Apparatus and method for managing picture data

• US 6,081,251 A
• Filed: 05/09/1995
• Issued: 06/27/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sakura, Kouhei, Ota, Osamu, Sakai, Yorihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Shalwala, Bipin H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Osorio, Ricardo
• Application Number:
  US08/437,497
• Time in Patent Office: 1,876 Days
• Field of Search: 345/202, 345/127, 345/129, 382/305, 382/306, 707/104
• US Class Current: 345/670
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/58 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• 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 2201/3215 of a time or duration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/325 Modified version of the image, e.g. part of the image, image reduced in size or resolution, thumbnail or screennail
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3277 The additional information being stored in the same storage device as the image data
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

An apparatus for managing picture data receives picture data representing a number of pictures at different times, generates a time code indicating the time of receipt of each picture, and stores the received picture data with a header that includes the time code. In order to retrieve selected pictures, retrieval parameter information is entered to indicate a selected time period, and the picture data that was received during the selected time period is retrieved. The apparatus also forms reduced size picture data for each received picture and stores the reduced size picture data in the header together with the time code for the corresponding picture. Upon retrieving selected ones of the stored pictures, the corresponding reduced size picture data is used to display simultaneously several reduced size pictures representing the pictures that have been retrieved.

Claims

1. A picture data management apparatus for storing and retrieving picture data, comprising:

means for receiving respective picture data representative of a plurality of pictures, and for receiving credit information including at least one indicia of source or ownership for at least one of said pictures;

means for generating a respective time code for each of said plurality of pictures indicative of the time of receipt of each of said pictures by said means for receiving;

means for receiving a respective storage or elimination command at a time subsequent to the time of receipt of the respective picture data;

means for selectively storing or eliminating the respective received picture data, credit information and time code indicative of the time of receipt of each of said pictures by said means for receiving, which is prior to the time of storage or elimination, for each of said plurality of pictures in association with said time code corresponding to the respective received picture data in response to the respective storage or elimination command;

means for entering retrieval parameter information indicative of a selected time period indicative of the time of receipt of particular picture data by said means for receiving;

retrieving means for retrieving the stored picture data for which said time codes correspond to said selected time period, thus indicating that the retrieved picture data was received by said means for receiving during said selected time period; and

output means for outputting the stored picture data retrieved by said retrieving means, said output means being further adapted to output said credit information with the stored picture data to selectively provide the credit information therewith or indicate whether and to whom further payment must be made.

2. The picture data management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said retrieval parameter information specifies a starting time for said selected time period.

3. The picture data management apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said retrieval parameter information also specifies an ending time for said selected time period.

4. The picture data management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said retrieval parameter information specifies an ending time for said selected time period.

5. The picture data management apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for displaying simultaneously storage information related to storage of said received picture data and retrieval information related to retrieval of said stored picture data.

6. The picture data management apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said storage information and said retrieval information are displayed in a split-screen format in which a first portion of said split-screen format is devoted to said storage information and a second portion of said split-screen format is devoted to said retrieval information.

7. The picture data management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said means for receiving is connected to a data network.

8. The picture data management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said means for receiving is connected to a telephone line.

9. The picture data management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said means for storing comprises a hard disk.

10. The picture data management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the respective received picture data for each of said plurality of pictures is stored in association with respective header data and said respective header data includes said time code corresponding to the respective received picture data.

11. The picture data management apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said means for receiving is connected to a data network and to a telephone line and is adapted to selectively receive said respective picture data from one of said data network and said telephone line.

12. The picture data management apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said respective header data includes data indicative of a source of said respective received picture data, said source being one of said data network and said telephone line.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said selected time period is a time of storage period.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said selected time period is a time of receipt period.

15. A picture data management apparatus for storing and retrieving picture data, comprising:

means for receiving respective picture data representative of a plurality of pictures, and for receiving credit information including at least one indicia of source or ownership for at least one of said pictures;

means for generating a respective time code for each of said plurality of pictures indicative of the time of receipt of each of said pictures by said means for receiving;

reduced size picture means for forming reduced size picture data for each of said plurality of pictures;

means for storing the respective received picture data, credit information and time code indicative of the time of receipt of said pictures by said means for receiving, which is prior to the time of storage for each one of said plurality of pictures and for storing in association therewith said reduced size picture data corresponding to said each one of said plurality of pictures;

means for entering retrieval parameter information indicative of a selected time period indicative of the time of receipt of particular picture data by said means for receiving;

retrieving means for retrieving the stored picture data and the associated reduced size picture data for which said time codes correspond to said selected time period, thus indicating that the retrieved picture data was received by said means for receiving during said selected time period;

means for simultaneously displaying a plurality of reduced size pictures corresponding to the retrieved reduced size picture data; and

output means for outputting the stored picture data retrieved by said retrieving means, said output means being further adapted to output said credit information with the stored picture data to selectively provide the credit information therewith or indicate whether and to whom further payment must be made.

16. The picture data management apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said reduced size picture means forms said reduced size picture data by thinning out said received picture data.

17. The picture data management apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising a buffer memory for temporarily storing the received picture data and the reduced size picture data formed by the reduced size picture means before said received picture data and said reduced size picture data are stored in said means for storing.

18. The picture data management apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising operator input means and means, responsive to said operator input means, for selectively transferring to said means for storing the received picture data and the reduced size picture data stored in said buffer memory.

19. The picture data management apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising means, responsive to said operator input means, for selectively erasing the received picture data and the reduced size picture data stored in said buffer memory.

20. The picture data management apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said means for displaying has a predetermined number of display areas for displaying a like number of reduced size pictures corresponding to the picture data stored in said buffer memory, and wherein said means for displaying displays the reduced size pictures corresponding to most recently received picture data when a number of pictures for which received picture data is stored in said buffer memory exceeds said predetermined number of display areas.

21. The picture data management apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said means for receiving is connected to a data network.

22. The picture data management apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said means for receiving is connected to a telephone line.

23. The picture data management apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said means for storing comprises a hard disk.

24. The picture data management apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the respective received picture data for each of said plurality of pictures is stored in association with respective header data and said respective header data includes respective reduced size picture data corresponding to the respective received picture data.

25. The picture data management apparatus according to claim 24, further comprising means for indexing said stored picture data in accordance with respective times at which said stored picture data was received;

and wherein said means for storing is operative to store said respective received picture data and the respective reception times at respective times subsequent to said respective reception times, and said means for retrieving comprises means for retrieving such portions of the indexed and stored picture data as were received during a selected time period.

26. The picture data management apparatus according to claim 25, wherein said respective header data also includes a time code indicative of a time at which the respective picture data was received.

27. The picture data management apparatus according to claim 24, wherein said means for receiving is connected to a data network and to a telephone line and is adapted to selectively receive said respective picture data from one of said data network and said telephone line.

28. The picture data management apparatus according to claim 27, wherein said respective header data includes data indicative of a source of said respective received picture data, said source being one of said data network and said telephone line.

29. The picture data management apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising means for detecting reception of said picture data by said means for receiving, and wherein said reduced size picture means is operative to form said reduced size picture data upon the detection of said reception of said picture data by said means for detecting.

30. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said selected time period is a time of storage period.

31. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said selected time period is a time of receipt period.

32. A picture data management apparatus for storing and retrieving picture data, comprising:

means for receiving respective picture data representative of a plurality of pictures, and for receiving credit information including at least one indicia of source or ownership for at least one of said pictures;

means for generating a respective time code for each of said plurality of pictures indicative of the time of receipt of each of said pictures by said means for receiving;

reduced size picture means for forming reduced size picture data for each of said plurality of pictures;

means for receiving a respective storage command at a time subsequent to the time of receipt of the respective picture data and credit information;

means for assigning respective keyword data for each of said plurality of pictures;

means for combining said respective time codes indicative of the time of receipt of each of said pictures by said means for receiving, which is prior to the time of receipt of said respective storage command, reduced size picture data and keyword data corresponding to respective received picture data to form header data associated with said respective received picture data;

means for storing the respective received picture data and associated respective header data in response to the respective storage command;

means for entering retrieval data;

retrieving means for retrieving the stored picture data corresponding to stored header data that conforms to said entered retrieval data;

means for reading out from said means for storing the reduced size picture data corresponding to the retrieved picture data;

means for displaying simultaneously a plurality of reduced size pictures corresponding to the read-out reduced size picture data; and

output means for outputting the stored picture data retrieved by said retrieving means, said output means being further adapted to output said credit information with the stored picture data to selectively provide the credit information therewith or indicate whether and to whom further payment must be made.

33. The picture data management apparatus according to claim 32, wherein said retrieval data includes retrieval parameter information indicative of a selected time period.

34. The picture data management apparatus according to claim 33, wherein said retrieval parameter information specifies a starting time for said selected time period.

35. The picture data management apparatus according to claim 33, wherein said retrieval parameter data specifies an ending time for said selected time period.

36. The picture data management apparatus according to claim 32, wherein said means for displaying simultaneously is also operative to display storage information related to storage of said received picture data and retrieval information related to retrieval of said stored picture data.

37. The picture data management apparatus according to claim 36, wherein said storage information and said retrieval information are displayed in a split-screen format in which a first portion of said split-screen format is devoted to said storage information and a second portion of said split-screen format is devoted to said retrieval information.

38. The picture data management apparatus according to claim 32, wherein said means for receiving is connected to a data network.

39. The picture data management apparatus according to claim 32, wherein said means for receiving is connected to a telephone line.

40. The picture data management apparatus according to claim 32, wherein said means for receiving is connected to a data network and to a telephone line and is adapted to selectively receive said respective picture data from one of said data network and said telephone line.

41. The picture data management apparatus according to claim 40, wherein said respective header data includes data indicative of a source of said respective received picture data, said source being one of said data network and said telephone line.

42. The picture data management apparatus according to claim 32, further comprising a buffer memory for temporarily storing the received picture data and the reduced size picture data formed by the reduced size picture means before said received data and said reduced size data are stored in said means for storing.

43. The picture data management apparatus according to claim 42, further comprising operator input means and means, responsive to said operator input means, for selectively transferring to said means for storing the received picture data and the reduced size picture data stored in said buffer memory.

44. The picture data management apparatus according to claim 43, further comprising means, responsive to said operator input means, for selectively erasing the received picture data and the reduced size picture data stored in said buffer memory.

45. The picture data management apparatus according to claim 32, wherein said means for storing comprises a hard disk.

46. A method of storing and retrieving picture data, comprising the steps of:

receiving respective picture data representative of a plurality of pictures, and receiving credit information including at least one indicia of source or ownership for at least one of said pictures;

generating a respective time code for each of said plurality of pictures indicative of the time of receipt of each of said pictures;

receiving a respective storage or elimination command at a time subsequent to said time of receipt of the respective picture data and credit information;

selectively storing or eliminating said received picture data credit information and time code indicative of the time of receipt of each of said pictures, which is prior to the time for storage or elimination, in association with said time code corresponding to the respective received picture data in response to the respective storage or elimination command;

indexing said stored picture data in accordance with respective time codes so that said stored picture data is indexed in accordance with the time of receipt of said picture data;

retrieving such portions of the indexed and stored picture data for which said time codes correspond to a selected time period, thus indicating that the retrieved picture data was received during said selected time period;

outputting at least a portion of said indexed and stored picture data; and

outputting the credit information associated with said retrieved portions of said picture data with the stored picture data to selectively provide the credit information therewith or indicate whether and to whom further payment must be made.

47. The method according to claim 46, wherein said storing and indexing steps are performed substantially simultaneously.

48. The method according to claim 46, wherein said selected time period is a time of storage period.

49. The method according to claim 46, wherein said selected time period is a time of receipt period.

50. A method of storing and retrieving picture data, comprising the steps of:

receiving respective picture data representative of a plurality of pictures, and receiving credit information including at least one indicia of source or ownership for at least one of said pictures;

generating a respective time code for each of said plurality of pictures indicative of the time of receipt of each of said pictures;

storing said respective picture data, credit information and time code indicative of the time of receipt of each of said pictures, which is prior to the time of storage;

forming respective reduced size picture data for each of said plurality of pictures;

storing the respective reduced size picture data for each one of said plurality of pictures and storing in association therewith said respective picture data, credit information and time code;

receiving retrieval parameter information indicative of a selected time period;

retrieving the stored reduced size picture data for which said time codes correspond to said selected time period, thus indicating that the retrieved reduced size picture was received during said selected time period;

displaying simultaneously a plurality of reduced size picture data which correspond to said selected time period;

selecting at least one of said reduced size picture data;

outputting said stored picture data associated with said selected reduced size picture data; and

outputting the credit information associated with said output portions of said picture data to selectively provide the credit information therewith or indicate whether payment must be made.

51. The method according to claim 50, wherein said storing steps are performed substantially simultaneously and said forming step is performed before said storing steps.

52. The method according to claim 51, wherein the respective picture data and the associated reduced size picture data are stored on an optical disk.

53. The method according to claim 51, further comprising the steps of receiving and temporarily storing said respective picture data before said forming step.

54. The method according to claim 51, wherein said respective picture data are stored in association with respective header data which includes the reduced size picture data formed for the corresponding picture.

55. The method according to claim 50, further comprising the steps of generating a second repective time code indicative of a time of receipt of the respective picture data for each of said plurality of pictures, receiving a respective storage command at a time subsequent to said time of receipt of the respective picture data, and wherein the step of storing said respective picture data representative of said plurality of pictures comprises storing said second time code corresponding to the respective received picture data in association with each of said plurality of pictures in response to the respective storage command.

56. The method according to claim 50, further comprising the step of detecting reception of said picture data, and wherein the step of forming respective reduced size picture data for each of said plurality of pictures is carried out upon the detection of said reception of said picture data.

57. The method according to claim 50, wherein said selected time period is a time of storage period.

58. The method according to claim 50, wherein said selected time period is a time of receipt period.