JP2003283988A - Image recording/reproducing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To propose an image recording/reproducing apparatus having a trimming function added in resolution conversion and a zooming function. <P>SOLUTION: An image recording/reproducing apparatus having the trimming function added in resolution conversion and the zooming function a constitution provides in which the use of a zooming operation section for a trimming operation enables an intuitive operation. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image recording / reproducing apparatus, and more particularly to an image recording / reproducing apparatus capable of processing image data after photographing to another resolution.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an image recording / reproducing apparatus typified by a digital camera, it is necessary to specify a resolution to be recorded in advance. When pressing a release button for photographing, the image is recorded and recorded at the resolution specified at that time. Is done. Nowadays, there are more opportunities to handle images on a computer due to the spread of electronic mail and the Internet, and the number of cases of secondary use of image data is increasing.

On the other hand, the improvement in the resolution of an image to be photographed has been remarkable due to the improvement in the manufacturing technology such as the increase in the number of pixels and the increase in the density of the image pickup device represented by CCD. The higher resolution leads to an increase in the amount of data, and there is a limit to the amount of data that can be handled when attaching a shot image to an e-mail and sending it to a friend or acquaintance, or when shooting on a website on the Internet. There is a problem that the image data cannot be handled as it is and that it takes time to transfer the data.

From the user's point of view, when a user always shoots at high resolution and attaches it to an e-mail, the image processing software reduces the resolution of the image to reduce the amount of data and then attaches the e-mail. The number of cases to send is increasing. Since the use of image processing software requires proficiency, some digital cameras having a function of reducing the resolution have been released. JP 1998-336494
Has proposed a function of displaying an image in a zoomed manner during image reproduction.

[0005]

However, in these conventional proposals, for example, in the case where a plurality of persons are photographed and only a specific person is to be cut out and the resolution is to be converted, a so-called trimming operation is proposed. However, the problem that the resolution of a photographed image can be simply converted but a part of the image cannot be cut out has not been solved.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the problems of the prior art. The invention according to claim 1 of the present invention is an image pickup means for picking up an image and obtaining image data. A recording medium for recording the image data, an image display means for reproducing and displaying the image recorded on the recording medium, and a second recording resolution for the entire image recorded on the recording medium at the first recording resolution. It is characterized in that it is provided with a control means for converting into and recording on the recording medium.

According to a second aspect of the invention, in the image recording / reproducing apparatus according to the first aspect, the control means controls so as to cut out and record a part of the image when converting and recording to the second recording resolution. It is characterized by

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the image recording / reproducing apparatus according to the second aspect, the lens recording means is provided at the time of image pickup, and the zoom operation section for operating in the telephoto direction and the wide-angle direction is provided. When a part of the image is cut out when the image is converted and recorded in the resolution, the cutout range is specified by operating the zoom operation unit.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention, in the image recording / reproducing apparatus according to the third aspect, when the cutout range is designated, the zoom operation section is made smaller by the same operation as operating in the telephoto direction. However, it is characterized in that the cut-out range can be designated large by the same operation as operating in the wide-angle direction.

According to the above construction, since the image recording / reproducing apparatus has a trimming function added in resolution conversion and further has a zooming function, an intuitive operation can be performed by utilizing the zoom operation section for trimming operation. .

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 1 is a taking lens optical system and an imaging circuit,
2 is an ADC (analog-digital converter), 3 is a TG (timing generator) that gives various timings to the image pickup circuit, 4 is a RAM for temporarily storing image data, and 5 is a RAM.
Is a signal processor for performing image processing such as image compression and expansion, 6 is a liquid crystal monitor for displaying an image during shooting or reproduction, 7 is a liquid crystal driver circuit and backlight for driving the liquid crystal monitor 6, and 8 is a liquid crystal VRAM for storing the image data to be displayed on the monitor, 9 is a recording medium for recording the image data, 10 is a recording medium mounting detection circuit for detecting the mounting of the recording medium 9, and 11 is the operation of the entire camera. MPU (microprocessor unit) to control, 12 is a camera mode switch for selecting whether the state of the camera is in shooting mode, playback mode or power off, 13 is a release switch that gives shooting timing, 14 is a zoom switch for changing the angle of view at the time of shooting, 15 is a 4-direction switch, 16
Is a decision button for confirming each command, and 17 is a menu button for displaying a menu.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart for explaining the resizing operation of the present invention. Next, the operation in such a configuration will be described. When the power mode is changed from the power off to the shooting mode by the camera mode switch 12, the MPU 11 detects that the recording medium 9 is mounted,
0 is detected by the signal output from 0, the free space of the recording medium 9 is investigated through the signal processor 5, and if recording is possible from the free space, the MPU 11 activates the TG3. When activated, the TG 3 activates the taking lens optical system and the imaging circuit 1 to output the subject image as an analog signal. The analog signal is converted into a digital signal by the ADC 2 and stored in the RAM 4.

Thereafter, the MPU 11 issues a command for the liquid crystal monitor output processing to the signal processor 5. The signal processor 5 performs signal processing and stores the image data in the VRAM 8. The image data stored in the VRAM 8 is M
When the PU 11 activates the liquid crystal driver circuit and the backlight 7, it is displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 6 as a visible image. RAM in which the signal processor 5 is sequentially updated
By repeating the operation of processing the data in 4 and storing the image data in the VRAM 8, the image to be captured is displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 6 in real time.

At this time, the zoom switch 14 is used to
When a lens movement instruction to the (telephoto) side or the WIDE (wide angle) side is generated, the MPU 11 gives an appropriate drive waveform to the motor driver 17 for driving the zoom motor 18. By doing so, the lens is moved by the movement of the zoom motor 18 and the photographing angle of view is changed, so that the angle of view can be set according to the user's request. The change of the angle of view at this time can be confirmed on the liquid crystal monitor 6 by displaying the previous captured image in real time.

Thereafter, when the release switch 13 is turned on, the MPU 11 issues a recording command to the signal processor 5. The signal processor 5 which has received the recording command is RA
The image data stored in M4 is subjected to signal processing, compression, etc., and recorded on the recording medium 9.

Next, the means for reproducing the photographed image will be described. When changed to the reproduction mode by the camera mode switch 12, the MPU 11 instructs the signal processor 5 to reproduce and output the image 1. The signal processor 5 reads an image file of an image captured before the recording medium 9 and performs image data expansion processing and signal processing, and transfers the image data to the VRAM 8. The image data stored in the VRAM 8 is the MPU 11
Is displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 6 by activating the liquid crystal driver and the backlight 7.

When the 4-way switch 15 is operated to the right or left, the MPU 11 issues a command for reproducing and outputting another image to the signal processor 5. The signal processor 5 performs the same processing as in the case of the previous image and stores the image data in the VRAM 8. In this way, the reproduction image is changed by operating the four-way switch 15 in the right or left direction.

Next, a means for resizing an image will be described. Menu button 1 in playback mode
When 7 is operated, a reproduction menu is displayed on the reproduced image. The cursor on this menu is the 4-way switch 15
It can be moved by operating up and down. When the cursor is moved to the item "resize" on this menu and the enter button 16 is operated, the resize execution screen is displayed. In the resize execution screen, if you operate the zoom switch to the TELE side as in the shooting mode, a part of the displayed image will be displayed, and if you operate it to the WIDE side, the whole will be displayed. Four-way switch 15 when part of the screen is displayed
The display area can be changed only within the image with.

When the decision button 16 is turned on with the area to be resized displayed, the signal processor 5 cuts out data in the specified range from the image data, compresses it again, and saves it in the recording medium to another file name. After that, a message "The resized image was saved" is displayed to the user, and after 2 seconds, the screen returns to the initial playback screen.

[0020]

As described above, according to the configuration and method of the present invention, in the case of an image recording / reproducing apparatus having a trimming function added in resolution conversion and further having a zoom function, the zoom operation section can be used for trimming operation. A configuration that allows intuitive operation is provided.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory flow diagram of the resizing operation of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Photographic lens optical system and imaging circuit 2 ADC 3 TG 4 RAM 5 Signal processor 6 LCD monitor 7 LCD driver circuit 8 VRAM 9 recording media 10 Recording medium loading detection circuit 11 MPU 12 Camera mode switch 13 Release switch 14 Zoom switch 15 Feed switch 16 decision button 17 Menu button

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An image pickup unit for picking up an image to obtain image data, a recording medium for recording the image data, an image display unit for reproducing and displaying the image recorded on the recording medium, and An image recording / reproducing apparatus comprising a control means for converting an entire image recorded on the recording medium at a recording resolution into a second recording resolution and recording the image on the recording medium. 2. The image recording / reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control means controls so as to cut out a part of the image and record it when converting and recording to the second recording resolution. Recording / playback device. 3. The image recording / reproducing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a lens zooming unit at the time of image pickup, a zoom operation unit for operating in a telephoto direction and a wide angle direction, and converting and recording to a second recording resolution. An image recording / reproducing apparatus characterized in that, when a part of an image is cut out, a cutout range is specified by operating the zoom operation section. 4. The image recording / reproducing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein when the cutout range is designated, the zoom operation section is operated in the wide-angle direction by reducing the cutout range by the same operation as operating in the telephoto direction. An image recording / reproducing apparatus characterized in that a large clipping range can be designated by the same operation as the above.