JP2002374490A - Processor and method for image processing, recording medium, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To eliminate the need to re-set additional information regarding a composting procedure for images as to equipment which composites an image of images saved on a recording medium. SOLUTION: This image processor has a readout means for reading image. data out of the storage medium, a composting means which puts the image data read out by the readout means together with another image data, a generating means which generates an additional information regarding the composting procedure of the composting means for the image data for the image data read out of the storage medium, and a writing means which writes the additional information and image data to the storage medium while making them correspond to each other.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image synthesizing function for synthesizing a photographed image with an already stored image in a digital camera, a video camera or the like for recording an image on a memory card, a disk recording medium or the like. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, many digital video cameras equipped with a small memory card such as a multimedia card and an SD card have been commercialized. Camera, tape playback,
The purpose is to expand the use of video cameras, such as recording still images from external input images on a memory card and making it easier to download to a personal computer, and combining recorded images with moving images and recording them on video tape. I have. Here, a function for synthesizing a still image recorded on a memory card and an image captured by a camera related to the present proposal will be described.

For example, when a still image is combined with a moving image captured by a video camera, an image to be combined is selected from previously recorded still images. Subsequently, a synthesis key selection at the time of synthesis, specifically, a method of cutting out a synthesis area such as chroma key and luminance key is selected. Further, the cutout level of the synthesis area is adjusted. FIG. 5 shows an example of image synthesis. Reference numeral 501 denotes an example of a still image stored in a memory card. Here, it is assumed that a still image 501 is selected by a key operation of the user from among a plurality of still images stored in the memory card. The still image 501 is an example of a frame, and the center is painted blue. Reference numeral 502 denotes a camera image captured by a video camera. The above-mentioned synthesis key selects the chroma key, and the level is appropriately adjusted. Reference numeral 503 denotes a combined image obtained by combining the still image 501 on the front of the camera image 502 in this state. The still image 501 may be a natural image such as a camera image 502 as well as an image for synthesis as created by a personal computer or the like.

[0004]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional example, the combination key and the combination level are not stored for each selected image, so that the previous setting value or the predetermined value is set, and the user is required to set the same. I had to reset it every time I used it.

[0005] It is an object of the present invention to eliminate the need for resetting additional information relating to an image synthesizing procedure in a device for synthesizing an image using an image stored in a recording medium.

[0006]

According to one aspect of the present invention, reading means for reading image data from a storage medium, and synthesizing means for synthesizing the image data read by the reading means with other image data Generating means for generating additional information relating to a procedure for synthesizing image data read from the storage medium by the synthesizing means; and writing means for writing the additional information in the storage medium in association with the image data. An image processing device is provided.

According to another aspect of the present invention, when image data is read from a storage medium, reading means for reading additional information relating to a combining procedure of the image data, and additional information relating to the combining procedure read by the reading means. An image processing apparatus is provided that includes a combining unit that combines image data read by the reading unit and other image data based on information.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, a reading step of reading image data from a storage medium, a combining step of combining the read image data with other image data, and a combining step of combining the image data An image processing method is provided that includes a generating step of generating additional information regarding a procedure, and a writing step of writing the additional information in the storage medium in association with the image data.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, when image data is read from a storage medium, a reading step of also reading additional information relating to a procedure for synthesizing the image data,
An image processing method is provided that includes a combining step of combining the read image data with other image data based on the read additional information on the combining procedure.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, a reading procedure for reading image data from a storage medium, a combining procedure for combining the read image data with other image data, and a combining procedure for the image data There is provided a computer-readable recording medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute a generation procedure for generating additional information relating to a procedure and a writing procedure for writing the additional information in association with the image data in the storage medium. You.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, when image data is read from a storage medium, a reading procedure for also reading additional information relating to a combining procedure of the image data, A computer-readable recording medium that records a program for causing a computer to execute a combining procedure for combining the read image data and other image data is provided.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, a reading procedure for reading image data from a storage medium, a combining procedure for combining the read image data with other image data, and a combining procedure for combining the image data A program is provided for causing a computer to execute a generation procedure for generating additional information regarding a procedure and a writing procedure for writing the additional information in the storage medium in association with the image data.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, when image data is read from a storage medium, a reading procedure for also reading additional information relating to a synthesis procedure of the image data, and an additional information relating to the read synthesis procedure are included. A program is provided for causing a computer to execute a combining procedure for combining the read image data with other image data.

According to the present invention, since the additional information relating to the synthesizing procedure is stored for each image data, the user does not have to set the additional information once set for the second and subsequent times.

[0015]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described below along with examples with reference to the drawings. (First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a first embodiment of the present invention. A microcomputer 107 controls the entire system. Reference numeral 101 denotes a lens unit, which has, for example, a function of correcting an imaging position moved by movement of a fixed lens group, a variable power lens group, a diaphragm, and a variable power lens group for focusing and a function of performing focus adjustment. And a correction lens group. A subject image is finally formed on the image forming surface of the image sensor by the lens unit constituted by these lens groups. 102 is C
It is a CD (charge coupled device), which converts light into electric charges to generate an imaging signal. Reference numeral 103 denotes a camera signal processing circuit that performs predetermined processing on an image pickup signal and outputs digital image data. Reference numeral 104 denotes an image synthesis circuit, which will be described later in detail. Reference numeral 108 denotes a compression / expansion circuit, for example, JP
It is a compression / expansion circuit of the EG (Joint Photographic Coding Experts Group) system or the like.
Under the control of 7, the digital image data is converted into compressed image data, and vice versa. Reference numeral 110 denotes a memory card interface (hereinafter, referred to as a memory I / F), and reference numeral 111 denotes a memory card.

The memory card I / F 110 gives a file name to the compressed image data under the control of the microcomputer 107, and the memory card 111 as a compressed image file.
Can be written to and read from the other side.
In addition, the memory card I
It is designed so that file management such as creation and reading of directories and files can be performed via the / F110. This makes it possible to create a later-described synthesized data setting file. The memory card 111 has a built-in nonvolatile semiconductor memory and is detachable from the main body. The control circuit of the nonvolatile semiconductor memory in the memory card 111 is the memory I / F 110 or the memory card 11
1 is included. The memory card 121 has a format such as a DOS file system that can be handled by a personal computer. Reference numeral 109 denotes an operation switch, which allows the user to operate the microcomputer 107
To communicate. For example, mode switching, shooting trigger, zoom lever, image synthesis, and the like. Reference numeral 105 denotes a display device, on which a captured image and a reproduced image can be viewed. Reference numeral 106 denotes a recording device, which includes a video tape, an electric circuit, a mechanism, and the like that can record a captured image, a composite image, and the like.

The image synthesizing circuit 104 has the following functions. 1) Digital image data captured by a camera (see FIG. 5)
502) and the still image data (501 in the example of FIG. 5) obtained by expanding the compressed image file read from the memory card 111 through the memory card I / F 110 by the compression / expansion circuit 108 to the microcomputer 107. The combined image (503 in the example of FIG. 5) combined according to the control is output to the display device 105 and the recording device 106.

2) When there is no compositing request, only one of the digital image data of the camera and the still image data read from the card is output.

3) Adjustment of the synthesis key such as chroma key and luminance key and the synthesis level is performed according to the setting transmitted to the microcomputer 107 by the operation of the operation key 109 by the user. The flow of storing and reading out the image composition setting, which is a feature of the present embodiment, when the user uses the image composition function in such a hardware configuration will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

The flowchart shown in FIG. 2 is started from the processing 201 when the setting of the image synthesizing function is started by a user operation.

The process 202 is an image selection in which an image to be used for image synthesis is selected by a user operation.

A process 203 is a search for setting data of the selected image, and a search is performed to determine whether the setting data of the image selected in the process 202 is stored in the memory card.

The process 204 is a process for setting the synthesis circuit with the stored data, and is executed when the setting data exists in the process 203.

The process 205 is a process for setting the combining circuit with predetermined data, and is executed when the setting data does not exist in the process 203. The predetermined data is data determined in advance and prepared in the microcomputer 107.

A process 206 is a process for starting the synthesis, and is a process for showing (previewing) the synthesis status to the user.

Process 207 is a process for adjusting the setting data. Actually, there are two items: selection of a synthesis key such as chroma key and luminance key, and adjustment of the synthesis level.

The process 208 is a process of determining an image. When another image is selected again, the process returns to the process 202, and
In the case of cancellation, the process ends. For example, by allowing the operation system to select “setting end”, “cancel”, and “image reselection”, setting end → procedure 209, cancel → process 210, and image reselection → process 210, respectively. What is necessary is just to control so that it may change.

The process 209 is a process for saving the setting data, and associates the currently selected image with the setting data and saves it in the memory card. If the setting data has already been saved and is different from the current setting, it is overwritten with the current setting.

Step 210 is the end, and the setting mode of the image synthesis is ended. At the same time, the image synthesis started by the process 206 may be temporarily ended. An image synthesizing key is prepared for turning on and off the image synthesizing, and the user operates the image synthesizing key so that the image is synthesized only when desired.

FIG. 3 illustrates files generated and stored in the memory card 111 by the microcomputer 107. Reference numeral 301 denotes a parent directory of a directory group for storing a compressed image file. Here D
The directory name is CIM. 302,3
04 and 306 are directories for storing compressed image files. Here, the directory name is a three-digit number + IMAGE. 303, 305, and 307 are a group of compressed image files stored in each directory. The generation rule of the compressed image file name is ABCD0001.jpg
To ABCD0100.jpg, the file name is obtained by adding the last three digits excluding the extension (below the period) one by one. Here, for convenience of explanation, if the file name of each directory is saved up to ABCD0100.jpg, the next save is to create the next directory (add 1 to the three-digit number) and save it there. Fig. 3 shows the camera file system standard Desirable by the Japan Electronic Industry Development Association.
It complies with the gn rule for Camera File system (DCF). In FIG. 2, the image selection in the process 202 is sent in the order of the directory name and the file name.

Reference numeral 309 denotes a composition setting data file having a file name of MIX.DAT, which stores the image composition setting data unique to the compressed image file described with reference to FIG. 308 is a directory named MISC,
Save the composition setting data file.

FIG. 4 shows an example of the contents written in the synthesis setting data file 309. Reference numeral 401 denotes a keyword MIX TYP representing a synthetic key, and reference numeral 402 denotes a keyword CRM representing a chroma key. Reference numeral 403 denotes a keyword MIX LVL representing a synthesis level, and reference numeral 404 denotes a synthesis level value. 405 is a keyword IMGSRC representing a compressed image file
Reference numeral 406 denotes a compressed image file name described as a relative path.

These three rows constitute one unit. That is, the file name ABCD101.jpg in the directory 101IMAGE means that the composite key was used at the chroma key and the composite level 17. After that, it is described for each file used.

407 is a keyword representing luminance key
LMN. From this, it can be seen that the file name ABCD0103.jpg in the directory 101IMAGE was used by luminance key.

The setting data search in the processing 203 in FIG. 2 is actually a search as to whether or not the data is described in the combined setting data file. If the selected compressed image file exists, the MIX TYPE, MIX LVL To get its value using

Since the composition key and the composition level are stored for each image, the image file once used by the user for image composition can be used from the next time only by selecting an image without any setting. Further, since the composite setting data file is stored in the memory card storing the image file, it is possible to cope with a plurality of memory cards.

(Second Embodiment) In the first embodiment, FIG.
In the image selection of the process 202, the files are sorted by file name,
They are displayed in ascending order or descending order. As the capacity of the memory card increases, it is troublesome to send a desired image every time by a user operation.

In the second embodiment according to the present invention, FIG.
The image selection is executed according to the flow as described above. The other parts such as the block configuration are the same as in the first embodiment. FIG. 6 corresponds to the image selection of the process 202 in the flowchart of FIG.

When the setting of the image synthesizing function is started by the operation of the user, the processing is started from a step 601.

The process 602 is performed in the synthesis setting data file 3
At 09, it is determined whether or not there is an image in which the image synthesis setting data is stored. Numbering is performed in order from the top in the synthesis setting data file 309 where the initial value of i is 0,
Indicates the i-th.

In the process 603, since the i-th image exists, that image is displayed.

In step 604, it is determined whether or not a request to select the next image has been generated by a key operation of the user.

In step 605, i is incremented when a request to select the next image is generated in step 604. Then, the processing makes a transition to Step 602. Thus, the next image is searched.

The process 606 is a process for sequentially selecting and displaying images for which image composition setting data is not stored in the composition setting data file 309 when there is no i-th image in the composition setting data file 309 in the process 602. is there.

When the image synthesis function is set by this series of processing, the image described in the synthesis setting data file 309, that is, the image used in the image synthesis in the past is prioritized. This is convenient for a stored memory card or the like. Alternatively, the number of times of use may be described simultaneously in the synthesis setting data file, and may be selected in descending order of the number of times of use.

Although a diagram like a permanent loop is shown for convenience of explanation, it is actually called repeatedly at a predetermined time or processed every time a key event occurs.

(Third Embodiment) In the configuration shown in the block diagram of FIG. 1, there are many devices that select either the recording device 106 or the memory card 111 to store an image at the time of photographing. Alternatively, there is a device that stores a still image in the memory card 111 while recording a moving image in the recording device 106. In this way, devices that can store images on a memory card have a function to play them,
Generally, they can be erased at the same time. In such a case, in the first and second embodiments, even if the image is deleted, the combined setting data in the combined setting data file 309 is not deleted, so that the image is searched when the image is selected. Also,
If a file with the same name is saved later, it will be incorrectly set as the setting data of the image, even though it has not been used for image composition yet.

Therefore, in the third embodiment according to the present invention, the processing of the flowchart as shown in FIG. 7 is executed when erasing an image. Other parts such as block configuration
This is similar to the first and second embodiments. However, it has a function to select and delete images by user operation. For example, among the operation keys 109, there is an erase key, and when the erase key is pressed, the image being reproduced is erased by the microcomputer 107. At this time, processing 70
The process is started from 1.

In the process 702, it is determined whether or not the image composition setting data corresponding to the currently selected and deleted image exists in the composition setting data file 309. More specifically, in FIG. 4, the IMG SRC is searched to determine whether the corresponding image file name matches the currently selected and deleted image file name. If there is no matching image file name (if there is no data), the processing ends.

In step 703, the image composition setting data corresponding to the currently selected and deleted image is deleted. In FIG.
For example, if the ABCD0101.JPG file in the 101IMAGE directory is deleted, the process 703 deletes three lines from the top.

As described above, when an image is deleted, the presence or absence of the combined setting data corresponding to the image is checked in the combined setting data file, and if there is, the combined setting data is deleted. .

As described above, according to the first to third embodiments, the image synthesizing setting data (synthesis key, synthesizing level, etc.) by the image synthesizing setting means is associated with the image used for the image synthesizing. Is stored in the same recording medium in which is stored, so that the user can use the data that has been set once without any setting or as a default from the second time on.

This embodiment can be realized by a computer executing a program. Further, means for supplying the program to the computer, for example, a recording medium such as a CD-ROM in which the program is recorded or a transmission medium such as the Internet for transmitting the program can be applied as an embodiment of the present invention.
The above-described program, recording medium, and transmission medium are included in the scope of the present invention. As the recording medium, for example, a flexible disk, a hard disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-ROM, a magnetic tape, a nonvolatile memory card, a ROM, and the like can be used.

It should be noted that the above embodiments are merely examples of the embodiments for carrying out the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention should not be interpreted in a limited manner. It is. That is, the present invention can be implemented in various forms without departing from the technical idea or the main features.

[0055]

As described above, according to the present invention, since the additional information relating to the synthesizing procedure is stored for each image data, the user does not have to set the additional information once set for the second and subsequent times.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a directory structure in a memory card according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a description example of a card composition setting file according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of image synthesis.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a second embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a third embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 101 ... Lens unit 102 ... CCD 103 ... Camera signal processing circuit 104 ... Image synthesis circuit 105 ... Display device 106 ... Recording device 107 ... Microcomputer 108 ... Compression / expansion Circuit 109: Operation keys 110: Memory card interface 111: Memory card 301: Parent directory of a directory group for storing compressed image files 302, 304, 306: Directory for storing compressed image files 303, 305, 307... Compressed image file group 308... Directory for storing image synthesis setting files 309... Image synthesis setting files 401... Keywords representing synthesis keys 402. ... Keywords representing synthesis levels 404: Compositing level value 405: Keyword representing compressed image file 406: Compressed image file name 407: Keyword representing luminance key 501: Still image to be combined 502: Image taken by camera 503: Composite image

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI theme coat ゛ (Reference) H04N 5/765 H04N 7/18 V 5C076 5/907 5/91 J 5/92 L 7/18 5/92 HF term (reference) 5B057 CA01 CA08 CA18 CA19 CB08 CB12 CB18 CB19 CE08 CH11 5B058 CA26 YA18 5C052 AA17 AB03 AB04 AB05 AC08 CC06 CC11 DD04 EE08 GA01 GA03 GB01 GB06 GB09 GE08 5C053 FA07 FA27 GA11 GB06 LA36 5A05 CC02 EA07 EH01 EH07 GB02 HA16 5C076 AA14 BA04

Claims (14)

[Claims] A reading unit that reads image data from a storage medium; a combining unit that combines the image data read by the reading unit with other image data; and a reading unit that reads the image data from the storage medium by the combining unit. An image processing apparatus comprising: a generating unit configured to generate additional information relating to a combined procedure of image data; and a writing unit configured to write the additional information into the storage medium in association with the image data. 2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reading unit includes: an image data reproducing unit that reads and reproduces image data from the recording medium; and an image data selecting unit that selects image data to be reproduced by the image data reproducing unit. 2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the means combines the image data selected by the image data selecting means with other image data. 3. An image pickup means for photographing a video and generating an image pickup signal, wherein the synthesizing means includes an image signal reproduced by the image data reproduction means and a photographing signal imaged by the image pickup means. 3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein 4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said recording medium is a semiconductor memory. 5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the additional information includes composite key data and composite level data. 6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an erasing unit for erasing, when erasing the image data recorded on the recording medium, additional information associated with the image data. 7. The image data selecting means, in a composite image selection mode for selecting a composite image, enables to preferentially select image data in which the additional information is stored.
The image processing apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims. 8. A reading means for reading additional information relating to a procedure for synthesizing the image data when reading the image data from the storage medium, and the reading means based on the additional information relating to the combining procedure read by the reading means. An image processing apparatus comprising: combining means for combining read image data with other image data. 9. A reading step of reading image data from a storage medium; a combining step of combining the read image data with another image data; and a generating step of generating additional information regarding a combining procedure of the image data. And a writing step of writing the additional information in the storage medium in association with the image data. 10. A reading step of reading out additional information relating to a combining procedure of the image data when reading out the image data from the storage medium; and reading out the read-out image based on the additional information relating to the read-out combining procedure. An image processing method comprising: a combining step of combining data and other image data. 11. A reading procedure for reading image data from a storage medium, a combining procedure for combining the read image data with other image data, and a generating procedure for generating additional information related to the combining procedure for the image data. And a computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute a writing procedure of writing the additional information in the storage medium in association with the image data. 12. When reading image data from a storage medium, a reading procedure for reading also additional information relating to a combining procedure of the image data, and the read image is read based on the additional information related to the read combining procedure. A computer-readable recording medium in which a program for causing a computer to execute a synthesizing procedure for synthesizing data and other image data is recorded. 13. A reading procedure for reading image data from a storage medium, a combining procedure for combining the read image data with other image data, and a generating procedure for generating additional information related to the combining procedure for the image data. And a program for causing a computer to execute a writing procedure of writing the additional information in the storage medium in association with the image data. 14. A readout procedure for reading out image data from a storage medium when reading additional information relating to a procedure for synthesizing the image data, and the readout image based on the additional information relating to the readout procedure for synthesizing the image data. A program for causing a computer to execute a combining procedure for combining data and other image data.