Apparatus, method and program for generating images

• US 20050231525A1
• Filed: 03/22/2005
• Published: 10/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Tsubaki, Hisayoshi, Shirasaka, Hajime, Habuta, Shizuo
• Application Number:
  US11/085,593
• Publication Number:
  US 20050231525A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/591
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• 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 1/00135 Scanning of a photographic original
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00151 with selective access
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00175 from a still image storage medium H04N1/00172, H04N1/0018 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2166 for mass storage, e.g. in document filing systems information retrieval G06F16/00
• 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 2201/3214 of a date
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3274 Storage or retrieval of prestored additional information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3277 The additional information being stored in the same storage device as the image data

Abstract

When information representing date of photography of images is obtained from recording media such as negative films or prints, reliability of the photography date can be known. Image data are obtained from negative films NF, prints P, and recording media M, and photography date information representing the date of photography is obtained from a DX code of the films and printed date, for example. The DX code provides a rough estimate of the photography date, but the printed date provides the accurate photography date. Therefore, the reliability of the photography date is written in a tag of the image data together with the photography date. In this manner, by referring to the image data, the photography date and the reliability thereof can be known.

Claims

1. An image generation apparatus comprising:

image acquisition means for obtaining at least one image from a recording medium;

photography date information acquisition means for obtaining photography date information representing date of photography regarding the image or images; and

information addition means for adding the date of photography represented by the photography date information and reliability of the date of photography to the image or images.

2. An image generation apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein:

the information addition means assigns ranks to the reliability of the date of photography of the image or images.

3. An image generation apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein:

the information addition means assigns the ranks to the reliability of the date of photography of the image or images, according to the source of the photography date information.

4. An image generation apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein:

the rank of reliability of the date of photography is lowered for images that have had image processing administered thereon.

5. An image generation apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein:

the information addition means recognizes skin colored regions within the image or images; and

changes the reliability based on the size of the area of the skin colored regions with respect to the image or images.

6. An image generation method comprising the steps of:

obtaining at least one image from a recording medium;

obtaining photography date information representing date of photography regarding the image or images; and

adding the date of photography represented by the photography date information and reliability of the date of photography to the image or images.

7. A program for causing a computer to execute an image generation method comprising the steps of:

obtaining at least one image from a recording medium;

obtaining photography date information representing date of photography regarding the image or images; and

adding the date of photography represented by the photography date information and reliability of the date of photography to the image or images.

8. A computer readable medium, having the program as defined in claim 7 recorded thereon.