Facsimile and static presentation processing – Facsimile – Specific signal processing circuitry
Reexamination Certificate
1998-05-27
2002-02-05
Lee, Thomas D. (Department: 2724)
Facsimile and static presentation processing
Facsimile
Specific signal processing circuitry
C358S452000, C358S453000, C358S909100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06344907
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus and method for sensing the image of a subject, modifying the image of the subject obtained by such image sensing and displaying the modified image, as well as to a digital still-video camera, an image data recording method and an image modification method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Owing to advances in computer hardware and software, it has become possible to digitize displayed images such as photographs and input the digital images to a computer. It is also possible to apply modification processing such as enlargement, reduction and rotation to all or part of an image thus input to the computer.
When all or part of a digital image is to be modified, the digital image is displayed on the display screen of the computer monitor and a keyboard and mouse are used to specify the limits of the image that is to be modified.
However, to someone not accustomed to operating a computer, it is still difficult to input the image to the computer and to specify the limits of the image to be modified.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to arrange it so that even someone not accustomed to operating a computer can obtain, with comparative ease, a modified image that is the result of modifying an image obtained by an image sensing operation.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, the foregoing object is attained by providing an image modification apparatus comprising image sensing means (an image sensing device) for sensing the image of a subject and outputting an image signal representing the image of the subject; a first display unit for displaying, on a display screen, the image of the subject represented by the image signal output by the image sensing means; data storage means (a data storage device) for storing modification target area data for deciding a modification target area; image modification means (an image modification device) for processing the image signal, which is output by the image sensing means, so as to modify an image displayed within the modification target area decided by the modification target area data that has been stored in the data storage means; and image display control means (an image display controller) for controlling the first display unit in such a manner that the image of the subject that includes the image modified by the image modification means is displayed on the display screen of the first display unit.
The first aspect of the present invention further provides a method suitable for implementing the image modification apparatus described above. Specifically, the method comprises the steps of sensing the image of a subject and obtaining an image signal representing the image of the subject; displaying, on a display screen of a first display unit, the image of the subject represented by the image signal obtained by the image sensing; storing modification target area data representing a modification target area; processing the image signal, which has been obtained by image sensing, so as to modify an image displayed within the modification target area decided by the modification target area data that has been stored; and displaying the image of the subject that includes the image modified by the image modification processing on the display screen of the first display unit.
The image modification apparatus may be a stationary apparatus of large size or a portable apparatus of small size, such as a digital still camera.
In accordance with the first aspect of the present invention, the image of a subject is sensed and the subject image obtained by such sensing is displayed on the first display unit.
Modification target area data representing an area that is to be modified is stored in memory. An image signal representing the image of the subject is processed in such a manner that the image within the modification target area represented by the modification target data will be modified. The image of the subject inclusive of the modified image in the modification target area is displayed on the first display unit.
All or part of the image of the subject can be modified and displayed merely by moving the subject in conformity with the modification target area (if the user himself or herself is the subject, then the user moves); the user need not specify the limits of the image to be modified. In a case where the image modification apparatus can itself be moved with ease, as when the apparatus is a digital still camera, then all or a part of the image of the subject can be modified and displayed merely by moving the image modification apparatus in such a manner that the portion of the subject to be modified falls within the modification target area. Thus, even a person not accustomed to using a computer can simply obtain a modified image that is different from the image captured.
It is preferred that the modification target area be displayed in a form superimposed on the image of the subject at a predetermined position on the display screen of the first display unit. This clarifies the limits of the modification target area.
It is preferred that the modified image be printable.
It is permissible to adopt an arrangement in which it is possible to execute modification processing of a plurality of types. In such case it would be so arranged that one of the plurality of types of modification processing is designated, the designated modification processing is executed and the resulting image displayed.
In a case where it is possible to execute modification processing of a plurality of types, thumbnail images resulting from the plural types of modification processing may be displayed on a second display unit. While observing the thumbnail images resulting from the plural types of modification processing displayed on the second display unit, the user designates a desired processed thumbnail image, the image being displayed in the modification target area is subjected to modification processing identical with the modification processing that was applied to the designated thumbnail image, and the image of the subject inclusive of the modified image is displayed on the first display unit.
Since thumbnail images after modification processing are displayed on the second display unit, the user can designate the desired modification processing after ascertaining the condition of an image that has undergone modification processing. An arrangement may be adopted in which the first and second display units are realized by a single display unit, with the image of the subject inclusive of the part modified and a thumbnail image resulting from modification processing being displayed in different areas on the display screen of one and the same display unit.
The image of a subject before modification processing may be displayed on a third display unit.
Since the image of a subject after modification processing is displayed on the first display unit and the image of the subject before modification processing is displayed on the third display unit, the images of the subject before and after modification processing can be directly compared. It goes without saying that the first and third display units may be realized by a single display unit, with the images of the subject before and after modification processing being displayed in different areas on the display screen of one and the same display unit.
In a case where there are a plurality of the modification target areas, a modification target area may be designated and the image residing in the designated modification target area may be modified. It is possible to modify only a desired portion of the image of a subject. It goes without saying that the portions of the image of the subject residing in all of the modification target areas may be modified without a modification target area being designated.
The process through which an image is modified may be displayed. In such case modification processing can be stopped by applying a modification stop command during the course of i
Haneda Norihisa
Watanabe Mikio
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