Candidate image presenting method using thumbnail image and image signal processing device and imaging device performing the same

1. An image signal processing device which performs a predetermined signal process on original image data supplied from an image sensor, comprising:

a sensor controller that controls an operation of the image sensor by a plurality of photographing modes, and generates and outputs a control signal that controls photographic attributes corresponding to at least one of the plurality of photographing modes that are predetermined in a candidate image presenting mode or one selected by a user;

a frame image generating unit that generates a plurality of frame image data by processing the original image data sequentially input from the image sensor by frames;

a frame memory that stores the plurality of frame image data;

a thumbnail image generating unit that generates a plurality of thumbnail image data by respectively scaling the plurality of frame image data, at least one of the plurality of frame image data being encoded to create at least one of the plurality of thumbnail image data in a compressed format for output;

an output unit that firstly outputs the plurality of thumbnail image data and reads and secondly outputs a frame image data corresponding to a thumbnail image data, which is selected on the basis of a user's selection signal out of the plurality of thumbnail image data, from the frame memory; and

a multimedia processor that determines whether the frame image data output by the user's selection signal is in the compressed format and, in response to determining that the frame image data output by the user's selection signal is not in the compressed format, encodes the frame image data upon the user's selection signal to output in the compressed format, while storing the frame image data without further encoding in response to determining that the frame image data is in the compressed format,

wherein the original image data are sequentially generated by causing the image sensor to apply different photographing attributes by the frames on the basis of a sensor control signal input from the image signal processing device, and

wherein the thumbnail image generating unit determines one or more thumbnail attributes of an arrangement order and a size of the plurality of thumbnail images on the basis of an image analysis information.

2. The image signal processing device according to claim 1 , further comprising an image analyzing unit that generates the image analysis information from the plurality of frame image data using a predetermined image analysis method.

3. The image signal processing device according to claim 1 , further comprising a display picture generating unit that generates a display picture in which all or a part of the plurality of thumbnail images are arranged depending on the one or more thumbnail attributes,

wherein the output unit outputs the display picture to a multimedia processor at a subsequent stage.

4. The image signal processing device according to claim 1 , wherein a thumbnail image having the highest priority is disposed at a center of the display picture.

5. The image signal processing device according to claim 1 , wherein a thumbnail image having the highest priority is displayed in the biggest size among the plurality of thumbnail image data.

6. An imaging device comprising:

an input unit that receives a request signal and a selection signal from a user;

an image sensor that outputs original image data generated by performing a photographing operation in different photographing modes by frames in response to the request signal;

a sensor controller that controls an operation of the image sensor by a plurality of photographing modes, and generates and outputs a control signal that controls photographic attributes corresponding to at least one of the plurality of photographing modes that are predetermined in a candidate image presenting mode or one selected by the user;

an image signal processing device that processes the original image data by the frames to generate a plurality of frame image data, generates and firstly output a plurality of thumbnail image data corresponding to the plurality of frame image data, and secondly outputs a frame image data corresponding to a thumbnail image data selected by the selection signal, the image signal processing device including a thumbnail image generating unit that determines one or more thumbnail attributes of an arrangement order and a size of the plurality of thumbnail images on the basis of an image analysis information, and at least one of the plurality of frame image data being encoded to create at least one of the plurality of thumbnail image data in a compressed format;

a display unit that displays the plurality of thumbnail image data firstly output;

a storage unit that stores the frame image data secondly output; and

a multimedia processor that supplies the plurality of thumbnail image data firstly output from the image signal processing device to the display unit for display and supplies the frame image data secondly output from the image signal processing device to the storage unit and that determines whether the frame image data output by the user's selection signal is in the compressed format and, in response to determining that the frame image data output by the user's selection signal is not in the compressed format, encodes the frame image data upon the user's selection signal to output in the compressed format, while storing the frame image data without further encoding in response to determining that the frame image data is in the compressed format.

7. The imaging device according to claim 6 , wherein the image signal processing device further includes:

a frame image generating unit that generates the plurality of frame image data by processing the original image data sequentially input from the image sensor by the frames;

a frame memory that stores the plurality of frame image data;

the thumbnail image generating unit that further generates the plurality of thumbnail image data by scaling the plurality of frame image data; and

an output unit that firstly outputs the plurality of thumbnail image data and reads and secondly outputs a frame image data corresponding to a thumbnail image data, which is selected on the basis of the selection signal from the user out of the plurality of thumbnail image data, from the frame memory.

8. The imaging device according to claim 7 , wherein the frame image generating unit encodes the original image data in a predetermined format and stores the encoded original image data in the frame memory.

9. The imaging device according to claim 7 , wherein the image signal processing device further includes an image analyzing unit that generates the image analysis information from the plurality of frame image data using a predetermined image analysis method.

10. The imaging device according to claim 9 , wherein the image signal processing device further includes a display picture generating unit that generates a display picture in which all or a part of the plurality of thumbnail images are arranged depending on the one or more thumbnail attributes,

wherein the output unit outputs the display picture to the multimedia processor, and

wherein the multimedia processor supplies the display picture to the display unit for display.

11. The imaging device according to claim 9 , wherein the multimedia processor includes a display picture generating unit that generates a display picture in which all or a part of the plurality of thumbnail images are arranged depending on the one or more thumbnail attributes, and

wherein the multimedia processor supplies the display picture to the display unit for display.

12. The imaging device according to claim 11 , wherein a thumbnail image having the highest priority is disposed at a center of the display picture.

13. The imaging device according to claim 11 , wherein a thumbnail image having the highest priority is displayed in the biggest size among the plurality of thumbnail images.

14. The imaging device according to claim 6 , wherein the image sensor generates the original image data by changing one or more photographing attributes of ISO sensitivity, exposure value, flash ON/OFF, photometry, white balance, definition, chroma, gamma control, and lens shading compensation for each of the plurality of photographing modes.

15. The imaging device according to claim 6 , wherein the multimedia processor encodes the secondly-output frame image data in a predetermined format and stores the encoded frame image data in the storage unit.

16. A candidate image presenting method using thumbnail images, which is performed by an image signal processing device connected between an image sensor and a multimedia processor, the method, comprising:

(a) generating and outputting a control signal that controls photographic attributes corresponding to at least one of a plurality of photographing modes that are predetermined in a candidate image presenting mode or one selected by a user;

(b) processing a plurality of original image data supplied from the image sensor by the plurality of photographing modes set on the basis of a user's request signal by frames and generating and storing a plurality of frame image data;

(c) scaling the plurality of frame image data to generate a plurality of thumbnail image data, the scaling including encoding at least one of the plurality of frame image data to create at least one of the plurality of thumbnail image data in a compressed format;

(d) outputting the plurality of thumbnail image data to the multimedia processor; and

(e) outputting a frame image data corresponding to a thumbnail image data, which is selected on the basis of a user's selection signal out of the plurality of thumbnail image data, to the multimedia processor, the outputting including determining whether the frame image data output by the user's selection signal is in the compressed format and, in response to determining that the frame image data output by the user's selection signal is not in the compressed format, encoding the frame image data upon the user's selection signal to output in the compressed format, while outputting the frame image data without further encoding in response to determining that the frame image data is in the compressed format,

wherein the step of (c) further includes determining one or more thumbnail attributes of an arrangement order and a size of the plurality of thumbnail images on the basis of an image analysis information.

17. The candidate image presenting method according to claim 16 , wherein the step of (c) further includes:

generating the image analysis information from the plurality of frame image data using a predetermined image analysis method.

18. The candidate image presenting method according to claim 17 , wherein the step of (d) includes:

generating a display picture in which all or a part of the plurality of thumbnail images are arranged depending on the one or more thumbnail attributes; and

outputting the display picture to the multimedia processor at a subsequent stage.

19. The candidate image presenting method according to claim 18 , wherein a thumbnail image having the highest priority is disposed at a center of the display picture.

20. The candidate image presenting method according to claim 18 , wherein a thumbnail image having the highest priority is displayed in the biggest size among the plurality of thumbnail images.