JPH07295873A - Image file recording device and image file reproducing device/method - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To effectively use a limited space of a display device such as of a monitor, etc., by relating plural image files to each other in groups and recording these groups of files. CONSTITUTION:Aa manipulation member 8 of an image pickup device 100 includes a release button and a group setting button serving as a group setting means. When the release button is pushed, a new theme flag is set to a file recorded in a recording device 6 if the group setting button is pushed. Meanwhile the theme flag is reset and recorded if the group setting button is not pushed respectively. Therefore any manipulation member is not needed for the device 100 to input the directory names, the file names, etc. Then plural image files are displayed in groups.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image file recording apparatus for recording a plurality of image files, an image file reproducing apparatus for reproducing the image files, and a reproducing method thereof.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, digital cameras have been developed and announced that record captured images as digital image signals on media such as cards and magnetic disks, and media such as semiconductor memories. An image taken by such a digital camera is generally recorded on the recording medium as a file by compressing a digital image signal and adding additional information such as date and time thereto.

At the time of recording, a serial number is added in the order in which the images were taken and recorded, or the number of recordable sheets is displayed from the remaining capacity of the recording medium to notify the user of the recording state. In a device for reproducing a recorded digital image signal, the recorded image data is read into a reproducing device through a SCSI interface (Small Computer System Interface) or a network interface for reproduction, or is recorded on an exchangeable recording medium. If it is recorded, read the data from the recording medium through a device that reads the data and play it back.If you want to play the compressed data, decompress the compressed data and perform playback signal processing. It outputs to an output device such as a monitor or a printer. At this time, a so-called thumbnail image in which a plurality of recorded images are displayed side by side as reduced images is displayed to prompt the user to confirm the recorded images.

[0004]

However, in a conventional digital camera, an operation member for a user to input a file name when recording a captured image as a file on the recording medium is attached to the camera. However, it is difficult to prepare an operation member having good operability.

In the conventional operation member, the file name is, for example, IMAGxxxn.IMG (where n is a sequence number).
The default value like is set. However,
If you use the default value like this example, for example IM
It becomes a name that does not make much sense by itself like G0001.IMG, and when such names are recorded in order on the recording medium, when reproducing them, the image name of the image is changed from the file name. The contents cannot be easily judged.

Therefore, conventionally, it is necessary for the operator to judge the content of the recorded image by displaying a thumbnail image or the like. However, when the number of recorded images increases, even if the thumbnail images are displayed, it may not be possible to display all the reduced images in the limited space of the display device such as a monitor. There was a problem that the recorded images could not be grasped and organized without scrolling the screen or displaying the screen divided into several times.

Recently, an operating system for a personal computer (for example, MS of Microsoft Corporation)
-A digital camera that manages files according to (DOS) and enables to incorporate the directory structure of MS-DOS when recording captured images has been announced. Similarly to the problem, it is difficult to attach an operation member for the user to input a directory name when creating a directory to the camera, and it is difficult to prepare an operation member having good operability.

Therefore, even if a directory is created under the operating system to record photographed images,
Since it is not possible to give a meaningful name, it is difficult to judge what kind of hierarchy was created when the recorded medium is reproduced, only by looking at the directory name by the user. There's a problem.

[0009]

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention proposes an image file recording apparatus for recording image files in groups. The configuration of the present invention for achieving this object is, in an image file recording device for storing image files, input means for inputting a plurality of image files, and grouping means for associating the plurality of image files as a group. Recording means for recording a plurality of grouped image files.

In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the plurality of image files are recorded with tag data added thereto to show that they are grouped. In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the plurality of image files are recorded with time information added thereto. In a preferred aspect of the present invention, an operation unit for instructing the user to group the image files is provided.

In a preferred aspect of the present invention, when it is detected that the operating means is operated, the image data at that time or the first image data after that time is recorded as a theme image file characterizing the group. In a preferred aspect of the present invention, when it is detected that the operation means is operated, the image data at that time point or the first image data after that time point is recorded by turning on the tag data, and the operation means is operated. Image data generated from the detection of the fact that the operation means is operated thereafter is recorded with the tag data turned off.

A further configuration of the present invention for achieving the above object is to associate an input means for inputting a plurality of image files with the plurality of image files as a group in an image file recording device for storing the image files. A grouping means, a recording means for recording a plurality of grouped image files, and a releasing means for releasing the grouping of the image files grouped and recorded in the recording means. And

In a preferred aspect of the present invention, a specifying means for specifying the image file to be released is provided, and the tag data of the specified image file is turned off. In a preferred aspect of the present invention, operation means for instructing the user to cancel the grouping, means for detecting that the operation means has been operated, and detection of the operation of the operation means, It is provided with means for searching an image file in which the first tag data recorded before the time point is on, and means for turning off the tag data in the searched image file.

An image file recording apparatus having another configuration of the present invention includes input means for inputting a plurality of image files, grouping means for associating the plurality of image files as a group, and a plurality of grouped plurality of image files. It is characterized by comprising recording means for recording the image file and changing means for changing the grouping of the image files grouped and recorded in the recording means.

In a preferred aspect of the present invention, when a group to be changed is designated, within the designated group,
The image data at that time or the first image data after that time is recorded with the tag data turned on. In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the operating means is provided for the user to instruct to change the grouping.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an image file reproducing apparatus for displaying image files that are grouped and recorded so that the group can be easily grasped. The configuration of the present invention to achieve the above object is to display an image file by reading it from an image file recording device, display means for searching an image file representative of a group, and only the searched representative image file. Display control means for displaying on the display means.

In a preferred aspect of the present invention, when it is detected that at least one other image file exists in the designated group, a mark indicating the existence is displayed on the display means. In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the other image files are sequentially displayed by detecting that the user points to the mark to instruct to reproduce the other image file.

In a preferred aspect of the present invention, when there are a plurality of image files representing a group, those image files are displayed in parallel. In a preferred aspect of the present invention, when the group representative image file is an image obtained by capturing character information, character recognition processing is performed on the image data of the character information, and the obtained character information is used as a group name.

In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the header portion of the recorded image file is read to grasp the relationship between the image files and display the relationship in a tree structure. A further object of the present invention is to propose a method of playing back image files for indexably displaying a plurality of grouped image files. A reproducing method for achieving this problem is to read an image file together with image data and corresponding header information, grasp the hierarchical relation between the image files from the header information, and obtain the grasped hierarchical relation. It is characterized by displaying in a tree structure.

In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the hierarchical relationship includes an intra-group hierarchical relationship and an inter-group hierarchical relationship. In a preferred aspect of the present invention, in each group, a representative image file indicating an image file representative of the group and a normal image file are recorded, and the inter-group hierarchical relationship is represented by an icon or an identifier of the representative image file. Characters are displayed as a character, and the hierarchical relationship within the group is characterized in that a mark indicating that a normal image file other than the representative image file exists in the group is displayed near the icon or the character indicating the representative image file. To do.

[0021]

The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to an embodiment of the present invention. <First Embodiment> FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the arrangement of a digital camera according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, parts such as a diaphragm and a shutter that are not related to the present invention are omitted.

First, the operation of the first embodiment will be described.
In FIG. 1, in the image pickup apparatus 100, an image focused through the lens 1 and imaged on the image pickup element 2 such as CCD is
It is converted into an electric signal and sent to the signal processing circuit 3. The signal processing circuit 3 performs processing such as A / D conversion, color processing, gamma correction, etc., and temporarily stores it in the memory 4. When the memory 4 is full, the signals are sequentially sent from the memory 4 to the compression encoding circuit 5 (may be sent at any time), for example, compressed by JPEG (Joint Photographic Coding Experts Group) and recorded. It is recorded in the device 6 as a file.

Then, the photographed data is sent to an external processing device or reproducing device 200 via the interface 7 such as SCSI or LAN (or the recording device 12 or the like for recording on the exchangeable recording medium 20 or the like). In the reproducing apparatus 200, image data compressed by receiving image data from the image capturing apparatus 100 via the interface 11 which is an interface with the interface 7 (or by the recording medium reading device 13 from the exchangeable recording medium 20). Is expanded by the decoding circuit 14 and temporarily stored in the memory 15. Then, the image data is sent to the signal processing circuit 16, and in the signal processing circuit 16, color processing, gamma correction, D /
It is subjected to processing such as A conversion and output to the display device 19 such as a monitor.

The above-mentioned processing is controlled by the control devices 10 and 18, respectively, triggered by an input from the user via the operation members 8 and 17, respectively. As shown in FIG. 2, the control devices 10 and 18 include a CPU 101 and a ROM 102.
And a RAM 103 and an interface (I / F) 104 for control are included. A program for controlling each member via the interface 104 is recorded in the ROM 102, and a management described later in the RAM 103. And tables for control are recorded.

The operation member 8 of the image pickup apparatus 100 includes
A “release button” 22 and a “group setting button” 23 as a group setting means are provided (FIG. 3).
See). The “release button” 22 is a button that prompts recording of the image data temporarily stored in the memory 4 as a file in the recording device 6. Here, the concept of “group” in the embodiment will be described.

The photographed image files are stored or accumulated in a memory or a recording device as a file device in the order of photographed time. The operator knows the relationship between what has been taken up to that point and what is about to be taken in the series of shootings. That is, the operator
When a user wants to start shooting under a new theme, he / she presses the setting button 23 to set that the image data to be shot is a new theme. When the operator presses the group setting button 23 again after shooting a number of times (possibly shooting only once), the operation should be shooting under a new theme. It is a will display. Therefore, a series of image files starting from the image file that is shot and stored by pressing the group setting button 23 and the image file that is shot and stored by pressing the group setting button 23 is one group. It can be regarded as an image file in.

Next, the processing of the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. The process of the first embodiment will be described below by dividing it into three modes, that is, a shooting mode, a recording device recording mode, and a reproduction mode. Shooting Mode FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the processing in the shooting mode according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the operating member 8 of FIG. The processing in the shooting mode will be described below with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

First, when it is detected in step S1 that the user has pressed the release button 22 of FIG. 3, step S2 is performed.
Check to see if you are in the group setting mode (theme setting mode). Here, the group setting mode is set by the user operating the group setting button 22 on the operation member 8. If it is in the group setting mode, the file name, the memory address (the head address on the memory where the image is temporarily stored), the shooting date and time, etc. are stored in the memory management table as shown in FIG. The additional information is written and the image data is also stored in the memory 4. The memory management table of FIG. 4 is created in the RAM 2 in the control device 10.

Next, in step S4, NewThemeFlg (new theme flag) of the memory management table is set,
Next, in step S5, the group setting mode (theme setting mode) is canceled. On the other hand, when it is determined in step S2 that the group setting mode is not set, the memory management table is displayed in step S6, and the file name, the memory address, the shooting date and time, etc. are stored in the memory management table as in step S3. The additional information is written, the image data is stored in the memory 4, and NewT of the memory management table is stored in step S7.
Clear hemeFlg and end.

Recording Mode for Recording Device When the amount of image data taken in the above-mentioned photographing mode becomes too large (for example, the number of photographed images becomes large) so that the image data cannot be stored in the storage area of the memory 4, the photographing is performed. In consideration of the time when it is not performed, the control device 10 causes the memory 4
The image data stored in is recorded in the recording device 6 as a file. The processing of this recording mode will be described below with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

First, in step S8, the control device 10
The image data stored in the memory 4 is sequentially sent to the compression encoding circuit 5 while referring to the "memory address" of the memory management table (FIG. 4), and compression encoding is performed. As the compression encoding algorithm, for example, a compression method based on JPEG may be adopted. When the compression is performed, a compressed file having a structure as shown in FIG. 6 is generated.

In the format of FIG. 5, the data portion is image data that has been compression-encoded. The header part has compression information, additional information, and a NewTFile flag. Information such as a Huffman table used for JPEG encoding is stored in the header compression information, additional information such as the shooting date and time is stored in the additional information, and the NewTFileFlg portion of the header is stored in the memory management table. NewThemeFlg will be reflected.

That is, in step S9, it is checked whether NewThemeFlg is set in the file being compressed,
If it is set, NewTFileFlg in the header of the image file is set in step S10, and then step S
At 11, the information such as the shooting date and time in the management table is set in the additional information section of the image file. In this way, the header part was completed.

In step S12, the file name is grasped by referring to the memory management table, and the data of FIG. 5 is recorded in the recording device 6 as a writing image file. If it is determined in step S9 that the NewThemeFlg has been cleared, the process proceeds to step S13 and NewTFileFlg in the header portion of the image file is cleared. And
In step S11, information such as shooting date and time is set in the additional information section of the image file. Next, in step S12, it is recorded in the recording device as an image file.

Thus, when the release button 22 is pressed, NewThemeFlg is set in the file recorded in the recording device 6 depending on whether the group setting button 23 is pressed at that time. (When the group setting button 23 is pressed) or NewThemeFl
g is reset (when the group setting button 23 is not pressed) and registered.

Reproduction Mode FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the processing in the reproduction mode.
The reproduction mode will be described below with reference to the flowchart of FIG. When reproducing the image, the control device 18 of the reproducing device is used.
Loads the image file through the interface 7 such as the SCSI or LAN or the recording medium recording device 12 for storing in the exchangeable recording medium 20 or the like. In step S14, it is determined whether or not there is an image file to be loaded. If it is determined that there is, go to step S15, the header portion of the image file (Fig. 5)
Refer to. In step S16, NewTFile in the header section
The state of Flg is checked, and if NewTFileFlg is set, the control device 18 creates a theme table as shown in FIG. 6 on the RAM 103 owned in step S17 and registers the corresponding file. In step S14, the above processing is continued until all the recorded files are examined.

In the example of FIG. 4, the files IMG0001.IMG and IMG
NewThemeFlg is set in 0005.IMG and IMG0007.IMG. Therefore, in the example table of FIG.
IMG0001.IMG, IMG0005.IMG and IMG0007.IMG are registered. That is, image files IMG0001.IMG, IMG0005.IMG and IM
G0007.IMG respectively refers to the top image file under a separate theme.

The theme table stores the date and time when the first image file of each theme was photographed.
In the example of FIG. 6, “8:42, November 15, 1993” is attached to the first theme file IMG0001.IMG, and “11:36, November 15, 93” is added to the first theme IMG0005.IMG.
Minutes "are added, so all image files taken during these two times (in the example of FIG. 4, IMAG0002.IM
G, IMAG0003.IMG, IMAG0004.IMG) can be considered to belong to the group of the first theme file IMG0001.IMG.

When the processing for all the image files is completed, the processing goes to step S18. In step S18, if there is at least one image file registered in the created theme table, go to step S19,
The theme image file is displayed on the display device 19 as a thumbnail image. If no file is registered in the theme table in step S18, all files recorded in step S20 are displayed as thumbnail images.

FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram showing a thumbnail display of images registered in the theme table by the above-mentioned reproducing apparatus. Reference numeral 902 in the figure denotes a window displayed on the display device 19, and head theme files IMAG0001.IMG, IMAG0005.IMG, and IMAG0007.IMAG0007.IMG, IMAG0007. I
It is a thumbnail image for MG. The icon 906 is
In-group image for the group (in the example of FIG. 4, IMAG00
02.IMG, IMAG0003.IMG, IMAG0004.IMG). Icon 9 with thumbnail image
If at least one image file exists between the two NewThemeFlg, the icon 90 is displayed or not.
Display 6

To the icon 906 indicating the existence of the in-group image file, a program which is started when the user clicks this icon with a pointing device such as a mouse is attached. When this program is started, the shooting date and time (t) of the theme image file is added from the additional information (the theme table in FIG. 6) of the theme image file to which the icon is attached.
₁ ) to know. Next, referring to the theme table know the shooting date and time of the next theme image file (and t _2). An image file having the shooting time information between t ₁ and t ₂ is searched for in the recording device 6. Since the found image files are in-group image files, thumbnail images are displayed in order from the found in-group image files.

For example, in the example of FIG. 10, 903 (IMAG000
If the user specifies the icon 906 (corresponding to 1.IMG file) on the screen of FIG. 10, the shooting date and time of this IMAG0001.IMG is 8:42 on November 15, 1993, and the shooting date and time is as follows. 904 registered in the theme table
Search for files that have the date and time (corresponding to IMAG0005.IMG) between 11:36 on November 15, 1993 as additional information, and search for IMAG0002.IMG, IMAG0003.IMG, IM
After obtaining AG0004.IMG, thumbnails are displayed like 907, 908, and 909 in FIG.

<Embodiment 2> In Embodiment 1 of the present invention, when the user tries to create a group, the user operates the group setting button 23 to enter the group setting mode,
The first image taken was to be automatically registered as a theme image with a representative meaning for the group.

However, there may be a case where the user once creates a group and wants to change the theme image that is the representative of the group. In the second embodiment, a "theme image setting button" 24 is prepared on the operation member 8 of the photographing device to cope with such a case (see FIG. 11). When the setting button 24 is pressed, the theme image file closest to the time when the button is pressed is changed to the in-group image file, and the image file taken first after the pressing time is set as the theme image file. .

The second embodiment will be described in detail below.
12 and 13 show the configuration of the memory management table for the second embodiment. The memory management table of the second embodiment differs from that of the first embodiment in that NewGrpFlg (new group flag) is added. When the group relationship is changed, the information indicating the change is reflected in this NewGropFlg. The file format of the image file is changed as shown in FIG. 14 according to the change of the memory management table. That is, compared to FIG. 6 of the first embodiment, NewGFi is added to the header part.
leFLG (new group file flag) is added.

First, it is assumed that the user operates the group setting button 22 to create a group, as in the first embodiment. First image taken (1 November 1993)
When 8:42 on the 5th is registered as the theme image of the group, the control device 10 of the image capturing apparatus sets NewThemeFlg and NewGrpFlg to the same value (on) as shown in FIG. That is, as in the case of the first embodiment, the image captured first after the group setting mode is set is registered as a theme image having a representative meaning of the group.

Next, the user selects a group image file IM
It is assumed that AG0002.IMG is created at 8:51 on November 15, 1993. Since this second image file is a file within a group, as shown in FIG. 12, in the memory management table (FIG. 12), NewThemeFlg and NewG of IMAG0002.IMG are displayed.
Both rpFlg are stored off. Thus, at this point in time, as shown in FIG. 12, the information of the two image files has been registered in the management table. Up to this point, the procedure is the same as in the first embodiment described above.

After that, the user selects the theme image setting button 2
4 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. When it is detected that the setting button 24 has been pressed, the memory management table is searched in step S31 for the theme file that was recently photographed. In the example of FIG. 12, IMAG0001.IMG is the latest theme file. In step S32, the latest theme file NewThemeFlg is reset. In the example of FIG. 12,
Theme image file IMAG0001.IMG NewThemeFlg is shown in Figure 1.
It is reset as shown in FIG. When the shooting is started, the new image file IMAG0003.IMG is registered in the memory management table (FIG. 13) with NewThemeFlg turned on.

Furthermore, after that, the user continues shooting.
Shoot IMAG0004.IMG as a file in the group, and
0005.IMG is taken by pressing the group setting button (as a theme image file), IMAG0006.IMG is taken as a file within the group of IMAG0005.IMG, and IMAG0007.IMG is pressed by a group setting button (as a theme image file)
If it is taken, a memory management table as shown in FIG. 13 is formed.

When an image file is recorded in the recording device 6, a header as shown in FIG. 14 is created for each image file and recorded in the recording device 6. In this case, Ne
For files with wGrpFlg set, NewGFileFlg is set in the header part, and NewTheme
NewTFileFlg is recorded for files for which Flg is set.

The trigger condition for recording the image file in the recording device is the same as that in the first embodiment, that is, the shooting is performed when the image file cannot be stored in the storage area of the memory 4. It is done in anticipation of dead time. Further, when it is detected that the user has pressed the setting button after the image data stored in the memory 4 has been recorded as a file in the recording device 6, the image file in the recording device 6 is detected. Find an image file that has a recent NewTFileFlg set and directly
Clear leFlg. Also in the memory management table, the corresponding NewThemeFlg is also cleared and registered in the memory management table.

Next, the case of reproducing the image file recorded by the method of the second embodiment will be described. In the second embodiment, the theme table is created as in the first embodiment. That is, at the time of reproduction, among the image files read from the recording device, the one in which NewTFileFlg of the header part is set is registered in the theme table, and the theme images of each group are displayed as thumbnails by referring to it.

The display on the display device 19 of the reproducing device 200 is performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment. That is, as shown in FIG. 11, the existence of theme images is indicated as 903, 94, and 906, and those thumbnail images are displayed as 907 to 909. When a plurality of in-group image files exist in the theme image, the icon 906 is displayed to notify the user of that fact.

The case where the icon 906 is clicked will be described. When clicked, the additional information in the header part of the theme image file is checked to know the shooting date and time, and NewGFile is selected from the images shot before the date and time of the theme image.
Look for a file that has Flg set, and from the image file that was taken at the date and time closest to the specified theme image, from the image files taken after the date and time of the currently specified theme image, the NewGrFileFlg The set files are searched for, and the image files taken up to the date and time closest to the designated theme image are set as one group, and the image files whose shooting date and time information is within that range are displayed in thumbnails.

<Third Embodiment> In the second embodiment, the user can once create a group and then change the theme image representing the group. However, only one theme image representing one group can be set. The third embodiment aims to set a plurality of theme images in one group.

In the above embodiment, when changing the theme image, NewThemeFlg already set in the recent theme image file is reset in the management table (see FIG. 13). In the third embodiment, as shown in FIG. 16, NewThemeFlg of the latest theme image file at the time of pressing the setting button 24 is not reset. Then, NewT of the first image file after pressing the setting button 24
Set hemeFlg. By doing this,
It is possible to set multiple theme images for one group.

FIG. 16 shows the state of the memory management table at this time. In FIG. 16, when shooting IMAG0001.IMG, a new group is created by the group setting button 23, and at this time, IMAG0001.IMG is designated as the theme image of the group. Next, when the theme image setting button 24 is pressed and IMAG0003.IMG is shot, IM
AG0003.IMG will be designated as the theme image.
That is, for this group IMAG0001.IMG and IMAG0003.I
The two images of MG have been designated as the theme images. FIG. 17 shows how this is reproduced by the reproducing apparatus. 17 is almost the same as the state shown in FIG. 11, but IMAG000 newly designated as the theme image.
3. The thumbnail image 138 corresponding to IMG is displayed in parallel with the thumbnail image 133 that has been designated in advance. When the user designates the mark 136, the remaining files included in the group are displayed as thumbnails 137 and 139.

<Modification 1> Embodiments 1 and 2 of the present invention
Then, as described in FIG. 1, the image pickup device and the reproducing device are described as if they are separated, but they may be included in one device. In that case, the operation members 8 and 17, the control devices 10 and 18, the interface connectors 7 and 11, the recording medium recording device 12, the recording medium reading device 13 and the like in FIG. become.

<Modification 2> Further, the following modification is proposed. When a character string is photographed as a theme image using the apparatus of the above embodiment and the image file is OCR processed to be converted into character information,
For example, when porting to an existing file system such as MS-DOS, it becomes possible to form a directory structure by directly using the character character string information obtained from the group created here and the representative theme image.

FIG. 18 shows this state. In FIG. 11, the theme images 903, 904, and 905 are subjected to character recognition processing to convert the image data into character character data. Image data “Tokyo Motor Show” and “River side park” of theme images 903 and 904 are OCR
Depending on the processing, “Tokyo_Motor_Show” and “River_”
converted to a character string "side_Park",
It can be used as a directory name like 7. Files included in each group and theme image files are stored under each directory. In the thumbnail theme image 905 of FIG. 11, the scene of the image is not a character,
Characters cannot be recognized. In such a case, use the theme image file name and use IMAG0007_
It can be DIR.

<Modification 3> In the above embodiment, NewTheme is used.
We showed an example of buffering various flags such as Flg and image data in the memory and outputting to the disk or interface when the memory is full, but image data generally occupies a large amount of memory. So
By temporarily outputting the image data and undetermined flags as a file, forming a table containing only the flags on the memory, and replacing the flags in the corresponding file when the flags are fixed. You can use the memory effectively.

The present invention may be applied to a system composed of a plurality of devices or an apparatus composed of one device. Further, it goes without saying that the present invention can be applied to the case where it is achieved by supplying a program to a system or an apparatus.

[0063]

As described above, according to the present invention,
A recording device for recording a plurality of grouped image files so that the plurality of grouped image files can be displayed as a group without requiring an operation member for inputting a directory name, a file name, etc. to the imaging device, and A reproducing apparatus and a reproducing method for those image files are provided.

Specifically, by managing the captured images as a group, it is possible to efficiently use the limited space of a display device such as a monitor even if the number of captured images increases. Become.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a control device.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an operation member according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram of a memory management table used in the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram of a file format used in the first embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a conceptual diagram of a theme table used in the embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a shooting mode according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a recording mode for the recording apparatus according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of a reproduction mode according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram showing a reproduction state in Example 1 and Example 2.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an operation member according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a conceptual diagram of a memory management table used in the second embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a conceptual diagram of a memory management table used in the second embodiment.

FIG. 14 is a conceptual diagram of a file format used in the second embodiment.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the control procedure of the second embodiment.

FIG. 16 is a conceptual diagram of a memory management table used in the third embodiment.

FIG. 17 is a conceptual diagram showing a reproduction state of the third embodiment.

FIG. 18 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a directory structure of a modified example.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 lens 2 image sensor 3,16 signal processing circuit 4,15 memory 5 compression coding circuit 6 recording device 7,11 interface connector 8,17 operation member 9 display member 10,18 control device 12 recording medium recording device 13 recording medium reading device Device 14 Decoding circuit 19 Display device 20 Recording medium 21 Group setting means 22 Release button 23 Group setting button 24 Theme image setting button 100 Imaging device 101 CPU 102 ROM 103 RAM 104 I / F (interface) 200 Playback device 901, 131 Cursor 902 , 132 Display windows 903, 904, 905, 133, 138, 134, 1
35 Thumbnail display of theme images 906, 136 Marks indicating existence of files 907, 908, 909, 137, 139 Thumbnail display of image files belonging to groups represented by theme images

Claims (22)

[Claims] 1. An image file recording apparatus for storing image files, input means for inputting a plurality of image files, grouping means for associating the plurality of image files as a group, and a plurality of grouped images An image file recording apparatus comprising: a recording unit for recording a file. 2. The grouping unit generates tag data indicating that the plurality of image files are grouped, and the recording unit combines and records the tag data and the image file. The image file recording device according to claim 1, which is characterized. 3. The input means further comprises means for organizing the plurality of image files in time order, and sending the image files organized in time order to the group setting means, wherein the recording means adds time information. The image file recording device according to claim 1, wherein the image file is recorded. 4. The grouping means includes operation means for instructing a user to group the image files, and means for detecting that the operation means has been operated. 1. The image file recording device according to 1. 5. The grouping means, when detecting that the operation means is operated, stores the image data at that time point or the first image data after that time point in the recording means as a theme image file characterizing a group. The image file recording device according to claim 4, wherein the image file recording device is controlled to record. 6. The grouping means, when detecting that the operation means is operated, records the image data at that time point or the first image data after that time point in the recording means by turning on tag data. Image data generated from the detection of the operation of the operating means to the operation of the operating means after that is recorded in the recording means by turning off the tag data. The image file recording device according to claim 2, which is controlled. 7. An image file recording device for storing image files, input means for inputting a plurality of image files, grouping means for associating the plurality of image files as a group, and a plurality of grouped images An image file recording apparatus comprising: recording means for recording a file; and releasing means for releasing grouping of image files recorded in the recording means by grouping. 8. The grouping means generates tag data indicating that the plurality of image files are grouped, the recording means combines and records the tag data and the image file, and the releasing means. The image file recording apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising: a specifying unit that specifies an image file to be released, and a unit that turns off tag data of the specified image file. 9. The release means detects an operation means for instructing a user to release the grouping, a means for detecting operation of the operation means, and an operation for the operation means. Then, the apparatus further comprises means for searching an image file in which the first tag data recorded before that time is on, and means for turning off the tag data of the searched image file. The described image file recording device. 10. An image file recording device for storing image files, input means for inputting a plurality of image files, grouping means for associating the plurality of image files as a group, and a plurality of grouped images An image file recording apparatus comprising: a recording unit that records a file; and a changing unit that changes grouping of image files that are grouped and recorded in the recording unit. 11. The grouping means generates tag data indicating that the plurality of image files are grouped, and the recording means records the tag data and the image file by combining them, and the changing means. Specifies the group to be changed and the image data at that point or the first image data after that point in the designated group so that the tag data is turned on and recorded in the recording unit. The image file recording apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a control unit for controlling. 12. The designating means comprises: an operating means for instructing a user to change the grouping; and a means for detecting that the operating means has been operated. The described image file recording device. 13. Display means for reading and displaying an image file from the recording means, means for searching for an image file representative of a group, and display control means for displaying only the searched representative image file on the display means. The image file recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: 14. An image file reproducing device for reproducing an image file recorded by the image file recording device according to claim 1, wherein the display means reads the image file from the image file recording device and displays it. An image file reproducing apparatus comprising: a means for searching an image file representative of a group; and a display control means for displaying only the searched representative image file on the display means. 15. If the search means detects that at least one other image file exists in the designated group, the display control means displays a mark indicating the presence on the display means. The image file reproducing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the image file reproducing apparatus displays the image file. 16. The image file reproducing method according to claim 15, further comprising means for detecting that the user has pointed to the mark to instruct to reproduce the other image file. apparatus. 17. The image file reproducing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein when there are a plurality of image files representing a group, the image files are displayed in parallel on the display means. 18. When the group representative image file is an image obtained by capturing character information, the image data of the character information is subjected to character recognition processing, and the obtained character information is provided as a group name. 15. The image file reproducing device according to claim 14. 19. The image file recorded in said recording means has a header part, and by reading the header part of the image file recorded in said recording means, the relationship between the image files can be grasped and the relationship can be confirmed. The image file reproducing device according to claim 14, wherein the image file reproducing device displays the tree structure. 20. A method of reproducing an image file for displaying a plurality of grouped image files in a captioned manner, wherein the image file is read together with image data and corresponding header information, An image file reproducing method characterized in that the hierarchical relationship between the image files is grasped from the header information and the grasped hierarchical relation is displayed in a tree structure. 21. The image file reproducing method according to claim 20, wherein the hierarchical relationship includes an intra-group hierarchical relationship and an inter-group hierarchical relationship. 22. Within each group, a representative image file showing an image file representative of the group and a normal image file are recorded, and the hierarchical relationship between groups is represented by an icon or a character of the identifier of the representative image file. The hierarchical relationship within the group is characterized in that a mark indicating that a normal image file other than the representative image file exists in the group is displayed near the icon or the character indicating the representative image file. Item 20. An image file reproducing method according to Item 20.