JPH10243194A - Image storage device and image transmission system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the cost by executing retrieval and transmission of image data at a high speed and executing the processing with the software without the need of a specific hardware with respect to the image storage device storing image data and the image transmission system sending the image data stored in the image storage device. SOLUTION: Non-compression reduced image data and a file header are in cross reference with each of a plurality of compressed image data and the result is stored in an image memory 8 as individual file data, and the reduced image data of a plurality of items of file data stored in the image memory 8 are read as they are, D/A-converted and displayed by a display section 3 as an index list of the image files. In the case of designating optional image data, only the corresponding compressed image data are expanded and displayed on the display section 3, then the processing attended with transmission and retrieval of the image file is executed at a high speed as the software processing.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to an image storage device for storing image data and an image transmission system for transmitting the image data stored in the image storage device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as shown in FIG. 7, for example, an image data file 30 input to a personal computer or the like is composed of a file header section 31 and file image data 3.
In general, the files were managed separately and created as one file.

In recent years, the amount of image data tends to increase steadily in order to improve the definition of the image. Therefore, a technique for compressing data by using image redundancy to reduce the data amount has been developed.

Therefore, in order to visually confirm the contents of the compressed image data 32 of the image file data 30 as shown in FIG. 7, the data must be expanded and decompressed.

[0005]

However, when all the decompression of the compressed and filed image data 32 is processed by software, it takes a considerable time. For example, all the filed image data is used as an index image. At the time of display, each compressed image data 32 is decompressed, and reduced images each having a lower resolution than the resolution of each decompressed image data are created. This may be time consuming, resulting in a system that is difficult for the user to use.

[0006] As described above, only by software processing,
Since it takes time, replace it with hardware processing.
In some cases, the processing time can be shortened with the aid of such assistance. However, a dedicated hardware device is required, which has disadvantages such as cost and mounting surface.

[0007] Conventionally, when image data is transmitted using the above-described image file system, similarly, for example, when displaying all image data in a file as an index image, the transmission side In this method, a plurality of image data stored in the image memory are decompressed and decompressed, and a reduced image is created, transmitted to the receiving side, and displayed. .

The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems. The image data can be searched and transmitted at high speed, and the processing can be realized by software without special hardware. It is an object of the present invention to provide an image storage device and an image transmission system capable of reducing the number of images.

[0009]

That is, an image storage device according to the present invention comprises: input means for inputting image data;
Compression means for compressing the image data input from the input means, decompression means for decompressing the compressed image data, and reduction for forming reduced image data obtained by reducing the image data input from the input means An image forming unit, image data in a compressed data format that has been compressed by the compression unit, and reduced image data in an uncompressed data format corresponding to the image data and formed by the reduced image forming unit. Storage means for storing a plurality of files, display means for displaying image data and reduced image data, first control means for extracting a plurality of reduced image data from the storage means and displaying the data on the display means, A designation for designating arbitrary reduced image data among a plurality of reduced image data displayed on the display means by the first control means; And second control means for extracting image data corresponding to the reduced image data designated by the designation means from the storage means, expanding the data by the expansion means and displaying the data on the display means. And

That is, in the image storage device according to the present invention, when image data is input, the input image data is compressed, and reduced image data obtained by reducing the input image data is formed. The compressed image data in the compressed data format and the reduced image data in the non-compressed data format corresponding to the compressed image data are stored as one file for a plurality of files. The reduced image data is displayed. Then, when an arbitrary reduced image data of the displayed plurality of reduced image data is designated, the compressed image data corresponding to the designated reduced image data is taken out of the storage, and the data is expanded and displayed. For example, index images of a large number of image data stored as files can be arranged and displayed at high speed.

Further, the image transmission system according to the present invention is characterized in that image data in a compressed data format, reduced image data in an uncompressed data format obtained by reducing the image data, and a plurality of files using a file header as one file data. Storage means for storing data, transmission means for transmitting the file data, reception means for receiving the file data, display means for displaying the received file data, and arbitrary file data displayed on the display means And operation means for inputting first and second command information for instructing data transmission, and data decompression means for decompressing the compressed data. The file header is transmitted to the receiving side, and the receiving side transmits the file headers of the plurality of file data received from the transmitting side. When the first command information is input from the operation means, the command information is notified to the transmitting side. When the first command information is notified from the receiving side, the transmitting side transmits a plurality of command information. The reduced image data is taken out from the storage unit and transmitted to the receiving side. The receiving side displays the plurality of reduced image data received from the transmitting side on the display device, and the second command information is input from the operation unit. Then, the command information is notified to the transmitting side, and when the second command information is notified from the receiving side, the transmitting side retrieves the image data corresponding to the designated reduced image data from the storage unit, and And the receiving side decompresses the image data received from the transmitting side by the decompression means and displays the data on the display means.

That is, in the image transmission system according to the present invention, the transmitting side uses a plurality of compressed image data in the compressed data format, reduced image data in the non-compressed data format obtained by reducing the image data, and a file header as one file data. When the file headers of the plurality of file data are taken out from the storage unit storing the number of files and transmitted to the receiving side, the receiving side transmits the file headers of the plurality of file data received from the transmitting side. The file header is displayed. Then, when the first command information for specifying the displayed arbitrary file data is input on the receiving side, the command information is notified to the transmitting side.
A plurality of reduced image data is retrieved from the storage means and transmitted to the receiving side in accordance with the first command information notified from the receiving side. Then, on the receiving side, a plurality of reduced image data received from the transmitting side is displayed, and when second command information for commanding transmission of arbitrary image data is input by operation,
The command information is notified to the transmission side, and the transmission side retrieves the image data corresponding to the designated reduced image data from the storage means in response to the second command information notified from the reception side, and Sent to. As a result, on the receiving side, the image data received from the transmitting side is decompressed and displayed, so that any image data compressed and stored on the transmitting side is designated and retrieved at high speed by the receiving side. It can be displayed.

[0013]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG.
An embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 shows an image storage device (terminal device) according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this figure, 1 is an apparatus main body for executing various processes, 2 is a keyboard for inputting various commands and data, 3
Is a display device for displaying image data and the like, 4 is a color video camera for inputting images, and 5 is a modem for transmitting data to a telephone line.

FIG. 2 shows a configuration of a control system of the present system. A video signal of three primary colors input from an image input unit 4 such as a color video camera is applied to an A / D conversion unit 6, and for example, Each of the R, G, and B color components is converted into a digital signal having a predetermined number of bits, such as 8 bits, for each pixel of one screen of 480 × 620 dots, and further subjected to data compression processing by the control unit 7. And stored in the image memory 8 as image data.

Further, in the image memory 8, together with the image data, reduced image data obtained by reducing the image data is generated and stored by the control unit 7. The reduced image data is
For example, it has a size of 96 dots vertically by 128 dots horizontally, and the number of quantization bits of each color component is converted into a predetermined number of bits such as 4 bits, so that the information amount is greatly reduced as compared with image data. This reduced image data is stored in the image memory 8 as uncompressed data without being subjected to compression processing.

The compressed image data stored in the image memory 8 is read out and decompressed by the control unit 7.
The signal is converted into an analog signal by the D / A converter 9 and displayed on the display unit 3. The reduced image data in the non-compressed format also stored in the image memory 8 is read out by the control unit 7, converted into an analog signal by the D / A conversion unit 9, and displayed on the display unit 3.

The control section 7 controls the entire apparatus, and the modem 5 has an automatic transmission / reception function for modulating and demodulating data and connecting the apparatus to a telephone line. The ROM 10 stores programs and various data for the control unit 7 to control the entire apparatus, such as image data compression and decompression processing, image size reduction processing for generating reduced image data, and image data transmission processing. Is stored.

The RAM 11 temporarily stores data for operating the system. The components described above exchange control information and various data with the control unit 7 via the system bus line 12.

FIG. 3 shows the structure of one file data 20 stored in the image memory 8. The file data 20 for one case is composed of the above-described compressed format image data 21, non-compressed reduced image data 22, and a file header 23 such as characters and symbols attached to these image data.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a process of creating file data. Hereinafter, creation of file data will be described with reference to FIG. The video signal of a still image for one screen input from the image input unit 4 is sequentially converted into digital data by the A / D conversion unit 6, further quantized, and temporarily converted into image data of a predetermined number of bits in the RAM 1.
1 (step S1).

A file header such as characters and symbols for identifying the image data is added to the image data. This file header may be automatically added, or may be input from the keyboard 2 by the operator. The created file header 23 is stored in the image memory 8 (step S2).

Next, the control unit 7 controls the RAM 11 according to the data compression processing program stored in the ROM 10.
Is subjected to data compression processing of the image data stored in. For example, a compression method such as JPEG is used. The compressed image data 21 is stored in the image memory 8 (step S3).

Further, based on the image data stored in the RAM 11, the control unit 7 creates reduced image data 22 in accordance with the processing program stored in the ROM 10. The reduced image data 22 is reduced to a screen size 1/25 of the image data as described above.
Although there are various well-known image reduction techniques, the reduced image data is used as an index of the image data at the time of a later search, and it is sufficient that the image content can be determined. In this example, the RAM 11
Are thinned out except for the data of the upper left pixel in the area of 25 pixels in total of 5 pixels in each of the horizontal direction and the vertical direction in the image data stored in. Further, the quantization bit number of the pixel data is reduced by referring to a conversion table stored in the ROM 10 or the like. Thus, the reduced image data 22 created by greatly reducing the amount of information is stored in the image memory 8 as uncompressed data as it is (step S4).

As a result, the image memory 8 stores the file header 23, the image data 21 subjected to the data compression processing, and the reduced image data 22 of this image data as one file data. Similarly, a plurality of file data are sequentially stored in the image memory 8.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a process for searching for desired file data from a plurality of file data stored in the image memory 8. First, the file headers 23 of the plurality of files 20,... Stored in the image memory 8 are displayed on the display unit 3 (step T).
1).

.. Are read out from the image memory 8 and displayed on the display unit 3 as a list.
Since the reduced image data 22 is stored in the image memory 8 in an uncompressed format, the control unit 7 reads the reduced image data from the image memory 8, converts the reduced image data into an analog signal by the D / A converter 9, and displays the analog signal on the display unit 3. (Step T2).

Then, the operator designates any reduced image data 22 among the plurality of reduced image data 22,... Displayed on the display unit 3 by using an input device such as the keyboard 2 and a mouse (step T3).

When an arbitrary reduced image data 22 is designated, the control unit 7 searches the corresponding image data (compression) 21 in the image memory 8 (step T).
4). Since the searched image data 21 is data in a compression format, the control unit 7 performs data expansion processing (step T5), and the image data subjected to the data expansion processing is displayed on the display unit 3 (step T6).

If the search is to be continued, steps T2 to T6 are repeated (step T7). Next, an example of a method of transmitting image data via a telephone line between a transmitting device and a receiving device having the configuration of the image storage device (terminal device) as shown in FIG. 1 will be described. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing image transmission.

In this image transmission system, a plurality of file data 2 stored in the image memory 8 of the transmitting device are stored.
The image data desired by the receiving side is transmitted from the transmitting side from the image data of 0,.

In FIG. 6, when the transmitting device calls the receiving device (step U1), the receiving device responds to the transmitting device that the line has been established (step U2).
As a result, the transmission-side apparatus transmits the file header 2 of the plurality of file data 20 stored in the image memory 8.
Are transmitted to the receiving side device (step U3).

The receiving apparatus that has received the transmission of the file header information 23 displays the information on the display unit 3. Then, the operator operates the keyboard 2 to input a signal requesting transmission of the reduced image data 22,..., And the receiving device transmits the signal to the transmitting device (step U).
4). If the receiving apparatus does not request transmission of reduced image data, the image transmission processing is stopped by inputting a signal to that effect.

When a signal requesting the transmission of the reduced image data 22,... Inputted by the receiving device is transmitted to the transmitting device, the transmitting device transmits the plurality of file data 20, stored in the image memory 8. .. Are read and transmitted to the receiving device (step U).
5). Since the reduced image data 22,... Are uncompressed data, unlike compressed data, there is no need for processing such as decompression. Therefore, the time t from being taken out of the image memory 8 and transmitted to the receiving device can be shortened. And speedy transmission processing becomes possible.

The receiving apparatus which has received the transmission of the reduced image data 22,... From the transmitting apparatus displays the plurality of reduced image data 22,. Then, the operator designates one of the plurality of reduced image data 22,. When the one piece of reduced image data 22 is designated, the signal is transmitted from the receiving device to the transmitting device as a signal requesting transmission of image data corresponding to the reduced image data 22 (step U6).

When the transmitting side receives a command requesting transmission of image data from the receiving side, the corresponding compressed image data 21 is read from the image memory 8 and transmitted to the receiving side (step U7).

On the receiving side, the compressed image data 21 received from the transmitting side is expanded and displayed on the display unit 3 (step U8). Then, if necessary, the above steps U4 to U4
Repeat U8.

In this case, the uncompressed reduced image data 22,... Of the plurality of file data 20,... Stored in the image memory 8 of the transmitting apparatus are transmitted to the receiving apparatus as they are, Since the signal is converted into an analog signal by the A conversion unit 9 and is displayed on the display unit 3 in a list, the user on the receiving side can quickly view the indexes of a plurality of image data filed on the transmitting side and promptly select any index. It becomes possible to select and specify image data.

Therefore, according to the image storage device having the above configuration, the uncompressed reduced image data 22,... And the file header 23 are associated with each of the plurality of compressed image data 21,. File data 20,
Are stored in the image memory 8 and the reduced image data 22 of the plurality of file data 20 stored in the image memory 8 are directly read out, D / A converted, and displayed on the display unit 3. Listed as a file index. When any image data is designated, only the corresponding compressed image data 21 is decompressed and displayed on the display unit 3, so that the processing associated with transmission and retrieval of the image file can be performed at high speed. The user can promptly specify and display the image data desired to be viewed.

[0039]

As described above, according to the image storage device and the image transmission method of the present invention, the search and transmission of image data can be performed at high speed, and the processing can be performed by software without special hardware. The cost can be reduced because it can be realized by hardware.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a view for explaining an external configuration of an image storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a control system of the image storage device.

FIG. 3 is a view showing a structure of file data stored in an image memory of the image storage device.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing file data creation processing by the image storage device.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a file search process by the image storage device.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an image transmission process by the image storage device.

FIG. 7 is a view showing the structure of file data stored in a conventional image storage device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Device main body, 2 ... Keyboard, 3 ... Display device (display part), 4 ... Color video camera, 5 ... Modem, 6 ... A / D conversion part, 7 ... Control part, 8 ... Image memory, 9 ... D / A conversion unit, 10 ROM, 11 RAM, 12 system bus line, 20 file data, 21 image data (compressed), 22 reduced image data (uncompressed), 23 file header.

Claims (2)

[Claims] An input unit for inputting image data; a compression unit for compressing the image data input from the input unit; an expansion unit for expanding the compressed image data; and an input from the input unit. Reduced image forming means for forming reduced image data obtained by reducing the compressed image data; image data in a compressed data format compressed by the compression means; and formed by the reduced image forming means corresponding to the image data. Storage means for storing a plurality of files with reduced image data in an uncompressed data format as one file; display means for displaying image data and reduced image data; extracting a plurality of reduced image data from the storage means First control means for displaying on the display means, and a plurality of reduced images displayed on the display means by the first control means. Designating means for designating arbitrary reduced image data among the data; extracting image data corresponding to the reduced image data designated by the designating means from the storage means; expanding the data by the expanding means; 2nd to display
An image storage device comprising: 2. A storage means for storing image data in a compressed data format, reduced image data in an uncompressed data format obtained by reducing the image data, and a plurality of file data in which a file header is one file data. Transmitting means for transmitting file data; receiving means for receiving the file data; display means for displaying the received file data; and specifying any file data displayed on the display means, and transmitting the data. Operating means for inputting first and second command information for commanding, and data decompressing means for decompressing compressed data, wherein the transmitting side transmits file headers of the plurality of file data to a receiving side, The receiving side displays a file header of the plurality of file data received from the transmitting side on the display means, and When the first command information is input from the stage, the command information is notified to the transmitting side, and when the first command information is notified from the receiving side, the transmitting side retrieves a plurality of reduced image data from the storage means. The receiving side displays the plurality of reduced image data received from the transmitting side on the display device, and when the second command information is input from the operating means, sends the command information to the transmitting side. Notifying, the transmitting side, when the second command information is notified from the receiving side,
The image data corresponding to the designated reduced image data is retrieved from the storage unit and transmitted to the receiving side. The receiving side decompresses the image data received from the transmitting side by the decompression unit and displays the image data on the display unit. An image transmission system characterized by the following.