Multi image-output display mode apparatus and method

• US 8,988,457 B2
• Filed: 01/20/2011
• Issued: 03/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Client Solutions CO., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Momosaki, Kohei, Wada, Kouetsu, Tabe, Kenichi, Sakaguchi, Tomonori
• Primary Examiner(s): Sams, Michelle L
• Application Number:
  US13/010,554
• Publication Number:
  US 20110242123A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,524 Days
• Field of Search: 345/619, 345/501, 345/505, 715/730, 715/726
• US Class Current: 345/619
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4393 Multimedia presentations, e.g. slide shows, multimedia albums
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2210/52 Parallel processing
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2352/00 Parallel handling of streams of display data

Abstract

In one embodiment, there is provided an electronic device. The electronic device includes: a first generator configured to generate a first image display mode in which image processing including at least one of an effect processing and a transition processing is applied to one or more still images based on image features of the still images; a second generator configured to generate a second image display mode in which one or more still images are switched over successively; and a switching module configured to output any one of the first and second image display modes and switch between the first image display mode and the second image display mode.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising;

a first generator configured to generate a second image display mode in which still images are randomly switched one by one so that all of the still images are substantially uniformly selected;

a second generator configured to generate a first image display mode in which first still images in the still images subject to image processing comprising at least one of an effect processing and a transition processing based on image feature volumes of the still images are processed; and

a switching module configured to output either one of the first and second image display modes while switching therebetween upon elapse of a predetermined time,

wherein during when the second image display mode is outputted, the second generator generates the first image display mode, and

wherein when the switching module switches from the second image display mode to the first image display mode so as to output the first image display mode, the switching module outputs the first image display mode generated by the second generator during output of the second image display mode, thereby smoothing a processing load of the electronic device.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a storage module configured to store the still images and the image feature volumes of the still images therein such that the still images are associated with the image feature volumes.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein

the switching module is configured to output audio in the first image display mode but does not output audio in the second image display mode.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a storage module configured to store the still images and image feature volumes of the still images therein such that the still images are associated with the image feature volumes;

a detector configured to detect the image feature volumes of the still images; and

a storage controller configured to control the storage module to store the still images and image feature volumes therein such that the still images are associated with the image feature volumes.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

an extraction module configured to extract the first still images from motion images, wherein the first and second generators are configured to generate the first and second image display modes using the first still images extracted from the motion images.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a display module configured to display any one of the first and second image display modes.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a real time clock configured to measure current time;

wherein the switching module refers to the current time and determines whether or not the current time has reached the predetermined time; and

when the switching module determines that the current time has reached the predetermined time, the switching module switches between the first image display mode and the second image display mode.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein

when the switching module determines that the current time has reached the predetermined time, the switching module switches from the second image display mode to the first image display mode;

and

when the switching module determines that the current time has not reached the predetermined time, the switching module maintains the second image display mode.

9. An image output method, comprising;

generating a second image display mode in which still images are randomly switched one by one so that all of the still images are substantially uniformly selected;

switching between the second image display mode and a first image display mode when a predetermined time has elapsed, wherein image processing comprising at least one of an effect processing and a transition processing is applied to one or more first still images based on image feature volumes of the still images in the first image display mode;

generating the first image display mode, while switching from the first image display mode to the second image display mode so as to output the second image display mode; and

outputting the generated first image display mode, while switching from the second image display mode to the first image display mode so as to output the first image display mode;

wherein generating the second image display mode by a first generator, switching, generating the first image display mode by a second generator, and outputting are aided by one or more processors.

10. A computer readable non-transitory medium containing program instructions for an image output method, wherein execution of the program instructions by one or more processors of a computer system causes the one or more processors to carry out the steps of:

generating a second image display mode in which still images are randomly switched one by one so that all of the still images are substantially uniformly selected;

switching between the second image display mode and a first image display mode when a predetermined time has elapsed, wherein image processing comprising at least one of an effect processing and a transition processing is applied to one or more first still images based on image feature volumes of the still images in the first image display mode;

generating the first image display mode by a second generator, while switching from the first image display mode to the second image display mode so as to output the second image display mode; and

outputting the generated first image display mode, while switching from the second image display mode to the first image display mode so as to output the first image display mode.