Image pickup device and method for automatically inputting predefined information and processing images thereof

• US 6,999,117 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2001
• Issued: 02/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamazaki, Yoshiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Ometz, David L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SELBY, GEVELL V
• Application Number:
  US09/855,539
• Publication Number:
  US 20020018138A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,735 Days
• Field of Search: 348/222, 348/231, 348/211.9, 348/333, 348/222.1, 348/161, 348/207.99, 348/208.14, 348/231.6, 396/297
• US Class Current: 348/222.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00127 Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00326 with a data reading, recognizing or recording apparatus, e.g. with a bar-code apparatus arrangements for the associated working of recording or reproducing apparatus with related apparatus G11B31/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00334 with an apparatus processing barcodes or the like arrangements for sensing record carriers G06K7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3242 of processing required or performed, e.g. for reproduction or before recording H04N2201/3256 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3252 Image capture parameters, e.g. resolution, illumination conditions, orientation of the image capture device H04N2201/3256 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/633 for displaying additional information relating to control or operation of the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

Abstract

When using a digital still camera to sense and capture an image of a medium with a bar code being recorded thereon for indication of information to be input to the digital still camera (such as information indicative of photographing conditions and/or information representing processing conditions of image processing), judgment is done to determine whether a region equivalent to the bar code is present within an image, and then a region equivalent to the bar code is extracted for analyzation of coded information as indicated by such bar code; if no contradiction is found in the coded information then let it be stored in a storage or “memory” region pursuant to the kind of such coded information. And the information thus stored will be used to perform setting of image pickup conditions and/or setup of image processing condition.

Claims

1. An image pickup device comprising:

an image pickup section which senses an optical image and converts said optical image into image information;

a recognition section which, if said optical image sensed by said image pickup section includes a medium displaying predefined information, recognizes said predefined information based on said image information obtained by said image pickup section;

a storage section which stores said predefined information recognized by said recognition section; and

a processing section which performs at least one of controlling image sensing by said image pickup section based on said predefined information, processing image information based on said predefined information, and making said predefined information correspond to associated image information,

wherein while in a photography mode, said image pickup device automatically prompts a user to enter into an information input mode upon recognition of said predefined information on said medium by said recognition section, and

wherein while in said information input mode, said storage section stores said predefined information recognized by said recognition section.

2. The image pickup device of claim 1, wherein said predefined information is coded and displayed at said medium in a visually recognizable form.

3. The image pickup device of claim 1, wherein said predefined information is one of text and an illustration displayed at said medium.

4. The image pickup device of claim 1, wherein said predefined information is any one of information relating to an image pickup condition of said image pickup section, information relating to processing of image information obtained by image sensing of said image pickup section, and information which is to be corresponded to image information obtained by image sensing of said image pickup section.

5. The image pickup device of claim 4, wherein said information relating to said image pickup condition includes image pickup condition information which regulates said image pickup condition, and said processing section controls such that image sensing is performed by said image pickup section with said image pickup condition being regulated by said image pickup condition information.

6. The image pickup device of claim 5, wherein said image pickup condition information is information which regulates at least one of a flash mode, an automatic exposure mode, turning automatic white balance adjustment on/off, and whether to allow saturation of gray tones at a highlighted area.

7. The image pickup device of claim 5, further comprising a selector section which selects information, wherein said storage section is capable of storing a plurality of kinds of said image pickup condition information, and said processing section controls such that image sensing is performed by said image pickup section with said image pickup condition being regulated by image pickup condition information selected, by said selector section, from said plurality of kinds of said image pickup condition information stored at said storage section.

8. The image pickup device of claim 7, further comprising a display section, wherein said information relating to said image pickup condition includes title information which represents a title of said image pickup condition information, and said selector section displays, based on said title information, a title of a selectable image pickup condition at said display section.

9. The image pickup device of claim 4, wherein said information relating to processing of image information includes processing condition information which regulates a processing condition of image processing on image information, and said processing section performs said image processing on image information with said processing condition being regulated by said processing condition information.

10. The image pickup device of claim 9, wherein said processing condition information is information which regulates at least one of a saturation enhancement degree, a sharpness enhancement degree, a processing condition of color conversion processing, a processing condition of density conversion processing, and turning a particular image processing on/off.

11. The image pickup device of claim 9, further comprising a selector section which selects information, wherein said storage section is capable of storing a plurality of kinds of said processing condition information, and said processing section performs said image processing on image information with a processing condition being regulated by processing condition information selected, by said selector section, from said plurality of kinds of said processing condition information stored at said storage section.

12. The image pickup device of claim 11, further comprising a display section, wherein said information relating to processing of image information includes title information which represents a title of said processing condition information, and said selector section displays, based on said title information, a title of a selectable processing condition at said display section.

13. The image pickup device of claim 4, wherein said information relating to processing of image information includes layout information which regulates a layout when image information representing an image is to be synthesized with other visually recognizable recordable information, and said processing section synthesizes a portion or all of said image information representing said image with said other information in said layout regulated by said layout information.

14. The image pickup device of claim 4, wherein said information relating to processing of image information includes at least one of processing condition information which regulates a processing condition of image processing on image information, title information which represents a title of said processing condition of image processing, and layout information which regulates a layout when image information representing an image is to be synthesized with other visually recognizable recordable information, and said processing section makes at least one of said processing condition information, said title information and said layout information to correspond to said image information.

15. The image pickup device of claim 4, wherein said information which is to be corresponded to said image information obtained by image sensing of said image pickup section includes at least one of classification information for classification of an image represented by said image information, text information which represents a text message which explains content of said image represented by said image information, and illustration information which represents an illustration to be added to said image represented by said image information, and said processing section performs one of making correspond to specific image information said information which is to be corresponded and synthesizing with said image information said information which is to be corresponded.

16. The image pickup device of claim 1, further comprising a notifying section which notifies the user if said recognition section recognizes the predefined information or fails to recognize the predefined information.

17. The image pickup device of claim 1, wherein if said image pickup device is sensing an optical image that includes a medium displaying coded predefined information in a visually recognizable form, said image pickup section performs image sensing with a fixedly predetermined image pickup condition.

18. The image pickup device of claim 1, further comprising a notifying section which judges whether a medium displaying coded predefined information in a visually recognizable form is included in said optical image sensed by said image pickup section, and notifies if said medium is judged to be included.

19. An image pickup device control method comprising the steps of:

sensing, with an image pickup device provided with an image pickup section which senses an optical image and converts said optical image into image information, a medium displaying predefined information to be input to said image pickup device;

inputting said predefined information into said image pickup device by recognizing said predefined information based on said image information obtained by image sensing, and storing said predefined information at a storage section; and

performing at least one of controlling image sensing by said image pickup section based on said predefined information, processing image information based on said predefined information, and making said predefined information correspond to associated image information,

wherein while in a photography mode, automatically prompting a user to enter into an information input mode upon recognition of said predefined information on said medium, and

wherein while in said information input mode, storing of said predefined information at said storage section.

20. An image processing method comprising the steps of:

sensing, with an image pickup device provided with an image pickup section which senses an optical image and converts said optical image into image information, a medium displaying processing information which regulates processing content when image information is to be processed;

inputting said processing information into said image pickup device by recognizing said processing information based on said image information obtained by image sensing and storing said processing information at a storage section;

making said processing information correspond to specific image information; and

sending said specific image information corresponded to said processing information to an image processing device, such that said specific image information is processed by said image processing device with said processing content being regulated by said processing information,

wherein while in a photography mode, automatically prompting a user to enter into an information input mode upon recognition of said predefined information on said medium, and

wherein while in said information input mode, storing of said predefined information at said storage section.

21. An image pickup device comprising:

an image pickup section which senses an optical image and converts said optical image to image information;

a recognition section which, if said optical image sensed by said image pickup section includes a medium displaying layout information which defines a layout employable during image synthesis, recognizes said layout information based on said image information obtained by image sensing;

a storage section which stores said layout information recognized by said recognition section; and

a generator section which, when image information of an image to be synthesized in accordance with said layout defined by said layout information is one of designated and inputted, generates one of composite image information, which represents a composite image in which said image to be synthesized is synthesized in accordance with said layout, and instruction information, which is for generation of said composite image information,

wherein while in a photography mode, said image pickup device automatically prompts a user to enter into an information input mode upon recognition of said layout information on said medium by said recognition section, and

wherein while in said information input mode, said storage section stores said layout information recognized by said recognition section.

22. The image pickup device of claim 21, wherein said layout information is coded and displayed at said medium in a visually recognizable form.

23. The image pickup device of claim 21, further comprising a selector section, wherein a plurality of kinds of layout information, which define mutually different layout patterns, are stored in said storage section, and said selector section selects layout information to be used during image synthesis.

24. The image pickup device of claim 23, further comprising a display section, wherein title information which represents a title of a layout defined by layout information is added to said layout information, and said selector section displays, based on said title information, a title of a selectable layout at said display section.

25. The image pickup device of claim 21, further comprising a selector section, wherein a plurality of image synthesizable synthesis regions are provided in said layout defined by said layout information, and said selector section selects a to-be-processed synthesis region from among said plurality of synthesis regions.

26. The image pickup device of claim 25, further comprising a display section, wherein said selector section displays said layout defined by said layout information at said display section such that an arrangement of said plurality of synthesis regions provided in said layout can be visually confirmed.

27. The image pickup device of claim 21, wherein after image synthesis has been instructed, said image information of said image to be synthesized in accordance with said layout defined by said layout information is inputted by said image pickup section sensing an optical image and image information obtained by image sensing being inputted.

28. The image pickup device of claim 21, further comprising a designation section, which designates said image to be synthesized in accordance with said layout defined by said layout information from among a plurality of images whose image information has been stored in said storage section by optical image sensing by said image pickup section.

29. The image pickup device of claim 21, further comprising a designation section which designates as said image to be synthesized a partial region of a specific image whose image information is stored in said storage section, wherein said generator section generates one of said composite image information and said instruction information based on position, shape and size of said region designated by said designation section, such that only said region is synthesized as said composite image.

30. An image pickup device control method comprising the steps of:

sensing, with an image pickup device provided with an image pickup section which senses an optical image and converts said optical image into image information, a medium displaying layout information which defines a layout for use when an image is to be synthesized;

inputting said layout information into said image pickup device by recognizing said layout information based on said image information obtained by image sensing and storing said layout information at a storage section; and

generating, after image information of an image to be synthesized in accordance with said layout defined by said layout information has been one of designated and inputted, one of composite image information, which represents a composite image in which said image to be synthesized is synthesized in accordance with said layout, and instruction information, which is for generation of said composite image information,

wherein while in a photography mode, automatically prompting a user to enter into an information input mode upon recognition of said layout information on said medium, and

wherein while in said information input mode, storing of said layout information at said storage section.

31. An image pickup device comprising:

an image pickup section which senses an optical image and converts said optical image to image information;

a recognition section which, if said optical image sensed by said image pickup section includes a medium displaying predefined information in a visually recognizable first format, recognizes said predefined information based on said image information obtained by image sensing;

a storage section which stores said predefined information recognized by said recognition section; and

an adder section which, when an image represented by said image information is to be recorded on a recording material, adds said predefined information to said image information to provide information to be recorded on the same recording material in a second format which is different from said first format,

wherein while in a photography mode, said image pickup device automatically prompts a user to enter into an information input mode upon recognition of said predefined information on said medium by said recognition section, and

wherein while in said information input mode, said storage section stores said predefined information recognized by said recognition section.

32. The image pickup device of claim 31, wherein said first format is a bar code.

33. The image pickup device of claim 31, wherein identification information indicating kind of said predefined information is added to said predefined information, and said recognition section recognizes said kind of said predefined information based on said identification information.

34. The image pickup device of claim 33, wherein said adder section decides said second format in accordance with said kind of said predefined information recognized by said recognition section, and adds information designating said second format to said image information with said predefined information.

35. The image pickup device of claim 31, wherein said predefined information is audio information, and said second format is an audio information representation format which represents said audio information such that sound represented by said audio information is easily reproducible.

36. The image pickup device of claim 31, wherein said predefined information is text information, and said second format is an image representation format which represents text represented by said text information as an image.

37. The image pickup device of claim 31, wherein said predefined information is illustration information, and said second format is an image representation format which represents an illustration represented by said illustration information as an image.

38. An image processing method comprising the steps of:

sensing, with an image pickup device provided with an image pickup section which senses an optical image and converts said optical image to image information, an image of a medium displaying, in a visually recognizable first format, predefined information which is to be recorded onto the same recording material as an image represented by image information;

inputting said predefined information to said image pickup device by recognizing said predefined information based on said image information obtained by image sensing and storing said predefined information at a storage section;

adding, when said image represented by image information is to be recorded onto the recording material, said predefined information to said image information, to provide information to be recorded on said recording material in a second format which is different from said first format; and

recording said predefined information onto said recording material in said second format when said image represented by image information, to which said predefined information has been added, is recorded onto said recording material,

wherein while in a photography mode, automatically prompting a user to enter into an information input mode upon recognition of said predefined information on said medium, and

wherein while in said information input mode, storing of said predefined information at said storage section.