JPH04330881A - Method of retrieving image - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To quickly and easily retrieve a moving image by dividing plural image data into several blocks, compressing and storing and displaying simultaneously plural dynamic images equivalent to the block number on the display screen. CONSTITUTION:At first, the content of the raw material tape to record a video signal is reproduced by an image signal reproducing device. Next, the reproduced video signal is converted by an A/D converter, etc., the format such as header addition is performed, and the converted signal information is successively stored into a memory with one frame of the video signal as one recording unit. That is, plural image data are divided into, for example, four blocks, image data A1, B1, C1, D1, A2, B2... are successively read and compressed from the head for each blocks and four image data read from each block are successively stored as one recording unit. At the time of retrieving, the compressed image data are successively read with four images as a recording unit and four moving images are simultaneously displayed on the display screen.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image retrieval method used when editing moving images.

0002

[Background Art] Conventionally, for example, when searching and editing moving images recorded on a magnetic medium such as a videotape, the search and editing target range covers the entire target moving image on the time axis. When this is considered, the search is performed by fast-forwarding the moving image (video) to be searched.

It is also known to attach a mark such as a time code to each screen of a moving image to be searched in advance, and to use the mark to facilitate the search.

Furthermore, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 61-44437, by displaying a plurality of consecutive frames side by side on the same screen of an image display device, the desired piece can be easily identified. A method for retrieving edited information is known.

[0005]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the method of searching for images by fast-forwarding, it is necessary to visually confirm the content of the image, so the playback speed cannot be made extremely fast, and it is not possible to make the playback speed extremely fast. If the amount of
Even when fast-forwarding, searching takes time and effort.

[0006] Furthermore, even if a time code or other marker is attached to the moving image to be searched, this marker is attached regardless of the content of the moving image to be searched, so the time code of the image being searched is Although it was possible to know the position on the axis and the editing position determined as a result of the search, the search work itself had to be performed visually.

[0007] Furthermore, in the method disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 61-44437, only a plurality of temporally consecutive frames are displayed on the image display device, so the amount of moving images to be searched is If there are many images, searching for the desired image takes time and effort.

The present invention was devised to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to make it possible to quickly and easily search for moving images to be searched.

[0009]

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above object, the image retrieval method of the present invention allows image data for a plurality of images to be
Divide into blocks (L is an integer greater than or equal to 2), sequentially read and compress the image data from the beginning of each block, and sequentially store the L image data read from each block as one recording unit in the storage device. Next, the compressed image data is sequentially read out from the storage device with L images as one recording unit and supplied to the image display device, and the L images are displayed on one display screen of the image display device. It is characterized by displaying two moving images at the same time.

0010

[Operation] In the present invention, image data for multiple images is
It is divided into blocks (L is an integer greater than or equal to 2), and image data is sequentially read out from the beginning of each block. That is, the first image data of the first block, the first image data of the second block, etc., the first image data of the L-th block, the second image data of the first block, 2 The second image data of the th block,..., the second image data of the L-th block,...
They are read out sequentially in this order. The read image data is reduced according to the number of images to be displayed on one display screen, and the L pieces of image data read from each block are stored in the storage device as one recording unit. During a search, the compressed image data is sequentially read out from this storage device with L images as one recording unit and supplied to the image display device. As a result, L moving images are displayed simultaneously on one display screen of the image display device.

[0011]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, features of the present invention will be specifically explained based on embodiments with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically showing the overall configuration of an image search system to which the present invention is applied. This image retrieval system includes a computer 1 and a VTR (video camera) as a controlled device connected to the computer 1.
eo tape recorder) and an image signal reproducing device 2 such as a laser disc (registered trademark). In the computer 1, a CPU (central processing unit) 4 and a memory 5 are connected to a bus 3, and the bus 3 is further connected to an input device 6 such as a keyboard and a mouse, a CRT (cathode ray tube) display, etc. An output device 7, a mass storage device 8 such as a hard disk device, an optical disk device, etc. are connected via interfaces 9, 10, and 11, respectively.

Further, between the bus 3 and the image signal reproducing device 2, an operation input from an input device 6 functioning as a device operation input means for operating the image signal reproducing device 2 is connected to a connected device, that is, an image signal reproducing device 2. RS- transmitted to signal reproducing device 2
A communication interface 12 such as H.232C is connected to a signal conversion interface 13 such as an A/D converter for converting an image signal from the image signal reproduction device 2 into a digital signal that can be handled by the computer 1. Note that the device connected to the computer 1 (in this case, the image signal reproducing device 2) is a commonly used video device and can be used alone. Further, the computer 1 constitutes a workstation.

Next, the search operation in the above-mentioned moving image search system will be explained with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

First, the image signal reproducing device 2 reproduces the contents of a material tape such as a video tape on which a video signal as a material is recorded (step 101). This playback operation is performed by, for example, an instruction from the input device 6. That is, an instruction input from the input device 6 is interpreted by the CPU 4, and when this instruction is an instruction for the image signal reproduction device 2 to start reproduction, a control signal is sent from the CPU 4 to the image signal reproduction device 2 to instruct the image signal reproduction device 2 to start reproduction. Communication interface 12
The image signal reproducing device 2 starts the reproducing operation. Alternatively, the image signal is reproduced by operating the device operation input means originally provided in the image signal reproduction device 2.

Next, the reproduced video signal is sent to the computer 1 through a signal conversion interface 13 such as an A/D converter.
(step 102), performs formatting such as adding a header (step 103), and records the information of the converted signal in the mass storage device 8 with one frame of the video signal as one recording unit. (step 104). Hereinafter, a collection of recorded information will be referred to as a video signal file. FIG. 4(a) shows the video signal file 21
, which is composed of N video signal frames A1 to An, B1 to Bn, C1 to Cn, and D1 to Dn in total.

Next, the operator uses the input device 6 to input the number L of screens to be simultaneously displayed on the playback video display screen of the output device 7 into the computer 1 (step 105). In this embodiment, L=4. The CPU 4 divides the number N of recording units in the recorded video signal file 21 by the number L of screens that the operator wants to display simultaneously, and calculates the number n of recording units per screen to be displayed. (=N/L) is calculated (step 106). Note that the size of the recording unit is a.

Next, variables i and j used as pointers for specifying recording units are set to initial values. That is, i=0 and j=1 (step 107).

Next, based on the values of pointer variables i and j,
The (i×L+j)th recording unit of the video signal file 21 is read out (step 108). Initially, i=0, j=
1, the first recording unit 22 (indicated by "A1") of the video signal file 21 recorded in the mass storage device 8 is read out from the mass storage device 8. FIG. 5 shows this recording unit "A1" on the playback video display screen 2 of the output device 7.
A display example when displayed on the entirety of 5 is shown.

[0020] Then, the read information is reduced (compressed) so that it can be displayed as many screens as the operator inputs and wants to display simultaneously (step 109).
The reduced information is temporarily stored in the memory 5 (step 110). For example, if the number of screens you want to display at the same time is 4.
In this case, the image data of each recording unit is thinned out in half in the vertical and horizontal directions to reduce the image size to 1/4 in area. Here, let us assume that the size of the newly saved recording unit is b. Note that b is the data size of the combined reduced image.

Next, after the value of pointer variable i is incremented by 1 (step 111), the values of a and b are compared (step 112).

If a>b, the process returns to step 108, and this time, from the beginning of the video signal file 21 (1×L
+1)th, that is, the 1st screen displayed from the beginning
Recording unit 23 (
Similarly, the data (denoted as "B1") is read out from the mass storage device 8, compressed, and stored in the next position after the information "A1" that was previously compressed and stored in the memory 5.

[0023] Perform similar operations for the number of screens you want to display, and if enough information is saved to display the number of screens you want to display simultaneously (step 112), use this saved information as a recording unit. to the mass storage device 8 as shown in FIG.
As shown in (b), it is recorded in a video signal file 24 (hereinafter referred to as an edited video signal file) different from the video signal file (step 113).

Operations similar to those in steps 108 to 113 are performed for the next recording unit in the video signal file 21 by incrementing the variable j by 1 (step 114). By performing the above operation for the number n of recording units per screen to be displayed (step 115)
), all of the recording units in the video signal file 21 are edited as shown in FIG. 4(b) in the video signal file 24.
It is compressed and recorded inside.

Finally, the edited video signal file 24
The recording unit inside is one recording unit from the mass storage device 8,
That is, by sequentially reading out the reduced four-screen units and transferring them to the frame memory in the output device 7 (step 116), the operator can select (set) the contents of the video file selected by the operator. ), and the moving images can be displayed simultaneously on the screen (step 117). FIG. 6 shows a display example when the display screen is divided into four, and on the same display screen 26 of the output device 7,
Four recording units “A1”, “B1”, “C1”, “D1”
] are reduced and displayed at the same time. That is, four images located at separate positions on the time axis of the material tape are displayed simultaneously, and each image is displayed as a moving image. Therefore, for example, if the number of screens to be displayed simultaneously is L, the time required to reproduce the entire material is 1/L, and it is possible to get an overview of the video material in a short time.

[0026]

Effects of the Invention As described above, in the present invention, a plurality of temporally separated images are simultaneously displayed on the same screen of the display device, so that the outline of the video material can be displayed in a short form. You can know this in time and increase the efficiency of your search.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically showing the overall configuration of an image search system to which the present invention is applied.

2 is the first part of a flowchart for explaining the operation of the image search system shown in FIG. 1. FIG.

3 is a second part of a flowchart for explaining the operation of the image search system shown in FIG. 1. FIG.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration example of a video signal file and an edited video signal file.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example in which one recording unit is displayed on the screen of a display device.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example in which four recording units are reduced and displayed simultaneously on the same screen of a display device.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Computer, 2 Image signal reproducing device, 3
bus, 4 CPU, 5 memory, 6 input device,
7 Output device, 8 Mass storage device, 9-11
Interface, 12 Communication interface, 13
Signal conversion interface, 21 Video signal file, 22, 23 Recording unit, 24 Edited video signal file, 25, 26 Display screen

Claims (1)

[Claims] Claim 1: Divide image data for a plurality of images into L blocks (L is an integer of 2 or more), sequentially read and compress image data from the beginning of each block, and compress L blocks of image data read from each block. The image data of L images are sequentially stored in a storage device as one recording unit, and then the compressed image data is sequentially read out from the storage device with L images as one recording unit and supplied to the image display device. An image search method characterized by displaying L moving images simultaneously on one display screen of an image display device.