JP2010193026A - Image reproducing apparatus, image reproducing method and program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image reproducing apparatus capable of suitably reproducing an image based on an image and recording date data of the image. <P>SOLUTION: The image reproducing apparatus 1 includes: an image storage 12 for storing an image and its recording date; a similarity calculation part 14 for reading out a plurality of images and their recording date data from the image storage 12 and finding out similarity between images of continuous recording dates; a scenario generation part 16 for generating a reproducing scenario of the plurality of images based on the similarity; and an image display 20 for reproducing and displaying the plurality of images according to the reproducing scenario. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an apparatus for reproducing an image, and more particularly to an apparatus for sequentially switching and reproducing a plurality of images.

  Conventionally, in order for a user to enjoy a plurality of contents (still images and moving images) captured by a digital camera or the like, an apparatus for reproducing a so-called slide show in which images are sequentially reproduced and displayed has been proposed.

  Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-228561 discloses an apparatus that controls the reproduction state according to information associated with an image. In this apparatus, for example, the continuous display time of the target image, the effect presence / absence, the effect value, the presence / absence of image processing, and the like are controlled based on the related information. As related information, information indicating a favorite, title name, subject name, shooting date and time, image size, zoom magnification, distance to the subject, and the like are used.

Patent Document 2 discloses an apparatus that changes the display time of an image according to the reaction of a viewer of a slide show. For example, when the volume produced by the viewer's reaction increases or when the viewer's facial expression changes, the display time of the image is lengthened.
JP 2006-157324 A JP 2008-141484 A

  However, the invention described in Patent Document 1 cannot be used when related information is not attached to an image. It is very troublesome for the user to request that all images have a title name or the like in order to enable image reproduction. Further, the invention described in Patent Document 2 cannot be used when the viewer's voice and facial expression cannot be acquired well.

  In view of the above background, an object of the present invention is to provide an image reproduction apparatus capable of appropriately reproducing an image based on data of the image and the recording date and time.

  An image reproduction apparatus according to the present invention includes an image storage unit that stores an image and its recording date and time, a plurality of images and data of the recording date and time that are read from the image storage unit, and a similarity for obtaining similarity between images that have a recording date and time A degree calculation unit, a scenario generation unit that generates a reproduction scenario of the plurality of images based on the similarity, and an image display unit that reproduces and displays the plurality of images according to the reproduction scenario.

  In this way, by generating a playback scenario using the similarity of images with different recording dates and times, it is possible to perform image playback without using information such as image related information or viewer reaction. The “recording date / time” is the date / time when the image is recorded on the recording medium. For example, when an image is taken with a digital camera, the shooting date corresponds to the recording date.

  In the image reproduction device of the present invention, the scenario generation unit is configured so that an image having a higher similarity with the previous image has a shorter reproduction time than an image with a lower similarity with the previous image. The playback time may be determined.

  With this configuration, similar images are switched in a short time, and dissimilar images are reproduced over a long time. Realistic image reproduction is possible.

  In the image reproduction device of the present invention, the scenario generation unit may generate a reproduction scenario for simultaneously displaying a plurality of images having the similarity higher than a predetermined threshold.

  With this configuration, similar images can be viewed together. The predetermined threshold value may be determined based on a balance with the total reproduction time. That is, when the total playback time may be long, the predetermined threshold is increased so that very similar images are simultaneously displayed. When the total playback time is to be shortened, the predetermined threshold is set. You may make it low and may increase the image displayed simultaneously.

  In the image reproduction device of the present invention, the image display unit may display a plurality of images displayed at the same time by randomly arranging them on the screen.

  With this configuration, each time reproduction is performed, a plurality of images are randomly arranged, so that viewers can be interested.

  In the image reproduction device of the present invention, the scenario generation unit may generate a reproduction scenario that omits display of some of the plurality of images having the similarity higher than a predetermined threshold. With this configuration, the reproduction time can be shortened.

  The image reproduction apparatus of the present invention includes a total time input unit for inputting a total reproduction time, and the scenario generation unit has a higher similarity to the previous image when the image has a higher similarity to the previous image. The reproduction time of each image may be determined by allocating the total time so that a shorter time is allocated than a low image. With this configuration, image reproduction can be performed in accordance with the input total time.

  In the image reproduction device of the present invention, the scenario generation unit simultaneously selects a plurality of images having the similarity higher than a predetermined threshold when the reproduction time of any image is smaller than a preset minimum reproduction time. A playback order to be displayed may be generated, and a playback time in the playback order may be determined. Further, the scenario generation unit may repeatedly determine the reproduction time by gradually reducing the predetermined threshold until the reproduction time of all the images becomes equal to or greater than a preset minimum reproduction time.

  With this configuration, it is possible to perform image reproduction in accordance with the total time while preventing the image reproduction time from being shorter than the minimum reproduction time.

  In the image reproduction device of the present invention, the image display unit may display a plurality of images displayed at the same time by randomly arranging them on the screen.

  With this configuration, each time reproduction is performed, a plurality of images are randomly arranged, so that viewers can be interested.

  In the image reproduction device of the present invention, the scenario generation unit, when the reproduction time of any image is smaller than a preset minimum reproduction time, among the plurality of images having the similarity higher than a predetermined threshold value It is also possible to generate a playback order that omits the display of some of the images and determine the playback time in the playback order. In addition, the scenario generation unit may repeatedly determine the playback time by gradually reducing the predetermined threshold until the playback time of all images reaches or exceeds a preset minimum playback time.

  With this configuration, it is possible to perform image reproduction in accordance with the total time while preventing the image reproduction time from being shorter than the minimum reproduction time.

  An image reproduction apparatus according to another aspect of the present invention includes an image storage unit that stores images, a similarity calculation unit that reads a plurality of images from the image storage unit, and obtains the similarity of all images, and the similarity is A scenario generation unit that groups the plurality of images so that images higher than a predetermined threshold are included in the same group, and generates a playback scenario in which images included in the same group are continuously displayed, according to the playback scenario An image display unit that reproduces and displays the plurality of images.

  With this configuration, similar scenarios are grouped and continuously displayed to generate a playback scenario in which images of similar scenes (eg, sea, mountains, etc.) are continuous.

  In the image reproduction device of the present invention, the image storage unit stores data indicating a shooting location of the image together with the image, and the similarity calculation unit obtains the similarity based on the proximity of the shooting location. May be. With this configuration, the similarity can be easily obtained.

  In the image reproduction device of the present invention, the image display unit may display a remaining reproduction time together with the image. With this configuration, it is possible to know the position of the displayed image in the whole.

  In the image reproduction device of the present invention, the scenario generation unit may extend the reproduction time of the image when the face image is included in the image.

  Since an image showing a face is considered to be an important image for the viewer, this configuration makes it possible to perform appropriate image reproduction for displaying an important image for a long time.

  The scenario generation unit may determine an animation at the time of image switching based on the similarity.

  With this configuration, whether or not the next image is similar to the previous image can be perceived by animation.

  The image reproduction method of the present invention includes a step of reading out a plurality of images and data of the recording date and time from an image storage unit storing the images and the recording date and time, a step of obtaining a similarity between the images that are before and after the recording date and time, Generating a reproduction scenario of the plurality of images based on the degree of similarity; and reproducing and displaying the plurality of images according to the reproduction scenario.

  A program of the present invention is a program for reproducing a plurality of images stored in an image storage unit that stores images and recording dates and times thereof. The computer stores a plurality of images and recording dates and times from the image storage unit. A step of reading data; a step of obtaining a similarity between images whose recording date is before and after; a step of generating a reproduction scenario of the plurality of images based on the similarity; and reproducing the plurality of images according to the reproduction scenario The step to display is executed.

  With this configuration, it is possible to reproduce an image without using information such as related information of the image or information about the viewer's reaction by generating a reproduction scenario using the degree of similarity between images with different recording dates. Note that the various configurations of the above-described image reproduction apparatus of the present invention can be applied to the image reproduction method and program of the present invention.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to appropriately reproduce an image based on the data of the image and the recording date and time by generating a reproduction scenario using the similarity of the images.

  Hereinafter, an image reproduction apparatus and an image reproduction method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The image reproducing device of the present invention can be applied to car navigation, a monitor installed in a rear seat of a car, a photo frame monitor installed in a home, and the like. In the embodiments described below, an example will be described in which an image playback device is configured by a computer and a plurality of photos taken by a digital camera are played back in a slide show format.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an image reproduction apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment. The image playback device 1 includes an image receiving unit 10 that receives an image from the digital camera 30 and an image storage unit 12 that stores the image. The image receiving unit 10 receives an image captured by the digital camera 30 and data on the shooting date and time of the image. Note that the image receiving unit 10 may receive GPS data indicating a shooting location and data such as a focal length in addition to the shooting date and time.

  The image receiving unit 10 receives images and shooting date / time data via a recording medium such as a wireless LAN, a wired LAN, and an SD card. The image receiving unit 10 stores the received image and shooting date / time data in the image storage unit 12.

  The image reproduction device 1 reads a plurality of images and data of shooting dates / times thereof from the image storage unit 12, and calculates a similarity of the images whose shooting dates / times are before and after, and a similarity calculation unit 14 based on the similarities. A scenario generation unit 16 that generates a reproduction scenario and an image display unit 20 that reproduces and displays a plurality of images according to the reproduction scenario are included.

  FIG. 2A is a diagram showing images read from the image storage unit 12 arranged in accordance with the shooting date and time. In the example shown in FIG. 2A, images P1, P2, P3,... Pn-1, and Pn are taken in this order. The similarity calculation unit 14 calculates the similarity of images with different shooting dates and times. In the example shown in FIG. 2A, the similarity between the image P1 and the image P2, the similarity between the image P2 and the image P3,..., The similarity between the image Pn-1 and the image Pn is obtained.

  The similarity calculation by the similarity calculation unit 14 uses a known method. For example, frequency analysis obtained by SIFT feature point matching number, color histogram difference, brightness histogram difference, Fourier transform, etc. described in US Pat. The similarity between images is obtained using the difference between the results and the difference in the distribution of edge orientations. The edge azimuth can be obtained by, for example, arctan (Ev / Eh) [rad], where Ev and Eh are outputs to which the vertical and horizontal edge extraction filters are applied, respectively. The similarity may be obtained using one of these parameters or a combination thereof, or a weighted sum of several parameters may be used.

  Here, an example of calculating the similarity using the number of matching of SIFT feature points will be described. First, a SIFT feature quantity is extracted from the comparison target image. Next, the distance between SIFT feature values obtained in each image is calculated, and the number of feature values (matching number) whose distance is equal to or smaller than a certain threshold value is calculated. This matching number indicates the similarity of images. The greater the number of matches, the greater the degree of similarity.

  As an example of using a plurality of parameters, calculation of a weighted sum will be described. The weighted sum is calculated, for example, by the following formula: weighted sum = α1 · SIFT matching number + α2 · color histogram difference + α3 · lightness color histogram difference +. The value of the weighted sum indicates the similarity.

  The scenario generation unit 16 determines the playback time of each image as a playback scenario. In this embodiment, the image is reproduced from the image with the oldest shooting date. The scenario generation unit 16 includes a reproduction time determination unit 18 that determines the reproduction time of each image based on the similarity. The reproduction time determination unit 18 determines the reproduction time of each image so that an image having a higher similarity to the previous image has a shorter reproduction time than an image having a lower similarity to the previous image.

  FIG. 2B is a diagram illustrating the relationship between the similarity and the reproduction time. The playback time determination unit 18 determines the playback time according to the relationship shown in FIG. When the similarity is between R1 and R2, the playback time is linearly changed from T1 to T2 according to the similarity value. In this example, an upper limit T1 and a lower limit T2 of the reproduction time are provided. That is, when the similarity is smaller than R1, the reproduction time is constant at T1, and when the similarity is larger than R2, the reproduction time is constant at T2.

  Note that the relationship between the similarity and the reproduction time is not limited to the relationship shown in FIG. 2B, and an image with a high similarity has a relationship such that the reproduction time is shorter than an image with a low similarity. I just need it. Although FIG. 2B illustrates an example in which the similarity is linearly changed with respect to the reproduction time between the similarity R1 and the similarity R2, the reproduction time may be nonlinear with respect to the similarity.

  The image display unit 20 reproduces the image read from the image storage unit 12 according to the scenario generated by the scenario generation unit 16, that is, the reproduction time of each image.

  The similarity calculation unit 14, the scenario generation unit 16, and the image display unit 20 described above are realized by executing a program having a similarity calculation module, a scenario generation module, and an image display module on a CPU of a computer. Also good. This program is also included in the scope of the present invention.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the image reproduction device 1. The image playback device 1 receives the image and shooting date / time data from the digital camera 30, and stores the received image and shooting date / time data in the image storage unit 12 (S10). Note that when an image already stored in the image storage unit 12 is reproduced, it is not necessary to newly receive an image from the digital camera 30. Next, the similarity calculation unit 14 reads the image stored in the image storage unit 12 and the data of the shooting date and time, and calculates the similarity of the images whose shooting date and time is around (S12). The similarity calculation unit 14 passes the calculated similarity data to the scenario generation unit 16.

  Subsequently, the scenario generation unit 16 determines the reproduction time of each image using the similarity data (S14), and passes the determined reproduction time data to the image display unit 20. The image display unit 20 reads out images from the image storage unit 12 and displays them in order of shooting date and time. At this time, the image display unit 20 displays each image according to the reproduction time data passed from the scenario generation unit 16 (S16). The configuration and operation of the image reproduction device 1 according to the first embodiment have been described above.

  Since the image reproduction device 1 according to the first embodiment determines the reproduction time using the similarity of images whose shooting dates are before and after, it is possible to generate a reproduction scenario based on information on the image itself. Since image related information is not used, an image captured by a normal digital camera 30 can be reproduced by the image reproducing apparatus 1.

  Further, when the similarity is high, the images are switched in a short time, and when the similarity is low, the images are reproduced for a long time, so that it is possible to reproduce the image with a sense of presence.

(Second Embodiment)
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the image reproduction device 2 according to the second embodiment. The basic configuration of the image reproduction device 2 according to the second embodiment is the same as that of the image reproduction device 1 according to the first embodiment. The image reproduction device 2 according to the second embodiment includes a total time input unit 24 that receives an input of the total reproduction time, and reproduces the image so as to be within the input total time.

In the image reproduction device 2, the reproduction time determination unit 18 devises a total time so that an image having a higher similarity to the previous image is assigned a shorter time than an image having a lower similarity to the previous image. The reproduction time of each image is determined by dividing. Specifically, the sum of the similarities calculated by the similarity calculating unit 14 is calculated, and then the reproduction time of the i-th image i is obtained by the following equation (1).
Reproduction time of image i = total time × (similarity between image i and image i + 1) / total sum of similarity (1)

  The scenario generation unit 16 includes a simultaneous display image selection unit 22 that selects a plurality of images to be displayed on one screen. The simultaneous display image selection unit 22 displays a single screen when any one of the image reproduction times determined by the reproduction time determination unit 18 is shorter than the minimum reproduction time (for example, 0.5 seconds). Select multiple images to display. This is to ensure a minimum reproduction time of the image so that it is not difficult to recognize the displayed image. The minimum playback time may be set according to the age group of the user. The simultaneous display image selection unit 22 selects a plurality of images having a similarity higher than a predetermined threshold among the similarities between all images.

  The scenario generation unit 16 generates a playback order for displaying a plurality of selected images on one screen, and determines the playback time of each image again. The playback order is basically the order of shooting date and time. The generation of the playback order here is to generate a playback order in which a plurality of images selected by the simultaneous display image selection unit 22 are simultaneously displayed. It means to do.

  As a result of determining the playback time in the playback order for displaying a plurality of images at the same time, if the playback time of any image is shorter than the minimum playback time, the simultaneous display image selection unit 22 again displays the images to be simultaneously displayed. select. The threshold used at this time is made smaller than the threshold used for selecting a plurality of images last time. As a result, more images than the previous one are selected, and the display time of one image can be extended. When the playback time of all images exceeds the minimum playback time, the playback scenario is determined.

  The image display unit 20 reproduces the image read from the image storage unit 12 in accordance with the scenario generated by the scenario generation unit 16.

  FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B are diagrams showing examples of screens on which a plurality of images are displayed simultaneously. When simultaneously displaying a plurality of images, the image display unit 20 may display the images side by side as shown in FIG. 5 (a), or partially display them as shown in FIG. 5 (b). Also good. 5A and 5B, a plurality of images are displayed in the same size, but the image sizes may be different. Further, the shape of the image is not limited to a rectangle, and may be an ellipse, a circle, a polygon, or the like. The image display unit 20 may change and display the arrangement of a plurality of images at random for each reproduction.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the image reproduction device 2. The image playback device 2 receives the image and shooting date / time data from the digital camera 30, and stores the received image and shooting date / time data in the image storage unit 12 (S20). The image playback device 2 receives input of the total playback time at the total time input unit 24 (S22). Since the total time is information necessary for determining the playback time, it may be input before the step of determining the playback time, and the input of the total time is not necessarily performed immediately after receiving the image. .

  Next, the similarity calculation unit 14 reads the image stored in the image storage unit 12 and the data of the shooting date and time, and calculates the similarity of the images whose shooting date and time is around (S24). The similarity calculation unit 14 passes the calculated similarity data to the scenario generation unit 16.

  Subsequently, the scenario generation unit 16 determines the reproduction time of each image using the similarity data (S26), and determines whether the reproduction time of any image is shorter than the minimum reproduction time (S28). When the playback time of any one of the images is shorter than the minimum playback time (YES in S28), the simultaneous display image selection unit 22 determines a threshold for selecting images to be displayed simultaneously (S30), and uses the threshold. A plurality of images to be displayed simultaneously are selected (S32).

  Thereafter, in the playback order in which the selected images are simultaneously displayed, the playback time is determined again (S26), and it is determined whether the playback time of any image is shorter than the minimum playback time (S28). If the playback time of any one of the images is shorter than the minimum playback time again (YES in S28), the simultaneous image selection unit 22 determines a threshold smaller than the previous time (S30), and uses the threshold to simultaneously display a plurality of images. Is selected (S36). In this way, the selection of images to be displayed simultaneously is repeated until the playback time of all images reaches or exceeds the minimum playback time.

  When the playback times of all the images are equal to or longer than the minimum playback time (NO in S28), the scenario generation unit 16 passes the playback order and playback time data to the image display unit 20. The image display unit 20 reads out images from the image storage unit 12 and displays them in order of shooting date and time. At this time, the image display unit 20 displays the images according to the reproduction order and reproduction time data (S34). The configuration and operation of the image playback device 2 according to the second embodiment have been described above.

  Since the image playback device 2 according to the second embodiment generates a playback scenario so as to be within the input total time and plays back an image according to the playback scenario, the playback may be finished within a time desired by the user. it can.

  In addition, the image reproduction device 2 according to the second embodiment secures a minimum reproduction time for each image by simultaneously displaying a plurality of images as necessary, so that each image can be properly recognized. Image playback can be performed to switch images.

(Third embodiment)
FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the image reproduction device 3 according to the third embodiment. The basic configuration of the image reproduction device 3 according to the third embodiment is the same as that of the image reproduction device 2 according to the second embodiment. The image reproduction device 3 according to the third embodiment has an omitted image selection unit 26 instead of the simultaneous display image selection unit 22.

  The abbreviated image selection unit 26 omits an image to be displayed when any one of the reproduction times of the images determined by the reproduction time determination unit 18 is shorter than the minimum reproduction time (for example, 0.5 seconds). Select. This is to ensure a minimum reproduction time of the image so that it is not difficult to recognize the displayed image. The omitted image selection unit 26 omits some of the plurality of images having high similarity.

  The scenario generation unit 16 generates a playback order in which some images are omitted, and determines the playback time of each image again. Note that the playback order is basically the order of shooting date and time, but the generation of the playback order here means that the playback order in which the images selected by the omitted image selection unit 26 are omitted is generated.

  As a result of determining the playback time in the playback order with some omitted, if the playback time of any image is shorter than the minimum playback time, the threshold for selecting the skipped image is lowered and the skipped image is again displayed. An image to be omitted is selected by the selection unit 26, and the playback scenario is determined when the playback time of all the images is equal to or longer than the minimum playback time.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the image reproduction device 3 according to the third embodiment. The basic operation of the image reproduction device 3 according to the third embodiment is the same as the operation of the image reproduction device 2 according to the second embodiment. The image reproduction device 3 according to the third embodiment performs a step (S36) of selecting an image to be omitted instead of the step of selecting an image to be displayed simultaneously. That is, after the scenario generator 16 determines the playback time of each image (S26), it is determined whether the playback time of any image is shorter than the minimum playback time (S28). If the playback time is shorter than the minimum playback time (YES in S28), the skipped image selection unit 26 selects an image to be skipped (S38). In the reproduction order in which some images are omitted, the reproduction time is determined again (S26), and it is determined whether the reproduction time of any image is shorter than the minimum reproduction time (S28). The selection of images to be omitted is repeated until the playback time of all images reaches or exceeds the minimum playback time. The configuration and operation of the image reproduction device according to the third embodiment have been described above.

  Since the image playback device 3 according to the third embodiment generates a playback scenario so as to be within the input total time and plays back an image according to the playback scenario, the playback may be finished within a time desired by the user. it can.

  In addition, the image playback device 3 according to the third embodiment omits some of the images with high similarity as necessary, thereby reducing the playback time of each image to the minimum playback time. Therefore, it is possible to perform image reproduction by switching images within a time period in which each image can be properly recognized.

(Fourth embodiment)
FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the image reproduction device 4 according to the fourth embodiment. The basic configuration of the image reproduction device 4 according to the fourth embodiment is the same as that of the image reproduction device 1 according to the first embodiment. In the fourth embodiment, the scenario generation unit 16 includes a reproduction order determination unit 28 that determines the reproduction order of images.

  The reproduction order determination unit 28 groups a plurality of images so that images having a similarity higher than a predetermined threshold are included in the same group, and sets the reproduction order so that images included in the same group are displayed continuously. decide.

  FIG. 10A is a diagram illustrating an example of a plurality of images read from the image storage unit 12. In FIG. 10A, the images are denoted by reference numerals P1, P2,... Here, 15 images are described as an example, but the number of images is not limited to 15.

  In the fourth embodiment, the similarity calculation unit 14 calculates not only the similarity between images before and after the shooting date but also the similarity between all images. The reproduction order determination unit 28 groups a plurality of images so that images having a similarity equal to or less than a predetermined threshold are included in the same group. In the example shown in FIG. 10A, the 15 images are classified into three groups A to C. The playback order determination unit 28 determines the playback order so that a plurality of images included in each group are displayed in succession. The order in which each group is played back may be determined at random or from a group including images with early shooting dates and times.

  FIG. 10B and FIG. 10C are diagrams showing examples of the reproduction order. In the example shown in FIG. 10B, the images P1 to P5, P9, and P10 included in the group A are continuously reproduced, and then the images P6 to P8, P11, and P12 included in the group B are reproduced. Finally, the images P13 to P15 included in the group C are reproduced.

  In the example shown in FIG. 10C, the images P6 to P8, P11, and P12 included in the group B are reproduced, and then the images P1 to P5, P9, and P10 included in the group A are continuously reproduced. Finally, the images P13 to P15 included in the group C are reproduced.

  The playback time determination unit 18 determines the playback time based on the similarity of the images whose playback order is determined by the playback order determination unit 28.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the image reproduction device 4 according to the fourth embodiment. The image playback device 4 receives the image and shooting date / time data from the digital camera 30, and stores the received image and shooting date / time data in the image storage unit 12 (S40). Next, the similarity calculation unit 14 reads the image stored in the image storage unit 12 and the data of the shooting date and time to obtain the similarity between all the images (S42). The similarity calculation unit 14 passes the calculated similarity data to the scenario generation unit 16.

  Subsequently, the reproduction order determination unit 28 of the scenario generation unit 16 groups a plurality of images so that images having a similarity higher than a predetermined threshold are included in the same group (S44). The playback order determination unit 28 determines the playback order so that images in the same group are displayed continuously (S46).

  The playback time determination unit 18 of the scenario generation unit 16 determines the playback time of each image based on the similarity of the images whose playback order is before and after (S48). The scenario generation unit 16 passes the determined reproduction order and reproduction time data to the image display unit 20. The image display unit 20 reads an image from the image storage unit 12 and displays it in accordance with the reproduction order. At this time, the image display unit 20 displays each image according to the reproduction time data (S50). The configuration and operation of the image reproduction device 4 according to the fourth embodiment have been described above.

  The image reproduction device 4 according to the fourth embodiment continuously displays images with high similarity. Since images with a high degree of similarity often have the same scene (sea, mountains, etc.), the user can continuously view images of the same scene. Further, since an image having a high degree of similarity, that is, an image having a small difference from the previous image is displayed, the contents of the image can be easily understood even if the reproduction time is shortened.

  The image reproduction apparatus of the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment.

  In the second embodiment described above, an example in which a simultaneous display image is selected when the playback time of any image becomes shorter than the minimum playback time, and an omitted image is selected in the third embodiment. However, the simultaneous display image selection and the omission image selection may be performed regardless of the minimum reproduction time. For example, when the similarity is higher than a predetermined threshold and similar images are continuous, a simultaneous display image is selected or an abbreviated image is selected, and a playback scenario is generated that omits the simultaneous display or some images. Also good.

  In the above-described embodiment, the example in which the similarity calculation unit obtains the similarity using the SIFT feature amount has been described. However, when GPS data of the place where the image was captured is obtained, The similarity may be obtained based on the distance of the shooting location.

  In the embodiment described above, the playback time of each image is determined based on the similarity, but the playback time may be determined based on the content of the image in addition to the similarity. For example, when a face image is included in the image (up of a person or a group photo), a predetermined time may be added to the reproduction time determined based on the similarity. An image in which a face image is captured is considered to be an important image for the user. Appropriate image reproduction can be performed by lengthening the reproduction time of the face image. For detecting the face image shown in the image, a known method such as (Reference: Henry A. Rowley et al., “Rotation Invariant Neural Network-Based Face Detection”) can be used. Also, if a face of a specific person is detected several times in the image, the person is considered important, and an animation effect is added to the whole or part of the photo (face area) that includes the face. May be.

  When a part of the imaging target overlaps between a plurality of consecutive images, these images may be panorama synthesized and the synthesized image may be displayed. Whether or not the objects overlap can be determined from the correspondence relationship between SIFT feature points (for example, when the SIFT feature points in the image are translated, it is assumed that the same imaging target is translated) ) The display method includes panning (flowing horizontally).

  In addition, when a part of the shooting target overlaps between a plurality of consecutive images, the three-dimensional shape of the shooting target can be estimated from these images (general stereo vision principle). In that case, it may be displayed by an expression method (for example, polygon + texture mapping) so that the restored three-dimensional shape can be understood.

  In the above embodiment, the image display unit may display the remaining reproduction time and the elapsed time together with the image. FIG. 12A is a diagram showing an example of a screen displaying a bar 32 indicating the elapsed time and remaining time of reproduction, and FIG. 12B is a diagram showing an example of a screen displaying the remaining time of reproduction as numbers 34. is there. By displaying the remaining reproduction time or elapsed time in this way, the user can know the position of the currently displayed image. That is, it is possible to know whether the currently displayed photo is about half of the total position or the last one.

  In the above embodiment, the example of changing the playback scenario such as playback time, simultaneous display image selection, selection of abbreviated images, playback order, etc. based on the similarity of images has been described. Also good. For example, the animation at the time of image switching may be changed based on the similarity. Thereby, it can be perceived by animation whether the next image is similar to the previous image. For example, in the case of a similar image, the images are switched instantaneously, and in the case of a dissimilar image, a fade-in / fade-out animation is displayed. Thereby, it can be impressed to the user that the scene is switched.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can reproduce an image based on the image and the recording date and time, and is useful as an apparatus that sequentially reproduces and displays a plurality of images.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the image reproduction apparatus of 1st Embodiment. (A) It is a figure which arranges and shows the image read from the image storage part according to photography date. (B) It is a figure which shows the relationship between similarity and reproduction time. It is a figure which shows operation | movement of the image reproduction apparatus of 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the image reproduction apparatus of 2nd Embodiment. (A) It is a figure which shows the example of a screen which displayed the some image simultaneously. (B) It is a figure which shows the example of a screen which displayed the some image simultaneously. It is a figure which shows operation | movement of the image reproduction apparatus of 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the image reproduction apparatus of 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows operation | movement of the image reproduction apparatus of 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the image reproduction apparatus of 4th Embodiment. (A) It is a figure which shows the example of the some image read from the image memory | storage part. (B) It is a figure which shows the example of a reproduction | regeneration order. (C) It is a figure which shows the example of a reproduction | regeneration order. It is a figure which shows operation | movement of the image reproduction apparatus of 4th Embodiment. (A) It is a figure which shows the example of a screen which displayed the bar which shows the elapsed time of reproduction | regeneration, and the remaining time. (B) It is a figure which shows the example of a screen which digitally displayed the remaining time of reproduction | regeneration.

1-4 Image Playback Device 10 Image Reception Unit 12 Image Storage Unit 14 Similarity Calculation Unit 16 Scenario Generation Unit 18 Playback Time Determination Unit 20 Image Display Unit 22 Simultaneous Display Image Selection Unit 24 Total Time Input Unit 26 Omitted Image Selection Unit 28 Playback Order determination part

Claims (18)

An image storage unit for storing the image and its recording date and time;
A similarity calculation unit that reads a plurality of images and data of the recording date and time from the image storage unit, and obtains the similarity of images whose recording date and time is around,
A scenario generation unit that generates a reproduction scenario of the plurality of images based on the similarity;
An image display unit for reproducing and displaying the plurality of images according to the reproduction scenario;
An image reproduction apparatus comprising:   The scenario generation unit determines a reproduction time of each image such that an image having a higher similarity with the previous image has a shorter reproduction time than an image with a lower similarity with the previous image. 2. The image reproducing device according to 1.   The image reproduction device according to claim 1, wherein the scenario generation unit generates a reproduction scenario for simultaneously displaying a plurality of images having the similarity higher than a predetermined threshold.   The image reproduction device according to claim 3, wherein the image display unit displays a plurality of simultaneously displayed images at random in a screen.   The image playback device according to claim 1, wherein the scenario generation unit generates a playback scenario that omits display of some of the plurality of images having the similarity higher than a predetermined threshold. It has a total time input part that inputs the total time of playback,
The scenario generation unit distributes the total time so that an image having a higher similarity with the previous image is assigned a shorter time than an image having a lower similarity with the previous image. The image reproduction device according to claim 1, wherein the reproduction time is determined.   The scenario generation unit generates a playback order for simultaneously displaying a plurality of images having the similarity higher than a predetermined threshold when the playback time of any image is smaller than a preset minimum playback time, The image reproduction device according to claim 6, wherein a reproduction time in the reproduction order is determined.   8. The image reproduction according to claim 7, wherein the scenario generation unit repeatedly determines the reproduction time by gradually reducing the predetermined threshold until the reproduction time of all images reaches or exceeds a preset minimum reproduction time. apparatus.   The image reproduction device according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the image display unit displays a plurality of simultaneously displayed images at random in a screen.   When the playback time of any one of the images is shorter than a preset minimum playback time, the scenario generation unit displays a part of the plurality of images having the similarity higher than a predetermined threshold. The image reproduction device according to claim 6, wherein a reproduction order to be omitted is generated, and a reproduction time in the reproduction order is determined.   11. The image according to claim 10, wherein the scenario generation unit repeatedly determines the reproduction time by gradually reducing the predetermined threshold until the reproduction time of all images reaches or exceeds a preset minimum reproduction time. Playback device. An image storage unit for storing images;
A similarity calculation unit that reads a plurality of images from the image storage unit and obtains the similarity of all images;
A scenario generation unit that groups the plurality of images such that images having a similarity higher than a predetermined threshold are included in the same group, and generates a playback scenario in which images included in the same group are continuously displayed;
An image display unit for reproducing and displaying the plurality of images according to the reproduction scenario;
An image reproduction apparatus comprising: The image storage unit stores data indicating a shooting location of the image together with the image,
The image reproduction device according to claim 1, wherein the similarity calculation unit obtains the similarity based on a proximity of the shooting location.   The image reproduction device according to claim 1, wherein the image display unit displays a remaining reproduction time together with the image.   The image reproduction device according to claim 1, wherein when the image includes a face image, the scenario generation unit extends a reproduction time of the image.   The image reproduction device according to claim 1, wherein the scenario generation unit determines an animation at the time of image switching based on the similarity. Reading a plurality of images and data of the recording date and time from an image storage unit storing the images and the recording date and time;
Obtaining the similarity of images whose recording date is before and after;
Generating a playback scenario for the plurality of images based on the similarity;
Replaying and displaying the plurality of images according to the replay scenario;
An image reproduction method comprising: A program for reproducing a plurality of images stored in an image storage unit storing an image and its recording date and time.
Reading a plurality of images and data of the recording date and time from the image storage unit;
Obtaining the similarity of images whose recording date is before and after;
Generating a playback scenario for the plurality of images based on the similarity;
Replaying and displaying the plurality of images according to the replay scenario;
A program that executes