Method and apparatus for editing images, and method and apparatus for reproducing the edited images

An image reproducing apparatus, including:

• an input unit which inputs signals for use in at least reproducing images;
• a first data selector which acquires moving image data, formed by image frames having a predetermined amount of information, for use with normal reproduction, from the signals inputted in said input unit;
• a position specifying unit which acquires, from the inputted signals, information indicative of a relationship between moving image data for special reproduction and the moving image data for normal reproduction, and which specifies from the information a position where the moving image data for special reproduction is present, wherein the moving image data for special reproduction are formed by image frames which have the equal composition to images within the frame images that form the moving image data for normal reproduction and which have a different amount of information from the images that form the moving image for normal reproduction;
• a second data selector which acquires, from the position specified, the moving image data for special reproduction;
• and
• a reproduction unit which reproduces the moving image data for normal reproduction and reproduces, as appropriate, the moving image data for special reproduction, wherein
• differences between adjacent frames are successively calculated in the moving image data for normal reproduction, and the moving image data for special reproduction included in the signals input by the input unit is generated in a section where the difference is greater than a threshold value,
• the moving image data for special reproduction are provided for a predetermined section in the moving image data for normal reproduction,
• the moving image data for special reproduction is generated at a frame rate higher than a frame rate to generate the moving image data for normal reproduction,
• the reproduction unit displays the predetermined section where the moving image data for special reproduction are present, in a form recognizable by a user, and reproduces the moving image data for special reproduction for the predetermined section,
• the reproduction unit reproduces the moving image data for special reproduction at a frame rate lower than a frame rate at which the moving image data for special reproduction is generated, and
• the image reproducing apparatus further including an instruction receiving unit which receives an instruction to the effect that a user wishes to reproduce the moving image data for special reproduction for the predetermined section displayed.

An image reproducing method, including:

• inputting signals for use in at least reproducing images;
• acquiring moving image data, formed by image frames having a predetermined amount of information, for use with normal reproduction, from the original image data;
• acquiring, from the inputted signals, information indicative of a relationship between moving image data for special reproduction and the moving image data for normal reproduction, and specifying from the information a position where the moving image data for special reproduction is present, wherein the moving image data for special reproduction are formed by image frames which have the equal composition to images within the frame images that form the moving image data for normal reproduction and which have a different amount of information from the images that form the moving image for normal reproduction;
• acquiring, from the specified position, the moving image data for special reproduction;
• and
• reproducing the moving image data for normal reproduction and reproducing, as appropriate, the moving image data for special reproduction, wherein
• differences between adjacent frames are successively calculated in the moving image data for normal reproduction, and the moving image data for special reproduction included in the signals input by the step of inputting is generated in a section where the difference is greater than a threshold value,
• the moving image data for special reproduction are provided for a partial area within image frames that form the moving image data for normal reproduction,
• the moving image data for special reproduction is generated at a frame rate higher than a frame rate to generate the moving image data for normal reproduction,
• the reproducing displays the partial area where the moving image data for special reproduction are present, in a form recognizable by a user, and reproduces, when reproducing the moving image data for special reproduction, the moving image data for special reproduction for the partial area,
• the step of reproducing reproduces the moving image data for special reproduction at a frame rate lower than a frame rate at which the moving image data for special reproduction is generated, and
• the image reproducing method further including receiving an instruction to the effect that a user wishes to reproduce the moving image data for special reproduction for the partial area displayed.

An image reproducing method, including:

• inputting signals for use in at least reproducing images;
• acquiring moving image data, formed by image frames having a predetermined amount of information, for use with normal reproduction, from the original image data;
• acquiring, from the inputted signals, information indicative of a relationship between moving image data for special reproduction and the moving image data for normal reproduction, and specifying from the information a position where the moving image data for special reproduction is present, wherein the moving image data for special reproduction are formed by image frames which have the equal composition to images within the frame images that form the moving image data for normal reproduction and which have a different amount of information from the images that form the moving image for normal reproduction;
• acquiring, from the specified position, the moving image data for special reproduction;
• and
• reproducing the moving image data for normal reproduction and reproducing, as appropriate, the moving image data for special reproduction, wherein
• differences between adjacent frames are successively calculated in the moving image data for normal reproduction, and the moving image data for special reproduction included in the signals input by the step of inputting is generated in a section where the difference is greater than a threshold value,
• the moving image data for special reproduction are provided for a predetermined section in the moving image data for normal reproduction,
• the moving image data for special reproduction is generated at a frame rate higher than a frame rate to generate the moving image data for normal reproduction,
• the reproducing displays the predetermined section where the moving image data for special reproduction are present, in a form recognizable by a user, and reproduces the moving image data for special reproduction for the predetermined section,
• the step of reproducing reproduces the moving image data for special reproduction at a frame rate lower than a frame rate at which the moving image data for special reproduction is generated, and
• the image reproducing method further including receiving an instruction to the effect that a user wishes to reproduce the moving image data for special reproduction for the predetermined section displayed.

A program product embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium, the program including the functions of:

• inputting signals for use in at least reproducing images;
• acquiring moving image data, formed by image frames having a predetermined amount of information, for use with normal reproduction, from the original image data;
• acquiring, from the inputted signals, information indicative of a relationship between moving image data for special reproduction and the moving image data for normal reproduction, and specifying from the information a position where the moving image data for special reproduction is present, wherein the moving image data for special reproduction are formed by image frames which have the equal composition to images within the frame images that form the moving image data for normal reproduction and which have a different amount of information from the images that form the moving image for normal reproduction;
• acquiring, from the specified position, the moving image data for special reproduction;
• and
• reproducing the moving image data for normal reproduction and reproducing, as appropriate, the moving image data for special reproduction, wherein
• differences between adjacent frames are successively calculated in the moving image data for normal reproduction, and the moving image data for special reproduction included in the signals input by the step of inputting is generated in a section where the difference is greater than a threshold value,
• the moving image data for special reproduction are provided for a partial area within image frames that form the moving image data for normal reproduction,
• the moving image data for special reproduction is generated at a frame rate higher than a frame rate to generate the moving image data for normal reproduction,
• the reproducing displays the partial area where the moving image data for special reproduction are present, in a form recognizable by a user, and reproduces, when reproducing the moving image data for special reproduction, the moving image data for special reproduction for the partial area,
• the step of reproducing reproduces the moving image data for special reproduction at a frame rate lower than a frame rate at which the moving image data for special reproduction is generated, and
• the program further including receiving an instruction to the effect that a user wishes to reproduce the moving image data for special reproduction for the partial area displayed.

A program product embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium, the program including the functions of:

• acquiring moving image data, formed by image frames having a predetermined amount of information, for use with normal reproduction, from the original image data;
• acquiring, from the inputted signals, information indicative of a relationship between moving image data for special reproduction and the moving image data for normal reproduction, and specifying from the information a position where the moving image data for special reproduction is present, wherein the moving image data for special reproduction are formed by image frames which have the equal composition to images within the frame images that form the moving image data for normal reproduction and which have a different amount of information from the images that form the moving image for normal reproduction;
• acquiring, from the specified position, the moving image data for special reproduction;
• and
• reproducing the moving image data for normal reproduction and reproducing, as appropriate, the moving image data for special reproduction, wherein
• differences between adjacent frames are successively calculated in the moving image data for normal reproduction, and the moving image data for special reproduction included in the signals input by the step of inputting is generated in a section where the difference is greater than a threshold value,
• the moving image data for special reproduction are provided for a predetermined section in the moving image data for normal reproduction,
• the moving image data for special reproduction is generated at a frame rate higher than a frame rate to generate the moving image data for normal reproduction,
• the reproducing displays the predetermined section where the moving image data for special reproduction are present, in a form recognizable by a user, and reproduces the moving image data for special reproduction for the predetermined section,
• the step of reproducing reproduces the moving image data for special reproduction at a frame rate lower than a frame rate at which the moving image data for special reproduction is generated, and
• the program further including receiving an instruction to the effect that a user wishes to reproduce the moving image data for special reproduction for the predetermined section displayed.

A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium which stores a program executable by a computer, the program including the functions of:

• inputting signals for use in at least reproducing images;
• acquiring moving image data, formed by image frames having a predetermined amount of information, for use with normal reproduction, from the original image data;
• acquiring, from the inputted signals, information indicative of a relationship between moving image data for special reproduction and the moving image data for normal reproduction, and specifying from the information a position where the moving image data for special reproduction is present, wherein the moving image data for special reproduction are formed by image frames which have the equal composition to images within the frame images that form the moving image data for normal reproduction and which have a different amount of information from the images that form the moving image for normal reproduction;
• acquiring, from the specified position, the moving image data for special reproduction;
• and
• reproducing the moving image data for normal reproduction and reproducing, as appropriate, the moving image data for special reproduction, wherein
• differences between adjacent frames are successively calculated in the moving image data for normal reproduction, and the moving image data for special reproduction included in the signals input by the step of inputting is generated in a section where the difference is greater than a threshold value,
• the moving image data for special reproduction are provided for a partial area within image frames that form the moving image data for normal reproduction,
• the moving image data for special reproduction is generated at a frame rate higher than a frame rate to generate the moving image data for normal reproduction,
• the reproducing displays the partial area where the moving image data for special reproduction are present, in a form recognizable by a user, and reproduces, when reproducing the moving image data for special reproduction, the moving image data for special reproduction for the partial area,
• the step of reproducing reproduces the moving image data for special reproduction at a frame rate lower than a frame rate at which the moving image data for special reproduction is generated, and
• the program further including receiving an instruction to the effect that a user wishes to reproduce the moving image data for special reproduction for the partial area displayed.

A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium which stores a program executable by a computer, the program including the functions of:

• acquiring moving image data, formed by image frames having a predetermined amount of information, for use with normal reproduction, from the original image data;
• acquiring, from the inputted signals, information indicative of a relationship between moving image data for special reproduction and the moving image data for normal reproduction, and specifying from the information a position where the moving image data for special reproduction is present, wherein the moving image data for special reproduction are formed by image frames which have the equal composition to images within the frame images that form the moving image data for normal reproduction and which have a different amount of information from the images that form the moving image for normal reproduction;
• acquiring, from the specified position, the moving image data for special reproduction;
• and
• reproducing the moving image data for normal reproduction and reproducing, as appropriate, the moving image data for special reproduction, wherein
• differences between adjacent frames are successively calculated in the moving image data for normal reproduction, and the moving image data for special reproduction included in the signals input by the step of inputting is generated in a section where the difference is greater than a threshold value,
• the moving image data for special reproduction are provided for a predetermined section in the moving image data for normal reproduction,
• the moving image data for special reproduction is generated at a frame rate higher than a frame rate to generate the moving image data for normal reproduction,
• the reproducing displays the predetermined section where the moving image data for special reproduction are present, in a form recognizable by a user, and reproduces the moving image data for special reproduction for the predetermined section,
• the step of reproducing reproduces the moving image data for special reproduction at a frame rate lower than a frame rate at which the moving image data for special reproduction is generated, and
• the program further including receiving an instruction to the effect that a user wishes to reproduce the moving image data for special reproduction for the predetermined section displayed.