Apparatus and method for recording image data, and apparatus and method for reproducing zoomed images

Abstract

The sizes of images obtained by electronic zoom processing are rendered constant to a certain degree. To accomplish this, an image within a zoom area is enlarged or reduced to the size of a super-extended graphics array (SXGA), and the resulting image data is recorded on a memory card, if the zoom area has a size near that of the SXGA. The image within the zoom area is recorded on the memory card upon being enlarged or reduced to the size of a super VGA (SVGA) if the zoom area has a size near that of the SVGA. The image within the zoom area is recorded on the memory card upon being enlarged or reduced to the size of a VGA if the zoom area has a size near that of the VGA. Thus, when Images represented by image data recorded on the memory card are zoomed, the sizes of the zoomed images are limited.

1 . An apparatus for reproducing a zoomed image, in which original-image data and zoom command data for zooming an original image represented by the original-image data have been recorded on a recording medium in association with each other, said apparatus comprising:
 a data reading unit for reading the original-image data and zoom command data recorded on the recording medium, the zoom command data including zoom image characteristics defining the location and size of the zoomed image within the original image, where the zoom command data may include a magnification coefficient to be applied to the zoomed image, where if the magnification coefficient is not included in the zoom command data a zoom calculation is performed to obtain said magnification coefficient associated with one of a plurality of predefined image sizes selected based on the zoom image characteristics, wherein the zoom command data is a user determined zoom command data used to generate a display image while photographing a subject using a digital camera to generate said corresponding original-image data;   an electric zoom processing unit for subjecting the original-image data to electronic zoom processing based upon the zoom command that has been read by said data reading unit; and   an output controller for controlling an image output unit so as to output a zoomed image represented by the image data that has been subjected to electronic zoom processing by said electronic zoom processing unit.   
   
   
       2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein zoom data representing at least one of data representing zoom magnification and data representing zoom position has been recorded on the recording medium, and said apparatus further comprises a zoom data reading unit for reading the zoom data;
 said electronic zoom processing unit subjecting the original-image data to at least one of electronic zoom processing at a zoom magnification in accordance with zoom data that has been read by said zoom data reading unit and electronic zoom processing applied to an area specified by the zoom position.   
   
   
       3 . A method of reproducing a zoomed image, in which original-image data and zoom command data for zooming an original image represented by the original-image data have been recorded on a recording medium in association with each other, said method comprising the steps of:
 reading the original-image data and zoom command data recorded on the recording medium, the zoom command data including zoom image characteristics defining the location and size of the zoomed image within the original image, where the zoom command data may include a magnification coefficient to be applied to the zoomed image, where if the magnification coefficient is not included in the zoom command data a zoom calculation is performed to obtain said magnification coefficient associated with one of a plurality of predefined image sizes selected based on the zoom image characteristics, wherein the zoom command data is a user determined zoom command data used to generate a display image while photographing a subject using a digital camera to generate said corresponding original-image data;   subjecting the original-image data to electronic zoom processing based upon the zoom command that has been read or the zoom command data and calculated magnification coefficient; and   outputting a zoomed image represented by the original-image data that has been subjected to electronic zoom processing.   
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the user determined zoom data is based on pixels in a horizontal direction. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the user determined zoom data is based on pixels in a horizontal direction.