Image display device, image display control method and program

• US 8,730,259 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2008
• Issued: 05/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Araki, Tetsuhisa, Goda, Taisuke, Okudaira, Koushin
• Primary Examiner(s): Xiao, Ke
• Assistant Examiner(s): Imperial, Jed-Justin
• Application Number:
  US12/229,029
• Publication Number:
  US 20090051700A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,100 Days
• Field of Search: 345/619, 345634-637, 382224-228, 715/200, 715/204, 715243-245, 715730-732
• US Class Current: 345/619
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/70 of video data
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/39 Control of the bit-mapped memory

Abstract

An image grouping device which may comprise a first classifying unit for classifying a plurality of items of image data in a first predetermined unit, a second classifying unit for breaking the plurality of the items of image data classified by the first classifying unit into smaller groups in a second predetermined unit, and a control unit for controlling the plurality of the items of image data classified by the second classifying unit to be displayed on a display. The control unit may automatically select a background image according to background music during a slide show.

Claims

1. An image grouping device comprising:

a first classifying means for classifying a plurality of items of image data in a first predetermined unit;

a second classifying means for breaking the plurality of the items of image data classified by the first classifying means into smaller groups in a second predetermined unit; and

a control means for controlling the plurality of the items of image data classified by the second classifying means to be displayed on a display;

wherein the control means automatically selects a background image according to background music during a slide show,

wherein a first cover screen is provided for displaying information indicative of the first predetermined unit, a plurality of subevent cover screens, accessible from the first cover screen, are provided for displaying information indicative of respective second predetermined units, at least one of the subevent cover screens including a plurality of images of the corresponding second predetermined unit displayed in an overlapped fashion, and an image included in a particular second predetermined unit being accessible through the subevent cover screen corresponding to the particular second predetermined unit,

wherein the first cover screen includes (i) a plurality of images of the corresponding first predetermined unit displayed in an overlapped fashion and (ii) text, the text being superimposed on the plurality of images of the corresponding first predetermined unit and being indicative of a date and subject related to the first predetermined unit, and

wherein the first cover screen is displayed for each of (i) an event being selected from a screen displaying a listing of events, and (ii) a scrapbook mode being exited.

2. The image grouping device according to claim 1,

wherein the control means first displays the plurality of items of image data in the first predetermined unit by a list, and

when a desired item is selected from the list, the control means displays corresponding items in the second predetermined unit.

3. The image grouping device according to claim 1,

further comprising a storage means which stores therein image data, and attribute information indicating an event and a subevent to which the image data belongs, together with the image data.

4. An image display control method comprising the steps of:

grouping a group of image data taken on close dates and times into an event in a plurality of items of image data;

detecting a timing of a scene change;

second grouping a group of image data contained in the event into a subevent broken into a smaller group based on the timing of a scene change; and

controlling the group of image data from the second grouping step,

wherein the controlling step controls a display to display all images of the group of image data from the second grouping step in the display, and overlap the images so at least a part of each image is displayed on the display,

wherein a first cover screen is provided for displaying information indicative of the event, a plurality of subevent cover screens, accessible from the first cover screen, are provided for displaying information indicative of respective subevents, at least one of the subevent cover screens including a plurality of images of the corresponding subevent displayed in an overlapped fashion, and an image included in a particular subevent being accessible through the subevent cover screen corresponding to the particular subevent,

wherein the first cover screen includes (i) a plurality of images of the corresponding event displayed in an overlapped fashion and (ii) text, the text being superimposed on the plurality of images of the corresponding event and being indicative of a date and subject related to the event, and

wherein the first cover screen is displayed for each of (i) an event being selected from a screen displaying a listing of events, and (ii) a scrapbook mode being exited.

5. The image display control method according to claim 4,

wherein the controlling step comprises controlling the display to display the plurality of items of image data in the event by a list, and

when a desired item is selected from the list, the controlling step comprises controlling the display to display corresponding items in the subevent.

6. The image display control method according to claim 4,

further comprising storing image data and attribute information, indicating an event and a subevent to which the image data belongs, together with the image data.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable memory having stored thereon a program which allows a computer to provide:

an event clustering function of grouping a group of image data taken on close dates and times into an event in a plurality of items of image data;

a scene change detecting function of detecting a timing of a scene change;

a subevent clustering function of grouping a group of image data classified by the subevent clustering function and contained in an event into a subevent broken into a smaller group based on the timing of a scene change detected by the scene change detecting function; and

a display control function of controlling the group of image data from the subevent clustering function,

wherein the display control function controls a display to display all images of the group of image data from the subevent clustering function in the display, and overlap the images so at least a part of each image is displayed on the display,

wherein a first cover screen is provided for displaying information indicative of the event, a plurality of subevent cover screens, accessible from the first cover screen, are provided for displaying information indicative of respective subevents, at least one of the subevent cover screens including a plurality of images of the corresponding subevent displayed in an overlapped fashion, and an image included in a particular subevent being accessible through the subevent cover screen corresponding to the particular subevent,

wherein the first cover screen includes (i) a plurality of images of the corresponding event displayed in an overlapped fashion and (ii) text, the text being superimposed on the plurality of images of the corresponding event unit and being indicative of a date and subject related to the event, and

wherein the first cover screen is displayed for each of (i) an event being selected from a screen displaying a listing of events, and (ii) a scrapbook mode being exited.

8. The computer-readable medium according to claim 7,

wherein the display control function first displays the plurality of items of image data in the event by a list, and

when a desired item is selected from the list, the display control function displays corresponding items in the subevent.

9. The computer-readable medium according to claim 7,

wherein the program allows the computer to further provide a storage function which stores image data and attribute information, indicating an event and a subevent to which the image data belongs, together with the image data.

10. An image grouping device comprising:

a first classifying unit configured to classify a plurality of items of image data in a first predetermined unit;

a second classifying unit configured to break the plurality of the items of image data classified by the first classifying unit into smaller groups in a second predetermined unit; and

a control unit configured to control the plurality of the items of image data classified by the second classifying unit to be displayed on a display;

wherein the control unit automatically selects a background image according to background music during a slide show,

wherein a first cover screen is provided for displaying information indicative of the first predetermined unit, a plurality of subevent cover screens, accessible from the first cover screen, are provided for displaying information indicative of respective second predetermined units, at least one of the subevent cover screens including a plurality of images of the corresponding second predetermined unit displayed in an overlapped fashion, and an image included in a particular second predetermined unit being accessible through the subevent cover screen corresponding to the particular second predetermined unit,

wherein the first cover screen includes (i) a plurality of images of the corresponding first predetermined unit displayed in an overlapped fashion and (ii) text, the text being superimposed on the plurality of images of the corresponding first predetermined unit and being indicative of a date and subject related to the first predetermined unit, and

wherein the first cover screen is displayed for each of (i) an event being selected from a screen displaying a listing of events, and (ii) a scrapbook mode being exited.

11. The image grouping device according to claim 10,

wherein the control unit first displays the plurality of items of image data in the first predetermined unit by a list, and

when a desired item is selected from the list, the control unit displays corresponding items in the second predetermined unit.

12. The image grouping device according to claim 10,

further comprising a storage unit which stores therein image data, and attribute information indicating an event and a subevent to which the image data belongs together with the image data.