Association of image data with information that relates to variation at the time of photograhy, and utilization of the information associated with the image data

• US 20050088460A1
• Filed: 09/01/2004
• Published: 04/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Kuwata, Naoki, Ouchi, Makoto
• Application Number:
  US10/933,198
• Publication Number:
  US 20050088460A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/672
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32128 attached to the image data, e.g. file header, transmitted message header, information on the same page or in the same computer file as the image for information embedded in the image H04N1/32144
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/6083 controlled by factors external to the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3247 Data linking a set of images to one another, e.g. sequence, burst or continuous capture mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3252 Image capture parameters, e.g. resolution, illumination conditions, orientation of the image capture device H04N2201/3256 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3254 Orientation, e.g. landscape or portrait; Location or order of the image data, e.g. in memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3277 The additional information being stored in the same storage device as the image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/634 Warning indications

Abstract

To provide a technique capable of utilizing information afterward, which relates to variation at the time image data is acquired, such as blurring. An image data generation method for generating image data in an image generation device that is capable of photographing a target object, comprises: (a) acquiring the image data by photographing the target object; (b) acquiring variation-related information, which relates to a spatial variation of the image generation device at the time the image data is acquired; and (c) associating and storing the acquired image data and the acquired variation-related information with one another.

Claims

1. An image data generation method for generating image data in an image generation device that is capable of photographing a target object, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) acquiring the image data by photographing the target object;

(b) acquiring variation-related information, wherein the variation-related information relates to a spatial variation of the image generation device at the time the image data is acquired; and

(c) associating and storing the acquired image data and the acquired variation-related information with one another.

2. The image data generation method according to claim 1, wherein the step (b) includes the step of:

(b1) detecting physical information, wherein the physical information represents the spatial variation of the image generation device at the time the image data is acquired, and wherein

the variation-related information includes the physical information.

3. The image data generation method according to claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

(d) generating a variation level indicator by using the physical information, the variation level indicator indicating a degree of variation of the image generation device; and

(e) providing a notification to a user according to the variation level indicator.

4. The image data generation method according to claim 1, wherein the step (b) includes the steps of:

(b2) detecting physical information, wherein the physical information represents the spatial variation of the image generation device at the time the image data is acquired; and

(b3) generating a variation level indicator by using the physical information, the variation level indicator indicating a degree of variation of the image generation device, and wherein

the variation-related information includes the variation level indicator.

5. The image data generation method according to claim 4, further comprising the step of:

(f) providing a notification to a user according to the variation level indicator.

6. The image data generation method according to claim 3, wherein the physical information is acceleration information, and

the step (d) includes the step of generating the variation level indicator by further using shutter speed information that is of the time the image data is acquired.

7. The image data generation method according to claim 6, wherein the step (d) includes the step of generating the variation level indicator by further using focal length information that is of the time the image data is acquired.

8. The image data generation method according to claim 3, wherein the physical information is angular velocity information, and

the step (d) includes the step of generating the variation level indicator by further using shutter speed information that is of the time the image data is acquired.

9. The image data generation method according to claim 3, wherein the image generation device comprises a display module for displaying an image represented by the image data, and

the step (e) includes the step of providing the notification by displaying an identifier on the display module according to the variation level indicator.

10. The image data generation method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

(g) modifying shutter speed for the next photography in the step (a) according to the previous variation-related information acquired in the step (b).

11. The image data generation method according to claim 1, wherein the image data is dynamic image data that include a plurality of individual image data.

12. The image data generation method according to claim 11, wherein the step (b) includes the steps of:

(b4) sequentially detecting physical information at the time the dynamic image data is acquired, the physical information represents the spatial variation of the image generation device; and

(b5) generating image indicative information by using the sequentially detected physical information, where the image indicative information indicates a group of individual image data included in the dynamic image data and the physical information corresponding to the group of individual image data satisfies a predetermined condition,

and wherein the variation-related information includes the image indicative information.

13. The image data generation method according to claim 12, wherein the step (b5) includes the steps of:

sequentially generating a variation level indicator by using the sequentially detected physical information, where the variation level indicator indicates a degree of variation of the image generation device; and

generating image indicative information by using the sequentially generated variation level indicator.

14. An image generation device comprising:

an image data acquisition module for acquiring image data by photographing a target object;

a variation-related information acquisition module for acquiring variation-related information, wherein the variation-related information relates to a spatial variation of the image generation device at the time the image data is acquired; and

a storage execution module for associating and storing the acquired image data and the acquired variation-related information with one another.

15. A control method for controlling an output module that outputs a target image represented by image data, by using the image data acquired by an image generation module and additional information associated with the image data, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) reading out the image data and the additional information;

(b) generating output data by using the image data, where the output data is to be supplied to the output module and represents the target image; and

(c) executing a predetermined control with respect to output of the target image from the output module, according to variation-related information that is included in the additional information and relates to a spatial variation of the image generation module at the time the image data is acquired.

16. The control method according to claim 15, wherein the variation-related information includes physical information that represents the spatial variation of the image generation module at the time the image data is acquired, and

the step (c) includes the steps of:

(c1) generating a variation level indicator by using the physical information, where the variation level indicator indicates a degree of variation of the image generation module; and

(c2) executing the predetermined control by using the variation level indicator.

17. The control method according to claim 16, wherein the physical information is acceleration information, and

the step (c1) includes the step of generating the variation level indicator by further using shutter speed information that is of the time the image data is acquired.

18. The control method according to claim 17, wherein the step (c1) includes the step of generating the variation level indicator by further using focal length information that is of the time the image data is acquired.

19. The control method according to claim 15, wherein the variation-related information includes a variation level indicator that indicates a degree of variation of the image generation module at the time the image data is acquired, and

the step (c) includes the step of executing the predetermined control by using the variation level indicator.

20. The control method according to claim 15, wherein the step (c) includes the step of prohibiting output of the target image from the output module, according to the variation-related information.

21. The control method according to claim 20, wherein the output module is a print module,

the step (b) includes the step of generating print data by using the image data, where the print data is to be supplied to the print module, and

the step (c) includes the step of prohibiting generation of the print data in the step (b), according to the variation-related information.

22. The control method according to claim 15, wherein the output module is a display module,

the step (b) includes the step of generating display data by using the image data, where the display data is to be supplied to the display module, and

the step (c) includes the step of causing generation of the display data in the step (b), such that an identifier is displayed in the display module according to the variation-related information.

23. The control method according to claim 15, wherein the image data is dynamic image data that includes a plurality of individual image data.

24. The control method according to claim 23, wherein the variation-related information includes image indicative information that indicates a group of individual image data included in the dynamic image data, where physical information that represents the spatial variation of the image generation module at the time the group of individual image data are acquired by the image generation module, satisfies a predetermined condition,

the output module is a display module,

the step (b) includes the step of generating display data by using the dynamic image data, where the display data is to be supplied to the display module;

and

the step (c) includes the step of causing generation of the display data in the step (b), such that a first image and a second image are displayed in the display module, the first image indicating a reproduction period in which the dynamic image data is reproduced and the second image indicating a reproduction period in which the group of individual image data is reproduced according to the image indicative information.

25. A control device for controlling an output module that outputs a target image represented by image data, by using the image data acquired by an image generation module and additional information associated with the image data, the device comprising:

a readout module that reads out the image data and the additional information;

an output data generation module that generates output data by using the image data, where the output data is to be supplied to the output module and represents the target image; and

a control module that executes a predetermined control with respect to output of the target image from the output module, according to variation-related information that is included in the additional information and relates to a spatial variation of the image generation module at the time the image data is acquired.

26. An image output device comprising:

the control device according to claim 25;

and

the output module.

27. A computer program product for controlling an output module that outputs a target image represented by image data, by using the image data acquired by an image generation module and additional information associated with the image data, the product comprising:

a computer-readable recording medium; and

a computer program that is recorded in the recording medium,

the computer program includes;

a first program for reading out the image data and the additional information;

a second program for generating output data by using the image data, where the output data is to be supplied to the output module and represents the target image; and

a third program for executing a predetermined control with respect to output of the target image from the output module, according to variation-related information that is included in the additional information and relates to a spatial variation of the image generation module at the time the image data is acquired.