The present disclosure relates to an image processing apparatus and an image processing method that is preferably applied to an apparatus, such as an imaging apparatus that captures a still image and/or a moving image, a mobile telephone terminal, or an electronic information terminal, having an image display function. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a technology applied to display of an icon on a screen.
Imaging apparatuses including digital still cameras in related art display various icon images indicating the operation modes or the operation statuses of the imaging apparatuses in display units that display images captured or played back by the imaging apparatuses. For example, the remaining amount of battery, the photographing size, and/or the photographing mode are displayed as the icon images.
It is necessary for a user using such an apparatus in which icon images are displayed to memorize the meaning of each icon image in advance. The user who has memorized the meaning of each icon image can immediately determine the current state of the apparatus from the displayed icon image. The meaning of each icon image is normally described in an instruction manual for the apparatus.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-323578 discloses a technology to superimpose the name of each icon image on the icon image to display the name of the icon image in a translucent state if the subsequent instruction is not input by an operator in a certain time period in the display of the icon image.
The display of the name of each icon image at a portion where the icon image is displayed if no operation is performed for a certain time period, as in the technology disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-323578, allows the user to know what the displayed icon image means, that is, the minimum function of the icon image from the displayed name of the icon image.
However, the characters indicating the name of each icon image are constantly displayed on the icon image in the display unit of the imaging apparatus each time no operation is performed for a certain time period. This display mode is very troublesome for the user who concentrates on the photographing with the imaging apparatus.
In particular, the increase in the number of functions of the imaging apparatus in recent years causes the number of kinds of icon images displayed in the display unit to be increased and it is not desirable that the names of multiple icon images on one screen are constantly displayed. Accordingly, the user possibly uses the imaging apparatus in a mode in which the function of displaying the names of icon images is turned off even if the imaging apparatus has the name display function and the name display function is not possibly fully used.
Although various proposals have been made to improve the technology to indicate the meaning of each icon image displayed on a screen to the user, there is a problem in that the various proposals do not necessarily provide user-friendliness guides.
Although the display in the display unit of the imaging apparatus is exemplified in the above description, similar problems can occur in various devices provided with display units in which icon images are displayed.
It is desirable to appropriately provide a guide, such as the meaning of each icon image, in display of the icon image in a display unit.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a normal mode display process is performed to display icon images of kinds corresponding to an operation status of the apparatus in a display unit. In addition, an icon description display process is performed to display an icon selection image for selecting an icon image that is being displayed in the display unit upon reception of an operation input to activate an icon description mode during the normal mode display process in the display unit and display a description image for an icon image selected upon reception of an operation input while the icon selection image is being displayed in the display unit.
With the above configuration, upon reception of an operation by the user to activate the icon description mode, an image in which an icon displayed on the screen at the operation is selected is displayed and a description image for the icon image identified in the selection is displayed. Accordingly, it is possible to easily display the description image for the icon image that is being displayed in response to the operation to activate the icon description mode.
According to the present disclosure, it is possible to easily display the description image for the icon image that is being displayed in response to a user's operation to activate the icon description mode, thus effectively facilitating the understanding of the user about the operation of the apparatus and improving the responsiveness of the apparatus.
An imaging apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will now be described.
An image processing apparatus is applied to the imaging apparatus that is a camera capturing a still image and/or a moving image in the present embodiment.
Referring to
Referring to
The playback button 105 is used by the user to instruct playback of a still image or a moving image that has been recorded. The up-down-left-right key 106 are used to instruct four directions: up, down, left, and right directions. The up-down-left-right key 106 are used by the user in combination with the determination key 107 to make an input concerning display of various guides or operations on the liquid crystal display panel 200.
The description mode button 108 is used by the user to set the operation mode of the imaging apparatus 100 to a description mode. The processing in the description mode will be described in detail below. The menu button 109 is used by the user to display menu screens for various operations on the liquid crystal display panel 200.
The operation input receiving unit may be an operation input receiving unit that receives an operation input from an external device (for example, a remote controller), instead of the operation input receiving unit provided with the buttons and the keys that directly receive such operations. Alternatively, the operation input receiving unit may be a touch panel, as in another example described below.
An openable cover 110 is provided on a side face of the casing composing the main body of the imaging apparatus 100. A battery storage part 111, a memory card slot 112, and a connection terminal 113 are provided inside the cover 110. The battery storage part 111 is where a battery that supplies power for driving the imaging apparatus 100 is housed. The memory card slot 112 includes a flash memory in which, for example, image data captured by the imaging apparatus 100 is recorded (stored). The connection terminal 113 connects the imaging apparatus 100 to an external device, such as a computer apparatus or a video device.
An imaging element 121, which is an imaging unit, is provided at a portion where light incident on the imaging lens 101 is focused and an imaging signal is generated in the imaging element 121. The imaging signal is supplied to an analog signal processor 122 where the imaging signal is subjected to a variety of analog signal processing and the signal is converted into a digital imaging signal in an analog-digital converter 123. The digital imaging signal is supplied to a digital signal processor 124 where the digital imaging signal is subjected to digital signal processing, thereby generating a digital image signal in a certain format.
The digital image signal generated in the digital signal processor 124 is recorded on a flash memory 136 under the control of a central control unit (central processing unit (CPU)) 133. The flash memory 136 may be a flash memory incorporated in the imaging apparatus 100 or may be a flash memory in a memory card loaded in the memory card slot 112 shown in
The image signal processed in the digital signal processor 124 is supplied to a display image signal generator-processor 137 where the image signal is subjected to image signal processing for display in the liquid crystal display panel 200. As a result, the image captured by the imaging element 121, which is the imaging unit, is displayed on the liquid crystal display panel 200, which is the display unit. The image signals for display generated in the display image signal generator-processor 137 include various guide images, in addition to the captured image, and superimposition and selection of these image signals are also performed in the display image signal generator-processor 137. Image signals used for various guides, description, setting, etc. are generated in a superimposed image generator 138 and the generated image signals are supplied to the display image signal generator-processor 137. The images generated in the superimposed image generator 138 include, for example, various guide icon images to be displayed during the image capturing in a normal mode and guide display images in a description mode. These images will be described in detail below.
The image signal output from the digital signal processor 124 or the image signal recorded on the flash memory 136 is capable of being externally output from the connection terminal 113 through which an image signal, etc. are output under the control of an input-output controller 125.
The imaging apparatus 100 includes the central control unit 133 as a control system. Operation instructions from the various buttons: the shutter button 102, the power button 103, the playback button 105, the determination key 107, the description mode button 108, and/or the menu button 109 shown in
A program random access memory (RAM) 134 storing operation programs for the imaging apparatus 100, etc. and a RAM 135 storing data that is being processed, etc. are connected to the bus line 131. The central control unit 133 executes the processing in accordance with the programs stored in the program RAM 134. A process of displaying an icon image in the normal mode and a display process in the description mode in which, for example, the displayed icon image is described, described below, are also performed in accordance with the programs stored in the program RAM 134 under the control of the central control unit 133.
An example of a monitor image 201 displayed on the liquid crystal display panel 200, which is the display unit, is shown in
Various guide icon images are superimposed on the monitor image 201. Specifically, a remaining-amount-of-battery icon image 211, a photographing mode icon image 212, a flash warning icon image 213, a recorded-image-size icon image 214, and a memory-card-loaded icon image 215 are displayed in the example in
Although the display in the normal mode in an image capturing state in which the image capturing is shown in the example in
In the imaging apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, the central control unit 133 performs a process of switching an image displayed on the liquid crystal display panel 200 to the display in the description mode in response to an operation input with the description mode button 108 in
Referring to
After the process of creating an icon table is performed, in Step S102, the central control unit 133 performs a process of displaying a guide initial screen. In the process of displaying a guide initial screen, an initial screen that is prepared in advance for describing the operation of the imaging apparatus is displayed.
A state is shown in the example in
Referring back to
After the icon description screen is displayed in Step S105, in Step S106, the central control unit 133 determines whether an operation input is performed and moves to another display state on the basis of the result of the determination. Specifically, if a menu button operation is performed, the central control unit 133 goes back to the process of displaying a guide initial screen in Step S102. If a termination operation is performed, in Step S107, the central control unit 133 goes back to the display in the normal mode. If an Execution button is displayed on the icon description screen and an operation to select the Execution button to accept the selection is performed, in Step S108, the central control unit 133 displays a function selection screen used by the user to select a function that is being described on the icon description screen.
In the icon selection screen display, only the icon images displayed in the normal mode immediately before the description mode is activated in Step S100 are displayed in the same display state as in the normal mode on the basis of the data in the icon table. The same display state means that the icon images are displayed at the same positions and the same sizes as on the screen in the normal mode. Specifically, the remaining-amount-of-battery icon image 211, the photographing mode icon image 212, the flash warning icon image 213, the recorded-image-size icon image 214, and the memory-card-loaded icon image 215 are displayed at the same positions as in the example in
The icon selection screen display in
The example of the icon description screen in
The example of the icon description screen in
The size (the number of pixels and the aspect ratio of the image) of the captured image can be set (changed) in response to a user's operation based on the function selection screen display. Accordingly, after the description sentence of the icon image selected by the user is displayed, the described function can be set.
Referring to
Displayed object name 21, display ID 22, and image object name 23 of each icon are stored in the icon table, as shown in
The storage of the icon table in the above manner allows each icon to be displayed at the position and size stored in the icon table in the display of an icon selection image, as described above with reference to
Referring to
“No icon to be described. Press [Menu]” is displayed in the example in
Referring back to
If it is determined in Step S306 that the row after the movement does not include null data, the process goes back to Step S304 to draw the icon image having the image ID at the row of the icon table at a coordinate position and at a size specified in the icon table and to superimpose the icon image on the background image. The process is repeated to display all the icon images displayed in the most recent normal mode at the same positions and the same sizes as in the normal mode, as shown in
Accordingly, the association with the display in the most recent operation mode can be easily determined on the icon selection screen. As a result, it is possible for the user to easily select a desired icon and to intuitively select icons the meanings of which are not determined. In addition, upon selection and determination of an icon, the description of the icon is immediately displayed and, thus, the understanding of the operator about the imaging apparatus is facilitated to improve the responsiveness of the imaging apparatus. Furthermore, since a still image is used as the background image on the icon selection screen, it is easy for the user to identify the icons and to understand that the display is different from the display in the normal mode (that is, the icon selection screen is displayed), thus allowing the user to appropriately select an icon.
Operations with the up-down-left-right key 106 and the determination key 107 provided separately from the liquid crystal display panel 200 are performed in the selection on, for example, the icon selection screen in the embodiments described above. In contrast, when the imaging apparatus is provided with a touch panel that detects contact or proximity of an object, such as a finger, as the display panel such as the liquid crystal display panel, buttons corresponding to the up-down-left-right keys and the determination key may be displayed on the screen and similar operations may be performed in response to touch of the user on the buttons.
The imaging apparatus 100′ includes a display panel 300 with a touch panel, and the icon selection screen is displayed in the example in
A background image 301, which is a still image prepared in advance, is displayed on the display panel 300 and the background image 301 has icon images 311, 312, 313, 314, and 315 superimposed thereon. In addition, a display frame 321 indicating an icon to be selected is displayed on the icon image 311 in the example in
Furthermore, button display 331 used for instructing directions and performing the determination operation, a Return button 332, and an End button 333 are displayed on the display panel 300.
Touch of a portion in the button display 331 by the user with his/her finger, etc. in the above display state allows an icon image to be selected in a manner similar to the one in the imaging apparatus 100 shown in
The example in
A still image prepared in advance is displayed as the background image 231, as in the example in
The background image may be a moving image prepared in advance, instead of a still image.
Alternatively, as in the display in the normal mode during the image capturing, a moving image or a still image generated from an image signal that is captured may be displayed as the background. In the display of a moving image or a still image generated from an image signal that is captured as the background, for example, the brightness of the background image may be made lower than that in the display in the normal mode to allow the display of the icon selection screen to be easily discriminated from the display in the normal mode. The chromaticity of the background image may be lowered, instead of the brightness thereof. Even when a still image prepared in advance is used as the background image, the brightness of the still image may be made lower than that in the display in the normal mode.
Furthermore, the display state may be selected from the various background images by the user with an operation to set the background.
Although the initial screen shown in
Although the icon images are arranged on, for example, the icon selection screen in
The icon images are arranged at the same positions and at the same sizes as in the normal mode, for example, in the example of display in
Although the present disclosure is applied to the imaging apparatus in the examples of the above embodiments, the present disclosure may be applied to the description of the icon images in other electronic devices having the function of the image processing apparatus.
For example, in the display of the icon images on the display panel of a mobile phone terminal apparatus, the process shown in
Similar icon description images may be displayed in response to key operations when the icon images are displayed on the display panel of a tablet personal computer apparatus, a portable information terminal, a music playback terminal, an electronic game terminal, a digital book terminal, or the like. For example, the example of display shown in
The display unit may be provided separately from the main body of an electronic device that performs the processing described in the above embodiment. For example, the present disclosure is also applicable to a case in which a display apparatus (finder) that displays, for example, an image captured by the imaging apparatus is provided separately from the main body of the imaging apparatus.
An image processing method for displaying the icon description image described in the above embodiments may be performed by software (by using a program). The software may be incorporated in an electronic device having the existing image display processing function to add similar functions. When the software is incorporated in an electronic device provided with the image display processing function to perform similar processing, the electronic device itself does not necessarily include the display unit. For example, the present disclosure is applicable to a configuration in which icon images, etc. are displayed in a display unit connected to the electronic device.
The present disclosure contains subject matter related to that disclosed in Japanese Priority Patent Application JP 2010-276645 filed in the Japan Patent Office on Dec. 13, 2010, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
It should be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications, combinations, sub-combinations and alterations may occur depending on design requirements and other factors insofar as they are within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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P2010-276645 | Dec 2010 | JP | national |