Information reception device, information transmission system, and information reception method

• US 20060239675A1
• Filed: 05/16/2006
• Published: 10/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Corporation (Casio Computer Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Nagatomo, Shoichi, Iizuka, Nobuo
• Granted Patent: US 7,308,194 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 396/287
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1125 using a single common optical path
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2755 by optical scanning
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/145 Handheld terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/634 Warning indications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display

Abstract

An information reception device comprising an imaging portion; a light reception portion for light reception of optional information subjected to optical modulation; a specification portion for specifying an optical modulation region contained in a capture angle of the imaging portion; a decoding portion for controlling the light reception portion in order to carry out light reception of the optical modulation region specified by the specification portion and decoding the optional information from the optical modulation content contained in the region; and a reproduction portion for reproducing the optional information decoded by the decoding portion. By acquiring a region essential for detection of optical modulation, acceleration of the information decoding process is achieved. Furthermore, position adjustment of the optical modulation region is easily accomplished.

Claims

1. An information reception device, comprising:

an imaging portion;

a light reception portion for light reception of optional information subjected to optical modulation;

a specification portion for specifying an optical modulation region contained in a capture angle of the imaging portion;

a decoding portion for controlling the light reception portion in order to carry out light reception of the optical modulation region specified by the specification portion and for decoding optional information from the optical modulation content contained in that region; and

a reproduction portion for reproducing the optional information decoded by the decoding portion.

2. The information reception device according to claim 1, further comprises:

a display portion for displaying a reference marker together with the content imaged by the imaging portion;

a movement portion for optionally moving the reference marker currently displayed on the display portion; and

wherein the specification portion specifies an optical modulation region by moving the reference marker by the movement portion.

3. The information reception device according to claim 1, further comprises:

a light reception direction portion for directing light reception of the optical modulation region specified by the specification portion; and

a control portion for controlling the light reception portion so that the optical axis coincides with the optical modulation region when light reception has been directed by the light reception direction portion.

4. The information reception device according to claim 1, wherein the light reception portion includes:

a light receiving element; and

an optical system to condense incident light to the light receiving element.

5. The information reception device according to claim 1, wherein the light reception portion includes:

a two-dimensional image sensor; and

an optical system to condense incident light to the image sensor.

6. The information reception device according to claim 1, further comprises:

a correlation portion for correlating image data imaged by the imaging portion and the optional information decoded by the decoding portion; and

a memory portion for memorizing the correlated image data and the optional information.

7. The information reception device according to claim 6, further comprises:

a first judgment portion for judging whether or not light reception of the optical modulation region has been completed by the light reception portion; and

wherein the correlation portion correlates image data imaged by the imaging portion and the optional information based on the optical modulation region decoded by the decoding portion when judged that light reception of the optical modulation region has been completed by the first judgment portion.

8. The information reception device according to claim 6, further comprises:

a reporting portion for reporting result when light reception of the optical modulation region has been completed by the first judgment portion;

a second judgment portion for judging whether or not further light reception of the optical modulation region has been directed after report by the reporting portion; and

a light reception control portion for initiating light reception of the optical modulation region by the light reception portion when judged that further light reception has been directed by the second judgment portion in the state of having held image data imaged by the imaging portion.

9. The information reception device according to claim 6, further comprises:

an imaging control portion for controlling the imaging portion so that the optical modulation repeatedly switches on and switches off for specific wavelength light and for imaging a capture angle of switched off timing for the specific wavelength light.

10. The information reception device according to claim 1, further comprises:

a conversion portion for converting at least the modulation content of the optical modulation region light received by the light reception portion into two types of bit pattern sequences having a low degree of correlation reciprocally;

a logic signal output portion for outputting a logic signal corresponding to two types of bit pattern sequences having a low degree of correlation reciprocally and which have been converted by the conversion portion; and

wherein the decoding portion decodes the optional information based on output by the logic signal output portion.

11. An information transmission system, which includes:

an information output device, comprising;

a selection portion for determining a logic determination of a bit string representing optional information and selecting from either of two types of bit pattern sequences having a low degree of correlation reciprocally, which have been previously prepared based on the determination result;

a modulation portion for performing optical modulation of the optional information according to the selection result by the selection portion;

an output portion for outputting the optional information which has been optically modulated by the modulation portion;

an information reception device, comprising;

an imaging portion;

a light reception portion for light reception of optional information subjected to optical modulation;

a specification portion for specifying an optical modulation region contained in a capture angle of the imaging portion;

a light reception control portion for controlling the light reception portion in order to carry out light reception of the optical modulation region specified by the specification portion;

a conversion portion for converting at least the modulation content of the optical modulation region light received by the light reception control portion into two types of bit pattern sequences having a low degree of correlation reciprocally;

a logic signal output portion for outputting a logic signal corresponding to two types of bit pattern sequences having a low degree of correlation reciprocally which have been converted by the conversion portion;

a decoding portion for decoding the optional information based on output by the logic signal output portion; and

a reproduction portion for reproducing the optional information decoded by the decoding portion.

12. An information reception method, comprising:

a specification step for specifying an optical modulation region contained in a capture angle imaged by an imaging section;

a light reception control step for controlling a light reception section in order to carry out light reception of the optical modulation region specified by the specification step;

a conversion step for converting at least the modulation content of the optical modulation region light received by the light reception control step into two types of bit pattern sequences having a low degree of correlation reciprocally;

a logic signal output step for outputting a logic signal corresponding to two types of bit pattern sequences having a low degree of correlation reciprocally which have been converted in the conversion step;

a decoding step for decoding the optional information based on output by the logic signal output step; and

a reproduction step for reproducing the optional information decoded by the decoding portion.