KR20090047742A - Apparatus and method for digital picturing image - Google Patents

Abstract

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a digital image photographing apparatus and a method of controlling the same, which store predetermined print information in a user-defined area to facilitate printing and retrieval of a photograph.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a digital imaging apparatus comprising: a reading unit configured to read a print history recorded in a user-defined area of a photo stored in the digital imaging apparatus; A recording unit for recording a print history in a user-defined area of a photo stored in the digital imaging apparatus; And print a picture stored in the digital imaging apparatus, control the reader to read a print history recorded in the user defined area, and control the recorder to record a print history in the user defined area. Provided is a digital imaging apparatus including a control unit.

Digital Imaging Device, Print

Description

Digital imaging apparatus and its control method {Apparatus and method for digital picturing image}

The present invention relates to a digital image capturing apparatus and a control method thereof, and more particularly, to a digital image capturing apparatus and a method of controlling the same by storing predetermined print information in a user-defined area to facilitate printing and retrieval of a photograph. .

In general, a digital image capturing apparatus includes any apparatus that processes an image of a digital camera, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a phone camera, a PC camera, or uses a motion recognition sensor. The digital image photographing apparatus receives a desired image through an image pickup device, displays the input image on the image display device, displays the image, saves the image as an image file, and prints the stored image file according to a user's shooting selection.

With the spread of such digital imaging apparatuses, proposals have been made for outputting directly from a digital imaging apparatus or a memory card to a printer without having to insert the digital imaging apparatus into a PC. On the other hand, there is also a proposal to simplify the management of an image by providing an information tag of the image in the image data itself like the Exif (exchangeable image file format) standard without managing the image processing method or the like in a file.

However, when printing a photo using a conventional digital imaging apparatus, information such as whether the photo has been printed before, how many times it was printed, when it was printed, and where the printed photo file was kept Could not know. Thus, there has been a problem of printing the same picture unnecessarily many times. In addition, even after printing a photo, the user does not remember which album is stored in the album, so there was a problem that takes a long time to search for it. Also, when you want to print another photo and save it in the album, in addition to the previously printed and saved photo in the album, to know which photo to print additionally, There was an inconvenience of comparing the photo files one by one.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a digital image photographing apparatus and a method of controlling the same, which store predetermined print information in a user-defined area to facilitate printing and retrieval of a photograph.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a digital imaging apparatus comprising: a reader for reading a print history recorded in a user-defined area of a photo stored in the digital imaging apparatus; A recording unit for recording a print history in a user-defined area of a photo stored in the digital imaging apparatus; And print a picture stored in the digital imaging apparatus, control the reader to read a print history recorded in the user defined area, and control the recorder to record a print history in the user defined area. Provided is a digital imaging apparatus including a control unit.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of controlling a digital image photographing apparatus, the method comprising: (a) inputting a print execution command; (b) reading a print history recorded in a user-defined area of a picture stored in the digital imaging apparatus; (c) storing a print history in a user defined area of a photo stored in the digital imaging apparatus; And (d) executing the printing.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a control method of a digital image photographing apparatus including a print history, the method comprising: (a) inputting a search condition; (b) reading the print history recorded in the user-defined area of the picture stored in the digital imaging apparatus; (c) extracting a photo file matching a search condition from the read print history; And (d) displaying the search results.

By the present invention as described above, it is possible to obtain the effect that the printing and retrieval of the picture becomes easy.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described in detail the present invention.

1 is a perspective view showing the front and the top appearance of the digital imaging apparatus according to the present invention.

The shutter-release button 101 opens and closes to expose the CCD or film to light for a predetermined time, and records the image on the CCD by properly exposing the subject in conjunction with an aperture (not shown).

The shutter release button 101 generates the first and second image capturing signals by a photographer input. When the first shutter-release signal as the half-shutter signal is input, the digital imaging apparatus focuses and adjusts the amount of light. When the focus is achieved, the green light is turned on in the display 113. When the first shutter-release signal is focused and the amount of light is adjusted, the second shutter-release signal as a full shutter signal is input to capture an image.

The power button 103 is input to supply power to the digital image photographing apparatus and operate the same.

The flash 105 brightens the bright light instantly when shooting in a dark place. The flash mode includes auto flash, forced flash, flash off, red-eye reduction, and slow synchro.

The auxiliary light 107 supplies light to the subject so that the digital imaging apparatus automatically focuses quickly and accurately when the amount of light is insufficient or at night.

The lens unit 109 receives light from an external light source and processes an image.

FIG. 2 is a rear view illustrating a rear shape of the digital image photographing apparatus shown in FIG. 1, wherein the wide-angle zoom button 111w, the telephoto-zoom button 111t, the display 113, and a touch sensor or a contact switch are included. The provided input buttons B1 to B14 (hereinafter referred to as buttons B1 to B14) are provided.

The wide-angle zoom button 111w or the tele-zoom button 111t increases the angle of view or narrows the angle of view according to an input, particularly when the size of the selected exposure area is to be changed. When the wide-zoom button 111w is input, the size of the selected exposure area is reduced, and when the tele-zoom button 111t is input, the size of the selected exposure area is increased.

The buttons B1 to B14 are provided in the horizontal column and the vertical column of the display unit 113. The buttons B1 to B14 provided in the horizontal and vertical columns of the display 113 are provided with a touch sensor (not shown) or a contact switch (not shown).

That is, the buttons B1 to B14 are provided with a touch sensor and move up / down / left / right in a state where the buttons B1 to B7 in the horizontal row or the buttons B8 to B14 in the vertical row are touched. Any value of the item (eg, color or brightness) may be selected or a submenu icon included in the main menu icon may be activated.

In addition, the button frame (B1 ~ B14) is provided with a contact switch, it is possible to directly select the main menu icon and sub-menu icon to execute the corresponding function. Touch sensors require only weaker touches than contacted switch inputs, whereas contacted switch inputs require relatively strong touches compared to touch sensor inputs.

3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the digital image capturing apparatus illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. The display unit 113, the user input unit 121, the imaging unit 123, the image processing unit 125, and the storage unit ( 127 and a digital signal processor 129.

The user input unit 121 may open and close the shutter-release button 101 to expose the CCD or film to light for a predetermined time, the power button 103 to input power, and widen the angle of view according to the input, Wide-Zoom button (111w) and Tele-Zoom button (111t) for narrowing the angle of view, and a touch sensor or contact switch provided in the horizontal and vertical columns around the display unit 113 for text or menu settings Buttons There are button frames B1 to B14.

The imaging unit 123 includes a shutter, a lens unit, an aperture, a charge coupled device (CCD), and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), which are not shown in the figure. The shutter is a mechanism for adjusting the amount of light exposed together with the aperture. The lens unit receives light from an external light source and processes an image. At this time, the iris adjusts the amount of light incident (light quantity) according to the degree of opening and closing. The opening and closing degree of the iris is controlled by the digital signal processing unit 129.

The CCD accumulates the amount of light input through the lens unit and outputs an image captured by the lens unit in accordance with the accumulated light amount in accordance with the vertical synchronization signal. Image acquisition by the digital imaging apparatus is performed by a CCD that converts light reflected from a subject into an electrical signal. In order to obtain a color image using a CCD, a color filter is required, and most of them employ a filter (not shown) called a color filter array (CFA). CFA has a structure arranged regularly by passing only one color light per pixel, and has various shapes according to the arrangement structure. The ADC converts an analog video signal output from the CCD into a digital signal.

The image processor 125 performs signal processing to display a digitally converted image signal. Devices used in CCD and CFA filters are sensitive to a change in temperature and generate a dark current according to the changing temperature, which includes an unwanted black level in the image signal. The image processor 125 removes the black level generated by the dark current in this way.

The image processor 125 also performs gamma correction. Since human vision reacts nonlinearly to brightness according to Weber's law, when a limited bit depth is given, linearly recording the brightness of the light can cause posterization. This happens. Therefore, in order to show the maximum image quality under a given bit depth, it is necessary to encode using a nonlinear function. Thus, encoding information according to nonlinearity of human vision is called gamma correction. The gamma correction of the image processor 125 gamma corrects and outputs an image signal input by the gamma curve. For example, the input luminance level of the 12-bit image signal is corrected to an 8-bit luminance level.

The image processor 125 performs CFA interpolation to interpolate the Bayer pattern implemented by the RGRG line and the GBGB line of the gamma corrected predetermined data into the RGB line. The CFA interpolation of the image processing unit 125 restores the G channel first from pixels having only the R or B channel value, and then fills the empty values in the order of the B channel, the R channel, or the R channel and the B channel, and then R, G , B restores three channels.

The image processing unit 125 converts the interpolated RGB signal into a YUV signal, sharpens the image by filtering the Y signal by a high band filter, and uses the standard color coordinate system to adjust the color values of the U and V signals. Perform color correction to correct and remove their noise.

The image processor 125 compresses and signals the Y, U, and V signals from which the noise is removed to generate an Exif file, and the generated Exif file is displayed on the display 113 and stored in the storage 127. .

All of the operations of the image processor 125 operate under the control of the digital signal processor 129.

In the present invention, the digital signal processing unit 129 stores predetermined print information in a user-defined area to facilitate printing and retrieval of a picture. In the present invention, Exif is exemplified as an image format having a tag storing information about an image.

Here, Exif (exchangeable image file format) means an image file format stored in an image file of a digital camera. It was created by the Japan Electronics Industry Promotion Association (JEIDA). To check the stored information, there should be a separate program that supports the Exif standard. If the original image is modified, the recorded additional information disappears.

Exif includes image data along with the camera manufacturer (Maker), camera model (Model), image editor (Software), date when photo was corrected (Exate Version), Exif Version, Shot Datetime, Web Details such as the actual size (Image Size), exposure time (shutter speed), exposure program, lens focal length, aperture opening (F-Number), and whether flash is used Additional information can be recorded.

Inside the Exif data, there is a MakerNote data area as a user-defined area that can be used for each manufacturer according to each use. In the present invention, information such as the number of prints, the print date, and the name of the album in which the printed picture is stored is stored in the MakerNote data area. To illustrate storing.

Here, the digital signal processing unit 129 of the present invention reads 129-1, recording unit 129-2, and retrieving unit 129-3 in order to record and extract predetermined print information in the user-defined area. And a controller 129-4.

First, when a print execution command is input from the user input unit 121, the reader 129-1 controls the MakerNote in the Exif data of each photo stored in the storage unit 127 under the control of the controller 129-4. From the data area, information such as the number of prints, the date / time printed, and the album name where the printed pictures are stored are read.

The control unit 129-4 checks the print information read by the reading unit 129-1, and when the number of prints is one or more, that is, in the case of a photo that has already been printed more than once before, the number of prints and the prints. The printed date / time is displayed on the display 113 to inform the user of the print history. If the number of prints is one or more, the user may be asked whether or not to print the photo again.

Next, when printing is performed, the recording unit 129-2 increments the number of prints by 1 and stores them in the MakerNote data area inside the Exif data under the control of the controller 129-4, and the date at which printing is performed. And / or save the time in the MakerNote data area inside the Exif data. In addition, the album name in which the printed photo is stored may be received from the user input unit 121 and stored in the MakerNote data area inside the Exif data.

According to the present invention as described above, it is possible to obtain an effect of preventing a user from accidentally reprinting a previously printed picture.

Meanwhile, under the control of the controller 129-4, the search unit 129-3 receives a search condition from the user input unit 121 such as the number of prints, the date / time of printing, or the album name in which the printed photo is stored. The picture corresponding to the input condition may be searched and displayed on the display 113. That is, when a user inputs predetermined search conditions such as a photo printed three or more times, a photo printed in September 2007, or a photo with the album name "aaa" in which the printed photo is stored, the search unit 129-3 ) May retrieve the print history stored in the MakerNote data area inside the Exif data and display the pictures corresponding to the above conditions on the display 113.

According to the present invention, it is possible to search for pictures on the conditions such as the number of prints, the print date / time and the name of the album in which the printed pictures are stored, so that the user can easily retrieve the pictures.

Hereinafter, a control method of the digital image photographing apparatus according to the present invention will be described. The control method of the digital image capturing apparatus according to the present invention may be performed inside the digital image capturing apparatus as shown in FIG. 3. According to an embodiment, the main algorithm of the operation method may be performed by the help of peripheral components in the apparatus. It may be performed inside the digital signal processor 129.

Referring to FIG. 4, in the method of controlling a digital image photographing apparatus according to the present invention, a step of entering a reproduction mode of a stored picture file (step S110), a step of inputting a print execution command (step S120), a print history Reading the step (step S130), determining whether it has been printed at least once (step S140), displaying the print history when the printing is performed more than once (step S150), and printing again. Selecting whether or not (S160), storing the print history (S170) and executing the printing (S180) when the result of the selection is to be printed again.

In detail, in order to print a photo, first, by the input of the user input unit 121, the controller 129-4 enters a reproduction mode of the stored photo file (S110).

When a photo file to be printed is selected from the user input unit 121 and a print execution command is input (step S120), the print history stored in the MakerNote data area as a user-defined area of the selected photo file is read (S130). Step). In detail, the reader 129-1 controls the number of prints, the printed date / time, and the prints from the MakerNote data area inside the Exif data of each photo stored in the storage 127 under the control of the controller 129-4. Read information such as the album name where the stored photo is stored.

Next, the controller 129-4 determines whether the selected picture has been printed at least once from the print history information read by the reader 129-1 (S140).

As a result of determining whether the selected picture has been printed more than once before, if the number of prints is 1 or more, that is, for a picture that has already been printed more than once before, the display unit displays the number of prints and the printed date / time. Displayed at 113, the print history is notified to the user (step S150), and the user is selected whether or not to print the picture again (step S160).

Here, if the user does not reprint the selected picture, the user returns to the playback mode of the picture file stored again.

On the other hand, if the user chooses to print the selected picture again, the recording unit 129-2 stores the print history (step S170) and executes printing (step S180). In detail, the recording unit 129-2 increases the number of prints by 1 and stores them in the MakerNote data area inside the Exif data under the control of the controller 129-4, and stores the date and / or time at the time when the printing is performed. Store in the MakerNote data area inside the data. In addition, the album name in which the printed photo is stored may be received from the user input unit 121 and stored in the MakerNote data area inside the Exif data.

Here, the date and / or time at the time of printing may be updated to the date and / or time at the time of performing the printing by updating the existing data. In this case, only the latest print information is always recorded in the MakerNote data area inside the Exif data. Alternatively, the date and / or time at which the printing was performed may be added to the MakerNote data area inside the Exif data without changing the existing data. In this case, when the picture is printed several times, all of the histories can be confirmed.

Here, the album name in which the printed photo is stored may mean the name of each album when the user has a plurality of albums for storing the printed photo. Alternatively, even when an album of such a name does not actually exist, it may be a keyword which is a criterion of classification when classifying a photo file by a predetermined criterion. For example, if a user has two albums named "Jeju-do" and "Seoraksan," enter "Jeju-do" as the album name of the photos to be stored in the "Jeju-do" album, and the photos to be stored in the "Seorak-san" album. In the album name of "Seoraksan" can be entered. Alternatively, even if the user does not actually have an album named "Jeju-do" or "Seoraksan," the MakerNote data area inside Exif data allows the user to search for and classify the photos by the keyword "Jeju-do" or "Seoraksan." It is also possible to set keywords in.

On the other hand, as a result of determining whether the selected picture has been printed more than once before (step S140), if the selected picture has not been printed before, save the print history (step S170) and execute printing ( S180 step).

According to the present invention as described above, it is possible to obtain an effect of preventing a user from accidentally reprinting a previously printed picture. In addition, when printing a photo, it is possible to check whether the previous print, the date / time of printing, the album name in which the printed photo is stored, it is possible to obtain the effect of easy management of the printed photo.

Hereinafter, a control method of a digital imaging apparatus according to another aspect of the present invention will be described.

Referring to FIG. 5, in the method of controlling a digital image photographing apparatus according to another aspect of the present invention, the method may include entering a search mode of a stored picture file (step S210), inputting a search condition (step S220), Reading a print history (step S230); extracting a photo file meeting a search condition from the read print history (step S240); and displaying a search result (step S250).

In detail, in order to search for a picture, first, by the input of the user input unit 121, the controller 129-4 enters a search mode of a stored picture file (S210).

Next, under the control of the controller 129-4, the search unit 129-3 inputs a search condition from the user input unit 121 such as the number of prints, the date / time of printing, or the album name in which the printed photo is stored ( In operation S220, the controller may search for a photo corresponding to the input condition (operation S230 to S240) and display the photo on the display 113 (operation S250). That is, when a user inputs predetermined search conditions such as a photo printed three or more times, a photo printed in September 2007, or a photo with the album name "aaa" in which the printed photo is stored, the search unit 129-3 ) May retrieve the print history stored in the MakerNote data area inside the Exif data and display the pictures corresponding to the above conditions on the display 113.

According to the present invention, it is possible to search for pictures on the conditions such as the number of prints, the print date / time and the name of the album in which the printed pictures are stored, so that the user can easily retrieve the pictures.

So far I looked at the center of the preferred embodiment for the present invention. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention can be implemented in a modified form without departing from the essential features of the present invention. Therefore, the disclosed embodiments should be considered in descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. The scope of the present invention is shown in the claims rather than the foregoing description, and all differences within the scope will be construed as being included in the present invention.

1 is a perspective view showing the front and the top appearance of the digital imaging apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a rear view illustrating a rear shape of the digital image photographing apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1.

3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the digital image photographing apparatus illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.

4 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of a digital imaging apparatus according to the present invention.

5 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of a digital imaging apparatus according to another aspect of the present invention.

<Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

100: digital imaging device 121: user input unit

123: imaging unit 125: image processing unit

127: storage unit 129: digital signal processing unit

129-1: reading part 129-2: recording part

129-3: search unit 129-4: control unit

Claims (19)

In the digital imaging apparatus, A reading unit for reading a print history recorded in a user-defined area of a photo stored in the digital imaging apparatus; A recording unit for recording a print history in a user-defined area of a photo stored in the digital imaging apparatus; And To print a photo stored in the digital imaging apparatus, to read the print history recorded in the user defined area, and to control the recorder to record the print history in the user defined area. Digital imaging apparatus comprising a control unit. The method of claim 1, And the user-defined area of the picture is a MakerNote data area inside Exif data. The method of claim 1, And a print history recorded in the user defined area includes a print count and a printed date / time. The method of claim 3, wherein And the controller determines the number of prints of the picture from the print history read from the reader, and displays the number of prints and the date / time of printing on the display unit when the number of prints is 1 or more. The method of claim 3, wherein When a picture stored in the digital image capturing apparatus is printed, the recording unit increments the number of prints by 1 and stores it in the user defined area, and stores the date / time at the point of time of printing in the user defined area. Digital video recording device. The method of claim 3, wherein The print history recorded in the user defined area further includes an album name in which the printed picture is stored. The method of claim 6, And when the photo stored in the digital imaging apparatus is printed, the recording unit stores an album name in which the printed photo is stored in a user-defined area. The method of claim 1, The digital image capture further includes a search unit that receives at least one search condition among a print count, a printed date / time, and an album name in which the printed photo is stored from the user input unit, and searches for and displays a photo corresponding to the input condition. Device. In the control method of the digital imaging apparatus, (a) inputting a print execution command; (b) reading a print history recorded in a user-defined area of a picture stored in the digital imaging apparatus; (c) storing a print history in a user defined area of a photo stored in the digital imaging apparatus; And (d) controlling the digital imaging apparatus, the method comprising performing printing. The method of claim 9, And the user-defined area of the picture is a MakerNote data area inside Exif data. The method of claim 9, The print history recorded in the user-defined area includes the number of prints and the date / time of printing. The method of claim 9, Between step (b) and step (c), Determining the number of prints of the photo from the print history read by the reader; Displaying the number of prints and the printed date / time on the display unit when the number of prints is one or more as a result of the determination; And And controlling whether or not to print again. The method of claim 9, The step (c) includes incrementing the number of prints by one and storing the result in the user-defined area, and storing the date / time at the point of time of the printing in the user-defined area. The method of claim 13, The storing of the date / time of the printing point in the user-defined area may include updating and storing the date and / or time of the existing printing point in time. The method of claim 13, The storing of the date / time of the printing point in the user-defined area may include a digital image photographing in which the date / time of the printing point is newly added and stored separately from the date / time of the printing. Control method of the device. The method of claim 9, The step (c) of the control method of the digital imaging apparatus comprising the step of storing the album name in which the printed picture is stored in the user-defined area. In the control method of the digital imaging apparatus including the print history, (a) inputting a search condition; (b) reading the print history recorded in the user-defined area of the picture stored in the digital imaging apparatus; (c) extracting a photo file matching a search condition from the read print history; And and (d) displaying the search results. The method of claim 17, And the user-defined area of the picture is a MakerNote data area inside Exif data. The method of claim 17, And a print history recorded in the user defined area includes at least one of a print count, a printed date / time, and an album name in which a printed picture is stored.

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