JP2005167633A - Image processor and method therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain the movement rapidness of an animation with reducing the processing cost. <P>SOLUTION: The processing method comprises a step of dividing moving picture data into a specified number of sections, calculating the change rate of the picture in each section (S403), further dividing a selected section into new sections based on the change rate of the picture in each section, calculating the change rate of the picture in each divided section (S404), repeating and working the division process until specified finishing conditions are met, dividing the moving picture data in the unit of a minimum section among a plurality of obtained sections (S404, S405), calculating the shift of the change rate of the animation in each obtained section (S405), determining a sampling point with changing the sampling density for extracting frames based on the calculated shift (S411, S412), and extracting a specified number of frames. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus and method for outputting a plurality of images obtained from moving image data.

  An apparatus that prints a continuous movement of a subject as a plurality of images has been proposed. As an example of this type of apparatus, for example, one described in Patent Document 1 can be cited.

  According to Patent Document 1, a predetermined number of captured images are obtained and stored from a video camera output from the start of shooting until a preset shooting time elapses, and printed out as shown in FIG. It is described. In this print output, a blank portion is provided on the side of each captured image, and this blank portion can be bundled as shown in FIG. The user can observe the captured image as a moving image by continuously rolling the bundled prints as shown in FIG. Hereinafter, in this specification, such a moving image is referred to as a “rolling moving image”. A continuous still image that provides a moving video is referred to as a continuous still image.

  In addition, the position of the margin part of the print output in FIG. 25 can designate either the left side or the right side of the captured image, so that it can cope with the case where the user is right-handed or left-handed. If the margin is specified to be provided on the left side of the captured image, a right-handed printout can be obtained, and if the margin is specified to be provided on the right side of the captured image, a left-handed printout can be obtained. it can.

  In this type of apparatus, captured images are taken out and stored at predetermined time intervals over the entire range from the start to the end of shooting. Also in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, when a desired shooting time of 8 seconds, 10 seconds, and 12 seconds is specified, captured images are stored at predetermined intervals from the entire specified shooting time. For example, if 8 seconds are specified, the captured images are stored every 1/6 second to store 48 captured images, and if 10 seconds are specified, 1/1 to store 48 captured images. A captured image is stored every 5 seconds.

As a problem of this apparatus, when the sampling interval is long, there is a problem that the video content is lost with respect to a moving image with intense movement, and an invention such as Patent Document 2 has been made for this problem. According to Patent Document 2, sampling is performed at equal intervals from the start and end points and the required number of images, or an intermediate still image is selected by increasing the central sampling density, and a number of still images are used for the timing of golf impact. This reduces the loss of video content in the print range.
JP-A-10-327376 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-277194

  However, in the case of printing a moving image including a portion where the movement is intense in a part of the moving image to be printed, the center of the time range to be printed is not necessarily the most intense. In addition, when the operator designates a location where the sampling density is desired to be increased, designation regarding the sampling density increases in addition to the start and end points. In this designation, it is necessary to select an appropriate frame while repeating frame advance and frame return in the vicinity of the point to be designated, and the operation becomes complicated.

  In addition, it is not considered for a moving image having a plurality of sections in which movement is intense, and a very complicated operation of designating each sampling point for the number of sheets to be printed is necessary. Also, it was impossible to reflect the degree of change in moving images on the sampling density.

  Therefore, the intensity of the change of the moving image in the desired range in the moving image is detected by image processing, and the frame is extracted from the desired range while changing the sampling density according to the detected intensity of the moving image, and the continuous still image By obtaining the above, it can be considered that the user's request can be dealt with finely by a simple operation.

  However, in order to determine the intensity of movement, it is necessary to obtain more than the number of still images required for printing from a moving image and obtain the image correlation. In particular, the longer the section to be printed (the desired range in the moving image), the more The tendency became prominent, and a large processing cost was required.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to make it possible to determine the intensity of motion of a moving image while reducing processing costs.

In order to achieve the above object, an image processing apparatus according to the present invention comprises the following arrangement. That is,
An image processing apparatus that outputs a plurality of continuous still images based on moving image data,
First dividing means for dividing the moving image data into a predetermined number of sections and calculating the degree of change of the image in each section;
A second dividing means for further dividing the selected section based on the degree of image change in each section to generate a new section and calculating the degree of image change for each section after the division;
Third dividing means for repeatedly functioning the second dividing means until a predetermined end condition is satisfied, and dividing the moving image data in units of a minimum section among the obtained plurality of sections;
For each section obtained by the third dividing means, calculating means for calculating the transition of the degree of change of the moving image;
Extraction means for determining a sampling point while changing the sampling density of frame extraction based on the transition calculated by the calculation means, and extracting a predetermined number of frames.

  According to the present invention, when a predetermined number of still images are extracted from a desired range in a moving image, the sampling density can be automatically changed according to the intensity of the moving image change, and the user can perform simple operations. It is possible to respond precisely to the demands of That is, visual effects can be increased by simple and intuitive editing operations. In addition, in order to calculate the change in the intensity of the video for determining the sampling density, in calculating the intensity for each divided section obtained by dividing the video, an appropriate size according to the state of the video is obtained. Divided sections are set automatically, allowing efficient calculation.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[System configuration]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the image forming system according to the present embodiment. The image forming system according to this embodiment includes an information processing apparatus 100 that generates print data (including control commands) and a printer 170 that forms an image based on the print data.

  The information processing apparatus 100 includes a memory 110, a CPU 130, a hard disk controller (HDC) 120, a hard disk (HD) 121 connected thereto, a flexible disk controller (FDC) 125, and a flexible disk drive (FD) connected thereto. 126, printer controller (PRTC) 140, keyboard / pointing device controller (KB / PDC) 150 and keyboard (KB) and pointing device (PD) 151 connected thereto, CRT controller (CRTC) 160 and connection thereto The CRT 161 is provided.

  Note that a mouse is used as the pointing device PD in this embodiment, but various devices such as a trackball and a touch panel can be used. In the above configuration, the CRT 161 is used as the display. However, it goes without saying that other types of displays such as a liquid crystal display or a plasma display may be used.

  The memory 110 includes, for example, an application 111 that performs image editing processing according to the present embodiment, a printer driver 112 that is software for generating print data corresponding to the printer 170, and a spooler that spools print data to be supplied to the printer 170. An area 113, an OS (operating system) (not shown), a work area and the like are included.

  The CPU 130 operates based on the application 111, the printer driver 112, the OS, and the like in the memory 110. When the power is turned on, booting is performed with a boot program stored in a ROM (not shown), and the OS program is loaded from the HD 121 to the memory 110 to start the OS. Thereafter, the application program is similarly loaded and executed under the management of the OS, thereby functioning as an image forming system. Of course, the CPU 130 can access the HD 121 via the HDC 120.

  The PRTC 140 performs processing for sequentially transmitting the print data stored in the spooler area 113 to the printer 170. The KB / PDC 150 controls the KB / PD 151 and takes in the instruction data from the user input using the keyboard and mouse into the apparatus. The CRTC 160 is a controller that controls the CRT 161 that is a display device. These blocks 150, 151, 160, 161 constitute a user interface.

  On the other hand, the printer 170 receives print data from the information processing apparatus 100 and an interface 171 for notifying the information processing apparatus 100 of various statuses, mainly interprets the received printer data and generates bitmap image data. The printer controller 172 and the printer engine 173 that receives the bitmap image data output from the printer controller 172 and actually forms an image. Although not shown, an operation panel and the like are also provided. Further, the printer engine 173 may use any method such as an ink jet method, an electrophotographic method, or a thermal method.

  In the above configuration, when the printer 170 is connected to the information processing apparatus 100, it is necessary to install a printer driver for generating printer data corresponding to the printer 170 in the first stage. Needless to say, this installation usually only needs to be done once unless there is a specific reason.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the information processing apparatus 100 of the image forming system shown in FIG. 1 from the viewpoint of the software configuration.

  A keyboard and a mouse (KB / PD) 151 are connected to the information processing apparatus 100 as input devices. Further, a printer 170 and a CRT 161 as a monitor are connected as an output device.

  Input made using the keyboard and mouse is processed by the keyboard / mouse driver 182 and passed to the OS 180. In addition, the information processing apparatus 100 includes application software 111 such as a word processor, a spreadsheet, and an Internet browser. Various drawing processing command groups (image drawing commands, text drawing commands, and graphics drawing commands) indicating output images issued by the application software 111 are input to the monitor driver 181 via the OS 180. When printing is performed, these drawing commands are input to the printer driver 112 via the OS 180. The printer driver 112 is software for processing a drawing command group to generate print data and causing the printer 170 to print, and the monitor driver 181 is software for causing the CRT 161 to display an image.

  As the information processing apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, it is conceivable to use a widely used personal computer of an IBM AT compatible machine, and to use Microsoft Windows 98 (registered trademark) as the OS 180. In addition, the print system according to the present embodiment is realized by connecting the monitor 106, the printer 105, and the keyboard / mouse 112 to such a personal computer and executing a print processing application described below.

  The information processing apparatus 100 uses the application software 111 to output image data using text data classified into text such as characters, graphics data classified into graphics such as graphics, image image data classified into photographic images, and the like. Is created. When printing an image based on the output image data, the application software 111 issues a print output request to the OS 180, the text data portion is a text drawing command, the graphics data portion is a graphics drawing command, and the image image data portion is an image. A drawing command group including drawing commands is issued to the OS 180.

  When the OS 180 receives the print output request from the application software 111, it passes a drawing command group to the printer driver 112 corresponding to the printer 170. The printer driver 112 processes the print output request and drawing command group passed from the OS 180, creates print data that can be printed by the printer 170, and sends the print data to the printer 170.

  If the printer 170 is a raster printer, the printer driver 112 rasterizes the rendering command group sequentially into a band memory having a depth of 8 bits for each of RGB, for example. Then, after rasterizing all drawing commands, the contents of the page memory are converted into a data format printable by the printer 170, for example, CMYK data, and sent to the printer 170. This band memory is allocated to, for example, a RAM (memory 110).

[About print processing applications]
Next, the print processing application according to the present embodiment that can operate as the application 111 will be described. The print processing application according to the present embodiment extracts a predetermined number of continuous still images from a desired range of moving image data, and forms them on a sheet provided with perforations that can be separated into strip-shaped sheets as shown in FIG. Print continuous still images. A binding margin is formed on each strip-shaped sheet by printing the strip-shaped sheet so that a continuous still image and a blank portion are aligned in the longitudinal direction. By bundling the strip-shaped sheets obtained in this way as shown in FIG. 18 and handling them as shown in FIG. Hereinafter, the operation and function of the print processing application of this embodiment will be described in detail.

  When the print processing application of the present embodiment is activated, a dedicated application window is displayed. As the application window, a paper selection screen (see FIG. 7), a moving image selection screen (see FIG. 8), a range setting screen (see FIGS. 9A and 9B), and a print / save screen (see FIG. 10A) are prepared. When the print application is activated, a paper selection window is displayed as the initial screen, but the present invention is not limited to this. Each screen is provided with tabs (301a to 301d) for screen selection, and the screen can be shifted to a desired screen among the screens of FIGS. 7 to 10A by clicking the desired tab. it can.

The outline printing procedure by this print processing application is as follows.
-Set the printer and paper to be used on the paper selection screen,
-Select the desired video file on the video selection screen,
-In the range setting screen, set the desired range in the video file selected on the video selection screen and check whether the range set by the preview of the hitting video is appropriate,
On the print / save screen, a predetermined number of continuous still images are generated from the desired range set on the range setting screen, and are output by the set printer.

  Hereinafter, details of the operation will be described for each screen.

  First, with reference to FIG. 3 and FIG. 7, a paper selection process executed by displaying a paper selection screen will be described. FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining processing executed when the paper selection screen shown in FIG. 7 is selected.

  In step S101, the name of the printer to be selected is input in the box 310, and the user is prompted to select the printer. Here, when the ▽ portion on the right side of the box 310 is clicked, a list of available printers is displayed, from which the user can select a desired printer. If there is only one printer available, that printer is displayed in box 310. An available printer is a printer that is compatible with the printing application, and has a printer driver installed in the information processing apparatus. In addition, when the application is started, the printer that was selected at the previous end is set as the selected printer.

  In step S102, the cartridge is selected using the box 311. In step S103, the sheet is selected using the box 312. In this embodiment, the paper size is fixed to A4, but a desired paper size may be selected.

  In step S104, it is determined whether a tab (any one of 301b to 301d) for shifting to another screen is selected. If not selected, the process returns to step S101. If a tab for shifting to another screen is selected, the process proceeds to step S105, and the contents set at that time in boxes 310 to 312 are determined as setting contents. Needless to say, this setting can be changed later by selecting the tab 301a from another screen to display the paper selection screen.

  Next, a moving image selection process executed when the tab 301b is selected and the screen is shifted to the moving image selection screen will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining processing executed in a state where the moving image selection screen shown in FIG. 8 is selected.

  First, in step S121, a process for opening the selected file is performed by the user's file opening operation. Here, a pop-up window (not shown) for file selection is displayed in response to the click of the “Open” button 321 in the moving image selection screen 322, and the user selects a desired moving image file using this.

  In step S122, it is determined whether the file specified in step S121 is a file (information file) created and saved by the print processing application. In this application, information for printing a continuous still image can be saved in step S169 in the “print and save” process described later with reference to FIG. If it is determined in step S122 that such an information file has been selected, the moving image reproduction process described below is not performed, and the process proceeds to step S126. Note that the determination in step S122 can be performed with reference to, for example, a file extension.

  If the file selected in step S121 is a moving image file that can be processed by the printing application, the process proceeds to step S123, and the first frame image of the moving image file is displayed in the moving image reproduction area 323 in the moving image selection screen 322. Is displayed.

  The movie selection screen 322 moves to the movie playback area 323, a playback button 324 for instructing start of playback processing of the selected movie file, a stop button 325 for instructing stop and release of playback processing, and the head of the movie file. The user interface includes a move button 327, a move button 328 that moves to the end of the moving image file, a seek bar 329, and a time display 330. Note that the display location can be moved to an arbitrary position in the moving image file by dragging the seek bar 329. In addition, during playback of a moving image, the seek bar moves according to the playback position. The time display 330 indicates the position that is currently being played back by the time from the start of playback.

  When the reproduction of the moving image is instructed by the operation of the reproduction button 324, the process proceeds from step S124 to step S125, and the moving image file selected in step S121 is reproduced. In addition, although the illustration by a flowchart and detailed description are abbreviate | omitted about the process by operation of another operation button, the content will be clear to those skilled in the art.

  When any of the tabs 301a, 301c, and 301d for moving to another screen is selected with the movie file selected, the movie file designated by the movie file or the information file is selected as the movie file selected. After confirming, this process is terminated, and the screen moves to the designated screen (steps S126 and S127). While these tabs are not selected, the above steps S121 to S125 are repeated. Needless to say, this confirmed content can be changed later by selecting the tab 301b from another screen to display the moving image selection screen.

  Next, the range setting process executed when the tab 301c is selected and the screen shifts to the range setting screen will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 9A. FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining processing executed in a state where the range setting screen shown in FIG. 9A is selected. On the range setting screen, a desired range (referred to as a still image clipping range) to be cut out of a continuous still image is set from the moving image file.

  As shown in FIG. 9A, on the range setting screen 340, a moving image reproduction window 340 including a moving image reproduction area 323 for reproducing the selected moving image file, various operation buttons 324 to 328, and a seek bar 329 is displayed. . However, on the range setting screen 340, a start position button 341 and an end position button 342 for setting a desired still image clipping range from the moving image, and continuous still images obtained from the set still image clipping range are displayed. A preview button 343 for previewing as a moving image is included.

  First, the moving image reproduction process in steps S141 to S143 is the same as that in steps S123 to S125 described above. That is, the image of the first frame of the moving image file selected and confirmed on the moving image selection screen is displayed in the moving image reproduction area 323 (step S141), and the reproduction button 324 is clicked (step S142). Playback is started (step S143).

  If the start position button 341 is clicked during playback of the moving image file, the playback time at that time is registered as the start point of the still image cutout range (steps S144 and S145). If the end position button 342 is clicked, the playback time at that time is registered as the end point of the still image cutout range (steps S146 and S147). When the start point and end point are registered, a knob 364 indicating the start point of the cutout range on the seek bar 329 and a knob 365 indicating the end point are shown in FIG. 9A to indicate the selected still image cutout range. Is displayed on the seek bar 329.

  In the above description, the desired range in the moving image is determined by designating the start point and the ending point at a desired time point during reproduction of the moving image file. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when the seek bar 329 is moved to a desired reproduction position and the start position button 341 is clicked, the start point of the still image cutout range is designated, and similarly, the end point of the still image cutout range is designated by clicking the end position button 342. You may make it do. In this case, the moving image file does not need to be reproduced by the reproduction button 324, but an image of a frame corresponding to the position specified by the seek bar 329 is displayed in the moving image reproduction area 323.

Further, the above-described method for specifying a still image cutout range while reproducing a moving image and the method for specifying a still image cutout range using a seek bar may be combined. For example, the seek bar 329 is operated to move to a desired position in the moving image data, and the start position button 341 is clicked to specify the start point of the still image cutout range. After that, it is also possible to configure the cutout range by clicking the play button 324 to play the moving image from that position and clicking the end position button 342 at the desired position.
Alternatively, the range may be specified by dragging the knob 364 to the start point or dragging the knob 365 to the end point.

  In this embodiment, the start point and end point of the still image cutout range are registered according to the reproduction time. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a frame number or the like may be used.

  The print processing application of this embodiment cuts out a predetermined number (45 in this embodiment) of continuous still images from the still image cutout range set as described above, and prints them out. The print output of the continuous still image obtained in this way is separated into strips as described above, and is intended to be observed as a moving video by rolling continuously. Therefore, for this purpose, it is desirable to be able to preview a continuous still image so that a moving image can be observed in a pseudo manner. In the following steps S148 to S150, such a preview function is provided.

  When the preview button 343 is clicked after the still image cutout range is set by the start point and the end point as described above, the process proceeds from step S148 to step S149 (note that the still image cutout is not included in step S149). To avoid branching unless a range is set). In step S149, a predetermined number of continuous still images are generated and acquired from the set still image clipping range. Details of the processing in this step will be described later.

  In step S150, the continuous still images generated in step S149 are sequentially displayed in the imaging order so that, for example, 45 images are displayed in 2 seconds. At this time, the switching interval from one still image to the next still image is made constant (for example, 2/45 seconds if 45 continuous still images are displayed in 2 seconds).

  If the preview button 343 is clicked again without changing the selection range in the moving image, the process of step S149 is omitted because the generation of continuous still images has already been completed.

  In this state, when the tabs 301a, 301b, and 301d corresponding to other operation screens are clicked, the process proceeds from step S151 to step S152, and the still image cutout range set above is determined. Needless to say, this confirmed content can be changed later by selecting the tab 301c from another screen to display the range setting screen. On the other hand, unless a tab corresponding to another operation screen is clicked, the process returns to step S141 to repeat the above process. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the preview display and the range setting operation can be performed on the same screen (range setting screen). Etc. and operability is good.

  In the preview display of continuous still images in step S150, a preview setting panel 344 as shown in FIG. 9B may be provided so that the time required for display can be set arbitrarily. For example, as shown by 345 in FIG. 9B, the entire display time can be arbitrarily set, and when it is set to display in 1 second, continuous still images are switched and displayed at intervals of 1/45 seconds. become. Further, as shown by reference numeral 346 in FIG. 9B, the switching interval of continuous still images may be specified (for example, specified as 0.04 seconds).

  Further, manual operation may be enabled as indicated by reference numeral 347 in FIG. 9B. In this example, when the slide bar 348 is displayed and the knob 349 is slid with the mouse, the continuous still image is displayed while switching. In this way, in the above-mentioned 345 and 346, the switching interval that is constant and fixed during the continuous display can be made variable, and a preview corresponding to the user's turning operation can be displayed accurately.

  Next, processing when the tab 301d is selected and the screen is shifted to the print / save screen will be described. FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining processing executed when the print / save screen shown in FIG. 10A is selected. On this print / save screen, it is possible to print a continuous still image obtained from the still image cutout range set on the range setting screen and save the cutout information.

  First, in step S161, it is determined whether or not the still image conversion process in step S149 has been performed for the currently set clipping target range. If the processing in step S149 has been completed, a continuous still image has been obtained for the still image cutout range, and step S162 is skipped. If a continuous still image has not been acquired from the set extraction target range, the process proceeds to step S162, and a predetermined number of continuous still images are extracted from the still image extraction range set on the previous range setting screen. This process is the same as step S149 in FIG.

  Subsequently, in step S163, the print layout 351 is displayed by the generated continuous still image. In the present embodiment, since 15 continuous still images are printed on A4 size paper, a total of 3 pages are printed. Accordingly, the next page button 356 or the previous page button 355 is provided, and by operating these buttons, the print layout of all pages can be confirmed. In the drawing, the numbers described in the continuous still image portions are given for convenience in order to indicate that these are continuous still images (not the same image is continuous).

  If the print setting button 353 is clicked, it is determined that the print setting is changed, and the process proceeds to step S165. In step S165, a print setting input screen (not shown) is displayed, and the following print setting items are set, for example.

<Layout>
・ Right binding: Print with a left-handed layout.
・ Left binding: Print with a right-handed layout.
(Default is “Left Binding”)
<Background>
-None: Nothing is printed around continuous still images.
-Black gradation: Prints a black gradation that changes from the continuous still image toward the margin around the continuous still image.
・ Specified color gradation: Prints the specified color gradation that changes from the continuous still image toward the margin around the continuous still image.
(Default is “Black gradient”)
<Title>
-None: Does not print the title name.
-Print title: Prints the input character string as a title (can be set to print only on the first page or on all pages).
(Default is “None”)
<Shooting date>
-None: Does not print the shooting date and time.
-Print date: Prints the date of shooting (can be set to print only on the first page or all pages)
(The default is "None").

  After the print setting, the process returns to step S163 to display the print layout with the updated print setting. In this way, the print setting change is immediately reflected in the print layout display.

  When the print button 352 is clicked, the process proceeds from step S166 to step S167, and a continuous still image is printed from the designated printer as shown in FIG. 10B. The print image at this time is a continuous still image printed in a reduced size so as to fit within an area of 42 mm × 34 mm, with the aspect ratio of the continuous still image cut out from the moving image fixed. In this case, printing is performed with the default quality of the designated medium. If the background is specified, the specified background is printed, and if the shooting date or title printing is specified, they are printed according to the respective specifications. Further, in order to clearly indicate the order of continuous still images, the margin of the side of the continuous still images (in this embodiment, the position that is the upper right corner in the case of right binding and the upper left corner in the case of left binding) ) Are printed (FIG. 10A shows an example of left binding and FIG. 10B shows an example of right binding, and page numbers are given in the upper right corner and the upper left corner, respectively).

  When the save button 354 is clicked, the process proceeds from step S168 to step S169. In step S169, each item set on the paper selection screen, moving image selection screen, range setting screen, and print / save screen (print setting) is saved as one file. For example, the items to be stored are information on the printer used, cartridge information, paper, moving image file name, still image cutout start position, still image cutout end position, and print setting contents (layout, background, etc.). However, the cut out still image data is not saved.

  The 45 continuous still images obtained as described above are printed on a sheet having a perforation as shown in FIG. 23 as shown in FIG. 10B, so that they can be separated into strip-like sheets along the perforations. In this case, they can be bundled as shown in FIG. Then, a continuous moving image can be observed by continuously speaking as shown in FIG. Note that FIG. 10B illustrates a right-bound printing state, and FIGS. 18 and 19 illustrate a left-bound state.

  As described above, according to the print processing application of the present embodiment, it is possible to print out a continuous still image that can be observed as a moving moving image in a desired range of moving image data. It is possible to easily provide a roaring video that the user desires.

  In particular, in the preview function using the preview button 343 of the range setting screen (FIG. 9A) described with reference to FIGS. 9A and 9B, the continuous still images cut out from the designated range are continuously switched and displayed, so that the user can change the display of FIG. As shown in FIG. 19, a continuous still image is bundled and continuously rolled so that the state when the moving video is observed can be confirmed conveniently. If the user does not like the preview, the user can immediately specify the still image cutout range without switching the window, thereby improving operability.

  In addition, if the still image switching interval can be set in the preview, it is possible to perform a preview according to the desired turning speed. Further, in the preview, as shown in FIG. 9B, if a configuration for controlling switching of continuous still images in synchronization with the movement of the knob 349 of the scroll bar 348 is provided, the display switching interval can be changed during continuous display. it can. For this reason, it is possible to realize a preview corresponding to the user's habit when observing a beat image (for example, the speed at the beginning and the end of the beat is slower than other parts), and a more accurate preview of the beat video can be realized. Yes.

[Details of still image conversion processing]
Next, details of the still image conversion processing in step S149 of FIG. 5 will be described. Reference numerals 360 to 363 in FIG. 9A denote user interfaces for instructing the method of this processing.

  Reference numeral 360 denotes a panel for instructing a method for cutting out a still image. The processing method can be changed by selecting one of the equal button 361 and the automatic button 362. When the equal button 361 is selected, continuous still images are generated so that all are equally spaced on the time axis from the section from the print start point to the end point. When the automatic button 362 is selected, continuous still images are generated so that the sampling interval becomes denser in the intense interval according to the intensity of the moving image. The slider 363 designates the degree of sampling interval sparseness (difference between the sampling interval when sparse and the sampling interval when dense). In the case of the leftmost setting, the degree of sparse / dense opening is 0, which is the same result as selecting the equal button. When it is set to the right, the maximum effect is applied.

  FIG. 11 is a flowchart for explaining the method of this processing. The processing flow will be described using this.

  When the process is started, it is determined in step S401 whether the equal button 361 or the automatic button 362 is selected. If the equal button 361 has been selected, the process proceeds to step S402, a frame is selected from the designated moving image range so that the sampling intervals are equal, a still image is acquired from the selected frame, and the process ends.

  On the other hand, if the automatic button 361 has been selected in step S401, the process proceeds to step S403. In step S403, the moving image range is divided in order to analyze the change of the “moving image intensity” in the specified moving image range. As the number of divisions increases, the time resolution of the analysis process increases, but the processing cost increases. It is meaningless to increase the number of divisions beyond the number of frames in the specified moving image range. In the present embodiment, the smaller one of 10 and the number of frames is set as the division number, and the moving image range is equally divided. Further, when a moving image is encoded by MPEG, it may be divided by I frame.

  Next, the process proceeds to step S404, and the intensity of the moving image (change amount of the moving image) in each section is calculated while subdividing the dividing points. Details of this processing will be described later.

  In step S405, a moving average of frame correlation values with respect to time is obtained. In the present embodiment, the moving image is equally divided by the length of the most subdivided section in step S404, and frame correlation is made up of a total of 5 points for each division point, that is, the previous 2 points and the subsequent 2 points. The average of the values is obtained and set as the intensity of the moving image at the division point of interest. Linear interpolation is performed between the divided points.

  The algorithm for calculating the frame correlation value is not particularly limited. In the simplest example, each still image to be compared is divided into a plurality of blocks in a grid pattern vertically and horizontally, and an average value of RGB is calculated for each block. Then, the sum of squares of the differences between the RGB channels of the corresponding blocks of the images to be compared is obtained and used as the similarity distance between the still images. The smaller the similarity distance, the more similar, and the higher the image correlation between the two. On the other hand, it is assumed that the larger the value, the less similar the two, and the lower the image correlation. The formula for calculating the inter-frame similarity distance between the first image and the second image is as shown in Equation 1.

Here, the contents of each variable are as follows.
i: Block being processed,
K: number of divided blocks,
P1 _iR : average value of the R channel of the i-th block of the first image,
P1 _iG : Average value of the G channel of the i-th block of the first image,
P1 _iB : Average value of the B channel of the i-th block of the first image,
P2 _iR : average value of the R channel of the i-th block of the second image,
P2 _iG : Average value of the G channel of the i-th block of the second image,
P2 _iB : Average value of the B channel of the i-th block of the second image,
T: Section length.

  When the intensity of the moving image at each time is calculated in this way, the process proceeds to step S406, and the extreme change in the intensity of the moving image is obtained. In step S407, poles are displayed. In step S408, editing such as pole selection, deletion, movement in the vertical (degree of change), and horizontal (time) directions is performed.

  FIG. 27 is an example of a pole display screen. Reference numeral 370 denotes a window showing a change in the intensity of the moving image, and it is possible to instruct display and deletion of poles. In this, there is a plot area 371, the horizontal axis indicates time, and the section from the start point to the end point designated for the moving image is displayed. The vertical axis represents the degree of intensity of the moving image. Reference numerals 372 and 373 are extremes of change in the intensity of the moving image, and the currently selected pole 372 is displayed in white. To select the mark, the mark can be clicked with the pointing device 151.

  Reference numeral 374 denotes a delete button. When this button is pressed, the selected pole is deleted and interpolation is performed between the previous and next poles or end points. It is also possible to change the pole size and time position by dragging the currently selected pole. Further, by displaying the frame image at the moving image time corresponding to the horizontal position of the mouse cursor in the moving image reproduction window 323, it becomes possible to work more intuitively. Reference numeral 375 denotes an OK button, which finishes the editing process with the currently displayed pole, erases the window, and proceeds to the next step. Reference numeral 376 denotes a cancel button, which is not shown in the flowchart, but ends the process without performing the still image acquisition process.

  When at least one piece of information regarding the pole is updated, the process proceeds to step S409, and interpolation between the end point and the pole and between the pole and the pole is performed.

  FIG. 28 shows a state in which interpolation is performed after the selected pole 372 is deleted. The simplest method of interpolation is to interpolate between the poles or between the pole and the end point with a straight line, but may be interpolated with a smooth curve by a well-known technique such as spline. A person skilled in the art can easily add editing functions such as adding a user interface for adding new poles and curve control points, and drawing a line with the locus of the mouse cursor in the plot area. I will.

  Next, the process proceeds to step S410, and it is determined whether editing is finished. If the OK button 375 has been selected, the process proceeds to step S411. If not, the process returns to step S407 to re-display and continue editing. When the editing of the pole is completed, the process proceeds to step S411, and points are given to each divided section according to the intensity of the moving image edited in the previous step. The points are calculated as shown in Equation 2, for example.

Here, the contents of each variable are as follows.
Dt: intensity of moving image in divided section t Dmin: minimum value of moving image intensity in all sections Dmax: maximum value of moving image intensity in all sections A: effect coefficient B: offset constant.

  The effect coefficient A is determined according to the degree of the effect specified by the slider 363 so that the greater the effect, the larger the effect coefficient A. 0 if no effect is applied. The offset B is the number of points allocated to the section with the smallest motion. Note that when Dmin and Dmax are equal, it means that there is no change in intensity in the moving image, so the sampling points may be determined uniformly over time. For Dt, for example, a moving average value for the first frame in the divided section t is used (details will be described later with reference to FIG. 32).

When the number of points in each section is determined in this way, the process proceeds to step S412 to determine a sampling point and acquire a still image from a frame corresponding to the sampling point. In this method, points are equally divided in time within one section and approximated, sampling points are determined so that the number of points between samplings is uniform, and still images are acquired. If the sampling point interval is shorter than the frame period of the moving image, a plurality of the same still images will continue.
An example of determining the sampling point will be described more specifically with reference to FIG. The example shown here is assumed to have been divided into sections of 3 frames by the processes of steps S403 and S404. In step S405, the image correlation of each division point is calculated. For example, the inter-frame correlation value shown in Equation 1 is calculated between the Mth frame and the M + 1th frame. As a result, inter-frame correlation values (D _M−1 , D _M , D _{M + 1,} etc.) are obtained for each frame at the dividing point in FIG.

Further, a moving average is obtained in step S405. For example, the moving average of the (M + 1) th block is obtained by calculating the average of D _M−1 , D _M , D _{M + 1} , D _{M + 2} , D _{M + 3} . This moving average can be changed by the operations in steps S407 to S410. In step S411, the moving average obtained as described above is used as the intensity Dt of the moving image in each section, and points in each section are calculated using Equation 2. In Figure 27 the points of the section M is represented as P _M.

Finally, a sampling point is determined in step S412. This first determines the average point value to be the sampling interval. That is, a value obtained by dividing the total of points of all blocks by the number of cutouts (n (45 in this example)) is an average point value P _ave, and the point value between the sampled frames is this P _ave. To. Referring to FIG. 27, a point of the block is assigned to a frame in each block. For example, the Mth block divides P _M by 5 and assigns it to each frame. Then, sampling points (frames to be extracted) are determined so that the sum of these point values is closest to the above _Pave . For example, after 2701 frames are extracted, the point values of each frame are added, and if _Pave is exceeded in 2702 frames, frame 2702 is determined as a sampling point. As described above, a sampling point is determined and a still image is acquired.

[Details of movie intensity calculation processing]
Next, details of the moving image intensity calculation processing in step S404 in FIG. 11 will be described with reference to the flowchart in FIG.

  When the process is started, the process proceeds to S501, and the correlation value of the frame at the start point and end point of each divided section is calculated. The correlation value calculation method is as described above, and can be calculated by, for example, Equation 1. However, the first image and the second image are the frame at the start position and the frame at the end position of the section, respectively.

  The frame correlation value is calculated for all the sections, and the calculation results are stored in association with the sections. Next, the process proceeds to step S502, and a section whose division section is longer than a certain threshold is selected as a subdivision-enabled section. In the present embodiment, the threshold value is a moving image frame period. However, it is not necessary to limit to this. Proceeding to step S503, it is determined whether the number of selected sections is 0. If it is 0, further subdivision cannot be performed, so the processing is terminated.

  If the selected section exists, the process proceeds to step S504, and one section having the lowest correlation is selected from among the sections, and the process proceeds to step S505, which is divided into two at the center of the section. Next, it progresses to step S506 and calculates a frame correlation value about two divided | segmented areas similarly to the method shown by step S501. As a device for performing the processing at a high speed at this time, in the processing of step S501 and step S506, the image feature amount calculated from each frame image (average RGB value for each section) is cached in the memory. By reusing this, the feature quantities of the first and last frames of the section before division are not necessary. What is necessary is just to calculate only the feature-value of a center image newly, and to obtain | require image correlation. The calculation result is stored in the memory in association with the section.

  In step S507, it is determined whether the end condition is satisfied. For this purpose, for example, a counter that is incremented every time the process of step S505 is performed, and the process is terminated when the number of times of the division into two reaches a predetermined number. As another method, an end time may be set when starting the process, and the process may be ended when the time has passed. Furthermore, as another termination condition, either until the minimum value of the correlation degree of all sections exceeds a predetermined threshold, or until the length of the longest divided section falls below a predetermined length, or any of the above conditions A combination of the above may be used as the end condition.

  Alternatively, display processing may be performed at the end of step 506 to display correlation information for each section as shown in FIG. 30 to provide a clue for the user to instruct the end. In FIG. 30, reference numerals 601 and 602 indicate calculation results of the intensity of the moving image in the specified range of the moving image. The vertical and horizontal axes of the plot area 371 are the same as those in FIG. Since the plotted line segment is not linearly complemented, it is horizontal and discontinuous at the boundary of each divided section. A section being calculated like 602 is indicated by a thick line so that it can be distinguished from others. A button 603 is a next button for making the end condition in step 507 true. In FIG. 30, when the vicinity of the line segment indicated by 601 of the section not being calculated is clicked, the section can be pre-divided preferentially and the calculation accuracy of the user's desired section can be improved. The processing flow at this time is shown in FIG.

  FIG. 31 is a flowchart of the part replaced with step S504 in FIG. In step S510, it is determined whether the area near the line segment not being calculated has been clicked and the section can be subdivided. If false, the same processing as in step S504 in FIG. In this case, the process proceeds to step S511, the designated section is selected, and the process proceeds to the next step S505 in FIG.

  As another method, the section with the longest selection condition in step S504 may be selected. In this case, the subdivision progresses almost uniformly over the entire section, and it takes some time to find the pole. However, it is possible to suppress an error caused by simply dividing the image correlation between sections having different lengths by the square of the length and comparing them, and there is an advantage that the intensity of relative movement can be accurately obtained.

  When the subdivision processing is completed as described above, steps S405 to S412 in FIG. 11 are executed, and a continuous still image is output.

[Details of print processing]
The continuous still image according to the present embodiment is printed on a sheet having a perforation for cutting into a strip shape, cut into a strip shape along the perforation, and a blank portion provided on the side of the still image. Are bound together as a binding margin, and a moving animation can be observed. Therefore, unless a still image is printed at a predetermined position in the strip formed by the perforation with good reproducibility, the entire image moves when a moving moving image is observed, which is unnatural. In general, the printing position is kept relatively accurately on one sheet of paper. However, when a continuous still image is printed across a plurality of sheets as in the present embodiment, there is a problem of deviation in the entire printing position between different sheets.

  Generally, the printing position accuracy is low due to the influence of a conveyance error in the paper conveyance direction. On the other hand, with respect to the printing position in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction, a relatively good accuracy can be obtained by a paper guide or the like. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 12, when printing is performed in such a layout that the arrangement of continuous still images and margins is orthogonal to the transport direction, a strip-like sheet obtained from one sheet and a strip obtained from the next sheet With the sheet-like sheet, the printing position of the continuous still image is more easily shifted in the vertical direction than in the horizontal direction. For this reason, in the rolling animation of this embodiment in which 15 strip-like sheets are obtained from one sheet, the 15th and 16th strip-like sheets and the 30th and 31st strip-like sheets are used. The continuous still image moves up and down between the sheets.

  According to the experiments by the present inventors, when observing a moving video, the sense of discomfort is greater when the continuous still image is shifted in the vertical direction than when the continuous still image is shifted in the horizontal direction. Therefore, in the present embodiment, in the printing process in step S167, a still image is laid out and printed out so as to minimize the vertical shift. Hereinafter, this point will be described.

  FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a layout in print output of continuous still images according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 13, in the print output of the present embodiment, each strip is provided with a continuous still image and a margin portion that can be used for binding, but the arrangement of the continuous still image and the margin portion is always in the transport direction. Make sure they are in the same direction. As described above, when recording on a plurality of sheets, the print position system in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction is more accurate than the print position accuracy in the transport direction. Therefore, when the print output obtained by the layout as shown in FIG. 13 is separated along the perforations, and the obtained strip-like sheets are bundled and the moving image is observed, the horizontal movement of the still image is slightly Although there is a possibility of increasing the size, the vertical positions of the still images coincide with each other with relatively high accuracy. As described above, when moving and observing still images continuously, moving in the vertical direction is more likely to feel uncomfortable than moving in the horizontal direction. It is possible to provide a strip-like sheet that allows observation of a moving image.

  Note that it is easy to understand that the layout shown in FIG. 12 is used when the paper is conveyed in landscape orientation. Therefore, in a situation where the paper transport direction can be specified, it is preferable that an appropriate print layout is automatically selected according to the transport direction. That is, the designated transport direction and paper size are detected, the print layout is determined so that the continuous still image and the blank portion are aligned in the transport direction, and the print process is performed.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, it is possible to lay out and print continuous still images so that the printing position accuracy in the vertical direction is higher than that in the horizontal direction when observing a moving video.

  Furthermore, in the print output of the present embodiment, further improvements are made in order to improve the print image quality of continuous still images. When printing is performed by repeating recording scanning in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction while transporting the paper as in the case of an ink jet recording apparatus, a transport error is likely to occur particularly in the rear end of the paper in the transport direction, and the image quality deteriorates Tend to. This is because the sheet is softly pressed at the rear end portion of the sheet, the conveyance error becomes remarkable, the sheet easily floats, and the distance between the recording head and the sheet changes.

  As described above, when the continuous still image and the blank portion are arranged along the sheet conveyance direction, one of the continuous still image and the blank portion is positioned at the trailing edge of the sheet. FIG. 14 shows the layout for right binding and the paper transport direction during printing. In the case of the layout as shown in FIG. 14, since a blank portion is formed on the rear end side of the sheet in the sheet conveyance direction, there is no adverse effect on the continuous still image due to the above reason. However, when the layout for left binding is designated, as shown in FIG. 15, when the layout is moved and the recording position of the continuous still image is moved so that the margin portion is on the left of the continuous still image, the trailing edge of the paper A continuous still image is arranged on the part side.

  In order to solve this problem, in the present embodiment, the margin is always arranged on the rear end side of the sheet in both the right binding layout and the left binding layout. In the present embodiment, this is realized by further rotating the print layout for left binding as shown in FIG. 15 by 180 degrees to obtain a print layout as shown in FIG.

  FIG. 17 is a flowchart for explaining this print processing. When the printing process in step S168 is started, this process is started.

  First, in step S301, print setting layout information, that is, information indicating whether the set layout is for left binding or right binding is acquired. If the acquired layout information represents a layout for right binding, the process proceeds from step S302 to step S304, and a continuous still image is laid out so that a print output as shown in FIG. 14 is performed. Then, the process proceeds to step S305 to execute continuous still image print output.

  On the other hand, if the layout information acquired in step S301 represents a left-binding layout, the process advances from step S302 to step S303. In step S303, the continuous still image printing position is moved to the right side of the strip to a state as shown in FIG. 15, and this is rotated 180 degrees to obtain the print layout shown in FIG. In step S305, continuous still image printing is executed. As a result, as shown in FIGS. 14 and 16, a margin is always located at the trailing edge of the sheet, and deterioration of the image quality of continuous still images can be prevented.

  In the above embodiment, a layout rotated by 180 degrees is used in the case of the left binding layout, but the present invention is not limited to such a process. What is necessary is to perform a print layout so that a continuous still image and a blank portion are aligned in the transport direction, and the blank portion is on the rear end side of the sheet in the transport direction.

  In the print layout display in step S163, a continuous still image is always displayed for the normal position. Therefore, even when left binding is set in this embodiment, the layout display is performed so that the continuous still image is in the normal position, that is, as shown in FIG. 10A.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, by devising the print layout according to the characteristics of the printing apparatus, specifically, the continuous still image and the blank portion are arranged along the transport direction, and By adopting a print layout that has a margin on the trailing edge of the paper in the transport direction, it has become possible to provide a high-quality curling movie.

  The print application of this embodiment has been described above. In the above embodiment, the print processing application is described as operating on an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and all or some of the functions of the application are printers. It may be realized in a driver, a digital video camera or a printer.

  In the above embodiment, an inkjet printer is assumed as the printer, but an electrophotographic printer such as a laser printer or a thermal printer may be used.

  In the above embodiment, the number of continuous still images is fixed at 45, but may be arbitrarily set by the user. Also, for example, when the layout changes depending on the orientation of the paper and the number of strip-like sheets that can be acquired from one paper changes (for example, when the paper is conveyed sideways and the layout shown in FIG. 12 is used, the paper 1 Only 12 strip sheets can be taken from the sheet), and the total number of continuous still images may be changed accordingly. For example, when a printing form as shown in FIG. 12 is designated, 12 × 4 = 48 sheets may be used.

[About strip case]
Next, a case will be described in which a plurality of strip-like sheets including a continuous still image printed out as described above are bundled and accommodated so that a moving animation can be observed.

  FIG. 18 is a diagram showing a state in which strip-like sheets on which continuous still images are printed are bundled and accommodated in the case of this embodiment. 18, the U-shaped case member 400, the strip-shaped sheet group 410 accommodated in the U-shaped case member 400, and the case member 400 and the strip-shaped sheet group 410 are bundled to maintain the state. A rubber band 420 as a holding member is provided. FIG. 19 is a diagram showing a state in which a moving animation is observed by continuously rolling the accommodated strips as shown in FIG. FIG. 19 shows a state of left binding (for right-handed use).

  FIG. 20 is a view for explaining how the case is assembled according to the present embodiment. The case member 400 is made of a flexible, transparent or translucent material, and includes a substantially rectangular first panel 401, a substantially rectangular second panel 402 that faces the first panel 401 when formed in a U-shape, and A third panel 403 connecting the first panel 401 and the second panel 402 is included. As shown in FIG. 21, the first to third panels are preferably formed from a single sheet, and the first to third panels are formed by crease lines 410 indicated by dotted lines. The sheet shown in FIG. 21 is configured to be bendable along the crease line 410 as shown in FIG. 20A, whereby the first to third panels 401 to 403 are formed in a U-shape.

  Next, as illustrated in FIG. 20B, the stacked strip-shaped sheet group 410 (45 strip-shaped sheets in this example) is inserted between the first panel 401 and the second panel 402. The Therefore, the length of the third panel (the length in the height direction when formed in a U-shape) is set equal to the thickness of 45 sheets of strip-like sheets.

  A notch 404 is provided on each long side portion of the first panel 401 and the second panel 402 on the connection site side with the third panel 403. These notches 404 are provided at an equal distance from the connection portion with the third panel 403. The case 400 is formed in a U-shape with the angles formed by the first and third panels and the second and third panels being substantially right angles, a strip group 410 is placed therein, and a rubber band 420 is placed on the notch 404. Thus, the state in which the strips are bundled is maintained (FIGS. 20C and 20D).

  The first panel 401 is a top panel in contact with the continuous still image, and the second panel 402 is a panel serving as a back cover. The first panel 401 and the second panel 402 have a size that is slightly larger than the strip-shaped sheet to be accommodated. Thereby, the protection function with respect to the strip-shaped sheet group 410 is provided.

  By the way, if it is larger than the strip-shaped sheet that accommodates the first panel 401 as the top panel, there is a problem that several sheets of the first strip-shaped sheet are rolled simultaneously when trying to roll continuously. Therefore, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 22 and the like, a notch 405 is provided so that the accommodated strip is exposed, and the leading strip-like sheet comes into contact with the finger when continuously curled. It is. As a result, the sheets can be rolled one by one from the leading strip-like sheet. The width of the cutout 405 is set to a size that allows a human finger (thumb) to touch the strip and naturally crawl. The notch shape is not limited to the arc shape.

  Further, in the strip-shaped sheet, when an edge is provided around the continuous still image, the cut depth may be such that only the edge portion is exposed (FIG. 22B). In this way, since the continuous still image itself is not exposed, the image can be reliably protected.

  In addition, the second panel 402 is a panel serving as a back cover, but it is preferable that the second panel 402 has a size that is slightly larger than the strip-like sheet, like the first panel 401. By providing such a second panel 402, it is possible to reliably protect the strip-shaped sheet and to easily reliably roll one sheet at a time to the last page when a continuous turning operation is performed. is there. That is, when the second panel 402 does not exist or is smaller than the strip-like sheet, a plurality of pages are turned simultaneously at the end, and there is a problem that the moving image cannot be correctly observed. Therefore, by providing the second panel, it is possible to easily and reliably roll up one sheet at a time until the last page.

  Furthermore, it is desirable that the above-described notch 404 has a depth such that the accommodated strip is slightly exposed as shown in FIG. By forming the notches in this way, the position of the rubber band 420 is prevented from being shifted by the notches 404, and the strip-shaped sheet group 410 can be better and effectively brought into contact with each other by bringing the rubber sheet 420 into contact with each other. The accommodation state can be maintained. In addition, according to the holding mechanism using the rubber band of the present embodiment, it is possible to provide holding means for effectively holding the strip group 410 with a very simple configuration. Further, when the strip-shaped sheet group is directly sandwiched with a clip, the strip-shaped sheet may be damaged by the clip. However, according to this embodiment, since the rubber band 420 is applied while being protected by the case, there is no fear of damaging the strip-shaped sheet.

  In addition, you may make it provide a notch in the position corresponded to the notch 404 when accommodated in the case member 400 of each strip-shaped sheet. This can be realized, for example, by providing a sheet as shown in FIG. This sheet is provided with a hole 601 for forming a notch on a perforation 602. In the case of such a configuration, the rubber band 420 fits into the notch 404 of the case member and the notch of each strip-shaped sheet, and can hold the accommodated strip-shaped sheet more reliably.

  Obviously, a plurality of sets of notches may be provided so as to be bundled using a plurality of rubber bands.

[Other Embodiments]
Note that the present invention can be applied to a system including a plurality of devices (for example, a host computer, an interface device, a reader, a printer, etc.), or a device (for example, a copier, a facsimile device, etc.) including a single device. You may apply to.

  Another object of the present invention is to supply a storage medium storing software program codes for implementing the functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or apparatus, and the computer (or CPU or MPU) of the system or apparatus stores the storage medium. Needless to say, this can also be achieved by reading and executing the program code stored in.

  In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments, and the storage medium storing the program code constitutes the present invention.

  As a storage medium for supplying the program code, for example, a flexible disk, a hard disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-ROM, a CD-R, a magnetic tape, a nonvolatile memory card, a ROM, or the like can be used.

  Further, by executing the program code read by the computer, not only the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized, but also an OS (operating system) operating on the computer based on the instruction of the program code. It goes without saying that a case where the function of the above-described embodiment is realized by performing part or all of the actual processing and the processing is included.

  Further, after the program code read from the storage medium is written into a memory provided in a function expansion board inserted into the computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer, the function expansion is performed based on the instruction of the program code. It goes without saying that the CPU or the like provided in the board or the function expansion unit performs part or all of the actual processing, and the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized by the processing.

  As described above, according to the present invention, in extracting a predetermined number of still images from a desired range in a moving image, it is possible to automatically change the sampling density according to the intensity of the change in the moving image. Therefore, it is possible to meticulously respond to the user's request with a simple operation. Visual effects can be increased by simple and intuitive editing operations.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an image forming system according to an embodiment. It is a figure explaining the information processing apparatus 100 of the image forming system shown in FIG. 1 from a viewpoint of a software configuration. 10 is a flowchart for explaining processing executed in a state where a paper selection screen is selected. It is a flowchart explaining the process performed in the state in which the moving image selection screen was selected. It is a flowchart explaining the process performed in the state in which the range setting screen was selected. It is a flowchart explaining the process performed in the state in which the print / save screen is selected. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a display example of a paper selection screen. It is a figure which shows the example of a display of a moving image selection screen. It is a figure which shows the example of a display of a range setting screen. It is a figure which shows the interface for a preview operation in a range setting screen. It is a figure which shows the example of a display of a printing / preservation | save screen. It is a figure which shows the example of a print output. It is a flowchart explaining still picture conversion processing in Steps S149 and S162 in further detail. It is a figure explaining the influence on printing of a continuous still image by paper conveyance error. It is a figure explaining the influence on printing of a continuous still image by paper conveyance error. It is a figure explaining the print layout for right binding by this embodiment. It is a figure explaining the problem at the time of carrying out the print layout for left binding. It is a figure explaining the printing layout for left binding by this embodiment. It is a figure explaining the process of the print layout by this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the state which accommodated the strip-shaped sheet | seat in which the continuous still image was printed in the case of this embodiment. It is a figure which shows a mode that a rolling animation is observed with the strip-shaped sheet accommodated in the case of this embodiment. It is a figure explaining the assembly procedure of the case by this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the member structure of the case of this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the notch in the case of this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the paper for printing a continuous still image in this embodiment. It is a figure which shows another form of the paper for printing a continuous still image in this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the print output of the continuous still image in a prior art. It is a figure which shows a mode that the strip-like sheet | seat obtained from the print output shown in FIG. 25 is bundled, and a turn animation is observed. It is a figure which shows the example of a display of the edit screen of a pole. It is a figure which shows a mode that the space | interval of the pole edit screen is interpolated. It is a flowchart explaining the process which calculates the intensity | strength of the moving image in each area in detail, subdividing the dividing point in step S404. It is a figure which shows the example of the screen display in step S404. It is a flowchart which shows the other example of step S504. It is a figure explaining the determination method of a sampling point.

Claims (13)

An image processing apparatus that outputs a plurality of continuous still images based on moving image data,
First dividing means for dividing the moving image data into a predetermined number of sections and calculating the degree of change of the image in each section;
A second dividing means for further dividing the selected section based on the degree of image change in each section to generate a new section and calculating the degree of image change for each section after the division;
Third dividing means for repeatedly functioning the second dividing means until a predetermined end condition is satisfied, and dividing the moving image data in units of a minimum section among the obtained plurality of sections;
For each section obtained by the third dividing means, calculating means for calculating the transition of the degree of change of the moving image;
An image processing apparatus comprising: extraction means for determining a sampling point while changing a sampling density of frame extraction based on the transition calculated by the calculation means, and extracting a predetermined number of frames.   The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the moving image data is obtained by extracting a desired time range from given moving image data.   The predetermined end condition in the third dividing means is that a predetermined time elapses, a stop instruction from the user, reaching the predetermined number of divisions, and the minimum value of the correlation degree is a predetermined threshold value. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image processing apparatus is any one of exceeding, a length of the longest divided section being less than a predetermined length, or any combination thereof.   2. The signal processing unit according to claim 1, wherein the signal processing unit performs repeated processing by finely dividing a section having the lowest degree of correlation in each section excluding a section in which the divided section is finer than a certain threshold. Image processing apparatus.   An image processing apparatus that prints a plurality of continuous still images that can be observed as a moving movie based on moving image data, further comprising: a print control unit that prints the still image generated by the generating unit The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:   An image processing apparatus that prints a plurality of continuous still images that can be observed as a moving video based on moving image data, wherein the predetermined number of continuous still images generated by the generating unit are 5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising display control means for switching and displaying in order of appearance in the moving image data.   The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an editing unit that edits the transition of the degree of change of the moving image calculated by the calculating unit.   2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second dividing unit selects a section having the lowest degree of correlation between frames at the start point and end point of the section, and divides the selected section into two equal parts.   The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second dividing unit selects the longest section in time and divides the selected section into two equal parts.   The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second dividing unit selects an instructed section and divides the selected section into two equal parts. An image processing method for outputting a plurality of continuous still images based on video data,
A first dividing step of dividing the moving image data into a predetermined number of sections and calculating a degree of change of an image in each section;
A second dividing step of further dividing the selected section based on the degree of change of the image of each section to generate a new section and calculating the degree of change of the image for each section after the division;
A third dividing step of repeatedly executing the second dividing step until a predetermined end condition is satisfied, and dividing the moving image data in units of a minimum of the obtained plurality of intervals;
For each section obtained in the third division step, a calculation step for calculating the transition of the degree of change of the video,
An image processing method comprising: an extraction step of determining a sampling point while changing a sampling density of frame extraction based on the transition calculated in the calculation step and extracting a predetermined number of frames.   A control program for causing a computer to execute the image processing method according to claim 11.   A storage medium storing a control program for causing a computer to execute the image processing method according to claim 11.

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