JP2002091990A - On-demand picture distribution server, picture resource database, client terminal, and method for displaying retrieval result - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To effectively utilize picture resources. SOLUTION: The on-demand picture distribution server for distributing desired picture data based on a request from a client terminal is provided with a retrieval function part for retrieving one or plural picture resource databases with one or plural retrieval items inputted from the client terminal as retrieval conditions and a retrieval result displaying function part for list-displaying information concerning a prescribed item among simple picture data of picture data corresponding to the retrieval conditions and/or contents-related information attached thereto on the screen of the client terminal for confirming the contents of the picture data being a distribution object.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a client terminal (for example, a computer terminal, a portable information terminal, a mobile phone, a set-top box, a television receiver, and other home electric appliances, and, in some cases, other on-line terminals as viewed from a target server). A demand image distribution server is included.) Based on a request from a client terminal, desired image data (still images (regardless of actual images and computer images; the same applies to moving images), moving images, etc.) To an on-demand image distribution server that distributes image data, and an image resource database that stores image data. The present invention also relates to a search result display method in an on-demand image distribution system including an on-demand image distribution server, an image resource database, and a client terminal.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Today, a vast amount of image data resources exist in various parts of the world. For example, broadcasters and video production companies have vast amounts of image data resources, including those already broadcast. Libraries, schools, museums, various research institutions, and the like also have vast amounts of image data resources.

[0003]

However, these image data resources are under the control of their respective owners and are not open to the public or their use is not always sufficient, and there are various potential needs. Nevertheless, its utilization is not enough.

In recent years, it has become possible to record a lot of additional information in image data. One of such data formats is a metadata format (a unified standard for several hundred items of attached information). Therefore,
Providing services that make effective use of such ancillary information is very important in increasing the use value of image data resources.

[0005]

Means for Solving the Problems To solve such problems, the following means are proposed.

(1) Desired image data (for example, image data of a television broadcast program, image data recorded in various places, image data of landscapes, works of art, etc.) is transmitted to a client terminal (non-on-demand image distribution company ( For example, not only home users) but also other on-demand image distributors.) An on-demand image distribution server that distributes based on a request from one or more of Search items (for example, date and time (shooting date and time,
(Edit date and time, broadcast date and time, etc.), position information, object, title, etc.) as search conditions, and use one or more image resource databases (other than the image resource database of the company that provides the on-demand image distribution service). A search function unit for searching for an image resource database of a business operator, and a plurality of image resource databases are not limited to those of the same business operator. Which has a smaller amount of data than the image data body prepared in advance or created from the image data body. In particular, in the case of a moving image, a part of the main part image is also included.) Among the attached content-related information (for example, location, object, situation, shooting method), predetermined items (when there are few registered items in the database, all items are included. The thing about that part of it is believed that many.) If the database registration entry of a large,
The present invention proposes a search result display function unit for displaying a list on a screen of a client terminal (regardless of a list format or a mapping format on a map) for confirming the content of image data to be distributed.

[0007] By using such an on-demand image distribution server, a user of a client terminal can easily search for desired image data from a vast amount of image data resources, and can download it as needed.

Further, the on-demand image distribution server provides simple image data of the image data, content-related information attached to the image data, or content-related information attached to the simple image data and the image data as search results. The user of the client terminal can easily check the contents without looking at the image data itself. As a result, desired image data can be reliably specified and obtained.

(2) The search result display function unit described in (1) determines a predetermined item based on the setting on the image resource database side.

[0010] In this case, since the items that are not displayed can be excluded from the transmission data, it can be used to reduce the amount of data transmitted from the image resource database to the on-demand image distribution server. Similarly, it can be used to reduce the amount of data distributed from the on-demand image distribution server to the client terminal. In addition, the amount of data processing in the on-demand image distribution server and the client terminal can be reduced by the amount of transmission data. Therefore, effective use of information processing resources can be realized. Also,
The visibility on the screen of the client terminal can be improved.

The setting items on the database side are not limited to the items set by the administrator (operator) of the image resource database, and are also used by the administrator (operator) of the on-demand image distribution server for distribution to itself. It may be an item specified in advance or an item requested in advance by the client terminal.

For example, by enabling setting by an image resource database manager (operator), information that the image resource database manager (operator) does not want leaks to the on-demand image distribution server or client terminal. Can be eliminated. In addition, by enabling designation from the on-demand image distribution server side, the uniqueness of the server provider that provides the on-demand image distribution service can be reflected in the list display, and discrimination from other server providers Can be realized. Further, if a request from the client terminal side is enabled, it is possible to improve the search operation of a user who searches for further information from the search results. In addition, since such a setting from the client terminal side leads to the intentional exclusion of the distribution of specific images and content information, it is necessary to prevent unwanted information (for example, adult information, etc.) from being displayed even at the display stage of the search result. it can.

The above specified or set items are frequently displayed in the past specified or set history (history for recent months, history for specific target / client, history for specific group, etc.). It may be something. As a result, the client can obtain more convenient information.

If the setting for a predetermined item to be displayed can be set simultaneously on the server device side and the client terminal side, it is also possible to display only the logical product of these. In this case, if items to be set later can be selected after confirming the current setting contents, it is possible to avoid a situation where an item satisfying the logical product condition becomes an example. Further, it is also possible to give a setting to give a priority and display the setting contents with a higher priority.

(3) Further, the search result display function unit described in (1) determines a predetermined item based on the setting in its own device (that is, in the on-demand image distribution server).

[0016] In this case, items that are certain not to be displayed can be excluded from the transmission data, and can be used to reduce the amount of data distributed from the on-demand image distribution server to the client terminal. In addition, the amount of data processing in the on-demand image distribution server and the client terminal can be reduced by the amount of transmission data. For this reason,
Effective use of information processing resources can be realized. Further, the visibility on the screen of the client terminal can be improved.

The setting items in the own apparatus are not limited to the items set by the manager (operator) of the on-demand image distribution server, but also the manager (operator) of the image resource database.
May be items specified in advance to the on-demand image distribution server as the distribution destination, or items previously requested from the client terminal side.

For example, by enabling designation from the image resource database manager (operator), it is possible to prevent information unwanted by the image resource database manager (operator) from leaking to the client. In addition, by allowing the administrator (operator) of the on-demand image distribution server to make settings, the uniqueness of the server operator that provides the on-demand image distribution service can be reflected in the list display. Differentiation from business operators can be realized. Further, if a request from the client terminal side is enabled, it is possible to improve the search operation of a user who searches for further information from the search results. In addition, since such a setting from the client terminal side leads to the intentional exclusion of the distribution of specific images and content information, it is necessary to prevent unwanted information (for example, adult information, etc.) from being displayed even at the display stage of the search result. it can.

By the way, the above specified or set items are frequently specified in the past specified or set history (history for recent months, history for specific target / client, history for specific group, etc.). It may be something. As a result, the client can obtain more convenient information.

If the settings for the predetermined items to be displayed can be set simultaneously on the database side and the client terminal side, it is also possible to display only the logical product of these. In this case, if items to be set later can be selected after confirming the current setting contents, it is possible to avoid a situation where an item satisfying the logical product condition becomes an example. Further, it is also possible to give a setting to give a priority and display the setting contents with a higher priority.

(4) The search result display function unit described in (1) determines predetermined items based on settings on the client terminal side.

[0022] In this case, items that are certain not to be displayed can be excluded from the transmission data, and the amount of data processing at the client terminal can be reduced. Therefore, effective use of information processing resources can be realized. Further, the visibility on the screen of the client terminal can be improved.

The setting items on the client terminal side include not only the items set by the user of the client terminal, but also the manager (business) of the image resource database and the manager (business) of the on-demand image distribution server. The item specified from the side may be used.

For example, such setting from the client terminal side can lead to intentional exclusion of the distribution of a specific image or content information.
Adult information, etc.) can be prevented from being displayed even when the search result is displayed. Further, by enabling designation from the image resource database manager (operator) side, it is possible to prevent information unwanted by the image resource database manager (operator) from leaking to the client side. In addition, by allowing the administrator (operator) of the on-demand image distribution server to make settings, the uniqueness of the server operator that provides the on-demand image distribution service can be reflected in the list display. Differentiation from business operators can be realized.

The above specified or set items are frequently displayed in the past specified or set history (history of recent months, history of specific target / client, history of specific group, etc.). It may be something. As a result, the client can obtain more convenient information.

In the case where the setting for a predetermined item to be displayed can be set simultaneously on the server device side and the database side, it is also possible to display only the logical product of them. In this case, if items to be set later can be selected after confirming the current setting contents, it is possible to avoid a situation where an item satisfying the logical product condition becomes an example. Further, it is also possible to give a setting to give a priority and display the setting contents with a higher priority.

(5) In the on-demand image distribution server according to any one of (1) to (4), the content-related information includes at least GPS information (time information, position information (for only latitude and longitude, Including altitude information.)) Is proposed.

By including the GPS information in this way, it is possible to pinpoint search for image data at a specific time at a specific point. In particular, by including the altitude information, it is possible to easily extract the most appropriate image data of a desired altitude at a specific point as long as it exists. For example, desired data such as image data on the ground of a high-rise building, image data on a middle floor, and image data on a roof can be extracted at a pinpoint.

Also, by including GPS information,
It is also possible to map image data on a map.

(6) In addition, the on-demand image distribution server according to any one of (1) to (4) is configured such that, in accordance with a request from the client terminal that has issued the search request, the client terminal that has issued the search request is We propose a method that can distribute image data to another client terminal.

By enabling such distribution, for example, even if a portable client terminal (cellular phone, portable information terminal, etc.) is used for image data retrieval, the final image data storage destination (download For example, another client terminal (stationary computer device, set-top box, or the like) having a large-capacity storage medium can be used.

(7) One or more search items input from the client terminal described in (1) include position information (for example, three-dimensional information of longitude, latitude, and height) and / or time information. Is suggested.

By including such information in the search conditions, it is possible to pinpoint search for image data at a specific time at a specific point. For example, by including the altitude information, it is possible to easily extract the most appropriate image data of a desired altitude at a specific point as long as it exists. For example, desired data such as image data on the ground of a high-rise building, image data on a middle floor, and image data on a roof can be extracted at a pinpoint.

Of course, as a countermeasure result corresponding to this, (8) In addition, the on-demand image distribution server described in (1) is a simple image data of image data corresponding to the search condition (when there are a large number of image data, , A representative one of them may be displayed, or their images may be displayed cyclically), and the GPS information (time information, position information (altitude information) )) And map the result to the corresponding position on the map, and display the mapping result on the screen of the client terminal.

By enabling such display, the user of the client terminal can search for necessary image data while checking the geographical positional relationship. In particular, this is effective when searching for image data of a place where an approximate place is known but a detailed place is not known.

(9) Further, it is proposed that the on-demand image distribution server described in (1) displays a list of content-related information of each image data in a table format associated with display target items.

By using such a distribution server, the user can confirm the difference in the content-related information attached to each image data in a comparable state. For example, assuming that the search target is a specific scenery, it is possible to check which items are different in the attached information of each image data, so even if there are many image data of the same type, access to the information Easy. For example, the information on the shooting location is different,
Differences in image data, such as different shooting dates and times, and different image data can be grasped from differences in information recorded for common items. Note that the content-related information is XML (eX
tensible Markup Language) or SGML (Standard Gen)
This is also effective when the information is expressed with a tag indicating the content of the information, such as eralizing Markup Language).

(10) Image data (for example, image data of a television broadcast program, image data recorded in various places, image data of landscapes, arts, and the like) is stored in advance in the form of simple image data (in addition to the image data itself). Prepared or created from the main body of image data, the amount of data is smaller than the main body of image data. In particular, in the case of moving images, some images of the main part are included.) And / or content related to this An image resource database stored together with information (eg, location, object, situation, shooting method). When a search result is returned to an on-demand image distribution server, simple image data of image data corresponding to a search condition and / or Is proposed that includes a search execution unit that outputs only information relating to a predetermined item (including all items) among the content-related information attached to.

By using such an image resource database, the amount of data transmitted from the image resource database to the on-demand image distribution server can be reduced. Similarly, the amount of data distributed from the on-demand image distribution server to the client terminal can be reduced. As a result, the amount of data processing at the on-demand image distribution server and the client terminal can be reduced. Therefore, effective use of information processing resources can be realized. In addition, by reducing the number of items, the visibility on the screen of the client terminal can be improved.

As the predetermined item for which the output is permitted, a method of determining based on the setting in the own apparatus (that is, in the image resource database) may be adopted, or the setting on the on-demand image distribution server side may be adopted. May be adopted, or a method of making a decision based on the settings on the client terminal side may be adopted.

Regardless of which system is used, the setting items of each device are not limited to those set by the company or user of each device, as described for the on-demand image distribution server. It may be set by the operator or user of the device. For example, when determining based on the settings of the image resource database itself, the setting items themselves are not limited to those set by the operator of the image resource database, but are also set by the operator of the on-demand image server or the user of the client terminal. May be set.

Further, in the setting of the setting items, the highest specification in the past or the setting history may be displayed as in the case of the on-demand image distribution server.

(11) Image data (for example, image data of a television broadcast program, image data recorded in various locations,
Information on image data such as landscapes and artworks)
A client terminal for displaying a list on the screen, wherein the simplified image data of the image data (prepared separately from the image data main body or created from the image data main body notified by the on-demand image distribution server) , The data amount of which is smaller than that of the image data itself. In particular, in the case of a moving image, a part of the main part image is also included.) ) Are provided with a search result display function unit that outputs only those relating to predetermined items (including all) on the screen.

By using such a client terminal, the amount of data transmitted from the image resource database to the on-demand image distribution server can be reduced.
Similarly, the amount of data distributed from the on-demand image distribution server to the client terminal can be reduced.
As a result, the amount of data processing in the image resource database and the on-demand image distribution server can be reduced. Therefore, effective use of information processing resources can be realized.
In addition, by reducing the number of items, the visibility on the screen of the client terminal can be improved.

As a predetermined item that allows the list display, a method of determining based on the setting in the own apparatus (that is, in the client terminal) may be adopted, or based on the setting on the image resource database side. May be adopted, or may be adopted based on the settings of the on-demand image distribution server.

Regardless of which method is adopted, the setting items of each device are not limited to those set by the company or user of each device, as described for the on-demand image distribution server. It may be set by the operator or user of the device. For example, even when the setting items are determined based on the settings of the client terminal itself, the setting items themselves are not only those set by the user of the client terminal, but also those of the image resource database and the on-demand image server. What you set may be used.

In the setting of the setting items, the highest specification in the past or the setting history may be displayed, similarly to the case of the on-demand image distribution server.

(12) As the server system, (1) to
The present invention proposes an on-demand image distribution server described in any one of (9) and an image resource database described in (10).

By constructing such a server system, it is possible to provide a user-friendly on-demand image distribution service with a high degree of freedom in display items of search results. Further, desired image data can be easily searched from a vast amount of image resources, so that image resources can be effectively used.

Of course, on the screen of the client terminal, the search results are displayed in a list that can be compared with each other, so that a system in which the contents of the search results can be easily grasped can be realized.

(13) As the on-demand image distribution system, the on-demand image distribution server described in any of (1) to (9), the image resource database described in (10), and the on-demand image distribution system described in (11) We propose one with a client terminal.

By constructing such an on-demand image distribution system, it is possible to provide a user-friendly on-demand image distribution service with a high degree of freedom in display items of search results. Also, as a result of easily searching for desired image data from a vast amount of image resources,
Effective use of image resources can be achieved.

(14) A search result display method in an on-demand image distribution system, wherein simple image data of image data corresponding to a search condition (prepared separately from the image data body or created from the image data body) Data with a smaller data volume than the image data itself. In particular, in the case of a moving image, this includes a part of the image of the main part.) And / or content-related information attached thereto (eg, location, object, situation, shooting method Of the items set on the image resource database side is listed on the screen of the client terminal.

In this search result display method, not all information stored in the image resource database,
Since only the items set on the image resource database side are displayed, the visibility of the client terminal to the user can be improved, and efficient search processing can be performed.

This also means that the amount of data transmitted from the image resource database to the on-demand image distribution server can be reduced. Similarly, it means that the amount of data distributed from the on-demand image distribution server to the client terminal can be reduced. Further, the amount of data processing in the on-demand image distribution server and the client terminal can be reduced. Therefore, effective use of information processing resources can be realized.

The items displayed in the list are not only the items set by the administrator (operator) of the image resource database, but also the manager (operator) of the on-demand image distribution server preliminarily sets the items for distribution to itself. The item may be a designated item or an item previously requested from the client terminal side.

For example, by enabling setting by an image resource database administrator (operator), information that the image resource database administrator (operator) does not want leaks to the on-demand image distribution server or client terminal. Can be eliminated. In addition, by enabling designation from the on-demand image distribution server side, the uniqueness of the server provider that provides the on-demand image distribution service can be reflected in the list display, and discrimination from other server providers Can be realized. Further, if a request from the client terminal side is enabled, it is possible to improve the search operation of a user who searches for further information from the search results. In addition, since such a setting from the client terminal side leads to the intentional exclusion of the distribution of specific images and content information, it is necessary to prevent unwanted information (for example, adult information, etc.) from being displayed even at the display stage of the search result. it can.

The above specified or set items are frequently specified in the past specified or set history (history of recent months, history of specific target / client, history of specific group, etc.). It may be something. As a result, the client can obtain more convenient information.

(15) A search result display method in the on-demand image distribution system, wherein simple image data of image data corresponding to the search condition (prepared separately from the image data body or created from the image data body) Data with a smaller data volume than the image data itself. In particular, in the case of a moving image, this includes a part of the image of the main part.) And / or content-related information attached thereto (eg, location, object, situation, shooting method) Of the items set on the on-demand image distribution server side is displayed in a list on the screen of the client terminal.

In this search result display method, not all information stored in the image resource database,
Since only the items set on the on-demand image distribution server side are displayed, the visibility of the client terminal to the user can be improved, and efficient search processing can be performed.

This also means that the amount of data distributed from the on-demand image distribution server to the client terminal can be reduced. Further, the amount of data processing in the on-demand image distribution server and the client terminal can be reduced. Therefore, effective use of information processing resources can be realized.

The items displayed in the list are not only the items set by the administrator (operator) of the on-demand image distribution server, but also the on-demand image to which the administrator (operator) of the image resource database is the distribution destination. It may be an item specified in advance to the distribution server or an item requested in advance from the client terminal side.

For example, by enabling designation from the image resource database manager (operator) side, it is possible to prevent information unwanted by the image resource database manager (operator) from leaking to the client side. In addition, by allowing the administrator (operator) of the on-demand image distribution server to make settings, the uniqueness of the server operator that provides the on-demand image distribution service can be reflected in the list display. Differentiation from business operators can be realized. Further, if a request from the client terminal side is enabled, it is possible to improve the search operation of a user who searches for further information from the search results. In addition, since such a setting from the client terminal side leads to the intentional exclusion of the distribution of specific images and content information, it is necessary to prevent unwanted information (for example, adult information, etc.) from being displayed even at the display stage of the search result. it can.

By the way, the above specified or set items are frequently specified in the past specified or set history (history of recent months, history of specific target / client, history of specific group, etc.). It may be something. As a result, the client can obtain more convenient information.

(16) A search result display method in an on-demand image distribution system, wherein simple image data of image data corresponding to a search condition (prepared separately from the image data body or created from the image data body) Data with a smaller data volume than the image data itself. In particular, in the case of a moving image, this includes a part of the image of the main part.) And / or content-related information attached thereto (eg, location, object, situation, shooting method ), A list of items set on the client terminal side on the screen of the client terminal is proposed.

In this search result display method, not all information stored in the image resource database,
Since only the items set on the client terminal side are displayed, the visibility of the client terminal to the user can be improved, and efficient search processing can be performed.

This also means that the amount of data processing at the client terminal can be reduced. Therefore, effective use of information processing resources can be realized.

The items displayed in the list are not only the items set by the user of the client terminal, but also those of the manager of the image resource database (business) and the manager of the on-demand image distribution server (business). The specified item may be used.

For example, since such setting from the client terminal side can lead to the intentional exclusion of the distribution of specific image or content information, undesired information (for example,
Adult information, etc.) can be prevented from being displayed even when the search result is displayed. Further, by enabling designation from the image resource database manager (operator) side, it is possible to prevent information unwanted by the image resource database manager (operator) from leaking to the client side. In addition, by allowing the administrator (operator) of the on-demand image distribution server to make settings, the uniqueness of the server operator that provides the on-demand image distribution service can be reflected in the list display. Differentiation from business operators can be realized.

The above specified or set items are frequently specified in the past specified or set history (history for recent months, history for specific target / client, history for specific group, etc.). It may be something. As a result, the client can obtain more convenient information.

(17) A search result display method in an on-demand image distribution system, which displays simple image data of image data corresponding to a search condition and / or content-related information relating to a predetermined item. It proposes what is displayed as a list in a table format corresponding to the target item.

According to this display method, the user can confirm the difference in the content-related information attached to each image data in a comparable state. For example, assuming that the search target is a specific scenery, it is possible to check which items are different in the attached information of each image data, so even if there are many image data of the same type, access to the information Easy. For example, it is possible to grasp the difference of the image data, the difference of the photographing date and time, the weather, and the difference of each image data from the difference of the information recorded for the common item.
Note that the content-related information is XML (eXtensible Marku
p Language) or SGML (Standard Generalizing Mark)
This is also effective when the information is indicated with a tag indicating the content of the information, such as “up language”.

(18) A search result display method in an on-demand image distribution system, which is a simple image data of image data corresponding to a search condition (prepared separately from the image data body or created from the image data body). Data having a smaller data amount than the image data itself. In particular, in the case of a moving image, a part of the main part of the image is also included. )), A mapping screen that is mapped to a corresponding position on the map is displayed on the screen of the client terminal.

In this search result display method, the user of the client terminal can search for necessary image data while checking the geographical positional relationship.
In particular, when the approximate location is known, it is possible to search for image data related to the detailed location without having knowledge of the detailed location.

[0075]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings as embodiments of the above-mentioned solving means.

(1) On-Demand Image Distribution System (1-1) Overall Configuration FIG. 1 shows an example of the configuration of an on-demand image distribution system. The on-demand image distribution system includes a client terminal 1 for requesting a desired image, an image distribution server 2 for distributing desired image data based on the request, and an image resource database 3 for storing image resources. . FIG. 1 is a conceptual configuration diagram of the on-demand image distribution system, and the configuration is not limited to this.

As shown in FIG. 1, the client terminals 1 (1A, 1B,
..) and the image distribution server 2 (2A, 2B,...) Are connected via a network. The network used here is a general public network, the Internet network, a dedicated line network, an ATM network, or another communication network. The network is not limited to a wired network (including an optical communication network), but may be a wireless communication network (regardless of the communication method).

The client terminal 1, the image distribution server 2, and the image resource database 3 constituting the on-demand image distribution system do not need to exist in the same country or in the same administrative area. May exist within.

(1-2) Server System As shown in FIG. 3, the server system 4 includes an image distribution server 2 for executing image data search processing (search acceptance, search execution, search result display), and image assets. It consists of the stored image resource database 3. However, the image distribution server 2 and the image resource database 3 need not be in the same building or the same device. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the image distribution server 2 and the image resource databases 3A to 3C (FIG.
Represents a case where there are three image resource databases, but there may be one case or an arbitrary plurality of cases. )
May be connected via a network. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the image distribution server 2 and the image resource database 3 (only one image resource database is shown in FIG. 4, but there may be a plurality of image resources databases) are in the same building or the same. A configuration provided in the apparatus may be used.

In general, it is assumed that the operation of the server system 4 is operated by a broadcasting station, a video production company, or another business operator. However, the business operator of the image distribution server 2 and the business operator of the image resource database 3 need to operate. It could well be separate. For example, a third party may provide a service for distributing image resources of a broadcasting station or a video production company.
In this case, the connection configuration shown in FIG. 3 is generally used.

(1-3) Client Terminal FIG. 5 shows a hardware configuration of the client terminal 1. In addition, as the client terminal 1, a computer terminal, a portable information terminal, a mobile phone, a set-top box, a television receiver, and other home appliances can be considered.

As shown in FIG. 5, the client terminal 1
Is a CPU 101A for realizing various functions and an input / output unit 101 used for communication with the image distribution server 2.
B, the program memory 101C, and the processing memory 101
D, display item setting memory 101E, and operation unit 101
F, a display unit 101G required for a search operation, and a storage medium (a magnetic storage medium such as a hard disk, a readable / writable compact disk, or the like) for storing received data (including downloaded image information). Magnetic storage media, semiconductor storage media such as memory cards, etc.).

When the map information database is not shown in the figure, but has a database of map information, the client terminal determines the position of the GPS information and the like included in the search result provided from the image distribution server 2. Using the information, simple image data can be mapped on a map and displayed on a screen.

Incidentally, these components need not be provided in a single housing. For example, they may be stored in separate housings, such as in a relationship between a television receiver as a display unit and a set-top box realizing other functions.

In general, the client terminal 1 functions as an execution entity of a process for specifying image data to be distributed (namely, a process of inputting search conditions and a process of specifying image data to be downloaded), and also executes the process of specifying the specified image data. Also functions as a data download destination. The client terminal 1A and the image distribution server 2A shown in FIG. 1 represent this relationship.

However, the client terminal that executes the process for specifying the image data to be distributed may be different from the client terminal to which the specified image data is downloaded. FIG. 2 shows such a case. In the case of FIG. 2, the client terminal 1C is a terminal for specifying image data to be distributed, and the client terminal 1A is a terminal to which the specified image data is downloaded.

Incidentally, this function is provided by the client terminal 1C.
However, prior to execution of the download, the client terminal 1
A, the client terminal 1A is set to a downloadable state, and the download destination of the image data specified by the image distribution server 2A is designated to the client terminal 1A.

These functions are realized by the download destination determining program 101C2 of the program memory 101C in FIG.

This function can be used, for example, on the go.
This is effective when image data specified using a client terminal having a limited storage capacity such as a mobile phone is to be downloaded to a home computer device, a set-top box, or the like having a sufficient storage capacity. Of course, the storage capacity of the client terminal used to specify the image data to be distributed need not be small, and the function can be used even when there is enough room. That is,
The user of the client terminal is free to use it.

Although the original client terminal is as described above, there are a plurality of image distribution servers as shown in FIG. 1, and one image distribution server downloads desired image data from another image distribution server. If you do
An image distribution server (2B in FIG. 1) that requests desired image data (transmits search conditions and specifies image data to be downloaded from a response search result) and distributes the image data It functions as a client terminal as viewed from 2A) in FIG.

The client terminal 1 is provided with a display item setting function unit (not shown) for storing display items (items permitted to be displayed) when displaying a list of search results provided from the image distribution server 2. ing. This function is realized by the search result display program 101C1 of FIG. 5 reading out the setting items stored in the display item setting memory 101E.

The setting of this item may be performed by the user of the client terminal 1, or may be performed by the image distribution server 2 or the image resource database 3. When set by the user of the client terminal 1, it is possible to limit the search results to items that are easy for the user to use. Note that the setting here may be automatically set from the past specification history or setting history of the user. Also,
When the setting is made on the image distribution server 2 side, it is possible to prevent items that the business operator of the image distribution server 2 does not want to be displayed on the screen of the client terminal 1. Similarly, in the case where the image resource database 3 sets the data, it is possible to prevent the data provider of the image resource database 3 from displaying undesired data (for example, management data and data relating to secret) on the screen of the client terminal 1.

The display item setting memory 1 shown in FIG.
The system may be configured such that only items set by the client terminal 1 are stored in the 01E and the writing from the image distribution server 2 or the image resource database 3 is not performed. In this case as well, display items (display permission items or display prohibition items that are individually set in each of the image distribution server 2 and the image resource database 3 may be attached to the search result, or may be displayed in advance. And the display result set on the client terminal 1 is logically ANDed to obtain a display finally displayed on the screen. The item may be determined.

Note that the client terminal 1 may notify the servicer side (image distribution server 2 and image resource database 3) that provides the image distribution service of items that the client terminal 1 does not want to display or that wants to display. .
In this case, the search result display program 101C1 of FIG.
Notifies the information stored in the display item setting memory 101E.

(1-4) Image Distribution Server FIGS. 6 and 7 show an example of a hardware configuration and a software configuration of the image distribution server 2. These drawings are all functionally expressed, and do not limit the actual circuit configuration.

First, the hardware configuration shown in FIG. 6 will be described. The image distribution server 2 has a CP
U102A, an input / output unit 102B used for communication with the image resource database, an input / output unit 102C used for communication with the client terminal, and a program memory 10
2D, processing memory 102E, display item setting storage memory 102F, operation unit 102G, display unit 102H
And a map information database 102I.

Here, the input / output units 102B and 102C are equipped with communication functions according to the communication method used for communication with the image resource database 3 shown in FIG.

The program memory 102D includes a search receiving program 102D1, a search execution program 102D2, and a search result display program 102D3.
, A mapping program 102D4, a download program 102D5, and other programs (for example, a program for mutually converting between GPS information and place names.
If the conversion program is used, even if the search condition is a place name, the search can be performed with the GPS information. In addition, it is possible to display a result obtained by converting a search result searched by the GPS information into a place name so that a user can easily understand the search result. ) Is used to store Of these, the mapping program 102D4 is
This is a program for mapping and displaying image data on a map when GPS information (longitude, latitude, altitude, date and time) is included in the content-related information attached to the image data corresponding to the search condition.

The display item setting storage memory 102F has a function to display only predetermined items when displaying search results in a list format on the screen of the client terminal. Or, used to store items to be excluded.

The operation unit 102G and the display unit 102H are used for maintenance and for setting the above-mentioned display items.

The map information database 102I is a database for storing map information to be mapped when a search result is displayed on the screen of the client terminal 1 in a mapping format. The map information database 10
2I may be provided in the image distribution server 2 or may be connected to the outside.

Next, the software configuration shown in FIG. 7 will be described. The image distribution server 2 includes a search condition receiving function unit 102J, a search execution function unit 102K, a search result display function unit 102L, and a download execution function unit 102M.

Here, the search condition receiving function unit 102J
This is a functional unit that displays a screen for receiving search conditions on the screen of the client terminal 1 and assists the user's input. A specific display screen example will be described later. The search condition receiving function unit 102J includes a display item setting function unit 102L1
Has a function of linking items displayed on the screen for accepting search conditions based on the information held in the search condition. Of course,
You do not need to link.

The search execution function unit 102K is a means for, when a search condition is input from the client terminal 1, providing the search condition to the image resource database 3.

When the search result display function unit 102L receives, from the image resource database 3, simple image data of image data corresponding to the search condition, content-related information attached to the image data corresponding to the search condition, or a combination thereof, the list is displayed. This is a means for editing into display data in a format or a mapping format and transmitting it to the client terminal.

Here, the simple image data is image data prepared for displaying the retrieval result and having a smaller amount of information than the original image data to be generated. In particular, when the client terminal is a mobile phone or the like having a limited display capability (displayable area, communication capability, etc.),
It is meaningful to provide such simple image data. Of course,
Even when the display capability is high, it is effective in increasing the processing capability to increase the response speed. In the case of moving image data, it also includes a part of the main part image and a still image of a typical scene.

Note that the search result display function unit 102L includes
Display item setting function unit 102L1 and mapping function unit 10
2L2 is included.

The display item setting function unit 102L1 stores the simple image data and the content-related information (for example, “title”, “title type”,. “Talent, staff”, “Location information of equipment (latitude, longitude, etc.)”
This is a unit that stores items that can be displayed in a list out of “position information (latitude, longitude, etc.) of the object”... The contents of the list display of the search results are determined based on the information stored in the display item setting function unit 2L1.

The setting items stored in the display item setting function unit 102L1 may be set in the own area by the company that manages and operates the image distribution server 2, or the image resource database 3 may be managed. The setting may be made by the operating company or by the user of the client terminal 1. The display item setting function unit 102L
The setting items stored in 1 may be automatically set by the search result display function unit 102L of the image distribution server 2 from the past specified history or setting history.

Here, in the case where the business operator who manages and operates the image distribution server 2 is set, even if there are a plurality of business operators providing the search service, uniqueness can be obtained for each business operator. become. That is, the user interface can be differentiated.

On the other hand, in the case where the business operator managing and operating the image resource database sets the information, it is necessary to prevent the information unnecessary by the business operator managing and operating the image resource database from leaking to the client side. it can.

When the user of the client terminal sets the information, only the information required by the user can be displayed on the screen, so that a user-friendly system can be provided.

As a method of automatically setting from the past designated history or setting history, there are a history of recent months, a history of a specific target / client, a history of a specific group (including an unspecified large number), and the like. Among them, there is a method of using a frequently used one. Even if such a setting method is adopted, a user-friendly system can be achieved.

The above-described display item setting function unit 102L
1 also provides a function of notifying the client terminal 1 or the image resource database 3 of a display item desired by the user or a display item not desired to be displayed.

The mapping function unit 102L2 displays the search result in a mapping format (in some cases, the search result is obtained from the client terminal side;
In some cases, it is executed based on 2L judgment. ), The simple image data received from the image resource database 3 is stored in the GPS
This is a means for executing processing for mapping to a point determined by information (latitude, longitude, altitude, time).

When the search result display function unit 102L automatically activates the mapping function unit 102L2, since the search condition has a vague spread such as “administrative division”, a large number of image data are It is conceivable that this case is met. In this case, since there is a possibility that a large number of image data are registered at the same point, the image resource database and the search result display function unit 102
L selectively maps one representative simple screen data registered based on the search history, or hierarchically maps all or a representative part thereof (eg, representative images of each genre). However, a method is also possible in which only the image located at the highest hierarchical level is always visible on the client terminal side. Of course, in the case of hierarchical mapping as described above, the image of the lower hierarchy is cyclically moved to the upper hierarchy, and as a result, all the images can be confirmed.

The presence of the mapping function unit 102L2 allows the user of the client terminal to visually proceed with a search operation without relying on character data.

(1-5) Image Resource Database FIG. 9 shows a hardware configuration example of the image resource database 3. FIG. 9 is a functional representation.
It does not restrict even the actual circuit configuration.

The image resource database 3 stores the image resources (the image data 103A1 main body and the simple image data 103A).
2 is also included. ) And the storage medium 103A for storing the content related information 103A3, the input / output unit 103B for performing communication with the image distribution server 2, and the input / output unit 1
A search execution unit 103C that executes a search process based on search conditions given through the input unit 103B and provides simple image data of image data corresponding to the search conditions to the input / output unit 103B.
, Operation unit 103D used for management and operation, and display unit 1
03E is a main component.

Here, as the content-related information 103A3 stored in the storage medium 103A, in addition to the information shown in FIG. 8, “photographer”, “journalist”, “director”, “source information”, “recording method”, “On-air date and time”, “copyright holder”, and the like are also included. In addition, the “latitude”, “longitude”,
For “altitude”, “date and time” and the like, numerical values measured through a GPS receiver are used, for example. However, it is not limited to GPS information.

Further, the search execution section 103C is provided with a display item setting function section 103C1. The function of the display item setting function unit 103C1 is the same as that of the display item setting function unit 102L1 in FIG. That is, the display item setting function unit 103C1 stores items that can be displayed in a list among the simple image data 103A2 and the content related information 103A3 attached to the image data corresponding to the search condition.

The setting items stored in the display item setting function unit 103C1 may be set by the administrator (business) of the image resource database 3, or may be set by the image distribution server 2.
May be set by the administrator (operator). Further, the setting items stored in the display item setting function unit 103C1 may be automatically set by the search execution unit 103C of the image resource database 3 from the past specified history or setting history.

Here, the image resource database 3 is managed and
In the case where the managing company sets the information, it is possible to prevent information that is not desired by the image resource database manager (business company) from leaking to the image distribution server 2 or the client terminal 1. In addition, by enabling designation from the image distribution server 2, the uniqueness of the business operator that manages and operates the image distribution server can be reflected in the list display, realizing differentiation from other business businesses. it can.

When the user of the client terminal sets the information, only the information required by the user can be displayed on the screen, so that a user-friendly system can be provided.

As a method of automatically setting from the past designated history or setting history, there are a history of recent months, a history of a specific target / client, a history of a specific group (including an unspecified number), and the like. Among them, there is a method of using a frequently used one. Even if such a setting method is adopted, a user-friendly system can be achieved.

Note that the above-described display item setting function unit 103C
1 also provides a function of notifying the client terminal 1 or the image distribution server 2 of a display item desired by the user or a display item not desired to be displayed.

(2) Search Program Next, the contents of the search program of the image distribution server 2 will be described.

(2-1) Search Accepting Program FIG. 10 shows an outline of the search accepting program 102D1 stored in the program memory 102D of FIG.
The search reception program includes a step S1 for displaying a reception screen described later and a step S1 for receiving an input of a search condition.
2, the main processing steps include a step S3 for determining whether the search condition has been determined and the execution of the search has been instructed, and a step S4 for updating the reception screen when a negative result is obtained in the step S3.

After execution of step S4, step S4 is executed.
The state shifts to 2, and a state in which the client terminal 1 waits for a new search condition to be input. Further, when the determination of the search condition and the execution of the search are instructed in step S3, a positive result is obtained and the search receiving program is ended. Incidentally, the search execution program is started after the search reception program ends.

(2-2) Search Execution Program The search execution program accesses the storage medium of the image resource database 3 to search for image data that satisfies the search condition, and retrieves the image data, the simplified image data, or both. , Means for extracting content-related information attached to the image data. However, when the search operation itself is left to the image resource database side, an operation of transmitting the determined search condition to the image resource database side after the end of the search receiving program is executed.

(2-3) Search Result Display Program FIG. 11 shows an outline of the search result display program 102D3. The search result display program receives the search result from the image resource database 3 (step S11).
And step S12 of determining the display format of the search result;
Step S13 of creating a list screen according to the determined display format, and step S14 of transmitting data of the created list screen to the client terminal 1 and displaying the data on the screen.
Are the main processing steps.

If the mapping format is determined in step S12, the mapping program 10
2D4 is activated and used for the process of step S13. The mapping program 102D4 provides a processing function of mapping image data on a map registered in the map information database 102I of FIGS. 6 and 7 using GPS information.

If the client who has viewed the list screen inputs additional search conditions, the above-described search program is repeatedly executed.

(2-4) Download Program The image data to be finally downloaded is determined on the search result display screen (in some cases, not only one), and the execution of the download is executed by the client terminal 1. When instructed by the user, the download program 102D5 is started. FIG. 12 shows an outline of the download program 102D5. The download program 102D5 notifies the image resource database 3 of the information of the image data notified from the client terminal 1 to the image resource database 3, a step S22 of executing the download between the client terminal 1 and the image resource database 3, and Step S23 of executing a charging process for download is set as a main processing step.

In the charging process, a user of the client terminal 1 using the distribution service uses a user ID and other authentication information (for example, a mail address, a password, and the like) which are initially registered in advance. It is assumed that the payment method (credit payment, transfer payment, etc.) is registered at the time of initial registration.

In step S23, the price for the download is calculated according to a fee determined for each content, a fee according to the communication time, a fee according to the data amount, and other fee systems. The calculated price is stored in a storage unit (not shown). In the case where the image distribution server 2 and the image resource database 3 have different operators, the amount to be distributed to the image resource database 3 is calculated.

(3) Example of search screen (display method) (3-1) Example of search reception screen FIGS. 13 to 16 show display examples of the search reception screen. As described above, the display screen is displayed on the display screen of the client terminal 1. The following display screen examples may be freely selected by the user of the client terminal 1 or may be provided directly from the image distribution server 2.

[First Example] FIG. 13 shows a first example of a display screen. This example of a display screen is an example of a method in which a selected one of the items displayed in the search item column 13 is input as a search condition. As shown in FIG. 14, selectable items are hierarchically prepared for each item in the search item column 13. Therefore, the user of the client terminal can create a search formula only by selecting the selected item. This function has an advantage that an appropriate search item can be easily input even to a user who does not have sufficient knowledge about the search item.

The determined item is displayed in the search condition expression display column 12. When inputting a plurality of search items, either “logical product” or “logical sum” displayed in the logical formula condition column 11 is selected. Of course, the logical expression condition can be corrected manually, and a more complicated conditional expression can be created.

Further, the contents of the search items shown in the search item column 13 of FIG. 13 are generally linked to those set in the display item setting function section of the client terminal 1 or the image distribution server 2.

Note that the enter button 14 is used to enter the selected search item, the cancel button 15 is used to cancel the immediately preceding search item or the search item selected on the screen, and the search condition formula is entered. Then, when performing a search, the user may operate the execution button 16. The same applies to other display screen examples.

[Second Example] FIG. 15 shows a second example of the display screen. This example of the display screen is an example in which a method of directly inputting information to be searched after selecting an item to be input from the items displayed in the search item column 13 is adopted.
FIG. 15 illustrates a state in which the user of the client terminal 1 has input the term “Kanda” after designating the search item “place”. Although only one search condition is input in FIG. 15, it is of course possible to input a plurality of search conditions. By the way, in order to effectively utilize the GPS information attached to the image data, when a "place name" is input, it is converted to GPS information.

Although not shown in FIG. 15, a logical expression condition column may be provided. By providing such a column, it is possible to select how to use a plurality of search items.

[Third Example] FIG. 16 shows a third example of the display screen. This display screen example is different from the first and second examples in the case of a method in which the items displayed in the search item column 13 are images (including pictographs). By adopting such an input method, a visual judgment can be made, and a search process can be easily executed by all age groups.

(3-2) Example of Search Result Display Screen FIGS. 17 to 20 show examples of search result display screens. As described above, the display screen is displayed on the display screen of the client terminal 1. The following display screen examples may be freely selected by the user of the client terminal 1 or may be provided directly from the image distribution server 2. Further, the setting of the download destination may be made as needed.

[First Example] FIG. 17 shows a first example of a display screen. This display screen example is an example of a case where search results are displayed in a list format. In this example of the display screen, display items are only content-related information (that is, only text information). Generally, in the search item column 21, the same search items as those displayed in the search item column 13 of the search reception screen are displayed in the same arrangement. In the content-related information column 22, information registered for items other than the search item specified as the search condition is displayed in a list.
The user of the client terminal 1 guesses the content of the image by referring to these other content-related information,
The user selects the image data that is close to the desired image data.

When the desired image data is determined, the confirm button 23 is pressed. When the download of the image data determined immediately before is canceled, the cancel button 24 is pressed.
If the user wants to download one or a plurality of determined image data, the operation button 25 may be operated. The same applies to other display screen examples.

[Second Example] FIG. 18 shows a second example of the display screen. This display screen example is the same as the first example in that the search results are displayed in a list format, but differs in that simple image data is added to the information of the first example. When such simple image data is added, there is an advantage that the user of the client terminal 1 can confirm the outline of the image data in advance. As a result, useless download can be avoided.

[Third Example] FIG. 19 shows a third example of the display screen. This display screen example is also an example of a case where search results are displayed in a list format. Note that this display screen example is different in that the display items are only the simple image data.
By preparing this display method, there is an advantage that the user of the client terminal 1 can check the outline of the image data in advance. As a result, useless download can be avoided.

[Fourth Example] FIG. 20 shows a fourth example of the display screen. This display screen example is an example of a case where a display result is displayed in a mapping format. That is, in this display screen example, the image data corresponding to the search condition is mapped and displayed on the map.

With this display screen, the user of the client terminal 1 can search for desired image data from approximate geographic information. Further, it is also possible to use a method in which an interested one is selected from among the simple images registered for the displayed area.

(4) Effects of the Embodiment According to the on-demand image distribution system described above,
Desired image data can be easily accessed from a vast amount of image resources stored in image resource databases of various businesses and institutions in various countries around the world, so that effective use of image data resources can be realized. This also means that the utilization value of the image data resources is further increased.

Also, since the necessary images can be easily obtained when required by the user on the client terminal side, work efficiency and entertainment can be improved.

In addition, this on-demand image distribution system can be expected to have a high effect particularly when GPS information is included. That is, it is possible to perform a visual search method through mapping with map information and an image search at a specific point (latitude, longitude, altitude) at a specific time with a pinpoint.

Also, the search acceptance screen and the search result display screen can reflect the respective intentions of the image distribution server side (image resource database side, image distribution server side) and the client terminal side. From the service provider), it is possible to enjoy the advantage that both differentiation from other service providers and information management can be achieved. In addition, the client terminal can perform a search operation under convenient conditions and actively eliminate unnecessary information.

[0156]

(1) According to the first aspect of the present invention,
Not only the search results are simply listed, but also a list is displayed in a comparable state, so that the user can efficiently search for image data. In particular, the utility of accessing an image database having many images of the same type is high.

(2) According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the predetermined item to be displayed by the server device can be determined based on the setting of the image resource database, the intention of the administrator of the image resource database can be determined. Can be reflected in the displayed content.

(3) According to the third aspect of the present invention, the predetermined items to be displayed by the server device can be determined based on the internal settings of the server device itself, so that the intention of the server administrator is displayed. Can be reflected in the content.

(4) According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the predetermined item to be displayed by the server device can be determined based on the setting on the client terminal side. Can be reflected.

(5) According to the invention described in claim 5, since the GPS information is included in the predetermined item to be displayed, the image data is mapped to a corresponding position on the map, and the mapping result is transmitted to the client terminal. Can be displayed on the screen. As a result, the user can search for required image data while checking the geographical positional relationship. Also, if the GPS information is information on a shooting position,
An image shot from a specific shooting point can be easily specified from the same type of image data.

(6) According to the invention described in claim 6, since the image data can be stored in a client terminal different from the client terminal that issued the search request, it is possible to provide a user-friendly service.

(7) According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, as for the image data corresponding to the search result using the position information and the time information, predetermined items of the simplified image and the content related information can be compared. Since the list is displayed in a state, even when there are many images at the same position and time, the search operation of the target image data can be made efficient.

(8) According to the invention of claim 8, since the image data of the search result can be grasped in a state mapped to the corresponding position on the map, a specific image can be grasped while grasping a wide area positional relationship. You can realize how to use it.

(9) According to the ninth aspect of the invention, since the content-related information of the image corresponding to the search condition can be confirmed in a mutually comparable table format, the user has a large number of image data of the same type. Even in this case, differences between images can be easily identified.

(10) According to the tenth aspect, the response to the search result by the database is limited to only a predetermined item of the simple image or the content related information. This is effective for reducing time.

(11) According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, the display of the search result by the client terminal is limited to only a predetermined item of the simple image or the content related information. This is effective in shortening the time.

(12) According to the twelfth aspect, it is possible to provide a user-friendly server system in which search results can be easily compared in the client terminal.

(13) According to the thirteenth aspect, it is possible to provide a user-friendly image distribution system that makes it easy to compare search results in a client terminal.

(14) According to the invention described in claim 14, it is possible to realize a display method in which items that facilitate comparison and comparison of search results can be set on the database side in the client terminal.

(15) According to the invention described in claim 15, it is possible to realize a display method in which items that facilitate comparison and comparison of search results can be set on the server device side in the client terminal.

(16) According to the invention described in claim 16, a display method can be realized in which items that facilitate comparison of search results in the client terminal can be set on the client terminal side.

(17) According to the seventeenth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to realize a display method capable of displaying content-related information of an image corresponding to a search condition in a table format that can be compared with each other.

(18) According to the eighteenth aspect, since the image data of the search result can be grasped in a state mapped to the corresponding position on the map, a specific image can be grasped while grasping a wide-area positional relationship. You can realize how to use it.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of an on-demand image distribution system.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example in which a client terminal that executes a process of specifying a delivery image is different from a client terminal that is a delivery destination.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a positional relationship between an image distribution server and an image resource database (part 1).

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a positional relationship between an image distribution server and an image resource database (part 2).

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of a client terminal.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of an image distribution server.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a software configuration of an image distribution server.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of content-related information attached to image data.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of an image resource database.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a schematic processing procedure of a search reception program.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a schematic processing procedure of a search result display program.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a schematic processing procedure of a download program.

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a search reception screen (first example).

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a hierarchical structure of a search item.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a search reception screen (second example).

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of a search reception screen (third example).

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example (first example) of a search result display screen.

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of a search result display screen (second example).

FIG. 19 is a diagram showing an example of a search result display screen (third example).

FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an example of a search result display screen (fourth example).

[Explanation of symbols]

1 client terminal, 2 image distribution server, 102D
1 search reception program, 102D2 search execution program, 102D3 search result display program, 1
02D4 mapping program, 102D5 download program, 102F display item setting storage memory, 102I map information database, 102J search condition receiving function unit, 102K search execution function unit, 102
L search result display function unit, 102L1 display item setting function unit, 102L2 mapping function unit, 102M download execution function unit, 3 image resource database, 10
3A storage medium, 103C search execution unit, 103C1
Display item setting function section, 4 server system, 11 logical expression condition column, 12 search condition expression display column, 13 search item column,
14 Confirm button, 15 Cancel button, 16 Execute button, 21 Search item column, 22 Content related information column, 23 Confirm button, 24 Cancel button, 25
Execute button.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification code FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) H04H 1/00 H04H 1/00 A H04N 5/44 H04N 5/44 Z 7/173 610 7/173 610Z F Terms (Reference) 5B075 KK07 ND06 ND12 PQ02 PQ20 PQ46 5C025 BA14 BA27 BA30 CA06 CA09 CA10 CB08 CB09 CB10 DA01 DA05 DA10 5C064 BA01 BA07 BB05 BB10 BC06 BC10 BC18 BC20 BC23 BC25 BC27 BD02 BD08 BD16

Claims (18)

[Claims] An on-demand image distribution server that distributes desired image data based on a request from a client terminal, wherein one or more search items input from the client terminal are used as search conditions. A search function unit for searching one or a plurality of image resource databases, and image data to be delivered to a simple image data of the image data corresponding to the search condition and / or a predetermined item of the content related information attached thereto. An on-demand image distribution server comprising: a search result display function unit for displaying a list on a screen of a client terminal for confirming the contents of the image data. 2. The on-demand image distribution server according to claim 1, wherein the search result display function unit determines the predetermined item based on a setting on an image resource database side. 3. The on-demand image distribution server according to claim 1, wherein the search result display function unit determines the predetermined item based on a setting in the own device. 4. The on-demand image distribution server according to claim 1, wherein the search result display function unit determines the predetermined item based on a setting on the client terminal side. 5. The on-demand image distribution server according to claim 1, wherein the content-related information includes at least GPS information. 6. The on-demand according to claim 1, wherein the image data can be distributed to a client terminal different from the client terminal that has issued the search request in accordance with a request from the client terminal that has issued the search request. Image distribution server. 7. An input from the client terminal.
The on-demand image distribution server according to claim 1, wherein the one or more search items include position information and / or time information. 8. The on-demand image distribution server according to claim 1, wherein the simple image data of the image data corresponding to the search condition is mapped to a corresponding position on a map using GPS information attached thereto. An on-demand image distribution server for displaying a mapping result on a screen of a client terminal. 9. The on-demand image distribution server according to claim 1, wherein the content-related information of each image data is displayed as a list in a table format associated with display target items. 10. An image resource database for storing image data together with the simplified image data and / or content-related information attached thereto, wherein the response to a search result to an on-demand image distribution server corresponds to a search condition. An image resource database comprising a search execution unit that outputs only simple image data of image data and / or content-related information attached thereto relating to a predetermined item. 11. A client terminal for receiving information on image data corresponding to a search condition from an on-demand image distribution server and displaying a list on a screen, wherein the image data received from the on-demand image distribution server is notified. A client terminal comprising: a search result display function unit that outputs, on a screen, only a predetermined item of simple image data and / or content-related information attached thereto. 12. A server system comprising an on-demand image distribution server and an image resource database, wherein the on-demand image distribution server distributes desired image data based on a request from a client terminal. A search function unit for searching one or a plurality of image resource databases using one or a plurality of search items input from a client terminal as a search condition, and a server for simplifying image data corresponding to the search condition. A search result display function unit for displaying a list of predetermined items of image data and / or content-related information attached thereto on a screen of a client terminal for determining the contents of the image data to be distributed; The database stores the image data in its simplified image data and / or its associated content. An image resource database stored together with related information, wherein when a search result is returned to the on-demand image distribution server, predetermined image information of simple image data of image data corresponding to the search condition and / or content-related information attached thereto A server system comprising a search execution unit that outputs only items related to items. 13. An on-demand image distribution system comprising an on-demand image distribution server, an image resource database, and a client terminal, wherein the on-demand image distribution server sends desired image data based on a request from the client terminal. An on-demand image distribution server for performing one or more search items input from a client terminal as search conditions, and a search function unit for searching one or more image resource databases, Search result display on the screen of the client terminal for the purpose of determining the content of the image data to be distributed, in which the simplified image data of the image data corresponding to the above and / or the content related information relating to the predetermined item are determined. The image resource database stores the image data. An image resource database stored with simple image data and / or content-related information attached thereto, wherein, when a search result is returned to the on-demand image distribution server, the simple image data of image data corresponding to a search condition and / or A search execution unit that outputs only information related to a predetermined item among the content-related information attached to the client terminal. The client terminal receives information about image data corresponding to a search condition from the on-demand image distribution server, and displays the information on the screen. A client terminal for displaying a list of the simple image data of the image data and / or the content-related information attached thereto, which are notified by the on-demand image distribution server, and output only those relating to predetermined items on the screen. On-demand, characterized by having a search result display function section Image delivery system. 14. A search result display method in an on-demand image distribution system, comprising: a simple image data of image data corresponding to a search condition and / or an item set on an image resource database side among content-related information attached thereto. A search result display method, wherein a list of the search results is displayed on a screen of a client terminal. 15. A search result display method in an on-demand image distribution system, comprising: a simple image data of image data corresponding to a search condition and / or content-related information attached thereto set on an on-demand image distribution server side. Items related to
A search result display method characterized by displaying a list on a screen of a client terminal. 16. A search result display method in an on-demand image distribution system, comprising: a simple image data of image data corresponding to a search condition and / or an item set on a client terminal side among content-related information attached thereto. A search result display method characterized by displaying a list of items on a screen of a client terminal. 17. A search result display method in an on-demand image distribution system, wherein a simple image data of image data corresponding to a search condition and / or content-related information relating to a predetermined item are displayed on a display object. A search result display method wherein a list is displayed in a matrix format associated with items. 18. A search result display method in an on-demand image distribution system, wherein simple image data of image data corresponding to a search condition is mapped to a corresponding position on a map using GPS information attached thereto. And displaying a mapping screen selected as a result on a screen of the client terminal.