Image reproducing apparatus, method of controlling same and control program therefor

• US 20070257993A1
• Filed: 04/24/2007
• Published: 11/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Katayama, Noriko, Hara, Toshita
• Granted Patent: US 7,672,977 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/231.200
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/51 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/58 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00453 arranged in a two dimensional array
• 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 2201/3214 of a date
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3215 of a time or duration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3277 The additional information being stored in the same storage device as the image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• 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 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A number of images are grouped and recorded in an image database. A main image is displayed in a main display area. Images having both “PORTRAIT” and “BEACH” photographic scenes, which have been assigned to the main image, assigned thereto are found in groups different from the group to which the main image belongs. The images found are displayed in an auxiliary display area as related images.

Claims

1. An image reproducing apparatus comprising:

a first reading device for reading image data and keyword data representing a desired image from a recording medium on which a number of sets of image data and keyword data have been grouped and recorded, the image data representing an image obtained by picture taking and the keyword data representing a keyword of the image, the image data and keyword data in each set being interrelated;

a first display control device for controlling a display device in such a manner that the main image represented by the image data read by said first reading device is displayed on a display screen;

a command input device for inputting a related-image display command;

a second reading device for reading, from the recording medium in response to the related-image display command that has been input from said command input device, image data which is related to keyword data indicative of a keyword identical with the keyword of the main image being displayed under the control of the first display control device, and which is contained in groups different from the group to which the main image belongs;

a first reducing device for reducing the image, which is represented by the image data that has been read by said second reading device, to a size smaller than that of the main image; and

a second display control device for controlling the display device in such a manner that the image reduced in size by the first reducing device is displayed as a related image on the display screen displaying the main image.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a selecting device for selecting the related image;

a second reducing device for reducing an image, which is represented by image data contained in a group to which image data representing the related image selected by the selecting device belongs, to a size smaller than that of the main image; and

a third display control device for controlling the display device in such a manner that the image reduced in size by said second reducing device is displayed on the display screen that is displaying the main image.

3. A method of controlling an image reproducing device, comprising the steps of:

reading by a first reading device image data and keyword data representing a desired image from a recording medium on which a number of sets of image data and keyword data have been grouped and recorded, the image data representing an image obtained by picture taking and the keyword data representing a keyword of the image, the image data and keyword data in each set being interrelated;

controlling a display device by a first display control device in such a manner that the main image represented by the image data read by the first reading device is displayed on a display screen;

reading by a second reading device, from the recording medium in response to a related-image display command that has been input, image data which is related to keyword data indicative of a keyword identical with the keyword of the main image being displayed under the control of the first display control device, and which is contained in groups different from the group to which the main image belongs;

reducing the image, which is represented by the image data that has been read by the second reading device, to a size smaller than that of the main image by a reducing device; and

controlling the display device in such a manner that the image reduced in size by the reducing device is displayed as a related image on the display screen displaying the main image.

4. A program for causing a computer of an image reproducing apparatus to execute the following steps:

reading image data and keyword data representing a desired image from a recording medium on which a number of sets of image data and keyword data have been grouped and recorded, the image data representing an image obtained by picture taking and the keyword data representing a keyword of the image, the image data and keyword data in each set being interrelated;

controlling a display device in such a manner that the main image represented by the read image data is displayed on a display screen;

reading, from the recording medium in response to a related-image display command that has been input, image data which is related to keyword data indicative of a keyword identical with the keyword of the main image being displayed under the control of the first display control device, and which is contained in groups different from the group to which the main image belongs;

reducing the image, which is represented by the read image data, to a size smaller than that of the main image; and

controlling the display device in such a manner that the image that has been reduced in size is displayed as a related image on the display screen displaying the main image.