JP2009071749A - Slide show generation system and camera having the same system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a slide show generation system which selects digital images according to a template to generate a slide show, and a camera having the same system. <P>SOLUTION: The slide show generation system 110 has an image storage unit 120 which stores a digital image 130 having an attribute information area 52 where a priority value can be set and a slide show generation unit 160. The system is configured to execute a first step of extracting the digital image 130 to which the priority value is added, a second step of determining a template 150 for the slide show, a third step of extracting a part to be deficient when the template 150 is applied from a digital image 130 to which the priority value is not added, and a fourth step of generating the slide show by applying the template 150 to the thus extracted digital image 130. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a slide show generation system and a camera having the slide show generation system.

A digital image taken by a digital camera or the like is output as a video and displayed on a display / playback device such as a television monitor. These are generally realized in a form called a “slide show”. When a slide show is generated from digital images recorded and stored in a memory card or the like, the display order of the images is determined according to the priority value (value indicating the user's favorite degree) set for these digital images. A configured image reproduction apparatus and program are known (for example, see Patent Document 1).
JP 2006-279118 A

  However, when a slide show is generated by extracting a digital image with a priority value set, the number of digital images with the priority value set and a slide show template (such as a background, decoration or music displayed with the digital image) ) May not match the number of digital images displayed, and there is a problem that the user must select a digital image according to the template.

  The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and provides a slide show generation system that selects digital images according to the number of images displayed in a slide show template, and further includes a camera having the slide show generation system. The purpose is to provide.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, a slide show generation system according to a first aspect of the present invention includes an image storage unit that stores a digital image having an attribute information area in which priority values can be set, and a digital image from the image storage unit. A slide show generation unit that extracts and generates a slide show. Then, a first step in which the slide show generating unit extracts a digital image in which a priority value is added to the attribute information area from among the digital images stored in the image storage unit, and a second step of determining a slide show template. Using this template, a priority value is added to the attribute information area of the digital image stored in the image storage unit for the digital image that is insufficient when displaying the digital image extracted in the first step. Applying the template determined in the second step to the digital image extracted in the third step, and the digital image extracted in the first step and the digital image extracted in the third step. It is configured to perform a fourth step of generating a slide show.

  In the slide show generating system according to the first aspect of the present invention, the fourth step of the slide show generating unit is a digital image in which a priority value is not added to the attribute information area among the digital images stored in the image storage unit. It is preferable that the images are rearranged under a predetermined condition and extracted in an order that matches the condition.

  In the slide show generation system according to the second aspect of the present invention, an image storage unit for storing a digital image having an attribute information area for which a priority value can be set, a display number of digital images on one screen, and an effect method are set. A template storage unit that stores the template, and a slide show generation unit that selects a template from the template storage unit and extracts a digital image from the image storage unit to generate a slide show. Then, a first step in which the slide show generation unit extracts a digital image in which a priority value is added to the attribute information area from among the digital images stored in the image storage unit, and a template used for the slide show from the template storage unit. The second step to select, the digital image extracted in the first step is classified under a predetermined condition, the third step for dividing the digital image for each classification, and the classification divided in the third step In the fourth step of calculating the shortage of digital images when the template is applied, a digital image in which no priority value is added to the attribute information area is extracted from the digital images stored in the image storage unit. In the fifth step, the digital images extracted in the fifth step are classified under a predetermined condition, and the digital image is classified for each classification. In the sixth step of dividing the image, and the classification having the shortage number in the fourth step, the seventh step of selecting the shortage number from the digital images included in the classification classified in the sixth step. And an eighth step of generating a slide show by applying the template selected in the second step to the digital image extracted in the first step and the digital image selected in the seventh step. Configured as follows.

  In such a slide show generation system according to the second aspect of the present invention, the digital image is configured to include date information on which the digital image was captured, and the third step and the fifth step of the slide show generation unit include: Preferably, the digital image is configured to be classified by date information.

  A camera according to the present invention (for example, the digital camera 10 in the embodiment) includes any one of the above-described slide show generation systems, an optical system, and an image sensor that detects an image formed by the optical system. And an image pickup unit that stores an image detected by the image pickup device in the image storage unit as a digital image.

  Note that such a camera according to the present invention may include a priority value setting unit (for example, the favorite setting unit 180 in the embodiment) that sets a priority value in the attribute information area of the digital image stored in the image storage unit. preferable.

  When the slide show generating system according to the present invention and the camera having the slide show generating system are configured as described above, in extracting a digital image displayed as a slide show, a digital image set with a priority value is selected, and the slide show is selected. When there is a shortage in the number of displayed images in the applied template (design), this shortage is selected from the digital images for which priority values are not set, so that the effect of rendering by this template can be fully exhibited. .

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First, the configuration of the slide show generation system according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. In the present embodiment, a case where the slide show generation system is applied to a digital camera 10 having an imaging unit will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the digital camera 10 is connected to a display 20 that is a display / playback device via a video output line 30. The digital camera 10 is provided with a slide show function for outputting recorded digital images to the display 20 and displaying them as a slide show 40 in a predetermined layout or order or randomly.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a release button 11 for acquiring (photographing) a digital image by an imaging unit 100 described later is provided at the top of the digital camera 10, and a favorite setting button 12, A playback button 13, a menu button 14, and a display unit 15 are provided. A method of using these buttons will be described later.

  As illustrated in FIG. 3, the digital camera 10 includes an imaging unit 100, a slide show generation system 110 that generates a slide show from digital images captured by the imaging unit 100, and a video that outputs the generated slide show to the display 20. The output unit 170 and a favorite setting unit 180 for setting a priority value for the digital image 130 stored in the image storage unit 120 described later. The slide show generation system 110 also includes an image storage unit 120 that stores a digital image 130 captured by the image capturing unit 100, a template storage unit 140 that stores a template 150 for generating a slide show, and a slide show generation unit 160. It consists of. In the digital camera 10, the imaging unit 100 includes an optical system and an imaging device, and an image formed on the imaging surface of the imaging device by the optical system when the release button 11 is pressed. Is detected as a digital image 130, and the digital image 130 is stored and recorded in the image storage unit 120.

  The digital image 130 stored in the image storage unit 120 has a data structure 50 shown in FIG. 4 and includes a header area 51, an attribute information area 52, and an image information area 53. Here, the attribute information area 52 is a part in which a priority value to be described later is stored, and the image information area 53 is a part in which a digital image itself taken by the imaging unit 100 is stored. As such a data structure, Exif (Exchangeable image file format) standardized by JEIDA is known.

  The favorite setting unit 180 is a priority value in the attribute information area 52 of the digital image 130 stored in the image storage unit 120 (as described above, a value indicating a user's degree of favorite with respect to the digital image. For example, (Expressed as a numerical value). The favorite setting unit 180 takes out the digital image 130 from the image storage unit 120 using the menu button 14 or the like and displays it on the display unit 15 as shown in FIG. 2 (display indicated by reference numeral 15a). A priority value is set according to the operation of the button 12 (for example, according to the number of times of pressing). The set priority value is displayed on the display unit 15 (display indicated by reference numeral 15b). When the priority value input by the operation of the menu button 14 is determined, the value is converted to the attribute information unit 52 of the digital image 130. And stored in the image storage unit 120.

  Now, a slide show generation process in the slide show generation unit 160 will be described with reference to FIG. This slide show generation process is also performed by an input / output operation from the user using the menu button 14 or the display unit 15 of the digital camera 10. When the slide show generation unit 160 is activated, the user is requested to select a folder in which the digital image 130 for generating the slide show is stored, and the folder is selected in accordance with the operation of the menu button 14 by the user (step S60). ). Then, among the digital images 130 stored in the selected folder of the image storage unit 120, the number of digital images 130 for which priority values are set in the attribute information unit 52 is counted (step S61). In FIG. 5, this number is expressed as “a”. Next, the user selects a template for generating a slide show (step S62), reads the selected template 150 from the template storage unit 140, and obtains the number of digital images displayed per screen of the template 150. (Step S63). In FIG. 5, this number is expressed as “b”. For example, in the case shown in FIG. 1, the number is three (this is an effect in which three digital images are displayed per slide show screen 40. ).

  Then, when a slide show is generated by applying the template 150 selected in step S62 to the digital image 130 in which the priority value counted in step S61 is set, the digital image that is insufficient for one screen of the template 150 Is calculated (step S64). Specifically, the shortage number is obtained by dividing the number a of digital images set with priority values by the number b displayed per screen of the template 150 to obtain the remainder N. In this step S64, it is determined whether or not the obtained shortage number N is 0 (step S65). If it is not 0 (a positive integer), an image for which no priority value is set for the user. That is, it is confirmed whether or not to add an image to be displayed in the slide show from digital images other than favorites (step S66). If selected to be added, the image selection process is started and the folder selected in step S60 is selected. Among the digital images 130 in which the priority value is not set, the insufficient number of digital images 130 are selected (step S67).

  Here, the processing content of the image selection processing S67 will be described with reference to FIGS. In this image selection processing S67, first, the digital image 130 stored in the folder selected in step S60 described above is read, and the digital image (favorite image) for which the priority value is set and the priority value are set. The digital images 130 are classified according to the shooting date, and the number of images is counted for each category (step S671). The attribute information area 52 is configured to store the date and time when the image was taken based on information from a timer (not shown). Then, for each date, the number of sheets deficient when the template is applied to the digital image for which the priority value is set is counted (step S672). For example, in FIG. 7, among the digital images taken on 3/20, there are two images for which priority values are set. Therefore, in the case of the template 150 displaying three images, one image is insufficient. In addition, among the digital images taken on 4/1, there are four images for which priority values are set. Therefore, when a template is displayed twice for these four digital images, the second time is displayed. Two sheets are insufficient in the display. On the shooting date when the shortage occurs in this way, the shortage is randomly selected from the digital images that have not been set with priority among the digital images shot on the shooting date (step S673).

  In step S673, when selecting an insufficient number of images from digital images for which priority values are not set, acquisition time of digital images with priority values set for the shooting date is acquired instead of selecting at random. However, it is also possible to select a digital image for which a priority value is not set so that the shooting times are evenly distributed.

  When the digital image 130 displayed as a slide show is selected as described above, the image list is created (step S68). Then, based on the image list, the digital image 130 is extracted from the image storage unit 120, a slide show is generated by the effects set in the template 150, and the slide show is displayed on the display 20 via the video output unit 170 ( Step S69). In the slide show display, according to the priority value set for the digital image 130, the digital image 130 having a high priority value is arranged at a conspicuous position on the display 20, or the display time is lengthened. The effect of the production can be improved.

  When the slide show generation system 110 according to the present embodiment is configured as described above, in the extraction of the digital image 130 displayed as a slide show, the digital image 130 set with a priority value is selected and the template applied to the slide show is selected. When there is a shortage in the number of sheets displayed on the (design) 150, this shortage is selected from the digital image 130 for which no priority value is set, so that the effect of rendering by the template 150 can be fully exhibited. At this time, as described above, the digital image 130 is classified according to the shooting date, and the shortage is compensated for each shooting date, so that the story characteristic expressed in the slide show is not impaired.

  In addition, although the description has been given of the case where the selection of the shortage image in the image selection process S67 of the above-described embodiment is configured such that the selection is performed by the shooting date, the present invention is not limited to this method. For example, it is possible to classify at predetermined time intervals (every hour or every 30 minutes) based on the shooting time and select a shortage for each classification. In addition, when the digital camera 10 includes a GPS and position information (for example, information on latitude / longitude) taken as attribute information of the digital image 130 is recorded, the digital camera 10 classifies the position information. It is also possible to configure to select the shortage for each classification. Alternatively, it is also possible to use a method of classifying according to whether or not a person is photographed in the digital image 130, or a method of classifying based on the lightness / darkness of the image, the color included, or the like.

  In the above embodiment, the slide show template 150 is configured to display a predetermined number of digital images 130, and the template 150 is repeatedly applied to a plurality of digital images 130 to generate a slide show. As described above, for example, a template 150 that displays the number of digital images 130 according to the music playback time may be used.

  Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the case where the slide show generation system 110 is provided in the digital camera 10 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. When the slide show generation system 110 is mounted on a server connected to a network, the digital image is transferred from the terminal (digital camera, mobile phone, PDA or personal computer) connected to the network to the server. The same effect can be obtained even if it is configured to transfer and generate / display a slide show.

It is explanatory drawing explaining the usage method of the digital camera provided with the slide show production | generation system which concerns on this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the button etc. of the said digital camera. It is a block diagram which shows the function structure of the said digital camera. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the data structure of a digital image. It is a flowchart which shows a slide show production | generation process. It is a flowchart which shows an image selection process. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the selection method of the digital image lacking in a template.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Digital camera 52 Attribute information area 110 Slide show generation system 120 Image storage part 130 Digital image 140 Template storage part 150 Template 160 Slide show generation part 180 Favorite setting part (priority value setting part)

Claims (6)

An image storage unit for storing a digital image having an attribute information area in which priority values can be set;
A slide show generation unit that extracts the digital image from the image storage unit and generates a slide show;
The slide show generation unit
A first step of extracting, from among the digital images stored in the image storage unit, the digital image in which the priority value is added to the attribute information area;
A second step of determining a template for the slide show,
Using the template, a digital image that is insufficient when displaying the digital image extracted in the first step is stored in the attribute information area of the digital image stored in the image storage unit. A third step of extracting from the digital image to which no priority value has been added, and
Applying the template determined in the second step to the digital image extracted in the first step and the digital image extracted in the third step to generate the slide show; A slide show generation system configured to perform the steps. The fourth step of the slide show generation unit includes:
Among the digital images stored in the image storage unit, the digital images in which the priority value is not added to the attribute information area are rearranged under a predetermined condition, and extracted in an order that matches the condition. The slide show generation system according to claim 1. An image storage unit for storing a digital image having an attribute information area in which priority values can be set;
A template storage unit for storing a template in which the number of displayed digital images on one screen and a production method are set;
A slide show generation unit that selects the template from the template storage unit, extracts the digital image from the image storage unit, and generates a slide show;
The slide show generation unit
A first step of extracting, from among the digital images stored in the image storage unit, the digital image in which the priority value is added to the attribute information area;
A second step of selecting the template to be used for the slide show from the template storage unit;
A third step of classifying the digital image extracted in the first step under a predetermined condition, and dividing the digital image for each classification;
A fourth step of calculating an insufficient number of digital images when the template is applied for each of the classifications divided in the third step;
A fifth step of extracting the digital image in which the priority value is not added to the attribute information area from the digital image stored in the image storage unit;
A sixth step of classifying the digital image extracted in the fifth step under the predetermined condition and dividing the digital image for each classification;
A seventh step of selecting the deficient number from the digital images included in the classification classified in the sixth step in the classification with the deficient number in the fourth step; and
The slide show is generated by applying the template selected in the second step to the digital image extracted in the first step and the digital image selected in the seventh step. A slide show generation system configured to perform the steps. The digital image is configured with date information on which the digital image was captured;
The slide show generation system according to claim 3, wherein the third step and the fifth step of the slide show generation unit are configured to classify the digital images by the date information. A slide show generation system according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
A camera having an optical system and an imaging unit that detects an image formed by the optical system, and that stores an image detected by the imaging unit as the digital image in the image storage unit.   The camera according to claim 5, further comprising a priority value setting unit that sets the priority value in the attribute information area of the digital image stored in the image storage unit.

Images