Communication device, method for controlling communication device, and program

Abstract

To provide a communication device that can prevent a shortage of files necessary for coupling when transferring time-series data such as a moving image file to an external device.SOLUTION: A communication device according to the present embodiment comprises: communication means that communicates with an external device; control means that, when divided files sequentially generated by dividing continuing time-series data are generated in a first external device, controls to acquire the divided files from the first external device through the communication means; and transfer means that, when acquiring the divided files, transfers the divided files to a second external device through the communication means. When a first divided file is generated in the first external device, and the first divided file is not a specific divided file, the control means acquires divided files from the specific divided file up to the first divided file, which are generated from the time-series data.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a communication device, a control method for a communication device, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a technology is known in which an imaging device such as a digital video camera is equipped with a wireless communication function, and a video file in which a video captured by the imaging device is divided and recorded at predetermined times (hereinafter, also referred to as chunk recording) is transmitted to an external device (Patent Document 1). By using the technology of Patent Document 1, the imaging device can efficiently transmit the video to an external device.

[0003] The video files generated by chunk recording (hereinafter also referred to as chunk video files) can be treated as one video by combining them in the destination external device. For this reason, the destination external device needs to have a series of files from the first chunk video file to the last chunk video file, and if some chunk video files are missing, the external device cannot combine the files correctly. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2022-96304 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Meanwhile, in the mass media industry, a system is known in which files of video and audio (time-series data) shot and recorded by an imaging device are transmitted to a communication device such as a smartphone, stored in the device, and then transmitted from the communication device to a server via a network. In such a system, the communication device needs to properly control the transfer of chunk video files so that chunk video files generated by the imaging device can be transferred without shortage and combined on the server side. The above-mentioned Patent Document 1 did not consider the transfer of chunk video files when a communication device is involved.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to realize a technology that can prevent a shortage of files necessary for combining when transferring time-series data such as video files to an external device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve this problem, for example, a communication device of the present invention has the following configuration: That is, the communication device includes a communication means for communicating with an external device, a control means for controlling, when a first external device generates split files that are sequentially generated by dividing continuous time series data, to acquire the split files from the first external device via the communication means, and a transfer means for transferring the split files to a second external device via the communication means when the split files are acquired, and the control means is characterized in that, when a first split file is generated in the first external device and the first split file is not a specific split file, it acquires split files generated from the time series data from the specific split file to the first split file. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, when time-series data such as a moving image file is transferred to an external device, it is possible to prevent a shortage of files necessary for merging. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009]

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[0010] 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.

[0011] (Embodiment 1) <Overview of chunked video file transfer> First, an overview of the transfer of chunk video files according to this embodiment will be described. At the shooting sites of the mass media industry, such as news companies and communication companies, there is a need to quickly deliver content shot at the reporting site to the news companies, etc., and a file transfer solution via network communication is provided. Specifically, image, video, and audio files shot and recorded by an imaging device are sent to a communication device such as a smartphone and stored in the device. Then, a mobile application is provided that sends the files from the communication device to an external FTP server via a network. Such a mobile application has a function (hereinafter also referred to as an automatic shooting transfer function) that automatically executes the following series of processes. In the automatic shooting transfer function, the mobile application receives a recording completion notification of a video file from the imaging device using, for example, the PTP / IP (Picture Transfer Protocol over Internet Protocol) protocol. Then, the mobile application acquires the video file and transfers the acquired video file to an external FTP server. By enabling the automatic shooting transfer function, a user can automatically deliver the shot file to an external delivery destination without performing an operation of selecting the shot file.

[0012] However, chunk video files generated by chunk recording are generally treated as one video by combining them at the delivery destination. For this reason, at the time of delivery, it is necessary that a series of files from the first chunk video file to the last chunk video file are all present. If delivery is made with some chunk video files lost, the files cannot be combined properly at the delivery destination. When the automatic shooting and transfer function is enabled, the function transitions to a state in which a recording completion notification of a video file from the imaging device can be received. After that, when the communication device receives a recording completion notification of a video file from the imaging device, the communication device acquires the video file from the imaging device and transfers it to an external FTP server. When the processing sequence of the automatic shooting and transfer function is also applied to chunk recording, for example, a case may occur in which chunk recording has already started on the imaging device side at the timing when the function is enabled. In this case, the communication device cannot receive a recording completion notification of a chunk video file recorded before the function is enabled from the imaging device. If the video file for which the recording completion notification has been received is simply acquired and transferred to an external device, the video file will be delivered in a state in which the previous chunk video files necessary for combining at the delivery destination are missing.

[0013] In order to prevent such a shortage of chunked video files, when a chunked video file is generated in an imaging device, the communication device determines whether the file is a specific chunked video file (e.g., the first chunked video file). If the file is not a specific chunked video file, the communication device acquires chunked video files generated from a video, from the (e.g., the first) chunked video file to the generated chunked video file. The communication device then transfers the acquired series of chunked video files to a server. Details are described below.

[0014] In the example described below, the case of transferring a video file is used as an example for explanation. However, the present embodiment is not limited to videos, and is applicable when chunk recording is applied to time-series data including videos, audio data, etc. In this case, the chunk video file corresponds to a split file that is generated by splitting continuous time-series data sequentially.

[0015] <Configuration example of the system> Referring to FIG. 1, a configuration example of the system in Embodiment 1 will be described. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 100 is an imaging device such as a digital video camera, for example. The imaging device may be other devices as long as it has a configuration capable of acquiring time-series data such as videos, as will be described later. Reference numeral 200 is a communication device such as a mobile terminal having a communication function typified by a smartphone, for example. Reference numeral 300 is a server as an example of an image storage device, and can be installed at a connection destination via a communication network such as the Internet, for example.

[0016] In FIG. 1, the imaging device 100 and the communication device 200 are connected via connection means such as a wired cable or Wi-Fi, and can perform wired communication or wireless communication. The imaging device 100 can transfer, for example, a video file or a metadata file generated by the imaging device 100 to the communication device 200. The communication device 200 and the server 300 can communicate via communication means such as a wireless LAN or mobile communication. The communication device 200 can transfer, for example, information stored in the communication device 200 to the server 300 using a communication protocol such as FTP. Note that the configuration of the system is not limited to the above example. For example, without using mobile communication, the imaging device 100, the communication device 200, and the server 300 may be connected to the same network via an access point to realize file transfer processing between the devices.

[0017] <Configuration example of the imaging device 100> Referring to FIG. 2(a), a configuration example of the imaging device 100 according to the present embodiment will be described. Here, a case where a digital video camera is used as an example of the imaging device will be described, but the imaging device is not limited thereto. The imaging device includes, for example, a portable media player, a so-called tablet device, a personal computer, and the like.

[0018] The control unit 101 includes one or more processors and controls each part (the entire imaging device) of the imaging device 100 according to the input signals and the programs described later. Instead of the control unit 101 controlling the entire device, a plurality of hardware may share the processing to control the entire device.

[0019] The imaging unit 102 is composed of, for example, an optical lens unit and an optical system for controlling an aperture, zoom, focus, etc., and an imaging element for converting the light (video) introduced through the optical lens unit into an electrical video signal. As the imaging element, generally, a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) or a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) is used. The imaging unit 102 is controlled by the control unit 101 to convert the subject light imaged by the lens included in the imaging unit 102 into an electrical signal by the imaging element, perform noise reduction processing, etc., and output the digital data as video data. In the imaging device 100 of the present embodiment, the video data is recorded on, for example, the recording medium 110.

[0020] The non-volatile memory 103 is a non-volatile memory that can be electrically erased and recorded, and stores programs and meta-template information described later that are executed by the control unit 101.

[0021] The working memory 104 is used as a buffer memory for temporarily holding the video data captured by the imaging unit 102, a video display memory for the display unit 106, a working area for the control unit 101, etc. The working memory 104 may be a volatile memory.

[0022] The operation unit 105 is used to receive instructions from the user to the imaging device 100. The operation unit 105 includes, for example, a power button for the user to instruct ON / OFF of the power supply of the imaging device 100, a release switch for instructing start / stop of shooting, and a playback button for instructing playback of video data. It also includes operation members such as a dedicated connection button for starting communication with an external device via a communication unit 111 described later. The operation unit 105 also includes a touch panel formed on a display unit 106 described later.

[0023] The display unit 106 displays a viewfinder image during shooting, displays shot video data, displays characters for interactive operations, etc. The display unit 106 does not necessarily have to be built into the imaging device 100. The imaging device 100 can be connected to an internal or external display unit 106, and it is sufficient that the imaging device 100 has at least a display control function for controlling the display of the display unit 106.

[0024] The voice input unit 107 is a device for inputting voice information, and the voice data converted from the voice information by the voice input unit 107 is recorded on the recording medium 110 in a voice file format.

[0025] The recording medium 110 can record the video data output from the imaging unit 102 and the audio data output from the audio input unit 107. The recording medium 110 of the present embodiment includes, for example, two slots. When calculating the video data from the imaging unit 202, the control unit 101 records a high-resolution video file (hereinafter referred to as the main video file) specified by the user, such as the resolution of the imaging sensor (not shown) included in the imaging unit 202, in the first slot of the recording medium 110. Further, the control unit 101 records, in the second slot of the recording medium 110, a low-resolution or low-bitrate video file (hereinafter referred to as the proxy video file) or a chunk video file by chunk recording, which is transmitted from the communication unit 111 to the communication device 200 via the network. Furthermore, the recording medium 110 stores a template of the metadata file. When the video data is recorded on the recording medium 110, the control unit 101 can generate a new metadata file with information such as the recording time of the video file added to the template of the metadata file and record it on the recording medium 110. At this time, it is desirable to be able to associate the file name of the video file with the file name of the new metadata file by making them the same. The recording medium 110 may be configured to be detachable from the imaging device 100, or may be built into the imaging device 100. That is, the imaging device 100 only needs to have means for accessing at least the recording medium 110.

[0026] The communication unit 111 is an interface for connecting to an external device. The imaging device 100 of the present embodiment can exchange data with an external device via the communication unit 111. For example, the video data generated by the control unit 101 or the audio data generated by the audio input unit 107 can be transmitted to an external device via the communication unit 111. In the present embodiment, the communication unit 111 includes an interface for communicating with an external device via a so-called wireless LAN conforming to the IEEE802.11 standard. The communication unit 111 also includes a USB interface using a USB (Universal Serial Bus) cable for an external device. The control unit 101 realizes wireless communication and wired communication with an external device by controlling the communication unit 311.

[0027] The communication unit 111 of the imaging device 100 in this embodiment can operate in an access point mode (hereinafter, AP mode) in which the imaging device 100 operates as an access point in infrastructure mode. Furthermore, the communication unit 111 can operate in a client mode (hereinafter, CL mode) in which the imaging device 100 operates as a client in infrastructure mode. By operating the communication unit 111 in the CL mode, the imaging device 100 in this embodiment can operate as a CL device in infrastructure mode. When the imaging device 100 operates as a CL device, it can connect to a surrounding AP device and participate in a network formed by the AP device. Furthermore, by operating the communication unit 111 in the AP mode, the imaging device 100 in this embodiment can also operate as a simple AP (hereinafter, simple AP), which is a type of AP but has more limited functions. When the imaging device 100 operates as a simple AP, the imaging device 100 forms a network by itself. Devices surrounding the imaging device 100 recognize the imaging device 100 as an AP device and can participate in the network formed by the imaging device 100. As described above, the program for operating the imaging device 100 is held in the non-volatile memory 103. Although the imaging device 100 is a type of AP, it may be a simple AP that does not have a gateway function for transferring data received from a CL device to an Internet provider, etc. In this case, even if the imaging device 100 receives data from another device participating in the network formed by the imaging device, the data cannot be transferred to a network such as the Internet.

[0028] Next, the external appearance of the imaging device 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 2(b). The release switch 105a, zoom lever 105b, playback button 105c, and touch panel 105d are operation members included in the above-mentioned operation unit 105. In addition, a moving image obtained as a result of imaging by the imaging unit 102 is displayed on the display unit 106.

[0029] <Configuration Example of Communication Device 200> Next, a configuration example of the communication device 200 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Note that, although a case where a mobile terminal is used as an example of the communication device 200 will be described, the communication device 200 is not limited thereto. For example, the communication device 200 may be a digital video camera with a wireless function, a tablet device, a personal computer, or the like.

[0030] The control unit 201 includes one or more processors, and controls each unit of the communication device 200 (the entire communication device) in accordance with input signals and programs described below. Note that instead of the control unit 201 controlling the entire device, the entire device may be controlled by multiple hardware devices sharing the processing.

[0031] The imaging unit 202 converts the subject light imaged by the lens included in the imaging unit 202 into an electrical signal, performs noise reduction processing, etc., and outputs the digital data as video data. The captured video data is stored in a buffer memory, and then a predetermined calculation is performed by the control unit 201 and the data is recorded on the recording medium 210.

[0032] The non-volatile memory 203 is a non-volatile memory that can be electrically erased and recorded. In the non-volatile memory 203, an OS (operating system) that is basic software executed by the control unit 201 and applications that cooperate with the OS to realize applied functions are recorded. In the present embodiment, the non-volatile memory 203 also stores a transfer application (hereinafter, a transfer app) for the communication device 200 to transfer data between the imaging device 100 and the server 300. In addition, a file management application (hereinafter, a file management app) and an image management application (hereinafter, an image management app) that manage video files and audio files transmitted from the imaging device 100 are stored.

[0033] The working memory 204 is used as an image display memory for the display unit 206, a working area for the control unit 201, etc. In this embodiment, the working memory 204 temporarily stores a video file or a metadata file received from the imaging device 100 when the video file or the metadata file is transferred to the server 300. The working memory 204 may be a volatile memory.

[0034] The operation unit 205 is used to receive instructions from a user for the communication device 200. The operation unit 205 includes, for example, an operation member such as a power button for a user to instruct to turn on / off the power of the communication device 200, and a touch panel formed on the display unit 206.

[0035] The display unit 206 displays video data, characters for interactive operations, etc. The display unit 206 does not necessarily have to be included in the communication device 200. The communication device 200 only needs to be able to connect to the display unit 206 and have at least a display control function for controlling the display of the display unit 206.

[0036] The recording medium 210 can record image data output from the imaging unit 202. The recording medium 210 may be configured to be detachable from the communication device 200, or may be built into the communication device 200. In other words, the communication device 200 only needs to have at least a means for accessing the recording medium 210.

[0037] The communication unit 211 is an interface for communicating with an external device. The communication device 200 of this embodiment can exchange data with the imaging device 100 and the server 300 via the communication unit 211. In this embodiment, the communication unit 211 is, for example, an antenna, and the control unit 101 can connect to the imaging device 100 via the antenna. Note that the imaging device 100 and the server 300 may be connected directly or via an access point. As a protocol for communicating data, for example, a PTP / IP protocol via a wireless LAN may be used.

[0038] The communication unit 211 also includes a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface via a USB cable to connect to an external device. Note that communication with an external device is not limited to this. For example, the communication unit 211 can include a wireless communication module such as an infrared communication module, a Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication module, or a Wireless USB.

[0039] The public network connection unit 213 is an interface used when performing public wireless communication. The communication device 200 can make a call with another device via the public network connection unit 213. At this time, the control unit 201 inputs and outputs an audio signal via the microphone 214 and the speaker 215 to realize the call.

[0040] The communication device 200 of this embodiment can also exchange data with the server 300 via the public network connection unit 213. The public network connection unit 213 is, for example, an antenna, and the control unit 101 can connect to the public network via the antenna. Note that a single antenna can be used as both the communication unit 211 and the public network connection unit 213. Generally, communication via the communication unit 211 has a faster communication speed than communication via a public network. Therefore, in the communication device 200 of this embodiment, communication via the communication unit 211 is prioritized when no call is being made.

[0041] <Chunk record file description> 4, two recording modes will be described when the imaging device 100 of this embodiment records a low-resolution and low-bitrate moving image file in the MP4 file format on the recording medium 110. When the imaging device 100 receives a user's press of the release switch 105a, it starts recording the moving image, and when the imaging device 100 receives a user's press of the release switch 105a again, it stops recording.

[0042] The first mode of recording a moving image file is proxy recording. In proxy recording, the imaging device 100 records a proxy moving image file that is recorded with the same recording time as the main moving image file. 401 indicates a proxy moving image file whose moving image recording time is from the start of recording to the end of recording. In other words, proxy recording is a recording mode in which one proxy moving image file is generated from the start of recording to the end of recording. At this time, a metadata file 402 is generated at the same time that the proxy moving image file 401 is generated at the end of recording.

[0043] In this embodiment, when generating a file name of the proxy video file 401, the imaging device 100 sets the fourth character following "MVI" to "P", followed by a file number and an extension. The imaging device 100 sets the file name of the proxy video file to, for example, "MVIP0001.MP4". The imaging device 100 also sets the file name of the metadata file 402 to, for example, "MVIP0001.XML", with the file name being the same as that of the proxy video file 401 except for the extension.

[0044] Next, the second mode of recording a moving image file is chunk recording. In chunk recording, the imaging device 100 records chunk moving image files divided into small pieces at the timing when a predetermined time has passed during recording. The imaging device 100 generates a new chunk moving image file when a predetermined time has passed since the start of recording or the timing when the previous chunk moving image file was generated. For example, the imaging device 100 generates a chunk moving image file 403a when 30 seconds have passed since the start of recording, and also generates a metadata file 404. In proxy recording, the recording time of the moving image file is added to the metadata file when the moving image file is generated, but in chunk recording, the recording time does not need to be added to the metadata file when the moving image is being recorded. Furthermore, the imaging device 100 generates a chunk moving image file 403b when 30 seconds have passed since the generation of the chunk moving image file 403a. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the imaging device 100 records chunk moving image files up to 403b at 30-second intervals. When the user presses the release switch 105a to end recording, the imaging device 100 generates a chunk moving image file 403c from the timing when the previous chunk moving image file 403b was generated to the time when recording ended. At this time, the imaging device 100 updates the metadata file 404 so as to add the recording time from the start of recording to the end of recording to the metadata file 404. In this way, in this embodiment, even in the case of chunk recording, one metadata file is provided for a group of chunk moving image files from the start of recording to the end of recording.

[0045] In this embodiment, for example, the imaging device 100 can assign file names to chunk moving images according to a predetermined naming rule. The naming rule for chunk moving image file names can be, for example, as follows. The chunk moving image file 403a generated first is assigned characters indicating that it is the first (recording start) moving image file. The imaging device 100 assigns, for example, the fourth character following "MVI" to "B". In this case, the file name of the chunk moving image generated first is "MVIB0001.MP4".

[0046] The chunk moving image file 403b generated next is assigned a character indicating that it is an intermediate moving image file. For example, the imaging device 100 assigns "D" as the fourth character following "MVI". In this case, the file name of the chunk moving image generated next is "MVID0002.MP4".

[0047] The last chunk movie file 403c to be generated is assigned a character indicating that it is the last (recording completed) movie file. For example, the imaging device 100 assigns "E" as the fourth character following "MVI". In this case, the file name of the last chunk movie file to be generated is "MVIE0003.MP4". The file name of the metadata file 404 is the same as that of the chunk movie file 403a except for the extension, and is expressed as "MVIB0001.XML".

[0048] By adopting a naming rule that assigns a predetermined specific character (identification information) to a file name (for example, a naming rule that assigns the fourth character), a communication device or the like that acquires the file can identify whether the recording mode is chunk recording or proxy recording. Also, the fourth character makes it easy to identify whether the target video file is the beginning, middle, or end.

[0049] Next, with reference to Fig. 4(b), advantages of chunk recording will be described taking as an example a case where a video file is transferred from the imaging device 100 to the server 300 via the communication device 200. When proxy recording is performed, the imaging device 100 cannot transmit a video file that is currently being recorded, and therefore starts transmitting the proxy video after recording is completed. In this case, the time required to transmit the proxy video file 401 is added to the time required to record the proxy video file 401. 405 in Fig. 4(b) indicates the time required from the start of recording the proxy video to the completion of transfer of the proxy video file 401.

[0050] When chunk recording is performed, the imaging device 100 can sequentially transmit chunk moving image files that have already been generated even while recording a moving image. For example, once the chunk moving image file 403a is generated (when recording to the file is completed), the chunk moving image file 403a can be transferred even while the imaging device 100 is recording. In the example of FIG. 4(b), the imaging device 100 can start transferring the moving image file earlier than the recording time of the proxy moving image file 401 by a difference time 406. When transferring a moving image file by chunk recording, the time from the start of recording to the completion of transmission of the moving image file is 407. In this way, there is an advantage that the transfer time 407 of chunk recording can be completed earlier than the transfer time 405 of proxy recording by a difference time 408.

[0051] <Example of transfer application screen> Next, an example of an operation screen of a transfer application (also simply referred to as a transfer app) displayed on the display unit 206 of the communication device 200 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5A and Fig. 5B. Fig. 5A and Fig. 5B show a schematic display state of the operation screen of the transfer app. The transfer app displays, for example, a function selection screen 501, a list screen of contents in the camera, and an automatic shooting transfer screen 504 in response to a user operation.

[0052] In FIG. 5A(a), 501 denotes a function selection screen, which is displayed in a state where the transfer application is started and the imaging device 100 is connected. The function selection screen 501 includes, for example, a camera internal content list display button 502 and an automatic shooting and transfer button 503. The camera internal content list display button 502 is a button for acquiring content (e.g., a video file) recorded in the imaging device 100 and transitioning to a camera internal content list screen described later. The automatic shooting and transfer button 503 is a button for transitioning to an automatic shooting and transfer screen 504 for transferring content received from the imaging device 100 to another device (e.g., the server 300). When the camera internal content list display button 502 is pressed, the communication device 200 transitions to a transfer selection screen. Also, when the automatic shooting and transfer button 503 is pressed (tapped), the communication device 200 transitions to the automatic shooting and transfer screen 504.

[0053] 5A(b), the communication device 200 displays a file transferred from the imaging device 100 to the server 300 via the communication device 200. In this screen state, the communication device 200 waits for a video file generation notification from the imaging device 100. Reference numeral 505 denotes a button for returning to the previous screen. Reference numeral 506 denotes the initial screen of the imaging automatic transfer screen 504, which is displayed while no transfer has been made (when no transferred content exists).

[0054] 5B(c), the communication device 200 receives a moving image file generation notification from the imaging device 100 and displays the state of transferring the moving image file to an external device (e.g., the server 300). 507 is a status area showing chunk moving image files being transferred and their status. The area below the status area 507 displays chunk moving image files that have already been transferred and those being transferred.

[0055] Reference numeral 508 denotes a character string indicating the file name of the chunk video file. Reference numeral 509 denotes a component for displaying a thumbnail image of the file, and displays the thumbnail image recorded in the video file corresponding to the file name 508. Reference numeral 511 denotes a character string indicating the recording date and time of the file.

[0056] An icon 510 indicates that the file has been recorded by chunk recording. It is displayed based on the recording format determined by the communication device 200. An icon 512 indicates a transfer completion icon that is displayed when the process of receiving and transferring the chunked video file is completed. An icon 513 indicates a transfer in progress that indicates that the process of receiving and transferring the chunked video file is in progress.

[0057] <Automatic forwarding process sequence> With reference to FIG. 6, a process sequence (automatic transfer process) for transferring a chunk video file recorded by the imaging device 100 to the server 300 via the communication device 200 will be described. Note that the example shown in FIG. 6 will be described assuming that the imaging device 100 starts recording in a state in which the communication device 200 displays the function selection screen 501 shown in FIG. 5A(a) (i.e., in a state in which a video file generation notification cannot be received). Note that in the following processing sequence, unless otherwise specified, the process described with the imaging device 100 as the processing subject is realized by the control unit 101 expanding a program stored in the nonvolatile memory 103 into the working memory 104, executing the program, and controlling each unit of the imaging device 100. Also, the process described with the communication device 200 as the processing subject is realized by the control unit 201 expanding a program stored in the nonvolatile memory 203 into the working memory 204, executing the program, and controlling each unit of the communication device 200.

[0058] 5A(a) in the state where the transfer application of the communication device 200 is in the function selection screen 501 shown in FIG. 5A(a), the imaging device 100 accepts the user's pressing of the release switch 105a and starts recording the chunk video file at T601. Note that the imaging device 100 can branch the process depending on whether the recording format is set to proxy recording or chunk recording by the operation of the operation unit 105.

[0059] If chunk recording is set, in T602, the imaging device 100 waits for recording for a predetermined period of time. In T603, the imaging device 100 generates a chunk moving image file. Here, as described above, the communication device 200 is in a state in which the function selection screen 501 shown in Fig. 5A(a) is displayed, so that the communication device 200 receives a notification of the generation of the moving image file but does not request the transmission of the chunk moving image file.

[0060] In T604, the communication device 200 transitions to a shooting automatic transfer screen by user operation. This makes it possible to receive a video file generation notification from the imaging device 100 and request transmission of a chunk video file. In T605, the imaging device 100 waits for a predetermined period of recording. In T606, the imaging device 100 generates a chunk video file. In T607, the imaging device 100 transmits a video file generation notification to the communication device 200 via the communication unit 111. The imaging device 100 notifies the communication device 200 that a chunk video file has been generated by the video file generation notification. The video file generation notification may include identification information such as a file name of the generated chunk video file.

[0061] In T608, the communication device 200 receives the generation notification of the moving image file in T607 and determines whether the received file is a first chunk moving image file. For example, the communication device 200 determines whether the received file is a first chunk moving image file by referring to the file name included in the generation notification of the moving image file and whether "MVIB" is included.

[0062] If the communication device 200 determines that the received file is not the first chunked movie file, the process proceeds to T609 in order to request transmission of the first chunked movie file. On the other hand, if the communication device 200 determines that the received file is the first chunked movie file, the process proceeds to T614.

[0063] In T609, the communication device 200 requests the imaging device 100 to transmit an image file list via the communication unit 211. In the image file list, as an example, the file names of the chunked movie files generated by the imaging device 100 are described in the order in which they were generated. Then, the communication device 200 can refer to the file names described in the image file list by tracing back the order in which they were generated (from new files to older files). That is, by referring to the image file list, the communication device 200 can trace back from the chunked movie file indicated by the generation notification received in T607 to the head chunked movie file and identify the chunked movie files generated during this period. In T610, the communication device 200 receives the image file list from the imaging device 100 via the communication unit 211, and repeats the subsequent processes of T611 to T613 based on the image file list. In this way, the communication device 200 acquires from the imaging device 100 a series of chunked movie files generated from the head chunked movie file corresponding to the generation notification received in T607 to the chunked movie file indicated by the generation notification received in T607. Then, the communication device 200 transmits each of the acquired chunked moving image files to the server 300. For each chunked moving image file, in T611, the communication device 200 requests the imaging device 100 to transmit the chunked moving image file via the communication unit 211. In T612, the communication device 200 receives the chunked moving image file from the imaging device 100 via the communication unit 211. In T613, the communication device 200 transmits the chunked moving image file received in T612 to the server 300 via the communication unit 211.

[0064] In this way, the communication device 200 can obtain chunk moving image files (chunk moving image files from the beginning of a moving image to the nearest moving image) that could not be received from the imaging device 100, and transfer them to the server 300. Therefore, the server 300 can obtain all the files necessary for integrating the moving images.

[0065] The processing from T614 to T616 is processing when the communication device 200 determines that the chunked movie file is the first chunked movie file based on the generation notification received in T607. In this case, the communication device 200 obtains only the first chunked movie file and transfers it to the server 300. This processing is equivalent to the processing from T611 to T613, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0066] Next, in T617, the imaging device 100 continues recording until a predetermined time has elapsed since the generation of the chunk moving image file in T605. In the processes from T618 to T622, the communication device 200 acquires the chunk moving image file generated by the imaging device 100 at predetermined time intervals and transfers it to the server 300. Note that the processes of T618 and T619 (generation of the chunk moving image file and notification of the generation of the moving image file) are equivalent to the processes described in T606 and T607 above. Also, the processes of T620 to T622 (processing from a request to transmit the chunk moving image file to transmission of the chunk moving image file) are equivalent to the processes of T611 to T613 above. Note that the imaging device 100 performs (repeatedly executes) the processes of T617 to T622 as a loop process until the user presses the release switch 105a. When the image capturing apparatus 100 receives a press of the release switch 105a by the user, it exits the loop process and performs the recording stop process of T623.

[0067] In T624, the imaging device 100 generates the final chunk movie file. The subsequent processes from T625 to T628 (processing from notification of generation of the movie file to transmission of the chunk movie file) are equivalent to the above-mentioned T619 to T622.

[0068] <Automatic forwarding process in communication device> Next, the operation of the automatic transfer process in the communication device 200 for transferring a moving image file recorded by the imaging device 100 to the server 300 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Unless otherwise specified, the automatic transfer process according to this embodiment is realized by the control unit 201 expanding a program stored in the non-volatile memory 203 into the working memory 204, executing the program, and controlling each unit of the communication device 200. The operation shown in Fig. 7 is started when the transfer application of the communication device 200 transitions to the shooting automatic transfer screen 504 in Fig. 5A(b) while the imaging device 100 has started recording a chunk moving image.

[0069] In S701, the control unit 201 determines whether or not a video file generation notification has been received from the imaging device 100 via the communication unit 211. If the control unit 201 determines that the generation notification has been received, the process proceeds to S702, and if the control unit 201 determines that the generation notification has not been received, the process waits until the notification is received.

[0070] In S702, the control unit 201 determines whether the file indicated in the generation notification of the video file received in S701 is the first chunk video file. For example, the control unit 201 makes this determination based on whether or not "MVIB" is included in the file name information included in the generation notification. If the control unit 201 determines that the chunk video file indicated in the generation notification is the first chunk video file, the process proceeds to S705. In this case, since the chunk video file generated by the imaging device 100 is the first chunk video file, the communication device 200 only needs to acquire the chunk video file.

[0071] On the other hand, if the control unit 201 determines that the chunked movie file indicated by the generation notification is not the first chunked movie file, the process proceeds to S703. In this case, there are some chunked movie files from the beginning that have already been generated by the imaging device 100 and have not been acquired by the communication device 200. For this reason, the communication device 200 needs to identify these chunked movie files and acquire them from the imaging device 100.

[0072] In S703, the control unit 201 transmits an image file list request to the imaging device 100 via the communication unit 211 and acquires the image file list. In S704, the control unit 201 requests the first chunk video file corresponding to the chunk video file indicated by the generation notification received in S701 and the chunk video files generated before the chunk video file indicated by the generation notification is generated. At this time, the communication device 200 can identify the chunk video files generated during this period by referring to the image file list, going back from the chunk video file indicated by the generation notification received in S702 to the first chunk video file. For example, the control unit 201 requests the imaging device 100 to transmit each chunk video file. Then, when the control unit 201 acquires a chunk video file from the imaging device 100, it transfers the video file to the server 300 and then ends the process.

[0073] In S705, the control unit 201 requests the imaging device 100 to transmit a chunk video file via the communication unit 211 for the chunk video file indicated by the generation notification of the video file received in S701. Then, when the control unit 201 acquires a chunk video file from the imaging device 100, it transfers the video file to the server 300 and then ends the process.

[0074] In this way, when the first chunk video file is generated by the imaging device 100 in a state where the communication device 200 is displaying the function selection screen 501 shown in Fig. 5A(a) (and cannot receive the generation notification), the communication device 200 cannot request the imaging device 100 to transmit the file. However, later, when the communication device 200 transitions to the automatic transfer screen for shooting and receives the generation notification of subsequent video files, it acquires the chunk video files that could not be acquired based on the image file list from the beginning. That is, the communication device 200 can acquire the chunk video files generated between the first chunk video file of the video and the notified chunk video file and transmit them to the server 300.

[0075] In the present embodiment, the file name is referred to in order to determine the first chunk movie file. However, the determination of the first chunk movie file is not limited to this. For example, data indicating that the chunk movie file is the first chunk movie file, which is written in a specific area of ​​the metadata of the chunk movie file, may be used for the above determination.

[0076] (Embodiment 2) In the first embodiment, when the communication device 200 receives a generation notification of a video file after starting recording of a chunk video, the chunk video file is acquired by tracing back to the first chunk video file based on the image file list. In the second embodiment, a processing example will be described in which the communication device 200 cannot receive a generation notification of a subsequent video file after transmitting one or more chunk video files to the server 300. Specifically, when the communication device 200 transitions to a shooting automatic transfer screen, that is, in a state in which an image generation notification can be received, the imaging device 100 starts recording a chunk video and transfers one or more chunk video files to the server 300. After that, even if the communication device 200 transitions to a function selection screen and cannot receive a generation notification of a video file in the middle, a series of chunk video files can be transmitted to the server 300.

[0077] In the second embodiment, some operations of the automatic transfer process in the communication device 200 are different from those in the first embodiment, but the configurations of the imaging device 100 and the communication device 200 are the same as those in the first embodiment. For this reason, the same reference numbers are used for the same or substantially the same configurations, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0078] <Automatic forwarding process sequence> 8, a process of transferring a chunk video file recorded by the imaging device 100 to the server 300 via the communication device 200 will be described. Note that this sequence will be described assuming that it starts in a state where the communication device 200 has transitioned to the shooting automatic transfer screen shown in FIG. 5A(b) when recording is started by the imaging device 100.

[0079] In T801, when the image capturing apparatus 100 receives a press of the release switch 105a by the user, it starts recording the chunk moving image file.

[0080] The processing from T802 to T805 is the same as the sequence when communication device 200 is capable of receiving a video file generation notification. That is, the processing of T605, T606, T607, T611, and T612 in the first embodiment are executed in this order.

[0081] In T807, the communication device 200 updates the import completion list stored in the working memory 204. The import completion list is a list to which the communication device 200 adds the file name of the chunked moving image file when the transmission of the chunked moving image file from the imaging device 100 to the communication device 200 is completed. Note that the import completion list is not limited to the file name of the chunked moving image file as long as it includes information that can uniquely identify the chunked moving image file. For example, the information that uniquely identifies the chunked moving image file may be an image ID that is assigned when the imaging device 100 generates an image. For example, if the import completion list does not exist when the communication device 200 receives the chunked moving image file, the communication device 200 can create a new import completion list and delete it when the connection with the imaging device 100 is disconnected, but this is not limited thereto. In T808, the communication device 200 transmits the acquired chunked moving image file to the server 300 in the same manner as in T613 of the first embodiment.

[0082] At T809, the communication device 200 accepts a user operation and transitions from the capture and automatic transfer screen to a function selection screen. The imaging device 100 performs the processes of T810 and T811 in the same manner as T605 and T606 in the first embodiment to generate a chunked moving image file. At the timings of T810 and T811, the communication device 200 is in a state in which the function selection screen 501 shown in Fig. 5A(a) is displayed, and therefore receives a notification of the generation of a moving image file, but does not request the transmission of a chunked moving image file.

[0083] Thereafter, in T812, the communication apparatus 200 accepts an operation by the user and transitions from the function selection screen to an automatic capture and transfer screen.

[0084] The imaging device 100 performs the processes from T813 to T815 in the same manner as T802 to T804. That is, the imaging device 100 generates a new chunked moving image file and transmits to the communication device 200 a generation notification of the generated moving image file.

[0085] In T816, communication device 200 refers to the import completion list and determines whether the chunked video file indicated in the generation notification received in T815 is a continuation of the chunked video file listed in the import completion list. Communication device 200 determines whether it is a continuation based on, for example, whether the numbers are in a series according to the file naming rules. If communication device 200 determines that the chunked video file indicated in the generation notification received in T815 is a continuation of the chunked video file listed in the import completion list, it proceeds to T823, and if not, it proceeds to T817.

[0086] T817 and T818 are equivalent to T609 and T610 in the first embodiment. That is, the communication apparatus 200 requests transmission of an image file list, and the imaging apparatus 100 transmits the image file list to the communication apparatus 200.

[0087] In T819 to T822, communication device 200 uses the image file list received in T818 to acquire and transfer a series of chunked movie files from the chunked movie file that is the next in the import completion list to the chunked movie file notified in T815. The processes of T819 and T822 are repeated the number of times corresponding to the number of chunked movie files to be acquired, but each of the processes from T819 to T822 is equivalent to each of the processes from T805 to T808 described above.

[0088] The processes of T823 to T826 are performed when the communication device 200 determines that the chunked video file indicated in the generation notification received in T815 is a continuation of the chunked video file listed in the import completion list. Through the processes of T823 to T826, the communication device 200 obtains only the continuation chunked video file and transfers it to the server 300. Each of the processes of T819 to T822 is equivalent to each of the above-mentioned processes of T805 to T808.

[0089] <Automatic forwarding process in communication device> Next, the operation of the automatic transfer process in the communication device 200 will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Note that, unless otherwise specified, the automatic transfer process according to this embodiment is realized by the control unit 201 expanding a program stored in the non-volatile memory 203 into the working memory 204, executing it, and controlling each unit of the communication device 200. The process shown in Fig. 9 is started when the transfer application of the communication device 200 transitions from Fig. 5A(a) to Fig. 5A(b) while the imaging device 100 has started recording the chunk video.

[0090] In S901, the control unit 201 determines whether or not a video file generation notification has been received from the imaging device 100 via the communication unit 211. If the control unit 201 determines that a video file generation notification has been received, the process proceeds to S902, and if not, the control unit 201 waits until the generation notification is received.

[0091] In S902, the control unit 201 determines whether the chunked video file indicated by the video file generation notification received in S901 is a continuation chunked video file of the chunked video file listed in the import completion list. As described above, the control unit 201 determines whether a file is a continuation by determining whether the file name is a series of numbers. If the control unit 201 determines that the chunked video file indicated by the video file generation notification received is a continuation chunked video file of the import completion list, the control unit 201 proceeds to S905, and if not, the control unit 201 proceeds to S903.

[0092] In S903, the control unit 201 transmits an image file list request to the imaging device 100 via the communication unit 211 and acquires the image file list. In S904, the control unit 201 refers to the received image file list and the file name at the end of the capture completion list held in the work memory 204, identifies the chunk video files, and requests the imaging device 100 to transmit them via the communication unit 211. Specifically, the control unit 201 identifies the chunk video files from the chunk video file at the end to the chunk video file indicated by the generation notification of T901 in the image file list and requests the imaging device 100 to transmit each file.

[0093] In S905, the control unit 201 requests the imaging device 100 to transmit the chunk video file indicated by the generation notification received in S901 via the communication unit 211.

[0094] As described above, in this embodiment, by holding the capture completion list and collating it with the image file list acquired from the imaging device 100, it is possible to acquire a series of chunk video files that have not been acquired. By doing so, even if the communication device 200 transitions to a state where it displays a function selection screen during the automatic transfer of shooting a series of chunk video files and it becomes impossible to acquire intermediate chunk video files, it is possible to later transmit the series of chunk video files. That is, when transferring time-series data such as video files to an external device, it is possible to prevent a shortage of files required for concatenation.

[0095] In the present embodiment, the case where the import completion list is used has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the communication device 200 may receive a generation notification of a moving image file from the imaging device 100 while displaying a function selection screen (i.e., in a state where a chunked moving image file cannot be received), and generate / update the untransferred list upon receiving the generation notification. At this time, the untransferred list includes, for example, information on the chunked moving image file indicated by the generation notification of the moving image file. As a result, when the communication device 200 transitions to the shooting automatic transfer screen and is in a state where a chunked moving image file can be received, and receives a generation notification of a moving image file from the imaging device 100, it is determined whether the chunked moving image file is a continuation of the untransferred list. If it is a continuation, it is possible to obtain a series of chunked moving image files by requesting transmission of the corresponding chunked moving image file on the untransferred list. Even in this way, it is possible to prevent a shortage of files required for joining when transferring moving image files to the server 300.

[0096] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention. For example, various related files generated in association with a video file may be treated in the same manner as the video file itself.

[0097] (Other embodiments) 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.

[0098] (Disclosure of the present specification) The disclosure of this specification includes the following communication device, a control method for a communication device, and a program. (Item 1) A communication means for communicating with an external device; a control means for controlling, when split files sequentially generated by dividing continuous time-series data are generated in a first external device, to acquire the split files from the first external device via the communication means; a transfer means for transferring the divided file to a second external device via the communication means when the divided file is acquired, The communication device is characterized in that, when a first split file is generated in the first external device and the first split file is not a specific split file, the control means acquires split files generated from the time series data, from the specific split file to the first split file. (Item 2) the specific split file is a first split file of the time series data, The communication device according to item 1, wherein the control means, when the first split file is generated and the first split file is not the first split file, acquires split files generated from the time series data from the first split file to the first split file. (Item 3) The apparatus further includes a storage unit for storing information indicating the divided files acquired from the first external device, the specific split file is a second split file generated following the split file indicated by the information, The communication device according to item 1, wherein the control means, when the first split file is generated and the first split file is not the second split file, acquires split files from the second split file to the first split file generated from the time series data. (Item 4) 4. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the control means acquires only the first split file if the generated first split file is the specific split file. (Item 5) a first acquisition means for acquiring a file list indicating the generated split files from the first external device; The communication device according to any one of items 1 to 4, characterized in that the control means uses the file list to identify split files generated from the time series data, from the specific split file to the first split file. (Item 6) a second acquisition means for acquiring a generation notification from the first external device, the generation notification notifying that the divided files have been generated in the first external device; The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the control means determines whether the generated first split file is the specific split file based on information of the split file included in the generation notification. (Item 7) a second acquisition means for acquiring a generation notification from the first external device, the generation notification notifying that the divided files have been generated in the first external device; The control means if the split file indicated by the generation notification cannot be acquired from the first external device, adding information about the split file indicated by the generation notification to a not-yet-transferred list; 6. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, when the first split file is generated, split files from the split file indicated in the untransferred list to the first split file are obtained. (Item 8) a determination unit for determining whether the generated first split file is the specific split file, The communication device according to any one of items 1 to 7, characterized in that the determination means uses identification information of the split file indicated in a generation notification from the first external device notifying that a split file has been generated in the first external device. (Item 9) 9. The communication device according to item 8, wherein the identification information of the split file indicated in the generation notification includes at least one of information indicating that the split file is at the beginning of the time series data or a number indicating an order. (Item 10) A method for controlling a communication device having a communication means for communicating with an external device, comprising: a control step of controlling, when split files sequentially generated by dividing continuous time-series data are generated in a first external device, to acquire the split files from the first external device via the communication means; a transfer step of transferring the divided file to a second external device via the communication means when the divided file is acquired, A control method for a communication device, characterized in that in the control step, when a first split file is generated in the first external device and the first split file is not a specific split file, split files generated from the time series data from the specific split file to the first split file are obtained. (Item 11) A program for causing a computer to function as each of the means of the communication device according to any one of items 1 to 9.

[0099] 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]

[0100] 100: imaging device, 200: communication device, 201: control unit, 211: communication unit

Claims

1. A communication means for communicating with an external device; a control means for controlling, when a first external device generates split files sequentially by dividing continuous time-series data, to acquire the split files from the first external device via the communication means; a transfer means for transferring the divided file to a second external device via the communication means when the divided file is acquired, The communication device is characterized in that, when a first split file is generated in the first external device and the first split file is not a specific split file, the control means acquires split files generated from the time series data, from the specific split file to the first split file.

2. the specific split file is a first split file of the time series data, 2. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein when the first split file is generated and the first split file is not the first split file, the control means acquires split files generated from the time series data, from the first split file to the first split file.

3. a storage unit that stores information indicating the divided files acquired from the first external device; the specific split file is a second split file generated following the split file indicated by the information, 2. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the control means, when the first split file is generated and the first split file is not the second split file, acquires split files from the second split file to the first split file generated from the time series data.

4. 2. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the control means acquires only the first split file when the generated first split file is the specific split file.

5. a first acquisition means for acquiring a file list indicating the generated split files from the first external device; 2. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the control means uses the file list to identify split files generated from the time series data, from the specific split file to the first split file.

6. a second acquisition means for acquiring, from the first external device, a generation notification notifying that a divided file has been generated in the first external device; The communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the control means determines whether the first split file generated is the specific split file based on split file information included in the generation notification.

7. a second acquisition means for acquiring, from the first external device, a generation notification notifying that a divided file has been generated in the first external device; The control means if the split file indicated by the generation notification cannot be acquired from the first external device, adding information about the split file indicated by the generation notification to a not-yet-transferred list; The communication device according to claim 1 , wherein when the first split file is generated, split files from the split file indicated in the untransferred list to the first split file are acquired.

8. a determination unit for determining whether the generated first split file is the specific split file, The communication device according to claim 1, characterized in that the determination means uses identification information of the split file indicated in a generation notification from the first external device notifying that a split file has been generated in the first external device.

9. 9. The communication device according to claim 8, wherein the identification information of the split file indicated by the generation notification includes at least one of information indicating that the split file is at the beginning of the time series data or a number indicating an order.

10. A method for controlling a communication device having a communication means for communicating with an external device, comprising: a control step of controlling, when split files sequentially generated by dividing continuous time-series data are generated in a first external device, to acquire the split files from the first external device via the communication means; a transfer step of transferring the divided file to a second external device via the communication means when the divided file is acquired, A control method for a communication device, characterized in that in the control process, when a first split file is generated in the first external device and the first split file is not a specific split file, split files from the specific split file to the first split file generated from the time series data are obtained.

11. A program for causing a computer to function as each of the means of the communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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