JP2007306517A - Apparatus and method for processing image, image processing program and storage medium - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image processor which enables a user to check a free area generated by erasing a recorded file in a storage medium as a recordable unit quantity for each different format. <P>SOLUTION: The image processor 50 is provided with a recording means 11 for recording a file in the storage medium 10 in which the files of multiple formats can be recorded, a display control means 12 for displaying the recorded file information in the storage medium 10 on a display portion 9, and an erasing means 13 for erasing the file recorded in the storage medium 10. A file size of the free area in the storage medium 10 generated by erasing the file in the storage medium 10 by the erasing means 13 is converted into a predetermined unit quantity by a conversion means 14, and the converted unit quantity of the free space calculated by the conversion means 14 is displayed on the display portion 9 by the display control means 12. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus and method, an image processing program, and a storage medium, and more particularly to an image processing apparatus and method suitable for a digital camera or the like to which a recording medium such as a memory card is detachably mounted, and an image processing program. And a storage medium.

  In an image processing apparatus such as a digital camera, a captured image is recorded as digital data in a non-volatile semiconductor memory called a memory card (recording medium). The file size of the digital data recorded on the memory card increases or decreases depending on parameters such as image quality and recording size that can be set by the user. That is, if the image quality is improved and the recording size is increased, the file size is increased. On the other hand, if the image quality is decreased and the recording size is decreased, the file size is decreased.

  Since the capacity of the memory card is finite, the image file generally adopts a JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) format that can make the file size capacity relatively small. The JPEG format performs irreversible compression processing by adaptive discrete cosine transform (ADCT) on original image data.

  In addition, some recent digital cameras can record not only still images but also moving images and sounds as files on a memory card. When recording video and audio on a memory card, the user can set parameters such as image quality, audio quality, and screen size, as in the case of still images, and these parameters increase or decrease the recording file size. . However, unlike moving pictures and audio, the recording file size changes depending on the shooting time and recording time, so the file size increases as the recording time increases.

  In a normal digital camera, the available capacity of the memory card is monitored, and the number of images that can be taken, the available shooting time, and the like are calculated from the available capacity.

  That is, the reference file size is set according to the quality and size of the recording file for each format of still image, moving image, and audio. The size setting is 1 MByte. Therefore, if the memory card has 200 MB of free space, the number of images that can be shot is calculated as 40 for the highest image quality / maximum size and 200 for the lowest image quality / minimum size.

  By the way, if there is no more free space on the memory card, you can shoot again by selecting and deleting unnecessary files from multiple recorded files to secure free space or replacing with a new memory card. It becomes.

In addition, a technique has been proposed in which warning information is added to an image file that has failed to be recorded and recorded on a memory card, and when the memory card runs out of space, the shooting failure image is preferentially recalled and deleted. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1). As a result, unnecessary files can be efficiently deleted from a plurality of files recorded on the memory card, and free space can be effectively secured.
JP 2004-201247 A

  In the above conventional technique, when the memory card runs out of free space, it is possible to secure unnecessary space by erasing unnecessary files from a plurality of recorded files. However, it is impossible to know in advance how many shots can be taken and how much time can be taken with the free space after file deletion. For example, when it is desired to shoot a moving image for 30 seconds, it is impossible to know how many still image files can be deleted to obtain the free space necessary for the memory card.

  For this reason, the image file is erased more than necessary from the memory card, the image taken at the corner is wasted, or the image file is erased one by one while checking the number of images that can be photographed and the time. It is necessary to repeat troublesome work.

  Therefore, the present invention provides an image processing apparatus and method, an image processing program, and an image processing program capable of easily confirming a free space generated when erasing a recording file of a recording medium as a unit quantity that can be recorded for a plurality of formats. An object is to provide a storage medium.

  In order to achieve the above object, an image processing apparatus according to claim 1, recording means for recording a file on a recording medium capable of recording a plurality of format files, and information on the file recorded on the recording medium. Display control means for displaying on the display unit, erasing means for erasing the file recorded on the recording medium, and free space of the recording medium generated when erasing the file recorded on the recording medium by the erasing means, Conversion means for converting the file size into a predetermined unit quantity, and the display control means displays the conversion unit quantity of the free space calculated by the conversion means on the display unit. It is characterized by.

  6. The image processing method according to claim 5, wherein a recording step of recording the file on a recording medium capable of recording a plurality of format files, and a file information display for displaying information of the file recorded on the recording medium on a display unit. An erasing step for erasing a file recorded on the recording medium, an empty capacity of the recording medium that is generated when erasing the file recorded on the recording medium by the erasing step, and a size of the file as a predetermined unit. A conversion step of calculating by converting into a quantity, and a free capacity display step of displaying the conversion unit quantity of the free capacity calculated by the conversion step on the display unit.

  10. An image processing program according to claim 9, wherein a recording module that records a file on a recording medium capable of recording a plurality of format files, and a file information display that displays information on the file recorded on the recording medium on a display unit. A module, an erasing module for erasing a file recorded on the recording medium, an available capacity of the recording medium generated when erasing the file recorded on the recording medium by the erasing module, and a size of the file as a predetermined unit. A conversion module for converting to a quantity and calculating, and a free capacity display module for displaying the conversion unit quantity of the free capacity calculated by the conversion module on the display unit are executed by a computer.

  A storage medium according to a tenth aspect stores the image processing program according to the ninth aspect.

  According to the present invention, the free space generated when erasing the recording file on the recording medium is displayed on the display unit as a unit quantity that can be recorded for each of a plurality of formats. Can be easily confirmed. As a result, when the recording medium runs out of free space, it is possible to efficiently erase the file to ensure the necessary free space, and to avoid erasing the file more than necessary.

  Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, a digital camera is taken as an example of the image processing apparatus.

  As shown in FIG. 1, an image processing apparatus 50 that is an example of an embodiment of the present invention includes an optical lens 1, an imaging circuit 2, an image processing circuit 3, a memory control circuit 4, a system control circuit 5, and a nonvolatile memory 6. , An operation switch 7, a volatile memory 8, a display circuit 9, and a recording memory 10.

  The imaging circuit 2 includes an imaging element and an AD converter. The image processing circuit 3 performs predetermined image processing on the digital data generated by the imaging device of the imaging circuit 2. The memory control circuit 4 controls data transmission / reception in the system control circuit 5, the volatile memory 8, the display circuit 9, and the recording memory 10.

  The nonvolatile memory 6 is a memory that stores constants, variables, programs, and the like for operation of the system control circuit 5. The volatile memory 8 is a high-speed accessible memory such as an SDRAM. The display circuit 9 is a display device such as an LCD display and constitutes a display unit of the present invention, and displays a captured image in full color, displays a captured image size capacity, a free space in the recording memory 10, and the like.

  The operation switch 7 can be operated by the user, can perform a GUI operation in accordance with the display on the display circuit 9, and is used as an input device. The recording memory 10 constitutes a recording medium of the present invention that can record files of a plurality of formats (for example, still images, moving images, and sounds), and is detachably attached to the image processing apparatus 50. Can be exchanged.

  The system control circuit 5 is a control circuit that controls the entire image processing apparatus 50 and also serves as an arithmetic processing circuit that performs various calculations. As shown in FIG. 2, the system control circuit 5 includes a recording unit 11, a display control unit 12, an erasing unit 13, and a conversion unit 14. Each process of these units is performed by, for example, an image stored in the memory 6. A processing program is loaded into the RAM and executed by the CPU.

  Next, an example of the operation of the system control circuit 5 will be described with reference to FIGS. In this embodiment, for convenience of explanation, the format format that can be recorded in the recording memory 10 is only a still image and a moving image. In the still image, the image size / image quality can be selected from three types of Large / Fine, Middle / Fine, and Small / Normal, and in the moving image, the image quality can be selected from two types of High Quality and Normal Quality.

  Here, in FIG. 3, steps S101 and S107 correspond to the display control means 12, steps S102 to S106 correspond to the conversion means 14, and steps S108 and S109 correspond to the erasing means 13, respectively.

  First, the photographed image is recorded in the recording memory 10 as digital data by the recording means 11. When the recording memory 10 runs out of free space, the user selects and operates an unnecessary image file from a plurality of image files recorded in the recording memory 10 with the operation switch 7 or the like.

  The selected image is displayed on the display circuit 9 together with image information (file size, image size / image quality, etc.) by the display control means 12 (step S101). FIG. 5 shows a display example of the selected image on the display circuit 9 (left side portion of FIG. 5).

  Next, when the user operates the delete switch of the operation switch 7 and the conversion unit 14 detects the operation (YES in step S102), the conversion unit 14 deletes the selected image displayed on the display circuit 9. The free space of the recording memory 10 that occurs at this time is calculated.

  Specifically, in step S103 to step S106, the file size of the selected image (free space when erased) is converted into the number of shootable images of three types of still images and the shootable time of two types of moving images. calculate.

  That is, when the operation signal of the erasure switch is detected in step S102, the file size X of the selected image is acquired and the table data (see FIG. 4) of the reference file size Yn stored in advance in the nonvolatile memory 6 is read (step 4). S103).

  As shown in FIG. 4, the reference file size Yn is determined for each recording format. In this example, since three types of still images and two types of moving images can be recorded in the recording memory 10, the table data is 5 There are two reference file sizes Y1-Y5.

  Here, it is assumed that the reference file size of the Large / Fine still image is Y1, the reference file size of the Middle / Fine still image is Y2, and the reference file size of the Small / Normal still image is Y3. In addition, the reference file size of the High Quality moving image is Y4, and the reference file size of the Normal Quality moving image is Y5.

  If the number of shots (still images) that can be newly recorded in the recording memory 10 by erasing the selected image displayed on the display circuit 9 and the shooting time (moving image) are Zn, Zn is X / Yn (n = Quotient obtained by i). Therefore, by calculating Zi for i = 1 to 5 in steps S104 to S106, the number of images that can be captured with three types of still images and the time that can be captured with two types of moving images can be calculated.

  In this example, the file size X of the selected image is 5.0M, and the reference file size Y1 of the Large / Fine still image is 5.0M / shot, so the number of shootable images Z1 obtained by deleting the selected image is , 5.0M / 5.0M = 1 is calculated. Further, since the reference file size Y2 of the Middle / Fine still image is 2.0M / shot, the number of shootable images Z2 obtained by deleting the selected image is 5.0M / 2.0M = 2.5, and the decimal point The following is rounded down and calculated as 2 sheets. Further, since the standard file size Y3 of the Small / Normal still image is 1.0M / shot, the number of shootable images Z3 obtained by deleting the selected image is calculated as 5.0M / 1.0M = 5. The

  On the other hand, since the reference file size Y4 of the High Quality moving image is 1.0 M / sec, the shootable time Z4 obtained by deleting the selected image is calculated as 5.0 M / 1.0 M = 5 seconds. Since the reference file size Y5 of the normal quality video is 0.3M / sec, the shootable time Z5 obtained by deleting the selected image is 5.0M / 0.3M = 16.66, and the decimal part is Rounded down to 16 seconds.

  When the number of shootable images Z1 to Z3 of the three types of still images obtained by deleting the selected image and the shootable times Z4 and Z5 of the two types of moving images are calculated in steps S104 to S106, the display control means 12 The number of shootable images Z1 to Z3 of three types of still images and the shootable times Z4 and Z5 of two types of moving images are displayed on the display circuit 9 (step S107). FIG. 5 shows a display example (see the right side of FIG. 5) of the number of shootable images Z1 to Z3 and the shootable times Z4 and Z5 on the display circuit 9.

  In addition, the display control unit 12 displays an operation image (in this example, prompting the user to confirm whether or not the selected image can be erased at the same time as displaying the shootable number Z1 to Z3 and the shootable time Z4 and Z5). OK display and cancel display (see lower left in FIG. 5) are displayed on the display circuit 9.

  When the user selects OK display with the operation switch 7 and the erasing unit 13 detects the selection operation (YES in step S108), the erasing unit 13 erases the file of the selected image from the recording memory 10. (Step S109). As a result, the selected image is erased, and a free space in the recording memory 10 that can be newly taken is secured. If cancel display is selected by the user using the operation switch 7 (NO in step S108), the process ends.

  As is apparent from the above description, in this embodiment, the free space that is generated when the file recorded in the recording memory 10 is selectively erased has three types of still images that can be taken, Z1 to Z3, and two types. Are converted into the possible shooting times Z4 and Z5 of the video and displayed on the display circuit 9. As a result, it is possible to easily confirm in advance the free space that is generated when the recording file in the recording memory 10 is erased as the number of recordable images and the recordable time for each recordable format. As a result, when there is no more free space in the recording memory 10, it is possible to efficiently erase the file to secure the necessary free space, and to avoid erasing the file more than necessary. .

  In addition, this invention is not limited to what was illustrated to the said embodiment, In the range which does not deviate from the summary of this invention, it can change suitably.

  For example, in the above embodiment, the recordable format in the recording memory 10 is limited to still images and moving images, but other formats such as an audio file may be recordable.

  In the above embodiment, the free space (converted unit amount) of the recording memory 10 obtained by erasing one selected image is calculated. However, it is obtained by simultaneously erasing a plurality of selected images. The free capacity (converted unit amount) may be calculated. In this way, a sufficient free space can be secured in the recording memory 10 by a single file erasing process.

  Further, in the above embodiment, the calculation of the number of shootable images and the shootable time Zn is performed for all recordable formats. However, the user can arbitrarily select the format, and only Zn for the selected format is used. You may make it calculate.

  The image processing apparatus of the above embodiment includes an imaging circuit and an image processing circuit, and is configured to generate image data of various formats inside the apparatus. However, one or both of these circuits are configured in a separate casing, and the cable It may be configured to receive the image data obtained as a result of control via a predetermined communication means such as a wireless unit.

  Next, consider a case where a storage medium storing software program codes for realizing the functions of the above embodiments is supplied to a system or apparatus. Here, the object of the present invention can also be achieved by a computer (or CPU, MPU, etc.) of the system or apparatus reading and executing the program code stored in the storage medium.

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

  As a storage medium for supplying the program code, for example, a flexible disk, a hard disk, a magneto-optical disk, or the like can be used. Alternatively, optical disks such as CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-ROM, DVD-RAM, DVD-RW, DVD + RW, magnetic tape, nonvolatile memory card, ROM, and the like can be used. Alternatively, the program code may be downloaded via a network.

  In addition, the function of the above embodiment is not only realized by executing the program code read by the computer. This includes the case where an OS (operating system) or the like running on the computer performs part or all of the actual processing based on the instruction of the program code, and the functions of the above embodiments are realized by the processing. .

  Further, consider a case where the program code read from the storage medium is written in a memory provided in a function extension board inserted in the computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer. In this case, based on the instruction of the program code, a CPU or the like provided with the extension function in the extension board or the extension unit performs part or all of the actual processing, and the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized by the processing. Cases are also included in the present invention.

It is a block diagram for demonstrating the image processing apparatus which is an example of embodiment of this invention. It is a functional block diagram of a system control circuit. It is a flowchart for demonstrating an example of operation | movement of a system control circuit. It is a figure which shows the table data of the reference file size in a still image and a moving image. It is a figure which shows the example of a display in a display circuit.

Explanation of symbols

9 Display circuit (display unit)
10 Recording memory (recording medium)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Recording means 12 Display control means 13 Erasing means 14 Conversion means 50 Image processing apparatus

Claims (10)

A recording means for recording the file on a recording medium capable of recording a plurality of format files;
Display control means for displaying information of a file recorded on the recording medium on a display unit;
Erasing means for erasing the file recorded on the recording medium;
Conversion means for calculating the free space of the recording medium generated when the file recorded on the recording medium is erased by the erasing means by converting the size of the file into a predetermined unit amount, and
The display control means displays the conversion unit amount of the free capacity calculated by the conversion means on the display unit.
An image processing apparatus. The format of the file is at least one of a still image, a moving image, and audio.
The image processing apparatus according to claim 1. The predetermined unit amount is the number of files when the format is a still image, and the recording time when the format is a video or audio.
The image processing apparatus according to claim 2. The erasing means can selectively erase one or a plurality of files.
The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image processing apparatus is an image processing apparatus. A recording step of recording the file on a recording medium capable of recording a plurality of format files;
A file information display step for displaying information of the file recorded on the recording medium on a display unit;
An erasing step of erasing the file recorded on the recording medium;
A conversion step of calculating the free space of the recording medium generated when the file recorded on the recording medium by the erasing step is converted by converting the size of the file into a predetermined unit amount;
An image processing method comprising: a free capacity display step of displaying the conversion unit amount of the free capacity calculated in the conversion step on the display unit. The format format of the file is at least one of a still image, a moving image, and audio.
The image processing method according to claim 5. The predetermined unit amount is the number of files when the format is a still image, and the recording time when the format is a video or audio.
The image processing method according to claim 6. The erasing step can selectively erase one or a plurality of files.
The image processing method according to claim 5, wherein the image processing method is an image processing method. A recording module for recording the file on a recording medium capable of recording a plurality of format files;
A file information display module for displaying information of a file recorded on the recording medium on a display unit;
An erasing module for erasing a file recorded on the recording medium;
A conversion module that calculates the free capacity of the recording medium that is generated when the file recorded on the recording medium is erased by the erasing module by converting the size of the file into a predetermined unit amount;
Causing the computer to execute a free capacity display module that displays the conversion unit amount of the free capacity calculated by the conversion module on the display unit;
An image processing program characterized by that. The image processing program according to claim 9 is stored.
A computer-readable storage medium.

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