Data processing method and apparatus

• US 7,349,911 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2005
• Issued: 03/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kotani, Takuya, Yamamoto, Kunihiro, Kusama, Kiyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaffin; Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Veillard; Jacques
• Application Number:
  US11/086,284
• Publication Number:
  US 20050165847A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,098 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/51 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

Binary data to which meta-data is to be appended, and meta-data to be appended to the binary data are loaded. The meta-data has an XML format. The loaded meta-data is connected after the loaded binary data. The data synthesized in this manner is output as a single file as a whole. In this file data, since header information remains the same as that before connection of the meta-data, binary data can be reproduced by an existing browser or the like. A binary file with meta-data can be discriminated by checking if data in a correct XML format is present at the end of data.

Claims

1. A data processing method for registering meta-data to content of data, comprising:

a first loading step of loading content of data to which meta-data is to be appended;

a second loading step of loading meta-data to be appended to the content of data;

a connection step of connecting the meta-data loaded in the second loading step after the content of data loaded in the first loading step; and

an output step of outputting data obtained in the connection step as a single file.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the content of data has a header portion and a binary data portion, and the meta-data follows the binary data portion in the connection step.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a generation step of generating confirmation information on the basis of the meta-data loaded in the second loading step, and

wherein the connection step includes a step of connecting the confirmation information generated in the generation step and the meta-data loaded in the second loading step after the content of data loaded in the first loading step.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a generation step of generating size information indicating a size of the meta-data loaded in the second loading step, and

wherein the connection step includes a step of connecting the meta-data loaded in the second loading step after the content of data loaded in the first loading step, and then connecting the size information generated in the generation step after the meta-data.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the content of data includes image data, and the meta-data represents area information that pertains to the image data.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the content of data is one of image data, audio data, and moving image data.

7. A data processing apparatus for registering meta-data to content of data, comprising:

a first loading device adapted to load content of data to which meta-data is to be appended;

a second loading device adapted to load meta-data to be appended to the content of data;

a connection device adapted to connect the meta-data loaded by the second loading device after the content of data loaded by the first loading device; and

an output device adapted to output data obtained by the connection device as a single file.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the content of data has a header portion and a binary data portion, and the meta-data follows the binary data portion by the connection device.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a generation device adapted to generate confirmation information on the basis of the meta-data loaded by the second loading device, and

wherein the connection device connects the confirmation information generated by the generation device and the meta-data loaded by the second loading device after the content of data loaded by the first loading device.

10. The apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a generation device adapted to generate size information indicating a size of the meta-data loaded by the second loading device, and

wherein the connection device connects the meta-data loaded by the second loading device after the content of data loaded by the first loading device, and then connects the size information generated by the generation device after the meta-data.

11. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the content of data includes image data, and the meta-data represents area information that pertains to the image data.

12. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the content of data is one of image data, audio data, and moving image data.

13. A computer readable storage medium on which is stored a control program for making a computer implement a data process for registering meta-data to content of data, said data process comprising:

a first loading step of loading content of data to which meta-data is to be appended;

a second loading step of loading meta-data to be appended to the content of data;

a connection step of connecting the meta-data loaded in the second loading step after the content of data loaded in the first loading step; and

an output step of outputting data obtained in the connection step as a single file.

14. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the content of data has a header portion and a binary data portion, and the meta-data follows the binary data portion in the connection step.

15. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein said data process further comprises a generation step of generating confirmation information on the basis of the meta-data loaded in the second loading step, and

wherein the connection step includes a step of connecting the confirmation information generated in the generation step and the meta-data loaded in the second loading step after the content of data loaded in the first loading step.

16. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein said data process further comprises a generation step of generating size information indicating a size of the meta-data loaded in the second loading step, and

wherein the connection step includes a step of connecting the meta-data loaded in the second loading step after the content of data loaded in the first loading step, and then connecting the size information generated in the generation step after the meta-data.

17. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the content of data includes image data, and the meta-data represents area information that pertains to the image data.

18. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the content of data is one of image data, audio data, and moving image data.