JP3171885B2 - Image reproducing method and apparatus - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image reproducing method and apparatus, and more particularly, to an image reproducing method and apparatus for retrieving and reproducing recorded image data.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, art museums and the like, which are capable of filing paintings of famous painters as high-definition image data and searching for favorite paintings on a monitor, have been increasing. Further, a method of recording high-definition image data on a large-capacity storage medium, for example, an optical disk or a magneto-optical disk, and reproducing the data as necessary has been considered.

[0003]

However, the still image recording / reproducing system described in the above-mentioned conventional example, when viewed from the user or viewer side of the system, performs normal search, forward search, and reverse search. Since various functions such as searching and pausing are required, there is a problem that the system operation procedure is complicated. This causes an increase in user's operation mistakes, and therefore, improvement in operability has been demanded.
Furthermore, since the amount of information of each still image is large, it takes a considerable amount of time to search, decode, and display the compressed image signals of many transmitted still images. It was desired to reduce the time.

[0004] The present invention has been made in view of the above conventional example, and has as its object to provide an image reproducing method and an image reproducing method capable of improving operability by a user and performing high-speed search display.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, an image reproducing method according to the present invention comprises the following steps. That is, an instruction step of instructing an arbitrary image to be reproduced and displayed from a plurality of image data recorded on the recording medium,
An image having a reproduction storage step of searching the recording medium based on an instruction in the instruction step, reproducing image data to be reproduced and displayed, and image data related to the data, and storing the image data in a buffer for storing data of one screen. An image reproducing method, characterized by reproducing an image data related to the specified image after waiting for a predetermined time after the instruction.

According to another aspect of the present invention, an instruction means for instructing an arbitrary image to be reproduced and displayed from a plurality of image data recorded on the recording medium, and the recording medium is stored on the basis of the instruction by the instruction means. An image reproducing apparatus having reproduction storage means for reproducing image data to be searched, reproduced and displayed, and image data related to the data, and storing the image data in a buffer for storing data of one screen. An image reproducing apparatus characterized by reproducing image data related to the designated image after waiting for a time.

[0007]

According to the present invention, when an arbitrary image is designated and reproduced and displayed by the instructing means, the present invention waits for a predetermined time after the instruction by the instructing means, and waits for a predetermined time before the image related to the image designated by the instructing means. Operate to play data.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a still picture recording / reproducing apparatus which is a typical embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a search terminal, which is used when a user searches for image information for the purpose of image editing or the like. For example,
When a page number is input to the terminal for each screen, a screen corresponding to the page number is finally displayed on the monitor 8. Reference numeral 2 denotes a data storage unit using a magneto-optical disk as a storage medium, and a picture signal compressed by high-efficiency coding (for example, block coding using DCT) received from a still image broadcast, for each screen, that is, for each page. File to The image signal is assigned a page number for each screen, and data is stored in a searchable format. Reference numeral 3 denotes a decoding unit which decodes recording data and converts it into an original image, and then inputs it to one of a plurality of frame memories (FM). In this embodiment, three frame memories 5 to 7 are used. When an image is displayed on the monitor 8, writing to the frame memory is performed such that an image having continuity with the display image is decoded and written to a frame memory other than the frame memory in which the display image is stored. Controlled.

Reference numeral 4 denotes a CPU, which executes a still image reproduction process to be described later, and controls switches (SW) 9 to 10 to determine which frame memory the decoded data is to be written from among the frame memories 5 to 7. Select,
Select the contents of the frame memory to be displayed on the monitor 8. 11 is a ROM for storing various control programs such as a still image reproduction processing program to be described later, 12 is a RAM used as a work area for various control programs, 13
Is a receiving circuit for receiving a compressed still image signal.

Next, a still image reproducing process executed by the still image recording / reproducing apparatus having the above configuration will be described with reference to a flowchart shown in FIG. Here, the data storage unit 2
, Still image data corresponding to a large number of screens has already been accumulated through the receiving circuit 13, and one still image is displayed on the monitor 8. Then, a description will be given of a case of forward search, that is, a case where an image having a page number larger than an image having a smaller page number is searched and an image is reproduced and displayed.

First, in step S 1, a command for searching for an image having a page number larger than the page number of the image being displayed on the monitor 8 is input from the search terminal 1. For example, an image of page number 5 is displayed on the monitor 8,
The user of the device can use the search terminal 1 to search for pages 6 and 7 or 1
It is assumed that a command to search for an image on page 00 is input. Next, in step S3, it is checked whether or not the image of the designated page number has already been written to any of the two frame memories other than the one being displayed.

If it is determined that the image of the designated page number has not been written to any frame memory, the process proceeds to step S5. In step S5, the write frame memory is determined, the switch (SW) 9 is switched, and the write frame memory and decoding are combined. In step S7, the decoding unit 3 reads the image signal corresponding to the designated page from the data storage unit 2, sequentially decodes the image signal into an original image, and writes the decoded image into the determined frame memory. Step S
In S9, it is determined whether or not the decoding process of the designated page is completed. Decoding unit 3 and the decoding process is completed the end-of-page (EOP: E nd o f P age) purport to tell CPU4 of.

In response, the CPU 4 proceeds to step S11
To switch the switch (SW) 10 to connect the monitor 8 with the frame memory in which the designated page is written, and display the image of the designated page on the monitor 8. In steps S13 and S15, the images of the designated page number +1 and the designated page number +2 are output to each of the two frame memories other than those used for image display. As a result, an image expected to be next requested by the user is written into the frame memory, and the image display is performed only by switching the frame memory.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing how three frame memories are used. In this embodiment, the frame memories 5 to 7 are 5
It is used cyclically as → 6 → 7 → 5 → 6 →. For example, if the image written in the frame memory 7 is currently displayed, the next image is written in the frame memory 5, the next is updated in the frame memory 6, and finally the frame memory 7 is updated with the new image. Will be.

If it is determined in step S3 that the image of the designated page number has already been written to the frame memory, the process proceeds to step S17. In step S17, the frame memory in which the image to be displayed is written is selected. Subsequently, in step S19, the switch (SW) 10 is switched to connect the selected frame memory to the monitor 8 and display the image of the designated page. I do.

Next, in step S21, it is checked whether or not the image of the page next to the designated page has already been written in a frame memory other than the frame memory in which the image being displayed has been written. If it is determined that the image of the next page has not been written, the process proceeds to step S2.
Proceeding to 3, the execution of image writing for the next page is delayed by a certain time. Thereafter, the process proceeds to steps S13 and S15, and the images of the next page and the next page are written in the remaining two frame memories, respectively. On the other hand, if it is determined that the image of the next page has already been written to the frame memory, the process proceeds to step S25, and execution of writing the image of the next page is delayed by a certain time. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S15, and the image of the next page is written into the remaining one frame memory.

The steps S23 and S
The delay processing of the image writing of the next page and the next page indicated by reference numeral 25 allows the apparatus user to input a new instruction for recovering the erroneous operation. For example,
Assume that the user of the apparatus instructs a search in order of pages 5, 6, and 7 in order to perform a forward search. However, suppose that the user has noticed that the seventh page is unnecessary and ordered the search of the sixth page again. Here, if the apparatus does not have the delay processing shown in steps S23 and S25, the frame memory becomes image data of pages 7, 8, and 9, and the screen of page 6 has already been rewritten to the screen of page 9. I will. That is, when the forward search is commanded, the frame memory in which the image of the page number smaller than the designated page is written is immediately rewritten to a new page. The same can be said for the backward search. However, if the above-mentioned delay processing is performed, if the user notices an erroneous operation within the delay time, the search command can be canceled and erroneous rewriting of the frame memory can be prevented.

Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the number of users of the apparatus is one.
When performing a one-page sequential search, such as a page screen search, a two-page screen search, a three-page screen search, a four-page screen search,..., Images can be displayed simply by switching the frame memory, and the waiting time for decoding processing is reduced. can do. Further, the rewriting of the frame memory is slightly delayed by the delay processing of the image writing of the next page and the next page shown in steps S23 and S25 described above, and during this time, if the apparatus user notices an erroneous operation, a new correct operation is performed. Thereby, erroneous rewriting of the frame memory can be prevented.

In this embodiment, a description has been given of a forward page search, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a reverse page search or a two-way page search is also possible. In other words, for the frame memories other than the one being displayed, the image of the smaller page number or
The forward page and the reverse page of the displayed screen can be written simultaneously.

The present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention can be applied to a case where data satisfying a predetermined conditional expression is sequentially reproduced as a search. That is, in the present embodiment, the case where the search is performed based on the concept of the arrangement of pages has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, depending on the type of the stored image and the use of the user, the continuity of the search screen is not limited to the arrangement of the pages, but may be configured in the order of the use frequency of the screen.

Further, the present invention is not limited to the type of recording medium.

The present invention may be applied to a system composed of a plurality of devices, or may be applied to an apparatus composed of one device. Needless to say, the present invention can be applied to a case where the present invention is achieved by supplying a program to a system or an apparatus.

[0024]

As described above, according to the present invention, the image related to the designated image is reproduced in advance in consideration of the continuity of the image search, and the reproduced image designated by the instruction means is stored. Since the reproduced image is stored in an area different from the area, it is possible to display the search image at high speed. In addition, the search for the next image to be searched for in advance, and the reproduction and storage thereof are performed after a predetermined period of time after the instruction by the instruction means. Therefore, if the user notices an instruction error, the recovery instruction is issued. There is an effect that can be.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an image reproducing apparatus that is a typical embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an image reproduction process executed by a CPU.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a state of a frame memory used cyclically.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Search terminal 2 Storage part 3 Decoding part 4 CPU 5-7 Frame memory 8 Monitor 9 Monitor switch 10 Frame memory switch

Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ identification code FI H04N 1/21 H04N 1/21 (58) Investigated field (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G06T 1/00 G06T 11/60-17 / 50 G06F 3/00 G06F 3/14-3/153 G06F 17/30 G09G 5/00-5/40 H04N 1/21

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] An instruction step of designating an arbitrary image to be reproduced and displayed from a plurality of image data recorded on a recording medium; and searching and reproducing and displaying the recording medium based on an instruction in the instruction step. An image playback method comprising: playing back image data and image data related to the data, and storing the image data in a buffer for storing data of one screen, and after a predetermined time after the instruction, An image reproducing method for reproducing image data related to a designated image. 2. Instructing means for instructing an arbitrary image to be reproduced and displayed from a plurality of image data recorded on a recording medium, and searching and reproducing and displaying the recording medium based on an instruction from the instructing means. An image reproducing apparatus comprising: a reproduction storage unit that reproduces image data and image data related to the data, and stores the image data in a buffer that stores data of one screen. An image reproducing apparatus for reproducing image data related to a designated image.