IMAGE EDITING SYSTEM, IMAGE MANAGEMENT APPARATUS, AND IMAGE EDITING PROGRAM

• US 20070146833A1
• Filed: 11/29/2006
• Published: 06/28/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Hitaka, Yosato, Satomi, Hiroshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,325,398 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/537
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00196 Creation of a photo-montage, e.g. photoalbum H04N1/0019 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00198 Creation of a soft photo presentation, e.g. digital slide-show

Abstract

When an image file is loaded into an electronic album, an electronic album editing apparatus displays images on a page by arranging a layout and performs editing of the images such as cropping and magnification and reduction. The electronic album editing apparatus displays the edited images on the page and determines whether the images that are already edited and displayed, overlap with each other for use in the album. When it is determined that the images overlap with each other, the electronic album editing apparatus issues a warning to that effect to the user.

Claims

1. An electronic album editing apparatus that edits an electronic album in which a plurality of images are arranged, the electronic album editing apparatus comprising:

an editing unit configured to edit an image file;

a storage unit configured to store editing information about the editing performed by the editing unit;

a display control unit configured to control display so that the images are displayed in the electronic album based on the image file and the editing information that is stored in the storage unit;

a determination unit configured to determine whether the images that are displayed by the display control unit overlap with each other based on the editing information stored in the storage unit; and

a notification unit configured to notify a result of determination performed by the determination unit.

2. The electronic album editing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electronic album includes a plurality of pages,

the storage unit stores the editing information by linking the editing information with the pages, and

the determination unit performs determination processing with respect to the images that are linked to different pages of the electronic album.

3. The electronic album editing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a completion instruction unit configured to instruct to complete the editing performed by the editing unit, wherein

when the completion of the editing is instructed by the completion instruction unit, the determination unit performs the determination processing.

4. The electronic album editing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a print instruction unit configured to instruct to print the image that is displayed by the display control unit,

wherein when the printing is instructed by the print instruction unit, the determination unit performs the determination processing.

5. The electronic album editing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the editing unit performs cropping processing or magnification and reduction processing to the image as the editing.

6. The electronic album editing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a management unit configured to manage attribute information of the image by linking the attribute information to the image; and

a decision unit configured to decide the image to be subjected to the determination processing performed by the determination unit based on the attribute information that is managed by the management unit.

7. A method for editing an electronic album in which a plurality of images are arranged, the method comprising:

editing an image file;

storing editing information about editing performed on the image file;

controlling the images to be displayed in the electronic album based on the image file and the stored editing information;

determining whether the displayed images overlap each other based on the stored editing information; and

notifying a result of the determination of whether the displayed images overlap each other.

8. A computer-readable memory medium storing instructions which, when executed by an apparatus, causes the apparatus to perform operations comprising:

editing an image file;

storing editing information about editing performed on the image file;

controlling display so that images are displayed in an electronic album based on the image file and the stored editing information;

determining whether the displayed images overlap with each other based on the stored editing information; and

notifying a result of the determination of whether the displayed images overlap each other.

9. An electronic album editing system that edits an electronic album in which a plurality of images are arranged, and includes a server apparatus capable of communicating with a client apparatus via a network, the electronic album editing system comprising:

the client apparatus includes;

an editing unit configured to edit an image file;

a display control unit configured to control display so that the images are displayed in the electronic album based on the image file and editing information about the editing performed by the editing unit; and

an editing information sending unit configured to send the editing information to the server apparatus; and

wherein the server apparatus includes;

an editing information receiving unit configured to receive the editing information from the client apparatus;

an editing information storage unit configured to store the editing information that is received by the editing information receiving unit;

a determination unit configured to determine whether the images that are displayed by the display control unit overlap with each other based on the editing information stored in the editing information storage unit; and

an acquisition unit configured to acquire a file path of image determined that overlap with other image.

10. A system according to claim 9, further comprising:

a notification unit configured to notify a result of determination performed by the determination unit to the client apparatus.

11. A system according to claim 10, wherein the editing information receiving unit receives the editing information from another client apparatus also and the notification unit notifies the result of determination performed by the determination unit to another client apparatus also.