KR100697519B1 - Image searching method of the digital image processing device - Google Patents

Abstract

An image retrieval method of a digital image processing apparatus of the present invention comprises the steps of: determining whether to retrieve a stored picture by number; If the photos are not searched by numbers, searching one by one with the arrow keys; When retrieving a picture by number, entering a number using a function key; And searching for a picture corresponding to the input number.

According to the present invention, when retrieving a picture taken in the playback mode after taking a picture, it is possible to obtain an effect of easily and quickly retrieving the picture by number by inputting a number assigned to a function key of the digital image processing apparatus.

Description

Image search method of the digital image processing device

1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an exemplary digital camera to which the concept of the present invention can be applied.

2 is a flowchart illustrating a method of searching for an image of a digital camera according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining a preferred embodiment of step S106 of FIG.

4 is a diagram illustrating a search screen window according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

The present invention relates to a digital image processing apparatus such as a digital camera, and more particularly, to an image retrieval method of an image processing apparatus.

In a conventional digital camera, after taking a picture, in order to find a desired picture, the user had to search for the desired picture in order. In addition, if you hold down the time using the arrow keys, the pictures will move quickly in sequence, and if you find the picture you want, you can take your finger off the arrow keys. This method does not feel uncomfortable when only a few stored pictures, but when there are more than 100 stored pictures, the user has an uncomfortable problem of continuing to find the desired picture.

Accordingly, an aspect of the present invention is to provide an image retrieval method for quickly and easily retrieving a picture by number when retrieving a picture taken in a playback mode of a digital image processing apparatus.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image retrieval method of a digital image processing apparatus, including: (a) determining whether to retrieve a stored picture by number; (b) if the picture is not searched by number, searching one by one with a direction key; (c) inputting a number using a function key when searching the picture by number; And (d) retrieving a photo.

Step (c) is a step of displaying a number search window on the display; Displaying a function key assigned a number; And inputting a number using a function key to which the number is assigned.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an exemplary digital camera to which the concept of the present invention can be applied.

The optical system OPS including the lens unit and the filter unit optically processes light from a subject. The lens unit in the optical system OPS includes a zoom lens, a focus lens, and a compensation lens.

A photoelectric conversion unit (OEC) of a charge coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) converts light from an optical system (OPS) into an electrical analog signal. Here, the digital signal processor 7 controls the timing circuit 2 to control the operation of the photoelectric converter OEC and the analog-to-digital converter 1. The CDS-ADC (Correlation Double Sampler and Analog-to-Digital Converter) element 1 as an analog-to-digital converter processes the analog signal from the photoelectric converter (OEC), removes the high frequency noise, and adjusts the amplitude. After that, it is converted into a digital signal. The digital signal processor 7 processes the digital signal from the CDS-ADC element 1 to generate a digital video signal classified into luminance and chroma signals.

The DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) 4 temporarily stores digital video signals and other temporary processing data from the digital signal processor 7.

The EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory) 5 stores algorithms and setting data necessary for the operation of the digital signal processor 7. The memory card of the user is attached to and detached from the memory card interface 6.

The digital image signal from the digital signal processor 7 is input to the LCD driver 14, whereby the image is displayed on the color LCD panel 17. FIG.

On the other hand, the digital video signal from the digital signal processor 7 can be transmitted by serial communication via the USB (Universal Serial Bus) connection 18 or the RS232C interface 8 and its connection 19, and the video filter ( 9) and through the video output unit 20 can be transmitted as a video signal.

The audio processor 13 outputs the audio signal from the microphone MIC to the digital signal processor 7 or the speaker SP, and outputs the audio signal from the digital signal processor 7 to the speaker SP.

The user input unit INP may include a shutter button, a mode selection button, a function selection button, a zoom button, a direction movement button, and the like. The user input unit INP is operated by the user to generate a command for performing each function according to the user's instruction. In the present invention, the mode selection button can toggle between the shooting mode and the playback mode, and allows the file deletion operation in the playback mode to be reflected on the memory card after the time of changing to the shooting mode.

The microcontroller 12 controls the lens driver 10, whereby the zoom motor M _Z , the focus motor M _F , and the aperture motor M _A are zoom lenses in the optical system OPS, The focus lens and the aperture are driven respectively. The light emitting unit LAMP driven by the microcontroller 12 may include a self-timer lamp, an auto-focus lamp, a flash standby lamp, and the like. On the other hand, the microcontroller 12 drives the flash 15 by controlling the operation of the flash controller 11 in accordance with the signal from the flash-light amount sensor 16.

The digital camera to which the present invention can be applied does not have to include all the components of FIG. 1, and those skilled in the art may delete some of the components, add another component, or modify some components according to the specification. Will understand that

2 is a flowchart illustrating an image retrieval method of a digital image processing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, it is first determined whether a picture is searched by a number (S102). If the picture is not searched by number, the picture must be searched while checking one by one with the arrow keys (S104). As described above, it is necessary to check each picture one by one in the conventional method, so when the number of pictures stored in the digital image processing device exceeds 100 and hundreds, it is a very difficult task to find them in this way.

Therefore, in step S102, if the picture is to be searched by the number, the number is assigned to the function key installed in the digital image processing apparatus, so that the storage number of the picture is entered as the function key and the picture is searched. That is, the picture is searched by inputting the number with the function key assigned the number (S106).

In the step S102, the method for switching to the number search mode includes a method of switching to the number search mode by pressing the number search hot key "S" provided separately and a method of switching to the number search mode by selecting the number search menu on the menu. When the mode is switched to the number search mode, a search screen appears on the display unit 10 as shown in FIG.

Then, enter numbers in order of hundreds, tens, and ones. When you enter all the numbers you want to search and press the OK button, the digital image processing unit searches for and displays the picture corresponding to the number entered in the memory.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining a preferred embodiment of step S106 of FIG.

Referring to FIG. 3, first, a number search window appears on the display unit (S200).

The function key assigned with the number is displayed on the display unit (S202). In this way, a function key assigned a number is displayed on the display unit so that a number can be input using the function key.

Next, the number is input using the function key assigned the number (S204).

The number thus input is also displayed on the display unit 10.

After that, the digital image processing apparatus searches for and displays a picture corresponding to the input number.

4 is a diagram illustrating a search screen window of a digital camera as an example of a digital image processing apparatus to which the present invention may be applied.

Referring to FIG. 4, in the playback mode, the digital camera includes a display section 10, a number search hot key " S " 11, a function key 12 assigned a number, a display 13 and a number assigned to a function key. The display unit 14 is included.

When the number search hotkey " S " 11 is inputted, the display unit 10 displays the state of the function key assigned the number and the number display unit 14 in the search screen window.

The numbered function key 12 is used to enter the corresponding number of the picture in which the number is assigned in the playback mode. The number entered by the function key 12 assigned the number is displayed on the number display section 14.

The display 13 of the function keys to which numbers are assigned indicates the state of the function keys 12 to which numbers are assigned, as is on the display unit 10, and displays the numbers assigned to the respective function keys.

The number display section 14 displays on the display section 10 the number entered by the function key 12 assigned a number by the user.

In the playback mode, when the shortcut key " S " 11 illustrated in Fig. 4 is entered or a menu number search item is selected, a number is assigned to a function key.

At this time, the user sees the display 13 of the function key assigned with the number displayed on the search screen window displayed on the display unit 10, inputs the number corresponding to the picture, and presses "OK" to bring up the picture.

The above embodiments have been described with reference to a digital camera as an example of a digital image processing apparatus to which the present invention can be applied, but are not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention is applicable to mobile phones, personal digital assistants, MP3 players, and the like as digital image processing apparatuses capable of reproducing stored images. In addition, the present invention can be applied to a portable multimedia player (PMP), which has recently been in the spotlight. PMP is a portable, next-generation multimedia player with complex functions such as music playback, broadcast reception, games, electronic dictionary, video playback, and digital camera such as MP3. Even when playing back the image stored in the PMP, the concept of the present invention can be applied as it is.

The best embodiments have been disclosed in the drawings and specification above. The specific terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing the present invention only and is not intended to be limiting of meaning or the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims. Therefore, those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and equivalent other embodiments are possible from this. Therefore, the true technical protection scope of the present invention will be defined by the technical spirit of the appended claims.

As described above, according to the image retrieval method of the digital image processing apparatus of the present invention, when retrieving a photograph taken in the playback mode after taking a photo, the number is assigned to the number assigned to the function key of the digital image processing apparatus. You can get the effect of searching easily and quickly.

The invention is not limited to the examples described above and represented in the drawings. Those skilled in the art taught by the above-described embodiments, many modifications to the above-described embodiments are possible by substitution, erasure, merging, etc. within the scope and object of the present invention described in the following claims.

Claims (2)

(a) determining whether to search the stored picture by number; (b) if the picture is not searched by number, searching one by one with a direction key; (c) when the picture is searched by a number, entering a number by using a function key to which the number is assigned; And and (d) retrieving a picture corresponding to the input number. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) Displaying a number search box on the display unit; Displaying a function key assigned a number; And And inputting a number using a function key to which the number is assigned.

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