Electronic camera for producing quickview images

Abstract

An electronic camera according to the present invention includes: an image pickup part for picking up a subject image to produce image data; a processing part for processing the image data outputted from the image pickup part to produce a quickview image for monitor display and also produce image data for record on a recording medium; and a monitor part for displaying the quickview image. The processing part commences displaying the quickview image on the monitor part prior to the production of the image data for record. This processing allows the display of the quickview image to be commenced without waiting for completion of the production of the image data for record. Therefore, it is possible to shorten the time lag occurring at displaying the quickview image, thereby improving the convenience of the electronic camera.

Description

[0001] The disclosure of the following priority application is herein incorporated by reference: Japanese Patent Application No.2001-400744, filed Dec. 28, 2001.[0002] 1. Field of the Invention[0003] The present invention relates to an electronic camera that internally processes image data obtained by picking up subject images. More particularly, the present invention relates to an electronic camera that produces image data for record to be recorded on a recording medium and quickview images for monitor display.[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art[0005] In conventional electronic cameras, the following procedures are performed to process image data.[0006] 1) Image Capture[0007] An electronic camera reads image data from its internal image sensor. The electronic camera implements signal processings on the image data, such as A / D conversion, defective pixel correction, optical black-level correction, gain adjustment, white balance adjustment, tone correction and so on. The signal-...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0030] In this processing, the display of the quickview image is commenced before the image data for record is generated. Thus, the quickview image can be quickly displayed without waiting for the completion of production of the image data for record. As a result, the time lag occurring at displaying the quickview image can be reduced, so that the user can review the captured image significantly smoothly.

[0050] It is particularly preferable that the image compression of the thumbnail image be performed by using image compressing means that is different from the image compressing part (for example, by software compression using an internal microprocessor or the like). This allows the image compression of the thumbnail image to be implemented without interfering with the image compressions of the image data for record and of the quickview image.

Problems solved by technology

In such a case, quick generation of the quickview image is difficult because there is a need for waiting for a completion of generation of the image data for record.

Additionally, in order to improve the picture quality of the electronic camera, those image processings have to be high-level, complicated processings.

This tends to elongate the time taken for the processings on the image data for record, and the generation of the quickview image delays accordingly.

For the reason above, the above-described example of the prior art is disadvantageous in terms of availability that a time lag is likely to occur from photographing to displaying the quickview image, so that the user cannot check the captured image smoothly.

Consequently, disadvantages such as a reduction in the speed of a continuous shooting are likely to arise.

Furthermore, since the reducing part produces the intermediate image, the number of the pixels which the image processing part processes for production of the quickview image is small, resulting in substantially lessening the amount of the processings by the image processing part.

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