JP2004253996A - Method and apparatus for registering and discriminating metadata, and storage medium - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for storing copyright information by using data description language to write when, where, and by whom editing is made into metadata for taking the history of falsification in an image in an application when editing image data having the copyright information, and to provide a method for tracking how the image was falsified. <P>SOLUTION: The copyright information and editing history are written into the metadata and use restriction is added in reading. The copyright information and the editing history are linked to binary data for restricting use. The editing history is recorded to the image having copyright as the metadata, thus confirming that the image data having copyright are not illegally used. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method, an apparatus, and a medium for registering / determining metadata in binary data.
[0002]
[Prior art]
The metadata (meta-data) is "data related to data" and is used as data for explaining binary data such as image data and audio data.
[0003]
Examples of metadata relating to image data include “photographer”, “photographing date”, “photographing conditions”, “subject name”, and “event at the time of photographing”.
[0004]
Among these metadata, “shooting date”, “shooting conditions”, and the like are used to record the state of the camera when the image was shot. In a digital camera, DCF (Design rule for Camera File System) is used. These pieces of information are recorded in the basic file.
[0005]
In addition, in order to search for image data, keywords such as "photographer", "subject name", and "event at the time of shooting" are used, and these are recorded in a file. It may be recorded using a database or the like.
[0006]
Further, recently, the use of digital images has increased, and the digital images have often been edited and processed. Therefore, attaching metadata about copyright to image data has also been emphasized.
[0007]
This is because it is easy to copy, a characteristic of digital data, so it is as if it were your own work, after copying the copyrighted image and making some changes. It is needed because it can be used for
[0008]
In addition, a technique has been proposed in which watermark information is written in image data itself so that copyright information can be extracted even when an image is copied.
[0009]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
As described above, various metadata are often associated with image data.
[0010]
However, if there is metadata in the image data file, there is a problem that if the binary data is edited and processed, the metadata that has been input is lost.
[0011]
In other words, even if an image has copyright information and its use is restricted, by processing the image, the metadata attached to the image is lost, and the copyright on the image is claimed. The problem is that you can't.
[0012]
Furthermore, there is still a method of embedding copyright information as watermark information in an image as shown in FIG. 2. However, in actuality, since the watermark information is embedded in the image, the image is deteriorated, There is also a problem that the copyright information cannot be read using a method of processing the image so that the information cannot be read.
[0013]
In addition, even if it is actually described, since it is described in a special way, there is a problem that it is difficult to implement in an application.
[0014]
The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems related to metadata in which copyright information is recorded, and when image data with copyright information is edited, when, where, and by which application was edited. Provides a way to preserve copyright information and track how an image has been tampered with, by writing an image in metadata using a data description language and thereby keeping a history of image tampering. The purpose is to:
[0015]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, a metadata registration device according to one aspect of the present invention has, for example, the following configuration.
[0016]
That is, an apparatus for registering metadata in binary data, comprising: a binary data reading means for reading binary data; a copyrighted metadata reading means for reading copyrighted metadata related to binary data; and the binary data reading means. Editing history recording means for adding the editing history to the copyrighted metadata when editing and processing the read binary data, and converting the edited metadata recorded by the editing recording means into binary data And a metadata registration unit for associating the metadata with the metadata.
[0017]
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a metadata registration method for achieving the above object. According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a storage medium storing a control program for causing a computer to implement the metadata registration method.
[0018]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
(First embodiment)
Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the first embodiment. In FIG. 1, a reading unit 100 reads an image using a scanner device or the like. The input unit 101 inputs data using a keyboard or a pointing device.
[0019]
The storage unit 102 stores binary data and metadata, and is often a hard disk. The display unit 103 displays binary data stored in the storage unit 102 and displays image data read by the reading unit 100, and is often a CRT or a liquid crystal.
[0020]
The CPU 104 is involved in all of the above processing, and the ROM 104 and the RAM 105 provide a memory and a work area necessary for the processing. Further, a control program for realizing the processing procedure of the present embodiment described later with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
[0021]
The metadata registration device according to the first embodiment has various components other than those described above. However, since the metadata registration device is not the focus of the present invention, description thereof will be omitted.
[0022]
Next, an operation of writing the falsification history in the copyrighted metadata when editing the image data in the metadata registration apparatus configured as described above will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
[0023]
First, in step S301, an apparatus capable of reading metadata associated with image data reads an image associated with metadata and attempts to edit the image.
[0024]
Next, in step S302, it is confirmed whether this image can be edited.
[0025]
Here, if the image is not editable, the process proceeds to step S304. If the image can be edited, the process proceeds to step S303.
[0026]
In step S304, a message saying "editing of this image is not permitted" is displayed on the display device, and the process ends. This image can only be displayed on a display device, but cannot be captured or saved under a different name.
[0027]
If the editing is possible in step S303, the editing operation of the image is continued and the editing history is recorded in the memory at the same time.
[0028]
Here, the information to be recorded is “maker name”, “application name”, “date and time”, “editor”, “editing machine”, and “editing work”. All this information is recorded automatically.
[0029]
Next, in step S305, if all the editing operations have been completed, the process proceeds to step S306, and if not, the operation proceeds to step S303, and the editing operation is repeated.
[0030]
In step S306, if the editing operation has been completed, the editing history is recorded in metadata using a data description language, and the process ends.
[0031]
Actually, the processed image has a configuration as shown in FIG. 4, and the copyright information and the editing history are registered in the image file.
[0032]
Further, the inside of FIG. 4 is described using XML which is a data description language as shown in FIG. 5, and a data description language analysis tool can be used.
[0033]
Although not described in detail in the present embodiment, it is also possible to interrupt all editing work during the editing work, and in that case, it is needless to say that all the editing histories are erased and the metadata becomes the state before the editing work. No.
[0034]
Through the above operation, the information that the image has been edited is described in the metadata in the data description language. Thereafter, when edited by another application, such information is described one after another.
[0035]
(Second embodiment)
In the first embodiment, the method of registering the editing history and the copyright metadata in the binary data has been described. The metadata registered in the binary data is determined as described in the second embodiment. Note that the configuration of the metadata discriminating apparatus according to the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment (FIG. 1), and a description thereof will be omitted.
[0036]
Next, an operation of determining the binary data in which the metadata is registered in the metadata determination device configured as described above will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method for determining registered metadata according to the second embodiment.
[0037]
In FIG. 6, in step S601, binary data for which copyright information and editing history are to be determined is specified by a user's instruction. Next, in step S602, it is determined whether metadata described in XML is registered in the binary data. Details of the determination method will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
[0038]
FIG. 5 shows the inside of the binary data in which the editing history and the copyright information are registered.
[0039]
Therefore, the determination of the presence or absence of the metadata is performed by reading all the binary data into the memory in step S701 in FIG. Next, in step S702, it is checked whether or not a character string "</ PhotoXML>" is present at the end of the read binary data. If there is, the process proceeds to step S703. If not, the process proceeds to step S705. In step S703, it is checked whether a character string “<PhotoXML>” exists before the character string “</ PhotoXML>”. If there is, the process proceeds to step S704. If the metadata does not exist, the process proceeds to step S705. In step S705, it is concluded that the metadata is registered. If it is determined in either step S702 or step S703 that the character string does not exist, the process proceeds to step S705, and concludes that the metadata has not been registered. This is the end of the metadata determination.
[0040]
According to the flowchart of FIG. 7, if the metadata has been registered, the process proceeds to step S603. If the metadata has not been registered, the process ends. In step S603, the registered metadata is analyzed. Details of the analysis method will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
[0041]
In the flowchart of FIG. 8, in step S801, the registered metadata is read into the memory. Next, in step S802, it is checked whether copyright information exists in the metadata. Confirmation is determined from the Tag name. If the copyright information exists, the flow advances to step S803 to display the copyright information in an appropriate format. If not, the process proceeds to step S804.
[0042]
Next, in step S804, it is confirmed whether an editing history exists in the metadata. Confirmation is determined from the Tag name. If there is an editing history, the process advances to step S805 to display the editing history in an appropriate format. If not, the process ends.
[0043]
As described above, according to the second embodiment, it is possible to easily extract the copyright information and the editing history, and it is also possible to limit the subsequent editing work of the application.
[0044]
As described above, by using the metadata discriminating method of the present invention, it is possible to confirm the copyright even after the copyrighted image is edited, and further confirm where and who performed the image processing. It is possible to do.
[0045]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, by recording the editing history as metadata on a copyrighted image, it is possible to confirm whether the copyrighted image data has been used improperly.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a metadata registration device according to an embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating embedding copyright information by a watermark in the related art.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method of registering editing history information in the first embodiment.
FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram when metadata is joined to binary data in the first embodiment.
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an internal data description language when metadata is joined to binary data in the first embodiment.
FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method of determining registered metadata according to the second embodiment.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart for determining whether or not metadata described in XML is registered in binary data.
FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an analysis method for registered metadata.

Claims (25)

A method of registering metadata in binary data,
A binary data reading process for reading binary data;
A copyrighted metadata reading process for reading copyrighted metadata about binary data;
When editing and processing the binary data read in the above binary data reading process,
An edit history recording step of adding the edit history to the copyrighted metadata and recording the data using a data description language;
A metadata registration step of associating the edited metadata recorded by the editing recording process with binary data. The metadata registration method according to claim 1, wherein the binary data is image data. 2. The metadata registration method according to claim 1, wherein the binary data is audio data. 2. The metadata registration method according to claim 1, wherein the binary data is moving image data. 2. The metadata registration method according to claim 1, wherein the data description language is XML. The metadata registration method according to claim 1, wherein the data description language is SGML. 2. The metadata registration method according to claim 1, wherein the data description language is HTML. The metadata registration method according to claim 1, wherein the metadata registration step is to join the metadata after the binary data. 2. The metadata registration method according to claim 1, wherein the metadata registration step is to record the location of the metadata in binary data. The metadata registration method according to claim 1, wherein the metadata registration step includes managing the location of the binary data and the metadata using a database. The metadata registration method according to claim 1, wherein the editing history recording step records an editing date and time. 12. The metadata registration method according to claim 1, wherein the editing history recording step records an editor. 13. The metadata registration method according to claim 1, wherein the editing history recording step records an editing application name. 14. The metadata registration method according to claim 11, wherein in the editing history recording step, a plurality of editing histories can be entered. A method for determining metadata registered in binary data,
A binary data reading process for reading binary data;
A registered metadata determining step of determining whether metadata is registered in the binary data read in the binary data reading step;
In the registration metadata determination step, a data description language matching step of determining whether the metadata is registered based on the validity of the data description language,
A copyright information determining step of determining whether there is copyright information if the metadata is registered in the registered metadata determining step;
An editing history information determining step of determining whether there is editing history information if the metadata is registered in the registered metadata determining step;
A metadata discriminating method comprising: 16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the binary data is image data. The method according to claim 15, wherein the binary data is audio data. 16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the binary data is moving image data. The method according to claim 15, wherein the data description language is XML. The method according to claim 15, wherein the data description language is SGML. The method according to claim 15, wherein the data description language is HTML. 16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the copyright information determining step restricts use of binary data. 16. The metadata determining method according to claim 15, wherein the copyright information determining step determines that the copyright information has been illegally created. The method according to claim 15, wherein the editing history discriminating step restricts use of the binary data. The metadata determination method according to claim 15, wherein the editing history determination step determines that the editing has been performed illegally.

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