JP4611615B2 - Electronic camera - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electronic camera having a trimming function for trimming an image generated by imaging.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an electronic camera capable of trimming an image generated by imaging without taking it into a computer or the like is known (for example, see Patent Document 1). According to such an electronic camera, a user designates a range to be trimmed by a trimming frame displayed so as to be superimposed on the image to be trimmed, and further designates a size for saving the trimmed image to perform trimming. be able to.
[0003]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-205276 [0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the conventional electronic camera, since the trimming range specified by the displayed trimming frame is small, the user sometimes cannot grasp the image after trimming. In addition, when specifying the size to save, a user with little knowledge may not know which size is appropriate to specify.
[0005]
The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to provide an electronic camera that can be trimmed by a simple operation even by a user with little knowledge.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The electronic camera according to the present invention includes an imaging unit that captures a subject image to generate an image, a recording unit that records the image generated by the imaging unit, and the display unit that reads the image recorded by the recording unit. A reproduction means for reproducing and displaying; an operation section for selecting enlargement or reduction of the image reproduced and displayed by the reproduction means; a reception means for receiving selection by the operation section; and an enlargement or reduction of the image by the reception means. Is received, the changing means for enlarging or reducing the image and displaying it on the display means, and the range displayed on the display means after being changed by the changing means among the images, to a predetermined resolution. and a trimming means for trimming with the resolution conversion, the recording means, recorded on the header information of the image became trimming of the original The header information of the image trimmed by the trimming means (trimmed image) is created using the captured photographing condition information, the created header information is added to the trimmed image, and the trimming with the header information added thereto The image is recorded as an image different from the image from which trimming has been performed .
[0007]
Preferably, the predetermined resolution may be a resolution determined according to the number of pixels included in the range among a plurality of resolutions recordable by the recording unit.
Another electronic camera according to the present invention includes an imaging unit that captures a subject image to generate an image, a recording unit that records the image generated by the imaging unit, and reads the image recorded by the recording unit. A reproduction unit that reproduces and displays on the display unit, an operation unit that selects one of enlargement, reduction, and rotation of the image reproduced and displayed by the reproduction unit, a reception unit that receives selection by the operation unit, and the reception When any one of enlargement, reduction, and rotation of the image is received by the means, a change means for changing the image according to the selection and displaying it on the display means, and among the images, after the change by the change means, the change and a trimming unit for trimming the range displayed on the display means, said recording means recording the header information of the image became trimming of the original The header information of the image trimmed by the trimming means (trimmed image) is created using the captured photographing condition information, the created header information is added to the trimmed image, and the trimming with the header information added thereto The image is recorded as an image different from the image from which trimming has been performed .
[0008]
Preferably, the trimming means may perform trimming accompanied by resolution conversion to a predetermined resolution .
[0009]
Preferably, the operation unit can select a position of an image to be displayed on the display unit out of the images, the reception unit receives a selection by the operation unit, and the change unit receives the reception When the change of the position of the image is received by the means, the position of the image may be changed and displayed on the display means.
Preferably, the header information of the trimmed image may be created by combining header information of the image from which trimming is performed and unique header information unique to the trimmed image.
Preferably, the unique header information may include at least one of enlargement / reduction magnification, rotation amount, date and time of trimming, and information indicating the image from which trimming is performed.
[0010]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an electronic camera according to an embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 1, the electronic camera 1 includes an imaging unit 10, an image processing unit 11, a display processing unit 12, a control unit 13, and a recording unit 14, which are connected to each other via a bus. Yes. A liquid crystal monitor 15 is connected to the display processing unit 12. The imaging unit 10 includes a lens (not shown), various sensors for measuring the luminance and brightness of a subject, a photoelectric conversion element such as a CCD image pickup element, an A / D converter, and the like.
[0011]
In addition, the electronic camera 1 includes an operation unit 16 including a release button that receives an instruction to start a shooting operation by an operator, and a signal indicating the state of the button and the like included in the operation unit 16 is input to the control unit 13.
A program for realizing processing in the electronic camera 1 is recorded in the control unit 13 in advance. In the electronic camera 1, a subject image is captured and recorded by executing these programs by the control unit 13. An image is displayed.
[0013]
In the electronic camera 1 configured as described above, when a power button (not shown) is turned “ON”, the control unit 13 detects this and starts operation.
When the execution of the shooting mode is instructed, the control unit 13 captures a subject image through the image capturing unit 10, performs predetermined image processing in the image processing unit 11, and records it in the recording unit 14. The image obtained by the imaging is displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 15 via the display processing unit 12. On the other hand, when the execution of the playback mode is instructed, the control unit 13 reads an image from the recording unit 14 in accordance with the instruction, and displays the image on the liquid crystal monitor 15 via the display processing unit 12.
[0014]
Note that the processes in the shooting mode and the playback mode described above are the same as those in the publicly known technique, and thus the description thereof will be omitted. Hereinafter, the operation of the control unit 13 when performing trimming, which is a feature of the present invention, will be described.
Trimming is an image editing operation executed when the playback mode is executed, and execution of the trimming is instructed by the user via the operation unit 16.
[0015]
Hereinafter, the operation of the control unit 13 when the user instructs execution of trimming will be described with reference to FIG.
In step S <b> 1, the control unit 13 determines whether the user has instructed to enlarge or reduce the image being reproduced via the operation unit 16.
An instruction to enlarge or reduce the image is accepted via a zoom button (not shown) provided on the operation unit 16 (a button used for zoom setting at the time of shooting). The control unit 13 proceeds to step S2 when an instruction for enlargement or reduction is given, and proceeds to step S4 when the instruction is not given.
[0016]
In step S <b> 2, the control unit 13 obtains an enlargement magnification or reduction magnification according to the instruction received in step S <b> 1, and enlarges or reduces the image via the image processing unit 11.
However, if the calculated magnification is greater than or equal to the magnification at which image degradation occurs, and if it is less than or equal to the original image, the process proceeds to step S3 without enlarging or reducing the image.
[0017]
In step S <b> 3, the control unit 13 displays the changed image on the liquid crystal monitor 15 via the display processing unit 12.
FIG. 3B shows a display example of an enlarged image. Note that FIG. 3A is an original image.
However, if neither enlargement nor reduction is performed in step S2, the original image is displayed instead of the changed image, and a message notifying the user that enlargement (or reduction) cannot be performed is displayed.
[0018]
And if the above-mentioned display is performed, the control part 13 will progress to step S10.
If the enlargement or reduction of the image being reproduced has not been instructed in step S1, the control unit 13 has instructed the user to change the position of the image being reproduced via the operation unit 16 in step S4. Determine whether or not.
An instruction to change the position of the image is received via a cross key (not shown) provided on the operation unit 16 (button used for menu selection or the like). The control unit 13 proceeds to step S5 if an instruction to change the position is given, and proceeds to step S7 if not.
[0019]
In step S <b> 5, the control unit 13 obtains a position change amount according to the instruction received in step S <b> 4, and changes the position of the image displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 15 via the display processing unit 12.
However, if any of the upper end, the lower end, the left end, and the right end of the original image is cut off when the obtained change amount is realized, the process proceeds to step S6 without changing the position of the image.
[0020]
In step S <b> 6, the control unit 13 displays the changed image on the liquid crystal monitor 15 via the display processing unit 12.
FIG. 3C shows a display example of an image whose position has been changed.
However, if the position is not changed in step S5, the image before the change (the original image if nothing has been changed) is displayed instead of the image after the change, and the position cannot be changed. Display a message notifying the user of this.
[0021]
And if the above-mentioned display is performed, the control part 13 will progress to step S10.
In step S4, when it is not instructed to change the position of the image being reproduced, in step S7, the control unit 13 determines whether or not rotation of the image being reproduced is instructed by the user via the operation unit 16. Determine.
An image rotation instruction is received via a rotation button (not shown) provided in the operation unit 16. Note that a single press of the rotation button indicates a cyclic 90-degree rotation instruction.
[0022]
When the rotation instruction is given, the control unit 13 proceeds to step S8. If no rotation instruction is given, the process returns to step S1 and the operations of steps S1 to S7 are repeated.
In step S <b> 8, the control unit 13 obtains the rotation amount in accordance with the instruction received in step S <b> 9 and rotates the image via the image processing unit 11. Note that the image is rotated by replacing the xy address of the image.
[0023]
In step S <b> 9, the control unit 13 displays the changed image on the liquid crystal monitor 15 via the display processing unit 12.
FIG. 3D shows a display example of the rotated image.
And if the above-mentioned display is performed, the control part 13 will progress to step S10.
In step S <b> 10, the control unit 13 determines whether or not a determination button (not illustrated) of the operation unit 16 has been pressed by the user.
[0024]
And the control part 13 progresses to step S11, when a determination button is pressed. If the determination button is not pressed, the process returns to step S1 and the operations of steps S1 to S10 are repeated.
In step S <b> 11, the control unit 13 performs trimming via the image processing unit 11.
[0025]
First, the control unit 13 obtains the number of pixels included in the image (trimming range) displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 15 when the determination button is pressed in step S10, and stores it based on the table shown in FIG. Determine the size of the image. The image size shown in the column “Size of image to be stored” on the right side of FIG. 4 is the same as the size of the image that can be stored in the electronic camera 1 in advance. For example, when the number of pixels in the horizontal direction included in the trimming range is 1500, the storage size is determined to be 1600 × 1200. That is, the size of the image that can be stored in the electronic camera 1 and that has a horizontal direction larger than the number of pixels in the horizontal direction included in the trimming range and is predetermined in the electronic camera 1 is determined.
[0026]
Then, the control unit 13 trims the image in the trimming range (the image displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 15) via the image processing unit 11, and converts the resolution so that the determined storage size is obtained. Since this resolution conversion is resolution conversion in the direction of increasing the size, specifically, interpolation processing is performed.
In step S12, the control unit 13 creates a thumbnail image via the image processing unit 11 based on the trimmed image generated in step S11. Note that the method for creating a thumbnail image is the same as that of a known technique, and thus description thereof is omitted.
[0027]
In step S13, the control unit 13 creates header information. The control unit 13 creates the following items as header information.
The enlargement or reduction magnification used in step S1 to step S3 The change amount used in step S4 to step S6 The rotation amount used in step S7 to step S9 The date and time of trimming The original image is which image Information (such as file name)
Note that only the corresponding enlargement magnification, reduction magnification, change amount, and rotation amount are created.
[0028]
And the control part 13 copies the header information of an original image about other items (imaging conditions etc.), and progresses to step S14.
In step S14, the control unit 13 records the header information created in step S13 together with the trimmed image created in step S11 in the recording unit 14.
[0029]
Then, when the recording is completed, the control unit 13 ends the series of processes.
Note that the trimming operation in steps S1 to S14 can be repeated using the trimmed image described above as the original image.
In such a case, it is possible to perform trimming by reading out the original image before trimming based on the header information. In other words, even if the image after trimming is trimmed again, the original image obtained by imaging is actually trimmed, so that deterioration of the image can be suppressed.
[0030]
Further, by the same operation, the display range can be moved even to a portion lost in the previous trimming, so that the framing can be corrected for the image trimmed once.
As described above, according to this embodiment, the image to be trimmed can be enlarged or reduced in accordance with an instruction from the user, and the range displayed on the liquid crystal monitor in the enlarged or reduced state can be trimmed. . Therefore, trimming can be performed with a simple operation.
[0031]
Further, according to the present embodiment, the trimming frame is used as the outer frame of the liquid crystal monitor, so that trimming can be performed while maintaining the aspect ratio, so that the trimmed image and the image obtained by imaging can be unified. Can measure.
[0032]
Also, according to the present embodiment, when trimming is performed, interpolation is performed to convert the resolution to a size larger than the trimming range. For this reason, there is less degradation of the image compared to the case where resolution conversion is performed by thinning.
Further, according to the present embodiment, the size (resolution) to be stored is automatically determined in accordance with the trimming range designated by the user. Therefore, even a user with little knowledge can use it easily.
[0033]
Further, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to trim an image being reproduced while being rotated. Therefore, it is possible to trim a vertically long range from a horizontally long image, and it is also possible to trim a horizontally long range from a vertically long image.
Therefore, the degree of freedom for trimming is improved.
Further, according to the present embodiment, trimming can be performed with the position of the image being reproduced being changed. Therefore, framing in the original image can be easily corrected.
Further, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to perform simple and highly flexible trimming by combining the above-described enlargement, reduction, rotation, and position change.
[0034]
In this embodiment, an example in which resolution conversion is performed when trimming is performed has been described. However, when the size of an image that can be stored in the electronic camera 1 is not fixed (stored at any size). If possible, the image may be saved without performing resolution conversion.
In the present embodiment, an example of performing all of enlargement or reduction, rotation, and position change at the time of trimming has been described, but at least one may be used. Further, for example, there may be two such as a combination of enlargement or reduction and rotation.
[0035]
In this embodiment, when creating a thumbnail image based on the trimmed image, a confirmation image similar to the quick view image for photographing confirmation is created via the image processing unit 11, and the display processing unit 12. It is also possible to display on the liquid crystal monitor 15 via. By performing such display, the user can confirm the trimmed image.
[0036]
Further, in this embodiment, an example is shown in which trimming is performed when an instruction is given by the user during execution of the playback mode. In such a case, the range currently displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 15 may be trimmed.
In the present embodiment, when header information is created, the number of times trimming has been performed based on an image obtained by imaging may be stored as header information. When such a storage is performed and trimming is performed more than a predetermined number of times (for example, 10 times), a warning is given to the user, and the trimmed image is further trimmed to repeat the image. Deterioration can be prevented.
[0037]
In the present embodiment, an example in which a rotation button is provided on the operation unit 16 has been described. However, two rotation buttons are provided, one as a clockwise rotation button, and the other as a counterclockwise rotation button. Also good. Further, the configuration of the operation unit may be anything.
[0038]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to perform trimming on a reproduced image with an easy-to-understand and simple operation.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an electronic camera according to an embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an operation of the electronic camera of the present embodiment.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of an image displayed on the liquid crystal monitor of the present embodiment.
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a table used when determining a storage size in the present embodiment.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Electronic camera 10 Image pick-up part 11 Image processing part 12 Display processing part 13 Control part 14 Recording part 15 Liquid crystal monitor 16 Operation part

Claims (7)

Imaging means for capturing a subject image and generating an image;
Recording means for recording the image generated by the imaging means;
Reproduction means for reading out the image recorded by the recording means and reproducing and displaying on the display means;
An operation unit for selecting enlargement or reduction of the image reproduced and displayed by the reproduction unit;
Accepting means for accepting selection by the operation unit;
Changing means for enlarging or reducing the image and displaying on the display means upon receiving enlargement or reduction of the image by the accepting means;
Trimming means for performing trimming with resolution conversion to a predetermined resolution for a range displayed on the display means after being changed by the changing means in the image ;
The recording unit creates header information of the image trimmed by the trimming unit (trimmed image) using the shooting condition information recorded in the header information of the image that is the source of trimming, and the created header An electronic camera , wherein information is added to the trimmed image, and the trimmed image to which the header information is added is recorded as an image different from the image from which trimming is performed . The electronic camera according to claim 1,
The electronic camera according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined resolution is a resolution determined in accordance with the number of pixels included in the range among a plurality of resolutions recordable by the recording unit. Imaging means for capturing a subject image and generating an image;
Recording means for recording the image generated by the imaging means;
Reproduction means for reading out the image recorded by the recording means and reproducing and displaying on the display means;
An operation unit for selecting one of enlargement, reduction, and rotation of the image reproduced and displayed by the reproduction unit;
Accepting means for accepting selection by the operation unit;
Changing means for changing the image according to the selection and displaying it on the display means upon receiving any of enlargement, reduction, and rotation of the image by the receiving means;
A trimming means for trimming a range displayed on the display means after being changed by the changing means in the image ;
The recording unit creates header information of the image trimmed by the trimming unit (trimmed image) using the shooting condition information recorded in the header information of the image that is the source of trimming, and the created header An electronic camera , wherein information is added to the trimmed image, and the trimmed image to which the header information is added is recorded as an image different from the image from which trimming is performed . The electronic camera according to claim 3.
The electronic camera characterized in that the trimming means performs trimming accompanied by resolution conversion to a predetermined resolution. The electronic camera according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The operation unit can select a position of an image to be displayed on the display unit among the images,
The accepting means accepts selection by the operation unit;
When the change means receives the change of the position of the image by the reception means, the change means changes the position of the image and displays it on the display means. The electronic camera according to any one of claims 1 to 5 ,
The electronic camera, wherein the header information of the trimmed image is created by combining header information of the image that is a trimming source and unique header information unique to the trimmed image. The electronic camera according to claim 6 .
The unique header information includes at least one of enlargement / reduction magnification, rotation amount, date and time of trimming, and information indicating the image that is a source of trimming.

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