JP2004102871A - Shared contents updating system and user terminal device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide the structure of a shared contents updating system disclosed on a server as a communication field by processing and updating contents such as images and voices by a plurality of users. <P>SOLUTION: This shared contents updating system comprises a server device 10 storing the contents including the images and a terminal device 20 generating updated contents based on the contents and transmitting the updated contents to the server device. The server device 10 comprises a storage means 105 receiving the updated contents transmitted from the terminal device 20 and replacing the contents with the updated contents and then storing the updated contents therein. The terminal device 20 is formed so that updating information such that the contents stored in the server device 10 are replaced with the updated contents is detected by a monitoring applet 203, and the updated contents are acquired based on the updating information and displayed on a display means 205. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a shared content update system that accesses content such as an image stored in a server device from a plurality of user terminal devices and processes the content with each other, and the user terminal device. Then, the processing information of the content processed by one user terminal device is also supplied to another user terminal device, and the present invention relates to a device that can obtain information on the latest content between the respective user terminal devices.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, with the spread of mobile phones, mobile terminals, personal computers, and the like, communication using the Internet, such as sending and receiving e-mails, creating and browsing Web pages, uploading and downloading data, has been performed on a daily basis. Was.
[0003]
In communication using e-mail, unlike a telephone call, an e-mail is created and transmitted regardless of the opponent's convenience and time, and the e-mail is sent to the other user terminal device or the network storage device owned by the other provider. E-mail can be delivered immediately.
[0004]
In other words, sending and receiving e-mail is performed in a short time as long as there is no problem with network traffic, and the receiving side can read the e-mail at any time. Communication can be performed by transmitting character information without concern. Furthermore, many e-mail tools have a function of attaching and transmitting a content file such as an image in addition to characters.
[0005]
Such electronic mail communication is a transmission of characters from a sender to a receiver, that is, a one-way communication means. Further, when an attached file such as an image is attached to an e-mail and broadcast to a plurality of recipients, the file may be useful depending on the recipient. However, the received file is not always useful for the user of the user terminal device due to a difference in received data storage capacity in each user terminal device on the receiving side. That is, transmission of a large-capacity attached file may be a waste of system resources such as hardware and software for sending and receiving e-mail, and must be carefully performed.
[0006]
On the other hand, there is a chat as a method of making communication by electronic mail interactive. The chat is a real-time communication method using characters, in which character information written by one user on the Internet is added and updated in real time on terminal screens of a plurality of other users. The conventional chat is communication performed using only characters.
[0007]
Further, the user who performs the chat launches “chat” application software for transmitting and receiving character information in real time on the computer, logs in to a predetermined group address participating in the chat, and waits. By opening the chat window, character information is displayed in a short time.
[0008]
On the other hand, as a method for transmitting content such as images and sounds, a plurality of users simultaneously access content files such as Web pages, images, and sounds on a Web server in the WWW (World Wide Web) from a plurality of user terminal devices, There is a way to see and hear the contents of those content files.
[0009]
The Web page has a "bulletin board" function in which arbitrary or limited plural users can write. Some sites provide such bulletin boards to provide a place for users to communicate with each other using textual information.
[0010]
Through the site, information such as characters, images, and sounds is disclosed on the Internet. When there is updated information, the user who browses the information obtains the content information based on the updated information relating to the new content. The acquisition is performed by using a Web page content update notification system called “WWWC”, for example.
[0011]
The “WWWC” monitors a content file on a Web server at a time or a time interval designated by a user. That is, it is possible to determine whether or not the content file has been updated based on the file size and the update time even if the specific metadata described in the content file or the metadata is not described in the content file, and update information to the user terminal. Is a Web page update checker having a function of notifying the user.
[0012]
However, even when such an update checker is used, the content file on a normal Web server is one-sidedly disclosed by the creator, and unless the administrator of the content file, the content file itself is deleted. It cannot be changed.
[0013]
In addition, when the update checker is described in the content file with decodable metadata, the update information can be obtained based on the metadata, but the metadata itself can be freely set by the content file creator. , And there are not many cases where content update information is properly described. Then, the changed content of the content cannot be identified unless the content file such as a Web page is directly accessed and displayed.
[0014]
On the other hand, when a plurality of users commonly view a text data file such as a program language or a document on a personal computer or a server and change the content, for example, a CVS (Concurrent Version System) or an RCS (Remote Computing Service) ) Can be managed using a file version management system such as That is, those file management systems have a function of extracting and describing information such as revisions and corrections made in the data file, or a function of being able to obtain and obtain a difference between data files by using another file. This allows the user to obtain the update information of the data file.
[0015]
However, while such a file version management system is convenient for managing text data files, it is inconvenient for managing binary data such as image files. This is because the size of the difference data at the time of updating becomes large, so that the image difference value of the updating data is obtained from the updated image file, and thus the image file is not suitable for managing the image file.
[0016]
In recent years, image data in recent years is often photographed by, for example, a digital camera and taken into a personal computer. Even when a digital image of several million pixels is compression-encoded by, for example, JPEG (Joint Photographic Coding Experts Group), the image size has a data amount of several hundred KB to several MB.
[0017]
Therefore, the file size of the image data is larger than the text data. Then, in the case of an image file having a large data amount, even if some image parameters such as brightness, contrast, color tone, and color temperature of the image are changed, the image is reduced by the small difference image data as described above. It cannot be updated. Therefore, even if the color tone of the image is slightly changed, even if the image data created each time the change is handled as only the data of the difference, a large-sized image file is created. This puts pressure on the storage capacity of the storage means for storing the data.
[0018]
Therefore, there is a method of managing image data by using an annotation. The update state of the image data is managed by the annotation. For example, there is a client device that describes and provides annotation information at a desired location of a page being viewed by a user terminal device with respect to image data published on the Internet (for example, see Patent Document 1). In the case of image data provided from this device, tag information with an arbitrary character string is added, and the image can be identified based on the tag information.
[0019]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2002-207727 A
[Patent Document 2]
JP 07-57111 A
[0020]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, as a method of image processing in an image file, processing is often performed by adding an effect to the entire image, changing a color, and the like, and the data of the image file obtained by the processing is entirely changed each time. Often. Therefore, it is not preferable to save only the changed image portion as a difference. When the change is performed a plurality of times, it is difficult to perform a process of obtaining the changed image data by combining the respective difference data. Therefore, it is difficult to merge a plurality of image file change data.
[0021]
Also, in the image files used in conventional personal computers, applications that can embed meta information in the image data, such as describing metadata therein, are not used. It is difficult to describe within. Therefore, the change of the image data can be expressed only in such a degree that only information such as "updated" can be obtained from the update time and the data amount of the file.
[0022]
At present, there are few cases where a shared content file is set on the server, which can be accessed by a plurality of users, and in which the accessed data can be processed or updated. Even if the update of the shared content file is permitted, there is no function that allows each user to easily obtain information on the update performed on the content file.
[0023]
Then, there is a method in which the user manually connects the user terminal device to the server and checks the file update time, but it is complicated. On the other hand, it is possible to provide an image file update notification service by providing a server with a function of a currently existing e-mail arrival notification service. However, it is not preferable that frequent notification is made every time a small image is updated, because it is annoying to the user, and the load on the e-mail server is increased. Such an update notification service cannot be effectively used, such as a passive one-way update notification that cannot be managed by the user himself.
[0024]
Therefore, the present invention provides a method in which a plurality of user terminal devices connected to a server acquire a content file such as an image file published on a server that can be processed, and a certain user among them obtains the acquired image file. When the content file is changed by processing and storing it in the server, the data of the image file is updated and saved, or the data of the image file is not changed, but the type of processing performed, The parameters necessary for the processing, and when there are a plurality of processing, the order of the processing is stored as an effect object described as an object.
[0025]
As the effect object, for example, a “lens object” processing method in “Image Processing System and Image Processing Method” (see Patent Document 2) filed by the applicant of the present invention can be used. By handling the effect object relating to the processing together with the image file, it is not necessary to save the image file itself every time it is updated. Thereby, the capacity of the storage means can be reduced.
[0026]
Further, when a predetermined change is made to the image file on the server by monitoring the update status of the image file using a monitoring applet that monitors a predetermined file according to conditions set by the user at the user terminal device, The monitoring applet detects an update of an image file or the like, and notifies the detection result to the user terminal device.
[0027]
The user notified of the update is an image file, and when the file itself is changed, the user obtains the changed new file and browses it on the user terminal device. If the change is made as if the effect file is changed as in the case of the lens object, the image file is processed by the effect file, and the obtained updated image data is displayed on the display, and the user Looks at its contents.
[0028]
That is, the effect described in the new effect file is applied to the original image file stored in the server, and the processed image is displayed on the user terminal device.
[0029]
As described above, conventionally, character information is posted on an electronic bulletin board, and communication between users is performed by character information described by a plurality of users on the bulletin. However, according to the present invention, image data, audio It is intended to provide a near real-time communication place between similar users through content files for data or content data in which information is expressed using a relatively large data amount. It is still another object of the present invention to provide a shared content update system which can be configured by reducing the capacity of a storage means for storing image data by using an effect file technique.
[0030]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention comprises the following means 1) and 2) for solving the above-mentioned problems.
That is,
[0031]
1) a server device for posting content including at least image information and / or audio information on an electronic bulletin board, and publishing the posted electronic bulletin board on a communication network;
A function of connecting to the communication network, receiving the content published by the server device, creating updated content based on the received content, and transmitting the created updated content to the server device. , A plurality of user terminal devices each has,
A shared content update system comprising:
Some user terminal devices of the plurality of user terminal devices,
A function of displaying the received content and a function of changing the part of the obtained content to create the updated content and transmitting the created updated content to the server device; A transmitting-side user terminal device (30), and
The server device
An apparatus (10) having a function of receiving the updated content via the communication network, storing the received updated content, and posting the stored updated content on the electronic bulletin board;
Another part of the user terminal device of the plurality of user terminal devices,
The update state of the content posted on the electronic bulletin board is detected at predetermined time intervals (203), or the information relating to the update of the content transmitted by the server device is detected (203), and the update of the content is detected. A shared content update system comprising: a receiving-side user terminal device (20) having a function of acquiring the updated content when it is performed and displaying the acquired updated content on a display means (205).
2) A user terminal device used in the shared content update system according to the item 1) and described as the transmitting-side user terminal device,
A user terminal device having a function of generating the updated content by adding effect information relating to a difference from the content and transmitting the effect information to the server device.
[0032]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of a shared content updating system according to the present invention will be described with reference to a preferred embodiment.
<First embodiment>
FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a shared content update system, and the operation of the system will be described.
[0033]
The shared content updating system shown in FIG. 1 includes a server device 10 including a communication unit 101, a management unit 102, a data processing unit 103, a user database storage unit 104, and a user storage unit 105, a communication unit 201, and a processing unit 202. , A monitoring applet 203, an input unit 204, a display unit 205, and a storage unit 206, and a communication unit 301, a processing unit 302, an input unit 303, a display unit 304, and a storage unit 305. User terminal device 30 and the Internet 7.
[0034]
First, image data photographed by a digital camera or the like is input to the user terminal device 20 via the input device 204 of the user terminal device 20, and processing such as brightness, contrast, and color temperature is performed by the processing device 202. After being implemented and displayed by the display unit 205 and confirmed by the user, the image data is stored in the storage unit 206 as an image file.
[0035]
Next, the image file is supplied to the management unit 102 through the communication unit 201, the Internet 7, and the communication unit 101 of the server device 10. There, data management such as user information transmitted from the user terminal device 20 and the like and content files such as image data is performed. Then, the input / output managed data is stored in the user storage unit 105. It stores image files, audio files, and other content information prepared in advance by a service provider operating the server.
[0036]
On the other hand, the data processing unit 103 is a unit that performs image processing of data supplied via the management unit 102 and changes content parameters. Such a change in content data is operated by a server administrator and appropriately changed. Done. Then, an effect file describing a display effect for an image file such as a lens effect, which is related to the change, is created each time the change is made. The created effect file is stored in the user storage unit 105.
[0037]
The user database storage unit 104 stores a user name and password for user authentication, which will be described later. A general user can browse content information and change content within a limited range. Also, the authenticated user can change and update the content file and the effect file stored in the user storage unit 105.
[0038]
For example, when a file is updated by the user terminal device 30, the user terminal device 30 acquires the content file and the effect file stored in the user storage unit 105 of the server device 10 by the communication unit 301, and stores them in the storage unit 305. I do.
[0039]
Next, the user terminal device 30 displays the content on the display unit 304 based on the acquired content file, and operates the input unit 303 to apply an effect to the content. The effects include various types of image processing, such as sharpening, blurring, increasing colors, reducing colors, embossing, enlarging, and reducing images.
[0040]
Through these processes, a parameter relating to any one image processing method and necessary data relating to the parameter are created as one effect object. When a plurality of processing processes are performed on an image, that is, when there are a plurality of effect objects, the user terminal device 30 generates an effect file describing the effect objects for the number of processes and the processing order.
[0041]
Further, in the image processing performed in accordance with the description of the effect file, the image file of the content and the effect file are input to the processing means 302 and the image processing is executed, whereby the processing described in the effect file is performed. Image is generated. In addition, the effect file can apply the same effect to other different images photographed under the same condition, so that the image processing can be easily performed.
[0042]
The content file and the effect file thus processed are supplied to the user storage means 105 of the server device 10 after the user authentication, and the files stored therein are updated.
[0043]
On the other hand, the monitoring applet 203 of the user terminal device 20 monitors file information stored in the user storage unit 105 at predetermined time intervals, detects when a file is updated, and displays the detection result. It is displayed on the means 205. The user of the user terminal device 20 acquires updated file information from the server device 10 as necessary.
[0044]
At this time, when only the effect file is updated, the user terminal device 20 acquires only the effect file. Then, when there is a content file already stored in the storage unit 206, the content file and the obtained effect file are supplied to the processing unit 202, where the content file is subjected to effect processing to obtain updated image data. The data is supplied to the display means 205 and displayed. When the content file is not stored in advance, the content file is also acquired when the effect file is acquired.
[0045]
As described above, the content data that is the image updated by the user terminal device 30 is displayed on the display unit 205 of the user terminal device 20 after a predetermined time, and the content data such as an image is displayed. The chat operation based on is performed.
[0046]
Here, the user terminal device 30 has been described as not having a monitoring applet, but having a monitoring applet allows the user terminal device 30 to perform a chat operation with smooth content data.
[0047]
Next, the operation of the shared content update system will be further described.
2 and 3 are flowcharts showing the flow of operations performed between the server device 10 and the user terminal device 20.
[0048]
First, the communication unit 101 of the server device 10 is in a standby state for communication with the user terminal device 20 in S (step) 101. The communication means 201 of the user terminal device 20 is also in a state where it can communicate with the server device 10.
[0049]
Next, in order to monitor a specific content file of the server device 10 by the monitoring applet 203, an authentication request is input from the input unit 204 in S201, and the authentication request is transmitted to the server device 10.
[0050]
When the server device 10 receives the user authentication request from the user terminal device 20, the management means 102 accesses the user database storage means 104 and determines whether the received user information is correct. Then, in S102, a reply is sent to the user terminal device 20 as to whether the authentication result is OK or NG.
[0051]
Here, if the user authentication is NG, and if re-authentication is performed in S203, Yes is transmitted, and the steps from S201 are repeated. If re-authentication is not performed, No is returned, and the process ends.
[0052]
If the user authentication is OK, the monitoring applet 203 of the user terminal device 20 is started in S204, and the monitoring of the specific content file set in advance by the monitoring applet 203 among the files stored in the user storage unit 105 is performed. To start.
[0053]
If there is no specific content file, the server device 10 may notify the user terminal device 20 that there is no content file to be monitored. Next, in S103, when the content file is updated by another terminal, for example, the user terminal device 30, the update information is transmitted to the user terminal device 20.
[0054]
In addition, the monitoring applet 203 of the user terminal device 20 has a polling function to be resident on the user terminal device 20 or to be activated at a specified time, and the time set by the monitoring applet 203 or the set time interval in S205. Then, the monitoring of the update of the set content file is continued.
[0055]
When the file update is detected, the user terminal device 20 requests the server device 10 for update information in S206. The server device 10 transmits the update information in S104, and the user terminal device 20 acquires the update information in S207 and displays it by the display unit 205, and the display is viewed by the user.
[0056]
As a result, the user is asked whether to browse the updated content file in S208. When browsing, a file acquisition request is made to the server device 10 in S209.
[0057]
The server device 10 checks whether the user sees the effect or the image in S105, and when the effect is to be seen, the effect file is acquired in S106, and the effect file is transmitted to the user terminal device 20 in S109. Is done.
[0058]
When an image is to be viewed, both the image file and the effect file are acquired in S107. Then, processing such as adding the effect of the effect file to the image file is performed by the data processing unit 103 in S108, and the file is transmitted to the user terminal device 20 in S109.
[0059]
The user terminal device 20 receives the file transmitted in S210, and creates another content using the file in S211 or performs monitoring between the server device 10 and the user terminal device 20 after browsing. A series of operations related to the applet operation and the acquisition of the updated content file are ended.
[0060]
Next, operations of the server device 10 and the user terminal device 30 which is another terminal will be described.
4 and 5 are flowcharts showing the flow of operations performed between the server device 10 and the user terminal device 30.
[0061]
First, the communication unit 101 of the server device 10 is in a standby state for communication with the user terminal device 30 in S111. Then, when the user of the user terminal device 30 desires to view and edit the content file stored in the user storage unit 105 of the server device 10, the user terminal device 30 sends a user authentication request from the input unit 303 in S 301. Input and send an authentication request to the server device 10.
[0062]
When the server device 10 receives the authentication request from the user terminal device 30, the management unit 102 accesses the user database storage unit 104 to determine whether or not the received user information is correct. The authentication result of OK or NG is returned.
[0063]
In S302, if the user authentication is NG, it is checked whether re-authentication is performed in S303, and if re-authentication is Yes, the operation from S301 is repeated again. If the re-authentication is No, the operation ends.
[0064]
If the user authentication is OK in S302, the user of the user terminal device 30 specifies the content file to be viewed or processed from the input unit 303 in S304, and transmits the specified information to the server device 10.
[0065]
Then, when the server device 10 receives the designation information, the management unit 102 extracts the designated content file from the user storage unit 105 in S113 and transmits the content file to the user terminal device 30.
[0066]
Then, in S305, the user terminal device 30 displays the received content file on the display unit 304. Here, when the specified content file does not exist, the server device 10 may transmit the error information to the user terminal device 30.
[0067]
Then, after the content displayed on the display unit 304 is confirmed, the input unit 303 is operated in S306 to process the content file. Then, when an instruction to change the processed content file is transmitted to the server device 10, in S114, the data processing unit 103 creates an effect object relating to the processing of processing the content file, and based on the created effect object, Perform processing.
[0068]
Next, in S115, the preview image of the processed content file is transmitted from the server device 10 to the user terminal device 30. Then, it is displayed as a preview image on the display unit 304 of the user terminal device 30.
[0069]
In the preview image, the content of the processing is confirmed in S307, and if the processing is NG that requires further processing, the process returns to the operation change in S306. Each of the procedure contents of the processing performed in such a manner is described in an effect file as an effect object and stored in the server device 10.
[0070]
Then, each processing is treated as a separate effect object, and even when a plurality of processings are performed, it is possible to return to an arbitrary processing stage of the processing.
[0071]
In addition, it is also possible to delete an arbitrary processing process between a plurality of processing processes, that is, an arbitrary effect object of a plurality of effect files individually. Then, in S307, the content of the change is confirmed, and when it is determined to be OK, the user terminal device 30 transmits a request for saving the processed content file to the server device 10 in S308.
[0072]
When the server device 10 receives the save request, the server device 10 stores the processed content file in the user storage unit 105 in S116, or does not update the content file in its original state, Create and save an effect file for the stored effect object.
[0073]
Then, when the saving of the file is completed by any of the above-described methods, the server device 10 transmits to the user terminal device 30 a saving completion notification of the content file updated in S117. In S309, the user terminal device 30 confirms that the content file or the effect file for the content file has been saved, and ends the operation.
[0074]
Here, when the processing means 302 of the user terminal device 30 has an image processing function using an effect file, the processing processing of the content file is not performed by the server device 10 but the processing processing of the content file is performed by the processing means 302. Do. Then, the processed content file and effect file may be returned to the server device 10 again.
[0075]
The updating process of the content file or the effect file performed after the authentication is requested by the user terminal device 30 has been described above. In the update process performed by the user terminal device 30, the update of the file is detected by the monitoring applet 203 of the user terminal device 20.
[0076]
Then, the update information is obtained by the user terminal device 20, and the update information is, for example, the update date and time of the content file, the access date and time, or the file size. Further, when the content file is an image file, any information such as the vertical and horizontal size of the image, the number of colors, and other information on the image file may be used.
[0077]
In the case of updating the effect file, information such as the number of effect objects, information on the effect file before the update, the type of the added effect object, and parameters, as well as the update date and time and the file size, are acquired as update information.
[0078]
The shared content updating system according to the first embodiment has been described above. Next, the shared content updating system according to the second embodiment will be described.
<Second embodiment>
FIG. 6 shows a configuration of a shared content update system according to the second embodiment.
[0079]
In the figure, parts having the same functions as those of the above-described shared content updating system shown in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals.
That is, the user terminal device 20 and the user terminal device 30 have the same configuration and function, but differ in the configuration of the server device 10a.
[0080]
The server device 10a is different from the server device 10 in that a specific user storage unit 105a, a public storage unit 106, and a backup storage unit 107 are provided instead of the user storage unit 105. I have.
[0081]
The specific user storage unit 105a, the public storage unit 106, and the backup storage unit 107 store the hierarchically divided content files and effect files.
[0082]
The public storage unit 106 stores a content file and an effect file in which the operation of browsing and updating is disclosed to a user who is not particularly limited or a user having a low restriction level.
[0083]
The specific user storage unit 105a stores content files and effect files that are disclosed only to users who satisfy a predetermined condition. Further, the backup storage unit 107 stores a repair file that can be accessed by a server administrator or a limited user having a predetermined access right.
[0084]
Therefore, the specific user storage unit 105a and the public storage unit 106 have respective access rights, and the authenticated user performs file storage and update processing of the stored files. On the other hand, when the file is undesirably updated or deleted, the server administrator or a user having a predetermined access right uses the file stored in the backup storage unit 107 to repair the updated portion. Done.
[0085]
Then, the user database storage unit 104 of the server device 10a stores the authentication data for each stratified user.
The configuration and operation of the shared content update system according to the second embodiment that are different from those of the first embodiment have been described.
[0086]
Here, the storage of the content file and the effect file in the backup storage unit 107 is performed each time a file is stored in the specific user storage unit 105a and the public storage unit 106. Then, it is generally possible to store the update information with a small data amount by describing and storing the change of the expressed content without changing the content file itself and describing the changed portion by the effect file.
[0087]
Further, the latest effect file stores the processing performed at that time, that is, information describing all effect objects. For the effect file information performed before that, storing the past information for the latest effect object as a difference allows the information of the content file and the effect file to be stored with a smaller amount of data.
[0088]
Since the data amount of the file stored in the backup storage unit 107 increases each time the file is updated, it is deleted after a certain period of time. Then, the storage period may be set by a user having a predetermined access right. Further, the backup storage means 107 may be provided in the same place and in the same device as the user storage means 105 or the public storage means, with a partition.
[0089]
Further, the content files stored in the respective storage means are stored for each individual file, a folder is provided, and the file is stored as hierarchical data under the folder. The monitoring applet does not specify each of the content files but specifies “all the content files under the specific folder” or “all the content files including all the subfolders under the specific folder”. Content files may be monitored.
[0090]
Further, when displaying the stored content on the user terminal device, the parameters of the image that can be displayed are different for each user terminal device. It includes, for example, screen size, data capacity of content that can be displayed on one screen, resolution, maximum number of displayable colors, and displayable file format.
[0091]
In the case of a user terminal device that restricts and displays these parameters, the content file is changed and becomes incompatible with the display of the user terminal device. The file is displayed in a broken state on the screen of the user terminal device. In some cases, such a problem may occur that the message is displayed only halfway or not displayed at all.
[0092]
Therefore, the monitoring applet of the user terminal device transmits the specification information that can be displayed on the user terminal device to the server device, and requests the server device data processing unit to convert the content file into a format that can be displayed by the user terminal device. For example, with respect to the content file of the image, changing the vertical and horizontal sizes of the image, performing color reduction, increasing the compression ratio to reduce the file size, and the like.
[0093]
Thus, by using the monitoring applet, a function of monitoring a file to be updated can be provided.
On the other hand, there is a method in which a server has a function of a monitoring applet provided on a user terminal device side.
[0094]
This is a method in which an update of a content file stored in a server is detected on a server device side, and the detected update status is notified by e-mail or the like to a user terminal device registered in advance as a notification destination.
[0095]
In the method of notifying by the e-mail, the information of the file update detected on the server device side can be transmitted immediately, so that the user terminal device detects the file update earlier than the detection using the polling function by the monitoring applet. be able to.
[0096]
Further, redundant access to the server device by the monitoring applet can be reduced. However, on the other hand, an e-mail is transmitted every time even a frequent update of a small content file is performed.
[0097]
Therefore, although the notification by e-mail is simple, small updates that are not requested on the user device side are also frequently notified, so that the monitoring applet monitors the content file under conditions customized by the user. It can be said that it is often more desirable.
[0098]
The user terminal device 20 has a function of notifying a user when a newly updated content file is detected. This function is a function similar to a biff (bark from from found) function that notifies when a new mail arrives as an e-mail tool.
[0099]
If the update notification function displays not only the update detection notification but also the updated content file name, date and time, and other related information at the same time, the user can preferably perform the next operation. You.
Further, the file update detection may be notified by a sound different from the incoming e-mail. Notification by an LED lamp may be used. The notification according to the state can be performed by the LEDs of a plurality of colors.
[0100]
As described above, the process of updating the content file stored in the server device and the process of detecting the content file have been described by way of example in the case where the content is an image. Change the sound quality, add new performance parts, remix audio signals, add hall reverberation, and generate audio files that are updated by signal conversion processing by resampling audio data, etc. Thus, similar applications can be applied to audio contents.
[0101]
Furthermore, the present invention can be applied to a case where information other than an image and an audio signal is encoded and created by a predetermined method. For example, for content files such as spreadsheet software data, presentation materials, broadcast program table data, and other database data, processed and updated data is generated and uploaded to the server device. , And can be similarly applied.
[0102]
In other words, for contents for which the characteristics of the information can be changed by processing, the same processing and the processing method are created for the content file as effect file data relating to the processing contents. Can be realized as an effect file together with a content file.
[0103]
As described above in detail, according to the present embodiment, content files such as images stored in the server device, effect files, and other files are shared files that can be viewed and / or processed by an arbitrary or designated user. The accumulation enables browsing, processing, and updating of the shared file for a plurality of users.
[0104]
The update of the shared file is monitored at all times or at specified time intervals by a monitoring applet provided in each user's user terminal device, or the server transmits an update notification to the monitoring applet. The update information is notified to the user terminal device of the user within a predetermined time after the update.
[0105]
According to the notification, for example, when the first user performs some processing on the content file and updates the content file or the effect file, other users can detect the updated content file within a predetermined time. The second user terminal device can acquire the updated content file and display it.
[0106]
The content file is shared by many users, such that the second user can further process the changed content file, and other users can obtain and display the updated content file, and so on. A communication environment using content files that are updated one after another is realized.
[0107]
In addition, the description has been made mainly on the case where the information on the existence of the updated content is obtained by the monitoring applet. In the method using the monitoring applet, the monitoring condition of the monitoring applet can be set so that monitoring information more suitable for the user's request can be obtained than the notification by the electronic mail.
[0108]
Then, by performing a predetermined filtering process on the update information detected by the monitoring applet, the monitoring condition can reduce the complexity of notifying the user of even a small update. That is, the update information is stratified according to the degree of update, and the updated content that has been subjected to the filtering process is notified only for updates at or above a predetermined level required by the user.
[0109]
Then, the update information is set according to the category of the content information. The content with a high degree of interest of the user is notified to a small level, and the content with a high level of update is assigned to a category with a low degree of interest. Only be notified.
[0110]
By performing such update level division, congestion of communication network traffic can be expected to be reduced. However, when many users are set to use communication traffic at all times, the traffic is congested.
[0111]
The congestion is the same for frequent access of the user storage means to the server device. Therefore, it is necessary to alleviate traffic congestion and reduce the load of excessive access operation to the server device.
[0112]
For example, a function of controlling the frequency of access from the monitoring applet on the server device side is provided, and when an excessive access is made from a specific user terminal device, this is detected and the frequency of access to the user terminal device is reduced. Is set to transmit the control information for the communication, or receive the incoming call from the specific user terminal device by thinning out, or reject the incoming call, so as to reduce the traffic volume of the communication network and the load on the server device.
[0113]
【The invention's effect】
According to the first aspect of the present invention, a transmitting-side user terminal device that acquires contents via a communication network, modifies a part of the contents, generates and sends updated contents, and receives and stores the contents. A shared content update system comprising: a server device that publishes updated content on a communication network; and a receiving user terminal device that detects an update of the content stored in the server device, acquires and displays the updated content. Therefore, there is an effect that an environment of a shared content update system in which a content file can be shared by many users can be provided.
[0114]
According to the second aspect of the invention, particularly, the transmission of the update content generated by the user terminal device on the transmission side to the server device is performed by generating an effect file and transmitting the effect file to the server device. In addition to the effect of the first aspect, there is an effect of providing an environment of a shared content update system in which a content file can be shared by a large number of users who have reduced the increase in storage capacity of the server device.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a shared content update system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a first half of a flowchart showing a flow of an operation performed between the user terminal device and the server device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a second half of a flowchart showing a flow of an operation performed between the user terminal device and the server device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a first half of a flowchart showing a flow of an operation performed between the server device and the user terminal device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a second half of a flowchart showing a flow of operation performed between the server device and the user terminal device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a shared content update system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
7 Internet
10, 10a Server device
20, 30 user terminal device
101 Communication means
102 Management means
103 Data processing means
104 User database storage means
105 User storage means
105a Specific user storage means
106 public storage means
107 Backup storage means
201, 301 communication means
202, 302 processing means
203 monitoring applet
204, 303 input means
205, 304 display means
206, 305 storage means

Claims (2)

A server device for posting at least content including image information and / or audio information on an electronic bulletin board, and publishing the posted electronic bulletin board on a communication network; and connecting to the communication network, A plurality of user terminal devices each having a function of receiving the content, creating an updated content based on the received content, and transmitting the created updated content to the server device,
A shared content update system comprising:
Some user terminal devices of the plurality of user terminal devices,
A function of displaying the received content and a function of changing the part of the obtained content to create the updated content and transmitting the created updated content to the server device; A transmitting-side user terminal device, and
The server device receives the update content via the communication network, stores the received update content, and has a function of posting the stored update content on the electronic bulletin board.
Another part of the user terminal device of the plurality of user terminal devices,
Detecting the update state of the content posted on the electronic bulletin board at predetermined time intervals, or detecting information related to the update of the content transmitted by the server device, and detecting the update content when the update of the content is detected. And a receiving-side user terminal having a function of displaying the acquired updated content on a display means. A user terminal device used in the shared content update system according to claim 1 and described as the transmitting-side user terminal device,
A user terminal device having a function of generating the updated content by adding effect information relating to a difference from the content and transmitting the effect information to the server device.

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