JPH01214978A - Picture displaying device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To display a picture at a high speed and, at the same time, precisely enlarge and reduce the picture to the preciseness of its original picture by performing writing and reading out in and from a picture memory and reducing- converting means in parallel with each other and causing each reducing- converting means to perform processes independently, and then, performing enlargement and reduction of a picture by reduction-processing the corresponding picture data on a picture memory. CONSTITUTION:When a picture is reduction-processed, picture data writing and reading out operations in and from a picture memory section 4 and reducing-converting sections 51-5N are performed by respectively using buses 71 and 72. The plural reducing-converting sections 51-5N are provided and the sections 51-5N independently perform reduction processes one picture by one picture. Moreover, the reduction and enlargement processes of a displaying picture is performed by reduction-processing the corresponding picture data in the picture memory section. Therefore, the display picture can be displayed in such a state that the picture can be enlarged to the preciseness of the picture data in the picture memory section and the reduction-processing time can be reduced.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an image display device, and particularly to an image display device suitable for reducing and converting an image selected by a search and displaying it at high speed in an image database system. It is related to the device.

[Conventional technology]

The display method in the image database system is as follows:
When storing image data in a storage device, it is reduced in advance to a size equal to the size (number of pixels) on the display device and stored, and at the time of a search, the image data to be searched is stored from the storage device. A commonly used method is to take out the image and display it directly on a display device. Furthermore, when it is desired to enlarge a displayed image as necessary, a method is generally used in which one pixel of the image is displayed in correspondence with several pixels on the display screen.

In addition, in the field of single image processing, the image reduction method is to group image data into multiple line units and reduce them in both the horizontal and vertical directions. The reduction rate that can be reduced is usually fixed to avoid

On the other hand, in image database systems, it is common for multiple images to be selected through a search. In order to improve the user interface, it is necessary to enlarge the narrowed-down candidate images to an arbitrary size and display them in more detail on a display device.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

In the conventional technology described above, when an image is stored in a storage device, it is reduced in advance according to the size of the display screen, and when it is displayed, it is displayed in the same size on the display device. If it is desired to reduce the image size, the only option is to store reduced images corresponding to the respective sizes in the storage device in advance, which results in an increase in the memory capacity required for the storage device. In addition, when enlarging a displayed image, the conventional method simply enlarges the pixels of the displayed image, so it can only be displayed at the same resolution as the displayed image, and it is not possible to display it as a more detailed image. Unable to satisfy the desire to expand. Furthermore, even if an image is reduced using a reduction processing method in the field of single-image processing, it is not possible to display the image reduced at an arbitrary reduction ratio, and the above-mentioned requirements for the image database system cannot be met.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve these conventional problems and provide an image display device that can quickly reduce or enlarge an image to an arbitrary size.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to solve the above problems, an image display device of the present invention is provided in an image database system that stores images and performs search and display. a second memory that stores image data and has a high-speed access function, a first bus that connects the first memory and the second memory, and reduces and converts the image data in the second memory in units of one screen. a plurality of reduction conversion means for performing the above-mentioned reduction conversion means, reduction conversion control means for controlling the plurality of reduction conversion means, a second bus connecting the second memory and the plurality of reduction conversion means, and a memory having a size corresponding to the display screen. a display means for displaying reduced image data that is the reduction result of each reduction conversion means, a third bus connecting the plurality of reduction conversion means and the display means, and a central control means for controlling the entire apparatus. the central control means is configured to perform write and read operations of image data to the second memory via the first bus and the second bus;
The reduction conversion control means performs a write operation and a read operation to the reduction conversion means via the second bus and the third bus respectively in parallel, and the reduction conversion control means performs a write operation and a read operation to the reduction conversion means through the second bus and the third bus, respectively, and the reduction conversion control means performs a write operation and a read operation to the reduction conversion means in parallel. The image data is distributed to each reduction conversion means via the second bus in units of one screen, and each reduction conversion means independently performs reduction processing on the distributed one screen worth of image data, and the display means The present invention is characterized in that the image displayed on the screen is enlarged or reduced by processing the corresponding image data in the second memory by the reduction conversion means and then re-displayed on the display means.

Further, each of the reduction conversion means stores one screen worth of image data transferred from the second memory, and includes a third memory having a high-speed access function of an arbitrary two-dimensional area, and a third memory that stores image data for one screen transferred from the second memory, and a third memory that stores the image data for one screen transferred from the second memory. It is composed of a plurality of reduction processing circuits that reduce the direction in units of a plurality of lines, fourth and fifth buses that connect the third memory and the reduction processing circuit, and a control circuit that controls the entire reduction conversion means. The circuit transfers a plurality of lines of image data from the third memory to each of the reduction processing circuits via the fourth bus, and transfers the processing results of each of the reduction processing circuits to the fifth bus. The writing operation is performed in parallel to the third memory via
Depending on the reduction ratio in the line direction, reduction processing is performed only in the line direction, and the image data for one screen in the third memory is
Via the fourth bus, the lines are distributed horizontally (vertically) in units of multiple lines and transferred to each of the reduction processing circuits, and are subjected to reduction processing according to the reduction ratio in the horizontal direction (vertical direction), and the reduction results are The image data on the third memory, which is the reduction result, is stored in the third memory via the fifth bus, and after the horizontal (vertical) reduction processing for one screen is completed, the image data on the third memory, which is the reduction result, is The data is transferred to each of the reduction processing circuits in units of multiple lines in the vertical direction (horizontal direction) via the bus, the reduction processing is performed according to the reduction ratio in the vertical direction (horizontal direction), and the reduction result is transferred to the fifth bus. The feature is that reduction processing for one screen is performed by storing the image in the third memory via the image data.

[Operation] In the present invention, writing and reading operations to the screen memory and reduction conversion means are performed in parallel, and each reduction conversion means independently performs reduction processing for one screen to reduce the image displayed on one display means. Enlarge/reduce.

This is done by reducing the corresponding image data on the image memory. This allows one image to be enlarged or reduced at high speed and finely to the accuracy of the original image.

Further, in the present invention, the control circuit in each reduction conversion means performs write and read operations to and from the screen memory in parallel,
Each of the reduction processing circuits performs reduction processing in units of multiple lines only in the line direction based on the reduction rate in the line direction, and converts image data for one screen on one screen memory into units of multiple lines in the horizontal direction (vertical direction). is transferred to each reduction processing circuit, and is reduced according to the horizontal (vertical) reduction ratio.The reduction result is stored in the screen memory, and one screen's worth of horizontal (vertical) data is transferred to each reduction processing circuit.
After the reduction processing is completed, the image data on the screen memory that is the reduction result is transferred to each reduction processing circuit in units of multiple lines in the vertical direction (horizontal direction), and is reduced according to the reduction ratio in the vertical direction (horizontal direction). , and by storing the results in the double-sided memory, the reduction process for one screen is performed. This allows one image to be reduced to an arbitrary size at high speed.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to one drawing.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an image display device showing an embodiment of the present invention. This shows an example in which an image data system is constructed using only the own device.

In FIG. 1, 1 is a display unit having a display memory of a size equivalent to the display screen, and 2 is an interface for connecting to another image database system (not shown) such as an information center via a communication line. a control unit; 3 a storage unit that stores a large amount of image data; 4 an image memory unit that stores a plurality of image data and has a high-speed access function; 51 to 5;
N is a reduction conversion unit that reads image data from the image memory unit 4 and performs reduction conversion on a screen-by-screen basis; 6 is a reduction conversion unit 51;
-5N; 71, 72; 73 are buses for transferring image data; and 8 is a central control unit that controls the entire apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the reduction converters 51 to 5N in FIG. 1.

In FIG. 2, 20 is a screen memory 21 having the size of one screen and capable of high-speed access to any two-dimensional area;
1 to 21M are reduction processing circuits 221 and 2 that reduce the image data in the screen memory 2o in units of multiple lines;
22 is a bus for transferring multiple lines of image data;
72 and 73 are buses for transferring the image data in FIG. 1, 231 and 232 are switches for switching between the screen memory 2o and the bus 221 or 72, and between the screen memory 20 and the bus 222 or 73, and 24 is a reduction converter. This is a control circuit that controls the entire system.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the reduction conversion method in the reduction conversion units 51 to 5N in FIG. 2, and FIG. An explanatory diagram, FIG. 3(b), shows an image reduced in the horizontal direction, and is a diagram for explaining the reduction process in the vertical direction.

Here, (0,0) is the origin or the horizontal direction of the image, Y is the vertical direction of the image, and Sx is 5x = (number of pixels in the horizontal direction of the original image) / (number of pixels in the horizontal direction of the reduced image) The horizontal reduction ratio of the image, SV, is defined by 5V = (number of vertical pixels of the original image) / (number of vertical pixels of the reduced image), X□, x2. ... is X
Points where the axis is divided into Sx intervals, Yl, Y2. ...
indicates points where the Y axis is divided into Sv intervals.

The operation of this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

In FIG. 1, a searcher first issues a search request via the display unit 1. The search request is notified to the central control unit 8.

The central control unit 8 analyzes the search request and checks if the desired image exists in the storage unit 3 within its own device. If not,
A search request is sent to another image database system (not shown) such as an information center via the interface control unit 2, and the image data that is the search result is received via the interface control unit and stored in the storage unit 3. Store. Here, it is assumed that the storage unit 3 has a storage capacity large enough to store a large amount of image data so that an image database system can be constructed by the storage unit 3 itself.

Next, the central control unit 8 activates the storage unit 32 and the image memory unit 4, reads out the image data that is the search result from the storage unit 3, and writes it to the image memory unit 4 via the bus 71. When it becomes an image, 1 is stored in the image memory section 4.
When the writing of the image data for the screen is completed, the central control unit 8 starts up the storage unit 3 and the image memory unit 4 again, and writes the next one.
Image data for a screen is read from the storage section 3 and written into the image memory section 4. In addition, in parallel with the writing operation to the image memory section 4 described above, the central control section 8 activates one of the reduction conversion sections that are not in use in the reduction conversion control section 6 and stores the data in the image memory section 4. One screen worth of image data is read out from the image memory section 4 and written into the screen memory 2° in the reduction conversion section via the bus 72. In this way, image data corresponding to the number of searched images are sequentially read from the storage section 3 and written to the image memory section 4, and in parallel, image data already written to the image memory section 4 is read and reduced in size. Transfer to the department. The size of the image memory unit 4 is assumed to be large enough to store multiple image data, but if a large number of images are selected as a result of a search and cannot be stored in the image memory unit 4 at once. As will be described later, after the image data in the image memory section 4 has been displayed on the display section 1, the storage area of the image memory section 4 for the image data that is no longer needed is released according to the searcher's instructions. Waiting for this, the remaining image data is read out from the storage section 3 and written into the image memory section 4.

As described above, by writing to and reading from the image memory section 4 in parallel for each screen, it is possible to shorten the time until the next screen is displayed.

In addition, the reduction conversion unit is configured by N conversion units 51 to 5N each of which performs reduction conversion in units of one screen, so that N pieces of image data are read out continuously from the image memory unit 4. By independently reducing the N screens in each reduction conversion unit, it is possible to shorten the display time between screens for the N screens.

The central control section 8 provides reduction ratios Sx and Sv to each reduction conversion section via the reduction conversion control section 6. Each reduction converter performs reduction processing for one screen based on the reduction ratio by a method described later. When the reduction processing in the reduction conversion unit is completed, the central control unit 8 starts the display unit 1, reads the reduced image data from the reduction conversion unit □ where the reduction processing for one screen has been completed, and transfers the reduced image data to the bus 73.
It is displayed on the display section 1 via. When the display on the display section 1 is completed, the central control section 8 releases the reduction conversion section.

As described above, by separating the bus for writing image data to the reduction converter and the bus for reading reduced image data from the reduction converter, writing and reading can be performed in parallel. The display time between screens can be shortened.

In the reduction conversion unit, when writing one screen worth of image data from the image memory unit 4 to the screen memory 20, the switch 231 is
is operated to connect the single screen memory 20 and the bus 72.

When writing of one screen worth of image data to the screen memory 2o is completed, the switches 231 and 232 are activated, and the screen memory 20 and the bus 221. A bus 222 is connected to perform the reduction process based on the reduction ratios Sx and SV given by the central control unit 8. As for the reduction process, first, the image before reduction shown in FIG. 3(a) is divided in the horizontal direction (X direction) into horizontal reduction ratios Sx intervals, where X=X in FIG. 3(a),
, Based on the brightness value of each pixel on the line between the intersection and the intersection to the left,
The average value, the brightness value at the intersection, etc. are given.

Next, as shown in FIG.
direction) is divided into longitudinal reduction ratio Sv intervals.
) of Y=Y□, Y2. ...), the intersection with each vertical line of the image that has already been reduced (circle mark in Figure 3 (b)) is made to correspond to one pixel of the reduced image due to the vertical reduction, and its brightness is calculated. as a value.

Based on the luminance value of each pixel on the line between the intersection point and the intersection immediately above it, the average value, the luminance value at the intersection point, etc. are given.

As described above, the method of reduction processing is to first reduce the image by one screen for each line in the horizontal direction, and then reduce the reduction result by one screen for each line in the vertical direction. By performing this processing, the reduction process for one image can be broken down into line-by-line reduction processes, and the reduction process at an arbitrary reduction rate can be simplified.

Note that if the value of the reduction ratio S,, Sv is not an integer, the position obtained by rounding off the Sx umbrella I (1 = 1.2...) in the horizontal direction is sv*J ( J=1
．． 2. ) can be rounded off to the nearest whole number as the dividing point.

In the reduction process described above, the image is first reduced horizontally and then vertically.
Next, the image may be reduced in the horizontal direction, and the resulting reduced image will be the same.

In the following description, it is assumed that the image is first reduced in the horizontal direction and then reduced in the vertical direction.

When the writing of the image data from the image memory section 4 to the screen memory 20 is completed, the control circuit 24 in the reduction conversion section
As described above, first, switch 231.232 is activated, screen memory 2o is connected to bus 221.222, and then screen memory 20 and reduction processing circuits 211 to 21M are connected.
, read the image data from the screen memory 20,
The data is transferred horizontally in units of multiple lines to the reduction processing circuits 211 to 21M via the bus 222. At that time, the control circuit 24
gives the horizontal reduction rate Sx for each reduction processing circuit.
Ru. □Each reduction processing circuit executes horizontal reduction processing of a plurality of lines by the method described above based on the reduction ratio Sx. When the horizontal reduction processing in each reduction processing circuit is completed, the control circuit 24 activates the screen memory 2o, reads out the reduced image data that has been reduced in the horizontal direction from the reduction processing circuit where the reduction processing has been completed, and transfers the reduced image data via the bus 221. and write it into the screen memory 20. The above process is repeated for all the image data in the screen memory 2o until the horizontal reduction process is completed. The number M of reduction processing circuits and the number of lines that can be processed by the reduction processing circuits can be set arbitrarily, but by increasing M and reducing the number of lines that can be processed, it is possible to shorten the time required to reduce the entire image. Can be done. Furthermore, by using the screen memory 20 for storing reduction results, the memory can be used effectively. When all of the horizontal reduction results of the entire image have been written to the screen memory 20, the control circuit 24 activates each reduction processing circuit again to perform vertical reduction processing, and all the reduction results written to the screen memory 20 are activated. The reduced image data in the horizontal direction is read from the screen memory 20 in the vertical direction in units of multiple lines, and is sequentially sent to each reduction processing circuit via the bus 222. Further, the control circuit 24 gives a vertical reduction rate SV to each reduction processing circuit. Each reduction processing circuit executes reduction processing of a plurality of lines in the vertical direction based on the reduction ratio SV using the method described above. When the vertical reduction processing in each reduction processing circuit is completed, the control circuit 24 activates the screen memory 20, reads out the reduced image data that has been reduced in the vertical direction from the reduction processing circuit for which the reduction processing has been completed, and transmits the reduced image data via the bus 221. and write it into the screen memory 20. The above process is repeated for all the horizontally reduced image data in the screen memory 20 until the vertical reduction process for one screen is completed.

As described above, the reduction processing circuit can be used for both horizontal and vertical reduction processing, making the device economical. Furthermore, by using separate buses for writing and reading from the reduction processing circuit to the screen memory 2o, writing and reading operations can be performed in parallel.
The reduction processing time can be shortened. In the control circuit 24, when the reduction process for the entire screen is completed, the switch 231 is
232 and transfers one screen memory 20 from bus 221 to bus 222 and again to bus 72. Reconnect to bus 73.

When the reduction processing for one screen in the reduction conversion section is completed, the central control section 8 starts up the display section 1, reads out the reduced image from the reduction conversion section, transfers it to the display section 1 via the bus 73, and displays it. do. The above operation is repeated for the reduced image data for the number of screens.

As described above, when a plurality of search images are displayed on the display unit 1, the searcher selects the image he/she desires from among them.

The central control section 8 is notified of the images that have not been selected through the display section 1, and the central control section 8 releases the storage area of the corresponding image data in the image memory section 4. When the searcher requests enlarged display in order to view the selected image in more detail, the request is notified to the central control unit 8 along with the reduction ratios Sx and SV corresponding to the enlarged size.

In the central control section 8, one image memory section 4. Reduction conversion control unit 6
The reduction conversion section is activated via the image memory section 4, and the image data is read from the image memory section 4 and written to the reduction conversion section. At this time, reduction ratios Sx and SV corresponding to the size to be enlarged are provided to the reduction conversion section via the reduction conversion control section 6. From now on, the above-described operations are repeated and the enlarged image is displayed on the display unit 1.

In this way, by enlarging the image using a reduction rate corresponding to the size to which the image data in the image memory section 4 is to be enlarged, the image can be enlarged to any size desired by the searcher.
It is possible to enlarge and display the image data up to the accuracy of the image data on the image memory section 4. In addition, when the searcher enlarges or reduces the selected display image and displays it again, the searcher can erase the already displayed image, scroll the display image, move the display image on the display screen, or select The display function of overlapping and displaying a plurality of images is made possible by providing the screen memory section 4 with a multi-window control function.

As described above, in this embodiment, in order to perform image reduction processing, the writing and reading operations of image data to the image memory section and reduction conversion section are performed using separate buses, and the reduction conversion section is By providing a plurality of screens and performing reduction processing independently for each screen, the display time can be shortened. Furthermore, by performing reduction and enlargement processing on the display image by reducing the corresponding image data in the image memory section, it is possible to display the display image in any size up to the definition of the image data in the image memory section. Further, by performing reduction processing in the image memory section separately in the horizontal and vertical directions of one image, reduction processing at an arbitrary reduction rate can be realized easily and economically.

In addition, multiple reduction processing circuits are provided, each of which performs reduction processing independently in units of multiple lines, and separate buses are used for writing and reading operations of multiple lines of image data, which is the processing unit of reduction processing to screen memory. By using this method, reduction processing time can be shortened.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, an image can be rapidly enlarged to any size up to the definition of the original image.

The display can be reduced and the user interface can be improved.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an image display device showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the reduction conversion section in FIG. 1, and FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a reduction processing method. 1: Display section, 2: Interface control section, 3: vIIR
Section, 4: WNIt memory J section, 51-5 N: Reduction conversion section, 6: Reduction conversion control section, 71, 72, 73: Bus, 8: Central control section, 20: Screen memory, 211-21
M: Reduction processing circuit, 221, 222: Bus, 231.2
32: Switch, 24: Circuit on m+, X: Horizontal direction of image, vertical direction of Y2 image, X 1T X z +...
: Dividing point in the X direction, Y construction based on the reduction ratio in the horizontal direction. Y2. ...: Division point in the Y direction according to the reduction ratio in the vertical direction,
Sx: horizontal reduction rate, SV: vertical reduction rate. Ml Figure 2

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) In an image database system that stores, searches, and displays images, there is a first memory that stores a large amount of images, and a second memory that stores image data for multiple screens from the first memory and has a high-speed access function. 2 memories, said first
a first bus connecting the memory and the second memory, a plurality of reduction conversion means for reducing image data in the second memory in units of one screen, and a reduction conversion controlling the plurality of reduction conversion means. A control means, a second bus connecting the second memory and a plurality of reduction conversion means, and a memory having a size corresponding to a display screen, and displays reduced image data that is a reduction result of each of the reduction conversion means. a third bus that connects the plurality of reduction conversion means and the display means, and a central control means that controls the entire device, and the central control means A writing operation and a reading operation of image data via a bus, a second bus, and a writing operation and a reading operation of image data to the reduction conversion means via the second bus and a third bus are performed in parallel, respectively. , the reduction conversion control means distributes the image data for a plurality of screens in the second memory to each reduction conversion means via the second bus, and each reduction conversion means independently Performing reduction processing on the distributed image data for one screen, and enlarging/reducing the image displayed on the display means by reducing the corresponding image data in the second memory using the reduction conversion means. An image display device characterized by displaying the image again on a display means. (2) Each of the reduction conversion means stores one screen worth of image data transferred from the second memory, and includes a third memory having a high-speed access function for any two-dimensional area, vertical direction of the image, or It is composed of a plurality of reduction processing circuits that perform reduction conversion in units of a plurality of lines in the horizontal direction, fourth and fifth buses that connect the third memory and the reduction processing circuit, and a control circuit that controls the entire reduction conversion means. The control circuit transfers image data for a plurality of lines from the third memory to each of the reduction processing circuits via the fourth bus, and transfers the processing results of each of the reduction processing circuits to the fifth bus. The writing operation to the third memory is performed in parallel through
Depending on the reduction ratio in the line direction, reduction processing is performed only in the line direction, and the image data for one screen in the third memory is
Via the fourth bus, the lines are distributed horizontally (vertically) in units of multiple lines and transferred to each of the reduction processing circuits, and are subjected to reduction processing according to the reduction ratio in the horizontal direction (vertical direction), and the reduction results are The image data on the third memory, which is the reduction result, is stored in the third memory via the fifth bus, and after the horizontal (vertical) reduction processing for one screen is completed, the image data on the third memory, which is the reduction result, is The data is transferred to each of the reduction processing circuits in units of multiple lines in the vertical direction (horizontal direction) via the bus, the reduction processing is performed according to the reduction ratio in the vertical direction (horizontal direction), and the reduction result is transferred to the fifth bus. 2. The image display device according to claim 1, wherein the image display device performs reduction processing for one screen by storing the image in the third memory via the image display device.