Image processing apparatus and method

• US 7,030,912 B1
• Filed: 03/11/1999
• Issued: 04/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Honma, Yoshihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Ometz, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): AGGARWAL, YOGESH K
• Application Number:
  US09/266,269
• Time in Patent Office: 2,595 Days
• Field of Search: 348/333.12, 348/239, 348/231.3, 348/222.1, 348/208.6, 348/231.5, 348/580, 358/448, 358/450, 358/451, 358/452, 382295-297, 382/298, 382/2
• US Class Current: 348/222.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42692 for reading from or writing on a volatile storage medium, e.g. Random Access Memory [RAM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/431 Generation of visual interfaces for content selection or interaction; Content or additional data rendering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/00 Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/633 for displaying additional information relating to control or operation of the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/278 Subtitling
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44504 Circuit details of the additional information generator, e.g. details of the character or graphics signal generator, overlay mixing circuits

Abstract

An image processor which forms a composite image of at least two images includes a storage unit which stores first and second image data, and a display unit which reads and displays the stored first and second image data in modes adapted to display forms of the first and second image data. The image processor also includes an image-signal forming unit which forms image signals representing a composite image of the stored first and second image data for display on a television monitor and a liquid crystal display panel.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:

an image capture unit;

a memory adapted to store a first image captured by said image capture unit;

a first superimposing unit adapted to superimpose a second image on the first image read from said memory;

a second superimposing unit adapted to superimpose a third image on the first image read from said memory;

a display unit adapted to display the first image, on which the second image is superimposed; and

an outputting unit adapted to output the first image, on which the third image is superimposed, from said image processing apparatus,

wherein, when capturing an image, said image processing apparatus rotates the second image in a first direction according to a position of said image capture unit, superimposes the rotated second image on the first image, and displays the first image, on which the rotated second image is superimposed, on said display unit, and, at the same time, rotates the first image in a direction opposite to the first direction, superimposes the third image without rotation on the rotated first image, and outputs the rotated first image, on which the third image is superimposed without rotation, from said outputting unit.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second image comprises the same image data as the third image.

3. A digital camera comprising:

an image capture unit;

a memory adapted to store a first image captured by said image capture unit;

a first superimposing unit adapted to superimpose a second image on the first image read from said memory;

a second superimposing unit adapted to superimpose a third image on the first image read from said memory;

a display unit adapted to display the first image, on which the second image is superimposed; and

an outputting unit adapted to output the first image, on which the third image is superimposed, from said digital camera,

wherein, when capturing an image, said digital camera rotates the second image in a first direction according to a position of said image capture unit, superimposes the rotated second image on the first image, and displays the first image, on which the rotated second image is superimposed, on said display unit, and, at the same time, rotates the first image in a direction opposite to the first direction, superimposes the third image without rotation on the rotated first image, and outputs the rotated first image, on which the third image is superimposed without rotation, from said outputting unit.

4. The digital camera according to claim 3, wherein the second image comprises the same image data as the third image.

5. A method for use in an image processing apparatus including an image capture unit, a memory adapted to store a first image captured by the image capture unit, a display unit adapted to display the first image, and an outputting unit adapted to output the first image from the image processing apparatus, the method comprising:

a first rotating step of rotating a second image in a first direction according to a position of the image capture unit;

a first superimposing step of superimposing the rotated second image on the first image read from the memory;

a displaying step of displaying the first image, on which the rotated second image is superimposed, using the display unit;

a second rotating step of rotating the first image in a direction opposite to the first direction;

a second superimposing step of superimposing a third image without rotation on the rotated first image read from the memory;

an outputting step of outputting the rotated first image, on which the third image is superimposed without rotation, from the image processing apparatus,

wherein, when capturing an image, said display step and said outputting step are performed at the same time.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the second image comprises the same image data as the third image.

7. A method for use in a digital camera including an image capture unit, a memory adapted to store a first image captured by the image capture unit, a display unit adapted to display the first image, and an outputting unit adapted to output the first image from the digital camera, the method comprising:

a first rotating step of rotating a second image in a first direction according to a position of the image capture unit;

a first superimposing step of superimposing the rotated second image on the first image read from the memory;

a displaying step of displaying the first image, on which the rotated second image is superimposed, using the display unit;

a second rotating step of rotating the first image in a direction opposite to the first direction;

a second superimposing step of superimposing a third image without rotation on the rotated first image read from the memory;

an outputting step of outputting the rotated first image, on which the third image is superimposed without rotation, from the digital camera,

wherein, when capturing an image, said display step and said outputting step are performed at the same time.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the second image comprises the same image data as the third image.