Communication device, control method, and program

Abstract

To transmit an image file and a supplementary information file acquired from a first external device to a second external device.SOLUTION: A communication apparatus which communicates with an external device includes: acquisition means which acquires an image file and a supplementary information file on the image file from a first external device; first management means which stores the image file in a first region of storage means; second management means which stores the supplementary information file associated with the image file in a second region different from the first region; and control means which transmits the image file read from the first region of the first management means and the supplementary information file associated with the image file, read from the second region of the second management means, to a second external device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a system in which an external device and a communication device are communicatively connected. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a technology in which an imaging device such as a digital camera is communicably connected to an external device such as a PC (personal computer), and content such as images and audio stored in the imaging device is transmitted to the external device.

[0003] In recent years, in the mass media industry, such as in news companies and communications companies, there has been an increasing need to quickly deliver content such as images and audio captured on-site to companies, and content transfer solutions via various network communications have been provided. For example, there is a mobile device application that has the function of sending content such as still images, videos, and audio generated by an imaging device to a mobile device such as a smartphone, and then sending it from the mobile device to an external server via a network using a communication method such as FTP (File Transfer Protocol).

[0004] Because huge amounts of content are delivered to news companies and communications companies, some kind of search and management method is necessary to use this data efficiently. Searching and managing image data, such as still images and videos, is particularly efficient when metadata, which is supplementary information about the image data (the main data), is available.

[0005] Some imaging devices have the ability to store both image data and metadata. For example, some video cameras store metadata for each image data in a file format different from that of the image data. The metadata is stored in the imaging device as a metadata file in a data description language format such as XML (eXtensible Markup Language).

[0006] Furthermore, in order to make the metadata available on the server, the mobile application must store not only the main data file of the content stored in the imaging device, but also the metadata file, and transmit it to the server.

[0007] Some mobile applications include an image management application that saves image files, reads the saved image files, and transfers them to a server. The image management application is a dedicated application for viewing and editing image files collectively. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-166577 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] In some cases, image management applications are configured to only store main data files consisting of image data as managed data, and are not able to store other data files such as metadata as managed data. For this reason, when a mobile application stores a main data file in an image management application and then reads and transfers the stored main data file to a server, the main data file is transferred to the server, but the metadata file is not, making it impossible to use the metadata of the image data on the server.

[0010] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to enable an image file and an accompanying information file acquired from a first external device to be transmitted to a second external device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] In order to solve the above problems and achieve the object, the present invention provides a communication device that communicates with an external device, comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires an image file and an incidental information file related to the image file from a first external device; and a file that stores the image file read by an image management application that can save the image file but cannot save the incidental information file, and the incidental information file associated with the image file saved in the image management application. transfer a control unit for transmitting the image file read by the application and the associated information file to a second external device, transfer The application associates the image file with the additional information file by rewriting at least one of the creation date and time and update date and time written in the directory area of ​​the additional information file to the recording date and time of the image file, and when acquiring the image file from the first external device, the control means requests list information of files stored in the first external device from the first external device, and receives from the first external device the image file and additional information file selected from the list information of files received from the first external device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, it becomes possible to transmit an image file and an accompanying information file acquired from a first external device to a second external device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram of the present embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a camera device 100 according to the present embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a directory of files stored in the camera device 100 of this embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a mobile device 200 according to the present embodiment. [Figure 5]FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the software configuration of the mobile device 200 according to the present embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a UI screen of a file transfer application 301 of the mobile device 200 according to the present embodiment. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing a process of saving a video file and a metadata file by the mobile device 200 of the present embodiment. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart showing a process of reading a video file and a metadata file by the mobile device 200 of the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention claimed. Although multiple features are described in the embodiments, not all of these multiple features are necessarily essential to the invention, and multiple features may be combined arbitrarily. Furthermore, in the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals are used to designate the same or similar components, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0015] Below, we will explain in detail, with reference to the accompanying drawings, an embodiment in which the imaging device of the present invention is applied to a camera device such as a digital camera, the communication device of the present invention is applied to a mobile device such as a smart device or tablet device, which is a type of mobile phone, and the information processing device of the present invention is applied to a server that provides various services to client mobile devices.

[0016] <System Configuration> First, the system configuration of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0017] The system of this embodiment includes a camera device 100, a mobile device 200, and a server 300. The camera device 100 and the mobile device 200 are communicatively connected by a wireless antenna or a wired cable. The camera device 100 can transfer video files and audio files generated by the camera device 100 to the mobile device 200. The mobile device 200 and the server 300 are communicatively connected by mobile data communication using a line such as 4G / LTE or 5G. The mobile device 200 can transfer various pieces of information stored in the mobile device 200 to the server 300 by a communication method such as FTP (File Transfer Protocol).

[0018] The system configuration of this embodiment is not limited to the above example. For example, the camera device 100, the mobile device 200, and the server 300 may be connected to the same network via an access point without using mobile data communication, and file transfer processing between each device may be realized.

[0019] <Configuration of the Camera Device 100> First, the configuration and functions of the camera device 100 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 2(a).

[0020] In this embodiment, a camera device such as a digital camera is described, but the present invention is not limited to this and may also be an information processing device such as a tablet device with a camera function or a personal computer, a media player, a surveillance camera, a medical camera, etc.

[0021] The control unit 101 is a central processing unit (CPU) that controls the entire camera device 100, and performs communication processing and control processing, which will be described later, by executing programs stored in a nonvolatile memory 103, which will be described later. Note that instead of the control unit 101 controlling the entire device, the entire device may be controlled by having multiple pieces of hardware share the processing.

[0022] The imaging unit 102 includes a group of lenses including a zoom lens and a focus lens, and a shutter with an aperture function. The imaging unit 102 also includes an imaging element configured with a CCD, CMOS element, or the like that converts a subject image into an electrical signal, and an A / D converter that converts an analog image signal output from the imaging element into a digital signal. Under the control of the control unit 101, the imaging unit 102 converts the subject image light formed by the lens included in the imaging unit 102 into an electrical signal using the imaging element, performs noise reduction processing, and outputs image data consisting of a digital signal.

[0023] The control unit 101 performs resizing processes such as pixel interpolation and reduction, and color conversion processes on image data captured by the imaging unit 102. The control unit 101 also compresses and encodes the processed still image data in a format such as JPEG, and encodes the moving image data in a moving image compression format such as MP4, to generate an image file, which is then recorded on the recording medium 110. In the camera device 100 of this embodiment, image data is recorded on the recording medium 110 in accordance with the DCF (Design Rule for Camera File system) standard. The control unit 101 also performs predetermined arithmetic processing using the captured image data, and controls the focus lens, aperture, and shutter of the imaging unit 102 based on the obtained arithmetic results, thereby performing AF (autofocus) processing and AE (autoexposure) processing.

[0024] The nonvolatile memory 103 is an electrically erasable and recordable memory, such as an EEPROM. Constants and programs for the operation of the control unit 101 are recorded in the nonvolatile memory 103. The programs referred to here are programs for executing communication processing and control processing, which will be described later in this embodiment.

[0025] The working memory 104 is used as a working area for expanding constants and variables for the operation of the control unit 101, programs read from the nonvolatile memory 103, etc. The working memory 104 is also used as a buffer memory for temporarily storing image data captured by the imaging unit 102, and as an image display memory for the display unit 106.

[0026] The operation unit 105 is made up of operation members such as various switches, buttons, and a touch panel that accept various operations from the user. For example, as shown in FIGS. 2(b) and 2(c), the operation unit 105 includes a shutter button 105a for capturing an image, a playback button 105b for playing back the captured image, and a four-way key 105c consisting of up, down, left, and right buttons for configuring various camera settings. The operation unit 105 also includes a touch panel 105d that is integrally formed with the display unit 106 (described later). The operation unit 105 also includes operation members such as a dedicated connection button for starting communication with an external device via the communication unit 111 (described later).

[0027] The display unit 106 displays a viewfinder image during shooting, displays captured images, and displays text for interactive operation. The display unit 106 is, for example, a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display. The display unit 106 may be integrated with the camera device 100 or may be an external device connected to the camera device 100. The camera device 100 only needs to be able to connect to the display unit 106 and have a function for controlling the display on the display unit 106.

[0028] The audio input unit 107 collects audio around the camera device 100 using one or more microphones built into the camera device 100 or connected via an audio terminal, and converts the collected audio into an electrical signal. The audio input unit 107 converts the analog audio signal generated by collecting audio around the camera device 100 into a digital signal and outputs the digital signal to the control unit 101. The control unit 101 performs various audio processes on the digital signal generated by the audio input unit 107 to generate audio data. The microphone may be a directional microphone or a non-directional microphone. The control unit 101 compresses and encodes the audio data generated by the audio input unit 107 in WAV format or the like to generate an audio file, and records the audio file on the recording medium 110.

[0029] The recording medium 110 records image data output from the imaging unit 102 and audio data output from the audio input unit 107. Furthermore, the control unit 101 reads out image files and audio files stored on the recording medium 110 in playback mode. The recording medium 110 may be a memory card or hard disk drive attached to the camera device 100, or may be a flash memory or hard disk drive built into the camera device 100. It is sufficient for the camera device 100 to have at least a means for accessing the recording medium 110.

[0030] The communication unit 111 is an interface for connecting to an external device such as a mobile device 200. The camera device 100 of this embodiment can exchange data with the external device via the communication unit 111. For example, image data generated by the imaging unit 102 and audio data generated by the audio input unit 107 can be transmitted to the external device via the communication unit 111. In this embodiment, the communication unit 111 includes an interface for communicating with the external device via wireless LAN in accordance with the IEEE802.11 standard. The control unit 101 realizes wireless communication with the external device by controlling the communication unit 111. The communication method is not limited to wireless LAN, and can include, for example, an infrared communication interface, a wireless communication interface such as Wireless USB, or a wired communication interface such as a USB cable, HDMI (registered trademark), or IEEE1394.

[0031] The communication unit 111 of the camera device 100 in this embodiment has an AP mode in which it operates as an access point in infrastructure mode, and a CL mode in which it operates as a client in infrastructure mode. Operating the communication unit 111 in CL mode allows the camera device 100 in this embodiment to operate as a CL device in infrastructure mode. When operating as a CL device, the camera device 100 can connect to a nearby AP device and participate in a network formed by the AP device. Operating the communication unit 111 in AP mode also allows the camera device 100 in this embodiment to operate as a simple AP (hereinafter referred to as a simple AP), which is a type of AP but has more limited functionality. When the camera device 100 operates as a simple AP, the camera device 100 forms a network by itself. Peripheral devices of the camera device 100 recognize the camera device 100 as an AP device and can participate in the network formed by the camera device 100. It is assumed that a program for operating the camera device 100 as described above is stored in the non-volatile memory 103.

[0032] Although the camera device 100 in this embodiment is a type of AP, it is a simple AP that does not have a gateway function for transferring data received from a CL device to an Internet provider, etc. Therefore, even if the camera device 100 receives data from other devices participating in the network it has formed, it cannot transfer the data to a network such as the Internet.

[0033] <Directory Structure of Files Stored on Recording Medium 110> Next, the directory structure of files stored on the recording medium 110 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0034] The recording medium 110 is formatted with a file system such as exFAT (Extended File Allocation Table) that can be referenced from an OS (Operating System).

[0035] The control unit 101 records the video data generated by the imaging unit 102 as an MP4 video file under a directory "100_0420" (the last four characters are the current date) under the "DCIM" directory. The control unit 101 also generates a metadata file (accompanying information file) in which the metadata of the video file is written in XML (eXtensible Markup Language) format, based on the meta template information read from the nonvolatile memory 103. Metadata is additional information used for data management at the destination of the video data, and information such as the category, title, and comments of the video data is entered into the relevant tags of the XML file.

[0036] The control unit 101 records the audio data generated by the audio input unit 107 as a WAV format audio file under the "AUDIO" directory under the "PRIVATE" directory.

[0037] Furthermore, when video data and audio data are generated by the imaging unit 102 and audio input unit 107, the control unit 101 generates or updates a catalog file for file management under the "CANONMSC" directory under the "DCIM" directory. The catalog file records file information that associates the file names of files stored on the recording medium 110 with the recording dates and times.

[0038] The recording medium 110 stores moving image files recorded in MP4 format, metadata files recorded in XML format, audio files recorded in WAV format, and catalog files that manage file information for each file.

[0039] <Configuration of Mobile Device 200> Next, the configuration and functions of the mobile device 200 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0040] In this embodiment, we will discuss mobile devices such as smartphones, which are a type of mobile phone, but this is not limited to this and may also be digital cameras with communication functions, tablet devices, personal computers, wearable computers such as wristwatch-type smart watches and eyeglass-type smart glasses.

[0041] The mobile device 200 of this embodiment includes a control unit 201, an imaging unit 202, a non-volatile memory 203, a working memory 204, an operation unit 205, a display unit 206, a recording medium 210, and a communication unit 211. The basic functions of these elements are the same as those of the camera device 100, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0042] The nonvolatile memory 203 stores an OS (operating system), which is basic software executed by the control unit 201, and applications that work with the OS to realize applied functions. The nonvolatile memory 203 also stores an application for communicating with the camera device 100 and the server 300. The nonvolatile memory 203 also stores a file transfer application for communicating with the camera device 100 and the server 300. The nonvolatile memory 203 also stores a file management application that saves and manages image files such as still image data and video data acquired from the camera device 100, metadata files related to the image files, and audio files. The nonvolatile memory 203 also stores an image management application that saves and manages image files, metadata files related to the image files, and audio files acquired from the camera device 100.

[0043] The processing of the mobile device 200 in this embodiment is realized by loading software provided by an application. The application has software for utilizing the basic functions of the OS installed in the mobile device 200. The OS of the mobile device 200 may have software for realizing the processing in this embodiment.

[0044] The communication unit 211 includes a wireless communication interface for wirelessly communicating with external devices such as the camera device 100 and the server 300. The control unit 201 controls the communication unit 211 to achieve wireless communication with the external devices. The communication unit 211 may be directly connected to the camera device 100 and the server 300 or may be connected via an access point. A protocol for data communication may be, for example, PTP / IP (Picture Transfer Protocol over Internet Protocol) via a wireless LAN. However, communication between the camera device 100 and the server 300 is not limited to this. For example, the communication unit 211 may include a wireless communication module such as an infrared communication module, a Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication module, or a Wireless USB. Furthermore, a wired connection interface such as a USB cable, HDMI (registered trademark), or IEEE1394 may also be used.

[0045] The public network connection unit 213 is an interface used when performing wireless communication via a wide area network (WAN) such as 4G / LTE or 5G. The mobile device 200 can make calls and perform data communication with other devices via the public network connection unit 213. When making a call, the control unit 201 inputs and outputs audio signals via the microphone 214 and the speaker 215. In this embodiment, the public network connection unit 213 is not limited to 4G / LTE or 5G, and other communication methods such as local 5G, WiMAX, ADSL, and FTTH may also be used. In this embodiment, the public network connection unit 213 is an antenna, and the control unit 201 can connect to the public network via the antenna. .The communication unit 211 and the public network connection unit 213 do not necessarily have to be configured as independent hardware, and for example, one antenna can be used for both functions.

[0046] Since the communication speed achieved by the communication unit 211 is faster than the communication speed achieved by the public network connection unit 213, the mobile device 200 of this embodiment prioritizes communication via the communication unit 211 when it is not making a call with another device via the public network connection unit 213.

[0047] <Software Configuration of Mobile Device 200> Next, the software configuration of the mobile device 200 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0048] In the mobile device 200 of this embodiment, fixed data such as parameters and software such as firmware are stored in the nonvolatile memory 203 .

[0049] The recording medium 210 stores an OS 310, which is basic software executed by the control unit 201, and a file management application 306 and an image management application 308, which are application software executed by the control unit 201. Also stored as application software is a file transfer application 301, which has the function of connecting to the camera device 100, acquiring and saving files, and connecting to the server 300 and transferring files.

[0050] When the user turns on the power switch included in the operation unit 205 of the mobile device 200, the mobile device 200 starts up, and the control unit 201 reads the OS 310 from the recording medium 210, expands it in the working memory 204, and executes it. The control unit 201 also controls each component of the mobile device 200 in accordance with the OS 310 and the applications installed in the OS 310.

[0051] The OS 310 not only has the function of controlling each component of the mobile device 200 but also provides various services to applications. As a function of this embodiment, the OS 310 has a communication service 311.

[0052] The communication service 311 controls the on / off of the communication function, connection to an external device, and data communication with the connected external device. It also controls the provision of data obtained by the communication function to an application, and the sending and receiving of data to and from an external device in response to a request from the application.

[0053] The file management application 306 has a file management service 307 that manages files stored on the recording medium 210. The file management application 306 also controls reading of managed files from the recording medium 210 and writing of files to the recording medium 210 in response to requests from applications.

[0054] The image management application 308 has an image management service 309 that manages image files such as still images and videos stored on the recording medium 210. Unlike the file management application 306, the image management application 308 has functions specialized for managing image files, such as a function for displaying a list of thumbnails of image files and a function for frame-by-frame playback of video files. The image management application 308 also controls the reading of managed files from the recording medium 210 and the writing of files to the recording medium 210 in response to requests from applications.

[0055] It is assumed that the files managed by the file management application 306 and the files managed by the image management application 308 are stored in different areas of the recording medium 210 and cannot refer to each other.

[0056] Next, the file transfer application 301 of this embodiment will be described.

[0057] The file transfer application 301 generates a UI screen to be displayed on the display unit 206 in display control 302. The configuration of the UI screen will be described later with reference to FIG. 6.

[0058] In communication service control 303, the file transfer application 301 communicates with the camera device 100 using the communication service 311 to obtain the main body data of each file stored in the camera device 100, the list information of the files, and the file information of each file. Also, it reads the files stored in the recording medium 210 using the communication service 311 and transmits them to the server 300.

[0059] In file management service control 304, the file transfer application 301 uses the file management service 307 to write the main body data file held in the working memory 204 to the recording medium 210 and save it.

[0060] In image management service control 305, the file transfer application 301 uses the image management service 309 to write the main body data file held in the working memory 204 to the recording medium 210 and save it.

[0061] <Configuration of UI Screen> Next, with reference to FIG. 6, the configuration and functions of the UI screen provided by the file transfer application 301 will be described.

[0062] The UI screen 501 shown in FIG. 6(a) is a function selection screen displayed when the file transfer application 301 is started and connected to the camera device 100. The function selection screen 501 includes a button 502 for selecting the function of displaying the files stored in the camera device 100 and a button 503 for selecting the function of displaying the files stored in the recording medium 210 of the mobile device 200.

[0063] 6(b) is a list screen of files stored in the camera device 100 connected to the mobile device 200. The list screen 504 is displayed when the button 502 on the function selection screen 501 is tapped.

[0064] The list screen 504 includes a button 505 for returning to the previous screen, and buttons 506 and 507 for selecting the file reference destination recording medium 110 when the camera device 100 is equipped with multiple recording media 110. The list screen 504 in Fig. 6(b) shows a state in which the recording medium 110 of the button 506 with underlined text has been selected, and a list of files saved in the recording medium 110 displayed on the button 506 is displayed.

[0065] The components 508 to 514 on the list screen 504 in Fig. 6(b) are generated from list information and related information of files stored in the camera device 100 connected to the mobile device 200. The display contents of the components 508 to 512 will be described below, and a method for acquiring related information of files for displaying each of the components 508 to 512 will be described later with reference to Figs. 7 to 9.

[0066] Component 508 is a component that displays a thumbnail of the file; in the case of a moving image file, it displays the thumbnail attached to the moving image file, and in the case of an audio file, it displays an image indicating that it is an audio file stored in non-volatile memory 203.

[0067] Component 509 is an icon indicating that the video file or audio file is a proxy file. A proxy file is a file that has been made lighter in data by lowering the bit rate and resolution compared to a normal file, and the user can tell that a file is a proxy file by the fact that the fourth character in the file name is a "P." On the list screen 504 in FIG. 6(b), all the files are proxy files, so icon 509 is superimposed on all the thumbnails.

[0068] Component 510 is a character string indicating the name of the file, and component 511 is a character string indicating the recording date and time of the file.

[0069] A component 512 is an icon that indicates whether a metadata file indicating metadata of the video file is stored on the same recording medium.

[0070] Components 513 and 514 are icons that indicate the selected / unselected state of a file, and are displayed superimposed on thumbnail 508. Icon 513 indicates the selected state, and icon 514 indicates the unselected state. Each time thumbnail 508 of any file is tapped, the selected / unselected state of the file is switched, and the icon displayed according to the selected / unselected state of the file is switched to icon 513 or icon 514.

[0071] A button 515 is a button for starting saving a file from the camera device 100 to the mobile device 200. The file to be saved is a selected file.

[0072] Components 516 to 518 on the list screen 504 in FIG. 6(c) are buttons for selecting an application to save a file to be imported from the camera device 100 to the mobile device 200 when the camera device 100 is connected to the mobile device 200, and when button 515 on the list screen 504 in FIG. 6(b) is tapped, the components 516 to 518 are displayed superimposed on the list screen 504.

[0073] Component 516 is a button for selecting file management application 306 as the application to save the file to. When button 516 is tapped, a process is initiated in which a file saved in camera device 100 is transferred to mobile device 200 and saved in file management application 306. Here, the files to be saved by file management application 306 are selected files and metadata files related to the selected files.

[0074] Component 517 is a button for selecting image management application 308 as the application to save the file to. When button 517 is tapped, a process is initiated in which the file saved in camera device 100 is transferred to mobile device 200 and saved in image management application 308. Here, image management application 308 is an application that can manage image files, and therefore the files that image management application 308 can save are only selected video files.

[0075] A button 518 is a button for canceling the saving of the file. When the button 518 is tapped, the screen returns to the list screen 504 in FIG.

[0076] Components 519 to 521 on the function selection screen 501 of FIG. 6(d) are buttons for selecting the application to read from when reading a file from the recording medium 210, and when button 503 on the function selection screen 501 of FIG. 6(a) is tapped, they are displayed superimposed on the function selection screen 501 of FIG. 6(a).

[0077] Component 519 is a button for selecting the file management application 306 as the application from which the file is to be read. When button 519 is tapped, processing begins to read the file from the file management application 306. The selection screen for files to be managed by the file management application 306 will be described later with reference to FIG. 6(e).

[0078] Component 520 is a button for selecting image management application 308 as the application from which the file is to be read. When button 520 is tapped, processing begins to read the file from image management application 308. The selection screen for files to be managed by image management application 308 will be described later with reference to FIG. 6(f).

[0079] A button 521 is a button for canceling the reading of the file, and when the button 521 is tapped, the screen returns to the function selection screen 501 in FIG. 6(a).

[0080] 6(e) is a screen provided by the OS 310, and is a selection screen for selecting a file to read from among files managed by the file management application 306. When button 519 on the function selection screen 501 in FIG. 6(d) is tapped, selection screen 522 is displayed superimposed on function selection screen 501 in FIG. 6(a). In this embodiment, it is assumed that the files that can be selected on selection screen 522 are only video files in MP4 format and audio files in WAV format.

[0081] The selection screen 522 in FIG. 6(e) includes parts 523 to 529.

[0082] A component 523 is a button for returning to the previous screen, and when the return button 523 is tapped, the function selection screen 501 of FIG. 6(a) is displayed.

[0083] A component 524 is a button for completing the selection of a file, and when the button 524 is tapped, a list screen 535, which will be described later with reference to FIG. 6(g), is displayed.

[0084] Component 525 is a component that displays a thumbnail of the file; in the case of a moving image file, it displays the thumbnail attached to the moving image file, and in the case of an audio file, it displays an image indicating that it is an audio file stored in non-volatile memory 203.

[0085] Component 526 is a character string indicating the name of the file, and component 527 is a character string indicating the recording date and time of the file.

[0086] Components 528 and 529 are icons that indicate the selected / unselected state of a file, and are displayed superimposed on thumbnail 525. Icon 528 indicates the selected state, and icon 529 indicates the unselected state. Each time thumbnail 525 of any file is tapped, the selected / unselected state of the file is switched, and the icon displayed according to the selected / unselected state of the file is switched to icon 528 or icon 529.

[0087] The UI screen 530 shown in Fig. 6(f) is a screen provided by the OS 310, and is a selection screen for selecting a file to read from among files managed by the image management application 308. When the button 520 on the function selection screen 501 in Fig. 6(d) is tapped, the selection screen 530 is displayed superimposed on the function selection screen 501 in Fig. 6(a). In this embodiment, it is assumed that the only files that can be selected on the selection screen 530 are video files.

[0088] A button 531 is a button for canceling the file selection and returning to the previous screen, and when the back button 531 is tapped, the screen returns to the function selection screen 501 in FIG. 6(d).

[0089] Button 532 is a button for completing file selection, and when button 532 is tapped, a list screen 535, which will be described later with reference to FIG. 6(g), is displayed.

[0090] A component 533 is a component that displays a thumbnail of a file, and displays the thumbnail that is added to the video file.

[0091] Part 534 is an icon that indicates the selection state of a file, and is displayed superimposed on thumbnail 533. Icon 534 is displayed only when the file is in a selected state. When thumbnail 533 of a file is tapped, the file is switched between selected and unselected, and icon 534 is switched between displayed and hidden depending on the selected / unselected state of the file.

[0092] The UI screen 535 shown in FIG. 6(g) is a list screen of files selected on the selection screen 522 of FIG. 6(e) or the selection screen 530 of FIG. 6(f), and is displayed when the button 524 on the selection screen 522 of FIG. 6(e) or the button 532 on the selection screen 530 of FIG. 6(f) is tapped.

[0093] The parts 508 to 512 on the list screen 535 of Fig. 6(g) are similar to the parts 508 to 512 on the list screen 504 of Fig. 6(b), and are generated from the list information and related information of the file selected on the selection screen 522 of Fig. 6(e) or the selection screen 530 of Fig. 6(f) and read from the recording medium 210. A method for obtaining the related information of the file for displaying the parts 508 to 512 will be described later with reference to Figs. 10 to 12.

[0094] A button 505 is a button for returning to the previous screen, and when the button 505 is tapped, the screen returns to the function selection screen 501 in FIG. 6(a).

[0095] Button 536 is a button for starting the process of transmitting files from mobile device 200 to server 300. Files to be transmitted are all files displayed on list screen 535.

[0096] It is also possible to provide a function for transmitting files selected from the list screen 504 of FIG. 6(b) among files stored in the camera device 100 to the server 300 in a lump, without storing them in the mobile device 200.

[0097] <Functions of the File Transfer Application 301> Next, the functions of the file transfer application 301 of this embodiment will be described.

[0098] The file transfer application 301 of this embodiment has the following two functions.

[0099] The first function is to communicate with the camera device 100 and store video files, audio files, and metadata files acquired from the camera device 100 in the mobile device 200.

[0100] The second function is to communicate with the server 300 and transmit (upload) video files, audio files, and metadata files stored in the mobile device 200 to the server 300.

[0101] By using the first and second functions, the file transfer application 301 can transfer video files, audio files, and metadata files stored in the camera device 100 to the server 300 via the mobile device 200.

[0102] Here, when the file transfer application 301 of this embodiment communicates with the camera device 100, imports a file stored in the camera device 100 into the image management application 308, and then reads the file from the image management application 308 and sends it to the server 300, there is a possibility that the file transfer application 301 will not be able to realize the first and second functions.

[0103] When importing a file stored in the camera device 100 into the image management application 308, the mobile device 200 communicates with the camera device 100 and acquires the video file, audio file, and metadata file stored in the camera device 100. Next, the mobile device 200, in image management service control 305 of the file transfer application 301, uses the image management service 309 of the image management application 308 to store the file acquired from the camera device 100 in the recording medium 210.

[0104] However, as described above, the image management service 309 of the image management application 308 has functions specialized for image files such as still images and videos. Therefore, the file transfer application 301 imports image files but not metadata files into the image management application 308. Therefore, in the mobile device 200, video files acquired from the camera device 100 are stored in the recording medium 210, but metadata files are not stored in the recording medium 210.

[0105] When the mobile device 200 communicates with the server 300, reads a video file stored on the recording medium 210, and transmits it to the server 300, the video file is stored on the recording medium 210, but the metadata file for the video file is not recorded on the recording medium 210. Therefore, the mobile device 200 can transmit the video file to the server 300, but cannot transfer the metadata file. In other words, the metadata file is lost during the transfer of the video file and metadata file from the camera device 100 to the server 300 via the mobile device 200.

[0106] The operation of the mobile device 200 of this embodiment to solve the above-mentioned problems will be described below.

[0107] When a video file stored in the camera device 100 is imported into the image management application 308, the mobile device 200, under control 305 of the image management service of the file transfer application 301, stores the video file (main data file) in an area of ​​the recording medium 210 for recording files of the image management application 308 (hereinafter referred to as the image management application area).Then, the mobile device 200 stores the metadata file of the video file in an area of ​​the recording medium 210 for recording files managed by the file transfer application 301 (hereinafter referred to as the file transfer application area).

[0108] The file transfer application area is an area different from the image management application area and the area in which files managed by the file management application 306 are recorded (hereinafter referred to as the file management application area).

[0109] Next, when reading a video file from the image management application 308 and transmitting it to the server 300, the mobile device 200 reads the video file stored in the image management application area by the communication service control 303 of the file transfer application 301. The mobile device 200 also reads the metadata file of the video file from the file transfer application area. The mobile device 200 then transmits the video file and the metadata file to the server 300.

[0110] Here, the mobile device 200 of this embodiment reads a video file from the image management application 308, and then reads a metadata file corresponding to the video file. For this reason, it is necessary to identify the metadata file corresponding to the video file from among the files saved in the file transfer application area of ​​the file transfer application 301.

[0111] 3, the character string before the filename extension of the video file and the metadata file stored in the camera device 100 of this embodiment is the same. Therefore, the following method can be considered as a method for the mobile device 200 to identify the metadata file corresponding to the video file.

[0112] The mobile device 200 saves the video file received from the camera device 100 in an image management application area, using the file name of the video file stored in the camera device 100. On the other hand, the mobile device 200 saves the metadata file received from the camera device 100 in a file transfer application area, using the file name of the metadata file stored in the camera device 100.

[0113] After reading the video file from the image management application area, the mobile device 200 determines whether the character string before the filename extension of the video file and each file stored in the file transfer application area are the same. If the result of the determination is that the character string before the filename extension is the same, the mobile device 200 determines that the file is the metadata file of the video file. This identifies the metadata file corresponding to the video file.

[0114] On the other hand, the mobile device 200 may not be able to uniquely identify a metadata file corresponding to a video file by simply determining the file name as described above. For example, when the camera device 100 records a video file, the file name is assigned so that there are no more files with the same name on the recording medium 110. However, if multiple removable recording media 110 are attached to the camera device 100, file names may be duplicated between different recording media. Furthermore, in a naming rule that assigns sequential numbers to files for management, resetting the sequential numbers assigned by the camera device 100 may result in the file name being duplicated with a video file recorded in the past.

[0115] For this reason, even if multiple different video files with the same file name are stored in the image management application area, the mobile device 200 needs to manage multiple metadata files corresponding to those video files and uniquely identify the metadata file corresponding to the read video file.

[0116] The following describes a method for the mobile device 200 to newly associate a video file stored in the image management application area with a metadata file stored in the file transfer application area.

[0117] When the mobile device 200 of this embodiment reads a video file from the image management application 308, it determines whether the file names of the saved video file and the metadata file are the same. Furthermore, the mobile device 200 determines whether the video file and the metadata file are associated by an association method, and identifies the metadata file corresponding to the video file.

[0118] The association method of this embodiment and the method for determining whether association has been established by the association method will be described later with reference to FIGS.

[0119] <Processing for Acquiring File List Information and File Information> First, a process in which the mobile device 200 acquires file list information, file information and main data of each file from the camera device 100 will be described.

[0120] In this embodiment, a content ID for identifying each file is recorded in the files stored in the camera device 100. When acquiring file information or main data from the camera device 100, the mobile device 200 transmits a file acquisition request using the content ID.

[0121] File information varies depending on the file type. The file information for a video file includes the file name and recording information when the video was recorded. The recording information includes information at the time of shooting, such as the recording date and time, recording time, and file size. The file information for a metadata file also includes the file name.

[0122] When button 502 is tapped on function selection screen 501 in FIG. 6(a), mobile device 200 transmits a request to acquire a content ID list, which lists the content IDs of all files stored in camera device 100 as file list information, and acquires the content ID list from camera device 100. Then, mobile device 200 transmits a request to acquire file information for each content ID included in the content ID list and acquires the file information from camera device 100. Mobile device 200 generates list screen 504 in FIG. 6(b) using the file information of each file acquired from camera device 100, and displays it on display unit 206.

[0123] <Saving and reading processes for video files and metadata files> Next, we will explain the saving process in which the mobile device 200 saves a video file and a metadata file on the recording medium 210 when a file saved in the camera device 100 is imported into the image management application 308 of the mobile device 200. We will also explain the reading process in which the mobile device 200 reads a video file and a metadata file from the recording medium 210 when a file is read from the image management application 308 of the mobile device 200 and sent to the server 300.

[0124] In this embodiment, an example of a method for associating a video file with a metadata file is described in which, when the file is saved, the recording date and time of the video file obtained from the camera device 100 is overwritten with the creation date and time and update date and time in the directory entry of the metadata file.

[0125] When reading a file, the mobile device 200 acquires the recording date and time from the recording information of the video file, and if the recording date and time are the same as the creation date and time or update date and time of the metadata file, it determines that the video file and the metadata file are associated.The mobile device 200 then identifies the metadata file corresponding to the video file by combining this with determining whether the file names of the video file and the metadata file are the same.

[0126] Furthermore, the recording medium 210 of the mobile device 200 is formatted according to a file system such as FAT (File Allocation Table). FAT can record metadata related to the main data of a file in a directory entry of the file system as an XML (eXtensible Markup Language) file. A directory entry is an area of ​​a directory where the file name, file attributes (extension), etc. are recorded. The metadata includes, for example, the file name, creator, creation date and time, update date and time, storage location, file size, and a pointer indicating the storage location of the main data.

[0127] <Saving Process of Video File and Metadata File by Mobile Device 200> Next, the saving process of video file and metadata file by the mobile device 200 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0128] 7 is realized by the control unit 201 of the mobile device 200 expanding into the working memory 204 and executing the program of the application (or the function of the application, or the OS or OS service, etc.) stored in the nonvolatile memory 203. The process of FIG. 7 is triggered by tapping the button 517 on the selection screen 504 of FIG. 6(c) that sets the save destination to the image management application 308.

[0129] In S701, the control unit 201 adds all content IDs of video files selected on the list screen 504 in Fig. 6(b) to a requested video list. The requested video list is a list of content IDs of video files that are requested to be acquired from the camera device 100. The content IDs of the video files are included in the content ID list acquired from the camera device 100 described above, and are information for identifying the video files that are requested to be acquired from the camera device 100.

[0130] Furthermore, since the image management application 308 only stores moving image files, among the selected files, the content IDs of audio files are not added to the list, and only the content IDs of moving image files are added to the content ID list.

[0131] In steps S702 to S712, the processing of steps S703 to S711 is repeatedly executed for each content ID in the requested moving image list.

[0132] In S703, the control unit 201 transmits, via the communication unit 211 to the camera device 100, a request to acquire the moving image file (main data file) corresponding to the content ID to be processed.

[0133] In S704, the control unit 201 determines whether or not a video file has been received from the camera device 100 within a predetermined time period via the communication unit 211. If the control unit 201 determines that a video file has been received from the camera device 100, the process proceeds to S705, and if the control unit 201 determines that a video file has not been received from the camera device 100, the process returns to S704 and waits again for reception of the video file.

[0134] In S705, the control unit 201 saves the video file received in S704 in the image management application area of ​​the recording medium 210. The control unit 201 also creates a directory entry for the saved video file and records the file name of the video file in the file name field in the directory entry. The file name is the file name included in the file information of each file acquired from the camera device 100 described above.

[0135] In S706, the control unit 201 determines whether a metadata file corresponding to the video file saved in S705 is saved in the camera device 100. Here, a metadata file in which the character string after the "." (dot) in the file name is "XML" and the character string before the "." (dot) in the file name is the same as that of the video file is determined to be the metadata file corresponding to the video file saved in S705. The file name is the file name included in the file information of each file acquired from the camera device 100 described above. The control unit 201 refers to all file information, and if it determines that a metadata file corresponding to the video file saved in S705 exists, the process proceeds to S707, and if it determines that a metadata file does not exist, the process proceeds to S711.

[0136] In S707, the control unit 201 transmits a request to acquire the metadata file to the camera device 100 via the communication unit 211, using the content ID of the metadata file identified in S706.

[0137] In S708, the control unit 201 determines whether or not the communication unit 211 has received a metadata file from the camera device 100 within a predetermined time. If the control unit 201 determines that the metadata file has been received from the camera device 100, the process proceeds to S709. If the control unit 201 determines that the metadata file has not been received from the camera device 100, the process returns to S708 and the control unit 201 waits again for reception of the metadata file.

[0138] In S709, the control unit 201 saves the metadata file received in S708 in the file transfer application area of ​​the recording medium 210. The control unit 201 also creates a directory entry for the saved metadata file and records the file name of the saved metadata file as the file name in the directory entry. The file name is the file name included in the file information of each file acquired from the camera device 100 described above.

[0139] Furthermore, some file systems have restrictions that prevent multiple files with the same file name from being recorded in one directory in the file transfer application area. Therefore, in S709, the control unit 201 creates a new directory in the file system of the file transfer application area of ​​the recording medium 210. The control unit 201 then sets a random number value for the directory name of the created directory, which will result in a destination file path that is different from other files already in the file transfer application area. The control unit 201 then records the metadata file received in S708 in the newly created directory. This makes it possible to store multiple files with the same file name in the file transfer application area of ​​the recording medium 210.

[0140] In S710, the control unit 201 overwrites the creation date and time and update date and time in the directory entry of the metadata file created in S709 with the recording date and time. The recording date and time is the recording date and time included in the file information acquired from the camera device 100. As a result, the creation date and time and update date and time in the directory entry of the metadata file become the recording date and time described in the recording information of the video file corresponding to the metadata file.

[0141] In S711, the control unit 201 deletes the current content ID from the requested moving image list as having been processed.

[0142] In S712, the control unit 201 returns the process to S702 to process the next content ID in the requested moving image list, and ends the process if processing has been completed for all content IDs. The control unit 201 can determine whether processing has been completed for all content IDs by determining that no content IDs remain in the requested moving image list (the requested moving image list is empty).

[0143] In the present embodiment, an example has been described in which both the creation date and time and the update date and time of a file are rewritten, but it is also possible to rewrite either the creation date and time or the update date and time of a file.

[0144] Furthermore, the area in which the recording date and time are recorded is not limited to the creation date and time or update date and time in the directory entry of the metadata file, but may also be recorded in, for example, the file size or other file attribute items in the directory entry.

[0145] <File Reading Process by Mobile Device 200> Next, the reading process of a video file and a metadata file by the mobile device 200 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0146] The process in Fig. 8 is realized by the control unit 201 of the mobile device 200 expanding the program of the application (or the function of the application, or the OS or OS service, etc.) stored in the nonvolatile memory 203 into the working memory 204 and executing it. The process in Fig. 8 is triggered by tapping the button 532 for completing the file selection on the selection screen 530 in Fig. 6(f).

[0147] In S801, the control unit 201 adds all management IDs of video files selected on the selection screen 530 of FIG. 6(f) to the read video list. The read video list is a list of management IDs of video files to be read from the image management application area of ​​the recording medium 210. The management ID is information for identifying video files stored in the image management application area of ​​the recording medium 210. The control unit 201 generates a management ID corresponding to the video file when saving the video file and records it on the recording medium 210. By specifying the management ID, the control unit 201 acquires the video file corresponding to the management ID in the image management application area and the file name in the directory entry of the video file. Note that a file path indicating the storage location of the video file in the image management application area may be used instead of the management ID.

[0148] In steps S802 to S813, the processing of steps S803 to S812 is repeatedly executed for each management ID of the read moving image list.

[0149] In S803, the control unit 201 uses the management ID of the read moving image list to identify the file path of the image management application area and acquires the moving image file (main data file).

[0150] In S804, the control unit 201 adds the video file read in S803 to a transmission file list. The transmission file list is a list of files to be transmitted to the server 300. When a button 536 for starting transmission of files to the server 300 is tapped on the selected file list screen 535 in FIG. 6(g), the control unit 201 transmits all files in the transmission file list to the server 300.

[0151] In S805, the control unit 201 analyzes the recording information of the moving image file to acquire the recording date and time. The recording information is the recording information included in the moving image file read in S803.

[0152] In steps S806 to S811, the processes of steps S807 to S810 are repeatedly executed for all metadata files stored in the file transfer application area of ​​the recording medium 210.

[0153] The control unit 201 sequentially refers to the directory entries in which the metadata files in the file transfer application area are recorded, and acquires a pointer indicating the address where the directory entry information and metadata body of each metadata file are recorded.

[0154] In S807, the control unit 201 compares the file name in the directory entry of the metadata file with the file name of the video file read using the management ID in S803, and determines whether the characters before the "." (dot) in the file name are the same. If the control unit 201 determines that the file names are the same, the process proceeds to S808, and if it determines that the file names are not the same, the process proceeds to S811.

[0155] In S808, the control unit 201 compares the creation date and time in the directory entry of the metadata file with the recording date and time acquired in S805, and determines whether they are the same. If the control unit 201 determines that the dates and times are the same, the process proceeds to S809, and if it determines that the dates and times are not the same, the process proceeds to S811.

[0156] In S809, the control unit 201 reads the metadata body from the file transfer application area using a pointer indicating the address of the recording destination of the metadata body in the directory entry of the metadata file.

[0157] In S810, the control unit 201 adds the metadata file read in S809 to the transmission file list, which is the transmission file list used in S804.

[0158] In S811, the control unit 201 returns the process to S806 to process the next metadata file stored in the file transfer application area. If the control unit 201 has completed processing all metadata files stored in the file transfer application area, the control unit 201 proceeds to S812.

[0159] In S812, the control unit 201 deletes the current management ID from the read moving image list as having been processed.

[0160] In S813, the control unit 201 returns the process to S802 to process the next management ID in the read moving image list, and ends the process if the process has been completed for all management IDs. The control unit 201 can determine whether the process has been completed for all management IDs by determining that no management IDs remain in the read moving image list (the read moving image list is empty).

[0161] <Modification> In the above-described embodiment, the video file and the metadata file are associated by rewriting the creation date and update date of the metadata file's directory entry to the recording date and time of the video file. Furthermore, to identify the metadata file, a combination of determining whether the video file and the metadata file are associated and determining whether the video file and the metadata file have the same file name is performed. However, the method for identifying the metadata file is not limited to this.

[0162] For example, when saving a metadata file, the association can be made by recording the recording date and time of the video file in the directory name of the directory in which the metadata file is stored, and a method can be considered in which the determination of whether the association has been made is combined with a determination of whether the file names of the video file and the metadata file are the same.

[0163] The flowchart in Figure 7 shows an example in which multiple files with the same file name can be saved by storing files in separate directories with random number values ​​as directory names. This association method records the recording date and time of the video file instead of random number values. When this association method is used, during the file saving process in Figure 7, mobile device 200 creates a new directory, records the recording date and time in the directory name, and then saves the metadata file in the newly created directory.

[0164] As a method for determining whether or not a directory whose name is the same as the recording date and time exists in the file transfer application area during the read process of Fig. 8, the control unit 201 first determines whether or not the directory exists in the file transfer application area during the read process of Fig. 8. If the directory exists, the control unit 201 determines that the file recorded in the directory is a metadata file associated with the video file.

[0165] Furthermore, the metadata file corresponding to the moving image file is identified by determining from the files recorded in the directory those metadata files whose filenames before the filename extension are the same as the moving image file's filename.

[0166] Another example is a method of storing a metadata management table that manages metadata files in the file transfer application area of ​​the recording medium 210. The metadata management table is a list of information blocks for each metadata file. Each information block contains the file path to the recording area of ​​one metadata file stored in the file transfer application area, and the file name and recording date and time of the video file corresponding to that metadata file, all of which are recorded in association with each other as a single information block.

[0167] When this association method is used, during the processing of Figure 7, if mobile device 200 saves a video file and then saves a metadata file corresponding to the video file, it records the file name of the video file, the recording date and time, and the file path to the recording area of ​​the recorded metadata body as a single information block in the metadata management table.

[0168] The method for determining whether or not a file has been associated using this association method is as follows: In the process of Fig. 8, after a video file is read in the mobile device 200, when the metadata file is read from the file transfer application area, it is determined whether the file name and recording date and time of the read video file match the file name and recording date and time recorded in each information block of the metadata management table. After that, the metadata file is specified and read from the file path described in the information block where both match.

[0169] Note that instead of the two pieces of information, the file name and recording date and time of the video file, the information recorded in each information block of the metadata management table may be a management ID corresponding to the video file, which is generated by the image management application 308 when the video file is saved in S705 of Fig. 7. In this case, association can be determined by comparing the management ID of the read video file with the management ID recorded in each information block.

[0170] Furthermore, the association method using the metadata management table does not determine whether the file names of the saved video file and the metadata file are the same, so there is no need to save the metadata file with the file name saved in the camera device 100.

[0171] [Other embodiments] The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that realizes one or more functions of each embodiment to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and having one or more processors in the computer of the system or device read and execute the program. The present invention can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

[0172] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following claims are appended to apprise the public of the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0173] 100...camera device, 101...control unit, 102...imaging unit, 106...display unit, 107...audio input unit, 111...communication unit, 200...mobile device, 201...control unit, 205...operation unit, 206...display unit, 210...recording medium, 211...communication unit, 300...server

Claims

1. A communication device that communicates with an external device, an acquisition means for acquiring an image file and an accompanying information file relating to the image file from a first external device; a control means for transmitting to a second external device the image file read by an image management application that can save the image file but cannot save the incidental information file, and the incidental information file associated with the image file read by a file transfer application that saves the incidental information file associated with the image file saved in the image management application; the file transfer application associates the additional information file with the image file by rewriting at least one of the creation date and time and the update date and time written in the directory area of ​​the additional information file with the recording date and time of the image file; A communication device characterized in that, when acquiring the image file from the first external device, the control means requests a list of files stored in the first external device from the first external device, and receives from the first external device an image file and an accompanying information file selected from the list of files received from the first external device.

2. the control means determines whether or not the additional information file corresponding to the image file received from the first external device exists; If the image file received from the first external device has an associated additional information file, information relating to the recording date and time of the image file is acquired from the image file to be used for associating the image file with the associated additional information file. A communication device as described in claim 1, characterized in that when the image file is saved in the image management application, the additional information file is associated with the image file using information regarding the recording date and time of the image file and saved in the file transfer application.

3. When transmitting the image file stored in the image management application to the second external device, the control means acquires information regarding the recording date and time of the image file from the image file read by the image management application, and reads the incidental information file associated with the image file based on the information regarding the recording date and time of the image file using the file transfer application; 3. The communication device according to claim 2, wherein the image file and the additional information file are transmitted to the second external device.

4. The communication device described in claim 3, characterized in that the control means determines whether or not there is an additional information file associated with the image file based on information regarding the recording date and time of the image file, and if there is an additional information file associated with the image file, reads the additional information file using the file transfer application.

5. 5. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the file transfer application uses the recording date and time of the image file as the directory name of the directory of the additional information file stored in the file transfer application.

6. A communication device described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the file transfer application records the file name of the image file, the recording date and time of the image file, and the storage location of the additional information file in a management table that associates the image file stored in the image management application with the additional information file stored in the file transfer application.

7. the first external device is an imaging device that captures an image and generates the image file; the second external device is a server that manages the image file, the image file is a video file, 7. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the additional information file is a metadata file related to the video file.

8. 1. A method performed by a communication device for communicating with an external device, comprising: acquiring an image file and an accompanying information file related to the image file from a first external device; transmitting to a second external device the image file read by an image management application that can save the image file but cannot save the incidental information file, and the incidental information file associated with the image file read by a file transfer application that saves the incidental information file associated with the image file saved in the image management application; the file transfer application associates the additional information file with the image file by rewriting at least one of the creation date and time and the update date and time written in the directory area of ​​the additional information file with the recording date and time of the image file; A control method for a communication device, characterized in that when acquiring the image file from the first external device, a list of files stored in the first external device is requested from the first external device, and an image file and an accompanying information file selected from the list of files received from the first external device are received from the first external device.

9. A program for causing a computer to function as each of the means of the communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

Images