JP4184239B2 - Electronic camera and storage method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an electronic camera capable of moving or copying image information stored in a mounted memory card or the like to a storage medium or the like of an external storage device.

Conventionally, when image information stored in a memory card attached to an electronic camera is moved or copied to a storage medium of an external storage device, the image information is generally moved or copied according to the hierarchical structure of the image information stored in the memory card. It was made to do.
FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the conventional movement or copying.

  The figure shows an example of moving or copying image information stored in a memory card attached to the electronic camera 21 to a storage medium of the storage device 22. A hierarchical structure 23 indicates a hierarchical structure of image information stored in a memory card attached to the electronic camera 21. Here, a hierarchy (also referred to as a directory or a folder) such as “100OLYP” or “Birthday” in the hierarchy structure 23 is automatically created when the electronic camera 21 stores image information in a memory card (for example, "100OLYP") or those created in advance according to a user instruction (for example, "Birthday"). The hierarchical structure 24 shows the hierarchical structure of image information stored in the storage medium of the storage device 22 by moving or copying.

As described above, in the past, since movement or copying was performed according to the hierarchical structure of the image information stored in the memory card of the electronic camera, classification according to the user's preference at the time of movement or copying. The image information could not be stored in the hierarchical structure.
On the other hand, in the image editing apparatus described in Patent Document 1, editable management information is stored in a management area, which is a predetermined area on a memory card, and the management information is edited to edit the management information. The part etc. can be edited. According to this, in a certain file system, image information can be stored according to the hierarchical structure related to the management information after editing.
Japanese Patent No. 3230534

  However, in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, the applicable file system is limited to a fixed one, and the hierarchical structure that can be edited is limited to a part (up to two layers). Image information cannot be stored in a storage medium that is a destination or a copy destination in a hierarchical configuration that is classified according to user preferences.

In the present invention, in view of the above circumstances, when moving or copying image information, the image information can be stored in a hierarchical configuration that is classified according to the user's preference without being limited to the applied file system. It is an electronic camera, and an object thereof is to provide a 及 beauty storage method.

In order to achieve the above object, an electronic camera according to a first aspect of the present invention stores a plurality of pieces of image information in a first hierarchical configuration based on a predetermined file system, and is stored in the storage unit. an image information selection means for selecting the image information, and category selecting means for selecting a category of the selected image information to the hierarchical, based on the category of the hierarchy selected by the image information selecting means, said file specify a different second hierarchical structure from the first hierarchical structure of the system, and a control file creating means for creating a second tier configuration according to the image information as a control file, created by the control file creating means and a control means for the control file is stored in the storage means has a control file selection means for selecting the control file stored in the storage means, A communication means for enabling the transmission and reception of image information stored in the storage means between the parts storage unit, comprising the image information specified by the selected control file, via said communication means When moving or copying to the external storage device, the control means transfers image information to the external storage device so as to be moved or copied according to the second hierarchical structure specified in the selected control file. It is the structure which transmits .

According to the above configuration, by selecting image information and a category in accordance with a user instruction, a control file is created and stored that specifies a hierarchical configuration that is classified according to the user's preference for the selected image information. can do. Further, according to this configuration, the image information can be stored according to the hierarchical configuration of the image information specified by the control file selected according to the user's instruction. It can be stored in a hierarchical structure that provides a corresponding classification.

Electronic camera according to the second aspect of the present invention, in the first embodiment described above, pre-Symbol control means, second specified by the selected control file by the control file selection unit to the external storage device If hierarchy does not exist, the controls to store the image information after creating the second hierarchical structure in the external storage device is configured.

According to this configuration, the image information can be stored according to the hierarchical configuration of the image information specified by the control file without depending on the hierarchical configuration existing in the storage medium that stores the image information.
An electronic camera according to a third aspect of the present invention has a configuration further comprising editing means for editing the control file in the first or second aspect .
According to the configuration of this, once, even in the control file that you created and stored, after, it is possible to edit the free content.

An electronic camera according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the configuration of any one of the first to third aspects described above, further comprising additional recording means for adding information to the control file.
According to this configuration, even if the control file is once created and stored, information can be freely added later.

The electronic camera according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is the electronic camera according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, further comprising category editing means for adding, changing, or deleting a category selected by the category selecting means. It is the composition which has.
According to this configuration, categories can be freely added, changed, or deleted.

The electronic camera according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is the electronic camera according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the number of hierarchies in the hierarchy is the number of categories selected by the category selecting means. is there.
According to this configuration, the number of layers in the hierarchical configuration is the number of selected categories.

An electronic camera according to a seventh aspect of the present invention has a configuration in which one or a plurality of the control files can be created for the same image information in any one of the first to sixth aspects described above.
According to this configuration, it is possible to create and store a plurality of control files that specify different hierarchical configurations for the same image information.

Further, the present invention is not limited to the electronic camera described above, it can be configured as a storage method.

  According to the present invention, when moving or copying image information, the image information can be stored in a hierarchical configuration that is classified according to the user's preference without being limited to the applied file system. .

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an electronic camera according to an embodiment of the present invention.
In the electronic camera 1 shown in FIG. 1, the CPU 2, the auxiliary storage unit 3, the main storage unit 4, the display unit 5, the imaging unit 6, the communication interface 7, and the image processing unit 8 are connected to each other via a bus 9. Data can be exchanged with each other under the control of the CPU 2.

  The CPU 2 controls the overall operation of the electronic camera 1 by reading and executing a control program stored in a flash memory (Flash Memory) 10. In addition to the control program, the flash memory 10 stores information related to a category described later. The auxiliary storage unit 3 stores image information and a control file in a memory card attached to the electronic camera 1 or reads out image information and a control file from the memory card. Here, the control file designates the hierarchical structure of the image information, and details will be described later. The main storage unit 4 includes, for example, a DRAM or an SRAM, and is used as a work memory by the CPU 2 and the image processing unit 8. The display unit 5 is, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), and displays an image related to image information, various selection items that can be selected by the user, and the like. The imaging unit 6 includes a CCD (Charge Coupled Devices) and the like, and obtains image information by imaging a subject. The communication interface 7 is connected to the electronic camera 1 via a USB (Universal Serial Bus) cable or the like, for example, an external storage device 11 such as an MO drive device, a CD-R drive device, or a DVD-R drive device. It is possible to send and receive image information and the like between them. Thereby, for example, the system can be configured by connecting the external storage device 11 or the like to the electronic camera 1. The external storage device 11 includes those built in a PC (personal computer) or those connected to the PC. The image processing unit 8 performs compression / decompression processing of image information by a JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) system for storing and reproducing image information. The input unit 12 includes buttons, switches, and the like, and inputs an instruction received by a user operation to the CPU 3.

Next, the operation of the electronic camera 1 will be described.
In this electronic camera 1, a control file that specifies the hierarchical configuration of specific image information stored in a memory card that is mounted is created and stored in advance, and the specific image information is based on the control file. Is moved or copied to another storage medium, for example, a storage medium of the connected external storage device 11, so that the specific image information is stored in the hierarchical configuration specified by the control file. It can be done. Therefore, if a hierarchical structure that is classified according to the user's preference is specified in the control file, it can be stored in a storage medium that is a migration destination or a copy destination according to the hierarchical structure. . Since the control file is handled as a file on the file system, the applicable file system (for example, FAT, UFS, HFS, etc.) is not limited.

FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing an example of such an operation.
In the example shown in the figure, a storage device 13 is connected to the electronic camera 1, and the memory card of the electronic camera 1 has a hierarchical configuration based on DCF (Design Rule for Camera File system) as shown in the hierarchical configuration 14. Is remembered. In addition, in the control file 15 created and stored in advance, “Athletic meet-2002 autumn” is designated as the hierarchical structure of “P021010.jpg” and “P021011.jpg” which are image information stored in the memory card. (Not shown).

  In this case, when “P021010.jpg” and “P021011.jpg” stored in the memory card of the electronic camera 1 are moved or copied to the storage medium of the storage device 13 based on the control file 14, the image information Are stored in the storage medium of the storage device 13 according to the hierarchical structure “athletic meet-autumn 2002” designated by the control file 14. The hierarchical structure 16 shows the hierarchical structure of the storage medium of the storage device 13 after migration or copying.

  Further, in the electronic camera 1, as shown in FIG. 3, it is possible to create and store not only one control file but also a plurality of control files. In the figure, as an example, four control files 15 (15a, 15b, 15c, 15d) are shown as a plurality of control files created and stored. The contents of each control file can be edited as necessary, and other information can be added to each control file as necessary.

Here, the relationship between each category for determining the hierarchical structure and a description example of the control file will be described.
4 (a) and 4 (b) are diagrams showing an example of the relationship between the categories for determining the hierarchical structure.
In the example of (a) in the figure, “Sports”, “Family”, “Travel”, “Art”, “Portrait”, “2000” are shown as categories, and the relationship between each category is indicated by an arrow. It is shown in According to this, for example, when focusing on “sports”, a hierarchical structure as shown in FIG.

  In addition, since the control file is created for each category as the last hierarchy, when the control file for specifying the hierarchy structure in the case of FIG. Two control files are created: a control file that designates a hierarchical structure of “and a control file that designates a hierarchical structure of“ sports-portrait ”.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a description example of the control file.
The example in the figure is an example in which the hierarchical structure of the image information is described by metadata such as XML (eXtensible Markup Language) or HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language), and the image information stored in the memory card. It describes that “2000 Autumn-Athletic meet” is designated as a hierarchical structure of “P021010.jpg” and “P021011.jpg”.

  In the example shown in the figure, “CATEGORY” is a category descriptor, “SUCCCEED” is an inheritance descriptor, “IMG” is an image information descriptor, and “SRC =” is an IMG image designation. , “CATEG =” is IMG category designation, and “CATEG NOTICE” is IMG inheritance attention designation.

Hereinafter, the operation of the electronic camera 1 will be described in detail.
FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the electronic camera 1 in the playback mode.
Note that at the start of this operation, it is assumed that image information has already been stored in the memory card by photographing with the electronic camera 1.

  As shown in the figure, when the user performs an operation related to selection of a playback image via the input unit 12 when the playback mode is set (step (hereinafter simply referred to as “S”) 1), In accordance with the operation, the processing shifts to normal reproduction processing (S2 and S3), or processing for appending to an existing control file or creating a new control file (S4 to S8). However, in S1, once an operation related to selection of a reproduced image is performed, the process transfer destination is not changed until an operation related to selection of another reproduced image is performed thereafter.

  When the process proceeds to S2, the selected image reproduction process is performed, followed by the image display process (S3). In S <b> 2 and S <b> 3, image information selected in accordance with a user instruction from image information stored in the memory card is read, and an image related to the image information is displayed on the display unit 5. Then, when the process of S3 ends, the process returns to S1 again.

As described above, when the processes of S1 to S3 are performed once or a plurality of times, the user can cause the display unit 5 to display an image related to desired one or more pieces of image information stored in the memory card. it can.
On the other hand, when the process proceeds to S4, a selection screen display process is performed. In S4, the image information selected in accordance with the user's instruction from the image information stored in the memory card is read out, and the image related to the read image information and items that can be selected by the user. A certain category is synthesized and displayed on the display unit 5.

  Subsequently, when an operation related to category selection is performed by the user via the input unit 12, the category displayed on the display unit 5 is selected according to the operation, and the selected category and the above-described S4 are selected. Based on the obtained image information, a process of setting the hierarchical structure of the image information is performed (S5). In S5, it is also determined whether or not the user has instructed to end the process related to category selection via the input unit 12. If the determination result is Yes, the process proceeds to S6. If the determination result is No, the process returns to S4, and the hierarchical structure of other image information can be set similarly.

When the processing shifts to S6, the processing of S6 to S8 is subsequently performed for each of the image information hierarchical configurations set in S5.
Specifically, first, it is determined whether or not a control file designating the same hierarchical structure as that of the one image information set in S5 is already stored in the memory card (S6). If the determination result in S6 is Yes, the control file is read from the memory card, and the file name of the image information in the hierarchical structure of the image information that is the determination target in S6 is added to the read control file. (S7). On the other hand, if the determination result in S6 is No, a new control file that designates the hierarchical structure of the image information determined in S6 is created and stored in the memory card (S8).

As described above, when the processing of S6 to S8 is completed for each of the hierarchical configurations of the image information set in S5, the processing returns to S1 again.
By performing the processing of S4 to S8, the user can set a hierarchical configuration that is classified according to preference for each desired image information stored in the memory card. A control file designating the hierarchical structure of the image information can be stored in the memory card. Also, a plurality of hierarchical configurations can be set for the same image information. In this case, a plurality of control files that specify the hierarchical configuration of the image information are created and stored.

FIGS. 7 (a), (b), (c) and FIGS. 8 (a), (b), (c) show examples of display screens displayed on the display unit 9 in the processing of S4 or S5 described above. It is a figure.
FIG. 7A shows a display screen displayed at the start of S4 described above, and an image related to one piece of image information stored in the memory card is displayed on the display screen at this time. The frame number of the displayed image is displayed on the upper right side of the display screen (the same applies to FIGS. 8B, 8C, 8A, 8B, and 8C). On the lower right side, the layer name and file name on the memory card to which the image information relating to the displayed image belongs are displayed (the same applies to FIGS. 7B and 8C). Here, “10” is displayed as the frame number, and “IMOLYMP101” and “P021011.jpg” are displayed as the hierarchy name and the file name. On this display screen, when the user operates a cross button (not shown) of the input unit 12, an image related to other image information stored in the memory card can be displayed.

FIG. 7B shows a display screen when a desired image is displayed by operating the cross button in FIG. At this time, the user can select a displayed image (image information) by operating a determination button (not shown) of the input unit 12.
FIG. 6C shows a display screen when a desired image is selected by operating the enter button in FIG. Thus, when an image is selected, categories that are items that can be selected by the user are combined and displayed on the image. Here, “travel”, “sports”, “presentation”, “athletic meet”, and “portrait” are displayed as categories. At this time, the user operates the up / down buttons (part of the cross button) of the input unit 12 to move the cursor 17 up / down to designate the category to be selected, and then operates the enter button. The specified category can be selected. Note that “↓” is an item selected when displaying other categories not displayed on the display screen. In addition, on this display screen, since no category is currently selected, “None present” indicating that is displayed.

  FIG. 8 (a) shows a display screen when the up / down button and the enter button in FIG. 7 (c) are operated to move the cursor 17 and select “athletic meet”. In this case, “Sports Day” is displayed because “Sports Day” has been selected as the category. At this time, the user can continuously select a category by the same operation.

  FIG. 8B shows a display screen when the cursor 17 is moved by operating the up and down buttons and the decision button in FIG. 8A and “2001 autumn” is selected after “athletic meet”. Yes. Here, “Autumn 2001” is selected after “Athletic Meet” as the category, and “Current Athletic Meet—Autumn 2001—” indicating that is displayed. Thus, the number of hierarchies corresponding to the number of selected categories is set.

  FIG. 7C shows an image related to the image from the displayed image and the selected category when the user operates a setting button (not shown) of the input unit 12 in FIG. The display screen displayed when the hierarchical structure of information is set is shown. Here, “Athletic meet-Autumn 2001” is set as the hierarchical structure of the image information (file name: P02108.jpg) relating to the displayed image of the frame number “17”.

By such an operation, the user can set a hierarchical configuration that provides a desired classification for a desired image (image information).
Further, in the electronic camera 1, as described above, the contents of the control file stored in the memory card can be edited. In this case, the control file to be edited is read from the memory card according to the user's instruction, and the contents of the hierarchical structure of the image information specified by the control file are displayed on the display unit 9. Then, the contents are edited in accordance with a user instruction, and the control file is updated with the edited contents. Thereby, the user can freely edit the contents of the control file, that is, the image information or the hierarchical structure of the image information.

  Further, in the electronic camera 1, it is possible to edit information related to categories stored in the flash memory 10 and add, change, or delete categories to be displayed on the display unit 9. In this case, the category editing screen is displayed according to the user's instruction, and the category displayed on the display unit 9 is added, changed, or deleted according to the user's instruction. Thereby, the user can freely add, change, or delete the category to be displayed.

  Next, an operation of the electronic camera 1 performed when moving or copying image information stored in the memory card to the storage medium of the external storage device 11 based on the control file will be described. However, in this operation, it is assumed that the external storage device 11 is connected to the electronic camera 1.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the operation.
As shown in the figure, first, the control file selected according to the user's instruction is read from the control file stored in the memory card (S11). Subsequently, the information of the external storage device 11 that is the migration destination or the copy destination is acquired (S12), and the hierarchical configuration of the storage medium (Disk) of the external storage device 11 is analyzed (S13).

  Subsequently, based on the analysis result of the previous step, it is determined whether or not the hierarchical structure of the image information specified by the control file selected in S11 exists in the storage medium (S14). In the case of Yes, the process proceeds to S16, and in the case of No, the external storage device 11 is controlled to generate the hierarchical structure of the image information specified by the control file in the storage medium (S15), and the process proceeds to S16. .

When the process proceeds to S16, the external storage device 11 is controlled to store the image information in the storage medium according to the hierarchical configuration of the image information specified by the control file selected in S11 (S16).
By such an operation, the user can store the image information in the storage medium of the external storage device 11 according to the hierarchical configuration of the image information specified by the desired control file.

FIGS. 10A, 10B, 10C, and 10D are views showing an example of a display screen displayed on the display unit 9 before or during the operation shown in FIG.
FIG. 10A shows a menu screen displayed before the operation shown in FIG. In this menu screen, the user operates the up and down buttons of the input unit 12 to move the cursor 17 up and down to specify a desired item to be selected, and then operates the enter button to specify Items can be selected.

  FIG. 5B shows a display screen displayed when “copy of interest” is selected in FIG. Note that “copy of interest” is an item selected when image information is copied based on a control file. When this “noticeable copy” is selected, the file name of the control file stored in the memory card is displayed. In this example, since the control files 1 and 2 are stored in the memory card, “control file 1” and “control file 2” are displayed on the display unit 9. Further, on this display screen, the user can operate the up / down buttons of the input unit 12 to move the cursor 17 up / down to designate a desired control file to be selected. Further, on this display screen, the hierarchical structure specified by the control file specified by the cursor 17 is displayed, and the user can confirm the hierarchical structure specified by the control file. It is like that. Here, the “control file 1” designated by the cursor 17 displays the hierarchical structure “athletic meet-2000 autumn” of the image information designated by the control file 1. In this display screen, the user can select the control file designated by the cursor 17 by operating the enter button of the input unit 12.

  FIG. 7C shows a display screen displayed when “control file 1” is selected in FIG. As described above, when the control file is selected, “start” which is an item for instructing to start the operation shown in FIG. 9 and “cancel” which is an item for instructing deselection of the control file are displayed. On this display screen, the user operates the up / down buttons of the input unit 12 to move the cursor 17 up / down to designate a desired item, and operates the enter button to select the designated item. it can.

FIG. 4D shows a display screen displayed when “Start” is designated / selected in FIG. As described above, when “start” is selected, the operation shown in FIG. 9 is started.
In the display screen shown in FIG. 5B, the hierarchical structure specified by the control file can be directly displayed instead of the file name of the control file. In this case, for example, “Athletic meet-2000 autumn” is displayed instead of “Control file 1”.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, when moving or copying specific image information, the user can store the specific image information in a storage medium that is a transfer destination or a copy destination in a hierarchical configuration that is classified according to preference. It can be memorized.
In the electronic camera 1 according to the present embodiment, the image information and the control file are stored in the same memory card. For example, the image information stored in any memory card is stored in the control file. If information for specifying whether the hierarchical structure is specified is included, the control file can be stored in another storage medium.

  In the electronic camera 1 according to the present embodiment, the storage medium serving as the movement destination or the copy destination is the storage medium of the external storage device 11. For example, the electronic camera 1 is configured so that a plurality of memory cards can be mounted simultaneously. In such a case, the storage medium that is the transfer destination or copy destination can be another memory card that is loaded.

  Further, in the electronic camera 1 according to the present embodiment, when the image information is stored in the storage medium of the external storage device 11 based on the control file, the electronic camera 1 controls the external storage device 11 to store the image information. However, the external storage device 11 may store the image information directly based on the control file selected by the electronic camera 1 without being controlled by the electronic camera 1. is there.

Above, the electronic camera of the present invention, and have been described in detail storing method, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, without departing from the scope of the present invention may be subjected to various improvements and modifications Of course.

It is a block diagram of the electronic camera which concerns on one Example. It is the figure which showed schematically an example of operation | movement of the electronic camera which concerns on one Example. It is the figure which showed an example of the some control file produced and memorize | stored by the electronic camera which concerns on one Example. (a), (b) is the figure which showed an example of the relationship between each category which determines a hierarchical structure. It is the figure which showed the example of a description of the control file. It is the figure which showed the flowchart which concerns on the operation | movement at the time of reproduction | regeneration mode. (a), (b), (c) is the figure which showed an example of the display screen displayed on the display part in the process of S4 or S5. (a), (b), (c) is a figure which showed an example of the display screen displayed on the display part in the process of S5. It is the figure which showed the flowchart which concerns on the operation | movement performed when moving or copying image information based on a control file. (a), (b), (c), (d) is a figure which showed an example of the display screen displayed on a display part before or during operation | movement shown in FIG. It is a figure explaining the conventional movement or copy.

Explanation of symbols

1 Electronic camera 2 CPU
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 3 Auxiliary memory part 4 Main memory part 5 Display part 6 Bus 7 Imaging part 8 Communication interface 9 Image processing part 10 Flash memory 11 External storage device 12 Input part 13 Storage device 14 Hierarchical structure 15 Control file 16 Hierarchical structure 17 Cursor 21 Electronic camera 22 Storage device 23, 24 Hierarchical structure

Claims (8)

Storage means for storing a plurality of pieces of image information in a first hierarchical configuration based on a predetermined file system;
Image information selection means for selecting image information stored in the storage means ;
Category selection means for selecting the category of the selected image information by hierarchy ,
Based on the category of the hierarchy selected by the image information selecting unit, specify a different second hierarchical structure from the first hierarchical structure of the file system, the second hierarchy in accordance with the image information and a control file creation means for creating a control file,
And a control means for storing a control file created by the control file creating unit in the storage means,
Control file selection means for selecting the control file stored in the storage means;
Communication means for enabling transmission / reception of image information stored in the storage means to / from an external storage device;
Comprising
When moving or copying the image information specified by the selected control file to the external storage device via the communication unit, the control unit selects the second hierarchy specified by the selected control file. Sending image information to the external storage device to be moved or copied as configured;
Electronic camera, wherein a call. Before SL control means creates the case where the second hierarchical structure specified by the selected control file by the control file selection means in the external storage device is not present, the second hierarchy to the external storage device Control to store the image information after
The electronic camera according to claim 1 . Editing means for editing the control file;
Furthermore according to claim 1 or 2 electronic camera, wherein the having. Additional recording means for adding information to the control file;
Further claims 1 to 3 or an electronic camera one claim of and having a. Category editing means for adding, changing, or deleting a category selected by the category selecting means,
Further claims 1 to 4 or the electronic camera of one claim of and having a. The number of hierarchies in the hierarchical structure is the number of categories selected by the category selecting means.
Claims 1 to 5 or the electronic camera of one claim of wherein the. One or more control files can be created for the same image information.
Claims 1 to 6 or an electronic camera one claim of wherein the. Storing a plurality of pieces of image information in a first hierarchical configuration based on a predetermined file system;
Selecting the stored image information;
Select the category of the selected image information by hierarchy ,
Based on the category of the selected each hierarchy, the specify a different second hierarchical structure from the hierarchical structure of the file system, to create a second hierarchy according to the image information as a control file,
Storing the created control file,
Select the stored control file,
Image information designated I by the selected control file, when moved or copied to the external storage device, to memorize as a second hierarchical structure that is specified by the selected control file,
An electronic camera storage method characterized by the above.

Images