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

• US 20060110145A1
• Filed: 09/20/2005
• Published: 05/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• 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
• Granted Patent: US 7,415,202 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 396/14
• 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 that are arranged so as to surround the light receiving portion; and

each of the light sources is adjusted to emit light of an intensity corresponding to an arrangement position.

2. The image taking device according to claim 1, wherein each of the light sources is adjusted to emit light of an intensity that is higher as a distance between the arrangement position thereof and the center of an image taking range increases.

3. 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.

4. The image taking device according to claim 3, 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.

5. The image taking device according to claim 3, control of the lighting device is performed in accordance with a length of an exposure time.

6. The image taking device according to claim 3, control of the lighting device is performed in accordance with exposure timing.

9. 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.

10. 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 4, 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.

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

irradiating light from the light source to an object having a uniform reflection factor;

receiving reflected light from the object by a light receiving portion that is provided to the image taking device;

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 becomes identical to each other and that the intensity of light irradiated by the light source disposed farther from the light receiving portion becomes higher in accordance with the luminous intensity information.

8. A computer program that is used for controlling a plurality of light sources for irradiating light to a subject, the light sources being provided to an image taking device for taking an image of a subject, the computer program makes a computer execute processes including:

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

a process for 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 becomes identical to each other and that the intensity of light irradiated by the light source disposed farther from the light receiving portion becomes higher in accordance with the luminous intensity information.