JP3288019B2 - Digital camera - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a digital camera, and more particularly, to a digital camera used for photographing architectural and civil engineering work sites.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In civil engineering and construction work, it is necessary to submit a construction status report together with a photograph of the situation at the construction site to a government office in charge. This photograph needs to include information such as the construction date and the construction details to be compared with the construction site photograph. Therefore, conventionally, a method in which the construction date, the construction content, and the like are written on a small blackboard is placed on a construction site, and this is photographed with a camera together with the construction status.

[0003]

However, in the above-described photographing, it is necessary for the photographer to manually stand the blackboard together with the photographer. Therefore, not only labor costs are incurred,
In places such as rooftops, there is a danger in leaning the blackboard. In addition, it is not easy to lean the blackboard in wall works at high places. As described above, the conventional photographing method in the construction and civil engineering work site has a problem that photographing is costly and dangerous.

[0004] In view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, an object of the present invention is to reduce photographing costs and secure safety in photographing a building and civil engineering work site.

[0005]

According to the present invention, there is provided a digital camera, comprising: an imaging unit for photographing a main image; a character input unit for inputting character data; and a storage unit for storing image data as a background of the character data. A sub-image creating unit that combines the image data and the character data to form a sub-image, a display unit that displays the main image, and the sub-image at an arbitrary position on the main image displayed on the display unit. The image processing apparatus further includes a sub-image operating unit for arranging an image, and a recording unit for recording an image in a state where the sub-image is arranged on the main image (claim 1). In the digital camera configured as described above, the sub-image based on the combined data of the character data and the background data is arranged on the main image of the display unit by the sub-image operating means, and the image in this state is recorded on the recording means. .

In the above digital camera (claim 1), the sub-image operating means has an input means for changing a display shape of the sub-image, and the sub-image creating means has a sub-image in a display shape designated by the input means. (Claim 2). In this case, by adjusting the input means according to the angle of shooting,
It is possible to change the display shape of the sub-image.

In the above digital camera (claim 1), the sub-image operating means has an input means for changing a display size of the sub-image, and the sub-image creating means has the sub-image at the display size designated by the input means. (Claim 3). In this case, the size of the sub-image can be changed by performing adjustment by the input unit in accordance with the distance of the subject in the main image.

In the above digital camera, the sub-image operating means has an input means for changing the brightness of the sub-image, and the sub-image creating means creates the sub-image with the brightness designated by the input means. (Claim 4). In this case, the brightness of the sub-image can be changed by performing adjustment by the input unit in accordance with the brightness of the subject in the main image.

[0009]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a digital camera according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, respective signals are input to a control unit 1 from an imaging unit 2, a character input unit 3, a sub-image operation unit 4, and a changeover switch 5. In addition, from the control unit 1, the display unit 6
And an output to the recording unit 7. The control unit 1 determines that R
It is connected to the OM 8 and the RAM 9. The control unit 1
Together with the ROM 8 and the RAM 9 constitute "sub-image creating means". On the other hand, the sub image operation unit 4
Along with the control unit 1 and the RAM 9, “sub-image operation unit”
Is composed. Further, the recording unit 7 constitutes “recording means” together with the control unit 1.

[0010] Of the above components, the control unit 1, the imaging unit 2, the changeover switch 5, the display unit 6, the recording unit 7, the ROM 8, and the RA
M9 is provided in the main body of the digital camera. Although the character input unit 3 and the sub-image operation unit 4 can be provided integrally with the main unit, it is preferable to provide them separately via a cable in order to make the main unit compact. When provided separately, the character input unit 3 and the sub-image operation unit 4 are preferably housed in a common case.

The imaging unit 2 includes a CCD camera, converts an image of a subject into a digital signal, and inputs the digital signal to the control unit 1. The character input unit 3 is an input board such as an electronic blackboard. The character input unit 3 is responsive to the pen pressure when a character is handwritten with a predetermined pen on an area on which a predetermined construction content description sheet 31 is stuck as shown in FIG. Then, an electric signal corresponding to the handwriting is generated.
This electric signal is converted into a digital signal, and the control unit 1
Is input to Accordingly, when character data such as a construction name is input by handwriting to the character input unit 3, an image signal of the character is converted into a digital signal and input to the control unit 1. The control unit 1 stores this in the RAM 9. RAM
9 is provided with a memory area corresponding to the coordinate position on the area. To erase the handwritten characters, the characters are erased with a blackboard eraser (not shown), and the clear button 32 provided outside the area is operated. Thereby, the control unit 1 converts the handwritten input character data into RA data.
Erase from M9.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of operation switches and the like of the sub-image operation section 4. An alternate input switch 41, a brightness adjustment switch 42, a size adjustment switch 43, a pad 44 as a pointing device,
A left switch 45 and a right switch 46 are provided.
By turning on the input switch 41, an operation signal from the sub-image operation unit 4 can be sent to the control unit 1. The operation signal can be reset by performing the off operation. The brightness adjustment switch 42 is for sending a signal for adjusting the brightness of the sub-image described later to the control unit 1. The brightness increases when the + side is pressed, and decreases when the-side is pressed. The size adjustment switch 43 is for sending a signal for adjusting the size of the sub-image to the control unit 1. The size is increased by pressing the + side, and reduced by pressing the-side.

Returning to FIG. 1, the changeover switch 5 is a switch for switching the digital camera between a camera mode and a playback mode. The camera mode is selected at the time of shooting, and the playback mode is set at the time of playback of a recorded image. Selected. The display unit 6 is a liquid crystal display (LCD), which is a viewfinder of a digital camera, and serves as a display during reproduction. The recording unit 7
A floppy disk drive and a floppy disk for recording image data. ROM 8 above
The sheet 31 for describing the construction contents in FIG.
The image data of the blackboard corresponding to the character / figure is stored. It should be noted that a plurality of types of the image data may be stored in accordance with the type of the blackboard, and the image data may be separately used together with the sheet for describing the work content. Other known components of the digital camera are not shown.

Next, the photographing of the construction and civil engineering work site by the digital camera configured as described above will be described. First, a digital camera is installed (or held) at a construction and civil engineering work site to be photographed. Next, the changeover switch 5 is set to the camera mode, and the construction contents of the construction and civil engineering work site to be photographed are written by hand on the character input unit 3 with a predetermined pen (FIG. 2B).
reference). If the entry is incorrect, the character is deleted and the clear button 32 is pressed to delete the character data stored in the RAM 9, and then the character is input again.

Next, while looking at the display section 6 of the digital camera, the composition of the photographing of the architectural civil engineering work site to be the main image is determined. When the composition is determined, the sub-image is arranged in the main image. First, the input switch 41 (FIG. 3) is turned on to set the sub image display mode. FIG. 6 shows the control unit 1
9 is a flowchart of sub-image processing that is repeatedly performed in FIG. In step 101 of the figure, the control unit 1
It is determined whether the sub-image display mode has been selected. When the input switch 41 is turned on, the control unit 1 proceeds to step 102 and determines whether or not the sub-image is already being displayed. Initially, no,
The control unit 1 displays a window for displaying a sub-image (step 103). Thus, the pointer P and the window W of a predetermined size are displayed at a predetermined position (for example, the lower right) on the main image displayed on the display unit 6 (see FIG. 4). Here, the vertical and horizontal length ratio of the window W is equal to the vertical and horizontal length ratio of the sub-image.

Subsequently, the control section 1 determines whether or not the left switch 45 is on (step 104). If not, the control section 1 proceeds to step 108, further determines whether or not the right switch 46 is on. Finish the first process. Subsequently, the second and subsequent processes are performed. If there is no change in the state, the same steps are executed. During this time, the photographing operator performs positioning of the sub-image and the like, and the result is displayed in step 103. Specifically, when the photographing operator traces the pad 44 with a fingertip, the pointer P moves on the screen together with the window W. Thus, the pointer P is moved to an arbitrary position where the sub-image is desired to be displayed. When the display location is substantially determined, the size adjustment button 43 is operated to arbitrarily enlarge or reduce the size of the window W (see FIG. 4). Once the size and display position of the window W are determined,
The photographer clicks the left switch 45.

When the left switch 45 is clicked, the result of the determination at step 104 is YES, and the control unit 1 reads out the image data of the blackboard from the ROM 8 and reads the image data of the blackboard.
The character data stored in M9 is read (step 105). Further, the controller 1 combines the read image data of the blackboard and the character data (step 106).
In the combined data, the figure and character portions are further converted to white, and the background color of the blackboard is set to black or green (see FIG. 5). Further, the image size of the combined data is adjusted according to the size of the specified window W. The composite data enlarged or reduced according to the size of the window W, that is, the sub-image, is stored in a predetermined memory area of the RAM 9.

Next, the control section 1 displays the sub-image at the position designated by the pointer P on the main image of the display section 6 with the brightness designated by the brightness adjustment switch 42 (step 107). Thereby, the window W
The sub image matching the size of the brightness adjustment switch 42
Is displayed at the brightness specified by the. Subsequently, the control unit 1
Determines whether the right switch 46 is on (step 10).
8) If not on, the process ends. In the next process, since the sub-image is already being displayed, the process proceeds from step 102 to step 107, where only the brightness adjustment by operating the brightness adjustment switch 42 is performed. This makes it possible to adjust the brightness of the main image and the sub-image, and fit the sub-image into the main image without discomfort. When the photographer clicks the right button 46, the display data such as the display position is cleared (step 110). As a result, the sub-image is deleted from the display unit 6, and the pointer P and the window W in the initial state are displayed (Step 10).
3). In this way, the display position and the like of the sub image can be re-instructed any number of times.

When the sub-image is displayed at a desired position and at a desired size and brightness, the shutter of the digital camera is pressed to take a picture. Thereby, the image displayed on the display unit 6 is recorded on the floppy disk in the recording unit 7. In this way, the photographing operator can photograph alone while confirming the main image of the building civil engineering work site and the sub-image which is the blackboard image containing the handwritten characters on the display unit 6. To view the image once recorded on the floppy disk, the changeover switch 5 is set to the reproduction mode, and the image reproduced from the floppy disk is displayed on the display unit 6. The image recorded on the floppy disk is printed by a commercially available color printer.

After the photographing is completed, the sub-image display mode is turned off by turning off the input switch 41, and the control section 1 executes step 109. Therefore, the sub-image is deleted from the screen. Thereafter, the input switch 41
Step 109 is executed until is turned on, and the window W is in a non-display state. When continuously photographing another construction and civil engineering work site, the above operation is repeated after erasing the characters handwritten in the character input unit 3 and the character data stored in the RAM 9.

Next, a digital camera according to a second embodiment will be described. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the sub-image operation unit 4 in the present embodiment. The difference from the sub-image operation unit 4 (FIG. 3) in the first embodiment is that up, down, left, and right direction keys 47 are provided. The structure and operations other than the operation using the direction keys 47 and the fact that a predetermined operation is performed by the control unit 1 based on the operation are the same as those of the first embodiment. This direction key 4
Reference numeral 7 is used to change the display shape of the window W.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of changing the display shape of the window W, and the dotted line indicates the original shape of the window W. For example, when the right arrow direction key 47 (FIG. 7) is pressed, as shown in FIG. 8A, the right half of the window W is positioned on the paper with the virtual vertical axis L1 as the rotation axis. As if rotated by a predetermined angle, so that the left half is above the paper surface. Such a modification is performed by the control unit 1 (FIG. 1) in step 103 (FIG. 6).
Is performed in the process of That is, the control unit 1 calculates the coordinates of the four corners of the window W in three dimensions of X, Y, and Z (see (a) in FIG. The projection position coordinates (only X and Y) on the XY plane when viewed from a point (corresponding to the viewpoint of the photographer) at a predetermined distance in the Z direction (a direction perpendicular to the paper surface) are calculated. . Then, the control unit 1 displays a window W in which the four calculated projection position coordinates are connected by a straight line. The above-described deformation progresses in a stepping manner according to the number of times the right arrow direction key 47 is pressed. On the other hand, when the left arrow key is pressed, the window W is deformed to the left and right in the state shown in FIG.

Similarly, when the direction key 47 of the up arrow is pressed, the upper half of the window W with respect to the paper surface is rotated about the virtual horizontal axis L2 as shown in FIG. It is deformed as if it has been rotated by a predetermined angle so that the lower half is above the paper surface. Such deformation progresses in a stepping manner in accordance with the number of times the directional key 47 of the up arrow is pressed. On the other hand, when the down arrow key is pressed, the window W deforms upside down from the state shown in FIG.

Further, for example, a window W deformed as shown in FIG.
Is pressed, the window W is displayed as shown in FIG. 8C, in which the virtual vertical axis L1 is inclined leftward and is compressed at a predetermined ratio in the height direction. You.
Similarly, by arbitrarily operating the directional key 47, the window W can be displayed in a desired shape. In addition, the window W can be displayed at an arbitrary position and in an arbitrary size by performing scaling in response to the movement of the pointer P and the operation of the size adjustment button 43 (see FIG. 9).

After the window W is displayed, the left switch 45
When (FIG. 7) is turned on (step 104), the control unit 1 performs the operations of steps 105 and 106. In step 106, the control unit 1 synthesizes and inverts the image data of the blackboard and the character data, and then further associates the obtained data with the display coordinates in accordance with the shape and size of the window W. Conversion is performed on the work area of the RAM 9. The sub image thus obtained is stored in a predetermined memory area. Hereinafter, the same processing as in the first embodiment is performed. The sub-image in the second embodiment is:
Since it can be displayed in an arbitrary shape, it can be arranged in an arbitrary posture according to the shooting angle of the shooting location, as if it were actually leaned against it. Therefore, it is possible to fit the sub-image into a photograph of a construction site such as a floor, which is often taken from an oblique direction, without a sense of discomfort.

In each of the above embodiments, the sub-image is created on the basis of the character data input from the character input unit 3. And save it,
, And can be arranged at an arbitrary position as a sub-image. Further, the digital camera according to the above-described embodiment can be used not only for photographing an architectural civil engineering work site but also for various kinds of photographing in which a sub-image including character information needs to be captured in a main image and photographed.

Note that, apart from each of the above embodiments, a commercially available digital camera and personal computer are used.
A main image taken by a digital camera and a sub-image prepared by a personal computer can be edited into a desired image by image editing software. However, in this case, since the main image and the sub-image are separately prepared and edited later, they are not appropriate and are not approved as evidence photographs of the building civil engineering work site. On the other hand, in each of the above embodiments, the sub-image based on the data obtained by combining the image data of the blackboard and the character data is
I am shooting while checking on the raw main image.
Therefore, it has the same meaning as taking a picture with the blackboard on which the details of the construction are handwritten within the field of view of the digital camera, and is suitable as a proof photograph of a building civil engineering construction site.

[0028]

The present invention configured as described above has the following effects. According to the digital camera of claim 1,
The sub-image based on the combined data of the character data and the background data is arranged on the main image of the display unit by the sub-image operating means, and the image in this state is recorded on the recording means. The photograph taken in the image can be taken by a single photographer and away from the subject. Therefore, in photographing a building and civil engineering work site, photographing cost can be reduced and safety can be ensured.

According to the digital camera of the second aspect, the display shape of the sub-image can be changed in accordance with the photographing angle, so that the sub-image can be incorporated into the main image without discomfort regardless of the photographing angle. it can.

According to the digital camera of the third aspect, the size of the sub-image can be changed according to the distance of the subject in the main image, so that the sub-image can be converted into the main image without discomfort regardless of the distance of the subject. Can be incorporated.

According to the digital camera of the fourth aspect, the brightness of the sub-image can be changed according to the brightness of the subject in the main image.
The sub-image can be incorporated into the main image without any discomfort.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a digital camera according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a character input unit of the digital camera.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a sub-image operation unit of the digital camera.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a pointer and a window of a sub-image displayed on a display unit of the digital camera.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a sub-image displayed on a display unit of the digital camera.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of sub-image processing executed in a control unit of the digital camera.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a sub image operation unit in a digital camera according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of changing the display shape of a window in the digital camera according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a pointer and a window of a sub-image displayed on a display unit of the digital camera according to the second embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Control part 2 Image pick-up part 3 Character input part 4 Sub-image operation part 6 Display part 7 Recording part 8 ROM 9 RAM

──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ identification symbol FI H04N 5/781 (58) Investigated field (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H04N 5/225 H04N 5/262-5/278 G06T 1/00 G03B 19/02 H04N 5/765 H04N 5/781

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] An image capturing unit for capturing a main image; a character input unit for inputting character data; a storage unit for storing image data serving as a background of the character data; and combining the image data and the character data A sub-image creating unit that creates a sub-image by performing a sub-image operation; a display unit that displays the main image; a sub-image operation unit that arranges the sub image at an arbitrary position on the main image displayed on the display unit; Recording means for recording an image in which the sub-images are arranged on a main image. 2. The sub-image operating means comprises input means for changing a display shape of the sub-image, and the sub-image creating means creates a sub-image in a display shape designated by the input means. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein: 3. The sub-image operating means includes an input means for changing a display size of the sub-image, and the sub-image creating means generates a sub-image with a display size designated by the input means. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein: 4. The sub-image operating means includes input means for changing the brightness of the sub-image, and the sub-image creating means creates a sub-image with the brightness specified by the input means. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein