JP5704226B2 - Digital camera system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a digital camera system.

  The following digital cameras are known. This digital camera can reduce RAW format image data to a resolution designated by the user (for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2004-260813 A

  However, the user may desire to obtain an image reduced to a desired image size and to record RAW data of the maximum size in consideration of performing image adjustment later. Since the RAW data itself is reduced in the camera, such a user's request cannot be met.

  According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a digital camera system that includes both a RAW file that includes RAW data that is image data obtained by a single shooting operation by an imaging unit, and a JPEG file that includes JPEG data generated from the RAW data. And a recording means for recording the image size of the JPEG data in the header information of the RAW file, and the image size of the JPEG data from the header information of the RAW file. A program for causing a computer to execute a reading procedure, a procedure for converting an image size of the RAW data into an image size of the read JPEG data, and a procedure for displaying the converted RAW data on a display unit; It is characterized by comprising.

  According to the present invention, information related to the image size at the time of use can be added to the image data and recorded.

1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment of a personal computer 100. FIG. It is a 1st figure which shows the specific example of the confirmation dialog displayed at the time of image preservation | save. It is a 2nd figure which shows the specific example of the confirmation dialog displayed at the time of an image preservation | save. It is a flowchart figure which shows the flow of an image adjustment process.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment of a personal computer (personal computer) in the present embodiment. The personal computer 100 includes an operation member 101, a connection IF (interface) 102, a control device 103, and an HDD (hard disk drive) 1.
04 and a monitor 105.

  The operation member 101 includes various devices operated by the user, such as a keyboard and a mouse. The connection IF 102 is an interface for connecting an external device such as a digital camera. For example, a USB interface for performing a wired connection with a digital camera or a video camera, a wireless LAN module for performing a wireless connection, or the like is used. The In the present embodiment, for example, image file data is captured from the digital camera via the connection IF 102.

  The control device 103 includes a CPU, a memory, and other peripheral circuits, and controls the entire image processing device 100. The memory constituting the control device 103 is a volatile memory such as SDRAM, for example. This memory is used as a work memory for the CPU to expand the program when the program is executed, or as a buffer memory for temporarily recording data.

  The HDD 104 is a recording device for recording an image file taken in via the connection IF 102, various programs executed by the control device 103, and the like. For example, the HDD 104 records program data for executing processing to be described later. This program is provided by being recorded on a storage medium such as a CD-ROM or a DVD-ROM. In the personal computer 100, when the user installs program data in the HDD 104 using a storage medium, the control device 103 can execute the program.

  The monitor 105 is a liquid crystal monitor, for example, and displays an image of display data output from the control device 103.

  In the digital camera used for photographing, the user can select any of “RAW”, “JPEG”, and “RAW + JPEG” as an image recording format. Further, when “JPEG” or “RAW + JPEG” is selected as the image recording format, the user can select the image size of the image in the JPEG format from among three sizes of L, M, and S. The size relationship between the image sizes is L> M> S, and each image size is, for example, L size is 4256 pixels × 2832 pixels, M size is 3184 pixels × 2120 pixels, and S size is It is assumed that it is 2128 pixels × 1416 pixels.

  When the image recording format is set to “RAW” by the user, a RAW format image file (hereinafter referred to as “RAW file”) in which header information is added to the RAW data is generated when shooting is performed. Recorded on the memory card. When the image recording format is set to “JPEG”, when shooting is performed, a JPEG format image file in which header information is added to JPEG format image data (hereinafter referred to as “JPEG data”) ( (Hereinafter referred to as “JPEG file”) is generated and recorded on the memory card.

  Note that JPEG data is generated by performing various image processing on RAW data. The image processing performed at this time includes an image size changing process for setting the image size to a size set by the user, that is, one of L, M, and S described above. In the present embodiment, the image size of the RAW data is equal to the maximum size of the image sensor of the digital camera, which is equal to the L size. Therefore, when the set image size is L, JPEG data is generated while maintaining the image size of the RAW data without performing the image size changing process of the RAW data. On the other hand, when the set image size is M size or S size, JPEG data is generated by performing image size reduction processing.

  When the image recording format is set to “RAW + JPEG”, when shooting is performed, both the RAW file and the JPEG file described above are generated and recorded on the memory card. At this time, the file names of the RAW file and the JPEG file are made to coincide with each other except for the extension, and it is related that both image files are obtained by one shooting. For example, when the extension of the RAW file is “.nef” and the extension of the JPEG file is “.jpg”, the file names of the image files acquired by “RAW + JPEG” are “0001.nef”, “0001.jpg”.

  By setting the image recording format to “RAW + JPEG”, the user can record a RAW image file for later image adjustment and use JPEG data without developing the RAW data. There is an advantage that you can.

  As described above, the RAW file or JPEG file recorded on the memory card photographed by the digital camera is taken into the personal computer 100 via the connection IF 102 and recorded on the HDD 104. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the recording format of the image at the time of shooting is set to “RAW + JPEG”. As a result, the above-described RAW file and JPEG file 2 are obtained as image files obtained by one shooting. Assume that two image files are taken into the personal computer 100 and recorded in the HDD 104.

  In the present embodiment, the control device 103 activates an image browsing application based on an instruction from the user, and displays an application screen on the monitor 105. Then, a thumbnail list of image files recorded in the HDD 104 is displayed on the application screen. The thumbnail images displayed as a list may be generated based on the RAW data in the RAW file, or may be generated based on the JEPG image.

  The user can enlarge and display the image on the application screen by selecting one of the thumbnail images displayed in the list. When there is an enlargement instruction from the user, the control device 103 reads the JPEG file corresponding to the thumbnail image selected by the user from the HDD 104 to the buffer memory, and displays the JPEG data in the JPEG file on the application screen. Output and display image. When the user browses the image displayed on the application screen and determines that the image quality of the image is to be adjusted, the user operates the operation member 101 to operate the button or the button arranged on the application screen. By operating the icon or the like, it is possible to instruct the start of image adjustment for the currently displayed image.

  When the start of image adjustment is instructed by the user, the control device 103 reads out a RAW file corresponding to the image being enlarged and displayed from the HDD 104 to the buffer memory. That is, as described above, since the image display is performed based on the JPEG file, the control device 103 has a RAW file having a file name in which the file name of the currently displayed JPEG file matches the portion other than the extension. Read the file from the HDD 104.

  Then, the control device 103 outputs the RAW data in the RAW file read to the buffer memory on the application screen, and accepts an image adjustment instruction from the user for the output RAW data. At this time, the control device 103 sets the image size of the RAW data displayed on the application screen as the image size when used by the user. Further, the control device 103 displays the image size at the time of use on the image displayed on the application screen.

Here, the image size at the time of use will be described. As described above, the image size of the RAW data is equal to the L size of the JPEG data, but this is not necessarily the image size desired by the user at the time of use. For example, in a digital camera, if the recording size at the time of shooting is set to S size, the user is likely to desire S size as the image size at the time of use. The image size of the data (L size) and the image size at the time of use (S size) do not match.

  For this reason, in the present embodiment, information regarding the image size at the time of use is recorded in the header information of the RAW file, and the control device 103 displays the RAW file when displaying the RAW data on the application screen. Image size information is read from the header information, and based on the image size information, the RAW data is resized to the image size at the time of use and displayed. A method for recording the image size information in the RAW file header information will be described later.

  If the image size information is not recorded in the header information of the RAW file, the image size of the JPEG data in the JPEG file recorded at the same time as the RAW file to be adjusted is the user's assumed image size. Since there is a high possibility of the image size, the control device 103 reads the image size information of the JPEG data from the header information of the JPEG file corresponding to the RAW file to be adjusted, and converts the RAW data based on the image size information. You may make it display after resizing to the image size at the time of use. Alternatively, when the image size information is not recorded in the header information of the RAW file, the control device 103 may resize the RAW data to a predetermined image size and display it.

  The user performs exposure adjustment and white balance adjustment on the RAW data displayed on the application screen so that the image has a desired finish. As a result, when the image has a desired finish, the user operates the operation member 101 to operate buttons, icons, etc. on the application screen to instruct to save the image.

  When the user instructs to save the image, the control device 103 displays a confirmation dialog as shown in FIG. 2 on the monitor 105 to determine whether or not to save the image after image adjustment for the user. To check. In the confirmation dialog shown in FIG. 2, a storage destination designation field 2a, a file name designation field 2b, and a resolution designation field 2c are arranged. The control device 103 initially displays a default save destination folder in the save destination designation field 2a. The user can change the storage destination from the initially displayed folder to another folder.

  Further, the control device 103 initially displays the file name of the JPEG file corresponding to the RAW data subjected to image adjustment in the file name designation field 2b. If the user does not change the initially displayed file name, the user instructs to overwrite the JPEG file with the same file name in the HDD 104 with a JPEG file generated based on the RAW data subjected to image adjustment. Can do. On the other hand, if the user changes the initially displayed file name, the JPEG file generated based on the RAW data subjected to image adjustment is kept as a separate file while the JEPG file with the same file name remains in the HDD 104. Can be saved.

Further, the control device 103 initially displays the above-described image size in use in the resolution designation field 2c. In the present embodiment, when the above-mentioned image size information at the time of use is recorded in the header information of the RAW file subjected to image adjustment, the control device 103 is specified by the image size information at the time of use. The image size to be displayed is initially displayed in the resolution designation field 2c. On the other hand, when the image size information at the time of use is not recorded in the header information of the RAW file that has undergone image adjustment, for example, the control device 103 stores the JPEG file corresponding to the RAW file that has undergone image adjustment. The image size of JPEG data may be read from the header information, and may be initially displayed in the resolution designation field 2c.

  Further, the control device 103 displays a check box 2d for selecting whether or not to perform “resolution conversion” in association with the resolution designation field 2c, and the user checks this check box 2d. Accordingly, the recording resolution initially displayed in the resolution designation field 2c can be arbitrarily changed.

  After confirming the save destination, file name, and resolution on the confirmation dialog, or after changing the initial display value if necessary, the user operates the operation member 101 to operate the buttons on the application screen. By operating an icon or the like, it is possible to instruct the saving of the JPEG file generated based on the RAW data subjected to image adjustment to the HDD 104. Note that the user can cancel the image adjustment by operating the operation member 101 to operate a button, an icon, or the like on the application screen.

  When the control device 103 detects that the user has instructed the recording of the JPEG file, the control device 103 determines the resolution designated in the resolution designation column 2c based on the RAW data subjected to image adjustment by the user, that is, Generate JPEG data of the image size and generate a JPEG file. The control device 103 adds the file name designated in the file name designation field 2b to the generated JPEG file, and records the JPEG file in the folder of the HDD 104 designated in the storage destination designation field 2a.

  Thus, the user can obtain a favorite image by performing new image adjustment on the RAW data automatically resized to the image size at the time of use. In addition, when JPEG data is generated by performing image adjustment, the image size at the time of use is initially displayed in the resolution designation field 2c on the confirmation dialog, so that the user newly reflects the image adjustment result. There is no need to bother to specify the image size of the JPEG data to be generated. Similarly, since the storage location and file name of the JPEG file are initially displayed, the user can save the trouble of specifying them. Furthermore, convenience is improved by allowing the user to change the image size of the newly generated JPEG data, the file name of the JPEG file, and the storage destination.

  When the above-described image size information at the time of use is not recorded in the header information of the RAW data subjected to the image adjustment, the control device 103 uses the information regarding the image size of the JPEG data newly generated by the image adjustment. Is recorded in the header information of the RAW data. Further, even when the image size information at the time of use is recorded in the header information of the RAW data subjected to image adjustment, the user initially displayed it in the resolution designation column 2c on the confirmation dialog shown in FIG. When the image size at the time of use is changed, the image size information at the time of use already recorded in the header information is updated with information on the image size after the change.

  Thereby, image size information at the time of use intended by the user can be recorded in the header information of the RAW file. Then, based on the image size information at the time of use recorded in the header information, the RAW data is automatically set to the image size at the time of use when displaying the image adjustment target RAW data on the application screen as described above. The image can be resized and displayed, and the image size at the time of use can be initially displayed in the resolution designation field 2c on the confirmation dialog shown in FIG.

In FIG. 2, the user can arbitrarily change the recording resolution initially displayed in the resolution designation field 2c by checking the check box 2d on the confirmation screen. As shown in FIG. 3, the user may not allow arbitrary input. In the example of FIG. 3, instead of the resolution designation field 2c in FIG. 2, a check box 3a for selecting whether or not “convert to the same image size as JPEG data recorded simultaneously” is displayed. When the check box 3a is checked, the image size of the newly generated JPEG data is the same as the image size of the JPEG data recorded simultaneously with the RAW data subjected to image adjustment, that is, the image size at the time of use. Can be specified.

  When a button or icon on the application screen is operated while the check box 3a is checked, the control device 103 uses the image size information at the time of use recorded in the header information of the RAW file. The specified image size is determined as the image size of JPEG data to be newly generated. On the other hand, when a button or icon on the application screen is operated in a state where the check box 3a is not checked, the control device 103, for example, has a predetermined image size set in advance, for example, The S size described above is determined as the image size of JPEG data to be newly generated.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of image adjustment processing in the personal computer 100 of the present embodiment. The processing shown in FIG. 4 is executed by the control device 103 as a program that starts when an instruction to start image adjustment is given to the JPEG image that is enlarged and displayed on the application screen of the image adjustment application described above.

  In step S <b> 110, the control device 103 reads a RAW file corresponding to the JPEG file instructed to start image adjustment from the HDD 104 by the user into the buffer memory. Then, the control device 103 resizes the RAW data to the image size at the time of use based on the image information at the time of use recorded in the header information of the read RAW file, and displays it on the monitor 105. Further, the control device 103 displays the image size at the time of use on the image displayed on the application screen.

  If the image size information is not recorded in the header information of the RAW file, the control device 103 reads the image size information of the JPEG data from the header information of the JPEG file corresponding to the RAW file to be adjusted. The RAW data is resized based on the image size information and then displayed. Alternatively, when the image size information is not recorded in the header information of the RAW file, the control device 103 may resize the RAW data to a preset image size and display it.

  Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S120, and the control device 103 determines whether image adjustment has been performed on the RAW data being displayed by the user. If a negative determination is made in step S120, the process proceeds to step S140 described later. On the other hand, if a positive determination is made in step S120, the process proceeds to step S130.

  In step S130, the control device 103 performs an image adjustment process on the RAW data based on the image adjustment content performed by the user. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S140, and the control device 103 determines whether there is an instruction to save the image from the user. If a negative determination is made in step S140, the process returns to step S120. On the other hand, if a positive determination is made in step S140, the process proceeds to step S150.

  In step S150, the control apparatus 103 displays the confirmation dialog shown in FIG. 2 or the confirmation dialog shown in FIG. 3 on the monitor 105, and proceeds to step S160. In step S160, it is determined whether or not saving of the image after image adjustment has been executed by pressing the enter button by the user. If a positive determination is made in step S160, the process proceeds to step S170.

  In step S170, the control device 103 generates JPEG data by generating JPEG data having the resolution, that is, the image size specified on the confirmation dialog, based on the RAW data that has been subjected to image adjustment by the user, and generating the JPEG file. The file name designated on the confirmation dialog is added to the JPEG file, and the JPEG file is recorded in the folder of the HDD 104 designated on the confirmation dialog. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S180.

  In step S180, as described above, the control apparatus 103 records the image size information at the time of use designated when generating the JPEG file in the header information of the RAW file subjected to image adjustment. That is, when the image size information at the time of use is not recorded in the header information, information on the image size of the JPEG data newly generated by image adjustment is recorded in the header information of the RAW data as the image size information at the time of use. To do. Further, even when the image size information at the time of use is recorded in the header information of the RAW data subjected to image adjustment, the user initially displayed it in the resolution designation column 2c on the confirmation dialog shown in FIG. When the image size at the time of use is changed, the image size information at the time of use already recorded in the header information is updated with information on the image size after the change. Thereafter, the process ends.

According to the present embodiment described above, the following operational effects can be obtained.
(1) The control device 103 records information related to the image size at the time of use different from the image size of the RAW data in the header information of the RAW file. Accordingly, even when the image size of the RAW data is different from the image size at the time of use, the image size information at the time of use can be associated with the RAW file and recorded.

(2) When displaying the RAW data on the application screen, the control device 103 resizes (converts) the image size of the RAW data to the image size at the time of use and displays it. As a result, even when the image size of the RAW file is different from the image size at the time of use, the image size of the RAW data to be displayed can be matched with the image size at the time of use.

(3) The control device 103 displays the image size at the time of use on the image displayed on the application screen. As a result, the user can visually grasp the image size at the time of use.

(4) The control device 103 initially displays the image size at the time of use on the dialog screen shown in FIG. 2, and the user generates the image adjustment content on the dialog screen shown in FIG. The image size of JPEG data can be changed. As a result, the user can save the trouble of inputting the image size again when the image size can be used as it is, while specifying the desired image size again on the dialog screen when the user wants to change the image size. be able to.

-Modification-
Note that the personal computer of the above-described embodiment can be modified as follows.
(1) In the above-described embodiment, when the user instructs to save after performing image adjustment, the control device 103 displays the confirmation dialog shown in FIG. The example in which the name and the image size are initially displayed and the change of the storage destination, the file name, and the image size from the user is received has been described. However, when the user instructs to save after performing image adjustment, the control device 103 automatically sets the save destination, file name, and image size with the contents of the initial display without displaying a confirmation dialog. May be saved.

(2) In the embodiment described above, when performing image adjustment, the control device 103 performs image adjustment processing on the RAW data, and then displays the RAW data after the image adjustment processing in the resolution designation field 2c. An example in which the JPEG data is generated by changing to the designated image size has been described. However, when performing image adjustment, the control device 103 first changes the RAW data to the image size designated in the resolution designation field 2c, and then performs image adjustment processing on the RAW data after the image size change. It may be. As a result, image adjustment processing may be performed on RAW data with a reduced data size, so that the amount of buffer memory used during processing can be reduced, and the processing speed can be further improved.

(3) In the above-described embodiment, the example in which the image size information at the time of use is recorded in the header information of the RAW file has been described. However, the image size information at the time of use may be recorded in the header information of the image file other than the RAW file. For example, image size information at the time of use may be recorded in the header information of a JPEG file. As a specific example, the user wants to leave the JPEG data in the L size, which is the maximum size of the JPEG image, but it may be assumed that the S size is assumed in actual use. In this case, information indicating the S size may be recorded as the image size information at the time of use in the header information of the JPEG file storing the L size JPEG data.

(4) In the above-described embodiment, the example in which the image size information at the time of image adjustment in the personal computer 100 is recorded in the header information of the RAW file has been described. However, the image size information at the time of use with the digital camera may be recorded in the header information of the RAW file. For example, in a digital camera, when “RAW + JPEG” is selected as the image recording format, it is highly possible that the image size of the JPEG format image set at that time is the image size at the time of use. In the camera, the set image size of the JPEG format image may be recorded in the header information of the RAW file as the image size at the time of use. As a result, in the header information of the RAW file, the image size of JPEG data in the JPEG file that is recorded simultaneously is recorded as the image size at the time of use.

(5) The present invention is also applicable when the image recording format in the digital camera is “RAW”. In this case, since the digital camera does not record the JPEG file at the same time, the image size of the JPEG data of the JPEG file to be recorded simultaneously cannot be recorded in the header information of the RAW file. For this reason, the user should set the image size at the time of use on the digital camera in advance, and the digital camera may record the image size at the time of use set in the header information of the RAW file. . Alternatively, when a RAW file is recorded, the user may be requested to input an image size at the time of use that is recorded in the header information of the RAW file.

(6) The present invention is also applicable when the image recording format in the digital camera is “JPEG”. For example, in a digital camera, the user wants to acquire JPEG data in L size, which is the maximum size at the time of shooting, but it may be assumed that S size is assumed to be used in actual use. In this case, the user sets the image size for use on the digital camera in advance, and the digital camera records the preset image size for use in the header information of the JEPG file. That's fine. Alternatively, when a JPEG file is recorded, the user may be requested to input an image size at the time of use that is recorded in the header information of the JPEG file.

  Note that the present invention is not limited to the configurations in the above-described embodiments as long as the characteristic functions of the present invention are not impaired. Moreover, it is good also as a structure which combined the above-mentioned embodiment and a some modification.

100 PC, 101 operation member, 102 connection IF, 103 control device, 104 HDD, 105 monitor

Claims (5)

Recording means for recording on a recording medium both a RAW file including RAW data, which is image data obtained by one imaging by the imaging means, and a JPEG file including JPEG data generated from the RAW data. ,
The recording means records the image size of the JPEG data in the header information of the RAW file;
A procedure for reading the image size of the JPEG data from the header information of the RAW file, a procedure for converting the image size of the RAW data to the image size of the read JPEG data, and the display unit for displaying the converted RAW data A program for causing a computer to execute a procedure to be displayed on the computer,
A digital camera system consisting of   The digital camera system according to claim 1, wherein an image size of the JPEG data is smaller than an image size of the RAW data.   The digital camera system according to claim 1, wherein the program includes a procedure for adjusting an image of the displayed RAW data. Image adjustment processing means for performing image adjustment processing on the RAW data and generating image data subjected to image adjustment processing;
Whether or not to convert the image data subjected to the image adjustment processing to the same image size as the JPEG data recorded at the same time as the RAW file recorded in the header information of the RAW file. Operation means for allowing the user to select;
Conversion means for converting the image data subjected to the image adjustment processing into an image size selected by the operation means;
The digital camera system according to claim 1, further comprising: a storage unit that stores the image data whose image size has been converted by the conversion unit. Whether to convert to the same image size as the image size of JPEG data recorded at the same time as the RAW file, recorded in the header information of the RAW file, when saving the image data subjected to image adjustment processing Operating means for allowing the user to select,
Conversion means for converting the RAW data into image data of an image size selected by the operation means;
Image adjustment processing means for performing image adjustment processing on the image data whose image size has been converted by the conversion means, and generating image data subjected to the image adjustment processing;
The digital camera system according to claim 1, further comprising a storage unit that stores the image data subjected to the image adjustment processing by the image adjustment processing unit.

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