JPH0696133A - Copyright display system for image - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To protect the copyright of an image by preventing image data to be registered on an image data base, which can be utilized in common, from being copied/revised by the other users without any permission. CONSTITUTION:In the case of registering the image data on an image data file 11, a writer information file 12 is retrieved based on a writer name from a terminal 17, and a correspondent copyright display image is extracted. This copyright display image and the image data to be registered are synthesized by an image synthesizer 15 and registered on the image data file 11 together with synthesized management information. When the copyright display image is not synthesized with the objective image corresponding to a retrieval display request from the terminal 17, the display of image data to the terminal 17 is suppressed so as to prevent the data from being copied/revised. Thus, since only the image data synthesized with the copyright display image can be accessed from the terminal 17, the copyright can be protected by preventing the image data from being intensively copied/revised from the other user.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is useful for registering image data, such as computer graphics, valuable academic materials, photographic materials, etc. The present invention relates to an image copyright display method having a function of automatically superimposing copyright display information such as a signature and a logo of an author on image data itself to prevent reuse such as unauthorized use or modification.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When storing image data in a jointly usable image database, a protection mechanism is required to prevent reuse such as unauthorized use or modification of image data.
It is necessary to manage the original image data so that it will not be copied from the terminal.

In the conventional image database system, the copyright of the image data registered in the database is protected by relying on the protection mechanism that specifies the read / write permission of the image data file management system itself.

[0004]

However, since the file management system of the above-mentioned conventional database system employs the protection mechanism for the computer program and data, it prevents the copy of the image data. There was no problem. In addition, since the management table separate from the image data itself manages the protection information such as the access right to the image data file, once the protection is broken, the image data itself is not processed. There was a problem that it could be reused unconditionally.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and its purpose is to use expensive image data or the like registered in a jointly usable image database for other purposes without the permission of the copyright holder. The purpose of this is to provide a copyright display system for images, which protects the copyright so that a person cannot intentionally copy or modify it.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, in the image copyright display system of the present invention, an image data file for accumulating image data and author information for managing the author information of the image data. Copyright display image file that displays the copyright of files and image data, image composition device that combines multiple image data, search display of image data
An image copyright display method in an image database system comprising a registration terminal and a process of retrieving the author information about the author of the image data to be registered from the author information file, and the above author information. The process of searching for the corresponding copyright display image in the copyright display image file, and combining the image data to be registered with the copyright display image using an image synthesizing device, and creating an image data file as new image data. The process of registering with, the process of managing that the copyright display image has been combined in the image data, and the process of managing the search display request from the terminal other than the author concerned. In the case where the image data and the copyright display information are not said to have been combined in the above, there is a step of suppressing the display of the image data on the terminal. We are trying to be.

[0007]

According to the image copyright display method of the present invention, when the image data is registered in the image data file, the author information file is searched based on the author name designated by the terminal, and the corresponding copyright is retrieved. The display image is taken out from the copyright display image file. The copyright display image and the image data to be registered are automatically combined by an image combining device,
Only the composition result is registered in the image data file. When the copyright display image is not combined with the target image data in response to the search display request from the terminal, the display of the image data on the terminal is suppressed so that copying or modification cannot be performed. As described above, only the image data combined with the copyright display image can be accessed from the terminal. In this way, when expensive image data is registered in the jointly usable image database, the copyright display information is automatically combined and stored, so that other users can intentionally copy or modify the information. Prevent reuse and protect copyright.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the system configuration of an image database. This image database system has an image data file 11 that stores image data, a copyright information file 12 that protects management information for associating a copyright name with a copyright display image, and a signature and copyright of the copyright. A copyright display image file 13 for storing a copyright display image of a company / organization logo, etc., and a processing device 1 for controlling each function of input / combination / search display of image data.
4, an image synthesizing device 15 for synthesizing image data and a copyright display image, an image input device 16 for inputting image data or a copyright display image, an instruction for requesting a search of image data, and image data of a search result It is composed of a terminal 17 for displaying.

The image data file 11, the author information file 12, and the copyright display image file 13 are connected to each other so as to be accessible from the processing device 14, and the image input device 16 can be input, the image synthesizing device 15 and the terminal. Input and output 17 are connected to the processing device 14 so that they can be input and output. The terminal 17 may be connected via a line.

In the image database system shown in FIG. 1, for example, software having an operation flow as shown in the flow charts of FIGS. 2 and 3 is stored in the processing unit 14 to perform image registration / search. . Here, FIG. 2 shows an example of an operation flow regarding registration of image data, and FIG. 3 shows an example of an operation flow regarding search display of image data.

First, the registration of image data in this embodiment is performed in the process of t1 to t6 in FIG. Process t in FIG.
1, the name of the author of the image data input from the image input device 16 or the name of the copyright-owned company is "Goch",
A name such as “NTT” is input from the terminal 17. In the process t2 of FIG. 2, the processing device 14 uses the above author name,
Information about the author is retrieved from the author information file 12. In step t3 of FIG. 2, the processing device 14 accesses the copyright display image file 13, checks whether or not the corresponding copyright display image is registered from the obtained author information, and if it is registered. Go to step t4. This process t4
Then, the relevant copyright display image is taken out, and the copyright display image and the image data are combined by the image combining device 15,
In the process t5, the combined image data is stored in the image data file 11 together with the management information indicating that the combination has been completed.
Register with. At this time, by registering information such as the display position and size of the copyright in the copyright display image file 13 in advance, the image synthesizing device 15 displays the copyright display in the format desired by the author on the image data. You can do it.
If the copyright display image has not been registered, the process proceeds to step t6 and the image data file 11 is registered in a state in which reference, copying, and modification of the image data are prohibited.

Next, the search display of the image data in this embodiment is performed in the process of s1 to s4 in FIG. In step s1 of FIG. 3, the name of the image data to be searched is changed to, for example,
Input is made from the terminal 17 to the processing device 14, such as "bicycle", "sailboat", "sports car". In step s2 of FIG. 3, the processing device 14 retrieves the management information relating to the image data to be searched from the image data file 11 and checks whether or not it has been combined with the copyright display image.
If the combination has been completed, the process proceeds to step s3, and the processing device 14 transfers and displays the image data with the copyright display to the terminal 17. If uncombined, the processing device 14 does not transfer the image data and notifies the terminal 17 that the access is prohibited.

FIG. 4 shows an example of image data obtained by combining the image data before being registered in the image database system, a copyright display image showing, for example, a signature of the author or a logo of a company that owns the copyright, and the like. Indicates. Reference numeral 41 is the image data to be registered, and the copyright display image 42 of the author of the image is automatically combined with this, and the combined image data as shown by 43 is registered. In the process of s3, the composite image data 43 is transferred and displayed on the terminal 17.

As described above, the image data that can be retrieved from the terminal 17 in the database system is only the image data combined with the copyright display image, and the original image data is protected from duplication and modification.

[0016]

As is apparent from the above description, in the image copyright display system of the present invention, in the image database system to be shared, the user can display his / her own copyright display image, display position and display size in advance. If you register such information, the copyright display image will be automatically overwritten when the user registers valuable image data that is expensive to create, so other users may intentionally copy or modify the image data. There is an advantage that can be prevented by a simple method.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an image database system showing an embodiment of an image copyright display system of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation flow relating to image data registration of software in the image database system.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation flow regarding image data search display of software in the image database system.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of image data, a copyright display image, and combined image data in the above-described embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 11 ... Image data file 12 ... Copyright information file 13 ... Copyright display image file 14 ... Processing device 15 ... Image compositing device 16 ... Image input device 17 ... Terminal 41 ... Image data 42 ... Copyright display image 43 ... Composed image data

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An image data file for accumulating image data, an author information file for managing author information of image data, a copyright display image file for displaying the copyright of image data, and an image for combining a plurality of image data. An image copyright display method in an image database system consisting of a synthesizing device, a terminal for searching and displaying and registering image data, and searching for author information about the author of the image data to be registered from the author information file. And the step of searching for the corresponding copyright display image in the copyright display image file from the author information, and combining the image data to be registered with the copyright display image using an image synthesizing device. , The process of registering new image data in the image data file, and confirming that the copyright notice image has already been combined with the image data. If the image data and the copyright display information have not been combined in the management process and the search display request from the terminal by an access from other than the author and in the management process, An image copyright display method characterized by having a process of suppressing the display of image data on a terminal.