Image provision device and image provision system

Abstract

An image provision device that provides an image exhibiting a distinctive feature of a locality to an address. On receipt from a mobile telephone (1a) of a position information mail (21) storing position information of the mobile telephone (1a), the image provision device transmits to the mobile telephone (1a) a reply mail (39) storing thumbnail images created based on the position information in the position information mail (21). Then, on receipt from the mobile telephone (1a) of an image select mail (22) storing a selection resulting from one thumbnail image from the thumbnail images being selected, the image provision device transmits to the address an image mail (40) storing an image based on the selection result in the image select mail (22).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD[0001]The present invention relates principally to an image provision device and an image provision system that are applicable in electronic mail transmission from a mobile terminal.BACKGROUND ART[0002]Nowadays mobile telephones often have an electronic mail function, and are able to transmit / receive electronic mail (hereinafter, simply “mail”) using key operations and so forth. Due to the portability and convenience of mobile telephones, many users take their mobile telephone with them when they go out for the day or on holiday. As such, users can easily send mails to friends from holiday destinations, for instance.[0003]However, with conventional mails, the user's mails consist of text messages, even when sent from holiday destinations, and images that allow the locality of transmission (scenic spot, tourist resort, etc.) to be identified are not appended.[0004]In spite of this, there are users who would like to send images to friends exhibiting distinctive features...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0005]The present invention aims to provide an image provision device and an image provision system that provide images exhibiting distinctive features of a locality to friends, for example, without requiring mobile terminals to hold a large number of images.

[0007]According to this structure, an image relating to position information can be specified and provided to an address. As a result, it is possible to provide an image exhibiting a distinctive feature of a position to an address, without requiring a mobile terminal to hold the image. Moreover, specification of an image is conducted by, for example, reading a stored image, newly creating an image, working on an existing image, or the like. Also, the provision of an image to an address refers not only to transmitting an image to an address, but also to enabling a person or entity at an address to acquire the image, such as, for example, enabling access via the Internet or the like to an image stored on a specific storage medium.

[0009]Furthermore, the position-information acquiring unit may acquire, from the mobile terminal, position information obtained by a global positioning system. According to this structure, the position-information acquiring unit is able to easily obtain data relating to position information.

[0012]Furthermore, the image providing unit may transmit the image to the address. According to this structure, an image from a mobile terminal can be reliably provided to an address.

[0013]Moreover, the image provision device may include a mail receiving unit operable to receive an electronic mail transmitted from the mobile terminal, and the image providing unit may attach the specified image to the received electronic mail and distribute the image-attached electronic mail to the address. By using mail in this way, images and various kinds of information can be easily transmitted / received. Here, “distribution” is a superordinate concept that includes the relaying of mail to a relay device such as another mail server or the like, and also the delivering of mail from an image provision device to an address.

[0015]Here, the position information may show a position of the mobile terminal, and the mobile terminal may have: a position-information acquiring unit operable to acquire the position from a global positioning system; and a second transmitting unit operable to transmit the position information to the image provision device. According to this structure, the position of a mobile terminal can be easily obtained from a global positioning system.

Problems solved by technology

While it is possible, for example, to send images to friends if the user stores many images on their mobile telephone, this is not desirable since mobility is adversely affected by increases in the mobile telephone's memory volume.

Images