JP2006277441A - Image management device and program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image management device or the like capable of reducing a load of work for setting date information to an image. <P>SOLUTION: This image management device displays a list display screen wherein each the image stored in a storage part is arranged in order of a time series on the basis of the date information attached to the image. The image management device displays the image of an unknown date as a date unknown image. The image management device receives designation of a date setting target image, and receives designation of an insertion position of the date setting target image to an image train displayed in the order of the time series. The image management device determines the date information corresponding to the designated insertion position on the basis of the date information attached to the images before and after the designated insertion position, and sets the determined date information as the date information attached to the date setting target image. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image management apparatus and the like for managing an image with date and time information such as a shooting date and time, and more particularly to an image management apparatus and the like for setting date and time information attached to an image.

Conventionally, since an image taken with a digital camera or the like is automatically given a taken date and time to the taken image, information on the taken date can be used as it is for image management.
For example, there is an apparatus that classifies and displays captured images by shooting date and time (Patent Document 1).
There is also an apparatus for searching for the same image or a similar image for an image with an unknown shooting time and setting the shooting date and time of the searched similar image (Patent Document 2).

JP-A-2004-297176 (pages 5, 6 and 3) JP 2004-348620 (Page 7, FIG. 6)

  For example, the date and time information is not given to the image of a photo read by a scanner or the like, and the date and time of shooting is unknown. However, it is necessary to manually input, but such an operation for specifying and setting date information attached to an image is very complicated.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an image management apparatus and the like that can reduce the workload of setting date / time information for an image.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an image management apparatus or the like that can easily specify date and time information attached to an image.

In order to achieve the above object, an image management apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention provides:
Storage means for storing a plurality of images;
Display means for displaying each image stored in the storage means in chronological order based on the date and time information attached to the image;
A designation means for designating a date and time setting target image;
Means for designating an insertion position of the date and time setting target image with respect to the image sequence displayed in chronological order by the display means;
Determining means for determining date and time information corresponding to the specified insertion position based on date and time information attached to at least one of the images before and after the specified insertion position;
Means for setting the determined date and time information as date and time information to be attached to the date and time setting target image;
It is characterized by providing.

  The display unit may receive a designation of a period, extract an image corresponding to the designated period from the plurality of images, and display the extracted images in time series.

  The display means may arrange and display the plurality of images in a chronological order on the same screen.

  The display means may sequentially switch and display the plurality of images in chronological order.

The display means may extract an image without date information from the plurality of images and display it as an image with unknown date and time,
The designation means may designate the date and time setting target image from the date and time unknown images.

  The designation unit may designate a newly read image as the date and time setting target image.

  The determination unit may determine date / time information of the date / time setting target image based on date / time information attached to an image immediately before the designated insertion position.

  The determination unit may determine date / time information of the date / time setting target image based on date / time information attached to an image immediately after the designated insertion position.

  The determination means obtains a time between times indicated by the date and time information attached to the image immediately before the insertion position and the date and time information attached to the image immediately after the insertion position, and the obtained time May be determined as date and time information corresponding to the insertion position.

  The setting unit may display the determined date / time information as a candidate, and determine the date / time information of the candidate modified as necessary as date / time information to be attached to the date / time setting target image.

A program according to the second aspect of the present invention is
The ability to store multiple images,
A function for displaying each image stored in the storage means in chronological order based on date and time information attached to the image;
A function to specify the date and time setting target image,
A function for designating an insertion position of the date and time setting target image with respect to an image sequence displayed in chronological order by the display means;
A function for determining date and time information corresponding to the designated insertion position based on date and time information attached to at least one of the images before and after the designated insertion position;
A function for setting the determined date and time information as date and time information to be attached to the date and time setting target image;
Is realized.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the workload of setting date / time information for an image.

Hereinafter, an image management apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
A configuration of an image management apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. The image management apparatus 1 includes a computer including a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, a display unit 13, an input unit 14, and a communication control unit 15.

  The control unit 11 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and the like, and stores an operation program stored in the storage unit 12 by reading and executing it. Image list display processing for displaying a list of a plurality of images stored in the unit 12 is performed.

  In the image list display process, the control unit 11 reads data of a plurality of images stored in a predetermined area (for example, an image folder) of the storage unit 12 and based on the date / time information attached to each image. Each image is displayed as a list on the display unit 13 in time series on the same screen. The date and time information given to each image includes, for example, photographing time information automatically given to a photographed image by a photographing device such as a digital camera. Of the images stored in the predetermined area of the storage unit 12, the control unit 11 determines whether the date / time unknown image, that is, the image to which the date / time information is not properly assigned, is included in the list display screen as the date / time unknown image. Displayed in a predetermined area (date and time unknown image area). An example of the list display screen displayed on the display unit 12 is shown in FIG. When the date and time setting target image is specified on the list display screen and the insertion position of the date and time setting target image with respect to the images (image sequence) arranged in chronological order is specified, the control unit 11 is specified. Based on the date and time information given to the images located before and after the inserted position, the date and time information corresponding to the specified insertion position (to be given to the date setting target image) is determined and presented to the user After accepting a correction, the date and time information is set and stored for the image for which the date and time is set. For example, in FIG. 2, when the image I1 is designated as the processing target image and the insertion position A is designated, the insertion position A is set based on the date and time information given to the images I2 and I3 before and after the position A. Corresponding date information (to be attached to the image II) is determined. In determining the date / time information, a date / time between the date / time indicated by the date / time information attached to the image immediately before the insertion position and the date / time information attached to the image immediately after the insertion position is obtained. For example, the intermediate date / time of the date / time indicated by both the date / time information may be obtained. The input operation for specifying the date and time setting target image and its insertion position is arbitrary. For example, the processing target image is specified by a cursor operation, and the insertion position in the image list is specified by a drag and drop operation. Good. In addition, when presenting candidate date / time information, for example, a confirmation screen may be displayed that shows images before and after the insertion position and date / time information, date / time setting target image and candidate date / time information in chronological order. Necessary correction inputs may be received on the screen. An example of the confirmation screen is shown in FIG. In addition, after the date / time information is determined, the control unit 11 stores the date / time information in a predetermined area of the storage unit 12 in association with the processing target image.

  In addition, when the control unit 11 receives a designation input of a period (for example, age, year, month, etc.) as a display condition regarding the list display of images, the control unit 11 extracts an image corresponding to date information in the designated period, A list of the extracted images is displayed in chronological order based on the date and time information.

The storage unit 12 includes a hard disk device or the like, and stores programs executed by the control unit 11, various data necessary for processing, and the like. The storage unit 12 includes a predetermined area (image folder) in which an image to be displayed on the list display screen is stored.
The display unit 13 includes a display device such as a liquid crystal display, and displays various screens according to instructions from the control unit 11.
The input unit 14 includes an input device such as a mouse and a keyboard, and notifies the control unit 11 of input data.
The communication control unit 15 controls data communication with other devices.

Next, the processing operation of the image management apparatus 1 in the image list display process will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS.
For example, in response to a predetermined input operation for displaying an image list by the user, the control unit 11 reads out image data stored in a predetermined area (for example, an image folder) of the storage unit 12 (step S1). ), A list display screen in which the images are arranged in chronological order based on the date and time information assigned to the read image data is displayed on the display unit 13 (step S2).
Then, it is determined whether or not the image data read out in step S1 has an unknown date, that is, whether date information is not properly assigned (step S3), and the date information is properly assigned. If there is no image data, the image is displayed as an unknown date / time image in the date / time unknown image area in the screen (for example, the lower column of the list display screen in FIG. 2) (step S4). In step S3, when there is no image whose date is unknown (step S3: NO), the flow proceeds to step S5.

When the display period change button is operated (step S5: YES), the control unit 11 receives an input for designating a period (year, year, month, etc.) as an image display condition (step S6).
Then, the image corresponding to the designated period is extracted from the image read in step S1 (step S7), and the extracted images are arranged in time series based on the date / time information and displayed in a list (step S8).
If the display period change button is not operated in step S5 (step S5: NO), the flow proceeds to step S9.

When the date / time setting button is operated (step S9: YES), the control unit 11 accepts designation of the processing target image by selecting the date / time setting target image with a cursor (step S10). The designation of the insertion position of the processing target image in the image list is accepted by performing a drag-and-drop operation or the like on the time-series list display of the specified processing target image (step S11).
And the control part 11 discriminate | determines whether there exists an image before and behind the designated insertion position (step S12). When there are images before and after the insertion position (step S12: YES), the date and time information given to the images immediately before and after the insertion position is read (step S13), and the middle of the date and time indicated by the read date and time information The date / time is calculated (step S14), and the calculated date / time is displayed on the confirmation screen as candidate date / time information (step S15).

Next, when correction about the presented candidate date and time information is input (step S16: YES), the control unit 11 corrects the presented date and time information (step S17). In Step S16, when the date information is not corrected (Step S16: NO), the flow proceeds to Step S18.
The control unit 11 determines date / time information corresponding to the specified insertion position, and associates (provides) the determined date / time information with the processing target image and stores the information in the storage unit 12 (step S18). Then, the current image list display is changed to a list display in which the processing target image is inserted at the designated position (step S19). Specifically, a list display screen in which the designated processing target image is moved to the designated insertion position is displayed on the display unit 12. And it returns to step S5 and performs the above-mentioned process.

In step S12, when there is no image before or after the designated insertion position (step S12: NO), the control unit 11 determines whether there is an image before the designated insertion position, that is, the end position is It is determined whether it has been designated (step S20).
In step S20, when there is an image before the insertion position (step S20: YES), the date / time information of the image immediately before the insertion position is read (step S21), and the date / time obtained by adding one day to the date / time indicated by the read date / time information Is calculated (step S22), and the process proceeds to step S15.
In step S20, when there is no image before the insertion position, that is, when the most advanced position is designated (step S20: NO), the date and time information of the image immediately after the insertion position is read (step S23) and read. A date and time obtained by subtracting one day from the date and time indicated by the date and time information is calculated (step S24), and the process proceeds to step S15.

  If the date / time setting button is not operated in step S9 (step S9: NO), it is determined whether a predetermined end operation has been performed (step S25). If the end operation has been performed (step S25: YES), This process ends. If the end operation has not been performed (step S26), the process returns to step S5 and the above-described processing is performed.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the images are arranged and displayed in chronological order based on the date and time information given to the image, and the date and time unknown image is displayed for the image to which the date and time information is not properly given. And the designation of the image for which the date and time information is to be set and the designation of the insertion position in the image list of the processing target image are accepted. Accordingly, it is possible to easily give an approximate date and time to an image or the like whose shooting date and time is unknown, and the workload of setting date and time information for the image can be reduced.

The present invention can be variously modified and applied.
In the above embodiment, a plurality of images stored in a predetermined area of the storage unit 12 are displayed on the same screen. However, the display form is not limited to this, and for example, the images are slid one by one. You may make it display. For example, the control unit 11 displays each image stored in a predetermined area of the date unknown image or the storage unit 12 and accepts the designation of the date and time setting target image. Slide display in order of series. An example of the slide display screen is shown in FIG. The user designates the insertion position of the processing target image by operating the insertion button on the slide screen. When detecting the operation of the insertion button, the control unit 11 recognizes the rear (or front) of the image displayed at that time as the insertion position, and performs processing based on the date / time information of the images before and after the insertion position. Determine the date and time information of the image.

The image management apparatus 1 is not limited to a normal personal computer, and may be realized by, for example, a digital camera, an image printer, an image printing sales machine, an image reading apparatus, or the like. Moreover, you may implement | achieve by the web server which provides an electronic album function connected via a network, such as the internet, from a user's terminal.
The images stored in the image folder include images taken by a digital camera, images such as photographs read by a scanner, images created by various image creation tools, and the like.

Further, when a new image is read while the image list display screen is displayed, the read image may be determined as an image designated as a date setting target image. The new image may be an image read from a scanner or an image read (received) from another device.
In addition, when specifying the date setting target image, a plurality of images may be specified.

Further, even when there are images before and after the designated insertion position, the date / time information to be added to the processing target image may be determined based only on the date / time information of the previous (or subsequent) image.
Also, the date / time information corresponding to the specified insertion position is not limited to the intermediate date / time of the date / time indicated by each date / time information attached to the image immediately before / after the insertion position, for example, immediately before / after the insertion position It is good also as arbitrary time between the time which each date information attached | subjected to this image shows. For example, you may determine based on the time slot | zone of each date information of the image immediately before and after an insertion position.

The system of the present invention can be realized using a normal computer system, not a dedicated system. For example, a program for executing the above operation is stored in a computer-readable recording medium (FD, CD-ROM, DVD, etc.) and distributed, and the program is installed in the computer to execute the above processing. The image management apparatus 1 or the like may be configured. Alternatively, it may be stored in a disk device of a server device on a network such as the Internet and downloaded to a computer, for example.
In addition, when the OS realizes the above functions by sharing the OS or jointly with the OS and the application, etc., only the part other than the OS may be stored and distributed in the medium, or may be downloaded to the computer. Good.

It is a figure which shows the structural example of the image management apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of a list display screen. It is a figure which shows an example of a confirmation screen. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the processing operation of the image management apparatus in an image list display process. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the processing operation of the image management apparatus in an image list display process. It is a figure which shows an example of a slide display screen.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Image management apparatus, 11 ... Control part, 12 ... Memory | storage part, 13 ... Display part, 14 ... Input part, 15 ... Communication control part

Claims (11)

Storage means for storing a plurality of images;
Display means for displaying each image stored in the storage means in chronological order based on the date and time information attached to the image;
A designation means for designating a date and time setting target image;
Means for designating an insertion position of the date and time setting target image with respect to the image sequence displayed in chronological order by the display means;
Determining means for determining date and time information corresponding to the specified insertion position based on date and time information attached to at least one of the images before and after the specified insertion position;
Means for setting the determined date and time information as date and time information to be attached to the date and time setting target image;
An image management apparatus comprising: The display means accepts designation of a period, extracts an image corresponding to the designated period from the plurality of images, and displays the images in chronological order.
The image management apparatus according to claim 1. The display means arranges and displays a list of the plurality of images in time series on the same screen;
The image management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image management apparatus is an image management apparatus. The display means sequentially displays the plurality of images in chronological order;
The image management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image management apparatus is an image management apparatus. The display means extracts an image without date / time information from the plurality of images and displays it as an image with unknown date / time,
The designation means designates the date and time setting target image from the date and time unknown image,
The image management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image management apparatus is an image management apparatus. The designation means designates a newly read image as the date and time setting target image;
The image management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image management apparatus is an image management apparatus. The determining means determines date and time information of the date and time setting target image based on date and time information attached to an image immediately before the designated insertion position;
The image management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image management apparatus is an image management apparatus. The determining means determines date and time information of the date and time setting target image based on date and time information attached to an image immediately after the designated insertion position;
The image management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image management apparatus is an image management apparatus. The determination means obtains a time between times indicated by the date and time information attached to the image immediately before the insertion position and the date and time information attached to the image immediately after the insertion position, and the obtained time Date / time information indicating the date / time information corresponding to the insertion position,
The image management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image management apparatus is an image management apparatus. The setting means displays the determined date and time information as candidates, and determines the date and time information of the candidate modified as necessary as date and time information to be attached to the date and time setting target image.
The image management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image management apparatus is an image management apparatus. The ability to store multiple images,
A function for displaying each image stored in the storage means in chronological order based on date and time information attached to the image;
A function to specify the date and time setting target image,
A function for designating an insertion position of the date and time setting target image with respect to an image sequence displayed in chronological order by the display means;
A function for determining date and time information corresponding to the designated insertion position based on date and time information attached to at least one of the images before and after the designated insertion position;
A function for setting the determined date and time information as date and time information to be attached to the date and time setting target image;
A program to realize

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