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Digital Camera Patent Abstract
In case there is no image file with an event name in a memory card
when a digital camera is turned on the first time on the day, an
asking sentence asks whether to create a new event name or not.
When "Yes" is selected, event tag data showing "Event
1" is applied to an image file. When "No" is selected,
event tag data showing "No event" is applied to an image
file. In case there is an image file of "Event n" in the
memory card, a selection screen is displayed to select one of options,
which are to apply a new event name "Event n+1", to apply
the existing event name "Event n" and to apply no event
name. In the second or later turn on of the digital camera, the
event name selected in the first turn on is automatically applied
to the event tag data.
Digital Camera Patent Claims
1. A digital camera which records an image file to a recording medium,
said image file including image data obtained by image capturing
and tag information applied to said image data, said digital camera
comprising: a power switch to turn on said digital camera; a detecting
section to detect whether said turn on of said digital camera is
the first time after the date is changed or not, when said power
switch is operated; a selecting section to select an event name
to be applied to said tag information from plural options when said
detection section detects that said turn on is the first time, plural
image files including said tag information with same event name
constituting an image group; and an event name applying section
to apply information showing said event name selected by said selecting
section to said tag information for said image data obtained by
said image capturing.
2. A digital camera claimed in claim 1, wherein said plural options
are to apply new event name, to apply an event name existing in
said recording medium, and to apply no event name.
3. A digital camera claimed in claim 1, wherein said event name
applying section applies information showing said event name selected
in the first turn on of said digital camera to said tag information,
when said detection section detects that said turn on is not the
first time.
4. A digital camera claimed in claim 1, wherein said event name
including a number which is automatically incremented when said
selecting section selects to apply new event name from said options.
5. An image recording method for recording an image file to a recording
medium, said image file including image data obtained by image capturing
and tag information applied to said image data, said image recording
method comprising steps of: turning on an imaging apparatus; detecting
whether said turn on of said imaging apparatus is the first time
after the date is changed or not; selecting an event name to be
applied to said tag information from plural options when it is detected
that said turn on is the first time, plural image files including
said tag information with same event name constituting an image
group; and applying information showing said event name selected
by said selecting step to said tag information for said image data
obtained by following image capturing.
6. An image recording method claimed in claim 5, wherein said plural
options are to apply new event name, to apply an event name existing
in said recording medium, and to apply no event name.
7. An image recording method claimed in claim 5, wherein information
showing said event name selected in the first turn on of said imaging
apparatus is applied to said tag information in said applying step,
when it is detected that said turn on is not the first time in said
detecting step.
8. An image recording method claimed in claim 5, wherein said event
name including a number which is automatically incremented when
applying new event name is selected from said options in said selecting
step.
9. An image recording method claimed in claim 5, further comprising
a step of: setting whether to apply said event name or not, said
detecting step and said selecting step being performed only when
applying event name is set, and information showing no event name
being applied to said tag information in said applying step when
not applying said event name is set.
10. An image recording method claimed in claim 6, further comprising
a step of: searching whether there is said image file including
said event name or not in said recording medium after said detecting
step, three of said options that are to apply new event name, to
apply an event name existing in said recording medium, and to apply
no event name being displayed on a display in said selecting step
when said turn on is the first time and there is said image file
including said event name, and two of said options that are to apply
new event name and to apply no event name being displayed on said
display in said selecting step when said turn on is the first time
and there is no said image file including said event name.
11. An image recording method claimed in claim 10, wherein in said
applying step, information showing said event name selected in the
first turn on of said imaging apparatus is applied to said tag information
when said turn on is not the first time and there is said image
file including said event name, and information showing no event
name is applied to said tag information when said turn on is not
the first time and there is no said image file including said event
name.
Digital Camera Patent Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a digital camera and an
image recording method, and more particularly to a digital camera
and an image recording method which sort image data and record the
image data in a recording medium.
[0003] 2. Description Related to the Prior Art
[0004] A digital camera, which converts image signals outputted
from a solid-state imaging device such as CCD into digital image
data and records the image data in a memory card, is in widespread
use. To each image data, a sequence number representing an image
capturing date and an image capturing order is applied before recording
of the image data in the memory card. The memory card has been upgrading
to have larger storage capacity, allowing to record larger quantity
of image data in one memory card. Accordingly, there is growing
demand for effectively sorting the image data in the memory card.
[0005] For example, Japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2004-304619
discloses a digital camera, in which a folder is newly created in
a memory card and image data obtained by image capturing is stored
as an image file in the folder when a shutter button is depressed
after depressing a folder creation switch. Following image capturing
is performed by depression of only the shutter button without depressing
the folder creation switch, and image data obtained by image capturing
is stored in the same folder until a next folder is created.
[0006] In addition, Japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2003-319296
discloses a digital camera, in which a predetermined folder in an
incorporated memory is designated and image data is stored in this
folder, when the digital camera is turned on. When a user wants
to designate another folder, the user operates a folder switching
ring, and a folder indicated by the folder switching ring is used
for storing image data obtained by following image capturing.
[0007] However, in the digital camera of Japanese patent laid-open
publication No. 2004-304619, there is the need to operate the folder
creation switch before staring the image capturing. This operation
is a bother. In addition, if the user unintentionally forgets the
operation of the folder creation switch, the folder is not created
and the image data is not sorted.
[0008] In the digital camera of Japanese patent laid-open publication
No. 2003-319296, there is the need to operate the folder switching
ring for the image capturing. In addition, there is the need to
designate a folder every time the turn on of the digital camera.
This operation becomes a great bother when the digital camera is
frequently turned on/off.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] An object of the present invention is to provide a digital
camera and an image recording method which enable easy and sure
sorting and recording of image data.
[0010] In order to achieve the above object and other objects,
a digital camera of the present invention comprises a power switch
to turn on the digital camera, a detecting section to detect whether
the turn on of the digital camera is the first time after the date
is changed or not when the power switch is operated, a selecting
section to select an event name for tag information from plural
options when the detection section detects that the turn on is the
first time, and an event name applying section to apply information
of the event name selected by the selecting section to tag information.
The tag information is additional information to the image data
obtained by image capturing, and an image file including the image
data and the tag information is recorded in a recording medium.
A plurality of the image files including the tag information with
same event name constitutes an image group.
[0011] It is preferable that the plural options are to apply a
new event name, to apply an event name existing in the recording
medium, and to apply no event name. It is preferable that the event
name applying section applies information of the event name selected
in the first turn on of the digital camera to the tag information
of the image subsequently captured when the detection section detects
that the turn on is not the first time. It is preferable that the
event name includes a number which is automatically incremented
when the selecting section selects to apply a new event name from
the options.
[0012] An image recording method of the present invention comprises
steps of turning on an imaging apparatus, detecting whether the
turn on of the imaging apparatus is the first time after the date
is changed or not, selecting an event name for tag information from
plural options when it is detected that the turn on is the first
time, and applying information of the event name selected by the
selecting step to the tag information for image data obtained by
following image capturing.
[0013] According to the digital camera and the image recording
method of the present invention, the plural options for application
of the event name are automatically displayed in the first turn
on of the imaging apparatus (digital camera) on the day. Therefore,
easy and sure sorting and recording of the image data can be performed
and failure to apply the event name can be prevented only by selecting
the options at the first image capturing on the day.
[0014] In the second and subsequent turn on of the imaging apparatus
on the day, since the event name selected in the first turn on is
applied to the tag information until the user manually change or
cancel the event name, the sorting and recording of the image data
can be performed without tiresome operations. In addition, since
the event name includes a number which is automatically incremented
event by event, the user is free from a burden of thinking about
new event names and can concentrate on the image capturing in the
new event.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] The above objects and advantages of the present invention
will become easily understood by one of ordinary skill in the art
when the following detailed description would be read in connection
with the accompanying drawings.
[0016] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a digital camera of
the present invention;
[0017] FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the digital camera;
[0018] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an electronic construction
of the digital camera;
[0019] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an outline of a structure
of an image file;
[0020] FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing an example of a setup
menu;
[0021] FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing an event selection
screen including two option items;
[0022] FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing an event selection
screen including three option items;
[0023] FIG. 8 is an explanatory view showing an example of a reproducing
screen; and
[0024] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a sequence for selecting an
event name.
PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
[0025] As shown in FIG. 1, a digital camera 10 has a taking lens
11, a front viewfinder window 12 and a flash projector 13 on its
front, a power switch 14 and a shutter button 15 on its top. As
shown in FIG. 2, a rear viewfinder window 18, a mode selection switch
(SW) 19, a zoom button 20, a multipurpose key 21, a menu/OK button
22, a back button 23, a display button 24 and a liquid crystal panel
25 are disposed on a back of the digital camera 10.
[0026] A slot 28 into which a memory card 27 is inserted is provided
on one side of the digital camera 10. As the memory card 27, although
an xD-Picture Card (trade name) is used in this embodiment, another
type of memory card such as a SmartMedia (trade name), a Compact
Flash (registered trademark) and a PC Card type memory card may
be used. In addition, another recording media such as a Microdrive
(trade name) may be used instead of the memory card.
[0027] The mode selection SW 19 is operated to select between an
imaging mode for capturing image and a reproduction mode for reproducing
images recorded on the memory card 27. In the imaging mode, the
liquid crystal panel 25 works as an electric viewfinder. In the
reproduction mode, the images read from the memory card 27 are reproduced
(displayed) on the liquid crystal panel 25.
[0028] In addition, on the liquid crystal panel 25, a setting screen
is displayed to perform various settings. The setting screen includes
various setting items. A user operates the multipurpose key 21 and
the menu/OK button 22 with monitoring the setting screen, to perform
the settings.
[0029] In FIG. 3, an imaging section 30 comprises the taking lens
11, a CCD, an A/D converter and so on. Image data outputted from
the imaging section 30 is compressed by a compression technology
such as JPEG, and recorded on a buffer memory 31. A CPU 32 controls
each component connected thereto through a data bus 33.
[0030] The CPU 32 controls a media controller 34 and accesses the
memory card 27 to create a folder in the memory card 27, to read
out the image data from the buffer memory 31 and store it in the
folder in the memory card 27, and to read out the image data from
the memory card 27. In addition, the CPU 32 refers to signals outputted
from a clock circuit 29 to judge whether it is a first power on
of the digital camera 10 after the date is changed or not.
[0031] An operating section 35 includes the power switch 14, the
shutter button 15, the mode selection SW 19, the zoom button 20,
the multipurpose key 21, the menu/OK button 22, the back button
23 and the display button 24. In a ROM 36, various programs are
stored. The CPU 32 loads the program in the ROM 36 into a RAM 37
and executes various steps written in the program. A VRAM 38 memorizes
data of various screens and images to be displayed on the liquid
crystal panel 25.
[0032] As shown in FIG. 4, in an image folder 41 in the memory
card 27, the image data 42 outputted from the imaging section 30
is recorded as image files PF1 to PFn of EXIF (Exchangeable image
file format). In the EXIF, EXIF tag data 43 is attached to the image
data 42. In addition, thumbnail image data 44 for an index screen
may be included in the EXIF. The image data 42 is for example in
JPEG format in which the image data is compressed and then recorded.
[0033] As the format of the image data 42, TIFF (Tagged Image File
Format), which comprises image data and a tag including information
of a stored position of the image data and so on, may be used instead
of the JPEG.
[0034] The EXIF tag data 43 includes imaging condition data 45
about imaging conditions such as an exposure value, a focal length
and presence/absence of flash projection, and event tag data 46
showing an event name. The event tag data 46 is used for grouping
the image files PF1 to PFn according to the event name. That is,
the plural image files with the event tag data 46 of the same event
name constitute one image group. In this embodiment, image files
are grouped by the number of the events (n, n+1, . . . ). When no
event name is given to the image file, the event tag data 46 showing
no event is attached to the image file. The format of each image
file PF1 to PFn is not limited to the EXIF, as long as the event
tag data can be attached to the image file.
[0035] Whether the event name is applied to the image data or not
is selected as follows. At first, the menu/OK button 22 is pressed
to display a setup menu 48 shown in FIG. 5. Then the user points
a cursor 50 to an event setting item 49 and selects "Use"
or "Not use". In case "Use" is selected, an
event selection screen 51 shown in FIG. 6 or an event selection
screen 52 shown in FIG. 7 is displayed on the liquid crystal panel
25 right after the first operation of the power switch 14 on the
day. In case "Not use" is selected, the event selection
screens 51 and 52 are not displayed.
[0036] The event selection screen 51 is displayed when there is
no image file with the event name in the memory card 51. The event
selection screen 51 includes an asking sentence 54 that is "Create
a new event name? Select either of following options and press OK
button", and option items "Yes" and "No".
In case "Yes" is selected, the event tag data 46 showing
"Event 1" is applied to the image file for the captured
image data to be recorded in the memory card 27. In case "No"
is selected, the event tag data 46 showing "No event"
is applied to the image file.
[0037] In default, a frame cursor 55 surrounds the item "Yes"
to select "Yes". To move the frame cursor 55, the user
depresses the right or left end of the multipurpose key 21. After
selecting "Yes" or "No" by the frame cursor
55, the menu/OK button 22 is depressed to perform the selected processes
described above and then the display of the event selection screen
51 disappears. After that, the event selection screen 51 is not
displayed even when the power switch 14 is operated until the date
is changed.
[0038] The event selection screen 52 is displayed when there is
the image file of "Event n" (n is natural number). The
event selection screen 52 includes an asking sentence 57 that is
"Select either of following options about process for subsequent
imaging and press OK button", an option item 58 that is "A.
Applying new event name n+1", an option item 59 that is "B.
Applying exiting event name n", and an option item 60 that
is "C. Not applying event name".
[0039] In case the option item 58 is selected, the event tag data
46 showing "Event n+1" is applied to the image file for
the captured image data to be recorded in the memory card 27. In
case the option item 59 is selected, the event tag data 46 showing
"Event n" is applied to the image file. In case the option
item 60 is selected, the event tag data 46 showing "No event"
is applied to the image file.
[0040] In default, a triangular cursor 61 points the option item
58. To move the triangular cursor 61, the user operates the multipurpose
key 21. After selecting one of the option items 58 to 60 by moving
the triangular cursor 61, the menu/OK button 22 is depressed to
perform the selected processes described above and then the display
of the event selection screen 52 disappears. After that, the event
selection screen 52 is not displayed even when the power switch
14 is operated until the date is changed.
[0041] When the mode selection SW 19 is operated to switch to the
reproduction mode, the CPU 32 loads a program for reproducing images
from the ROM 36 into the RAM 37 and executes the program. Accordingly,
the captured images are displayed on the liquid crystal panel 25
as shown in FIG. 8. At this time, the program for reproducing images
executes reading of the event tag data of each image file PF1 to
PFn and grouping of images PIC1 to PICn of the image files PF1 to
PFn based on the event names. Each group of images (having the same
event name) is surrounded by a rectangular frame on the display.
In addition, the program for reproducing images executes reading
of an image-captured date of each image file and displaying of a
period of the event (group) below each event name on the display.
[0042] In this embodiment, the images PIC6 to PIC8 out of the group
64 of "No event" including the images PIC6 to PIC9, the
images PIC1 to PIC3 out of the group 65 of "Event 1" including
the images PIC1 to PIC5, and the images PIC10 to PIC12 out of the
group 66 of "Event 2" including the images PIC10 to PIC14
are displayed.
[0043] The group 64 is displayed in the lowest portion of the reproducing
screen on the liquid crystal panel 25. The groups 65, 66 . . . are
displayed above the group 24 such that the group having a later
image-captured date is positioned at higher portion of the reproducing
screen. In this embodiment, to automate the application of new event
names, each event name is formed as "Event n", in which
"n" is automatically incremented every time a new event
name is created. Accordingly, as identification information of the
each group, "n" of "Event n" and the period
of the event are displayed. For easy visual distinction between
the groups, the rectangular frames for surrounding respective groups
have different colors each other. For example, the frame for the
group 64 is white, the frame for the group 65 is orange, and the
frame for the group 66 is green.
[0044] In addition, a selected image (PIC10 in the figure) is surrounded
by a cursor frame 68 of for example black, and a selected event
("Event 2" in the figure) is surrounded by a heavy-line
frame 69 of for example blue. When the user depresses the upper
or lower end of the multipurpose key 21, the heavy-line frame 69
is moved upward or downward event name by event name to scroll the
screen in a vertical direction. Accordingly, even if there are four
or more events, all events (groups) can be displayed. When the user
depresses the right or left end of the multipurpose key 21, the
cursor frame 68 is moved toward right or left image by image to
scroll the screen in a horizontal direction. Accordingly, the images
PIC13 and PIC14 can be displayed. Scrolling each event name and
each image realizes speedy searching of desired image.
[0045] When the menu/OK button 22 is pressed in this state, the
selected image surrounded by the cursor frame 68 is enlarged to
full screen of the liquid crystal panel 25. Accordingly, details
of the image can be checked. In addition, in the reproducing mode,
the user can call up a menu screen by operation of the menu/OK button
22, to display the list of the event tag data of image files and
change the event name to another event name or no event name. The
change of the event name can be performed on one frame, a plurality
of frames, or one event basis.
[0046] The operation of the digital camera 10 constituted as described
above will be explained with reference to a flowchart shown in FIG.
9. At first, the power switch 14 is operated to turn on the digital
camera 10 (ST1). In case the event setting item 49 is set at "Use"
in the setup menu 48 (ST2), the CPU 32 detects whether this power
on is the first time today (or after the date is changed) or not
(ST3).
[0047] In case the power on is the first time today, the CPU 32
detects whether there is the image file with the event name in the
memory card 27 or not (ST4). In case there is no image file with
the event name, the CPU 32 displays the event selection screen 51
on the liquid crystal panel 25 (ST5).
[0048] In the event selection screen 51, when the menu/OK button
22 is pressed in the default state, "Yes" is selected
(ST6) and then the event tag data 46 showing "Event 1"
is applied to the image file for the image data obtained by following
image capturing (ST7). When the menu/OK button 22 is pressed after
selecting "No" (ST8), the event tag data 46 showing "No
event" is applied to the image file for the image data obtained
by following image capturing (ST9).
[0049] In case there is the image file with "Event n"
in the memory card 27 (ST4), the event selection screen 52 is displayed
on the liquid crystal panel 25 (ST10). When the option item 58 (A.
Apply new event name n+1) is selected and the menu/OK button 22
is pressed (ST11), the event tag data 46 showing "Event n+1"
is applied to the image file for the image data obtained by following
image capturing (ST12).
[0050] When the option item 59 (B. Applying exiting event name
n) is selected and the menu/OK button 22 is pressed (ST13), the
event tag data 46 showing "Event n" is applied to the
image file for the image data obtained by following image capturing
(ST14) When the option item 60 (C. Not applying event name) is selected
and the menu/OK button 22 is pressed (ST15), the event tag data
46 showing "No event" is applied to the image file for
the image data obtained by following image capturing (ST16).
[0051] In case the power on is not the first time today, that is,
the power switch 14 is operated two or more times after the date
is changed (ST3), the CPU 32 does not display the event selection
screens 51, 52 but detects whether there is the image file with
the event name in the memory card 27 or not (ST17). In case there
is, the event tag data 46 showing "Event n" (obtained
by the most recent image capturing) is applied to the image file
for the image data obtained by following image capturing (ST18).
In case there is not, the event tag data 46 showing "No event"
is applied to the image file for the image data obtained by following
image capturing (ST19), as same as the case that the event setting
item 49 is set at "Not use" in the setup menu 48.
[0052] Note that even when the image capturing is performed under
the setting for "No event", the user can change this setting
by pressing the menu/OK button 22 to display the setup menu 48 and
setting the event setting item 49 to "Use". Accordingly,
the event tag data 46 showing the new event name can be applied
to the image file for the image data obtained by following image
capturing (ST20).
[0053] In addition, even when the image capturing is performed
with applying "Event n" which is the existing event name,
the user can change this setting anytime by pressing the menu/OK
button 22 to display the setup menu 48 and then pressing the menu/OK
button 22 to display the event selection screen 52. By selecting
the option item 58 in the event selection screen 52, the event tag
data 46 showing "Event n+1" (the new event name) can be
applied to the image file for the image data obtained by following
image capturing (ST20). When the event setting item 49 is set to
"Not use" in the setup menu, the event tag data 46 showing
"No event" is applied to the image file for the image
data obtained by following image capturing (ST20).
[0054] When the image capturing is finished, the power switch 14
is operated to turn off the digital camera 10 (ST21). In this embodiment,
the digital camera 10 is automatically turned off by an auto power-off
function after passing two minutes of no operation (see FIG. 5).
[0055] As described above, in the digital camera 10, the events
(groups) are managed not by hierarchical structure of folders but
by the event name, that is, the number of the event. It can prevent
problems of compatibility of image storage format, such as a problem
that an image in a sub-folder cannot be read out when another model
of the digital camera or a card reader is used to read image files
in the memory card 27.
[0056] When an image viewer software or an electronic album editing
software, which can distinguish and read event name of the tag information,
is installed in a personal computer, move or copy of the image data
can be performed by the personal computer, on a group basis according
to the event name of the images in the memory card 27. Note that
the electronic album editing software or the like is preferably
stored in a CD-ROM or a DVD-ROM packaged in the digital camera 10
as the product.
[0057] When the electronic album editing software is activated
and the memory card 27 is set in the personal computer, the electronic
album editing software reads the event tag data of the image files
in the memory card 27, and then displays a screen on the monitor,
which asks the user whether to sort the image files by folders or
not. When the user directs to execute the folder sorting, the electronic
album editing software automatically creates folders for each event
name and puts the image files having the same event name in a corresponding
folder. Accordingly, the user is free from a tiresome manual sorting
of the image files transferred to the personal computer. Note that
of course the event name of the folder can be changed to a desired
name by the user.
[0058] In addition, in case the user brings the memory card 27
to a photo developer where there is a print order receiving apparatus
enabling to read the event tag data of the image files, displaying
the images on an event basis and a group print order can be easily
performed.
[0059] In the above-described embodiment, "Event"+the
incrementing number "n" is used as the event name. However,
the present invention is not limited to this event name. For example,
concrete event names such as "Athletic meet", "School
play" and the like may be displayed on the liquid crystal panel
for selection. In addition, although the image files of still images
are used for describing the above embodiment, also image files of
videos may be grouped in the same manner as the still images.
[0060] Although the present invention has been fully described
by way of the preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the
accompanying drawings, various changes and modifications will be
apparent to those having skill in this field. Therefore, unless
otherwise these changes and modifications depart from the scope
of the present invention, they should be construed as included therein. |