Image display and storage apparatus, method and medium

• US 7,821,523 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2007
• Issued: 10/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Choi, Sung-guy, Kim, Nam-woo, Kim, Seong-woon, Yim, Yill-myung, Kim, Yeun-bae, Yi, Kwon Ju, Yoo, Byung-in
• Primary Examiner(s): Sajous; Wesner
• Application Number:
  US11/706,987
• Publication Number:
  US 20070211072A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,348 Days
• Field of Search: 345/428, 345/581, 345/589, 345593-594, 345/600, 345/601, 345618-619, 345629-630, 345/635, 345/549, 382166-167, 382/232, 382/254, 382/276, 382/305, 715/700, 715/800, 715763-764, 715/815, 715/838
• US Class Current: 345/600
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0044 for image preview or review, e.g. to help the user position a sheet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3875 combined with enlarging or reducing enlarging or reducing per se H04N1/393
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/6011 with simulation on a subsidiary picture reproducer H04N1/622 takes precedence; matching two or more picture reproducers H04N1/6052
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/00 Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/632 for displaying or modifying preview images prior to image capturing, e.g. variety of image resolutions or capturing parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/634 Warning indications

Abstract

An image display and storage device, method, and medium to process an original image and generate a main image so that the original image does not overlap a sub image, and store the original image instead of the main image when the main image and the sub image are displayed. The device includes an image processor to receive an image, and to generate a display image and a storage image using the received image, a display unit to receive the display image from the image processor, and to display the display image, and an image storing unit to receive the storage image from the image processor and to store the image.

Claims

1. An image display and storage device comprising:

an image processor to receive an image and to generate a display image and a storage image using the received image, an image characteristic of the display image being different than an image characteristic of the storage image;

a display unit to receive the display image from the image processor, and to display the display image; and

an image storing unit to receive the storage image from the image processor and to store the storage image; and

a controller to control the image processor to generate the display image in a preview mode and to generate the display image and the storage image in a photography mode.

2. The image display and storage device of claim 1, wherein the image processor comprises:

a first display image processor, to generate a main image by converting an aspect ratio of the received image and to combine the main image with a sub image to generate the display image; and

a first storage image processor to compress the received image, thereby generating the storage image.

3. The image display and storage device of claim 2, wherein the input image processor comprises:

an image acquiring unit to acquire an image;

a color adjustment unit to process the acquired image by performing at least one of auto exposure, auto white balance, and auto focus on the acquired image; and

a pixel number adjustment unit to convert the processed image from the color adjustment unit according to a video display standard.

4. The image display and storage device of claim 2, wherein the display unit includes a main display area for displaying the main image and a button display area for displaying the sub image.

5. The image display and storage device of claim 3, wherein the first display image processor comprises:

a size adjustment unit to generate the main image by converting an aspect ratio of the converted image from the pixel number adjustment unit; and

a display image generator to combine the main image with the sub image and to generate the display image,

wherein the aspect ratio of the main image depends on a size of the sub image so that the display image is based on the video display standard.

6. The image display and storage device of claim 1, wherein the image processor comprises:

an input image processor to adjust at least one of a color and the number of pixels of the input image;

a second display image processor to generate a main image by converting an aspect ratio of the adjusted image, to generate a thumbnail image of the adjusted image, to output at least one of the thumbnail image and the adjusted image and to generate the display image by combining the main image with the sub image; and

a second storage image processor to generate the storage image by compressing at least one of the thumbnail image and the adjusted image.

7. The image display and storage device of claim 6, further comprising a controller to selectively activate the second display image processor and the second storage image processor based on whether the image display and storage device is in at least one of a preview mode and a photography mode.

8. The image display and storage device of claim 6, wherein the input image processor comprises:

an image acquiring unit to acquire an image;

a color adjustment unit to process the acquired image by performing at least one of auto exposure, auto white balance, auto focus on the acquired image; and

a pixel number adjustment unit to convert the number of pixels of the processed image, from the color adjustment unit, into a predetermined number of pixels.

9. The image display and storage device of claim 6, wherein the display unit includes a main display area for displaying the main image and a button display area for displaying the sub image.

10. The image display and storage device of claim 8, wherein the second display image processor comprises:

a size adjustment unit to generate the main image by converting an aspect ratio of the adjusted image from the pixel number adjustment unit, and to output the main image, when the image display and storage device is in the preview mode, and to generate a thumbnail image of the adjusted image, and to output the thumbnail image and the adjusted image when the image display and storage device is in the photography mode; and

a display image generator to combine the main image with the sub image and to generate the display image.

11. The image display and storage device of claim 6, wherein the second storage image processor comprises:

a compression unit to generate the storage image by compressing the adjusted image and the thumbnail image; and

an input/output interface to transfer the storage image to the outside.

12. The image display and storage device of claim 1, wherein the image processor comprises:

an input image processor to adjust at least one of a color and the number of pixels of the received image, as an adjusted image;

a first display image processor, to generate a main image by converting an aspect ratio of the adjusted image and to combine the main image with a sub image to generate the display image; and

a first storage image processor to compress the adjusted image, thereby generating the storage image.

13. An image display and storage device comprising:

an image processor to generate a main image to be displayed without overlapping a sub image by processing an original image which would otherwise overlap the sub image when displayed, the original image having an image characteristic that is different than an image characteristic of the main image;

a display unit to display the main image and the sub image together; and

a photographed image storing unit to store the original image,

wherein the image processor comprises;

a size adjustment unit to generate the main image by processing the original image so that a display size of the original image is reduced; and

a display image generator to combine the main image with the sub image and to output the combined main image and sub image to the display unit.

14. The image display and storage device of claim 13, wherein the image processor further comprises a compression unit to compress the original image and output the compressed original image to the photographed image storage unit.

15. The image display and storage device of claim 13, wherein the image processor generates a thumbnail image of the original image and the main image, and the photographed image storage unit stores the original image and the thumbnail image.

16. The image display and storage device of claim 13, wherein the display unit and the photographed image storage unit operate according to an operation mode of the image display and storage device.

17. The image display and storage device of claim 13, wherein the display unit includes a display panel, the main image is displayed on only a portion of the display panel, and the sub image is displayed on a different portion of the display panel, as the display portion of the main image.

18. A display and storage method performed by a terminal, comprising:

generating, by way of a processor, a display image and a storage image based on an original image according to whether the terminal is in a preview mode or not, the display image and the storage image being generated with a different image characteristic; and

selectively displaying and storing the display image and the storage image, respectively.

19. The image display and storage method of claim 18, wherein the generating of the display image and storage image comprises:

adjusting at least one of a color and the number of pixels of the an original image, as an adjusted image;

determining whether the terminal is in a preview mode;

if the terminal is in the preview mode, generating a main image by converting an aspect ratio of the adjusted image, and generating the display image by combining the main image with a sub image.

20. The image display and storage method of claim 19, wherein the generating of the display image and storage image further comprises, if the terminal is not in the preview mode, generating the storage image by compressing the adjusted image.

21. The image display and storage method of claim 19, wherein the generating of the main image and generating of the display image comprises:

receiving an image converted according to a video display standard, generating the main image by converting an aspect ratio of the converted image; and

wherein the aspect ratio of the main image depends on a size of the sub image so that the display image satisfies the video display standard.

22. The image display and storage method of claim 18, wherein the generating comprises:

inputting an image and adjusting at least one of a color and the number of pixels of the input image;

generating at least one of a thumbnail image of the adjusted image and a main image generated by converting an aspect ratio of the adjusted image;

determining whether the terminal is in a preview mode; and

generating a display image by combining the main image with a sub image when the terminal is in the preview mode.

23. The image display and storage method of claim 22, wherein the generating further comprises, generating the storage image by compressing at least one of the adjusted image and the thumbnail image when the terminal is not in the preview mode.

24. The image display and storage method of claim 22, wherein the generating a display image comprises:

receiving an image converted according to a video display standard, generating a main image by converting an aspect ratio of the converted image; and

receiving the main image, and generating the display image by combining the main image with the sub image,

wherein the aspect ratio of the main image depends on a size of the sub image so that the display image satisfies the video display standard.

25. An image display and storage method comprising:

generating, by way of a processor, a main image to be displayed without overlapping a sub image by processing an original image which would otherwise overlap the sub-image when displayed, the original image having an image characteristic that is different than an image characteristic of the main image;

displaying the main image and the sub image together without overlap; and

storing the original image,

wherein the main image is generated by processing the original image so that a display size of the original image is reduced.

26. At least one medium comprising computer readable code to control at least one processing element to implement the display and storage method of claim 25.

27. An image display and storage method performed by a terminal, comprising:

generating, by way of a processor, a main image which is displayed without overlapping a sub image by processing an original image which is capable of overlapping the sub image, the original image having an image characteristic that is different than an image characteristic of the main image;

displaying the main image and the sub image together;

determining whether the terminal is in a photography mode; and

selectively storing the original image based on the terminal being in a photography mode,

wherein the main image is generated by processing the original image so that a display size of the original image is reduced.

28. The image display and storage method performed by a terminal of claim 27, wherein the processing comprises altering an image characteristic of an original image.

29. The image display and storage method performed by a terminal of claim 28, wherein the image characteristic is an aspect ratio.

30. An image display and storage method performed by a terminal, comprising:

determining whether the terminal is in one of a preview mode and a photography mode;

generating a main image which is to be displayed without overlapping a sub image by processing an original image which would otherwise overlap the sub image when displayed, based on the terminal being in a preview mode;

generating a thumbnail image of the original image;

storing the thumbnail image and the original image based on the terminal being in a photography mode,

wherein the main image is generated by processing the original image so that a display size of the original image is reduced.

31. An image display and storage device comprising:

an image processor to generate a display image and a storage image from an original image, the display image and the storage image being generated with a different image characteristic;

a display unit to display the display image; and

an image storing unit to store the storage image; and

a controller to control the image processor to generate the display image in a preview mode and to generate the display image and the storage image in a photography mode.

32. The image display and storage device of claim 31, wherein the image characteristic is an aspect ratio.