JP2006238194A - Image reproducing device and image reproducing method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image reproducing device which does not display images arbitrarily specified by a user as images not desired to be displayed. <P>SOLUTION: When the specification of the image not desired to be displayed is established by the pressing of an operation part 113, a frame number storage control part 112a preserves the frame number of the specified image in a memory 127. An image display control part 112b judges whether or not the frame number of the specified image matches with a read frame number (S12). When it matches, the display control part 112b skips the specified image by frame feed and displays images before and after that (S13). <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an image reproduction apparatus, and more particularly to an image reproduction apparatus that prevents browsing of designated images.

Conventionally, when a user arbitrarily designates an image that the user does not want to erase, a technique for storing information for identifying the designated image and protecting the designated image for erasure has been developed. For example, according to Patent Document 1, image data captured by a CCD is stored in a flash memory, and an image to be displayed on an LCD can be selected by operating a key input unit, and a page of a display image can be moved back and forth. In addition, while confirming the image displayed on the LCD, it is possible to turn on / off the erase protection of the image data stored in the flash memory corresponding to the image.
JP-A-9-182012

  By the way, in recent years, with the spread of camera-equipped mobile phones and digital cameras, a photographed image is often shared with friends. If there are mixed images of images that you want to show to others and images that you do not want to show in the captured images, it is difficult to easily hand over the camera-equipped mobile phone or the like to browse the images freely. Alternatively, it is conceivable to hand over an image that is not desired to be shown, but an image that is not desired to be shown is not necessarily an image that may be erased. In this regard, with the technique of Patent Document 1, it is possible to protect the image, but it is impossible to prevent the display of an image that the user does not want to show. The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and an object thereof is to provide an image reproducing apparatus that does not display an image that a user arbitrarily designates and does not want to show.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, an image reproduction device according to the present invention includes an image storage unit that stores an image, a display unit that displays an image, an operation unit that receives designation of a non-display image from the images, A display control unit that controls the display unit to hide the image designated as the display image.

  According to the present invention, since an image arbitrarily designated from the operation unit is hidden, an image that the user arbitrarily designates and does not want to be displayed can be prevented from being displayed. You can browse freely.

  An image reproduction apparatus according to the present invention includes an image identification information storage unit that stores image identification information of an image, and a storage control that controls the image identification information storage unit to store image identification information of an image designated as a non-display image. A display control unit that controls the image identification information stored in the image identification information storage unit to be hidden.

  The image identification information storage unit may be a recording medium that stores image identification information in a rewritable manner.

  The storage control unit may control to delete the image identification information when the image storage unit is detached from the image reproducing apparatus.

  In this way, even if the image storage unit composed of a compact flash or smart media is replaced, another newly installed image is stored according to the image identification information stored for the image in the previously installed image storage unit. The inconvenience that the image in the image storage unit is not displayed can be avoided.

  The operation unit may receive designation of image identification information to be erased from the image identification information storage unit, and the storage control unit may be controlled to erase the image identification information designated from the operation unit.

  The storage control unit may control to delete the image identification information of the deleted image when the image stored in the image storage unit is deleted.

  The image identification information may be an image frame number.

  The display control unit may perform control so as to skip the display of the image with the frame number stored in the image identification information storage unit when displaying the frame by frame according to the frame number.

  In this way, it is not necessary for the person viewing the image to be aware of which image is designated as non-display.

  The display control unit may control to display a predetermined character or image instead of the image with the frame number stored in the image identification information storage unit.

  In this way, it can be recognized that the image to be displayed by frame advance is designated as non-display.

  The present invention also includes an image reproduction method including a step of storing an image, a step of accepting designation of a non-display image from the image, and a step of controlling to hide the image designated as the non-display image. It is.

  According to the present invention, since an image arbitrarily designated from the operation unit is hidden, an image that the user arbitrarily designates and does not want to be displayed can be prevented from being displayed. You can browse freely.

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

<First Embodiment>
FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a digital camera 10 according to a preferred first embodiment of the present invention. First, in the digital camera 10 shown in FIG. 1, the central processing unit (CPU) 112 is configured to input each button in the digital camera 10 based on inputs from various buttons and keys of the operation unit 113 including the release switch 22, the mode dial 150, and the like. Supervises and controls the circuit. A program executed by the CPU 112 is stored in the flash ROM 119.

  Now, when the still image shooting mode is set by the mode dial 150, the CPU 112 displays a moving image (through image) on the display unit 110 so that the shooting angle of view can be confirmed. That is, the light that has passed through the imaging lens 14 enters the solid-state imaging device 102a. Photosensors are arranged in a plane on the light receiving surface of the solid-state imaging device 102a, and the subject image formed on the effective pixel region on the light receiving surface is a signal corresponding to the amount of incident light by each photosensor. Converted to electric charge. The signal charges accumulated in this way are sequentially read out as voltage signals (image signals) corresponding to the signal charges based on pulse signals given from a driver circuit (not shown), and are respectively added to the imaging circuit 102b.

  The imaging circuit 102b includes a gain adjustment circuit, and the obtained image data is sent to the image processing circuit 108 and the high-pass filter (HPF) 125, respectively. The image processing circuit 108 includes an A / D conversion unit 108a, a white balance correction circuit 108b, a gamma correction circuit 108c, a YC processing circuit 108d, a luminance / color difference signal generation circuit, a sharpness correction circuit, a contrast correction circuit, and contour correction for a captured image. The image processing means includes a contour processing unit that performs image processing, a noise reduction processing unit that performs image noise reduction processing, and the like, and processes an image signal in accordance with a command from the CPU 112.

  The image data input to the image processing circuit 108 is converted into a luminance signal (Y signal) and a color difference signal (Cr, Cl signal) and subjected to predetermined processing such as gamma correction, and then stored in the VRAM 132. The

  On the other hand, only the G pixel component is extracted by the high pass filter (HPF) 125 from the image data converted into a digital signal by the A / D conversion unit 108 a of the image processing circuit 108. Then, the G pixel component extracted by the integration processor 126 is integrated and sent to the CPU 112. The CPU 112 calculates an average value of four areas in the vicinity of the center of the subject arbitrarily set with the cross key 81 out of the 64 divided image data for one screen sent from the integration processing unit 126, and auto-focus ( AF) Evaluation value. The AF evaluation value is calculated every elapse of a predetermined period, and is updated and stored in the memory 127 each time it is calculated. The CPU 112 determines the focus of the subject according to the AF evaluation value. The determination method is arbitrary. For example, it is determined whether or not the AF evaluation value has substantially reached the vicinity of the maximum point. If the AF evaluation value has substantially reached the maximum point, the AF evaluation value is determined to be in focus. In this case, it is determined that the subject is not in focus. Alternatively, if the AF evaluation value exceeds a predetermined threshold, it can be determined that the subject is in focus.

  When the captured image is output to the display unit 110 as a monitor, the YC signal is read from the VRAM 132 and sent to the video encoder 134. The video encoder 134 converts the input YC signal into a predetermined display signal (for example, an NTSC color composite video signal) and outputs the converted signal to the display unit 110. The display unit 110 is driven via the driver 111.

  The YC signal of each frame processed at a predetermined frame rate is alternately written in the A area and B area of the VRAM 132, and the Y area other than the area where the YC signal is written out of the A area and B area of the VRAM 132. The YC signal that has been written is read out from this area. In this way, the YC signal in the VRAM 132 is periodically rewritten, and the video signal generated from the YC signal is supplied to the display unit 110, whereby the image being captured is displayed on the display unit 110 in real time. . The user can check the shooting angle of view from the video (through) displayed on the display unit 110.

  Here, when the release switch 22 is half-pressed, AE and AF processes are started. AE / AF processing is performed, and when the release switch 22 is fully pressed, a recording operation is started. Image data acquired in response to the release switch 22 being fully pressed is converted into a luminance / color difference signal (Y / C signal) by the image processing circuit 108, subjected to predetermined processing such as gamma correction, and then stored in the VRAM 132. Is done.

  The Y / C signal stored in the VRAM 132 is compressed according to a predetermined format by the compression / decompression processing circuit 144 and then recorded as an Exif (Exchangeable Image File Format) file on the recording medium 40 via the media controller 146. The image is recorded in the data part of the Exif file. The CPU 112 records shooting date / time information and the like in a predetermined tag (such as an image description tag) in the header portion of the Exif file. The CPU 112 assigns unique identification information (hereinafter referred to as a frame number) that does not overlap within the recording medium 40 to the file name of the Exif file, such as “DSCF0001.jpg” and “DSCF0002.jpg”.

  The CPU 112 is also connected to a strobe control circuit 115 that controls the light emission of the strobe 18 made of a xenon tube. When still light shooting is detected as having low illuminance, or the light emission is instructed by the strobe button. In this case or when the forced light emission mode is set, the flash 18 is controlled to emit light for a short time (for example, for a short time of 1 second or less) at a timing synchronized with the timing signal generated by the timing generator 120.

  When the moving image shooting mode is set by the mode dial 150, the moving image recording operation starts in conjunction with the full pressing operation of the release switch 22, and when the release switch 22 is pressed again, the moving image recording operation is stopped. The recording operation may be performed while the release switch 22 is continuously pressed, and the recording may be stopped by releasing the pressing. The moving image data is recorded on the recording medium 40 in, for example, a motion JPEG (MPEG) format.

  When the playback mode is selected by the mode dial 150, the compressed data of the final image file (image file assigned with the final frame number) recorded on the recording medium 40 is read. When the file related to the last recording is a still image file, the read image compressed data is decompressed into an uncompressed YC signal via the compression / decompression processing circuit 144 and stored in the VRAM 132. The YC signal stored in the VRAM 132 is added to the video encoder 134. The video encoder 134 creates an NTSC RGB color composite video signal from the input YC signal and outputs it to the display unit 110. As a result, the final image recorded on the recording medium 40 is displayed on the display unit 110.

  Thereafter, when the right key of the cross key 81 is pressed, the frames are advanced in the order of the frame numbers, and when the left key of the cross key 81 is pressed, the frames are advanced in the reverse direction. Then, the frame-positioned image file at the frame position is read from the recording medium 40, and the frame image is reproduced on the display unit 110 in the same manner as described above. When the frame image of the last frame is displayed and forwarded in the forward direction, the image file assigned the first frame number recorded on the recording medium 40 is read out, and the first frame is read. A frame image is reproduced on the display unit 110.

  The display unit 110 corresponds to an external display device connected to an LCD 114, a finder, a video output terminal, or the like built in the camera 10. The CPU 112 includes an OSD signal generation circuit, and the OSD signal generation circuit generates a signal for displaying characters such as a shutter speed, an aperture value, the number of shootable images, a shooting date and time, a warning instruction, and a symbol such as an icon. A signal output from the OSD signal generation circuit is mixed with an image signal as necessary and supplied to the LCD 114. As a result, a composite image in which characters, icons, and the like are combined with the through image and the playback image is displayed.

  The recording medium 40 is means for holding image data obtained by shooting, and for example, a memory card called smart media is used. The form of the recording medium is not limited to this, and it may be a PC card, a compact flash (registered trademark), a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a memory stick, etc., electronic, magnetic, optical, or a combination thereof A readable / writable medium can be used in accordance with the above-described method. A configuration in which a plurality of media can be mounted regardless of different types or the same type of recording media may be adopted. The means for storing the image file is not limited to a removable medium that can be attached to and detached from the camera body, but may be a recording medium (built-in memory) built in the camera.

  The CPU 112 is a control circuit that comprehensively controls each circuit of the camera 10, and includes a release switch 22, a cross key 81, a power switch 82, a mode dial 150, an information position designation key 83 or a not-shown strobe button, zoom key, menu / execution button. Based on signals received from the operation unit 113 including others, the operation of the corresponding circuit is controlled, and display control, strobe light emission control, autofocus (AF) control, automatic exposure (AE) control, and the like are performed on the display unit 110. .

  Each time the power supply of the camera 10 is turned on by the power switch 82, power is supplied to each circuit of the digital camera 10 from the main power supply 164 formed of a battery mounted inside the camera body.

  Image data from the image processing circuit 108 is also sent to the photometric processing unit 157. The photometric processing unit 157 is an example of a unit that measures the amount of external light. The photometric processing unit 157 calculates a photometric value (EV value) of subject brightness based on each input image data and the charge accumulation time of the solid-state imaging device 102a, that is, the shutter time of the electronic shutter. Can be configured. Thereby, the drive of the solid-state image sensor 102a is adjusted. The aperture value may be changed with the shutter time of the electronic shutter. When changing the aperture value, the photometric value corresponding to the subject brightness is calculated with the aperture value taken into account. As described above, the photometry processing unit 157 detects the brightness of the subject (subject brightness) by TTL (Through The Lens) photometry using the solid-state imaging device 102a as a light receiving sensor. The photometric processing unit 157 may be a photometric sensor composed of a phototransistor, and is not particularly limited as long as it is a means capable of photometry.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a program executed by the CPU 112.

  The CPU 112 executes a frame number storage control unit 112a and a display control unit 112b, which are programs. The frame number storage control unit 112a and the display control unit 112b are stored in the flash ROM 119, and the CPU 112 appropriately reads from the flash ROM 119 and executes them.

  The frame number storage control unit 112 a controls to store the frame number of the image designated from the operation unit 113 among the images recorded on the recording medium 40 in the memory 127. When the playback mode is selected, the display control unit 112b reads the frame number stored in the memory 127, and performs control so that an image other than the image to which the read frame number is assigned is displayed on the display unit 110. .

  Next, the operation of the camera 10 will be described.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the flow of the protection setting process. In this processing, an image that is not desired to be displayed is designated from the operation unit 113, and the frame number of the designated image is stored in the memory 127.

  First, by operating the operation unit 113, an arbitrary image that is not desired to be displayed is designated from among images recorded on the recording medium 40 (S1). The image designation method is not particularly limited. For example, thumbnail images of images recorded on the recording medium 40 may be displayed as a list on the display unit 110, and a desired thumbnail image may be designated from among the thumbnail images so that the main image is not desired to be displayed. Good. Alternatively, an image may be displayed frame by frame as the cross key 81 is pressed, and an image that is not desired to be displayed may be specified by pressing the information position specifying key 83 while the desired image is displayed. When the designation of an image that is not desired to be displayed is confirmed by pressing the operation unit 113, the frame number storage control unit 112a stores the frame number of the designated image in the memory 127 (S2).

  In this process, since the frame number of the image that is not desired to be displayed is stored in the memory 127, the CPU 112 can specify the image that is not desired to be displayed without making any change to the image data itself.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of the image reproduction process. In this process, an image other than the image assigned the frame number stored in the memory 127 is reproduced and displayed. This process starts when the playback mode is selected by the mode dial 150.

  When frame advance is designated according to the pressing of the cross key 81 (S10), the display control unit 112b reads the frame number stored in the memory 127 (S11). When an image to be displayed is designated in accordance with pressing of the cross key 81, the image display control unit 112b determines whether or not the frame number of the designated image matches the read frame number (S12). If they match, the display control unit 112b skips the image designated by frame advance and displays the images before and after (S13). If they do not match, the display control unit 112b displays the designated image (S14). This process ends when a mode other than the playback mode is selected by the mode dial 150, and S10 to S15 are repeated as long as the playback mode is selected.

  In this process, since the image with the frame number stored in the memory 127 is not skipped and displayed, it is possible to prevent the user from showing the image that the user arbitrarily specified and does not want to show, and to display the image that is not specified. . That is, a third person other than the user of the camera 10 can hand over the camera 10 without hesitation and browse the image without being conscious of which image is designated as non-display.

Second Embodiment
In the protect setting process of the first embodiment, the frame number is stored in the memory 127 (S2). Instead, the frame number may be stored in the flash ROM 119 so as to be rewritable. In this case, in the protection setting process of the first embodiment, the display control unit 112b may read the frame number stored in the flash ROM 119 (S11). In this way, even if the power of the camera 10 is turned off, the frame number of the image can be retained, and even if the user sets the frame number of the image that the user does not want to show, the other person can turn on the power of the camera 10 without permission. You can prevent the image from being turned off.

  Furthermore, unlike the first embodiment, once a frame number is saved, it will continue to be saved even if the power is turned off. It is preferable to provide it.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the flow of the protection release process. In this process, the designated frame number is erased from the flash ROM 119.

  First, when a protection release process is instructed by a predetermined operation of the operation unit 113 (such as selection of “protect release” mode), the frame number storage control unit 112a reads the frame number from the flash ROM 119 (S21). When a desired frame number to be erased is designated from the frame numbers read in accordance with the pressing of the cross key 81 (S22), the frame number storage control unit 112a has the authority to cancel protection. Whether or not (S23). The criteria for determining whether or not there is an authority to cancel protection are not particularly limited, and can be determined, for example, based on whether a predetermined password stored in the flash ROM 119 is input from the operation unit 113. If there is a release authority, the designated frame number is deleted from the flash ROM 119 (S24).

  Through the above processing, the frame number of the image that is not desired to be displayed stored in the flash ROM 119 can be arbitrarily deleted from the flash ROM 119, and the image designated as the image that is not desired to be displayed can be displayed again.

  The recording medium for storing the frame number in a rewritable manner is not limited to the flash ROM 119 and is not particularly limited as long as the recording content can be retained even when the power is turned off, such as a hard disk unit (not shown) built in the camera 10. .

<Other embodiments>
(1) In S13 of the image reproduction process, the display control unit 112b displays a predetermined message (for example, a message indicating that the image is set not to be displayed) stored in advance in the flash ROM 119, the HDD, or the like, or a frame-designated image. A reduced image obtained by thinning out the image at a predetermined reduction rate may be displayed. In this case, in S22 of the protection cancellation process, instead of directly specifying the frame number itself, by specifying a predetermined message or reduced image to be displayed instead of the specified image, the frame of the image to be erased is specified. You may make it designate a number.

  (2) An insertion / extraction detection unit (not shown) that detects that the recording medium 40 has been inserted into or removed from the camera 10 is provided in the camera 10, and the frame number storage control unit 112 a When inserted or removed from the camera 10, all frame numbers stored in the memory 127 or the like may be deleted. In this way, even when the recording medium 40 is exchanged, the image of the other newly inserted recording medium 40 is not displayed due to the frame number stored for the previously inserted image of the recording medium 40. Can be prevented.

  Alternatively, when a specific image is erased from the recording medium 40, it is meaningless even if the frame number assigned to this image is stored, so even if this frame number is erased from the memory 127, the flash ROM 119, etc. Good. For the same reason, when the formatting of the recording medium 40 is executed, the frame number storage control unit 112a may erase all the frame numbers stored in the memory 127, the flash ROM 119, and the like.

  (3) If image identification information for identifying each image is stored in the header or Exif tag of the image data, the image identification information is stored in the memory 127 or the like instead of the frame number, and the frame display designated image The image may be displayed or hidden depending on whether the image identification information of the file matches the image identification information stored in the memory 127 or the like.

1 is a block diagram of a digital camera according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Block diagram of program executed by CPU Flow chart showing the flow of protection setting processing Flow chart showing the flow of image playback processing Flow chart showing the flow of protection release processing

Explanation of symbols

40: recording medium, 110: display unit, 112: CPU

Claims (10)

An image storage unit for storing images;
A display unit for displaying the image;
An operation unit for accepting designation of a non-display image from the images;
A display control unit for controlling the display unit so as to hide the image designated as the non-display image;
An image reproduction apparatus comprising: An image identification information storage unit for storing image identification information of the image;
A storage control unit that controls the image identification information storage unit to store image identification information of an image designated as the non-display image;
Further comprising
The image reproduction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit controls to hide an image to which image identification information stored in the image identification information storage unit is added.   The image reproduction apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the image identification information storage unit is a storage medium that stores the image identification information in a rewritable manner.   The image reproduction device according to claim 3, wherein the storage control unit controls the image identification information to be deleted when the image storage unit is detached from the image reproduction device. The operation unit accepts designation of image identification information to be erased from the image identification information storage unit,
The image reproduction device according to claim 3, wherein the storage control unit performs control so as to erase the image identification information designated from the operation unit.   The image reproduction apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the storage control unit controls to delete image identification information of the erased image when the image stored in the image storage unit is erased.   The image reproducing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the image identification information is a frame number of the image.   8. The image according to claim 7, wherein the display control unit performs control so as to skip display of an image assigned with a frame number stored in the image identification information storage unit when the frame is displayed in frame advance according to the frame number. Playback device.   The image reproduction device according to claim 7, wherein the display control unit controls to display a predetermined character or image instead of the image assigned the frame number stored in the image identification information storage unit. Storing an image; and
Receiving a designation of a non-display image from the images;
Controlling to hide the image designated as the non-display image;
An image reproduction method including

Images