Display apparatus and methods, and recording medium for controlling same

Abstract

In order to enable a user to obtain information about a large number of recorded images, a display apparatus includes a browser window that can be switched between two modes. In the first mode, a first screen, referred to as an Icon Browser Screen, displays a list of files (that contain image data and/or additional data such as sound data and overlay image data) that are recorded in a recording apparatus such as, e.g., an electronic camera. In the second mode, a second screen, referred to as a Thumbnail Image Browser Screen, displays a series of thumbnail images of the images recorded in the recording apparatus. A thumbnail check box can be selected to switch between the two screens.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A display apparatus comprising: 
 means for coupling the display apparatus to a recording device that stores a plurality of image files; and    image generation means for generating a display of information about the plurality of image files, the image generation means being switchable between a first display mode and a second display mode, when in the first display mode the image generation means generating a display of an image corresponding to at least one of the image files stored in the recording device, and when in the second mode the image generation means displaying a representation of the at least one image file, the representation being smaller than the image generated in the first mode.    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of    claim 1   , wherein at least one of file names and icons corresponding to the at least one image file are simultaneously displayed within the generated image when in the first mode.  
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of    claim 1   , wherein the image generated in the first mode is a thumbnail image of image information of the at least one image file stored in the recording device.  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of    claim 1   , wherein when in the second mode, the image generation means also generates icons that indicate sound information associated with the at least one image file.  
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of    claim 1   , wherein the image generation means displays the representation as an initial screen.  
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of    claim 1   , wherein the image generation means is initialized in the mode in which the image generation means was previously used.  
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of    claim 1   , wherein the image generation means generates a plurality of the images when in the first mode, each image corresponding to image information of a different image file, and the image generation means generates a list of representations when in the second mode, each representation corresponding to a different one of the image files.  
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of    claim 7   , wherein each representation includes a print-out of the file name.  
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of    claim 8   , wherein each representation also includes at least one icon representing each file.  
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of    claim 7   , wherein each representation includes at least one icon representing each image file.  
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of    claim 1   , wherein the representation includes a print-out of the file name.  
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of    claim 11   , wherein the representation also includes at least one icon.  
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of    claim 1   , wherein the representation includes an icon representing the image file.  
     
     
         14 . A display apparatus comprising: 
 an interface that is couplable to a recording device that stores a plurality of image files; and    a controller that is selectively operable in first and second modes to generate first and second display screens, respectively, the first display screen including a display of an image corresponding to at least one image file stored in the recording device, the second display screen including a display of a representation of the at least one image file, the representation being smaller than the image generated in the first display screen.    
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of    claim 14   , wherein the controller generates an image for each of the image files stored in the recording device in the first display screen, and generates a list of the representations, one for each of the image files stored in the recording device, in the second display screen.  
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of    claim 15   , wherein each representation includes a print-out of the file name.  
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of    claim 16   , wherein each representation also includes at least one icon representing each file.  
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of    claim 15   , wherein each representation includes at least one icon representing each image file.  
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of    claim 14   , wherein the controller also displays icons in the first display screen and in the second display screen, the icons representing data associated with the image files.  
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of    claim 14   , wherein the image displayed in the first display screen is a thumbnail image of the image file stored in the recording device.  
     
     
         21 . A method using a display apparatus to display information about files stored in a recording device coupled to the display apparatus, comprising the steps of: 
 generating a first display that includes an image corresponding to an image file stored in the recording device when the display apparatus is in a first mode; and    generating a second display when the display apparatus is in a second mode, the second display including a representation of the image file that is smaller than the image generated in the first mode.    
     
     
         22 . The method of    claim 21   , wherein the generated first display includes a plurality of images, each corresponding to a different image file stored in the recording device, and the generated second display includes a list of representations, each corresponding to a different one of the image files stored in the recording device.  
     
     
         23 . The method of    claim 22   , wherein each image is a thumbnail image.  
     
     
         24 . The method of    claim 22   , wherein each representation includes a print-out of the corresponding file name.  
     
     
         25 . The method of    claim 22   , wherein each representation includes at least one icon representing each image file.  
     
     
         26 . The method of    claim 21   , wherein the recording device is an electronic camera.  
     
     
         27 . A recording medium that stores a control program for use by a display apparatus that is couplable to a recording device that stores a plurality of image files, the control program including instructions for: 
 generating a first display that includes an image corresponding to an image file stored in the recording device; and    generating a second display that includes a representation of the image file that is smaller than the image generated in the first display.    
     
     
         28 . The recording medium of    claim 27   , wherein the control program also includes instructions for displaying at least one of file names and icons corresponding to the image file in the first display.  
     
     
         29 . The recording medium of    claim 27   , wherein the image in the first display is a thumbnail image of the image information of the image file stored in the recording device.  
     
     
         30 . The recording medium of    claim 27   , wherein the control program also includes instructions for displaying icons that indicate sound information associated with the image file.  
     
     
         31 . The recording medium of    claim 27   , wherein the control program includes instructions for displaying the second display as an initial screen.  
     
     
         32 . The recording medium of    claim 27   , wherein the control program includes instructions for displaying as an initial screen the last display among the first display and second display.  
     
     
         33 . The recording medium of    claim 27   , wherein the first display includes a plurality of the images, each corresponding to a different image file, and the second display includes a list of representations, each corresponding to a different one of the image files.