JP2013182524A - Image processing apparatus and image processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide technology for efficient retrieval of an album template desired by a user.SOLUTION: An image processing device selects templates for regulating image arrangement distributions as many as designated distributions from multiple templates, as selection templates, and determines similarity between the arrangement distributions regulated by the selection templates and the designated distributions, with respect to each of the selected selection templates. The device selects the selection templates that have the similarity equal to or greater than a specified value among the selection templates as use candidate templates, and displays a list of information relating to the selected use candidate templates.

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for searching for an album template.

  In recent years, with the widespread use of digital cameras, electronic album creation programs for creating electronic albums by arranging captured images and texts at desired positions on personal computers are widely used. In such an electronic album creation program, in order to save the user from having to think about the layout, a method of creating an electronic album by arranging images in an album template in which the arrangement positions of the images are defined in advance is generally used. However, when a large number of album templates are prepared, it is troublesome for the user to find a desired album template.

  In order to solve this problem, for example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, the number of images arranged on the page of the electronic album is detected, and album template selection or candidate display is performed according to the detected number of images. The method of doing is known. Further, Patent Document 1 also describes a method for automatically arranging images according to a selected album template, thereby saving the user from arranging images.

JP 2006-74592 A

  However, in the selection based on the quantity of images, when there are a large number of album templates, there is a possibility that many album templates that the user does not want are displayed as candidates. In addition, in a device with a small display area such as a digital camera or a smartphone, it is desirable to narrow down candidates as much as possible. In order to reduce the trouble of selecting an album template, a method for further narrowing down not only the quantity of images but also the image template is required.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to provide a technique for efficiently searching for an album template desired by a user.

  In order to achieve the object of the present invention, for example, an image processing apparatus of the present invention includes a detection unit that detects an arrangement position of an image, and the same number of arrangement positions detected by the detection unit from a plurality of templates. Selection means for selecting a template having an image placement area for placing an image and having the image placement area corresponding to each of the placement positions; and placement means for placing an image using the template selected by the selection means It is characterized by providing.

  According to the configuration of the present invention, it is possible to efficiently search for an album template desired by the user.

The figure which shows the structural example of a system. The figure which shows the structural example of a computer. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of the electronic album creating apparatus 102. The flowchart of the process which the layout control part 309 performs. The figure which shows the example of a display of the screen of the user interface. The figure explaining how to obtain | require the position of an image arrangement | positioning area | region. The figure explaining how to obtain | require similarity. The figure explaining how to obtain | require similarity. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of the electronic album creating apparatus 102. The flowchart of the process which the layout control part 309 performs. The figure explaining how to obtain | require a weight value. The figure which shows the example of a display of a use candidate template. The figure which shows the example of a display transition in a smart phone.

  Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiment described below shows an example when the present invention is specifically implemented, and is one of the specific examples of the configurations described in the claims.

[First Embodiment]
First, a configuration example of a system including an electronic album creating apparatus as an image processing apparatus will be described with reference to FIG. In the present embodiment, an image is arranged on the screen based on a template (album template) that defines the arrangement distribution of the image on the screen (which may be the entire screen or may be within a specified area on the screen). Thus, an electronic album having the screen as one page is created.

  Images captured by the camera 101 as an apparatus capable of capturing still images and moving images (images of frames constituting still images and moving images) are sent to the electronic album creating apparatus 102 via a wired or wireless network. Are sent out. Note that various methods are conceivable for supplying an image captured by the camera 101 to the electronic album creating apparatus 102. For example, when a captured image is recorded on a memory card inserted in the camera 101, the electronic album creating apparatus 102 captures an image from the memory card by connecting the memory card directly or indirectly to the electronic album creating apparatus 102. Images can be read out.

  In addition, an image used to create an electronic album is not limited to an image captured by a camera. For example, an image captured by a device (such as a mobile phone) having an imaging function may be supplied directly or indirectly to the electronic album creating apparatus 102.

  The electronic album creating apparatus 102 manages images captured by the camera 101, and completes the electronic album by arranging the images using a template for each page of the electronic album. In the present embodiment, description will be made assuming that the image and template captured by the camera 101 are managed by the electronic album creating apparatus 102. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a new server may be connected to the network 103 and stored in this server. In this case, the template and image are acquired from this server by the electronic album creating apparatus 102 as necessary.

  Moreover, you may comprise so that a server may perform one part process of the electronic album production apparatus 102 demonstrated below. For example, the electronic album creating apparatus 102 can also realize this embodiment by presenting the processing result of the server to the user and notifying the server of an operation instruction from the user.

  In addition, the output destination of the data of the electronic album completed by the electronic album creating apparatus 102 is not limited to a specific output destination, and may be stored in a memory in the electronic album creating apparatus 102 or may be stored in the above server. May be transmitted via the network 103. Further, when a printer server is connected to the network 103, electronic album data may be transmitted to the server. In FIG. 1, a printing system 104 is connected to the network 103, electronic album data may be sent to the printing system 104, and the printing system 104 may print each page of the electronic album. Next, a functional configuration example of the electronic album creating apparatus 102 will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG.

  The user interface 301 includes a touch panel screen that can receive an operation instruction (user instruction) from a user and display various types of information. Of course, the user interface 301 is not limited to a touch panel screen, and may be formed of a normal liquid crystal screen and a group of buttons.

  The display control unit 302 includes an image display unit 303 and an album display unit 304. The image display unit 303 displays various screens for creating an electronic album on the user interface 301 and presents them. The album display unit 304 displays each page of the completed or being created electronic album on the user interface 301.

  The management unit 305 includes an image management unit 306, an album template management unit 307, and an album management unit 308. An image management unit 306 manages images supplied from the camera 101 or the like to the electronic album creating apparatus 102. The album template management unit 307 manages a plurality of templates that define the image distribution on the screen of the user interface 301. The album management unit 308 manages the data of the created electronic album or the data of the electronic album designated to be saved during the creation.

  The layout control unit 309 includes a layout processing unit 310, an image arrangement position designation unit 311, an image frame number acquisition unit 312, an image frame position acquisition unit 313, and an image frame arrangement similarity calculation unit 314.

  The image arrangement position specifying unit 311 acquires a specified distribution input by the user operating the user interface 301 as an image arrangement distribution on the screen of the user interface 301. In other words, the image arrangement position designation unit 311 detects the arrangement position where the image is arranged.

  For each template managed by the album template management unit 307, the image frame number acquisition unit 312 acquires the number of image arrangement areas (image frames) defined by the template.

  For each template managed by the album template management unit 307, the image frame position acquisition unit 313 acquires the position of the image arrangement area (image frame) defined by the template.

  The image frame arrangement similarity calculation unit 314 selects a template that defines the arrangement distribution of the same number of images as the selected distribution from a plurality of templates managed by the album template management unit 307 as a selection template. Then, the image frame arrangement similarity calculation unit 314 calculates, for each selected template, the similarity between the arrangement distribution specified by the selection template and the designated distribution (calculation).

  The layout processing unit 310 selects a selection template having a similarity equal to or higher than a predetermined value from among the selection templates as a use candidate template, and displays a list of information on the selected use candidate template on the user interface 301.

  For example, the layout processing unit 310 displays, on the user interface 301, the use candidate templates designated by the user among the use candidate templates displayed in a list. Then, in response to a user operation via the user interface 301, the layout processing unit 310 arranges images and text on the use candidate template and creates an electronic album for one page. The image display unit 303 is involved in various image acquisition displays at that time. When the layout processing unit 310 receives an instruction to the effect of completion of creation from the user via the user interface 301, the layout processing unit 310 causes the album management unit 308 to manage the data of the electronic album.

  Processing performed by the layout control unit 309 will be described with reference to FIG. 4 showing a flowchart of the processing.

  The user regards the screen of the user interface 301 (which may be the entire screen or may be within a specified area on the screen) as an area for one page of the electronic album, and the position where the image is arranged on this screen is his own. Specify with your finger.

  In FIG. 5, three points (positions indicated by triangles) are designated on the screen 501 of the user interface 301, and these positions are set as image arrangement positions. The image arrangement position may be the position of the upper left corner of the image or the center position of the image.

  In this way, when the user designates the image arrangement position using the user interface 301 and then inputs a designation end instruction using the user interface 301, the image arrangement position designation unit 311 in step S401 causes the designated image arrangement position to be designated. Get the image placement position. Further, the image arrangement position designation unit 311 counts the number of designated image arrangement positions.

  In step S <b> 402, the image frame number acquisition unit 312 acquires each template managed by the album template management unit 307.

  In step S403, the image frame number acquisition unit 312 acquires the number of image arrangement regions (image frames) defined by the template for each template acquired in step S402. Various methods are conceivable as the acquisition method. For example, the information may be acquired by reading information on the number of image arrangement areas attached to the template, or the number of information indicating the image arrangement area in the template data may be obtained. You may acquire by counting.

  Then, the image frame number acquiring unit 312 selects one of the unselected templates from the templates acquired in step S402 as the template of interest. Then, the image frame number acquisition unit 312 determines whether or not the number of image arrangement areas acquired for the template of interest and the number of image arrangement positions acquired in step S401 are the same. If the result of this determination is the same, the process proceeds to step S404; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S408.

  In step S404, the image frame position acquisition unit 313 acquires the position (image arrangement position) of each image arrangement area (image frame) defined by the template of interest. The method for acquiring the position of each image arrangement area defined by the template of interest is not limited to a specific method. For example, when the position of each image arrangement area defined by the template of interest is attached to the template of interest as attached information in advance, it can be obtained by reading out the attached information.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 6A, when the positions of the four corners of the image arrangement area 601 are known in advance from the attached information or can be calculated from the template of interest, two images in the image arrangement area 601 are displayed. The intersection of diagonal lines may be set as the position of the image arrangement area 601.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 6B, in the case where a text arrangement area is provided in the vicinity of the image arrangement area, the inclusion area including these areas has been described with reference to FIG. You may make it ask for a position.

  Returning to FIG. 4, next, in step S405, the image frame arrangement similarity calculation unit 314 obtains the image arrangement position distribution (arrangement distribution) acquired in step S401 and the image arrangement position distribution obtained in step S404. Find the similarity of. As long as the similarity of each distribution can be obtained, the similarity may be obtained by any method. Hereinafter, two methods (method 1 and method 2) will be described as examples.

<Method 1>
In FIG. 7A, three points are designated on the screen 701 of the user interface 301. Here, when this screen 701 is divided into a plurality of rectangular areas, the three specified points belong to the rectangular areas numbered “4”, “7”, and “14”.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 7B to 7E, the template shows an arrangement distribution of image arrangement areas on the screen (areas indicated by slanting lines indicated as “frames”). Each of the templates 702 to 705 shown in each of FIGS. 7B to 7E is a template that has “3” as the number of image arrangement regions and is a processing target after step S404. However, the templates 702 to 705 are divided into a plurality of rectangular areas in the same division pattern as the screen 701.

  Here, the positions of the image placement areas in the template 702 in FIG. 7B are all rectangular areas numbered “4”, “7”, and “14” in FIG. They belong to a rectangular area at the same relative position, and all three points coincide. Therefore, the similarity to the template 702 is “3”, which is the matching score.

  The positions of the image placement areas in the template 703 in FIG. 7C are relatively relative to the rectangular areas numbered “4”, “7”, and “14” in FIG. They belong to a rectangular area at the same position, and all three points coincide. Therefore, the similarity to the template 703 is set to “3”, which is the matching score.

  Two of the positions of the image arrangement areas in the template 704 in FIG. 7D are relatively the same positions as the rectangular areas numbered “4” and “7” in FIG. Belongs to the rectangular area. Therefore, the similarity to the template 704 is “2”, which is the matching score.

  Two of the positions of the image placement areas in the template 705 in FIG. 7E are relatively the same positions as the rectangular areas numbered “7” and “14” in FIG. Belongs to the rectangular area. Therefore, the similarity to the template 704 is “2”, which is the matching score.

  If the degree of similarity is determined so that the value increases as the number of matching points increases, it is not necessary to use the same value for the score and the degree of similarity. Also good.

<Method 2>
In FIG. 8, three points are designated on the screen 801 of the user interface 301. Here, the distances between the positions of the three image arrangement areas defined by the template (areas indicated by oblique lines marked “frame”) and the positions of the three points are obtained. In the calculation of the distance, for example, for each point on the screen of the user interface 301, an image arrangement area closest to the point is specified from among the three image arrangement areas defined by the template, and the position of the specified image arrangement area is determined. Find the distance to the point.

  In the case of FIG. 8A, since the distances are obtained as “10”, “18”, and “2”, the total “30” is obtained. For example, 1/30 is set as the similarity. In the case of FIG. 8B, since the distances are determined as “10”, “22”, and “5”, the total “37” is determined. For example, 1/37 is set as the similarity. In this way, if the similarity is determined so that the value becomes smaller as the total value is larger, the similarity may be determined using another method.

  That is, in the method 2, when the selected template and the screen are divided by the same division pattern, each image arrangement indicated by the designated distribution among the divided areas to which the respective image arrangement areas indicated by the arrangement distribution specified by the selection template belong. The degree of similarity that is greater as the number of divided areas at the same position as the divided area to which the position belongs is larger.

  However, even if Method 1 or Method 2 is adopted, when the selected template defines a text placement area in addition to the image placement distribution, when determining the similarity for the selected template It will be handled as follows.

  In other words, among the image arrangement areas indicated by the arrangement distribution defined by the selected template, the image arrangement areas within the prescribed distance from the text arrangement area are included. Then, using the area including the inclusion object and the text arrangement area instead of the inclusion object, the similarity is obtained for the selected template.

  Returning to FIG. 4, next, if the similarity obtained in step S405 is equal to or greater than the specified value, the process proceeds to step S407 via step S406, and if less than the specified value, the process proceeds to step S408. As the specified value used in this case, it is necessary to use a value corresponding to the method for obtaining the similarity. For example, if <Method 1> is adopted and the number of matching points = similarity, 60% of the number of points designated on the screen of the user interface 301 may be set as the specified value.

  In step S407, the layout processing unit 310 additionally registers information (such as a file name) for identifying the template of interest in the list. This list is not registered in the initial state. This list is held in an appropriate memory in the electronic album creating apparatus 102.

  And when all the templates acquired by step S402 are selected as a template of interest, a process is complete | finished via step S408. On the other hand, if an unselected template remains as the template of interest, the process returns to step S403 via step S408. When the process returns from step S408 to step S403, the number of image arrangement areas (image frames) defined by the template is not acquired, and one template selected from the unselected templates acquired from step S402 is selected as the template of interest. Choose as. In the subsequent processing, this template of interest is targeted.

  When the processing according to the flowchart of FIG. 4 is completed, information for identifying use candidate templates is registered in the list. However, the layout processing unit 310 displays a list of information related to the use candidate templates specified by the information registered in the list on the user interface 301.

  Note that various forms of information list display methods related to the use candidate templates can be considered. For example, thumbnails of use candidate templates may be displayed as a list, or meta information such as file names of use candidate templates may be displayed as a list. Of course, regardless of which list display method is adopted, any of the displayed objects is displayed so as to be selectable. Also, it is not necessary to display all information at once, and partial information may be switched and displayed according to a user instruction.

  Note that the processing described above is merely an example, and the order and form of the processing can be changed as appropriate. That is, the process described above is merely an example of the following process.

  First, a plurality of templates that define the image layout distribution on the screen are acquired, and a specified distribution specified by a user instruction is acquired as the image layout distribution on the screen. Then, a template that defines the arrangement distribution of the same number of images as the designated distribution is selected as a selection template from the plurality of acquired templates, and for each selected selection template, the arrangement distribution and the designated distribution defined by the selection template are selected. Find the similarity. Then, among the selected templates, a selected template having a similarity equal to or higher than a specified value is selected as a use candidate template, and a list of information related to the selected use candidate template is displayed.

  In other words, an image arrangement position is detected by a user instruction, and an image arrangement area for arranging the same number of images as the number of detected arrangement positions from a plurality of templates is provided. Select the template you have. Then, an image is arranged using one of the selected templates to complete the album.

[Second Embodiment]
In this embodiment, the user inputs information (image specifying information) for specifying an image to be arranged at the image arrangement position as well as the image arrangement position. And after determining a use candidate template like 1st Embodiment, a weight value is set with respect to each use candidate template. Then, for each use candidate template, a reduced screen of a screen in which the image specified by the image specifying information acquired for the image arrangement position closest to the image arrangement area is arranged in each image arrangement area indicated by the use candidate template is generated. To do. Then, the reduced screens generated for the respective use candidate templates are displayed side by side according to the weight values of the respective use candidate templates.

  In the following, only differences from the first embodiment will be described, and the points other than those described below are the same as those of the first embodiment. Of course, as described in the first embodiment, the processes described below are merely examples, and the order and form of the processes can be appropriately changed.

  A functional configuration example of the electronic album creating apparatus 102 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG. In FIG. 9, the same constituent elements as those in FIG. 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description of these constituent elements is omitted. The configuration shown in FIG. 9 is obtained by adding a weight setting unit 901 to the configuration shown in FIG. The operation of the weight setting unit 901 will be described in the description with reference to FIG. 10 showing a flowchart of processing performed by the layout control unit 309 according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 10, the same processing steps as those shown in FIG. 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description of these processing steps is omitted.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the user designates the image arrangement position using the user interface 301 and designates the image specifying information (file name, path, URL, etc.) of the image arranged at the image arrangement position. . When the user inputs a designation end instruction using the user interface 301, the image arrangement position designation unit 311 acquires the designated image specifying information in step S1001.

  In step S1002, the weight setting unit 901 sets a weight value for the use candidate template corresponding to each piece of information registered in the list. Various methods are conceivable as a method for setting the weight value. In the following, two examples of processing for obtaining the weight value will be given and described with reference to FIG.

  In FIG. 11A, three points are designated on the screen 1101 of the user interface 301. Among these three points, the image specifying information of the image A is specified for the leftmost point, the image specifying information of the image D is specified for the central point, and the rightmost point is On the other hand, the image specifying information of the image C is designated.

  At this time, depending on the number of images A, Image D, and Image C that match the size (here, the aspect ratio (vertical or horizontal)) of the image placement area in the use candidate template, Set the weight value for the use candidate template.

  The aspect ratio of the image placement area closest to the placement position of the image A in the use candidate template 1102 is the same as the aspect ratio of the image A. In addition, the aspect ratio of the image arrangement area closest to the arrangement position of the image D in the use candidate template 1102 is the same as the aspect ratio of the image D. In addition, the aspect ratio of the image arrangement area closest to the arrangement position of the image C in the use candidate template 1102 is the same as the aspect ratio of the image C. Thus, since the aspect ratio of any image arrangement area in the use candidate template 1102 is the same as that of each of the image A, the image C, and the image D, the number of matches is “3”. In this case, however, “3” is set as the weight value for the use candidate template 1102.

  On the other hand, the aspect ratio of the image placement area closest to the placement position of the image A in the use candidate template 1103 is different from the aspect ratio of the image A. In addition, the aspect ratio of the image placement area closest to the placement position of the image D in the use candidate template 1103 is the same as the aspect ratio of the image D. In addition, the aspect ratio of the image arrangement area closest to the arrangement position of the image C in the use candidate template 1103 is different from the aspect ratio of the image C. In this case, the number of matches is “1”. In this case, however, “1” is set as the weight value for the use candidate template 1103.

  Note that if the weight value increases as the number of matches increases (the degree of match increases), the number of matches may not be equal to the weight value. The aspect ratio may be prepared in advance as meta information, or may be acquired by actual measurement.

  In FIG. 11B, three points are designated on the screen 1104 of the user interface 301. Among these three points, the image specifying information of the image A is specified for the leftmost point, the image specifying information of the image D is specified for the central point, and the rightmost point is On the other hand, the image specifying information of the image C is designated.

  At this time, one of the images A, C, and D is set as a representative image. The method for determining the representative image is not limited to a specific method, and the user may select it using the user interface 301, or the electronic album creating apparatus 102 according to a predetermined condition (image position, size, etc.). You may choose on the side.

  At this time, in the use candidate templates 1102 and 1103, the weight values for the use candidate templates 1102 and 1103 according to the size (vertical and / or horizontal size, etc.) of the image placement area closest to the placement position of the image A as the representative image. Set.

  Since the size of the image placement area closest to the placement position of the image A in the use candidate template 1102 is 50, 50 is set as the weight value for the use candidate template 1102. In addition, since the size of the image placement area closest to the placement position of the image A in the use candidate template 1103 is 30, 30 is set as the weight value for the use candidate template 1103. If a weight value that takes a larger value as the size is larger is determined, it is not necessary to set size = weight value.

  Returning to FIG. 10, in step S <b> 1003, the weighting setting unit 901 sorts each use candidate template for which the weight value is set according to the weight value. For example, the use candidate templates are rearranged in descending order of weight values.

  In step S1004, the layout processing unit 310 selects use candidate templates in the sort order (for example, the order in which the weight value is large). Then, the layout processing unit 310 reduces the screen in which the image specified by the image specifying information acquired for the image arrangement position closest to the image arrangement area is arranged in each image arrangement area indicated by the selected use candidate template. Is generated. Then, the layout processing unit 310 arranges the reduced screens generated for the respective use candidate templates in accordance with the weight values of the respective use candidate templates, and displays them on the screen of the user interface 301. An example of this display is shown in FIG.

  In the screen 1201 of FIG. 12, the reduced screen selected by the user among the reduced screens arranged on the right side is enlarged and displayed on the left side. Here, images are automatically arranged at the time of candidate display, but an album template may be displayed as a candidate, and images may be arranged at a timing selected by the user.

[Third Embodiment]
In this embodiment, a case will be described in which the technology described in the first and second embodiments is applied to a smartphone that is an example of a device having a relatively small display screen. The transition of the display content on the display screen of this smartphone is shown in FIG.

  A screen 1301 is a screen in which an image arrangement position is designated on a spread album page, and images displayed by a swipe operation (image A, image B, and image C in FIG. 13) are scrolled.

  The screen 1302 displays the image D and designates it on the upper right of the page. Here, the screen is shifted to a screen 1303 by designating an arrangement completion button, and is switched to the next template and displayed on the screen 1304 by a flick operation. By designating the template selection button here, the screen transitions to the screen 1305, and the image layout position of the next page can be designated.

[Fourth Embodiment]
Each part shown in FIGS. 3 and 9 may be configured by hardware, but some functions may be configured by software. An example of the hardware configuration of a computer that can execute software when some of the functions shown in FIGS. 3 and 9 are configured by software will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG.

  The CPU 201 executes processing using computer programs and data stored in the RAM 202 and ROM 203, thereby controlling the operation of the entire computer and realizing the operation of the electronic album creating apparatus 102 to which this computer is applied.

  The RAM 202 has an area for temporarily storing computer programs and data loaded from an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 209 or an FDD (Floppy (registered trademark) Disk Drive) 210. Further, the RAM 202 has an area for temporarily storing various data received from the outside via the NETIF (network interface) 204. The RAM 202 has a work area used when the CPU 201 executes various processes. That is, the RAM 202 can provide various areas as appropriate.

  The ROM 203 includes a program ROM for storing a basic program such as a boot program and a data ROM for storing basic data such as computer setting data.

  The NETIF 204 is for connecting the computer to the network 103, and the computer can perform data communication with an external device via the NETIF 204.

  The VRAM 205 is for storing data of one screen to be displayed on the CRT 206, and a screen according to the data stored in the VRAM 205 is displayed on the CRT 206. The CRT 206 functions as the screen of the user interface 301 described above.

  The KBC (keyboard controller) 207 is for notifying the CPU 201 of various instructions (such as the input instruction for the specified distribution) input by the user operating the KB (keyboard) 208. The KB 208 corresponds to the input reception configuration of the user interface 301 described above.

  The HDD 209 stores an OS (Operating System) and computer programs and data for causing the CPU 201 to execute the processes described above as performed by the electronic album creating apparatus 102.

  The computer program stored in the HDD 209 includes a computer program for causing the CPU 201 to execute the functions of the units other than the user interface 301 and the management unit 305 in FIGS. The data stored in the HDD 209 includes various types of data described above that are managed by the management unit 305.

  The computer programs and data described above as being stored in the HDD 209 are appropriately loaded into the RAM 202 under the control of the CPU 201 and are processed by the CPU 201.

  The FDD 210 reads computer programs and data recorded on an FD (floppy (registered trademark) disk) and outputs them to the RAM 202 and the HDD 209, and records computer programs and data on the FD.

  The CPU 201, RAM 202, ROM 203, NETIF 204, VRAM 205, KBC 207, HDD 209, and FDD 210 are all connected to a common bus 211.

  Each part shown in FIGS. 3 and 9 may be incorporated in one apparatus, but may be dispersed in several apparatuses. For example, the management unit 305 may be provided in a device separate from the electronic album creation device 102.

(Other examples)
The present invention can also be realized by executing the following processing. That is, software (program) that realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to a system or apparatus via a network or various storage media, and a computer (or CPU, MPU, or the like) of the system or apparatus reads the program. It is a process to be executed.

Claims (9)

Detecting means for detecting the arrangement position of the image;
Selection means for selecting a template having an image arrangement area for arranging the same number of images as the number of arrangement positions detected by the detection means from a plurality of templates, and having the image arrangement area corresponding to each of the arrangement positions; ,
An image processing apparatus comprising: an arrangement unit that arranges an image using the template selected by the selection unit. The selection means includes
The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the template is selected based on a specified distribution of the arrangement positions and an arrangement distribution of the image arrangement areas. The selection means includes
The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the template is selected based on a distance between the arrangement position and the position of the image arrangement area corresponding to the arrangement position. The selection means includes
The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a template having the image arrangement area is selected as a divided area obtained by dividing the template corresponding to the area to which the arrangement position belongs. If the template defines a text placement area,
5. The template according to claim 1, wherein the selection unit selects the template based on a correspondence between the arrangement position and an area including the image arrangement area and the text arrangement area. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1. Furthermore,
Presenting means for presenting a plurality of candidate templates selected by the selecting means,
The presenting means presents the plurality of candidate templates side by side based on the degree of coincidence between the size of the image arranged by the arranging means and the size of the image arrangement area where the image is arranged. The image processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The presenting means displays the plurality of candidate templates side by side in descending order of the degree of coincidence between the size of the image arranged by the arranging means and the size of the image arrangement area where the image is arranged. The image processing apparatus according to claim 6. An image processing method performed by an image processing apparatus,
A detection step of detecting the arrangement position of the image;
A selection step of selecting a template having an image arrangement area for arranging the same number of images as the number of arrangement positions detected in the detection step from a plurality of templates, and having the image arrangement area corresponding to each of the arrangement positions; ,
An image processing method comprising: an arrangement step of arranging an image using the template selected in the selection step.   The computer program for functioning a computer as each means of the image processing apparatus of any one of Claims 1 thru | or 7.

Images