JP4119679B2 - Image browsing system - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention includes an image including a digital camera that acquires and records moving image information or still image information indicating a subject image, and an information processing apparatus that is connected to the digital camera and displays the image information in a viewable manner. Related to browsing system.
[0002]
[Prior art and problems to be solved by the invention]
In recent years, digital cameras that can record a moving image in addition to a still image and can be connected to an information processing apparatus such as a general personal computer (PC) have been commercialized. According to such a digital camera, by connecting to the information processing apparatus, a still image and a moving image that have been captured are displayed on the display included in the information processing apparatus, or the image data is included in the information processing apparatus. It can be stored in a recording device such as a hard disk.
[0003]
By the way, when viewing still images and moving images that have been taken from the PC side using such a digital camera, after transmitting each image data itself from the digital camera side to the PC side, The image corresponding to each image data is reduced and displayed at the same time, or an index image in which a predetermined number of browsing images are arranged in a predetermined layout on a single frame is often displayed. Has been done. However, the index image display processing on the PC side in this case is restricted depending on the data transfer rate of the transfer path connecting the digital camera and the PC because the data amount of the moving image is relatively large. There is. Therefore, in order to solve this problem, the index on the PC side is simply obtained by thinning out the original moving image data or transmitting the resized image data in order to relatively speed up the data transfer in the transfer path. The searchability of browsing images by image display has been improved (see, for example, JP-A-5-81349).
[0004]
However, in the above-described prior art, a significant reduction in image quality of the browse image displayed on the PC side is unavoidable, and the searchability of the image may be greatly reduced. In particular, in order to display a moving image while minimizing the deterioration in image quality on the PC side, it is necessary to ensure an optimal transfer image frame rate according to the data transfer state of the transfer path, It is preferable to reduce the amount of data transferred from the digital camera to the PC, which is required for displaying the index image on the side, as much as possible. By reducing the amount of transfer data for displaying the index image on the PC side as much as possible, the display response of the index image can be improved without depending on the frame rate of the transferred image. In order to increase the resolution of the image, it is possible to easily cope with an increase in the amount of data per frame of the transfer image.
[0005]
The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and in an information processing apparatus connected to a digital camera, an index image can be efficiently used for searching and browsing each piece of image information acquired by the digital camera. An object is to provide an image browsing system that can be displayed.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The invention according to claim 1 is a headline of image data in which a plurality of still images and a plurality of moving images composed of a plurality of moving image frames are mixedly captured by a digital camera, and the image data has a predetermined layout. An index image in which the still image and the moving image frame are arranged with a gap as a non-image area, and attribute text indicating attribute information is displayed in a gap below each of the still image and the moving image frame. A corresponding combined reduced image is transmitted to an information processing apparatus, and the index image is displayed while reproducing a still image as a still image and a moving image as a moving image from the combined reduced image in the information processing apparatus. an image viewing system, the digital camera, the moving picture frame of the moving image extracted based on the effective data rate of the transfer path, Serial and synthetic generation means for generating the composite reduced image is omitted the gap in the order that is extracted together with the still image is arranged in each in correspondence to said predetermined layout included in the index image, streaming the composite reduced image And a relative arrangement of the extracted still image and the extracted moving image frame corresponding to the predetermined layout when the composite reduced image is transmitted by the image transmitting unit. Transmission control means for maintaining and controlling to sequentially transmit the composite reduced images generated for each of the extracted moving image frames.
[0008]
According to the first aspect of the present invention, the composite reduced image corresponding to the index image that is a heading of the still image and the moving image captured by the digital camera is transmitted to the information processing device, and the information processing device Is displayed as a still image and moving image data is displayed as a moving image, so that an index image for browsing the contents of each image information can be efficiently displayed. As a result, operations such as retrieval of each image information Efficiency can be improved.
Further, when generating a composite reduced image corresponding to the index image, the data transfer efficiency when the index image is sequentially displayed in the information processing apparatus can be improved by omitting the gap between the predetermined areas.
Further, even when a moving image is included, data transfer with a significantly reduced transfer data amount can be performed while suppressing deterioration of the image quality, and an index image can be displayed efficiently.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, when the specific still image or the moving image is selected from the index image, the selected still image or the unreduced image data of the moving image is used as the image data. It further has a function of transmitting from the digital camera to the image processing apparatus and displaying the enlarged image on the image processing apparatus.
[0009]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
[0010]
FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of an image browsing system 10 according to the present embodiment. This image browsing system 10 includes a digital camera 11 described later, and software for performing predetermined processing on various types of image data including moving images and still images and displaying them on the display 30A. A personal computer (PC) main body 30 having a general configuration (including a CPU, a memory, a hard disk, a data input device, a data communication device, etc.) mounted thereon, and the digital camera 11 and the PC main body 30. Are connected by a USB transfer path 28 constituted by a USB (Universal Serial Bus) standard cable, and various data can be exchanged via the USB transfer path 28. Although the details will be described later, the digital camera 11 is configured so that an external recording medium 32 having portability can be mounted, and each image of a still image or a moving image obtained by photographing is recorded on the external recording medium 32. Each data can be stored in a predetermined file format so as to be readable and writable. As the external recording medium 32, a portable recording medium such as a smart medium (SmartMedia®), a compact flash (CompactFlash), an ATA (AT Attachment) card, a floppy disk or the like can be adopted.
[0011]
FIG. 2 shows a schematic configuration of the digital camera 11. The digital camera 11 includes a CPU 12, which is a main control unit for the overall operation of the digital camera 11, an imaging system control unit 14, an image compression / expansion unit 16, an LCD control unit 18 that performs display control of a liquid crystal display (LCD) 18A, A built-in memory 20, a communication interface (communication I / F) 22, and a media interface (media I / F) 24 are main components, and each is connected via a bus 26 so that various data can be exchanged.
[0012]
The imaging system control unit 14 controls an imaging system (not shown) for capturing a subject image, selects and captures the subject image as a moving image or a still image, and corresponds to the subject image. It is for acquiring as digital image data.
[0013]
The image compression / decompression unit 16 is for compressing the digital image data in a predetermined image compression format and decompressing the compressed digital image data in accordance with the compression format. In the present embodiment, as the predetermined image compression format, a JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) format is adopted for digital image data of still images, and AVI ( Audio Video Interleaved) format.
[0014]
An LCD 18A is connected to the LCD control unit 18, and display control of various information on the LCD 18A is performed.
[0015]
The built-in memory 20 includes a RAM that temporarily stores digital image data obtained mainly by photographing, and a ROM that stores various control programs, predetermined parameters, and the like in advance. The RAM is also used as a work area during compression / decompression processing by the image compression / decompression unit 16.
[0016]
The media I / F 24 is for relaying various data exchanges with the external recording medium 32 for storing digital image data obtained by photographing. The reading of various data written in the external recording medium 32 is controlled.
[0017]
The communication I / F 22 is for relaying transmission / reception of various data to / from the PC main body 30 via the USB transfer path 28, and an effective transfer rate value in the USB transfer path 28 transmitted from the PC main body 30 side. In addition, reception of image size information (requested image size information) to be displayed on the display 30A and data transmission related to an index image to be described later are controlled.
[0018]
In the image browsing system 10 according to the present embodiment, digital image data of each image displayed on the PC main body 30 side for browsing a plurality of moving images and still images obtained by photographing with the digital camera 11. The index image in which the image information corresponding to is arranged in a predetermined layout is created.
[0019]
For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the index image S1 created here is a reduced image (reduced still image P1 to P1) corresponding to each of the moving image and still image digital image data on the base frame image F. P5 and the reduced moving image (first frame image) M1 to M4) and attribute texts T1 to T9 (text information indicating attribute information such as image data file names) are defined in the predetermined layout (this embodiment). Here, a total of nine reduced images are arranged in the vertical and horizontal directions, and a layout in which attribute text is arranged below each reduced image).
[0020]
When the index image is displayed on the PC main body 30 side in the image browsing system 10 according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the digital camera 11 stores the index image in the external recording medium 32 in a predetermined file format. Digital image data corresponding to a moving image and a still image is read via the media I / F 24, decompressed by the image compression / decompression unit 16, and first temporarily stored in the built-in memory 20.
[0021]
Further, a reduced image corresponding to each digital image data temporarily stored in the built-in memory 20 is generated. Here, for the digital image data corresponding to the still image, reduced still images (P1 to P5) obtained by reducing the original still image to a predetermined size are generated. For digital image data corresponding to a moving image, a reduced moving image is formed, and a plurality of frame images constituting the original moving image are extracted at predetermined extraction intervals. Reduced frame images obtained by reducing the image to a predetermined size (for example, reduced frame images M1 to M4 for the first frame, reduced frame images M1A to M4A for the second frame, reduced frame images M1B to M4B for the third frame, etc.) are generated. . Note that the extraction interval for extracting the frame image from the original moving image is set based on the effective transfer rate value in the USB transfer path 28.
[0022]
Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the generated reduced still images P1 to P5 and the reduced frame images M1 to M4 of the first frame constituting the respective reduced moving images are arranged without gaps so as to correspond to the predetermined layout. A composite reduced image G1 that is arranged and combined as one image is created.
[0023]
Similarly, the reduced still images P1 to P5 and the second reduced frame images M1A to M4A constituting each reduced moving image are arranged side by side without a gap so as to correspond to the predetermined layout as one image. The combined reduced image G2 is created, and the reduced still images P1 to P5 and the reduced frame images M1B to M4B of the third frame constituting the respective reduced moving images are formed without gaps so as to correspond to the predetermined layout. A composite reduced image G3 that is arranged side by side and combined as one image is created, and, in the same manner as the composite reduced images G1 to G3, the reduced still images P1 to P5 and the four frames constituting each reduced moving image are formed. A plurality of combined reduced images are created using each reduced frame image after the first eye. It should be noted that the data amounts of these combined reduced images G1, G2, G3,... Are set based on the requested image size information.
[0024]
As shown in FIG. 4, each of the combined reduced images G1, G2, G3,... Created by the digital camera 11 is the PC main body at a transfer rate set based on the effective transfer rate value in the USB transfer path 28. Isochronous transfer to 30 side (streaming transmission).
[0025]
On the PC main body 30 side, as shown in FIG. 4, when the composite reduced image G1 is streamed from the digital camera 11, the reduced still images P1 to P5 and the reduced moving images included in the composite reduced image G1 are transmitted. By arranging the first reduced frame images M1 to M4 constituting the frame image F in the predetermined layout, an index image S1 is created and displayed on the display 30A.
[0026]
Further, when the composite reduced image G2 is transmitted by streaming from the digital camera 11, the reduced still images P1 to P5 included in the composite reduced image G2 and the second reduced frame images M1A to M1 constituting the respective reduced moving images. By arranging M4A on the frame image F in the predetermined layout, an index image S2 is created and displayed on the display 30A.
[0027]
Furthermore, when the composite reduced image G3 is streamed from the digital camera 11, the reduced still images P1 to P5 included in the combined reduced image G3 and the reduced frame image M1B of the third frame constituting each reduced moving image are included. -M4B is arranged on the frame image F in the predetermined layout so that an index image S3 is created and displayed on the display 30A.
[0028]
For the subsequent combined reduced images, each index image is created and displayed on the display 30A in the same manner as the combined reduced images G1, G2, and G3 described above.
[0029]
Next, the operation of the present embodiment will be described. Here, the following processing routines will be described with reference to FIG.
[0030]
In the image browsing system 10 according to the present embodiment, the digital camera 11 executes the processing routine shown in FIG.
[0031]
First, in step 100, the requested transfer size value indicating the effective transfer rate value in the USB transfer path 28 and the display image size displayed on the display 30A is acquired from the PC body 30 side, and based on the acquired requested image size information. Each data amount of each of the combined reduced images G1, G2, G3,... Is set, and the transfer rate of each of the combined reduced images G1, G2, G3,... Is set based on the acquired effective transfer rate value. .
[0032]
In the next step 102, it is determined whether or not a moving image is included in each reduced image constituting the index image to be created. If a negative determination is made, the process proceeds to step 106 described later. Proceeding to step 104, frame images constituting each moving image are extracted at an extraction interval corresponding to the transfer rate of each combined reduced image G1, G2, G3,. A reduced frame image is generated. Note that, as the length of moving image extraction, a time zone during which the contents can be confirmed from the beginning of the file may be set.
[0033]
In the next step 106, the reduced still images P1 to P5 generated by reducing the still image to a predetermined size are used, and for the moving image, the first frame constituting each reduced moving image obtained in step 104 is reduced. Using the frame images M1 to M4, the composite reduced image G1 is created according to the data amount set in the step 100, and similarly, the reduced still images P1 to P5 are used and the moving image is obtained in the step 104. Using the first reduced frame images M1A to M4A constituting each reduced moving image, a combined reduced image G2 is created according to the data amount set in step 100 above. The composite reduced image G3 and subsequent composite reduced images are also created in the same manner as the composite reduced images G1 and G2.
[0034]
In the next step 108, the created composite reduced images G1, G2, G3,... Are streamed to the PC main body 30 at the transfer rate set in step 100, and this processing routine is terminated.
[0035]
In the PC main body 30, the processing routine shown in FIG. 6 is executed.
[0036]
First, in step 200, it is determined whether or not the composite reduced image G1 (, G2, G3,...) Stream-transmitted from the digital camera 11 has been received. If a negative determination is made, the process proceeds to step 206 described later. In the case of an affirmative determination, the process proceeds to the next step 202, and from the combined reduced image G1 (, G2, G3,...) Using the received combined reduced image G1 (, G2, G3,...). Reduced still images P1 to P5 obtained and reduced frame images M1 to M4 of the first frame constituting each reduced moving image (second reduced frame images M1A to M4A constituting each reduced moving image, each reduced moving image) ..) Are arranged in the above-described predetermined layout, and the next step 204 is performed. In step 204, the index images S1 (, S2, S3,...) Arranged with the third reduced frame images M1B to M4B,. Seen, the index images S1, which is created to display at (, S2, S3, · · ·) of the display 30A, the process proceeds to step 206.
[0037]
If the user instructs the PC main body 30 or the digital camera 11 to end index image display, an affirmative determination is made in step 206 above, and the index image display is ended by ending this processing routine. To do.
[0038]
On the other hand, if the user has not instructed the PC main body 30 or the digital camera 11 to end index image display, a negative determination is made in step 206, the process returns to step 200, and the above process is repeated.
[0039]
Therefore, on the PC main body 30 side, index images displayed on the display 30A are sequentially created and displayed based on the respective composite reduced images G1, G2, G3,. The amount of data transferred from the digital camera 11 to the PC main body 30 can be reduced, and the index image can be displayed favorably on the PC main body 30. In this way, the reduced moving image in the index image displayed on the PC main body 30 side can be displayed with movement, and the contents can be easily confirmed. Note that when a video to be viewed is selected from the index image displayed here, the selected moving image or still image may be enlarged and displayed. Also in this case, only the selected image may be transmitted by streaming, or may be transmitted by download. When the transfer rate of the USB transfer path 28 depends on the communication I / F 22 of the digital camera 11, transmission may be performed at a transfer rate defined on the digital camera 11 side.
[0040]
As described above, according to the image browsing system according to the present embodiment, even when a moving image is included in the index image displayed on the PC main body side, the transfer data amount is reduced while suppressing the deterioration of the image quality. Data transfer can be greatly reduced, and index images can be displayed efficiently.
[0041]
In the present embodiment, the case where the digital camera 11 and the PC main body 30 are connected by USB has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a mode of connecting by wired communication other than USB (for example, IEEE 1394) or wireless communication (For example, Bluetooth, IrDA, etc.) may be used. Also in this case, the same effects as in the present embodiment can be obtained.
[0042]
In the present embodiment, the case where the JPEG format and the AVI format are adopted as the compression format of the digital image data has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the M-JPEG (Motion-JPEG) format or MPEG (Moving Picture) is used. Other compression formats such as Experts Group) format may be employed. Also in this case, the same effects as in the present embodiment can be obtained.
[0043]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, from the digital camera side, the transmission image including each browsing image included in the index image is sequentially transmitted, and the information processing device uses each transmission image. Each time an image is received, the index image is created and displayed sequentially based on each browsing image included in the transmission image. In the information processing apparatus connected to the digital camera, Since each image information acquired by the digital camera is searched and browsed, an image browsing system capable of efficiently displaying an index image can be provided.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an image browsing system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a digital camera according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an example of an index image according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an example of data transfer related to an index image between the digital camera and the PC according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a flow of image transfer processing according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a flow of image display processing according to the embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
10 image browsing system 11 digital camera 12 CPU
16 Image compression / decompression unit 20 Built-in memory 22 Communication I / F
24 Media I / F
26 Bus 28 USB transfer path 30 PC body 30A Display 32 External recording medium

Claims (2)

It becomes a headline of image data obtained by mixing a plurality of still images and a plurality of moving images composed of a plurality of moving image frames by a digital camera, and each of the still images and the moving image frames has a predetermined layout. A composite reduced image corresponding to an index image arranged with a gap which is a non-image area and having attribute text indicating attribute information displayed in a gap below each of the still image and the moving image frame. Send to
In the information processing apparatus, the index image is displayed while reproducing the still image from the composite reduced image as a still image and the moving image as a moving image.
It an image viewing system characterized,
The digital camera is
The moving image frames extracted based on the effective transfer rate of the transfer path are extracted together with the still images included in the index image in the order in which they are extracted, and the gaps are omitted to correspond to the predetermined layout. Synthesis generating means for generating the arranged reduced composite image;
Image transmission means for streaming transmission of the composite reduced image;
When the composite reduced image is transmitted by the image transmission means, the relative arrangement of the still image arranged in correspondence with the predetermined layout and the extracted moving image frame is maintained and extracted. Transmission control means for controlling to sequentially transmit the composite reduced image generated for each moving image frame;
An image browsing system. When a specific still image or moving image is selected from the index image, the selected still image or the unreduced image data of the moving image is transmitted from the digital camera to the image processing device. The image browsing system according to claim 1 , further comprising a function of performing enlarged display on the image processing apparatus.

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