Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Display driving control circuitry – Controlling the condition of display elements
Utility Patent
1997-06-10
2001-01-02
Sax, Steven (Department: 2773)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Display driving control circuitry
Controlling the condition of display elements
C345S215000
Utility Patent
active
06169544
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image edit device for laying out a plurality of image data.
2. Related Background Art
Normally, a photograph is obtained by printing one photographic frame on one sheet of paper. Alternatively, a conventional print layout consisting of a plurality of layout areas shown in
FIG. 11
is obtained by laying out a plurality of layout areas
101
to
105
in a printable area
106
of a paper sheet
107
, and assigning photographs to the respective layout areas. In this manner, a more impressive multi-print can be obtained by laying out a plurality of photographs on one sheet of paper.
Such a multi-print was difficult to realize by the printing technique of conventional silver salt photography because a high-level technique was required to print a plurality of photographic frames on one print paper sheet at once. At present, with the development of digital image processing techniques and the peripheral equipment, a printout with a multi-frame layout as described above can be easily obtained by converting a photograph into digital data, laying out the data on a computer screen, and printing out the data by a color printer.
The following procedure is performed to provide a service of printing a plurality of photographic frames on one paper sheet by using such digital image processing.
(1) To facilitate acceptance of an order, a plurality of layout information patterns (to be referred to as templates hereinafter) in which the layout positions and sizes of a plurality of photographs on a paper sheet are registered are prepared in advance.
(2) The user selects a desired template, and designates photographic frames to be assigned to the respective layout areas of the selected template.
(3) The photographs are laid out on the basis of the designated template, and printed out by the printer.
In this manner, a plurality of photographs can be easily laid out by preparing a plurality of layout patterns such as a template in advance, and assigning desired photographs to respective layout areas upon selecting a desired template. Each photographic frame has a breadth or length orientation. Further, with recent cartridge films and the like, many trimmed photographs called a panorama-size (P type) photograph or a high-vision-size (H type) photograph with a length-to-breadth ratio (to be referred to as an aspect ratio hereinafter) of breadth 3:length 1 (36 mm:12 mm) or breath 16:length 9 (36 mm:20 mm) are being taken, in addition to a photograph at an aspect ratio of breadth 3:length 2 (36 mm:24 mm) for a normal 35-mm photographic film.
When a photograph (e.g., P or H type) having an aspect ratio different from that set for the template is assigned to a predetermined frame (C type) in the layout print service, an unwanted blank may be generated or the layout balance may be impaired, resulting in a poor print.
A wide print such as a panorama-size photograph is generally obtained by enlarging a photograph at a magnification of enlargement about twice as large as the normal one. When the panorama-size photograph is assigned to a layout area for a plurality of prints, the magnification must be set larger than the normal one. In this case, not only the layout balance may be impaired, but also the photograph may protrude from the printable area of the paper sheet.
When a photograph taken at a length orientation is assigned to a layout area for a photograph taken at a normal breadth orientation, it may protrude from the printable area of the paper sheet.
To eliminate these disadvantages, the present applicant has proposed the following automatic image edit device. In assigning image data to each layout area within the printable area of a paper sheet on the basis of preset layout information, it is necessary for the layout compensation to be checked if the assignment of image data having an aspect ratio is different from that of the layout area designated. If necessary, the layout is automatically compensated.
In this automatic image edit device, to judge the necessity for layout change, the aspect ratio and top-and-bottom direction of the assigned photographic frame must be detected. In this case, the main target is the normal 35-mm film, not the cartridge film having photographing information and film information magnetically recorded on the film surface. In detecting the aspect ratio of the assigned photographic frame, the aspect ratio of breadth 3:length 2, breadth 3:length 1, or breadth 16:length 9 is estimated from the distribution of the exposed surface on the film. Alternatively, the operator manually inputs the aspect ratio.
To detect the top-and-bottom direction, the lightness and hue distributions of the image are examined. If many hue components near blue are detected on one side of the image, this side is supposed to have a sky image, and estimated as the upside of the image. Alternatively, the operator manually inputs the top-and-bottom direction.
In the prior art, the aspect ratio and top-and-bottom direction of the assigned photographic frame are detected by recognizing the image. For this reason, it is difficult to detect the aspect ratio of an underexposed photographic frame from the distribution of the exposed surface, and judgment errors frequently occur. In detecting the top-and-bottom information of an image having no sky image, a detection method using information about the lightness and hue distributions, similar to the above-described method, has no effect, resulting in a detection failure. Even if the top-and-bottom information is detected, detection errors frequently occur.
In the manner of the conventional detection method, automatic detection of the aspect ratio and top-and-bottom direction often leads to a detection error. For this reason, the operator directly inputs the aspect ratio and the top-and-bottom information without performing automatic detection, or confirms upon detection whether the detection result is correct. If the detection result is incorrect, the operator must manually input the aspect ratio and the top-and-bottom direction, resulting in a very cumbersome operation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One aspect of this invention is an image edit device in which an image optically recorded on a film is read, and a plurality of images read by image input devices are laid out in one field having a plurality of layout areas by using frame size information magnetically recorded on the film to enable accurate detection of the frame size, thereby realizing a balanced layout.
Another aspect of this invention is an image edit device for reading an image optically recorded on a film and laying out a plurality of images in one field having a plurality of layout areas in accordance with a predetermined template, in which frame size information magnetically recorded on the film is read, and the layout conforming to the template is edited on the basis of the read frame size information, thereby balancing the layout conforming to the predetermined template in correspondence with the frame size of the image.
Another aspect of this invention is an image edit device for editing an image optically recorded on film, in which frame size information magnetically recorded on the film is read, the image magnification of enlargement is determined on the basis of the frame size information, and then a plurality of images enlarged at the magnifications of enlargement determined for respective frame sizes are laid out in one field having a plurality of layout areas, thereby realizing a balanced layout when a plurality of images having different sizes are laid out in one filed having a plurality of layout areas.
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patent: 5675752 (1997-10-01), Scott et al.
patent: 5710954
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Robin Blecker & Daley
Sax Steven
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