JPS6384259A - Picture retrieving device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily attain picture retrieval by changing the displayed reduction rate of a picture data displayed on a picture display device depending on number of picture data satisfying prescribed retrieved attributes. CONSTITUTION:A picture reduction device 15 generates a display reduction picture data based on the set magnification and displays the data on the picture display device 17. A desired picture data is selected by a digitizer 20 among the displayed reduced picture data. In selecting one picture data, a CPU 12 calculates the arrangement address corresponding to the coordinate from the digitizer 20 to obtain an identification code and the original picture data is transferred and displayed from an original picture storage device 14 to the display device 17. In selecting plural picture data, the CPU 12 prepares a new arrangement to obtain an identification code and writes it in the arrangement. Moreover, the reduction rate of the picture data to be displayed is calculated based on the total number of selected data and displayed on the display device 17 via the reduction device 15. The operation above is repeated to retrieve one desired picture.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an image retrieval device that retrieves and displays static image data.

[Background Art] As an example of an image search device, when there is a plurality of image data that are found as a result of executing a search by specifying several attributes, the image data is reduced by a certain magnification, and
One possibility is to display them simultaneously on a display device.

In this case, the number of reduced image data to be displayed on one screen and its display size are determined in advance according to the number of pixels of the image display device. In other words, if the number of pixels is large,
If the number of data of a reduced image displayed simultaneously on one screen is relatively large and the number of pixels is small, the number of data of the reduced image is relatively small. Therefore, the number of reduced image data displayed simultaneously on one screen is always constant.

In the above device, if there is a certain amount of hit image data as a result of specifying an attribute and executing a search, the image data may be displayed on several image display screens. At this time, it may be necessary to further narrow down the data while looking at one image, and the search operation in this case is very time-consuming, and there is a problem that the image that the searcher wanted at the beginning of the search is likely to be ambiguous. be.

[Object of the Invention] The present invention was made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an image retrieval bag 4 that can easily perform image retrieval work.

[Embodiments of the invention] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention.

In this embodiment, an image reading device 10 corresponding to an image scanner, a TV camera, etc. used when registering an original image in an original image storage device 14, a keyboard 11 for inputting search requests and image registration requests, and various controls are provided. an index file 13 that stores attributes of each still image data (hereinafter simply referred to as "image data"), an original image storage device 14, and an image reduction bag 2115 that creates a reduced image from the original image. An image display device 17 used to display searched image data and further narrow down the image data, and a guide screen for specifying attributes required for a search request and setting attributes required when registering image data. It has a CRT 19 for use and a digitizer 20 for setting attributes and selecting displayed image data.

Further, the CPU 12 selects any two pieces of image data displayed on the image display device 17 as an example of display control means.
It is possible to enlarge the two image data and display them adjacently on the display device 17. In this case, the CPU 12 displays the two image data below the image display device 17.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the relationship between the data in the index file 13 and the original image storage device 14 in the above embodiment.

When registering an original image, when the original image is input from the image reading device 10 and the database administrator inputs attributes via the keyboard 11 and digitizer 20, the CPU 12 generates an identification code 22, and sets this identification code 22. The attributes 23 that have been assigned are registered in the index file 13 as one record 21.

Furthermore, an identification code 22 is added to the beginning of the original image data,
It is stored in the original image storage device 14 as a data file 24. Therefore, the attributes and image data for one original image are associated with each other by the same identification code 22.

Next, the operation at the time of search in the above embodiment will be explained.

When a desired attribute is input as a search request using the keyboard 11 and the digitizer 20, the CPU 12 opens the index file 13, searches for data that meets the request, and prepares an array in a memory (not shown) inside the CPU 12. , the identification code 22 of the hit data is substituted, and at the same time the number of hit data is counted.

Subsequently, the CPU 12 sends the value of L scaling factor to the 0 image reduction device 15, which calculates the magnification factor when creating reduced image data from the total number of hit data.
sets the magnification and enters the state of waiting for data. Then, the CPU 12 obtains the identification code from the above array and transfers the original image data 25 having the same identification code in the original image storage device 14 to the image reduction device 15.

The image reduction device 15, based on the set magnification,
Generates reduced image data for display and sends it to the CPU 12.
The data is transferred to the image display device 17 and displayed. and,
The CPU 12 displays all of the hit image data. Here, the searcher selects desired image data from among the reduced image data displayed on the image display device 17 using the digitizer 20. Then, when the image data can be narrowed down to one, the CPU 12 uses the digitizer 2
The address of the array corresponding to the coordinate value input from 0 is calculated, and the identification code 22 is obtained. Using this, the original image data 25 is transferred from the original image storage device 14 to the image display device and displayed.

In addition, when multiple image data are selected, the CPUL 2 prepares a new array, obtains the identification code 22 from the array, and stores it in the new array. The reduction magnification of the image data is calculated, and the reduced image data is displayed on the image display device 17 via the image reduction device 15.

By repeating the above operations, it is possible to search for one desired image from a large amount of image data.

Also, during the search, the digitizer 20 selects from among arbitrary reduced image data displayed on the image display device 17.
By selecting a menu (not shown) using , the original image data can be displayed on the image display device 17 at any time. In this case, the image data already displayed on the image display device 17 is temporarily saved in a memory (not shown) within the CPU 1Z, and is displayed again when the next menu is selected.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the relationship between the functions of the image reduction device 15 and the display screen in the above embodiment.

The screen 51 of the image display device 17 has an image display area 52 and a display area 53 for menus, etc. (FIG. 3 (1)
).

The image display area 52 has 512 pixels in the horizontal direction and 48 pixels in the vertical direction.
At 0 pixel, gradation of 8 bits per pixel and color display in 3 planes of RGB are not possible, which is F.

In this embodiment, in accordance with the functions of the image display device 15, image data is inputted from the image reading device IO in 512 x 480 horizontal pixels, 8-bit gradation each, and 3 planes of RGB, and this data is used as the original image data 25. do. In addition, the display area 53 for menus etc. lists screen control commands, search assistance commands, and the like.

Arrow A shows an example of conventional display, in which the original image is uniformly reduced to 1/16 and displayed in the image display area 52 ((2) in the same figure). ),
For example, if more than 16 data items are found in a search based on attributes, etc., it is necessary to perform a screen display switching operation such as page turning through a menu or the like.

On the other hand, in the embodiment described above, the display reduction ratio of image data displayed on the image display device 17 is changed depending on the number of retrieved image data. In other words, when the number of hit image data is 2 to 4, the image reduction device 15 generates a reduced image of 1/4 of the original image and displays it on the image display device 17, as shown by arrow B. Same figure (3)).

When the number of hit image data is 5 to 16, a 1/16 reduced image is generated as shown by arrow C, and the reduced image is displayed on the image display device 17 ((4) in the same figure). , when the number of hit image data is 17 to 64, the image reduction device 15 generates a reduced image of 1/64 of the original image, and the reduced image is displayed on the image display device 17, as shown by the arrow. ((5)'' in the same figure).

Therefore, the reduced images 55, 56, and 57 are, respectively,
Flat knitting 256x240 pixels, 128x120 pixels, 64x
The size is 60 pixels. Note that if the number of hit image data exceeds 64, it is possible to create even smaller reduced images. However, depending on the image display device 17 used in the above embodiment, it may be difficult for humans to view the images and make comparisons, judgments, etc. Therefore, in the above case, attributes are added and the search is performed again to obtain more data. Instruct the user to narrow down the search results. However, if the resolution of the image display device 17 is further improved, if the number of hit image data exceeds 64, it will be possible to display the data in a smaller size than above.

Also, when narrowing down the images while looking at them, in order to be able to clearly see which image is the specified one at a glance,
Frame around the specified image in the specified color58.59.60
If the designation is canceled, the frames 58, 59, and 60 can be deleted without damaging the original display image.

FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram of the image input/output periphery in the above embodiment.

Image memories 34 to 41 each have a size of 512×512
The processor 43 operates according to instructions from the CPU 32, and the image controller 33
The image memories 34 to 41 are arbitrarily selected and input/output is performed via the image memories 34 to 41. Furthermore, it is also possible to transfer data between arbitrary memories and perform real-time calculations.
It is. Note that the reference numeral 42 indicates an image input/output interface.

According to the above embodiment, when a searcher selects one piece of data from among a large number of similar image data, it becomes clear what data is selected. In addition, even if the image data searched for in conventional devices is reduced and displayed on several display screens, the desired image data can be selected by switching the display screen to the next screen and the next screen. When doing so, there is no problem in that the data selected for a song other than the one being displayed becomes unclear.

Note that in the above embodiments, the method of storing one image data, the input image size, the method of creating a reduced image, etc. may be changed.

[Effects of the Invention] According to the present invention, there is an effect that image retrieval work can be performed easily.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the data relationship between the index file and the original image storage device. FIGS. 3(1), (2), (3), (4), and (5) are diagrams showing the relationship between the functions of the image reduction device and the display screen. FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram of the image input/output periphery in the above embodiment. 12...CPU. 13... Index file, 14... Original image storage device, 16... Reduced image storage device, 17... Image display device. Patent applicant Canon Co., Ltd. Agent Arata Yokubo - Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A search means for searching still image data satisfying a predetermined attribute from a still image database; an image display device displaying the still image data; a still image satisfying the searched predetermined attribute; An image search device comprising: display control means for changing a display reduction rate of the still image data displayed on the image display device according to the number of image data.