Information processing apparatus, information processing system, information processing method, and program

Abstract

To transmit an image to which metadata is not added or an image to which metadata is added.SOLUTION: The information processing apparatus includes a transmission unit configured to transmit an image to a server apparatus that manages the received image and that assigns metadata to the received image, and an instruction unit configured to instruct the server apparatus to perform processing on a target image among images managed by the server apparatus, wherein the instruction unit performs control so as not to instruct the server apparatus to perform external transmission, which is processing of transmitting an image for which metadata assignment has not been completed to the outside of the server apparatus.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a process for managing images. [Background technology]

[0002] A method is known in which metadata is embedded in an image file of a captured image in a format such as Exif.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a server device that performs processing such as image recognition on images uploaded from a terminal, assigns metadata indicating the processing results to the images, and stores the images with the assigned metadata. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-99268 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In a method such as that described in Patent Document 1, in which an image is received, an analysis process is performed on the received image, and the analysis results are assigned to the image as metadata, it takes time for the metadata to be assigned. A user may want to send an image managed by a server device from the server device to an external device, but the server device may not have completed the process of assigning metadata to the image by the time the user instructs the server device to send the image to the external device. Therefore, depending on the timing of the user's instruction to send, an image without metadata may be sent to the external device, or an image with metadata may be sent to the external device, which may cause confusion for the user. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The information processing device of the present disclosure includes a transmission means for transmitting images to a server device that manages received images and assigns metadata to the received images, and an instruction means for instructing the server device to process target images among the images managed by the server device, wherein the instruction means controls the server device so as not to instruct the server device to perform external transmission, which is a process of sending images to an outside of the server device to which the assignment of metadata has not been completed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the technology of the present disclosure, it is possible to prevent an image to which no metadata has been added from being transmitted, or an image to which metadata has been added from being transmitted. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information processing system. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of an imaging and viewing apparatus and an image management apparatus. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of an imaging and viewing apparatus and an image management apparatus. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an image management table. [Figure 5] 4 is a sequence chart showing an example of processing of the information processing system. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a thumbnail image list screen. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a detailed image display screen. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen for displaying an error. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of an imaging and viewing apparatus and an image management apparatus. [Figure 10] 4 is a sequence chart showing an example of processing of the information processing system. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a thumbnail image list screen. [Figure 12]FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a thumbnail image list screen. [Figure 13] 4 is a sequence chart showing an example of processing of the information processing system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the technology of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the configurations shown in the following embodiments are merely examples, and the technology of the present disclosure is not limited to the configurations shown in the drawings.

[0010] <Embodiment 1> In this embodiment, a method will be described in which a user performs an operation to send an image with metadata to a location outside the server in a system in which a server analyzes an image and assigns metadata to the image as the analysis result.

[0011] [System Configuration] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an image management system, which is an example of an information processing system according to this embodiment. The image management system includes an image management device 101, an imaging and viewing device 102, and an external device 103.

[0012] The image management device 101 is an information processing device (server device) that provides services such as receiving image files, which are image data transmitted from the imaging and viewing devices 102 of users who have accounts, and storing the received image files. The service provided by the image management device 101 is, for example, a cloud service that uploads and stores images captured by the imaging and viewing devices 102 in real time using a network such as Wi-Fi. The image management device 101 is connected to one or more external devices 103 and one or more imaging and viewing devices 102, which are user terminals, via the network.

[0013] In this embodiment, a user is a user who uses a service provided by the image management device 101. A user can create an account via a user terminal device such as an imaging and viewing device 102 owned by the user and connected to the network. The imaging and viewing device 102 is an information processing device that captures or views images, and is a device that uploads images captured by the user to the image management device 101. The imaging and viewing device 102 is a tablet, smartphone, camera, or the like.

[0014] The imaging and viewing device 102 can display a screen for giving various instructions to the image management device 101. A user can give various instructions to the image management device 101 via this screen. For example, a user can instruct the image management device 101 via the imaging and viewing device 102 to view images of users managed by the image management device 101, delete images, send images to an external party, and the like.

[0015] The imaging and viewing device 102 does not necessarily have to be a device that can both capture and view images. For example, it may be a device that captures images, such as a camera. A user may have multiple imaging and viewing devices 102 as terminal devices that communicate with the image management device 101. In this case, the user may have an imaging and viewing device 102 that uploads images to the image management device 101 and an imaging and viewing device 102 that checks images managed by the image management device 101 and issues various instructions to the image management device 101.

[0016] The external devices 103 are information processing devices that provide external cloud services subscribed to by the user, such as a storage service, an editing service, and a microblog service. The services provided by the external devices 103 are sometimes referred to as external services. The image management system is assumed to include various external devices 103 that each provide an external service.

[0017] The network is, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network), the Internet, etc. The image management device 101, the external device 103, and the imaging and viewing device 102 are connected via the network, and are configured to enable mutual communication between these devices.

[0018] [Hardware configuration] 2(a) is a block diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of the imaging and viewing apparatus 102. The imaging and viewing apparatus 102 includes a CPU 201, a ROM 202, a RAM 203, an auxiliary storage device 204, a display device 205, an input device 206, a communication device 207, an imaging device 209, and a bus 208.

[0019] The CPU 201 is a central processing unit that performs calculations and logical decisions for various processes and controls each component connected to the bus 208 .

[0020] A ROM (Read-Only Memory) 202 is a program memory that stores programs for control by the CPU 201, including various processing procedures described below.

[0021] The RAM (Random Access Memory) 203 is a storage unit used as a temporary storage area such as the main memory or work area of ​​the CPU 201. The CPU 201 reads and executes programs stored in the ROM 202 to execute processes in accordance with the flowcharts described below. The ROM 202 may be realized as a program memory by loading the programs stored in the ROM 202 into the RAM 203. The CPU 201 writes the execution results of each process into the RAM 203.

[0022] The auxiliary storage device 204 is a storage device that stores electronic data and programs according to this embodiment and stores the data so that it is not lost even when the power is turned off. The auxiliary storage device 204 can be realized, for example, by a medium (recording medium) and an external storage drive for accessing the medium. Examples of such media include a flash memory, a USB memory, a solid-state drive (SSD) memory, a hard disk drive (HDD), a flexible disk (FD), a CD-ROM, a DVD, and an SD card. The auxiliary storage device 204 may also be a server device connected via a network. The auxiliary storage device 204 may be built into the main body and not removable from the CPU 201, such as a solid-state drive (SSD) memory. In this embodiment, the auxiliary storage device 204 will be described as being a solid-state drive (SSD) memory built into the main body. The auxiliary storage device 204 may also be realized as a program memory by loading programs stored in the auxiliary storage device 204 into the RAM 203. The CPU 201 saves the execution results of each process in the auxiliary storage device 204.

[0023] The display device 205 is, for example, a display unit such as a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, etc. The CPU 201 functions as a display control unit, and causes the display device 205 to display a screen containing images, characters, figures, etc.

[0024] The input device 206 is, for example, an operation unit such as a touch panel, a button, or a mouse, and accepts various operations by the user. The input device 206 may be an input unit that is attached to the display device 205 and senses the user's actions. For example, the input device 206 may be a pressure touch panel, an electrostatic touch panel, a light pen, or the like. Note that at least one of the display device 205 and the input device 206 may exist as an external device connected to the imaging and viewing apparatus 102 by wire or wirelessly.

[0025] The communication device 207 performs wired or wireless two-way communication with other information processing devices, communication equipment, external storage devices, etc. using known communication techniques.

[0026] The imaging device 209 is a device that converts external light into electronic image data and electronic video data using known optical technology. The CPU 201 converts the external scenery captured by the imaging device 209 into image data and video data.

[0027] 2B is a block diagram for explaining the hardware configuration of the image management device 101. The imaging and viewing device 102 has a CPU 211, a ROM 212, a RAM 213, an auxiliary storage device 214, a communication device 217, and a bus 218.

[0028] The CPU 211 is similar to the CPU 201 of the imaging and viewing apparatus 102, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted. Similarly, the ROM 212 is similar to the ROM 202, the RAM 213 is similar to the RAM 203, the auxiliary storage device 214 is similar to the auxiliary storage device 204, the communication device 217 is similar to the communication device 207, and the bus 218 is similar to the bus 208, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0029] In this embodiment, the image management device 101 is described as a device for the sake of convenience, but the image management device 101 may be a system in which a plurality of information processing devices behave as a single image management device 101 .

[0030] [Functional configuration of the imaging and viewing device] FIG. 3 is an example of a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the imaging and viewing device 102 and the image management device 101 of this embodiment.

[0031] The imaging and viewing apparatus 102 includes a transmitting unit 301 , a receiving unit 302 , an operation receiving unit 303 , an operation determining unit 304 , an instruction unit 305 , an acquiring unit 306 , and a display control unit 307 .

[0032] The transmitting unit 301 transmits information, images, etc. based on user operations on the imaging and viewing device 102 to the image management device 101 . The receiving unit 302 receives information about images transmitted by the transmitting unit 311 of the image management device 101 . The operation receiving unit 303 receives the content of an operation performed by the user via the input device 206. The user's operation is an operation to instruct a process such as downloading an image, deleting an image, or transmitting an image to an external device. The operation determining unit 304 determines whether or not the user operation received by the operation receiving unit 303 is an operation to instruct the image management device 101 to transmit an image to an outside of the image management device 101 (called external transmission). The instruction unit 305 instructs the image management device 101 to execute a process indicated by a user operation accepted by the operation acceptance unit 303 . The acquisition unit 306 acquires image information transmitted from the image management device 101 . The display control unit 307 displays the operation information, the image information acquired by the acquisition unit 306, and the like on the display device 205.

[0033] 3 are realized by CPU 201 reading a predetermined program stored in ROM 202 or the like into RAM 203 and executing it, but this is not limiting. Alternatively, for example, at least some of the functional units in FIG. 3 may be realized by a combination of software and hardware such as a dedicated IC, or some or all of the functions may be realized solely by hardware.

[0034] [Image management device functional configuration] The image management device 101 includes a transmission unit 311 , a reception unit 312 , a management unit 313 , a thumbnail generation unit 314 , an image analysis unit 315 , and a metadata attachment unit 316 .

[0035] The transmission unit 311 transmits image information and the like to the imaging and viewing apparatus 102 . The receiving unit 312 receives information based on a user's operation and the like, which is transmitted by the transmitting unit 301 of the imaging and viewing apparatus 102 . The management unit 313 manages the image information and image files received from the imaging and viewing apparatus 102 using the table in FIG. 4, which will be described later. The thumbnail generator 314 generates thumbnails of the received images. The image analysis unit 315 analyzes the received image, detects the subject included in the image, and identifies the category of the subject. Note that the image information identified by the image analysis unit is not limited to the subject category. In addition, the image analysis unit 315 may identify events, phenomena, etc. included in the image to be analyzed. The metadata assignment unit 316 embeds the analysis result by the image analysis unit 315 as metadata in a format such as Exif in the image file and saves it. In this embodiment, the metadata assignment unit 316 will be described as assigning the subject category included in the image as metadata, as an example of the analysis result.

[0036] The functional units of image management device 101 in Fig. 3 are realized by CPU 211 reading a predetermined program stored in ROM 212 or the like into RAM 213 and executing it, but this is not limited to this. Alternatively, for example, at least some of the functional units in Fig. 3 may be realized by a combination of software and hardware such as a dedicated IC, or some or all of the functions may be realized only by hardware.

[0037] [Image management method using image management devices] 4 is a diagram showing an example of an image management table used by the management unit 313 to manage image files of a certain user who has an account for a service provided by the image management device 101. That is, the diagram shows a list of image files uploaded from the user's imaging and viewing device 102 to the image management device 101. For the sake of explanation, the image files will be described as being managed in a table-format image management table 400, but the image files may also be managed in other formats such as JSON format.

[0038] Image management table 400 includes column 401 that holds IDs for identifying image files. Furthermore, image management table 400 includes column 402 that holds image file names, column 403 that holds subject categories, and column 404 that holds processing statuses for image files indicated by the IDs held in column 401.

[0039] The image file name is the name of the user's image file received from the imaging viewing device 102. It is assumed that an image file with the same name as the image file name held in the image management table 400 is saved in a predetermined folder in the auxiliary storage device 214 of the image management device 101. It is assumed that not only the original image file received from the imaging viewing device 102 but also the thumbnail image file and the image file after metadata has been added are saved in the predetermined folder with the same name as the image file name in the image management table 400.

[0040] The subject category is a tag indicating the category of the subject included in the image, obtained as a result of the image analysis unit 315 analyzing the image data in the image file.

[0041] In this embodiment, the image analysis unit 315 and the metadata assignment unit 316 process the user's image file received from the imaging and viewing device 102. The processing status is a value indicating the progress of the processing on the user's image file received from the imaging and viewing device 102. In this embodiment, the processing statuses held are "analyzing," "metadata assignment," and "completed."

[0042] "Analyzing" is a value indicating that the image file has not yet been analyzed by the image analysis unit 315. "Metadata assignment in progress" indicates that analysis by the image analysis unit 315 has been completed, but assignment of metadata by the metadata assignment unit 316 has not yet been completed. "Completed" indicates that analysis by the image analysis unit 315 and assignment of metadata by the metadata assignment unit 316 have both been completed.

[0043] [Processing flow] 5 is a sequence chart showing the processing flow of the imaging and viewing device 102 and the image management device 101. The following describes the processing flow in which the image management device 101 analyzes an image, assigns metadata to it, and transmits the image file with the assigned metadata to an external device.

[0044] 5, the processing of each step of S501 to S512 executed by the imaging and viewing device 102 is performed by loading program code stored in the ROM 202 or the auxiliary storage device 204 into the RAM 203 and executing it by the CPU 201. The processing of each step of S521 to S526 and S53 to S533 executed by the image management device 101 is performed by loading program code stored in the ROM 212 or the auxiliary storage device 214 into the RAM 213 and executing it by the CPU 211. Alternatively, some or all of the functions of the steps in FIG. 5 may be realized by hardware such as an ASIC or an electronic circuit. The symbol "S" in the explanation of each process indicates a step in the flowchart, and this also applies to subsequent flowcharts.

[0045] In S501, the transmission unit 301 of the imaging and viewing apparatus 102 uploads the user's image file to the image management apparatus 101.

[0046] In S521, the receiving unit 312 of the image management device 101 receives the image file transmitted in S501 from the imaging viewing device 102. The management unit 313 saves the image file received in S521 in a predetermined folder in the auxiliary storage device 214 of the image management device 101.

[0047] In S522, the thumbnail generation unit 314 of the image management device 101 generates a thumbnail indicating the image file received in S521. The management unit 313 saves the thumbnail image file, which is the image file of the generated thumbnail, in the auxiliary storage device 214, with the same file name as the file name of the image file received in S521. In other words, the auxiliary storage device 214 of the image management device 101 stores thumbnail image files corresponding to each of the user's image files managed in the image management table 400 of FIG. 4.

[0048] When thumbnail generation unit 314 generates a thumbnail, management unit 313 of image management device 101 assigns an ID to the image file received in S521 and adds a new row (record) to image management table 400. Then, management unit 313 stores the assigned ID in column 401 of the added row in image management table 400, and stores the file name of the image file received in S521 in column 402. Furthermore, management unit 313 stores "analyzing" as information about the processing status of the image file received in S521 in column 404 of the added row in image management table 400, which stores the processing status.

[0049] In this manner, in this embodiment, at the stage when the information of the received image file is registered in the image management table 400, the generation of the thumbnail corresponding to the image file is considered to be complete.

[0050] In S523, when the transmission unit 311 of the image management device 101 completes the generation of thumbnails in S522, it transmits information about the user's image files managed by the management unit 313, which are image files whose information is held in the image management table 400. In other words, it transmits information about image files whose processing status is not only "completed" but also "analyzing" and "metadata being assigned."

[0051] In this embodiment, the image file information transmitted from the image management device 101 will be described as being a thumbnail of the user managed by the management unit 313. Note that the image file information of the user is not limited to a thumbnail. Any information capable of displaying an object representing the image file will suffice. Alternatively, for example, the image file information may be the file name, icon, or the like of the image file of the user managed by the management unit 313.

[0052] In S502, the acquisition unit 306 of the imaging viewing device 102 acquires the thumbnail data transmitted from the image management device 101 as image file information. Note that the acquisition unit 306 of the imaging viewing device 102 may request the image management device 101 to transmit the user's thumbnail data, and in response to this request, the transmission unit 311 of the image management device 101 may transmit the user's thumbnail data in S523.

[0053] In S503, the display control unit 307 of the imaging viewer 102 displays, on the display device 205 of the imaging viewer 102, a thumbnail list screen 601 (see FIG. 6) that displays a list of the thumbnails acquired in S502.

[0054] 6 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed in S503. The thumbnail list screen 601 includes thumbnails 602 generated by the thumbnail generation unit 314, which represent the user's image files stored in the image management device 101. The thumbnails displayed on the thumbnail list screen 601 include thumbnails of image files whose processing status is "completed" as well as "analyzing" and "assigning metadata." Therefore, thumbnails corresponding to the image files uploaded in S501 are also included.

[0055] After uploading of the image file is completed, the display control unit 307 of the imaging viewing apparatus 102 of this embodiment transitions the screen of the display device 205 to the thumbnail list screen 601 without a user instruction. Note that thumbnails may be acquired from the browser of an imaging viewing apparatus 102 different from the imaging viewing apparatus 102 that transmitted the image file in S501, and the thumbnail list screen 601 may be displayed on the browser of that imaging viewing apparatus 102. In this case, the processing of the imaging viewing apparatus 102 from S502 onwards is executed by the imaging viewing apparatus 102 different from the imaging viewing apparatus 102 that transmitted the image in S501.

[0056] Note that in S502, the acquisition unit 306 does not have to acquire all thumbnails at once. For example, S502 to S503 may be repeated in response to a user operation, and in S503, each time the acquisition unit 306 acquires a predetermined number of thumbnails, the thumbnail list screen 601 may be displayed in stages to display the acquired thumbnails. One example of a method for displaying thumbnails in stages is a method called infinite scroll, in which a predetermined number of images are acquired from the image management device 101 in response to a user's scrolling operation and displayed. In this embodiment, the thumbnails on the thumbnail list screen 601 are described as being displayed using infinite scroll.

[0057] Also, in S502, if the acquisition unit 306 acquires the file name of the image file instead of a thumbnail as image file information from the image management device 101, in S503, the display control unit 307 displays a list of objects such as file names or icons.

[0058] Meanwhile, in the image management device 101, following thumbnail generation, the processes of S531 to S533 are executed in parallel on the image file received in S521. In S531, the image analysis unit 315 of the image management device 101 analyzes the image file received in S521 to identify the category of the subject included in the image in the image file. When the analysis in S531 is completed, the management unit 313 changes the value of the processing status in column 404 of the row that holds the information of the image file received in S521 in the image management table 400 from "analyzing" to "metadata being assigned." In addition, the management unit 313 stores the subject category, which is a value indicating the category of the identified subject, in column 403 of the row that holds the information of the image received in S521 in the image management table 400.

[0059] In S532, the metadata adding unit 316 embeds the subject category obtained as a result of the analysis in S531 into the metadata of the image file received in S521.

[0060] In S533, the management unit 313 saves the image file, whose metadata has had the subject category information added to it in S532, in a specified folder. Upon completion of saving the image file in S533, the management unit 313 changes the value of the processing status in column 404 of the row in the image management table 400 that holds the information about the image file received in S521 from "metadata addition in progress" to "completed."

[0061] In this embodiment, the management unit 313 does not change the metadata of the original image file received in S521 from the imaging and viewing apparatus 102. Therefore, in S533, the management unit 313 copies the original image file and stores the image file with subject information added to the metadata of the copied image file.

[0062] 6 displayed on the display device 205 of the imaging viewing apparatus 102, the operation accepting unit 303 accepts the user operation in S504. The transmitting unit 301 of the imaging viewing apparatus 102 also transmits the ID of the image file (referred to as the target image file) indicated by the thumbnail selected by the user to the image management apparatus 101, and requests transmission of information such as the processing status of the target image file.

[0063] In S524, the receiving unit 312 of the image management device 101 receives the ID of the target image file. The transmitting unit 311 of the image management device 101 transmits the file name, subject category, and processing status associated with the received ID in the image management table 400 to the imaging viewing device 102. The transmitting unit 311 of the image management device 101 also transmits the imaging date and time, image size, file size, and file format of the image file indicated by the received ID.

[0064] In S505, the display control unit 307 displays details of the image file indicated by the thumbnail selected by the user, based on the information transmitted from the image management device 101 in S524.

[0065] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a details display screen for displaying details of a target image file selected by the user from the thumbnail list screen 601. That is, the details display screen 701 in FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the screen displayed in S505. The details display screen 701 includes a menu button 702, an area 706 displaying a thumbnail of the target image file, and an area 704 displaying the results of image analysis performed by the image management device 101 on the target image file. If the processing status of the target image file is "completed," text indicating the subject category is displayed in area 704. That is, text indicating the metadata assigned by the metadata assignment unit 316 is displayed in area 704. If the processing status of the target image file is "analyzing," the text "analyzing" is displayed in area 704, and if the processing status of the target image file is "metadata assignment in progress," the text "metadata assignment in progress" is displayed in area 704.

[0066] When the user presses the menu button 702 on the details display screen 701, the display control unit 307 displays a pop-up 703 containing options for the user to select the processing to be performed on the target image file.

[0067] The pop-up 703 includes an option 705 corresponding to "External Transmission," which is an option for instructing the image management device 101 to perform a process of transmitting the target image file outside the image management device 101. In this embodiment, "External Transmission" is any one of "External Transfer," which transfers the image file to the external device 103, "Email Sharing," which shares the image file with a third party via email, and "Download," which downloads the image file to the imaging and viewing device 102.

[0068] When the user selects one of the options included in the displayed pop-up 703, the operation accepting unit 303 of the imaging and viewing apparatus 102 accepts the operation in S506.

[0069] In S507, the operation determination unit 304 of the imaging viewing device 102 determines whether the process indicated by the user operation received in S506 is external transmission. That is, it is determined whether the user operation is an operation of pressing any of the options 705. If the operation determination unit 304 determines that the process indicated by the user operation is external transmission (YES in S507), the process proceeds to S508. If the operation determination unit 304 determines that the process indicated by the user operation is not external transmission (NO in S507), the process skips S508 to S510 and proceeds to S511.

[0070] In S508, the acquisition unit 306 performs processing to acquire the current processing status of the target image file that the user instructed to be sent externally from the image management device 101. Specifically, the transmission unit 301 transmits the ID of the target image file that was selected in S504 and whose details are being displayed in S505 to the image management device 101, and requests the transmission of information on the processing status and subject category associated with the transmitted ID.

[0071] In S525, the receiving unit 312 of the image management device 101 receives the ID of the target image file. Then, the transmitting unit 311 of the image management device 101 transmits a value indicating the current processing status of the target image file as information about the target image file. If the processing status is "completed," the transmitting unit 311 transmits the subject category, which is the image analysis result of the target image file. As a result, in S508, the acquiring unit 306 acquires the information transmitted from the image management device 101.

[0072] In S509, the operation determination unit 304 determines whether the current processing status of the target image file acquired in S508 is "completed." If it is determined that the processing status is "completed" (YES in S509), the process proceeds to S510.

[0073] In S510, the display control unit 307 updates the details display screen 701 and proceeds to S511. For example, the details display screen 701 shown in Fig. 7 displays "Analyzing" in area 704 because the processing status was "Analyzing" when it was first displayed in S505. If the processing status acquired in S508 is "Complete" and an object category has been received from the image management device 101 as a processing result for the target image file, then in S510, text indicating the object category acquired in S508 is displayed in area 704. In this way, "Complete" may be acquired as the processing status in S510, in which case the display is updated to include text indicating the object category acquired together with the processing status.

[0074] In S511, the instruction unit 305 of the imaging and viewing apparatus 102 transmits the ID of the target image file to the image management apparatus 101, and instructs the image management apparatus 101 to execute the process indicated by the user operation accepted in S506 for the target image file.

[0075] In S526, the image management device 101 receives the ID of the target image file and the instructed processing content received from the imaging viewing device 102. Then, using the information of the image file corresponding to the received ID in the image management table 400, it executes the processing corresponding to the operation on the target image file. When executing external transmission in S526, the transmission unit 311 of the image management device 101 acquires an image file corresponding to the target image file from among image files to which metadata is added that are stored in a specified folder. Then, in the case of download, the transmission unit 311 transmits the acquired image file to the imaging viewing device 102. In the case of email sharing, the transmission unit 311 generates a sharing link for the image file to which metadata is added and transmits an email containing the link. In the case of external transfer, the transmission unit 311 transmits the image file to which metadata is added to the external device 103.

[0076] On the other hand, if the operation determination unit 304 of the imaging viewing apparatus 102 determines that the processing status of the target image file is not "completed" (NO in S509), the process proceeds to S512 without transitioning to S511. In S512, the display control unit 307 notifies the user of an error.

[0077] FIG. 8 shows an example of an error screen 801 that is displayed in S512 when the user operation is an external transmission operation instructing downloading and the processing status is not "completed."

[0078] In this embodiment, if the image management device 101 has not completed the processing up to the assignment of metadata to the target image file, the processing of S510 and S511 is not executed and the process proceeds to S512. If the processing status is not "completed," this means that the image management device 101 has not completed the image analysis and metadata assignment processing of S531 to S533 for the target image file. Thus, in this embodiment, if a user operation to externally transmit an image file for which image analysis and metadata assignment have not been completed is received, the instruction is not sent to the image management device 101. By controlling in this manner, it is possible to prevent image files without metadata from being transmitted externally.

[0079] As a comparative example, the imaging and viewing device 102 may acquire only thumbnails for which image analysis and metadata assignment have been completed, and display them on the thumbnail list screen 601, so that the user can select only images with metadata assigned as target images. However, it takes time for the image management device 101 to analyze images and assign metadata. Therefore, in this comparative example, after a user uploads an image, it takes a long time for the user to be able to view thumbnails of the uploaded image. A user may also want to perform operations on the uploaded image file other than external transmission. However, with the method of the comparative example, the user cannot perform operations other than external transmission until the assignment of metadata is complete.

[0080] On the other hand, according to this embodiment, it is possible to display a thumbnail of an uploaded image file to the user without waiting for the completion of analysis and metadata assignment for the target image file. Furthermore, in this embodiment, even if a thumbnail of an image file to which no metadata has been assigned is selected, an error is notified to the user, and control is performed to prevent the image file to which no metadata has been assigned from being sent externally. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to prevent image files to which no metadata, such as analysis results, has been assigned from being sent externally. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent a situation that could lead to confusion, such as an image file to which no metadata has been assigned being sent or an image file to which metadata has been assigned being sent, depending on the timing of the user's instruction.

[0081] <Embodiment 2> In the first embodiment, the image file that the user instructs the image management device 101 to process is described as a single image file. If the user wants to instruct the image management device 101 to execute processing on multiple image files, it is necessary to repeatedly receive the processing status for each of the multiple image files and confirm whether the processing status is complete, which may result in unnecessary communication. Therefore, in this embodiment, a method is described in which the image management device 101 determines whether the processing indicated by a user operation is external transmission, and if it determines that external transmission is the case, returns only information about images for which processing has been completed, thereby preventing unnecessary repetition. This embodiment will be described mainly focusing on the differences from the first embodiment. Unless otherwise specified, the configuration and processing are the same as those of the first embodiment.

[0082] [Function Configuration] 9 is an example of a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the imaging and viewing device 102 and the image management device 101 of this embodiment. In FIG. 9, the same functional units as those in FIG. 3 are assigned the same reference numerals as those in FIG.

[0083] 9, the image management device 101 has the operation determination unit 304 that the imaging viewing device 102 has in FIG. 3. The operation determination unit 901 of the image management device 101 determines whether the operation information received from the imaging viewing device 102 is an operation instructing "external transmission."

[0084] [Processing flow] Fig. 10 is a diagram of a sequence chart of this embodiment corresponding to the sequence chart of Fig. 5 of embodiment 1. In this embodiment, a user can instruct the image management device 101 to perform processing of a user's choice on a plurality of image files.

[0085] In the sequence diagram of Fig. 10, steps that are the same as the steps in the sequence diagram of Fig. 5 are assigned the same numbers in Fig. 10. Therefore, in explaining the flowchart of Fig. 10, only steps that differ from the sequence of Fig. 5 will be explained. S501 to S502, which are the processing of the imaging and viewing apparatus 102, and S521 to S523 and S531 to S533, which are the processing of the image management apparatus 101, are the same as the sequence of Fig. 5 described above.

[0086] In S1001, the display control unit 307 of the imaging viewer apparatus 102 displays a thumbnail list screen 1101 (see FIG. 11) on the display device 205 of the imaging viewer apparatus 102.

[0087] 11 is a diagram showing a thumbnail list screen 1101 of this embodiment. A thumbnail 1102 is a thumbnail generated by the thumbnail generation unit 314. As in the first embodiment, the thumbnail list screen 1101 displayed in S1001 includes thumbnails corresponding to image files whose processing status managed in the image management table 400 is not only "completed" but also "analyzing" or "metadata being assigned."

[0088] Unlike the first embodiment, the thumbnail list screen 1101 displayed in S1001 includes a menu button 1103. When the user presses the menu button 1103, the display control unit 307 displays a pop-up 1104 that includes options for the user to select a process to instruct the image management device 101 to perform. The pop-up 1104 includes an option 1105 that instructs "external transmission" for the target image file. When the user selects one of the options included in the displayed pop-up 1104, the operation accepting unit 303 of the imaging viewing device 102 accepts the operation in S1002.

[0089] In S1003, the transmission unit 301 of the imaging viewing apparatus 102 transmits to the image management apparatus 101 information on the process indicated by the operation accepted in S1002.

[0090] In S1021, the receiving unit 312 of the image management device 101 receives the process indicated by the user operation accepted in S1002.

[0091] In S1022, the operation determination unit 901 of the image management device 101 determines whether the process received in S1021 is an external transmission process. If the operation determination unit 901 determines that the process indicated by the user operation is not an external transmission process (NO in S1022), the process proceeds to S1023. In S1023, the transmission unit 311 of the image management device 101 transmits thumbnails of all image files whose information is held in the image management table 400 to the imaging viewing device 102. That is, as in S523, thumbnails corresponding to image files whose processing status is not only "completed" but also "analyzing" and "metadata being assigned" are transmitted.

[0092] If the operation determination unit 901 of the image management device 101 determines that the process indicated by the user operation is external transmission (YES in S1022), the process proceeds to S1024. In S1024, the transmission unit 311 of the image management device 101 transmits thumbnails corresponding to image files associated with the processing status "completed" in the image management table 400.

[0093] In S1004, the acquisition unit 306 of the imaging viewing apparatus 102 acquires the thumbnail data transmitted by the image management apparatus 101 in S1023 or S1024.

[0094] In S1005, the display control unit 307 of the imaging viewer 102 displays, on the display device 205 of the imaging viewer 102, a thumbnail list screen 1201 (see FIG. 12) that displays a list of the thumbnails acquired in S1004.

[0095] 12 is a diagram showing an example of a thumbnail list screen 1201 displayed in S1005. On the thumbnail list screen 1201, check boxes 1202 for selecting image files are displayed corresponding to the respective thumbnails. The user can request the image management device 101 to perform the processing accepted in S1002 on the image files corresponding to the thumbnails in the selected check boxes 1202. In this way, in this embodiment, the user can select multiple image files for which the user is to request the image management device 101 to process them.

[0096] As an example, the thumbnails are displayed in an infinite scroll mode on the thumbnail list screen 1201. Therefore, in S1023, the transmission unit 311 of the image management device 101 sequentially transmits thumbnails to be displayed from among the thumbnails of all image files.

[0097] Alternatively, in S1024, the transmission unit 311 of the image management device 101 transmits thumbnails to be displayed from among the thumbnails of image files whose processing status is "completed." In this case, in S1005, only thumbnails of image files whose processing status is "completed" are displayed on the thumbnail list screen 1201.

[0098] When the user selects a check box included in the thumbnail list screen 1201 in FIG. 12, the operation accepting unit 303 of the imaging and viewing apparatus 102 accepts the operation in S1006.

[0099] 12 is a button for instructing the image management device 101 to execute the process selected by the user from the pop-up 1104. When at least one check box included in the thumbnail list screen 1201 is selected, the execution button 1203 can be pressed.

[0100] When the user presses the execute button 1203 included in the thumbnail list screen 1201 in FIG. 12, in S1007 the instruction unit 305 of the imaging viewing apparatus 102 instructs the image management apparatus 101 to process the image file selected by the user.

[0101] Specifically, the instruction unit 305 of the imaging and viewing device 102 transmits the ID of the target image file to the image management device 101 and instructs the image management device 101 to execute the process indicated by the user operation accepted in S1002. In S1025, the image management device 101 executes the process, such as external transmission, instructed by the instruction unit 305 in S1007 for the target image file.

[0102] As described above, according to this embodiment, when instructing the image management device 101 to send images to an external device, the user can select multiple image files to be processed from among image files whose processing status is complete.

[0103] (Variation) In S502, the imaging viewing apparatus 102 may receive not only thumbnails but also processing statuses from the image management apparatus 101. Also, in step S1004, it is not necessary to acquire thumbnails that have already been acquired. Then, when an external transmission operation is accepted from the user, the thumbnails displayed on the thumbnail list screen 1101 may be updated so as to display only thumbnails corresponding to image files whose processing status is "completed."

[0104] Fig. 13 is a diagram for explaining a modification of the sequence of Fig. 5 or 10. It is assumed that the imaging and viewing apparatus 102 in Fig. 12 has the operation determination unit 304 as in Fig. 3 .

[0105] S1301 in Fig. 13 is a step corresponding to S502 in Fig. 10. In S1301, the acquisition unit 306 requests not only the thumbnails of each image file but also the processing status of each image file from the image management device 101, and acquires the thumbnails and the processing status.

[0106] 13, the acquisition unit 306 acquires a predetermined number of thumbnails from the image management device 101 in response to a user's scrolling operation, and the display control unit 307 displays thumbnails from the acquired thumbnails on the thumbnail list screen. Therefore, in S1301, the acquisition unit 306 acquires thumbnails from the image management device 101 in units of a predetermined number in response to a user's scrolling operation. For example, thumbnails are acquired in order of image capture date and time, and thumbnails of image files with more recent capture dates and times are displayed at the top of the thumbnail list screen 1101. In this case, with each user's scrolling operation, thumbnails of image files with older capture dates and times than the acquired thumbnails are additionally acquired and displayed on the thumbnail list screen 1101. Therefore, even if the image management device 101 stores a large number of image files, such as 1,000 or more, the time it takes for the imaging viewing device 102 to receive thumbnails is reduced. The predetermined number is, for example, 40.

[0107] In S1302, the operation determination unit 304 of the imaging viewing apparatus 102 determines whether the process indicated by the user operation is external transmission. If the operation determination unit 304 determines that the process indicated by the user operation is external transmission (YES in S1302), the process proceeds to S1303. In S1303, the display control unit 307 displays only thumbnails with a processing status of "completed" from among the thumbnails acquired in S1301 and displayed on the thumbnail list screen 1101. When S1303 is completed, the process proceeds to S1003.

[0108] On the other hand, if the operation determination unit 304 determines that the process indicated by the user operation is not external transmission (NO in S1302), it skips S1303 and proceeds to S1003. That is, the currently displayed thumbnail acquired in S1301 is displayed as is.

[0109] S1304 and S1305 are steps corresponding to S1004 and S1005 in Fig. 10. In S1304, the acquisition unit 306 acquires only the thumbnails that were not acquired in S1301, and in S1305, the thumbnails acquired in S1304 are additionally displayed on the thumbnail list screen 1201. Therefore, according to this example, it is possible to prevent the same thumbnail from being acquired more than once.

[0110] 10 described above, it is assumed that thumbnails will be acquired again from the beginning in S1004. Therefore, the thumbnail list screen 1201 displayed in S1005 will once have no thumbnails and then display the newly acquired thumbnails.

[0111] On the other hand, in S1305 of Fig. 13, the currently displayed thumbnails acquired in S1301 are not acquired again from the image management device 101. For example, if a user issues an instruction for external transmission and 100 thumbnails are displayed and the image files corresponding to 10 of the thumbnails are "under analysis," the remaining 90 thumbnails can be displayed immediately. As the user scrolls, additional thumbnails corresponding to image files with capture dates and times older than the currently displayed thumbnails are acquired and displayed. Therefore, in this example, the thumbnails are displayed immediately, thereby reducing the user's waiting time for selecting a thumbnail.

[0112] 13, the determination step of S1022 may be omitted. In that case, thumbnails corresponding to image files in all processing states may be acquired in S1304. In that case, as in S1302 and S1303, when an operation to send externally is accepted, only thumbnails corresponding to image files whose processing state is complete may be additionally displayed among the acquired thumbnails.

[0113] <Other embodiments> The technology of the present disclosure can be embodied as, for example, a system, a device, a method, a program, a recording medium (storage medium), etc. Specifically, it may be applied to a system consisting of multiple devices (for example, a host computer, an interface device, an imaging device, a web application, etc.), or it may be applied to an apparatus consisting of a single device.

[0114] Needless to say, the technology of the present disclosure can be achieved by the following: A recording medium (or storage medium) on which software program code (computer program) that realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments is recorded is supplied to a system or device. The storage medium is, of course, a computer-readable storage medium. The computer (or CPU or MPU) of the system or device then reads and executes the program code stored on the recording medium. In this case, the program code itself read from the recording medium realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments, and the recording medium on which the program code is recorded constitutes the technology of the present disclosure.

[0115] The present disclosure can also be realized by providing a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and having one or more processors in the computer of the system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that realizes one or more functions. The program may also be provided by recording it on a computer-readable storage medium.

[0116] The disclosure of the above-described embodiment includes the following configurations.

[0117] (Configuration 1) a transmitting means for transmitting the image to a server device that manages the received image and adds metadata to the received image; an instruction means for instructing the server device to process a target image among images managed by the server device, The instruction means The server device is controlled not to be instructed to transmit an image to an external location, which is a process of transmitting an image to which the metadata has not been added, to an external location outside the server device. 1. An information processing device comprising:

[0118] (Configuration 2) and acquiring means for acquiring a processing status of the target image from the server device when the processing selected by the user as the processing for the target image is the external transmission. The instruction means If the processing status acquired by the acquisition means indicates that the assignment of the metadata has been completed, the server device is instructed to transmit the target image to the outside; If the processing state acquired by the acquisition means is a state in which the assignment of the metadata has not been completed, the server device is not instructed to transmit the target image to the outside. 2. The information processing device according to configuration 1,

[0119] (Configuration 3) a display control means for displaying a screen showing a list of objects representing images managed by the server device; The target image is an image corresponding to an object selected by the user from the screen. 3. The information processing device according to configuration 2.

[0120] (Configuration 4) The acquisition means does not acquire the processing status of the target image from the server device when the process selected by the user is not the external transmission. 4. The information processing device according to configuration 2 or 3.

[0121] (Configuration 5) The method further includes a display control means for displaying an error when the processing for the target image selected by the user is the external transmission and the processing status of the target image is a state in which the assignment of the metadata has not been completed. 5. The information processing device according to any one of configurations 2 to 4.

[0122] (Configuration 6) The display control means A second screen displaying details of the target image is displayed, and when the processing state of the target image is a state in which the assignment of the metadata has been completed, information on the metadata assigned to the target image by the server device is displayed on the second screen. 4. The information processing device according to configuration 3.

[0123] (Configuration 7) The display control means includes, on the screen, an object indicating an image to which the metadata has not been completely assigned. 7. The information processing device according to configuration 3 or 6.

[0124] (Configuration 8) The display control means When the process selected by the user is the external transmission, only an object indicating an image to which the metadata has been added is displayed on the screen. 8. The information processing device according to configuration 3, 6 or 7.

[0125] (Configuration 9) Acceptance means for accepting a process selected by a user; a display control means for displaying a screen displaying a list of objects representing images managed by the server device, and not displaying objects representing images to which the metadata has not been added on the screen if the accepted process is the external transmission; and The instruction means instructs the server device to perform the accepted process on an image corresponding to an object selected by the user from the screen. 2. The information processing device according to configuration 1,

[0126] (Configuration 10) The method further comprises receiving means for receiving, when the accepted process is the external transmission, information on an object indicating an image to which the metadata has been added from among images managed by the server device, from the server device; The display control means The screen is displayed, displaying a list of objects indicated by the received information. 10. The information processing device according to configuration 9.

[0127] (Configuration 11) the display control means controls the display of the screen so that a user can select a plurality of objects; When the user selects a plurality of objects from the screen, the instruction means instructs the server device to perform the accepted processing on a plurality of images corresponding to the plurality of objects. 11. The information processing device according to configuration 9 or 10.

[0128] (Configuration 12) The object is a thumbnail 10. The information processing device according to configuration 3 or 9.

[0129] (Configuration 13) The display control means displays the thumbnails by infinite scrolling. 13. The information processing device according to configuration 12.

[0130] (Configuration 14) An information processing system including the information processing device according to any one of configurations 1 to 13 and the server device, The server device receiving means for receiving an image of a user; a management means for managing the received images; image analysis means for analyzing the received image; and adding means for adding the result of the analysis to the received image as metadata. An information processing system comprising:

[0131] (Configuration 15) The server device receiving, from the information processing device, information indicating a process selected by a user in the information processing device, and if the received process is the external transmission, transmitting thumbnails indicating images to which the metadata has been added from among the images managed by the management means to the information processing device; The information processing device includes: A screen showing a list of thumbnails received from the server device is displayed. 15. The information processing system according to configuration 14.

[0132] (Configuration 16) a transmitting step of transmitting the image to a server device that manages the received image and adds metadata to the received image; an instruction step of instructing the server device to process a target image among images managed by the server device, In the instructing step, control is performed so that the server device is not instructed to transmit an image to which the metadata has not been added to an external transmission process outside the server device. 1. An information processing method comprising:

[0133] (Configuration 17) 14. A program for causing a computer to execute each means of the information processing device according to any one of configurations 1 to 13. [Explanation of symbols]

[0134] 301 Transmission Unit 305 Instruction section 102 Imaging and viewing device

Claims

1. a transmitting means for transmitting the image to a server device that manages the received image and adds metadata to the received image; an instruction means for instructing the server device to process a target image among images managed by the server device, The instruction means The server device is controlled not to be instructed to transmit an image to an external location, which is a process of transmitting an image to which the metadata has not been added, to an external location outside the server device.

1. An information processing device comprising:

2. and acquiring means for acquiring a processing status of the target image from the server device when the processing selected by the user as the processing for the target image is the external transmission. The instruction means If the processing status acquired by the acquisition means indicates that the assignment of the metadata has been completed, the server device is instructed to transmit the target image to the outside; If the processing state acquired by the acquisition means is a state in which the assignment of the metadata has not been completed, the server device is not instructed to transmit the target image to the outside.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

3. a display control means for displaying a screen showing a list of objects representing images managed by the server device; The target image is an image corresponding to an object selected by the user from the screen.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

4. The acquisition means does not acquire the processing status of the target image from the server device when the process selected by the user is not the external transmission.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

5. The method further includes a display control means for displaying an error when the processing for the target image selected by the user is the external transmission and the processing status of the target image is a state in which the assignment of the metadata has not been completed.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

6. The display control means A second screen displaying details of the target image is displayed, and when the processing state of the target image is a state in which the assignment of the metadata has been completed, information on the metadata assigned to the target image by the server device is displayed on the second screen.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3,

7. The display control means includes, on the screen, an object indicating an image to which the metadata has not been completely assigned.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3,

8. The display control means When the process selected by the user is the external transmission, only an object indicating an image to which the metadata has been added is displayed on the screen.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3,

9. Acceptance means for accepting a process selected by a user; a display control means for displaying a screen displaying a list of objects representing images managed by the server device, and for not displaying objects representing images to which the metadata has not been added on the screen if the accepted process is the external transmission; The instruction means instructs the server device to perform the accepted process on an image corresponding to an object selected by the user from the screen.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

10. The method further comprises receiving means for receiving, when the accepted process is the external transmission, information on an object indicating an image to which the metadata has been added from among images managed by the server device, from the server device; The display control means The screen is displayed, displaying a list of objects indicated by the received information.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 9,

11. the display control means controls the display of the screen so that a user can select a plurality of objects; When the user selects a plurality of objects from the screen, the instruction means instructs the server device to perform the accepted processing on a plurality of images corresponding to the plurality of objects.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 9,

12. The object is a thumbnail 4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3,

13. The display control means displays the thumbnails by infinite scrolling.

13. The information processing apparatus according to claim 12.

14. An information processing system comprising the information processing device according to claim 1 and the server device, The server device receiving means for receiving an image of a user; a management means for managing the received images; image analysis means for analyzing the received image; and adding means for adding the result of the analysis to the received image as metadata. An information processing system comprising:

15. The server device receiving, from the information processing device, information indicating a process selected by a user on the information processing device, and if the received process is the external transmission, transmitting, to the information processing device, thumbnails indicating images to which the metadata has been assigned, from among images managed by the management means; The information processing device includes: A screen showing a list of thumbnails received from the server device is displayed.

15. The information processing system according to claim 14.

16. a transmitting step of transmitting the image to a server device that manages the received image and adds metadata to the received image; an instruction step of instructing the server device to process a target image among images managed by the server device, In the instructing step, control is performed so that the server device is not instructed to transmit an image to which the metadata has not been added to an external transmission process outside the server device.

1. An information processing method comprising:

17. A program for causing a computer to execute each means of the information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

Images