Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and information processing system

• US 8,279,319 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2006
• Issued: 10/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Date, Osamu
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Jason
• Assistant Examiner(s): OSINSKI, MICHAEL S
• Application Number:
  US11/354,429
• Publication Number:
  US 20060209089A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,421 Days
• Field of Search: 348/207.1, 348/222.1, 3482312-2313, 348/231.5, 348/207.99, 34823199-2319, 34833301-33305, 348/333.11, 345629-636, 386/95, 386/125, 707/100, 707/104.1, 358/1.18, 382/209, 382/217, 382/305
• US Class Current: 348/333.02
• 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: G06F 16/587 using geographical or spatial information, e.g. location
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00196 Creation of a photo-montage, e.g. photoalbum H04N1/0019 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00442 Simultaneous viewing of a plurality of images, e.g. using a mosaic display arrangement of thumbnails
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0045 vertically
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00453 arranged in a two dimensional array
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00458 Sequential viewing of a plurality of images, e.g. browsing or scrolling
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2158 using a detachable storage unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32112 in a separate computer file, document page or paper sheet, e.g. a fax cover sheet H04N1/32122 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3873 defined only by a limited number of coordinate points or parameters, e.g. corners, centre; for trimming
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3214 of a date
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3215 of a time or duration
• 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 2201/325 Modified version of the image, e.g. part of the image, image reduced in size or resolution, thumbnail or screennail
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3253 Position information, e.g. geographical position at time of capture, GPS data

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes an image-information obtaining unit configured to obtain first image information; an information associating unit configured to generate first related information having certain content related to the first image information and to associate the first related information with the first image information; a display processor configured to use function data including second image information and condition information to display an image of the second image information, and to allow display of a representative image representing the first image information on the image of the second image information; a determining unit configured to determine whether the content of the first related information associated with the first image information satisfies a condition represented by the condition information; and a display controller configured to cause the display processor to display the representative image only when the determining unit determines that the condition is satisfied.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

image-information obtaining means for obtaining first image information;

display processing means for using function data including at least second image information and condition information to display an image of the second image information on a display, and for allowing display of a representative image representing the first image information on a predetermined area of the displayed image of the second image information;

determining means for determining whether the content of first related information associated with the first image information satisfies a condition represented by the condition information; and

display controlling means for causing the display processing means to display the representative image only when the determining means determines that the condition is satisfied,

the function data further includes second related information having certain content that is associable with the predetermined area, and the information processing apparatus further comprises associating means for associating the first image information with the second related information when the determining means determines that the condition is satisfied,

the first image information and the second related information being associated by storing the first image information and the second related information on a recording medium with the first related information, and the first related information including at least information representing a position of the image-information obtaining means at the time of obtaining the first image information,

the first related information and second related information being included in a management file which is stored on the recording medium, the management file including a property subfile, a thumbnail subfile and a title subfile, the first related information being stored in the property subfile, and the second related information being stored in the title subfile,

the property subfile includes a single property-file header and one or more fixed-length property slots provided in association with respective image files, the thumbnail subfile includes one or more fixed-length thumbnail slots each associated with a single image file and storing thumbnail image data representing the associated image file, and the title subfile includes one or more fixed length title slots each associated with a single image file.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the function data includes condition information associated with each predetermined image area of the second image information, and

the determining means determines whether the content of the first related information associated with the first image information satisfies a condition represented by the condition information associated with an image area of the second image information selected as an image area in which the representative image is to be displayed.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the function data includes second related information associated with each predetermined image area of the second image information, and

the apparatus further comprises recording means for recording on a recording medium the second related information associated with an area of the second image information where the representative image is displayed so that the second related information is associated with the first image information represented by the representative image.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

searching means for searching for first image information recorded on a recording medium, the searching means executing searching by comparing an input search condition with the content of first related information and/or second related information recorded on the recording medium in association with the first image information.

5. An information processing method, comprising:

obtaining first image information through use of an imaging apparatus;

using function data including at least second image information and condition information to display an image of the second image information on a display, and allowing display of a representative image representing the first image information on a predetermined area of the displayed image of the second image information;

determining whether the content of first related information associated with the first image information satisfies a condition represented by the condition information when displaying the representative image; and

displaying the representative image only when it is determined that the condition is satisfied,

the function data further includes second related information having certain content that is associable with the predetermined area, and the information processing apparatus further comprises associating means for associating the first image information with the second related information when it is determined that the condition is satisfied,

the first image information and the second related information being associated by storing the first image information and the second related information on a recording medium with the first related information, and the first related information including at least information representing a position of the imaging apparatus at the time of obtaining the first image information,

the first related information and second related information being included in a management file which is stored on the recording medium, the management file including a property subfile, a thumbnail subfile and a title subfile, the first related information being stored in the property subfile, and the second related information being stored in the title subfile,

the property subfile includes a single property-file header and one or more fixed-length property slots provided in association with respective image files, the thumbnail subfile includes one or more fixed-length thumbnail slots each associated with a single image file and storing thumbnail image data representing the associated image file, and the title subfile includes one or more fixed length title slots each associated with a single image file.

6. An information processing system including a server apparatus and a terminal apparatus, the information processing system comprising:

creating means, provided at the server apparatus, for creating function data including at least second image information and condition information;

first sending means, provided at the server apparatus, for sending the function data from the server apparatus to the terminal apparatus via a predetermined communication network;

holding means, provided at the terminal apparatus, for receiving and holding the function data sent from the server apparatus;

image-information obtaining means, provided at the terminal apparatus, for obtaining first image information;

display processing means, provided at the terminal apparatus, for displaying an image of the second image information on a display on the basis of the function data held by the holding means, and for allowing display of a representative image representing the first image information on a predetermined area of the displayed image of the second image information;

determining means, provided at the terminal apparatus, for determining whether the content of first related information associated with the first image information satisfies a condition represented by the condition information;

display controlling means, provided at the terminal apparatus, for causing the display processing means to display the representative image only when the determining means determines that the condition is satisfied; and

second sending means, provided at the terminal apparatus, for sending to the server apparatus at least information representing a result of display of the representative image on the image of the second image information and the first image information,

the function data further includes second related information having certain content that is associable with the predetermined area, and the information processing apparatus further comprises associating means for associating the first image information with the second related information when the determining means determines that the condition is satisfied,

the first image information and the second related information being associated by storing the first image information and the second related information on a recording medium with the first related information, and the first related information including at least information representing a position of the image-information obtaining means at the time of obtaining the first image information,

the first related information and second related information being included in a management file which is stored on the recording medium, the management file including a property subfile, a thumbnail subfile and a title subfile, the first related information being stored in the property subfile, and the second related information being stored in the title subfile,

the property subfile includes a single property-file header and one or more fixed-length property slots provided in association with respective image files, the thumbnail subfile includes one or more fixed-length thumbnail slots each associated with a single image file and storing thumbnail image data representing the associated image file, and the title subfile includes one or more fixed length title slots each associated with a single image file.

7. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

an image-information obtaining unit configured to obtain first image information;

a display processor configured to use function data including at least second image information and condition information to display an image of the second image information on a display, and to allow display of a representative image representing the first image information on a predetermined area of the displayed image of the second image information;

a determining unit configured to determine whether the content of first related information associated with the first image information satisfies a condition represented by the condition information; and

a display controller configured to cause the display processor to display the representative image only when the determining unit determines that the condition is satisfied,

the function data further includes second related information having certain content that is associable with the predetermined area, and the information processing apparatus further comprises associating means for associating the first image information with the second related information when the determining unit determines that the condition is satisfied,

the first image information and the second related information being associated by storing the first image information and the second related information on a recording medium with the first related information, and the first related information including at least information representing a position of the image-information obtaining unit at the time of obtaining the first image information,

the first related information and second related information being included in a management file which is stored on the recording medium, the management file including a property subfile, a thumbnail subfile and a title subfile, the first related information being stored in the property subfile, and the second related information being stored in the title subfile,

the property subfile includes a single property-file header and one or more fixed-length property slots provided in association with respective image files, the thumbnail subfile includes one or more fixed-length thumbnail slots each associated with a single image file and storing thumbnail image data representing the associated image file, and the title subfile includes one or more fixed length title slots each associated with a single image file.

8. An information processing system including a server apparatus and a terminal apparatus, the information processing system comprising:

a creating unit, provided at the server apparatus, configured to create function data including at least second image information and condition information;

a first sending unit, provided at the server apparatus, configured to send the function data from the server apparatus to the terminal apparatus via a predetermined communication network;

a holding unit, provided at the terminal apparatus, configured to receive and hold the function data sent from the server apparatus;

an image-information obtaining unit, provided at the terminal apparatus, configured to obtain first image information;

a display processor, provided at the terminal apparatus, configured to display an image of the second image information on a display on the basis of the function data held by the holding unit, and to allow display of a representative image representing the first image information on a predetermined area of the displayed image of the second image information;

a determining unit, provided at the terminal apparatus, configured to determine whether the content of first related information associated with the first image information satisfies a condition represented by the condition information;

a display controller, provided at the terminal apparatus, configured to cause the display processor to display the representative image only when the determining unit determines that the condition is satisfied; and

a second sending unit, provided at the terminal apparatus, configured to send to the server apparatus at least information representing a result of display of the representative image on the image of the second image information and the first image information,

the function data further includes second related information having certain content that is associable with the predetermined area, and the information processing apparatus further comprises associating means for associating the first image information with the second related information when the determining unit determines that the condition is satisfied,

the first image information and the second related information being associated by storing the first image information and the second related information on a recording medium with the first related information, and the first related information including at least information representing a position of the image-information obtaining unit at the time of obtaining the first image information,

the first related information and second related information being included in a management file which is stored on the recording medium, the management file including a property subfile, a thumbnail subfile and a title subfile, the first related information being stored in the property subfile, and the second related information being stored in the title subfile,

the property subfile includes a single property-file header and one or more fixed-length property slots provided in association with respective image files, the thumbnail subfile includes one or more fixed-length thumbnail slots each associated with a single image file and storing thumbnail image data representing the associated image file, and the title subfile includes one or more fixed length title slots each associated with a single image file.