;

a converting step for converting a part of said background at said periphery to product a converted image;

controlling a display of the converted image; and

printing the converted image on a sticker sheet.

7. A photo sticker printed by a photo sticker printing method, said method comprising:

capturing an object image;

providing a background of said object image based on a selection and control of a user;

determining whether said captured image includes one of said background provided and a periphery;

a converting step for converting said periphery of said captured image as said background provided;

a display control step for controlling a display of the image converted by the converting step; and

a printing step for printing the image converted by the converting step on a sticker sheet to produce said photo sticker.

8. A photo sticker vending machine, including a photo sticker unit comprising:

image capturing means for capturing an object image;

background providing means located behind said object for providing a background based on selection and control of a user;

determining means for determining whether said captured image includes one of said background provided and a periphery;

converting means for converting said periphery of said captured image;

display control means for controlling a display of the image converted by the converting means;

wherein the photo sticker unit includes identification information storing means for storing identification information for identifying the photo sticker unit; and

wherein the photo sticker unit is available when the photo sticker vending machine authenticates the identification information stored in the identification information storing means.

9. A photo sticker machine comprising:

a background apparatus, said background apparatus being adapted to display a first background during a first time interval and a second background during a second time interval;

a subject region, said subject region being adapted to receive an image subject during at least one of said first and second time intervals;

an imaging apparatus, said imaging apparatus being adapted to receive, during at least one of said first and second time intervals, an input image of a first portion of said image subject and a second portion of said background apparatus;

converting means for converting said input image into an output image, said output image including at least a portion of said input image;

determining means for determining an optional image element, said optional image element being adapted to be included in said output image by said converting means;

display control means for controlling a display of said output image; and

printing means for printing said output image on a sticker sheet.

10. The photo sticker machine according to claim 9 wherein said imaging apparatus comprises a camera.

11. The photo sticker machine according to claim 9 wherein said subject region is disposed between said imaging apparatus and said background apparatus.

12. The photo sticker machine according to claim 9 wherein said optional image element is included in a background region of said output image.

13. The photo sticker machine according to claim 9 wherein said background apparatus is adapted to display said first and second backgrounds according to an input received from a user.

14. The photo sticker machine according to claim 13 wherein said user comprises said image subject.

15. A photo sticker machine comprising:

a background apparatus adapted to display a first background during a first time interval and a second background during a second time interval;

a subject region adapted to receive an image subject during at least one of said first and second time intervals;

an imaging apparatus, said imaging apparatus being adapted to form an input image, said input image including a first image subject portion and a second background portion;

determining means for determining an additional image element;

converting means for converting said input image into an output image, said output image including a third image subject portion and a fourth background portion, said output image optionally including said additional image element;

display control means for controlling a display of said output image; and

printing means for printing said output image on a sticker sheet.

16. The photo sticker machine according to claim 15 wherein said additional image element is disposed within a fifth portion of said output image.

17. The photo sticker machine according to claim 16 wherein said fifth portion of said output image comprises a peripheral portion of said output image.

18. The photo sticker machine according to claim 16 wherein said fourth background portion comprises said fifth portion.