JP4508112B2 - Still image extraction system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a still image extraction system that extracts still image data from moving image data.

  The image quality of video cameras that shoot moving images has improved year by year, and in recent years, video cameras that can shoot high-definition images at home have also appeared. In the case of a conventional SD type moving image, the standard number of pixels is 720 × 480, and when this is output as a photographic print, if it is an L size, it will be able to withstand some appreciation. On the other hand, in the case of the high-definition system, the number of pixels is 1920 × 1080 (for home use, for example, 1440 × 810), and if it is an L size, sufficient image quality can be obtained.

  In addition, a video camera is generally currently equipped with a still image shooting mode in addition to a moving image shooting function. There are many types of images taken in the still image mode that have the same image quality as a digital camera dedicated to still image shooting. However, when a still image is shot during moving image shooting, the image quality of the still image is basically the same as that of a moving image. Therefore, the high-definition camera is advantageous in terms of image quality as compared with the conventional method when taking a still image during moving image shooting or extracting a still image from a shot moving image. Accordingly, it is expected that the number of cases in which still images are extracted from moving images to produce photographic prints will increase with the improvement of moving image quality.

  Here, when a still image is extracted from a moving image and printing processing is performed, it is necessary to extract a specific frame (still image data) from temporally continuous moving image data. Such an extraction work needs to be performed by a photographer of a moving image or a party who becomes a subject. However, it is difficult to specify a target still image from consecutive images. For example, if there is a situation that you want to record as a still image during movie shooting, you can consider a method of specifying a still image by performing a specific operation during movie shooting, but the still image at the time of operation is actually It is not always the intended still image. For example, there is a time lag between the point when you want to record as a still image and the point when you perform the operation, and you can always get the intended still image. Not necessarily.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its object is to provide a still image extraction system capable of reliably extracting a still image as intended when extracting a still image from a captured moving image. That is.

In order to solve the above problems, a still image extraction system according to the present invention is:
A still image extraction system that extracts still image data from video data,
And index detecting means for detecting the index recorded in the moving image data by the photographer operating during moving image shooting,
First extraction determination means for determining whether or not to extract a moving image data portion recorded at a position where an index is formed as still image data for creating a photo print;
When still image data for creating a photo print is not extracted from the index formation position, moving image data portions recorded before and after the position are extracted as a still image data candidate group for creating a photo print, and 1 or Second extraction determination means for determining whether or not a plurality of still image data for photo print creation can be extracted;
Photographic processing means for creating a photographic print from the extracted still image data for creating a photographic print based on the result determined by the first extraction determining means or the second extraction determining means. It is characterized by.

The operation and effect of the still image extraction system having such a configuration will be described. In this system, an index recorded in the moving image data can be detected. Such an index is recorded in the moving image data by a photographer's operation . The lever is determined by the index forming position extractable a first extraction judging unit video data portion recorded in the location as a still image data for creation of photographic prints, to create a photographic print using the it can. In addition, when the photographer records an index during movie shooting, even if the photographer records the index at the time when he / she wanted to extract it as still image data for creating a photo print , an operation time delay occurs, Unintended still image data may be extracted. In the case of moving image data, similar still image data is arranged along the time axis, but there are cases where the moving image data before and after the moving image data portion at the position where the index is recorded is preferable in terms of image quality. sell. Therefore, when still image data for photographic print creation is not extracted from the index formation position, the moving image data portion recorded at the front and rear positions of the position is extracted by the second extraction determination unit as described above. The image data candidate group is extracted, and it is determined whether one or more of them can be extracted as still image data for creating a photo print. By extracting such a still image data candidate group, it becomes possible to reliably extract still image data as intended. As described above, based on the result determined by the first extraction determining means or the second extraction determining means, a photo print can be created from the extracted still image data for creating a photo print.

  It should be noted that it is possible to appropriately set how much the index formation position is extracted from the front and back positions. For example, a predetermined time (for example, 0.5 seconds) may be set in the digital camera, You may comprise so that a setting is possible in the computer into which moving image data is taken in.

In the present invention, when still image data for photo print creation is extracted from the position where the index is formed, the moving image data portion recorded at that position is displayed as still image data for photo print creation, When still image data for creating a photo print is not extracted from the position where the index is formed, it is preferable to include a display unit that displays a still image data candidate group and a determination result by the second extraction determination unit.

Second extraction judging unit according to the present invention, it is preferable to extract the still image data from the predetermined time before the position than the index forming position.

  For example, when the photographer records an index during moving image shooting, still image data is extracted from a position a predetermined time before the index formation position in consideration of the time delay of the recording operation. Thereby, still image data as intended by the photographer can be extracted.

The first extraction determination unit according to the present invention detects face information of the main subject included in the still image data, and when a blink is detected from the face information , a still image for creating a photo print from the index formation position. It is preferable not to extract data.

When blinking is detected in the still image data, a high-quality print cannot be created, so that still image data is not extracted from the index formation position. In this case, for example, there is a possibility that a still image data candidate group without blinking can be extracted by extracting still image data from before and after the index formation position.

  A preferred embodiment of a still image extraction system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing a system configuration.

<System configuration>
The video camera 1 includes a moving image shooting function 1a as a main function. Also, a still image shooting function 1b is provided so that still images can also be shot. In particular, a function for extracting a specific scene and extracting still image data during moving image shooting is provided. Therefore, the index recording unit 1c is provided, and still image data can be extracted with reference to the index formation position by recording the index during moving image shooting. Examples of the method for recording the index include pressing a specific operation button or sliding operation provided on the video camera 1 and pressing a shutter button. It also has a function of automatically recording an index to record shooting scene changes and time breaks.

  The image recording means 1d provides means for recording captured moving image data, and can be recorded on an appropriate recording tape such as a DV tape or an appropriate recording medium such as smart media.

  As for the type of the video camera 1, there are an SD method which is a conventional method, a high-definition (HD) method, and the like. Although the camera 1 is preferable, the present invention is not limited to a specific method.

  When a scene that the photographer of the video camera 1 wants to cut out as a photographic print appears during moving image shooting, the index recording means 1c is operated to record the index. If you want to make a photo print, bring the video camera 1 to the photo shop and place an order.

  Next, the configuration on the photo shop side will be described. The photo shop is provided with a terminal processing device 2 and has a function of extracting still image data from moving image data. The terminal processing device 2 can be configured by a general-purpose computer such as a personal computer.

  The moving image data acquisition unit 20 can acquire moving image data recorded in the video camera 1. For example, the video camera 1 brought into the customer and the terminal processing device 2 can be connected by a communication cable (for example, a USB cable), and moving image data can be taken into the terminal processing device 2. The acquired moving image data is stored in the moving image data storage unit 21. The moving image data storage means 21 can be configured by a mass storage device such as a hard disk. The monitor 2a has a function of displaying the acquired moving image data, extracted still image data, and the like on the screen.

  The index detection means 22 has a function of detecting an index signal recorded in the moving image data. Whether or not still image data can be extracted from the moving image data portion is determined based on the position where the index is formed.

  A function for determining whether or not to extract still image data will be described with reference to the detected index formation position. The first extraction determination unit 23 determines whether still image data can be extracted from the moving image data portion recorded at the index formation position. When the still image data is not extracted from the index formation position, the second extraction determination unit 24 determines whether still image data can be extracted from the moving image data portions recorded before and after the index formation position. The first extraction determination unit 23 and the second extraction determination unit 24 function as an extraction determination unit.

  An image processing unit 25 and a setting unit 26 are provided for performing the determination by the determination function. This is to prevent a photographic print having a problem in image quality from being produced when the moving image data portion at the index formation position is extracted as it is as still image data.

  The image processing unit 25 has a function of performing various detections by performing image processing on still image data to be extracted, and FIG. 1 illustrates its main functions.

  The blinking detection means 25a detects whether or not the person being photographed has blinking. A technique for detecting the face of a person existing in an image and a technique for detecting an eye in the face are known, and by applying this technique, it is possible to detect a blink. In addition, when a plurality of persons are detected in the image, it is possible to detect the blinking of the person assuming that the center of the image or a person close to the center is the main subject. Whether the eyes are blinking or not is determined by comparing the length of the spread of the eyes in the face with the face contour information, and if it is smaller than the predetermined length (or a predetermined ratio) Can be detected. Since it is not preferable to produce a photographic print from a blinking image, the first extraction determination unit 23 does not extract still image data from the moving image data portion.

  The blur detection unit 25b detects whether or not blur exists in the still image data to be extracted. Although various methods can be considered for the detection of blurring, it can be detected by the following method, for example. First, edge detection is performed, and it is determined that an image with a sharper edge has less blur (determination 1). Further, when the moving image data is recorded by the interlace method, it can be determined that the blur is smaller as the difference between the odd line and the even line is smaller (decision 2). The standard deviation is obtained for several small areas in the image, and it can be determined that the larger this is, the smaller the blur is (decision 3). It can be determined that the higher the spatial frequency is, the smaller the blur is (decision 4). The difference between the previous and next frame images is calculated, and it can be determined that the smaller the difference is, the smaller the blur is (decision 5).

  Of these several determination methods, it is possible to determine the magnitude of blur using at least one. In addition, when a human face is photographed in the image, it is preferable to calculate the sharpness of the face and determine to place importance on the high sharpness. Further, it is determined that the center of the image is more important than the peripheral area. Here, emphasizing, for example, can be used as an index to extract as still image data when the determinations 1 to 5 are the same for the two preceding and following frame images. It is not preferable to produce a photographic print for a highly blurred image, and the first extraction determining unit 23 does not extract still image data from the moving image data portion.

  The scene change determination unit 25c determines whether or not there is a change in the shooting scene before and after the index formation position. When there is a scene change, the index is not recorded by the photographer's intention, but is automatically recorded or recorded for a purpose different from the purpose of extracting still image data. Therefore, when there is a scene change, the first extraction determination unit 23 does not extract still image data.

  The setting unit 26 sets an index when the second extraction determination unit 24 extracts still image data from positions before and after the index formation position when the first extraction determination unit 23 determines not to extract still image data. It is.

  The time setting means 26a is set with a time when still image data is extracted from the moving image data portion at the front and rear positions with respect to the index formation position. For example, even if a scene that the photographer wants to cut out as a still image appears during moving image shooting and an index is recorded, there is a possibility that the still image intended by the photographer cannot be cut out because an operation delay occurs. Further, blinking or blurring may be detected in the still image at the index formation position. Therefore, the time before and after extracting still image data can be set with the index formation position as a reference. For example, considering operation delay, it is set between 0 seconds and 0.5 seconds, preferably between 0 seconds and 0.3 seconds. Such set values can be changed as appropriate.

  Also, the frame number setting means 26b can set how many frames are candidates for extracting still image data before and after the index formation position. For example, 10 frames before and after the index formation position can be selected as candidates, and the one with the best image quality can be extracted as still image data.

  When selecting a candidate frame, it is preferable to display it on the monitor 2a so that the customer can confirm it. In addition, when still image data is extracted based on the determination result by the first extraction determination unit 23, it is preferable to display the data on the monitor 2a for confirmation by the customer.

  The still image data extraction unit 27 extracts still image data based on the result determined by the second extraction determination unit 24. As the still image data, the still image data is extracted from the moving image data portion designated by the moving image data storage means 21. The still image data is temporarily stored in the still image data storage unit 28 in a predetermined image file format. As the file format of the still image data, for example, a general format such as JPEG or bitmap can be used.

  The photographic processing device 3 has a function of producing a photographic print using the extracted still image data, and can adopt a known structure. For example, a photographic photosensitive material is provided with a laser engine as an image exposure unit and transporting the photographic photosensitive material along the sub-scanning direction while repeatedly scanning in the main scanning direction laser light that is light-modulated by still image data. An image can be formed on the emulsion surface by exposure. The photographic light-sensitive material is then sent to a development processing unit and a drying processing unit, where predetermined processing is performed, and a photographic print is produced.

<Still image data extraction processing>
Next, the procedure for extracting still image data from moving image data will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. A customer who wants to create a photo print by extracting still image data from moving image data brings the video camera 1 to a photo store and places an order for the photo print. In the photo store, moving image data is acquired from the video camera 1 (# 1). The acquired moving image data is stored in the moving image data storage means 21 (# 2).

  Next, an index signal is detected by the index detection means 22 (# 3). It is determined whether a still image data candidate can be extracted from the moving image data portion at the index formation position (# 4). The case where the still image data candidates are not extracted is, for example, a case where an index signal is automatically recorded and an index which is not extracted as still image data is recorded. This is determined by detecting whether or not the scene is switched before and after the index formation position by the scene switching determination means 25c.

  If a candidate as still image data can be extracted, it is determined whether or not it can be extracted as still image data (# 5). This can be determined by performing blinking or blur detection using the function of the image processing unit 25 described above. In this case, candidate still image data is displayed on the monitor (# 6). The photo shop asks the customer to confirm whether it is OK. If it is OK, the process proceeds to step # 11. If NO, the function of the second extraction determination unit 24 extracts still image data before and after the index formation position as a candidate and determines whether it can be extracted as still image data (# 8). In this case as well, blinking and blurring can be detected using the function of the image processing unit 25. Further, when extracting candidates, it is performed according to the setting contents in the setting unit 26 and displayed on the monitor 9 (# 9).

  FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a display example on the monitor 2a. In the figure, still image candidates having the number of frames set around the index formation position are displayed. S3 is an image at the index forming position, and blinking occurs. The image determined to be extractable by the second extraction determining unit 24 is S1, and is surrounded by a thick frame. The customer can check this monitor screen, confirm it, and determine whether the print can be made with the extracted image. Note that the image that can be extracted is not limited to one frame but may be a plurality of frames. In this case, one of the preferred ones can be selected.

  FIG. 4 is another display example, in which blurring is detected in the image at the index formation position. Also in this case, the image S1 determined to be extractable is surrounded by a thick frame.

  If it is OK (# 10), still image data is extracted from the moving image data portion and stored for photo print production (# 11, 12).

<Modification>
In the above description, the extraction by the first extraction determination unit 23 may not always be performed, and still image data may be extracted from a moving image data portion that is temporally before or after the index formation position. That is, the first extraction determination unit 23 may not be provided as a system, and only the function of the second extraction determination unit 24 may be provided. This takes into account, for example, a time delay when the index is recorded by a photographer's operation. Further, a mode may be provided in which still image data is always extracted from the moving image data portion at the index formation position to create a photo print.

  When a moving image is recorded by MPEG, a GOP I picture may be handled in the same way as an index, and still image data may be extracted based on this. Since the I picture is still image data similar to JPEG, it may be extracted as still image data. Also in this case, the function of the image processing unit 25 is used to detect whether blinking or blurring has occurred, and the image is extracted as still image data.

Conceptual diagram showing a preferred embodiment of a still image extraction system Flow chart showing the procedure for extracting still image data from video data Figure showing a monitor display example Figure showing a monitor display example

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Video camera 1c Index recording means 2 Terminal processing apparatus 3 Photo processing apparatus 20 Moving image data acquisition means 21 Moving image data storage means 22 Index detection means 23 First extraction determination means 24 Second extraction determination means 25 Image processing section 25a Blink detection means 25b Shake detection means 25c Scene switching judgment means 26 Setting unit 27 Still image data extraction means

Claims (4)

A still image extraction system that extracts still image data from video data,
And index detecting means for detecting the index recorded in the moving image data by the photographer operating during moving image shooting,
First extraction determination means for determining whether or not to extract a moving image data portion recorded at a position where an index is formed as still image data for creating a photo print;
When still image data for creating a photo print is not extracted from the index formation position, moving image data portions recorded before and after the position are extracted as a still image data candidate group for creating a photo print, and 1 or Second extraction determination means for determining whether or not a plurality of still image data for photo print creation can be extracted;
Photographic processing means for creating a photographic print from the extracted still image data for creating a photographic print based on the result determined by the first extraction determining means or the second extraction determining means. Still image extraction system. When still image data for photo print creation is extracted from the position where the index is formed, the moving image data portion recorded at that position is displayed as still image data for photo print creation, and the index is formed. 2. The display device according to claim 1, further comprising a display unit configured to display a still image data candidate group and a determination result by the second extraction determination unit when the still image data for creating the photo print is not extracted from the position where The described still image extraction system. The second extraction judging unit, still picture extraction system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that to extract the still image data candidate group from a predetermined time before the position than the index forming position. The first extraction determination unit detects face information of the main subject included in the still image data, and extracts a still image data for creating a photo print from the index formation position when blinking is detected from the face information. The still image extraction system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein:

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