JP4116325B2 - Image display control device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
【Technical field】
The present invention relates to an image display control device.
[0002]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In order to find a desired image from a large number of images stored in an image database, there are some which display a plurality of thumbnail images on a display screen and select an image close to an image desired by a user. A plurality of frames close to the selected image are searched from the image database and displayed on the display screen. Again, an image close to the image desired by the user is selected, and a plurality of images are displayed on the display screen. This is repeated to find the image that the user wants.
[0003]
However, since images of a plurality of frames are simply displayed on the display screen, it is not obvious at a glance how similar the selected image and the other displayed images are.
[0004]
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to make it possible to understand at a glance the degree of similarity between a selected image and other displayed images.
[0005]
An image display control device according to the present invention controls a display device so as to display a plurality of frame images on a display screen among a plurality of frame images represented by image data stored in an image database. Under the display control by the display control means, the first display control means, the designation means for designating a desired image among the images of the plurality of frames displayed on the display screen, the image designated by the designation means Search means for searching the image database for images having characteristics similar to the above characteristics, and images found as a result of the search by the search means are displayed so gently that they do not resemble the image specified by the specification means. As described above, the second display control means for controlling the display device is provided.
[0006]
The present invention may provide a control method suitable for the image display control device. That is, in this method, the display device is controlled so that images of a plurality of frames among the images of a large number of frames represented by the image data stored in the image database are displayed on the display screen. Specify the desired image among the displayed images of multiple frames, search the image database for images with characteristics similar to the specified image characteristics, and specify the images found as a result of the search. The display device is controlled so that the image is displayed so as not to be similar to the image.
[0007]
You may make it provide the program for implementing the said control method, and the recording medium which stored the program.
[0008]
According to the present invention, among a number of images represented by the image data stored in the image database, a plurality of frames are displayed on the display screen of the display device. The multi-frame image displayed at this time may be a multi-frame image (an image having an average characteristic) determined by the initial setting, or an image similar to an image having a characteristic given by the user. There may be.
[0009]
When a plurality of frames of images are displayed on the display screen, a desired image close to the image desired by the user is designated from the displayed images of the plurality of frames. Images with characteristics similar to those of the specified image are found in the image database. The found image is displayed so blurry that it does not resemble the specified image.
[0010]
Since it is displayed so blurry that it does not resemble the designated image, an image that does not resemble the designated image is not noticeable even if it is displayed. In order to display a dim image, pixels having the same color as the background color may be overlapped on a dissimilar image with a gap. By narrowing the interval between the pixels, the image is blurred and not noticeable. Since an image similar to the designated image is clearly displayed, it can be seen at a glance that it is similar to the designated image.
[0011]
You may make it further provide a means to control to repeat the designation of the image by the designation means, the search by the search means, and the display control by the second display control means.
[0012]
The similarity axis may be defined in the depth direction. In this case, it is preferable that the second display control means display a small and dull image so as not to be similar to the image specified by the specifying means.
[0013]
An image that does not resemble the specified image is smaller and dimly displayed, so that an image that resembles the specified image becomes more conspicuous.
[0014]
[Explanation of Examples]
FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention, and is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of an image database apparatus.
[0015]
The image database device includes an image database 4 in which image data representing a color image (a black-and-white image) of a number of frames is stored. In the image database 4, data indicating the characteristics of the image data is also stored corresponding to the stored image data. The characteristics of the image data include the average chromaticity of the image, the average brightness of the image, the average saturation of the image, and the shooting date.
[0016]
Output signals from the input device 3 such as a keyboard and a mouse are input to the CPU 2. The input device 3 outputs a signal representing an image search command, a signal indicating that a specific image has been designated, and the like.
[0017]
Also connected to the CPU 2 is a video random access memory (VRAM) 1 that temporarily stores image data representing an image displayed on the display screen of the display device 6. Display of an image on the display device 6 is controlled by the display device 5.
[0018]
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the image database apparatus. 3 to 5 are examples of images displayed on the display screen of the display device 6 of the image database device.
[0019]
In the image database device according to this embodiment, images of a plurality of frames are displayed on the display screen of the display device 6. Of the displayed images of a plurality of frames, an image similar to the image that the user is looking for is designated. A plurality of frames similar to the designated image can be found in the image database 4. The found images of multiple frames are displayed so as to be larger as they are similar to the specified image (smaller as they are not similar). In addition, the image is displayed as if it is foggy so that it does not resemble the specified image. More details will become apparent from the following description.
[0020]
When a search command is given from the input device 3, a plurality of representative images having predetermined characteristics are displayed on the display screen of the display device 6 (step 11).
[0021]
FIG. 3 shows a state in which a representative image is displayed.
[0022]
A coordinate area 23 is formed on the entire surface of the display screen 21. Ten frames of representative images Ir are displayed in the coordinate area 23. The coordinate axes of the coordinate area 23 represent image characteristics. When the representative image Ir is displayed, the coordinate axes are displayed two-dimensionally. The horizontal axis is the average brightness of the image, and the vertical axis is the average saturation of the image. It goes without saying that other characteristics may be used for the coordinate axes.
[0023]
Of the representative images Ir displayed on the display screen 21, a representative image Ir having characteristics close to those of the image that the user is looking for is designated by the input device 3 (step 12). Specifically, an image specified by the cursor 22 is designated by performing a double click or the like using a mouse included in the input device 3. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the image Is1 of the representative image Ir is designated by the user.
[0024]
Then, a plurality of frames of images having characteristics close to those of the representative image Is1 designated by the user are extracted from the image database 4 (step 13). The extracted images of a plurality of frames are stored in the memory area of the VRAM 1 according to the similarity (in this embodiment, the chromaticity is the similarity. Images having a chromaticity closer to the designated image are more similar). Arranged (step 14). In other words, when the horizontal axis is lightness and the vertical axis is saturation, and the depth axis is chromaticity, images with a chromaticity closer to the specified image are displayed larger (as if they were placed in the foreground). Display), and an image having a chromaticity farther from the designated image is arranged so that it is displayed smaller (displayed as if it is arranged in the back).
[0025]
Further, the display on the display screen 21 is switched from FIG. 3 to FIG. 4, and an image that is dissimilar to the designated image is displayed as if it was fogged (step 15).
[0026]
FIG. 4 is an example of an image displayed on the display screen of the display device 6.
[0027]
A new coordinate area 23A appears on the display screen 21. The horizontal axis of the coordinate area 23A defines lightness, the vertical axis defines saturation, and the depth axis defines chromaticity (similarity). As described above, when the image Is1 in the representative image Ir is designated, the image Is1 is displayed in the largest size. The display position of the designated image Is1 is the corner of the coordinate area 23A. By displaying the designated image Is1 at the corner of the coordinate area 23A, it becomes easier to see the back image. Of course, by changing the angle of the depth axis of the three-dimensional display as shown in FIG. 4, even if the designated image Is1 is displayed at the center, it is possible to see the image of the back method. Needless to say, it does not have to be displayed toward the corner of 23A.
[0028]
The image I extracted from the image database 4 is displayed larger as the chromaticity is similar to the designated image Is1. Conversely, the extracted image I is displayed so small that it does not resemble the designated image Is1. Since an image similar to the designated image Is1 is displayed larger, it is easier to see.
[0029]
Furthermore, in the coordinate area 23A, as described above, the image is displayed as blurred from the center to the periphery as if it was fogged (the blurred state is indicated by hatching and shading). The central area A4 is the most blurred. There is a region A3 around the central region A4, a region A2 around the region A3, and a region A1 around the region A2. As the area A4 changes to the area A1, the degree of blurring decreases. The blurring process can be realized by distributing the same pixels as the background color of the coordinate area 23A. That is, the pixel distribution is the tightest in the region A4, and the pixels are spaced as the regions A3, A2, and A1 are formed. The image is easier to see because it is not blurred as it is similar to the designated image Is1.
[0030]
If there is an image in the displayed image I that is the same as the image that the user wants to find, the search process ends (YES in step 16).
[0031]
If there is no image in the displayed image I that is the same as the image that the user wants to find (NO in step 16), an image similar to the image that the user wants to find is found in the displayed image I. If there is a similar image, the image (referred to as image Is2) is double-clicked by the cursor 22. This means that an image has been designated (step 12). Then, as shown in FIG. 5, an image similar to the designated image Is2 is displayed larger on the display screen 21 of the display device 6, and a dissimilar image is displayed smaller. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the area A4 of the portion where the image at the time of comparison is displayed in the designated image Is2 is the most blurred, and the area A1 becomes gradually blurred as it resembles the designated image Is2. To form A4. An image similar to the designated image Is2 becomes easier to see.
[0032]
In the above-described embodiment, the coordinate area 23A is displayed three-dimensionally such as the horizontal axis, the vertical axis, and the depth axis to display an image similar to the designated image, but a similar image is displayed. Two-dimensional display or one-dimensional display may be used. In that case, the size of the image may or may not be changed according to the degree of similarity. What is necessary is just to display it so that an image similar to the specified image becomes easy to see.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of an image database apparatus.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the image database apparatus.
FIG. 3 is an example of an image displayed on a display screen.
FIG. 4 is an example of an image displayed on a display screen.
FIG. 5 is an example of an image displayed on a display screen.
[Explanation of symbols]
2 CPU
3 Input device 4 Image database 5 Display control device 6 Display device

Claims (2)

First display control means for controlling the display device so as to display images of a plurality of frames on a display screen among images of a plurality of frames represented by image data stored in an image database;
Designation means for designating a desired image among a plurality of frames displayed on the display screen under display control by the first display control means;
Search means for searching the image database for an image having characteristics similar to those of the image specified by the specifying means, the horizontal and vertical axes that define the degree of image characteristics, and the specification means The depth axis that defines the similarity of images is displayed. The depth axis can be changed in angle, and there are a plurality of regions surrounding the central region and the central region. An image found as a result of the search by the search means is selected from any one of the regions corresponding to the horizontal axis, the vertical axis, and the depth axis according to the image characteristics and the similarity. In a region where an image dissimilar to the image designated by the designation means is arranged , pixels having the same color as the background color with a closer interval are placed in that region. Second display control means for controlling the display device to perform the blurring process to distribute respect,
An image display control device.   2. The image database device according to claim 1, further comprising means for controlling to repeat the designation of the image by the designation means, the search by the search means, and the display control by the second display control means.

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