AU2004203470A1 - A Method for Backing-up Media Files - Google Patents

Description

S&FRef: 683433

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT Name and Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: Invention Title: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, of 30-2, Shimomaruko 3chome, Ohta-ku, Tokyo, 146, Japan Christopher Mark Paola Spruson Ferguson St Martins Tower Level 31 Market Street Sydney NSW 2000 (CCN 3710000177) A Method for Backing-up Media Files ASSOCIATED PROVISIONAL APPLICATION DETAILS [33] Country [31] Applic. No(s) AU 2003904781 [32] Application Date 01 Sep 2003 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- 5815c A METHOD FOR BACKING-UP MEDIA FILES FIELD OF INVENTION The present invention relates to a method for backing up media files to a storage device, and in particular to the back up and retrieval of media files onto a portable storage medium.

BACKGROUND

Computers are often used for managing and storing digital photos, videos, audio files and other similar media. There are several computer applications that are used for browsing and managing such media on a computer. Some of these applications enable a user to copy data to an optical medium CD, DVD). There are other applications dedicated to backing up data onto an optical medium; however these applications are not usually related to media browsing and managing applications. Ifa user desires to backup or copy a set of related media files to a removable storage device they can use a number of these applications. The problem with such a strategy is that each one of these applications suffers from one or more of the following disadvantages: Metadata associated with a media file, but stored in a different file to the media file, is not automatically copied to the storage device; It is difficult and slow to browse the media files from the storage media; Sound files associated with image files are not automatically copied to the storage device; Small still image representation (or thumbnail files) of the video files, typically use for browsing the content (media files) of the storage device, are not automatically copied to the storage device; There is no summary information contained in browse files that describe the contenis of tle data copied to the optical medium.

These disadvantages make it difficult, particularly for the novice or inexperienced user, to back uip and retrieve media file to portable storage devices in general, and especially so where a media file comprises a plurality of separate associated metadata files. Further, the if the Media files and their associated data are not copied correctly to the storage device, a browsing software application subsequently accessing these will be not be able to provide the intended presentation or, alternatively, may result in slow and difficult browsing of the media files.

SUMMARY

It is an object of the present invention to ameliorate these disadvantages of the existing applications.

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of backing-up image stored in an optical storing medium comprising the steps of: 010903 645880.doc specifying at least one image to be backed up; generating thumbnail image corresponding to the specified image; and writing the specified image and the thumbnail image to the optical storing medium.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a a method of reading images in an optical storing medium comprising the steps of: reading thumbnail images stored in the optical storing medium; displaying the thumbnail images on the display means; designating a set of images out of the thumbnail images displayed on the display means; reading original images corresponding to the set of images designated; and displaying the original images on the display means.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided an apparatus of backing-up image stored in an optical storing medium comprising: specifying means for specifying at least one image to be backed up; generating means for generating thumbnail image corresponding to the specified image; and writing means for writing the specified image and the thumbnail image to the optical storing medium.

According to yet another aspect of the invention, there is provided an apparatus of reading images in an optical storing medium comprising: reading means for reading thumbnail images stored in the optical storing medium; means for displaying the thumbnail images on the display means; designating means for designating a set of images out of the thumbnail images displayed on the display means; reading means for reading original images corresponding to the set of images designated; and means for displaying the original images on the display means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Notwithstanding any other forms, which may fall within the scope of the present invention, preferred forms of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 010903 645880.doc Fig. 1 is a flowchart showing the backup to optical medium process according to an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing the calculate estimate process in accordance with the embodiment; Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing the size of file process of the embodiment; Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing the size of folder process of the embodiment; Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing the copy selection to temporary area process of the embodiment; Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing the copy file to a temporary area process of the embodiment; Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing the copy folder to a temporary area process of the embodiment; and Fig. 8 is a block diagram of a computer system with which the embodiments of the present invention can be practiced.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The methods of Figs. 1 to 7 are preferably practised using a conventional general-purpose computer system 102, which is illustrated in Fig. 8. The processes of Figs. 1 to 7 can be implemented as software, such as an application program executing within the computer system 102. In particular, the steps of the methods of Figs. 1 to 7 are effected by instructions in the software that are carried out by the computer 102. The software can be divided into two separate parts; one part for carrying out the methods; and another part to manage the user interface between the latter and the user. The software can be stored in a computer readable medium, including the storage devices described below, for example.

The software is loaded into the computer from the computer readable medium, and then executed by the computer. A computer readable medium having such software or computer program recorded on it is a computer program product. The use of the computer program product in the computer preferably effects an advantageous apparatus for carrying out the embodiments of the present invention. The computer system 102 takes the form of a computer module 801, input devices such as a keyboard 804 and mouse 803, output devices including the printer 807 and the display device 801. A Modulator-Demodulator (Modem) transceiver device 816 is used by the computer module for communicating to and fri-omn a communications network 820, for example connectable via a telephone line 821 or other functional medium. The modem 216 can be used to obtain access to the Internet, and other network systems, such as a Local Area Network (LAN) or a Wide Area 010903 645880.doc Network (WAN). The computer module 801 typically includes at least one processor unit 805, a memory unit 806, for example formed from semiconductor random access memory (RAM) and read only memory (ROM), input/output interfaces including a video interface 807, and an I/O interface 813 for the keyboard 804 and mouse 803, a write device digitizing tablet) 815, and an interface 808 for the modem 816. A storage device 809 is provided and typically includes a hard disk drive 810 and a floppy disk drive 811. A magnetic tape drive (not illustrated) can also be used.

An optical disk writer/ reader 812 is the device which is used in step109 of Fig. 1, for example, to write media file and other associated file onto an optical disk. The optical disk writer/ reader 812 can also be used to read data (media files and associated data) from an optical disk.

The components 805 to 813 of the computer module 801, typically communicate via an interconnected bus 804 and in a manner that results in a conventional mode of operation of the computer system 102 known to those in the relevant art. Typically, the application program of the present embodiment is resident on the hard disk drive 810 and read and controlled in its execution by the processor 805. Intermediate storage of the program and any data fetched from the network 820 may be accomplished using the semiconductor memory 806, possibly in concert with the hard disk drive 810. In some instances, the application programn will be supplied to the user encoded on a CD-ROM or floppy disk and read via the corresponding drive 812 or 811, or alternatively may be read by the user from the network 820 via the modem device 816. Still further, the software can also be loaded into the computer system 102 from other compute readable medium including magnetic tape, a ROM or integrated circuit, a magneto-optical disk, a radio or infra-red transmission channel between the computer module 810 and another device, a computer readable card such as a smart card, a PCMCIA card, and the Internet and Intranets including email transmissions and infornnation recorded on websites and the like. The foregoing is merely exemplary of relevant computer readable media. Other computer readable media are able to be practised without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

As described above, the present embodiment is an application running on a generalpurpose (personal) computer. The application software is a program for displaying and 010903 645880.doc managing digital images and other related media. The application enables a user to backup a set of images, folders, and related data to an optical medium CD, DVD) for archival and distribution purposes, via a "Backup to CD" menu option. The interface to the application normnally comprises a set of menu options on the far left of the screen, a list of folders and drives in the middle-left and a display of images and folders, in a currently selected folder from the middle-left screen portion, on the middle and right of the screen.

Different storage media have different access times. Optical media are relatively slow to access compared to hard disk drives, and particularly so with respect to memory. In particular with optical media there is significant seek time. The seek time is the time taken for an optical media reading system to locate the position of desired data on the medium.

Once located the data can then be read off, typically at a much faster rate than the seek time suggests. Displaying a large number of files on an optical medium can thus take a significant amount of time as the seek time accumulates for each file displayed.

Minimising the seek time is thus desirable for image (and media) browsing applications.

While the application is running, when a user selects the "Backup to CD" menu option, a new menu consisting of a panel of steps is displayed on the screen. These steps preferably include "Select images", "Specify backup settings", "Start backup" and "Return to main mnenu".

Referring to Fig. 1 there is shown the steps taken to backup a set of media files (images, movie files) folders and associated data to an optical disk (medium) placed in the optical disk writer/reader 812. In Step 101, the system 890 checks whether one or more items are selected. In Step 110 if no items are selected, the system 890 allows the user to make a selection. Having selected a number of items, when the user selects the menu "Specify backup settings", processing continues in Step 102.

In Step 102 an estimate of the selection size is calculated and is shown on the screen 810 in Step 103. The preferred method for estimating the size is explained below with reference to Fig. 2. In the present embodiment, Step 103 displays a visual indicator showing used space on the optical medium, an estimate of the selection size, space remaining on the optical medium, and other information such as volume label. In Step 104 010903 645880.doc the system waits for action from the user. In Step 105, if the user has selected the "Select images" menu option, processing returns to Step 110, where the set of selected items can be adjusted. The user can in fact return to this step at any time by selecting the "Select images" menu option.

In Step 106 if the user has selected the menu option "Return to main menu" the backup operation is aborted and the backup processing terminates. In Step 107 if the user has selected "Start backup" processing continues in Step 108.

In Step 108 the selected items (selected media files or images) and their associated files are copied to a temporary location before being written to an optical medium. Images often have associated files. For example, a sound file containing audio recorded when an image was taken, can be associated with the image. In another example, a still image representative of a movie file can be associated with the movie file. The estimate in Step 102 includes such associated files.

In Step 109 the contents of the staging folder are written to the optical medium. The backup processing operation then terminates.

Fig. 2 shows the steps taken to calculate estimate size referred to in step 102 of Fig. 1. The estimated size of each item selected, including any associated files, is determined as follows. Upon entry to the estimate procedure 102 there is a set of selected items. In Step 201 a decision is made to determine if there are any more items to be processed in the selected set. If there are more items, processing continues in Step 202. Otherwise the procedure terminates, returning the accumulated size in Step 205. In Step 202 the next item in the set is chosen and if the item is a file, Step 203 processing is directed to Step 206; otherwise processing is directed to Step 204. In Step 206 the size of the selected file and related data is accumulated as part of the total size of the set. Step 206 is described in more detail below with reference to Fig. 3. In Step 204, if the item selected is a folder processing is directed to Step 207; otherwise processing is directed to Step 201. In Step 207 the size of the folder is accumulated into the estimated total. Step 207 is described in more detail below with reference to Fig. 4.

010903 645880.doc Fig. 3 shows the steps taken to calculate the estimated size of a file, including a representative thumbnail, any associated metadata and other associated files. In the preferred embodiment the thumbnail is encoded in progressive (Joint Photographic Expert Group) JPEG format and is 160x120 in size. In Step 301, the size of the selected file is obtained and accumulated into the total size. In Step 302, the size of the thumbnail image for the file is estimated and accumulated into the total size. In the preferred embodiment, the thumbnail estimate is a fixed value, chosen large enough to store a poorly compressed thumbnail. In an alternative embodiment, thumbnail estimate can be calculated by the following equation: (uncompressed thumbnail size full image compression) ca, where a preferable 1.5. Typically, images are encoded in a format that permits storing metadata within the file. An example of such a format is EXIF JPEG. However, images are often encoded in a format that does not allow storing metadata within the file, and for such files, metadata must be stored in a separate file. An example of such a format is GIF. In Step 303 the size of any metadata associated with the file, but not contained within the file, is accumulated into the total size. In Step 304 processing is directed to Step 306 if the file has associated files; otherwise processing is directed to Step 305. In Step 306, the size of each associated file is obtained and accumulated into the total size. In Step 305, the total size is returned.

Fig. 4 shows the steps taken to calculate the estimated size of a folder, including subfolders, and files contained within the folder and their associated files. Upon entry to this estimate procedure there is a set of items enclosed within the folder. In Step 401 a decision is made to deter-nine if there arc any more items to be processed in the folder. If there are more items, processing continues in Step 402. Otherwise the procedure terminates, returning the accumulated size in Step 405. If there are more items, processing continues in Step 402. In Step 402 the next item in the set is selected. In Step 403 processing is directed to 406 if the item is a file; otherwise processing is directed to Step 404. In Step 406 the size of the selected file and related data is accumulated. In Step 404, if the item selected is a folder processing is directed to Step 407; otherwise processing is directed to Step 401. In Step 407 the size of the sub-folder is calculated by invoking the process described in Fig. 4, and accumulated into the estimated total.

010903 645880.doc Fig. 5 shows the steps taken to copy the set of selected items to a temporary area. Upon entry to this copying procedure there is a set of items to be copied. In Step 501 a decision is made to determine if there are any more items to be processed. If there are no more items, the process terminates. If there are more items, processing continues in Step 502. In Step 502 the next item in the set is selected. In Step 503 processing is directed to Step 505 if the item is a file; otherwise processing is directed to Step 504. In Step 505 the file is copied to a temporary area. Step 505 is described in more detail below with reference to Fig. 6. In Step 504 processing is directed to Step 506 if the item is a folder; otherwise processing is directed to Step 501. In Step 506 the folder is copied to a temporary area.

Step 506 is described in more detail below with reference to Fig. 7.

Fig. 6 shows the steps taken to copy a file to a temporary area. In Step 601 the file is copied from its current location to a temporary area. In Step 602 a decision is made to determine if the file has associated files. If the file has associated files, processing is directed to Step 605; otherwise processing is directed to Step 603. In Step 605 all associated files are copied. In Step 603, a thumbnail for the image is generated. Preferably thumbnails for all media in a folder are stored in a single file, called a thumbnail file, in the current folder. Having a single thumbnail file in each folder allows efficient browsing of the media in each folder; in particular when browsing on an optical medium, there is only one seek required to find the thumbnail file, as opposed to the cumulation of many seek times to find several (thumbnail) files on the optical medium. In an alternate embodiment the thumbnails are stored in a file that contains thumbnails for the entire set of media files selected for backup.

In Step 604 metadata associated with the file but not contained within the file is copied to a temporary area. Preferably metadata for all media in a folder is stored in a single text file in the current folder. Having a single metadata file in text fornmat is advantageous because a single metadata file can retrieved quickly as compared to multiple metadata files (e.g.

less total seek time); it is also easier to manage the metadata associated with a large number of files by using a single file. Further another user can view the metadata file in a meaningful way with a simple text viewer. In an alternate embodiment, metadata for all media in the selected set is stored in a text file in the root folder.

010903 645880.doc Fig. 7 shows the steps taken to copy a folder to a temporary area. In Step 701 a new folder representative of the folder being copied is created in the temporary area. In Step 702 a decision is made to determine if there are any more items within the folder to be processed. If there are no more items, the process terminates. If there are more items, processing continues in Step 703. In Step 703 the next item in the set is selected. In Step 704 a decision is made to determine if the item is a file. If the item is a file, processing is directed to Step 706; otherwise processing is directed to Step 705. In Step 706 the file is copied to a temporary area. Step 706 is described in more detail above with reference to Fig. 6. In Step 705 a decision is made to determine if the item is a folder. If the item is a folder, processing is directed to Step 707; otherwise processing is directed to Step 702. In Step 707 the folder is copied to a temporary location by invoking the process described in Fig. 7.

The "Backup to CD" process is useful in a number of different scenarios. For example in a first scenario a user can backup a set of valuable images, audio files, and video files, and their associated metadata files from a hard-disk onto an optical medium. If at some later time the user loses the original data, the backup can be used to restore the lost data to a hard-disk. In particular the metadata associated with the valuable media files is restored and further in a manner that maintains the association between the metadata and the relevant files. The restored thumbnail file allows a user to quickly browse the content of the restored data, where the restored thumbnail file is an up to date representation of the media files restored. The thumbnail file also allows a user to browse the contents of an optical medium quickly to ascertain whether the user wants or needs to restore the data from the optical medium.

As another example in a second scenario a user can use the backup procedure to provide a convenient way of showing friends, family and work-mates a set of media files. For example, at a recent birthday party for Granny, Bill took a number of photographs, video clips, and audio clips. Bill then went home and the next day created a presentation that he could give to Granny on the following weekend. Bill added several comments to some of the images, recollecting the mood of the particular scene for each photo. He also arranged the photos and video files into a hierarchy of folders that provided a nice overview of the happy occasion. He also added some photos from Granny's birthday party the year before; 010903 645880.doc and added a couple of photos from one of Granny's grandsons who were overseas at the time. He then used the "Backup to CD" procedure to copy the newly arranged media files, and associated metadata to an optical medium. On the following weekend he took the optical medium over to Granny's house and used the optical medium to give a presentation to Granny. The thumbnail file was useful for navigating the presentation quickly. Further, Granny was particularly pleased with the comments added to the photo, as her memory was rapidly fading these days, and without these prompts tended to forget many of the moments when the photos were taken at the birthday party the week before. Bill also brought over a number of other optical media that had media files backed up on them. He used the thumbnail files to quickly browse the content of each medium and to show to Granny the files that interested her.

The foregoing only describes an embodiment of the present invention, however, modifications and/or changes can be made thereto without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The present embodiment is, therefore, to be considered in all respects to be illustrative and restrictive. In the context of this specification, the word "comprising" means "including principally but not necessarily solely" or "having" or "including" and not "consisting only of'. Variations of the word comprising, such as "comprise" and "comprises" having corresponding meanings.

010903 645880.doc

Claims (7)

1. 2. A method of backing-up image according to Claim 1, wherein the optical storing medium is writable compact disk.
2. 3. A method of backing-up image according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the thumbnail image is written into the optical storing medium as one file.
3. 4. A method of backing-up image according to Claim 1 to 3, further comprising step of writing meta-data of the image into the optical storing medium. A method of backing up image according to Claim 1 to 3, further comprising the steps of: generating a file which contains meta-data in case that a format of the image does not contain meta-data; and writing the file into the optical storing medium.
4. 6. A method of backing up image according to Claim 5 further comprising the step of: displaying both volume of data stored previously in the optical storing medium and volume of data which will be backed up in the optical storing medium, when the image is specified.
5. 7. A method of backing up image according to Claim 1 to 6 wherein, the back up is prohibited when the image is not specified, or (ii) the volume of the image exceeds the volume of data remained in the optical storing medium.
6. 8. A method of reading images in an optical storing medium comprising the steps of: reading thumbnail images stored in the optical storing medium; displaying the thumbnail images on the display means; designating a set of images out of the thumbnail images displayed on the display means; reading original images corresponding to the set of images designated; and displaying the original images on the display means.
7. 9. An apparatus of backing-up image stored in an optical storing medium comprising: 010903 645880.doc specifying means for specifying at least one image to be backed up; generating means for generating thumbnail image corresponding to the specified image; and writing means for writing the specified image and the thumbnail image to the optical storing medium. An apparatus of reading images in an optical storing medium comprising: reading means for reading thumbnail images stored in the optical storing medium; means for displaying the thumbnail images on the display means; designating means for designating a set of images out of the thumbnail images displayed on the display means; reading means for reading original images corresponding to the set of images designated; and means for displaying the original images on the display means. DATED this 2 7 th Day of July 2004 CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA Patent Attorneys for the Applicant SPRUSON&FERGUSON 010903 683433