JP4500737B2 - Image playback device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image reproducing apparatus that reproduces search image data recorded on an information track formed in an oblique direction of a storage medium, particularly a magnetic tape, and generates an index image.

  In recent years, like digital video cameras capable of high-definition recording, it has become possible to record / reproduce image and audio data using advanced compression methods such as the MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group) method. . According to this method, in particular, in a digital VTR (Video Tape Recorder) that performs high-quality recording using the MPEG method on a magnetic tape, in order to perform variable speed playback (search playback) other than normal playback, it is different from that for normal playback. A method for recording dedicated data for search reproduction in this area has already been proposed (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). In these methods, the search-dedicated data can be read and displayed by a high-speed search such as 8 times or 24 times the normal speed.

  According to these proposals, search image data for 8 × playback is obtained by using one image for one GOP (Group Of Picture) consisting of 15 frames composed of an I picture, a P picture, and a B picture. Recording is distributed over the top 150 tracks (tape length for 15 frames). The search image data for 24 × speed reproduction records one image for 4 GOP on the tape in a distributed manner over 600 tracks on the tape (60 frames = tape length for 4 GOP). The recording position on the track is a sync block position along the trace traced by the magnetic head for reading data from the tape when the tape is conveyed at a speed of 8 times or 24 times.

  FIG. 1 shows an area layout on the track of search image data. The search image data at 8 × speed has a set of data written for every 16 tracks. When the tape is transported at the normal / reverse 8 × speed as shown in the figure, (−) azimuth magnetic head A data recording area is provided at a position along the locus (tilt) for tracing the track pattern. Accordingly, all search image data can be read even in the 8 × speed mode.

  Next, a search image data reproduction circuit for reading and displaying such search image data will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG. 1-1 is a cassette tape, 1-2 is a reproduction amplifier that amplifies reproduction data reproduced from the magnetic head, 1-3 is an A / D converter that converts the amplified reproduction data into a digital signal, and 1-4 Is an SDRAM in which digital data output from the A / D converter (1-3) is written, and 1-5 is a read data storage area provided on the SDRAM. 1-6 is an error correction circuit for correcting an error in the read data, and 1-7 is a search image provided on the SDRAM (1-4) by taking out search image data from the data read from the tape. A search image generation circuit that writes data in the data storage area (1-8) in a configuration corresponding to a screen format (see FIG. 3) to be described later. 1-9 is a search stored in the search image data storage area (1-8). It is a D / A converter that takes out image data, converts it into an analog signal, and outputs it to a monitor (not shown).

  In the high-speed search mode, the search image data read from the magnetic tape is reproduced using the reproduction circuit as described above, so that 15 frames / 8 (time) ≈0.06 [seconds] at 8 times speed. In addition, it is possible to continuously display search images at an update rate of about one screen.

Several proposals have been made for the screen configuration of such a search image, but with reference to FIG. 3, the effective pixels of luminance data are horizontal × vertical 1440 × 1080, and the effective pixels of color difference data are horizontal. A case will be described in which the format of a reproduced image that is 720 × 540 in × vertical is converted into search image data. In this example, the above-described resolution image data is converted into horizontal 90 × vertical 68 macroblock (MB) image data. In this case, the 1 MB configuration includes luminance information obtained by arranging two luminance blocks of 8 pixels × 8 pixels in the horizontal / vertical direction and color difference information (Cr and Cb) of 8 pixels × 8 pixels corresponding to the block. It is a combination. By compressing these pieces of information from normal image information and converting them into a short data length, it becomes possible to record in a relatively narrow search image data area as described in FIG. 1 (see, for example, Patent Document 1). .)
JP 2002-209179 A JP 2002-314941 A

  In the previous proposals as described above, conventionally, there has been no effective utilization method except that the search image data is used only during high-speed search reproduction in which the magnetic tape is reproduced while being conveyed at high speed. Conventionally, there is no effective means for immediately knowing what scene is recorded in the cassette tape.

  The present invention has been made in view of the problems as described above, and provides a mechanism for immediately knowing what scene is recorded in a recording medium by effectively using the above-described search image. An object of the present invention is to provide an image reproducing apparatus configured to selectively display an index image of a scene recorded in a recording medium and a normal reproduced image.

  Another object of the present invention is to generate the index image using search image data reproduced during normal reproduction or search reproduction.

In order to solve the above problems, an image reproducing apparatus according to the present invention is an image reproducing apparatus for reproducing data from a recording medium in which image data for normal reproduction and search image data for search reproduction are recorded. The reproduction means for reproducing the data including the image data and the search image data, and the image data included in the data reproduced by the reproduction means when the image data is normally reproduced at normal speed at a single speed. Storage means for extracting and storing the search image data included in the data ; instruction means for instructing generation of an index image representing the image data by a predetermined number of reduced images; and in response to an instruction from the instruction means When the index image is generated, the recording end position of the recording medium is searched and the time code value at the recording end position is read. Then, search reproduction that is reverse to the normal reproduction is performed, and search image data that is located at an interval determined according to the time code value and the predetermined number of images is not stored in the storage means. A search reproduction means for extracting image data and storing it in the storage means; and an index image in which the predetermined number of reduced images are arranged using the search image data stored in the storage means by the normal reproduction and the search reproduction. Index image generating means for generating data, a display image related to the normally reproduced image data, a display image related to the search reproduced image data, and the index generated by the index image generating means And a selection means for selectively displaying a display image related to the image data on a monitor. To.

According to the present invention, as a reproduced image displayed on the monitor, a user can arbitrarily select a normal reproduced image, a search reproduced image, and an index image. Further, since the index image can be generated using the search image data extracted by the normal reproduction and the search reproduction in the reverse direction , the index image can be efficiently generated.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(First embodiment)
As an example of the image reproducing apparatus of the present invention, an embodiment in which the present invention is implemented with a digital video camera will be described. Hereinafter, the operation during reproduction will be described.

  FIG. 4 is an electrical block diagram of the digital video camera according to the present embodiment. 4-1 is mounted on the mechanical deck, 1-1 is mounted on the mechanical deck (4-1), and the search image data is displayed in the format shown in FIG. It is a cassette tape of a recorded recording medium. A reproduction amplifier 1-2 amplifies a reproduction signal reproduced from the magnetic head, and an A / D converter 1-3 converts the amplified reproduction signal into digital data (reproduction data).

  1-4 is an SDRAM in which the reproduction data output from the A / D converter (1-3) is written, and 1-5 is a read data storage area provided on the SDRAM (1-4). Reference numeral 1-6 denotes an error correction circuit for correcting an error in the reproduction data stored in the read data storage area (1-5). 4-2 is a time code reading circuit for reading the time code of the reproduction data stored in the read data storage area (1-5).

  Reference numeral 1-7 extracts search image data from the reproduction data stored in the read data storage area (1-5), and stores it in the search image data storage area (1-8) secured on the SDRAM (1-4). 3 is a search image generation circuit for writing with a configuration corresponding to the screen format as in FIG. 4-3 reads out the search image data stored in the search image data storage area (1-8), reduces the search image data to a predetermined size, and generates an index image generation area (4) secured on the SDRAM (1-4). -4) is an image reduction circuit for writing the generated reduced image data at the designated address. Reference numeral 4-4 denotes an index image generation area for collecting and storing a plurality of reduced search image data as index image data.

  4-14 is an image processing circuit that reads reproduction data stored in the read data storage area (1-5) and performs predetermined image processing such as MPEG decoding processing, and 4-15 is a search image data storage area (1- This is an image processing circuit that reads the search image data stored in 8) and performs predetermined image processing such as size adjustment. 4-13 is a normal reproduction, that is, a reproduction image related to reproduction data reproduced at a normal speed is displayed, a reproduction image related to search reproduction search image data is displayed, or the generated index image data is displayed. Switching means for selecting input data according to whether or not to display such an index image. When displaying a normal reproduction image, input from the image processing circuit (4-14), when displaying a search image, input from the image processing circuit (4-15), and when displaying an index image, an index image is displayed. Each input from the generation area (4-4) is selected and output to the D / A converter (1-9). The display image signal converted into an analog signal by the D / A converter (1-9) is output to a monitor (not shown) and displayed there.

  A JPEG codec 4-5 performs JPEG compression / expansion processing on the index image data stored in the index image generation area (4-4). The JPEG-compressed index image data is written into an index image file storage area (4-6) provided on the SDRAM (1-4). Further, the index image file can be recorded from the index image file storage area (4-6) to the storage device 4-12 using a non-volatile flash memory or the like.

  Reference numeral 4-10 denotes a microcomputer, which controls the operation of each unit shown in FIG. Further, the microcomputer (4-10) receives an operation instruction from the user from the key input unit (4-9), and performs control based on the user instruction. The user can instruct normal reproduction, search reproduction, or index reproduction from the key input unit (4-9). When the user instructs display of the index image during normal reproduction or search reproduction, the microcomputer (4-10) controls to display the index image.

  Next, the operation when generating an index image will be described in detail. Search image data necessary for generating an index image is reproduced during normal reproduction or by executing search reproduction in the index image generation mode.

  During normal reproduction, main image data (MPEG data) is originally reproduced, but at the same time, search image data is also reproduced. The reproduced search image data is stored in the search image data storage area (1-8), and the stored search image data is further reduced by the image reduction circuit (4-3) to obtain the time code at that time. The index image generation area (4-4) is stored in association with each other. During normal playback, the microcomputer (4-10) performs such control.

  On the other hand, in the index image generation mode, first, the mechanical deck (4-1) is controlled to perform search reproduction while the tape (1-1) is running at high speed, and the reproduced data is read. Further, the time code of the data read by the time code reading circuit (4-2) is checked, and whether or not the search image data included in the data reproduced one after another according to the time code is taken as an index image is determined. Decide. If it is determined that the search image data is to be added to the index image by looking at the time code, the search image data stored in the search image data storage area (1-8) is converted by the image reduction circuit (4-3). The image is reduced and written in the index image generation area (4-4).

  The index image generation area (4-4) manages the stored search image data in units of a predetermined number of search images. FIG. 4 shows an example of managing addresses and the like by collecting 12 search images and generating one index image.

  When the reproduction of the search image data from the tape (1-1) or within the desired range is completed in this way, the index image generation mode is terminated. The index image data stored in the index image generation area (4-4) can be used for display, and when the index image generation mode ends, the JPEG codec (4-5) is activated, and the index image generation area (4-5) 4-4) JPEG compression processing of the index image data stored in 4-4), and additional data such as a header is added to create an index image file, which is stored in the index image file storage area (4-6) Can do.

  The microcomputer (4-10) performs the control related to the index image generation as described above. This control procedure is shown in a flowchart in FIG.

  In FIG. 5, when index image generation is started by a user key operation, the microcomputer (4-10) first fast-forwards the tape (1-1) to the recording end position on the tape in step S5-1. . Next, in step S5-2, the time code value at the recording end position is read, and in step S5-3, the time code value is divided by the number of divisions of the index screen. The value (X) is the capture interval when retrieving the search image data as an index image.

  In step S5-4, the backward search is started. In step S5-5, the search image data to be retrieved that is reproduced in the course of performing the reverse search is the search image data that has already been temporarily stored in the index image generation area (4-4) during normal reproduction. Whether or not it is checked based on the time code to be played. If the search image data is temporarily stored, the process proceeds to step S5-7 (the search image data is not captured). If the search image data is not temporarily stored, the process proceeds to step S5-6 to the index image. The reduced search image data is added to the index image generation area (4-4) as needed.

  Next, while reading the time code value, unnecessary search image data determined in accordance with the time code value proceeds while skipping, and the time code is rewound by (X) in step S5-7. Check that. Then, in step S5-8, it is determined whether search image data corresponding to the number of divisions has been captured for the portion of the search image data whose time code has been rewound by (X). If not, step S5 is performed. If the process is repeated from the process -5, the process proceeds to step S5-9.

  In step S5-9, the search reproduction operation is stopped. In step S5-10, the index image data in the index image generation area (4-4) generated by the procedure so far is JPEG-compressed, and SDRAM (1 -4) Store the JPEG file in the index image file storage area (4-6) above. This flow is completed.

(Second Embodiment)
In the first embodiment, the description has been made up to the configuration in which the index image is generated and can be displayed or stored as a JPEG file. In the present embodiment, a display method and necessary control based on the premise that individual images are printed from the index image generated in the first embodiment will be described. Note that the configuration of the image playback apparatus of the present embodiment will be described based on the same configuration of the digital video camera as that of the first embodiment.

  FIG. 6 shows an example in which the search image data stored in the index image generation area (4-4) and the print setting information are combined and an index image is displayed for preview during printing.

  In this figure, reference numeral 6-1 denotes an index image preview screen, which displays images relating to individual search image data. The display order of the index is performed in the time code order of the captured image. 6-2 represents the selected image, and is a state in which the cursor is displayed. A confirmation window 6-3 provides necessary information to the user and displays the progress status during image printing. A search image display window 6-4 displays a large-size search image and a time code value by itself. Reference numeral 6-5 denotes a print setting confirmation screen on which information such as a layout, paper settings, and the number of copies is displayed. Reference numeral 6-6 denotes an image print execution / stop button. By operating this button, it is possible to execute or stop image printing.

  A control procedure performed by the microcomputer (4-10) in the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  In FIG. 7, when index image generation is started by a user key operation, the microcomputer (4-10) first fast forwards the tape (1-1) to the recording end position on the tape in step S7-1. The time code value at the recording end position is read, and the time code value is divided by the number of divisions of the index screen in step S7-2. The value (X) is the capture interval when retrieving the search image data as an index image.

  Whether or not the index image that can be displayed in step S7-3 is stored in the index image generation area (4-4) is searched based on the time code stored by the microcomputer (4-10). If it is stored, an index display screen is generated in step S7-4. If even a part of the necessary search image data is not stored, step S7-5 is used for the position information of the missing search image. After saving a time code value, an index display screen is generated in step S7-4.

  In step S7-6, when the user selects a desired image while viewing the screen as shown in FIG. 6, if the image at the selected position is captured, the process proceeds to step S7-11, and step S7- The image data selected in step 11 is transmitted to an external printer (not shown) to perform printing. If the selected position is a blank portion from which no image is captured, the process proceeds to step S7-7, and the tape on which the time code value is recorded based on the time code value stored in step S7-5. Reverse search to position.

  In step S7-8, it is checked that the time code has been rewound by the position of the time code. In step S7-9, the portion of the search image data that has been rewound to the time code is fetched as an index image. Thereafter, the search operation is stopped in step S7-10, and the image data captured in step S7-11 is transmitted to an external printer (not shown) to perform printing. This flow is completed.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, printing processing using the created index image can be performed.

FIG. 6 is a layout diagram of search image data on a track. It is a block diagram of a conventional search image data reproduction circuit. It is an example of a screen structure of a search image. It is a block diagram of the digital video camera in this embodiment. It is a flowchart regarding the production | generation of an index image. It is an example of a display of an index image. It is a flowchart regarding control when an index image is used for print processing.

Claims (3)

In an image reproducing apparatus for reproducing data from a recording medium in which image data for normal reproduction and search image data for search reproduction are recorded,
Playback means for playing back data including the image data and the search image data from the recording medium;
Storage means for extracting and storing the search image data included in the reproduced data when the image data included in the data reproduced by the reproducing means is normally reproduced at a normal speed at a single speed;
An instruction means for instructing generation of an index image representing the image data by a predetermined number of reduced images;
When the index image is generated in response to an instruction from the instruction means, after searching for the recording end position of the recording medium and reading the time code value of the recording end position, the direction opposite to the normal reproduction is obtained. Search reproduction is performed, and search image data that is not stored in the storage means is extracted from search image data positioned at intervals determined according to the time code value and the predetermined number, and stored in the storage means. Search playback means;
Index image generating means for generating index image data in which the predetermined number of reduced images are arranged using search image data stored in the storage means by the normal reproduction and the search reproduction ;
The display image related to the image data reproduced normally, the display image related to the search image data reproduced and searched , and the display image related to the index image data generated by the index image generation means are selectively selected. An image reproducing apparatus comprising selection means for displaying on a monitor. The index image generating unit arranges the reduced images in an order corresponding to the time code value contained in the reproduced data by the reproducing means, according to claim 1, characterized in that to generate the index image data Image playback device.   The index image generation means generates the index image data including information indicating a selected image among the plurality of reduced images and print setting information regarding the selected image together with the plurality of reduced images. The image reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image reproducing apparatus is an image reproducing apparatus.

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