JP2003016002A - System for providing graphic data - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a system that publicly releases graphic data on Internet and sets the graphic data so that every group of which can be viewed and added. SOLUTION: A system stores graphic data uploaded from a shop 10 or a user terminal 12 in a server computer 16. A user, who uploads the data, specifies a user ID that enables the user to view and add the graphic data for every group. Another user accesses the server computer 16 by using a user terminal 14 and obtains the user ID and a group name to access the graphic data located in the group. Furthermore, the user uploads his or her new graphic data to the server and opens that data to the other users.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image data providing apparatus, and more particularly to an apparatus for providing image data to a user via a network.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an image such as a photograph taken by a user is stored as digital data in a server computer on a network and downloaded to a user terminal at the request of the user, or a predetermined image is provided at the request of the user. There is known a service of supplying a dedicated printer installed in a store and printing it out.

For example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 11-203359 discloses that image data is stored in a server computer and that images are associated with album names. When the album name is specified by the user, by displaying only the image data belonging to the album on the user terminal based on the correspondence relationship, not only is it possible for multiple users to view the image, but also for each user. The images that can be viewed are changed. For example, if images 001 and 002 are associated with album A and images 001 and 003 are associated with album B, a user who has accessed album A can view only images 001 and 002, and album B is associated with album B. The accessing user can browse only the images 001 and 003.

[0004]

In the above-mentioned conventional technique, an image taken by a certain user can be disclosed to a plurality of users on the network, and an image to be disclosed can be selected for each user. In a close relationship such as a family or the like, in addition to simply browsing the image, there are cases where the user wants to further enhance the content of the album by adding the image captured by himself to the album. The above-mentioned conventional technique basically has a technical idea that one user discloses his / her own image to a plurality of other users, and there is a problem that various requests among users cannot be met.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems of the prior art. An object of the present invention is to provide a plurality of users by grouping and sharing image data when providing the image data using a network. The object is to provide a device that can be more enjoyed by appropriately adding image data to the group.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention is an apparatus for providing image data by using a network, and an image data storage means for storing the image data, and the stored image data storage means. Group image storage means for storing image data in association with one or a plurality of groups, image data in the group can be browsed for each group, and new image data can be registered in the group. Group user storage means for storing user identification data that can be associated with each other, and image data in the group is read out based on the input user identification data and group data, and new transmitted image data is stored in the group. It is characterized by having a control means for associating and registering.

Here, the group user storage means is
It is preferable to store a plurality of user identification data in association with the same group so that a plurality of users can view image data in the group and register new image data in the same group.

It is preferable that the present apparatus further comprises means for updating the user identification data in the group user storage means.

In the image data providing apparatus of the present invention, the image data is not simply grouped (albumed) and the users who can browse the image data are not distinguished as in the conventional case.
Other users are allowed to upload their own image data for each group, and a plurality of users share image data. Specifically, while associating image data for each group, browse for each group,
The user identification data to which the image data can be added is stored.
Then, when another user accesses, the input identification data is collated with the group data (group name etc.), and the matching user is permitted to browse and add.

As a result, the image data can be shared by different users for each group, and the image data in the group can be enriched.

The image data storage means, the group image storage means, and the group user storage means may be physically the same storage means or different storage means.

[0012]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an overall configuration diagram of an image providing system according to this embodiment. This is a system in which a store 10, user terminals 12 and 14, and a server computer 16 are connected via the Internet.

The store 10 is, for example, a store in which a user has taken a picture and has a memory connected to the digital camera to store image data, and the image data is read from the digital camera or the memory and printed out by a printer. In addition, the image data read in response to the user's request is transmitted from the terminal to the server computer 16 via the Internet 18 and stored (uploaded) in the server computer 16. When uploaded, the store 10 may provide the user with a user ID for accessing the uploaded image data.

The user terminal 12 or 14 is composed of a personal computer, PDA, mobile phone, etc., and is connected to the Internet 18 by wire or wirelessly. The user who uploaded the image data from the store 10 can access the server computer 16 using the user terminal 12 and confirm the image data using the user ID. Of course, instead of uploading from the store 10, the user may upload the image data to the server computer 16 using the user terminal 12.

The user terminal 14 is a terminal used by a user other than the user who uploaded the image data (the uploaded user is user 1 and the other users are user 2). It consists of a PDA, a mobile phone, etc. The user 2 can browse the image data uploaded to the server computer 16, and when the user 1 specifies, not only browse, but also upload the image of the user 2 to the same group. .
The “group” will be described later.

The server computer 16 sequentially stores the uploaded image data. Further, when specified by the user 1, the stored image data is stored in association with one or a plurality of groups. Here, associating with a plurality of groups means that a certain image data corresponds to a certain group and also corresponds to another group. By specifying a certain group, the image data belonging to that group is specified.
The image data may be called a group element. That is, if the image data is Pi (i = 1, 2, 3, ...) And the group is Gi (i = 1, 2, 3), then Gi = {P
i}, specifically G1 = {P1, P2}, G2 =
For example, {P2, P4}. The group can be created by the user 1 and may be selected from a group prepared in advance. After creating the group, the user 1 selects the image data that is an element of the group to associate the image data with the group.

Further, the server computer 16 can browse the image data in each group for each group, and
User identification data to which new image data can be added is associated and stored. Such a so-called "administrator" user is designated by the user 1 who created the group. The server computer 16 receives the access request from the administrator user,
Access to the image data in the group is permitted, and addition of new image data is permitted. The image data added by the user 2 can be browsed by the user 1.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the server computer 16. Server computer 16
Is an interface I / F, CPU, ROM or RAM
And the like, an image database (DB) 16a, a user database (DB) 16b, and a group management database (DB) 16c.

The image data uploaded from the store 10 or the terminal is stored in the image DB 16a via the interface I / F. Further, identification data such as the ID and password of the user who uploaded the image data is stored in the user DB 16b.

When the user 1 who uploaded the image data creates a group from the user terminal 12, the correspondence relationship between the image data and the group and the “administrator” user data for each group are stored in the group management DB 1
6c is stored.

When the user 2 accesses the server computer 16 from the user terminal 14, the CPU authenticates the user from the input user ID and password, and the image data belonging to the group designated by the user 2 is read from the image DB 16a. It is read and transmitted to the user terminal 14. The image data can be attached to a Web page described in HTML and transmitted, and in this case, the server computer 16 functions as a WWW server. The user 2 can display the Web page by using the WWW browser installed in the user terminal 14 and browse the image data in the group, that is, the image data uploaded by the user 1. When the user 2 registers his image data in the group, he / she designates the group and uploads the image data. The CPU authenticates that the user 2 is the “administrator” user of the group based on the user ID and password, and uploads the image data to the image D.
Group management DB 16C while storing in B16a
The correspondence relationship between the image data and the group is stored in.

FIG. 3 shows the correspondence relationship between the image data stored in the group management DB 16C of the server computer 16 and the groups in a table format. The groups G1, G2, and G3 are created or selected by the user 1 who uploaded the image data. When the user 1 accesses the server computer 16, the CPU of the server computer 16 causes the user terminal 12 to display a screen for selecting a group name and image data belonging to the group, and the user 1 uses this screen to select a desired group name. And the image data belonging to the group are selected to associate them. In the figure, the group G1 is associated with image data P1, P2, P3, the group G2 is associated with image data P2, P4, P6, and the group G3 is associated with image data P1, P3, P5. The case is shown. Of course, only one image data may be associated with one group, or a plurality of image data may be associated with one group.
Also, certain image data may be associated with a plurality of groups. In the figure, the image data P1 is associated with the group G1 and the group G3.

FIG. 4 shows, in a table format, the correspondence relationship between the groups stored in the group management DB 16C of the server computer 16 and the users (administrator users) who can view and add. When the user 1 uploads image data and associates each image data with a group, an administrator user for each group is also designated. For example, a group name is created, image data belonging to each group is selected, and then a user ID of a user who can access each group is registered. In the figure, the groups a are associated with the users a, b, and c, the group G2 is associated with the users a, b, and the group G3 is associated with the users a, c. The user a is the user (user 1) who uploaded the image data. With this correspondence relationship, it is possible to specify a user who can browse the image data for each group, as well as a user who can not only simply browse but also can upload their own image data to the group.

Incidentally, in FIG. 4, a group password for access may be set for each group.

FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 show processing flowcharts of this embodiment. FIG. 5 is a process in which the user 1 uploads his / her own image data and groups them, FIG.
Is a process in which the user 2 accesses the server computer 16 and browses the uploaded image data.

In FIG. 5, first, the image data acquired by the user 1 is uploaded to the server computer 16 (S101). The upload may be carried out by the store 10 that brought in the digital camera, and the user 1 may use the user terminal 1
You may start from 2. After uploading the image data, the user 1 accesses the server computer 16 using the user terminal 12 to group the uploaded image data (S102).

Grouping consists of two procedures. The first is a group creation procedure, in which the user 1 inputs the name of a group he / she wants to create from the user terminal 12 and sends it to the server computer 16. The group name is, for example, aa trip or bb business trip. Secondly, it is the association work, and the image data belonging to each group created by the user 1 is selected. At this time, it is preferable that the server computer 16 create image data having a lower resolution than the image data uploaded and stored in the image DB 16a and display the list so that the user 1 can easily select the image data. It is also possible to create a folder for each group and associate the image data with each folder by “drag”.

After the image data grouping process is completed, a user ID that can access and add image data is designated for each group (S103). Specifically, the user 1 inputs the user ID from the user terminal 12 for each group, and the CPU of the server computer 16 associates the user ID input with the group with the group management DB 1
Store in 6c. The user ID may be the user's name.
By the above processing, the relationship between the group name, the image data belonging to the group, and the users who can access and add to the group is defined.

In FIG. 6, the user 2 has the user terminal 14
When accessing the server computer 16 using
201), the CPU of the server computer 16 displays on the user terminal 14 a screen requesting input of the user ID and the group name desired to be browsed. User 2 is User I
When D and the group name are input (S202), the CPU of the server computer 16 collates the user ID for each group registered in the group management DB 16c with the input group name and user ID, and if they match, Displays the image data belonging to the group on the user terminal 14. The user 2 can browse the image data acquired by the user 1 on this screen. If the user wants to browse the image data of another group, the process of S202 is repeated, and the name and user ID of the group are input. When the user 1 does not want to disclose the image data in a group to the user 2, the user 2 does not specify the user ID for the group, and therefore the user 2 inputs the name of the group and the user ID. However, the server computer 16 rejects the access of the user 2 because the group and the user ID do not match.

User 2 who has viewed the images in the group
When the user 2 wants to further add his / her image data to the group, the user 2 uploads the image data from the user terminal 14 (S203). The CPU of the server computer 16 stores the image data uploaded from the user 2 in the image DB 16 based on the group name and the user ID.
In addition to being stored in a, the correspondence relationship of the group management DB 16c is updated. For example, when the user 2 adds the image data Q1 to the group G2, the table of the group G2 in FIG. 3 is G2 = {P2, P4, P6, Q1}.
And update.

On the other hand, when the user 1 newly wants the user d to browse the image data of the group G2 and to add the image data, the user 1 uses the user terminal 12 to display the group name and the user of the user d. Enter the ID. The CPU of the server computer 16 updates the table of the group G2 in the table of FIG. 4 to G2 = {user a, user b, user d}. As a result, the user 3 can newly browse the image data of the group G2, and can upload his or her own image data to the group G2 and have other users browse the image data.

FIG. 7 shows an example of a screen displayed on the user terminal 14 in this embodiment. When the user 2 accesses the server computer 16 and inputs the group name (for example, AAA) and the user ID, the screen 100 as shown in FIG. 7A is displayed. The group name AAA is displayed on the screen, and the image data 100a and 100b belonging to the group AAA are displayed in a list. Note that the name of the user who uploaded the image data can be displayed near each image data. In the figure, it is assumed that the user a has uploaded. The screen 100 can be a web page.

On the other hand, FIG. 7B shows a screen 100 when the user 2 browses the image data in the group and then uploads his / her own image to the same group.
Image data 100c is newly displayed in addition to the image data 100a and 100b. The user name (user b) who uploaded the image data is displayed in the vicinity of the image data 100c.
It can be easily confirmed that the user 2 newly added the image data to the group AAA.

As described above, in this embodiment, image data can be added among a plurality of users, so that the system becomes more convenient.

[0036]

As described above, according to the present invention,
It is possible for a plurality of users to group and share the image data, and at the same time, add the image data to the group and enjoy it.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a system according to an embodiment.

2 is a configuration block diagram of a server computer in FIG. 1. FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a group management database.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a configuration of a group management database.

FIG. 5 is a processing float chart of the embodiment (No. 1)
Is.

FIG. 6 is a process flowchart (2) of the embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a screen display explanatory diagram of the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 stores, 12, 14 user terminals, 16 server computers.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification code FI theme code (reference) G06T 1/00 200 G06T 1/00 200D H04N 7/173 610 H04N 7/173 610Z F term (reference) 5B050 AA08 BA10 BA15 CA05 CA06 CA07 CA08 EA18 FA19 5B075 KK54 KK63 ND08 NR03 PP13 PQ46 5C064 BA07 BB10 BC18 BC23 BC25 BD02 BD08 BD16

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An apparatus for providing image data using a network, comprising: image data storage means for storing image data; and a group for storing the stored image data in association with one or a plurality of groups. An image storage unit, a group user storage unit that stores image data in the group for each of the groups, and associates and stores user identification data capable of registering new image data in the group; Control means for reading out image data in the group based on the input user identification data and group data, and for registering new transmitted image data in association with the group. Image data providing system. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the group user storage means stores a plurality of user identification data in association with the same group, and a plurality of users in the same group are stored in the group. An image data providing system characterized by being able to browse image data and register new image data. 3. The image data providing system according to claim 1, further comprising: a unit that updates user identification data in the group user storage unit.