Method and apparatus for reproducing image from data obtained by digital camera and digital camera used therefor

• US 6,011,547 A
• Filed: 10/22/1997
• Issued: 01/04/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Shiota, Kazuo, Haneda, Norihisa, Takemura, Kazuhiko, Fukada, Shigekazu
• Primary Examiner(s): SAX, STEVEN PAUL
• Application Number:
  US08/956,033
• Time in Patent Office: 804 Days
• Field of Search: 345/327, 345/328, 345/326, 345/340, 345/329-339, 345/341-348, 395/114-117, 382/261-263
• US Class Current: 382/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32101 Display, printing, storage or transmission of additional information, e.g. ID code, date and time or title
• 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 1/56 Processing of colour picture signals H04N1/52 takes precedence
• 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 2201/3226 of identification information or the like, e.g. ID code, index, title, part of an image, reduced-size image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3242 of processing required or performed, e.g. for reproduction or before recording H04N2201/3256 and subgroups take precedence
• 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 2201/3277 The additional information being stored in the same storage device as the image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3278 Transmission

Abstract

When a picture image recorded by a digital camera is reproduced, a high quality picture image is immediately reproduced without repetitive test prints for enhancing a picture quality or repetitive minor adjustments based on a confirmation via a monitor. Recording is carried out by a digital camera having a function of adding recording information representing a recording condition (a recording information adding unit) to digital image data obtained by the recording. A set-up processing unit in an image reproducing apparatus carries out image processing on the image data obtained by the recording for enhancing a picture quality using the recording information added to the image data, and the image reproducing apparatus reproduces the image data in the form of a print or a display on a monitor.

Claims

1. An image reproducing method comprising:

obtaining digital image data recorded by a digital image recording device

obtaining recording information representing a recording condition specific to the digital image recording device;

storing the digital image data and the recording information together as an image file together in an image server;

carrying out image processing of the image file for enhancing a picture quality of the digital image data having been stored in the storage medium by using the stored recording information to determine an optimal image processing condition; and

reproducing the digital image data on which the image processing has been carried out based on the optimal image processing condition.

2. The image reproducing method as defined in claim 1, before the carrying out image processing step, further comprising:

adding the optimal image processing condition to the digital image data and the recording information for storage as the image file, wherein

the carrying out step carries out the image processing of the image file stored in the storage medium for enhancing the picture quality of the digital image data based on the stored optimal image processing condition added to the image file.

4. The image reproducing apparatus as defined in claim 2 or 5, comprising recording information adding means for adding the recording information to the digital image data.

6. The image reproducing method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

adding a content of AE processing the recording information.

7. The image reproducing method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

adding a designation indicating a direction to halt additional correction to the recording information.

8. The image reproducing method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

adding a trimming designation function indicator to the recording information for designating an area of the digital image data to be trimmed.

9. The image reproducing method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

adding at least one of a focusing length and a focusing position to the recording information.

10. The image reproducing method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

adding at lease one of a lighting condition obtained from a color sensor or exposure meter, a flash occurrence condition, and an outdoor weather indicator to the recording information.

11. The image reproducing method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

adding a title of the digital image data to the recording information.

3. An image reproducing apparatus comprising:

image serving means for storing digital image data and recording information together as an image file in an image server;

image processing means for carrying out an image processing of the image file for enhancing a picture quality of the digital image data using the stored recording information to determine an optimal image processing condition; and

reproducing means for reproducing the digital image data processed by the image processing means based on the optimal image processing condition.

5. The image reproducing apparatus as defined in claim 3, further comprising:

means for adding the optimal image processing condition to the digital image data and the recording information for storage as the image file, wherein

the image processing means carries out the image processing of the image file stored in the storage medium for enhancing the picture quality of the digital image data based on the stored optimal image processing condition added to the image file.

12. The image reproducing apparatus as defined in claim 3, further comprising:

means for adding a content of AE processing the recording information.

13. The image reproducing apparatus as defined in claim 3, further comprising:

means for adding a designation indicating a direction to halt additional correction to the recording information.

14. The image reproducing apparatus as defined in claim 3, further comprising:

means for adding a trimmings designation function indicator to the recording information for designating an area of the digital image data to be trimmed.

15. The image reproducing apparatus as defined in claim 3, further comprising:

means for adding at least one of a focusing length and a focusing position to the recording information.

16. The image reproducing apparatus as defined in claim 3, further comprising:

means for adding at lease one of a lighting condition obtained from a color sensor or exposure meter, a flash occurrence condition, and an outdoor weather indicator to the recording information.

17. The image reproducing apparatus as defined in claim 3, further comprising:

means for adding a title of the digital image data to the recording information.

18. An image reproducing apparatus system comprising:

an image pick up unit that records digital image data;

a processing unit that provides automatic exposure processing to the digital image data; and

a recording information adding unit that adds recording information including a ratio of an input light amount versus an output voltage of the digital camera to the digital image data and stores the digital image data and the recording information together as an image file in an image server.

19. The image reproducing apparatus system of claim 18 further comprising:

image serving means for storing digital image data and the recording information together as an image file in an image server;

image processing means for carrying out an image processing of the image file for enhancing a picture quality of the digital image data using the stored recording information to determine an optimal image processing condition; and

reproducing means for reproducing the digital image data processed by the image processing means based on the optimal image processing condition.