JPH08129553A - Image display device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To improve the retrieval efficiency of a large quantity of images by providing two display modes which are a display mode consisting of reduced images and a display mode that consists of image discrimination information and enables high-speed display when plural reduced images are displayed on the same display and image retrieval is performed. CONSTITUTION: This device consists of a display mode selecting means 1 which selects the display mode whose display screen consists of plural reduced images or the display mode whose display screen is constituted by using only the image discrimination information, an image data storage means 4 which stores reduced image data, an image discrimination information storage means 5 which stores the image discrimination information, a display screen generating means 2 which refers to the image data storage means 4 or image discrimination information storage means 5 according to the display mode specified by the display mode selecting means 1 and generates display screen data consisting of plural images, and a display output means 3 which displays the display screen data.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image display device for displaying a reduced image on a display and executing an image search.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A large amount of image retrieval is required when an image is edited in creating an electronic catalog or when an image database is constructed. 2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, as an image display device that improves the efficiency of image retrieval, a device that also records reduced image data when recording image information and displays a reduced image on a multi-screen at the time of retrieval (for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-257987).
A device having a function of recording a keyword or the like of a recorded image in addition to the reduced image data at the time of image recording and searching using this recorded information (for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-274375),
Etc. have been proposed.

[0003]

However, in the above-described apparatus for displaying a reduced image on a multi-screen, there is a problem in the time required to display the image. Specifically, since the reduced image is usually handled as an uncompressed image because the image is small, the data size is large, which causes a large amount of data transfer between the disk and the display memory. Further, the format conversion of the image may be necessary depending on the difference between the storage data format and the storage format of the display memory. On the other hand, when searching for a desired image from a large number of images, it is necessary to skip unnecessary images at high speed, but it also takes time to display unnecessary reduced images. On the other hand,
The device for searching using the recorded information such as the keyword has a problem that the operation for executing the keyword input or the search is different from the operation on the multi-screen display of the reduced image, and the search operation takes time. Was there.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and provides two display modes, that is, a display whose display screen is composed of a plurality of reduced images and a display which is composed only of image identification information. Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide an image display device that improves the search efficiency of a large number of images.

[0005]

In order to achieve this object, the image display device of the present invention is configured so that the display screen is configured by using only a display mode configured by using a plurality of reduced images and image identification information. Display mode selection means for selecting a display mode, image data storage means for storing reduced image data, image identification information storage means for storing image identification information, and image data storage means and image identification information storage means for selecting the display mode. A display configured by using a plurality of the reduced images referred to according to the display mode designated by the means, a display configured by the image identification information, or configured by the image identification information corresponding to the reduced image It has a configuration of a display screen generation means for generating display screen data for display and a display output means for displaying the display screen data.

[0006]

With this configuration, when the accurate image information is not required, the image display is displayed in the display mode in which only the image identification information is displayed at high speed, and in the display mode in which the reduced image is displayed when the accurate image confirmation is required. You can switch. Also,
Since the worker can easily switch the display mode at all times, the worker can make a judgment according to the search situation and appropriately switch the display mode. Furthermore, if the reduced image and the image identification information are associated with each other, the appearance and operation feeling of the user interface do not change even if the display mode changes. Generally, recorded images often have some regularity, and therefore the image display mode based on the image identification information can be effectively used. For example, in the case of searching for an image that has been searched once, the desired image can be confirmed by quickly displaying the image identification information until the image to be confirmed appears and then switching to the display using the reduced image. Therefore, the display of the search can be speeded up, and the search work can be advanced by a simple operation.

[0007]

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

In FIG. 1, 1 is a display mode selection means,
Reference numeral 2 is a display screen generation means, 3 is a display output means, 4 is an image data storage means, and 5 is an image identification information storage means. The image data storage means 4 stores uncompressed reduced image data, and the image identification information storage means 5 stores image identification information.
For example, the image ID is stored.

The operation of this image display device will be described below. This image display device has a display mode in which the display image is a reduced image and a display mode in which the image identification information image is configured.

The display mode selection means 1 initially designates the display mode as a reduced image display mode.

The display screen generation means 2 reads the designated display mode, determines that the display mode is a reduced image display mode, reads the reduced image data stored in the image data storage means 4, and comprises the reduced image. The generated display screen data is generated and output to the display output means 3.

The display output means 3 displays the display screen data generated by the display screen generation means 2 on a CRT monitor or the like.

Here, it is assumed that the display mode selection means 1 designates the display mode as the display mode based on the image identification information.

The display screen generation means 2 reads the designated display mode, determines that the display mode is based on the image identification information, and determines the image identification information data stored in the image identification information storage means 5, in this embodiment. The image ID is read, display screen data composed of this image identification information image is generated, and output to the display output means 3.

The display output means 3 displays the display screen data generated by the display screen generating means 2.

FIG. 2 shows the appearance of the user interface in the display mode in which the display image is composed of a reduced image. In this embodiment, it is composed of nine reduced images. When the display mode selection button 6 is clicked with the mouse, the display mode is switched to the mode configured by the image identification information.

FIG. 3 shows the appearance of the user interface in the display mode in which the display image is composed of the image identification information. In this embodiment, the ID corresponding to the reduced image is displayed.

For example, it is assumed that an image search is started using the image display device of this embodiment. At this time, the display output means 3
Displays a reduced image as shown in FIG. If the operator wants to confirm from the reduced image of about 100 sheets after confirming the displayed reduced image, the display mode selection button 6 is clicked with the mouse and the display mode is switched to the display by the image ID as shown in FIG. , 11 screens forward. By displaying the screen in this display mode, it is possible to display at high speed and skip 10 screens. The task of advancing the screen can be realized by a simple task such as pressing the return key. After that, when the worker clicks the display mode selection button 7, the screen display is switched to the display by the reduced image, and the worker can confirm the image accurately. Even when the reduced image is displayed, the screen can be moved forward / backward and the search can be continued by the same work as the image ID is displayed.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the display mode in which only the image identification information is displayed at high speed is used when accurate image information is not needed, and the reduced image is used when accurate image confirmation is required. The image display can be switched to the display mode that has been changed, and the operator can always switch the image display mode by clicking the mouse, and the operator can make a judgment according to the search situation and switch the image display mode appropriately. Further, if the reduced image and the image identification information are associated with each other, even if the image display mode changes, the search can be continued without feeling any difference in the appearance and operation feeling of the user interface. Therefore, the display speed can be increased according to the search situation, and the search work can be advanced by a simple operation, so that the search efficiency can be improved.

Although the image ID is used as the image identification information in the present embodiment, any information such as an image name and a creation date can be specified to some extent and the data amount is smaller than the reduced image data. It may be one. Further, although only the reduced image is displayed in the display mode configured by using the reduced image, the same effect can be obtained by displaying the reduced image and the image identification information. Further, the mouse is used as the input means for switching the mode, but any input means capable of switching the display mode may be used. For example, a keyboard, a remote controller, a touch panel, or the like can achieve the same effect. Also, the number of reduced images on one screen is nine,
Any number of images may be displayed, and if a large number of reduced images are displayed within a range where the display content can be identified, a further effect can be obtained. Further, although the initial mode of the display mode is specified, it is not necessary to specify the initial mode, and the same effect can be obtained even if the display mode is a mode configured by the image identification information image.

[0021]

As described above, according to the present invention, the display mode selection means, the display screen generation means, the display output means, the image data storage means, and the image identification information storage means are provided.
Since two display modes are realized, it is possible to provide an image search environment in which images are displayed at high speed according to the search situation. In addition, the switching of the display mode can be easily performed by the operator at any time, depending on the search situation, and the image display mode can be easily switched. Further, when the reduced image to be displayed and the image identification information are associated with each other, There is no difference in the look and feel of the user interface between the two display modes, and the search can be continued without losing sight of the search image that the operator is paying attention to. .
Therefore, it is possible to realize an excellent image display device capable of improving the search efficiency of a large number of images.

[Brief description of drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a graphical user interface when a display mode configured by a reduced image is designated according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a graphical user interface when a display mode configured by an image identification information image is designated in one embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Display Mode Selection Means 2 Display Screen Generation Means 3 Display Output Means 4 Image Data Storage Means 5 Image Identification Information Storage Means 6, 7 Display Mode Selection Buttons

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A display mode selection unit for selecting a display mode in which a display screen is configured by using a plurality of reduced images and a display mode configured by using only image identification information, and image data for storing reduced image data. A storage unit, an image identification information storage unit that stores image identification information, a plurality of reduced images by referring to the image data storage unit and the image identification information storage unit according to a display mode designated by the display mode selection unit. An image display device comprising: a display screen generation unit that generates display screen data of a display configured by using the above or a display configured of a plurality of image identification information; and a display output unit that displays the display screen data. 2. The display screen generating means generates display screen data for displaying the image identification information corresponding to the reduced image at the same position as the display position of each reduced image on the display screen configured using only the image identification information. The image display device according to claim 1, wherein