JPH036772A - Image processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the operation instructing load of a user and also to shorten the retrieving time of image files by outputting a specified screen of each record at retrieval of image files. CONSTITUTION:A directory memory 103 which defines the record number of an image file 109 as an address and stores an address stored in the file 103 to a specified image of each record is provided. At retrieval of the image data, the image data are read out of the file 109 and outputted by a display means 108 by reference to the memory 103 and based on the address stored in the image file against the specified image in each record. Then a display timer 106 repeats output of the specified images of the subsequent records when an instruction is not received for discontinuation of the retrieval within a prescribed time. Thus the specified images of each record are successively outputted. As a result, the specified images of each record can be successively outputted without giving a reading instruction for each record. Then the load of a user is reduced and the retrieving time is shortened, for picture files.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a method for searching image data in an image processing apparatus.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, when searching for image data stored in an image file such as an optical disk, a user reads directory data stored in a specific area of the file, refers to the directory, and tells the image processing device the record number and the record. Enter read instructions. The read record is
The image is output by an image display means such as a CRT. The user determines whether the output data is desired. If the output data is not desired, the user refers to the directory again and inputs the next record number and read instruction into the image processing device. The user repeats the above record read instruction until the desired data is output.

Further, in the case of a video image file, the user instructs high-speed playback output of the video, and when a desired image is detected, the playback speed is set to normal and image output is obtained.

Incidentally, an example of a device related to this type of image data search is JP-A-63-102089.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

In the above-mentioned conventional technology, when searching for an image file, the user asks the image processing device to
It was necessary to input record numbers and read instructions sequentially, and it was also necessary to perform high-speed playback operations for video files, and it was necessary to issue many operational instructions to detect a desired record.

An object of the present invention is to reduce the amount of user operation instructions for the image processing apparatus and to shorten the search time when searching for the image file.

Here, the specific images in each record include, for example, the top screen of each record and a highlight screen that characterizes the contents of the record. If the image data is a document or the like, and each record is a chapter of the document, the first screen of the record corresponds to the first page of the chapter of the document. If the image data is video data, the first screen of each record is a still image of the first screen of the video.

Searching for image data involves detecting a desired record from among the records in an image file.By outputting a specific screen for each record, it is easy to judge whether the record is the desired one, and it is possible to search for image data. To reduce the user's load when searching.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, the image processing apparatus is provided with a directory memory for storing directory data. In the directory memory, each record number of an image file corresponds to a memory address in a one-to-l ratio, and in the directory memory of each memory address, an address within the image file (for example, a sector number of an optical disk, etc.) for a specific image in each record is stored in the directory memory. Store.

A display timer was also provided in the image processing device. The display timer measures the output time of image data output in a search operation when searching for image data.

[For production]

When searching for image data, the image processing device refers to the directory memory, reads image data from the image file, and outputs it by the display means, according to the address within the image file for the specific image in each record. The image data search operation is performed by sequentially outputting specific images in each record.

Furthermore, the display timer measures the output time of the specific image of the code, and if there is no instruction to stop the search within a predetermined time,
Outputting the specific image of the next record is repeated, and the specific image of each record is output in sequence.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

Embodiment 1 FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of an image processing apparatus according to this embodiment. The control unit 102 controls the optical disc 10 which is an image file.
FIG. 2 shows the directory data format on the optical disk 109 in which when the optical disk 109 is loaded, the redirectory data is read from the optical disk 109 and the directory data is written in the directory memo January 03. The directory data includes a total number of records 201, a start address of the second record 202, a specific image address within the second record 203,
Start address 204 of the second record, specific image address 205 within the second record. ..., start address 206 of Nth record, specific image address 2 in Nth record
Consists of 07. In this embodiment, the first image data of the record is used as the specific image within each record. Therefore, the specific image address 203.20 in each record
The values of 5.207 are Ao, A1, A, and match the values of the start address 202.204.206 of each record.

Change the data format of the directory memory 103 to the third
As shown in the figure. Address 1.2 of directory memory 103
,...N corresponds to record number 1.2,...N,
Each address is a specific image address within each record (in this embodiment, it matches the start address of each record).
A1, A3, . . . AN are stored. Furthermore, since the total number of records is N, the control unit 102 stores END data at address N+1 of the directory memory 103,
Indicate that record number N is the last record.

The keyboard 101 is a means for inputting operation instructions to the image processing apparatus. When a search instruction is input from the keyboard 101, the control unit 102 reads out the directory memory 103 at the address indicated by the address pointer 104. Here, it is assumed that the address pointer 104 is initially set to address 1. When the control unit 102 reads data A, which is the specific image address of the first code, from the directory memory 103, it updates the address pointer 104. Address pointer 104 points to address 2 by plus 1 adder 105 .

Next, the control unit 102 selects the specific image address A of the first code,
The image data 401 for one screen is read from the optical disk 109 and written to the frame memory 107. When the image data for one screen is stored in the frame memory 107, the image data is output from the frame memory 107 to the CRT 108 which is a display means. do.

Here, if the image data is a document, etc., and each record corresponds to each car of the document, the first screen of each record corresponds to the first page of each car of the document. Further, if the image data is a moving image, the first screen of each record outputs one scene of the moving image as a still image.

The user determines whether or not the 2nd record code is the desired image data from the first screen of the 2nd record code, and if the 2nd record code is the desired image data, inputs a second record read instruction from the keyboard 101 and reads the CRT 108. The image data of the first code is output. If the first image data is not the desired image data, the user inputs a search instruction from the keyboard 101 again. The control unit xoz performs the same operation as outputting the first screen of the second record to the C:RT 109, and outputs the first screen of the second record to the CRT 108.
to be displayed.

As in the case of the second code, the user determines from the first screen of the second record whether or not the second record is the desired image data. If the second record is the desired image data, a second record read instruction is input from the keyboard 101, and the CRT 108 outputs the image data of the second record. If the second record also does not have the desired image data, the user inputs a search instruction from the keyboard 101.

The user repeats the above search instruction in the same manner as above until the desired image data is detected.

Further, when a search instruction is input after outputting the first screen of the Nth record, the control unit 102 reads END data from address N+1 of the directory memory 103.

Using the END data, the control unit 102 outputs a message to the CRT 108 informing that all the image data to be read out has been read out, and ends the search operation.

As described above, by sequentially issuing search instructions, the user can sequentially output the first screen of each record to the CRT 108, which facilitates the search task and shortens the search time.

Embodiment 2 Next, when a -degree search instruction is input, the first screen of each record is displayed for a predetermined period of time, and then the first screen of each record is displayed in sequence until a search stop instruction is input. An example of displaying for a predetermined time will be described.

According to the first search instruction, the first screen of the first code is C.
The output to the RT 108 is the same as in the first embodiment. The control unit 102 starts the display timer 106 at the same time as outputting the (:: .Display timer 1
06 generates an interrupt signal to the control unit 102 five seconds after the start by the control unit 102.

If a search stop instruction is input from the keyboard 101 before an interrupt signal is generated from the display timer 106, the control unit 102 stops the next search operation and continues outputting the current information to the CRT 108 until the next operation instruction is input. Continue outputting the first screen of the first code. If an interrupt signal from the display timer 106 is generated without a search stop instruction being input,
Similarly to the first embodiment, the control unit 102 outputs the first screen of the second record to the CRT 108, and at the same time resets the display timer 106 and restarts it.

The control unit 102 repeats the above operation until a search stop instruction is input, and sequentially displays the first screen of each record on the CRT.
108 for 5 seconds.

The user determines whether the record is desired image data based on the image data output to the CRT 108. If the image data is desired, the user inputs an instruction to stop the search from the keyboard 101, inputs an instruction to continue the record, and outputs the image data of the record.

After outputting the first screen of the Nth record, which is the final record, if a search stop instruction is not input, the control unit 1
02 outputs a message to the CRT 108 informing that all image data to be read out has been read out, and ends the search operation, which is the same as in the first embodiment.

Example 3 When the image data recorded on the optical disk IO9 is a moving image, in Example 2, the first one of each record
Instead of displaying the screen as a still image on the CRT 108 for 5 seconds, a series of moving image data is output to the CRT 108 from the start address Ai (i=1.2...N) of each record stored in the directory memory 103. An example will be explained.

The control unit 102 sets the start address Ai (1:l) of each record.
The operation of reading image data starting from +2 . . . , N) from the optical disk 109 is the same as in the second embodiment. Here, the control unit 102 outputs a series of moving image data to the CRT 108 for 5 seconds without storing the image data in the frame memory 106. Similarly to the second embodiment, the next record is read after outputting the image data to the CRT 108 for 5 seconds.

According to the above embodiments 2 and 3, when searching for image data, the number bar user can output the first screen of each record to the CRT in order by inputting the search instruction - times, and the operation at the time of search is simplified. becomes easier.

In Examples 1 and 2.3 above, the first screen of each record was output, but the address of a highlight image that characterizes the contents of each record can be recorded in the directory data of the image file as a specific image in each record. It is also possible to output a highlight image of each record.

Furthermore, by initializing the address pointer 104 from the keyboard 101, it is possible to start a search from any record. In addition, the plus 1 adder 105
By using a subtractor, it is also possible to reverse the record search order from this embodiment 1.2.3. In this case, the address pointer 104 displays address 1 followed by address N+1. Requires functionality.

In addition, in Examples 1 and 2, the frame memory was used for one screen, but by providing the frame memory for two screens, while image data is being output from one frame memory to the CRT,
By storing image data read from the next record from the optical disk into the other frame memory, it is possible to improve the search performance of the image processing apparatus compared to this embodiment.

In Examples 1 and 2.3, the directory data was read from the optical disk, but the directory data for the image file may be stored in a separate file from the image file, and may be stored in the directory memory from the separate file when the image file is loaded. It is possible.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the present invention, when searching for image data, it is possible to sequentially output specific images of each record without issuing a reading instruction for each record, which simplifies the operation of the image processing device at the time of searching and allows the user to It is possible to reduce the load and shorten the search time.

Further, when searching for moving image data, by outputting one screen of the moving image as a still image, the reading of the image file becomes short, which has the effect of shortening the search processing time of the image processing device.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an image processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram of the directory data format of the optical disc, FIG. 3 is a diagram of the data format of the directory memory, and FIG. 4 is a diagram of the image data format of the optical disc. 101...Keyboard, 102...Control unit, 103
...Directory memory 104--Address pointer, 105...Plus-1 adder, 106...Display timer, 107...Frame memory, 108...C
RT, 109...Optical disc.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An image file that is composed of a plurality of records and records image data, a display unit that outputs image data read from the image file, a control unit that controls the image file and the display unit, and the control unit In an image processing apparatus, the image processing apparatus has an input means for inputting an operation instruction, the record number of the image file being an address, a directory memory storing an address in the image file for a specific image in each record, and an address of the directory memory being specified. An address pointer is provided, and after reading the address in the image file from the directory memory at the address indicated by the address pointer in response to a search instruction input from the input means, the address pointer is updated, and the address in the image file is read from the address in the image file at the address indicated by the address pointer. An image processing apparatus characterized in that image data for one screen to be started is read out from an image file and outputted to the display means.