Image pickup apparatus and subject ID adding method

• US 7,646,409 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2005
• Issued: 01/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Tsuda, Yu, Shinohara, Koichiro, Kurimoto, Masayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Henn; Timothy J
• Application Number:
  US11/074,846
• Publication Number:
  US 20060038896A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,770 Days
• Field of Search: 348/211.2, 348/211.6, 348/231.99, 348/231.2, 348/231.3, 348/231.5, 348/231.6, 396/310
• US Class Current: 348/231.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32128 attached to the image data, e.g. file header, transmitted message header, information on the same page or in the same computer file as the image for information embedded in the image H04N1/32144
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3205 of identification information, e.g. name or ID code H04N2201/3209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3277 The additional information being stored in the same storage device as the image data

Abstract

An image pickup apparatus includes an image data acquisition part that acquires image data obtained by photographing a subject, a subject ID acquisition part that acquires, on the basis of a signal obtained from the subject, a subject ID to identify the subject, and a memory that stores the image data acquired by the image data acquisition part and the subject ID acquired by the subject ID acquisition part, the image data and the subject ID being related. A subject ID adding method includes acquiring image data obtained by photographing a subject, acquiring, on the basis of a signal obtained from the subject, a subject ID to identify the subject, and connecting the image data and the subject ID to store them.

Claims

1. An image pickup apparatus comprising:

an image data acquisition part that acquires image data obtained by photographing a subject;

a subject ID acquisition part that acquires, on the basis of a signal obtained from the subject, a subject ID to identify the subject;

a distance acquisition part that acquires a distance to the subject obtained when the subject is photographed;

wherein the subject ID acquisition part specifies, among signals obtained from a plurality of objects, a signal from the subject by comparing a distance to each of the objects with the distance acquired by the distance acquisition part; and

a memory that stores the image data acquired by the image data acquisition part and the subject ID acquired by the subject ID acquisition part, the image data and the subject ID being related.

2. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the subject ID acquisition part acquires the subject ID on the basis of the signal transmitted from an equipment held by the subject.

3. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the subject ID acquisition part acquires the subject ID on the basis of the signal transmitted from the equipment by an operation of the subject.

4. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the subject ID acquisition part acquires, as the subject ID, a serial number of a remote controller transmitted from the remote controller to enable photographing of the subject to be performed by an operation of the subject itself.

5. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the subject ID acquisition part acquires the subject ID on the basis of the signal transmitted from the equipment spontaneously without an operation of the subject.

6. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a transmitter that transmits a transmission request of the subject ID to the equipment,

wherein the subject ID acquisition part acquires the subject ID on the basis of the signal transmitted from the equipment in response to the transmission request transmitted by the transmitter.

7. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the subject ID acquisition part specifies, among signals obtained from a plurality of objects, a signal from the subject by comparing a direction of each of the objects with a front direction of photographing.

8. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a plurality of signal receivers that receive signals transmitted from the respective objects,

wherein the subject ID acquisition part specifies the direction of each of the objects on the basis of a difference between reception states of the signals by the respective signal receiver.

9. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a position specifying part that specifies a position of the subject on the image data by comparing a direction of the subject with a front direction of photographing,

wherein the memory stores the image data and information indicating the position specified by the position specifying part, the image data and the information being related.

10. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a position specifying part that specifies a position of the subject on the image data by comparing a direction of the subject with a front direction of photographing.

11. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the memory stores the image data and information indicating the position specified by the position specifying part, the image data and the information being related.

12. A subject ID adding method comprising:

acquiring image data obtained by photographing a subject;

acquiring, on the basis of a signal obtained from the subject, a subject ID to identify the subject,

acquiring a distance to the subject obtained when the subject is photographed; and

connecting the image data and the subject ID to store them;

wherein the signal is specified among signals obtained from a plurality of objects by comparing a distance to each of the objects with the distance acquired.

13. A subject ID adding method according to claim 12, wherein when the subject ID is acquired, the subject ID is acquired on the basis of the signal transmitted from an equipment held by the subject.

14. A subject ID adding method according to claim 13, wherein when the subject ID is acquired, the subject ID is acquired on the basis of the signal transmitted from the equipment by an operation of the subject.

15. A subject ID adding method according to claim 13, further comprising:

transmitting a transmission request of the subject ID to the equipment,

wherein when the subject ID is acquired, the subject ID is acquired on the basis of the signal transmitted from the equipment in response to the transmitted transmission request.

16. A subject ID adding method according to claim 12,

wherein when the subject ID is acquired, a signal from the subject is specified, among signals obtained from a plurality of objects, by comparing a distance to each of the objects with the acquired distance.

17. A subject ID adding method according to claim 12, wherein when the subject ID is acquired, a signal from the subject is specified, among signals obtained from a plurality of objects, by comparing a direction of each of the objects with a front direction of photographing.