Card type camera with image processing function

• US 6,118,485 A
• Filed: 11/24/1997
• Issued: 09/12/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Taki, Tetsuya, Toda, Hiroyoshi, Horikawa, Toyofumi, Nakanishi, Masako, Hinoue, Sadahiko
• Primary Examiner(s): HO, TUAN V
• Application Number:
  US08/976,581
• Time in Patent Office: 1,023 Days
• Field of Search: 348/207, 348/220, 348/231, 348/223, 348/373, 348/374, 348/375, 348/552, 348/578, 348/232, 358/335
• US Class Current: 348/373
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/005 Input arrangements through a video camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00129 with a display device, e.g. CRT or LCD monitor with a television apparatus H04N1/00283; arrangements for control of display devices G09G
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2137 with temporary storage before final recording, e.g. in a frame buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0051 Card-type connector, e.g. PCMCIA card interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0077 Types of the still picture apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/531 being rotatable or detachable
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/60 Control of cameras or camera modules

Abstract

An IC card unit has a memory, various types of image processing sections, and an IC card interface and, when fitted to an external information processing device, it is contained therein. An image input unit, which has an image forming part and an image pick-up part and which is protruded outward of the information processing device, captures an image of a subject. The image processing sections execute image processing on image data written into the memory, and converts the data into image data optimum for display by an image display of the information processing device. The IC card interface transmits image data that has undergone the image processing to the information processing device side, enabling real-time monitoring. Access from the information processing device side is enabled so that image processing conditions and the like can be set.

Claims

1. An IC card camera comprising:

an image input unit having an image forming part for forming an image of a subject on an image forming surface and an image pick-up part for capturing the image on said image forming surface and generating digital image data; and

a camera body having a memory, a memory controller, and a connector, said camera body being directly coupled to said image input unit and being an IC card insertable into a card slot of an external information processing device,

image data from said image input unit being stored in said memory and the stored image data being transferred to the external information processing device electrically connected to the IC card camera via said connector,

said camera body further including

image processing means for implementing image processing on image data transferred from said image input unit and on image data read from said memory, and

an interface, connected to said connector and to said memory, said memory controller, and said image processing means, for enabling data transmission and reception between at least one of said memory, said memory controller and said image processing means, and the external information processing device.

2. The IC card camera according to claim 1, wherein said image processing means comprises:

error diffusion means for implementing an error diffusion process on image data transferred from said image input unit and on image data read from said memory; and

adaptive binarizing means for implementing an adaptive binarization process, in which a threshold is adaptively changed according to an ambient brightness, on image data transferred from said image input unit and on image data read from said memory.

3. The IC card camera according to claim 2, wherein said image processing means further comprises brightness conversion means for implementing a brightness conversion process on the image data by referring to a conversion table.

4. The IC card camera according to claim 2, wherein said image processing means further comprises edge enhancement means for implementing an edge enhancement process by which a brightness value of a pixel having more than a specified difference in brightness from brightness values of neighboring pixels is further enhanced based on the image data.

5. The IC card camera according to claim 2, wherein said image processing means further comprises edge amount detection means for detecting a number of pixels having more than a specified difference in brightness from brightness of neighboring pixels as an edge amount based on the image data.

6. The IC card camera according to claim 2, wherein said image processing means further comprises hand-movement correction means for detecting a shift amount between two field images constituting a frame image as an offset amount for a read address of either one of the two field images based on the image data transferred from said image input unit and transferring the offset amount to said memory controller as address information for reading the frame image from said memory.

7. The IC card camera according to claim 6, wherein said hand-movement correction means comprises:

difference calculating means for calculating differences between brightness values of a plurality of representative pixels in either one of the two field images constituting the frame image and brightness values of all pixels in a specified area taking pixels in the other field image corresponding to the plurality of representative pixels each as a reference position, based on the image data transferred from said image input unit;

remaining-difference table generating means for generating a remaining-difference table by adding absolute values of the differences relating to corresponding pixels in each specified area for every specified area, based on calculation results by said difference calculating means; and

offset detecting means for detecting a shift amount from a reference position of an element that gives a minimum value in said remaining-difference table as an offset value for a read address of the other field image.

8. The IC card camera according to claim 1, further comprising:

a shutter switch for outputting an interrupt signal when actuated; and

a shutter sound generator for generating a shutter sound upon reception of a sound signal transferred from the external information processing device based on the interrupt signal,

said interface enabling signal transmission and reception between said shutter switch and said shutter sound generator, and the external information processing device.

9. An IC card camera comprising:

an image input unit having an image forming part for forming an image of a subject on an image forming surface and an image pick-up part for capturing the image on said image forming surface and generating digital image data; and

a camera body having a memory, a memory controller, and a connector, said camera body being directly coupled to said image input unit and being an IC card,

image data from said image input unit being stored in said memory and the stored image data being transferred to an external information processing device electrically connected to the IC card camera via said connector,

said camera body being insertable into said external information processing device through a card slot provided in said external information processing device.

10. The IC card camera according to claim 9, wherein said image input unit is directly coupled to an end portion of said camera body on a side opposite to a side of said camera body which is insertable into said external information processing device,

said image input unit protruding out of said external information processing device when said camera body is fitted to and electrically connected to said external information processing device.

11. The IC card camera according to claim 10, wherein said image input unit has a body and said image forming part is movably coupled with said body, a direction of an incident-side optical axis of said image forming part is changeable relative to a direction in which said camera body extends.

12. The IC card camera according to claim 9, wherein said image input unit is provided independently of said camera body, said image input unit comprising:

image data transfer means for transferring image data derived from said image input unit to said camera body.

13. The IC card camera according to claim 12, wherein said image input unit and said camera body each have connecting means for connecting said image input unit and said camera body to each other and attaching means for removably attaching said image input means and said camera body to each other,

said image data transfer means transferring image data derived from said image input unit separated from said camera body to said camera body via said connecting means.

14. The IC card camera according to claim 9, further comprising:

a shutter switch for outputting an interrupt signal when actuated;

a shutter sound generator for generating a shutter sound upon reception of a sound signal transferred from said external information processing device based on the interrupt signal; and

an interface for enabling signal transmission and reception between said shutter switch and said shutter sound generator, and said external information processing device.

15. An IC card camera comprising:

an image input unit having an image forming part for forming an image of a subject on an image forming surface and an image pick-up part for capturing the image on said image forming surface and generating digital image data;

a camera body having a memory, a memory controller, and a connector, said camera body being directly coupled to said image input unit and being an IC card,

image data from said image input unit being stored in said memory and the stored image data being transferred to an external information processing device electrically connected to the IC card camera via said connector;

a shutter switch for outputting an interrupt signal when actuated;

a shutter sound generator, on the IC card, for generating a shutter sound upon reception of a sound signal transferred from said external information processing device based on the interrupt signal; and

an interface for enabling signal transmission and reception between said shutter switch and said shutter sound generator, and said information processing device.

16. An IC camera comprising:

an imaging unit including imaging means for generating image signals corresponding to an image of a subject and image forming means for focusing the image of the subject on said imaging means; and

a camera body having a processor and a memory, said processor processing the image signals generated by said imaging means and storing the processed image signals in said memory, said camera body being mounted to said imaging unit and being an IC card,

said camera body being insertable into a card slot of an external information processing device for communication of processed image signals therebetween, only said imaging unit protruding from said external information processing device when said camera body is inserted into the card slot of said external information processing device.

17. The IC camera of claim 16, wherein said camera body is detachably mounted to said imaging unit.

18. The IC camera of claim 17, further comprising image data transfer means for transferring the image signals between said imaging unit and said camera body when said imaging unit and said camera body are detached.

19. The IC camera of claim 16, wherein said image forming means is adjustably coupled to said imaging means to have an optical axis which is directionally variable.

20. The IC camera of claim 16, wherein said camera body as inserted into said external information processing device is hand-held and portable.

21. The IC card camera of claim 16, further comprising:

a shutter switch for outputting an interrupt signal when actuated;

a shutter sound generator for generating a shutter sound upon reception of a sound signal transferred from said external information processing device based on the interrupt signal; and

an interface for enabling signal transmission and reception between said shutter switch and said shutter sound generator, and said external information processing device.

22. An IC card camera comprising:

imaging means for generating image signals corresponding to an image of a subject;

an optical lens for focusing the image of the subject on said imaging means;

a memory, coupled to said imaging means, for storing the generated image signals;

processing means, coupled to said memory, for processing the stored image signals to provide processed image signals; and

an IC card connector, coupled to said processing means, for providing the processed image signals to an external information processing device,

said memory, said processing means and said IC card connector being on an IC card,

said IC card being insertable into a card slot of the external information processing device, only said imaging means and said optical lens protruding from the external information processing device when said IC card is inserted into the card slot.

23. The IC card camera of claim 22, wherein said imaging means is mounted to an end of said IC card, the IC card camera further comprising:

coupling means for mounting said optical lens to said imaging means such that a direction of an optical axis of said optical lens relative to a longitudinal axis of said IC card is variable.

24. The IC card camera of claim 23, wherein said mounting means is a hinge mechanism.

25. The IC card camera of claim 22, wherein said processing means comprises:

error diffusion means, coupled to said memory, for performing an error diffusion process on the stored image signals to provide the processed image signals.

26. The IC card camera of claim 22, wherein said processing means comprises:

adaptive binarizing means, coupled to said memory, for performing an adaptive binarization process, in which a threshold is adaptively changed according to an ambient brightness, on the stored image signals to provide the processed image signals.

27. The IC card camera of claim 22, wherein said imaging means and said optical lens are removably coupled to said IC card.

28. An IC card camera comprising:

an image input unit having an image forming part for forming an image of a subject on an image forming surface and an image pick-up part for capturing the image on said image forming surface and generating digital image data; and

an IC card camera body having a memory, a memory controller, and a connector, said IC card camera body being directly coupled to said image input unit and being connectable to an external information processing device,

image data from said image input unit being stored in said memory and the stored image data being transferred to the external information processing device electrically connected to the IC card camera via said connector,

said IC card camera body further including

image processing means for implementing image processing on image data transferred from said image input unit and on image data read from said memory, and

an interface, connected to said connector and to said memory, said memory controller, and said image processing means, for enabling data transmission and reception between at least one of said memory, said memory controller and said image processing means, and the external information processing device.

29. The IC card camera according to claim 28, wherein said image input unit is directly coupled to an end portion of said IC card camera body on a side opposite to a side of said IC card camera body which is connectable to the external information processing device,

said image input unit protruding out of the external information processing device when said IC card camera body is fitted to and electrically connected to the external information processing device.

30. The IC card camera according to claim 29, wherein said image input unit has a body and said image forming part is movably coupled with said body, a direction of an incident-side optical axis of said image forming part is changeable relative to a direction in which said IC card camera body extends.

31. The IC card camera according to claim 28, wherein said image input unit is provided independently of said IC card camera body, said image input unit comprising:

image data transfer means for transferring image data derived from said image input unit to said IC card camera body.

32. The IC card camera according to claim 31, wherein said image input unit and said IC card camera body each have connecting means for connecting said image input unit and said IC card camera body to each other and attaching means for removably attaching said image input unit and said IC card camera body to each other,

said image data transfer means transferring image data derived from said image input unit separated from said IC card camera body to said IC card camera body via said connecting means.

33. An IC card camera comprising:

an image input unit having an image forming part for forming an image of a subject on an image forming surface and an image pick-up part for capturing the image on said image forming surface and generating digital image data; and

a camera body having a memory, a memory controller, and a connector, said camera body being directly coupled to said image input unit and being an IC card connectable to an external information processing device,

image data from said image input unit being stored in said memory and the stored image data being transferred to the external information processing device electrically connected to the IC card camera via said connector,

said camera body further including

image processing means for implementing image processing on image data transferred from said image input unit and on image data read from said memory, and

an interface, connected to said connector and to said memory, said memory controller, and said image processing means, for enabling data transmission and reception between at least one of said memory, said memory controller and said image processing means, and the external information processing device,

said image input unit being directly coupled to an end portion of said camera body on a side opposite to a side of said camera body which is connectable to the external information processing device,

said image input unit protruding out of the external information processing device when said camera body is fitted to and electrically connected to the external information processing device.