System for providing synthesized images, apparatus and program for synthesizing images

• US 20040218058A1
• Filed: 03/24/2004
• Published: 11/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Enomoto, Jun, Nakamura, Yoichi, Shinohara, Mamoru, Yamaguchi, Hiroshi
• Application Number:
  US10/807,381
• Publication Number:
  US 20040218058A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/218.1
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 7/00 Up-and-down hill tracks; Switchbacks
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00132 in a digital photofinishing system, i.e. a system where digital photographic images undergo typical photofinishing processing, e.g. printing ordering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00143 Ordering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00167 Processing or editing H04N1/00196 - H04N1/00201 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0019 on souvenir-type products or the like, e.g. T-shirts or mugs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00196 Creation of a photo-montage, e.g. photoalbum H04N1/0019 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00342 with a radio frequency tag transmitter or receiver storage of additional information in an RFID tag attached to an image bearing paper sheet H04N1/32138
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3871 the composed originals being of different kinds, e.g. low- and high-resolution originals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3876 Recombination of partial images to recreate the original image

Abstract

Provision of synthesized images, in which images that have been photographed at a plurality of locations are favorably laid out according to the photography locations thereof, is enabled. Subjects who hold wireless tags, in which subject specifying data is recorded, are photographed by a plurality of photography units, which are provided at predetermined locations. At the time of photography, the subject specifying data is obtained from the wireless tags. The photographed images and the subject specifying data are transmitted together to a server, where they are stored. The server searches for image data sets from among image data sets stored therein, in which a predetermined subject is pictured, based on the subject specifying data. The server also searches for predetermined template data sets, based on the photography locations of the located image data sets. Synthesized images are generated by synthesizing the image data sets in predetermined layouts.

Claims

1. A system for providing synthesized images, comprising:

a plurality of cameras for photographing subjects and obtaining image data sets, provided at predetermined locations;

a transmitting means for transmitting the image data sets, provided at each of the plurality of cameras;

an image managing means for storing the image data sets, which have been transmitted by the transmitting means;

a subject specifying means, for specifying the subjects which are pictured in the image data sets;

a template managing means for storing template data sets, which are to be synthesized with the image data sets;

an image searching means for searching among the image data sets, which are stored in the image managing means, for image data sets, in which the subjects specified by the subject specifying means are pictured;

an image synthesizing means for generating synthesized image data sets, by synthesizing image data sets, which have been located by the image searching means, with predetermined template data sets from among the template data sets, which are stored in the template managing means, according to the photography location of the image data sets, in a predetermined layout; and

an output means, for outputting the synthesized image data sets.

2. A system for providing synthesized images as defined in claim 1, wherein the subject specifying means comprises:

subject specifying data transmitting means for transmitting prerecorded subject specifying data; and

subject specifying data receiving means for receiving the subject specifying data, transmitted from the subject specifying data transmitting means;

wherein;

the subject specifying data transmitting means are distributed among subjects in advance; and

the subject specifying data receiving means receives the subject specifying data of a photographed subject from the subject specifying data transmitting means held by the photographed subject, corresponding to photography operations of the cameras.

3. A system for providing synthesized images as defined in claim 1, wherein the subject specifying means comprises:

media, in which subject specifying data are recorded; and

readout means for reading out the subject specifying data from the media;

wherein;

the media are distributed among subjects in advance; and

the readout means reads out the subject specifying data of a photographed subject from the medium held by the photographed subject, corresponding to photography operations of the cameras.

4. A system for providing synthesized images as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

an image selecting means for selecting image data sets from among the image data sets, which have been located by the image searching means, to be synthesized with the template data sets.

5. A system for providing synthesized images as defined in claim 2, further comprising:

an image selecting means for selecting image data sets from among the image data sets, which have been located by the image searching means, to be synthesized with the template data sets.

6. A system for providing synthesized images as defined in claim 3, further comprising:

an image selecting means for selecting image data sets from among the image data sets, which have been located by the image searching means, to be synthesized with the template data sets.

7. A system for providing synthesized images as defined in claim 1, wherein the image synthesizing means comprises:

a template selecting means for selecting template data sets from among the template data sets, which are stored in the template managing means, to be synthesized with the image data sets;

wherein;

the selected template data sets are synthesized with the image data sets.

8. A system for providing synthesized images as defined in claim 2, wherein the image synthesizing means comprises:

a template selecting means for selecting template data sets from among the template data sets, which are stored in the template managing means, to be synthesized with the image data sets;

wherein;

the selected template data sets are synthesized with the image data sets.

9. A system for providing synthesized images as defined in claim 3, wherein the image synthesizing means comprises:

a template selecting means for selecting template data sets from among the template data sets, which are stored in the template managing means, to be synthesized with the image data sets;

wherein;

the selected template data sets are synthesized with the image data sets.

10. A system for providing synthesized images as defined in claim 4, wherein the image synthesizing means comprises:

a template selecting means for selecting template data sets from among the template data sets, which are stored in the template managing means, to be synthesized with the image data sets;

wherein;

the selected template data sets are synthesized with the image data sets.

11. A system for providing synthesized images as defined in claim 5, wherein the image synthesizing means comprises:

a template selecting means for selecting template data sets from among the template data sets, which are stored in the template managing means, to be synthesized with the image data sets;

wherein;

the selected template data sets are synthesized with the image data sets.

12. A system for providing synthesized images as defined in claim 6, wherein the image synthesizing means comprises:

a template selecting means for selecting template data sets from among the template data sets, which are stored in the template managing means, to be synthesized with the image data sets;

wherein;

the selected template data sets are synthesized with the image data sets.

13. A system for providing synthesized images as defined in claim 7, wherein:

the template selecting means increases the number of selectable template data sets, with which the image data sets are synthesized, according to the number of image data sets in which the same subject is pictured.

14. A system for providing synthesized images as defined in claim 8, wherein:

the template selecting means increases the number of selectable template data sets, with which the image data sets are synthesized, according to the number of image data sets in which the same subject is pictured.

15. A system for providing synthesized images as defined in claim 9, wherein:

the template selecting means increases the number of selectable template data sets, with which the image data sets are synthesized, according to the number of image data sets in which the same subject is pictured.

16. A system for providing synthesized images as defined in claim 10, wherein:

the template selecting means increases the number of selectable template data sets, with which the image data sets are synthesized, according to the number of image data sets in which the same subject is pictured.

17. A system for providing synthesized images as defined in claim 11, wherein:

the template selecting means increases the number of selectable template data sets, with which the image data sets are synthesized, according to the number of image data sets in which the same subject is pictured.

18. A system for providing synthesized images as defined in claim 12, wherein:

the template selecting means increases the number of selectable template data sets, with which the image data sets are synthesized, according to the number of image data sets in which the same subject is pictured.

19. An image synthesizing apparatus comprising:

an image receiving means for receiving input of image data sets; and

an image synthesizing means;

wherein

the image synthesizing means generates synthesized image data sets, by synthesizing image data sets, which have been input, with predetermined template data sets according to the photography location of the image data sets, in a predetermined layout.

20. A program that causes a computer to execute a method for synthesizing images, comprising the procedures of:

receiving input of image data sets; and

generating synthesized images;

wherein

synthesized images are generated, by synthesized image data sets, which have been input, with predetermined template data sets according to the photography location of the image data sets, in a predetermined layout.

21. A computer readable medium having stored therein the program defined in claim 20.