JPH08205187A - Method and device for image reproduction - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To reproduce an image of high definition by converting photographic data into image data by using a common image reproduction parameter group among image reproduction parameters specified as to plural relative photographic data. CONSTITUTION: An image reproduction parameter group supplied from an image reproduction parameter group selection indicating mechanism 11 is analyzed to obtain selection indication information. A photographic data selecting mechanism 8, a photographic data holding mechanism 7, and an image reproduction parameter group memory part 6 are accessed when necessary to select and determine a desired image reproduction parameter group. The selected and determined image reproduction parameter group is set as the image reproduction parameter group of an image reproduction processing mechanism 12. The mechanism 8 selects photographic data matching contents out of image pickup data stored in an image pickup data memory part 2 according to contents indicated by a photographic data selection indicating mechanism 9 and outputs the data to a memory part 2. The desired image pickup data are inputted to e mechanism 12 through the mechanism 7.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image reproducing method and an image reproducing apparatus, and more particularly, to image data obtained by an image pickup device such as an image pickup tube or CCD, the image data can be visualized, for example, NTSC. The present invention relates to an image reproducing method for converting into RGB or the like and an image reproducing apparatus using the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an image reproducing apparatus such as a television camera using an image pickup device such as a CCD, the same impression is always visually observed regardless of the secular change of the image pickup device and the color filter and the change of the illumination light source. In order to obtain the obtained image or to obtain a reproduced image as faithful as possible, it is general to determine a part of the image reproduction parameter from the imaged data itself during the image reproduction process of obtaining the image data from the imaged data. ing. As image reproduction parameters,
For example, there are color temperature and reproduction brightness level, and the image reproduction parameter is determined by correcting these color temperatures and setting the reproduction brightness level.

In the color temperature correction, specifically, what is called white balance adjustment is performed so that an object that should be white is adjusted to appear white. Then, this color temperature correction is generally judged and performed based on the imaged image data. That is, objects that are viewed as white are extracted from the image data, and a white balance coefficient that is a part of the image reproduction parameter is determined from these objects that are viewed as white. In the white balance adjustment, normally, by using the white balance coefficient, a plurality of color component signals of the image signal output from the image pickup device are respectively corrected by giving a color component gain amount to the image signals, and thus the white signal is visually recognized as white. It is adjusted so that the output levels of the respective color component signals forming the video signal of the object to be processed become equal.

The reproduction brightness level is set by calculating the brightness distribution from the imaged data, setting the optimum reproduction brightness level (range), and adjusting the parameters so that a reproduced image can be obtained in that range.

[0005]

However, the method of adjusting the color tone of the image by the above white balance adjustment is effective when the image signal obtained from the image pickup device or the like has sufficient white objects. However, in certain situations, there may be no white object in the imaging signal that should be seen or there may be very few white objects that should be seen. Is impossible to adjust. In such a situation, generally, the image pickup signals of the entire image pickup data are averaged for each color component to calculate an average value, and the white balance adjustment may be performed using the average value. The color indicated by the average value is not always white (color of the light source), and white balance adjustment cannot be performed accurately.

As described above, in the conventional image reproducing apparatus, when the image reproducing process is performed to obtain the optimum reproduced image, if each reproducing parameter is decided from the image pickup data, for example, the light source information in the white balance process, etc. May not be able to get enough information to determine a particular parameter, such as
There was a problem that the parameters could not be set accurately.

Further, in setting the reproduction luminance level,
When the brightness reproduction parameter is determined for each individual image data, when performing image comparison, etc., or when performing image combining processing, etc., the brightness correlation between the plurality of image data to be compared is lost, and However, there is a problem in that there is a possibility that it will be difficult to make a comparison, or that the connection of brightness will be unnatural in a combined image during combining or the like. For example, due to the shooting area, the above-described problem becomes apparent when a plurality of image pickup data are obtained by dividing an image of a subject to be imaged on the same screen.

That is, the reproduced image obtained by determining the image reproduction parameter group based on the image information is individually obtained based on the image reproduction parameter group for each image pickup data. Therefore, when the physical property information or the like is obtained from the luminance information. As described above, it is impossible to extract information between the images and obtain a reproduced image by comparing and analyzing a plurality of images. Therefore, for example, in the case where the reflectance gradually changes spatially, there is a difference in the luminance distribution range obtained for each image pickup data, and this is optimized for each image pickup data. When the image is reproduced by reproducing the image, the image is reproduced as an image in which the correlation of brightness originally in each imaging region is lost. Therefore, when the images captured in each imaging region are combined into one image, the correlation of the brightness is There is a problem that it becomes a lost unnatural composite image.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an image reproducing method and an image reproducing apparatus capable of performing desired accurate image reproduction.

[0010]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an image reproducing method for converting a plurality of related image pickup data recorded in a recording medium into image data according to an image reproducing parameter group. An image reproduction parameter group is specified for each of the image pickup data, and the plurality of pieces of image pickup data are converted into image data as a common image reproduction parameter group from among the image reproduction parameters specified for the plurality of related image pickup data. It is characterized by converting.

Specifically, at least two or more pieces of image pickup data are selected and instructed from the image pickup data recorded on the recording medium, an image reproduction parameter group corresponding to the image pickup data is specified, and the selection is instructed. Reproduced imaged data according to the image reproduction parameter,
Next, the image pickup data other than the image pickup data is sequentially reproduced using the image reproduction parameter common to the specified image reproduction parameter, and the plurality of pieces of image pickup data are converted into image data.

Further, the present invention provides an image reproducing apparatus comprising image pickup data recording means for recording image pickup data and image reproducing means for converting the image pickup data recorded in the image pickup data recording means into image data. Image reproduction processing means selects image data from at least two pieces of image data recorded in the image data recording means, and image reproduction selects an image reproduction parameter group corresponding to the image data. The image forming apparatus further includes a parameter group selecting unit, a reproduction processing unit that performs an image reproducing process based on the image reproducing parameter group selecting unit and the image data selecting unit, and the reproduction processing unit is common to a plurality of image data. The feature is that the image reproduction processing is performed by the image reproduction parameter group.

Further, in the above image reproducing method and image reproducing apparatus, the parameters constituting the image reproducing parameters include color temperature information, gradation information, and luminance information.

[0014]

According to the above image reproducing method and image reproducing apparatus,
The plurality of pieces of image pickup data are converted into image data by using the image reproduction parameter group specified to be optimum for the plurality of pieces of related image pickup data as a common image reproduction parameter group.

[0015]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an image reproducing apparatus according to the present invention.

Reference numeral 1 denotes a color image pickup unit such as a digital camera which picks up an image of a subject and outputs the image of the subject as two-dimensional digital image pickup data (hereinafter, simply referred to as "image pickup data") to the image pickup data memory unit 2. . Then, the imaging data memory unit 2 stores and stores the imaging data sent from the color image imaging unit 1.

The color image reproduction processing section 3 carries out a predetermined image reproduction processing on the image pickup data stored and stored in the image pickup data memory section 2, for example, digitized NTS.
It is converted into C-RGB data and output to the color image reproduction display unit 4 and the reproduction image data memory unit 5. The color image reproduction display unit 4 includes, for example, a color video board and a monitor, receives the color image data output from the image reproduction processing unit 3, or the reproduction image data memory unit 5
The color image data stored in is read and displayed as a color image on the monitor. Further, the reproduced image data memory unit 5 stores and saves the image data image-reproduced in the color image reproduction processing unit 3, and the stored image data is supplied to the color image reproduction display unit 4 as necessary, Display as a color image.

The image reproduction parameter memory unit 6 stores and saves a desired parameter group or a part thereof based on the instruction information from the color image reproduction processing unit 3, and supplies it to the color image reproduction processing unit 3 as necessary. . Here, as the image reproduction parameters forming the parameter group, for example, color temperature, white balance coefficient, color component gain amount,
White point information, black point information, gamma coefficient, gradation characteristics, gradation conversion curve, gradation conversion lookup table, knee point, dynamic range, color gamut,
Illumination light source information, color coordinate conversion matrix coefficient, spatial frequency characteristic, black (gray) balance coefficient, S / N ratio,
Examples thereof include parameters that describe the autocorrelation coefficient, Wiener spectrum, intensity (density) distribution, luminance distribution, and the like, or parameters that are directly or indirectly obtained from these information.

Thus, the color image reproduction processing section 3
Is an imaging data holding mechanism 7 that holds digital data from the imaging data memory unit 2, and an imaging data selection mechanism 8 that selects the imaging data stored in the imaging data memory unit 2 and extracts it into the imaging data holding mechanism 7. An image pickup data selection instruction mechanism 9 for instructing the image pickup data selection mechanism 8 with conditions for selecting image pickup data, and an image reproduction parameter for selecting or deciding an image reproduction parameter group used in an image reproduction process. A group determination mechanism 10, an image reproduction parameter group selection instruction mechanism 11 for instructing the image reproduction parameter group determination mechanism 10 with conditions for selecting or determining the image reproduction parameter group, and the image reproduction parameter group are used. And an image reproduction processing mechanism 12 for reproducing the imaged data as an image. Further, the image reproduction parameter group determination mechanism 10 stores the image reproduction parameter group or a part thereof in the image reproduction parameter memory unit 6.
And the image reproduction parameter group or a part thereof is supplied from the image reproduction parameter memory unit 6 as needed, and is sent to the image reproduction processing mechanism 12 to be used when the captured data is converted into image data. To be done.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing an image processing procedure of the image reproduction processing apparatus. The program is executed by the color image reproduction processing section 3. Further, it is assumed that a plurality of pieces of image pickup data picked up by the color image pickup unit 1 are already stored and held in the pickup data memory unit 2.

First, in step S1, the contents of the image pickup data selection instructing mechanism 9 are investigated and the selection instruction contents are supplied to the image pickup data selecting mechanism 8. Specifically, the image pickup data selection instructing mechanism 9 normally indicates the image pickup data to be selected by inputting a file name or the like, or displays a list of the image pickup data stored in the image pickup data memory unit 2 by an appropriate means. Then, an instruction is given by appropriately marking from the image pickup data displayed in the list. In the present embodiment, at least two or more pieces of image pickup data are designated. In this case, the image pickup data stored in the image pickup data memory unit 2 has the image pickup condition (for example, image pickup date, image pickup time, environmental condition, etc.). If it exists as information, it will be taken into consideration when the selection instruction is given. When only one piece of image data is instructed, this program is not executed and the image data is converted into image data by the normal image reproduction processing.

In the subsequent step S2, the contents of the image reproduction parameter group selection instruction mechanism 11 are investigated and supplied to the image reproduction parameter group determination mechanism 10. As the content of the image reproduction parameter group selection instruction, for example, a plurality of image reproduction parameters such as color temperature and reproduction luminance level forming the image reproduction parameter group are directly input or set. That is, when the image reproduction parameter memory unit 6 already stores the image reproduction parameters as a group, the stored image reproduction parameter group is designated. Alternatively, by instructing specific image data, an image reproduction parameter group determined by analyzing the image data is instructed, or as a parameter forming the image reproduction parameter group based on the parameter obtained from the image data. Give instructions.

Next, in step S3, the selection instruction information of the image reproduction parameter group supplied from the image reproduction parameter group selection instruction mechanism 11 is analyzed and, if necessary, the imaging data selection mechanism 8 or the imaging data holding mechanism 7 or By accessing the image reproduction parameter group memory unit 6, a desired image reproduction parameter group is selected / determined or reconstructed. The selected / determined or reconstructed image reproduction parameter group is set as an image reproduction parameter group in the image reproduction processing mechanism 12 in step S4.

In step S5, the imaging data selection mechanism 8
In accordance with the selection instruction content instructed by the imaging data selection instructing mechanism 9, the imaging data matching the selection instruction content is selected from the imaging data stored in the imaging data memory unit 2 to select the imaging data. The desired image pickup data output from the memory unit 2 is taken into the image reproduction processing mechanism 12 via the image pickup data holding mechanism 7.

In step S6, the image reproduction processing mechanism 12
The image reproduction processing is performed according to the image reproduction parameter group. Next, in step S7, it is determined whether or not the image reproduction processing has been completed by the number corresponding to the image data selected and instructed. If the image reproduction processing has not been completed by the number corresponding to the image data selected and instructed, Step S5
Then, the processing of step S6 is repeated, and when the image reproduction processing is completed by the number corresponding to the image pickup data, this program is ended. That is, step S5 and step S
By repeating 6 for the number of image data,
From among the image reproduction parameter groups specified to optimally reproduce the respective captured data, the reproduced image can be obtained by using the image reproduction parameter group common to the plurality of pieces of captured data.

FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing a case where a subject is photographed by using the above image reproducing apparatus. Due to the relation of the photographing regions, the subject which is originally desired to be photographed on the same screen is divided into four photographing regions A. , B, C, and D are captured separately. That is, in FIG. 3, the subject is photographed by being divided into four photographing regions A, B, C, and D, and four pieces of image pickup data are image-reproduced. That is,
The image reproduction parameter group used for these image reproduction is obtained by analyzing these four pieces of image pickup data.
It is determined that each image pickup data is optimum and the correlation of the four pieces of image pickup data is held. In other words, the image reproduction parameter group thus determined is used as a common specific image reproduction parameter group for the image reproduction processing of the four image pickup data, and the image reproduction of the four image pickup data is performed. is there.

As described above, the specific image reproduction parameter group obtained by the method instructed in advance is used as a common parameter group, and the optimum image reproduction processing is performed on a plurality of pieces of image pickup data, so that between the image pickup data It is possible to reproduce an image while making use of the correlation and holding useful image information, and it is possible to reproduce an image with high accuracy without feeling unnaturalness.

The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and when converting image data from image data,
It suffices that the image reproduction parameter group specified so as to be optimum for the plurality of pieces of image pickup data is used as a common image reproduction parameter group, and the plurality of pieces of image pickup data can be converted into the image data. Therefore, various sequence processes other than the above can be executed. For example, it can be executed by hardware or a device that operates according to what is logicalized, softwareized, or algorithmized.

[0030]

As described in detail above, according to the image reproducing method and the image reproducing apparatus of the present invention, the image reproducing parameter group can be accurately determined for a plurality of image pickup data, and the image reproducing parameter group is different for each image. By performing the playback process using the image playback parameters, the information of the relationship between the imaged data that was present at the time of imaging is not lost, and therefore the information and correlation between the images are not lost. It becomes possible to convert the captured data into image data by using an image reproduction parameter group composed of various image reproduction parameters, and a natural and accurate image can be reproduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an image reproducing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an embodiment of an image reproducing method according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing a state when a subject is imaged according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

2 image data memory unit (image data recording unit) 3 image reproduction processing unit (image reproduction unit) 8 image data selection mechanism (image data selection unit) 10 image reproduction parameter group determination mechanism (image reproduction parameter group selection unit) 12 image reproduction Processing mechanism (reproduction processing means)

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. An image reproduction method for converting a plurality of related image pickup data recorded in a recording medium into image data according to an image reproduction parameter group, wherein an image reproduction parameter group is specified for each of the image pickup data, An image reproduction method, wherein the plurality of pieces of image pickup data are converted into image data by using a common image reproduction parameter group from the image reproduction parameters specified for the plurality of related pieces of image pickup data. 2. The image pickup data for which at least two pieces of image pickup data have been selected and instructed from the image pickup data recorded on the recording medium, and the image reproduction parameter group corresponding to the image pickup data has been specified, Is reproduced in accordance with the image reproduction parameter, and then sequentially reproduced using image reproduction parameters common to the specified image reproduction parameter with respect to image data other than the image data, The image reproducing method according to claim 1, wherein the image is converted into image data. 3. The image reproducing method according to claim 1, wherein the parameters forming the image reproducing parameter include color temperature information, gradation information, and brightness information. 4. An image reproducing apparatus comprising image pickup data recording means for recording image pickup data and image reproducing means for converting the image pickup data recorded in the image pickup data recording means into image data, wherein the image reproducing means is provided. Image pickup data selection means for selecting at least two pieces of image pickup data from the image pickup data recorded in the image pickup data recording means, and image reproduction parameter group selection means for selecting an image reproduction parameter group according to the image pickup data. A reproduction processing unit that performs an image reproduction process based on the image reproduction parameter group selection unit and the imaged data selection unit, wherein the reproduction processing unit uses a common image reproduction parameter group for a plurality of pieces of imaged data. An image reproducing apparatus characterized by performing an image reproducing process. 5. The image reproducing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the parameters forming the image reproducing parameter include color temperature information, gradation information, and brightness information.