Image display device, method, and program

• US 8,924,445 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2010
• Issued: 12/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Handa, Tetsuya, Mizuno, Kimiyasu, Aibara, Takehiro, Amagai, Hitoshi, Uehara, Naotaka, Kogane, Takayuki, Shinohara, Sumito, Nunokawa, Masato
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Susan
• Application Number:
  US12/888,836
• Publication Number:
  US 20110072040A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,559 Days
• Field of Search: 707/714, 707/769, 348/148, 348/239, 701/487, 701/213, 439/152, 382/104, 382/133, 164/463
• US Class Current: 707/899
• 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

Abstract

It is an object of the present invention to search for image data with an intuitive operation to which active elements are added.

A digital photo frame 1 searches a non-volatile data base memory 15 or a network for image data based on parameters respectively related to a position and a direction in which the digital photo frame 1 is arranged, a distance or a depth from the digital photo frame 1, and time. The digital photo frame 1 displays an image expressed by the image data thus searched.

Claims

1. An image display device comprising:

a front face;

a back face which faces in a direction opposite to a direction in which the front face faces;

a display portion configured to display an image expressed by image data wherein a display face of the display portion is provided on the front face of the image display device, and faces in the same direction as the front face of the image display device;

a CPU;

a position sensor which is configured to function in cooperation with the CPU to be operable as a positional information acquiring unit which acquires positional information indicating a current position where the image display device is arranged;

a direction sensor which is arranged in the image display device and is configured to function in cooperation with the CPU to be operable as a direction information acquiring unit which acquires a current direction in which the back face of the image display device is facing;

an input device for inputting image data;

wherein the CPU is configured to be operable as a search unit which is operable to search for image data input via the input device which is associated with positional information satisfying search conditions from among a plurality of pieces of image data, wherein the search unit uses, as a search condition, positional information of a location existing in the current direction acquired by the direction information acquiring unit from the current position of the image display device indicated by the positional information acquired by the positional information acquiring unit; and

wherein the CPU is configured to cause an image expressed by the image data found by the search unit to be displayed on the display portion.

2. An image display device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a storage unit configured to store the plurality of pieces image data input via the input device,

wherein the search unit searches for the image data from the storage unit.

3. An image display device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the input device comprises a communication unit configured to communicate with an external device,

wherein the search unit searches the external device with which the communication unit communicates for the image data.

4. The image display device according to claim 1,

wherein the CPU is further configured to be operable as a separated position setting unit that sets a position that is separated from the current position where the image display device is arranged by a predetermined distance in the current direction acquired by the direction information acquiring unit,

wherein the search unit uses positional information indicating the position set by the separated position setting unit as a search condition, and searches for image data input via the input device which is associated with positional information satisfying the search condition.

5. The image display device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a current time acquiring unit which acquires a current time;

wherein the CPU is further configured to be operable as a time setting unit which sets a time after a predetermined elapsed amount of time from the current time acquired by the current time acquiring unit;

wherein the search unit further uses the time set by the time setting unit as a search condition, and searches for image data associated with positional information and time information satisfying the search conditions.

6. An image display method for an image display device which includes (i) a front face, (ii) a back face which faces in a direction opposite to a direction in which the front face faces, (iii) a display portion configured to display an image expressed by image data, wherein a display face of the display portion is provided on the front face of the image display device, and faces in the same direction as the front face of the image display device, (iv) a CPU, (v) a position sensor which is configured to function in cooperation with the CPU to be operable as a positional information acquiring unit, (vi) a direction sensor which is arranged in the image display device and is configured to function in cooperation with the CPU to be operable as a direction information acquiring unit, and (vii) an input device for inputting image data, the image display method comprising:

acquiring, with the positional information acquiring unit, positional information indicating a current position where the image display device is arranged;

acquiring, with the direction information acquiring unit, a current direction in which the back face of the image display device is facing;

searching, with the CPU, for image data input via the input device which is associated with positional information satisfying search conditions from among a plurality of pieces of image data, wherein, as a search condition, positional information of a location existing in the acquired current direction from the current position of the image display device indicated by the acquired positional information is used; and

causing, with the CPU, the display portion to display an image expressed by the image data found by the searching.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a program that is executable by a computer for controlling an image display device which includes (i) a front face, (ii) a back face which faces in a direction opposite to a direction in which the front face faces, (iii) a display portion configured to display an image expressed by image data, wherein a display face of the display portion is provided on the front face of the image display device, and faces in the same direction as the front face of the image display device, (iv) a position sensor which is configured to function in cooperation with the computer to be operable as a positional information acquiring unit, (v) a direction sensor which is arranged in the image display device and is configured to function in cooperation with the computer to be operable as a direction information acquiring unit, and (vi) an input device for inputting image data, the program being executable by the computer to perform functions comprising:

acquiring, with the positional information acquiring unit, positional information indicating a current position where the image display device is arranged;

acquiring, with the direction information acquiring unit, a current direction in which the back face of the image display device is facing;

searching for image data input via the input device which is associated with positional information satisfying search conditions from among a plurality of pieces of image data, wherein, as a search condition, positional information of a location existing in the acquired current direction from the current position of the image display device indicated by the acquired positional information is used; and

causing the display portion to display an image expressed by the image data found by the searching.