JP2001061087A - Image pickup unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To generate image data of multiple pictures resulting from reducing pictures recorded on recording media and collecting a plurality of the reduced pictures. SOLUTION: A digital still camera 10 is provided with a reduced picture generating section 24 that generates a reduced picture consisting of reduced pictures on the basis of image data recorded on a floppy disk 100 and with a collected image generating section 25 that generates collected image data tat are image data denoting one collected picture obtained by collecting a plurality of the reduced pictures from the reduced picture generating section 24.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image pickup apparatus for recording an image pickup signal on a recording medium as image data.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A digital still camera uses a removable recording medium such as a solid-state memory or a floppy disk as a recording medium for recording an image file comprising an image pickup signal. Examples of the solid-state memory include a so-called compact flash, a so-called smart media, and a so-called memory stick. Hereinafter, a digital still camera using a floppy disk as a recording medium will be described. For example, the number of images that can be recorded on a floppy disk is generally 40 to 50 images.

The digital still camera reproduces image data recorded on a recording medium for the digital still camera, and displays the data on an image display unit such as a liquid crystal display provided on the back of a housing of the digital still camera body. be able to.

Some digital still cameras have a function of converting an image into a reduced image such as a so-called thumbnail image and displaying the reduced image on an image display unit (hereinafter referred to as an index function). The user uses the index function of the digital still camera to display a plurality of images recorded on the floppy disk as thumbnail images on the image display unit and, for example, check the plurality of images recorded on the floppy disk as a list be able to.

[0005] In the digital still camera, all images recorded on the floppy disk are displayed as thumbnail images on the image display unit in the index function. In addition, digital still cameras
In this index function, a plurality of thumbnail images are automatically arranged on the image display unit by a predetermined arrangement method. For example, a digital still camera automatically arranges thumbnail images on an image display unit in accordance with the order in which images are taken. Hereinafter, one image including a plurality of thumbnail images displayed on the image display unit is referred to as an index image.

[0006] Normally, the image display by the thumbnail image is limited to about six images in the image display unit in consideration of the fact that it is too small to make the image recognition difficult. For example, a digital still camera has an index composed of six thumbnail images by a button operation, corresponding to a case where a number of images that can be displayed at a time on the image display unit are recorded on a floppy disk. Images can be viewed one after another.

Further, the digital still camera is configured to be able to select a thumbnail image displayed on the image display unit as described above. For example, the user can select a plurality of thumbnail images displayed on the image display unit by moving a cursor or the like, thereby displaying a desired image on the image display unit as an image of the original size. Can be done.

[0008]

By the way, in the conventional digital still camera, a plurality of thumbnail images displayed on the image display unit by executing the index function as described above are displayed on the image display unit only temporarily. It is just a collection of images that have been scaled down in order to That is, the index image is neither configured as image data nor recorded on a floppy disk.

Therefore, the index image is merely an image to be displayed on the image display, and the index image cannot be displayed as it is on a monitor or the like. For example, even if the digital still camera has a video signal output terminal, the video signal can be displayed on a monitor connected to the video signal output terminal, but the index image cannot be displayed. Can not.

In recent years, a service has been provided in which photographed pictures are reduced and a plurality of such reduced pictures are printed on paper in the size of a postcard. As described above, since data is not created as an index image, the index image cannot be printed. In addition, it is possible to execute a so-called photo retouching software, which is photo editing software, on a personal computer to process an image to generate an image in which a plurality of images are aggregated. In this case, the image is reduced, Further, processing such as combining these reduced images is required, which involves cumbersome operations.

Further, as described above, the conventional digital still camera is premised on display on an image display unit, and the first condition is to recognize individual images even when thumbnail images are used. Therefore, only about 6 to 8 thumbnail images can be displayed on the image display unit at a time. For this reason, when 40 to 50 images are recorded on a floppy disk, only the index images consisting of 6 or 8 thumbnail images are recorded on the floppy disk one after another. The user can only check all the images that have been performed, and the user feels that such an operation is troublesome.

Further, a conventional digital still camera is
As described above, in the index function, a plurality of thumbnail images are automatically displayed on the image display unit.
However, there are cases where a user wants to create an image in which only favorite images are aggregated (hereinafter referred to as an aggregate image), and in some cases wants to determine the order of the arrangement according to his / her preference. This was not possible with digital still cameras.

Incidentally, if there is a digital still camera with a built-in printer, a group image can be output on the spot without connecting to a personal computer or the like.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has been made in consideration of the above-described circumstances. The present invention has been made to reduce an image recorded on a recording medium, and to form an aggregated image composed of a plurality of reduced images. It is an object of the present invention to provide an imaging device capable of generating image data.

[0015]

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an imaging apparatus for generating a reduced image including an image reduced based on image data stored in an image data storage unit, in order to solve the above-mentioned problem. The image processing apparatus includes a reduced image generation unit and a set image data generation unit that generates set image data that is image data indicating one set image obtained by collecting a plurality of reduced images generated by the reduction image generation unit.

In the imaging apparatus having such a configuration, the reduced image formed by the reduced image based on the image data stored in the image data storage is generated by the reduced image generator, and the reduced image is generated by the reduced image generator. The aggregated image data generating means generates aggregated image data which is image data indicating one aggregated image obtained by assembling the plurality of reduced images.

[0017]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, the present invention is applied to a digital still camera that records an imaging signal as image data on a recording medium.

As shown in FIG. 1, the digital still camera 10 includes a camera section 11, a signal processing section 12, a system controller 13, a camera controller 14, an LCD unit 15, an LCD drive section 16, an operation section 17, a memory controller 18, It includes a memory 19, a drive unit 20, a printer 21, and an image processing unit 22. The digital still camera 10 uses a floppy disk 100 as a recording medium for recording image data.
In the present embodiment, the digital still camera 10 configured to use the floppy disk 100 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this.
For example, the digital still camera can be configured to use a solid-state memory such as a so-called compact flash, so-called smart media, or a so-called memory stick.

The digital still camera 10 captures an image of a subject by a camera unit 11. The camera unit 11 is an imaging unit that captures an image of a subject and outputs an imaging signal, and as an imaging element, for example, a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device)
It has. The camera unit 11 outputs an image signal from the image sensor to the signal processing unit 12. Here, the camera unit 11
Is controlled by the camera controller 14. For example, the camera controller 14
Shutter speed, aperture, etc. are controlled.

The signal processing section 12 performs signal processing on the image pickup signal obtained by the camera section 11. The signal processing unit 12 outputs, for example, image data of digital data by digitally converting an imaging signal. Then, the image data is subjected to data compression in the compression and decoding unit 23 of the image processing unit 22. The image data compressed by the compression and decoding unit 23 of the image processing unit 22 is transmitted to the system controller 1.
00 is written on the floppy disk 100 mounted on the drive unit 20 by the drive unit 20 whose operation is controlled by 00.

Here, the drive unit 20 is a recording medium mounting means which is configured so that the floppy disk 100 is detachable.

The signal processing unit 12, the system controller 13, the drive unit 20, and the image processing unit 22
The compression and decoding unit 23 constitutes a writing unit that writes an image pickup signal as image data on the floppy disk 100.

Further, the image processing section 22 includes a reduced image generation section 24 and a group image generation section 25 in addition to a compression and decoding section 23 for performing data compression processing on image data. The reduced image generation unit 24 is a unit that generates a reduced image composed of an image reduced based on the image data recorded on the floppy disk 100, and is a group image generation unit 25.
Is a part for generating aggregate image data which is image data indicating generation of one aggregate image obtained by aggregating a plurality of reduced images generated by the reduced image generation unit 24.

Here, when writing the image data to the floppy disk 100, a file name is assigned. The digital still camera 10 automatically assigns a file name to the image data on the floppy disk 100. For example, the digital still camera 10 automatically assigns file names having numbers in ascending order in the order in which the images were taken in association with the image data.

Specifically, the digital still camera 10
Is “MVC001.jpg”, “MVC0
File names such as “02.jpg”,..., “MVC009.jpg”, and “MVC010.jpg” are added to the image data in the order in which they were picked up. (Referred to as a file number) in ascending order according to the imaging order, where "jpg" is an extension indicating the file type.

The drive unit 20 is a component of the writing means as described above.
00 in addition to writing image data to the floppy disk 1 attached to the drive unit 20.
The image data recorded at 00 is also read.

When reproducing an image recorded on the floppy disk 100, the digital still camera 10 uses the drive unit 20 to drive the floppy disk 1.
The image data is read from the image data 00, and the read image data is decoded by the compression and decoding unit 23 of the image processing unit 22 and written to the memory 19. The memory 19 is storage means for temporarily storing image data. The writing and reading of the image data in the memory 19 are controlled by the memory controller 18.

At the time of reproduction, the digital still camera 10
Is based on the image data stored in the memory 19.
The image is displayed on the image display section of the D unit 15. LC
The D unit 15 has a liquid crystal display as an image display unit, and is driven by an LCD drive unit 16 controlled by the system controller 13 to display an image on the image display unit.

When an image recorded on the floppy disk 100 is reproduced, a reproduction button provided on the operation unit 17 is operated to start reproduction. Here, the operation unit 17 allows the user to operate the digital still camera 1.
It is composed of a plurality of buttons for operating 0, and includes, for example, a shutter button and a shutter speed button for determining a shutter speed in addition to the playback button.

The printer 21 is a printing unit that prints out an image. As will be described later, the printer 21 prints the aggregated image.

The system controller 13 is control means for controlling each component of the digital still camera 10.

The digital still camera 10 is configured as described above, and records image data obtained by imaging on the floppy disk 100, and reproduces image data recorded on the floppy disk 100. be able to.

Then, the digital still camera 10
Can generate a reduced image composed of images reduced on the basis of the image data recorded on the floppy disk 100, that is, a so-called thumbnail image, and a single set image obtained by collecting a plurality of reduced images. Can be generated.

Next, the generation of a thumbnail image in the digital still camera 10, the generation of an aggregate image and the generation of the aggregate image data will be described.

Here, the floppy disk 100 from which the image data is to be read includes "MVC001.jpg", "MVC002.jpg", "MVC00" as shown in FIG. 2, for example.
It is assumed that five image data with file names of “4.jpg”, “MVC005.jpg”, and “MVC008.jpg” are recorded.

As described above, the digital still camera 10 assigns a file number to the image data recorded on the floppy disk 100 in the order in which the image data was captured.
That is, for example, when 10 images are obtained by imaging, the digital still camera 10
00, "MVC001.jpg", "MVC002.jpg", ..., "
MVC009.jpg "," MVC010.jpg ", and the like, and ten image data are recorded.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, “MVC001.jp
g ”,“ MVC002.jpg ”,“ MVC004.jpg ”,“ MVC005.jp
g ”and“ MVC008.jpg ”are recorded on the floppy disk 100 in a state where, as described above, if ten images have been obtained from the beginning,“ MVC003.jpg ”, "MVC006.jpg", "MVC007.jp
g ”,“ MVC009.jpg ”, and“ MVC010.jpg ”indicate that the image data with the file name has been erased.

For example, the digital still camera 10 has an index function of generating a thumbnail image based on the image data recorded on the floppy disk 100 and displaying a plurality of the thumbnail images on the image display section of the LCD unit 15. are doing. The digital still camera 10 executes the index function by the following processing.

The digital still camera 10 reads out the image data recorded on the floppy disk 100 onto the memory 19 upon detecting that the user has operated the operation unit 17 and selected the execution of the index function.
That is, the digital still camera 10 reads out the image data recorded on the floppy disk 100 by the drive unit 20, and performs the compression process of the image processing unit 22 and the decoding process in the decoding unit 23.

After that, the digital still camera 10 generates a thumbnail image based on the decoded image data. The digital still camera 10 generates a thumbnail image from image data by the reduced image generation unit 24 of the image processing unit 22. The digital still camera 10 generates this thumbnail image for all image data displayed on the image display unit by the index function.

Then, the digital still camera 10 displays the first to fifth thumbnail images SP ₁ , SP ₂ , SP ₃ , SP ₄ , SP ₅ on the image display section as two vertically and three horizontally. Specifically, the digital still camera 10 is configured as shown in FIG.
As shown in the figure, "MVC0
03.jpg ”,“ MVC006.jpg ”, and first to third thumbnail images S corresponding to images with file names“ MVC007.jpg ”
P ₁ , SP ₂ , and SP ₃ are displayed in order, and the fourth and fifth thumbnails corresponding to the images with the file names “MVC009.jpg” and “MVC010.jpg” from the lower left of the image display unit 31 The images SP ₄ and SP ₅ are displayed.

For example, the order of the arrangement of the thumbnail images displayed on the display screen by the index function is determined from the order of reading the image data from the floppy disk 100, or the image data is read from the floppy disk 100. After changing the sequence, it is determined. This allows the digital still camera 10 to arrange the thumbnail images displayed on the image display unit in any order. For example, when the arrangement of the thumbnail images is changed after the image data is read from the floppy disk 100, the image processing unit 22 is provided with an image arrangement processing unit for changing the arrangement of such images.

As described above, the digital still camera 10
A thumbnail image is generated from the image data recorded on the floppy disk 100, and a plurality of thumbnail images can be displayed on the image display unit by executing the index function.

Further, the digital still camera 10 has a function of automatically displaying a plurality of images one after another on an image display section of the LCD unit 20 (hereinafter, referred to as a slide show function). The digital still camera 10 executes the slide show function by the following processing.

In the slide show function, a plurality of images are displayed one after another on the image display unit, so that it is necessary to select a plurality of images. The digital still camera 10 enables selection of a plurality of images displayed in the slide show function by the above-described index function.
That is, the digital still camera 10 executes the index function and first displays a plurality of thumbnail images on the image display unit. Accordingly, the user can operate the image selection button provided on the operation unit 17 to select an image to be reproduced in the slide show function from the plurality of thumbnail images displayed on the image display unit.

The operation unit 17 includes (A) and (B) in FIG.
The image selection button 40 is provided on the operation unit 17 so as to be slidable, for example, vertically and horizontally, and to be pressable. By operating the image selection button 40 in the up, down, left, and right directions, the cursor or pointer moves on the thumbnail image displayed in the image display unit, and the operation is confirmed by pressing the image selection button 40. The user operates the image selection button 40 in the up, down, left, and right directions to move the cursor or the pointer to display the first to fifth thumbnail images P ₁ displayed on the image display unit 31 as shown in FIG. , P ₂ , P ₃ , P ₄ ,
Selecting one image from P _5, go to confirm the selection by pressing the image selection button 40.

In response to the result of the selection by the image selection button 40, the digital still camera 10 sorts the selected images in the order of selection.
It is automatically displayed on the image display unit one after another.

The digital still camera 10 operates in the order of the first thumbnail image SP ₁ , the second thumbnail image SP ₂ , the third thumbnail image SP ₃ , the fourth thumbnail image SP ₄ , and the fifth thumbnail image SP ₅ 5, the first image P ₁ , the second image P ₂ , and the second image P ₂ are displayed in accordance with the selected order as shown in FIG.
The third image P ₂ , the fourth image P ₃ , and the fifth image P ₅ are sequentially displayed on the image display unit.

If the second thumbnail image SP ₂ is not selected, the digital still camera 10
According to the selected order, as shown in FIG. 6A, a first image P ₁ , a third image P ₂ , a fourth image P ₃ ,
It will be displayed on the image display unit one after another image P ₅ of the fifth.

[0050] Further, not selected second thumbnail image SP ₂ is the third thumbnail image SP _3, a fourth thumbnail images SP _4, the fifth thumbnail image SP _5, the first order of the thumbnail images SP ₁ In the case where is selected in the order of the selection, as shown in FIG. 7A, the third image P ₂ , the fourth image P ₃ , the fifth image P ₅ , the first image It continues to display on the image display unit one after another the image P _1.

As described above, the digital still camera 10
A slide show function of displaying a plurality of images one after another on the image display unit can be executed.

In the above, the index function for generating and displaying thumbnail images in the digital still camera 10 and the slide show function for displaying a plurality of images one after another on the image display unit have been described.

Further, the digital still camera 10 has a function of generating an aggregated image, whereby it is possible to generate an aggregated image in which a plurality of reduced images are aggregated.

In the group image generation function, since a group image is generated by a plurality of reduced images, it is necessary to select a plurality of images. The digital still camera 10 can select a plurality of images in the same manner as the selection in the slide show function as described above.

That is, the user operates the image selection button 40
Is operated in the up, down, left, and right directions to move the cursor or pointer to select a thumbnail image displayed on the image display unit, and press the image selection button 40 to finalize image selection.

Here, the LCD unit 15 having the image display unit and the operation unit 17 constitute an image selecting means for selecting a reduced image included in the group image. Specifically, L
The CD unit 15 functions as an image display unit on which an image is displayed based on image data, and the operation unit 17
Functions as an image selection unit for selecting an image displayed on the image display unit of the LCD unit 15. And
The digital still camera 10 has an image processing unit 22
A reduced image of a plurality of images selected by the image selecting means constituted by the LCD unit 15 and the operation unit 17 is generated.

In accordance with the result selected by the image selecting means, the digital still camera 10 causes the set image generating unit 25 of the image processing unit 22 to generate one image based on the selected plural images and the selected order. Generating set image data, which is image data indicating a set of images, is generated.

For example, the order of the arrangement of the group images is determined by the order of reading the image data from the floppy disk 100, or the order of the floppy disk 1
This is performed by changing the array after reading the image data from 00. This allows the digital still camera 10
Enables the order of arrangement of the reduced images constituting the aggregated image to be arbitrary as in the case of displaying the thumbnail images on the image display unit in the index function. For example, when changing the arrangement of the group images, the digital still camera 10 performs the operation by an image arrangement processing unit (not shown) of the image processing unit 22.

As described above, the digital still camera 10
Aggregated image data, which is image data indicating an aggregated image composed of a plurality of reduced images, can be generated.
For example, eight or more, for example, a floppy disk 100
To generate an image in which all the images recorded in the image are collected.

The image display using the thumbnail image is as follows.
Considering, for example, that the image is too small to make it difficult to identify an image, the number of images in the image display unit is conventionally set to about six, so the digital still camera 10 includes six or eight or more reduced images. In the case of generating a group image, it is possible to select an image on each index image page while changing the image display of index images composed of six or eight thumbnail images on the image display part one after another. Like that.

The digital still camera 10 can also be provided with an interface for connecting an external device, so that the digital still camera 10 can output aggregate image data to a monitor via this interface. it can. This allows the user to confirm the arrangement while displaying a group image including eight or more reduced images on the monitor.

According to the above-described procedure, the digital still camera 10 specifically generates aggregate image data as follows.

For example, a first thumbnail image SP ₁ , a second thumbnail image SP ₂ , and a third thumbnail image S
When the digital still camera 10 is selected in the order of P ₃ , the fourth thumbnail image SP ₄ , and the fifth thumbnail image SP ₅ , the digital still camera 10 follows the selected order as shown in FIG. First image P ₁ , second image P ₂ ,
Third image P _2, the fourth image P _3, to produce a set image data of the set image P ₀ having an array of image P ₅ of the fifth one after another.
In addition, in the group image shown in FIG. 5B, the digital still camera 10 forms the group image from the five reduced images because the group is formed so as to house six reduced images as a whole. In the case of a configuration, a group image that is blank without generating a reduced image in one place is generated. That is, in the aggregate image P ₀ shown in FIG. 5 (B), the has a lower right end blank.

When the second thumbnail image SP ₂ is not selected, the digital still camera 10
According to the selected order, as shown in FIG. 6B, a first image P ₁ , a third image P ₂ , a fourth image P ₃ ,
Generating a set image data of the set image P ₀ having an array of image P ₅ of the fifth one after another.

Further, the second thumbnail image SP ₂ is not selected, and the third thumbnail image SP ₃ , the fourth thumbnail image SP ₄ , the fifth thumbnail image SP ₅ , and the first thumbnail image SP ₁ are arranged in this order. 7, the third image P ₂ , the fourth image P ₃ , the fifth image P ₅ , the first image P ₅ , and the _second image P 3 are displayed in accordance with the selected order as shown in FIG. generating a set image data of the set image P ₀ having an array of image P ₁ one after another.

As described above, the digital still camera 10
Can generate aggregate image data that can generate an aggregate image as shown in FIG. 8A composed of six reduced images.

Further, the digital still camera 10
It is also possible to generate aggregate image data that enables generation of an aggregate image composed of at least one reduced image. That is, as shown in FIGS. 8B to 8E, for example, the digital still camera 10 has 12, 16, 48, 6
Aggregated image data that enables generation of an aggregated image including four reduced images can also be generated.

Note that, as shown in FIG.
A set image in which 16 reduced images are arranged to be 4 sheets and 4 sheets in width, and as shown in FIG. Since the reduced image has the same aspect ratio as the original image for the set image in which the reduced images are arranged, the digital data or 10 is obtained by reducing the original image in proportion. The reduced image is generated.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 8, (B) in FIG. 8, a set image in which six reduced images are arranged and three horizontal images are arranged.
A group image composed of 12 reduced images arranged in three vertical and four horizontal directions, and as shown in (D) of FIG. Since the reduced image has a different aspect ratio from the original image of the set image in which the reduced images are arranged, the digital still camera 10 generates a reduced image by performing the corresponding reduction processing. I do.

As described above, the digital still camera 10 can generate a reduced image and further generate aggregate image data which is image data of an aggregate image including a plurality of reduced images.

Further, the digital still camera 10 can output a sheet 150 on which a group image is printed by the printer 21 based on the group image data generated as described above, as shown in FIG. Thus, the user can output the aggregated image as a printed matter only by using the digital still camera 10, so that the user can edit the number and arrangement of the reduced images of the aggregated image while printing.

The digital still camera 10 can output the generated image data to an external device. The digital still camera 10 is provided with an interface (not shown) for external connection, and can output to an external device via this interface.

For example, the external device is a monitor, a personal computer, or the like, whereby the collective image data generated by the digital still camera 10 is output as a collective image by the monitor, and the collective image data is collected by the monitor of the personal computer. Output as an image.

Further, the digital still camera 10 can also record collective image data on the floppy disk 100. As a result, the collective image data generated in the digital still camera 10 is read from the floppy disk 100 by the personal computer and output as a collective image to a monitor or the like provided in the personal computer.

As described above, the digital still camera 10
By generating the aggregate image data, it is possible to output the aggregate image in various output devices, and further, it is possible to generate the aggregate image without limiting the number of reduced images. Further, the digital still camera 10 can also arrange the arrangement of the images constituting the set image in an arbitrary order.

Conventionally, image data recorded on a floppy disk by a digital still camera is read out to a personal computer, software is executed, and a set image is formed through procedures such as image reduction processing and synthesis. By using the aggregated image data generated in the digital still camera 10, the user is freed from troublesome work without going through such processing on the personal computer, and Of a group image can be output to the monitor.

Further, since the digital still camera 10 generates the aggregated image data only by selecting the images included in the aggregated image and designating the order of the arrangement, erasure of the image data due to an erroneous operation by the user is prevented. Is done.

The camera section 11 is not limited to being provided integrally with the main body of the digital still camera 10.
0 or a non-contact connection means such as infrared rays.

The image display means such as the LCD unit 15 is not limited to being provided integrally with the main body of the digital still camera 10. May be provided only.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, it has been described that the image data obtained by taking an image with the digital still camera 10 is recorded on the floppy disk 100 which is detachably attached to the digital still camera 10. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the digital still camera 10 includes a storage unit such as a memory for temporarily storing internal image data, and stores image data obtained by imaging in this storage unit. You can also.

[0081]

According to the present invention, there is provided an imaging apparatus which generates a reduced image composed of an image reduced based on image data stored in an image data storage, and a reduced image generated by the reduced image generator. And an aggregated image data generating unit that generates aggregated image data that is an image data indicating one aggregated image obtained by aggregating the plurality of reduced images. A reduced image composed of an image reduced based on the reduced image generating means, and a set image which is an image data indicating one set image obtained by collecting a plurality of reduced images generated by the reduced image generating means; The data can be generated by the aggregate image data generating means.

Thus, the imaging apparatus can generate a reduced image of the image stored in the image data storage means and generate aggregate image data indicating an aggregate image in which a plurality of reduced images are aggregated. The external device can output a group image based on the various group image data.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a digital still camera according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing image data recorded on a floppy disk by a digital still camera.

FIG. 3 is a front view showing an image display unit of the digital still camera in which an image recorded on a floppy disk is displayed as a thumbnail image.

4A and 4B are a front view and a perspective view showing an image operation button for selecting a thumbnail image displayed on an image display unit.

FIG. 5 shows a display mode in the slide show function when the first image, the second image, the third image, the fourth image, and the fifth image are selected in this order, and a generation mode in the group image generation function. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a group image that has been subjected to the processing.

FIG. 6 shows a display mode in the slide show function when selected in the order of the first image, the third image, the fourth image, and the fifth image, and a group image generated by the group image generation function. FIG.

FIG. 7 shows a display form in the slide show function when selected in the order of the third image, the fourth image, the fifth image, and the first image, and a group image generated by the group image generation function. FIG.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a group image generated by a digital still camera.

[Explanation of symbols]

Reference Signs List 11 camera unit, 12 signal processing unit, 13 system controller, 22 image processing unit, 23 compression and decoding unit, 24 reduced image generation unit, 25 aggregate image generation unit

Claims (6)

[Claims] An imaging unit configured to capture an image of a subject and output an imaging signal; a writing unit configured to write the imaging signal as image data in an image data storage unit; Reduced image generation means for generating a reduced image composed of reduced images, and a set image as image data representing one set image obtained by collecting a plurality of the reduced images generated by the reduced image generation means An image pickup apparatus comprising: a group image data generating unit that generates data. 2. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an image selecting unit that selects a reduced image included in the set image by the set image data generating unit. 3. The image selection means includes: an image display means for displaying an image based on image data stored in the image data; and an image for selecting one image from a plurality of images displayed on the image display means. The imaging apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a selection unit, wherein the reduced image generation unit generates reduced images of the plurality of images selected by the image selection unit. 4. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a printing unit that prints out a group image based on the group image data. 5. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image data storage means is storage means for temporarily storing image data. 6. A recording medium, wherein the recording medium is detachable, a recording medium mounting means for writing image data to the mounted recording medium is provided, and the recording medium is used as the image data storing means. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein: