JP2004088454A - System for displaying image information - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a system for enabling a user to have a look at many images while grasping the contents of the images by displaying sample images of moving pictures with high significance large and sample images of moving pictures with low significance small. <P>SOLUTION: This system is provided with a video information database 3 having video and its attribute information, a points calculating part 11 for extracting video that coincides with a designated retrieval condition from the video information database 3 based on the attribute information and attaching points to the video, a layout calculating part 12 for determining layout information showing the size and arrangement of a sample image corresponding to the extracted video in accordance with the points attached by the points calculating part 11, and a layout outputting part 13 for determining the size and an arrangement coordinates of the image when outputted on the basis of the layout information determined by the layout calculating part 12 and outputting the sample image corresponding to the extracted video. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention belongs to the technical field related to an image display method and an interface at that time. In particular, an image is set to a size proportional to the importance of the image and an appropriate layout is automatically created. Function in a suitable image information display system.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, with the development of computer networks such as the Internet, it has become possible to exchange files having a very large data amount, such as moving image data, which have not been possible in the past, over a network. Accordingly, the number of moving image files has been increasing, and various interfaces for browsing a large number of moving image files have been realized. Among them, an interface for displaying a plurality of images side by side using one screen of a moving image file as a sample image is generally used.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, the number of images (sample images) that can be displayed on one screen is limited when searching for a moving image file that is deemed necessary with a conventional moving image browsing interface. Further, in order to display a large number of images on one screen, the size of one image is reduced, so that it is difficult to grasp the contents. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a system that can display a large number of images while grasping the contents by displaying large sample images of a moving image with high importance and displaying small ones that are not so.
[0004]
Further, the present invention provides a system that automatically calculates the size of an image to be displayed from the weighted value of a moving image having high importance and a moving image that is not so important, and automatically creates a layout thereof. Aim.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above problems, the invention according to claim 1 extracts a video information database having a video and its attribute information, and extracts a video that matches a specified search condition from the video information database based on the attribute information. A score calculation unit for giving a score; a layout calculation unit for determining layout information indicating the size and arrangement of a sample image corresponding to the extracted video in accordance with the score given by the score calculation unit; A layout output unit that determines the size and arrangement coordinates at the time of output based on the layout information determined by the calculation unit and outputs a sample image corresponding to the extracted video. The invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that the layout calculation unit determines the layout information such that the sample images of the extracted video are sequentially arranged from the upper left according to the score.
[0006]
The invention according to claim 3, wherein a score calculation step of extracting a video that matches a specified search condition based on the attribute information from a video information database having the video and its attribute information, and assigning a score; A layout calculation step of determining layout information indicating a size and an arrangement of a sample image corresponding to the extracted video according to the score given in the calculation step; and outputting the layout information based on the layout information determined in the layout calculation step. The image information display program, which includes a description for executing the layout output process of determining the size and arrangement coordinates of the time and outputting a sample image corresponding to the extracted video using a computer, wherein is there. According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the layout calculation step, the layout information is determined so that the sample images of the extracted video are sequentially arranged from the upper left according to the score.
[0007]
More specifically, according to the present invention, the present invention reads information about a video file stored in a database, extracts a video file required by a user from the information about the read video file, and specifies a score of the video file. Means for creating a list of video files from the score of the video file, means for automatically locating the sample image corresponding to the video file based on the score, and means for automatically specifying the location and size And means for creating an actual layout from the client and displaying the layout on the client.
[0008]
In the present invention, for example, a database in which attribute information such as a sample image attached to a video file, a title, a description, a length, a format, a genre, a creation date, an importance, and the like are stored in a storage medium such as a memory or a hard disk. Can have. The video file and its attribute information are read from the video file database, and the score of the video file that matches the search condition input by the user is obtained or calculated from the database. From the calculated score, the size of the sample image to be displayed and the display position are calculated. A list screen of the sample images is created from the calculated size and display position of the sample images and displayed to the user. In this way, sample images with high scores are large, and those that are not are displayed small, while displaying more sample images by displaying more sample images and displaying the image files that users want to see larger, It is possible to easily understand the contents of the moving image file, and it is possible to have a high probability of viewing the video file that the user wants to see.
[0009]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a system according to an embodiment realized by the present invention. The video information display system 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes an image information display system 10 realized by executing a program using hardware resources of a computer, and an access from the image information display system 10 via a line such as a communication line. And a video information database 3 provided so as to be capable of being used. The image information display system 10 extracts a video file that matches the search condition from the video information database 3 based on the search condition set by the user, and extracts from the acquired information such as the attribute information of the video file and the search condition. Score calculation unit 11 for calculating a score for the calculated video file, a layout calculation unit 12 for calculating the display position and display size of the sample image of the video file on the display screen from the calculated score, and information on the calculated layout And a layout output unit 13 for actually arranging sample images on the screen and passing information to the client 2 for display.
[0010]
The video information database 3 stores a plurality of video files and various data indicating the attribute information of each video file (video file ID (recognition code), sample image name, title, description, length, format, genre) in the database. , Creation date and time, importance) and sample images of each video file. The importance is a value indicating how much the video information is important to the user or the information provider.Specifically, the user, the specific value set by the information provider, and the content information provider The value may be a value proportional to the paid commercial price, the number of keywords included in the title or the description of the user's favorite keyword, a value proportional to the created date, and the like. FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of management data of the video information database 3. The video information database 3 stores ID information for identifying a video file and various types of attribute information attached to the video file as described above.
[0011]
The operation of the video information display system 1 will be described below. FIG. 3 is a processing flow of the score calculation unit 11. In step S101, a video information data list is created from the video information database 3 based on the search conditions of the user. The video information data list is a list of the file IDs of the video files extracted according to the search conditions and all or a part of the attribute information as shown in FIG. 2 corresponding to the extracted video files. It is. The search condition may include a search condition including a set keyword, a search condition created after a set date and time, a search condition of a specific genre, and the like.
[0012]
In step S102, scores of all pieces of video information included in the video information data list are calculated from the video information data list created in step S101 and various conditions set. The conditions set include the number of keywords included, the degree of importance obtained from the video information database 3, the date and time of creation, and the like.
[0013]
A method is also conceivable in which a ranking is determined from the numerical values obtained above, a score determined by the ranking is set in advance, and that score is used as the score.
[0014]
In step S103, the score calculated in step S102 is stored in a memory or a hard disk, and transferred to the layout calculation unit 12. FIG. 4 is a processing flow of the layout calculation unit 12.
[0015]
In step S201, the scores calculated by the score calculation unit 11 are acquired, and the video information file IDs are rearranged in the order of the scores from the acquired scores. In step S202, the obtained score is divided by the value with the highest score to normalize the score. Also calculate the total points.
[0016]
In step S203, when the size of the sample image of the video information file with the highest score is set to 1 based on the aspect ratio of the screen to be output set in advance and the value calculated in step S202, each sample image is displayed. Calculate the length and width of the layout. The method of calculating the length and width is obtained by dividing the total value calculated in step S202 by a value obtained by multiplying the aspect ratio of the screen set in advance, and multiplying the obtained square root by the value of the aspect ratio. .
[0017]
In step S204, based on the score calculated in step S202, an image is added rightward as shown in FIG. As a method of adding an image, the upper left image is a square of 1 × 1 size, and thereafter, n squares each having a side of 1 / n are added. The size of the square to be added is the difference between the sum of the scores from st to st + n and the value of (1 / n) ＾ 2 * n (= 1 / n), where st is the first number of the image to be added. Is calculated, and n that minimizes the value is obtained, and st is set to st + n + 1. This is added until the length in the horizontal direction calculated in step S203 is exceeded.
[0018]
In step S205, based on the score calculated in step S202, an image is added downward as shown in FIG. As a method for adding an image, assuming that the horizontal length finally added in step S204 is a variable len, n squares each having a side length of len / n are added. As for the size of the square to be added, as in step S <b> 204, n that is small in the difference between the total score of the normalized image and the area of the square to be added is obtained. Continue until there are no more images to add. If there are no more images to be added, it is considered that the one with the smallest score is connected, and n is obtained.
[0019]
In this manner, the calculated size and coordinates of the square of the image, the ID of the video file from which the image is based, and information on the sample image are recorded as layout information in a storage medium such as a memory or a hard disk, and output to the layout output unit. Hand over to 11.
[0020]
FIG. 5 is a processing flow of the layout output unit 11. In step S301, layout information calculated by the layout calculation unit 12 is obtained. In step S302, the size and coordinate information included in the layout information acquired in step S301 is changed to a size that matches the ratio of the actual sample image to the length and width and the size of the output display screen. That is, the ratio of the total horizontal length obtained in step S204 to the horizontal length actually displayed is obtained, and the numerical value of the layout information is changed by multiplying the scale.
[0021]
In step S303, a layout is created based on the numerical values of the layout information changed in step S302, and information of an image (sample image) information such as HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) or a format such as an image that can be displayed by the client. Send to client.
[0022]
The above embodiment is an example of the embodiment of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, by removing the video information database 3 from the configuration of the present invention and providing the image information display system 10 with a function of accessing a similar arbitrary or designated database, the image information display system 10 alone can also be used to download sample images. It is possible to establish by looking at the provision. Further, for example, each configuration in the image information display system 10 may be distributed and arranged via a network or the like, or all or a part of the video information database 3 (for example, a video file , Or a database of attribute information and sample images except for the image information, or the image information display system 10 has a function of managing the distribution of the video files in the video information database 3 to the client 2. Also, an embodiment in which a still image and a short-time moving image can be output as a sample image can be considered as an embodiment of the present invention. The present invention also includes a computer and a program executed by the computer, and the program can be distributed via a computer-readable recording medium or a communication line.
[0023]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to display a large image (sample image) that a user or an information provider considers important, and display a small image that is not important. This makes it possible to obtain more detailed information from the video information searched by the user by making the image (sample image) larger for those considered to be more important. Even if it is not possible to obtain detailed information by displaying more images (sample images) by displaying small images (sample images) for information that is not considered By increasing the number of required information, it is less likely to be overlooked without being searched.
[0024]
In addition, it is possible to appeal to the user by making the information that the user considers important to the information provider large. This increases the number of times such a video file is viewed, for example, by making the commercial area larger in proportion to the fee, or by appealing to the user for the latest video, etc. It is possible.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an example of an embodiment of a system including the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an example of an embodiment of a video information database 3 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is an embodiment of a processing flow executed by the score calculation unit 11 of the present invention in FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is an embodiment of a processing flow executed by a layout calculation unit 12 of the present invention in FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is an embodiment of a processing flow executed by a layout output unit 13 of the present invention in FIG. 1;
FIG. 6 is a reference example of an image adding process performed by the layout calculating unit 12 of the present invention in FIG. 1;
FIG. 7 is a reference example of one embodiment of a process of adding an image performed by the layout calculation unit 12 of the present invention in FIG. 1;
[Explanation of symbols]
Reference Signs List 1 video information display system 2 client 3 video information database 10 image information display system 11 score calculation unit 12 layout calculation unit 13 layout output unit

Claims (4)

A video information database having video and its attribute information,
From the video information database, based on the attribute information, to extract a video that matches the specified search conditions, a score calculation unit that gives a score,
According to the score given by the score calculation unit, a layout calculation unit that determines layout information indicating the size and arrangement of the sample image corresponding to the extracted video,
A layout output unit that determines a size and arrangement coordinates at the time of output based on the layout information determined by the layout calculation unit, and outputs a sample image corresponding to the extracted video. system. 2. The image information display system according to claim 1, wherein the layout calculation unit determines the layout information such that the extracted sample images of the video are sequentially arranged from the upper left according to the score. From a video information database having video and its attribute information, based on the attribute information, extracting a video that matches the specified search condition, and a score calculation process of giving a score;
According to the score given in the score calculation step, a layout calculation step of determining layout information indicating the size and arrangement of the sample image corresponding to the extracted video,
A description for determining, using a computer, a layout output step of determining a size and arrangement coordinates at the time of output based on the layout information determined in the layout calculation step and outputting a sample image corresponding to the extracted video. An image information display program characterized by including: 4. The image information display program according to claim 3, wherein the layout information is determined such that the sample images of the extracted video are sequentially arranged from the upper left in accordance with the score in the layout calculation process.

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