Data generation device, data generation method, program, and recording medium

Abstract

Provided are a data generation device, a data generation method, a program, and a recording medium capable of generating display image data in which a plurality of images are displayed in an appropriate order. This data generation device is provided with a processor, and the processor performs: a process for setting a display image group in which a sequence in which a plurality of images included in the display image group have been assigned, and creating the plurality of display image groups by changing the assigned sequence; a compressed data generation unit that generates compressed data by compressing, for each of the plurality of display image groups, image data for each of the plurality of images included in the display image group in the given order; and selecting a display image group satisfying a first selection condition from the plurality of display image groups on the basis of information relating to the amount of data of the compressed data.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a data generating device, a data generating method, a program and a recording medium for generating display image data for sequentially displaying a plurality of images. Background Art

[0002] A technique for sequentially displaying a plurality of images such as a slide show or a GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) animation (hereinafter referred to as a slide show or the like) has been used (for example, refer to Patent Document 1).

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 2011-103588 Summary of the invention

[0006] Technical issues to be solved by the invention

[0007] When generating data for sequentially displaying a plurality of images such as a slide show (hereinafter referred to as display image data), it is important to consider the similarity between the images displayed successively or the data volume of the display image data, etc. Therefore, an apparatus, method, program, and recording medium capable of generating display image data for displaying a plurality of images in an appropriate order are required.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a data generating device, a data generating method, a program, and a recording medium capable of generating display image data for displaying a plurality of images in an appropriate order.

[0009] Means for solving technical problems

[0010] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the data generating device of the present invention has a processor, and the above-mentioned data generating device is characterized in that the processor performs the following processing: sets a display image group to which the order of multiple images included in the display image group is assigned, and changes the assigned order to produce multiple display image groups; for each of the multiple display image groups, compresses the image data of each of the multiple images included in the display image group according to the assigned order, thereby producing compressed data; and selects a display image group that meets the first selection condition from the multiple display image groups based on information related to the data amount of the compressed data.

[0011] Furthermore, the first selection condition may be to minimize the amount of data during compression.

[0012] Also, the processor may perform thinning processing on data generated according to the selected display image group.

[0013] Furthermore, the image data of at least one image among the plurality of images included in the image group may not include information on the shooting date and time.

[0014] Furthermore, the image data of at least one image among the plurality of images included in the image group may be image data obtained by scanning a printed matter.

[0015] Furthermore, the processor may use thumbnail images of each of the plurality of images included in the image group when creating the plurality of display image groups.

[0016] Furthermore, the processor may perform processing for classifying the plurality of images included in the image set into two or more image groups based on the image feature amounts of the plurality of images included in the image set.

[0017] Furthermore, the processor may perform processing for classifying the plurality of images included in the image set into two or more image groups based on information on a storage date and time included in the image data of each of the plurality of images included in the image set.

[0018] Furthermore, the processor may perform the following processing: for each of more than two image groups, a representative image is selected; a representative image group is set to which an order for displaying a plurality of representative images is assigned, and the assigned order is changed to produce a plurality of representative image groups; for each of the plurality of representative image groups, image data of each of the plurality of representative images included in the representative image group is compressed in accordance with the assigned order, thereby producing representative compressed data; based on information related to the data volume of the representative compressed data, a representative image group that satisfies a second selection condition is selected from the plurality of representative image groups; and the order for displaying the plurality of images included in the image collection is determined in accordance with the order assigned to the selected representative image group.

[0019] Furthermore, the second selection condition may be to minimize the amount of data during compression.

[0020] Furthermore, the processor may perform processing such that thumbnail images of each of the plurality of images included in the image set are used in at least one of classifying the plurality of images included in the image set into two or more image groups and creating a plurality of representative image groups.

[0021] Furthermore, in order to solve the aforementioned problems, the data generation method of the present invention is characterized in that a processor implements the following steps: setting a display image group to which an order of multiple images included in the display image group is assigned, and changing the assigned order to produce multiple display image groups; for each of the multiple display image groups, compressing the image data of each of the multiple images included in the display image group according to the assigned order, thereby producing compressed data; and selecting a display image group that satisfies a first selection condition from the multiple display image groups based on information related to the data amount of the compressed data.

[0022] Furthermore, in the above data generation method, the processor may implement the step of classifying the plurality of images included in the image set into two or more image groups based on image feature quantities of the plurality of images included in the image set.

[0023] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned data generation method, the processor can implement the following steps: for each of more than two image groups, select a representative image; set a representative image group to which an order for displaying multiple representative images is assigned, and change the assigned order to produce multiple representative image groups; for each of the multiple representative image groups, compress the image data of each of the multiple representative images included in the representative image group according to the assigned order, thereby producing representative compressed data; based on information related to the data amount of the representative compressed data, select a representative image group that meets the second selection condition from the multiple representative image groups; and determine the order for displaying the multiple images included in the image collection according to the order assigned to the selected representative image group.

[0024] Furthermore, according to the present invention, a program for causing a computer to execute each process included in the above-mentioned data generation method can be realized. Furthermore, according to the present invention, a computer-readable recording medium can be realized, which records a program for causing a computer to execute each process included in the above-mentioned data generation method.

[0025] Effects of the Invention

[0026] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a data generating device, a data generating method, a program, and a recording medium capable of generating display image data for displaying a plurality of images in an appropriate order. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Figure 1 It is a diagram showing a data generation system including the data generation device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 2 This is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on a user terminal when generating data.

[0029] Figure 3It is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of the data generating device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 4 This is a diagram showing the functions of the data generating device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 5 This is a conceptual diagram of the processing executed by the data generating device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 6 It is a diagram showing a data generation flow in a data generation system including the data generation device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 7 It is a diagram showing the functions of the data generating device according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Fig. 8A This is a conceptual diagram (part 1) of processing executed by the data generating device according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 8B This is a conceptual diagram (part 2) of the processing executed by the data generating device according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Fig. 9 It is a diagram showing a data generation flow in a data generation system including a data generation device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] The specific embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the embodiments described below are only examples given for the purpose of facilitating the understanding of the present invention and do not limit the present invention. Furthermore, the present invention may be changed or improved from the following embodiments as long as it does not deviate from its main purpose. Furthermore, the present invention includes its equivalents.

[0038] In this specification, the concept of "device" includes a single device that performs a specific function, and also includes a plurality of devices that are dispersed and exist independently of each other and cooperate (cooperate) to perform the specific function.

[0039] Furthermore, in this specification, a "user" is a user who uses the data generating device of the present invention. Using the data generating device means using the functions of the data generating device, and in addition to directly operating the data generating device, it also includes using the functions of the data generating device from other devices (e.g., user terminals).

[0040] <<First embodiment>>

[0041] Below, reference Figure 1 to Figure 6, a data generating device (hereinafter referred to as a data generating device 10 ) according to a first embodiment of the present invention and a data generating system S using the data generating device 10 will be described.

[0042] <Data generation system>

[0043] refer to Figure 1 , a data generating system S to which the data generating device 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is applied will be described.

[0044] The data generation system S generates display image data used in a slide show or a GIF animation. A "slide show" refers to content that displays a plurality of images in sequence. As a method of displaying a plurality of images in sequence, there are, for example, a method of switching the images displayed on the screen in sequence at each predetermined time, or a method of displaying the images in sequence while moving (scrolling) them from one end of the display screen to the other end (for example, from the bottom to the top of the display screen).

[0045] "GIF animation" refers to content that displays multiple images in sequence. As a method of displaying multiple images in sequence, there is a method of switching the images displayed on the screen in sequence at a predetermined time, similar to a slide show. As a feature of GIF animation, it can be cited that the switching time of the images displayed on the screen is shorter than that of a slide show (for example, less than 1 second), and users enjoy GIF animation as changing images.

[0046] In the first embodiment of the present invention, the "display image data" is data for sequentially displaying a plurality of images in a slide show or a GIF animation. Furthermore, the display image data includes data of all images displayed in the slide show or the GIF animation.

[0047] like Figure 1 As shown, the data generation system S is composed of a server computer 1 , a user terminal 100 used by each user, and a printer 12 .

[0048] The server computer 1 is a computer constituting a platform of the data generation system S, and includes a data generation device 10. The server computer 1 may be a cloud service server, specifically, a server computer for ASP (Application Service Provider), SaaS (Software as a Service), PaaS (Platform as a Service), or IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service). The details of the data generation device 10 will be described later.

[0049] The user terminal 100 is a computer used by the user, and specifically, is composed of a smart device such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or a notebook PC (Personal Computer). The user terminal 100 includes a processor, a memory, and a communication interface. An application for using the data generation system S (hereinafter referred to as a data generation application) is stored in the user terminal 100. When using the data generation system S, the user downloads the data generation application from a predetermined website and installs it in the user terminal 100.

[0050] The user terminal 100 is equipped with a camera. Figure 1 As shown, the user photographs (scans) the first printed matter P1 through the user terminal 100. The first printed matter P1 is scanned in order to obtain an image for generating display image data (more specifically, a generation image described later). Specifically, the user terminal 100 scans the first printed matter P1, and more specifically, the first printed matter P1 is photographed through the camera of the user terminal 100, thereby obtaining image data of the scanned image of the printed matter P1.

[0051] The first printed matter P1 is, for example, a film on which an image captured by a camera is printed by an instant photograph method, and more specifically, a color instant film having photosensitivity, and can be obtained, for example, by using the printer 12 described later. The first printed matter P1 can be printed by an inkjet method, a sublimation thermal transfer method, or an electrophotographic method using a toner.

[0052] like Figure 1 As shown, there are an image area and a frame area on the image forming surface of the first printed matter P1. The image area is the central area on the image forming surface, and the frame area is an area surrounding the image area and forming a rectangular frame shape on the image forming surface. The image photographed by the camera is printed (printed) in the image area. The frame area is a portion of the first printed matter P1 surrounded by four sides that are two pairs of sides that are approximately parallel to each other, and in printing including silver halide photosensitive and developing films, it corresponds to a portion (peripheral portion) that is not imaged structurally. In addition, the background color of a representative frame is white, but during manufacturing, any pattern can be set on the frame.

[0053] The image data of the read image obtained by scanning the first printed matter P1 may include Exif (Exchangeable Image File Format) information. The information of the photographing date and time included in the Exif information is information of the date and time when the user terminal 100 scanned the first printed matter P1, not information of the date and time when the image formed on the image forming surface of the first printed matter P1 was photographed.

[0054] The printer 12 prints in response to a print request from the user terminal 100 via the network 11. The printer 12 is, for example, an easy-to-carry portable instant photo printer. The printer 12 prints an image represented by the image data sent from the user terminal 100 onto a photosensitive film. Thus, the first printed product P1 is obtained.

[0055] Then, the printer 12 prints one or more images selected from a plurality of images displayable by the display image data generated by the data generating system S onto a photosensitive film. Thus, a second printed product P2, that is, a printed product of an image based on the display image data, is obtained.

[0056] When outputting the second printed product P2, if Figure 1 As shown, an accompanying image Q is formed in the frame area of ​​the printed matter P2. The accompanying image Q is, for example, a QR code (registered trademark), and includes information indicating a storage destination of display image data used in a slide show or a GIF animation by encoding it. The user terminal 100 reads the accompanying image Q by a camera of the user terminal 100, determines the storage destination of the display image data based on the information included in the accompanying image Q, and accesses the display image data stored in the determined storage destination. As a result, the user can download the display image data used in the slide show or GIF animation from the above-mentioned storage destination, and expand the data, thereby playing and enjoying the slide show or GIF animation on the user terminal 100.

[0057] In this way, the second printed material P2 is used to play a slide show or a GIF animation using the display image data.

[0058] The image printing method in the printer 12 is not limited to the instant photograph method, and may be an inkjet method, a sublimation thermal transfer method, an electrophotographic method using toner, or the like.

[0059] Next, refer to Figure 2 , shows an example of a screen displayed on the user terminal 100.

[0060] In addition, the following assumes that the user terminal 100 is a smart phone. First, the user starts the data generation application stored in the user terminal 100. After the data generation application is started, the user performs a predetermined action to switch the screen of the user terminal 100 to the Figure 2 The image list screen D1 is shown.

[0061] In the image list screen D1, a plurality of images (strictly speaking, thumbnail images of each image) stored in the user terminal 100 are displayed as a list. The plurality of images stored in the user terminal 100 are, for example, images captured by a camera of the user terminal 100 or images downloaded via the network 11. The user selects a plurality of images to be displayed as a slide show or GIF animation in the image list screen D1. When a plurality of images are selected, the screen of the user terminal 100 shifts to the selection screen D2.

[0062] The plurality of images displayed on the image list screen D1 may be all images stored in the user terminal 100 , or may be images that the user has set as favorite images among images stored in the user terminal 100 .

[0063] In the selection screen D2, icons of "slide show" and "GIF animation" are displayed on the lower side of the screen in a selectable state. Hereinafter, a case where the user selects the "slide show" icon will be described as an example.

[0064] When the user's selection is received through the selection screen D2, the data generation device 10 (server computer 1) in the data generation system S executes a series of processes for receiving the user's selection result from the user terminal 100 and generating display image data for slide show. Then, after the display image data is generated, the screen of the user terminal 100 shifts to the confirmation screen D3.

[0065] The confirmation screen D3 is displayed in order for the user to determine the provision method of the generated display image data. In the confirmation screen D3, the icons of "Play", "Share" and "Print" are displayed in a selectable state. Then, if the user selects any one of these icons, the above-mentioned display image data is provided in a manner corresponding to the selected icon. For example, if the "Play" icon is selected, a slide show using the display image data is played in the user terminal 100. And, if the "Share" icon is selected, the slide show using the display image data is published in the SNS (Social Networking Service) in a corresponding association with the user's SNS account. And, if the "Print" icon is selected, as shown in the following example. Figure 1 As shown, an image based on the display image data is printed on a photosensitive film by the printer 12, and a second printed product P2 is output.

[0066] The generated display image data may be provided in a manner other than the above-described manner. For example, a user may store the display image data for a slide show in a portable storage medium and share the data with other users by handing over the portable storage medium.

[0067] In addition, the data generation system S may have a function of periodically generating display image data for a slide show or GIF animation based on a plurality of images automatically selected from the user terminal 100 when a certain number of images or more are stored in the user terminal 100, and providing (giving away) the display image data to the user.

[0068] Furthermore, the data generation system S may have the following function: recommending a slide show or a GIF animation to the user based on the plurality of images selected by the user. Specifically, the data generation system S may recommend a GIF animation when the plurality of images selected by the user are all taken within a specified period, for example, when the shooting date and time of each of the plurality of images are within 1 minute. On the other hand, when the shooting date and time of any of the plurality of images are not within the specified period, a slide show may be recommended.

[0069] Furthermore, the data generation system S may have a function of switching to display image data for GIF animation even after the slide show display image data is generated. In other words, the data generation system S may have a function of changing the format from one of the slide show and the GIF animation to the other.

[0070] <Data generation device>

[0071] Next, refer to Figure 3 to Figure 5 , the structure of the data generating device 10 is explained.

[0072] In the first embodiment of the present invention, as described above, the data generating device 10 is composed of a server computer 1. The number of computers constituting the data generating device 10 may be one, or may be two or more. The data generating device 10 is implemented by a processor and a program executable by the processor, and is composed of, for example, a general-purpose computer.

[0073] like Figure 3 As shown, the server computer 1 constituting the data generating device 10 includes a processor 10A, a memory 10B, a communication interface 10C, and a storage device 10D.

[0074] The processor 10A is constituted by, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), or a TPU (Tensor Processing Unit).

[0075] The memory 10B is composed of a semiconductor memory such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) or a RAM (Random Access Memory), for example.

[0076] The communication interface 10C is constituted by, for example, a network interface card or a communication interface board.

[0077] The storage device 10D is constituted by, for example, a memory built into or external to the server computer 1. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the storage device 10D may be constituted by a third computer (for example, an external server) that can communicate with the server computer 1.

[0078] A program (hereinafter referred to as a data generation program) for functioning as the data generation device 10 is installed in the server computer 1. The data generation program is a program for causing the computer to execute each process implemented in the data generation system S. That is, the processor 10A reads the data generation program and executes a series of processes related to the data generation system S.

[0079] The data generation program may be obtained by reading it from a computer-readable recording medium, or by downloading it via a communication line such as the Internet or an intranet.

[0080] Next, refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5 , the structure of the data generating device 10 is re-explained from the functional aspect.

[0081] like Figure 4 As shown, the data generating device 10 includes a receiving unit 21, a storage unit 22, an image acquiring unit 23, an image group setting unit 24, a display order determining unit 25, a data generating unit 30, and a data transmitting unit 31. These functional units are implemented by the cooperation of the hardware devices of the server computer 1 constituting the data generating device 10 and the data generating program as software.

[0082] The receiving unit 21 receives data related to the user's selection operation performed in the user terminal 100 from the user terminal 100. Specifically, the receiving unit 21 receives image data of each image selected by the user as an image for generating display image data among a plurality of images stored in the user terminal 100. The image data of each selected image includes information such as Exif. In addition, the receiving unit 21 receives data indicating a selection result related to whether the user has selected a slide show or a GIF animation in the selection screen D2.

[0083] The storage unit 22 stores various data received by the receiving unit 21. The data stored in the storage unit 22 includes image data of each of a plurality of images selected by the user as images for generating display image data. The storage unit 22 is mainly composed of the storage device 10D of the server computer 1.

[0084] The image acquisition unit 23 acquires a plurality of images for generating display image data based on the plurality of image data stored in the storage unit 22. Figure 5 The case shown in FIG. 2 is described below. In this case, the image acquisition unit 23 acquires images A1 to A5.

[0085] In addition, a method of acquiring an image for generating display image data from image data, especially image data of a read image, will be described later.

[0086] The image group setting unit 24 sets the plurality of images acquired by the image acquisition unit 23 as an image group. In the case described below, the image group setting unit 24 sets the plurality of images acquired by the image acquisition unit 23 (in Figure 5 In the figure, images A1 to A5) are all set as an image group.

[0087] The display order determination unit 25 determines the display order of the plurality of images included in the image group. Figure 4 As shown, the display order determination section 25 is configured to include a display image group creation section 26 , a compressed data creation section 27 , a data amount calculation section 28 , and a display image group selection section 29 .

[0088] The display image group creation unit 26 sets a display image group in which the order of the plurality of images included in the display image group is given, and changes the order to create a plurality of display image groups. To be more specific, the display image group creation unit 26 sets a display image group of the factorial of N when the number of the plurality of images is set to N (N is a natural number greater than or equal to 2). For example, Figure 5 , the number of images included in the display image group is 5, so the number of display image groups is 5 factorial (= 120). Figure 5 In this case, the 1st to 120th display image groups are produced.

[0089] The compressed data generating unit 27 compresses the image data of each of the plurality of images included in the display image group in the given order for each of the plurality of display image groups, thereby generating compressed data (compressed animation data). Figure 5In the case shown in FIG. 1 , the first compressed data is the data obtained by compressing the first display image group, and the nth (n is a natural number greater than or equal to 2) compressed data is the data obtained by compressing the nth display image group. As the compression process, a general compression method is used, for example, MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group) such as MPEG-4, GIF (Graphics Interchange Format), AVI (Audio Video Interleave), etc.

[0090] The data amount calculation unit 28 calculates the data amount (specifically, data size) of the compressed data generated by the compressed data generation unit 27. Figure 5 The case shown in FIG. 2 is described below. The data amount calculation unit 28 calculates the data amounts of the first to n-th compressed data, respectively.

[0091] The amount of each compressed data changes according to the order in which the multiple images are displayed. To explain in detail, the compressed data is data corresponding to each of the multiple images arranged in the order in which the multiple images are displayed, but the data corresponding to the latter image of two consecutive images is data corresponding to the change (difference) from the previous image. Therefore, when the multiple images are arranged in the display order, the greater the change between the consecutive images, the larger the amount of compressed data becomes, and the smaller the change between the consecutive images, the smaller the amount of compressed data becomes.

[0092] The display image group selection unit 29 selects a display image group that satisfies a first selection condition from among the plurality of display image groups based on information related to the data amount of the compressed data. In the first embodiment, the "information related to the data amount of the compressed data" is, for example, the data capacity or data size of the compressed data, and the "first selection condition" is, for example, the minimum data amount during compression.

[0093] If we give an example Figure 5 1 , when the kth compressed data has the smallest data size among the first to nth compressed data, the display image group selection unit 29 selects the kth display image group corresponding to the kth compressed data.

[0094] The data generating unit 30 generates display image data for a slide show or a GIF animation in the order given to the selected display image group.

[0095] To explain more specifically, the data generating unit 30 determines the selection result based on data regarding which one of the slide show and the GIF animation the user has selected, among the data stored in the storage unit 22. It is assumed below that the slide show has been selected.

[0096] Then, the data generating section 30 generates display image data for a slide show using the display image group selected by the display image group selecting section 29. Figure 5 , the data generating unit 30 generates display image data for displaying a plurality of images included in the display image group in the order assigned to the k-th display image group selected by the display image group selecting unit 29. At this time, the data generating unit 30 generates slide show data for sequentially displaying a plurality of images at a preset slide show image display interval (display time of one display image).

[0097] In the present embodiment, the data generation unit 30 performs thinning processing on the display image data (specifically, the display image data before processing). The thinning processing is a process of thinning out a part of a plurality of images displayed in a slide show based on the display image data. For example, in the present embodiment, it is a process of thinning out any one of a plurality of images that are similar to each other among the plurality of images displayed in the slide show. To be specific, in the thinning processing, the feature values ​​of each of the plurality of images, in particular, the feature values ​​of the region where the subject is reflected, are calculated, and the similarity between the images is calculated based on the calculated feature values. Then, in the case where there are a plurality of images whose similarity is greater than a reference value, any one of the plurality of images is thinned out in the thinning processing.

[0098] In addition, the data generating unit 30 may use the display image data before the thinning process as it is, without performing the thinning process.

[0099] Furthermore, the data generating unit 30 may directly use the k-th compressed data generated by the compressed data generating unit 27 as display image data.

[0100] The data transmission unit 31 transmits the display image data for the slide show to the user terminal 100. The user plays the slide show according to the transmitted display image data. Furthermore, the user can post the slide show based on the display image data to the SNS as a posting content. Furthermore, the user can also cause the printer 12 to execute a printing process based on the display image data, and obtain a printed matter P2 printed with the attached image Q encoded with the information indicating the storage destination of the display image data.

[0101] <Data generation process>

[0102] Next, refer to Figure 6 , a data generation flow using the data generation device 10 will be described. The data generation flow described below is a flow of a series of processes for generating display image data by the data generation method according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0103] The data generation process starts when the user performs a data generation process start operation on the user terminal 100. In the data generation process, first, the image list screen D1 is displayed on the user terminal 100. In the image list screen D1, a list of images stored in the user terminal 100 is displayed in a selectable state, and the user selects a plurality of images displayed as a slide show or GIF animation from the list of images displayed on the image list screen D1 (S001).

[0104] Next, the selection screen D2 is displayed on the user terminal 100 , and the user selects either the slide show or the GIF animation on the selection screen D2 ( S002 ).

[0105] Then, the user terminal 100 transmits the image data of the plurality of images selected in step S001 and the data indicating the selection result in step S002 to the data generating device 10 (server computer 1) via the network 11 (S003). The processor 10A of the data generating device 10 receives the various data transmitted from the user terminal 100 (S004). The processor 10A stores the data received from the user terminal 100 in the storage device 10D (S005).

[0106] Next, the processor 10A obtains an image for generating display image data (hereinafter also referred to as a generation image) based on the image data of each of the multiple images selected by the user (S006). To be specific, the image selected by the user is a read image obtained by the user reading (scanning) the printed matter P1 using the user terminal 100. The read image includes an area where the printed matter P1 is reflected and an area where the background around the printed matter P1 is reflected. The processor 10A determines where the area where the printed matter P1 is reflected in the read image (hereinafter referred to as the printing area) is. In detail, the processor 10A identifies the boundary of the largest rectangle or trapezoid in the read image, or a shape close to them, and extracts the area inside it as the printing area. The processor 10A obtains the printing area as the generation image.

[0107] Alternatively, the processor 10A may extract a rectangular frame-shaped region from the print region as a frame region, and further extract a region excluding the frame region from the print region as an image region. In this case, the processor 10A may acquire the image region as a generation image.

[0108] The acquisition of the generation image based on the above-mentioned steps is performed for each of the plurality of images selected by the user.

[0109] Next, the processor 10A sets an image group including the plurality of generation images acquired in step S006 (S007). Next, the processor 10A sets a display image group to which the order of the plurality of generation images included in the display image group is assigned, and changes the order to create a plurality of display image groups (S008). Then, the processor 10A compresses the image data of each of the plurality of generation images included in the display image group in the assigned order for each of the plurality of display image groups, thereby creating compressed data (S009). The compressed data is created in the above-mentioned manner.

[0110] Next, the processor 10A calculates the data volume (data size) of the compressed data generated for each display image group in step S009 (S010). The processor 10A selects a display image group satisfying a first selection condition from among the plurality of display image groups based on information on the calculated data volume of the compressed data (S011).

[0111] Then, the processor 10A generates display image data for a slide show or a GIF animation using the image data of each of the plurality of generation images included in the display image group in the order assigned to the display image group selected in step S011 (S012). The processor 10A sends the generated display image data to the user terminal 100 (S013). If the user terminal 100 receives the display image data (S014), the data generation process ends at this moment.

[0112] <Regarding the effectiveness of the first embodiment>

[0113] As described above, the data generating device 10 according to the first embodiment can generate display image data that sequentially displays a plurality of images (generation images) through the above-mentioned steps through appropriate procedures.

[0114] To explain in detail, the data generating device 10 according to the first embodiment generates display image data by creating a plurality of display image groups, generating compressed data for each display image group, and calculating the data volume of the compressed data. The calculated data volume of the compressed data is related to the amount of change between adjacent images when the plurality of images are arranged in a display order. That is, the smaller the data volume of the compressed data, the smaller the amount of change between adjacent images, and the larger the data volume of the compressed data, the larger the amount of change between adjacent images.

[0115] According to the first embodiment, by utilizing the above-mentioned properties, it is possible to generate display image data corresponding to a user's request, etc. For example, when a user requests a slide show or GIF animation in which a plurality of images are displayed sequentially, the processor 10A selects a display image group having a large amount of compressed data. Thus, when a plurality of images are displayed sequentially, display image data in which the amount of change between adjacent images is large is generated.

[0116] On the contrary, when the user requests a slide show or GIF animation with little change between images, the processor 10A selects a display image group with a small amount of compressed data. Thus, when displaying a plurality of images in sequence, display image data with a small amount of change between adjacent images is generated. Furthermore, when displaying a plurality of images in sequence in a slide show or GIF animation with little change between images, images can be switched more naturally (more smoothly).

[0117] Furthermore, when the user requests display image data with a smaller data volume, the processor 10A selects a display image group with a smaller compressed data volume, for example, a display image group with the smallest compressed data volume, thereby generating display image data with a smaller data volume (data size).

[0118] The various selection conditions corresponding to the user's request described above correspond to the “first selection condition” of the present invention.

[0119] As described above, in the first embodiment, the processor 10A selects a display image group satisfying the first selection condition from a plurality of display image groups based on information on the amount of compressed data. Thus, the data generating device 10 can display a plurality of images in an appropriate order in response to a user's request.

[0120] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first selected condition can be set to minimize the amount of compressed data. In this case, display image data for a slide show or a GIF animation is generated in such a way that when the plurality of images are arranged in a display order, the changes between adjacent images are minimized. Thus, the plurality of images can be displayed in an order suitable for the user's request, and when the plurality of images are displayed according to the display image data, the images are switched (transitioned) more smoothly.

[0121] Furthermore, the processor 10A can perform thinning processing on the display image data generated based on the selected display image group. That is, as described above, the processor 10A performs processing to thin out a portion (similar images) of a plurality of images displayed in a slide show based on the display image data. Thus, the processor 10A can make it smaller than the data amount of the display image data.

[0122] Furthermore, the data generation processing of the data generation device 10 according to the first embodiment can generate display image data regardless of the presence or absence of information on the shooting date and time of the image. That is, in the first embodiment, even an image that does not include information on the shooting date and time can be used to generate display image data.

[0123] To explain more specifically, in recent years, there has been an increase in the number of images that have been captured and uploaded to a server and shared among multiple users via a network. When the image data of such images is uploaded to a server, Exif information such as the shooting date and time is sometimes deleted. In this case, multiple images may not be displayed in an appropriate order.

[0124] In contrast, according to the data generating device 10 involved in the first embodiment, the processor 10A does not rely on the information of the shooting date and time, and determines the display order of the images based on the information related to the data volume of the compressed data. Therefore, even images that do not contain information on the shooting date and time can be displayed in an appropriate order.

[0125] By making use of the above advantages, the data generating device 10 can generate display image data using, for example, an image (read image) obtained by the user scanning the first printed matter P1. Figure 1 Even though the shooting date and time of the image on the first printed matter P1 shown is unclear, display image data can be appropriately generated using this image.

[0126] <<Second embodiment>>

[0127] Next, refer to Figure 7 to Figure 9 , a data generating device (hereinafter referred to as data generating device 50) involved in a second embodiment of the present invention and a data generating system using the data generating device 50 are described. In the following description, points different from the first embodiment are described, and descriptions of points repeated with the first embodiment are omitted.

[0128] The configuration of the data generation system and the hardware configuration of the data generation device 50 are the same as the configuration of the data generation system S and the hardware configuration of the data generation device 10 in the first embodiment, and thus description thereof will be omitted.

[0129] <Data generation device>

[0130] Below, reference Figure 7 , Fig. 8A and Figure 8B , the structure of the data generating device 50 is explained from the functional aspect.

[0131] like Figure 7As shown, the data generating device 50 is configured to include a receiving unit 61 , a storage unit 62 , an image acquiring unit 63 , an image group setting unit 64 , a first display order determining unit 68 , a second display order determining unit 73 , a data generating unit 79 , and a data transmitting unit 80 .

[0132] The receiving unit 61 , the storage unit 62 , and the image acquisition unit 63 are the same as the receiving unit 21 , the storage unit 62 , and the image acquisition unit 63 in the first embodiment, and thus description thereof is omitted.

[0133] The image group setting unit 64 sets the plurality of images acquired by the image acquisition unit 63 as an image group. More specifically, the image group setting unit 64 includes an image set unit 65 , a feature amount calculation unit 66 , and an image classification unit 67 .

[0134] The image set unit 65 sets the plurality of images acquired by the image acquisition unit 63 as an image set. Fig. 8A In the example shown in FIG. 2 , the image set unit 65 sets all of the 15 images A1 to A5 , B1 to B5 , and C1 to C5 acquired by the image acquisition unit 23 as an image set.

[0135] The feature quantity calculation unit 66 calculates the image feature quantity of each of the plurality of images included in the image set. The feature quantity calculation unit 66 may calculate the image feature quantity using a known image analysis technique, for example, performing image analysis on each image, calculating the color histogram of the image based on the grayscale of the pixels constituting the image, and calculating the image feature quantity based on the color histogram.

[0136] The image classification unit 67 performs a process of classifying (clustering) the plurality of images included in the image set into two or more image groups based on the image feature amounts of the plurality of images included in the image set. Fig. 8A 1 and 2. The image classification unit 67 classifies 15 images A1 to A5, B1 to B5, and C1 to C5 into three image groups based on the image feature amounts.

[0137] In addition, the image group setting unit 64 may have another function of counting the number of a plurality of images included in the image set and setting the number of image groups according to the number of images.

[0138] For example, the image group setting unit 64 may classify the images into two or more image groups based on the image feature amount when the number of the images included in the image group is greater than a predetermined number N (N is, for example, a natural number of tens, hundreds, or more), and may set all the images included in the image group into one image group when the number is less than the predetermined number N. In addition, when the images included in the image group are set into one image group, the subsequent steps are the same as those of the data generation method according to the first embodiment.

[0139] The first display order determination unit 68 is the same as the display order determination unit 25 in the first embodiment. The first display order determination unit 68 is configured to include a display image group creation unit 69, a compressed data creation unit 70, a data amount calculation unit 71, and a display image group selection unit 72. These units are the same as the display image group creation unit 26, the compressed data creation unit 27, the data amount calculation unit 28, and the display image group selection unit 29 in the first embodiment.

[0140] The first display order determination unit 68 is different from the display order determination unit 25 in the number of image groups to be processed. Figure 5 As shown, the display order determination unit 25 in the first embodiment takes one image group as a processing object. On the other hand, the first display order determination unit 68 and the display order determination unit 25 in the second embodiment are as follows. Fig. 8A The display order determination unit 25 and the first display order determination unit 68 are different in that a plurality of image groups (ie, the first to third image groups) are processed as objects. However, the display order determination unit 25 and the first display order determination unit 68 are the same in terms of function.

[0141] The first display order determination unit 68 selects a display image group for each image group. Fig. 8A In the example shown in FIG. , the first display order determination unit 68 selects the hth display image group from the first image group, the ith display image group from the second image group, and the jth display image group from the third image group.

[0142] like Figure 7 As shown in FIG. 1 , the second display order determination unit 73 is a functional unit newly added in the second embodiment. The first display order determination unit 68 determines the display order of images in the image group, but the second display order determination unit 73 determines the display order for the image group. That is, the second display order determination unit 73 determines the display order of the images in the image group. Fig. 8A The first to third image groups shown are each regarded as one unit, and the display order of these three image groups is determined.

[0143] like Figure 7As shown, the second display order determination section 73 is configured to include a representative image selection section 74 , a representative image group creation section 75 , a representative compressed data creation section 76 , a data amount calculation section 77 , and a representative image group selection section 78 .

[0144] The representative image selection unit 74 selects a representative image for each of the two or more image groups. Figure 8B In the example shown in FIG. 2 , the representative image selection unit 74 selects, for each image group, a combination of the first image displayed and the last image displayed in the display image group determined by the display image group selection unit 72 as a representative image.

[0145] If Figure 8B As shown in the example of , in the first image group, the representative image selection unit 74 selects the combination of the first image A5 and the last image A1 of the h-th display image group as the representative image. In the second image group, the representative image selection unit 74 selects the combination of the first image B2 and the last image B4 of the i-th display image group as the representative image. In the third image group, the representative image selection unit 74 selects the combination of the first image C3 and the last image C4 of the j-th display image group as the representative image.

[0146] The representative image group creation unit 75 sets a display image group to which the order of the plurality of images included in the display image group is given, and creates a plurality of display image groups by changing the order. Figure 8B In the example shown in FIG, the number of representative images is the same as the number of image groups, that is, 3, so the number of representative image groups is the factorial of 3, that is, 6 representative image groups are created.

[0147] like Figure 8B As shown, the representative compressed data generating unit 76 compresses the image data of each of the plurality of representative images included in the representative image group in the order given, thereby generating representative compressed data. The steps of generating representative compressed data by the representative compressed data generating unit 76 are the same as the steps of generating compressed data by the compressed data generating unit 27 in the first embodiment, except that the compressed object is different, so detailed description is omitted.

[0148] The data amount calculation unit 77 calculates the data amount of the representative compressed data generated by the representative compressed data generation unit 76. The data amount calculation procedure of the data amount calculation unit 77 is the same as that of the data amount calculation unit 28 in the first embodiment, except that the calculation object is different, so detailed description is omitted.

[0149] The representative image group selection unit 78 selects a representative image group satisfying a second selection condition from among the plurality of representative image groups based on information on the data volume of the representative compressed data. In the case described below, the second selection condition is that the data volume of the representative compressed data is the smallest.

[0150] If Figure 8B Taking the example shown in FIG. 1 as an example, the third representative compressed data has the smallest data size among the first to sixth representative compressed data, and therefore the representative image group selection unit 78 selects the third representative image group corresponding to the third representative compressed data.

[0151] The data generation unit 79 generates display image data for a slide show or a GIF animation. More specifically, the data generation unit 79 determines the selection result based on information stored in the storage unit 22, that is, information on whether the user has selected a slide show or a GIF animation. In the following, it is assumed that a slide show is selected.

[0152] The data generating unit 79 determines the order in which the plurality of images included in the image set are displayed, based on the order given to the representative image group selected by the representative image group selecting unit 78 .

[0153] If using Figure 8B , the data generating unit 79 determines the order of the three image groups according to the order given to the third representative image group selected by the representative image group selecting unit 78. Specifically, the second image group having representative images B2 and B4 is determined as the first, the first image group having representative images A5 and A1 is determined as the second, and the third image group having representative images C3 and C4 is determined as the third.

[0154] Then, the data generating unit 79 applies the display image group selected by the display image group selecting unit 72 as the order in which the plurality of images in each image group (the first to third image groups) are displayed. Fig. 8A As shown in the example of , in the first image group, the order given to the multiple images included in the h-th display image group, that is, the order of image A5, image A2, image A3, image A4, and image A1, is applied. In the second image group, the order given to the i-th display image group, that is, the order of image B2, image B1, image B3, image B5, and image B4, is applied. In the third image group, the order given to the j-th display image group, that is, the order of image C3, image C1, image C2, image C5, and image C4, is applied.

[0155] According to the above-described processing, the data generating unit 79 determines the order of displaying the plurality of images included in the image set, and generates display image data for a slide show.

[0156] The data transmission unit 80 has the same function as the data transmission unit 31 in the first embodiment, and therefore the description thereof will be omitted.

[0157] <Data generation process>

[0158] Next, refer to Fig. 9 , the data generation process using the data generation device 50 is explained.

[0159] The data generation flow starts when the user selects a plurality of images to be displayed as a slide show or GIF animation on the screen of the user terminal 100 ( S101 ). The processing in steps S102 to S106 is the same as steps S002 to S006 of the data generation flow in the first embodiment.

[0160] The processor of the data generating device 50 sets the plurality of images stored in the storage device of the data generating device 50 as an image aggregate (S107). The processor of the data generating device 50 respectively calculates the image feature quantities of the plurality of images included in the image aggregate (S108). The processor of the data generating device 50 classifies (clusters) the plurality of images into two or more image groups based on the image feature quantities of the plurality of images (S109). The processing in the subsequent steps S110 to S114 is the same as steps S008 to S011 of the data generating flow in the first embodiment.

[0161] The processor of the data generating device 50 selects a representative image for each of the two or more image groups (S115). Then, the processor of the data generating device 50 sets a representative image group to which the order of displaying the representative images (i.e., a plurality of representative images) selected for each image group is assigned, and changes the order to produce a plurality of representative image groups (S116). The processor of the data generating device 50 compresses the image data of each of the plurality of representative images contained in the representative image group in accordance with the assigned order for each of the plurality of representative image groups, thereby producing representative compressed data (S117). The processor of the data generating device 50 calculates the data volume of the produced representative compressed data (S118). The processor of the data generating device 50 selects a representative image group that satisfies the second selection condition from the plurality of representative image groups based on information related to the data volume of the representative compressed data (S119). The processor of the data generating device 50 generates display image data for a slide show or a GIF animation (S120). The processor of the data generating device 50 sends the display image data to the user terminal 100 (S121). The user terminal 100 receives the display image data ( S122 ).

[0162] When the above series of steps are completed, the data generation process ends.

[0163] <About the effectiveness of the second embodiment>

[0164] As described above, according to the data generating device 50 involved in the second embodiment, the processor of the data generating device 50 performs the following processing: based on the image feature amount of the plurality of images included in the image set, the plurality of images included in the image set are classified into two or more image groups. As a result, the number of set display image groups is reduced compared to the case where all the plurality of images included in the image set are set as one image group.

[0165] If using Fig. 8A To specifically explain the case, the image classification unit 67 classifies the 15 images A1 to A5, B1 to B5, and C1 to C5 into three image groups (i.e., the first to third image groups) based on the image feature amount. At this time, in each of the first to third image groups, 5 factorial (=120) display image groups are created, so the total number of display image groups is 360. On the other hand, assuming that the image classification unit 67 sets the 15 images A1 to A5, B1 to B5, and C1 to C5 as one image group, the total number of display image groups becomes 15 factorial. In this way, by classifying the multiple images included in the image collection into two or more image groups, the number of display image groups is reduced compared to the case where all the multiple images included in the image collection are set as one image group. As a result, the calculation load in the data generation device 50 can be reduced.

[0166] Thus, when the number of images displayed in a slide show or GIF animation is quite large, the method of generating display image data using the data generating device 50 involved in the second embodiment is more effective than the data generating method using the data generating device 10 involved in the first embodiment.

[0167] Furthermore, the data generating device 50 selects a representative image group satisfying the second selection condition from the plurality of representative image groups based on the information related to the data amount of the representative compressed data. Then, the data generating device 50 determines the order in which the plurality of images included in the image aggregate are displayed based on the order given to the selected representative image group. Thus, even when the number of images included in the image aggregate increases, the data generating device 50 can generate display image data for displaying the plurality of images in an appropriate order in accordance with various requests from the user while reducing the calculation load.

[0168] Furthermore, the second selection condition is a representative image group with the smallest data volume when compressed. Thus, the data generating device 50 can generate display image data for a slide show or a GIF animation in a manner that minimizes the change between adjacent images when the plurality of images are arranged in a display order while reducing the computational load.

[0169] <<Other implementation methods>>

[0170] The first embodiment and the second embodiment described above are specific examples given to explain the data generating device and the data generating method of the present invention in an easy-to-understand manner, and are merely examples, and other embodiments are also conceivable.

[0171] In the second embodiment, the processor of the data generating device 50 classifies the plurality of images included in the image set into two or more image groups based on the image feature amounts of the plurality of images included in the image set, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0172] For example, the processor of the data generating device may perform processing to classify the plurality of images included in the image set into two or more image groups based on information on the storage date and time of the image data of each of the plurality of images included in the image set.

[0173] To explain more specifically, for two images with different dates and times saved in the user terminal 100, when the difference between the date and time is within a certain time, the two images are classified into the same image group; when the difference between the date and time is greater than a certain time, the two images are classified into different image groups.

[0174] In this case, a plurality of images included in the image set can be classified into two or more image groups by simple processing, so that the calculation load in the process of generating display image data can be reduced.

[0175] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the data generating device 50 is assumed to include the second display order determining unit 73 and determine the display order of the image group unit, but it is not necessary to include the second display order determining unit 73. In this case, the data generating device 50 can provide display image data for slide show or GIF animation for each image group.

[0176] refer to Fig. 8A The example shown in the figure is described in more detail.

[0177] The processor of the data generating device 50 determines the order of displaying the plurality of images included in the first image group according to the order given to the hth display image group selected in the first image group. Then, the processor of the data generating device 50 generates display image data for a slide show or GIF animation including the plurality of images included in the first image group.

[0178] Similarly, the processor of the data generating device 50 determines the order of displaying the plurality of images included in the second image group based on the order assigned to the i-th display image group selected in the second image group. Furthermore, the processor of the data generating device 50 determines the order of displaying the plurality of images included in the third image group based on the order assigned to the j-th display image group selected in the third image group. Then, the processor of the data generating device 50 generates display image data for a slide show or GIF animation including the plurality of images included in each of the second image group and the third image group.

[0179] As described above, the data generating device 50 is not limited to generating all of the plurality of images included in the image aggregate as one display image data, and may generate a plurality of display image data and provide a plurality of slide shows or GIF animations to the user.

[0180] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the representative image selection unit 74 selects a combination of the first displayed image and the last displayed image in the display image group determined by the display image group selection unit 72 as the representative image, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0181] For example, the representative image selection unit 74 may select only one of the first image and the last image displayed in the display image group as the representative image, or may select images other than the first image or the last image as the representative image.

[0182] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, it is assumed that the first selection condition is that the amount of compressed data is the smallest. Furthermore, in the second embodiment, it is assumed that the second selection condition is that the amount of data representing the compressed data is the smallest. However, the first selection condition and the second selection condition are not limited thereto. For example, the first selection condition and the second selection condition may correspond to the amount of compressed data from the smallest to the tth smallest (t is a natural number greater than 2).

[0183] In the first embodiment, the processor 10A performs thinning processing on the display image data (strictly speaking, the display image data before processing), but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when the amount of generated display image data is not large, thinning processing may not be performed.

[0184] On the other hand, for example, the processor 10A may perform thinning processing when the number of displayed images exceeds a threshold value. In this case, the processor 10A may set a different threshold value for performing thinning processing in each of the slide show and the GIF animation. For example, in a GIF animation in which the screen switches instantly, if thinning processing is performed, the transition of the image may become unnatural compared to the slide show, so the threshold value may be set to a relatively high value to suppress the execution of thinning processing.

[0185] Furthermore, the data generating device 10, 50 may have a function of recommending a slide show when a predetermined compression rate is not achieved when generating compressed data for each display image group. That is, when the compression rate is low, when a plurality of images are displayed in sequence, the change between adjacent images is large, and in a GIF animation in which the screen switches instantly, the transition of the displayed images may become unnatural. Therefore, for example, even if the user selects a GIF animation, the data generating device may recommend switching to a slide show to the user.

[0186] Furthermore, the processor 10A of the data generating device 10 in the first embodiment may use thumbnail images of each of the plurality of images included in the image group when creating the plurality of display image groups. In this case, the calculation load on the data generating device 10 can be reduced.

[0187] Furthermore, the processor of the data generating device 50 in the second embodiment may perform processing such that, in at least one of classifying the plurality of images included in the image set into two or more image groups and creating a plurality of representative image groups, thumbnail images of the plurality of images included in the image set are used. In this case, the computational load in the data generating device 50 can be reduced.

[0188] The structure of the data generating system described above is an example of the structure of the data generating device to which the present invention is applied, and is not limited thereto. For example, the system may not include the printer 12 , and the user terminal 100 may not be equipped with a camera.

[0189] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned data generation system, the data generation devices 10 and 50 are constituted by a server computer, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and for example, the data generation device of the present invention may be constituted by a user terminal 100. In this case, a series of data processing for generating display image data for a slide show or a GIF animation can be performed by the function of the user terminal 100 without going through the network 11.

[0190] Furthermore, in the structure of the above-mentioned data generation system, when generating display image data, a plurality of images stored in the user terminal 100 are sent from the user terminal 100 to the server computer. However, the structure of the data generation system is not limited to this, and for example, a plurality of images may be stored in the server computer by establishing a corresponding association with the user. In this case, the user can select a generation image for generating display image data from the images correspondingly associated with the user among the plurality of images stored in the server computer. Then, the display image data may be generated using the selected generation image.

[0191] The processor included in the data generation device of the present invention includes various processors, including, for example, a general-purpose processor, namely, a CPU, which executes software (program) to function as various processing units.

[0192] In addition, various processors include PLDs (Programmable Logic Devices) which are processors whose circuit configuration can be changed after manufacturing, such as FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays).

[0193] Furthermore, various processors include processors such as ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) which have a circuit configuration specifically designed to execute specific processing, that is, dedicated circuits.

[0194] Furthermore, a processing unit possessed by the data generating device of the present invention may be composed of one of the various processors mentioned above, or may be composed of a combination of two or more processors of the same type or different types, such as a combination of multiple FPGAs or a combination of FPGA and CPU.

[0195] Furthermore, the plurality of functional units included in the data generating device of the present invention may be constituted by one of various processors, or a set of two or more of the plurality of functional units may be constituted by one processor.

[0196] Furthermore, as in the above-described embodiment, a combination of one or more CPUs and software may constitute one processor, and the processor may function as a plurality of functional units.

[0197] For example, a processor that realizes the functions of the entire system including multiple functional units in the data generation device of the present invention through one IC (Integrated Circuit) chip, such as SoC (System On Chip) or the like, may be used. Furthermore, the hardware structure of the various processors described above may be a circuit (Circuitry) composed of a combination of circuit elements such as semiconductor elements.

[0198] Explanation of symbols

[0199] 1-server computer, 10, 50-data generating device, 10A-processor, 10B-memory, 10C-communication interface, 10D-storage device, 11-network, 12-printer, 21, 61-receiving unit, 22, 62-storage unit, 23, 63-image acquiring unit, 24, 64-image group setting unit, 25-display order determining unit, 26, 69-display image group producing unit, 27, 70-compressed data producing unit, 28, 71, 77-data amount calculating unit, 29, 72-display image group selecting unit , 30, 79-data generating unit, 31, 80-data sending unit, 65-image aggregate setting unit, 66-feature quantity calculating unit, 67-image classifying unit, 68-first display order determining unit, 73-second display order determining unit, 74-representative image selecting unit, 75-representative image group producing unit, 76-representative compressed data producing unit, 78-representative image group selecting unit, 100-user terminal, D1, D2, D3-screen, P1-first printed matter, P2-second printed matter, Q-attached image, S-data generating system.

Claims

1. A data generating device comprising a processor, wherein: The processor performs the following processing: Setting a display image group to which a plurality of images included in the display image group are assigned an order, and changing the assigned order to create a plurality of display image groups; For each of the plurality of display image groups, compressing the image data of each of the plurality of images included in the display image group in the assigned order, thereby producing compressed data; and The display image group satisfying a first selection condition is selected from the plurality of display image groups based on information on the data amount of the compressed data.

2. The data generating device according to claim 1, wherein: The first selection condition is to minimize the amount of data during compression.

3. The data generating device according to claim 1, wherein: The processor performs thinning processing on data generated based on the selected display image group.

4. The data generating device according to claim 1, wherein: Image data of at least one image among the plurality of images included in the image group does not include information on a photographing date and time.

5. The data generating device according to claim 1, wherein: Image data of at least one image among the plurality of images included in the image group is image data obtained by scanning a printed matter.

6. The data generating device according to claim 1, wherein: The processor uses thumbnail images of each of the plurality of images included in the image group when creating the plurality of display image groups.

7. The data generating device according to claim 1, wherein: The processor performs the following processing: The plurality of images included in the image set are classified into two or more of the image groups based on image feature quantities of the plurality of images included in the image set.

8. The data generating device according to claim 1, wherein: The processor performs the following processing: The plurality of images included in the image set are classified into the two or more image groups based on information on a storage date and time included in the image data of each of the plurality of images included in the image set.

9. The data generating device according to claim 7 or 8, wherein: The processor performs the following processing: For each of the two or more image groups, selecting a representative image; Setting a representative image group to which an order in which the plurality of representative images are displayed is assigned, and changing the assigned order to create a plurality of representative image groups; For each of the plurality of representative image groups, compressing the image data of each of the plurality of representative images included in the representative image group in the assigned order, thereby generating representative compressed data; selecting the representative image group satisfying a second selection condition from the plurality of representative image groups based on information related to the data amount of the representative compressed data; and The order in which the plurality of images included in the image aggregate are displayed is determined according to the order given to the selected representative image group.

10. The data generating device according to claim 9, wherein: The second selection condition is to minimize the amount of data during compression.

11. The data generating device according to claim 9, wherein: The processor performs the following processing: In at least one of classifying the plurality of images included in the image set into the two or more image groups and creating the plurality of representative image groups, thumbnail images of the plurality of images included in the image set are used.

12. A data generation method, wherein: The processor performs the following steps: Setting a display image group to which a plurality of images included in the display image group are assigned an order, and changing the assigned order to create a plurality of display image groups; For each of the plurality of display image groups, compressing the image data of each of the plurality of images included in the display image group in the assigned order, thereby producing compressed data; and The display image group satisfying a first selection condition is selected from the plurality of display image groups based on information on the data amount of the compressed data.

13. The data generation method according to claim 12, wherein: The processor performs the following steps: The plurality of images included in the image set are classified into two or more of the image groups based on image feature quantities of the plurality of images included in the image set.

14. The data generation method according to claim 13, wherein: The processor performs the following steps: For each of the two or more image groups, selecting a representative image; Setting a representative image group to which an order in which the plurality of representative images are displayed is assigned, and changing the assigned order to create a plurality of representative image groups; For each of the plurality of representative image groups, compressing the image data of each of the plurality of representative images included in the representative image group in the assigned order, thereby generating representative compressed data; selecting the representative image group satisfying a second selection condition from the plurality of representative image groups based on information related to the data amount of the representative compressed data; and The order in which the plurality of images included in the image aggregate are displayed is determined according to the order given to the selected representative image group. 15 . A program for causing a computer to execute each step included in the data generating method according to claim 12 .

16. A recording medium which is a computer-readable recording medium, The recording medium records a program for causing a computer to execute each step included in the data generation method according to any one of claims 12 to 14.

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