Image manager and digital camera

• US 8,243,168 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2007
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Ohmura, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): WHIPKEY, JASON T
• Application Number:
  US11/979,518
• Publication Number:
  US 20080180532A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,744 Days
• Field of Search: 348/207.1, 348/211.2, 348/231.99, 348/231.3, 348/231.5, 348/231.6
• US Class Current: 348/231.6
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/326 used signal is a video-frame or a video-field (P.I.P.)
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/329 on a disc [VTOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00127 Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00129 with a display device, e.g. CRT or LCD monitor with a television apparatus H04N1/00283; arrangements for control of display devices G09G
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• 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 1/00278 with a printing apparatus, e.g. a laser beam printer
• 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 1/324 intermediate the transmitter and receiver terminals, e.g. at an exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0087 Image storage device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3288 Storage of two or more complete document pages or image frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3295 Deletion of stored data; Preventing such deletion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3298 Checking or indicating the storage space

Abstract

An image manager includes a communicator that communicates with a server computer storing image data, a detector that detects a storage capacity of image data stored into the server computer by the communicator and a controller that controls download of image data stored into the server computer in response to a detection result of the detector.

Claims

1. An image manager comprising:

a bulk memory that stores an Exif image file which was created by a digital camera;

a register that stores shooting information, which is included in an Exif tag of the Exif image file that was stored in the bulk memory and is attached to the Exif tag at a time of shooting, in a management data region of the bulk memory as management data;

an obtaining device that obtains information to register into management data for controlling image data of the Exif image file based on the management data stored in the management data region;

an attachment device that attaches obtained information obtained by the obtaining device to the Exif tag of the Exif image file which was stored in the bulk memory; and

a detector that detects the obtained information,

wherein the information obtained by the obtaining device is registered by the register,

the attachment device attaches the obtained information to the Exif tag of the Exif image file which was stored in the bulk memory when the detector detects that the obtained information is defined in an Exif standard, and

the bulk memory, the register, the obtaining device, the attachment device and the detector are disposed in one device.

2. The image manager according to claim 1, wherein the attachment device attaches obtained information to image data of the Exif image file when the obtained information obtained by the obtaining device is not attached yet to the image data of the Exif image file stored in the bulk memory.

3. The image manager according to claim 1, wherein the obtaining device is a device for causing a user to manually input information necessary for a registration as the management data of the image data.

4. The image manager according to claim 1, wherein the obtaining device displays a screen to request input of information necessary for a registration when all information necessary for a registration as the management data of the image data is not obtained.

5. The image manager according to claim 1, further comprising a connector that communicably connects to another device, wherein the obtaining device obtains information to be registered.

6. The image manager according to claim 5, wherein the another device is a mobile device.

7. An image manager comprising:

a bulk memory that stores an Exif image file which was created by a digital camera;

a checking device that checks whether all information necessary for a registration as management data of image data is attached to an image file stored in the bulk memory, and displays information that is not attached yet when all information is not attached to the image file;

an obtaining device that obtains information by causing a user to input the information that is not attached yet to the image file;

a detector that detects whether the information that is not attached yet is input by the user and whether the input information is defined in an Exif standard;

an attachment device that attaches the information obtained by the obtaining device to an Exif tag of the Exif image file stored in the bulk memory when the detector detects that the obtained information is defined in the Exif standard; and

a register that (1) stores the information input by the user and the information in the Exif tag in a management data region of the bulk memory as management data when the information that is not attached yet is input by the user, (2) stores the information of the Exif tag in the management data region of the bulk memory as management data, and (3) stores the information in the Exif tag in the management data region of the bulk memory as management data when the information that is not attached yet is not input by the user,

wherein the bulk memory, the checking device, the obtaining device, the detector, the attachment device and the register are disposed in one device.

8. The image manager according to claim 7, wherein the attachment device creates a thumbnail image in an Exif format file and attaches an Exif information nearly equal to that of the original image data to the thumbnail image.