Image information obtaining method, image information transmitting apparatus and image information transmitting system

• US 7,265,780 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2001
• Issued: 09/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation), Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Hiroshi, Gronholm, Jan
• Primary Examiner(s): Srivastava; Vivek
• Assistant Examiner(s): MISLEH, JUSTIN P
• Application Number:
  US09/784,159
• Publication Number:
  US 20010041056A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,391 Days
• Field of Search: 348/207.99, 348/207.1, 348/207.11, 348/207.2, 348/211.2, 348/211.3, 348/211.14, 348/333.07, 348/231.99, 348/231.2, 348/231.6, 348/231.7, 348/231.9, 348/211.99, 379/93.25, 455/556.1, 455/566, 455/90.1
• US Class Current: 348/207.99
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/51 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• 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 1/00281 with a telecommunication apparatus, e.g. a switched network of teleprinters for the distribution of text-based information, a selective call terminal details of transmission H04N1/00095; establishing a communication with one of a facsimile machine or another apparatus sharing a single line H04N1/32704; interfacing cordless telephone terminals with an accessory to increase the functionality of user interface H04M1/72409
• 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 1/00427 using a menu list H04N1/00421, H04N1/00424, H04N1/00429 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0044 for image preview or review, e.g. to help the user position a sheet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00482 outputting a plurality of job set-up options, e.g. number of copies, paper size or resolution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32771 in response to a request, e.g. for a particular document
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32776 using an interactive, user-operated device, e.g. a computer terminal, mobile telephone H04N1/32782, H04N1/32784 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0055 By radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0086 Image transceiver H04N2201/0093 and H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3214 of a date
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3226 of identification information or the like, e.g. ID code, index, title, part of an image, reduced-size image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3247 Data linking a set of images to one another, e.g. sequence, burst or continuous capture mode
• 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 2201/3252 Image capture parameters, e.g. resolution, illumination conditions, orientation of the image capture device H04N2201/3256 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3253 Position information, e.g. geographical position at time of capture, GPS data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3277 The additional information being stored in the same storage device as the image data

Abstract

A transmitting and receiving device capable of transmitting and receiving information to and from another communication apparatus and an information processing device are provided. The information processing device produces directories that classifies a plurality of images stored in a recording medium, and if the communication apparatus asks for an offer of any image file according to information of the directories, the information processing device transmits the image file to the communication apparatus through the transmitting and receiving device. Consequently, the user is capable of easily designating the desired image file that meets the use according to the presented information about the directories by remote control with the communication apparatus.

Claims

1. An image information obtaining method in which an image information receiving end can select a desired image file according to information about directories presented by an image information transmitting end and receives an image of the selected image file, said method comprising:

at the image information transmitting end;

classifying a plurality of images recorded in a recording medium under parameters that represent properties of the plurality of images, each image having a plurality of parameters associated therewith;

producing directories in which to register image files or file names of the classified images in each parameter associated with images; and

registering file names as required for each image, wherein a file name for each image is registered under each directory for which any specific parameter applies to said image, said plurality of parameters associated with said image thereby allowing said image to be registered under a corresponding plurality of directories; and

at the image information receiving end;

providing a display of at least a portion of a hierarchical tree structure in accordance with said directories, from which can be selected a desired image file of a desired parameter according to the information about the directories produced by said image information transmitting end; and

receiving an image of the selected desired image file of the desired parameter from the image information transmitting end, wherein said desired image file can be retrieved from any said directory in said hierarchical tree structure for which a specific parameter for said desired image file applies.

2. The image information obtaining method as defined in claim 1, wherein the plurality of images includes an original image and a converted image produced from the original image by changing a parameter representing a property of the original image.

3. The image information obtaining method as defined in claim 2, wherein the image information transmitting end produces the converted image from the original image recorded in the recording medium by changing the parameter and registers the converted image or a file name of the converted image in the produced directory.

4. The image information obtaining method as defined in claim 2, wherein the image information transmitting end transmits the converted image produced from the original image by changing the parameter if an image file of an image whose parameter is different from the parameter of the original image is accessed from the image information receiving end.

5. The image information obtaining method as defined in any one of claims 2, 3 and 4, wherein the image information transmitting end does not register an image file whose image data amount is not less than an image data amount of an original image file or a file name of the image file in the directories constructed for each parameter.

6. The image information obtaining method as defined in claim 2, wherein the image information transmitting end has a plurality of images whose parameters representing properties of the plurality of images are different in one image file of the original image, and transmits, if an image file with the same parameter as that of an image among the plurality of images in the image file of the original image is accessed from the image information receiving end, an image with the corresponding parameter among the plurality of images in the image file of the original image.

7. The image information obtaining method as defined in claim 1 or 2, wherein the parameters representing the properties of the images include at least one of a number of pixels, compression rate, sampling method and color information.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the directories produced in the image information transmitting end to register image files or file names of the classified images in each parameter comprise virtual directories, wherein a virtual directory comprises a directory for which image data is converted upon a request for data from said virtual directory.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the display in the image information receiving end of at least a portion of a hierarchical tree structure in accordance with the directories comprises a display of the virtual directories in addition to any existing directories already existing in the image information receiving end.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the virtual directories are produced in the image information transmitting end in response to a request for a file list from the image information receiving end.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein:

an image is associated hierarchically as a file in an existing folder, thereby establishing an existing file/folder relationship for said image; and

at least one property parameter of said image provides a basis for a directory for said image that maintains said existing file/folder relationship.

13. The image information obtaining method as defined in any one of claims 1, 2 and 12, wherein the directories include pass names or holders to which the image files or the property files belong.

14. The image information obtaining method as defined in any one of claims 1, 2 and 12, wherein the image information receiving end displays at least one of an image file name, an image directory name, a property file name, a property directory name, a pass name of the image file and a pass name of the property file according to the information about the directories presented by an apparatus at the image information transmitting end.

15. The image information obtaining method as defined in any one of claims 1, 2 and 12, wherein the image information receiving end displays the information about the directories in tree representation according to the information about the directories presented by the image information transmitting end.

16. The image information obtaining method as defined in any one of claims 1, 2 and 12, wherein the image information receiving end transmits and receives information to and from a communication apparatus other than the image information transmitting end through a public circuit or a communication network, and transmits the received image of the desired image file or the received information of the property file to the communication apparatus.

17. The image information obtaining method as defined in any one of claims 1, 2 and 12, wherein the image information transmitting end images a subject and records image data acquired by the imaging.

18. The image information obtaining method as defined in any one of claims 1, 2 and 12, wherein the transmission and reception of the information comprises at least one of:

connecting the image information transmitting end and the image information receiving end that transmits and receives the information with a cable and transmitting and receiving the information by wire communication by converting the information into electric signals or light signals; and

transmitting and receiving the information by radio communication by converting the information into electric signals or light signals.

19. The image information obtaining method as defined in any one of claims 1, 2 and 12, wherein the image information receiving end is capable of transmitting and receiving information to and from a communication apparatus other than an image information transmitting apparatus that implements said image information obtaining method, through a public circuit or a communication network and transmitting and receiving speech signals.

20. The image information obtaining method as defined in any one of claims 1, 2 and 12, wherein the image information transmitting end sets a power-conservation mode in which power consumption of the image information transmitting end is reduced, and the image information transmitting end cancels the power-conservation mode when the image information transmitting end receives information from the image information receiving end while the power-conservation mode is set.

12. An image information obtaining method in which an image information receiving end can select a property file to register property information of a desired image file in according to information about directories presented by an image information transmitting end and receives information of the selected property file, wherein:

the image information transmitting end;

produces directories in which to register property files or property file names of image files recorded in a recording medium, each image having a plurality of properties associated therewith; and

registers the property file names as required for each image, wherein each image is registered as a file in each directory having a specific property associated with said image, said plurality of properties associated with an image causing said image to be registered in each of a corresponding plurality of directories; and

the image information receiving end;

provides a display of at least a portion of a hierarchical tree structure in accordance with said directories, from which can be selected a desired property file according to the information about the produced directories; and

receives information of the selected desired property file from the image information transmitting end, wherein an image can be selectively retrieved from any directory associated with a property attributed to said image.

25. The image information transmitting apparatus as defined in any one of claims 12, 23 and 24, wherein the directory producing device does not register an image file whose image data amount is not less than an image data amount of an original image file or a file name of the image file in the directories constructed for each parameter.

21. An image information transmitting apparatus comprising:

a directory producing device which classifies a plurality of images recorded in a recording medium under parameters that represent properties of the plurality of images, producing directories to register image files or file names of the classified images in for each parameter and registering file names required, wherein each image is associated with a plurality of parameters and an image appears as an image file or file name in each directory applicable for specific parameters associated with said image, so that each image is registered in each of a corresponding plurality of directories;

a communicating device capable of transmitting and receiving information to and from an image information receiving apparatus; and

an information processing device which transmits, if the image information receiving apparatus asks for an offer of any image file produced by the directory producing device through the communicating device, an image of the image file to the image information receiving apparatus through the communicating device, wherein any image can be selectively retrieved from any directory in which said image is registered.

22. The image information transmitting apparatus as defined in claim 21, further comprising a converted image producing device which produces a converted image from an original image recorded in the recording medium by changing a parameter representing a property of the original image.

23. The image information transmitting apparatus as defined in claim 22, wherein the information processing device produces the converted image from the original image recorded in the recording medium by changing the parameter and registers the converted image or a file name of the converted image in the produced directory.

24. The image information transmitting apparatus as defined in claim 22, wherein the information processing device transmits the converted image produced from the original image recorded in the recording medium by changing the parameter to the image information receiving apparatus through the communicating device if an image file of an image whose parameter is different from the parameter of the original image is accessed from the image information receiving apparatus.

26. The image information transmitting apparatus as defined in claim 22, wherein:

a plurality of images whose parameters representing properties of the plurality of images are different in one image file of the original image in the recording medium; and

if the image information receiving apparatus asks for an offer of an image file with the same parameter as that of an image among the plurality of images in the image file of the original image through the communicating device, the information processing device transmits an image with the corresponding parameter among the plurality of images in the image file of the original image to the image information receiving apparatus through the communicating device.

27. The image information transmitting apparatus as defined in claim 21 or 22, wherein the directory producing device classifies the directories under parameters representing at least one of properties of the images that include a number of pixels, compression rate, sampling method and color information and produces the directories.

29. The image information transmitting apparatus as defined in any one of claims 21, 22 and 28, wherein the directory producing device produces pass names or holders to which the image files or the property files belong.

30. The image information transmitting apparatus as defined in any one of claims 21, 22 and 28, wherein:

the image information transmitting apparatus comprises one of a camera and a scanner having an imaging device which images a subject image; and

the information processing device records image data acquired by the imaging to the recording medium.

31. The image information transmitting apparatus as defined in any one of claims 21, 22 and 28, wherein the communicating device comprises one of a wire communicating device with a cable and a wireless communicating device using carrier waves of radio waves or lights which connect the image information transmitting apparatus and the image information receiving apparatus that transmit and receive the information.

32. The image information transmitting apparatus as defined in any one of claims 21, 22 and 28, further comprising a power-conservation mode setting device which sets a power-conservation mode in which power consumption of the image information transmitting apparatus is reduced, the power-conservation mode setting device canceling the power-conservation mode when the communicating device receives information from the image information receiving apparatus while the power-conservation mode is set.

28. An image transmitting apparatus comprising:

a directory producing device which produces directories to register property files or property file names of image files recorded in a recording medium in and registering property file names required, wherein each image is associated with a plurality of properties and each said image file is listed in each directory for which a property of said image applies so that each image is listed in each of a corresponding plurality of directories;

a communicating device capable of transmitting and receiving information to and from an image information receiving apparatus; and

an information processing device which transmits, if the image information receiving apparatus asks for an offer of any property file produced by the directory producing device through the communicating device, information about the properly file to the image information receiving apparatus through the communicating device, and any image can be selectively retrieved from any directory having a property associated with said image.

33. An image information transmitting system comprising:

an image information transmitting apparatus comprising;

a directory producing device which classifies a plurality of images recorded in a recording medium under parameters that represent properties of the plurality of images, produces directories to register image files or file names of the classified images in for each parameter and registers file names required and registers each image as appropriate in all directories associated with properties of said image, wherein each image is associated with a plurality of parameters so that each image is registered in a corresponding plurality of directories;

a communicating device capable of transmitting and receiving information to and from an image information receiving apparatus; and

an information processing device which presents information about the produced directories to the image information receiving apparatus through the communicating device and transmits, if the image information receiving apparatus asks for an offer of any image file among the presented image files through the communicating device, an image of the image file to the image information receiving apparatus through the communicating device, wherein any image can be selectively retrieved from any directory associated with a property of said image; and

the image information receiving apparatus comprising;

a first communicating device capable of transmitting and receiving information to and from the image information transmitting apparatus;

a display which displays the information about the produced directories presented by the image information transmitting apparatus; and

a designating device which designates a desired image file of a desired parameter according to the displayed information about the directories.

34. The image information transmitting system as defined in claim 33, further comprising a converted image producing device which produces a converted image from an original image recorded in the recording medium by changing a parameter representing a property of the original image.

35. The image information transmitting system as defined in claim 34, wherein the information processing device registers the converted image or a file name of the converted image in the produced directory.

36. The image information transmitting system as defined in claim 34, wherein the information processing device transmits the converted image from the original image recorded in the recording medium by changing the parameter to the image information receiving apparatus through the communicating device if an image file of an image whose parameter is different from the parameter of the original image is accessed from the image information receiving apparatus.

37. The image information transmitting system as defined in any one of claims 34, 35 and 36, wherein the directory producing device does not register an image file whose image data amount is not less than an image data amount of an original image file or a file name of the image file in the directories constructed for each parameter.

38. The image information transmitting system as defined in claim 34, wherein:

a plurality of images whose parameters representing properties of the plurality of images are different in one image file of the original image in the recording medium; and

if the image information receiving apparatus asks for an offer of an image file with the same parameter as that of an image among the plurality of images in the image file of the original image through the communicating device, the information processing device transmits an image with the corresponding among the plurality of images in the image file of the original image to the image information receiving apparatus through the communicating device.

39. The image information transmitting system as defined in claim 33 or 34, wherein the directory producing device classifies the directories under parameters representing at least one of properties of the images that include a number of pixels, compression rate, sampling method and color information and produces the directories.

41. The image information transmitting system as defined in any one of claims 33, 34 and 40, wherein the directory producing device produces pass names or holders to which the image files or the property files belong.

42. The image information transmitting system as defined in any one of claims 33, 34 and 40, wherein the display displays at least one of an image file name, an image directory name, a property file name, a property directory name, a pass name of the image file and a pass name of the property file according to the information about the directories presented by the image information transmitting apparatus.

43. The image information transmitting system as defined in any one of claims 33, 34 and 40, wherein the display displays the information about the directories in tree representation according to the information about the directories presented by the image information transmitting apparatus.

44. The image information transmitting system as defined in any one of claims 33, 34 and 40, wherein the image information receiving apparatus further comprises a second communicating device capable of transmitting and receiving information to and from a communication apparatus other than the image information transmitting apparatus through a public circuit or a communication network, the second communicating device transmitting the received image of the desired image file or the received information of the property file to the communication apparatus.

45. The image information transmitting system as defined in any one of claims 33, 34 and 40, wherein:

the image information transmitting apparatus comprises one of a camera and a scanner having an imaging device which images a subject; and

the information processing device records image data acquired by the imaging to the recording medium.

46. The image information transmitting system as defined in any one of claims 33, 34 and 40, wherein the communicating device comprises one of a wire communicating device with a cable and a wireless communicating device using carrier waves of radio waves or lights which connect the image information transmitting apparatus and the image information receiving apparatus that transmits and receives the information.

47. The image information transmitting system as defined in claim 44, wherein the second communicating device is capable of transmitting and receiving information to and from a communication apparatus other than the image information transmitting apparatus through the public circuit or the communication network and transmitting and receiving speech signals.

48. The image information transmitting system as defined in any one of claims 33, 34 and 40, further comprising a power-conservation mode setting device which sets a power-conservation mode in which power consumption of the image information transmitting apparatus is reduced, the power-conservation mode setting device canceling the power-conservation mode when the communicating device receives information from the image information receiving apparatus while the power-conservation mode is set.

40. An image information transmitting system comprising:

an image information transmitting apparatus comprising;

a directory producing device which produces directories to register property files or property file names of image files recorded in a recording medium in and registering property file names required, wherein each image is associated with a plurality of properties and each image is registered in each directory for which a property associated with said image applies, so that each image is registered in each of a corresponding plurality of directories;

a communicating device capable of transmitting and receiving information to and from an image information receiving apparatus; and

an information processing device which presents information about the produced directories to the image information receiving apparatus through the communicating device and transmits, if the image information receiving apparatus asks for an offer of any property file among the presented property files through the communicating device, information about the property file to the image information receiving apparatus through the communicating device; and

the image information receiving apparatus comprising;

a first communicating device capable of transmitting and receiving information to and from the image information transmitting apparatus;

a display which displays the information about the produced directories presented by the image information transmitting apparatus; and

a designating device which designates a desired property file of a desired parameter according to the displayed information about the directories.

49. A signal-bearing medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform at least a portion of a method in which an image information receiving end can select a desired image file according to information about directories presented by an image information transmitting end and receives an image of the selected image file, said method comprising:

at the image information transmitting end;

classifying a plurality of images recorded in a recording medium under parameters that represent properties of the plurality of images;

producing one or more directories in which to register image files or file names of the classified images in each parameter; and

registering file names as required for each image, each said image registered in all directories as applicable, based on specific properties of said image, wherein each image is associated with a plurality of properties so that each image is registered in a corresponding plurality of directories; and

at the image information receiving end;

providing a display of at least a portion of a hierarchical tree structure in accordance with said directories, from which can be selected a desired image file of a desired parameter according to the information about the directories produced by said image information transmitting end and an image is selectively retrievable from any directory in which a property of said image is registered; and

receiving an image of the selected desired image file of the desired parameter from the image information transmitting end,

wherein said program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus tangibly embodied by said signal-bearing medium comprises at least one of;

a program of transmitter modules for an image information transmitting apparatus to execute said method, said transmitter modules comprising;

a directory producing module which produces said directories;

a communicating module capable of transmitting and receiving information to and from an image information receiving apparatus; and

an information processing module which transmits, if the image information receiving apparatus asks for an offer of any property file produced by the directory producing device through the communicating module, information about the property file to the image information receiving apparatus through the communicating module; and

a program of receiver modules for an image information receiving apparatus to execute said method, said receiver modules comprising;

a communicating module capable of transmitting and receiving information to and from the image information transmitting apparatus,

a display module which provides, for a display device in said receiving apparatus, information about the produced directories transmitted by the image information transmitting apparatus, and

a designating module which permits a desired image file of a desired parameter according to the displayed information about the directories to be designated.