Image data processing system

• US 7,643,065 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2004
• Issued: 01/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Mikawa, Takuma
• Primary Examiner(s): Haskins; Twyler L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Beckley; Jonathan R
• Application Number:
  US10/831,226
• Publication Number:
  US 20040196502A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,080 Days
• Field of Search: 710/14, 715/853, 715/500.1, 715/756, 715/723, 715/719, 715/740, 715/838, 715/501.1, 715/716, 715/781, 715/500, 434/362, 726/17, 341/175, 341/21, 379/88.17, 348/586, 348/143, 348/231.2, 348/333.05, 348/734, 348/722, 348/207.2, 348/14.08, 348/231.99, 348/207.1, 348/211.14, 348/211.3, 348/207.11, 348/207.99, 707/104.1, 707/3, 707/501.1, 725/105, 725/110, 709/203, 709/225, 709/201, 345/668, 345/810, 345/783, 345/473, 345/535, 382/128, 382/236, 382/103, 382/111, 382/100, 386/112, 386/95, 705/10, 705/1, 705/35, 340/506, 385/125, 700/213, 600/300, 455/414.1, 396/427, 358/1.15, 358/1.16, 358/1.13, 358/453, 358/1.18
• US Class Current: 348/211.99
• 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 1/00151 with selective access
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00161 Viewing or previewing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00167 Processing or editing H04N1/00196 - H04N1/00201 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00172 directly from a still digital camera or from a storage medium mounted in a still digital camera H04N1/0018 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/001 Sharing resources, e.g. processing power or memory, with a connected apparatus or enhancing the capability of the still picture apparatus

Abstract

In a system having a server and a client apparatus, the client apparatus edits image data by using a representative image of the image data stored in the server, generates play list data indicating the order of reproducing the image data, in accordance with the editing results, and the server stores the image data sent from the client apparatus, reproduces the stored image data in accordance with the play list data sent from the client, and transmits the reproduced image data to the server.

Claims

1. An image processing system comprising a server and an imaging apparatus, wherein

the imaging apparatus comprises:

an imaging unit configured to photograph one or more objects and to generate a plurality of image data;

a communication unit configured to communicate with the server;

a control unit configured to control the communication unit to transmit to the server the plurality of image data generated by the imaging unit, and to control the communication unit to receive from the server a plurality of thumbnail image data corresponding to the plurality of image data transmitted to and stored in the server;

an instruction unit configured to select thumbnail image data from among the plurality of thumbnail image data received by the communication unit and to issue a reproduction instruction to reproduce the image data corresponding to the selected thumbnail image data,

wherein the control unit controls the communication unit to transmit to the server a reproduction request of the image data corresponding to the selected thumbnail image data in accordance with the reproduction instruction issued by the instruction unit; and

an editing unit configured to change a reproduction order of the plurality of image data generated by the imaging unit and stored in the server using the plurality of thumbnail image data received by the communication unit and to generate play list data which is different from the reproduction request and indicates the reproduction order of the plurality of image data,

wherein the control unit controls the communication unit to transmit to the server the play list data generated by the editing unit to enable the server to reproduce the plurality of image data in accordance with the reproduction order indicated by the play list data, and

the server comprises;

a transceiver unit configured to communicate with the imaging apparatus,

a storage unit configured to store the plurality of image data and the play list data transmitted from the imaging apparatus and received by the transceiver unit,

a generation unit configured to generate the plurality of thumbnail image data for editing the plurality of image data stored in the storage unit, and

a reproduction unit configured to reproduce from the storage unit the image data corresponding to the selected thumbnail image data in accordance with the reproduction request of the image data corresponding to the selected thumbnail image data transmitted from the imaging apparatus and received by the transceiver unit, the reproduction unit reproducing the plurality of image data from the storage unit in accordance with the reproduction order indicated by the play list data stored in the storage unit.

2. An imaging apparatus comprising:

an imaging unit configured to photograph one or more objects and to generate a plurality of image data;

a communication unit configured to communicate with a server;

a control unit configured to control the communication unit to transmit to the server the plurality of image data generated by the imaging unit, and to control the communication unit to receive from the server a plurality of thumbnail image data corresponding to the plurality of image data transmitted to and stored in the server;

an instruction unit configured to select thumbnail image data from among the plurality of thumbnail image data received by the communication unit and to issue a reproduction instruction to reproduce the image data corresponding to the selected thumbnail image data,

wherein the control unit controls the communication unit to transmit to the server a reproduction request of the image data corresponding to the selected thumbnail image data in accordance with the reproduction instruction issued by the instruction unit; and

an editing unit configured to change a reproduction order of the plurality of image data generated by the imaging unit and stored in the server using the plurality of thumbnail image data received by the communication unit, and to generate play list data which is different from the reproduction request and indicates the reproduction order of the plurality of image data,

wherein the control unit controls the communication unit to transmit to the server the play list data generated by the editing unit to enable the server to reproduce the plurality of image data in accordance with the reproduction order indicated by the play list data.

3. An imaging apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a display unit configured to display an editing window for editing the plurality of image data by using the thumbnail image data,

the editing unit changing the reproduction order of the plurality of image data by using the editing window displayed by the display unit.

4. An imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control unit controls the communication unit to receive the thumbnail image data in accordance with an instruction of an editing mode where the editing unit edits the plurality of image data.

5. An imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the editing unit adds an image effect to the image data stored in the server and generates the play list data indicating the image effect added to the image data.

6. An imaging apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a recording unit configured to record the image data generated by the imaging unit in a recording medium,

wherein the control unit controls the recording unit to record the image data, if the communication unit cannot transmit the image data to the server.

7. An imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control unit controls the communication unit to receive the plurality of image data reproduced by the server in accordance with the reproduction order indicated by the play list data.

8. An imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the communication unit communicates with the server by wireless communications.

9. An imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control unit controls the communication unit to receive the selected image data that the server transmits in accordance with the reproduction request.

10. An imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, if a reproduction instruction to reproduce the play list data is issued by the instruction unit, the control unit controls the communication unit to transmit to the server a reproduction request of the plurality of image data indicated by the play list data.

11. An imaging apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the communication unit receives the thumbnail image data of the play list data from the server, and wherein the instruction unit selects the thumbnail image data of the play list data to issue the reproduction instruction of the play list data.