Reproduction Apparatus,Imaging Apparatus, Screen Display Method, and User Interface

• US 20080012954A1
• Filed: 10/11/2005
• Published: 01/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Funabashi, Yoshimitsu, Kobayashi, Motoki, Iriya, Shinichi, Yoritate, Miwako, Sasaki, Kayo
• Granted Patent: US 8,599,298 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/222.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/54 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00442 Simultaneous viewing of a plurality of images, e.g. using a mosaic display arrangement of thumbnails
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00448 horizontally
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00458 Sequential viewing of a plurality of images, e.g. browsing or scrolling
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00461 marking or otherwise tagging one or more displayed image, e.g. for selective reproduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2158 using a detachable storage unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure

Abstract

A desired image is quickly retrieved from many images that have been stored. Reproduced images are horizontally arranged on time axis. Horizontal lines are displayed above the plurality of images. The horizontal lines are delimited every image group such that images that belong to the same image group are visually identified. Dots are displayed on individual lines corresponding to representative images P11 and P12 that belong to individual image groups. In addition, photographed dates and times are displayed only on representative images P11 and P21 that belong to image groups. A plurality of reproduced images are simultaneously displayed on an LCD 13. Among these reproduced images, representative images are identifiably displayed. When a desired image is selected from reproduced images, left and right feed buttons of a cross key 27 are pressed and representative images that belong to individual image groups are selected. When a dial key 28 is rotated, a desired image is selected from images that belong to the selected image group.

Claims

1. A reproduction apparatus which reproduces a plurality of images from a record medium, comprising:

process means for dividing a plurality of images recorded in the record medium into image groups based on photographed conditions;

display means for displaying a plurality of reproduced images; and

input means for accepting an operation input from a user,

wherein the display means successively displays a representative image which belongs to each of the plurality of image groups and images chronologically adjacent to the representative image or images which belong to image groups which are adjacent to the image group to which the representative image belongs, and

wherein the input means is capable of performing a first feed operation of successively selecting representative images which belong to the plurality of image groups and a second feed operation of successively selecting a plurality of images which belong to each of the plurality of image groups.

2. The reproduction apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the photographed conditions are photographed locations.

3. The reproduction apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the photographed conditions are photographed dates and times.

4. The reproduction apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the photographed conditions are color hues of photographed images.

5. The reproduction apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the display means has a wide aspect ratio.

6. The reproduction apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the display means is capable of identifiably displaying the image groups.

7. The reproduction apparatus as set forth in claim 6,

wherein the display means displays lines which delimit the image groups and which are in parallel with the time axis.

8. The reproduction apparatus as set forth in claim 6,

wherein the display means surrounds the plurality of images with windows having colors corresponding to the image groups.

9. The reproduction apparatus as set forth in claim 6,

wherein the display means superimposes the plurality of images with icons corresponding to the image groups.

10. The reproduction apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the display means is capable of identifiably displaying a representative image which belong to each of the image groups.

11. The reproduction apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the input means includes a cross key, and

wherein when the cursor key is pressed, the representative image or the plurality of images are successfully fed in a time axis direction or a reverse direction thereof.

12. The reproduction apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the input means includes a dial key, and

wherein when the dial key is rotated, the representative image or the plurality of images are successfully fed in a time axis direction or a reverse direction thereof.

13. The reproduction apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the display means performs a transition of screens with an animation when the input means performs a feed operation.

14. An imaging apparatus including:

image capturing means for capturing an image of a subject;

record means for recording an image captured by the image capturing means; and

reproduction means for reproducing a plurality of images from the record means,

the imaging apparatus comprising;

process means for dividing a plurality of images recorded in the record medium into image groups based on photographed conditions;

display means for displaying a plurality of reproduced images; and

input means for accepting an operation input from a user,

wherein the display means successively displays a representative image which belongs to each of the plurality of image groups and images chronologically adjacent to the representative image or images which belong to image groups which are adjacent to the image group to which the representative image belongs, and

wherein the input means is capable of performing a first feed operation of successively selecting representative images which belong to the plurality of image groups and a second feed operation of successively selecting a plurality of images which belong to each of the plurality of image groups.

15. A screen display method of a reproduction apparatus which displays a plurality of images recorded in a record medium, the screen display method comprising the steps of:

dividing the plurality of images recorded in the record medium into image groups based on photographed conditions;

successively displaying a representative image which belongs to each of the plurality of image groups and images chronologically adjacent to the representative image or images which belong to image groups which are adjacent to the image group to which the representative image belongs; and

changing the representative image and the plurality of images depending on whether a first feed operation of successively selecting representative images which belong to the plurality of image groups or a second feed operation of successively selecting a plurality of images which belong to each of the plurality of image groups is performed.

16. A user interface for a reproduction apparatus which reproduces a plurality of images recorded in a record medium,

wherein the plurality of images recorded in the record medium are divided into image groups based on photographed conditions,

wherein a representative image which belongs to each of the plurality of image groups and images chronologically adjacent to the representative image or images which belong to image groups which are adjacent to the image group to which the representative image belongs are successively displayed, and

wherein a first feed operation of successively selecting representative images which belong to the plurality of image groups and a second feed operation of successively selecting a plurality of images which belong to each of the plurality of image groups are performed.