Image processor

Abstract

From a moving image selected by a user, moving image information including a time length of the moving image and the number of change points of clips in the moving image is acquired. Layout data showing a design (the number, size, layout and the like of plural frame images configuring moving image) of a still image to be generated is selectively read from a memory based on the acquired moving image information. A still image in which predetermined frame images are arranged based on the layout data is generated and output. The predetermined frame images are automatically set in accordance with setting rules that are different depending on whether or not there is data concerning a highlight frame whose size is larger than that of other frame images in the layout data. The highlight frame may be also designated.

1 . An image processing method comprising:
 acquiring moving image information peculiar to a moving image;   selecting one of layout information based on the acquired moving image information; and   generating a still image in which frame images included in the moving image are arranged in a layout format shown by the selected layout information.   
   
   
       2 . An article of manufacture comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein, the computer readable program code means comprising:
 computer readable program code means for causing a computer to acquire moving image information peculiar to a moving image;   computer readable program code means for causing a computer to select one of layout information based on the acquired moving image information; and   computer readable program code means for causing a computer to generate a still image in which frame images included in the moving image are arranged in a layout format shown by the selected layout information.   
   
   
       3 . A camera comprising:
 an image capturing unit which captures a moving image of an object;   a memory which stores the moving image captured by the image capturing unit;   a layout information storage which stores plural items of layout information showing plural layout formats of plural frame images included in the moving image;   an acquiring unit which acquires moving image information peculiar to the moving image from the moving image stored in the memory;   a selector which selects one of the layout information stored in the layout information storage based on the moving image information acquired by the acquiring unit; and   a still image generating unit which generates a still image in which frame images included in the moving image stored in the memory are arranged in a layout format shown by the layout information selected by the selector.   
   
   
       4 . An image processor comprising:
 a memory which stores a moving image;   an acquiring unit which acquires moving image information peculiar to the moving image from the moving image stored in the memory;   an extracting unit which extracts frame images from the moving image stored in the memory based on the moving image information acquired by the acquiring unit; and   a still image generating unit which generates a still image in which the frame images extracted by the extracting unit are arranged in a predetermined layout format.   
   
   
       5 . The image processor according to  claim 4 , wherein moving image information peculiar to the moving image comprises the number of change points whose change degree of contents between two adjacent frame images in frame images included in the moving image is a threshold or more. 
   
   
       6 . The image processor according to  claim 4 , further comprising:
 layout information storage which stores plural items of layout information;   a controller which makes a user select any one of the plural items of layout information stored in the layout information storage; and   a changing unit which, when the number of frame images in a layout format shown by the layout information selected through the controller is below the number of the frame images extracted by the extracting unit, changes the layout information used in generating the still image by the still image generating unit into other layout information stored in the layout information storage means and corresponding to the number of the frame images.   
   
   
       7 . The image processor according to  claim 4 , wherein the still image generating unit comprises a layout adjusting unit which, when the number of frame images extracted by the extracting unit is below the number of frame images in the layout format shown by the predetermined layout information, changes the number of frame images and layout intervals of respective frame images of the predetermined layout information based on the number of frame images extracted by the extracting unit. 
   
   
       8 . An image processing method comprising:
 acquiring moving image information peculiar to a moving image;   extracting frame images from the moving image based on the acquired moving image information; and   generating a still image in which the extracted frame images are arranged in a predetermined layout format.   
   
   
       9 . An article of manufacture comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein, the computer readable program code means comprising:
 computer readable program code means for causing a computer to acquire moving image information peculiar to a moving image;   computer readable program code means for causing a computer to extract frame images from the moving image based on the acquired moving image information; and   computer readable program code means for causing a computer to generate a still image in which the extracted frame images are arranged in a predetermined layout format.   
   
   
       10 . A camera comprising:
 an image capturing unit which captures a moving image of an object;   a memory which stores the moving image captured by the image capturing unit;   an acquiring unit which acquires moving image information peculiar to the moving image from the moving image stored in the memory;   an extracting unit which extracts frame images from the moving image stored in the memory based on the moving image information acquired by the acquiring unit; and   a still image generating unit which generates a still image in which the frame images extracted by the extracting unit are arranged in a predetermined layout format.