Information processing apparatus and method for controlling the same, information processing system, and program

Abstract

To allow a receiver to browse a selected image while reducing the operational burden on a sender and the receiver.SOLUTION: An information processing apparatus having a storage unit storing a plurality of images, receives one or more narrowing conditions from an external device, generates one or more pieces of link information each representing a link to a screen that displays an image satisfying each of the received one or more narrowing conditions, of the plurality of images stored in the storage unit, and transmits generated one or more pieces of first link information to a transmission destination designated from the external device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device, a control method thereof, an information processing system, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, information processing devices that store images and can be connected to terminals via a network have become widespread. The information processing device generates an image display screen that displays images stored in the device and transmits the image display screen to a terminal connected to the network. A user can view images stored in the information processing device and share the images with another user via the terminal. When sharing an image with another user, the user who is the sender of the image causes the information processing device to generate link information for sharing, such as a URL, and transmits the link information to the other user who is the recipient of the image. The recipient can specify the transmitted link information on the terminal to cause the information processing device to generate an image display screen that displays the shared image.

[0003] Furthermore, there are cases where the recipient wishes to view only some of the images sent by the sender. For example, when the sender sends images containing people, the recipient may be interested only in images that include the recipient himself or her family, and may not wish to view other images. For this reason, there is a technology that allows the recipient to narrow down the images to be displayed by performing an operation on the image display screen. Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that changes the images to be displayed based on a search word entered by the recipient. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-097552 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] According to Patent Document 1, when a screen displaying a large number of images is generated on an information processing device, the image to be displayed can be determined according to the operation of the recipient. However, the recipient himself / herself needs to specify the display conditions of the image, which reduces the convenience for the recipient. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An information processing device according to an aspect of the present invention has the following configuration. A storage means for storing a plurality of images; A receiving means for receiving one or more narrowing conditions from an external device; a generating means for generating one or more pieces of first link information each representing a link to a screen displaying an image among the plurality of images that satisfies the one or more narrowing conditions; and a transmitting means for transmitting the one or more pieces of first link information to a destination specified by the external device. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to view a selected image while reducing the operational burden on the sender and the recipient. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of an information processing system and an information processing device according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the software configuration of the information processing device according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the information processing device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen on a sender terminal according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen on a receiver terminal according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the information processing device according to a modified example of the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen on a receiver terminal according to a modified example of the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the software configuration of an information processing device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the information processing device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 10] 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating an example of a display screen of a receiver's terminal and an example of refined total information according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. Although the embodiments describe a number of features, not all of these features are essential to the invention, and the features may be combined in any manner. Furthermore, in the attached drawings, the same reference numbers are used for the same or similar configurations, and duplicated descriptions are omitted.

[0010] First Embodiment [Hardware configuration] 1(a) is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information processing system according to a first embodiment. An information processing device 101 is connected to a terminal 102 and a terminal 103 via a network 104. In the following description, it is assumed that the terminal 102 is owned by a sender who transmits an image, and the terminal 103 is owned by a receiver who receives the image. The number of information processing devices and terminals is not limited to those shown in the figure. The information processing device 101 has a function of storing images, a function of receiving inputs from the terminals 102 and 103, and a function of transmitting screens to the terminals 102 and 103.

[0011] FIG. 1(b) is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of the information processing device 101 realized by hardware. The information processing device 101 includes a communication unit 111, a storage unit 112, and a calculation unit 113 as functional units, and operates as, for example, a server on a cloud. The terminals 102 and 103 are realized by electronic devices different from the information processing device 101, such as a smartphone, a tablet, or a personal computer. The communication unit 111 of the information processing device 101 is realized by, for example, a network card, and transmits and receives information to and from the terminals 102 and 103 via a network 104. The storage unit 112 is realized by, for example, a RAM 153 (Random Access Memory), a ROM 152 (Read Only Memory), and an external storage device 155, which will be described later with reference to FIG. 1(c), and stores images and the like. The calculation unit 113 executes data transmission and reception and storage processing. The calculation unit 113 is realized by, for example, a CPU 151 (Central Processing Unit) described later in FIG. 1C, a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) (not shown), etc. The calculation unit 113 realizes the image processing service of this embodiment by executing a program stored in the storage unit 112.

[0012] FIG. 1(c) is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a computer system used in the information processing device 101 of this embodiment. The CPU 151 executes an OS (Operating System) and various application programs, and controls each part of the computer device. The ROM 152 stores fixed data among the programs executed by the CPU 151 and parameters for calculation. The RAM 153 provides a working area for the CPU 151 and a temporary storage area for data. The ROM 152 and the RAM 153 are connected to the CPU 151 via a bus 154. An external storage device 155 such as a hard disk device (HDD), a magneto-optical disk (MO) drive device, or a CD-ROM is connected to the bus 154 via an interface 156. The bus 154 is also connected to a network 104. The network 104 may be wired or wireless. The hardware configuration of the terminal 102 and the terminal 103 is also similar to the configuration of FIG. 1(c).

[0013] In the following, in this embodiment, the case where the image is a still image will be mainly described, but the image may be a moving image. That is, the information processing device 101 can process both still images and moving images. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, the term "image" will be described as including the concept of both moving images and still images.

[0014] [Software configuration] 2 shows an example of a software configuration of the information processing device 101. The calculation unit 113 executes a predetermined program stored in the storage unit 112 to realize each of the functional units shown in FIG.

[0015] The memory unit 201 stores the image in the storage unit 112. The screen generation unit 202 generates a display screen for displaying the image stored in the memory unit 201. The transmission unit 203 transmits the screen generated by the screen generation unit 202 to an external device (for example, the terminal 102, the terminal 103) using the communication unit 111. The reception unit 204 receives a user's input from the external device (for example, the terminal 102, the terminal 103) via the communication unit 111. For example, the screen generated by the screen generation unit 202 includes a screen component that accepts a user's input, such as a button, and is transmitted to the external device by the transmission unit 203. When the user operates the screen component in the external device, information corresponding to the operation (operation information) is transmitted from the external device to the information processing device 101. The reception unit 204 receives the operation information transmitted from the external device.

[0016] The selection unit 205 selects an image based on user operation information received by the receiving unit 204. The link information generation unit 206 generates link information for causing the screen generation unit 202 to generate a display screen. The link information is transmitted by the transmitting unit 203 to an external mail server or the like. The image narrowing down unit 207 generates narrowing down conditions for narrowing down images based on the user input received by the receiving unit 204, and determines whether or not the image satisfies the narrowing down conditions. The screen generation unit 202 generates a display screen that displays images that the image narrowing down unit 207 determines to satisfy the narrowing down conditions.

[0017] [Link information sending process] Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of a link information transmission process executed by the information processing device 101. The process shown in Fig. 3 is realized by the calculation unit 113 of the information processing device 101 executing a program stored in the storage unit 112. The process shown in Fig. 3 is started, for example, when the receiving unit 204 receives an input from the terminal 102 instructing the start of an image selection and transmission process.

[0018] In S301, the screen generation unit 202 generates a selection screen for the type of filtering of images (described later with reference to FIG. 4(a)), and the transmission unit 203 transmits this to the terminal 102. The terminal 102 displays the selection screen for the type of filtering provided by the information processing device 101 in this manner, and accepts a user operation. In this embodiment, the types of filtering are "person," "location of shooting," and "date and time of shooting," and the user of the terminal 102 (the sender of the image) can select one of these types of filtering by operating the selection screen. When a type of filtering is selected from the selection screen in the terminal 102, the operation information is transmitted to the information processing device 101, and in S302, the receiving unit 204 receives an input indicating the type of filtering.

[0019] In S303, the screen generation unit 202 generates a selection screen for the narrowing down values, and the transmission unit 203 transmits this to the terminal 102. The terminal 102 displays the selection screen for the narrowing down values ​​provided from the information processing device 101 in this manner, and accepts user operations. The narrowing down values ​​displayed on the selection screen for the narrowing down values ​​are determined based on the narrowing down type received in S302. In this embodiment, for example, when the narrowing down type is "person", the narrowing down value is, for example, the name of the person (described later with reference to FIG. 4(b)). When the narrowing down type is "photography location", the narrowing down value is information indicating the photography location, for example, a range of latitude and longitude information. When the narrowing down type is "photography date and time", the narrowing down value is information indicating the photography date and time, for example, a date and time range. The user of the terminal 102 can select and specify the narrowing down value by operating the selection screen. When a narrowing-down value is specified on the selection screen in the terminal 102, the operation information is transmitted to the information processing device 101, and in S304, the receiving unit 204 receives the narrowing-down value as an input. Note that one or more narrowing-down values ​​can be selected for one narrowing-down type.

[0020] In S305, the image narrowing-down unit 207 generates narrowing-down conditions based on the narrowing-down type received in S302 and the narrowing-down value received in S304. For example, the narrowing-down conditions are configured by a pair of a narrowing-down type and a narrowing-down value. The image narrowing-down unit 207 judges whether each of the multiple images saved by the sender who owns the terminal 102 satisfies the generated narrowing-down conditions. For example, when the narrowing-down type is "person", the image narrowing-down unit 207 judges that the image satisfies the narrowing-down conditions if the person indicated by the narrowing-down value is included in the image. Also, when the narrowing-down type is "photography location", the image narrowing-down unit 207 judges that the image satisfies the narrowing-down conditions if the information of the photography location embedded in the image is included in the range of the photography location indicated by the narrowing-down value. Also, when the narrowing-down type is "photography date and time", the image narrowing-down unit 207 judges that the image satisfies the narrowing-down conditions if the information of the photography date and time embedded in the image is included in the range of the photography date and time indicated by the narrowing-down value. The target of the narrowing down may be all images saved by the sender, or may be images stored in a specific folder among the images saved by the sender.

[0021] In S306, the screen generating unit 202 generates an image selection screen (described later with reference to FIG. 4(c)), and the transmitting unit 203 transmits it to the terminal 102. The terminal 102 thus displays the image selection screen provided by the information processing device 101 and accepts a user operation. The images displayed on the image selection screen are images that satisfy any one of the narrowing conditions. That is, all images narrowed down for each of the multiple narrowing conditions. There are cases where the sender does not want to transmit all images selected based on the narrowing conditions, but wants to transmit some of the images. Therefore, on the image selection screen, the sender can select images to be actually transmitted. The sender can select images to be transmitted or images to be excluded from the transmission target from the image group after narrowing down based on the narrowing conditions, so that the sender can efficiently select images. The selection result by the operation on the image selection screen is transmitted from the terminal 102 to the information processing device 101 as image selection information. In S307, the receiving unit 204 receives the image selection information transmitted from the terminal 102. The image narrowing-down unit 207 excludes images designated by the image selection information to be excluded from transmission targets from the narrowing-down results according to the respective narrowing-down conditions.

[0022] In S308, the screen generation unit 202 generates a destination selection screen (described later with reference to FIG. 4(d)) and transmits it to the terminal 102. The terminal 102 displays the destination selection screen thus provided by the information processing device 101 and accepts user operations. The destinations shown on the destination selection screen are stored in the memory unit 201. In this embodiment, the destinations are email addresses and the recipient's name indicating the recipient. Information indicating the destination selected on the destination selection screen is transmitted from the terminal 102 to the information processing device 101. In S309, the receiving unit 204 receives the information indicating the destination transmitted from the terminal 102.

[0023] In S310, the link information generating unit 206 generates link information based on the narrowing down conditions generated in S305 and the image selection information received in S307. The link information generating unit 206 generates link information for the number of narrowing down conditions. The display screen generated by each link information generated here causes the screen generating unit 202 to generate images that satisfy each narrowing down condition among the images indicated by the image selection information received in S307. Each piece of link information generated has information on the corresponding narrowing down condition. The link information generating unit 206 also generates link information for generating a display screen that displays all images indicated by the image selection information received in S307. Note that the link information in this case does not have information on the corresponding narrowing down condition. In S311, the transmitting unit 203 transmits the link information generated in S230 to the destination received in S309, and ends the processing of this flowchart.

[0024] [Link information sending process flow] The flow of processing in which information processing device 101 transmits link information will be described in more detail below with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 3 and the example screens in Fig. 4 and Fig. 5. Fig. 4 shows an example of a screen display on sender terminal 102, and Fig. 5 shows an example of a screen display on receiver terminal 103. Hereinafter, it is assumed that storage unit 201 stores four images, image A to image D, uploaded by the sender operating terminal 102.

[0025] 4(a) shows an example of a selection screen for a filtering type generated by the screen generating unit 202 in S301. Buttons 401 to 403 correspond to the filtering types "person," "photography location," and "photography date and time," respectively. When any of the buttons 401 to 403 is pressed, the receiving unit 204 receives, in S302, operation information indicating the selected filtering type from the terminal 102.

[0026] FIG. 4B shows an example of a selection screen for a narrowing down value generated by the screen generating unit 202 in S303. This screen is a screen when "person" is received as the narrowing down type. Toggle buttons 411 to 413 correspond to the persons "John", "Mike", and "Ken", respectively. The toggle buttons are buttons for switching between a selected state and a non-selected state. When the toggle button is pressed, the narrowing down value corresponding to the person becomes a selected state if it is in a non-selected state, and becomes a non-selected state if it is in a selected state. Icons 414 and 415 indicate a selected state, and indicate that the narrowing down values ​​corresponding to "John" and "Mike", respectively, are selected. When the decision button 416 is pressed, operation information indicating the selected narrowing down value is transmitted. When the decision button 416 is pressed in the state of the screen shown in FIG. 4B, in S304, the receiving unit 204 receives "John" and "Mike" as operation information indicating the narrowing down value.

[0027] Upon receiving the refinement values ​​"John" and "Mike", the image refinement unit 207 generates two refinement conditions in S305. One refinement condition A is composed of the refinement type "People" and the refinement value "John". The other refinement condition B is composed of the refinement type "People" and the refinement value "Mike".

[0028] FIG. 4(c) shows an example of an image selection screen generated by the screen generation unit 202 in S306. The image selection screen displays images that satisfy either the narrowing condition A or the narrowing condition B. In this embodiment, image A, image B, and image C satisfy the narrowing condition A, and image A and image D satisfy the narrowing condition B. Toggle buttons 421 to 424 correspond to images A to D, respectively. When a toggle button is pressed, if the image is in a non-selected state, it becomes a selected state, and if the image is in a selected state, it becomes a non-selected state. Icons 425 to 428 are icons indicating a selected state, and indicate that images A to D are selected, respectively. When the decision button 429 is pressed, the selection result of the image on the image selection screen is transmitted to the information processing device 101. When the decision button 429 is pressed in the state of the screen of FIG. 4(c), in S307, the receiving unit 204 receives image selection information indicating that "image A", "image B", "image C", and "image D" are selected. On the screen in FIG. 4(c), images that match the filtering results (images showing the face of John or Mike) are displayed, and the user can remove undesirable images from among them by deselecting them, thereby excluding them from the targets for transmission. For example, when exclusion of image A is specified (when deselection is set by toggle button 421), image A will be excluded from the results of filtering based on all filtering conditions. In other words, image A will be excluded from the display targets of the display screen generated by all link information.

[0029] Fig. 4(d) shows an example of a destination selection screen generated by the screen generation unit 202 in S308. Toggle buttons 431 to 433 are toggle buttons corresponding to the destination person names "John's Mother", "Luke's Mother", and "Mike's Father", respectively. In the illustrated example, the destinations "John's Mother" and "Mike's Father" corresponding to the toggle buttons 431 and 433 are in a selected state. When the send button 434 is pressed in the state shown in Fig. 4(d), the receiving unit 204 receives, in S309, operation information indicating that the destination person names are "John's Mother" and "Mike's Father".

[0030] As described above, in S310, the link information generating unit 206 generates link information based on the filtering conditions (type of filtering and filtering value) and the image selection information received in S307. In this example, first, the link information generating unit 206 generates link information A based on the filtering condition A. The link information A causes the screen generating unit 202 to generate a display screen that displays only images that satisfy the filtering condition A, that is, images A, B, and C. Next, the link information generating unit generates link information B based on the filtering condition B. The link information B causes the screen generating unit 202 to generate a display screen that displays only images that satisfy the filtering condition B, that is, images A and D. Finally, the link information generating unit 206 generates link information X. The link information X causes the screen generating unit 202 to generate a display screen that displays the image selection information received by the receiving unit 204 in S307, that is, images A to D.

[0031] In S311, the sending unit 203 sends an e-mail including the link information A, link information B, and link information X generated in S310 to the e-mail address corresponding to the recipient's name received in S309. FIG. 5(a) shows an example of the e-mail sent in S311. Link buttons 501 to 503 correspond to link information A, link information B, and link information X, respectively. When the recipient of the e-mail selects one of the link buttons 501 to 503, operation information indicating the selected link information is received by the receiving unit 204. The designated link information causes the screen generating unit 202 to generate a display screen of the image. FIG. 5(b) shows an example of a display screen generated by the screen generating unit 202 when the recipient selects the link button 501 to select the link information A (image of John). Display images 511 to 513 are images A to C, respectively. The download button 514 is a download button for the recipient to save the image stored in the information processing device 101 to the terminal 103.

[0032] As described above, according to the first embodiment, by generating the narrowing down conditions based on the input of the sender and generating the link information that displays the images based on the narrowing down conditions, it is possible to provide the receiver of the link information with a screen that narrows down a part of the transmitted images. In this series of operations, the receiver of the link information does not need to perform a prior operation such as setting the narrowing down conditions, so that it is possible to prevent a decrease in convenience for the receiver.

[0033] The sending unit 203 uses e-mail when sending the link information, but is not limited to this. For example, the link information may be sent using a short message service, a chat system, a messenger system, or the like. The screen generating unit 202 may display a different selection screen for selection of a selection value according to the type of selection. Specifically, when "location of photography" is selected as the type of selection, a map may be displayed as a screen component, and the user may specify a specific point on the map or a specific range on the map. When "time of photography" is selected as the type of selection, a calendar component for specifying the year, month, and day, and a clock component for specifying the time may be displayed as a screen component, and the user may specify a specific range of date and time.

[0034] <Modification> In the above, the link information generating unit 206 automatically generates multiple pieces of link information according to the specified filtering type and filtering value. In the modified example, in addition to the automatically generated link information, it is possible for the user to directly select an image and generate link information. Therefore, in the modified example, the screen generating unit 202 generates a screen (described later with reference to FIG. 7(a)) for allowing the sender to select an image to be included in the link information and generating additional link information. The modified example will be described below with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7.

[0035] Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of link information generation processing executed by the information processing device 101. The processing shown in Fig. 6 is realized by the calculation unit 113 of the information processing device 101 executing a program stored in the storage unit 112. The processing shown in Fig. 6 is started when the receiving unit 204 receives an input from the terminal 102 instructing the start of image selection and transmission processing. Note that S301 to S311 are the same processes as those in Fig. 3.

[0036] In S601, the screen generating unit 202 generates a link information generating screen. FIG. 7(a) is an example of the link information generating screen generated by the screen generating unit 202. The link name input area 701 is an area for allowing the sender to input the link name of the link information to be newly generated. The toggle buttons 702 to 705 correspond to images A to D, respectively. When the toggle button corresponding to an image in a non-selected state is pressed, the image is placed in a selected state, and when the toggle button corresponding to an image in a selected state is pressed, the image is placed in a non-selected state. The icons 706 to 707 are icons indicating a selected state, and indicate that the image B and the image D are selected, respectively. When the create button 708 is pressed, operation information indicating the link name specified in the link name input area 701 and the image selected by the toggle buttons 702 to 705 is transmitted to the information processing device 101. When the Create button 708 is pressed on the screen shown in FIG. 7(a), in S602, the receiving unit 204 receives “Outdoor Photo” as an input indicating the link name, and “Image B” and “Image D” as inputs indicating image selection information.

[0037] Thereafter, the process proceeds to S603 through the processes of S308 to S309. In S603, the link information generating unit 206 generates link information based on the filtering conditions (filtering type and filtering value) and the image selection information received in S307, similar to S310. For example, the link information generating unit 206 generates link information A, B, and X. Here, in addition to these pieces of link information, the link information generating unit 206 in the modified example generates link information C based on the input received in S602 (link name and image selection information). For example, the link information C has a link name of "outdoor photo", and causes the screen generating unit 202 to generate a display screen that displays the image selection information received by the receiving unit 204, i.e., image B and image D.

[0038] In S311, the sending unit 203 sends an email including the link information A, link information B, link information C, and link information X generated in S603 to the email address corresponding to the recipient's name received in S309. FIG. 7(b) shows an example of the email sent in S311. The link button 711 corresponds to the link information C. When the sender selects the link button 711, the receiving unit 204 receives the selection of the link information C and causes the screen generating unit 202 to generate a display screen of the image. FIG. 7(c) is an example of a display screen generated by the screen generating unit 202 when the recipient selects the link information C. The link name 721 indicates "outdoor photo" (the link name specified in the link name input area 701), which is the link name of the link information C. The display images 703 and 705 are the images B and D selected in FIG. 7(a), respectively.

[0039] In the above first embodiment, an example has been described in which one or more narrowing conditions are defined by one or more narrowing values ​​set for one narrowing type selected from a plurality of narrowing types. For example, an example has been described in which one (face) is selected from a plurality of narrowing types using the screen of FIG. 4(a) and one or more narrowing values ​​(John and Mike) are set for the narrowing type in FIG. 4(b), thereby defining two pieces of narrowing information. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a plurality of narrowing types may be selectable. In this case, for example, one or more first narrowing conditions defined by one or more narrowing values ​​set for a first narrowing type among the plurality of narrowing types are obtained. In addition, one or more second narrowing conditions defined by one or more narrowing values ​​set for a second narrowing type different from the first narrowing type among the plurality of narrowing types are obtained. By combining the one or more first narrowing conditions and the one or more second narrowing conditions thus acquired, one or more narrowing conditions used for narrowing down images are obtained.

[0040] In order to enable selection of multiple types of filtering, for example, buttons 401 to 403 indicating types of filtering may be used as toggle switches to enable selection of multiple types of filtering on the screen of FIG. 4(a). In this case, multiple types of filtering selected by operating a decision button (not shown) are transmitted to the information processing device 101. Alternatively, a back button to the screen of FIG. 4(b) may be added, and when the back button is pressed, the screen of FIG. 4(a) may be returned to, and additional types of filtering may be selected. When multiple types of filtering are selected, screens for setting filtering values ​​for each filtering type are displayed in sequence, and the user can set filtering values ​​for each filtering type.

[0041] In addition, in the above-mentioned combination of one or more first narrowing conditions and one or more second narrowing conditions, for example, one or more first narrowing conditions and one or more second narrowing conditions may be combined by AND. For example, the first narrowing type is "person" and the narrowing values ​​are "John" and "Mike", and the second narrowing type is "photographed date and time" and the narrowing value is "past one month". In this case, there are two narrowing conditions: [person: John] AND [photographed time: past one month] and [person: Mike] AND [photographed time: past one month]. It is also possible to combine the narrowing conditions by a plurality of narrowing types by OR. In this case, for example, in the above example, there are two narrowing conditions: [person: John] OR [photographed time: past one month] and [person: Mike] OR [photographed time: past one month]. In addition, the user may be able to specify from the terminal 102 whether to combine the conditions by AND or OR. If three or more types of refinement are selected, the images can be combined in the same manner.

[0042] <Second embodiment> In the first embodiment, the recipient of the image received the link information generated based on the input of the sender. On the other hand, there is a case where the recipient used the same terminal 103 in the past and narrowed down and displayed images based on a specific narrowing down condition set by the recipient. In this case, the recipient may want to narrow down the images received from the sender using the narrowing down condition used in the past. However, in the first embodiment, the generation of narrowing down conditions based on the information of the recipient is not taken into consideration. Therefore, in the second embodiment, a configuration will be described in which, when the recipient has viewed images in the past using the terminal 103 and the operation information is stored in the storage unit 201, the link information generating unit 206 generates link information using the operation information.

[0043] [Link information display processing] 8 is a block diagram showing an example of the software configuration of the information processing device 101 in the second embodiment. A user management unit 801 is added to the configuration of the first embodiment (FIG. 2). The user management unit 801 identifies operation information of a user based on authentication information of the user received via the receiving unit 204. The user management unit 801 also updates the operation information of the user based on the information received by the receiving unit 204.

[0044] Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of a link information transmission process executed by the information processing device 101. The process shown in Fig. 9 is realized by the calculation unit 113 of the information processing device 101 executing a program stored in the storage unit 112. The process shown in Fig. 9 is started, for example, at the timing when the receiver specifies the link information from the "screen" in Fig. 5(a).

[0045] In S901, the screen generating unit 202 generates a display screen based on the link information designated by the receiver. However, at this time, the screen generating unit 202 displays a component for performing user authentication (for example, the login button 1001 in FIG. 10(a)) on the screen. When execution of user authentication is instructed (for example, when the login button 1001 is pressed), in S902, the receiving unit 204 receives an instruction for user authentication as the operation information. When the receiving unit 204 receives the instruction for user authentication, in S903, the screen generating unit 202 generates a user authentication screen (for example, the screen in FIG. 10(b)). In S904, the screen generating unit 202 determines whether or not user authentication information has been received by the receiving unit 204. In this embodiment, the user authentication information is a set of a user ID and a password. In S904, for example, when the user name and password inputted on the screen in FIG. 10(b) are transmitted by pressing the login button 1013, the user authentication information is received. If it is determined that the user authentication information has been received (YES in S904), the process proceeds to S905.

[0046] In S905, the user management unit 801 judges whether or not information on the operation history of the user exists based on the user authentication information received in S904. The operation history information here is a filtering condition used by the user in the past, and is composed of, for example, a pair of a filtering type and a filtering value. Hereinafter, this information on the operation history is referred to as filtering operation information. If it is judged that the filtering operation information exists (YES in S905), the process proceeds to S906, and if it is judged that the filtering operation information does not exist (NO in S905), the process proceeds to S908. In S906, the image filtering unit 207 acquires the filtering information of the user, and generates filtering conditions based on the acquired filtering operation information. The filtering operation information is composed of one or more items, as shown in FIG. 10(d), and each item is composed of a pair of a filtering type and a filtering value. The image filtering unit 207 generates filtering conditions as many as the number of items included in the filtering operation information. Therefore, each generated narrowing condition is composed of the narrowing type and narrowing value of each item of the narrowing operation information. In S907, the link information generating unit 206 generates link information based on the narrowing condition generated in S906 and the image selection information received in S307.

[0047] In S908, the screen generating unit 202 generates a display screen in which a link display for selecting the link information generated in S907 is added to the display screen generated in S901 (for example, as described later with reference to FIG. 10(c)). However, since login is completed at this point, the login button 1001 is not displayed. Also, if the link information is not generated in S907, the link display is not added to the display screen. In S909, the user management unit 801 judges whether or not the link information (in this example, the link information specified on the screen of FIG. 5(a)) has information on the narrowing down condition. For example, when the link button 501 is selected, the narrowing down condition is "person" and the narrowing down value is "John". On the other hand, when the link button 503 (view all images) is selected, the narrowing down condition is not present. If the link information has the narrowing down condition (YES in S909), the process proceeds to S910, and if the link information does not have the narrowing down condition (NO in S909), the process ends. In S910, the user management unit 801 updates the operation information by adding an item to the narrowing operation information of the user (the user who logged in from the screen of FIG. 10(b)) based on the information of the narrowing condition contained in the link information, and ends this process. The added item is composed of the narrowing item and the narrowing value that constitute the narrowing condition.

[0048] [Link information display process flow] A specific example of the operation of the processes S901 to S910 described above with reference to Fig. 9 will be described below with reference to the screen example of Fig. 10. In the following example, it is assumed that the storage unit 201 stores four images, from image A to image D. It is also assumed that the recipient who owns the terminal 103 has received an e-mail including link information A, link information B, and link information X. It is also assumed that the recipient has specified link information A. It is also assumed that the storage unit 201 stores the recipient's narrowing operation information shown in Fig. 10(d).

[0049] In S901, the screen generation unit 202 generates a display screen based on the link (link information A) selected in FIG. 5(a) (or FIG. 7(b)). FIG. 10(a) is an example of the display screen of the link destination generated by the screen generation unit 202 at this time and displayed on the terminal 103. When the login button 1001 is pressed, in S902, the receiving unit 204 receives an instruction to display a user authentication screen. When the receiving unit 204 receives the instruction to display the user authentication screen, in S903, the screen generation unit 202 generates a user authentication screen, and the terminal 103 receives and displays this user authentication screen. FIG. 10(b) is an example of the user authentication screen displayed on the terminal 103. The user authentication screen has a user name input area 1011 and a password input area 1012. When a login button 1013 is pressed after a user name (user ID) and a password are entered in the user name input area 1011 and the password input area 1012, the entered user name and password are transmitted to the information processing device 101. In S904, the receiving unit 204 receives the user name and password entered in the user name input area 1011 and the password input area 1012.

[0050] The user management unit 801 judges whether operation information (narrowing operation information) exists for the recipient specified by the user name and password (S905). Here, if narrowing operation information as shown in FIG. 10(d) is recorded for the recipient (YES in S905), the image narrowing unit 207 generates narrowing conditions based on the narrowing operation information of the recipient shown in FIG. 10(d) (S906). In the example of FIG. 10(d), the image narrowing unit 207 generates narrowing conditions C with a narrowing type of "shooting location" and a narrowing value of "near home" from the information 1031 and the information 1032. If the information of the shooting location embedded in the image is included in the range of position information such as latitude and longitude indicating the vicinity of the home specified in advance, the image narrowing unit 207 judges that the image satisfies the narrowing condition C. Furthermore, the image narrowing down unit 207 generates narrowing down condition D, in which the narrowing down type is "photographed date and time" and the narrowing down value is "past one month", from the information 1033 and 1034. For example, if the difference between the photographed time embedded in the image and the current time is within one month, the image narrowing down unit 207 determines that the image satisfies narrowing down condition D.

[0051] The link information generating unit 206 generates link information C and link information D based on the narrowing condition C and narrowing condition D (S907). If the narrowing operation information already records the narrowing condition of the link information selected in FIG. 5(a), new link information is not generated for the narrowing condition. Then, the screen generating unit 202 removes the login button 1001 from the display screen of FIG. 10(a) and generates a display screen to which the link displays 1021 and 1022 indicating the link information C and the link information D are added (S908). FIG. 10(c) is an example of the display screen generated at this time. In this way, a screen in which the link information based on the operation history of the user is superimposed is displayed on the screen of the link destination indicated by the link information selected on the screen of FIG. 5(a). The link information selected in FIG. 5(a) (the link information corresponding to the link button 501) has a narrowing condition (here, the narrowing type is "person" and the narrowing value is "John"). Therefore, the narrowing-down condition is added to the narrowing-down operation information (S909, S910). Note that if the narrowing-down condition has already been recorded as the narrowing-down operation information, the narrowing-down operation information is not updated.

[0052] [New registration of filtering operation information] Next, a process of newly registering the narrowing operation information by newly registering a user will be described. When the new registration button 1014 is pressed on the screen of FIG. 10(b), it is determined that a user creation instruction has been received. In this case, it is determined as NO in S904 of FIG. 9, and as YES in S911. The user creation instruction is a set of a user ID and a password, and the user management unit 801 manages the user by the character strings described in the user name input area 1011 and the password input area 1012. In S912, the user management unit 801 generates the narrowing operation information of the user by linking it to the user ID and password received by the receiving unit 204. At this point, nothing is recorded in the narrowing operation information. Then, in S908, the screen generation unit 202 generates a display screen in which a display indicating that a new user registration has been performed is added to the display screen generated in S901. In S909, the user management unit 801 determines whether the link information has information on the narrowing condition. If the link information has the filtering condition information (YES in S909), the process proceeds to S910, and if the link information does not have the filtering condition information (NO in S909), the process ends. In S910, the user management unit 801 adds an item to the filtering operation information based on the filtering condition information of the link information, and ends the process of this flowchart. For example, the filtering condition of the link information selected on the screen of FIG. 5(a) is registered as the filtering operation information.

[0053] [Operation information update process flow] The flow of processing in which the information processing device 101 updates operation information will be described below using the flowchart shown in Fig. 9 and the screen example in Fig. 10(b). It is assumed below that the storage unit 201 stores four images, image A to image D. It is also assumed that the recipient receives an email containing link information A, link information B, and link information X, and specifies link information A.

[0054] When the new registration button 1014 is pressed on the user authentication screen of FIG. 10(b), the receiving unit 204 receives a user creation instruction including the user name and password input in the user name input area 1011 and password input area 1012 (S911). When the user creation instruction is received, the user management unit 801 generates the narrowing operation information of the recipient (S912). At this time, the narrowing operation information does not have an item. Since the link information A has the narrowing condition A, the user management unit 801 determines that the specified link information A has the narrowing condition (YES in S909), and adds an item to the narrowing operation information based on the information of the narrowing condition A (S910). FIG. 10(e) shows a state in which an item has been added to the newly generated narrowing operation information. The added item is composed of the narrowing type 1041 and the narrowing value indicated by the narrowing value 1042. The narrowing type 1041 indicates "person", which is the narrowing type of the narrowing condition A. A refinement value 1042 indicates the refinement value of refinement condition A, "John."

[0055] As described above, in the second embodiment, narrowing down conditions are generated based on the operation information of the receiver, and link information that displays an image based on the narrowing down conditions is generated, thereby making it possible to provide the receiver of the link information with a screen that narrows down a portion of the transmitted image.

[0056] The user management unit 801 may display an error in response to the user authentication information received in S904 and end the flow chart. Specifically, it may determine whether or not the received user name and password pair matches a previously provided user name and password pair, and if they do not match, may display an error.

[0057] The user authentication information may be information other than a combination of a user ID and a password, such as a one-time password, fingerprint information, or face information.

[0058] <Other embodiments> Although an example of the processing of the information processing device 101 has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and various modifications may be made. Also, parts of the above-mentioned embodiments may be combined as appropriate. Also, at least a part of the processing shown in each embodiment may be realized by one or more dedicated hardware devices different from the calculation unit 113. Also, the information processing device 101 may include an authentication system, and the communication unit 111 may add a user ID and a password to the contents of communication with the terminal. Also, the contents of communication with the terminal may be encrypted and transmitted / received.

[0059] The present invention can also be realized by a process in which a program for implementing one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and one or more processors in a computer of the system or device read and execute the program. The present invention can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that implements one or more of the functions.

[0060] The disclosure of this specification includes the following information processing device, control method thereof, information processing system, and program. (Item 1) A storage means for storing a plurality of images; A receiving means for receiving one or more narrowing conditions from an external device; a generating means for generating one or more pieces of first link information each representing a link to a screen displaying an image among the plurality of images that satisfies the one or more narrowing conditions; a transmitting unit configured to transmit the one or more pieces of first link information to a destination specified by the external device. (Item 2) the generating means generates second link information representing a link to a screen displaying all images that satisfy at least one of the one or more narrowing conditions; 2. The information processing device according to item 1, wherein the transmission means transmits the one or more pieces of first link information and the second link information to the destination. (Item 3) a first selection means for selecting, from the external device, an image to be excluded from among the images that satisfy at least one of the one or more narrowing conditions; 3. The information processing device according to item 2, characterized in that the selected image is excluded from the screens linked by each of the one or more pieces of first link information and the second link information. (Item 4) The information processing device described in item 3, characterized in that the first selection means provides the external device with a screen that displays all images that satisfy at least one of the one or more filtering conditions and allows the user to select images to be excluded. (Item 5) 5. An information processing device according to any one of items 1 to 4, characterized in that the one or more filtering conditions are defined by one or more filtering values ​​set for one filtering type selected from a plurality of filtering types. (Item 6) The information processing device described in any one of items 1 to 4, characterized in that the one or more narrowing conditions are obtained by combining one or more first narrowing conditions, each defined by one or more narrowing values ​​set for a first narrowing type among a plurality of narrowing types, and one or more second narrowing conditions, each defined by one or more second narrowing values ​​set for a second narrowing type different from the first narrowing type among the plurality of narrowing types. (Item 7) The combination is either a combination of the one or more first conditions and the one or more second conditions by AND, or a combination of the one or more first conditions and the one or more second conditions by OR, 7. The information processing device according to item 6, wherein the external device specifies whether the combination using AND or the combination using OR is to be used. (Item 8) 8. The information processing device according to any one of items 5 to 7, wherein the plurality of types of narrowing down include narrowing down by person, narrowing down by shooting location, and narrowing down by shooting time. (Item 9) a second selection means for selecting, from the external device, one or more images from among the images that satisfy at least one of the one or more narrowing conditions; The information processing device according to any one of items 1 to 8, characterized in that the generating means generates third link information indicating a link to a screen displaying the one or more images selected by the second selecting means. (Item 10) a management unit that manages, as an operation history of the user, a narrowing-down condition corresponding to link information selected by a user operation from among the link information transmitted by the transmission unit, the generating means acquires an operation history of the user of the destination from the operation history managed by the managing means, and generates fourth link information representing a link to a screen for displaying an image that satisfies a filtering condition included in the acquired operation history; 10. The information processing device according to any one of items 1 to 9, wherein the transmitting means transmits the fourth link information to the destination. (Item 11) Item 11. The information processing device according to item 10, characterized in that the fourth link information is displayed superimposed on a screen of a link destination by link information selected from the one or more pieces of first link information. (Item 12) An information processing system including a terminal device and an information processing device having a storage means for storing a plurality of images, the information processing device comprising: A receiving means for receiving one or more narrowing conditions designated by a user on the terminal device; a generating means for generating one or more pieces of first link information each representing a link to a screen displaying an image among the plurality of images that satisfies the one or more narrowing conditions; a transmission unit that transmits the one or more pieces of first link information to a destination designated by a user of the terminal device. (Item 13) A method for controlling an information processing device having a storage means for storing a plurality of images, comprising the steps of: a receiving step of receiving one or more refinement conditions from an external device; a generating step of generating one or more pieces of first link information each representing a link to a screen displaying an image among the plurality of images that satisfies the one or more narrowing conditions; a transmission step of transmitting the one or more pieces of first link information to a destination specified by the external device. (Item 14) 12. A program for causing a computer to function as each of the means of the information processing device according to any one of items 1 to 11.

[0061] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following claims are appended to apprise the public of the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 101: information processing device, 102, 103: terminal, 104: network, 201: storage unit, 202: screen generation unit, 203: transmission unit, 204: reception unit, 205: selection unit, 206: link information generation unit, 207: image selection unit

Claims

1. A storage means for storing a plurality of images; A receiving means for receiving one or more narrowing conditions from an external device; a generating means for generating one or more pieces of first link information each representing a link to a screen displaying an image among the plurality of images that satisfies the one or more narrowing conditions; a transmitting unit for transmitting the one or more pieces of first link information to a destination specified by the external device.

2. the generating means generates second link information representing a link to a screen displaying all images that satisfy at least one of the one or more narrowing conditions; 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said transmission means transmits said one or more pieces of first link information and said second link information to said destination.

3. a first selection means for selecting, from the external device, an image to be excluded from among the images that satisfy at least one of the one or more narrowing conditions; 3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the selected image is excluded from the screens linked by each of the one or more pieces of first link information and the second link information.

4. 4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the first selection means provides the external device with a screen that displays all images that satisfy at least one of the one or more narrowing conditions and allows the user to select images to be excluded.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more narrowing conditions are defined by one or more narrowing values ​​that are set for one narrowing type selected from a plurality of narrowing types.

6. The information processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the one or more narrowing-down conditions are obtained by combining one or more first narrowing-down conditions, each defined by one or more narrowing-down values ​​set for a first narrowing-down type among a plurality of narrowing-down types, and one or more second narrowing-down conditions, each defined by one or more second narrowing-down values ​​set for a second narrowing-down type different from the first narrowing-down type among the plurality of narrowing-down types.

7. The combination may be either a combination of the one or more first conditions and the one or more second conditions by AND, or a combination of the one or more first conditions and the one or more second conditions by OR, 7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the external device specifies whether the combination using AND or the combination using OR is to be used.

8. 6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of types of narrowing down include narrowing down by person, narrowing down by photography location, and narrowing down by photography time.

9. a second selection unit for selecting, from the external device, one or more images from among the images that satisfy at least one of the one or more narrowing conditions; 2 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the generating means generates third link information indicating a link to a screen displaying the one or more images selected by the second selecting means.

10. a management unit that manages, as an operation history of the user, a narrowing-down condition corresponding to link information selected by a user operation from among the link information transmitted by the transmission unit, the generating means acquires an operation history of the user of the destination from the operation history managed by the managing means, and generates fourth link information representing a link to a screen for displaying an image that satisfies a filtering condition included in the acquired operation history; 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said transmitting means transmits said fourth link information to said destination.

11. 11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the fourth link information is displayed superimposed on a screen of a link destination according to link information selected from the one or more pieces of first link information.

12. An information processing system including a terminal device and an information processing device having a storage means for storing a plurality of images, the information processing device comprising: a receiving means for receiving one or more narrowing conditions designated by a user on the terminal device; a generating means for generating one or more pieces of first link information each representing a link to a screen displaying an image among the plurality of images that satisfies the one or more narrowing conditions; a transmitting unit configured to transmit the one or more pieces of first link information to a destination designated by a user of the terminal device.

13. A method for controlling an information processing device having a storage means for storing a plurality of images, comprising the steps of: a receiving step of receiving one or more refinement conditions from an external device; a generating step of generating one or more pieces of first link information each representing a link to a screen displaying an image among the plurality of images that satisfies the one or more narrowing conditions; a transmitting step of transmitting the one or more pieces of first link information to a destination specified by the external device.

14. A program for causing a computer to function as each of the means of the information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

Images