Image management system, image management method, and computer program product

• US 9,363,463 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2013
• Issued: 06/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Taneichi, Satoshi, Ito, Takeshi, Watanabe, Masanori
• Primary Examiner(s): Nazrul, Shahbaz
• Application Number:
  US14/107,403
• Publication Number:
  US 20140184821A1
• Time in Patent Office: 904 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00217 only involving computer data transmission protocols, e.g. SMTP, WAP or HTTP communication protocol aspects and techniques in packet data networks H04L69/00; network-specific arrangements or communication protocols supporting networked applications H04L67/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32101 Display, printing, storage or transmission of additional information, e.g. ID code, date and time or title
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32776 using an interactive, user-operated device, e.g. a computer terminal, mobile telephone H04N1/32782, H04N1/32784 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2743 Video hosting of uploaded data from client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4728 for selecting a Region Of Interest [ROI], e.g. for requesting a higher resolution version of a selected region
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8153 comprising still images, e.g. texture, background image
• 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 2201/3276 of a customised additional information profile, e.g. a profile specific to a user ID
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2628 Alteration of picture size, shape, position or orientation, e.g. zooming, rotation, rolling, perspective, translation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure

Abstract

The present invention is concerning to an image management system that communicates with a first communication terminal via a communication network, the image management system comprising: an image storage unit configured to store image data; a receiving unit configured to receive, from the first communication terminal, link information that includes image identification information for identifying the image data and includes predetermined-area information that indicates a predetermined area in the image data; and a transmitting unit configured to transmit, to the first communication terminal, the image data that is indicated by the image identification information included in the link information received by the receiving unit and the predetermined-area information included in the link information.

Claims

1. An image management system that communicates with a first communication terminal and a second communication terminal via a communication network, the image management system comprising:

a communication interface configured to receive, from the second communication terminal, image data and predetermined-area information that indicates a predetermined area in the image data based on an angle of view which originates at the center of a virtual sphere, the image data being a fully spherical panoramic image corresponding to a Mercator image being attached to an inner surface of a virtual sphere and the predetermined area in the image data being selected by a user of the second communication terminal and being a portion of the fully spherical panoramic image;

a memory configured to store the image data and predetermined area information received from the second communication terminal; and

processing circuitry configured to generate link information that includes image identification information for identifying the image data and identification information of the predetermined-area information, wherein the link information is thereafter provided to the first communication terminal;

wherein the communication interface configured to receive, from the first communication terminal, the link information; and

the communication interface is configured to transmit, to the first communication terminal, the image data that is indicated by the image identification information included in the received link information and the predetermined-area information included in the link information,

wherein the predetermined-area information causes the first communication terminal to display the predetermined area selected by the user of the second communication terminal as a zoomed in portion of the overall image data from which the user of the first communication terminal performs input operations to view other portions of the image data surrounding the predetermined area.

2. The image management system according to claim 1, wherein the communication interface transmits the link information generated by the processing circuitry to the first communication terminal.

3. The image management system according to claim 2, the processing circuitry being configured to generate thumbnail data from the predetermined area in the image data by using the image data indicated by the image identification information received by the communication interface and the predetermined area indicated by the predetermined-area information, wherein

the communication interface transmits, to the first communication terminal, the thumbnail data generated by the processing circuitry.

4. The image management system according to claim 2, wherein

the processing circuitry generates the link information that includes specific information for identifying a location of the image management system in the communication network as well as the image identification information and the predetermined-area information.

5. The image management system according to claim 2, wherein

the communication interface receives, from the second communication terminal, comment data with regard to the image data as well as the image identification information and the predetermined-area information, and

the communication interface transmits, to the first communication terminal, the comment data as well as the link information.

6. The image management system according to claim 2, wherein

the communication interface receives, from the second communication terminal, user identification information for identifying a user who uses the second communication terminal as well as the image identification information and the predetermined-area information, and

the communication interface transmits, to the first communication terminal, the user identification information as well as the link information.

7. The image management system according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to read the image data from the memory on the basis of the image identification information included in the link information received by the communication interface, wherein

the communication interface transmits, to the first communication terminal, the image data read by the processing circuitry as the image data that is indicated by the image identification information included in the link information.

8. An image management method performed by an image management system that communicates with a first communication terminal and a second communication terminal via a communication network, the image management method comprising:

receiving from the second communication terminal, image data and predetermined-area information that indicates a predetermined area in the image data based on an angle of view which originates at the center of a virtual sphere, the image data being a fully spherical panoramic image corresponding to a Mercator image being attached to an inner surface of a virtual sphere and the predetermined area in the image data being selected by a user of the second communication terminal and being a portion of the fully spherical panoramic image;

storing, in a memory, the image data and predetermined area information received from the second communication terminal;

generating link information that includes image identification information for identifying the image data and identification information of the predetermined-area information, wherein the link information is thereafter provided to the first communication terminal;

receiving the link information from the first communication terminal; and

transmitting, to the first communication terminal, the image data that is indicated by the image identification information included in the received link information and the predetermined-area information included in the link information,

wherein the predetermined-area information causes the first communication terminal to display the predetermined area selected by the user of the second communication terminal as a zoomed in portion of the overall image data from which the user of the first communication terminal performs input operations to view other portions of the image data surrounding the predetermined area.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium that contains a computer program that, when executed by an image management system that communicates with a first communication terminal and a second communication terminal via a communication network, causes the image management system to perform operations comprising:

receiving from the second communication terminal, image data and predetermined-area information that indicates a predetermined area in the image data based on an angle of view which originates at the center of a virtual sphere, the image data being a fully spherical panoramic image corresponding to a Mercator image being attached to an inner surface of a virtual sphere and the predetermined area in the image data being selected by a user of the second communication terminal and being a portion of the fully spherical panoramic image;

storing, in a memory, the image data and predetermined area information received from the second communication terminal;

generating link information that includes image identification information for identifying the image data and identification information of the predetermined-area information, wherein the link information is thereafter provided to the first communication terminal;

receiving the link information from the first communication terminal; and

transmitting, to the first communication terminal, the image data that is indicated by the image identification information included in the received link information and the predetermined-area information included in the link information,

wherein the predetermined-area information causes the first communication terminal to display the predetermined area selected by the user of the second communication terminal as a zoomed in portion of the overall image data from which the user of the first communication terminal performs input operations to view other portions of the image data surrounding the predetermined area.