JP2004221631A - Image processing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image processing apparatus enabling a user to understand the contents of files recorded in a recording medium and a list of the files more easily than by a conventional technique. <P>SOLUTION: The image processing apparatus can display object-coded image data in thumbnail. The apparatus is provided with a separating means which separates an object from the inputted image data, and a control means which detects additional information about the separated object and controls a reducing scale factor for each object corresponding to the additional information. In the apparatus, the control means has a detecting means for detecting information about the kind of the object included in the image data. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention is suitable for use in an image processing apparatus capable of dividing one display screen into an arbitrary number of divided display areas like a thumbnail and displaying a reduced image in the divided display area. .
[0002]
[Prior art]
Thumbnail display is a method for displaying a data file of a moving image or a still image recorded on a certain recording medium in a manner that is easy for the user to understand. Thumbnail refers to a representative frame of a plurality of files recorded on a recording medium, for example, a frame of its own in the case of a still image, and a leading frame of a moving image reduced from the actual size. An image displayed in size.
[0003]
By using this thumbnail display, the user can visually grasp the contents of the file recorded on a certain recording medium, and can easily search and reproduce the file recorded on the recording medium. There are advantages where you can.
[0004]
As a conventional thumbnail display method, there is a method in which image data is uniformly reduced with respect to data recorded on a recording medium such as a current digital video tape or a DVD and is multi-displayed.
[0005]
However, in many of such multi-display methods, the original image recorded on the recording medium is reduced and displayed at a uniform magnification.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In a digital video having a thumbnail display screen smaller than a television or a display of a personal computer, if a large number of reduced images are displayed on one display screen, the reduction magnification becomes large, and what kind of image is displayed by the user. There is a problem that it is difficult to determine whether or not it is.
[0007]
Further, even if the thumbnail display is enlarged, the number of thumbnails displayed on one display screen is reduced, and it is difficult for the user to understand the list of files recorded on the recording medium by this method. Problem.
[0008]
The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and a purpose thereof is to allow a user to more easily understand the contents of files recorded on a recording medium and a list of those files as compared with the conventional method. To provide an image processing apparatus capable of performing the above.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
To achieve the above object, the present invention provides an image processing apparatus capable of displaying object-encoded image data in a thumbnail form, comprising: a separating unit that separates an object from input image data; When thumbnails are displayed, control means for detecting additional information related to the separated object and controlling a reduction ratio for each object in accordance with the additional information is provided.
[0010]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0011]
In FIG. 1, reference numeral 101 denotes a data separation circuit, 102 denotes an object decoding circuit that decodes an object coded signal separated by the data separation circuit 101, and 103 denotes a system data coded signal that is also separated by the data separation circuit 101. A system data decoding circuit 104 is a scene description data separation circuit that extracts object type information and position information from the signal decoded by the system data decoding circuit 103.
[0012]
Reference numeral 105 denotes a reduction ratio determination circuit for determining a reduction ratio for creating a thumbnail based on the object information extracted by the scene description data separation circuit 104, and reference numeral 106 denotes type information on the object passed from the scene description data separation circuit 104. A system controller 107 for controlling a reduction ratio optimal for thumbnail creation from position information is a display controller for displaying on a display 108 such as a finder attached to the digital video.
[0013]
Next, the flow of an object encoded signal for displaying a thumbnail will be described.
[0014]
An encoded image signal compressed and recorded on a recording medium such as a DVD by an object encoding method such as MPEG4 is input to the system shown in FIG. The coded image signal is first separated by the data separation circuit 101 into a coded image signal of each object included in the image and a system data coded signal such as scene description information included in MPEG4.
[0015]
Of the signals separated by the data separation circuit 101, the coded signal for each object is input to a decoding circuit in the object decoding circuit 102, and each signal is decoded. In this case, the operation of the decoder may be performed in a manner opposite to that of the encoder used at the time of encoding, so that the use of a specific decoder is not specified here.
[0016]
The system data coded signal is input to the system data decoding signal circuit 103 and decodes object type information and position information, which are scene description information in MPEG4, and various other information included in MPEG4. Also in this case, similarly to the object decoding circuit 102, the decoder is not particularly specified, and the operation reverse to the operation performed at the time of encoding is performed.
[0017]
The system data decoded by the system data decoding circuit 103 is input to the scene description data separation circuit 104. In MPEG4, which is a type of object coding, scene description information for handling a wide variety of AV objects is added. These pieces of information describe attributes such as temporal and spatial interrelationships, shapes, and coordinates of the objects. From the scene description information, object type information and position information necessary for creating a thumbnail are included. Performs separation of information.
[0018]
The type information and position information of the object obtained from the scene description data separation circuit 104 are input to the reduction ratio setting circuit 105, and are used for setting the reduction ratio at the time of creating a thumbnail in the present invention.
[0019]
In order to make it easier for the user to understand the content of the data recorded when creating the thumbnail, a characteristic person may be displayed from the data included in the image. That is, when creating a thumbnail, the person included in the image is displayed relatively larger than other objects. Objects other than the person are reduced and displayed as they are using the reduction ratio for thumbnail creation.
[0020]
The standard image 201 shown in FIG. 2 is an image actually recorded on a recording medium. When a thumbnail list of about 10 is displayed on a digital video finder when creating a thumbnail from this image, each image becomes smaller. It will pass. Therefore, if there is an object called a person in the standard image 201, the object of the person is displayed relatively larger than the object other than the person, and the object other than the person is reduced in size, that is, is created. The thumbnails are displayed in a reduced size using a reduction ratio that matches the size of the thumbnail to be displayed. The thumbnail image completed from now on is the thumbnail image 202.
[0021]
The system controller 106 is a controller that determines a reduction ratio for creating a thumbnail based on the type information and the position information of the object, and passes the information to the display controller 107.
[0022]
Each object decoded by the object decoding circuit 102 is actually reduced using the reduction ratio determined by the system controller 106, and the display controller 107 displays the object on the display 108.
[0023]
Next, the determination of the reduction ratio when two or more persons are included in the image and no persons are present will be described.
[0024]
First, there is a case where there are two or more persons. In the case where there is only one person, the display of the object "person" in the image is displayed relatively larger than the objects other than the person, but when there are two or more persons, which person is displayed larger. The determination as to whether to perform is performed using the position information of the object. As shown in FIG. 3, when there are two or more persons in the image, information on the position of the object is detected from the MPEG-4 scene description information together with the information on the type of the object.
[0025]
Next, using these pieces of information, a person near the center position of the image is displayed relatively larger than other objects. In the standard image 301, the presence of two persons is detected from the MPEG4 scene description information. In this case, information on a position included in the scene description information of MPEG4 is detected, and the display of a person close to the center of the image, that is, a person with a round face in the standard image 301 is displayed more relative to an object such as a person with a triangular face. , The thumbnail image 302 is created.
[0026]
Next, there is a case where no person exists. When no person is present in the image, the reduction ratio is controlled using the position information of the object, as in the case where two or more people exist. Information related to the position is detected from the MPEG4 scene description information. Next, by using these pieces of information, an object closest to the center of the image among a plurality of objects included in the image is displayed relatively larger than other objects. In the standard image 401, it is detected that no person exists from the scene description information of MPEG4. In this case, the thumbnail image 402 is detected by detecting information related to the position included in the MPEG4 scene description information and displaying the object closer to the center of the image, that is, the standard image 401 with respect to the car larger than the other objects. Create
[0027]
【The invention's effect】
As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, when a thumbnail is displayed on a display having a relatively small area such as a viewfinder of a digital video camera, the thumbnail related to an object included in object-encoded image data is displayed. An image processing apparatus capable of detecting the additional information to be performed and controlling the reduction ratio of the object in accordance with the additional information to perform a display method capable of understanding the contents and list of images recorded on the recording medium in detail. Can be provided.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an image processing apparatus according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a thumbnail display example according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a processing method when a plurality of persons exist in the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a processing method when no person exists in the embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
101 data separation circuit 102 object decoding circuit 103 system data decoding circuit 104 scene description data conversion circuit 105 reduction ratio setting circuit 106 system controller 107 display controller 108 display display 201 standard image 202 thumbnail image 301 standard image 302 thumbnail image 401 standard image 402 thumbnail image

Claims (7)

In an image processing device capable of displaying thumbnails of object-encoded image data,
Separating means for separating the object from the input image data; and, when displaying the input image data in a thumbnail display, detecting additional information related to the separated object, and determining each object in accordance with the additional information. And a control unit for controlling the reduction magnification. 2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit includes a detection unit configured to detect information on a type of an object included in the image data. 2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit includes a detection unit configured to detect information on a position of an object included in the image data. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit includes a detection unit configured to detect information regarding a type and a position of an object included in the image data.     The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control unit controls a reduction magnification when the detection unit detects that a type of object included in the image data includes a person. 6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the control unit displays a person object relatively larger than an object other than the person based on information on a type of the object detected by the detection unit. apparatus. 5. The control unit according to claim 4, wherein the control unit controls a reduction ratio according to a position where a specific object is present, based on information on a type of the object and information on a position detected by the detection unit. Image processing device.

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