1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to image capturing devices and, particularly, to a digital image capturing device and an image accessing method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
A digital camera typically has a secure digital (SD) card slot available for receiving a SD card therein. Standard SD card capacities range from 8 megabytes to 4 gigabytes, therefore, a great amount of images and videos can be stored in the SD card of the digital camera. However, being limited by display size, the digital cameras commonly enable users to browse only one photo at a time.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a digital image capturing device and an image accessing method thereof, which can overcome the above-mentioned problem.
In an exemplary embodiment, an image accessing method is disclosed. A search query view is firstly generated in response to a first user input. A time search query is then received by the search query view in response to a second user input. Exchangeable image files (Exifs) respectively associated with the images are compared with the time search query to search image(s), if any, matching the time search query. Next, entry(s) associated with the searched image(s) is generated and displayed. Then, desired entry(s) is selected and thereby the corresponding image(s) is accessed.
Many aspects of the present digital image capturing device and image accessing method can be better understood with reference to the accompanying drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present digital image capturing device and image accessing method. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.
Embodiments of the present digital image capturing device and image accessing method will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The digital image capturing device may be but not limited to a digital still camera (DSC) or a digital video camera. In the following described embodiments, the digital image capturing device is a DSC.
Referring to
In addition to the storage unit 12, the user input unit 14, and the display panel 16, the DSC 10 further includes an accessing system 20. The accessing system 20 includes a view generating unit 22, a searching unit 24, and a selecting unit 26. In this embodiment, various components of the accessing system 20, such as the view generating unit 22, the searching unit 24, and the selecting unit 26 are realized as instructions 126 and stored in the storage unit 12. These instructions 126 may be written by a variety of programming languages such as C, C++, Java, Visual Basic and many others. The DSC 10 typically includes a micro control unit (MCU) 30. When the accessing system 20 is activated, the instructions 126 are loaded into the MCU 30 and executed to function as the described view generating unit 22, searching unit 24, and selecting unit 26. It should be understood that the components of the accessing system 20 is not limited by this embodiment, but can be individual chips or integrated into one chip.
Referring to
Referring to
The selecting unit 26 is configured for selecting one or more listed entries in response to a third user input (e.g., a click or a touch on one desired entry), thereby accessing desired image(s) that is associated with the selected entry(s). The selecting unit 26 may also define a focus point on each selected entry to indicate which entry has been selected.
It should be understood that image(s) taken over a short period of time are typically in the same category, e.g., family members, campus activities, or office meetings. It is common that users may want to process, e.g., delete or encrypt, the images 122 by their categories. This can be efficiently accomplished by the DSC 10.
Also referring to
Step 52: presenting the search query view 42 in response to the first user input. This step can be carried out by the view generating unit 22, and the first user input can be performed by touching/contacting a predetermined area on the display panel 16.
Step 54: receiving the time search query in response to a second user input. This step is also carried out by the view generating unit 22.
Step 56: searching image(s), if any, matching the search query and generating entry(s) respectively associated with the searched image(s). This step can be carried out by the searching unit 24. In detail, after the time search query is received by the search query view 42, the searching unit 24 starts comparing the time search query with Exifs 124 associated with the images 122, instructs the view generating unit 22 to generate and display the list view 44 over the search query view 42, and generating entry(s) respectively associated with the image(s) that satisfy the time search query.
Step 58: selecting desired entry(s) in response to a third user input, thereby accessing the image(s) associated with the selected entry(s). This step can be carried out by the selecting unit 26.
Step 60: applying various manipulations, e.g., deletion or encryption, to the accessed image(s) in response to a fourth user input. These can be carried out by the MCU 30.
It will be understood that the above particular embodiments and methods are shown and described by way of illustration only. The principles and the features of the present invention may be employed in various and numerous embodiments thereof without departing from the scope of the invention as claimed. The above-described embodiments illustrate the scope of the invention but do not restrict the scope of the invention.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
200710203291.4 | Dec 2007 | CN | national |