File transfer method, file transfer apparatus, and file transfer program

• US 20090106666A1
• Filed: 10/10/2008
• Published: 04/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nomura, Masaru
• Granted Patent: US 8,949,723 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/748
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/168 Details of user interfaces specifically adapted to file systems, e.g. browsing and visualisation, 2d or 3d GUIs query results presentation G06F16/156

Abstract

A method for transferring a content data file stored in a storage unit from a file transfer apparatus to an external device is provided. The method includes displaying a file display window and a file transfer window on a display unit so that the file transfer window is viewable at any time, where the file display window includes at least one file identification image for identifying one of at least one data file and the file transfer window is used for receiving a request for transferring a data file to the external device, and, upon detecting a drag and drop operation of a file identification image displayed in the file display window into the file transfer window, reading the data file corresponding to the file identification image from the storage unit and writing the data file to the external device using a transfer processing unit of the file transfer apparatus.

Claims

1. A method for transferring a content data file stored in a storage unit from a file transfer apparatus to a storage area of an external device, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) displaying a file display window and a file transfer window on a display unit using display processing means of the file transfer apparatus so that the file transfer window is displayed at a location where the file transfer window is not hidden by the file display window, the file display window displaying at least one file identification image for identifying one of at least one data file stored in the storage unit, the file transfer window being used for receiving a request for transferring a data file to the external device; and

upon detecting a drag and drop operation of a file identification image displayed in the file display window into the file transfer window using input detecting means of the file transfer apparatus, (b) reading the data file corresponding to the file identification image from the storage unit and writing the readout data file to the storage area of the external device using transfer processing means of the file transfer apparatus.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein step (b) involves automatically creating a folder having a name determined in accordance with a predetermined condition in a directory structure of the external device for managing a location of a stored file in the storage area of the external device and writing the data file into the created folder using the transfer processing means.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the transfer processing means determines the name of the folder into which the data file is to be written on the basis of information included in a header of the data file to be written.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the transfer processing means determines the name of the folder into which the data file is to be written on the basis of a creation date of the data file included in the header.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein, when the data file to be transferred is an image file, the transfer processing means determines the name of the folder into which the data file is to be written on the basis of photograph date and time information included in the header.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein the transfer processing means sets the name of the folder into which the data file is written to be the same as a name of a folder in which the data file to be transferred is originally stored in a directory structure of the storage unit for managing a location of a stored file in the storage unit.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in step (b), when drag and drop operations of a plurality of the file identification images displayed in the file display window are continuously performed, a process for detecting an input of the drag and drop operation using the input detecting means and a process for writing the data file to be transferred to the storage area of the external device using the transfer processing means are executed in parallel.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein step (b) involves:

each time the input detecting means detects an input of a drag and drop operation of a file identification image displayed in the file display window into the file transfer window, sequentially registering identification information about the data file corresponding to the file identification image in a transfer list;

occasionally monitoring the step of registering identification information; and

writing, to the storage area of the external device, the data file corresponding the identification information that is not subjected to a transfer process.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in step (b), the transfer processing means converts a data file to be transferred into a data file capable of being successfully played back by the external device connected to the transfer processing means in accordance with specification information about the external device and writes the converted data file into the storage area of the external device.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein, if the data file to be transferred is an image file, the transfer processing means converts an image size of the data file into an image size reproducible and displayable on the external device.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in step (a), the file transfer window is displayed in the foreground of the file display window.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in step (a), the display processing means extracts the data file that satisfies a predetermined extraction condition from the storage unit and displays the file identification image corresponding to the extracted data file in the file display window in a list format.

13. A file transfer apparatus for transferring a content data file stored in a storage unit to a storage area of an external device, the apparatus comprising:

display processing means for displaying a file display window and a file transfer window on a display unit so that the file transfer window is displayed at a location where the file transfer window is not hidden by the file display window, the file display window including at least one file identification image for identifying one of at least one data file stored in the storage unit, the file transfer window being used for receiving a request for transferring a data file to the external device;

input detecting means for detecting an input of a drag and drop operation of a file identification image displayed in the file display window into the file transfer window; and

transfer processing means for reading the data file corresponding to the file identification image from the storage unit and writing the readout data file to the storage area of the external device when the input detecting means detects an input of a drag and drop operation of the file identification image.

14. A file transfer program for transferring a content data file stored in a storage unit to a storage area of an external device, the file transfer program comprising program code for causing a computer to function as:

display processing means for displaying a file display window and a file transfer window on a display unit so that the file transfer window is displayed at allocation where the file transfer window is not hidden by the file display window, the file display window including at least one file identification image for identifying one of at least one data file stored in the storage unit, the file transfer window being used for receiving a request for transferring a data file to the external device;

input detecting means for detecting an input of a drag and drop operation of a file identification image displayed in the file display window into the file transfer window; and

transfer processing means for reading the data file corresponding to the file identification image from the storage unit and writing the readout data file to the storage area of the external device when the input detecting means detects an input of a drag and drop operation of the file identification image.

15. A file transfer apparatus for transferring a content data file stored in a storage unit to a storage area of an external device, the apparatus comprising:

a display processing unit configured to display a file display window and a file transfer window on a display unit so that the file transfer window is displayed at a location where the file transfer window is not hidden by the file display window, the file display window including at least one file identification image for identifying one of at least one data file stored in the storage unit, the file transfer window being used for receiving a request for transferring a data file to the external device;

an input detecting unit configured to detect input of a drag and drop operation of a file identification image displayed in the file display window into the file transfer window; and

a transfer processing unit configured to read the data file corresponding to the file identification image from the storage unit and write the readout data file to the storage area of the external device when the input detecting unit detects an input of a drag and drop operation of the file identification image.