JP2002064766A - Digital camera - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a digital camera that can simply manage image files. SOLUTION: A CPU 32 decides the importance of image files and assigns importance to the image files recorded on a recording medium 42. When a mode changeover switch 46 selects a delete mode, the CPU 32 reproduces the image files recorded on the recording medium 42 in the order of importance, That is, each image file includes compressed major image data and compressed thumbnail image data, the CPU 32 reads the compressed thumbnail image data from the recording medium 42, in the order of importance and expands the data and allows a monitor to display the thumbnail images, on the basis of the expanded thumbnail image data in a mode according to the importance.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a digital camera, and more particularly, to a digital camera for recording, for example, a plurality of photographed image signals on a recording medium.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art One of the features of a digital camera is a function of freely deleting captured image data. That is,
With a silver halide camera, once the film is exposed, the film cannot be reused.However, with a digital camera, even when the recording medium runs out of storage, unnecessary image data is deleted to reuse the recording medium many times. be able to.

[0003]

However, in the digital camera, because of the convenience described above, the shutter button is often pressed without examining the subject.
As a result, the ratio of the unnecessary image to the recorded image increases. Then, as the captured image is recorded on a large-capacity recording medium, a large number of recorded images with high importance and recorded images with low importance are mixed, and it becomes more difficult to manage the recorded images.

[0004] Therefore, a main object of the present invention is to provide a digital camera capable of easily managing recorded images.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, in a digital camera for recording a plurality of photographed image signals on a recording medium, an assigning means for assigning importance to each of the plurality of image signals, and a selection of a predetermined mode is received. A digital camera, comprising: a first receiving unit; and a reproducing unit that reproduces a plurality of image signals from a recording medium in an order according to importance when a predetermined mode is selected.

[0006]

The importance is assigned to the image signal to be photographed and recorded on the recording medium by the assigning means. When the selection of the predetermined mode is received by the first receiving unit, the reproducing unit reproduces the plurality of image signals recorded on the recording medium in an order according to the importance.

In one aspect of the present invention, each of the plurality of recorded image signals includes a main image signal and a reduced image signal. The reproducing means reads the plurality of reduced image signals from the recording medium in an order according to the importance, and displays the plurality of read reduced image signals on a monitor in a manner according to the importance.

In another aspect of the present invention, the predetermined mode is a mode for deleting image signals, and the reproducing means reproduces a plurality of image signals in order of decreasing importance. Preferably, when the deletion of the desired image signal is received by the second receiving unit, the desired image signal is deleted by the deleting unit.

[0009]

According to the present invention, when a predetermined mode is selected, a plurality of image signals are reproduced in an order according to importance, so that image signals having high importance and image signals having low importance are reproduced. Even when a large number of image signals are mixed, image signals can be easily managed.

The above objects, other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of embodiments with reference to the drawings.

[0011]

Referring to FIG. 1, a digital camera 10 of this embodiment includes a focus lens 12. The light image of the subject enters the light receiving surface of the CCD imager 14 via the focus lens 12. On the light receiving surface, a camera signal (raw image signal) corresponding to the incident light image is generated by photoelectric conversion.

The timing generator (TG) 16
When a processing command is given from the CPU 32, the camera signal is repeatedly read from the CCD imager 14. The read camera signal is converted to a digital signal by the A / D converter 20 through well-known noise removal and level adjustment in the CDS / AGC circuit 18.

When a processing command is given from the CPU 32, the signal processing circuit 22 applies well-known signal processing such as color separation, RGB conversion, white balance adjustment, and YUV conversion to the camera data output from the A / D converter 20. To generate image data including a luminance component (Y data) and a color difference component (U data, V data). The generated image data is provided to the memory control circuit 24, and is written in the image data storage area 26a of the SDRAM 26 by the memory control circuit 24.

The video encoder 28 causes the memory control circuit 24 to read out the image data in the image data storage area 26a in response to a processing command from the CPU 32. Then, the read image data is encoded into a composite image signal in NTSC format, and the encoded composite image signal is
D30. As a result, an image corresponding to the composite image signal is displayed on the screen.

The character generator 38 is a CPU
When a message or cursor display command is given from 2, a corresponding character signal is generated. The character signal is supplied to the LCD 30 via the switch SW1, whereby a message or cursor is displayed on the screen.
SD is displayed.

The JPEG codec 36, upon receiving a main image compression command from the CPU 32, causes the memory control circuit 24 to read out one frame of image data stored in the image data storage area 26a. Is subjected to JPEG compression. As a result, compressed main image data is generated. When the compressed main image data is generated, JP
The EG codec 36 supplies the compressed main image data to the memory control circuit 24, and the compressed main image data is stored in the compressed data storage area 26b by the memory control circuit 24.

When a thumbnail image compression command is received from the CPU 32, the JPEG codec 36 instructs the memory control circuit 24 to thin out and read one frame of image data stored in the image data storage area 26a.
JPEG compression is performed on the read low-resolution image data. As a result, compressed thumbnail image data is generated, and the generated compressed thumbnail image data is stored in the compressed data storage area 26b as described above.

On the other hand, when the main image decompression command is received from the CPU 36, the JPEG codec 36 causes the memory control circuit 24 to read out the compressed main image data for one frame stored in the compressed data storage area 26b. The compressed image data is subjected to JPEG expansion. When the decompressed main image data is obtained, the JPEG codec 36 stores the decompressed image data in the image data storage area 26a through the memory control circuit 24.

When a thumbnail decompression command is received from the CPU 36, the JPEG codec 36 reads out the compressed thumbnail image data stored in the compressed data storage area 26b through the memory control circuit 24 and converts the read compressed thumbnail image data into a JPEG image. Perform elongation. The decompressed thumbnail image data thus generated is stored in the image data storage area 26a through the memory control circuit 24.

The CPU 32 also performs recording / reproducing processing of compressed main image data and compressed thumbnail image data (collectively defined as compressed image data). At the time of recording, the compressed image data stored in the compressed data storage area 26b is read out through the memory control circuit 24, and management information including the importance of the compressed image data is created independently, and is composed of the compressed image data and the management information. The image file is recorded on the recording medium 42 through the I / F circuit 40.

On the other hand, during reproduction, a desired image file is detected from the recording medium 42 through the I / F circuit 40, and compressed main image data or compressed thumbnail image data is read from the detected image file. Then, the read compressed main image data or compressed thumbnail image data is written to the compressed data storage area 26b through the memory control circuit 24.

The recording medium 42 is a detachable non-volatile recording medium, and can be accessed by the I / F 40 when the recording medium is mounted in a slot (not shown).

Various operation keys 46 to 54 are connected to the system controller 44, and when a key is operated by an operator, a key state signal indicating a key state at that time is sent from the system controller 44 to the CPU 36.
Given to. Here, the mode changeover switch 46 is a switch for selecting any one of a photographing mode, a reproduction mode, and a deletion mode, and the shutter key 48 is a key for issuing a photographing trigger of a subject. The cursor key 50 is a key for moving the cursor displayed on the monitor 30, and the enter key 52 is a key for determining the pointing destination of the cursor. Further, the image update key 54 is a key for multi-displaying another plurality of thumbnail images when a plurality of thumbnail images are multi-displayed on the monitor.

When the shutter key 48 is pressed in the photographing mode, the CPU 32 processes the flowchart shown in FIG. First, in step S1, a still image photographing command is given to the TG 16 to perform a still image photographing process of the subject. The signal processing circuit 22 and the video encoder 28 include a shutter key 48
Processing is performed before is pressed, and as a result,
The image data for the frame is stored in the image data storage area 26a.
And a corresponding still image is stored in the monitor 3.
Displayed as 0.

Next, main image compression processing and thumbnail compression processing are performed in each of steps S3 and S5. Specifically, the main image compression command is given to the JPEG codec 36 in step S3, and the thumbnail compression command is given to the JPEG codec 36 in step S5. As a result, the compressed main image data and the compressed thumbnail image data based on the image data for one frame obtained in the still image photographing process in step S1 are stored in the compressed data storage area 26b.
Is secured within. Note that the captured still image is continuously displayed on the monitor 30 even after the main image compression processing and the thumbnail compression processing are completed.

In the following step S7, the character generator 38 is controlled to monitor the message shown in FIG.
OSD is displayed at 0. According to FIG. 3, the questions "Do you want to assign the importance yourself?", "YES" and "N
An item "O" and a cursor pointing to any item are displayed on the screen. When the cursor key 50 is operated, the CPU 32 determines YES in step S9 and moves the cursor in step S11. Is returned to step S9, on the other hand, when the enter key 52 is operated, the CPU 32 determines YES in step S13, and determines in step S15 which item of "YES" or "NO" is selected. Determine.

When the enter key 52 is pressed with the cursor pointing at "NO", the process proceeds from step S15 to step S17, and the importance is set to the default level "2". On the other hand, if the enter key 52 is pressed while the cursor is pointing to “YES”, step S
From 15, the process proceeds to step S 19 to control the character generator 38 to display the message shown in FIG. According to FIG. 5, guidance of “select importance”, “importance 0”, “importance 1”, “importance 2” and “importance 3”, and any one of the items Is displayed on the screen. Here, when the cursor key 50 is operated, the process proceeds from step S21 to step S23 to move the cursor. on the other hand,
When the enter key 52 is operated, the process proceeds from step S25 to step S27, in which the importance is determined as the level of the pointing direction of the cursor.

When the importance is determined in step S17 or S27, a recording process is performed in step S29. More specifically, the compressed main image data and the compressed thumbnail image data are read out from the SDRAM 26 through the memory control circuit 24, and management information including the determined importance is created by itself, and such compressed image data and management information are included. The image file is recorded on the recording medium 42 through the I / F circuit 40. Thus, any one of the importance levels “0” to “3” is assigned to each image file.

The image file to which importance 3 is assigned is the most important file, and the importance decreases as the numerical value decreases. The image file having the lowest importance is assigned “importance 0”.

When the delete mode is selected by the mode changeover switch 46, the CPU 32 processes the flowcharts shown in FIGS. First, in step S31, the count value K of the counter 32k is set to "0", and in step S3
3, the count value I of the counter 32i is set to "1",
In step S35, the count value N of the counter 32n is set to "1". Here, the count value K indicates the degree of importance, the count value I indicates the file number of the image file to be reproduced, and the count value N indicates the number of thumbnail images multi-displayed on the monitor 30.

[0031] At step S37 the count value I is determined whether or not exceeded the maximum value I _MAX, it is determined whether step S47 the count value N exceeds "9" is a multi-display maximum possible number. If both steps S37 and S47 are NO, the importance assigned to the I-th image file is detected in step S49, and
It is determined in a step S51 whether or not the detected importance is equal to the count value K. If the detected degree of importance does not match the count value K, the process proceeds to step S55.
If the detected importance matches the count value K, a thumbnail image reproduction process is performed in step S53.

First, thumbnail compressed image data is read from the I-th image file and written in the compressed data storage area 26b of the SDRAM 26, and then a thumbnail expansion command is given to the JPEG codec 36. As a result, the thumbnail compressed image data is
6, the image data is subjected to JPEG expansion, and the expanded thumbnail image data is stored in the image data storage area 26a. Although not shown, the video encoder 28 is activated simultaneously with the selection of the delete mode, and the thumbnail image data is stored in the image data storage area 26a by the video encoder 28.
Is read from. As a result, the corresponding thumbnail image is displayed on the monitor 30. When the thumbnail image reproduction processing is completed, the count values N and I are incremented in each of steps S55 and S57, and the process returns to step S37.

[0033] When the count value I before the count value N exceeds "9" has exceeded the maximum value I _MAX, the step S37
Then, the process proceeds to step S39 to determine the value of the count value K. If the count value K is equal to or less than "3", the count value K is incremented in step S43, and the count value I is returned to "1" in step S45, and the process returns to step S37. For this reason, in step S49, importance is detected in order from the first image file,
In step S51, the detected importance is determined in step S4.
3 and is compared with the updated count value K.

If the count value N exceeds "9", it is considered that multi-display of nine thumbnail images has been completed, and the flow advances to step S59. When the count value N does not exceed “9” but the count value K exceeds “3”,
Assuming that the number of recorded image files is less than nine, the flag 32f is set in step S41, and the process proceeds to step S59. In step S59, the character generator 38 is controlled to move the cursor on the monitor 30 to the OS.
Display D. When nine or more image files exist, nine thumbnail images and a cursor are displayed on the monitor 30 in the manner shown in FIG.

The numbers "1" to "9" displayed at the lower right of each thumbnail image correspond to the count value N.
When the importance of each thumbnail image does not match each other, the thumbnail images are arranged on the screen in descending order of importance.

Here, when the cursor key 50 is operated,
The process proceeds from step S61 to step S63, and the cursor is moved. On the other hand, when the enter key 52 is operated, the process proceeds from step S65 to step S67, and the image file corresponding to the thumbnail image at which the cursor is currently pointed is deleted from the recording medium 42. With the deletion of the image file, it is necessary to stop displaying the thumbnail image pointed by the cursor. For this reason, in step S69, the display position of the thumbnail image following the thumbnail image whose display should be stopped is moved up by one stage. In step S71, the state of the flag 32f is determined. If the flag is set, the process returns to step S61.
After updating the count value N to “8” in step S49
Return to As a result, the thumbnail image reproduction process of step S53 is performed once, and the number of thumbnail images displayed on the monitor 30 returns from eight to nine.

Screen update key 54 instead of enter key 52
Is pressed, YES is determined in step S75,
In step S77, the state of the flag 32f is determined. Then, the process returns to step S61 if it is in the set state, but returns to step S35 if it is in the reset state. For this reason, if there are nine or more image files, step S35
The subsequent processing is executed again, and all of the thumbnail images currently displayed are updated by subsequent thumbnail images.

As can be seen from the above description, the recording medium 4
The image file recorded in No. 2 is assigned an importance determined by the CPU 32. When the delete mode is selected by the mode switch 46, the CPU 32
Reproduces a plurality of image files recorded on the recording medium 42 in an order according to importance. That is, the image file stores the compressed main image data and the compressed thumbnail image data, and the CPU 32 reads out the plurality of compressed thumbnail image data from the recording medium 42 in the order according to the importance and decompresses the compressed thumbnail image data. A plurality of thumbnail images based on the data are displayed on the monitor in a manner according to the importance (in order of decreasing importance). When an arbitrary thumbnail image is selected by the cursor key 50 and the enter key 52 is pressed, an image file corresponding to the selected thumbnail image is deleted by the CPU 32.

As described above, when the delete mode is selected, a plurality of image files are reproduced in the order according to the importance, so that a large number of image files of high importance and image files of low importance are mixed. Image files can be easily managed even when the user is in the office.

In this embodiment, the CCD type is used as the image sensor.
It goes without saying that an S-type image sensor may be used.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a part of the operation of the embodiment in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing another portion of the operation of the embodiment in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an illustrative view showing one example of a message displayed on a monitor;

FIG. 5 is an illustrative view showing another example of the message displayed on the monitor;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing another portion of the operation of the embodiment in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing yet another portion of the operation of the embodiment in FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is an illustrative view showing one example of a thumbnail image multi-displayed on a monitor;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Digital camera 14 ... CCD imager 26 ... SDRAM 28 ... Video encoder 30 ... Monitor 32 ... CPU 36 ... JPEG codec 44 ... System controller

──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) H04N 5/91 H04N 101: 00 5/765 5/91 J // H04N 101: 00 L F term (reference) 5C022 AA13 AC03 AC42 AC52 5C052 AA01 AA17 AB02 AC08 CC11 DD02 DD04 EE03 5C053 FA06 FA08 FA23 FA27 GA11 GB06 GB36 HA30 JA16 JA21 KA04 KA20 KA24 KA25 LA01 LA04 LA06 5C073 AA04 AB05 AB12 BD03 CE10 A07A19

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A digital camera for recording a plurality of photographed image signals on a recording medium, allocating means for assigning importance to each of the plurality of image signals, first receiving means for receiving selection of a predetermined mode, A digital camera, comprising: reproducing means for reproducing the plurality of image signals from the recording medium in an order according to the importance when a mode selection is received. 2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of image signals includes a main image signal and a reduced image signal, and the reproducing unit reads the plurality of reduced image signals from the recording medium in an order according to the importance.
2. The digital camera according to claim 1, further comprising display means for displaying the plurality of reduced image signals on a monitor in a manner according to the importance. 3. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined mode is a mode in which the image signals are deleted, and wherein the reproducing unit reproduces the plurality of image signals in the order of decreasing importance. 4. The digital camera according to claim 3, further comprising: a second receiving unit that receives a deletion of the desired image signal; and a deleting unit that deletes the desired image signal when the deletion is received.