Image information managing system

• US 20030009534A1
• Filed: 06/28/2002
• Published: 01/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Yamagishi, Yoichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,272,641 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00209 Transmitting or receiving image data, e.g. facsimile data, via a computer, e.g. using e-mail, a computer network, the internet, I-fax
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2175 with local image input
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2187 with image input from a plurality of different locations or from a non-central location, e.g. from one or more users
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32122 in a separate device, e.g. in a memory or on a display separate from image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2743 Video hosting of uploaded data from client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/325 Modified version of the image, e.g. part of the image, image reduced in size or resolution, thumbnail or screennail
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3274 Storage or retrieval of prestored additional information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3278 Transmission

Abstract

An information managing system for browsing or transferring images between apparatuses connected to a network. In this system, an information storage apparatus such as an image pickup apparatus, an information managing apparatus such as an image server, and an information processing apparatus or client computer such as a PC are interconnected by the network. The information storage apparatus uploads only related information such as an index of image data stored therein to the information managing apparatus to publicize the related information on the network. Only when the information processing apparatus browsed the public information issues a transmission request for original information, the original information is transmitted from the information storage apparatus to the information processing apparatus.

Claims

1. An information managing system having an information storage apparatus, an information managing apparatus connected to a network, and an information processing apparatus capable of accessing the information managing apparatus via the network, the information managing system comprising:

notifying means provided in said information storage apparatus for notifying said information managing apparatus of related information of main information on storage;

publicizing means provided in said information managing apparatus for publicizing the related information notified by said information storage apparatus on said network;

browsing means provided in said information processing apparatus for browsing the related information publicized on said network; and

transferring means provided in said information processing apparatus for transmitting a transmission request command of requesting the main information related to the related information browsed by said browsing means and receiving the desired main information from said information storage apparatus.

2. An information managing system according to claim 1, wherein the main information stored in said information storage apparatus is image data and the related information is an index of the image data.

3. An information managing system according to claim 2, wherein said information storage apparatus further comprises image pickup means for picking up the image data and a storage unit and a recording medium for storing the picked-up image data.

4. An information managing system according to claim 2, wherein the index includes a reduction image or a thumbnail of the image data.

5. An information managing system according to claim 1, wherein the related information is an index including a file name of the main information.

6. An information managing system according to claim 1, wherein said information managing apparatus sets whether or not a portion or a whole of the related information is publicized on the network, in accordance with managing information stored in a storage unit of said information managing apparatus.

7. An information managing system according to claim 6, wherein said information storage apparatus further comprises operation means for rewriting the management information in said information managing apparatus, and said operation means sets whether or not a portion or a whole of the related information is publicized on the network.

8. An information managing system according to claim 1, wherein said information storage apparatus further comprises operation means for adding, deleting and renewing a portion or a whole of the related information as desired via said notifying means.

9. An information managing system according to claim 1, wherein said information storage apparatus is a portable terminal apparatus, and said notifying means includes at least a wireless communication unit so that said notifying means can communicate with said information managing apparatus or said information processing apparatus via a wireless communication network.

10. An information managing system according to claim 1, wherein said network is the Internet, and said information managing apparatus and said information processing apparatus are a server or a computer connected to the Internet.

11. An information managing system according to claim 1, wherein said information managing apparatus further comprises authenticating means for authenticating said information processing apparatus when said information managing apparatus receives the transmission request command for the main information from said information processing apparatus which browsed the related information publicized on the network, and if said authenticating means succeeds authentication, said information managing apparatus outputs information of a location of said information storage apparatus storing the main information corresponding to the transmission request command to said information processing apparatus.

12. An information managing system according to claim 11, wherein the information of the location is an IP address.

13. An information managing system according to claim 11, wherein in accordance with the received information of the location, said information processing apparatus requests said information storage apparatus to transmit the main information.

15. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the related information is an index including a reduced image or a thumbnail of the image data.

16. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the related information is an index including a file name of the image data.

17. An apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising operation means for rewriting management information in the image managing server, wherein said operation means performs setting of whether a portion or a whole of the related information is publicized on the network.

18. An apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising operation means for rewriting management information in the image managing server, wherein said operation means can add, delete and renew a portion or a whole of the related information notified to the image managing server as desired.

19. An apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the operation means includes a shutter switch.

20. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein at least one of said notifying means and said transmitting means performs wireless communication.

21. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said notifying means is operated in response to a storage operation of the image data in said storing means.

14. An apparatus for photographing an image, comprising:

storing means for storing photographed image data;

notifying means for notifying related information of the image data stored in said storing means to an image managing server connected to a network; and

transmitting means, responsive to a transmission request of the image data made by a client computer which browsed the related information notified by the image managing server via the network, for transmitting corresponding image data to the client computer.

22. A method of managing images by using a network, comprising:

a storage step of storing an image in an image storage apparatus;

a notice step of notifying related information of the stored image from the image storage apparatus to an image managing apparatus connected to the network;

an open step, at the image managing apparatus, of publicizing the related information on the network;

a request step, at an information processing apparatus connected to the network, of requesting the image storage apparatus to transmit a desired image designated by browsing the related information publicized on the network;

a transmission step, at the image storage apparatus, of transmitting the desired image requested at said request step to the information processing apparatus; and

a reception step of receiving the image transmitted at said transmission step at the information processing apparatus.

23. A method according to claim 22, wherein the related information publicized at said open step is an index including a reduced image or a thumbnail of the image.

24. A method according to claim 22, wherein the related information publicized at said open step is an index including a file name of the image.

25. A method according to claim 22, further comprising an authentication step of authenticating the information processing apparatus by the image managing apparatus after said request step by the information processing apparatus browsed the related information publicized by said open step, and a return step, at the image managing apparatus, of returning information of a location of the image storage apparatus storing the transmission requested image to the information processing apparatus if said authentication step succeeds in authentication.

26. A method according to claim 25, wherein the information of the location is an IP address.

27. A method according to claim 25, wherein the information processing apparatus can continue said request step for the image storage apparatus in accordance with the information of the location received at said return step.