Image file management system and imaging device with tag information in a communication network

• US 10,165,178 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2017
• Issued: 12/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Matsuzawa, Yoshinori, Sato, Kazuhiro, Kawai, Sumio, Nonaka, Osamu
• Primary Examiner(s): Musa, Abdelnabi O
• Application Number:
  US15/650,483
• Publication Number:
  US 20170318219A1
• Time in Patent Office: 529 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32128 attached to the image data, e.g. file header, transmitted message header, information on the same page or in the same computer file as the image for information embedded in the image H04N1/32144
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3208 of an e-mail or network address
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3246 of data relating to permitted access or usage, e.g. level of access or usage parameters for digital rights management [DRM] related to still images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/611 where the recognised objects include parts of the human body
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/64 Computer-aided capture of images, e.g. transfer from script file into camera, check of taken image quality, advice or proposal for image composition or decision on when to take image

Abstract

An image management server including a receiver configured to receive an image file. The image file includes image data, copyright information, and tag information including route information for transmitting the image data. The image file is transmitted by an external device in accordance with the route information. The image management server further includes a processor configured to add digital watermark information to the image data to make the image file in a state in which the copyright information is protected or waived, and a transmitter configured to transmit the image file to an image display server in the state in which the copyright information in the image file is protected or waived.

Claims

1. An image management system comprising:

an image display server;

a management server that is communicatively coupled to the image display server via a network; and

an image processor that is communicatively coupled to the image display server and the management server via the network, wherein the imaging device;

acquires image data,

determines tag information for the image data based on the image data, wherein the tag information includes route information for transmitting the image data,

generates an image file that includes the image data, the route information and copyright information, and

selectively transmits the image file to either the management server or the image display server based on the tag information;

wherein the management server;

receives, via the network, the image file from the image processor;

adds digital watermark information to the image data to make the image file in a state in which the copyright information is protected or waived; and

transmits, via the network, the image file to the image display server in the state in which the copyright information in the image file is protected or waived.

2. The image management system according to claim 1, wherein the management server further:

transmits, via the network, a list of the tag information included in the image file to a mobile device,

receives, via the network, a selection of the tag information in the list from the mobile device, and

converts the selected tag information into digital watermark information and adds the digital watermark information converted from the selected tag information to the image data.

3. The image management system according to claim 1, wherein the management server further:

transmits, via the network, the image file to the image display server in the state in which the copyright information in the image file is protected in accordance with the route information.

4. The image management system according to claim 1, wherein the digital watermark information prohibits the copying of the copyright information in the state in which the copyright of the image file is protected.

5. The image management system according to claim 1, wherein the digital watermark information permits copying of the copyright information in the state in which the copyright of the image file is waived.

6. An image management method that improves data security of an image stored in a distributed computer network, the method comprising:

acquiring, by an image processor, image data;

determining, by the image processor, tag information for the image data based on the image data, wherein the tag information includes route information for transmitting the image data,

generating, by the image processor, an image file that includes the image data and the route information and copyright information, and

selectively transmitting the image file to either an image management server or an image display server based on the tag information;

receiving, by the management server, the image file;

adding, by the management server, digital watermark information to the image data to make the image file in a state in which copyright of the image file is protected or waived; and

transmitting, by the management server, the image file to the image display server in the state in which the copyright of the image file is protected or waived.

7. The image management method according to claim 6, wherein the digital watermark information prohibits the copying of the copyright information in the state in which the copyright of the image file is protected.

8. The image management method according to claim 6, wherein the digital watermark information permits copying of the copyright information in the state in which the copyright of the image file is waived.

9. An imaging device that improves data security of an image stored in a distributed computer network, the imaging device comprising:

an imaging sensor that generates image data;

a communication interface that is communicatively coupled to an image management server and an image display server via a network; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the imaging sensor and the communication interface, wherein the processor;

determines tag information for the image data based on the image data, wherein the tag information includes route information for transmitting the image data,

generates an image file comprising the image data and the tag information, and

selectively transmits, using the communication interface, the image file to either the image management server or the image display server based on the tag information.

10. The imaging device according to claim 9, wherein the processor further:

transmits, using the communication interface, the image file to an image reception server that receives the image file transmitted from the transmitter and transmits the image file based on the tag information.

11. The imaging device according to claim 9, wherein:

the image management server receives the image, manages the image file based on the tag information, and transmits the image file based on the tag information; and

the image display server receives the image file and transmits information relating to the image file in accordance with the tag information to an external device.

12. The imaging device according to claim 11, wherein:

the image file further comprises copyright information;

the management server further adds digital watermark information to the image data to make the image file in a state in which the copyright information is protected or waived and transmits the image file to the image display server in the state in which the copyright information in the image file is protected or waived.