Image management apparatus and method

• US 20070071416A1
• Filed: 01/18/2006
• Published: 03/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ikemizu, Kenji
• Application Number:
  US11/333,255
• Publication Number:
  US 20070071416A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/259
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00086 Circuits for prevention of unauthorised reproduction or copying, e.g. piracy indicating unauthorised use of record carriers in general G11B23/28; scrambling for television signal recording H04N5/913; network architectures or network protocols for network security H04L63/00; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00144 involving a user identifier, e.g. a unique customer ID
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/0021 involving encryption or decryption of contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00231 wherein the key is obtained from a local external medium, e.g. a card
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/17 Card-like record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2516 Hard disks
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00129 with a display device, e.g. CRT or LCD monitor with a television apparatus H04N1/00283; arrangements for control of display devices G09G
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• 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 1/2158 using a detachable storage unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4413 involving the use of passwords, ID codes or the like, e.g. PIN
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4426 involving separate means, e.g. a server, a magnetic card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4433 to an apparatus, part of an apparatus or an apparatus function
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91364 the video signal being scrambled
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42661 for reading from or writing on a magnetic storage medium, e.g. hard disk drive
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4623 Processing of entitlement messages, e.g. ECM [Entitlement Control Message] or EMM [Entitlement Management Message] arrangements for conditional access to broadcast information or to broadcast-related services H04H60/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8153 : comprising still images, e.g. texture, background image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0037 : Topological details of the connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0049 : By wire, cable or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0053 : Optical, e.g. using an infrared link
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0055 : By radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0087 : Image storage device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3229 : further additional information (metadata) being comprised in the file name (including path, e.g. directory or folder names at one or more higher hierarchical levels)
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 : Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 : between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 : between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 : on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 : using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8047 : using transform coding

Abstract

An image management apparatus, comprising: an image capture device which captures images; an image saving device which saves the images; a user identification information reading device which contactlessly reads user identification information from a contactless IC card containing the user identification information unique to a given user; a folder creating device which automatically creates in the image saving device an image folder unique to the user when the user identification information reading device reads user identification information and if there is no image folder unique to the user corresponding to the read user identification information; an image storage control device which stores any image captured via the image capture device in the image folder corresponding to the read user identification information after the user identification information is read by the user identification information reading device; and an image output control device which makes any image stored in the image folder corresponding to the read user identification information ready for output when the user identification information is read by the user identification information reading device.

Claims

1. An image management apparatus, comprising:

an image capture device which captures images;

an image saving device which saves the images;

a user identification information reading device which contactlessly reads user identification information from a contactless IC card containing the user identification information unique to a given user;

a folder creating device which automatically creates in the image saving device an image folder unique to the user when the user identification information reading device reads user identification information and if there is no image folder unique to the user corresponding to the read user identification information;

an image storage control device which stores any image captured via the image capture device in the image folder corresponding to the read user identification information after the user identification information is read by the user identification information reading device; and

an image output control device which makes any image stored in the image folder corresponding to the read user identification information ready for output when the user identification information is read by the user identification information reading device.

2. The image management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image capture device comprises at least one of a communications device which captures images by wire or radio, an image reading device which reads images from a recording medium containing images, and an image pickup device which picks up and captures images.

3. The image management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the contactless IC card can be a contactless IC card incorporated in a user'"'"'s portable apparatus.

4. The image management apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a cryptographic key generating device which generates a cryptographic key from the user identification information read by the user identification information reading device, wherein the image storage control device encrypts the images captured via the image capture device based on the cryptographic key generated by the cryptographic key generating device and stores the encrypted images in the appropriate image folder.

5. The image management apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:

a decryption key generating device which generates a decryption key from the user identification information read by the user identification information reading device, wherein the image output control device decrypts the encrypted images stored in the image folder corresponding to the user identification information based on the decryption key generated by the decryption key generating device and makes the decrypted images ready for output.

6. An image management method, comprising the steps of:

contactlessly reading user identification information from a contactless IC card containing the user identification information unique to a given user;

determining whether an image folder unique to the user corresponding to the read user identification information exists in an image saving device and automatically creating an image folder unique to the user corresponding to the user identification information if no such image folder exists;

storing images captured via an image capture device in the image folder unique to the user corresponding to the read user identification information when storing the captured images in the image saving device; and

outputting images from the image folder unique to the user corresponding to the read user identification information when outputting saved images from the image saving device.

7. The image management method according to claim 6, wherein in the step of storing captured images in the image folder unique to the user corresponding to the read user identification information a cryptographic key based on the read user identification information is created and the image is stored after encrypting the image based on the cryptographic key.

8. The image management method according to claim 7, wherein in the step of outputting images from the image folder a decryption key based on the read user identification information read by the user identification information reading device is generated, the encrypted images stored in the image folder based on the decryption key is decrypted, and the decrypted image is outputted.