Image Creation Device

Abstract

To provide an image creation device which allows a user to capture a digital image of a sole or a palm such that the sole or the palm has a specific size.SOLUTION: An image creation device 10A comprises: a guide display processing unit 13 which displays a positioning guide for a portion of a hand or a foot on a photographed image of a terminal having an imaging function; an extraction processing unit 14 which extracts a portion of the hand or the foot from a digital image captured by the imaging function; and a first image creation unit 15 which creates a stamp obtained by converting the image of the extracted portion of the hand or the foot into a silhouette image.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image creation device that creates a stamp based on a digital image captured using an image capture function. [Background technology]

[0002] Since the human physique changes irreversibly as we grow, there arises a need to record the state of the soles of the feet or palms at a certain point in time for memento- ry purposes. For this reason, it has been common to record the state of the soles or palms of infants by applying paint to the soles or palms of their feet and transferring footprints or handprints onto a sheet-like medium such as colored paper.

[0003] With the widespread use of digital cameras, it has become common to photograph the soles of the feet or palms to record their condition. For this reason, attempts have been made to extract the outlines of the soles or palms from digital images to create footprint or handprint data. Hereinafter, images of the soles or palms that have been illustrated by extracting the outlines from digital images will be referred to as "stamps."

[0004] Patent Document 1 discloses a method of photographing a palm of the hand with a digital camera, extracting a handprint from the digital image along the outline of the hand, converting the print into monotone, and printing it. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-21958 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] When photographing the sole or palm of a foot with a digital camera, as in the invention disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to photograph the sole or palm at a distance that will result in the sole or palm being a specific size. If the distance between the digital camera and the sole or palm of the subject is too far, the sole or palm will appear small in the digital image, making it difficult to identify the contours of the sole or palm. Furthermore, if the distance between the digital camera and the sole or palm is too close, the sole or palm will be out of frame. As such, it has been difficult to photograph a digital image that will result in the sole or palm being a specific size. Unless the sole or palm is photographed at an appropriate size, it is impossible to create a stamp with an appropriate shape.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide an image creation device that allows a user to take a digital image of the sole or palm of a foot so that the sole or palm is a specific size, and then create a stamp from that digital image. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, the image creation device of the present invention comprises a guide display processing unit that displays a positioning guide for a part of a hand or foot on the shooting screen of a terminal equipped with an image capture function, an extraction processing unit that extracts a part of a hand or foot from a digital image captured by the image capture function, and a first image creation unit that creates a stamp by converting the image of the extracted part of the hand or foot into a silhouette image. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] The image creation device according to the present invention has the effect of allowing a user to take a digital image of the sole or palm of a foot so that the sole or palm has a specific size, and to create a stamp from the digital image. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an image creation device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2]FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the flow of operations of the image creation device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a photographing screen on which a positioning guide is displayed in the image creating device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of an image creation device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a layout screen of the image creating device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing another example of the layout screen of the image creating device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the configuration of an image creation device according to the third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a layout screen of the image creating device according to the third embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a layout screen in which stamps and parts are being laid out using templates of the image creating device according to the third embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the configuration of an image creation device according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a practical image created by the third image creation unit of the image creation device according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the image creation device according to the first to fourth embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] An embodiment of an image creation device according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. In the following embodiments, the same or common parts are designated by the same reference numerals, and their description will not be repeated.

[0012] (Embodiment 1) 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an image creation device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Image creation device 10A includes an imaging unit 11 having a digital image capturing function, a display unit 12 that displays a capture screen that previews the capture range of imaging unit 11, a guide display processing unit 13 that displays a positioning guide for a portion of a hand or foot on the capture screen, an extraction processing unit 14 that extracts a portion of the hand or foot from the digital image captured by imaging unit 11, a first image creation unit 15 that creates a stamp by converting the image of the portion of the hand or foot extracted by extraction processing unit 14 into a silhouette image, and an image storage unit 20 that stores the image. Information terminals such as smartphones and tablet terminals can be used for image creation device 10A, but other devices may also be used.

[0013] 2 is a flowchart showing the flow of operations of the image creation device according to Embodiment 1. In step S11, the guide display processing unit 13 displays a positioning guide on the shooting screen that displays a preview of the imaging range of the imaging unit 11.

[0014] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a photographing screen on which an alignment guide of the image creation device according to the first embodiment is displayed. An alignment guide 201 and a photographing guide message 202 are displayed on the photographing screen 200. The photographing guide message 202 is a message encouraging a user to photograph an image of the sole of the foot displayed on the photographing screen while aligning the image of the sole of the foot with the alignment guide 201. By displaying the alignment guide 201 on the photographing screen 200, a user can photograph the sole of the foot so that the sole has a specific size by aligning the outline of the sole of the foot with the alignment guide 201 and pressing the shutter. Furthermore, by aligning the outline of the sole of the foot with the alignment guide 201 and pressing the shutter, a user can photograph the sole of the foot with the vertical direction of the photographing screen 200 and the front-to-back direction of the foot aligned. The size of the sole of the foot in the photographing screen 200 can be adjusted by the user moving the image creation device 10A closer to or farther away from the foot. The front-to-back direction of the foot in the photographing screen 200 can be adjusted by the user changing the posture of the image creation device 10A. Although an example has been given here in which the positioning guide 201 for photographing the sole of the foot is displayed on the photographing screen 200, by displaying the positioning guide 201 for photographing the palm of the hand on the photographing screen 200, the user can photograph the palm so that the palm is a specific size. The positioning guide 201 may also be used for aligning a part of the hand or foot other than the sole or palm.

[0015] In step S12, the imaging unit 11 captures a digital image of the sole or palm. In step S13, the extraction processing unit 14 extracts the sole or palm from the captured digital image. In a digital image of the sole, there is little difference in brightness between the inside of the sole and the background, but there is a large difference in brightness between the inside of the sole and the background. Therefore, the extraction processing unit 14 can detect the outline of the sole or palm by identifying areas where the brightness of the digital image changes discontinuously, and extract the part inside the outline as the sole or palm. However, the process of extracting the sole or palm may be performed by a method different from the example process. Note that the image creation device 10A may prompt the user to re-photograph the sole or palm if the size of the sole or palm extracted by the extraction processing unit 14 is significantly different from the size of the alignment guide 201. In step S14, the first image creation unit 15 creates a stamp by monotonizing the silhouette of the sole or palm extracted by the extraction processing unit 14. The stamps created by the first image creation unit 15 are stored in the image storage unit 20. The stamps created by the first image creation unit 15 are not limited to monotone, but may be gradation images or images of two or more colors. The stamps created by the first image creation unit 15 may also be line drawings.

[0016] When creating a stamp, the first image creation unit 15 may perform at least one of the following corrections on the sole extracted by the extraction processing unit 14: widening the MP joints in the foot width direction and narrowing the arch. When applying paint to the sole and transferring a footprint onto a sheet-like medium, the sole deforms due to the foot print creator's own weight, so the state of the sole photographed with a digital camera differs slightly from the footprint created by applying paint to the sole. If the first image creation unit 15 performs corrections on the sole extracted by the extraction processing unit 14 to widen the MP joints in the foot width direction and narrow the arch, a stamp can be created that most closely resembles the footprint created by applying paint to the sole. Furthermore, when creating a stamp, the first image creation unit 15 may perform corrections on the sole extracted by the extraction processing unit 14 to form gaps between the toes and the balls of the feet. The balls of the feet are the bases of the toes, including the balls of the little toe and the big toe. When applying paint to the sole of the foot and transferring the footprint onto a sheet-like medium, the joints of the toes often do not come into contact with the sheet-like medium, so a gap typically forms between the toe tips and the ball of the foot. The first image creation unit 15 corrects the sole extracted by the extraction processing unit 14 to create a gap between the toe tips and the ball of the toe, thereby creating a stamp that closely resembles a footprint created by applying paint to the sole. This type of correction can also be applied to the palm of the hand.

[0017] The first image creating unit 15 may accept a contrast adjustment operation by the user, allowing the user to adjust the contrast of the stamp.

[0018] The image creation device 10A according to the first embodiment displays an alignment guide 201 on the photographing screen 200, so that the user can photograph a digital image of the sole or palm of the foot so that the sole or palm is a specific size, and record the condition of the sole or palm.

[0019] (Embodiment 2) 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of an image creation device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The image creation device 10B according to the second embodiment differs from the image creation device 10A according to the first embodiment in that it includes a layout screen display unit 16 that displays a layout screen that accepts operations for laying out stamps and pre-registered parts, and a second image creation unit 17 that creates an art image including the stamps and parts laid out using the layout screen. The art image is a representation of an illustration or image intended by the user using one or more stamps. The art image is not limited to an image showing the shape of an actual living thing or object.

[0020] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a layout screen of the image creation device according to Embodiment 2. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing another example of a layout screen of the image creation device according to Embodiment 2. A type selection button 301, an object selection button 302, a color selection button 303, an editing area 304, and a save button 305 are displayed on a layout screen 300. The type selection button 301 is a button for selecting whether to place a stamp 306 or a part 307. As shown in Fig. 5, when the "legs" button is pressed, the object to be placed in the editing area 304 is the stamp 306. As shown in Fig. 6, when any of "part 1," "part 2," and "part 3" is pressed, the object to be placed in the editing area 304 is the pre-registered part 307.

[0021] The object selection buttons 302 are buttons for selecting objects to be placed in the editing area 304. In the example shown in FIG. 5, four object selection buttons 302 for stamps 306 are displayed. The stamps 306 selected by each object selection button 302 are the same image but are distinguished. The stamps 306 selected by each object selection button 302 cannot be used in duplicate. Therefore, in the example shown in FIG. 5, the upper limit of stamps 306 that can be placed in the editing area 304 is four.

[0022] The layout screen display unit 16 displays layer numbers 311 indicating the hierarchical relationship in the layout screen 300 along with the stamps 306 and parts 307 being laid out on the layout screen 300. By displaying the layer numbers 311 along with the stamps 306 and parts 307, the user can easily understand the overlapping order of the stamps 306 and parts 307.

[0023] If the object to be placed in the editing area 304 is a part 307, the part to be placed in the editing area 304 is selected from pre-registered parts 307 for each of "part 1," "part 2," and "part 3." It is also possible to select the same part 307 for "part 1," "part 2," and "part 3" more than once.

[0024] An object transformation tool 308 is displayed around the stamp 306 or part 307 placed in the editing area 304. The object transformation tool 308 has a rotate button 308A, a flip button 308B, and a zoom button 308C, allowing the user to perform transformation operations such as rotating, flipping, and scaling the object. The object transformation tool 308 also has an end transformation button 308D, allowing the user to remove the object transformation tool 308 from the editing area 304 after completing the object transformation operation.

[0025] After the arrangement and transformation of the stamp 306 and the part 307 are completed, by pressing the save button 305, the second image creation unit 17 creates an art image that combines the stamp 306 and the part 307. The art image created by the second image creation unit 17 is stored in the image storage unit 20.

[0026] The image creation device 10B according to the second embodiment creates an art image using the stamp 306 that records the condition of the sole or palm of the foot, thereby increasing the motivation of the user to take a photo of the sole or palm of the foot to record the condition of the sole or palm. Furthermore, by publishing the created art image on the Internet using a social networking service, the image taken to record the sole or palm of the foot can be shared with an unspecified number of people. Furthermore, unlike footprints or handprints that are created by applying paint to the sole or palm of the user, the image creation device 10B according to the second embodiment does not need to apply paint to the sole or palm of the user when creating the stamp 306, and therefore can create an art image without soiling clothing or the like.

[0027] (Embodiment 3) 7 is a diagram showing the configuration of an image creation device according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. Image creation device 10C according to Embodiment 3 differs from image creation device 10B according to Embodiment 2 in that image creation device 10C includes template display unit 18 that displays a template on layout screen 300.

[0028] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a layout screen of the image creation device according to the third embodiment. A layout screen 300 displays a type selection button 301, an object selection button 302, a color selection button 303, an editing area 304, a save button 305, and a template display button 309. The template display button 309 is a button for converting an object to be placed in the editing area 304 into a template 310. In the example illustrated in FIG. 8, the "Template" button is pressed, so the object to be placed in the editing area 304 is the template 310. The template 310 is an object that indicates the size, orientation, and arrangement order of a stamp 306 and parts 307. The template 310 includes a layout frame 310A and an arrangement order number 310B. By adjusting the size and orientation of the stamp 306 and parts 307 to the same size and orientation as the layout frame 310A and overlapping them in the order indicated by the arrangement order number 310B, an art image using the stamp 306 can be easily created. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a layout screen of the image creation device according to the third embodiment, in which stamps and parts are being laid out using a template. In Figure 9, an apple template 310 is selected, and an apple art image can be easily created by arranging stamps 306 and parts 307 of a size and orientation that match the template 310 in the order that follows the template 310.

[0029] The image creation device 10C according to the third embodiment displays the template 310 in the editing area 304 of the layout screen 300, so that the user can easily combine the stamp 306 and the part 307 by referring to the template 310.

[0030] (Fourth embodiment) FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the configuration of an image creation device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. The image creation device 10D according to the fourth embodiment differs from the image creation device 10C according to the third embodiment in that it includes a third image creation unit 19. The third image creation unit 19 creates a practical image, which is a framed art image that combines the art image created by the second image creation unit 17 with a pre-registered frame. Examples of frames include, but are not limited to, calendars and message cards. The practical image created by the third image creation unit 19 is stored in an image storage unit 20.

[0031] 11 is a diagram showing an example of a practical image created by the third image creation unit of the image creation device according to the fourth embodiment. Practical image 400 is a combination of art image 401 and calendar frame 402. In practical image 400, calendar frame 402 functions as a calendar, so a user can use practical image 400, including art image 401 created based on an image recording the condition of the sole of the foot or the palm, on a daily basis. For example, a user can use practical image 400 on a daily basis by printing and posting practical image 400 or using it as wallpaper on a smartphone or personal computer.

[0032] Next, the hardware configuration of the image creation devices 10A, 10B, 10C, and 10D according to the above-described embodiments will be described. Fig. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the image creation devices according to embodiments 1 to 4. Fig. 12 shows the hardware configuration when the functions of the image creation devices 10A, 10B, 10C, and 10D are realized by using hardware that executes a program.

[0033] The image creation devices 10A, 10B, 10C, and 10D each have a processor 81 that executes various processes, a memory 82 that is an internal memory, a storage device 83 that stores information, an imaging device 84 that captures digital images, and a display device 85. The processor 81 reads a program stored in the storage device 83 into the memory 82 and executes it. The image storage unit 20 is realized by the storage device 83. The imaging unit 11 is realized by the imaging device 84. The display unit 12 is realized by the display device 85.

[0034] As described above, image creation devices 10A, 10B, 10C, and 10D according to the present invention include a guide display processing unit 13 that displays a positioning guide 201 for a portion of a hand or foot on a photographing screen 200 of a terminal equipped with an image photographing function, an extraction processing unit 14 that extracts a portion of the hand or foot from a digital image photographed by the image photographing function, and a first image creation unit 15 that creates a stamp 306 by converting the image of the extracted portion of the hand or foot into a silhouette image. Thus, image creation devices 10A, 10B, 10C, and 10D according to the present invention enable a user to photograph a digital image of the sole or palm of the foot so that the sole or palm has a specific size, and then create stamp 306 from the digital image.

[0035] In addition, by providing a layout screen display unit 16 that displays a layout screen 300 that accepts operations for laying out stamps 306 and pre-registered parts 307, and a second image creation unit 17 that creates an art image 401 including stamps 306 and parts 307 laid out using the layout screen, the user can easily create an art image 401 including footprints or handprints.

[0036] Furthermore, by having the second image creation unit 17 create an art image 401 that includes stamps 306 and parts 307 up to a preset upper limit number, it is possible to prevent the art image 401 from becoming so complex that the original form of the stamp 306 cannot be recognized.

[0037] Furthermore, by providing the layout screen 300 with a template display section 18 that displays a template 310 showing a sample layout of the stamps 306 and parts 307, even a user who is unfamiliar with image creation can easily create an art image 401.

[0038] Furthermore, the layout screen display unit 16 displays layer numbers 311 indicating the hierarchical relationship on the layout screen 300 together with the stamps 306 and parts 307 being laid out on the layout screen 300, thereby enabling the user to easily understand the order in which the stamps 306 and parts 307 are stacked.

[0039] Furthermore, the first image creation unit 15 creates a stamp 306 by performing at least one of the following corrections on the sole extracted by the extraction processing unit 14: making the MP joint part thicker in the foot width direction, and making the arch part thinner. This makes it possible to create a stamp 306 that resembles a footprint or handprint created by applying paint to the sole or palm.

[0040] Furthermore, the first image creation unit 15 creates a stamp 306 by correcting the sole extracted by the extraction processing unit 14 to form a gap between the toes and the ball of the foot, thereby making it possible to create a stamp 306 that resembles a footprint or handprint created by applying paint to the sole or palm.

[0041] Furthermore, by providing a third image creation unit 19 that creates a framed art image by combining the art image 401 with a pre-registered frame, the user can combine the art image 401 including the stamp 306 with a practical frame such as a calendar to create a framed art image that allows the user to enjoy the art image 401 on a daily basis in real life.

[0042] The configurations shown in the above embodiments are examples of the content of the present invention, and may be combined with other known technologies, and some of the configurations may be omitted or modified within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

[0043] For example, in the above-described embodiments, the image creation devices 10A, 10B, 10C, and 10D are described as including the imaging unit 11 and the display unit 12. However, this is not limiting. For example, the image creation devices 10A, 10B, 10C, and 10D may be configured without the imaging unit 11 and the display unit 12. In this case, by connecting a terminal including an imaging device and a display device to the image creation devices 10A, 10B, 10C, and 10D, a user can easily capture a digital image of the sole or palm of a specific size. Examples of terminals including an imaging device and a display device include digital cameras, smartphones, and tablet terminals. The communication between the terminal including an imaging device and a display device and the image creation devices 10A, 10B, 10C, and 10D may be wireless or wired. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D Image creation device, 11 Imaging unit, 12 Display unit, 13 Guide display processing unit, 14 Extraction processing unit, 15 First image creation unit, 16 Layout screen display unit, 17 Second image creation unit, 18 Template display unit, 19 Third image creation unit, 20 Image storage unit, 81 Processor, 82 Memory, 83 Storage device, 84 Imaging device, 85 Display device, 200 Shooting screen, 201 Alignment guide, 202 Shooting guide message, 300 Layout screen, 301 Type selection button, 302 Object selection button, 303 Color selection button, 304 Editing area, 305 Save button, 306 Stamp, 307 Part, 308 Object transformation tool, 308A Rotate button, 308B Invert button, 308C Zoom button, 308D Transformation end button, 309 Template display button, 310 Template, 310A Layout frame, 310B Placement order number, 311 Layer number, 400 Practical image, 401 Art image, 402 Calendar frame.

Claims

1. a guide display processing unit that displays a positioning guide for a part of the hand or foot on a photographing screen of a terminal having an image photographing function; an extraction processing unit that extracts a part of a hand or a foot from the digital image captured by the image capturing function; a first image creation unit that creates a stamp by converting the extracted image of a part of the hand or foot into a silhouette image; a layout screen display unit that displays a layout screen that accepts an operation for laying out the stamps and pre-registered parts; a second image creation unit that creates an art image including the stamps and the parts laid out using the layout screen, the extraction processing unit performs processing to extract the sole of the foot from the digital image; The first image creation unit performs at least one of a correction to make the MP joint part thicker in the foot width direction and a correction to make the arch part thinner on the sole extracted by the extraction processing unit, and creates the stamp. An image creation device.

2. A guide display processing unit that displays a positioning guide for a part of a hand or foot on a photographing screen of a terminal equipped with an image photographing function; an extraction processing unit that extracts a part of the hand or foot from the digital image captured by the image capturing function; a first image creation unit that creates a stamp by converting the extracted image of a part of the hand or foot into a silhouette image; a layout screen display unit that displays a layout screen that accepts an operation for laying out the stamps and pre-registered parts; a second image creation unit that creates an art image including the stamps and the parts laid out using the layout screen, the extraction processing unit performs processing to extract the sole of the foot from the digital image; The first image creation unit is an image creation device that creates the stamp by correcting the sole extracted by the extraction processing unit to form a gap between the toes and the ball of the foot.

3. The image creation device according to claim 1 , wherein the second image creation unit creates an art image including a predetermined upper limit number or less of the stamps and the parts.

4. 4. The image creation device according to claim 1, wherein the layout screen display unit displays layer numbers indicating hierarchical relationships in the layout screen together with the stamps and the parts being laid out on the layout screen.

5. The first image creation unit performs at least one of a correction to make the MP joint portion thicker in the foot width direction and a correction to make the arch portion thinner on the sole extracted by the extraction processing unit to create the stamp. The image creation device according to claim 2.

6. The image creation device according to claim 1 , wherein the first image creation unit creates the stamp by correcting the sole extracted by the extraction processing unit to form a gap between the toes and the ball of the foot.

7. The image creation device according to claim 1 , further comprising a third image creation unit that creates a framed art image by combining the art image with a pre-registered frame.

Images