JP2007208627A - Portable terminal device with camera and its photographing method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To inhibit surreptitious photographing by a camera, to improve operability during photographing and to simplify a configuration of a face recognizing means. <P>SOLUTION: This portable terminal device with a foldable camera which can be used with the first casing 11a and a second casing 11b opened and closed and is provided with a first camera outside the first casing and a second camera 2 inside the first casing comprises: a face recognition means 7 for recognizing a subject image of the first or second camera 1 or 2 and identifying the face of a person; an opened/closed state detecting means 6 for detecting the opened/closed states of the first and second casings; and a control part 8 for starting the second camera 2 every fixed time to identify a subject of the second camera 2 by the face recognizing means 7 when the opened/closed state detecting means 6 detects an opened state and photographing is performed by the first camera, outputting shutter sound at a predetermined first level when it is identified that the subject is the face of a person, and outputting shutter sound at a level larger than the first level when it is identified that the subject is not the face of the person. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a camera-equipped mobile terminal device and a photographing method thereof, and in particular, recognizes an unnatural posture of a photographer at the time of photographing, and outputs sound and a shutter when recognizing that photographing is performed in an unnatural posture. The present invention relates to a camera-equipped mobile terminal device characterized by increasing sound.

  In recent years, mobile phones have become widespread, and many mobile phones equipped with a camera function have been released. Mobile phones are becoming smaller and lighter, and it is now possible to easily shoot anything with a camera function, but some people use it for voyeurs who shoot without their consent when the subject is a person. It was. As a conventional technique, there is a technique that informs the surroundings of shooting by a shutter sound, but a technique for suppressing voyeurism is required before shooting.

  Further, as a conventional technique, the shutter sound cannot be adjusted or muted from the viewpoint of crime prevention, but it may be difficult to hear the shutter sound when taking a picture away from the body. Therefore, a technique for increasing the shutter sound volume according to the posture at the time of shooting has been demanded.

  As a portable terminal with a camera of Conventional Example 1, there is one disclosed in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-163563). This portable wireless terminal is configured such that the shutter sound volume of the camera cannot be changed intentionally, and a loud noise is generated in a noisy place where the noise is loud. It is described that this configuration can prevent voyeurism. By measuring the external volume at the time of shooting and enlarging the shutter sound to a level that can be discriminated, voyeurism is prevented.

  The operation of this portable wireless terminal will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, when the user turns on the shutter of the camera in order to shoot an arbitrary subject (step S11), the control unit takes in the audio signal from the microphone as an input using the shutter on signal as a trigger (step S12), The volume is calculated by a known method (step S13). Here, the audio signal from the microphone is an ambient sound at the time when the shutter of the portable wireless terminal is turned on, that is, an external sound. In this step, the volume of the external sound is measured.

  Subsequently, the control unit calculates a shutter volume that is larger than the volume of the external sound measured in step S13 (step S14), and supplies the shutter sound signal with the shutter volume to the sounder to sound the shutter sound (step S14). S15).

  With this configuration, the shutter sound of the camera is generated with a louder volume than external noise. Therefore, even when the volume of the external sound at the event venue is louder than the normal shutter sound, it is determined by the surrounding people that the camera shutter has been released, and crimes such as voyeurism have occurred. Can be prevented.

  In this conventional example 1, the shutter volume is automatically determined according to the volume of the external sound, and the user cannot freely set the volume adjustment such as minimizing the shutter sound. Can be prevented.

  Moreover, as a portable terminal device of Conventional Example 2, there is one disclosed in Patent Document 2 (Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-363905). This portable terminal device prevents voyeurism when photographing with a portable terminal, and does not limit the photographing range when not aimed at voyeurism.

  FIGS. 9A and 9B are perspective views of the portable terminal device when the front and back surfaces of the portable terminal device are folded open, and FIG. 10 is a flow chart during photographing. This portable terminal device is a folding mobile phone, and as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, a lower casing 11d is foldably connected to an upper casing 11c via a hinge 12a. ing. Two built-in cameras 1a and 2a are provided on the front and back, and photographing is executed only when either of the cameras 1a and 2a includes the subject and the photographer's face.

  In this cellular phone, the casing 11d is provided with an operation key portion 3b and a microphone 14 for inputting a transmission voice on the inner surface when folded, and the operation key portion 3c includes a numeric key and a shooting button. A shutter key 13 is provided. Further, on the inner surface side of the housing 11c, there are a display (display element) 4c for displaying characters and images, a speaker 5a for outputting a received voice, and a light emitting diode (LED) 15 for notifying an incoming call or a charged state. Is provided. A sounder 16 is provided on the outer surface. Here, the sounder 16 includes a sound generating member (sound source) that outputs a ringtone and a warning sound, and functions as a notification unit. An antenna 17 is provided at the upper end.

  The housing 11c is provided with a rear camera (photographing unit) 1a used for photographing a subject and a front camera 2a for photographing a face. Therefore, the shooting direction of the front camera 2a and the shooting direction (detection direction) of the rear camera 1a are substantially opposite. In addition, a processing unit 18 including a microcomputer, a memory, and the like is provided inside the housing 11d. The processing unit 18 extracts the face information of the subject or the photographer, but when the face information is not detected, the built-in camera 1a is set in the photographing prohibited state.

  Next, a method of using the mobile phone as a camera will be described with reference to a flowchart showing the flow of processing up to execution and prohibition of shooting in FIG. First, the casing of the mobile phone is opened, the keys are appropriately operated to turn on the power, and a predetermined operation is performed with the operation keys, thereby setting a shooting mode in which shooting is possible (step S21). Then, the rear camera 1a is directed toward the subject. In this state, the front camera 2a naturally faces the photographer. Shooting starts when the shutter key 13 is pressed.

  When the processing unit 18 detects that the shutter key 13 has been pressed (step S22), it stores the image data obtained by the front camera 2a in the first memory. At the same time, the image data obtained by the rear camera 1a is stored in the second memory (step S23). Subsequently, the processing unit 18 performs face information extraction processing using the stored image data (step S24). Then, based on the result of the image processing, it is determined whether or not to perform shooting (step S25).

  Here, when face information is extracted, for example, the image data stored in the second memory is stored as it is. Thereafter, the camera returns to a state in which shooting can be performed again, but the shooting mode is ended by performing a predetermined operation with the operation key unit 3b (step S26).

  On the other hand, when the face information is not extracted, the processing unit 18 does not perform shooting. In this case, for example, the image data stored in the first and second memories has been erased (discarded) (step S27), and photography has not been executed. Further, a warning sound can be generated here. Thereafter, the camera returns to a state in which shooting can be performed again, but the shooting mode is terminated by performing a predetermined operation with the operation key unit 3c (step S26).

  According to this configuration, shooting is executed only when face information is included in any one of the information output from the rear camera 1a and the front camera 2a, and when the face information of the subject is not included, Shooting will not be executed.

  According to this configuration of the mobile phone, when the face information of the subject is not included, shooting is not performed, so that shooting for the purpose of voyeurism can be prevented.

Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-163563 (FIGS. 1 and 2) JP 2004-363905 A (FIGS. 4 and 5)

  In Conventional Example 1 described above, the shutter volume of the camera is automatically determined according to the volume of the external sound, and the user cannot freely set volume adjustment such as minimizing the shutter sound. Can prevent crime. However, it is difficult to reliably prevent voyeurism or the like only by increasing the shutter sound of the camera.

  Further, in the conventional example 2, shooting is executed only when the information of the built-in camera includes the subject or the photographer's face information, and when the information of the built-in camera does not include the face information of the subject. Because there is a possibility of voyeurism, we are alerting you not to shoot. Therefore, in this conventional example 2, it is possible to prevent voyeurism. However, this face information detection method recognizes the image outputs of the two cameras by the processing unit, and allows photographing when there is face information in either one. Therefore, it is necessary to use the recognition means twice or twice, and there is a problem that the configuration of the mobile phone becomes complicated.

  A main object of the present invention is to provide a portable terminal device with a camera that suppresses voyeurism and has improved operability at the time of photographing with a simple configuration and a photographing method thereof.

  According to the configuration of the present invention, the first housing and the second housing can be used in the open state and the closed state, and the first camera is provided on the outside of the first housing and the second camera is provided on the inside. In the portable terminal device with a foldable camera, face recognition means for recognizing a subject image of the first camera or the second camera and identifying whether a human face is a subject, the first An open / closed state detecting means for detecting whether the housing and the second housing are in an open state or a closed state; and a state in which the open / closed state detecting means detects the open state and the first camera takes a picture. When the second camera is activated at regular intervals, the subject of the second camera is identified by the face recognition means, and it is determined in advance that the subject is a human face. Output shutter sound at the first level , When the subject has identified that not in the face of a person is characterized in that a control unit for outputting a shutter sound at a level greater than said first level.

  In the present invention, when the open / close state detection unit detects a closed state and the first camera captures an image, the control unit identifies the subject of the first camera by the face recognition unit, When it is identified that the subject is a person's face, a shutter sound is output at a predetermined first level, and when it is identified that the subject is not a person's face, the first level is output. Shutter sound can be output at a level greater than the second camera, and the control unit can detect the second camera when the open / closed state detecting means detects an open state and the second camera is shooting. When the subject is identified by the face recognition means and the subject is identified as a person's face, a shutter sound is output at a predetermined first level, and the subject is a person's face. Na When the fact is recognized, the shutter sound can be output at a level larger than the first level, and the control unit is configured such that the subject identified by the face recognition means is not a human face. Can be further output when the camera is identified.

  In another configuration of the present invention, the first housing and the second housing can be used in an open state and a closed state, and the first camera is disposed outside the first housing and the second housing is disposed inside. A portable terminal device with a foldable camera that recognizes a subject image of the first camera or the second camera and identifies whether a person's face is a subject by a face recognition means In the photographing method, when the open state of the first casing and the second casing is detected and the first camera is in a state of photographing, the second camera is activated at regular intervals to activate the second casing. When the subject of the second camera is identified by the face recognition means and it is identified that the subject is a human face, a shutter sound is output at a predetermined first level, and the subject is a human face. If you identify that it is not Wherein the than the first level and outputs the shutter sound in a large level.

  In the present invention, when the open state of the first casing and the second casing is detected and the first camera is in a state of photographing, the subject of the first camera is identified by the face recognition means. When the subject is identified as a person's face, a shutter sound is output at a predetermined first level, and when the subject is identified as not a person's face, the first sound is output. Shutter sound can be output at a level greater than the level of the first case, and when the open state of the first casing and the second casing is detected and photographed by the second camera, When the subject of the second camera is identified by the face recognition means and the subject is identified as a person's face, a shutter sound is output at a predetermined first level. That you don't have a face When separated, the shutter sound can be output at a level larger than the first level, and when it is identified that the subject identified by the face recognition means is not a human face, It is possible to further output a sound notifying that it is in the middle.

  Furthermore, in another configuration of the present invention, in the mobile terminal device with a camera provided with the first camera on the front surface of the casing and the second camera on the rear surface of the casing, the first camera or the second camera is provided. A face recognition means for recognizing a subject image of the camera and identifying whether or not a person's face is a subject, and when the first camera is in a state of shooting with the first camera, When activated, the subject of the second camera is identified by the face recognition means, and when the subject is identified as a human face, a shutter sound is output at a predetermined first level, It has a control unit that outputs a shutter sound at a level larger than the first level when it is identified that the subject is not a human face.

  In the present invention, the rear surface of the housing further includes a monitor display at the time of shooting using the first camera or the second camera, and the control unit is in a state of shooting with the second camera In this case, the subject of the second camera is identified by the face recognition means, and when the subject is identified as a human face, a shutter sound is output at a predetermined first level, When it is identified that the subject is not a person's face, a shutter sound can be output at a level higher than the first level.

  According to another configuration of the present invention, the first camera is provided on the front surface of the housing and the second camera is provided on the rear surface of the housing, and the first camera or the second camera is provided by a face recognition unit. In the photographing method of the mobile terminal device with a camera for recognizing a subject image and identifying whether or not a person's face is a subject, when the first camera is in the state of photographing, the second When the camera is activated and the subject of the second camera is identified by the face recognition means, and it is identified that the subject is a human face, a shutter sound is output at a predetermined first level. And a control unit that outputs a shutter sound at a level larger than the first level when the subject is identified as not being a human face.

  In the present invention, the rear surface of the housing further includes a monitor display at the time of shooting using the first camera or the second camera, and the control unit is in a state of shooting with the second camera In this case, the subject of the second camera is identified by the face recognition means, and when the subject is identified as a human face, a shutter sound is output at a predetermined first level, When it is identified that the subject is not a person's face, a shutter sound can be output at a level higher than the first level.

  As described above, according to the configuration of the present invention, there are the following effects. First, an unnatural posture in shooting is identified by face recognition means, and if it is recognized that a person's face is not reflected in the posture that the photographer should normally be in, the shooting is in an unnatural posture. Therefore, an alarm can be issued before shooting and the shutter volume can be increased. Therefore, it can be used as a warning when shooting with an unnatural posture like voyeurism, and is effective in preventing voyeurism. Further, as in the present invention, even when a plurality of cameras are used, since only a photographer's face is specified and the face can be recognized by one face recognition means, the apparatus configuration is simplified. There is a feature that can be made.

  Next, referring to the drawings, an embodiment of a mobile terminal device with a camera according to the present invention will be described with reference to a foldable mobile phone with a digital camera. FIG. 1 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of a foldable mobile phone with a digital camera according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 2A and 2B are front and back views of the foldable mobile phone with a digital camera according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the function of FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the configuration of the present embodiment is a foldable mobile phone in which an upper casing 11 a and a lower casing 11 b are foldably connected by a hinge 12. A digital camera (hereinafter referred to as a rear camera) 1 installed outside the casing 11a of the mobile phone and a digital camera (hereinafter referred to as front camera) 2 installed inside the casing 11b of the mobile phone, It is configured to allow shooting in different directions.

  The foldable mobile phone according to the present embodiment includes a face recognition means (7) for identifying whether or not a human face is photographed in the image output photographed by the rear camera 1 or the front camera 2, and a ring tone or shutter sound. Voice output means (5) for outputting, and in the form described later, any one of the image outputs of the rear camera 1 or the front camera 2 is used to capture a face by the face recognition means (7). When it is recognized that the shutter output of the sound output means (5) is a normal output, and when the one image output is recognized as not taking a face, the sound output means (5) The shutter sound is output larger than usual.

  Inside this cellular phone, there is an operation unit 3 for performing key input when using functions such as calling and ending calls, dials and camera shutters, and displaying phone numbers and confirming images when using the camera. And a front display 4a serving as a display unit 4 for the purpose. The operation unit 3 includes a key 3a on the front side, and side keys 3b on the side of which only the keys related to camera operation are selected from the keys 3a. The display unit 4 includes a front display 4a and a closed state. And a rear display 4b serving as a display unit that can be used. In addition, a speaker 5 serving as an audio output unit that outputs the audio output from the audio processing unit is provided outside the mobile phone.

  In addition, the key 3a of the operation unit 3 and the front display 4a of the display unit 4 are arranged inside for use with the cellular phone opened, and the rear display 4b and the side key 3b are in a folded closed state. It can be used as a display unit and an operation unit. Both the rear camera 1 and the front camera 2 can take a picture, but if the rear camera 1 is used, it is possible to take a picture even when the casing is folded.

  In the present embodiment, as further shown in FIG. 3, a circuit (hereinafter referred to as an open / closed state detection circuit) 6 for detecting the open / closed state of the mobile phone and whether a human face is included in the photographed image are determined. A face recognition function unit (face recognition means) 7 to be identified and a control unit 8 that controls each of these units are configured.

  The face recognition function unit 7 is a data processing unit including a microcomputer and a memory, and extracts information such as a face outline from an image output from the rear camera 1 or the front camera 2, and this information is a human face. It has a function to determine whether or not. The face recognition function unit 7 is shown in the conventional examples 1 and 2 and the like.

  4A to 4C are schematic views for explaining the photographing state according to the present embodiment. The operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to these drawings.

  First, when the camera is activated by an operation with the key 3a, the rear camera 1 is activated, and an image to be photographed is monitored on the front display 4a. While the camera is activated, the camera is switched to the front camera 2 for a short period of time so that shooting is not hindered every fixed time, and the face recognition function unit 7 monitors whether an image captured by the front camera 2 includes a human face.

  The face recognition function unit 7 detects the contour of the subject, the color of the skin, the position of the eyes, and the like from the image data, and determines that the face is a human face. Also, it is identified whether or not the user is using it in an unnatural posture compared to a pattern in which the user normally holds the terminal at the position in front of the face.

  First, in the state shown in FIG. 4A, that is, when shooting while confirming the subject on the front display 4a, monitoring is continued as it is until the shutter is released by the operation of the key 3a. When the shutter is released, a shutter sound is output from the speaker 5 at a normal volume (the shutter volume is “medium”).

  However, when the face recognition function unit 7 detects that the front camera 2 does not include a human face, the surrounding people can hear a sound (for example, “Camera is being photographed”) informing that the camera is currently photographing. Are output from the speaker 5 repeatedly at regular intervals. When the shutter is released in this state, the shutter sound is output at a volume higher than usual (shutter volume / high). After the shutter sound is output, the sound indicating that shooting is in progress stops. For example, as shown in FIG. 4 (b), the camera is directed downward, or the camera is directed from the upper side as shown in FIG. 4 (c). This is when the telephone is separated from the body. This is also the case where a self-timer is used to place a mobile phone at a remote location for shooting.

  When the shutter is pressed once and shooting is continued, the face recognition function unit 7 returns to the image monitoring state. From the viewpoint of crime prevention, it is assumed that the shutter sound and the sound notifying that shooting is in progress cannot be adjusted or muted as in the prior art.

  Next, when the camera is activated by the operation of the side key 3b in the closed state of the mobile phone, the state is detected by the open / closed state detection circuit 6, and the control unit 8 switches the display of the captured image to the rear display 4b. Since the camera photographing in the closed state is usually for photographing the user himself, a person's face is reflected in the photographed image by the rear camera 1. The face recognizing function unit 7 always monitors an image captured by the rear camera 1 and performs the same operation as described above when a human face is not included.

  Next, when the camera is activated in the open state of the mobile phone and the camera is switched from the rear camera 1 to the front camera 2, it is normal that the user himself / herself is also photographed. Will be reflected in the face. The face recognizing function unit 7 always monitors an image captured by the front camera 2 and performs the same operation as described above when a human face is not included. Further, when the mobile phone is opened and closed while the camera is activated, it is detected by the open / close state detection circuit 6 and the control unit 8 switches between the camera, the display unit, and the operation unit.

  According to this embodiment, there are the following effects. First, an unnatural posture in shooting is identified by face recognition means, and if it is recognized that a person's face is not reflected in the posture that the photographer should normally be in, the shooting is in an unnatural posture. Therefore, an alarm can be issued before shooting and the shutter volume can be increased. Therefore, it can be used as a warning when shooting with an unnatural posture like voyeurism, and is effective in preventing voyeurism. In addition, as in this embodiment, even when a plurality of cameras are used, only the photographer's face is specified and the face recognition can be performed by one face recognition unit. The feature is that it can be simplified.

  In addition, when shooting in a posture in which the display cannot be directly confirmed or in a state where the display is away from the body, the shutter volume at the time of shooting can be increased, so that operability can be improved. When shooting in such a state, the shutter sound is harder to hear than usual, and the display cannot be seen, so it cannot be confirmed that the shutter has been released reliably. For this reason, the mobile device may be moved before the shooting is completed and the shooting may fail. However, according to the present embodiment, the shutter volume at the time of shooting can be increased, so that the operability is improved and the shooting fails. There is no longer to do.

  Next, the present embodiment will be described using a flowchart. First, as a first embodiment, a case where the camera is activated when the mobile phone is in the open state and shooting is performed with the rear camera 1 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  First, when the camera is activated in the open state in step S1, the rear camera 1 is activated, and the photographed image is displayed on the front display 4a in step S2. Next, in step S3, the front camera 2 is activated at regular intervals, and in step S4, the face recognition function unit 7 determines whether or not a human face is captured when the front camera 2 is activated. If the face is recognized by the face recognition function unit 7 (step S4: yes), monitoring is continued until the shutter is pressed, and it is determined in step S8 whether the shutter is pressed. When the shutter is pressed in step S8, the shutter sound is output at a normal volume / medium in step S9, and the process proceeds to step S10. If the shutter is not pressed in step S8, the process returns to step S4 and the front camera 2 performs monitoring again.

  If the human face is not captured at step S4 at step S4, the recognition function unit 7 outputs a sound to notify that the photographing is being performed from the speaker 5 at step S5, and the shutter is released at step S6. The output is continued until the person's face is reflected on the front camera 2 until the next time. If the shutter is released in the state where the face is not photographed in step S6 yes, the shutter sound is output at a high volume / volume in step S7, and then the sound notifying that the photographing is in progress is stopped. Once shooting is performed, in step S10, it is selected whether to continue shooting, and in the case where yes shooting is performed, the front camera 2 is monitored again in step S4, and no shooting is performed. Stop shooting.

  As described above, the first embodiment is a photographing mode in which a subject is photographed with the rear camera 1 and monitored by the photographer with the front display 4a in a state where the housing of the mobile phone is opened. In this case, the front camera 2 is used to identify whether or not the photographer is shooting in a natural posture. Therefore, in the present invention, when the open / closed state detection circuit 6 identifies the state in which the housing is open, and when shooting is performed using the rear camera 1 in that state, the front camera 2 is activated at regular intervals. Thus, the face recognition function unit 7 identifies whether the photographer's face monitored by the front display 4a is reflected. By adopting such a configuration, when the photographer's posture is unnatural, such as when the photographer is not reflected in the front camera 2 that starts every certain time, an alarm is given before shooting, or the shutter volume Can be increased.

  Next, as a second embodiment, a case where the camera is activated with the casing of the mobile phone closed and shooting is performed with the rear camera 1 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  When the rear camera 1 is activated in step S1, a captured image is displayed on the rear display 4b in step S2a. Next, in step S4a, the face recognition function unit 7 determines whether or not a human face is reflected in the image of the rear camera 1. If yes in step S4a, the face recognition function unit 7 determines that a face is captured, monitoring continues until the shutter is pressed, and in step S8, it is determined whether or not the shutter is pressed. When the shutter is pressed in step S8, the shutter sound is output at the medium volume / medium in step S9, and the process proceeds to step S10.

  If the face recognition function unit 7 determines in step S4a that the human face is not captured, a sound output indicating that the photographing is being performed is performed from the speaker 5 in step S5. Then, the output is continued until the shutter is released or until a human face is reflected in the rear camera 1 (step S6). If the shutter is released in the state where the face is not captured in step S6, the shutter sound is output at the volume / volume in step S7, and then the sound notifying that the photographing is in progress is stopped. Once shooting is performed, in step S10, it is selected whether to continue shooting, and in the case where yes shooting is performed, the front camera 2 is monitored again in step S4, and no shooting is performed. Stop shooting.

  As described above, the second embodiment is a photographing mode in which the subject is photographed by the rear camera 1 and the photographer monitors the rear display 4b in a state where the casing of the mobile phone is closed. In this shooting mode, since the photographer himself is in a posture to be a subject, an unnatural posture in shooting is identified by identifying the photographer's face with the rear camera 1. For this reason, in the second embodiment, when the open / closed state detection circuit 6 identifies the closed state of the case, and shooting with the rear camera 1 is performed in that state, the rear camera 1 is in contact with the photographer's face. Is recognized by the face recognition function unit 7. By adopting such a configuration, when the photographer's posture is unnatural, such as when the photographer is not shown in the rear camera 1, an alarm can be issued before shooting or the shutter volume can be increased. .

  Next, as a third embodiment, a case where the camera is activated with the mobile phone casing in an open state and the front camera 2 is switched to perform shooting will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  First, when the camera is activated in step S1, the rear camera 1 is activated first, so switching to the front camera 2 is performed by key operation (step S1a). When the camera is activated in the open state, a captured image is displayed on the front display 4a (step S2b). Next, in step S4, the face recognition function unit 7 determines whether or not a human face is reflected in the image of the front camera 2. If it is determined that the face is recognized by the face recognition function unit 7 (step S4a: yes), monitoring is continued until the shutter is pressed, and if the shutter is pressed in step S8 (step S8: yes), normal A shutter sound is output at a volume of (step S9).

  When the face recognition function unit 7 determines that a human face is not captured (step S4a: no), in step S5, a voice output is sent to inform the camera that shooting is in progress, and in step S6, the shutter is released. The output is continued until “yes” is turned off (yes) or until a human face is reflected in the front camera 2 next time. If the shutter is released with the face not shown (Yes in S6), the shutter sound is output at a high volume / volume in step S7, and then the sound notifying that the photographing is in progress is stopped. Once shooting is performed, it is selected in step S10 whether or not to continue shooting. If shooting is to be performed (yes), monitoring with the rear camera 1 is performed again, and if shooting is not to be performed (no). End.

  As described above, the third embodiment is a photographing mode in which a subject is photographed by the front camera 2 and monitored by the photographer with the front display 4a in a state where the casing of the mobile phone is opened. In this shooting mode, since the photographer himself is in a posture to be a subject, an unnatural posture in shooting is identified by identifying the photographer's face with the front camera 2. For this reason, in the third embodiment, when the open / closed state detection circuit 6 identifies the state in which the housing is open, and when photographing is performed using the front camera 2 in that state, the front camera 2 is in contact with the photographer's face. Is recognized by the face recognition function unit 7. By adopting such a configuration, when the photographer's posture is unnatural, such as when the photographer is not photographed in the front camera 2, an alarm can be issued before shooting or the shutter volume can be increased. .

As described above, in the first to third embodiments, the front camera 2 and the rear camera 1 are used to perform face recognition using only one output of each image. I can finish it. Therefore, as compared with the configuration in which a plurality of image outputs are recognized by a plurality of face recognition units as in the conventional example 2, in these embodiments, the configuration is simplified and thus the reliability can be improved. .
[Other Embodiments of the Invention]

  As described above, the best mode for carrying out the invention has been described with reference to a foldable mobile phone with a digital camera. However, the camera-equipped mobile terminal device and the photographing method thereof according to the present invention are not limited to a foldable mobile phone. It is obvious that the present invention can also be applied to a portable terminal device such as a PDA (Personal Digital Assistance) or a non-foldable mobile phone. An example in which the present invention is applied to such a portable terminal device will be described as an application example.

  FIG. 7 shows a rear view and a front view of a PDA provided with cameras on the front and rear surfaces of the housing, respectively. As shown in FIG. 7A, the rear camera 21 is provided on the rear portion of the housing 60, and the front camera 22, the operation key portion 30, and the display 40 are provided on the front portion of the housing 60 as shown in FIG. 7B. And a speaker 50. The speaker 50 may be further provided on the back side.

  In shooting using the rear camera 21 of the PDA configured as described above, a shutter sound is output from the speaker 50 and a subject image is captured by operating the shutter with the operation key unit 30 while checking the subject on the display 40. Similarly, in shooting using the front camera 22, a shutter sound is output from the speaker 50 and a subject image is captured by operating the shutter with the operation key unit 30 while checking the subject on the display 40.

  Therefore, the shooting situation in this embodiment is the same as in the case of Example 1 and Example 3 described with reference to the folding mobile phone with a digital camera. Further, the block configuration of the apparatus is the same as that of FIG. 3, and only the difference is that the open / close state detection circuit 6 shown in FIG. 3 is not provided.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, in the case of a shooting mode in which a subject is shot with the rear camera 21 and the photographer monitors on the display 40, the front camera 22 is used to determine whether or not the photographer is shooting in a natural posture. Identify. Therefore, in the present invention, when photographing using the rear camera 21, whether the photographer's face monitored on the front display 40 is reflected by starting the front camera 22 at regular intervals. Is recognized by the face recognition function unit. By adopting such a configuration, if the photographer's posture is unnatural, such as when the photographer is not shown in the front camera 22 that starts every certain time, an alarm is issued before shooting, or the shutter volume Can be increased.

  Similarly, in the photographing mode in which the subject is photographed with the front camera 22 and the photographer monitors with the front display 40, the photographer himself is the posture to be the subject, so the photographer is photographed by identifying the photographer's face with the front camera 22. Identify unnatural postures in Therefore, when photographing using the front camera 22, the face recognition function unit identifies whether or not the photographer's face is reflected on the front camera 22. By adopting such a configuration, when the photographer's posture is unnatural, such as when the photographer is not captured by the front camera 22, an alarm can be issued before shooting or the shutter volume can be increased. .

  As described above, the mobile terminal device with a camera and the photographing method thereof according to the present invention can be applied not only to a foldable mobile phone but also to a mobile terminal device such as a PDA or a non-foldable mobile phone. The effect is obtained.

  The present invention is generally used for a mobile terminal device with a digital camera, and can also be applied to a mobile phone or a portable mobile communication device as a mobile terminal.

It is a flowchart at the time of using a back camera in the open state of the folding-type mobile phone housing | casing with a camera of 1st Example of this invention. (A) and (b) are the perspective views which show the back side and front side of the mobile phone made into the open state of FIG. It is a block diagram explaining the mobile phone of FIG. (A)-(c) is a schematic diagram explaining the use condition of the mobile telephone of FIG. It is a flowchart at the time of using a back camera in the closed state of the mobile telephone housing | casing of 2nd Example of this invention. It is a flowchart at the time of using a front camera in the open state of the mobile telephone housing | casing of 3rd Example of this invention. (A) (b) is a perspective view which shows the back side and front side of PDA of other embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart at the time of using the mobile communication apparatus with a camera of the prior art example 1. FIG. It is a camera figure of the mobile communication apparatus with a camera of the prior art example 2. FIG. FIG. 10 is a flowchart when using the camera of the mobile communication device of FIG. 9.

Explanation of symbols

1, 1a, 21 Rear camera 2, 2a, 22 Front camera 3 Operation part 3a Key 3b Side key 3c, 30 Operation key part 4 Display part 4a Front display 4b Rear display 4c, 40 Display 5, 5a, 50 Speaker 6 Open Closed state detection circuit 7 Face recognition function unit 8 Control unit 11a to 11d, 60 Case 12, 12a Hinge 13 Shutter key 14 Microphone 15 LED
16 Sounder 17 Antenna 18 Processing Unit S1-10, S11-15, S21-26 Processing Step

Claims (12)

A foldable camera-equipped mobile phone that can be used in an open state and a closed state in which the first housing and the second housing can be used, and has a first camera on the outside of the first housing and a second camera on the inside In the terminal device,
Face recognition means for recognizing a subject image of the first camera or the second camera to identify whether a human face is a subject;
Open / closed state detecting means for detecting whether the first housing and the second housing are in an open state or a closed state;
When the open / closed state detection means detects an open state and the first camera is in a state of taking a picture, the second camera is activated at regular intervals, and the subject of the second camera is detected by the face recognition means. And when the subject is identified as a person's face, a shutter sound is output at a predetermined first level, and when the subject is identified as not being a person's face, A portable terminal device with a camera, comprising: a control unit that outputs a shutter sound at a level larger than the first level. The controller detects the subject of the first camera by the face recognition unit when the open / closed state detection unit detects a closed state and takes a picture with the first camera. When a face is identified, a shutter sound is output at a predetermined first level. When it is identified that the subject is not a person's face, a level greater than the first level is output. The camera-equipped mobile terminal device according to claim 1, wherein a shutter sound is output by the camera. The controller detects the subject of the second camera by the face recognition unit when the open / closed state detection unit detects an open state and the second camera is shooting, and the subject is a person. When a face is identified, a shutter sound is output at a predetermined first level. When it is identified that the subject is not a person's face, a level greater than the first level is output. The camera-equipped mobile terminal device according to claim 1, wherein a shutter sound is output by the camera. 2. The control unit according to claim 1, wherein when the subject identified by the face recognizing unit identifies that the subject is not a human face, the control unit further outputs a sound notifying that photographing is in progress. 4. A mobile terminal device with a camera according to any one of 3 above. The first housing and the second housing can be used in an open state and a closed state, the first camera is provided on the outside of the first housing and the second camera is provided on the inside, and the first camera Alternatively, in the photographing method of the foldable camera-equipped mobile terminal device, which recognizes the subject image of the second camera and identifies whether or not a person's face is a subject by the face recognition means,
When the open state of the first housing and the second housing is detected and the first camera is in a state of photographing, the second camera is activated at regular intervals to Identifying the subject by the face recognition means,
When it is identified that the subject is a person's face, a shutter sound is output at a predetermined first level. When it is identified that the subject is not a person's face, the first sound is output. A shooting method for a mobile terminal device with a camera, wherein a shutter sound is output at a level larger than the level. When the open state of the first casing and the second casing is detected and the first camera is in a state of photographing, the subject of the first camera is identified by the face recognition means,
When it is identified that the subject is a person's face, a shutter sound is output at a predetermined first level. When it is identified that the subject is not a person's face, the first sound is output. 6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the shutter sound is output at a level larger than the level. When the open state of the first housing and the second housing is detected and the second camera is in a state of photographing, the subject of the second camera is identified by the face recognition means,
When it is identified that the subject is a person's face, a shutter sound is output at a predetermined first level. When it is identified that the subject is not a person's face, the first sound is output. 6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the shutter sound is output at a level larger than the level. 8. The voice according to any one of claims 5 to 7, further comprising outputting a sound notifying that the subject is being photographed when the subject identified by the face recognition means is identified as not being a human face. A photographing method of the portable terminal device with a camera according to the description. In a mobile terminal device with a camera provided with a first camera on the front surface of the housing and a second camera on the back surface of the housing,
Face recognition means for recognizing a subject image of the first camera or the second camera to identify whether a human face is a subject;
When the first camera is in a state of shooting, the second camera is activated at regular intervals to identify the subject of the second camera by the face recognition means, and the subject becomes a human face. When it is identified that the shutter sound is output at a predetermined first level, and when it is identified that the subject is not a human face, the shutter sound is output at a level greater than the first level. A portable terminal device with a camera, comprising a control unit for outputting. The rear surface of the housing further includes a display for monitoring at the time of shooting using the first camera or the second camera, and the control unit is in a state of shooting with the second camera, When the subject of the second camera is identified by the face recognition means and the subject is identified as a person's face, a shutter sound is output at a predetermined first level. 10. The camera-equipped mobile terminal device according to claim 9, wherein when a face is identified, the shutter sound is output at a level greater than the first level. A first camera is provided on the front surface of the housing and a second camera is provided on the rear surface of the housing, and the face recognition means recognizes the subject image of the first camera or the second camera so that the human face In the shooting method of the mobile terminal device with a camera for identifying whether or not it is a subject,
When the first camera is in a state of shooting, the second camera is activated at regular intervals to identify the subject of the second camera by the face recognition means, and the subject becomes a human face. When it is recognized that the shutter sound is output at a predetermined first level, when the subject is not a human face, the shutter sound is output at a level higher than the first level. A photographing method for a portable terminal device with a camera, comprising a control unit for outputting. The rear surface of the housing further includes a display for monitoring at the time of shooting using the first camera or the second camera, and the control unit is in a state of shooting with the second camera, When the subject of the second camera is identified by the face recognition means and the subject is identified as a person's face, a shutter sound is output at a predetermined first level. 12. The photographing method for a camera-equipped mobile terminal device according to claim 11, wherein when a face is identified, the shutter sound is output at a level larger than the first level.

Images