Server system and image management method thereof

• US 7,325,061 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2002
• Issued: 01/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Xacti Corporation (Office Support KK)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Haruki, Toshinobu
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne; Ario
• Assistant Examiner(s): EL CHANTI, HUSSEIN A
• Application Number:
  US10/101,594
• Publication Number:
  US 20020135680A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,140 Days
• Field of Search: 709217-219, 709223-224, 709/227, 709/245, 709/203, 709/213, 709225-226
• US Class Current: 709/226
• 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 1/00145 from a remote location
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00148 Storage information retrieval G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00164 at a remote location
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0018 of images captured using a loaned, rented or limited-use still digital camera, e.g. recyclable or disposable camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2158 using a detachable storage unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3215 of a time or duration
• 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 server system includes a digital camera lent out to a tourist and a server. Photographed image data photographed by the tourist with the digital camera is fetched by a main body of the server when a memory card is attached to a card reader of the server. The main body creates an Internet homepage based on the fetched photographed image data, and receives a print order of the photographed image from a homepage viewer through the Internet.

Claims

1. A system which manages photographed image data captured during photography with a digital camera, comprising:

a digital camera that captures digital image data during photography, creates an image file including said captured digital image data and index information related to a capturing process of the digital camera, and stores said image file, wherein said index information includes at least location information indicating a location of the camera and time information indicating a time of capturing the digital image, wherein the location information is determined using a GPS; and

a server, the server comprising

a fetcher for fetching said image file and data identifying a user of the digital camera,

a first creator for creating a searchable database of said index information,

a second creator for creating an Internet homepage on which said captured digital image data is published and for creating a user password required to access the Internet homepage, the Internet homepage and the user password being created in response to the fetcher fetching said image file and said data identifying the user of the digital camera,

a detector for detecting said index information from said image file, and

a determiner for determining a publishing position of said captured digital image data on said Internet homepage based on sorting the images with reference to the location information and the time information included in said index information detected by said detector.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said server further comprises an order receiver for receiving a print order of said captured digital image data through said Internet from a viewer of said homepage.

3. A system according to claim 1, further comprising at least a second digital camera and said fetcher also fetches captured digital image data of said at least the second digital camera.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein said server further comprises a statistics collector for collecting statistics of said captured digital image data based on said index information detected by said detector.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein said server further comprises:

an acceptor for accepting said index information sent from a viewer of said homepage; and

a searcher for searching from said homepage captured image data corresponding to said index information accepted by said acceptor.

6. A system according to any one of claims 1-3, 4 and 5, wherein said index information includes at least one of a location at which a photograph is taken and a time at which a photograph is taken.

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein said server further comprises:

a receiver for receiving location information from said digital camera; and

a sender for sending to said digital camera guide information associated with said location information for guiding a user of the digital camera.

8. An image managing method which manages by a server photographed image data captured during photography with a digital camera, said image managing method comprising steps of:

capturing digital image data during photography;

creating an image file including said captured digital image data and index information related to a capturing process of the digital camera, wherein said index information includes at least location information indicating a location of the camera and time information indicating a time of capturing the digital image, wherein the location of the camera is determined using a GPS; and

storing said image file; and

fetching said image file and data identifying the user of the digital camera;

creating a searchable database of said index information; and

creating an Internet homepage on which said captured digital image data is published and creating a user password required to access the Internet homepage, the Internet homepage and the user password being created in response to fetching of said image file and the data identifying the user of the digital camera,

detecting said index information from said image file, and

determining a publishing position of said captured digital image data on said Internet homepage based on sorting the images with reference to the location information or the time information included in said index information detected.