An embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to
A display unit 16 includes a liquid crystal display (LCD) monitor which is, for example, disposed at a back of the digital camera and its drive circuit, to allow an image display and a menu display. An operation unit 17 includes various operation members, such as a release button and various operation buttons used on the playback mode as to be hereinafter described, as well as switches that are interlocked to those operations. A CPU 18 executes operations based on programs stored in a memory 19 and drive-controls foregoing each circuit and device based on an input from the operation unit 17.
The digital camera has two operation modes: a shooting mode for photographing, and a reproducing mode for reproducing photographed image data. In a reproducing mode can read out image data stored in the recording medium 15, and can display a subject image based on the image data on the display unit 16. On that occasion, a variety of information can be displayed, superimposing on the subject image. As illustrated in FIG. 2, to each image data, information page land 2 to be displayed are allocated automatically. And, in case image processing described below has been performed in response to a user's operation, information page 3 is added.
When information page 1 is selected, as
Next, an image processing to a recorded image and information page 3 is described.
As described above, the digital camera performs the prescribed image processing to an image signal that was obtained by photographing, and records processed image data on the recording medium 15. Apart from that, the digital camera can read out image data which was once recorded on the recording medium 15, perform the image processing as a user likes, and re-record the data. In description hereinafter, unless otherwise noted, “image processing” refers to the processing to the recorded image data.
With regard to a selectable image processing, there are a tone correction, a white balance control, a color conversion (monochromatize), a trimming, a red eye correction, a distortion correction, a noise removal, an image size reduction, and so forth. It is also possible to perform a plurality of processing to one single image data. However, selectable image processing will not be limited to those mentioned above.
In case of performing a plurality of image processing to recorded image data, there might be a concern that a user becomes confused what kind of image processing has been performed. Therefore, in the embodiment, it is allowed to create a history of image processing as information page 3, and display it together with a subject image.
Using a prescribed operation for information display setting with, for example, the operation unit 17, a user can switch information to be displayed in order from “No Information”, “Information Page 1”, “Information Page 2”, to “Information Page 3 (if any)”, to each displayed image. Information Page 1 to 3 can be saved as an additional information included in an image file; otherwise, can be saved apart from the image file.
Thus, with regard to recorded image data, now that history information of image processing is related to each image data as Information page 3, and can be displayed with a subject image; therefore, on an occasion of an image display, it is convenient that an existence of the image processing, type and sequence of the image processing to the image data are shown at a glance.
However, it is allowed to display information, following an information display setting at the time, in substitution for the control of displaying information page 3 regardless of an information display setting. For example, in case of a setting to display information page 1, information page 1 is displayed even though image data which has information page 3 is selected on frame-by-frame advance. On this occasion, if a user prefers to display information page 3, the user can perform the foregoing operation for information display setting. In addition, the user can be allowed to select either setting: the setting of displaying information page 3 regardless of an information display setting, or the setting of displaying information following an information display setting. The selection can be made on, for example, a custom setting screen.
In the example of
Once a reproducing mode is set, then the CPU 18 runs the program and it is decided which image data is to be displayed initially at a step S1. For example, among image data recorded on the recording medium 15, most recently photographed image data is designated as a first image data to be displayed. At a step S2, it is determined whether or not information page 3 already exists with respect to the image data to be displayed. In case information page 3 exists, then the operation proceeds to a step S3 and displays a subject image based on the image data to be displayed, together with information page 3. In case information page 3 does not exist, then the operation proceeds to a step S4 and displays an image based on an information display setting at the time (either “No Information”, “Information Page 1”, or “Information Page 2”).
At a step S5, it is confirmed whether the above described operation for information display setting has been performed or not. If the operation for information display setting has been made with respect to the image data that is currently displayed, then the information display setting is changed at a step S6 depending upon the operation. At a step S7, it is determined whether a frame-by-frame advance operation has been performed or not. In case the frame-by-frame advance operation has been made, then the operation proceeds to a step S8 in which next image data to be displayed is decided before returning to a step S2. In case any frame-by-frame advance operation has not been performed, then the operation proceeds to a step S9 to confirm an operation for finishing reproduction. In case the operation for finishing reproduction is confirmed, then the processing of
At the step S10, it is determined whether or not image processing will be performed to the currently displayed image data. When a user performs an operation for commanding an image processing to be performed, then the operation proceeds to a step S11 to display an image processing selection menu. On the image processing selection menu displays a list of the foregoing selectable image processing. And, the user can select any image processing by a prescribed selection operation using the operation unit 17. In case the user does not select any image processing at a step S12, the operation proceeds to step 21. If the user performs a cancellation operation at step 21, then the operation returns to the step S2, whereas in case the user does not perform the cancellation operation, then the operation returns to the step S11. If the user selects any image processing at the step S12, the operation proceeds to a step S13. At the step S13, the selected image processing is performed to the currently displayed image data with the image processing circuit 12.
At a step S14, a subject image based on the image data after the image processing is displayed. At a step S15, the user is asked whether or not the user wishes to save the image data after the image processing. In case the image data is not to be saved, then the operation proceeds to a step S22. If the user performs a cancellation operation at the step S22, then the operation returns to the step S11; meanwhile, in case the user does not perform the cancellation operation, then the operation returns to the step S15. If the user orders to save the image data at the step S15, then the operation proceeds to a step S16. At the step S16, it is confirmed whether information page 3 to the image data already exists or not. In case information page 3 does not exist, the operation proceeds to a step S17 and creates information page 3 to write a content of the image processing performed this time (a name of the image processing) as history information. In case information page 3 already exists, the operation proceeds to a step S18 and adds the content of the image processing of this time on information page 3 to update the history information.
At a step S19, the image data after the image processing is recorded together with information page 3, on the recording medium 15, apart from the image data before the image processing. At a step S20, the recorded image data is displayed together with information page 3, and then the operation returns to the step S11.
Although it is not explained in the flow chart of
Thus, with performing the image processing and the processing of history display, it becomes easy to recognize a content of the image processing afterward, in case the image processing has been performed to the image data. In particular, it is effective in case a plurality of image processing have been performed to a certain image data. In case a plurality of image processing different from each other have been performed to the certain image data, there can be a case of which different sequence of a plurality of image processing result in different image processing consequence. There can be the case of which the image data that is obtained after the image processing is different from each other; for example, between in case of performing the image processing in sequence from image processing A, image processing B, to image processing C, and in case of performing the image processing in sequence from the image processing A, the image processing C, to the image processing B. Whereat, by displaying type and sequence of the image processing, the user is enabled to recognize easily what type of image processing have been performed in what sequence.
Although an example of displaying a history information (information page 3) with superimposing on a subject image has been described thus far, but it is also allowed to display the history information in a display area other than that of the subject image in a display screen of the display unit 16. And, even without displaying the subject image itself, it is also possible to display only the foregoing history information when its image data is selected.
And, although image processing to recorded image data has been described thus far, but it is also allowed to perform image processing which a user likes, to image data before being recorded on the recording medium 15. To embody what described above, the foregoing image processing selection menu is displayed prior to a photography operation (an operation of pushing the release button), in order to allow the user to select image processing. In an image processing selection, a plurality of image processing are allowed to be selected, and sequence of performing the image processing are allowed to be specified as well. Once a photography operation is performed, the digital camera captures an image, performs the foregoing selected image processing to an image signal in specified sequence, and generates and records the image data. Also in this case, information page 3, as the history information of the image processing, is created, and can be displayed together with the subject image, in a reproducing mode.
And, in case of applying to a personal computer, a program which is related to control of the foregoing image processing and the history display can be provided through a recording medium such as a CD-ROM or a data signal such as an Internet. It is explained with reference to
And, with a personal computer, the foregoing image processing and the history display process can be performed to image data other than the subject image photographed with a digital camera.
The above described control that is related to image processing can be embodied in electronics devices that deal with image data other than a digital camera, such as a photo storage, etc., in which images are stored.
The above-described embodiments are examples, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2006-213439 | Aug 2006 | JP | national |