IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, PRINTING APPARATUS, PRINTING METHOD, MEDIUM STORING A PROGRAM, AND IMAGE PROCESSING SYSTEM

• US 20100097642A1
• Filed: 10/07/2009
• Published: 04/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Sumi, Naoki
• Granted Patent: US 8,665,467 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00347 with another still picture apparatus, e.g. hybrid still picture apparatus circuits or arrangements for control or supervision between image input and image output device H04N1/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2307 Circuits or arrangements for the control thereof, e.g. using a programmed control device, according to a measured quantity H04N1/27, H04N1/29 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/233 according to characteristics of the data to be reproduced, e.g. number of lines
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0082 Image hardcopy reproducer H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera

Abstract

An image processing apparatus that extracts multiple still images from a moving image and performs an image process. A parameter indicating characteristics of moving image data are extracted, and a number of multiple still images is determined based on the parameter indicating characteristics of the moving image data. Then, based on a determined number of still images, multiple still images are extracted from the moving image, a extracted multiple still images are saved as a single file, and the image process is carried out using a saved multiple still images.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus that extracts multiple still images from a moving image and performs an image process, the apparatus comprising:

a parameter extraction unit configured to extract a parameter indicating characteristics of the moving image data;

a determination unit configured to determine a number of the multiple still images based on the parameter indicating characteristics of the moving image data;

an extraction unit configured to extract multiple still images from the moving image based on the number of still images determined by the determination unit;

a saving unit configured to save the multiple still images extracted by the extraction unit as a single file; and

a processing unit configured to perform an image process using the multiple still images saved in the saving unit.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the parameter indicating characteristics of the moving image data includes at least one of presence or absence of interlacing, a color format, and presence or absence of inter-frame prediction.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the parameter indicating characteristics of the moving image data further includes shooting information.

4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the extraction unit extracts a specific type of still image from the moving image.

5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the extraction unit extracts adjacent still images from the moving image.

6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an obtainment unit configured to obtain a parameter indicating characteristics of the image process,

wherein the determination unit determines the number of the multiple still images based on the parameter indicating characteristics of the moving image data and the parameter, obtained by the obtainment unit, indicating characteristics of the image process.

7. The image processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the parameter indicating characteristics of the image process includes at least one of a quality of a result of the image process, a detail of the image process, and the number of still images that can be processed.

8. An image processing method executed by an image processing apparatus that extracts multiple still images from a moving image and performs an image process, the method comprising the steps of:

extracting a parameter indicating characteristics of the moving image data;

determining a number of the multiple still images based on the parameter indicating characteristics of the moving image data;

extracting multiple still images from the moving image based on the number of still images determined in the step of determining;

saving, as a single file, the multiple still images extracted in the step of extracting multiple still images; and

performing an image process using the multiple still images saved in the step of saving.

9. An image processing system in which an image processing apparatus that extracts multiple still images from a moving image and outputs a extracted still image data is connected to a printing apparatus that takes the still image data as an input and prints a still image,

wherein the image processing apparatus comprises:

a parameter extraction unit configured to extract, from the moving image, a parameter indicating characteristics of the moving image data, and send a extracted parameter to the printing apparatus along with a parameter for outputting the still image data;

an editing unit configured to receive the number of still images that can be processed by the printing apparatus, extract still images from the moving image based on a number of still images, and edit still image data corresponding to the number of still images as a single file; and

a sending unit configured to send the still image data to the printing apparatus, as the single file edited by the editing unit, and

the printing apparatus comprises;

a receiving unit configured to receive the parameter indicating characteristics of the moving image data and the parameter for outputting the still image data from the image processing apparatus;

a determination unit configured to determine the number of still images that can be processed based on the parameter indicating characteristics of the moving image data and the parameter for outputting the still image data, and send the number of still images to the image processing apparatus; and

a printing unit configured to print a still image based on the still image data contained in the file received from the image processing apparatus.

10. The image processing system according to claim 9, wherein the parameter indicating characteristics of the moving image data include at least one of presence or absence of interlacing, a color format, and presence or absence of inter-frame prediction.

11. The image processing system according to claim 10, wherein the parameter indicating characteristics of the moving image data further includes shooting information.

12. The image processing system according to claim 9, wherein the parameter for outputting the still image data includes at least one of the printing quality, a paper size, a paper type, a printing speed, and presence or absence of borders.

13. The image processing system according to claim 9, wherein the editing unit extracts adjacent still images from the moving image.

14. The image processing system according to claim 9, wherein the image processing apparatus further includes a saving unit configured to save a extracted still image data as the file.

15. A printing method executed by an image processing system in which an image processing apparatus that extracts multiple still images from a moving image and outputs a extracted still image data is connected to a printing apparatus that takes the still image data as an input and prints a still image, the method comprising the steps of:

extracting, from the moving image, a parameter indicating characteristics of the moving image data, and sending a extracted parameter to the printing apparatus along with a parameter for outputting the still image data;

receiving the parameter indicating characteristics of the moving image data and the parameter for outputting the still image data from the image processing apparatus;

determining a number of still images that can be processed by the printing apparatus based on the parameter indicating characteristics of the moving image data and the parameter for outputting the still image data received in the receiving step, and sending the number of still images to the image processing apparatus;

receiving the number of still images that can be processed by the printing apparatus, extracting still images from the moving image based on the number of still images, and editing still image data corresponding to the number of still images as a single file;

sending the still image data to the printing apparatus, as the single file edited in the editing step; and

generating and printing a still image based on the still image data received from the image processing apparatus.

16. An image processing apparatus used in an image processing system in which the image processing apparatus, that extracts multiple still images from a moving image and outputs a extracted still image data, is connected to a printing apparatus that takes the still image data as an input and prints a still image, the image processing apparatus comprising:

a parameter extraction unit configured to extract, from the moving image, a parameter indicating characteristics of the moving image data, and send a extracted parameter to the printing apparatus along with a parameter for outputting the still image data;

an editing unit configured to receive the number of still images that can be processed by the printing apparatus from the printing apparatus, extract still images from the moving image based on a number of still images, and edit still image data corresponding to the number of still images as a single file; and

a sending unit configured to send the still image data to the printing apparatus, as the single file edited by the editing unit.

17. A printing apparatus used in an image processing system in which an image processing apparatus that extracts multiple still images from a moving image and outputs a extracted still image data is connected to the printing apparatus, that takes the still image data as an input and prints a still image, the printing apparatus comprising:

a receiving unit configured to receive a parameter indicating characteristics of the moving image data and a parameter for outputting the still image data from the image processing apparatus;

a determination unit configured to determine a number of still images that can be processed based on the parameter indicating characteristics of the moving image data and the parameter for outputting the still image data, and send the number of still images to the image processing apparatus; and

a printing unit configured to receive a file in which the still image data corresponding to the number of still images that can be processed has been edited as a single unit, and print a still image based on the still image data contained in a received file.

18. A computer-readable medium in which is stored a program executed by a computer that extracts multiple still images from a moving image and performs an image process, the program causing the computer to:

extract a parameter indicating characteristics of the moving image data;

determine a number of the multiple still images based on the parameter indicating characteristics of the moving image data;

extract multiple still images from the moving image based on a determined number of still images;

save a extracted multiple still images as a single file; and

perform an image process using a saved multiple still images.

19. A computer-readable medium in which is stored a program that causes a computer to extract multiple still images from a moving image, output a extracted still image data, and print a still image using the still image data as an input, the program causing the computer to:

extract, from the moving image, a parameter indicating characteristics of the moving image data, and a parameter for outputting the still image data;

determine a number of still images that can be processed based on the parameter indicating characteristics of the moving image data and the parameter for outputting the still image data;

extract still images from the moving image based on the number of still images that can be processed, and edit the still image data corresponding to the number of still images as a single file; and

print a still image based on the still image data contained in a edited file.