JP2011029823A - Image display device and image display method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To quickly search a desired image out of a plurality of images. <P>SOLUTION: The image display device 50 is composed of: a thumbnail image creation circuit 51; an image number decision circuit 52 which decides the number of thumbnail images displayed in one page; a thumbnail collection circuit 53 which collects a determined number of thumbnail images into one page; a representative image extract circuit 54 which extracts an image out of thumbnail images of one page as a representative image; and an image display control circuit 59 which extracts continuous eight representative images from representative images for respective pages, displays them on a LCD display panel 16 as index images, and also makes the LCD panel 16 sequentially arrange and display thumbnail images of one page including the selected image in cooperation with action for selecting one image out of them. When the thumbnail image of the displayed one page is updated, the index image corresponding to the representative image of the updated page is automatically selected and displayed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image display apparatus and an image display method capable of searching for a desired image from many stored images with a small number of operations.

  There is known an apparatus that reads still image data from a storage medium such as a flexible disk, a PC card, and a built-in memory, divides a display screen into a plurality of areas, and displays a plurality of still images as thumbnails on the same screen. In Patent Document 1 below, when the number of image data to be displayed as thumbnails is smaller than a preset number of screen divisions, the screen is divided according to the number of image data to be displayed, and the image to be displayed is determined by the division. A display control device is described that generates thumbnail images by reducing them to a display size and displays them on a display unit. Further, in Patent Document 2 below, when the number of image data is larger than the number of thumbnail images that can be displayed on the display screen at a time, each of the thumbnail images that can be displayed at once is displayed as one page. A digital camera is described in which the page number of a plurality of thumbnail images is displayed (for example, “1/4 page”).

JP 2000-115640 A JP 11-317930 A

  The method described in Patent Document 2 is good as long as the accumulated image data is relatively small. For example, when the number exceeds 100, nine thumbnail images are displayed on one screen. Even if there are 10 or more pages, it is impossible to know how many pages the image you want to see is, and you have to open and check a considerable number of pages, so it is very difficult to find Time is required and the troublesomeness of the operation increases.

  In view of the above problems, the present invention makes it possible to quickly find a desired image from among many thumbnail images.

  An image display device according to the present invention includes a display panel that displays a plurality of images based on a plurality of image data stored in a storage unit, a thumbnail image generation unit that generates a thumbnail image by reducing the image data, Image number determining means for determining the number of thumbnail images to be displayed on the display panel at a time, thumbnail image collecting means for combining the thumbnail images into one page for each number determined by the image number determining means, and the 1 Representative image extraction means for extracting one thumbnail image as a representative image from a plurality of thumbnail images collected on a page, and an index image that is the same as the representative image in an index image display area provided on the display panel As a result, a plurality of images are sequentially displayed and one of the index images is selected. In conjunction with the image display control means for displaying a one-page thumbnail image including the same thumbnail image as the selected index image in a thumbnail image display area provided on the display panel. It is characterized by.

  When a thumbnail image other than the thumbnail image displayed in the thumbnail image display area is selected, the image display control means displays a one-page thumbnail image including the selected thumbnail image in the thumbnail image display area, When the one-page thumbnail image displayed in the thumbnail image display area is updated without selecting the index image, the index image corresponding to the representative image of the updated one-page thumbnail image is automatically selected. select. The index image may be displayed with a predetermined number as an upper limit. Alternatively, all index images corresponding to all extracted representative images may be displayed in the index image display area.

  The representative image extracting means may be configured to automatically extract the representative image based on a predetermined condition, and the first thumbnail among the plurality of thumbnail images sequentially arranged on the one page. The image or the one-page thumbnail image having the best image quality, or the favorite evaluation value recorded in each of the images being the highest among the one-page thumbnail images Alternatively, the thumbnail image with the largest number of times of enlargement display among the thumbnail images of the one page or the one with the longest accumulation of the enlarged display time among the thumbnail images of the one page is extracted. Good.

  According to the image display method of the present invention, thumbnail images generated by reducing a plurality of image data stored in the storage means are grouped into one page every predetermined number, and a plurality of thumbnail images grouped into one page are grouped. One thumbnail image is extracted as a representative image from a plurality of thumbnail images displayed on the thumbnail image display area of the display panel, and a predetermined number of index images of the extracted images are displayed on the display panel. The one-page thumbnail image including the thumbnail image of the same image as the index image arbitrarily selected from the index images displayed in the index image display area is displayed on the display panel. Thumbnail images are displayed in order in the thumbnail image display area, and the thumbnails displayed in the thumbnail image display area are displayed. When a thumbnail image other than a thumbnail image is selected, a one-page thumbnail image including the selected thumbnail image is displayed in the thumbnail image display area, and the index image is not selected and displayed in the thumbnail image display area. When the one-page thumbnail image is updated, an index image corresponding to the representative image of the updated one-page thumbnail image is displayed as the selected index image.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to quickly find a desired image from a great amount of image data.

It is the external view which looked at the digital camera provided with the image display apparatus by this invention from the front. It is the external view which looked at the digital camera from back. It is a figure which shows the electrical constitution of a digital camera. It is a figure which shows the electrical constitution of an image display apparatus. It is the figure which looked at the LCD display panel. It is explanatory drawing when the number of the thumbnail images to display is changed. It is a figure explaining extraction of the image with the best quality. It is a figure explaining extraction of the image with the best favorite degree. It is a figure explaining extraction of the image expanded and displayed most. It is a figure explaining extraction of the image enlarged and displayed for the longest time. It is a figure explaining a thumbnail image and an index image. It is a figure explaining selection of a thumbnail image. It is explanatory drawing when the thumbnail image of the next page is selected. It is a figure explaining selection of a thumbnail picture by a cross key button. It is a figure explaining the movement of the cursor by a cursor switching button. It is a figure explaining selection of a thumbnail picture by a cross key button. It is a figure explaining selection of a thumbnail picture by a cross key button. It is a figure explaining an enlarged image. It is explanatory drawing when the number of the thumbnail images to display is set to 1. It is the external view which looked at the digital camera of another embodiment from the back. It is a figure explaining selection of an index picture using a touch panel. It is a figure explaining selection of a thumbnail picture using a touch panel. It is a figure explaining the enlarged image using a touch panel. It is explanatory drawing when the number of the thumbnail images displayed using a touch panel is set to 1. It is a flowchart explaining display switching of an index image and a thumbnail image. It is a flowchart when changing the number of thumbnail images displayed on one page. It is a flowchart which shows an example which extracts automatically the representative image displayed on an index image display area.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the digital camera 10 is provided with an imaging lens 12 and a strobe light emitting unit 13 on the front surface of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped camera body 11, and a power switch 14 and a shutter button 15 on the upper surface of the camera body 11. Is provided. An LCD display panel (display panel) 16 for displaying an image is provided on the rear surface of the camera body 11, and a shooting mode button 20 for selecting a shooting mode, a playback mode button 21 for selecting a playback mode, and the above-mentioned in the shooting mode. The imaging lens 12 is extended forward to a telephoto shooting position, and in the playback mode, the number of thumbnail images 61 displayed at a time in the thumbnail image display area 57 (see FIG. 5) provided on the LCD display panel 16 is reduced by one step. In the shooting mode, the T button 17 is stored and the imaging lens 12 is housed to be a standard shooting position. In the playback mode, the W button 18 is used to increase the number of thumbnail images 61 to be displayed in the thumbnail image display area 57 at a time. Is provided.

  In addition to this, the cursor switching button 22 for switching the position of the cursor 60 indicating the selected image between the thumbnail image display area 57 and the index image display area 58 (see FIG. 5) and the thumbnail image display area 57 are displayed. Among the plurality of thumbnail images 61, the cursor 60 is moved up, down, left, and right to select an arbitrary image, and the thumbnail image 61 selected by the cursor 60 is displayed on the entire display area of the LCD display panel 16 (see FIG. 18)) and a determination button 25 for displaying the enlarged image. A slot (not shown) in which a memory card 26 in which image data is stored is detachably loaded is provided on the bottom surface of the camera body 11, and the captured image data is written and stored in the memory card 26. . The operation members from the power switch 14 to the decision button 25 are collectively referred to as an operation unit 29.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the electrical configuration of the digital camera 10 includes a motor driver 32 that controls a stepping motor 31 that adjusts the focus of the photographic lens 12 to a CPU 30 that receives a signal from the operation unit 29, and an aperture. An iris driver 34 that controls the device 33 and a strobe circuit 35 that performs light emission and control of the strobe light emitting unit 13 are connected. The CPU 30 also forms a subject image on the light receiving surface by the imaging lens 12, outputs the formed subject image as an imaging signal, and accurately outputs the imaging signal to the accumulated charge amount of each light receiving element of the CCD 36. CDS (correlated double sampling circuit) 37 that converts and outputs the corresponding R (red), G (green), and B (blue) image data, and an AMP (amplifier circuit) that amplifies the image data output from the CDS 37 38) An A / D converter 39 for converting analog image data into digital image data is connected via a data bus 40.

  The image data output from the A / D converter 39 is temporarily stored in the SDRAM (storage means) 41 via the data bus 40. The image signal processing circuit 42 reads image data from the SDRAM 41, performs various image processing such as gradation conversion and γ correction processing, and records the image data in the SDRAM 41 again. The image data temporarily stored in the SDRAM 41 is converted into an analog composite signal by the LCD driver 48 and displayed as a through image on the LCD display panel 16. The SDRAM 41 has a plurality of memory areas for storing a plurality of images, and can write to the other while reading from one.

  The compression / decompression processing circuit 43 performs image compression on the image data subjected to image processing by the image signal processing circuit 42 in a predetermined compression format (for example, JPEG format). The compressed image data is stored in the memory card 26 via the media controller 44. In addition, an AE / AF processing circuit 45 that detects the focus of the image formed on the CCD 36 is connected to the CPU 30, and the imaging lens 12 is focused by the motor driver 32. A sequence program is stored in the ROM 46 and read out to the RAM 47, which is a work memory, and these controls are executed.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the image display device 50 according to the present invention has a plurality of image data captured by the taking lens 12 and stored in the SDRAM 41, or read from the memory card 26 and stored in the SDRAM 41. A plurality of images based on the image data are displayed on the LCD display panel 16.

  In addition to the LCD display panel 16, the image display device 50 includes a thumbnail image generation circuit (thumbnail image generation means) 51 that reduces image data and generates thumbnail images 61 (# 37 to # 48 in FIG. 5). , An image number determination circuit (image number determination means) 52 for determining the number of thumbnail images 61 to be displayed on the LCD display panel 16 at a time by the operation of the T button 17 and the W button 18, and the thumbnail images 61 based on all image data. A thumbnail image collection circuit (thumbnail image collection means) 53 that collects one page for each number determined by the image number determination circuit 52, and one thumbnail image from among the plurality of thumbnail images 61 collected on the one page. A representative image extraction circuit (representative image extracting means) 54 that extracts the representative image 62, and all the extracted representative images 62 An index file creation circuit 56 for creating an index file in which the same images are sequentially arranged, and eight consecutive images are selected from the index files and displayed as index images 63 in the index image display area 58. In conjunction with the selection of one index image 63 from 63, the thumbnail image display area 57 provided on the LCD display panel 16 includes the same image as the selected index image 63. The image display control circuit 59 displays the thumbnail images 61 in order, and these circuits are connected to the CPU 30 via the data bus 40.

  In the LCD display panel 16, a thumbnail image display area 57 for displaying a thumbnail image 61 of one page and an index image display area 58 for displaying, for example, eight index images 63 are set. The index image 63 displayed in the index image display area 58 is the same image as the representative image 62 extracted for each page. For example, from the first page to # 1 (see FIG. 11), from the second page to # 13 (see FIG. 13), images from page 3 to # 25 (see FIG. 14), and pages 4 to # 37 (see FIG. 5) are extracted.

  One of the eight index images 63 displayed in the index image display area 58 is displayed in a normal posture (hereinafter referred to as a normal posture image 64), and the other index images 63 are centered on the normal posture image 64 and before and after that. It is arranged and displayed in such a manner that it is inclined obliquely with respect to the line-up direction and the inclination angle displayed becomes larger as it is away from the normal posture image 64. When the cursor 60 is moved up and down, the index image 63 selected by the cursor is displayed in a normal posture and becomes a normal posture image 64. At the same time, the thumbnail image 61 displayed in the thumbnail image display area 57 is updated, and a one-page thumbnail image including the image displayed in the normal posture is displayed in the thumbnail image display area 57.

  When the number of representative images 62 is larger than the number of index images 63 displayed in the index image display area 58, a mark 82 is provided at the upper part of the index image display area 58, and a mark 83 is provided at the lower part. You may make it show that there exists the index image 63 (refer FIG. 16). Further, although the number of index images 63 displayed in the index image display area 58 is eight, the number may be other than eight, and all the representative images 62 extracted by the representative image extraction circuit 54 are displayed in the index image display area. 58 may be displayed.

  The image display device 50 includes a head image extraction unit 65, an image evaluation unit 66, and a favorite degree recording unit 67, and can automatically extract the representative image 62 based on a predetermined condition. The leading image extraction unit 65 extracts the leading image from the thumbnail images 61 each grouped on one page. The image evaluation unit 66 evaluates the quality of each image based on the image data according to a predetermined evaluation method, for example, out-of-focus, image blurring, brightness, hue, and the like, and automatically assigns a score. . The favorite degree recording unit 67 records the favorite degree input by the user when each image is enlarged and displayed. The number of times each image has been enlarged and displayed is counted by the counter 68 and stored in the RAM 47, and the enlarged display time is measured by the timer 69, and the accumulated time is stored in the RAM 47.

  The representative image extraction circuit 54 can select a method for extracting the representative image 62 from the following five types. The first one is that the top image extraction unit 65 extracts the top one of each page as a representative image 62 (see FIG. 11). Second, the image with the highest score scored by the image evaluation unit 66 is the representative image 62 (see FIG. 7). The third one is the representative image 62 having the highest favorite frequency recorded in the favorite level recording unit 67 (see FIG. 8). The fourth is the representative image 62 which is stored in the RAM 47 and has the largest number of times of enlarged display (see FIG. 9). The fifth is that the image with the longest accumulated time stored in the RAM 47 is the representative image 62 (see FIG. 10).

  When the T button 17 or the W button 18 is pressed and the number determined by the image number determination circuit 52 is changed, the representative image extraction circuit 54 displays the representative image from each page collected on one page. 62 is extracted again. As shown in FIG. 26, when the T button 17 is pressed, the number of thumbnail images 61 displayed in the thumbnail image display area 57 is decreased by one level, and the representative image 62 of each page is newly extracted and the index image display area is displayed. The index image 63 displayed at 58 is updated. When the W button 18 is pressed, the number of thumbnail images 61 displayed in the thumbnail image display area 57 is increased by one level, and the representative image 62 is extracted again from each page and displayed in the index image display area 58. The image 63 is updated.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 13, the representative image 62 on the second page is the image # 13. However, when the number of images displayed on one page is reduced from 12 to 6, as shown in FIG. In addition, an image # 7 is newly extracted as the representative image 62 on the second page. When the number of images to be displayed is set to 1 by pressing the T button 17, the thumbnail image 61 selected at that time is displayed in the entire display area of the thumbnail image display area 57 (see FIG. 19).

  Further, the representative image extraction circuit 54 can select in advance the extraction method of the representative image 62 from the five methods. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, when the second method is selected, the image evaluation unit 66 evaluates and scores the quality of each image. When the evaluation value of the quality of each image is a score as shown in the upper left of each image, the image of # 30 having the highest score is extracted as the representative image 62. Further, as shown in FIG. 8, when the third method is selected, the highest evaluation score recorded in the favorite degree recording unit 67 is extracted as the representative image 62. If the evaluation score for is a score as shown in the upper right of each image, the image of # 31 with the highest score is extracted as the representative image 62.

  As shown in FIG. 9, when the fourth method is selected, the representative image 62 having the largest number of times of the enlarged display counted by the counter 68 and stored in the RAM 47 is used. When the number of times each image is enlarged and displayed is the number shown in the lower right of each image, the image of # 32 having the highest score is extracted as the representative image 62. As shown in FIG. 10, when the fifth method is selected, the RAM 47 stores the accumulated time of the time when each image measured by the timer 69 was enlarged and displayed, and the accumulated time. Is the representative image 62. When the accumulated time of each image is as shown in the lower left of each image, the longest # 34 image is extracted as the representative image 62.

  As shown in FIG. 27, a desired image can be quickly found by selecting one of the five representative image extraction methods as the representative image of each page. The total number of images Pa to be displayed and the number T of images displayed on one page are acquired, and the total number of pages (I) is obtained by Pa / T = I (rounded up), and the number of pages n is incremented by one. While increasing, a representative image is extracted for each page. For example, when the fifth method is selected as the representative image extraction method, the image with the longest accumulated time displayed on the page is automatically selected as the representative image 62 of the page. Extracted into

  According to the image display method of the present invention, thumbnail images generated by reducing a plurality of image data stored in the storage means are grouped into one page every predetermined number, and a plurality of thumbnail images grouped into one page are grouped. One thumbnail image is extracted as a representative image from a plurality of thumbnail images displayed on the thumbnail image display area of the display panel, and a predetermined number of index images of the extracted images are displayed on the display panel. A thumbnail on the display panel is displayed in the index image display area, and the thumbnail image on the display panel includes a thumbnail image of the same image as the index image arbitrarily selected from the index images displayed in the index image display area. Display them side by side in the image display area.

  When a thumbnail image other than the thumbnail image displayed in the thumbnail image display area is selected, a one-page thumbnail image including the selected thumbnail image is displayed in the thumbnail image display area, and the index image is selected. When the one-page thumbnail image displayed in the thumbnail image display area is updated, the index image corresponding to the representative image of the updated one-page thumbnail image is displayed as the selected index image.

  When there is no desired image among the plurality of thumbnail images 61 displayed in the thumbnail image display area 57, another index image 63 is selected from the index images 63 displayed in the index image display area 58, or By selecting a thumbnail image that is not displayed, the page of the thumbnail image 61 is updated and the page of the new thumbnail image 61 is displayed to search for a desired image.

  Next, image display by the image display device 50 will be described in accordance with an operation procedure. For example, the memory card 26 is loaded in the slot, and a plurality of image data recorded on the memory card 26 is read and recorded on the SDRAM 41. When the playback mode button 21 is pressed and the playback mode is selected, thumbnail images 61 of all the images are generated, and are combined into one page for each initial value or number already set.

  As shown in FIG. 11, when the set number of images is 12, all the image data are collected into 12 pages per page. From the twelve thumbnail images 61, the representative image extraction circuit 54 selects one predetermined image as the representative image 62. The method for extracting the representative image 62 is a method selected in advance from the above five methods. However, when the method for extracting the representative image 62 is not selected, the first method is automatically selected. Following the extraction of the representative image 62, an index file is created, from which eight index images 63 are sequentially extracted and displayed in the index image display area 58.

  The first page (# 1) of the eight index images 63 displayed in the index image display area 58 is displayed in the normal orientation and the image # 1 is included in the thumbnail image display area 57. Thumbnail images 61 are displayed. When there is no desired image in the displayed thumbnail image 61, the cursor 60 in the index image display area 58 is moved from the # 1 image displayed in the normal posture to the other index image 63 to thereby obtain the desired image. Find out.

  As shown in FIG. 25, when the cursor 60 is in the index image display area 58, when the cursor 60 is moved down, the thumbnail image 61 displayed in the thumbnail image display area 57 is the thumbnail image 61 of the next page. When the cursor 60 is moved upward, the thumbnail image displayed in the thumbnail image display area 57 is updated to the thumbnail image 61 of the previous page. When the cursor 60 is not in the index image display area 58, the cursor 60 can be returned to the index image display area 58 by operating the cursor switching button 22.

  When the cursor 60 in the thumbnail image display area 57 is moved up or down to move from the thumbnail image 61 displayed in the thumbnail image display area 57 to the thumbnail image 61 not displayed, the thumbnail image display area The thumbnail image 61 displayed in 57 is updated to the thumbnail image 61 of the previous or next page, and at the same time, the position of the normal posture image 64 displayed in the index image display area 58 is also the previous or next page. Move to index image 63.

  As shown in FIG. 12, by moving the cursor 60, it is possible to select an image to be enlarged and displayed from among a plurality of thumbnail images 61 displayed in the thumbnail image display area 57. When the cursor 60 is in the image # 1 (see FIG. 11), if the down arrow mark of the cross key button 24 is pressed three times, the cursor 60 moves to the position # 10. When the button is pressed again, the next page is displayed in the thumbnail image display area 57, and the cursor 60 moves to the position # 13. At the same time, the second index image # 13 is displayed in the normal posture image in the index image display area 58. 64 (see FIG. 13).

  As shown in FIG. 14, when the cross key button 24 is operated to move the cursor 60 to the thumbnail image 61 of # 32, the normal posture image 64 is changed in conjunction with this and the index image (page 3) of the third page is changed. # 25) is the normal posture image 64. The cross key button 24 presses the Δ mark portions marked on the top, bottom, left, and right of the cross key button 24 to move the cursor 60 among the plurality of thumbnail images 61 displayed in the thumbnail image display area 57 to any arbitrary direction. The left and right are “return” and “forward”, and when the left Δ mark is pressed when there is no image on the left side, the cursor 60 moves to the image on the right end of the previous row. For example, when the left triangle mark portion of the cross key button 24 is pressed twice when the cursor 60 is at # 32, the cursor 60 moves to # 30 at the right end of the front row (the cursor after the movement is not shown).

  When there is no desired image in the 12 thumbnail images 61 displayed in the thumbnail image display area 57, when the cursor switch button 22 is pressed, the cursor 60 moves to the normal posture image 64 in the index image 63. For example, when the cursor 60 is on the thumbnail image 61 # 41 (see FIG. 5) and the cursor switch button 22 is pressed, the cursor 60 is the fourth index image # 37 normal posture image 64 (FIG. 5). 15). When the ▽ mark portion below the cross key button 24 is pressed, the cursor 60 moves down by one and moves to # 49, which is the fifth index image, and # 49 becomes the normal posture image 64. At the same time as # 49 in the index image display area 58 becomes the normal posture image 64, one page with the thumbnail image of # 49 as a representative image is displayed in the thumbnail image display area 57 (see FIG. 16).

  By repeatedly pressing the ▽ mark below the cross key button 24, for example, thumbnail images 61 of # 253 to # 264 on page 22 are displayed in the thumbnail image display area 57 as shown in FIG. It can also be displayed. Then, a desired image is searched from among them. For example, when the cursor 60 is moved to the thumbnail image 61 of # 258 and the determination button 25 is pressed, as shown in FIG. The thumbnail image 61 of H.258 is enlarged and displayed. If the determination button 25 is pressed again in this state, the display state shown in FIG. 17 can be restored.

  Next, another embodiment will be described. The same components as those in the above embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted. As shown in FIG. 20, in the digital camera 70, the surface of the LCD display panel 71 is a touch panel, and a user's finger or an attached operation pen (see FIG. It is possible to perform an operation by touching the touch panel using, for example. In the operation unit 73, a cross key button 76 and a determination button 77 are used for selection and determination of each menu on the menu screen, and the touch panel is used to move the index image 63 and the thumbnail image 61.

  When an image other than the image displayed in the thumbnail image display area 57 is to be viewed, it is considered that the file is located near the image to be viewed from among the eight index images 63 displayed in the index image display area 58. When the index image 63 is searched and touched with the operation pen, the touched index image 63 becomes the normal posture image 64, and a page including the thumbnail image 61 of the same image as the normal posture image 64 is displayed in the thumbnail image display area 57. .

  For example, in the display state shown in FIG. 21, when the page including the thumbnail image 61 of the same image as the sixth index image 63 (# 61) in the index image is to be viewed, the sixth index image 63 is operated. When touched with the pen, the eight index images change as shown in FIG. 22 and the sixth index image becomes the normal posture image 64, and at the same time, twelve thumbnail images 61 displayed in the thumbnail image display area 57 are newly displayed. Replaced. Here, for example, when the image of # 66 is touched with the operation pen, the image of # 66 is enlarged and displayed in the entire display area of the LCD display panel 71 as shown in FIG. Here, when the triangle mark 81 on the left side of the enlarged image is touched with the operation pen, the state shown in FIG. 22 can be restored.

  When 1 is selected as the number of thumbnail images displayed by the T button 17, the image of # 66 is displayed in the entire thumbnail image display area 57 as shown in FIG. When the image # 66 is touched in this state, the image is enlarged and displayed in the entire display area of the LCD display panel 71 as shown in FIG. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 24, a triangular mark 80 may be provided on the left side of the thumbnail image display area 57, and the state shown in FIG.

  In the embodiment, the number of thumbnail images to be displayed in the thumbnail image display area 57 is set by the T button 17 and the W button 18 for zooming the photographic lens 12. You may make it set.

  In the above embodiment, the digital camera has been described. However, the image display device according to the present invention is not limited to being used in a digital camera, and is used as an image display function using a storage mounted on a personal computer. May be. Insert the storage medium storing the image search steps by the operation unit such as the cross key button or the touch panel described above into the personal computer, and use the mouse instead of the operation unit such as the cross key button or the touch panel to display the index image. It is also possible to search for a feed or a thumbnail image. It can also be employed in a portable image display device.

10, 70 Digital camera 16, 71 LCD display panel (display panel)
17 T button 18 W button 20 Shooting mode button 21 Playback mode button 22 Cursor switch button 24 Cross key button 25 Enter button 26 Memory card 29, 73 Operation unit 30 CPU
40 data bus 41 SDRAM (memory means)
46 ROM
47 RAM
50 image display device 51 thumbnail image generation circuit (thumbnail image generation means)
52 Image number determination circuit (image number determination means)
53 Thumbnail image collection circuit (thumbnail image collection means)
54 Representative image extraction circuit (representative image extraction means)
56 Index File Creation Circuit 57 Thumbnail Image Display Area 58 Index Image Display Area 59 Image Display Control Circuit 60 Cursor 61 Thumbnail Image 62 Representative Image 63 Index Image (Representative Image 62 Displayed in Index Image Display Area 58)
64 Positive posture image (one image selected from the index image 63)
65 First image extraction unit 66 Image evaluation unit 67 Favorite degree recording unit 68 Counter 69 Timer 80 to 83 Triangle mark

Claims (12)

A display panel for displaying a plurality of images based on a plurality of image data stored in the storage means;
Thumbnail image generation means for generating a thumbnail image by reducing the image data;
Image number determining means for determining the number of thumbnail images to be displayed at a time on the display panel;
Thumbnail image collecting means for combining the thumbnail images into one page for each number determined by the image number determining means;
Representative image extraction means for extracting one thumbnail image as a representative image from among the plurality of thumbnail images collected on the one page;
In the index image display area provided on the display panel, the same images as the representative image are sequentially arranged and displayed as an index image, and in conjunction with selection of one of the index images, Image display control means for displaying a thumbnail image of one page including a thumbnail image of the same image as the selected index image in a thumbnail image display area provided on the display panel;
An image display device comprising:   When a thumbnail image other than the thumbnail image displayed in the thumbnail image display area is selected, the image display control means displays a one-page thumbnail image including the selected thumbnail image in the thumbnail image display area. The image display device according to claim 1.   When the one-page thumbnail image displayed in the thumbnail image display area is updated without selecting the index image, the image display control means corresponds to the representative image of the updated one-page thumbnail image. 3. The image display device according to claim 2, wherein an index image to be automatically selected is selected.   The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the index image is displayed with a predetermined number as an upper limit.   4. The image display device according to claim 1, wherein all index images corresponding to all the extracted representative images are displayed in the index image display area.   The image display device according to claim 1, wherein the representative image extraction unit automatically extracts the representative image based on a predetermined condition.   7. The image display device according to claim 6, wherein the representative image extracting unit extracts a first thumbnail image as the representative image from a plurality of thumbnail images sequentially arranged on the one page.   7. The image display device according to claim 6, wherein the representative image extracting means extracts the one with the best image quality from the thumbnail images of the one page and makes it the representative image.   A favorite evaluation value is recorded in each of the images, and the representative image extracting means extracts the highest thumbnail evaluation value among the thumbnail images of the one page and sets it as the representative image. The image display device according to claim 6, wherein:   7. The image display device according to claim 6, wherein the representative image extracting unit extracts the thumbnail image having the largest number of times of the enlarged display from the thumbnail images of the one page and uses it as the representative image.   The accumulated time of the enlarged display is recorded in each of the images, and the representative image extracting means extracts the one with the longest accumulated time from the thumbnail images of the one page as the representative image. The image display device according to claim 6. Thumbnail images generated by performing reduction processing on a plurality of image data stored in the storage unit are grouped into one page every predetermined number, and a plurality of thumbnail images grouped into one page are displayed in a thumbnail image display area of the display panel Displayed on the
One thumbnail image is extracted as a representative image from a plurality of thumbnail images collected on one page, and a predetermined number of index images of the extracted images are displayed in the index image display area of the display panel.
The one-page thumbnail images including the thumbnail image of the same image as the index image arbitrarily selected from the index images displayed in the index image display area are sequentially arranged in the thumbnail image display area on the display panel. Display
When a thumbnail image other than the thumbnail image displayed in the thumbnail image display area is selected, a one-page thumbnail image including the selected thumbnail image is displayed in the thumbnail image display area;
When the one-page thumbnail image displayed in the thumbnail image display area is updated without selecting the index image, the index image corresponding to the representative image of the updated one-page thumbnail image is selected. An image display method characterized by displaying as an index image.

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