Image data transfer control in digital imaging system

• US 20040189810A1
• Filed: 03/25/2004
• Published: 09/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Aizawa, Takashi
• Granted Patent: US 7,755,661 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/207.1
• 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 1/32117 in a separate transmission or protocol signal prior to or subsequent to the image data transmission, e.g. in digital identification signal [DIS], in non standard setup [NSS] or in non standard field [NSF] for mode signalling H04N1/333
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0015 Control of image communication with the connected apparatus, e.g. signalling capability
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3216 of a job size, e.g. a number of images, pages or copies, size of file, length of message
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3225 of data relating to an image, a page or a document
• 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 2201/3278 Transmission

Abstract

When a digital camera 100 is connected to an information processing apparatus 101 so that they can communicate with each other, the digital camera 100 generates partial information of attribute information related to each image data stored in the camera 100, and transmits the partial information of the attribute information to the information processing apparatus 101.

Claims

1. An information acquisition method for an information processing apparatus which acquires attribute information related to image data of images stored in an external device, comprising:

detecting whether the information processing apparatus is connected to the external device so that they can communicate with each other; and

acquiring partial information of the attribute information for each of the images when the information processing apparatus is connected to the external device.

2. The information acquisition method according to claim 1, wherein the partial information of the attribute information requires relatively short periods of time for information acquisition processing of the information processing apparatus.

3. The information acquisition method according to claim 1, further comprising:

in response to a request for an image by the information processing apparatus, acquiring from the external device the attribute information of the requested image except for the previously acquired partial information of the attribute information.

17. A storage medium having stored therein a program for causing a computer to execute the information acquisition method according to claim 1.

4. An information processing method for an image recording apparatus which generates attribute information related to image data of stored images, comprising:

detecting whether the image recording apparatus is connected to an external device so that they can communicate with each other;

generating partial information of the attribute information for each of the images when the image recording apparatus is connected to the external device; and

transmitting the generated partial information of the attribute information to the external device.

5. The information processing method according to claim 4, wherein the partial information of the attribute information requires relatively short periods of time for information acquisition processing of the external device among the attribute information.

6. The information processing method according to claim 4, further comprising:

in response to a request for an image by the external device, generating the attribute information of the requested image except for the previously generated partial information of the attribute information; and

transmitting the generated attribute information to the external device.

18. A storage medium having stored therein a program for causing a computer to execute the information processing method according to claim 4.

7. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a connection unit that is connectable to an external device so to be communicated therewith; and

an attribute information acquisition unit that acquires attribute information related to image data of images recorded in the external device,

wherein said attribute information acquisition unit acquires from the external device partial information of the attribute information for each of the images when the information processing apparatus is connected to the external device.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the partial information of the attribute information requires relatively short periods of time for information acquisition processing of the information processing apparatus among the attribute information.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein, in response to a request for an image by the information processing apparatus, said attribute information acquisition unit acquires from the external device the attribute information of the requested image except for the previously acquired partial information of the attribute information.

10. An image recording apparatus comprising:

an attribute information generation unit that generates attribute information related to image data of recorded images; and

a transmission unit that transmits the attribute information generated by said attribute information generation unit to an external device, wherein

when the image recording apparatus is connected to the external device so that they can communicate with each other, the attribute information generation unit generates partial information of the attribute information for each of the images, and the transmission unit transmits the generated partial information to the external device.

11. The image recording apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the partial information of the attribute information requires relatively short periods of time for information acquisition processing of the external device.

12. The image recording apparatus according to claim 10, wherein, in response to a request for an image by the external device, said attribute information generation unit generates the attribute information of the requested image except for the previously acquired partial information of the attribute information, and said transmission unit transmits to the external device the generated attribute information except for the previously generated partial information of the attribute information.

13. An information processing method for a digital imaging system having a digital image generating apparatus and an information processing apparatus, the digital image generating apparatus storing image data of a plurality of generated images as image files in a storage device, said method comprising:

the image processing apparatus managing a plurality of pieces of attribute information contained in object information related to each of the image files in the digital image generating apparatus in two or more categories; and

the image processing apparatus creating for each of the image files, an object only containing information in a part of the categories out of the plurality of pieces of attribute information when the digital image generating apparatus is connected to the information processing apparatus.

14. The information processing method according to claim 13, wherein,

when an application running on the information processing apparatus requires overall image data of an image, the digital image generating apparatus generates attribute information of the required image except for the attribute information in the part of the categories generated at the time of the connection between the information processing apparatus and the digital image generating apparatus, and

the information processing apparatus acquires the generated attribute information, and then stores and manages the generated attribute information in the object created at the time of the connection.

15. The information processing method according to claim 13, wherein the information in the part of the categories of the attribute information is acquired from management information held by a file system in the digital image generating apparatus.

16. The information processing method according to claim 14, wherein the attribute information except for the information in the part of the categories of the attribute information contains data in a file stored in the digital image generating apparatus.

19. A storage medium having stored therein a program for causing a computer to execute the information processing method according to claim 13.