Communication device, control method, and program

Abstract

To transfer contents so as not to exceed an upper limit of the amount of data that can be received at a transfer destination.SOLUTION: A transfer device has: transfer means that transfers contents to a transfer destination; extraction means that extracts a predetermined content with the maximum amount of data from the contents to be transferred; and presentation means that presents the amount of data in the predetermined content after compression processing before transferring the contents.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5B

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, in the mass media industry such as news agencies and communication companies, there has been an increasing need to quickly deliver content such as images and voices captured at the scene of an interview to the company, and various content transfer solutions via network communications have been provided. For example, as an application of a mobile device, there is provided a mobile application having a function of transmitting content such as still images, moving images, and voices generated by an imaging device to a mobile device such as a smartphone and transmitting it from the mobile device to an external server by a communication method such as FTP (File Transfer Protocol) via a network (Transfer&Tagging (Sony Corporation)).

[0003] Transfer destinations such as news agencies and communication companies specify the file size of the content to be delivered because they cannot deliver the content if it exceeds the upper limit of the receivable data volume. At the transfer source such as the interview site, the file size of the content is checked and delivered so as not to exceed the specified file size. Also, at the transfer source, in order to reduce the file size of the content acquired from the imaging device, compression processing of the content is performed.

Prior Art Documents

Non-Patent Documents

[0004]

Non-Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] When compressing multiple content files and transferring them to a destination, the source files are checked for file size after compression to ensure that the destination does not exceed its data capacity. Calculating the file size after compression of multiple content files takes time for content acquisition and compression, and it is difficult to deliver the files quickly because the compression settings are adjusted while checking the file size after compression.

[0006] Furthermore, Non-Patent Document 1 calculates the file size of multiple compressed content items by using the file size of one randomly selected piece of content as a reference value. However, if the file size of the randomly selected piece of content is smaller than that of the unselected content, the file size of the multiple compressed content items may exceed the upper limit of the amount of data that can be received at the destination.

[0007] This invention has been made in view of the above problems, and its purpose is to realize a technology for transferring content so as not to exceed the upper limit of the amount of data that can be received at the destination. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the above problems and achieve the objective, the communication device of the present invention is: A first acquisition means for acquiring data of the content and supplementary information including the data volume of the content from an external device; a display means for displaying the supplementary information for each piece of content; a second acquisition means for acquiring a predetermined content from the external device, which has the largest data volume among the content corresponding to the multiple pieces of supplementary information determined to be transfer targets when the multiple pieces of supplementary information displayed on the display means are determined to be transfer targets; a display control means for displaying the compressed data volume of the predetermined content on the display means; and a transfer means for acquiring each piece of content corresponding to the multiple pieces of supplementary information from the external device and transferring it to the transfer destination when a transfer operation is performed after the display of the compressed data volume of the predetermined content. , has. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, content can be transferred in a manner that does not exceed the upper limit of the amount of data that can be received at the destination. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] A diagram illustrating the system configuration of this embodiment. [Figure 2] A block diagram illustrating the configuration of the imaging device according to this embodiment. [Figure 3]A block diagram illustrating the configuration of the communication device according to this embodiment. [Figure 4] A diagram illustrating the application screen of the communication device according to this embodiment. [Figure 5A] A flowchart illustrating the control process of the communication device according to this embodiment. [Figure 5B] A flowchart illustrating the control process of the communication device according to this embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] The embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention as defined in the claims. While the embodiments describe multiple features, not all of these features are essential to the invention, and the features may be combined in any way. Furthermore, in the attached drawings, identical or similar configurations are given the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0012] <System Configuration> First, the system configuration of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 1.

[0013] In this embodiment, the system comprises an imaging device 100, a communication device 200, and a content management device 300, all of which are connected in a communication manner.

[0014] The imaging device 100 and the communication device 200 are connected by a wireless antenna or wired cable, and can communicate using wireless or wired communication methods. The imaging device 100 can transfer the video file created by video recording processing to the communication device 200.

[0015] The communication device 200 and the content management device 300 are connected via a communication line such as mobile data communication, and image files stored in the communication device 200 can be transferred to the content management device 300.

[0016] The content management device 300 is a device that provides services related to content. The content management device 300 is an FTP server that transfers files to and from an FTP client according to the File Transfer Protocol (FTP). The communication device 200 is connected to the FTP server so as to be communicable as an FTP client. Note that the communication protocol of this embodiment is not limited to FTP, and may be FTPS (File Transfer Protocol over SSL / TLS), SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol), or the like.

[0017] Note that the system configuration of this embodiment is an example. For example, without depending on mobile data communication, the imaging device 100, the communication device 200, and the content management device 300 may be connected to the same network via an access point such as a wireless local area network (LAN), and a file transfer process may be performed between the devices.

[0018] <Device Configuration> Next, referring to FIG. 2, the configuration and functions of the imaging device 100 of this embodiment will be described.

[0019] FIG. 2(a) is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the imaging device 100 of this embodiment.

[0020] In this embodiment, the case where the imaging device is a digital video camera will be described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and an information processing device such as a tablet computer or a personal computer having a camera function and a communication function, a media player, a surveillance camera, a medical camera, or the like may be used. Further, the imaging device 100 may be a device that records, plays back, and edits video.

[0021] The control unit 101 is a processing unit (CPU) that comprehensively controls the entire imaging device 100, and by executing a program stored in the non-volatile memory 103 (described later), it realizes the communication processing and control processing described later. Alternatively, instead of the control unit 101 controlling the entire device, multiple hardware components may share the processing to control the entire device.

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

[0023] The control unit 101 performs resizing and color conversion processing on the image data captured by the imaging unit 102, such as pixel interpolation and reduction. The control unit 101 also compresses and encodes the processed still image data in JPEG format or other formats, and encodes video data using a video compression method such as MP4 format to generate image files, which are then recorded on the recording medium 110. In the imaging device 100 of this embodiment, the 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 calculation processing using the captured image data, and based on the obtained calculation results, the control unit 101 controls the focus lens, aperture, and shutter of the imaging unit 102 to perform AF (autofocus) processing and AE (automatic exposure) processing.

[0024] The non-volatile memory 103 is an electrically erasable and recordable memory, such as an EEPROM. Constants for the operation of the control unit 101, a program, and the like are stored in the non-volatile memory 103. The program referred to here is a program for executing the communication processing and control processing described later in this embodiment.

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

[0026] The operation unit 105 consists of various operating elements such as switches, buttons, and a touch panel that accept various operations from the user. For example, as shown in Figures 2(b) and 2(c), the operation unit 105 includes a shutter button 105a for taking pictures, a playback button 105b for playing back captured images, and a four-way key 105c consisting of up, down, left, and right buttons for making various camera settings. The touch panel 105d, which is integrally formed with the display unit 106 described later, is also included in the operation unit 105. Furthermore, the operation unit 105 includes operating elements 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 the viewfinder image during shooting, displays the captured image, 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 imaging device 100, or it may be an external device connected to the imaging device 100. The imaging device 100 only needs to be able to connect to the display unit 106 and have the function to control the display of the display unit 106.

[0028] The recording medium 110 records image data output from the imaging unit 102. The control unit 101 reads image files stored on the recording medium 110 in playback mode. The recording medium 110 may be a memory card or hard disk drive mounted in the imaging device 100, or it may be a flash memory or hard disk drive built into the imaging device 100. The imaging device 100 only needs to have means to access the recording medium 110.

[0029] The communication unit 111 is an interface for connecting to an external device such as a communication device 200. The imaging device 100 in this embodiment can exchange data with an external device via the communication unit 111. For example, image data generated by the imaging unit 102 can be transmitted to an external device via the communication unit 111. In this embodiment, the communication unit 111 includes an interface for communicating with an external device via wireless LAN in accordance with the IEEE 802.11 standard. The control unit 101 realizes wireless communication with the external device by controlling the communication unit 111. Note that the communication method is not limited to wireless LAN, and can include, for example, an infrared communication interface, a wireless communication interface such as WirelessUSB, or a wired communication interface such as a USB cable, HDMI (registered trademark), or IEEE 1394.

[0030] In this embodiment, the communication unit 111 of the imaging device 100 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. By operating the communication unit 111 in CL mode, the imaging device 100 in this embodiment can operate as a CL device in infrastructure mode. When the imaging device 100 operates as a CL device, it can connect to surrounding AP devices and participate in the network formed by AP devices. Furthermore, by operating the communication unit 111 in AP mode, the imaging device 100 in this embodiment can also operate as a simpler AP (hereinafter referred to as a simplified AP), although it is a type of AP, with more limited functionality. When the imaging device 100 operates as a simplified AP, the imaging device 100 forms its own network. Peripheral devices of the imaging device 100 recognize the imaging device 100 as an AP device and can participate in the network formed by the imaging device 100. The program for operating the imaging device 100 as described above is stored in the non-volatile memory 103.

[0031] In this embodiment, although the imaging device 100 is a type of AP, it is a simple AP that does not have a gateway function to transfer data received from CL equipment to an Internet provider or the like. Therefore, even if it receives data from other devices participating in the network it has formed, it cannot transfer that data to the Internet or other networks.

[0032] Next, with reference to Figure 3, the configuration and functions of the communication device 200 of this embodiment will be described.

[0033] In this embodiment, the communication device is described as a mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet computer, but it is not limited to these, and may also be a digital camera with communication capabilities, a tablet computer, a personal computer, a smartwatch, smart glasses, or other wearable computer.

[0034] The communication device 200 of this embodiment comprises 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 imaging device 100, and a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0035] The non-volatile memory 203 stores the operating system (OS), which is the basic software executed by the control unit 201, and applications that work in cooperation with the OS to realize advanced functions. The non-volatile memory 203 also stores applications for communication with the imaging device 100 and the content management device 300. Furthermore, the non-volatile memory 203 stores file transfer applications for communication with the imaging device 100 and the content management device 300. Finally, the non-volatile memory 203 stores applications for saving and managing image files, such as still image data and video data acquired from the imaging device 100.

[0036] The processing of the communication device 200 in this embodiment is achieved by loading software provided by an application. The application is assumed to have software for utilizing the basic functions of the OS installed on the communication device 200. The OS of the communication device 200 may also have software for implementing the processing in this embodiment.

[0037] The communication unit 211 includes a wireless communication interface for wirelessly communicating with external devices such as the imaging device 100 and the content management device 300. The control unit 201 enables wireless communication with external devices by controlling the communication unit 211. The communication unit 211 may be directly connected to the imaging device 100 and the content management device 300, or it may be connected via an access point. As a protocol for communicating data, for example, PTP / IP (Picture Transfer Protocol over Internet Protocol) can be used via a wireless LAN. However, the communication of the imaging device 100 and the content management device 300 is not limited to this. For example, the communication unit 211 may include wireless communication modules such as an infrared communication module, a Bluetooth® communication module, or WirelessUSB. Furthermore, wired connection interfaces such as a USB cable, HDMI®, or IEEE1394 may also be used.

[0038] 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 communication device 200 can make calls and perform data communication with other devices via the public network connection unit 213. During a call, the control unit 201 inputs and outputs voice signals via the microphone 214 and speaker 215. In this embodiment, the public network connection unit 213 is not limited to 4G / LTE or 5G, but may also use other communication methods such as local 5G, WiMAX, ADSL, or FTTH. 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. Note that the communication unit 211 and the public network connection unit 213 can also be shared by a single antenna. Note that the communication unit 211 and the public network connection unit 213 do not necessarily need to be configured with independent hardware; for example, they can be shared by a single antenna.

[0039] Furthermore, 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 communication device 200 in this embodiment prioritizes communication via the communication unit 211 when it is not making calls to other devices via the public network connection unit 213.

[0040] <Control Processing> Next, the control process of the communication device 200 in this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 4, 5A, and 5B.

[0041] In this embodiment, an example is described where the content is an image file, but the content is not limited to an image file and may be an audio file or the like.

[0042] Figure 4 illustrates an application screen that implements the control processing of the communication device 200 in this embodiment. Figures 5A and 5B are flowcharts illustrating the control processing of the communication device 200.

[0043] The processes shown in Figures 5A and 5B are realized when the control unit 201 of the communication device 200 loads the application (or application functions, or the OS or OS services, etc.) program stored in the non-volatile memory 203 into the working memory 204 and executes it. Furthermore, the processes shown in Figures 5A and 5B are triggered when the file transfer application that implements the control processing of the communication device 200 in this embodiment is launched, the application screen 400A shown in Figure 4(a) is displayed on the display unit 206, and the user operates the operation unit 205 to select either the external content viewing menu 401 or the internal content viewing menu 402 shown in Figure 4(a).

[0044] In step S501, the control unit 201 determines whether the external content viewing menu 401 on the application screen 400A shown in Figure 4(a) has been selected by the user operating the operation unit 205. By selecting the external content viewing menu 401 on the application screen 400A shown in Figure 4(a), the user can view a list of content owned by the imaging device 100. If the control unit 201 determines that the external content viewing menu 401 on the application screen 400A shown in Figure 4(a) has been selected, the process proceeds to step S503. If the control unit 201 determines that the external content viewing menu 401 on the application screen 400A shown in Figure 4(a) has not been selected, the process proceeds to step S502.

[0045] In step S503, the control unit 201 sends a request to the imaging device 100 to obtain a list of content held by the imaging device 100.

[0046] In step S504, the control unit 201 receives the content list from the imaging device 100 and saves it to the working memory 204. The content list does not include the main data of content with a large file size (data volume or data size) that would take a long time to receive or display, but only includes supplementary information about the content. If the content is an image file, the supplementary information corresponds to the header section which includes file information, and the main data corresponds to the data section which includes image data (pixel values, etc.). The supplementary information of the content includes minimal information such as a thumbnail reduced from the main data, file name, shooting date and time, and file size.

[0047] The process from steps S506 to S509 is a process that displays a list of supplementary information of the content list acquired from the imaging device 100 in step S504, and is repeated for the number of content items held by the imaging device 100.

[0048] In steps S507 and S508, the control unit 201 displays the content list screen 400B shown in Figure 4(b) on the display unit 206. The content list screen 400B shown in Figure 4(b) displays the thumbnail images 403 and accompanying information 404 included in the content list received in step S504.

[0049] Once steps S507 and S508 are repeated for the number of content items, the process proceeds to step S510.

[0050] In step S510, the control unit 201 determines whether the check button 405 on the content list screen 400B shown in Figure 4(b) has been selected by the user operating the operation unit 205. If the control unit 201 determines that the check button 405 on the content list screen 400B shown in Figure 4(b) has been selected, the process proceeds to step S511. If the control unit 201 determines that the check button 405 on the content list screen 400B shown in Figure 4(b) has not been selected, the process returns to step S510.

[0051] In step S511, the control unit 201 determines whether the user has selected the transfer buttons 406 and 407 on the content list screen 400B shown in Figure 4(b) by operating the operation unit 205. The user can download content held by the imaging device 100 to the communication device 200 by selecting the download button 406 on the content list screen 400B shown in Figure 4(b). Alternatively, the user can upload content held by the imaging device 100 or the communication device 200 to the content management device 300 by selecting the upload button 407 on the content list screen 400B shown in Figure 4(b). If the control unit 201 determines that the transfer buttons 406 and 407 on the content list screen 400B shown in Figure 4(b) have been selected, the process proceeds to step S512. If the control unit 201 determines that the transfer buttons 406 and 407 on the content list screen 400B shown in Figure 4(b) have not been selected, the process returns to step S511.

[0052] In step S502, the control unit 201 determines whether the internal content viewing menu 402 of the application screen 400A shown in Figure 4(a) has been selected by the user operating the operation unit 205. By selecting the internal content viewing menu 402 of the application screen 400A shown in Figure 4(a), the user can view a list of content held by the communication device 200. If the control unit 201 determines that the internal content viewing menu 402 of the application screen 400A shown in Figure 4(a) has been selected, the process proceeds to step S513. If the control unit 201 determines that the internal content viewing menu 402 of the application screen 400A shown in Figure 4(a) has not been selected, the process returns to step S501.

[0053] In step S513, the control unit 201 displays thumbnail images 403 and accompanying information 404 of the content held by the communication device 200 on the content list screen 400B shown in Figure 4(b), and proceeds to step S510.

[0054] In step S512, the control unit 201 displays the transfer confirmation screen 400C shown in Figure 4(c) on the display unit 206. The transfer confirmation screen 400C displays the deselection button 408 shown in Figure 4(c), and when the user operates the operation unit 205 and selects the deselection button 408, the user can re-select the content to be transferred. Also, when the user operates the operation unit 205 and selects the transfer destination menu 409 on the transfer confirmation screen 400C shown in Figure 4(c), the user can set the transfer destination for the content. Furthermore, when the user operates the operation unit 205 and selects the compression setting menu 410 on the transfer confirmation screen 400C shown in Figure 4(c), the content compression setting screen 400D shown in Figure 4(d) is displayed, and the user can set the compression process for the content to be transferred. When the user turns on the image quality adjustment button 415 on the content compression setting screen 400D shown in Figure 4(d), the image quality adjustment function is enabled and the image quality 416 can be set. The user can enable the size adjustment function and set the content size 418 by turning on the size adjustment button 417 on the content compression settings screen 400D shown in Figure 4(d). The content compression settings screen 400D shown in Figure 4(d) also displays the file size 414 when the content with the maximum file size is compressed using the image quality 416 and content size 418 set by the user. The user can set the compression settings for the content to be transferred while checking the file size 414 of the content with the maximum file size after compression. The compression settings menu 410 on the transfer confirmation screen 400C shown in Figure 4(c) displays the compression settings 412 set on the content compression settings screen 400D shown in Figure 4(d), and the file size 412 of the content with the maximum file size after compression using those settings. The user can check the file size 412 of the content with the maximum file size after compression using the current compression settings in the compression settings menu 410 on the transfer confirmation screen 400C shown in Figure 4(c).

[0055] In step S530, the control unit 201 determines whether the image quality adjustment button 415 or the size adjustment button 417 on the content compression settings screen 400D shown in Figure 4(d) is turned on. If the control unit 201 determines that the image quality adjustment button 415 or the size adjustment button 417 on the content compression settings screen 400D shown in Figure 4(d) is turned on, it proceeds to step S531. If the control unit 201 determines that the image quality adjustment button 415 or the size adjustment button 417 on the content compression settings screen 400D shown in Figure 4(d) is not turned on, it proceeds to step S537.

[0056] In step S531, the control unit 201 extracts the content with the largest file size among the selected content.

[0057] In step S532, the control unit 201 sends a request to the imaging device 100 to acquire the main data of the content with the maximum file size.

[0058] In step S533, the control unit 201 receives the main data of the content with the maximum file size from the imaging device 100 and saves it to the working memory 204.

[0059] In step S534, the control unit 201 performs compression processing on the main data of the content with the largest file size received from the imaging device 100 in step S533. The compression processing settings are applied to the image quality 416 and / or content size 418 set by the user on the content compression setting screen 400D shown in Figure 4(d).

[0060] In step S535, the control unit 201 calculates the file size of the content with the maximum file size after the compression process in step S534.

[0061] In step S536, the control unit 201 displays the file size 412 of the content with the maximum file size after compression, calculated in step S535, as a reference value in the compression setting menu 410 of the transfer confirmation screen 400C shown in Figure 4(c). In this way, by calculating and presenting the file size of the content with the maximum file size after compression before transferring the content, the user can confirm whether or not the amount of data that the content management device 300 can receive will be exceeded (hereinafter referred to as the limited data amount) during content transfer. Furthermore, by actually performing the content compression process and calculating the file size, the user can be notified of an accurate file size, not just an estimate. In addition, if the user changes the compression settings or changes the content to be transferred after the file size of the content with the maximum file size has been calculated, the process from steps S530 to S536 is executed again so that the user can always confirm the file size of the content with the maximum file size after compression.

[0062] In step S535, the file size calculation process may be performed as follows. • Calculate the maximum file size for each content file format. • If no content is selected to transfer in step S510, the file size will not be calculated. • Displays that the file size is being calculated. • Calculate the file size immediately before transferring the content in steps S539 to S544. • Recalculate file size when the selection between the external content viewing menu and the internal content viewing menu is switched. • Recalculate file size when the content list screen is switched due to filtering or other reasons. • When transferring all content held by the imaging device, the file size will be recalculated when connecting to the imaging device. • Recalculate file size each time content is selected to transfer. In step S537, the control unit 201 determines whether the upload button 413 on the transfer confirmation screen 400C shown in Figure 4(c) has been selected by the user operating the operation unit 205. If the control unit 201 determines that the upload button 413 on the transfer confirmation screen 400C shown in Figure 4(c) has been selected, the process proceeds to step S538. If the control unit 201 determines that the upload button 413 on the transfer confirmation screen 400C shown in Figure 4(c) has not been selected, the process returns to step S537.

[0063] In step S538, the control unit 201 displays the transfer progress screen 400E shown in Figure 4(e) on the display unit 206.

[0064] The process from step S539 to step S545 involves transferring the content selected in step S510 to the content management device 300, and this process is repeated for each selected content item.

[0065] In step S540, the control unit 201 sends a request to the imaging device 100 to acquire the main data of the content.

[0066] In step S541, the control unit 201 receives the main content data from the imaging device 100 and stores it in the working memory 204. In this case, it is not necessary to receive the main content data already received from the imaging device 100 in order to calculate the file size.

[0067] In step S542, the control unit 201 determines whether the image quality adjustment button 415 or the size adjustment button 417 on the content compression settings screen 400D shown in Figure 4(d) is turned on. If the control unit 201 determines that the image quality adjustment button 415 or the size adjustment button 417 on the content compression settings screen 400D shown in Figure 4(d) is turned on, the process proceeds to step S543. If the control unit 201 determines that the image quality adjustment button 415 or the size adjustment button 417 on the content compression settings screen 400D shown in Figure 4(d) is not turned on, the process proceeds to step S544.

[0068] In step S543, the control unit 201 performs compression processing on the main content data received from the imaging device 100 in step S541.

[0069] In step S544, the control unit 201 transfers the main content data of the compressed content from step S543, along with all content including supplementary information, to the content management device 300. During the content transfer, the transfer status 419 is displayed on the transfer progress screen 400E shown in Figure 4(e). The content compression process in steps S542 and S543 can be performed after receiving the main content data; therefore, the order of processing is not limited to the order shown and can be changed.

[0070] After repeating the process from steps S539 to S545 for the number of content items, the control unit 201 terminates the process.

[0071] If the internal content viewing menu 402 of the application screen 400A shown in Figure 4(a) is selected in step S502, the content to be transferred is selected on the content list screen 400B shown in Figure 4(b) in step S513, and after the content transfer confirmation screen 400C is displayed in step S512, the process of receiving the main data of the content from the imaging device 100 (steps S532, S533, S540, S541) is not executed. Instead, in steps S539 to S545, the content compression process (step S543) and the content transfer process (step S544) are repeatedly executed for each content item to be transferred.

[0072] According to this embodiment, before transferring content, the file size of the content with the largest file size after compression is calculated and presented to the user. As a result, the user can adjust the compression settings and the number of content items to be transferred while checking whether the data limit of the content management device 300 will be exceeded before transferring the content. This prevents situations where the transfer becomes impossible due to exceeding the data limit of the content management device 300. Furthermore, by actually compressing the content with the largest file size and calculating the file size, the user can be notified of an accurate file size, rather than an estimate.

[0073] [Other embodiments] The present invention may be applied to a system consisting of multiple devices (such as a host computer, interface devices, imaging devices, and web applications), or to a device consisting of a single device.

[0074] Furthermore, the present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that implements one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and by having one or more processors in the computer of that system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., an ASIC) that implements one or more functions.

[0075] The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, claims are attached to disclose the scope of the invention.

[0076] The disclosures herein include the following communication devices, control methods, and programs. [Configuration 1] A transfer method for transferring content to a destination, An extraction means for extracting a predetermined content with the largest data volume from the content to be transferred, A communication device characterized by having a presentation means for presenting the amount of data after compression processing of a predetermined content before transferring the content. [Configuration 2] An acquisition means for acquiring data with reduced content and supplementary information including the data volume of the content, A display means for displaying the aforementioned supplementary information, The communication device according to configuration 1, further comprising a selection means for selecting content to be transferred from content displayed on the display means. [Configuration 3] The aforementioned content is content owned by an external device. The communication device according to configuration 2, characterized in that the acquisition means acquires the associated information from the external device. [Structure 4] The aforementioned content is content owned by the communication device, The communication device according to configuration 2, characterized in that the acquisition means acquires supplementary information of the content held by the communication device. [Composition 5] Compression processing means for performing compression processing of the content to be transferred, The communication device according to configuration 2, characterized by having a calculation means for calculating the amount of data after compression processing of the content to be transmitted. [Composition 6] The system has setting means for setting the compression process, The communication device according to configuration 5, characterized in that the calculation means calculates the amount of data after compression processing to which the compression processing settings are applied. [Composition 7] The compression processing means performs compression processing on the main data of the predetermined content, The communication device according to configuration 6, characterized in that the calculation means calculates the amount of data after compression processing of the main data of the predetermined content. [Structure 8] The communication device according to configuration 7, characterized in that the predetermined content is content received from an external device. [Composition 9] The communication device according to configuration 7, characterized in that the predetermined content is content owned by the communication device. [Configuration 10] The communication device according to configuration 7, characterized in that the calculation means calculates the amount of data after compression processing of the main data of the predetermined content for each file format of the content to be transferred. [Composition 11] The communication device according to configuration 7, characterized in that the calculation means does not calculate the amount of data after compression processing of the main data of the predetermined content if the content to be transferred has not been selected by the selection means. [Composition 12] The communication device according to configuration 7, characterized in that the display means displays that the calculation means is calculating the amount of data after compression processing of the main data of the predetermined content. [Composition 13] The communication device according to configuration 7, characterized in that the calculation means calculates the amount of data after compression processing of the main data of the predetermined content immediately before the content transfer processing by the transfer means. [Composition 14] The communication device according to configuration 7, characterized in that the calculation means calculates the amount of data after compression processing of the main data of the predetermined content when the compression settings of the compression processing are changed by the setting means. [Composition 15] The communication device according to configuration 7, characterized in that the calculation means calculates the amount of data after compression processing of the main data of the predetermined content when the content to be transferred is changed. [Composition 16] The communication device according to configuration 7, characterized in that the calculation means calculates the amount of data after compression processing of the main data of the predetermined content when the content displayed on the display means is switched. [Composition 17] The communication device according to configuration 7, characterized in that, when transferring all content held by the external device, the calculation means calculates the amount of data after compression processing of the main data of the predetermined content when connecting to the external device. [Composition 18] The communication device according to configuration 7, characterized in that the calculation means calculates the amount of data after compression processing of the main data of the predetermined content each time the content to be transferred is selected by the selection means. [Composition 19] The compression processing means performs compression processing on the main data of the content to be transferred, which is received from the external device. The communication device according to configuration 5 or 6, characterized in that the transfer means transfers the compressed content to the transfer destination. [Configuration 20] The communication device according to configuration 19, characterized in that it has a receiving means for receiving the main data of the content to be transferred, excluding the predetermined content, from the external device. [Composition 21] The compression processing means compresses the main data of the content to be transmitted from among the content held by the communication device. The communication device according to configuration 5 or 6, characterized in that the transfer means transfers the content after compression processing. [Composition 22] The communication device according to any one of configurations 3, 8, 17, 19, or 20, characterized in that the external device is an imaging device. [Composition 23] The communication device according to any one of configurations 1 to 22, characterized in that the content is an image. [Composition 24] A method for controlling a communication device that transfers content to a destination, The steps include: extracting a predetermined content with the largest data volume from the content to be transferred; A control method characterized by having the step of presenting the amount of data after compression processing of a predetermined content before transferring the content. [Composition 25] A program to cause a computer to function as a communication device as described in any one of the configurations 1 through 23. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0077] 100...Imaging device, 200...Communication device, 300...Image management device, 101, 201...Control unit, 111, 211...Communication unit

Claims

1. A first acquisition means for acquiring data of reduced content and supplementary information including the data volume of the content from an external device, A display means for displaying the supplementary information for each of the contents, When a plurality of supplementary information displayed on the display means is determined to be a transfer target, a second acquisition means acquires a predetermined content from the external device that has the largest data volume among the contents corresponding to the plurality of supplementary information determined to be a transfer target, A display control means that displays the amount of data after compression processing of the predetermined content on the display means, A communication device characterized by having a transfer means that, when a transfer operation is performed after the amount of data after compression processing of the predetermined content is displayed, acquires each of the contents corresponding to the plurality of supplementary information from the external device and transfers them to the transfer destination.

2. The aforementioned transfer means performs compression processing on the content to be transferred, The communication device according to claim 1, further comprising a calculation means for calculating the amount of data after compression processing of the predetermined content.

3. The system has setting means for setting the compression process, The communication device according to claim 2, characterized in that the calculation means calculates the amount of data after compression processing to which the compression processing settings are applied.

4. The compression processing means performs compression processing on the main data of the predetermined content, The communication device according to claim 3, characterized in that the calculation means calculates the amount of data after compression processing of the main data of the predetermined content.

5. The communication device according to claim 4, characterized in that the calculation means calculates the amount of data after compression processing of the main data of the predetermined content for each file format of the content to be transferred by the transfer means.

6. The communication device according to claim 4, characterized in that the calculation means does not calculate the amount of data after compression processing of the main data of the predetermined content if the transfer target has not been determined from the supplementary information for each content displayed on the display means.

7. The communication device according to claim 4, characterized in that the display control means displays on the display means that the amount of data after compression processing of the main data of the predetermined content by the calculation means is being calculated.

8. The communication device according to claim 4, characterized in that the calculation means calculates the amount of data after compression processing of the main data of the predetermined content immediately before the content transfer processing by the transfer means.

9. The communication device according to claim 4, characterized in that the calculation means calculates the amount of data after compression processing of the main data of the predetermined content when the compression settings of the compression processing are changed by the setting means.

10. The communication device according to claim 4, characterized in that the calculation means calculates the amount of data after compression processing of the main data of the predetermined content when the target of the transfer is changed.

11. The communication device according to claim 4, characterized in that the calculation means calculates the amount of data after compression processing of the main data of the predetermined content when the supplementary information for each content displayed on the display means is switched.

12. The communication device according to claim 4, characterized in that, when transferring all content held by the external device, the calculation means calculates the amount of data after compression processing of the main data of the predetermined content when connecting to the external device.

13. The communication device according to claim 4, characterized in that the calculation means calculates the amount of data after compression processing of the main data of the predetermined content each time a transfer target is determined from the supplementary information for each content displayed on the display means.

14. The compression processing means performs compression processing on the main data of the content acquired from the external device. The communication device according to claim 2, characterized in that the transfer means transfers the compressed content to the transfer destination.

15. The communication device according to claim 14, further comprising a third acquisition means for acquiring the main data of content other than the predetermined content among the content to be transferred by the transfer means from the external device.

16. The compression processing means compresses the main data of the content that has been determined to be transferred from the content held by the communication device. The communication device according to claim 2, wherein the transfer means transfers the content after the compression process.

17. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that the external device is an imaging device.

18. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that the content is an image.

19. A control method performed by a communication device, The steps include obtaining reduced data of the content and supplementary information including the data volume of the content from an external device, The steps include: displaying the supplementary information for each of the contents on the display unit; When multiple pieces of supplementary information displayed on the display unit are determined to be to be transferred, the steps include: acquiring a predetermined content from the external device that has the largest data volume among the contents corresponding to the multiple pieces of supplementary information determined to be to be transferred; The steps include displaying the amount of data after compression processing of the predetermined content on the display unit, A control method characterized by having the step of, when a transfer operation is performed after the amount of data after compression processing of the predetermined content is displayed, acquiring each of the contents corresponding to the plurality of supplementary information from the external device and transferring them to the transfer destination.

20. A program for causing a computer to function as a communication device as described in any one of claims 1 to 16.

Images