JP2002044505A - Digital camera - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a technology that provides a function of combining a desired image to be composited with a photographed image to a digital camera without reducing the capacity of a recording medium such as a flash memory independently of the tendency of a photographed image toward higher resolution. SOLUTION: The digital camera is provided with a composition data storage section 1 that stores composition ID data to specify composite image data to be composited with acquired photographing image data and with a recording section 17 that records the photographing image data to a recording medium in a way of linking the photographing image data to the composition ID data being a composition object with the photographing image data.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a digital camera having a function of combining an acquired captured image with another image.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In such a conventional digital camera, for example, as known from Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-4405, acquired photographic image data is recorded in a built-in flash memory, and a flash memory is stored in advance. A desired one is selected from a plurality of template image data (synthesis image data) recorded in the memory, and the selected template image data and photographed image data are subjected to image synthesis processing while being checked on a provided LCD monitor. And a configuration for recording the synthesized image data thus obtained in a flash memory. The composite image data recorded in the flash memory can be printed out by a personal computer system equipped with a photographic quality printer, and if high quality and large output size are required, the DP accepts direct input of digital image data. You can use print output from digital mini labs at shops.

[0003]

In recent years, as the resolution of digital cameras has rapidly increased and the resolution of captured images has increased, it is necessary to prepare image data for synthesis having a similarly high resolution. The capacity of flash memory is being squeezed. In view of the above situation, an object of the present invention is to provide a digital camera with a function of combining a desired composite image with a captured image without squeezing the capacity of a recording medium such as a flash memory, despite high resolution of the captured image. It is to provide technology to prepare for.

[0004]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, in a digital camera according to the present invention, synthesis data capable of storing synthesis ID data defining synthesis image data to be synthesized with acquired captured image data. A storage unit,
A recording unit that records the photographed image data on a recording medium in a form linked with the composite ID data of the image data for combination to be composed with the photographed image data.

In this configuration, the high-resolution image data for synthesis is no longer provided in the digital camera, and only the synthesis ID data defining the high-resolution image data for synthesis is stored in the data-for-synthesis storage. In a digital camera, a combined ID of image data for combination to be combined with the acquired captured image data with the captured image data
Only data is linked. Image data for synthesis and synthesis I
The comparison of the D data in advance is performed using, for example, a comparison list in the form of a pamphlet, and the digital camera is configured to link the composite ID data given to the composite image determined for the captured image to the captured image data. Is operated, and the photographed image data and the combined ID data are linked and recorded on a recording medium such as a flash memory. The recording medium on which the photographed image data with the combined ID data is recorded is input to a print output device such as a digital minilab that stores the high-resolution combining image data defined by the combined ID data. The photographed image data is combined with the high-resolution combining image data by using the combined ID data as a bridge, and a photographic print on which the combined image is formed is output.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in order to simplify the pre-comparison operation between the image data for synthesis and the ID data for synthesis, the data for synthesis is stored in the data storage section from the high-resolution data of the image for synthesis. A display unit for storing the low-resolution composition image data in a form linked with the corresponding composition ID data, and displaying the low-resolution composition image data. With this configuration, the image for synthesis can be easily displayed on the display unit provided in the digital camera, so that the image to be synthesized with the captured image data can be easily checked without the need for an additional comparison list or the like. can do. Moreover, since the capacity of the image data for synthesis is significantly smaller than that of the image data for synthesis having a high resolution, even if the image data is stored in a built-in memory such as a flash memory, the storage capacity is not so much reduced.

As a further preferred embodiment, there is provided a synthesizing unit for synthesizing the low-resolution data of the photographed image data and the low-resolution synthesizing image data, and the synthesized image data output from the synthesizing unit is displayed on the display unit. If a configuration is adopted in which the combination ID data is combined with the combination ID data defining the combination position of the combination image with the captured image, the combination operation is performed while confirming the image combination result through the display unit. In addition to this, it is also possible to record the composite position relationship of the composite image with the captured image in the final composite image in the form of composite position data together with the captured image data on a recording medium. As a result, the synthesis information for the image synthesis processing of the captured image data and the image data for high-resolution synthesis performed later becomes more accurate and reliable.

[0008] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the recording medium is a removable recording medium such as a smart media or a compact flash (registered trademark).
The composition data storage section is formed on the recording medium. That is, it can be distributed in the form of a recording medium in which composite ID data and low-resolution composite image data are stored in advance, and composite ID data and composite image data suitable for a specific event such as an Olympic or an expo. Can be provided to the user in a timely manner.

Further, when the image data for composition involves copyright such as a famous character, since the copyright holder dislikes the use of such images indefinitely, the image data is stored in the data storage for composition. It is important to set the expiration date for the combined ID data and combined image data.
Other features and advantages according to the present invention will become apparent from the following description of embodiments with reference to the drawings.

[0010]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of an image synthesizing print system using a digital camera 10 having an image synthesizing function according to the present invention. Digital camera 10
Employs a recording medium 1 such as a smart media or a compact flash for storing photographed image data, and a memory map of the recording medium 1 is used for synthesizing, as schematically shown in FIG. It is divided into a data area 1a, a photographed image data area 1b, and a synthesis information area 1c. In this embodiment, the synthesis ID data and the synthesis image data defined by the synthesis ID data are recorded in advance in the synthesis data area 1a. It is sold to users in the form described. That is, the recording medium 1 functions as the data storage unit for synthesis of the present invention. This recording medium 10
The image data for synthesis recorded in advance in, for example, 128
This is low-resolution image data of about 192 pixels (resolution called 1/16 BASE), which is suitable for displaying on a liquid crystal display 10a as a display unit provided in the digital camera 10, but for printing purposes. Does not satisfy the specifications. By mounting the recording medium 1 on the digital camera 10 and photographing the subject, the photographed image data of the subject is recorded in the photographed image data area 1b.

Regarding the image synthesis of the photographed image and the composite image, in the digital camera 10, in order to confirm the image synthesis, the photographed image data and the image data for synthesis have been reduced in resolution so as to be compatible with the liquid crystal display 10a. Is simply synthesized in a pseudo manner, and the synthesis information such as the combination information and mutual positional relationship information obtained by this synthesis work is recorded in the synthesis information area 1c of the recording medium 1 in a form linked to the photographed image data. You.

The recording medium 1 on which the photographed image data and the composite information are newly recorded is detached from the digital camera 10 and a DP equipped with a print output device 20 capable of synthesizing an image, such as a digital minilab, for ordering an image composite print. Presented to the shop. This digital mini lab 2
No. 0 also supports recording media such as smart media and compact flash in addition to photographic film as an input source, and exposes photographic paper 2 using a digital print head based on image data taken out therefrom, The digital camera 10 performs processing and outputs a photographic print. In order to print out a composite image obtained by combining a composite image selected by the digital camera 10 with a captured image acquired by the digital camera 10, recording is performed. A composite image database 30 storing all high-resolution composite image data corresponding to the low-resolution composite image data recorded on the medium 1 is provided. That is, in the digital minilab 20, the photographed image data and the composite information are extracted from the recording medium 1 submitted by the user, and the composite ID database defining the composite image data included in the composite information is used as a search key to generate a composite image database. The image data for high-quality synthesis to be synthesized is extracted from 30 and image synthesis processing with the captured image data is performed.
At this time, if the combination information further includes combination position data that defines the combination position of the combination image with the captured image, the layout adjustment of the combination image based on the combination position data is also performed. A printout is completed by forming a composite image on the photographic paper 2 using the final image data generated by the composite processing.

Next, the configuration of the digital camera 10 is shown in FIG.
This will be described with reference to the functional block diagram of FIG. The digital camera 10 includes a lens optical system 12 having an autofocus mechanism, and a color CCD 13 that photoelectrically converts a light image of a subject incident through the lens optical system 12 is arranged at the image forming position. . The signal processing unit 14
A signal from the CD 13 is processed by the CDS / AGC circuit and A / D converted to generate digital image data of C, M, Y or R, G, B. The image processing unit 15 loads the obtained captured image data into the working memory 15a, performs image processing such as γ correction, color correction, and resolution conversion, and also performs a pseudo image synthesis process described later as a synthesis unit. . Display control unit 16
Drives and controls the liquid crystal display 10a based on the image data which is loaded into the working memory 15a and converted into a resolution suitable for display on the liquid crystal display 10a to display the image. The recording unit 17 reads and writes data such as captured image data from and on the recording medium 1 mounted on the digital camera 10. The operation of each component of the digital camera 10 described above is performed by a CPU.
11 based on a program stored in the ROM 11a.

As described above, this digital camera 10
The recording medium 1 attached to the
The low-resolution image data for synthesis suitable for display at 0a and the synthesis ID data defining the image data for synthesis are stored in a linked form. As the image for synthesis,
Event symbols, famous characters, templates such as decorative frames, and the like can be selected by the user when the recording medium 1 is purchased.

When the user desires to print out the photographed image data and the compositing image data in a combined form, the compositing images are first displayed on the liquid crystal display 10a in order to produce the desired compositing image. The photographed image data to be combined with the image data is selected. At this time, the photographed image data is converted into a low resolution suitable for display on the liquid crystal display 10a, and is similarly sent to the display control unit 16 together with the low resolution image data for synthesis, and the photographed image and the image for synthesis are displayed on the liquid crystal display 10a. Is displayed.

The user adjusts the synthesized position by moving the synthesized image or the photographed image using the cross key and the selection key of the digital camera 10 (not shown). When the pseudo image synthesizing process of the captured image and the composite image is completed in this way, as shown in FIG. 2, the file number of the captured image data in the synthesis and the file number for the synthesis are stored in the synthesis information area 1c of the recording medium 1. Synthetic I that defines image data
Link data with the D data and composite position data that defines the composite position of the composite image with the captured image are recorded as composite information in the composite ID data.

In the data area for composition of the recording medium 1, a field for setting the expiration date of the image for composition is provided, and the image for composition is displayed on the liquid crystal display 10a.
Is displayed, the display control unit 16 displays based on the data of the expiration date that if the expiration date is exceeded, the composite image cannot be printed out.

Next, using a recording medium 1 used in the digital camera 10 as an input source, a synthetic image printing apparatus 1 for producing a photographic print synthesized with a specific image.
The configuration and functions of the digital minilab 20 as an example will be described with reference to the overall configuration block diagram of FIG. 4 and the control function block diagram of FIG.

The digital minilab 20 includes, as an input unit 21 for receiving image data, a media reader 21a for reading data from a recording medium 1 such as a smart media, a compact flash, and a PC card memory, and a film scanner 21b for reading a frame image of a photographic film.
And a controller control unit 50 that processes the input data to generate print data, and a paper cutter 22 that matches the print size based on the print data.
A digital optical print head 23 for exposing an image on the photographic paper 2 cut by the above, a development processing unit 24 for developing the exposed photographic paper 2, and an exposure area and development processing unit 24 for transferring the photographic paper 2 from the paper magazine 25. And a sorter 27 that sorts the photographic paper 2 sent from the horizontal feed conveyor 26 into photographic prints in order.

In consideration of a relatively short exposure time and a long development time for the photographic paper 2, the photographic paper transport mechanism 27 is a line of photographic paper transport lines up to the exposure area.
A photographic paper transport line capable of transporting the photographic paper 2 in three rows from is formed. Therefore, the exposure area and the development processing unit 24
The exposed photographic paper 2 is moved from one line conveyance to 3
There is provided a sorting device 27a for sorting the double-row conveyance up to the row.

The drive system of the print head 23 includes a DMD (digital micromirror device) system, a liquid crystal shutter system, a PLZT shutter system, and a FZT system.
An OCRT system, a phosphor emission system, a laser beam system, and the like are known, and are adopted according to required exposure specifications.

The control unit 50 includes a monitor 5 composed of a CRT or a liquid crystal display for displaying images and characters.
0a, a console 50b having a keyboard for inputting various information, and a composition image storing a plurality of high-resolution composition image data to be composed with the captured image data captured through the input unit 21. A database 30 and a billing file storage unit 40 storing a billing file that records billing information of a composition image having a right such as a copyright are connected. The high-resolution image data for synthesis referred to here is image data having a resolution enough to print out with photographic quality, and generally has a resolution of 1024 × 1536 pixels (a resolution called 4BASE) or 2048 × 3072 pixels ( 16
BASE).

The control unit 50 includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM,
A microcomputer system including an I / O interface circuit and the like is configured as a core member, and various functions necessary for the digital minilab 20 are realized by hardware and / or software. The control unit 50 has a function for controlling the operation of various members such as a film transport control unit and a photographic paper transport control unit. Only the main functional elements relating to the printing of a composite image will be described. As such, an input device control unit 51 that controls input devices such as the media reader 21a and the film scanner 21b, a link to the composite information as described above, A data pre-processing unit 52 that separates and transfers the captured image data and the combination information when the captured image data is input; color tone correction for the captured image data loaded in the working memory 53; An image processing unit 54 that performs image processing such as image synthesis processing with data, and performs pre-processing based on final image data that has been subjected to image processing. A print control unit 55 for generating print data and controlling the print head 23. A video controller fetches an image of image data and an image of another display item into a video memory, converts the display image into a video signal by a video controller, and sends the video signal to the monitor 50a. The control unit 56 extracts high quality image data for printing from the image database for synthesis 30 from the image database for synthesis 30 using the synthesis ID data as the synthesis information sent from the data preprocessing unit 52 as a search key, and transfers it to the working memory 53. The database management unit 57, the accounting file storage unit 40 based on the combined ID data sent from the data preprocessing unit 52
If the composite image data to be processed is a chargeable image, the charge management unit 58 that performs a charge process when the combined image data to be processed is a chargeable image.

As shown schematically in FIG. 6, the billing file stored in the billing file storage unit 40 uses the composite ID data as a key item to determine the expiration date and usage of the composite image specified by the ID. A copyright code is recorded in addition to the number of times. The copyright code is used to prohibit the use of the synthesized image beyond the expiration date and to record the number of times of use for paying a license fee to a copyright holder. Although not shown here, various kinds of information about copyright such as a copyright holder and a license fee can be extracted using the copyright code as a key. Because unlimited use of famous characters and the like must be strictly cracked down, the accounting file is protected by security technology to prevent unauthorized tampering of the accounting file.

Next, the digital camera 10 shown in FIG.
The flow of each data will be described with reference to FIG. 7 by taking as an example a case where the recording medium 1 having the contents as shown in FIG. I do.

When the recording medium 1 is mounted on the media reader 21a, the data of the photographed image data area 1b and the combined information area 1c are sent to the data preprocessing section 52 by the operation of the input device control section 51. The data pre-processing unit 52 loads the first captured image data: 001 into the working memory 53, and combines the combined ID data: AAA0001 and the combined position data: (X1, Y
Hold 1) temporarily.

First, the billing management unit 58 checks the billing file using the combined ID data: AAA0001,
It is checked whether or not the image for composition based on D is copyright-managed and its expiration date has not yet expired, and if it can be used, permission to use the composite image is issued. When the use permission of the composite image is given, the data management unit 57 extracts the corresponding high-resolution composite image data from the composite image database using the composite ID data: AAA0001 as a search key, and loads it into the working memory 53. The image processing unit 54 sets the image data for synthesis to a specified coordinate value using the synthesis position data: (X1, Y1). The photographed image and the composite image are arranged on separate layers, and a composite image is obtained by integrating the layers. If transparency is set in the composite information, the transparency of the image data for composition is adjusted accordingly. Adjust. In addition, if necessary, color adjustment, various filter processes, and image size adjustment according to the print size are performed, and the final composite image data is converted into print data by the print control unit 55, and the desired composite image is converted to photographic paper. The print head 23b is driven in order to expose the print head 23 to the second position. At the same time, the charging management unit 58 increments the value of the usage count field of the corresponding composite ID code of the charging file. Hereinafter, similarly, the next photographed image data: 002 is processed.

[Alternative Embodiment] In the digital camera 10 in the above-described embodiment, the recording medium 1 on which both the composite ID data and the corresponding low-resolution composite image data are recorded is mounted, and the built-in liquid crystal is used. In this configuration, pseudo composite processing is performed through the display 10a and the composite image is confirmed. However, when the composite processing is not complicated, for example, a symbol mark of an event such as an Olympics or the like is used as image data for synthesis, and a corner of a captured image is used. In the case of the combining processing for adding to the area, it is not always necessary to check the combined image, and the combining image data can be omitted. In such a case, only the composite ID data is recorded on the recording medium 1, and the user checks the relationship between the composite image and the composite ID data using a pamphlet or the like, and determines the desired image data for the specific photographed image data. Only the operation of linking the combined ID data need be performed.

The recording medium 1 recorded as described above
Is submitted to the DP shop for print output, and as described above, the captured image data is converted into a high-quality composite image corresponding to the composite ID data linked to the captured image data in the digital minilab 20 as described above. The print processing is performed by synthesizing with the image data for use, and a print on which the synthesized image is formed is output.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of an image synthesis print system employing a digital camera according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic memory map of a recording medium;

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of a digital camera according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of a digital minilab used in the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a control function block diagram of a digital minilab.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing recorded contents of a billing file.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram schematically illustrating the flow of data when a composite image is printed out in a digital minilab.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Recording medium (composition data storage part) 1a Composition image area 1b Photographed image data area 1c Composition information area 10 Digital camera 10a Liquid crystal display 15 Image processing part (composition part) 17 Recording part

Claims (5)

[Claims] A combination data storage unit for storing combination ID data defining combination image data for combination with the acquired captured image data; and a unit for combining the captured image data with the captured image data. A recording unit for recording on a recording medium in a form linked to the composite ID data of the composite image data. 2. The composition data storage section stores low-resolution composition image data generated from high-resolution data of the composition image in a form linked with the corresponding composition ID data. The digital camera according to claim 1, further comprising a display unit that displays the image data for low-resolution synthesis. 3. A synthesizing unit for synthesizing the low-resolution data of the photographed image data and the low-resolution synthesizing image data, wherein the synthesized image data output from the synthesizing unit is displayed on the display unit. 3. The digital camera according to claim 2, wherein the combined ID data is combined with combined position data that defines a combined positional relationship of the combined image with the captured image. 4. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein said recording medium is a removable recording medium, and said combining data storage section is formed on said recording medium. 5. The composition data storage unit according to claim 1, wherein the expiration date of said composition image is recorded in said composition data storage unit.
A digital camera according to any one of claims 1 to 4.