Apparatus for observing and capturing latent images on objects, and method for using same
View Patent ↗An apparatus for easily shooting an invisible image (such as an invisible two-dimensional bar code) latent on an object. The operation of the apparatus is made intuitive and simple and may be incorporated into cameras peripheral to computers and mobile telephones. A novel framing and focusing system is also disclosed.
1. An apparatus capable of shooting an invisible image luminously visualized on an object while observing the position of the invisible image latent on the object, comprising:
a base body that can be placed directly on the object;
an observation window that extends from the base body and can take ambient light therein to allow a visible image existing on the object to be directly observed there through;
a light-emitting body that emits invisible light to luminously visualize the invisible image;
a mirror;
an optical system; and
a camera fixedly set with respect to the base body, wherein
the observation window is set to allow the invisible image luminously visualized on the object by the light from the light-emitting body to be directly observed there through from at least one direction,
the mirror is set to reflect images incident from a direction different from the at least one direction including the luminously visualized invisible image and guide a mapping image to the optical system, and
the optical system is set to guide the mapping image guided from the mirror to the camera.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein spatial positioning between the mirror and the light-emitting body is set in such a manner that the light emitted from the light-emitting body is directed to the mirror and reflected so that the light can spread on part of the object that is covered by the observation window when the body is placed directly on the object.
3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a memory that can accumulate the mapping image shot by the camera.
4. The apparatus according to claim 3 , further comprising an output connector for connecting with an external device, wherein
the shot mapping image accumulated in the memory can be transferred to the external device.
5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a user-operated switch, wherein
pressing the switch for more than a predetermined duration causes the light-emitting body to keep illuminating, and
pressing the switch for less than the predetermined duration causes shooting by the camera.
6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the observation window is hinged on the base body, and
the optical system is set to be capable of guiding even an image not guided from the mirror to the camera as the observation window is tipped up with the hinge.
7. A method for using the apparatus according to claim 1 to shoot an invisible image luminously visualized on an object, comprising:
emitting invisible light if a user presses the switch for more than a predetermined duration; and
shooting the luminously visualized invisible image if the user presses the switch for less than the predetermined duration.
8. The method according to claim 7 , further comprising accumulating a mapping image shot by the camera in the memory.
9. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising transferring the shot mapping image accumulated in the memory to an external device.
10. A method for using the apparatus according to claim 1 to reconstruct an invisible image luminously visualized on an object, comprising:
receiving a shot mapping image including the luminously visualized invisible image from the apparatus; and
reconstructing the invisible image on the object from the received mapping image.