Imaging device and wireless system

• US 9,094,086 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2013
• Issued: 07/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Takahashi, Tetsuyuki, Toyoda, Kiyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Tuan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Camargo, Marly
• Application Number:
  US14/096,677
• Publication Number:
  US 20140085526A1
• Time in Patent Office: 601 Days
• Field of Search: 348/333.02, 348/211.99, 348/211.2, 348/211.4, 348/211.8, 348/207.99, 348/211.3, 455/13.3, 455/25, 455/19, 455/63.4, 455/121, 455/526.1, 455/575.7, 725/105, 235/462.46, 235/472.02, 705 40- 44, 709/203, 709/218
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/061 Two dimensional planar arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/24 varying the orientation by switching energy from one active radiating element to another, e.g. for beam switching
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/26 varying the relative phase or relative amplitude of energisation between two or more active radiating elements; varying the distribution of energy across a radiating aperture H01Q3/12, H01Q3/22, H01Q3/24 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/16 Circuits
• 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 1/32122 in a separate device, e.g. in a memory or on a display separate from image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3205 of identification information, e.g. name or ID code H04N2201/3209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3245 of image modifying data, e.g. handwritten addenda, highlights or augmented reality information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3273 Display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3278 Transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet

Abstract

An imaging device includes: an imaging unit that captures images; a display unit that displays the images; an antenna arranged at a predetermined position relative to the imaging unit; an antenna control unit that changes the direction of maximum gain for the antenna and controls the directionality of the antenna; a wireless unit that, via the antenna, transmits search data to at least one wireless terminal and receives response data in relation to the search data; a signal strength detection unit that detects the reception strength of the response data; an identification information extraction unit that identifies identification information for the wireless terminal that is the transmission source for the response data; a record control unit that generates data sets associating the identification information, the reception strength, and the direction of maximum gain.

Claims

1. An imaging device comprising:

an image capturing unit that captures an image;

a display unit that displays the image;

an antenna that is disposed at a position determined in advance with respect to the image capturing unit;

an antenna control unit that controls directivity of the antenna by changing a maximum gain direction of the antenna;

a wireless unit that transmits searching data to one or more wireless terminals through the antenna and receives response data corresponding to the searching data;

a signal intensity detection unit that detects a reception intensity of the response data;

an identification information extraction unit that specifies identification information of the wireless terminal which is a transmission source of the response data;

a recording control unit that generates data sets in which the identification information, the reception intensity, and the maximum gain direction are associated with each other;

a recording unit that records the data sets;

a relative angle extraction unit that extracts the maximum gain direction of the data set having the reception intensity relatively greater than the other reception intensities among the data sets with the same identification information recorded in the recording unit, as a relative angle indicating a relative direction of the wireless terminal relative to the imaging device serving as a reference;

an estimated position calculation unit that calculates an estimated position of the wireless terminal on the display unit based on an angle of view of the display unit, the relative angle, a positional relation between the image capturing unit and the antenna, and the reception intensity; and

a display control unit that performs control such that the display unit displays the image and that superimposes and displays terminal information used to specify the wireless terminal corresponding to the identification information on the estimated position.

2. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the estimated position calculation unit calculates a distance between the imaging device and the wireless terminal based on the reception intensity and calculates the estimated position based on the angle of view, the relative angle, the positional relation between the image capturing unit and the antenna, and the distance.

3. The imaging device according to claim 1,

wherein the recording unit includes a conversion table generated in advance, and

wherein the estimated position calculation unit performs part of the calculation of the estimated position using a value read from the conversion table.

4. The imaging device according to claim 1,

wherein the recording unit includes a conversion table in which the estimated position calculated in advance based on the angle of view, the relative angle, the positional relation between the image capturing unit and the antenna, and the reception intensity corresponds to the reception intensity and the relative angle, and

wherein the estimated position calculation unit calculates the estimated position based on the relative angle, the reception intensity, and the conversion table.

5. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the antenna is an array antenna including a plurality of antenna elements and the antenna control unit controls the directivity by changing phases of signals applied to the antenna elements.

6. The imaging device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an instruction input detection unit that detects an instruction of an operator to perform wireless connection between the plurality of wireless terminals by detecting an instruction of the operator to select the terminal information displayed on the display unit; and

a wireless connection conversion control unit that performs control of transmission of control data regarding the wireless connection to at least one of the wireless terminals based on the instruction of the operator detected by the instruction input detection unit,

wherein the wireless unit transmits the control data.

7. A wireless system comprising:

the imaging device according to claim 6; and

the plurality of wireless terminals that switch connection between the wireless terminals based on the control data received from the imaging device.

8. The wireless system according to claim 7, wherein the wireless terminal performs wireless connection with the other wireless terminals and wireless connection with the imaging device using the same antenna and the same wireless unit.

9. The imaging device according to claim 2, wherein the antenna is an array antenna including a plurality of antenna elements and the antenna control unit controls the directivity by changing phases of signals applied to the antenna elements.

10. The imaging device according to claim 3, wherein the antenna is an array antenna including a plurality of antenna elements and the antenna control unit controls the directivity by changing phases of signals applied to the antenna elements.

11. The imaging device according to claim 4, wherein the antenna is an array antenna including a plurality of antenna elements and the antenna control unit controls the directivity by changing phases of signals applied to the antenna elements.