Image capture device and method for recognizing irradiated position mark on object

• US 9,794,520 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2012
• Issued: 10/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Original Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Inventors: Kuroda, Kazuo, Yoshida, Ayako
• Primary Examiner(s): TORRENTE, RICHARD T
• Application Number:
  US14/425,275
• Publication Number:
  US 20150222857A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,868 Days
• Field of Search: 348107
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/143 Sensing or illuminating at different wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/245 by locating a pattern; Special marks for positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/224 of printed characters having additional code marks or containing code marks
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 25/04 using flat record carriers, e.g. disc, card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/19594 using a television camera or a still video camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/00 Indexing scheme relating to scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, and to details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/50 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/60 Control of cameras or camera modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/69 Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/74 by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/60 Noise processing, e.g. detecting, correcting, reducing or removing noise
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

A mark irradiation unit (130) irradiates an object with a mark. An image capture unit (140) captures an image of the object, and generates image data. Then, an image capture area data generation unit recognizes a position of the mark in the object, and cuts out image capture area data which is apart of the image data on the basis of the mark. For this reason, the mark irradiation unit (130) irradiates the object with the mark, and thus even when a positioning symbol is not printed on the object to be stored as the image data, only a necessary portion in the image data is cut out.

Claims

1. An image capture device, comprising:

a mark irradiation unit which irradiates an object with a mark;

an image capture unit which captures an image of the object and generates image data;

an image capture area data generation unit which recognizes a position of the mark in the image data, and cuts out image capture area data which is a part of the image data based on the position of the mark;

a control unit which controls an irradiation angle of the mark by using a direction of the object when based on the image capture unit, and a distance from the object to the image capture unit;

a holding member which holds the image capture unit;

a guide member to which the holding member is attached to be movable and rotatable;

a pedestal to which the guide member is attached;

an angle detection unit which detects an angle of the holding member with respect to the guide member; and

a position detection unit which detects a position of the holding member in the guide member,

wherein the control unit calculates the direction of the object when based on the image capture unit by using a detection result of the angle detection unit, and calculates a distance of the image capture unit with respect to the object by using a detection result of the position detection unit,

wherein the image capture area data generation unit calculates the position of the mark in the image data based on a field angle of the image capture unit, an irradiation direction of the mark irradiation unit, and a distance from the object to the image capture unit and the mark irradiation unit.

2. The image capture device according to claim 1, wherein the image capture area data generation unit corrects a distortion of the image capture area data based on the position of the mark in the image capture area data or a shape of the mark.

3. The image capture device according to claim 1, wherein the image capture area data generation unit stores correction parameters for correcting a distortion of the image capture area data due to an individual difference in at least one of the image capture unit and the mark irradiation unit, and corrects the image capture area data by using the correction parameters.

4. The image capture device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an illumination unit which irradiates the object with illumination light.

5. The image capture device according to claim 4, wherein the illumination unit emits a plurality of colors of light as the illumination light.

6. The image capture device according to claim 5, further comprising:

an illumination control unit which controls intensities of the plurality of colors of light independently of each other,

wherein the image capture area data generation unit receives illumination parameters indicating each intensity of the plurality of colors of light from the illumination control unit, and corrects the image capture area data by using the illumination parameters.

7. The image capture device according to claim 4, wherein the mark irradiation unit irradiates a region corresponding to the image capture area data in the object with character information when the image capture unit generates the image data, and

the character information indicates illumination parameters used for controlling the illumination unit.

8. The image capture device according to claim 1, wherein the mark irradiation unit irradiates a region corresponding to the image capture area data in the object with character information when the image capture unit generates the image data.

9. An image processing method, comprising:

capturing, by an image capture unit, an image of an object and generating image data in a state in which the object is irradiated with a mark by a mark irradiation unit;

recognizing a position of the mark in the image data and cutting out image capture area data which is a part of the image data on the basis of the mark by using a computer;

controlling an irradiation angle of the mark by using a direction of the object when based on the capturing, and a distance from the object to the image capture unit, wherein a holding member holds the image capture unit, a guide member is attached to the holding member to be movable and rotatable, and a pedestal is attached to the guide member;

detecting an angle of the holding member with respect to the guide member; and

detecting a position of the holding member in the guide member,

wherein the direction of the object, when based on the image capture unit, is calculated by using a detection result of the detecting the angle, and a distance of the image capture unit with respect to the object is calculated by using a detection result of the detecting the position, and

wherein the position of the mark in the image data is calculated based on a field angle of the image capture unit, an irradiation direction of the mark irradiation unit, and a distance from the object to the image capture unit and the mark irradiation unit.