Data acquisition device and data management system

Abstract

To allow a user to access data from a terminal device and perform processing or the like on the data on a display screen of the terminal device without using a dedicated application.SOLUTION: A data acquisition device 1 is assigned a unique identification ID and includes data acquisition means for acquiring data, storage control means for storing at least the data acquired by the data acquisition means in storage means in a prescribed format that can be expanded in a web browser, and wireless communication means. When the identification ID is read by a terminal device 3 equipped with ID reading means for reading the identification ID, the data acquisition device 1 is connected to the terminal device via the wireless communication means, and the data stored in the storage means becomes accessible from the terminal device via the web browser and can be processed and edited on a display screen 330 of the terminal device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a data acquisition device and a data management system. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, data acquisition devices such as digital cameras that acquire data and transfer the acquired data to a terminal device such as a smartphone are known. For example, Patent Document 1 describes an electronic camera that transmits electronic images to an external device (smartphone) that has issued a connection request. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-93841 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Patent document 1 describes that when an image transfer request is received from an external device (smartphone), the electronic camera transfers the electronic image output from the imaging means to the issuer of the image transfer request, and that the transferred image can be displayed on the LCD monitor of the external device (smartphone).

[0005] However, the invention described in Patent Document 1 allows zoom instructions and image capture instructions to be given to the electronic camera by performing touch operations on the LCD monitor of the live image transferred from the electronic camera, but does not allow the image itself transferred from the electronic camera to be processed or edited on an external device (smartphone).

[0006] Generally, in order to access data acquired by a data acquisition device such as an electronic camera on a terminal device such as a smartphone, or to process or edit the data, a dedicated application program (hereinafter referred to as an "app") is used. However, many users feel reluctant or burdened by the idea of ​​downloading a new app to their device. Furthermore, when a dedicated app is required, costs for developing the app and maintenance costs for continually updating the app are required, which places a heavy burden on the device and app providers.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a data acquisition device and a data management system that allow a user to access data from a terminal device and process data on the display screen of the terminal device without using a dedicated app. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The invention described in claim 1 is A unique identification ID is assigned. A data acquisition means for acquiring data; a storage control means for storing the data acquired by the data acquisition means in a storage means in a specified format that can be expanded in a web browser; wireless communication means; A data acquisition device comprising: When the identification ID is read by a terminal device equipped with an ID reading means for reading the identification ID, the data acquisition device is connected to the terminal device via the wireless communication means, and the data stored in the storage means becomes accessible from the terminal device via the web browser and can be processed and edited on the display screen of the terminal device.

[0009] The invention described in claim 2 is the data acquisition device described in claim 1, the data acquisition means is a photographing unit, The data is characterized in that it is image data acquired by the photographing unit.

[0010] The invention described in claim 3 is the data acquisition device described in claim 1, The identification ID is a QR code (registered trademark) that includes a URL that identifies the location of the storage means as readable information.

[0011] The invention described in claim 4 is the data acquisition device described in claim 1, the storage means stores processing data that can be added to the data acquired by the data acquisition means, The terminal device is capable of accessing the processing data and editing the data using the processing data.

[0012] The invention described in claim 5 is the data acquisition device described in claim 1, The data acquisition device is characterized by having a display screen.

[0013] The invention described in claim 6 is A data acquisition device according to any one of claims 1 to 5; a terminal device having a display screen, which can access the data stored in the storage means of the data acquisition device and process and edit the data on the display screen; The present invention is characterized by comprising: [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the inventions described in claims 1 and 6, by simply reading the unique identification ID attached to the data acquisition device, the terminal device can access the data stored in the data acquisition device and process and edit the data on its display screen without having to have a special application program (hereinafter referred to as "app"). This eliminates the burden on users of downloading dedicated apps to their terminal devices, and also eliminates the costs of developing dedicated apps and the maintenance costs of continually updating those apps, reducing the burden on device and app providers. Furthermore, since the data in the data acquisition device can be viewed and processed on the display screen of the terminal device, the data acquisition device does not need to have a display unit, which reduces the cost of the device.

[0015] According to the invention of claim 2, when the data acquisition device is a camera or the like, the captured image can be easily viewed and edited on the display screen of the terminal device.

[0016] According to the invention of claim 3, it is possible to access data in the data acquisition device simply by reading the identification ID, which makes it easy to edit the data.

[0017] According to the invention as set forth in claim 4, the terminal device can also access the processing data stored in the storage means, and can perform editing such as adding the processing data to the original data.

[0018] According to the invention as set forth in claim 5, data can be easily confirmed on the display screen of the data acquisition device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a main part of a schematic control configuration of a data management system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 2 is a perspective view of the external appearance of a data acquisition device constituting the data management system of FIG. 1, seen from the front side. FIG. [Figure 3] 2 is a perspective view of the rear surface of a data acquisition device that constitutes the data management system of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 4]1. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a state in which the identification ID of a data acquisition device is displayed on the display screen of a terminal device constituting the data management system of FIG. [Figure 5] 10 is a plan view showing an example of a list screen on a display unit of a terminal device that displays a list of image data stored in a data acquisition device. FIG. [Figure 6] 10 is a plan view showing an example of a thumbnail screen on a display unit of a terminal device that displays thumbnail images of image data in a data acquisition device. FIG. [Figure 7] 10 is a plan view showing an example of a scroll screen of a display unit of a terminal device that scrolls and displays image data in a data acquisition device. FIG. [Figure 8] 10 is a plan view showing an example of an editing screen on a display unit of a terminal device for processing and editing image data in a data acquisition device. FIG. [Figure 9] 10 is a plan view showing an example of a list screen displayed on a display unit of a terminal device, in which edited image data has been added to a list of image data in a data acquisition device. FIG. [Figure 10] 9 is a plan view showing an example of a screen in which a pop-up for saving an image is displayed on a display screen displaying an edited image edited on the editing screen shown in FIG. 8. FIG. [Figure 11] 10 is a plan view showing an example of a thumbnail screen on a display unit of a terminal device that displays thumbnail images of image data stored in the terminal device. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] An embodiment of a data acquisition device and a data management system including a data acquisition device according to the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 11. Note that the following embodiment is subject to various limitations that are technically preferable for implementing the present invention, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment and illustrated examples.

[0021] <Configuration> FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic control configuration of a data management system 100 according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, a data management system 100 according to the embodiment includes a data acquisition device 1 and a terminal device 3.

[0022] [Configuration of data acquisition device] 2 and 3 are perspective views showing the exterior of the data acquisition device 1. FIG. 2 and 3, the data acquisition device 1 according to the embodiment includes a housing 11 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. As shown in Fig. 1, the data acquisition device 1 according to the embodiment is a camera including a photographing unit 12. The photographing unit 12 functions as a data acquisition means for acquiring image data as data.

[0023] In the following embodiments, the side of the data acquisition device 1 that faces the subject when taking an image using the imaging unit 12 is referred to as the front side, and the side of the data acquisition device 1 opposite to the front side is referred to as the back side. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the main part of the data acquisition device 1 as seen from the front side, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the main part of the data acquisition device 1 as seen from the back side.

[0024] The photographing unit 12 includes, for example, an imaging lens 121 (see FIG. 2), a mechanism for adjusting the focal length of the lens, a shutter, an imaging element, etc. The imaging lens 121 may be a lens unit composed of multiple lenses. The photographing unit 12 may also include a light source for illuminating the subject when photographing.

[0025] 2, at least a part of the imaging lens 121 constituting the photographing unit 12 is disposed so as to be exposed to the outside, approximately at the center upper part in the width direction on the front side of the housing 2. The imaging lens 121 may be covered with a cover, cap, etc. when not in use. 3, an operation unit 13 is disposed in the approximate center on the rear surface of the housing 2. The operation unit 13 is an operation button (shutter button) for operating the photographing unit 12.

[0026] In the data acquisition device 1, the user presses the operation unit 13 while pointing the imaging lens 121 at the subject to be photographed, thereby photographing the subject with the photographing unit 12 and obtaining image data of the photographed subject. The image data captured and acquired by the photographing unit 12 is stored in a storage unit such as the storage unit 23 by the control unit 20, which will be described later, in a specified format that can be developed in a web browser.

[0027] Here, a "web browser" is software for connecting to a web server using a terminal device 3 such as a personal computer or smartphone, and has functions such as displaying web pages and following hyperlinks. Examples of "web browsers" include Google Chrome, Safari, and Microsoft Edge. Note that "web browsers" are not limited to the examples given here. Furthermore, "a standard format that can be expanded in a web browser" refers to a file format such as JPEG, PNG, etc. Note that the format (file format) is not limited to the examples given here.

[0028] A switch button 14 for switching the data acquisition device 1 on and off is disposed on the side of the housing 11 (for example, on the right side when the housing 11 is viewed from the front in FIGS. 2 and 3). In the illustrated example, sliding the switch button 14 to the ON side turns the power to the data acquisition device 1 on, and sliding it to the OFF side turns the power to the data acquisition device 1 off. Note that the switch button 14 is not limited to the slide-type button illustrated. For example, it may be a push button switch that turns on when pressed briefly once or for a long time, and turns off when pressed briefly twice or for a long time.

[0029] 1, the data acquisition device 1 includes a communication unit 15 capable of communicating with an external device. In this embodiment, the communication unit 15 is a wireless communication means that performs wireless communication based on a short-range wireless communication standard such as Wi-Fi. In this embodiment, the data acquisition device 1 is configured to be able to communicate with a terminal device 3 as an external device.

[0030] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a unique identification ID 17 is assigned to the data acquisition device 1. The unique identification ID 17 is, for example, a QR code that includes, as readable information, a URL that identifies the location of a storage unit 23 (see FIG. 1) that is a storage means included in the data acquisition device 1.

[0031] The unique identification ID 17 is provided in a state that can be read by the terminal device 3 described later, and in the embodiment, for example, as shown in Fig. 3, a sticker or the like on which a QR code is printed as the unique identification ID 17 is attached to the back side of the housing 11. Note that Fig. 3 illustrates an example in which a sticker or the like on which the unique identification ID 12 (QR code) is printed is attached above the operation unit 13, but the position where the unique identification ID 17 is provided is not limited to the illustrated example. The unique identification ID 17 only needs to be readable by the terminal device 3, and may be attached, for example, to the back side of the housing 11 below the operation unit 13, or may be attached to the front side of the housing 11.

[0032] In addition, as shown in Figure 1, the data acquisition device 1 is equipped with a control unit 20 and a memory unit 23, and each unit such as the photographing unit 12, operation unit 13, switch button 14, communication unit 15, control unit 20, and memory unit 23 are connected, for example, by a bus 25.

[0033] The control unit 20 is a computer that includes a processor 21 such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a memory 22 such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory), and so on. The storage unit 23 is configured by a nonvolatile memory or the like, and includes a program storage unit 231 that stores system programs and the like related to the data acquisition device 1, and a data storage unit 232.

[0034] In the embodiment, the data storage unit 232 stores data (image data 232a in FIG. 1) acquired by the photographing unit 12, which is a data acquisition means, processing data 232b that can be added to the data (image data 232a), etc. In this embodiment, the processing data 232b is data such as a stamp image adS (see FIG. 8) such as a mark or illustration that can be superimposed on the image data 232a. It is preferable that a plurality of default processing data 232b is stored in the data storage unit 232. Note that the processing data 232b may be newly read from a network or created by a user operation and added later. The data storage unit 232 may be a nonvolatile memory such as a flash memory, or a removable portable storage medium such as a memory card.

[0035] The control unit 20 has the processor 21 read out necessary programs, such as system programs stored in the program memory unit 231, expand them in the working area of ​​the memory 22, and execute various processes in cooperation with the programs expanded in the memory 22. For example, the control unit 20 controls the operation of the photographing unit 12 and causes it to take photographs in response to user operations. The control unit 20 also functions as a storage control unit that stores image data acquired by the photographing unit 12 in the data storage unit 232 of the storage unit 23 in a specified format that can be expanded in a web browser. The specified format is a file format such as JPEG or PNG, as described above.

[0036] [Configuration of terminal device] The terminal device 3 according to the embodiment may be, for example, a mobile terminal such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a mobile phone, or a personal computer. The terminal device 3 is not limited to the examples shown here as long as it is capable of communicating with the data acquisition device 1. For example, the terminal device 3 may be a notebook or stationary personal computer, a gaming terminal device, or the like. 1, the terminal device 3 includes an ID reading unit 32, a display unit 33, an input unit 34, a sound output unit 35, a communication unit 36, a control unit 40, a storage unit 43, etc. These units constituting the terminal device 3 are connected by, for example, a bus 45.

[0037] The ID reading unit 32 is capable of reading the unique identification ID 17 assigned to the data acquisition device 1, and is, for example, a camera or the like that can read the unique identification ID 17 by holding it over a QR code or the like that is the unique identification ID 17. When information such as a URL that identifies the location of the memory unit 23, which is included in the unique identification ID 17, is read by the ID reading unit 32, the terminal device 3 becomes able to access the memory unit 23 (various data stored in the memory unit 23) of the data acquisition device 1 via a "WEB browser."

[0038] The display unit 33 is configured by, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic electroluminescence display (OLED), or other flat display, and includes a display screen 330 that displays various information in response to display instructions from the control unit 40. It is preferable that a touch panel 331 that detects touch operations by the user is integrally formed on the display screen 330 of the display unit 33. The touch panel 331 functions as an input means, and touch operations detected on the touch panel 331 (input information based on the touch operations) are output to the control unit 40.

[0039] 4 and other figures, the input unit 34 is an operation button provided on the terminal device 3, and serves as an input means for accepting an operation by a user and outputting the input information to the control unit 40. As described above, in this embodiment, the touch panel 331 formed on the display unit 33 also functions as an input means.

[0040] The sound output unit 35 includes a speaker and the like, and when an audio signal is output from the control unit 40, outputs audio based on the audio signal.

[0041] 1, the terminal device 3 includes a communication unit 36 ​​capable of communicating with the data acquisition device 1. That is, the communication unit 36 ​​has a configuration capable of transmitting and receiving data to and from the communication unit 15 of the data acquisition device 1, and in this embodiment, performs wireless communication based on a short-range wireless communication standard such as Wi-Fi.

[0042] The control unit 40 of the terminal device 3 is a computer including a processor 41 such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a memory 42 such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory), and the like. The storage unit 43 is configured by a nonvolatile memory or the like, and includes a program storage unit 431 that stores system programs and the like related to the terminal device 3, and a data storage unit 432.

[0043] In the embodiment, the data storage unit 432 stores image data 432a and the like acquired by the terminal device 3. For example, if the terminal device 3 is equipped with a camera, the image data 432a is data of an image captured by the camera, etc. Alternatively, the image data 432a may be image data acquired from outside via various web browsers, etc.

[0044] The control unit 40 has the processor 41 read out necessary programs, such as system programs stored in the program memory unit 431, expand them in the working area of ​​the memory 42, and execute various processes in cooperation with the programs expanded in the memory 42. In addition, the program storage unit 431 of the terminal device 3 of this embodiment also stores "WEB browsers" such as Google Chrome, Safari, and Microsoft Edge.

[0045] When the ID reading unit 32 reads the identification ID 17 of the data acquisition device 1, the terminal device 3 is connected to the data acquisition device 1 via the communication units 15 and 36, and becomes able to access the data storage unit 232 of the data acquisition device 1. Specifically, when the identification ID 17 is read, the control unit 40 identifies the location of the data storage unit 232 from the address information included in the identification ID 17. Then, the terminal device 3 becomes able to access the data storage unit 232 (such as the image data 232a in the data storage unit 232) identified by the address information via the "WEB browser."

[0046] As a result, the control unit 40 can access the image data 232a stored in the data memory unit 232 of the data acquisition device 1, just as if accessing external storage, and display the image PD based on the image data 232a on the display screen 330 of the display unit 33 of the terminal device 3, making it viewable.

[0047] The control unit 40 controls the operation of the display unit 33 in response to user operations, and displays a list of image data 232a and images PD (including thumbnail images, etc.) based on the image data 232a on the display screen 330 of the display unit 33, for example, as shown in Figures 6 to 8. It should be noted that on the display screen 330 of the terminal device 3, it may be possible to change the color of the image PD, or to perform processing such as deleting or trimming part of the image PD.

[0048] Furthermore, in the embodiment, when the ID reading unit 32 reads the unique identification ID 17 of the data acquisition device 1, the terminal device 3 also becomes able to access the processing data 232b stored in the data storage unit 232. Then, the control unit 40 is in a state where it can process or edit the image data 323a using the processing data 232b.

[0049] <effect> Next, the operations of the data acquisition device 1 and the data management system 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0050] When the user operates the switch button 14 to turn on the power of the data acquisition device 1, each part of the data acquisition device 1, such as the control unit 20, starts up. When the user points the lens 121 of the photographing unit 12 at a subject and operates the operation unit 13, the shutter is released and an image of the subject is captured by the photographing unit 12. Data of the captured image (image data 232a in FIG. 1) is stored by the control unit 20 in the data storage unit 232 of the storage unit 23 in a predetermined file format such as JPEG.

[0051] When a user wants to view, process, edit, etc. the data acquired by the data acquisition device 1, i.e., the image data 232a obtained by photographing using the photographing unit 12, the identification ID 17 of the data acquisition device 1 is read by the ID reading unit 32 of the terminal device 3, such as a smartphone. If the ID reading unit 32 is a camera of the terminal device 3, for example, the user can turn on the power of the terminal device 3 and point the camera at the identification ID 17 of the data acquisition device 1, so that the identification ID, which may be a QR code or the like, can be read on the terminal device 3 side.

[0052] 4 is a diagram showing an example of the display screen 330 of the display unit 33 of the terminal device 3 when the identification ID 17 of the data acquisition device 1 is read by the ID reading unit 32 of the terminal device 3. Note that FIG. 4 and other figures illustrate an example in which the terminal device 3 is a smartphone. As shown in FIG. 4, the display screen 330 displays an ID image 17d of the read identification ID 17.

[0053] When the identification ID 17 is read, the terminal device 3 is connected to the data acquisition device 1 via the communication units 15, 36, and the terminal device 3 becomes able to access the image data 232a in the data storage unit 232 of the data acquisition device 1 via the "WEB browser." That is, the control unit 40 of the terminal device 3 identifies the location of the data storage unit 232 of the data acquisition device 1 from the address information read from the identification ID 17. Then, the control unit 40 accesses the data storage unit 232 of the data acquisition device 1 via a "WEB browser" in the same way as when accessing an external storage, and causes the display screen 330 of the display unit 33 to display various data (image data 232a) stored in the data storage unit 232 based on user operations.

[0054] For example, FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a list screen 330a of the display unit 33 on which a list of image data 232a stored in the data storage unit 232 of the data acquisition device 1 is displayed. FIG. 5 shows an example in which a total of six pieces of image data 232a, each given a different, distinguishable name such as "20240210_1515", are stored in the data storage unit 232 of the data acquisition device 1.

[0055] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a thumbnail screen 330b in which images PD based on the image data 232a in the list shown in FIG. 5 are displayed as thumbnail images. 6, the thumbnail screen 330b displays a list of six images PD based on the six pieces of image data 232a that were displayed on the list screen 330a as thumbnail images. Note that the thumbnail images may be scrolled or page-turned on the display screen 330 as appropriate.

[0056] In addition, when a user selects a specific image PD on the list screen 330a shown in Figure 5 or the thumbnail screen 330b shown in Figure 6 and operates a delete button (not shown), the image data 232a corresponding to the selected image PD may be deleted from the data storage unit 232 of the data acquisition device 1 by the operation performed by the user on the display screen 330 of the terminal device 3. In addition, the user may be able to change the order of the image data 232a on the list screen 330a shown in Figure 5 or the thumbnail screen 330b shown in Figure 6, in which case the order (list order) of the image data 232a in the data storage unit 232 of the data acquisition device 1 is changed by the operation performed by the user on the display screen 330 of the terminal device 3.

[0057] Furthermore, the image PD displayed on the display screen 330 of the display unit 33 is not limited to a small size such as a thumbnail image. For example, the image PD displayed on the thumbnail screen 330b in Fig. 6 may be displayed on the entire display screen 330, or a scrolling operation may be performed while the image PD is displayed on the entire display screen 330. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a scroll screen 330c on which an image PD corresponding to image data 232a stored in the data storage unit 232 of the data acquisition device 1 is displayed in a scrollable manner.

[0058] The user can also select a particular image PD from, for example, a list screen 330a as shown in FIG. 5, a thumbnail screen 330b as shown in FIG. 6, or a scroll screen 330c as shown in FIG. When the user selects a specific image PD, the control unit 40 controls the display of the display unit 33 to transition to an editing screen 330d for the selected image PD, where the image data 232a in the data acquisition device 1 can be processed, edited, etc.

[0059] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of an editing screen 330d displayed on the display unit 33 of the terminal device 3. As shown in FIG. For example, the example shown in Figure 8 shows a case where the image PD corresponding to the second image data 232a on the list screen 330a (the image PD of "20240215_0931" in Figure 5, the second image PD from the top in the left column in Figure 6) is selected by the user.

[0060] In addition, when an image PD is selected by the user, the control unit 40 reads the processing data 232b from the data memory unit 232 of the data acquisition device 1, and appropriately displays an image based on the processing data 232b (in this embodiment, a stamp image adS) on the editing screen 330d.

[0061] 8 shows an example in which an image display field 331e for displaying an image PD selected by the user is set on the upper side of the editing screen 330d, and a stamp display field 331f for displaying a stamp image adS, which is an image based on the processing data 232b, is set on the lower side of the image display field 331e, etc. In the illustrated example, the stamp images adS are provided with an image adS1 which is an illustration of a duck, an image adS2 which is an illustration of a bear, and images ad3 and SadS4 of text indicating a message. The configuration, layout, etc. of the editing screen 330d are not limited to the illustrated example.

[0062] When the user selects one of the stamp images adS on the editing screen 330d as shown in FIG. 8 by touching the touch panel 331, the control unit 40 generates display data for an image in which the selected stamp image adS is superimposed on the image PD, and displays the data on the editing screen 330d of the display unit 33. In the illustrated example, images adS2, adS3, and adS4 are selected by the user and are appropriately superimposed on image PD.

[0063] It should be noted that how the stamp image adS is superimposed on the image PD can be set as appropriate. For example, stamp images adS selected by the user may be randomly arranged on the image PD. Alternatively, the user may specify which stamp image adS is to be arranged at which position on the image PD using a finger, a special pen, or the like on the editing screen 330d, and the control unit 40 may generate display data according to this specification and display it on the editing screen 330d.

[0064] When the user wants to save the image that has been processed and edited on the editing screen 330d (the edited image will be referred to as "image PD2"), the user operates a save button (not shown), etc. This allows the image PD2 to be saved in the data storage unit 232 of the data acquisition device 1. When saving an image PD2 after editing as shown in FIG. 8, the image data 232a of the edited image PD2 is given a name different from the image data 232a of the original image PD and is added to and saved in the data storage unit 232 of the data acquisition device 1 (saved under a different name).

[0065] For example, Figure 9 shows an example of a list screen 330a in which image data 232a of edited image PD2 is given a name ("20240215_0931_2" in Figure 9) different from the image data 232a of the original image PD ("20240215_0931" in Figures 5 and 9) and added to the data storage unit 232 of the data acquisition device 1. FIG. 9 shows an example in which image data 232a ("20240215_0931_2") of edited image PD2 is newly saved (saved under a different name), bringing the total number of image data 232a saved in the data storage unit 232 to seven.

[0066] When saving the image data 232a of the edited image PD2, it is not essential to save it under a name different from that of the image data 232a of the original image PD. For example, the image data 232a of the edited image PD2 may be saved (overwritten) under the same name as the image data 232a of the original image PD, and the image data 232a of the original image PD may be deleted. When saving image data 232a of edited image PD2, the user may be able to choose whether to erase (overwrite and save) the image data 232a of the original image PD, or to save it under a different name from the image data 232a of the original image PD (save under a different name).

[0067] Furthermore, the image PD (original image) stored in the data storage unit 232 of the data acquisition device 1 and the edited image PD2 as shown in Figure 8 can also be stored in the data storage unit 432 of the terminal device 3 by user operation on the display screen 330 of the display unit 33, etc. For example, the control unit 40 displays a pop-up 332 showing an option to save the image on a display screen 330 displaying the edited image PD2, as shown in Fig. 10. When the user selects an option such as "Save to Photos," the control unit 40 downloads the image data of the edited image PD2 to the terminal device 3 in response to the user's operation, and stores it in the data storage unit 432 of the terminal device 3.

[0068] FIG. 11 shows an example of a display screen 330g that displays a list of image data in the data storage unit 432 of the terminal device 3 as thumbnail images when the user selects to "save to photos" for the edited image PD2 as shown in FIG. 8.

[0069] In this case, as shown in Figure 11, along with the image data (image data 432a) acquired by the terminal device 3 using its own camera, etc., image data of image PD2, which is processed and edited from the image data 232a in the data storage unit 232 of the data acquisition device 1, is also stored in the data storage unit 432 of the terminal device 3.

[0070] In addition, if there are multiple terminal devices 3 that can read the unique identification ID 17 assigned to the data acquisition device 1, the data storage unit 232 (image data 232a, etc. in the data storage unit 232) of one data acquisition device 1 can be accessed from multiple terminal devices 3. Therefore, for example, if multiple people want to share data (image data 232a, etc.) acquired by a data acquisition device 1, data sharing can be easily achieved by simply having the terminal device 3 of the person with whom the data is to be shared read the unique identification ID 17 assigned to the data acquisition device 1.

[0071] In addition, when multiple people can access the data storage unit 232 of one data acquisition device 1, each person may be able to process and edit the image data 232a. In this case, if the processed and edited data is stored on a different terminal device 3, the data may be given different names so that they can be stored in a distinguishable state.

[0072] Furthermore, the data storage unit 232 of the data acquisition device 1 cannot be accessed simply by reading the unique identification ID 17, and measures to enhance security may be taken, such as requiring the entry of a password provided by the owner of the data acquisition device 1, in order to gain access. This makes it possible to prevent the risk of data in the data acquisition device 1 being accessed, processed, tampered with, or the like against the user's will when the data acquisition device 1 is left unattended.

[0073] Furthermore, if the only purpose of accessing the data storage unit 232 of the data acquisition device 1 and viewing the image data 232a is to read the unique identification ID 17, however, if specific actions are to be performed such as processing, modifying, or downloading the image data 232a to the terminal device 3, it is possible to impose gradual restrictions, such as requiring the input of a specified password in addition to reading the unique identification ID 17.

[0074] <Effects> As described above, the data acquisition device 1 of this embodiment is assigned a unique identification ID, and includes the photographing unit 12 as data acquisition means for acquiring image data 232a, the control unit 20 as storage control means for storing at least the image data 232a acquired by the photographing unit 12 in a specified format that can be expanded in a web browser in the data storage unit 232, which is storage means, and the communication unit 15 for wireless communication such as Wi-Fi. When the identification ID is read by the terminal device 3 equipped with the ID reading unit 32 that reads the identification ID, the data acquisition device 1 is connected to the terminal device 3 via the communication units 15, 36, and the image data 232a stored in the data storage unit 232 becomes accessible from the terminal device 3 via the web browser, and becomes available for processing and editing on the display screen 330 of the terminal device 3.

[0075] This allows the terminal device 3 to access the data (image data 232a) stored in the data acquisition device 1, view an image PD based on the image data 232a on its display screen 330, and process and edit the data, simply by reading the unique identification ID (e.g., a QR code) attached to the data acquisition device 1, without having to have a special application program (app). This eliminates the burden on the user of downloading a dedicated app to the terminal device 3. In addition, the cost of developing a dedicated app and the maintenance cost of continually updating the app are no longer necessary, reducing the burden on the device and app providers.

[0076] When the data acquisition device 1 is a camera or the like having a photographing unit 12, the captured images can be easily viewed and edited on the display screen 330 of the terminal device 3. In this way, the data in the data acquisition device 1 can be confirmed and processed on the display screen 330 of the terminal device 3, so that the data acquisition device 1 does not need to have a display unit, and by using the terminal device 3, various possibilities for processing and editing the acquired data can be expanded while reducing the cost of the device.

[0077] In addition, when the terminal device reads the unique identification ID (e.g., QR code) attached to the data acquisition device 1, it can also access the processing data 232b stored in the data storage unit 232, and perform editing such as adding the processing data 232b to the original image data 232a. Therefore, it is possible to easily decorate the image PD based on the image data 232a and enjoy it.

[0078] <Other> Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to these embodiments and that various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0079] For example, in this embodiment, a case has been illustrated in which the QR code as the unique identification ID 17 assigned to the data acquisition device 1 is attached as a sticker or the like to the back side of the housing 11, but the unique identification ID 17 only needs to be attached in a state that can be read by the terminal device 3, and is not limited to being attached to the housing 11 of the data acquisition device 1. For example, the unique identification ID 17 may be printed or engraved on the housing 11. Alternatively, a tag or the like on which the unique identification ID 17 is printed or engraved may be attached to the data acquisition device 1. Furthermore, the unique identification ID 17 may be written in, for example, the instruction manual for the data acquisition device 1, or may be printed on a card, sticker, or the like that is included with the device when it is purchased. If multiple cards, stickers, or the like with the unique identification ID 17 are prepared, the cards, stickers, or the like may be distributed in advance to acquaintances with whom the data is to be shared.

[0080] Even if a sticker or the like on which a QR code serving as unique identification ID 17 is printed peels off or fades from data acquisition device 1 and becomes unreadable, it is possible to identify each individual data acquisition device 1 by an individual identification number or the like written in the instruction manual, etc., and the unique identification ID 17 assigned to data acquisition device 1 is unambiguously clear. Therefore, by inquiring with the device provider or requesting a reissue of the sticker or the like, it is possible to make the unique identification ID 17 of data acquisition device 1 readable.

[0081] Furthermore, the unique identification ID 17 is not limited to a QR code. The unique identification ID 17 may be any code other than a QR code as long as it can identify the location of the data storage unit 232 of the data acquisition device 1 in order to access the data storage unit 232, and may be a URL (character string) itself indicating the location of the data storage unit 232 on the web. If the unique identification ID 17 is a URL itself, the character string may be entered by operating a key button or the like on the terminal device 3, thereby making it possible to access the data storage unit 232 of the data acquisition device 1 (data stored in the data storage unit 232). In this case, the ID reading means is the control unit 40 that acquires the character string entered by a user operation.

[0082] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the data acquisition device 1 is configured not to have a display screen (display unit), but the data acquisition device 1 may also have a display screen (display unit) configured by a liquid crystal panel or the like. If the data acquisition device 1 is equipped with a display screen, the image PD etc. based on the image data 232a acquired by the photographing unit 12 can be easily checked on the spot.

[0083] Even if the data acquisition device 1 is provided with a display screen, the display screen may be small or may be a simple one that displays in monochrome. If the data acquisition device 1 has a display screen, a QR code or the like serving as the unique identification ID 17 assigned to the data acquisition device 1 may be displayed on the display screen. In this case, unlike when the QR code or the like serving as the unique identification ID 17 is printed on a sticker or the like and attached to the housing 11 or the like, there is no need to keep the QR code or the like visible at all times, which is safe from a security standpoint.

[0084] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the data acquisition device 1 is a camera that acquires image data 232a as data, and the image data 232a is assumed to be a still image, but the data acquisition device 1 is not limited to one that acquires image data of a still image as data. For example, the data may be video data, audio data, or composite data that combines audio and images.

[0085] For example, if the data is audio data, the "prescribed format that can be expanded in a web browser" is a file format such as MP3, WAM, or WAV. Furthermore, when the data is audio data, data processing and editing may involve changing the pitch or tone of the voice, applying various effects to the audio data, or adding sound effects, etc. In this case, data such as sound effects may be stored in the data storage unit 232 of the data acquisition device 1 as data to be processed. Furthermore, when the data of the data acquisition device 1 is video or still images shot silently, the terminal device 3 that accesses the data acquisition device 1 may be able to add audio data to the video or still images to generate composite data. Furthermore, for example, the terminal device 3 may be configured to be able to display a slide show of a plurality of still images in the data acquisition device 1, and to add music, commentary voice, or the like as sound effects to the slide show.

[0086] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. The specific configurations of the data acquisition device 1 and the data management system 100 shown in the above embodiments, the positional relationship and operation of each part, etc. can be appropriately changed without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, the present invention includes the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0087] 1. Data acquisition device 12 Filming Unit 20 Control Unit 23 Memory section 232 Data storage unit 232a Image data 232b Processing data 3 Terminal Devices 33 Display section 330 display screen 331 Touch Panel 40 Control Unit 43 Storage section 432 Data storage unit adS stamp image PD Image PD2 edited image

Claims

1. A unique identification ID is assigned. A data acquisition means for acquiring data; a storage control means for storing the data acquired by the data acquisition means in a storage means in a specified format that can be developed in a web browser; wireless communication means; A data acquisition device comprising: When the identification ID is read by a terminal device having an ID reading means for reading the identification ID, the terminal device is connected via the wireless communication means, and the data stored in the storage means becomes accessible from the terminal device via the web browser, and can be processed and edited on the display screen of the terminal device. A data acquisition device characterized by:

2. the data acquisition means is a photographing unit, The data is image data acquired by the photographing unit.

2. The data acquisition device according to claim 1.

3. The identification ID is a QR code (registered trademark) including a URL that identifies the location of the storage means as readable information.

2. The data acquisition device according to claim 1.

4. the storage means stores processing data that can be added to the data acquired by the data acquisition means, the terminal device is capable of accessing the data to be edited and editing the data using the data to be edited; 2. The data acquisition device according to claim 1.

5. the data acquisition device has a display screen; 2. The data acquisition device according to claim 1.

6. The data acquisition device according to any one of claims 1 to 5; a terminal device having a display screen, which can access the data stored in the storage means of the data acquisition device and process and edit the data on the display screen; A data management system comprising:

Images