Image taking device, method for controlling light sources and computer program

• US 7,415,202 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2005
• Issued: 08/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Sasaki, Shigeru, Aoki, Takahiro, Watanabe, Masaki, Endoh, Toshio, Fukui, Satoshi, Fukuda, Mitsuaki, Chinzei, Kiyoshi, Kimura, Shuji, Sugiura, Takayuki, Miki, Atsushi, Gotoh, Mitsuhiro, Nakano, Mieko, Fujimoto, Naoyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Perkey; W. B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Suthar; Rishi S
• Application Number:
  US11/229,571
• Publication Number:
  US 20060110145A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,064 Days
• Field of Search: 396/14, 396/15, 396/18, 396/199, 396/164, 396/182, 348/370, 348/371, 348/175, 348/176, 348/187, 348/188, 362/5, 362/11, 362/18
• US Class Current: 396/164
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/02 Illuminating scene
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/03 Combinations of cameras with lighting apparatus; Flash units
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/02 Bodies
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2215/0517 Housing
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2215/0539 Ringflash
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2215/0557 Multiple units, e.g. slave-unit
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/141 Control of illumination
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/145 Illumination specially adapted for pattern recognition, e.g. using gratings
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 2201/121 using special illumination
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/107 Static hand or arm
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/145 Sensors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/54 Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means

Abstract

An image taking device with a lighting device includes a light irradiating portion for irradiating light to a subject and a light receiving portion for receiving reflected light from the subject that is irradiated by the light. The light irradiating portion is structured to have a plurality of light sources that are arranged so as to surround the light receiving portion. Each of the light sources is adjusted to emit light of an intensity corresponding to an arrangement position.

Claims

1. An image taking device with a lighting device, comprising;

a light irradiating portion for irradiating light to a subject;

a light receiving portion for receiving reflected light from the subject that is irradiated by the light from the light irradiating portion;

the light irradiating portion including a plurality of light sources, the plurality of light sources being arranged so as to surround the light receiving portion and so as to be substantially flush with one another, and such that only one of the light sources is provided on any line extending from the light receiving portion; and

each of the light sources is adjusted to emit light of an intensity corresponding to a respective distance from the light receiving portion, the intensity increasing as the respective distance between an arrangement position of each of the light sources and the center of an image taking range increases.

2. The image taking device according to claim 1, further comprising a control portion for adjusting an intensity of light that is emitted from each of the light sources by performing a control of current supplied to each of the light sources.

3. The image taking device according to claim 2, further comprising a luminous intensity information obtaining portion for obtaining luminous intensity information that indicates intensity of light that the subject receives from each of the light sources in accordance with reflected light received by the light receiving portion, the reflected light being received from an object having a uniform reflection factor when each of the light sources irradiate light to the object, wherein the control portion performs the control in accordance with the luminous intensity information so that intensities of light emitted by the light sources having the same distance from the light receiving portion become the same value.

4. The image taking device according to claim 2, control of the lighting device is performed in accordance with a length of an exposure time.

5. The image taking device according to claim 2, control of the lighting device is performed in accordance with exposure timing.

8. A personal authentication system for authenticating a person, comprising:

an image taking device according to claim 1;

a storage portion for storing an image of each person in connection with ID information for identifying the person, the image of each person being taken in advance;

an input portion for entering ID information; and

an authenticating portion for authenticating a person who entered the ID information by comparing the image corresponding to the ID information stored in the storage portion with the image obtained by the image taking device that takes an image of the person who entered the ID information for authentication.

9. A personal authentication system for authenticating a person in a plurality of facilities, comprising:

an input portion for entering ID information for identifying a person and an image taking device according to claim 3, which are provided for each of the facilities; and

a server that is connected to each of the image taking devices, the sewer including

a storage portion for storing an image of each person in connection with ID information of the person, the image of each person being taken in advance, and an authenticating portion for authenticating a person who entered the ID information by comparing the image stored in the storage portion corresponding to the ID information entered by the input portion with the image obtained by the image taking device that takes an image of the person who entered the ID information for authentication.

6. A method for controlling a plurality of light sources for irradiating light to a subject, the plurality of light sources being provided for an image taking device for taking an image of a subject, the method comprising:

irradiating light from the plurality of light sources to an object having a uniform reflection factor;

receiving reflected light from the object by a light receiving portion, the receiving portion being provided for the image taking device and being substantially surrounded by the plurality of light sources;

obtaining luminous intensity information indicating intensities of light that the subject receives from the light sources in accordance with the received reflected light from the object; and

adjusting intensities of light irradiated by the light sources when taking an image so that the intensities of light, irradiated by the light sources disposed at positions of the same distance from the light receiving portion, become identical to each other and so that the intensities of light irradiated by the light sources disposed farther from the light receiving portion become higher in accordance with the luminous intensity information.

7. A computer readable medium storing a program which causes a computer to control a plurality of light sources for irradiating light to a subject, the plurality of light sources being provided for an image taking device for taking an image of a subject, the program causing the computer to execute processes comprising:

a process obtaining luminous intensity information indicating respective intensities of light that the subject receives from the plural light sources in accordance with reflected light received by a light receiving portion provided for the image taking device, the image taking device being substantially surrounded by the plurality of light sources, the reflected light being received from an object having a uniform reflection factor when each of the light sources irradiates light to the object; and

a process adjusting intensities of respective light irradiated by the plural light sources when taking an image so that the intensities of light irradiated by the plural light sources disposed at positions of the same distance from the light receiving portion become identical to each other and so that the intensities of respective light irradiated by the plural light source disposed farther from the light receiving portion become higher, in accordance with the luminous intensity information.

10. An image taking device comprising:

a light receiving portion to receive light reflected from a subject; and

a plurality of light sources provided at various positions around the light receiving portion, so as to be substantially flush with one another, and such that only one of the light sources is provided on any line extending from the light receiving portion, to emit light onto the subject;

wherein a respective intensity of each of the light sources increases corresponding to an increased distance from the light receiving portion.

11. An image taking device with a lighting device, comprising:

a light irradiating portion for irradiating light to a subject;

a light receiving portion for receiving reflected light from the subject that is irradiated by the light from the light irradiating portion;

the light irradiating portion including a plurality of light sources, the plurality of light sources being arranged so as to surround the light receiving portion;

each of the light sources is adjusted to emit light of an intensity corresponding to a respective distance from the light receiving portion;

a control portion for adjusting an intensity of light that is emitted from each of the light sources by performing a control of current supplied to each of the light sources; and

a luminous intensity information obtaining portion for obtaining luminous intensity information that indicates intensity of light that the subject receives from each of the light sources in accordance with reflected light received by the light receiving portion, the reflected light being received from an object having a uniform reflection factor when each of the light sources irradiate light to the object, wherein the control portion performs the control in accordance with the luminous intensity information so that intensities of light emitted by the light sources having the same distance from the light receiving portion become the same value.

12. A personal authentication system for authenticating a person in a plurality of facilities, comprising:

an input portion for entering ID information for identifying a person and an image taking device according to claim 11, which are provided for each of the facilities; and

a server that is connected to each of the image taking devices, the sewer including

a storage portion for storing an image of each person in connection with ID information of the person, the image of each person being taken in advance, and an authenticating portion for authenticating a person who entered the lD information by comparing the image stored in the storage portion corresponding to the ID information entered by the input portion with the image obtained by the image taking device that takes an image of the person who entered the ID information for authentication.

13. An image taking device with a lighting device, comprising:

a light irradiating portion for irradiating light to a subject;

a light receiving portion for receiving reflected light from the subject that is irradiated by the light from the light irradiating portion;

the light irradiating portion including a plurality of light sources, the plurality of light sources being arranged so as to surround the light receiving portion;

wherein each of the light sources is adjusted to emit light of an intensity corresponding to a respective distance from the light receiving portion, the intensity increasing as the respective distance between an arrangement position of each of the light sources and the center of an image taking range increases; and

a luminous intensity information obtaining portion for obtaining luminous intensity information that indicates intensity of light that the subject receives from each of the light sources in accordance with reflected light received by the light receiving portion, the reflected light being received from an object having a uniform reflection factor when each of the light sources irradiate light to the object, wherein the control portion performs the control in accordance with the luminous intensity information so that intensities of light emitted by the light sources having the same distance from the light receiving portion become the same value.

14. A personal authentication system for authenticating a person in a plurality of facilities, comprising:

an input portion for entering ID information for identifying a person and an image taking device according to claim 13, which are provided for each of the facilities; and

a server that is connected to each of the image taking devices, the server including a storage portion for storing an image of each person in connection with ID information of the person, the image of each person being taken in advance, and an authenticating portion for authenticating a person who entered the ID information by comparing the image stored in the storage portion corresponding to the ID information entered by the input portion with the image obtained by the image taking device that takes an image of the person who entered the ID information for authentication.

15. An image taking device with a lighting device, comprising:

a light irradiating portion for irradiating light to a subject;

a light receiving portion for receiving reflected light from the subject that is irradiated by the light from the light irradiating portion;

the light irradiating portion including a plurality of light sources, the plurality of light sources being arranged so as to surround the light receiving portion, and such that only one of the light sources is provided on any line extending from the light receiving portion;

wherein each of the light sources is adjusted to emit light of an intensity corresponding to a respective distance from the light receiving portion, the intensity increasing as the respective distance between an arrangement position of each of the light sources and the center of an image taking range increases;

a control portion for adjusting an intensity of light that is emitted from each of the light sources by performing a control of current supplied to each of the light sources; and

a luminous intensity information obtaining portion for obtaining luminous intensity information that indicates intensity of light that the subject receives from each of the light sources in accordance with reflected light received by the light receiving portion, the reflected light being received from an object having a uniform reflection factor when each of the light sources irradiate light to the object, wherein the control portion performs the control in accordance with the luminous intensity information so that intensities of light emitted by the light sources having the same distance from the light receiving portion become the same value.

16. A personal authentication system for authenticating a person in a plurality of facilities, comprising:

an input portion for entering ID information for identifying a person and an image taking device according to claim 15, which are provided for each of the facilities; and

a sewer that is connected to each of the image taking devices, the sewer including

a storage portion for storing an image of each person in connection with ID information of the person, the image of each person being taken in advance, and an authenticating portion for authenticating a person who entered the ID information by comparing the image stored in the storage portion corresponding to the ID information entered by the input portion with the image obtained by the image taking device that takes an image of the person who entered the ID information for authentication.