Moving image file producing method, computer program product and electronic camera

Abstract

A moving image file producing method includes: inputting an image material; inputting a scenario information; and producing a moving image file that contains the image material based on the scenario information.

Description

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE[0001]The disclosure of the following priority application is herein incorporated by reference:[0002]Japanese Patent Application No. 2006-042539 filed Feb. 20, 2006.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]1. Field of the Invention[0004]The present invention relates to a moving image file producing method, a computer program product, and an electronic camera.[0005]2. Description of the Related Art[0006]The sequential playback of still images (so-called slide show) using the still image of the same format as that of the moving image and the auxiliary information thereof has been known as disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2004-336566.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION[0007]Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2004-336566 discloses that the still image data are stored at the still image data format, and the audio data are stored at the audio data format, respectively. Those still image data and audio data are displayed and played back in accordance wit...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0079]According to the foregoing embodiment, the following advantageous effects may be obtained.[0080](1) The material such as the shot (photographic) image (original image) and the music data is processed based on the scenario information so as to preliminarily produce the playback image with audio, which may be stored as a series of the moving image files. The scenario playback may be performed by the PC which only plays back the aforementioned moving image files. The material does not have to be processed while performing the image display and the audio playback. As a result, the delay in the display timing hardly occurs even if the capacity of the CPU of the PC 50 is relatively low.[0081](2) The aforementioned material is transmitted from the electronic camera 10 to the PC 50. In the case where the PC 50 contains the material (the music data as the high sound quality version corresponding to the re-size version) with the quality higher than the one obtained from the electronic camera 10 (for example, the music data as the re-size version), the PC 50 uses the material with the higher quality to be processed instead of the material obtained from the electronic camera 10. This allows the PC 50 to perform the audio playback with the sound quality higher than that in the scenario playback performed by the electronic camera 10.[0082](3) Prior to transmission of the material, the electronic camera 10 transmits the material information to the PC 50 (in the aforementioned example, the information A6 (link data)) such that the PC 50 uses the obtained material information to produce the material list to be downloaded from the electronic camera 10 (image file list required for performing the scenario playback). This makes it possible to prevent duplicated transmission of the same material (image file) from the electronic camera 10 to the PC 50, thus reducing the communication time.[0083](4) The aforementioned processing is performed in units of the scenario (that is, by the PJ file). In the case where a plurality of the scenarios exist, the PC 50 obtains the material required for all the scenarios from the electronic camera 10, and then the communication between the PC 50 and the electronic camera 10 is terminated. Then the moving image files are produced by the respective scenarios. This allows the electronic camera 10 to sequentially transmit the other scenario materials to the PC 50 without waiting until the PC 50 completes formation of the moving image files. This makes it possible to reduce the communication time. The communication of the PC 50 with the electronic camera 10 ends to reduce the power consumption required for the wireless connection.[0084](5) The scenario playback is performed by the electronic camera 10 at the simple mode, and the scenario playback is performed by the PC 50 at the full mode. This makes it possible to perform the playback in accordance with the capacity of the CPU to be employed.

[0080](1) The material such as the shot (photographic) image (original image) and the music data is processed based on the scenario information so as to preliminarily produce the playback image with audio, which may be stored as a series of the moving image files. The scenario playback may be performed by the PC which only plays back the aforementioned moving image files. The material does not have to be processed while performing the image display and the audio playback. As a result, the delay in the display timing hardly occurs even if the capacity of the CPU of the PC 50 is relatively low.

[0081](2) The aforementioned material is transmitted from the electronic camera 10 to the PC 50. In the case where the PC 50 contains the material (the music data as the high sound quality version corresponding to the re-size version) with the quality higher than the one obtained from the electronic camera 10 (for example, the music data as the re-size version), the PC 50 uses the material with the higher quality to be processed instead of the material obtained from the electronic camera 10. This allows the PC 50 to perform the audio playback with the sound quality higher than that in the scenario playback performed by the electronic camera 10.

[0082](3) Prior to transmission of the material, the electronic camera 10 transmits the material information to the PC 50 (in the aforementioned example, the information A6 (link data)) such that the PC 50 uses the obtained material information to produce the material list to be downloaded from the electronic camera 10 (image file list required for performing the scenario playback). This makes it possible to prevent duplicated transmission of the same material (image file) from the electronic camera 10 to the PC 50, thus reducing the communication time.

[0083](4) The aforementioned processing is performed in units of the scenario (that is, by the PJ file). In the case where a plurality of the scenarios exist, the PC 50 obtains the material required for all the scenarios from the electronic camera 10, and then the communication between the PC 50 and the electronic camera 10 is terminated. Then the moving image files are produced by the respective scenarios. This allows the electronic camera 10 to sequentially transmit the other scenario materials to the PC 50 without waiting until the PC 50 completes formation of the moving image files. This makes it possible to reduce the communication time. The communication of the PC 50 with the electronic camera 10 ends to reduce the power consumption required for the wireless connection.

[0084](5) The scenario playback is performed by the electronic camera 10 at the simple mode, and the scenario playback is performed by the PC 50 at the full mode. This makes it possible to perform the playback in accordance with the capacity of the CPU to be employed.MODIFIED

Problems solved by technology

As the slide show is displayed while performing the command processing, the display timing may be delayed in the case where the employed CPU has the low capability.

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