Patent Application
20220321767
This invention generally relates to the art in the field of photography, and more specifically to an apparatus that allows the generating and printing of photographs for identification documents with a plain color background without the use of a closed space photo booth and/or a plain color background during the taking of the photo.
Often people are required to obtain a portrait photograph for official use, in most cases the requirements for these photographs are precisely regulated, including, as a rule, it is required that the photograph be taken against a plain color background. At the moment, for these purposes, as a rule, closed space photo booths are used, which include a camera and a plain color background for photographing.
There is a wide variety of self-service photo booths for creating and printing ID photos. Some of these devices are described in patents: US 2009/0076924 A1, US 2002/0093568A1, U.S. Pat. No. 6,298,197 B1, US 2004/0179233 A1 and many others. All of them include a monochrome plain color background against which the user is photographed, or they do not have the ability to print photos with a plain color background. As a result, the booths have a relatively large size or limited functionality, require a large free area for installation and are not suitable for use in most premises.
The present invention is directed to an apparatus that is capable of producing photographs for identification documents with the required characteristics, comprising those with a plain color background, without using a plain color background when photographing a user, or using a user-uploaded photo with an arbitrary background as an image source.
The apparatus may include a camera, a computing device, a video display and an input device for interacting with a user, one or more payment acceptance devices.
Unlike the existing self-service photo booths, the device does not need a plain color background for photographing, and it can also be implemented in a relatively compact body.
The device displays on the video display the instructions necessary to work with it, prompting the user to select a source of the image, characteristics required for the desired photograph or the desired field of application for photography. May give instructions on the required pose for photographing. May accept payment from the user, may print required size photos. It may save or send the generated image using communication channels. Special algorithms convert the image received from the camera or uploaded by the user to the format of the required field of application of the photo, or to the format selected by the user.
The invention will now be described further by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
The following is a detailed description of exemplary embodiments to illustrate the principles of the invention. The embodiments are provided to illustrate aspects of the invention, but the invention is not limited to any embodiment. The scope of the invention encompasses numerous alternatives, modifications and equivalent; it is limited only by the claims.
Numerous specific details are set forth in the following description in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, the invention may be practiced according to the claims without some or all of these specific details. For the purpose of clarity, technical material that is known in the technical fields related to the invention has not been described in detail so that the invention is not unnecessarily obscured.
One of the possible implementations of the device may include a monitor combined in a single body with a video display or touch screen for user interaction (1), a box for issuing photographs, into which photographs fall after printing (2), a device for receiving payment from the user (3), a sensor configured to capture an image (4), a mechanism for moving the sensor in height (5), a printer for printing photographs (6), a computing device and a modem for communication (7).
The apparatus may be placed on a wall, table, special stand, or otherwise installed.
The apparatus is mainly intended for printing photographs for identification documents, and differs from existing solutions in that it does not require a plain color background for photographing, the apparatus does not include a closed space cabin or booth, or any monochromic plain color background against which the user should be placed, the user may be photographed with an arbitrary background (10), or upload an image with an arbitrary background, after that an image identification module uses special software located in the device's memory or on a remote server, using automatic algorithms, separates the portrait image of a person from the background and replaces the arbitrary background with the required plain color background (8). As an algorithm for separating the background from the portrait of a person could be used, algorithms of semantic segmentation, algorithms for separating the background based on algorithms for detecting motion, algorithms for constructing a depth map of the scene, or any other possible ways of automatically separating a portrait image of a person from the background may be used. Also, the person's portrait may be centered according to the required specification of identification document, and multiple copies of the required size are placed on a sheet of paper to print (9).
A plain color background means an image that can be used as a background in accordance with the requirements for identification document photographs.
In addition, the apparatus may also have the functions of a self-service photo printer, and print photos with or without processing from various sources.
The apparatus may be equipped with a device (5) to automatically change the angle of the direction of photographing (11) vertically, by moving the camera, or a mirror surface, or the entire device. The software analyzes the image coming from the camera, and using special algorithms makes a decision to vertically move the angle of the direction of photographing (11), after that the mechanism adjusts the angle of the direction of photographing (11) to the required level. Thus, users with different heights (13, 14, 15) can obtain a photograph using the apparatus (12), taken with the correct angle of the direction of photographing (11) relative to the height of the user.
The apparatus is a significant development of self-service photo booths used for photographing identification documents. Refusal to use a plain color background makes it possible to abandon a cumbersome closed space structure, significantly reduce the dimensions of the apparatus, and reduce the cost of operation. It becomes possible to install the device in places where it is impossible to install a traditional self-service photo booth.
The disclosed embodiments are illustrative, not restrictive. While specific configurations of the technology have been described, it is understood that the present invention can be applied to a wide variety of technologies. There are many alternative ways of implementing the invention.
