JPS63156477A - Image file device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the use efficiency of storage capacity by providing a means which divides and stores an input image, a means which stores file control information on the input image, a means which allows both said storage means to perform registration processing and retrieval processing, and a means which displays an image consisting of part of reproduced data as a title image. CONSTITUTION:In registration processing, an operation terminal device 17 divides an image displayed on a display device 16 into several parts and give them priority levels. Then a CP11 18 stores them in a memory 13, calculates the coordinates of the images which are stored in a memory and displayed on the device 16 so that the images can be registered in order, and starts the transfer of the image data to the memory 13 and an optical disk device 12 to store the number of divisions of the image, the coordinates and sizes of the divided images on a magnetic disk 15 for a file control table. In retrieval processing, the CPU 18 reads the file control table of an image corresponding to a key word from out of the disk 15, reads the image with top priority out of the device 12 as a title image, transfers to and stores it in the memory 13, so that the image is displayed on the device 16.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image file device that can perform image file searches using the image @.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Conventional image file devices have been put into practical use, and various search methods have been studied. Among these methods, the method of searching using the image itself as an index (heading) is very effective in searching image data that has redundancy. At this time, it is desirable to display a plurality of images at the same time and select a desired image from among them. Moreover, each index image must accurately represent the image, and is generally a representation of the entire image 1i, or a portion thereof.

For example, in the conventional apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 61-26147, a user first inputs an image from an image input means and temporarily records it in a buffer memory. Next, by inputting a registration command from the command input means, the input image is recorded in the entire input image storage means. Further, the user determines the part that is considered to be most important in identifying the input image, and inputs the area information using the area specifying means. Based on this information, the heading image creation means extracts the relevant part of the input image, enlarges or reduces it so that it fits within a certain frame, and then records it in the storage means as a heading image separately from the original image. . At the same time, a file management table is created or updated that describes the correspondence between the original image file and the index image file, and the relationship with other index image files, and is recorded in the storage means. At the time of image search, by inputting a search command, a stored file management table is referred to and a plurality of index images related within the table are simultaneously displayed on the display means.

If the desired image is not found among the displayed index images, the user requests a search for the index image of the pond. When the user finds a desired image, the user requests access to the image from the command input means, and the corresponding image is displayed on the display device.

The conventional example will be further explained using figures.

FIG. 6 shows data at the time of search in the conventional example. In FIG. 6, 2o is data stored in the storage device, 21 is index image data read out from the storage device, 22 is original image data read out from the storage device, and 23 is original image data 2.
This is a headline image creation process that creates headline image data 21 from 2.

In the conventional example, registration of image data involves creating headline image data 21 from input original image data 22 through a headline image creation process 23, and recording these data in a storage device as storage data 2o. Further, in the case of searching using the image itself as an index, while the user is trying to obtain a certain desired image, a plurality of index image data 21 including the desired image are reproduced from the stored data 2o and displayed. If the user has the desired image,
The original image data 22 is reproduced from the stored data 2o and displayed.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, the method of searching using the image itself as an index (headline) requires a header image, and therefore, in conventional devices, the header image must be stored in addition to the original image. First, there was a problem that the memory capacity was not used efficiently.

In view of the above problems, the present invention aims to provide an image file device that can efficiently utilize storage capacity.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an image file device including an image input means for inputting an image and an image storage means for dividing the input image into several parts and storing them in a form that can be sequentially reproduced. a file management information storage means for storing file management information of the input image; a means for inputting all image registration commands and search commands; Storage means 1 comprises means for causing the image storage means to perform the operation, and means for displaying the original image or a plurality of index images, with an image consisting of a part of reproduction data of the original image obtained from the image storage means as a title image. ing.

Effects of the Invention With the above-described configuration, when displaying a headline image when searching as an index for the entire image itself, the headline image can be created and displayed using a portion of the reproduced data of the original image. Moreover, since the data is part of the data needed to reproduce the original image, it is not wasted even when the original image is reproduced. Furthermore, there is no need to create a headline image at the time of registration.

EXAMPLE An example of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a specific example of an image file device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, 11 is an image input device which is an image input means, 12 is an optical disk device which is an image storage means, and 13 is an image input device 11. An image memory for temporarily storing images from the optical disk device 12; 14, an optical disk interface between the optical disk device 12 and the image memory 13; 16, a magnetic disk for a file management table; 16, images temporarily stored in the image memory 13; an image display device that displays
Reference numeral 17 denotes a command operation terminal, such as a terminal consisting of a keyboard, a mouse, and a CRT, or a personal computer. A CPU 18 decodes commands and controls registration and search processing.

FIG. 2 shows the registration process head. As pre-processing of the registration command, the command operation terminal 17 selects how many parts the image displayed on the image display device 16 should be divided into (process 21), and prioritizes the divided images (process 22).
. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the data is divided into nine parts and prioritized by number. Treat this priority like the number of pages. That is, in the example of FIG. 4, one image is treated as if it were nine pages of images, and when all images are displayed, the images are displayed in order of priority number.

Next, issue a registration command from the command operation terminal 17 (
Processing 23). After decoding the registration command, the CPU 18 stores the registration command in the image memory 13, and calculates the coordinates of the images so that all the images displayed on the image display device 16 can be registered in the order shown in FIG. 4 (24). Optical disk interface 14. The optical disk device 12 is activated to transfer image data (process 25). The number of image divisions (number of pages) is 1 on the magnetic disk for the file management table.
The coordinates and size of the divided images are stored (processing 26).

FIG. 3 shows the search processing procedure. Command operation terminal @17
Process of issuing a search command with keywords from 31
), the CPU 18 decodes this and reads out the file management table of the image corresponding to the keyword from the magnetic disk 16 (32).

Optical disk interface 14'! uses the image with priority 1 (1 page) in the file management table as the heading image! The data is read out from the optical disk device 12 via il-, transferred to and stored in the image memory 13 (process 33), and displayed on the image display device 16 (process 34).

The above search process is then performed for a plurality of images having the same keyword, a list of a plurality of index images is displayed, an image to be viewed is selected by the index image, and all images are displayed.

In this embodiment, the divided images were prioritized as a pre-processing for the registration process, but in addition, as shown in FIG.
Page numbers are assigned to the divided images from the top left, the number of pages to be used as heading images is determined, and the magnetic disk 15 for the file management table is recorded with the number of image divisions, the coordinates of the divided images,
There is also a method of memorizing the size and number of pages of the headline image.

Further, although the optical disk device 12 is used as the image storage means, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to this as long as it is a device capable of storing images, such as the magneto-optical disk device 12. By having the file management table in the optical disk device 12, the magnetic disk 15 can be omitted.

Effects of the Invention As described above, according to the present invention, since a part of the original image is used as a heading image, there is no need to create and write a heading image, and storage capacity can be used efficiently.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an image file device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the registration processing procedure, FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the same search processing procedure, and FIG. FIG. 6 is a state diagram showing an example of the image dividing method. FIG. 6 is a block diagram for explaining the operation of image data in a conventional example. 11... Image input device, 12... Optical disk device, 13... Image memory, 14...
...Optical disk interface, 16...
Magnetic disk, 16... Image display device, 17.
...Command operation terminal, 18...CP
U Name of agent Patent attorney Toshio Nakao and 1 other person 1st
Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) An image input means for inputting an image, an image storage means for dividing the input image into a plurality of parts and storing them in a form that can be sequentially reproduced, and a file management information storage means for storing file management information of the input image. , means for inputting an image registration command and a search command; means for decoding the registration and search commands and causing the file management information storage means and the image storage means to perform the registration process and the search process; and the original image; an image file device comprising means for displaying a heading image consisting of a part of reproduction data of an original image obtained from the image storage means. (2) The image file device according to claim 1, further comprising image storage means for dividing an image into a plurality of images and prioritizing the divided images in the order of their characteristics.