Image management device, print production system and program

Abstract

To correctly associate and manage identification information on users who have taken photos with image data captured.SOLUTION: An image management device includes: an image receiving unit that receives a code image obtained by photographing a code indicating identification information and a person image obtained by photographing a person; an image analyzing unit that obtains the identification information from the code of the code image and extracts information on a photographed date and time from the code image and the person image; and a storage unit that associates and stores the person image with the identification information. The person image is associated with identification information indicated by the code of the code image whose photographed date and time is earlier than and closest to the person image.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image management device, a print production system, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art In theme parks and the like, a service is provided in which visitors are photographed, the printed photographs are attached to original mounts, and the printed photographs are sold to visitors.

[0003] For example, a visitor is assigned a unique ID when entering the park. Photographs are taken at one or more locations within the park, and the ID is entered before shooting at each shooting point, and the photo is taken after the ID is entered. The ID information and photographed image data are transferred to a server device in sequence.

[0004] When the server device receives ID information, it stores the captured image data received thereafter in association with the ID information. When new ID information is received, it stores the captured image data received thereafter in association with the new ID information. For example, when the server device receives the first ID information, the first captured image data, the second captured image data, the second ID information, the third captured image data, the fourth captured image data, the third ID information, and the fifth captured image data in this order, it stores the first captured image data and the second captured image data in association with the first ID information, stores the third captured image data and the fourth captured image data in association with the second ID information, and stores the fifth captured image data in association with the third ID information.

[0005] When visitors go to the photography center within the park and enter their ID information into a printing terminal, the captured image data linked to the entered ID information is printed out.

[0006] A computer such as a laptop or tablet terminal is installed at the photography point, and photographed image data generated by a photographing device such as a digital camera is transferred from the photographing device to the computer. The computer transmits the photographed image data and ID information to a server device on a LAN via an access point. Usually, the server device receives the photographed image data and ID information in the order of transmission from the computer (photographing order).

[0007] However, due to some malfunction of the computers, access points, or other devices on the LAN, the order in which the data was sent from the computer may differ from the order in which it was received by the server device. In this case, the photographed image data may be linked to the ID information of another visitor, causing the visitor to be unable to obtain prints of photographs of himself or herself.

[0008] For example, although the computer at the photography point transmits the first ID information, the first photographed image data, the second photographed image data, the second ID information, the third photographed image data, and the fourth photographed image data in this order, due to a malfunction of a device on the network, the server device may receive the first ID information, the first photographed image data, the second ID information, the third photographed image data, the fourth photographed image data, and the second photographed image data in this order. In this case, the second photographed image data is stored linked to the second ID information, not the first ID information. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 3913453 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] An object of the present invention is to provide an image management device, a print production system, and a program that can properly link and manage identification information of a user who photographed the image with photographed image data. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] The image management device of the present invention comprises an image receiving unit that receives a code image obtained by photographing a code indicating identification information and a portrait image obtained by photographing a person, an image analysis unit that obtains the identification information from the code of the code image and extracts information on the shooting date and time from the code image and the portrait image, and a memory unit that links the portrait image to the identification information and stores it, and the portrait image is linked to the identification information indicated by the code of the code image whose shooting date and time is earlier and closest than that of the portrait image.

[0012] The print production system of the present invention comprises an image management device of the present invention, and an image printing device which, upon receiving input of identification information, notifies the image management device of the input identification information and prints out the portrait image received from the image management device.

[0013] The program of the present invention causes a computer to execute the steps of receiving a code image obtained by photographing a code indicating identification information and a portrait image obtained by photographing a person, acquiring the identification information from the code of the code image, extracting information on the shooting date and time from the code image and the portrait image, and linking the portrait image to the identification information indicated by the code of the code image whose shooting date and time is earlier than and closest to that of the portrait image, and storing the portrait image in a memory unit. Effect of the Invention

[0014] According to the present invention, it is possible to properly link and manage the identification information of the user who took the photograph with the photographed image data. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a print product production system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a photograph of a photography ticket. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating functions of the server device. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing examples of folder names. [Diagram 5] 13A and 13B are diagrams showing examples of file names of image data. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a folder structure for storing images. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a folder structure for storing images. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a folder structure for storing images. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0017] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a print production system according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 1, the print production system includes a server device 1 and an image printing device 2, and prints out an image captured by a photographing device 3. The photographing device 3 is, for example, a digital still camera.

[0018] This print production system is introduced in leisure facilities and the like, and for example, a facility staff member S uses a photographing device 3 to take a commemorative photo of a visitor U and a character C. Upon entering the park, the visitor U is given a photographing ticket T on which a two-dimensional code Q indicating the visitor's unique identification information is printed, as shown in FIG. 2. The visitor U presents the photographing ticket T to the staff member S before taking the commemorative photo. The staff member S photographs the two-dimensional code Q on the photographing ticket T with the photographing device 3.

[0019] When the photographing device 3 photographs the two-dimensional code Q or the visitor U, it transfers the photographed image to a device 4 capable of wireless communication, such as a notebook computer. The device 4 transmits the photographed image to the server device 1 on the LAN via a device 5 capable of communication, such as an access point.

[0020] The photographing device 3 transfers the photographed images to the device 4 in the order in which they were taken. The device 4 transmits the photographed images to the server device 1 via the device 5 in the order in which they were received from the photographing device 3. For example, the server device 1 receives a photographed image of the two-dimensional code Q, and then receives photographed images of a visitor U and a character C. The server device 1 obtains identification information from the photographed image of the two-dimensional code Q, and manages the identification information by linking it to an image of the visitor U. The method of managing images will be described later.

[0021] There may be multiple photography points within the facility where commemorative photographs can be taken with characters C, etc. Photography devices 3, devices 4, 5, etc. are prepared at each photography point. A visitor U presents a photography ticket T at each photography point. A staff member S photographs the two-dimensional code Q on the photography ticket T and then takes a commemorative photograph of the visitor U.

[0022] After taking a photo, the visitor U has the image printing device 2 read the two-dimensional code Q on the photo ticket T. The image printing device 2 notifies the server device 1 of the identification information obtained from the two-dimensional code Q. When the server device 1 is notified of the identification information from the image printing device 2, it transmits the image linked to this identification information to the image printing device 2. The image printing device 2 prints and outputs the image received from the server device 1 on paper. The visitor U can obtain a printed item (souvenir photo).

[0023] Next, the configuration of the server device 1 will be described. The server device 1 is a computer equipped with a communication unit, a storage unit, a CPU, etc., and functions as an image management device having an image receiving unit 11, an image analysis unit 12, a folder creation unit 13, a file naming unit 14, a determination unit 15, an image extraction unit 16, and an image transmission unit 17 as shown in Fig. 3 by the CPU executing an image management program. In the storage unit 10, a first storage area 10A and a second storage area 10B for storing images are generated. When there are multiple shooting points, image storage areas corresponding to each shooting point are generated in the first storage area 10A and the second storage area 10B, respectively.

[0024] The image receiving unit 11 receives a captured image from the device 4 via a network such as a LAN. This captured image is generated by the photographing device 3. The image receiving unit 11 determines at which photographing point the image was captured based on the communication history of the received captured image, and stores the captured image in the corresponding image storage area in the first storage area 10A.

[0025] The image analysis unit 12 analyzes the captured image and determines whether the captured image is a code image obtained by capturing a two-dimensional code or a person image obtained by capturing a person (visitor to the park). If the captured image is a code image, the image analysis unit 12 obtains identification information from the code image.

[0026] The image analysis unit 12 also extracts shooting date and time information from EXIF ​​(Exchangeable Image File Format) information embedded in the captured image. The shooting date and time includes the year, month, day, hour, minute, and second.

[0027] The image analysis process may be performed by an external computer. In this case, the image analysis unit 12 transmits the image data to the external computer and obtains the analysis results from the external computer.

[0028] When the received image is a code image, the folder creation unit 13 creates a folder in the second storage area 10B with a folder name that combines the shooting date and time of this code image and the identification information indicated by the code image. When an image storage area for each shooting point is created in the second storage area 10B, a folder is created in the corresponding image storage area. For example, a folder F with a folder name as shown in FIG. 4 is created.

[0029] The file naming unit 14 generates and names a new file name including the shooting point, shooting date and time, old file name, serial number, and image type code for each captured image. The old file name is the file name given when the photographing device 3 generated the captured image, and is the file name when the server device 1 received the captured image.

[0030] For example, a code image with the old file name "IMG0001.jpg" will be given a new file name as shown in Fig. 5(a), and a portrait image with the old file name "IMG0002.jpg" will be given a new file name as shown in Fig. 5(b). If the shooting point of the captured image changes, the M1 part of the new file name will change to M2, M3, etc. The sequence number is incremented when the same captured image is received during resend processing, etc. Image type codes are "0" for a code image and "1" for a portrait image.

[0031] The determination unit 15 determines a folder in which the captured image with the new file name will be stored. The determination unit 15 determines the storage destination of the code image to be a folder whose folder name includes the capture date and time of this code image and the identification information indicated by the two-dimensional code in the code image. The code image with the new file name is stored in the determined folder.

[0032] The determination unit 15 determines the storage destination of the portrait image to be the same folder as the code image that was photographed before the portrait image and has the most recent (closest) photographing date and time. The portrait image with the new file name is stored in the determined folder.

[0033] 6 shows an example of a folder structure in which the server device 1 stores images received in sequence. The folder creation unit 13 creates a folder F1 using the shooting date and time and identification information of a code image with the old file name "IMG0001.jpg". The code image with the old file name "IMG0001.jpg" is stored in the folder F1 with a new file name. Furthermore, the person images with the old file names "IMG0002.jpg" and "IMG0003.jpg" are stored with new file names in the same folder F1 as the code images that were shot before these person images and had the most recent shooting dates and times.

[0034] When the image analysis unit 12 determines that the captured image with the old file name "IMG0004.jpg" is a code image, the folder creation unit 13 creates a folder F2 using the capture date and time and identification information of the code image. The code image with the old file name "IMG0004.jpg" is stored in the folder F2 with a new file name. In addition, the person images with the old file names "IMG0005.jpg", "IMG0006.jpg", and "IMG0008.jpg" are stored with new file names in the same folder F2 as the code images that were captured before these person images and had the most recent capture dates and times.

[0035] The captured images generated by the photographing device 3 are transferred to the device 4 in the order in which they were captured, and are then sequentially transmitted to the server device 1 via the device 5. Therefore, although the server device 1 normally receives the captured images in the order in which they were captured, a situation may occur in which the captured images are received in a different order from the order in which they were captured due to a malfunction in the transfer process or the like.

[0036] For example, as shown in Fig. 7, after receiving a photographed image with the old file name "IMG0008.jpg", a photographed image with the old file name "IMG0007.jpg" whose photographed date and time is earlier may be received. When the image analysis unit 12 determines that the photographed image with the old file name "IMG0007.jpg" is a code image, the folder creation unit 13 creates a folder F3 using the photographed date and time and the identification information of the code image.

[0037] The code image with the old file name "IMG0007.jpg" is stored in folder F3 with a new file name. The determination unit 15 changes the storage destination of images with a later shooting date and time than the code image with "IMG0007.jpg" among the person images already stored in folder F1 or F2 to folder F3. In the example shown in Fig. 7, the person image with the old file name "IMG0008.jpg" is stored in folder F3 with a new file name and deleted from folder F2.

[0038] This allows the portrait image with the old file name "IMG0008.jpg" to be stored in folder F3, which contains the correct visitor identification information in its folder name, and the portrait image can be linked to the correct identification information.

[0039] Fig. 8 shows another example of the folder structure for storing images received in sequence by the server device 1. As in the example shown in Fig. 6, a folder F1 is created using the shooting date and time and identification information of the code image with the old file name "IMG0001.jpg", and the code image with the old file name "IMG0001.jpg" and the person images with the old file names "IMG0002.jpg" and "IMG0003.jpg" are stored in the folder F1 with new file names.

[0040] When the image analysis unit 12 determines that the captured image with the old file name "IMG0005.jpg" is a code image, the folder creation unit 13 creates a folder F2 using the capture date and time and identification information of the code image. The code image with the old file name "IMG0005.jpg" is stored in the folder F2 with a new file name. In addition, the person images with the old file names "IMG0006.jpg", "IMG0007.jpg", and "IMG0008.jpg" are stored with new file names in the same folder F2 as the code images that were captured before these person images and had the most recent capture dates and times.

[0041] After receiving the photographed image with the old file name "IMG0008.jpg", a photographed image with the old file name "IMG0004.jpg" that has an earlier photographed date and time is received. When the image analysis unit 12 determines that the photographed image with the old file name "IMG0004.jpg" is a portrait image, the determination unit 15 determines that the folder F1, which is the same as the code image that was photographed before the portrait image and has the most recent photographed date and time, is to be the storage destination. The portrait image with the old file name "IMG0004.jpg" is stored in the folder F1 with a new file name.

[0042] This allows the portrait image with the old file name "IMG0004.jpg" to be stored in folder F1, which includes the correct visitor identification information in its folder name, and the portrait image can be linked to the correct identification information.

[0043] When the image extracting unit 16 is notified of the identification information from the image print device 2, the image extracting unit 16 extracts a portrait image from a folder that includes this identification information in its folder name. If there are multiple folders that include this identification information in their folder names, the image extracting unit 16 extracts a portrait image from each folder.

[0044] The image transmitting unit 17 transmits the portrait image extracted by the image extracting unit 16 to the image printing device 2. The image printing device 2 prints out the portrait image.

[0045] In this way, in this embodiment, the server device 1 judges whether the received captured image is a code image or a person image, creates a folder and stores the code image in the folder if it is a code image, and saves the person image in the same folder as the code image with the earlier and most recent capture date and time if it is a person image. Therefore, even if the order of capture by the image capture device 3 (the order of generation of the captured images) differs from the order of reception of the captured images by the server device 1, the person images can be saved and managed in a folder corresponding to the correct identification information.

[0046] If a portrait image is received when no code image has been received yet, i.e., when there are no folders in the second storage area 10B, an Unknown folder may be created in the second storage area 10B and the portrait image may be stored in this Unknown folder.

[0047] When creating a folder, the folder creating unit 13 may hash (encrypt) the identification information indicated by the code image, and set the folder name to a combination of the photographing date and time of the code image and the hashed identification information.

[0048] When the file naming unit 14 names a new file name for a captured image, the old file name may be hashed (encrypted) to replace the old file name.

[0049] When saving a portrait image in a folder, the server device 1 may also generate a thumbnail image (.tmb) and save it in the same folder. When the server device 1 receives the identification information from the image printing device 2, it first transmits the thumbnail image to the image printing device 2. The image printing device 2 displays the thumbnail images and accepts the selection of the image that the user (visitor) wants to print. The image printing device 2 notifies the server device 1 of the selection result. The server device 1 transmits a portrait image (image to print) corresponding to the selection result to the image printing device 2. This allows the image printing device 2 to quickly display the captured image as a thumbnail for the user.

[0050] The photographing ticket T may have a barcode printed thereon instead of a two-dimensional code.

[0051] Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to specific embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 1. Server device 2. Image printing device 3. Imaging Equipment 4,5 Equipment 11 Image receiving unit 12 Image Analysis Section 13 Folder Creation Section 14 File naming section 15 Decision Section 16 Image Extraction Section 17 Image transmission unit

Claims

1. an image receiving unit that receives a code image obtained by capturing an image of a code indicating the identification information and a person image obtained by capturing an image of a person; an image analysis unit that acquires the identification information from the code of the code image and extracts information on a shooting date and time from the code image and the person image; a storage unit that stores the person image in association with the identification information; a folder creation unit that creates a folder in the storage unit, the folder name of which includes the identification information; a determination unit that determines a storage destination of the portrait image to be a folder whose photographing date and time is earlier than that of the portrait image and whose folder name includes identification information indicated by the code of the code image that is closest to the portrait image; Equipped with An image management device characterized in that, when the folder creation unit creates a new second folder, the determination unit changes the storage destination of portrait images stored in an already created first folder that have a later photographed date and time than the code image corresponding to the second folder to the second folder.

2. an image receiving unit that receives a code image obtained by capturing an image of a code indicating the identification information and a person image obtained by capturing an image of a person; an image analysis unit that acquires the identification information from the code of the code image and extracts information on a shooting date and time from the code image and the person image; a storage unit that stores the person image in association with the identification information; a folder creation unit that creates a folder in the storage unit, the folder name of which includes the identification information; a determination unit that determines a storage destination of the portrait image to be a folder whose photographing date and time is earlier than that of the portrait image and whose folder name includes identification information indicated by the code of the code image that is closest to the portrait image; a file naming unit that assigns a new file name to the image received by the image receiving unit using the shooting point, shooting date and time, the file name at the time of reception, and a type code that indicates whether the image is a code image or a portrait image; Equipped with The image management device according to claim 1, wherein the portrait image is stored in the folder under a new file name assigned to the file naming section.

3. 3. The image management device according to claim 2, wherein at least one of identification information included in the folder name and the file name at the time of reception used for the new file name is encrypted.

4. an image extracting unit that, when the identification information is notified from the image print device, extracts a person image associated with the notified identification information from the storage unit; an image transmitting unit that transmits the person image extracted by the image extracting unit to the image printing device; 4. The image management device according to claim 1, further comprising:

5. The image management device according to claim 4 ; an image print device that, upon receiving input of identification information, notifies the image management device of the input identification information and prints out the portrait image received from the image management device; A print production system comprising:

6. receiving a code image obtained by capturing an image of a code indicating identification information and a person image obtained by capturing an image of a person; obtaining the identification information from the code of the code image; extracting information on a date and time of photographing from the code image and the person image; creating a folder in a storage unit, the folder name of the folder including the identification information; determining a storage destination of the portrait image to be a folder whose name includes identification information indicated by the code of the code image whose photographing date and time is earlier than that of the portrait image and is closest to the portrait image, and storing the portrait image in the determined folder; when a second folder is newly created in the storage unit, changing a storage destination of a portrait image, among portrait images stored in a first folder already created, that has a photographing date and time later than that of a code image corresponding to the second folder, to the second folder; A program that causes a computer to execute the following.

7. receiving a code image obtained by capturing an image of a code indicating identification information and a person image obtained by capturing an image of a person; obtaining the identification information from the code of the code image; extracting information on a date and time of photographing from the code image and the person image; creating a folder in a storage unit, the folder name of the folder including the identification information; determining a storage destination of the portrait image to be a folder whose name includes identification information indicated by the code of the code image whose photographing date and time is earlier than that of the portrait image and is closest to the portrait image; a step of assigning a new file name to the received image using the photographing point, the photographing date and time, the file name at the time of reception, and a type code indicating whether the image is a code image or a portrait image; storing the portrait image in the folder determined as the storage destination with the given new file name; A program that causes a computer to execute the following.

Images