Lens module and portable photography device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9547218-B2
Application number	US-201314758326-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 20, 2013
Priority date	Dec 27, 2012
Publication date	Jan 17, 2017
Grant date	Jan 17, 2017

Abstract

Provided is portable photography device capable of appropriately control an on/off state of a light source during photography, and reliably carrying out photography by a camera of a portable terminal when the light source is on. The portable photography device includes a smartphone with a camera, and a lens module including LEDs, having different wavelengths, a conversion lens, and light source control unit. The smartphone includes light on/off detection unit that detects the on/off state of each of the LEDs, photography control unit that controls photography by the camera, and display control unit that associates a photographed image taken by the camera with the LEDs, for display on the screen of the smartphone. As a result, it is possible to appropriately control the on/off state of the LEDs, during carrying out photography and reliably photographing skin with the camera of the smartphone.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A portable photography device, comprising:
a portable terminal with a camera; and
a lens module that is removably installed on the portable terminal,
the lens module including
multiple types of light sources to irradiate an object,
a conversion lens that collects reflected light emitted from the light sources and reflected on the object, and
a first processor that carries out on/off control of the multiple types of light sources in a predetermined blink mode, and the portable terminal including a second processor configured to implement:
a detection unit that detects on/off states of the light sources by analyzing an image taken with the camera, and
a photography control unit that controls photography by the camera to capture a still image when the detection unit detects the on state or the off state of the light sources.

2. The portable photography device according to claim 1 , wherein
the first processor carries out on/off control of the multiple types of light sources in turn.

3. The portable photography device according to claim 2 , wherein
the multiple types of light sources each have a different wavelength for each type of the light source,
the detection unit detects which type of light source is currently turned on by analyzing a color component of the photographed image, and the photography control unit controls the photography by the camera in synchronization with the light source that is currently turned on when the detection unit individually detects lighting of the light sources.

4. The portable photography device according to claim 1 , wherein
the first processor controls each of the multiple types of light sources to be turned on in turn for a predetermined time period after all the light sources are turned off for a predetermined time period.

5. The portable photography device according to claim 4 , wherein
the photography control unit controls the photography by the camera in synchronization with the light source that is currently turned on when the detection unit detects lighting of the light source first time after detecting turning off of all the light sources, and
the photography control unit subsequently controls the photography by the camera in synchronization with lighting of a next type of the light source to be turned on.

6. The portable photography device according to claim 1 , wherein
the first processor carries out control to alternately repeat a state in which all the light sources are turned off for a predetermined time period and a state in which one of the multiple types of light sources is turned on.

7. The portable photography device according to claim 6 , wherein
the photography control unit controls the photography by the camera in synchronization with the light source that is currently turned on when the detection unit detects lighting of the light source after detecting turning off of all the light sources.

8. The portable photography device according to claim 1 , the second processor is further configured to implement:
a display control unit that displays the photographed image taken by the camera according to the control of the photography control unit on a screen of the portable terminal in relation to the type of the light source, based on the detection of the predetermined blink mode by the detection unit.

9. The portable photography device according to claim 8 , wherein
the multiple types of light sources include a light source for texture photographing and a light source for blot photographing, and
the second processor is further configured to implement:
the display control unit further displays a photographed image taken by the camera with the light source for texture photographing and a photographed image taken by the camera with the light source for blot photographing, both photographed images being taken according to the control of the photography control unit, as a photographed texture image and a photographed blot image, respectively, on the screen of the portable terminal.

10. The portable photography device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the multiple types of light sources each have a different wavelength for each type of the light source, and
the second processor is further configured to implement:
a display control unit that displays the photographed image taken by the camera according to the control of the photography control unit on a screen of the portable terminal in relation to the type of the light source, based on the color component of the photographed image.

11. The portable photography device according to claim 10 , wherein
the multiple types of light sources include a light source for texture photographing and a light source for blot photographing, and
the second processor is further configured to implement:
the display control unit further displays a photographed image taken by the camera with the light source for texture photographing and a photographed image taken by the camera with the light source for blot photographing, both photographed images being taken according to the control of the photography control unit, as a photographed texture image and a photographed blot image, respectively, on the screen of the portable terminal based on the color component of each of the photographed images.

12. The portable photography device according to claim 1 , wherein
the first processor controls each of the multiple types of light sources to be turned on in turn for a predetermined time period after all the light sources are turned off for a predetermined time period,
the photography control unit controls the photography by the camera in synchronization with the light source that is currently turned on when the detection unit detects lighting of the light source first time after detecting turning off of all the light sources, and
the photography control unit subsequently controls the photography by the camera in synchronization with lighting of a next type of the light source to be turned on.

13. The portable photography device according to claim 1 , wherein
the first processor carries out control to alternately repeat a state in which all the light sources are turned off and a state in which one of the multiple types of light sources is turned on by changing the type of the light source to be lighted, and
the photography control unit controls the photography by the camera in

synchronization with the light source that is currently turned on when the detection unit detects lighting of the light source after detecting turning off of all the light sources.

14. The portable photography device according to claim 1 , wherein
the multiple types of light sources each have a different wavelength for each type of the light source,
the first processor carries out on/off control of the multiple types of light sources in turn,
the detection unit detects which type of light source is currently turned on by analyzing a color component of the photographed image, and
the photography control unit controls the photography by the camera in synchronization with the light source that is currently turned on when the detection unit individually detects lighting of the light sources.

15. A portable terminal with a camera to which a lens module is capable of being installed, the lens module including a plurality of light sources to irradiate an object, the portable terminal comprising:
a processor configured to implement:
a detection unit that detects on/off states of the light sources by analyzing an image taken with the camera;
a photography control unit that controls photography

Assignees

• Hitachi Maxell

Inventors

• Takahashi Takehiro
• Sakemoto Akito
• Otsubo Hiroyasu

Classifications

• H04N23/75

  by influencing optical camera components · CPC title

• H04N23/632

  for displaying or modifying preview images prior to image capturing, e.g. variety of image resolutions or capturing parameters · CPC title

• H04N23/651

  for reducing power consumption by affecting camera operations, e.g. sleep mode, hibernation mode or power off of selective parts of the camera · CPC title

• H04N23/55

  Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof · CPC title

• H04N23/56

  provided with illuminating means · CPC title