Information processing method, information processing apparatus, information processing system, multimedia presentation system, file update method, multimedia presentation method, and storage medium

• US 20040073583A1
• Filed: 07/31/2003
• Published: 04/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Iwabuchi, Yoshitsugu, Watanabe, Ikuo
• Granted Patent: US 7,302,428 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99957 Garbage collection

Abstract

In a system for recording scenario and material files into a storage unit and reproducing the material files based on the scenario file, an information processing method capable of easily and surely preventing that the unnecessary material files are accumulated in the storage unit is provided. When the scenario file recorded in a hard disk is deleted, the unnecessary material files in this hard disk are automatically deleted. Namely, in the hard disk, the scenario file to be deleted and the scenario file to be remained are compared with each other, and the material files which are used in the scenario file to be deleted and from which the material files used in the remaining scenario file are excluded are deleted.

Claims

1. An information processing method which records material files and scenario files for controlling the material files into storage means and reproduces data of the material files on the basis of the scenario file in the storage means, comprising:

a first step of processing the predetermined scenario file in the storage means to be nonreadable; and

a second step of processing the unnecessary material files to be nonreadable, the unnecessary material files concerning the scenario file processed to be nonreadable in said first step.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the unnecessary material files are the material files which remain after the material files used in the remaining scenario file are excluded from the material files used in the scenario file processed to be nonreadable.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein in the scenario file a sequence for controlling each of the material files in time series is described.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the material file is composed of data including image data, voice data or character data.

5. An information processing apparatus comprising:

storage means for recording material files and scenario files for controlling the material files;

file update means for updating the file in said storage means; and

control means for controlling, when the predetermined scenario file in said storage means is processed to be nonreadable by said file update means, said file update means to process the unnecessary material files in said storage means to be nonreadable.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the unnecessary material files are the material files which remain after the material files used in the remaining scenario file are excluded from the material files used in the scenario file processed to be nonreadable.

7. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein in the scenario file a sequence for controlling each of the material files in time series is described.

8. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the material file is composed of data including image data, voice data or character data.

9. An information processing system which includes a data transfer apparatus for transferring material files and scenario files controlling the material files, storage means for recording the transferred material files and scenario files, and a reproduction apparatus for reproducing data of the material files on the basis of the scenario file in said storage means, comprising:

first means for processing the predetermined scenario file in said storage means to be nonreadable; and

second means for processing the unnecessary material files to be nonreadable, the unnecessary material files concerning the scenario file processed to be nonreadable by said first means.

10. A system according to claim 9, wherein the unnecessary material files are the material files which remain after the material files used in the remaining scenario file are excluded from the material files used in the scenario file processed to be nonreadable.

11. A system according to claim 9, wherein in the scenario file a sequence for controlling each of the material files in time series is described.

12. A system according to claim 9, wherein the material file is composed of data including image data, voice data or character data.

13. A presentation system comprising:

means for editing material files;

means for forming a scenario file to control the material files;

storage means for recording the material files and the scenario file;

reproduction means for reproducing data of the material files on the basis of the scenario file in said storage means; and

control means for processing the unnecessary material files in said storage means to be nonreadable, the unnecessary material files concerning the predetermined scenario file in said storage means processed to be nonreadable.

14. A system according to claim 13, wherein the unnecessary material files are the material files which remain after the material files used in the remaining scenario file are excluded from the material files used in the scenario file processed to be nonreadable.

15. A system according to claim 13, wherein in the scenario file a sequence for controlling each of the material files in time series is described.

16. A method for updating recording states of material files and scenario files controlling the material files all recorded in a storage medium, comprising:

a first step of processing the predetermined scenario file in the storage medium to be nonreadable; and

a second step of processing the unnecessary material files to be nonreadable, the unnecessary material files concerning the scenario file processed to be nonreadable.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein the unnecessary material files are the material files which remain after the material files used in the remaining scenario file are excluded from the material files used in the scenario file processed to be nonreadable.

18. A method according to claim 16, wherein in the scenario file a sequence for controlling each of the material files in time series is described.

19. A method according to claim 16, wherein the material file is composed of data including image data, voice data or character data.

20. A multimedia presentation method comprising:

an editing step of editing a multimedia material file including image data, voice data or character data, and a scenario file for controlling the multimedia material file;

a storage step of recording the multimedia material file and the scenario file;

a reproduction step of reproducing data of the multimedia material file on the basis of the scenario file stored in said storage step; and

a processing step of processing, when the predetermined scenario file in storage means is processed to be nonreadable, the unnecessary material files in the storage means to be nonreadable.

21. A method according to claim 20, wherein the unnecessary multimedia material files are the files which remain after the multimedia material files used in the remaining scenario file are excluded from the multimedia material files used in the scenario file processed to be nonreadable.

22. A method according to claim 20, wherein in the scenario file a sequence for controlling each of the multimedia material files in time series is described.

23. A storage medium which stores a computer-readable program to execute a file update method for updating files in storage means, the storage means storing material files and scenario files for controlling the material files, said method comprising:

a first step of processing the predetermined scenario file in the storage medium to be nonreadable; and

a second step of processing the unnecessary material files to be nonreadable, the unnecessary material files concerning the scenario file processed to be nonreadable.

24. A medium according to claim 23, wherein the unnecessary material files are the material files which remain after the material files used in the remaining scenario file are excluded from the material files used in the scenario file processed to be nonreadable.

25. A medium according to claim 23, wherein in the scenario file a sequence for controlling each of the material files in time series is described.

26. A medium according to claim 23, wherein the material file is composed of data including image data, voice data or character data.

27. An information processing method, comprising:

a deletion designation step of designating, in a storage medium which stores a main file executed by an application program and a sub file related to the main file and used when the main file is executed, the file to be deleted, so as to control various file operations; and

a deletion step of deleting the file designated in said deletion designation step,

wherein said deletion step includes a control step of performing, when the main file designated in said deletion designation step is deleted, controlling to delete the sub file used by the main file and not used by another main file remaining in the storage medium.

28. A method according to claim 27, wherein the sub file does not include therein link information to other files, and the main file includes link information of the sub file used when the main file is executed.

29. A method according to claim 27, wherein said deletion step includes a list formation step of forming a list concerning the sub file used by the main file designated to be deleted and not used by another main file remaining in the storage medium, in accordance with the deletion designation stored in said deletion designation step.

30. A method according to claim 27, wherein the application program is a presentation program, the main file is a scenario file to be executed by the presentation program, and the sub file is a material file related to the scenario file in time series.