Information processing method and apparatus for displaying and zooming an object image and a line drawing

• US 6,188,432 B1
• Filed: 06/23/1997
• Issued: 02/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Ejima, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Garber, Wendy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vu, Ngoc-Yen, VU, NGOC YEN T
• Application Number:
  US08/880,413
• Time in Patent Office: 1,331 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.5235, H04/N.5225, H04/N.576, H04/N.5262, H04/N.5222, 345/127, 345/130, 345/179, 345/131, 348/207, 348/222, 348/239, 348/240, 348/333, 348/334, 348/358, 348/231-233, 348/561, 348/564, 348/584, 348/585, 348/586, 348/587, 348/588, 348/589
• US Class Current: 348/240.99
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/40 Scaling of whole images or parts thereof, e.g. expanding or contracting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/633 for displaying additional information relating to control or operation of the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2628 Alteration of picture size, shape, position or orientation, e.g. zooming, rotation, rolling, perspective, translation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence

Abstract

An information processing apparatus can display an object image and a line drawing overlapping each other. An area of the object image can be zoomed (enlarged or reduced) while the line drawing is left the same size, or optionally the line drawing can be zoomed in proportion to the object image zooming, so that the information displayed by the relative positional relationship between the object image and the line drawing is maintained.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus for displaying an object image and a line drawing, comprising:

first and second zooming means for zooming the object image and the line drawing, respectively;

selection means for selecting a zooming mode from a set of modes including a first mode and a second mode; and

control means for;

when the selection means has selected the first mode as the zooming mode, causing the second zooming means to zoom the line drawing when the object image is zoomed by the first zooming means; and

when the selection means has selected the second mode as the zooming mode, keeping the second zooming means from zooming the line drawing when the object image is zoomed by the first zooming means.

2. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second zooming means zooms the line drawing in proportion to the zooming of the object image by the first zooming means.

3. The information processing apparatus of claim 2, further comprising imaging means for forming the object image.

4. The information processing apparatus of claim 2, further comprising line drawing input means for inputting the line drawing.

5. The information processing apparatus of claim 2, further comprising recording means for recording the object image and the line drawing.

6. The information processing apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

imaging means for forming the object image;

line drawing input means for inputting the line drawing;

recording means for recording the object image and the line drawing; and

display means for displaying at least the object image and the line drawing.

7. The information processing apparatus of claim 2, further comprising display means for displaying at least the object image and the line drawing.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said information processing apparatus is an electronic, digital camera, and said display means includes a display screen located on a surface of said camera.

9. An information processing and display method, comprising:

inputting a first object image and a first line drawing;

selecting a picture portion of the first object image to be zoomed;

zooming the picture portion to obtain a zoomed object image;

selecting a zooming mode from a set of modes including a first mode and a second mode;

displaying a composite image;

when the second mode is selected as the zooming mode, forming the composite image from the zoomed object image and the first line drawing; and

when the first mode is selected as the zooming mode;

selecting, based on the selected picture portion, a drawing portion of the first line drawing;

zooming the drawing portion to obtain a zoomed line drawing; and

forming the composite image from the zoomed object image and the zoomed line drawing.

10. The information processing and display method of claim 9, wherein the zooming of the drawing portion is proportional to the zooming of the picture portion.

11. An information processing apparatus for displaying an object image and a line drawing, comprising:

a photoelectric conversion device that converts a light image of an object into object image signals;

a line drawing input device through which a user inputs line drawing data;

a memory, coupled to the photoelectric conversion device and to the line drawing input device, to store the object image signals and the line drawing data;

a display on which at least the image of the object and the line drawing are displayed; and

a controller, coupled to the memory and to the display, to control the display of the image of the object and the line drawing on the display, the controller being capable of independently zooming the image of the object and the line drawing.

12. The information processing apparatus of claim 11, wherein the controller zooms the line drawing in proportion to the zooming of the image of the object.

13. The information processing apparatus of claim 11, wherein the information processing apparatus is an electronic, digital camera, and the photoelectric conversion device includes a lens that forms the light image of the object on the photoelectric conversion device.

14. The information processing apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

a selection device, coupled to the controller, to enable the selection between a first zooming mode and a second zooming mode;

wherein;

when the first zooming mode is selected, the controller zooms the line drawing and the image of the object; and

when the second zooming mode is selected, the controller zooms the image of the object without zooming the line drawing.