Image processing system, method therefor, and imaging device

Abstract

Provided is an image processing system capable of, among attribute information items of an image used in one output mode of a plurality of output modes, referring to an attribute information item that is found to be in common with an attribute information item of an image used in another output mode. Also provided are a method therefor and an imaging device.　An information processing device (11) simultaneously displays: a first thumbnail (20) indicating a first output image output in a first output mode; a second thumbnail (22) indicating a second output image output in a second output mode different from the first output mode; and common attribute information (24) common to first attribute information associated with the first thumbnail (20) and second attribute information associated with the second thumbnail (22). The common attribute information includes information relating to: imaging settings of an imaging device (12); or image processing.

Description

Image processing system, method thereof, and imaging device

[0001] The present invention relates to an image processing system, a method thereof, and an imaging device that perform processing on a plurality of output images having different output modes.

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes that when printing and outputting by a printing output unit and transmitting an image by a network transmission unit, thumbnail images that have been printed and thumbnail images that have been transmitted over the network are displayed simultaneously.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-220009

[0004] As shown in Patent Document 1, there are a plurality of output modes for images, such as printing, and there is a desire to refer to common attribute information among the attribute information of images used in other output modes. In contrast, Patent Document 1 displays attribute information such as user names and page numbers corresponding to each thumbnail in addition to the display of thumbnails, but it is not assumed in Patent Document 1 to display common attribute information using such attribute information.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide an image processing system, a method thereof, and an imaging device that can refer to common attribute information among the attribute information of images used in one output mode out of a plurality of output modes and the attribute information of images used in another output mode.

[0006] The image processing system of the present invention includes a processor. The processor simultaneously displays part or all of a first thumbnail indicating a first output image output in a first output mode, part or all of a second thumbnail indicating a second output image output in a second output mode different from the first output mode, and common attribute information common to first attribute information linked to the first thumbnail and second attribute information linked to the second thumbnail. The common attribute information includes imaging settings of the imaging device or information related to image processing.

[0007] When a first operation is received on the operation unit that graphically displays common attribute information, it is preferable to change the display content of at least one of the first thumbnail or the second thumbnail. When an information display operation is received on the operation unit that graphically displays common attribute information, it is preferable to display the attribute information of the image captured by the imaging device from the common attribute information as trend information, and when an information selection operation is received to select selected trend information from the trend information, it is preferable to apply and display it on at least one of the first thumbnail or the second thumbnail.

[0008] When a second operation is received on the control unit that graphically displays common attribute information, it is preferable to change the display content of the control unit. When a second operation is received, it is preferable to change the display content of the control unit to the display of the first setting control unit for performing the first imaging setting included in the imaging settings. When the second imaging setting is displayed in addition to the first imaging setting, and a third operation is received for the second imaging setting, it is preferable to switch from the display of the first setting control unit to the display of the second setting control unit for performing the second imaging setting.

[0009] When a second operation is received, it is preferable to change the display content of the operation unit to the display of the second setting operation unit for performing the second imaging setting included in the imaging settings. If the first imaging setting is displayed in addition to the second imaging setting, and a third operation for the first imaging setting is received, it is preferable to switch to the display of the first setting operation unit for performing the first imaging setting.

[0010] Preferably, the first thumbnail is based on a first output image printed out from the imaging device as a first output mode. The image processing system further includes an image server, and preferably, the second thumbnail is based on a second output image from among the posted images posted to the image server as a second output mode, for which user consent has been obtained for display.

[0011] The imaging device of the present invention is connected to the image processing system of the present invention described above, and has a second processor, wherein the second processor communicates with the image processing system to perform imaging.

[0012] The present invention relates to an image processing method for an image processing system equipped with a processor, wherein the processor simultaneously displays on an information processing device part or all of a first thumbnail showing a first output image output in a first output mode, part or all of a second thumbnail showing a second output image output in a second output mode different from the first output mode, and common attribute information common to the first attribute information associated with the first thumbnail and the second attribute information associated with the second thumbnail, the common attribute information including imaging settings of an imaging device or information related to image processing.

[0013] According to the present invention, attribute information of an image used in one of multiple output modes can be referenced if it is common with the attribute information of an image used in the other output mode.

[0014] This is a schematic diagram of an image processing system. (A) is an explanatory diagram showing that the first and second thumbnails and common attribute information are displayed simultaneously, (B) shows that the first thumbnail is displayed, and (C) shows that the second thumbnail is displayed. (A) represents the operation unit, and (B) is an explanatory diagram showing the first and second thumbnails that change in accordance with the acceptance of the first operation to the operation unit. (A) represents the operation unit, (B) is an explanatory diagram showing trend information that is displayed in accordance with the acceptance of an information display operation to the operation unit, and (C) is an explanatory diagram showing the first and second thumbnails that change in accordance with the acceptance of an information selection operation for the trend information. (A) represents the operation unit, (B) is an explanatory diagram showing the operation unit whose display content changes to be different from (C) in accordance with the acceptance of the second operation, and (C) is an explanatory diagram showing the operation unit whose display content changes to be different from (B) in accordance with the acceptance of the second operation.

[0015] As shown in Figure 1, the image processing system 10 comprises an information processing device 11, an imaging device 12, and an image server 13. These information processing device 11, imaging device 12, and image server 13 are connected to each other via a network NT. The information processing device 11 is a portable electronic device such as a smartphone, and has a first processor 15 and a display 16. The display 16 can display images and is also touch-operable. The imaging device 12 is a digital camera or the like that has the function of printing images on paper, and has a second processor 17. The image server 13 is preferably a server that is open to an unspecified number of people, such as an SNS (Social Network Server), or a public server that restricts access to users. The information processing device 11 and the imaging device 12 may also be directly connected wirelessly or wired.

[0016] The first processor 15 simultaneously displays on the display 16 a part or all of the first thumbnail showing the first output image output in the first output mode, a part or all of the second thumbnail showing the second output image output in a second output mode different from the first output mode, and common attribute information that is common to the first attribute information associated with the first thumbnail and the second attribute information associated with the second thumbnail. The second processor 17 communicates with the image processing system 10 to perform image capture. In this embodiment, "simultaneously" means that the items are displayed at the same time when the user visually confirms them. Therefore, even if there is a slight difference in the display timing of the first thumbnail, the second thumbnail, and the common attribute information, if they can be considered to be displayed at the same time when visually confirmed, they are included in "simultaneously".

[0017] Common attribute information includes information about the imaging settings of the imaging device 12 or information about image processing. The imaging settings of the imaging device 12 include, for example, focal length, focus position, aperture (f-number), depth of field, shutter speed, ISO sensitivity, and the lens equipment used (telephoto lens, focus lens). Information about image processing includes, for example, white balance, brightness adjustment, contrast adjustment, digital gain processing, and color tone adjustment.

[0018] The first processor 15 is the smallest hardware unit of an information processing device, such as a CPU or GPU. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a processor as a collection of multiple hardware components related to control processing may be used instead of or in addition to the information processing device 11 to display some or all of the first and second thumbnails and common attribute information. Furthermore, although the display of some or all of the first and second thumbnails and common attribute information is performed on the display 16 of the information processing device 11, it may also be performed on another display, such as the display of the imaging device 12 (not shown).

[0019] Specifically, as shown in Figure 2(A), the first thumbnail 20 is based on the first output image printed out from the imaging device 12 as the first output mode. A portion of the first thumbnail 20 is displayed at the right edge of the display 16. To view the entire first thumbnail 20, as shown in Figure 2(B), the entire first thumbnail 20 is displayed on the display 16 by swiping to the right. Near the first thumbnail 20, an identifier (Printed Image) ID1 is displayed to indicate that it is a printed first output image. When the entire first thumbnail 20 is displayed, the identifier ID1 is highlighted. Note that the first output mode may be any output mode other than printout, as long as it differs from the second output mode.

[0020] On the other hand, the second thumbnail 22 is based on a second output image from among the posted images posted to the image server 13 as a second output mode, for which the user has given consent for display on the display 16. Posting to the image server 13 is performed, for example, by an information processing device 11 connected to the imaging device 12, and a consent dialog is displayed at the time of uploading to the image server 13, asking whether to allow other users to view the image or for other users to search for it. If the user gives consent, the posted image linked to a tag such as a hashtag representing the model of the imaging device 12 used is uploaded as the second output image. This makes the second output image viewable to other users, and also makes it possible to search for second output images that have common attribute information with other users' output images. In addition, for images to which a hashtag is linked at the time of user consent, even if the image is subsequently modified (for example, the top and bottom of the image are cropped when uploaded to another image server), it is still possible to determine its identity. Furthermore, if the user does not give consent, it is preferable not to generate a hashtag and not to link it to the image.

[0021] The second thumbnail 22 is partially displayed at the left edge of the display 16. To view the entire second thumbnail 22, as shown in Figure 2(C), swiping to the left will display the entire second thumbnail 22 on the display 16. Near the second thumbnail 22, an identifier (Posted Image) ID2 is displayed, indicating that it is a second output image posted to the image server 13. Note that the second output mode may be any output mode other than posting an image to the image server, as long as it differs from the first output mode.

[0022] As shown in Figure 2(A), in addition to the first thumbnail 20 and the second thumbnail 22, common attribute information 24 is simultaneously displayed on the display 16. The first output image based on the first thumbnail 20 is captured and developed by camera X, and the second output image based on the second thumbnail 22 is captured by camera X and shared with the image server by camera X. Therefore, the common attribute information 24 indicates that the capturing device is camera X.

[0023] In the central part of the display 16, an operation unit 26 is displayed, which graphically represents the common attribute information. The operation unit 26 is used to enable further refinement of the search for the common attribute information (attribute information related to camera X). When a first operation is received on the operation unit 26, it is preferable to change the display content of at least one of the first thumbnail 20 or the second thumbnail 22. Specifically, as shown in Figure 3(A), the operation unit 26 is a camera icon that graphically represents camera X, which is the common attribute information. When a touch operation is received on the operation unit 26 as the first operation, the display content of the first thumbnail 20 and the second thumbnail 22 changes based on the common attribute information used by camera X, as shown in Figure 3(B).

[0024] Furthermore, when an information display operation is received by the operation unit 26, the attribute information of the image captured by the imaging device 12 from the common attribute information is displayed as trend information. When an information selection operation is received to select selected trend information from the trend information, it may be applied to at least one of the first thumbnail 20 or the second thumbnail 22 and displayed. Information regarding the application based on the selected trend information is transmitted to the imaging device 12 and can be used for imaging.

[0025] Specifically, as shown in Figure 4(A), when a touch operation is received on the operation unit 26 as an information display operation for the operation unit 26, multiple trend information 28 is displayed on the display 16 in a list format. The trend information 28 preferably includes imaging settings (lens used, shutter speed, etc.), filter information (sepia color, etc.), Exif information (shooting date and time, etc.), and shooting location information. Regarding the shooting location information, in addition to GPS information, for example, even if GPS information is not included in the Exif information, it may be location information obtained by searching and estimating the timeline of a predetermined search server from the shooting date and time.

[0026] Then, as shown in Figure 4(B), from among these multiple trend information 28, the trend information to be applied to the first thumbnail 20 or the second thumbnail 22 is selected by touch operation as an information selection operation (for example, sepia color is selected for the filter information). As shown in Figure 4(C), the first processor 15 changes the display content of the first thumbnail 20 and the second thumbnail 22 based on the selected trend information (for example, sepia color is reflected in the first thumbnail 20 and the second thumbnail 22).

[0027] Furthermore, when a second operation is received by the operation unit 26, the display content of the operation unit 26 may be changed. It is preferable to make it easier to perform setting operations using common attribute information by changing the display content of the operation unit 26 in this way. Note that the second operation may be included in the first operation, so that the first and second operations are performed together.

[0028] Specifically, as shown in Figure 5(A), when a touch operation is received on the operation unit 26 as the second operation, the display content of the operation unit 26 is changed to the display of the first setting operation unit for performing the first imaging setting included in the imaging settings, as shown in Figure 5(B). In this case, since the first setting operation unit 30 is provided on the right side of the operation unit 26, in accordance with the second operation, the display of the operation unit 26, which is facing forward, rotates to show the left side so that the first setting operation unit 30 is visible. Then, the first imaging setting 31 is highlighted so that it is clear that setting operations using the first imaging setting 31 are possible. The information regarding the first imaging setting is transmitted to the imaging device 12 and can be used for imaging (the same applies to the information regarding the second imaging setting, which will be described later).

[0029] When the display changes to that of the first setting operation unit 30, the second imaging setting 33 is displayed on the display 16 in addition to the first imaging setting 31. When a third operation for the second imaging setting is received, as shown in Figure 5(C), the display changes from that of the first setting operation unit 30 to that of the second setting operation unit for performing the second imaging setting. In this case, since the second setting operation unit 32 is provided on the right side of the operation unit 26, the left side is displayed so that the second setting operation unit 32 is visible in accordance with the third operation. The second imaging setting 33 is then highlighted so that it is clear that setting operations using the second imaging setting 33 are possible.

[0030] In the above embodiment, when a second operation is received, the display content of the operation unit 26 may be changed to the display of the second setting operation unit for performing the second imaging setting included in the imaging setting. Then, when a third operation for the first imaging setting is received, the display may be changed from the second setting operation unit to the display of the first setting operation unit for performing the first imaging setting.

[0031] Next, the sequence of events of the present invention will be described. The information processing device 11 has a first processor 15 and is connected to the image processing system 10. The first processor 15 displays on the display 16 part or all of a first thumbnail 20 showing a first output image output in a first output mode, and part or all of a second thumbnail 22 showing a second output image output in a second output mode. In addition to displaying the first and second thumbnails 20 and 22, it also simultaneously displays common attribute information 24 that is common to the first attribute information associated with the first thumbnail 20 and the second attribute information associated with the second thumbnail 22. The common attribute information includes information about the imaging settings of the imaging device or image processing.

[0032] In this embodiment, each process is performed on any computer. Furthermore, any computer may perform these processes using a processor, a program, or a combination thereof. Any computer may be a general-purpose computer, a computer designed for a specific purpose, a workstation, or any other hardware element capable of running a program.

[0033] The processor may consist of one or more hardware components, and the type of hardware is not limited. For example, the processor may consist of programmable logic devices such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), MPU (Micro Processing Unit), FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), dedicated circuits for executing specific processes such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a GPU (Graphic Processing Unit), or an NPU (Neural Processing Unit). The processor also has various units or means that execute the various processes in this embodiment. Furthermore, the type of hardware may be a combination of different types of hardware. When multiple hardware components are configured to execute one or more processes of a processor, these components may reside in physically separate devices or in the same device. Furthermore, in any embodiment, the order of the processes performed by the processor is not limited to the order described above and may be changed as appropriate. The hardware components are composed of electrical circuits (circuits) and the like, which are combinations of circuit elements such as semiconductor elements.

[0034] Furthermore, this embodiment may be implemented by hardware, software, firmware, microcode, or a combination thereof. The software, firmware, and microcode are composed of a program. The program may also be, for example, a group of program modules, each of which may be implemented by a processor configured to perform its respective function. The program may be program code or multiple code segments stored on one or more non-temporary computer-readable media (e.g., recording media or other storage). The program may be divided and stored on multiple non-temporary computer-readable media located on devices that are physically separated from each other. The program code or code segment may represent any combination of procedures, functions, subprograms, routines, subroutines, modules, software packages, classes, or instructions, data structures, or program statements. The program code or code segment may be connected to other code segments or hardware circuits by sending and receiving information, data, arguments, parameters, or memory contents.

[0035] 10 Imaging system 11 Information processing device 12 Imaging device 13 Image server 15 First processor 16 Display 17 Second processor 20 First thumbnail 22 Second thumbnail 24 Common attribute information 26 Operation unit 28 Trend information 30 First setting operation unit 31 First imaging setting 32 Second setting operation unit 33 Second imaging setting NT Network ID1, ID2 Identifier

Claims

1. An image processing system comprising a processor, the processor simultaneously displays part or all of a first thumbnail showing a first output image output in a first output mode, part or all of a second thumbnail showing a second output image output in a second output mode different from the first output mode, and common attribute information common to the first attribute information associated with the first thumbnail and the second attribute information associated with the second thumbnail, wherein the common attribute information includes information relating to the imaging settings of the imaging device or image processing.

2. The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein when a first operation is received on the operation unit that graphically displays the common attribute information, the display content of at least one of the first thumbnail or the second thumbnail is changed.

3. When an operation for displaying information is received on the operation unit which graphically represents the common attribute information, the attribute information of the image captured by the imaging device from the common attribute information is displayed as trend information, and when an operation for selecting selected trend information from the trend information is received, the system applies and displays it on at least one of the first thumbnail or the second thumbnail, according to claim 1.

4. The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein when a second operation is received on the operation unit which graphically represents the common attribute information, the display content of the operation unit is changed.

5. The image processing system according to claim 4, wherein, upon receiving the second operation, the display content of the operation unit is changed to the display of the first setting operation unit for performing the first imaging setting included in the imaging setting.

6. The image processing system according to claim 5, wherein, in addition to the first imaging setting, a second imaging setting is displayed, and when a third operation for the second imaging setting is received, the display switches from the first setting operation unit to the display of the second setting operation unit for performing the second imaging setting.

7. The image processing system according to claim 4, wherein, upon receiving the second operation, the display content of the operation unit is changed to the display of the second setting operation unit for performing the second imaging setting included in the imaging setting.

8. The image processing system according to claim 7, wherein, in addition to the second imaging setting, the first imaging setting is displayed, and when a third operation for the first imaging setting is received, the display switches to the first setting operation unit for performing the first imaging setting.

9. The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein the first thumbnail is based on the first output image printed out from the imaging device as the first output mode.

10. The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein the image processing system further comprises an image server, and the second thumbnail is based on the second output image from among the posted images posted to the image server as the second output mode for which the user's consent for display has been obtained.

11. An imaging device having a second processor connected to an image processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the second processor communicates with the image processing system to perform imaging.

12. An image processing method for an image processing system equipped with a processor, wherein the processor simultaneously displays on the information processing device part or all of a first thumbnail showing a first output image output in a first output mode, part or all of a second thumbnail showing a second output image output in a second output mode different from the first output mode, and common attribute information common to the first attribute information associated with the first thumbnail and the second attribute information associated with the second thumbnail, the common attribute information including imaging settings of an imaging device or information related to image processing.

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