Thumbnail generating apparatus and image shooting apparatus

• US 20070222884A1
• Filed: 03/21/2007
• Published: 09/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xacti Corporation (Office Support KK)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Hamamoto, Yasuhachi, Yoshida, Hiroaki, Okada, Seiji, Takeuchi, Satoru, Mori, Yukio, Yokohata, Masahiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,000,558 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/333.50
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/28 by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording G11B27/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/326 used signal is a video-frame or a video-field (P.I.P.)
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/212 Motion video recording combined with still video recording television signal recording H04N5/76
• 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 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0098 User intervention not otherwise provided for, e.g. placing documents, responding to an alarm
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/325 Modified version of the image, e.g. part of the image, image reduced in size or resolution, thumbnail or screennail
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/7921 for more than one processing mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8047 using transform coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8063 using time division multiplex of the PCM audio and PCM video signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8227 the additional signal being at least another television signal

Abstract

Based on, for example, the image at the start of a movie, a thumbnail image is tentatively generated and is stored in a header file. If a predetermined triggering condition is fulfilled during movie shooting, a thumbnail image is generated from the frame image at the timing that the triggering condition is fulfilled, and the thumbnail image existing in the header file is replaced with the newly generated thumbnail image. The triggering condition is fulfilled, for example, if, after zooming-in, the angle of view has been kept fixed for a predetermined period or longer, or if the focus has been kept locked for a predetermined period.

Claims

1. A thumbnail generating apparatus

that, based on a sensed-image signal representing a subject received from an image shooting portion provided in an image shooting apparatus capable of shooting a movie, generates a thumbnail image associated with the shot movie,

that includes a first generation portion generating, based on the sensed-image signal at prescribed timing, a first candidate thumbnail image as a candidate for the thumbnail image, and

that, when a predetermined triggering condition is fulfilled during shooting of the movie, based on the sensed-image signal at predetermined timing relative to when the triggering condition is fulfilled, generates a second candidate thumbnail image different from the first candidate thumbnail image and associates, as the thumbnail image, the second candidate thumbnail image with the movie.

2. The thumbnail generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the image shooting apparatus includes a view angle changing portion that allows an angle of view at which the image shooting portion performs shooting to be changed, and

the triggering condition includes a condition that, after zooming-in is performed to decrease the angle of view, no change has been made in the angle of view by the view angle changing portion for a predetermined period or longer.

3. The thumbnail generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the image shooting apparatus includes an autofocus control portion that automatically adjusts a position of a focus lens so that an optical image representing the subject is focused on an image sensing surface of an image sensing device provided in the image shooting portion, and

the triggering condition includes a condition that a width of variation of the position has remained smaller than or equal to a predetermined threshold value for a predetermined period or longer.

4. The thumbnail generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the image shooting apparatus includes a motion detecting portion that detects motion within a motion detection area in an image based on the sensed-image signal, the motion detection area being defined in a shot image included in the movie, and

the triggering condition includes a condition that a magnitude of the detected motion has remained smaller than or equal to a predetermined threshold value for a predetermined period or longer.

5. The thumbnail generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the image shooting apparatus includes a face area detection portion that detects a person'"'"'s face area in a shot image included in the movie based on the sensed-image signal, and

the triggering condition includes a condition that a size of the detected face area is larger than or equal to a predetermined threshold value.

6. The thumbnail generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the image shooting apparatus includes a sound input portion that receives input of sound from outside,

whether or not the triggering condition is fulfilled is checked based on intensity or loudness of the sound inputted during shooting of the movie, and

the second candidate thumbnail image is generated from the sensed-image signal at predetermined timing relative to when the intensity or loudness of the sound, or the intensity or loudness of a frequency component of the sound in a predetermined band, is maximal during shooting of the movie.

7. The thumbnail generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

when the triggering condition is fulfilled during shooting of the movie, the second candidate thumbnail image is generated from the sensed-image signal at a frame during which the triggering condition is fulfilled or at a frame close to that frame.

8. The thumbnail generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

when the triggering condition is not fulfilled even once during shooting of the movie, the first candidate thumbnail image is associated, as the thumbnail image, with the movie.

9. The thumbnail generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the image shooting apparatus is capable of shooting a still image during shooting of the movie, and

the triggering condition includes a condition that an instruction to shoot the still image is entered.

10. An image shooting apparatus capable of shooting a movie, comprising:

the image shooting portion and the thumbnail generating apparatus according to claim 1.

11. A thumbnail generating apparatus

that, based on a sensed-image signal representing a subject received from an image shooting portion provided in an image shooting apparatus capable of shooting a still image during shooting of a movie, generates a thumbnail image associated with the shot movie, and

that, when a still image is shot during shooting of the movie, generates the thumbnail image from the sensed-image signal at predetermined timing relative to when the still image is shot.

12. The thumbnail generating apparatus according to claim 11, wherein

the thumbnail image is generated from the sensed-image signal representing the still image.

13. The thumbnail generating apparatus according to claim 11, wherein

the thumbnail generating apparatus includes a selection portion that, when a plurality of still images are shot during shooting of the movie, selects one of the still images as an adopted still image, and

the thumbnail image is generated from the sensed-image signal at predetermined timing relative to when the adopted still image is shot.

14. The thumbnail generating apparatus according to claim 13, wherein

which of the still images to select as the adopted still image is prescribed.

15. The thumbnail generating apparatus according to claim 13, wherein

the thumbnail generating apparatus includes a contrast detection portion that defines a predetermined contrast detection area in each of the still images and that, based on the sensed-image signal representing the shot still images, detects a degree of contrast within the contrast detection area for each of the still images, and

the selection portion selects the adopted still image based on results of comparison of the degree of contrast among the still images.

16. The thumbnail generating apparatus according to claim 13, wherein

the thumbnail generating apparatus includes an area division portion that defines a predetermined detection area in each of the still images and that, based on the sensed-image signal representing the shot still images, divides, in each of the still images, the detection area into a plurality of brightness regions or a plurality of color regions, and

the selection portion identifies, in each of the still images, a brightness region or color region having a largest area among all the brightness regions or color regions, and selects the adopted still image based on results of comparison of an area of the brightness region or color region having the largest area among the still images.

17. The thumbnail generating apparatus according to claim 13, wherein

the image shooting apparatus includes a sound input portion that receives input of sound from outside,

the thumbnail generating apparatus includes a sound detection portion that detects, for each of the shot still images, intensity or loudness of the sound, or intensity or loudness of a frequency component of the sound in a predetermined band, corresponding to timing that the still image is shot, and

the selection portion selects the adopted still image based on results of comparison of the intensity or loudness of the sound or the intensity or loudness of the frequency component of the sound in the predetermined band among the still images.

18. The thumbnail generating apparatus according to claim 11, wherein

when a plurality of still images are shot during shooting of the movie, part or all of the still images are selected as adopted still images so that there are a plurality of adopted still images,

for each of the adopted still images, a thumbnail element image is generated from the sensed-image signal at predetermined timing relative to when the adopted still image is shot, and

the thumbnail image is generated by synthesizing together thumbnail element images of the adopted still images.

19. An image shooting apparatus capable of shooting a still image during shooting of a movie, comprising:

the image shooting portion and the thumbnail generating apparatus according to claim 11.