Illumination Device, Imaging Device, and Imaging System

• US 20090027511A1
• Filed: 02/24/2006
• Published: 01/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Kouno, Yousuke
• Application Number:
  US11/886,769
• Publication Number:
  US 20090027511A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/222.100
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/02 Illuminating scene
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/06 Special arrangements of screening, diffusing, or reflecting devices, e.g. in studio
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 7/097 for control of both exposure time and aperture
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1149 Arrangements for indoor wireless networking of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/116 Visible light communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00395 Arrangements for reducing operator input input arrangements for job or mode instructions or parameters H04N1/00962; intelligent menu interfaces H04N1/00437
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00973 from a remote device, e.g. receiving via the internet instructions input to a computer terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0053 Optical, e.g. using an infrared link
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/71 Circuitry for evaluating the brightness variation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/73 by influencing the exposure time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/745 Detection of flicker frequency or suppression of flicker wherein the flicker is caused by illumination, e.g. due to fluorescent tube illumination or pulsed LED illumination

Abstract

An illumination device performs illumination light communication, and signals indicative of the luminance of an object illuminated with illumination light and the color temperature of the illumination light are superposed on the illumination light. An electronic camera demodulates the illumination light received by a light-receiving circuit and determines the aperture value and the shutter value depending on luminance information included in the demodulation signal and an imaging sensitivity set in the electronic camera. The electronic camera demodulates the illumination light received by the light-receiving circuit and changes the color temperature adjustment reference used for color adjustment processing in accordance with color temperature information.

Claims

1. An illumination device comprising:

a light emitter that emits illumination light;

a modulating unit that causes the light emitter to emit the illumination light in a modulated state; and

a modulation controlling unit that controls the modulating unit to superpose on the illumination light a signal to be used in an imaging device that captures an image of an object illuminated with the illumination light.

2. An illumination device according to claim 1, wherein:

the signal to be used in the imaging device includes at least one of information used for changing imaging conditions of the imaging device and information for explaining an imaging scene of the imaging device.

3. An imaging device comprising:

a light-receiving element that receives illumination light on which a signal is superposed;

a demodulating unit that demodulates a light signal received at the light-receiving element;

an imaging condition changing unit that changes an imaging condition using information contained in the signal demodulated by the demodulating unit; and

an imaging unit that performs imaging under the imaging condition thus changed.

4. An imaging device according to claim 3, wherein:

the imaging condition includes at least one of aperture value, shutter speed and color temperature reference.

5. An imaging device comprising:

a light-receiving unit that receives illumination light on which a signal is superposed;

a demodulating unit that demodulates a light signal received at the light-receiving unit; and

an information recording unit that records information contained in the signal demodulated by the demodulated unit into a recording medium.

6. An imaging device according to claim 5, further comprising:

an image-capturing device that captures an image of an object to obtain an electronic image, wherein;

the signal demodulated by the demodulating unit contains information explaining an imaging scene, and

the information recording unit records the information explaining the imaging scene together with the electronic image into the recording medium.

7. An imaging system comprising:

the illumination device comprising;

a light emitter that emits illumination light;

a modulating unit that causes the light emitter to emit the illumination light in a modulated state; and

a modulation controlling unit that controls the modulating unit to superpose on the illumination light a signal to be used in an imaging device that captures an image of an object illuminated with the illumination light; and

the imaging device comprising;

a light-receiving element that receives illumination light on which a signal is superposed;

a demodulating unit that demodulates a light signal received at the light-receiving element;

an imaging condition changing unit that changes an imaging condition using information contained in the signal demodulated by the demodulating unit; and

an imaging unit that performs imaging under the imaging condition thus changed.

8. An imaging system according to claim 7, wherein:

the signal to be used in the imaging device includes at least one of information used for changing imaging conditions of the imaging device and information for explaining an imaging scene of the imaging device.

9. An imaging system according to claim 7, wherein:

the imaging condition includes at least one of aperture value, shutter speed and color temperature reference.

10. An imaging system according to claim 8, wherein:

the imaging condition includes at least one of aperture value, shutter speed and color temperature reference.

11. An imaging system comprising:

an illumination device comprising;

a light emitter that emits illumination light;

a modulating unit that causes the light emitter to emit the illumination light in a modulated state; and

a modulation controlling unit that controls the modulating unit to superpose on the illumination light a signal to be used in an imaging device that captures an image of an object illuminated with the illumination light.

an imaging device comprising;

a light-receiving unit that receives illumination light on which a signal is superposed;

a demodulating unit that demodulates a light signal received at the light-receiving unit; and

an information recording unit that records information contained in the signal demodulated by the demodulated unit into a recording medium.

12. An imaging system according to claim 11, wherein:

the signal to be used in the imaging device includes at least one of information used for changing imaging conditions of the imaging device and information for explaining an imaging scene of the imaging device.

13. An imaging system according to claim 11, further comprising:

an image-capturing device that captures an image of an object to obtain an electronic image, wherein;

the signal demodulated by the demodulating unit contains information explaining an imaging scene, and

the information recording unit records the information explaining the imaging scene together with the electronic image into the recording medium.

14. An imaging system according to claim 12, further comprising:

an image-capturing device that captures an image of an object to obtain an electronic image, wherein;

the signal demodulated by the demodulating unit contains information explaining an imaging scene, and

the information recording unit records the information explaining the imaging scene together with the electronic image into the recording medium.