JP2016085534A - Image processing apparatus, control method of image processing apparatus, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily create an album desirable for a user.SOLUTION: There is provided an image processing apparatus including a dividing part that divides a plurality of images into a plurality of groups, a setting part that sets an image selection condition in each of the groups, a selecting part that selects an image from each of the groups on the basis of the selection condition, and an arranging part that arranges the images selected by the selecting part on each of spread pages while associating each of the groups with each of the spread pages of an album.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, a control method for the image processing apparatus, and a program, and more particularly to a technique for creating an album by dividing an image set into groups and selecting images from each group under desired conditions.

  In recent years, with the popularization of digital cameras and the increase in capacity of memory cards, the number of images taken by users tends to increase. A photographed image is often printed in the form of an album as well as being printed alone, and an album creating apparatus that captures a photographed image, selects the image, and lays out the album is widely used. When using such an album creating apparatus, it is very troublesome for the user to select a desired image from a large number of images.

  Therefore, Patent Document 1 discloses a method of classifying images by folders, extracting and displaying images in a selected folder under desired conditions such as emphasis on people and scenery.

JP 2007-58795 A

  However, in an album, it is common to lay out images with similar dates and places on the same spread page. In the technique of Patent Document 1, if an image selected at a specific ratio is laid out, there is a risk that the first half is a person and the second half is a landscape. Further, in order to determine what is the most preferable image selection condition for the user, it takes time to check the displayed selection result by changing the image selection condition many times.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and has an object to easily create a desired album for a user.

In order to achieve the above object, an image processing apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention comprises the following arrangement. That is,
Dividing means for dividing a plurality of images into a plurality of groups;
Setting means for setting selection conditions for images in each group;
Selection means for selecting an image from each group based on the selection condition;
And an arrangement unit that associates each group with each spread page of the album and arranges the image selected by the selection unit on each spread page.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to easily create a desired album for the user.

1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of an image processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of an image processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The flowchart which shows the procedure of the process which selects the image by the scene ratio for every group which the image processing apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention implements. The figure which shows an example of the image group divided | segmented into the group which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows an example of the management table of the image selection condition which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows an example of the result of having produced the album by the several image selection conditions which concern on one Embodiment of this invention. 6 is a flowchart showing a procedure of processing for setting a preferred image selection condition from a selection result, which is performed by the image processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of processing for selecting a comparison group for representing a difference in image selection conditions, which is performed by the image processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. The figure which shows an example of the selected group for a comparison which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows an example of the screen for setting the favorite image selection condition which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows an example of the image group which one or more scenes which concern on one Embodiment of this invention do not exist.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. The configurations shown in the following embodiments are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to the illustrated configurations.

<1. Hardware configuration of image processing apparatus>
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of an image processing apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Reference numeral 101 denotes a central processing unit (hereinafter referred to as a CPU) that controls the computer system. The CPU 101 realizes each functional configuration and processing described later by executing calculation and processing of information and control of each hardware based on the control program. Reference numeral 102 denotes a random access memory (hereinafter referred to as RAM), which functions as a main memory of the CPU 101 as a work memory necessary for loading an execution program and executing the program.

  Reference numeral 103 denotes a read-only memory (hereinafter referred to as ROM) in which a control program that defines the operation processing procedure of the CPU 101 is recorded. The ROM 103 includes a program ROM that records basic software (OS), which is a system program that performs device control of the computer system, and a data ROM that records information necessary for operating the system. Note that an HDD 109 described later may be used instead of the ROM 103.

  Reference numeral 104 denotes a network interface (hereinafter referred to as NETIF), which performs input / output control of data transmitted / received via the network. Reference numeral 105 denotes a video RAM (hereinafter referred to as VRAM), which develops an image displayed on the screen of the display 106 as a display unit. A display unit 106 is, for example, a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) display, a liquid crystal display, or the like. Reference numeral 107 denotes an input controller that controls an input signal from the input device 108 described later. Reference numeral 108 denotes an input device for receiving an operation instruction from the user, such as a touch panel, a keyboard, and a mouse.

  Reference numeral 109 denotes a hard disk drive (HDD), which is a storage device. The HDD 109 is used for storing data such as application programs and image information. Reference numeral 110 denotes an input / output device such as a CD (DVD) -ROM drive or a memory card drive, which is used for reading out image data captured by a digital camera. Reference numeral 111 denotes an input / output bus (address bus, data bus, and control bus) for connecting the above-described components.

<2. Functional configuration of image processing apparatus>
Next, the functional configuration of the image processing apparatus 10 will be described with reference to FIG. The functional configuration described below is realized by the image processing apparatus 10 in FIG. 1 executing program code for realizing the function. The image processing apparatus 10 includes a group division unit 201, a scene classification unit 202, a selection condition setting unit 203, an image selection unit 204, and a spread layout unit 205.

  The group division unit 201 divides an image group that is a candidate to be arranged in the album into a plurality of groups. As a method of dividing into groups, a clustering method such as hierarchical clustering or K-average method may be used on the basis of information on the shooting date and time of the image and the shooting location. The scene classification unit 202 classifies an image into a specific scene such as a person-based person scene or a landscape-based landscape scene.

  In this embodiment, the scene is classified into a person scene (single person) in which one specific person is detected, a plurality of person scenes in which a plurality of persons are detected, and a landscape scene in which no person is detected. In addition, as a scene scene classification method, a feature amount such as a color or an edge of an image may be detected, and a determination may be made based on whether or not the feature amount matches a separately registered landscape feature amount. The scene classification methods are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these methods.

  The selection condition setting unit 203 sets image selection conditions. The processing content for setting the selection condition will be described later. The image selection unit 204 selects an image from each group divided by the group division unit 201 according to the image selection condition set by the selection condition setting unit 203. When the number of selected images is larger than the required number, images with a high image rate (for example, images of that scene when the ratio of a specific scene is high) may be selected preferentially or randomly selected. You may do it.

  The spread arrangement unit 205 associates the divided groups with the spread pages of the album, and arranges the selected image selected by the image selection unit 204 on each spread page. In the present embodiment, group division is performed by the same number as the number of spread pages, and the group and the spread page are associated one-to-one. However, the number is not necessarily the same.

  In addition, it is possible to determine whether the selected image is portrait or landscape, and to arrange the image so that the blank area is as small as possible, or by using a template in which the image placement frame is defined in advance. Alternatively, a template that matches the number of frames may be selected and images may be arranged. When using a template, an image may be arranged by associating the image selection condition with the template and selecting a template that meets the image selection condition.

<3. Processing performed by image processing apparatus>
Next, a processing procedure performed by the image processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, in step S <b> 301, the group dividing unit 201 divides an image group that is a candidate photographed by the user into N groups that are the number corresponding to the number N of spread pages.

  In S302, the scene classification unit 202 classifies the scene into three scenes, for example, a person, a plurality of persons, and a landscape. Furthermore, it may be classifiable into other scenes such as face-ups and pets. Moreover, the structure classified into the scene containing at least 1 among these scenes may be sufficient.

  In step S303, the scene classification unit 202 determines whether scene classification has been completed for all images in each group. When the scene classification is completed, the process proceeds to S304. On the other hand, when the scene classification is not completed, the process returns to S302, and the scene classification is repeatedly executed for each group.

  Here, FIG. 4 is an example of a result of dividing an image group into groups and classifying scenes for all images. Group 1 includes images 1 to 5, and “landscape” is classified as a scene in images 1 and 2, and “person” is classified as a scene in image 5. Similarly, group 6 includes images 6 to 15, where “landscape” is a scene in image 6, “person (s)” is a scene in image 7, and “person” is a scene in image 8. In the image 9, “landscape” is classified as a scene, and in the image 15, “person” is classified as a scene. Thereafter, the classification is performed in the same manner. The group N includes the images 97 to 99. The image 97 includes “landscape” as a scene, the image 98 includes “person”, and the image 99 includes a scene. “Person (s)” is classified as

  In S304, the selection condition setting unit 203 sets an image scene ratio as an image selection condition. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the scene ratio is defined as an arrangement style in association with a name that is easy for the user to understand, and is set by the user specifying a desired arrangement style. The arrangement style 1 is “travel landscape importance”, and the scene ratio is 80% of landscape and 20% of person. The arrangement style 2 is “travel person-oriented”, and the scene ratio is 20% of landscape and 80% of person. The arrangement style 3 is “equal group travel”, and the scene ratio is 40% of landscape, 30% of people, and 30% of people. Arrangement style 4 is “group travel person-oriented”, and the scene ratio is 20% for landscape, 40% for person, and 20% for multiple persons. The arrangement style N-1 is “Athletic meet face-up”, and the scene ratio is 60% face-up, 20% person, and 20% person. The arrangement style N is “children and pets”, and the scene ratio is 50% people and 50% pets. As another method for setting the scene ratio, the user may directly specify a numerical value.

  In step S <b> 305, the image selection unit 204 selects an image in the group with the scene ratio of the arrangement style set by the selection condition setting unit 203. In step S306, the image selection unit 204 determines whether image selection has been performed for all the N groups divided in step S301. If image selection has been performed for all groups, the process proceeds to S307. On the other hand, if there is a group for which image selection has not yet been performed, the process returns to S305 to repeatedly execute image selection.

  In S <b> 307, the spread layout unit 205 places the image selected by the image selection unit 204 on the spread page of the album. FIG. 6 is an example in which images selected by the image selection unit 204 are arranged in an album. Reference numeral 601 denotes an image group divided into groups, and reference numerals 602 to 605 indicate results obtained by selecting images with a scene ratio of a plurality of arrangement styles determined in advance as shown in FIG. is there. Thus, each process in FIG. 3 is completed.

  As described above, according to the processing according to the present embodiment, the user can create an album in which images are selected with a desired scene ratio without bias by designating a preferred arrangement style (scene ratio). . Therefore, it is possible to easily create a desired album for the user.

  Next, an example in which an actual example of the selection result is displayed using a user image and the scene ratio is set by the user specifying a preferred arrangement style will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a procedure of processing performed by the image processing apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, which is processing executed in S304 of FIG.

  In step S <b> 701, the selection condition setting unit 203 functions as a group selection unit, and selects a comparison group suitable for expressing a difference in arrangement style from a plurality of divided groups. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a detailed procedure of processing for selecting a comparison group in S701. In S801, the selection condition setting unit 203 sets the first group as a candidate group. In step S802, the selection condition setting unit 203 acquires information on images in the next group. In steps S803 to S805, the selection condition setting unit 203 determines whether the number of scene images used in the arrangement style is equal to or greater than a predetermined number. Determine whether or not. In the present embodiment, there are three scenes corresponding to a landscape, a person, and a plurality of persons as scenes corresponding to the scene. In S803, it is determined whether or not there are a predetermined number or more of landscape images in S803, a person in S804, and a plurality of scenes in S805. Yes. For example, it is determined that a group including two scenery and one person is not suitable for comparison display, and two or more groups of three scenery, two persons, and a plurality of persons are present, and thus determined to be suitable for comparison display. To do.

  In step S806, the selection condition setting unit 203 determines the rate added to the images in the candidate group (for example, the ratio of images of a specific scene) and the rate of images in the group (for example, the ratio of images of a specific scene). Are compared to determine whether a higher-rate image is included. When a high-rate image is included (for example, when the ratio of images of a specific scene is higher), it is determined that the group is a more important group for the user. In step S807, the candidate group is set. In addition to the determination based on the rate, the processing in step S806 may be performed by comparing the number of images in the group and setting the larger number of images as a candidate group.

  In S808, the selection condition setting unit 203 determines whether or not the processing from S802 to S808 has been executed for all the divided groups. If the process has been executed for all groups, the process advances to step S809. On the other hand, if the process has not been executed for all groups, the process returns to S802.

  In step S809, the selection condition setting unit 203 sets the last set candidate group as a comparison group. Thus, the processes in FIG. 8 are completed, and the process in S701 is completed.

  In step S <b> 702, the selection condition setting unit 203 selects an image from the comparison group selected in step S <b> 701 with a scene ratio of a predefined arrangement style. In step S <b> 703, the selection condition setting unit 203 functions as a display control unit, and includes an example of a selection result based on each arrangement style for specifying the image selection condition and a reception screen for receiving the specification of the arrangement style from the user. To be displayed on the display 106. In S704, the selection condition setting unit 203 determines whether or not the processing in S702 to S703 has been completed for all defined arrangement styles. When the processing is completed for all the defined arrangement styles, the process proceeds to S704. On the other hand, if the processing has not been completed for all defined arrangement styles, the process returns to S702.

  In step S <b> 705, the selection condition setting unit 203 receives designation of a desired arrangement style from the user based on the displayed plurality of selection results. In S706, the selection condition setting unit 203 sets the scene ratio of the arrangement style specified in S705 as an image selection condition.

  FIG. 9 shows an example in which a comparison group is selected from a plurality of divided groups. Group 2 is selected from the N groups as a comparison group. FIG. 10 is an example of a screen that displays a result of selecting an image with a scene ratio of the arrangement style from the comparison group and allows the user to specify a desired arrangement style. In the example of FIG. 10, four layout styles “travel (landscape emphasis)”, “travel (people emphasis)”, “group travel (evenness)”, and “group travel (people emphasis)” are displayed as image selection conditions. Yes. On the other hand, as shown by 1101 in FIG. 11, when there is no specific scene (for example, landscape scene) in each group, a specific scene-oriented layout style (for example, landscape-oriented layout style) is not displayed. May be. Further, as shown in 1102, when there is only a specific scene (for example, only a landscape scene), the ratio of the specific scene is set to 100% (for example, the landscape is set to 100 without the comparative display on the screen of FIG. 10). % May be used as an image selection condition.

  As described above, the image processing apparatus according to the present embodiment divides a plurality of images into a plurality of groups, sets image selection conditions in each group, and sets each image based on the set selection conditions. An image is selected, each group is associated with each spread page of the album, and the selected image is arranged on each spread page. The selection condition is, for example, a scene ratio of a landscape or a person whose scene is determined using an image analysis technique. The results of selecting images under multiple selection conditions from a group suitable for representing the difference in selection conditions are displayed on a spread page, and when the user selects a favorite selection condition from among them, an image is displayed using the selection condition. Select to create an album.

  Thereby, the user can easily determine the difference in the image selection condition, and can set a desired image selection condition. Therefore, it is possible to easily create a desired album for the user.

(Other embodiments)
The present invention supplies a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or apparatus via a network or a storage medium, and one or more processors in a computer of the system or apparatus read and execute the program This process can be realized. It can also be realized by a circuit (for example, ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

  101: CPU, 102: RAM, 103: Program ROM / Data ROM, 104: NETIF, 105: VRAM, 106: Display, 107: Input controller, 108: Input device, 109: HDD, 110: Input / output device, 111: Input / output bus, 201: group division unit, 202: scene classification unit, 203: selection condition setting unit, 204: image selection unit, 205: spread layout unit

Claims (10)

Dividing means for dividing a plurality of images into a plurality of groups;
Setting means for setting selection conditions for images in each group;
Selection means for selecting an image from each group based on the selection condition;
An image processing apparatus comprising: arrangement means for associating each group with each spread page of the album and arranging the image selected by the selection means on each spread page.   The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the dividing unit divides the plurality of images into the same number of groups as the number of spread pages. Classifying means for classifying the plurality of images into one or more scenes,
The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the setting unit sets the ratio of the scene as the selection condition.   The image processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the one or more scenes are scenes including at least one of a single person, a plurality of persons, and a landscape. Group selection means for selecting a candidate group from the plurality of groups based on the number of images corresponding to one or more scenes in each group;
Using the images included in the candidate group, a spread page with each arrangement style corresponding to the ratio of each scene is displayed on the display unit, and a reception screen for accepting designation of the arrangement style from the user is displayed on the display unit. A display control means,
The image processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the setting unit sets a ratio of a scene corresponding to the designated arrangement style as the selection condition.   6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the group selection unit selects the candidate group when the number of images corresponding to each scene is a predetermined number or more.   The display control unit does not cause the display unit to display a spread page based on an arrangement style related to the specific scene among a plurality of predetermined arrangement styles when the image in each group does not include the specific scene. The image processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the image processing apparatus is an image processing apparatus. When the display control means includes only a specific scene in the images in each group, the display control unit does not display the spread page according to each arrangement style on the display unit,
The image processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the setting unit sets the specific scene ratio as 100% as the selection condition. A control method for an image processing apparatus, comprising:
A dividing unit that divides the plurality of images into a plurality of groups;
A step of setting a selection condition for images in each group;
A step of selecting an image from each group based on the selection condition;
The arrangement means includes a step of associating each group with each spread page of the album and arranging the image selected in the selecting step on each spread page.   A program for causing a computer to execute each step of the control method of the image processing apparatus according to claim 9.

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