JP2005354211A - Imaging apparatus, image processing system, and image processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To rearrange diversified layouts through one acquisition operation of an image. <P>SOLUTION: The imaging apparatus images an object to generate an image signal and thereafter processes the image signal to generate digital image data. Then the imaging apparatus divides the image data into main regional image data corresponding to a main region X and sub regional image data corresponding to subregion Y when the imaged image is divided into the main region X and the subregion Y around the main region X, and stores the divided main regional image data and subregional image data respectively to an external recording means 15. In the case of reproducing an image, the imaging apparatus displays an image in the main region X with the main regional image data in the image data stored in the external recording means 15, combines the main regional image data with the subregional image data in response to a command signal received thereafter and displays a composite image between the main region and the subregion by using the combined image data. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an imaging device that captures a subject and records a captured image (still image or moving image) as digital data, an image processing system using the same, and an image processing method.

In recent years, in a digital camera which is a kind of the imaging device, the number of pixels and the image quality are increasing, and the memory size per image tends to be remarkably increased. In view of such a situation, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-69417 (Patent Document 1), image data having a large data size can be recorded in an external recording unit having a small memory capacity. A technical idea of recording and combining the recorded divided image data to restore and display the original image data is disclosed.
JP 2000-69417 A

  By the way, a general digital camera is equipped with a liquid crystal panel so that a photographed image can be confirmed on the spot. However, in a conventional digital camera, if the image displayed on the liquid crystal panel deviates from the intended composition due to factors such as camera shake, and a part of the periphery of the image is missing, the intended composition is compensated for this missing area. It was impossible to restore. If an unnecessary part appears in the displayed image, you can use a commercially available image software to cut out only the necessary part on the computer (trimming). At present, it is not possible to restore the missing part. Such processing cannot be realized even in the invention described in JP 2000-69417 A.

  In order to solve the above problems, an imaging apparatus according to the present invention includes an imaging unit 11 that images a subject and generates an image signal, a signal processing unit 12 that processes the image signal and generates image data, and an image First, the data is divided into main area image data corresponding to the main area X and sub area image data corresponding to the sub area Y when the captured image is divided into the main area X and the surrounding sub areas Y. The data processing means 13, the external recording means 15 for storing the divided main area image data and sub area image data, respectively, and only the main area image data is output among the image data stored in the external recording means 15. At the same time, the main area image data and the sub-area image data are combined by a subsequent command signal, the second data processing means 16 for outputting the combined image data, and the image data output from the second data processing means. In which and a display unit 17 for displaying an image based on the data.

  According to the present invention, the captured image data is divided into the main area image data corresponding to the main area and the sub area image data corresponding to the sub areas around the main area. Can be recorded on external recording means (in a file). In this case, when the image is reproduced, the main area created from only the main area image data is always displayed on the display means, and when necessary, the main area image data and the sub area image data are combined with the display means. The composite image can be displayed. Therefore, even if an area to be included in the image is missing in the image reproduced after shooting, if the missing area is included in the sub-area image data, the above-mentioned composite image is displayed on the display unit to The area can be restored and displayed. Therefore, by utilizing this combined image data, it is possible to perform various composition recombination with one image acquisition.

  The image processing system according to the present invention includes an image pickup means 11 for picking up an image of a subject and generating an image signal, a signal processing means 12 for processing the image signal to generate image data, and the image data as a main area. An imaging device comprising first data processing means 13 for dividing main area image data corresponding to the main area X and sub area image data corresponding to the sub area Y when divided into X and the surrounding sub area Y. Device 1;

  An external recording means 15 for storing the divided main area image data and sub area image data;

  Among the image data stored in the external recording means 15, only the main area image data is output, and the main area image data and the sub area image data are combined by a subsequent command signal, and the combined image data is output. The electronic apparatus 2 includes a second data processing unit 26 and a display unit 27 that displays an image based on the image data output from the second data processing unit 26.

  Furthermore, the image processing method according to the present invention captures a subject to generate an image signal, processes the image signal to generate image data, and converts the captured image into the main region X and the surrounding sub-pixels. The main area image data corresponding to the main area X and the sub area image data corresponding to the sub area Y when divided into the area Y are divided into the main area image data and the sub area image data, respectively. Of the image data stored in the recording means 15 and reproduced in the external recording means 15, the main area X image is displayed as the main area image data, and the main area image data and the sub area are displayed in the subsequent command signal. The image data is combined, and a combined image of the main area and the sub area is displayed with the combined image data.

  According to the present invention, when the image of the main area is displayed on the display unit after shooting, the image data in a wider range than the display image is actually stored in the external recording unit. Therefore, even when a missing area exists in the displayed image, it is possible to restore the missing area and reproduce the image including the missing area. For this reason, by performing composition rearrangement processing such as trimming as appropriate based on this image data, the composition can be changed in various ways with one image acquisition, and the degree of freedom of composition rearrangement is increased.

  Hereinafter, the present invention is applied to a digital camera which is a kind of imaging apparatus, and an example of an embodiment in that case will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a digital camera 1 according to the present invention. The digital camera 1 includes an imaging unit 11, a signal processing unit 12, a first data processing unit 13, an internal recording unit 14 including an internal memory such as a DRAM, a display unit including a liquid crystal monitor 17, etc., a second data processing unit 16, The main constituent elements are an external recording means 15 composed of an external recording medium such as a flash memory, and a CPU (not shown) for controlling the operation of these elements.

  The image pickup means 11 shoots a subject and generates an image signal, and is composed of an optical system including a lens and an image pickup element such as a CCD or CMOS (both not shown). An automatic exposure mechanism, an autofocus mechanism, and the like are incorporated in the optical system as necessary. The analog image signal output from the CCD is transmitted to the signal processing means 12 and converted into image data. The signal processing unit 12 digitally converts the image signal from the CCD with an A / D converter (not shown), and then performs known correction processing such as gain adjustment and white balance correction to create image data.

  This image data is then transferred to the first data processing means 13. The first data processing means 13 is a circuit that divides image data, and specifically divides the image data into main area image data and sub area image data. As shown in FIG. 2, the main area image data includes a main area X (area inside the A frame) located at the center of the captured image, and a sub area Y (A frame and the surrounding area) of the main area X. This is image data for displaying the main area X when it is divided into areas between the B frames and hatched areas, and the sub area image data is image data for displaying the sub area Y. The size of the A frame that divides the main area X can be arbitrarily determined, or it can be configured so that the user operating the camera can arbitrarily adjust the size. In the drawing, the four sides of the A frame that divides the main region X are made smaller than the corresponding four sides of the B frame, but the opposite two sides of the A frame are made smaller than the B frame, while the other two opposite sides are designated as B. You may make it correspond to a frame.

  The image data divided by the first data processing unit 13 is temporarily stored in the internal recording unit 14. In the internal recording unit 14, the main area image data and the sub area image data are written in the separate areas M1 and M2, respectively. In the state where the shutter is not pressed down, only the main area image data of the area M1 is read out of the image data stored in the internal recording means 14 and sequentially transferred to the liquid crystal monitor 17, whereby a so-called electronic viewfinder is obtained. The function as is obtained. At this time, the display means 17 displays only the main area X in FIG.

  When the shutter is depressed, the main area image data and the sub area image data stored in the areas M1 and M2 of the internal recording means 14 at that time are read out and written to the external recording means 15 through compression processing. At this time, like the internal recording means 14, the main area image data is written in the area N1 of the external recording medium means 15, and the sub area image data is written in another area N2.

  At the time of image reproduction, the second data processing means 16 reads the main area image data written in the area N 1 of the external recording means 15, performs an expansion process on this, and transfers it to the display means 17. Thereby, the image of the main area X shown in FIG. If the user is satisfied with this image, the sub-region image data written in the region N2 of the external recording means 15 is erased by a command signal by the user's operation. For example, the erasing operation displays on the screen of the display means 17 on which the main area X is displayed a request for an answer as to whether or not the image data in the sub area Y is to be erased. This can be done when answering “Delete” by operating the touch panel.

  On the other hand, if the displayed image of the main area X does not include the portion 5 that is originally intended to be included in the image (when there is a missing area), a command signal is transmitted by a user operation that recognizes this. The second data processing means 16 reads the sub area image data written in the area N2 of the external recording means 15, and combines it with the main area image data read in advance to generate combined image data. In this combining operation, for example, a display requesting an instruction as to whether or not to combine the image data of the sub-region Y is displayed on the screen of the display unit 17 that displays the main region X. This can be done when replying “Merge” in the operation. The combined image data is transferred to the display means 17 after being subjected to expansion processing, whereby a composite image obtained by combining the main area X and the sub area Y on the screen of the display means 17 (inside the B frame in FIG. 2). ) And the missing area 5 is restored.

  Thus, when newly created combined image data is created, it is desirable to store this combined image data in the external recording medium 15 (in this case, the main area image data and sub area image stored in the external recording means 15). Data may be deleted). As a result, the combined image data is read from the external recording means 15 taken out from the digital camera 1 and is taken into a PC (personal computer), whereby image processing can be performed using commercially available image software or the like. Specifically, for example, in FIG. 2, processing (trimming) for cutting out the inner portion of the C frame from the composite image can be performed.

  From the above points, according to the present invention, not only processing (trimming) to cut out only necessary portions from the image, but also processing that should be referred to as reverse trimming to replenish the necessary portions on the contrary, As a result, a wide variety of compositional recombination can be performed with one image acquisition.

  Further, when the user is satisfied with the image of only the main area X, the image data of the sub area Y becomes unnecessary as a result, and can be deleted sequentially or collectively at the time of reproduction. As a result, the storage area of the external recording unit 15 can be used effectively, and a large number of images can be stored in one external recording unit 15.

  FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of an image processing system using the digital camera 1, and shows a block diagram of a system including the digital camera 1, an electronic device 2 such as a PC, and an external recording unit 15. . This image processing system is common to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 in that main area image data and sub area image data are divided and stored in both the internal recording means 14 and the external recording means 15 at the time of image capturing. The difference is that only the main area image data stored in the external recording means 15 is output, and the second data processing means 26 for generating combined image data from the main area image data and the sub area image data by a subsequent command signal. Is located on the electronic device 2 side. As a result, the image reproduction and processing described in the above embodiment can be performed on the display means 27 such as a monitor equipped in the electronic apparatus 2. The second data processing means 26 can be configured by installing a program that realizes the function on the electronic device side, or retrofitting a unit having the function to the electronic device 2.

  3 is an image of the case where the external recording means 15 is taken out from the digital camera 1, loaded into a card reader or the like, and image data is transferred to the electronic device side. The image data of the external recording unit 15 can be transferred to the electronic device 2 side by connecting the digital camera 1 and the electronic device 2 with a communication cable in a state where the external recording unit 15 is loaded in the digital camera 1. 3 shows a state in which the second data processing means on the digital camera 1 side is omitted, the digital camera 1 shown in FIG. 1, that is, the second data processing means 16 is incorporated as a digital camera. The digital camera 1 can also be used.

  In the above description, the case where a digital camera 1 is used to capture a still image as an imaging device has been described. However, the present invention is similarly applied to a case where a digital camera or other camera is used to capture a moving image. Can do.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an imaging apparatus according to the present invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the image image | photographed with the said imaging device. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an image processing system according to the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 Imaging device (digital camera)
2 Electronic equipment (personal computer)
5 Missing area 11 Imaging means 12 Signal processing means 13 First data processing means 14 Internal recording means 15 External recording means 16 Second data processing means 17 Display means 26 Second data processing means 27 Display means X Main area Y Sub area

Claims (3)

  An image pickup means 11 for picking up an image of a subject to generate an image signal, a signal processing means 12 for processing the image signal to generate image data, and a captured image of a main area X and a surrounding sub area Y The first data processing means 13 for dividing the main area image data corresponding to the main area X and the sub area image data corresponding to the sub area Y, and the divided main area image data and sub area image External recording means 15 for storing the data respectively, and only the main area image data out of the image data stored in the external recording means 15 is output, and the main area image data and the sub area image data are transmitted by a command signal thereafter. And a second data processing means 16 for outputting the combined image data, and a display means 17 for displaying an image based on the image data output from the second data processing means. Imaging device according to claim. An image pickup means 11 for picking up an image of a subject to generate an image signal, a signal processing means 12 for processing the image signal to generate image data, and a captured image of a main area X and a surrounding sub area Y An imaging device 1 comprising first data processing means 13 for dividing main area image data corresponding to the main area X and sub area image data corresponding to the sub area Y,
An external recording means 15 for storing the divided main area image data and sub area image data;
Among the image data stored in the external recording means 15, only the main area image data is output, and the main area image data and the sub area image data are combined by a subsequent command signal, and the combined image data is output. An image processing system including an electronic device 2 including a second data processing unit and a display unit 27 that displays an image based on image data output from the second data processing unit. Capture the subject, generate an image signal,
Processing image signals to generate image data,
The image data is divided into main area image data corresponding to the main area X and sub area image data corresponding to the sub area Y when the captured image is divided into the main area X and the surrounding sub areas Y.
The divided main area image data and sub area image data are respectively stored in the external recording means 15,
At the time of image reproduction, among the image data stored in the external recording means 15, the image of the main area X is displayed with the main area image data, and the main area image data and the sub area image data are combined with the subsequent command signal An image processing method, wherein a combined image of a main area and a sub area is displayed with combined image data.

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