JP2007043528A - Image processing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To achieve a scale display function which displays a scale image corresponding to actual dimensions, over a photographic image. <P>SOLUTION: An image processing apparatus which processes a photographic image recorded in a recording medium by an image processing means and displays a processed image, includes; a storage means wherein actual dimension data of a specific article is preliminarily registered; a calculation means which calculates scale information of the photographic image on the basis of a ratio of dimension information of the specific article in the photographic image and actual dimension data of the specific article registered in the storage means; a generation means which generates a scale image corresponding to calculated scale information; and a display means which displays the generated scale image together with the photographic image. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a technology for displaying or outputting information corresponding to actual dimensions of elements included in image information in combination with the image information.

When a general customer wants to output a digital image, etc., recorded and recorded by himself using a photographing means such as a digital camera as a high-quality print, when using a digital image acceptance device at a store such as a lab There is.
As such a digital image reception device, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-76774 (Patent Document 1) describes smart media storing compact image information captured by a digital camera, a compact flash (registered trademark), and individuals having image information. Order information such as the number of prints related to the print output is read from a plurality of types of storage media (hereinafter referred to as recording media) such as CD-ROM, MO, etc. Is disclosed.
Such a digital image receiving apparatus sets the recording medium storing the image information brought in by the customer in the corresponding recording medium reading means, so that the recording medium is placed on the liquid crystal screen included in the receiving apparatus. The image information stored in the screen is displayed as a thumbnail image, and the order information related to the print order such as the necessity of printing can be input via the touch panel provided on the liquid crystal screen.
In this way, the print information input from the digital image receiving apparatus is sent to the printing apparatus via a data transmission network or the like. This printing apparatus forms a copy image on a silver salt photographic paper or the like using image information included in print information sequentially sent from a digital image receiving apparatus.

JP 2003-76774 A

As described above, not only when the digital image receiving apparatus is used, there are cases where it is desired to know the actual dimensions of each element such as an object included in the captured image.
For example, when a photograph of a fish that has been picked up is photographed, an article having a known size such as a ruler or cigarette is photographed together with the fish in order to determine its size.

However, in the case of a method for photographing a ruler together, there is a problem that it is not possible to handle when there is no ruler at the time of photographing. In addition, when an article such as a cigarette is photographed together, the dimensions of the article such as a cigarette in the image are measured, and the ratio of the cigarette and the actual dimension of the same type of cigarette is calculated, and the scale of the image is calculated. Therefore, it is necessary to calculate the actual size of the part by measuring the size of the part to be known in the image and converting it based on the scale.
As described above, there is a problem that it is not easy to know actual dimensions in an image.

  Therefore, the present invention calculates the actual dimensions of specific elements included in the image information based on information stored in advance, and combines a scale image created based on the result with the image information. It was made for the purpose of realizing a scale display function for displaying or outputting.

An image processing apparatus according to the present invention includes:
In an image processing apparatus for displaying a photographic image recorded on a recording medium after image processing by an image processing means,
Storage means in which actual dimension data of a specific article is registered in advance;
Calculation means for calculating scale information of a photographic image based on a ratio between the dimension information of the specific article in the photographic image and the actual dimension data of the specific article registered in the storage means;
Generating means for generating an image corresponding to the calculated scale information;
A display means for displaying the generated image together with the photographic image is provided.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, the generating unit generates a scale image corresponding to the calculated scale information.
In Claim 3, while providing the designation | designated means to designate two specific points in a photographic image,
The generation unit generates a dimension of a line segment connecting the two specific points as an image calculated based on the calculated scale information.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided output means for outputting an image displayed by the display means to a recording medium.

In the image processing apparatus of claim 1 according to the present invention,
Corresponding to the calculated scale information by calculating the scale information of the photographic image based on the ratio between the dimension information of the specific article in the photographic image and the actual dimension data of the specific article previously registered in the storage means Since the generated image is generated and displayed together with the photographic image, the effect of easily recognizing the size of the article or specific part in the photographic image can be obtained.
According to the second aspect, since the scale image corresponding to the scale information is displayed, the effect of easily recognizing the size of the article or the specific portion in the photographic image in comparison with the scale image can be obtained.
According to the third aspect of the present invention, since an image corresponding to the dimension of a line segment connecting two specific points in a photographic image is displayed, an effect that it can be directly recognized is obtained.
According to the fourth aspect of the invention, since the data is output to a recording medium such as photographic paper, it can be obtained in the state of a photographic print.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
In the image processing apparatus whose block diagram is shown in FIG.
Reference numeral 1 denotes a digital image receiving device (hereinafter abbreviated as a receiving device), a plurality of recording media reading devices R1, R2, R3, R4,..., A touch panel type liquid crystal display device 2, and a receipt issuing device. 3 and a control device 4.
Because of the scale display function unique to the present application, the control device 4 stores, for each of various identification names, actual dimension data of articles (elements) corresponding to the identification names in advance, for example, in the form of a data table. A storage unit 41 is provided, and each device is systematically controlled and various functions such as a communication function via a network are provided.
A part of the data table registered in the storage means 41 is exemplified in Table 1.

Reference numeral 5 denotes a digital photographic printing apparatus which prints a photographic image (forms a so-called copy image) on a silver salt type photographic paper. One or a plurality of the accepting devices 1 are connected to a photo printing device via a network to constitute a printing system.
A scanner may be connected to the receiving device 1.

In the recording medium reading device of the receiving device 1 as described above, the customer himself / herself installs a plurality of types of recording media storing image information including photographic images taken with a digital camera, and a touch panel display. By appropriately operating while viewing the screen of the apparatus 2, image information to be ordered for print output is designated, and order information such as the number of prints related to this print output is input.
The customer presents the receipt issued from the receipt issuing device 3 of the accepting device 1 to the person in charge at the counter of the DP store, so that the person in charge of the photo print device is based on the information received on the receipt 5, the print information consisting of the corresponding image information and order information stored in the receiving device 1 by the operation from 5 is taken in via the network, and based on this print information, the photo print device 5 prints and finishes for the customer. The procedure is to hand over the print P.

The photographic printing apparatus 5 includes an exposure unit 51 that exposes a photographic image based on image information received from the accepting apparatus 1 via a network onto a photosensitive material (printing paper), and a print wound in a roll shape. A photosensitive material storage unit 52 that stores paper, cuts it to a predetermined size and sequentially supplies it to the exposure unit 51, a development unit 43 that develops, bleach-fixes, and stabilizes the photographic paper exposed by the exposure unit 51, and is subjected to stable processing. And a drying unit 54 for drying the photographic paper. The exposure unit 51 is not limited to the laser exposure method, and other fluorescent beam method, liquid crystal shutter method, DMD method, FOCRT, or the like can be used.
In addition, the photo print device 5 includes a console composed of a keyboard and a mouse, a monitor for displaying various control information and a simulated image at the time of pre-judge, and further, image information acquired by the accepting device 1 as CD. A drive device for printing on a recording medium such as -R is also provided.

As shown in FIG. 2, the receiving device 1 may be used by being fixed to an upper portion of a housing 9 containing a thermal sublimation printer 7 and a money receiving device 8.
As shown in FIG. 2, the liquid crystal display device 2 having a touch panel formed on the display surface is provided on the upper surface of the housing 10 of the reception device 1, and the multimedia display device is disposed on the front surface of the liquid crystal display device 2 on the upper surface of the housing 10. Recording media reader R1 for card M1, recording media reader R2 for memory stick M2, recording media reader R3 for smart media M3, recording media reader R4 for compact flash (registered trademark) M4, USB connection port A unit RU including U, an infrared communication device and the like is attached by a fixing screw 11. Further, a receipt issuing device 3 for issuing a receipt is provided on the front side of the housing 10.
Note that image information can also be written to each recording medium.

  In the case of the configuration shown in FIG. 2, after the customer inputs the print information from the receiving device 1 in the same manner as described above, if the user inserts the necessary money into the input ports 81 and 82 of the money receiving device 8, a predetermined time later. The finished print P automatically printed by the thermal sublimation printer 7 is discharged from the take-out port 71.

Next, the function of obtaining information corresponding to actual dimensions from each element in the photographic image, which is a characteristic function of the present invention, among the functions of the control device 4 will be described.
This function is realized by software that can be represented by the flowchart shown in FIG.
In FIG.
In step S1, a photographic image based on image information read from a recording medium set by a customer in any of the recording media readers R1, R2, R3, R4,. For example, a plurality of thumbnails are displayed on the second screen.
In step S2, when an image to be displayed on a scale is designated by pointing means such as a mouse, only the image of the frame is enlarged and displayed, for example, as shown in FIG.

In step S3, a specific element (for example, the long side of the cigarette 61) whose dimensions are registered in advance in the displayed photographic image is designated using designation means such as a mouse.
In step S4, a specified specific identification name (for example, classification = tobacco, product name = LK) and an element (for example, a long side) are specified. The designation of the identification name may be selected from a pop-up list or may be individually input.
In step S5, the area of the specific element designated in step S3 is image-recognized by an image recognition technique, and dimension information (for example, N1 dots, for example) in an image of a predetermined part (for example, long side) of the specific element. In the case of an oblique dimension, the number of dots in the diagonal direction is calculated from the number of dots in the vertical direction and the number of dots in the horizontal direction. This dimension information is information corresponding to a dimension expressed in correspondence with the number of pixels or the number of dots of an image.

Then, referring to a data table such as Table 1 stored in the storage means 41, dimension data (for example, L1 cm) corresponding to the identification name designated in step S4 is obtained, and the extracted dimension information and In comparison, a conversion ratio (for example, L1 / N1 cm per dot) between the dimension information in the image and the actual dimension is calculated. (Compatible with calculation means.)
In step S6, as shown in FIG. 4B, a scale (scale) image with a scale (for example, a scale of L1 / N1 cm per dot) based on the obtained conversion ratio is generated. Then, the scale image 62 is superimposed on the displayed image and displayed on the screen of the liquid crystal display device 2 (corresponding to the display means).
As shown in FIG. 4C, by specifying any two points 63 and 64 in the displayed image, dimensional information (for example, N2 dots) between the two points can be obtained. Based on the conversion ratio thus obtained, it may be converted into an actual dimension, and the dimension (for example, N2 × L1 / N1 cm) may be displayed on a numerical value 65 by overlapping the image. At this time, a dimension line 66 connecting the two points may be displayed.

When two arbitrary points are designated in this way, an effect that it is easy to display an oblique dimension that is not parallel to the scale image 62 is obtained. In addition, by sequentially designating three or more points, it is possible to display the dimensions by approximating a polygonal line even if the dimensions are non-linear.
Further, it is preferable that a plurality of types of image patterns such as scale images and dimension lines are registered in advance in the storage means 41 and can be selected when displayed.

  Such a scale image or numerical value display may be simply displayed on the screen of the liquid crystal display device 2 as display means, but is combined with the frame image and transmitted to the photo print device 5 as output means. Then, it can be printed out on the photographic paper 5.

  In this way, since the actual dimensions of the elements in the image can be known, it is possible to obtain an effective image for fields that require actual dimension information, such as construction photographs and specimen photographs. it can. This is effective not only for construction photographs, but also for general photographs, such as children's growth period records and fishing results.

When the focal length information at the time of shooting such as EXIF information is included in the image data, the conversion of the image is performed based on the focal length information and information such as the effective pixel number and F value of the shot camera. It is also possible to obtain a ratio and insert an appropriate scale image in the image, or insert the actual dimensions of a particular line segment specified in the image.

The image processing apparatus of the present invention is not limited to a photo processing accepting apparatus, but can be widely applied to a photo processing apparatus using a computer including a display device.

It is a block block diagram of the photographic processing apparatus of this invention. It is a perspective view of the reception apparatus used for the said photographic processing apparatus. 3 is a flowchart of processing operations in the photo processing apparatus. It is an example of the display screen in the said photo processing apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Reception apparatus, photograph processing apparatus 2, Liquid crystal display apparatus, Display means 4 Control apparatus (designation means, calculation means, generation means)
41 Storage means 5 Photo printing device, output means

Claims (4)

In an image processing apparatus for displaying a photographic image recorded on a recording medium after image processing by an image processing means,
Storage means in which actual dimension data of a specific article is registered in advance;
Calculation means for calculating scale information of a photographic image based on a ratio between the dimension information of the specific article in the photographic image and the actual dimension data of the specific article registered in the storage means;
Generating means for generating an image corresponding to the calculated scale information;
An image processing apparatus comprising: display means for displaying a generated image together with a photographic image. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the generation unit generates a scale image corresponding to the calculated scale information. In addition to specifying two specific points in the photographic image,
The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the generation unit generates a dimension of a line segment connecting the specific two points as an image calculated based on the calculated scale information. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an output unit that outputs an image displayed by the display unit to a recording medium.

Images