JP2004318861A - Image viewer, its image display program and image display method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image viewer in which a display method of images or the like can be customized in accordance with a liking of a browser or the like, and to provide its image display program and image display method . <P>SOLUTION: Display data indicating a kind of an actually displayed image and various situations in the indication or the like are acquired for each image, a point is set for each of the display data, a total point is summed up, and images are displayed while being selected preferentially from an image of the highest summed-up total point. Thus, the indication or the like that is just a uniform indication in a conventional image viewer V, is automatically customized to perform accurate image display reflected with browser's linking or popularity. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a so-called image viewer (digital image display device) incorporated in a digital camera or the like or used independently to display a digital image captured by a digital camera or the like, an image display program thereof, and an image. It relates to a display method.

2. Description of the Related Art Digital cameras that record still images and moving images of photographed persons and landscapes as digital data have been rapidly gaining popularity in recent years due to their ease of use and low price. It is gaining momentum over film cameras.
Images taken by such a digital camera can be viewed on a small liquid crystal monitor installed in the digital camera as it is, or can be enjoyed by being printed out on printing paper by a printer or the like. It can also be enjoyed by a digital image display device equipped with a large-screen, high-quality liquid crystal monitor referred to as a "high-quality" liquid crystal monitor.

In particular, if such an image viewer is used, it is not necessary to print out the photographed image one by one, and the printout paper and its storage space are not required, and the photographed image can be viewed on a large and beautiful screen immediately after photographing. It is thought that demand will increase in the future with the spread of digital cameras because it is possible.
JP 2001-228528 A

By the way, such a conventional image viewer can only display images in a uniform method and order depending on digital data of an image. Therefore, the display method and order of the image are appropriately changed according to the preference of the viewer. I can't.
That is, when there are a plurality of images to be displayed, the conventional conventional image viewer displays the images in the shooting order in principle. For example, if the user likes the 30th displayed image, However, in order to view the image after the next time, there is an inconvenience that an unnecessary image taken before that image must be repeatedly viewed in order. In particular, when the number of displayed images reaches several tens to several hundreds, it takes a very long time just to search for the images.

Furthermore, the conventional image viewer does not have a function of acquiring and saving a display state when the image is displayed, and has a problem in that it is not possible to leave impressions, memories, and the like at the time of display.
Therefore, the present invention has been devised in order to effectively solve such a problem, and its purpose is to customize the display method and order of images according to the preference and popularity of the viewer. It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel image viewer, an image display program, and an image display method.

[Invention 1] To solve the above problem, an image viewer of Invention 1
What is claimed is: 1. An image viewer having a display unit for forming and displaying an image from image data, comprising: display data obtaining means for obtaining display data indicating a state at the time of display of an image displayed on the display unit; Point setting means for setting points in the display data obtained by the means, point counting means for counting the total of the points set by the point setting means for each image, and total points counted by the point counting means Image selection means for selecting an image to be displayed based on the image selection means, and image display means for displaying the image selected by the image selection means on the display unit.

  With such a configuration, the display data acquisition unit displays the actually displayed image and the display data indicating various situations at the time of display, such as “display time”, “display count”, and “display location”. After obtaining various data relating to the display status at that time, points are set for each of the display data by the point setting means, and the total of the points set by the point collecting means is totaled for each image.

Then, the image selecting means preferentially selects the image having the higher total point, and the image displaying means displays the image on the display unit according to the selection.
As a result, the display order of the image viewer, which has been limited to the conventional uniform display, is automatically customized, and an accurate image display reflecting the preference and popularity of the viewer can be performed.

[Invention 2] The image viewer of Invention 2 is
In the image viewer according to the first aspect, the image selecting means has a function of selecting images in descending order of the total points counted by the point counting means.
As a result, an image having a low total point is not selected, so that only an image having a high total point can be displayed and browsed.

[Invention 3] Also, the image viewer of Invention 3 is
In the image viewer according to the invention 1 or 2, the point setting means has a function of weighting the points set in the display data.
As a result, a higher point is given preferentially to data that the viewer or the user attaches importance to, so that an image display that more accurately reflects the preferences of the viewer or the user can be performed. it can.

[Invention 4] The image viewer of Invention 4 is
In the image viewer according to any one of the first to third inventions, the display data acquisition unit has a function of acquiring display data of another image viewer via a network.
As a result, an image display reflecting display data of another image viewer can be reproduced by its own image viewer.

[Invention 5] The image viewer of Invention 5 is
An image viewer according to a fourth aspect is characterized in that the display data acquisition means has a function of updating display data based on display data of another image viewer acquired via a network.
As a result, even when displaying not only the image displayed on the own image viewer but also the image displayed on another image viewer that can be connected via a network on the own image viewer, the viewer's or user's preference, etc. can be determined. It is possible to display an image accurately reflected.

[Invention 6] An image viewer according to Invention 6 includes:
In the image viewer according to any one of the inventions 1 to 5, the display data obtained by the display data obtaining means and the data relating to the total points totaled by the point totalizing means are collectively stored in the image data of the image. It is characterized by having data integration means to perform the above.
This eliminates the need for a dedicated storage unit for storing the display data and the data related to the total points, and facilitates the display data and the total points for the image data when the data is transferred and managed in image units. Data can be easily transferred and managed.

[Invention 7] The image viewer of Invention 7 is
In the image viewer according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, the display data obtained by the display data obtaining means and the data relating to the total points totaled by the point totalizing means are stored in association with the image data. It is characterized by having data association means.

  This eliminates the need for a dedicated storage unit for storing the display data and the data related to the total points, and facilitates the display data and the total points for the image data when the data is transferred and managed in image units. Data can be easily transferred and managed. Further, since display data can be easily separated from image data, delivery and management of only display data can be easily performed.

[Invention 8] The image viewer of Invention 8 is
In the image viewer according to any one of the inventions 1 to 5, the image display unit may display the images selected by the image selection unit on the display unit collectively, and may display the total points accumulated by the point aggregation unit. Has a function of determining the size of an image to be displayed based on the image.
Accordingly, when displaying a plurality of images collectively on the display unit, it is possible to accurately perform screen size adjustment such as displaying an image having a high total point in a large size.

[Invention 9] The image viewer of Invention 9 is
In the image viewer according to any one of the inventions 1 to 7, the image display unit may include the images selected by the image selection unit and collectively display the images on the display unit by the point collection unit. It has a function of displaying an image with a high total point preferentially and large.
Accordingly, when a plurality of images are collectively displayed on the display unit, an image having a high total point is displayed in a large size, so that it is possible to execute an accurate image display that meets the request of the viewer.

[Invention 10] The image viewer of Invention 10 is
In the image viewer according to any one of the inventions 1 to 7, the image display unit displays the images selected by the image selection unit on the display unit sequentially, and the total points totaled by the point totalization unit are displayed. It has a function of displaying images in descending order of height.
As a result, images with higher total points are displayed preferentially, so that an accurate display that meets the request of the viewer can be performed.

[Invention 11] The image viewer of Invention 11 is
In the image viewer according to any one of the inventions 1 to 7, the image display means displays the images selected by the image selection means on the display unit in order, and displays the images totaled by the point totalization means. It has a function of adjusting the display time based on points.
This makes it possible to perform detailed display such as increasing the display time of an image with a high total point and shortening the display time of an image with a low total point, and performing an accurate display that meets the request of the viewer. .

[Invention 12] An image display program according to Invention 12 is
An image display program for use in an image viewer having a display unit for forming and displaying an image from image data, the display data being used to obtain display data indicating a situation when an image displayed on the display unit is displayed on a computer. Acquiring means, point setting means for setting points in the display data acquired by the display data acquiring means, point totaling means for totalizing the points set by the point setting means for each image, An image selecting means for selecting an image to be displayed based on the total points totalized by the totaling means, and an image displaying means for displaying the image selected by the image selecting means on the display unit. It is assumed that.

As a result, similarly to the first aspect, the display order and the like of the image viewer, which can only be displayed in a uniform manner in the past, are automatically customized, and an accurate image display reflecting the preference and popularity of the viewer is performed. be able to.
In addition, since each means can be realized on software using a computer system or the like provided in most image viewers, it is easier than constructing a separate new computer system or preparing dedicated hardware for realization. And can be implemented economically. Further, it is possible to easily change the function of each means, upgrade the version, and the like by only changing a part of the program.

[Invention 13] Also, an image display program according to Invention 13 includes:
An image display program according to a twelfth aspect is characterized in that the image selecting means has a function of selecting images in descending order of the total points counted by the point counting means.
As a result, similarly to the second aspect, an image having a low total point is not selected, so that only an image having a high total point can be displayed and browsed. Further, similarly to the twelfth aspect, since the present invention can be realized by software, it can be implemented easily and economically. Further, it is possible to easily change the function of each means, upgrade the version, and the like by only changing a part of the program.

[Invention 14] An image display program according to invention 14 is
The image display program according to the invention 12 or 13, wherein the point setting means has a function of weighting the points set in the display data.
As a result, a higher point is given preferentially to data that the viewer or the user attaches importance to, so that an image display that more accurately reflects the preferences of the viewer or the user can be performed. it can. Further, similarly to the twelfth aspect, since the present invention can be realized by software, it can be implemented easily and economically. Further, it is possible to easily change the function of each means, upgrade the version, and the like by only changing a part of the program.

[Invention 15] An image display program according to Invention 15 is
The image display program according to any one of the inventions 12 to 14, wherein the display data obtaining means has a function of obtaining display data of another image viewer via a network.
Thus, similarly to the fourth aspect, the image display reflecting the display data of another image viewer can be reproduced by the own image viewer. Further, similarly to the twelfth aspect, since the present invention can be realized by software, it can be implemented easily and economically. Further, it is possible to easily change the function of each means, upgrade the version, and the like by only changing a part of the program.

[Invention 16] In addition, an image display program according to Invention 16 includes:
An image display program according to a fifteenth aspect, wherein the display data obtaining means has a function of updating display data based on display data of another image viewer obtained via a network.
As a result, similarly to the fifth aspect, even when an image displayed on another image viewer that can be connected via a network is displayed on the own image viewer, not only the image displayed on the own image viewer, And an image display that accurately reflects the user's preferences and the like. Further, similarly to the twelfth aspect, since the present invention can be realized by software, it can be implemented easily and economically. Further, it is possible to easily change the function of each means, upgrade the version, and the like by only changing a part of the program.

[Invention 17] Also, an image display program according to Invention 17 includes:
In the image display program according to any one of the inventions 12 to 16, the display data obtained by the display data obtaining means and the data relating to the total points totalized by the point totalizing means are combined into image data of the image. It is characterized by having data integration means for storing.

  This eliminates the need for a dedicated storage unit for storing the display data and the data relating to the total points as in the case of the sixth aspect, and makes it easy to transfer and manage the data in units of images. Of the display data and the data related to the total points can be easily performed. Further, similarly to the twelfth aspect, since the present invention can be realized by software, it can be implemented easily and economically. Further, it is possible to easily change the function of each means, upgrade the version, and the like by only changing a part of the program.

[Invention 18] In addition, an image display program according to invention 18 includes:
In the image display program according to any one of the inventions 12 to 16, the display data acquired by the display data acquisition means and the data on the total points totalized by the point totalization means are stored in association with the image data. It is characterized by having data associating means for performing the above.

  This eliminates the need for a dedicated storage unit for storing the display data and the data related to the total points, as in the case of the seventh aspect, and facilitates the transfer of the image data when the data is transferred and managed in image units. Of the display data and the data related to the total points can be easily performed. Further, since display data can be easily separated from image data, delivery and management of only display data can be easily performed. Further, similarly to the twelfth aspect, since the present invention can be realized by software, it can be implemented easily and economically. Further, it is possible to easily change the function of each means, upgrade the version, and the like by only changing a part of the program.

[Invention 19] An image display program according to Invention 19 is
In the image display program according to any one of the inventions 12 to 16, the image display means displays the images selected by the image selection means on the display unit collectively, and displays the sum totaled by the point collection means. It has a function of determining the size of an image to be displayed based on points.

  As a result, similarly to the eighth aspect, when displaying a plurality of images collectively on the display unit, it is possible to accurately perform screen size adjustment such as displaying a large image having a high total point. Further, similarly to the twelfth aspect, since the present invention can be realized by software, it can be implemented easily and economically. Further, it is possible to easily change the function of each means, upgrade the version, and the like by only changing a part of the program.

[Invention 20] The display program of Invention 20 is
In the image display program according to any one of inventions 12 to 18, the image display means displays the images selected by the image selection means on the display unit collectively, and displays the sum totaled by the point totalization means. It has a function of preferentially displaying an image with high points in a large size.

  As a result, similarly to the ninth aspect, when a plurality of images are collectively displayed on the display unit, an image having a high total point is displayed in a large size, so that it is possible to execute an accurate image display that meets the request of the viewer. it can. Further, similarly to the twelfth aspect, since the present invention can be realized by software, it can be implemented easily and economically. Further, it is possible to easily change the function of each means, upgrade the version, and the like by only changing a part of the program.

[Invention 21] Also, an image display program according to Invention 21 includes:
In the image display program according to any one of inventions 12 to 18, the image display means displays the images selected by the image selection means on the display unit in order, and the total points accumulated by the point accumulation means. A function of displaying images in descending order of image quality.

  As a result, images with higher total points are displayed preferentially, so that an accurate display that meets the request of the viewer can be performed. Further, similarly to the twelfth aspect, since the present invention can be realized by software, it can be implemented easily and economically. Further, it is possible to easily change the function of each means, upgrade the version, and the like by only changing a part of the program.

[Invention 22] In addition, an image display program according to Invention 22 includes:
In the image display program according to any one of inventions 12 to 18, the image display means displays the images selected by the image selection means on the display unit in order, and the total points accumulated by the point accumulation means. The function of adjusting the display time based on the

  This makes it possible to perform detailed display such as increasing the display time of an image with a high total point and shortening the display time of an image with a low total point, and performing an accurate display that meets the request of the viewer. . Further, similarly to the twelfth aspect, since the present invention can be realized by software, it can be implemented easily and economically. Further, it is possible to easily change the function of each means, upgrade the version, and the like by only changing a part of the program.

[Invention 23] An image display method according to Invention 23 includes:
An image display method for forming an image from image data and displaying the image on a display unit of an image viewer, the display data obtaining step of obtaining display data indicating a state at the time of display of the image displayed on the display unit A point setting step of setting points on the display data obtained in the display data obtaining step; a point counting step of counting the total of the points set in the point counting step for each image; and the image counting step An image selecting step of selecting an image to be displayed based on the total points calculated in the step (a), and an image displaying step of displaying the image selected in the image selecting step on the display unit. is there.

  As a result, similarly to the first aspect, the display order and the like of the image viewer, which could only be displayed uniformly in the past, are automatically customized, and an accurate image display reflecting the preference and popularity of the viewer is performed. be able to.

[Invention 24] Also, an image display method of Invention 24 includes:
23. The image display method according to claim 23, wherein the image selecting step selects images in descending order of the total points counted in the point counting step.
As a result, similarly to the second aspect, an image having a low total point is not selected, so that only an image having a high total point can be displayed and browsed.

[Invention 25] An image display method according to Invention 25 includes:
In the image display method according to the invention 23 or 24, in the point setting step, a predetermined weight is assigned to a point set in the display data.
As a result, similarly to the third aspect of the invention, a high point is given preferentially to data that the viewer or the user attaches importance to, and the preference of the viewer or the user is more accurately reflected. Image display can be performed.

[Invention 26] Also, the image display method of Invention 26 includes:
The image display method according to any one of inventions 23 to 25, wherein the display data obtaining step obtains display data of another image viewer via a network.
Thus, similarly to the fourth aspect, the image display reflecting the display data of another image viewer can be reproduced by the own image viewer.

[Invention 27] The image display method according to Invention 27 includes:
In the image display method according to a twenty-sixth aspect, in the display data obtaining step, the display data is updated based on display data of another image viewer obtained via a network.
As a result, similarly to the fifth aspect, even when an image displayed on another image viewer that can be connected via a network is displayed on the own image viewer, not only the image displayed on the own image viewer, And an image display that accurately reflects the user's preferences and the like.

[Invention 28] An image display method according to Invention 28 includes:
In the image display method according to any one of inventions 23 to 27, the display data obtained in the display data obtaining step and the data relating to the total points totaled in the point totalizing step are combined into image data of the image. It has a data integration step of saving.
This eliminates the need for a dedicated storage unit for storing the display data and the data relating to the total points as in the case of the sixth aspect, and makes it easy to transfer and manage the data in units of images. Of the display data and the data related to the total points can be easily performed.

[Invention 29] An image display method according to Invention 29 includes:
28. The image association method according to any one of claims 23 to 27, wherein the display data acquired in the display data acquisition step and the data related to the total points accumulated in the point aggregation step are stored in association with the image data. It is characterized by having a step.
This eliminates the need for a dedicated storage unit for storing the display data and the data related to the total points, as in the case of the seventh aspect, and facilitates the transfer of the image data when the data is transferred and managed in image units. Of the display data and the data related to the total points can be easily performed. Further, since display data can be easily separated from image data, delivery and management of only display data can be easily performed.

[Invention 30] An image display method according to Invention 30 includes:
In the image display method according to any one of the inventions 23 to 27, the image display step includes, when displaying the images selected in the image selection step collectively on the display unit, the sum total calculated in the point collection step. It has a function of determining the size of an image to be displayed based on points.
As a result, similarly to the eighth aspect, when displaying a plurality of images collectively on the display unit, it is possible to accurately perform screen size adjustment such as displaying an image having a high total point in a large size.

[Invention 31] The image display method according to Invention 31 includes:
In the image display method according to any one of inventions 23 to 29, in the image display step, when the images selected in the image selection step are collectively displayed on the display unit, the total calculated in the point collection step is included. It has a function of preferentially displaying an image with high points in a large size.
As a result, similarly to the ninth aspect, when a plurality of images are collectively displayed on the display unit, an image having a high total point is displayed in a large size, so that it is possible to execute an accurate image display that meets the request of the viewer. it can.

[Invention 32] An image display method according to Invention 32 includes:
In the image display method according to any one of inventions 23 to 29, the image display step includes displaying the images selected in the image selection step on the display unit in order, the total points totaled in the point totalization step. A function of displaying images in descending order of image quality.
As a result, images with higher total points are displayed preferentially, so that an accurate display that meets the request of the viewer can be performed.

[Invention 33] An image display method according to Invention 33 includes:
In the image display method according to any one of inventions 23 to 29, the image display step includes displaying the images selected in the image selection step on the display unit in order, the total points totaled in the point totalization step. The function of adjusting the display time based on the
This makes it possible to perform detailed display such as increasing the display time of an image with a high total point and shortening the display time of an image with a low total point, and performing an accurate display that meets the request of the viewer. .

[Invention 34] An image viewer according to Invention 34 comprises:
A browsing data acquisition unit for acquiring a plurality of image data, forming an image from the acquired image data and displaying the image, and acquiring browsing data indicating an actually browsed image and various situations at the time of the browsing. Point setting means for setting points for each of the browsing data obtained by the browsing data obtaining means, totaling the set points for each browsing image, and total points totaled by the point totaling means. Image selecting means for preferentially selecting and displaying a high image.

That is, after the browsing data acquisition unit acquires browsing data indicating the actually browsed image and various situations at the time of display, for example, various data indicating the situation at that time, such as the browsing time, the number of times, and the location, the point is obtained. The tallying means sets points for each of the browsing data, and totals the set points for each browsing image.
Then, the image having the higher total point is preferentially selected and displayed by the image selecting means.
As a result, the display order of the image viewer, which has been limited to the conventional uniform display, is automatically customized, and an accurate image display reflecting the preference and popularity of the viewer can be performed.

[Invention 35] The image viewer of Invention 35 is
The image viewer according to the invention 34, wherein the point totalizing means further has a function of arbitrarily weighting the points set for each of the browsing data.
As a result, a higher point is given preferentially to data that the viewer, the user, or the like attaches importance to, so that an image display that accurately reflects the preferences of the viewer, the user, or the like can be performed. .

[Invention 36] An image viewer according to Invention 36 includes:
36. The image viewer according to the invention 34 or 35, wherein the browsing data obtaining means has a function of obtaining browsing data of another image viewer via a network.
As a result, not only the image viewed by the user's own image viewer but also the image viewed by another image viewer that can be connected to the network can be viewed by the user's own image viewer. It is possible to display an image accurately reflected.

[Invention 37] The image viewer of Invention 37 is:
In the image viewer according to any one of the inventions 34 to 36, the browsing data acquired by the browsing data acquiring unit and the data on the total points totalized by the point totalizing unit are combined into image data of the image. Or data integration means for storing the image data in association with the image data.
This eliminates the need for a dedicated storage unit for storing the browsing data and the data related to the total points, and facilitates the browsing data and the total points for the image data when the data is transferred and managed in image units. Data can be easily transferred and managed.

[Invention 38] An image viewing program of the image viewer according to Invention 38 is:
A computer of an image viewer that captures a plurality of image data, forms an image from the captured image data, and displays the image. The browsing data that acquires browsing data indicating an actually browsed image and various situations at the time of the browsing. Acquisition means, point setting means for setting points for each of the browsing data acquired by the browsing data acquisition means, tallying the set points for each browsing image, and total points counted by the point tallying means. It is characterized by functioning as an image selecting means for preferentially selecting and displaying a high image.
As a result, the same effect as that of the invention 34 can be obtained, and since each means can be realized on software using a computer system provided in the image viewer, a new computer system can be separately constructed or a dedicated computer system can be constructed. This can be implemented easily and economically as compared with the case where hardware is prepared and implemented.

[Invention 39] The image viewing program of the image viewer according to Invention 39 is:
The image browsing program of the image viewer according to the invention 38, wherein the point totalizing means is further provided with a function of arbitrarily weighting the points set for each of the browsing data.
As a result, similar to the thirty-fifth aspect, it is possible to display an image accurately reflecting the preferences of the viewer and the user, etc., and at the same time, as with the thirty-eighth aspect, by using a computer system provided in the image viewer. Therefore, it can be realized easily and economically.

[Invention 40] An image browsing program of an image viewer according to Invention 40 is
An image viewing program for an image viewer according to the invention 38 or 39, characterized in that the browsing data obtaining means has a function of obtaining browsing data of another image viewer via a network.

  Thus, similarly to the invention 36, even when an image viewed by another image viewer is viewed by the user's own image viewer, an image display that accurately reflects the preferences of the viewer and the user can be performed. As in the case of the thirty-eighth aspect, the present invention can be realized easily and economically because it can be realized by using a computer system provided in the image viewer.

[Invention 41] The image viewing program of the image viewer according to Invention 41 is:
An image browsing program for an image viewer according to any one of inventions 38 to 40, wherein the computer is configured to read the browsing data acquired by the browsing data acquiring means and the data relating to the total points totalized by the point totalizing means for the image. The present invention is further characterized by further functioning as data integration means for saving the image data together or in association with the image data.
This eliminates the need for a dedicated storage means for storing the browsing data and the data relating to the total points as in the case of the thirty-seventh aspect, and also realizes the use of a computer system provided in the image viewer as in the thirty-eighth aspect. Can be easily and economically realized.

[Invention 42] An image browsing method of the image viewer of Invention 42 is as follows.
In an image browsing method of an image viewer configured to capture a plurality of image data and form and display an image from the captured image data, the browsing data indicating an actually browsed image and various situations at the time of browsing the image is stored in the image. Each point, the points are set for each of the browsing data, the total points are totaled for each browsing image, and the image with the higher total points is preferentially selected and displayed. It is assumed that.
As a result, similarly to the invention 34, the display order and the like of the image viewer, which could only be displayed uniformly in the past, are automatically customized, and an accurate image display reflecting the preference and popularity of the viewer is performed. be able to.

[Invention 43] An image browsing method of the image viewer according to Invention 430 is as follows.
In an image browsing method of an image viewer configured to capture a plurality of image data and form and display an image from the captured image data, the browsing data indicating an actually browsed image and various situations at the time of browsing the image is stored in the image. And a point is set for each of the browsing data, a total point is totaled for each of the browsing images, and the total points totaled are displayed in descending order of the image. .
In other words, the present invention, as one of the priority display methods according to the forty-second aspect, displays images in which the total points totaled is higher, so that the viewer can preferentially display images having higher total points. Can be browsed sequentially.

[Invention 44] Also, an image browsing method of the image viewer of Invention 44 is as follows.
In an image browsing method of an image viewer configured to capture a plurality of image data and form and display an image from the captured image data, the browsing data indicating an actually browsed image and various situations at the time of browsing the image is stored in the image. Each point, set points for each of the browsing data, total the total points for each of the browsing images, select several images in descending order of the total points, and combine the selected images into one It is characterized in that it is displayed collectively on a display unit.
That is, the present invention, as one of the preferential display methods according to the invention 42, selects several images in descending order of the total points and collectively displays the selected images on one display unit. With this, only images having a high total point can be displayed in a list and viewed at the same time without looking at an image having a low total point.

[Invention 45] Also, an image browsing method of the image viewer of Invention 45 is as follows.
In the image browsing method of the image viewer according to the forty-fourth aspect, when the selected images are collectively displayed on one display unit, an image having a high total point is preferentially displayed large.
That is, in the present invention, when only the images having a high total point referred to in the invention 44 are displayed in a list, the image having a higher total point is preferentially displayed in a large size. Higher images can be viewed preferentially.

[Invention 46] An image browsing method of the image viewer according to Invention 46 includes:
In the image browsing method of the image viewer according to any one of inventions 42 to 45, when setting a point for each of the acquired browsing data, an arbitrary weight is further performed for each of the browsing data. Things.
As a result, as in the case of the invention 35, a high point is given preferentially to data regarded as important by the viewer or the user, so that an image accurately reflecting the preferences of the viewer or the user, etc. Display can be performed.

[Invention 47] An image browsing method of the image viewer of Invention 47 is as follows.
In the image browsing method of the image viewer according to any one of inventions 42 to 46, the browsing data is not only the own image viewer but also other image viewers connected to the own image viewer via a network. Is also targeted.
As a result, similarly to the invention 36, not only the image viewed by the user's own image viewer but also the image viewed by another image viewer that can be connected to the network, the viewer can view the image by the viewer. And an image display that accurately reflects the user's preferences and the like.

[Invention 48] An image browsing method of the image viewer according to Invention 48 includes:
In the image browsing method of the image viewer according to any one of inventions 42 to 47, the browsing data and the data relating to the total points are stored together in the image data of the image or stored in association with the image data. It is characterized by the following.
This eliminates the need for a dedicated storage unit for storing the browsing data and the data relating to the total points, as in the case of the thirty-seventh aspect.

Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is an external view showing an embodiment of an image viewer V according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the image viewer V.
As shown in the figure, the image viewer V includes an image data obtaining unit 12, a display data obtaining unit 14, a point setting unit 16, a point totalizing unit 18, an image selecting unit It mainly comprises means 20, data integration means 22, data association means 24, image display means 26, communication means 28, and data storage means 30.

  The image data acquisition means 12 provides a function of acquiring an image to be displayed on the display unit (liquid crystal monitor) D of the image viewer V. Specifically, as described above, a digital camera, a digital video camera, A recording medium (memory card or the like) C in which digital image data captured by a scanner or the like is recorded is inserted, and a memory slot R for inputting digital image data and the like in the recording medium C, and a network N Communication means 28 for taking in the transmitted image data is also included.

  The display data acquisition means 14 is a display data (information on the browsing status such as the number of viewers and the reaction (voice) when the image is actually displayed on the display unit (liquid crystal monitor) D of the image viewer V. Or, as appropriate, referred to as "browsing data"). Specifically, an operation button S for operating the image viewer V, a decision button E, and a sound microphone M for obtaining a sound signal and the like are provided. And a GPS (global positioning system) mechanism (not shown) for detecting the display position. Although not shown, an image sensor such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) for directly capturing an image or an image processing means for processing an image captured by the image sensor as image data. Is also included.

  As a situation (display data) when an image is actually viewed on the display unit (liquid crystal monitor) D of the image viewer V, for example, as shown in Table 1 below, (1) “Image name” of the image (A.jpg, C.jpg, etc.), (2) “Browsing frequency” of the image (once, twice, etc.), and (3) “Display” when viewing the image "Number of people" (2, 10, etc.), (4) Viewing the image, "Browsing time" (5 minutes, 20 minutes, etc.), (5) Pointing to a predetermined position of the image, Each browsing data such as "the number of clicks" (10 times, 80 times, etc.), (6) presence / absence of "audio data" recorded at the time of browsing, and its file name (D.wav, etc.) are obtained in detail. I have.

  The point setting means 16 has a function of setting an arbitrary point for each display data acquired by the display data acquiring means 60, and the point totalizing means 18 has a function of setting each point set by the point setting means 16. Is provided for a function of totalizing the total for each display image.

For example, as shown in Table 2 below, a predetermined point is given to each display data acquired for each display image, and the total points for each display image are totaled and calculated.
In the example of Table 2, one point is set for each of the display data of "number of times of browsing", "number of browsing", "time of browsing", and "number of clicks". As a result, "A.jpg" The image "18 points", the image "B.jpg" is "9 points", the image "C.jpg" is "39 points", the image "D.jpg" is "31 points", and the image " This means that points were obtained in the order of “C” → “Image D” → “Image A” → “Image B”.

  The point setting means 16 can also set points by giving a predetermined weight to each data as shown in Table 3 below. In the example of Table 3, points are set only for “browsing time” and “click count”, and the point of “click count” is set to twice the “browsing time”. Therefore, when each point is weighted in this way, the total points for each image are replaced by “image D” → “image C” → “image A” "→" Image B ".

  The image selecting means 20 provides a function of preferentially selecting an image having a high total point counted by the point counting means 18 and displaying the image on the display unit D. In the example of Table 2 described above, The images are displayed on the display unit D in the order of “image C” → “image D” → “image A” → “image B”. In the example of Table 3, the order of “image C” and “image D” is switched. The images are displayed on the display unit D in the order of “image D” → “image C” → “image A” → “image B”.

  The data integration means 22 has a function of collectively storing the display data acquired by the display data acquisition means 14 and the data relating to the total points counted by the point counting means 18 in the image data of the image. The associating unit 24 provides a function of associating the display data acquired by the display data acquiring unit 14 and the data relating to the total points counted by the point counting unit 18 with the image data.

Therefore, when a certain image data is selected, the data integrating means 22 and the data associating means 24 can simultaneously obtain the display data for the image data and the data relating to the total points.
For example, as shown in FIG. 3, according to the data integration means 22, when an image file (image data) “A.jpg” exists, an extended area is created in the file, and the display area is displayed in the extended area. Data and data on the total points are stored and collectively stored. As shown in FIG. 4, according to the data associating means 24, a file for storing data associated with the image file "A.jpg" is created, and the display data and the data relating to the total points are created in the file. Etc. are stored.

As a result, even if only the image data “A.jpg” is passed to a third party, or only the image data “A.jpg” is left, the display data and the data regarding the total points are transmitted and received. Saving and erasing are facilitated.
The image display means 26 has a function of forming an actual image from pixel information obtained from the image data recorded on the recording medium C and displaying it on the display unit D, and outputting audio data recorded together with the image data as audio. More specifically, a circuit for image processing (a program for image processing) and a monitor such as a liquid crystal (LCD) which is largely installed on the surface of the housing 10 as shown in FIG. In addition to (display) D, a speaker P for audio output is also included.

  The communication unit 28 provides a function of connecting to another image viewer V via the network N so that information can be communicated with each other. The communication unit 28 stores data stored in its own image viewer V and data stored in another image viewer V. It is possible to mutually exchange information with the obtained data via the network N. Note that the network N here includes not only a broadly-defined network such as the Internet or a LAN, but also communication means performed one-to-one by cable, infrared wireless, or the like.

  The data storage means 30 includes, in addition to the digital image data in the recording medium C, display data for the image data which is combined with the image data by the data integration means 22 or associated with the image data by the data association means 24. It provides a function of recording data relating to the total points. For example, a hard disk drive (HDD) capable of large-capacity recording, a semiconductor memory, or a readable / writable CD-R, DVD-R, DVD-RW, or the like is provided. It is composed of various recording media and the like.

  It should be noted that the image data acquiring means 12, the display data acquiring means 14, the point setting means 16, the point counting means 18, the image selecting means 20, the data integrating means 22, the data associating means 24, the image displaying means 26 constituting the image viewer V are provided. , The communication means 28 and the data storage means 30 are each specifically realized by a computer system including a hardware configuration shown in FIG. 5 and various control programs (software) for realizing the algorithms shown in FIG. 6 and the like. It has become.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 5, a hardware configuration for realizing each function of the image viewer V includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 40 that is a central processing unit that performs various controls and arithmetic processing, and a main memory. A RAM (Random Access Memory) 41 used for a device (Main Storage), a ROM (Read Only Memory) 42 which is a read-only storage device, and an auxiliary storage device (Secondary Storage) such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a semiconductor memory. ) 43, an output device 44 such as a monitor (LCD (Liquid Crystal Display D)), an input device 45 including operation buttons, a microphone, an image sensor, etc., and a communication network N such as a wireless LAN and the Internet. Various types of processor buses such as a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) bus and an ISA (Industrial Standard Architecture) bus, a memory bus, a system bus, and an input / output bus are connected to the input / output interface (I / F) 46 and the like. The bus is connected by an internal / external bus 47.

  Then, for example, a storage medium such as a semiconductor ROM, a CD-ROM, and a DVD-ROM, or various control programs and data supplied via the communication network N are stored in the auxiliary storage device 43 and the like, and when the power is turned on. The program and data are loaded into the main storage device 41, and the CPU 40 performs predetermined control and arithmetic processing using various resources according to the program loaded into the main storage device 41, and transfers the processing result (processing data) to the bus. The data is output to the output device 44 via the display device 47 for display, and the data is transmitted to another image viewer via the network N, and is appropriately stored and stored (updated) in the auxiliary storage device 43 as necessary. It is like that.

Next, the flow of data processing by the image viewer V of the present invention having such a configuration, and the operation and effect will be described.
The flowchart of FIG. 6 shows a flow of displaying an image by the image viewer V and obtaining data relating to the display state.
As shown in the first step S100 in the figure, first, after reading and acquiring image data stored from a memory card which is a storage medium of digital image data captured by a digital camera, the process proceeds to the next step S102. The image viewer V (image display means 26) collects all of the acquired image data or divides the acquired image data into several times at regular intervals to list thumbnail images of the images on the display unit (monitor) D. It will display and prompt the viewer to select an image.

  Then, the process shifts to the next step S104 to monitor whether any of the thumbnail images listed in this way is selected, and if no thumbnail image is selected even after a predetermined time has elapsed. If it is determined (No), the process is terminated as a result of the timeout, but if it is determined that any of the thumbnail images has been selected (Yes), the process proceeds to the next step S105, and the process proceeds to step S105. The corresponding original image is called and enlarged and displayed on the display unit D, and the process proceeds to the next step S106, where "display count", which is one of the display data, is incremented by one for the selected image. Will be.

  The image viewer V (display data acquisition means 14) further monitors the "display time" of the displayed image and the operation status such as "click" by the viewer on the image (step S108). If it is determined that an operation such as “click” has been performed while displaying the image (Yes), the process proceeds to the next step S110, and the operation information such as “click” is repeatedly recorded.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that no operation such as “click” has been performed on the displayed image for a predetermined period of time (No), the process proceeds to the next step S112 to determine whether an image display end operation has been performed. If the image display does not end (No), the process returns to step S108 to monitor and record the operation status such as “click”. If it is determined that the image display has ended (Yes), the process returns to step S104. Then, it is determined again whether or not a new image has been selected, and the processing from step S105 is repeated until it is determined that the selection of the new image has been stopped.

As a result, as shown in Table 1 above, various display data relating to the type of the image actually displayed and the display status of the image are obtained, and are combined with the respective image data by the data integration means 22 as described above. Alternatively, the image data is stored in association with each image data by the data association means 24.
FIG. 7 shows a flow relating to collection of display time, FIG. 8 shows a flow relating to collection of the number of display persons, and FIG. 9 shows a flow relating to collection of audio at the time of display.

  First, the flow of the processing related to the collection of the display time in FIG. 7 is the same as the flow of the above-described processing in FIG. 6 from the first step S100 to step S105, but the thumbnail image selected in step S105 is enlarged and displayed. Then, the flow shifts to the next step S114 to start measuring the display time for the selected image. Immediately thereafter, the process proceeds to the next step S116 to determine whether or not the display of the displayed image has been completed. If the display has not been completed (No), the measurement is continued as it is. If it is determined that the display has been completed (Yes), the process proceeds to the next step S118 to end the measurement of the display time for the selected image, and proceeds to the next step S120, where the measured display time is stored in the selected image. Save by linking.

When the display time measured in this way is stored in association with the selected image, the process returns to step S104, and the same processing is repeated until no image is selected from the images displayed in the thumbnail list. The display time for each image displayed (browsed) on the section D can be acquired, and the display time and the selected image can be stored in association with each other.
Next, as for the flow of the process related to the collection of the number of displayed persons in FIG. 8, the first steps S100 to S105 are the same as the above-described processing flow of FIG. When the selected thumbnail image is enlarged and displayed in step S105, the process proceeds to the next step S122, in which the input operation of the number of display persons is monitored to determine whether or not the number of display persons has been input. Here, when it is determined that the number of display persons has not been input (No), the process jumps to step S126 as it is, but when it is determined that the number of display persons has been input (Yes), the process proceeds to the next step S124. Then, the display number is stored in association with the selected image (display image).

  Thereafter, the process proceeds to the next step S126 to determine whether or not the image display has been completed. If it is determined that the image display has not been completed (No), the process returns to step S122 to monitor the same input operation. However, if it is determined that the image display has been completed (Yes), the process returns to step S104, and the same processing is repeated until no image is selected from the images displayed in the thumbnail list, thereby displaying the image. The number of persons displayed for each image displayed (browsed) on the section D can be acquired, and the information can be stored in association with the selected image.

  Further, the flow of the process related to the collection of the voice at the time of display in FIG. 9 is similar to the flow of the process in FIGS. 7 and 8, and the first steps S100 to S105 are the same as the flow of the process in FIG. In the same manner, when the thumbnail image selected in step S105 is enlarged and displayed, the process proceeds to the next step S128, where the recording of the selected image at the time of display is started, and then proceeds to the next step S130.

In step S130, it is monitored whether or not the display of the image being recorded has been completed. If it is determined that the display has not been completed (No), the recording is to be continued, but it is determined that the display has been completed. At this time (Yes), the process proceeds to the next step S132 to end the recording of the selected image during display, and then proceeds to the next step S134.
In step S134, the recorded audio data is stored in association with the selected image, and the process returns to step S104, and the same processing is repeated until no image is selected from the images displayed in the thumbnail list. Recording data for each displayed (browse) image can be acquired, and the information can be stored in association with the selected image.

Next, FIG. 10 shows a flow until an image is displayed based on the display data for each image obtained in this way.
In this image display flow, first, in the first step S200, the various modes of the image viewer V are set to the display data mode (display information mode), and then the point setting means 16 of the image viewer V as shown in Table 2 above. When an arbitrary point is given (input) to each display data, the process proceeds to the next step S202, and the point totaling means 18 calculates points for each image actually displayed based on the display data. .

  Then, the process proceeds to the next step S204, in which it is determined whether or not the display data display setting, that is, the setting for displaying a screen showing the result of the set points for each display data and the total points for each image is enabled. When it is determined that the display data is not required to be displayed, that is, when it is determined that the display data does not need to be displayed (No), the process directly jumps to step S208. Is determined to be required (Yes), the display data of the currently displayed image is displayed in the display data display area via step S206, and the process proceeds to step S208.

In step S208, images having higher total points are preferentially displayed in accordance with the total points totaled. The display method is a slide show format as shown in FIG. 11 or a display method as shown in FIG. There is a list display format.
That is, in the slide show format shown in FIG. 11, one image is sequentially displayed on the entire surface of the monitor D at regular intervals, and in the example of FIG. 11, the acquired points are "image 1">"image2"> If “image 3”> “image 4”, the images are displayed in the order of “image 1” → “image 2” → “image 3” → “image 4”.

In the list display format shown in FIG. 12, a plurality of images are collectively displayed on the display unit D, and the display size of the images is changed according to the acquired points.
In the example of FIG. 12, the acquired points are “Image 1”> “Image 2”> “Image 3”> “Image 4”, and “Image 1” having the highest acquired points is displayed the largest, and the acquired points are This shows a state where the smallest “image 4” is displayed in the smallest size.

  As described above, the present invention acquires display data indicating the type of an image actually displayed and various situations at the time of display for each image, sets points for each display data, and totals the total points. In addition, the image having the higher total points is preferentially selected and displayed. With this, the display or the like that can only be displayed uniformly in the conventional image viewer is automatically performed. It is possible to perform customized image display that is customized and reflects the preference and popularity of the displayer.

  In the present embodiment, examples of display data acquired during display include “image name”, “display count”, “display number”, “display time”, “click count”, and “audio data”. However, in addition to the above, for example, “display location”, “display member”, “gazing time of the viewer's viewpoint”, “pointer movement amount”, “number of times of attachment to e-mail”, “letter” obtained by the GPS function, etc. May be obtained and adopted as a part of the display data.

Next, FIGS. 13 and 14 show another embodiment of the present invention, in which a plurality of image viewers (the image viewer A and the image viewer B in the present embodiment) are mutually connected. 5 shows an example of a flow of an image data exchange process including the display data.
First, as shown in the first step S300 in FIG. 13, when the image viewer A transmits the image data owned by itself to the image viewer B together with the display data, the image viewer B transmits the image data as shown in FIG. In the first step S400, it is monitored whether or not the data has been received from the image viewer A, and if it is determined that the data has been received (Yes), the process proceeds to the next step S402 and the self Is displayed in a thumbnail list on the display section D, and the image viewer B is prompted to select an image.

  Then, the image viewer B proceeds to the next step S404, monitors whether any thumbnail image is selected from the thumbnail list display, and if it is determined that the selection has been made (Yes), the process proceeds to step S404. The process proceeds to S410, in which the number of times of selection is incremented by one for the selected image, and then proceeds to the next step S412. In this step S412, it is determined whether an operation such as a click has been performed on the image. Watch out.

As a result, if it is determined that an operation such as a click has been performed, the process proceeds to step S414 to update (update) the operation information of the selected image with respect to the display data of the image, The process is repeated until no more operations are performed.
When it is determined in step S412 that an operation such as a click is not performed (No), the process shifts to step S416 to monitor whether or not the image display is completed, and when it is determined that the image display is not completed. (No) returns to step S412 to monitor the operation status of the image until the image display ends, and conversely, when it is determined that the image has ended (Yes), returns to step S404 and returns again. Similar processing is repeated for all the selected images.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S404 that there is no selection of the image displayed in the thumbnail list (No), the process proceeds to step S406, and conversely, the image data of the display data updated by the image It monitors whether or not the transmission request has been received, and if it is determined that the display data transmission request has been received (Yes), the process proceeds to the next step S408 to transmit the updated display data to the image viewer A. And terminate the processing.

When the updated display data is transmitted to the image viewer A in step S408, the original image data should have been stored in the image viewer A as well, unless otherwise notified. Only the updated display data is transmitted to the image viewer A, thereby preventing unnecessary transmission and reception of data.
If no image has been selected in step S404, the display data of any image has not been updated, and the fact is transmitted to the image viewer A instead of the updated display data. Will be.

On the other hand, the image viewer A that has transmitted the image data owned by itself to the image viewer B together with the display data in this manner, after a lapse of a predetermined time, as shown in step S302 in FIG. A transmission request for display data is transmitted to the image viewer B.
Then, the process proceeds to the next step S304 to monitor whether the display data requested from the image viewer B has been received, and when it is determined that the display data has not been received from the image viewer B (No), the reception of the display data is continued. The monitoring is continued, but when it is determined that the display data is received from the image viewer B (Yes), the display data owned by itself is updated to the received new display data, and the process is terminated. .

Accordingly, the image data and the display data related to the image can be shared among a plurality of image viewers. Therefore, not only the display data acquired by the image viewer A but also the display data acquired by the image viewer B can be used. As a result, the image viewer A can perform image display that accurately reflects the preferences of the viewer and the user.
In this embodiment, the display data received from the image viewer A is sent to the image viewer B, and the display data updated on the image viewer B is returned to the image viewer A to update the display data on the image viewer A. Although the above example has been described, the flow of the display data is the same even if the flow is reversed. In addition, when three or more image viewers are connected to each other via a network N or the like so that information can be communicated with each other, the display data may be updated. This display data can be shared by all image viewers by sequentially or broadcasting the other display data.

  In addition to using the acquired display data simply by adding it to the existing display data, it is also necessary to replace the existing display data with the existing display data. May be. Thus, it is possible to perform an accurate image display reflecting not only the acquired display data but also the contents of the existing display data. Also, when the display data thus obtained and the existing display data are used “overlapping”, by changing their weights, the degree of display between the obtained display data and the existing display data can be freely changed. Can be adjusted.

  Table 4 below shows a specific example of display data for each image actually displayed by an image viewer. In addition to the “image viewer ID (001)” at which the image is displayed, the image is displayed. "Image name (A. jpg)", "number of browsing (1)", "number of browsing (1)", "browsing time (1 minute)", "number of clicks (10)", "voice data (none)" "Etc. are recorded.

As a method of storing the display data, a method of storing the display data together with the acquisition source image viewer ID as separate data or a method of storing the display data inside the image data together with the acquisition source image viewer ID can be considered.
Further, in the flow of FIG. 14, only the processes such as the number of times of browsing and clicking are shown, but the processes performed by a single image viewer as shown in FIGS. 6, 7, 8, and 9 are also performed. Of course.

  In addition, a predetermined protocol is used for communication between the image viewers V. However, this protocol is not particularly limited, and if the communication is performed via a network N such as the Internet, a standard TCP is used in the Internet. / IP protocol is used, and if the LAN is unified by a specific vendor, a specific protocol such as AppleTalk / EtherTalk (registered trademark), NetBEUI / NetBIOS (registered trademark), or SPX / IPX (registered trademark) Can be used. For example, in the case of TCP / IP, TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) for establishing a connection between the device management server 200 and each device 300 with a built-in module to ensure reliable communication and efficient communication are provided. In addition to UDP (User Datagram Protocol), which is a connectionless protocol, IP (Internet Protocol), which is a protocol for sending packets from a number of routes to a predetermined destination, and remote control of the other terminal via a network. Telnet (Telecommunication Network) which is a protocol for controlling, FTP (File T) which is a protocol for executing file transfer using Telnet transfer protocol), NFS (Network File System) which is a protocol for providing a transparent file access function to other computers, and SNMP (Simple) which is a protocol for exchanging network management information such as failure information and traffic information. Network Management Protocol), ARPand RARP (Address Resolution Protocol, Reverse ARP), SLIPand PPP (Serial Line Protocol, Point to Point Protocol, RIPPortOS, RIPPortOS) rst), RSVP (Resource Reservation Protocol), IPsec (IP security Protocol), IGMP (Internet Group Management Protocol), it is considered that NTP (Network Time Protocol) or the like is often used.

15 to 17 show an example of a screen relating to the weight setting of points by the point setting means 16 and an example of an operation method thereof.
First, as shown in FIGS. 15A and 15B, the “mode change menu” on the setting screen includes “screen display mode” mainly for displaying an image and acquiring its display data. There are two selectable menus, "point coefficient change mode" for the purpose of assigning weights to.

In order to assign a different weight from the default state to each point of the display data as described above, for example, by pressing the "left and right buttons" shown by the operation buttons S and S in FIG. After the selection, the “enter button E” is pressed to execute the “point coefficient change mode”.
Then, as shown in FIG. 15C, the five data regarding the “point coefficient change mode”, “change of display frequency coefficient”, “change of display number coefficient”, “change of browsing time coefficient”, “change of click number coefficient”, The option of “change audio data coefficient” is displayed. Here, as shown in FIG. 16D, it is assumed that the “left / right button” is pressed and “browsing time coefficient change” is selected.

  When the “change browsing time coefficient” is selected in this manner, when the “decision button E” is pressed to execute the “change browsing time coefficient”, the browsing time coefficient is changed as shown in FIG. Since a numerical value change screen to be displayed is displayed, a predetermined coefficient is selected by pressing the “left / right button” in the same state. In the examples of FIGS. 6E and 6F, the “viewing time coefficient change” is changed from “3.1” to “1.0”.

  Then, if the point related to the browsing time is changed by executing the “change browsing time coefficient” in this way, and the “decision button E” is pressed to confirm the numerical value, as shown in FIG. Returning to the “point coefficient change mode” again, if there is no other coefficient to change, press the “left / right button” to select “return” as shown in FIG. By pressing "", it is possible to return to the initial selection screen.

  In the present embodiment, an example of the “Jpg” format has been described as an image format, but “GIF (Graphics Interchange Format)”, “TIFF (Tagged Image File Format)”, “BMP (bitmap)”, etc. Of course, other methods may be used.

1 is an external view illustrating an embodiment of an image viewer according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the image viewer. FIG. 9 is a conceptual diagram showing an example in which image data and browsing data are stored together. FIG. 6 is a conceptual diagram showing an example in which image data and browsing data are stored in association with each other. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of an image viewer according to the present invention. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of acquiring data regarding a display state of an image (such as a click). 5 is a flowchart showing a flow of acquiring data relating to a display state (display time) of an image. 9 is a flowchart showing a flow of acquiring data relating to a display state (the number of viewers) of an image. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of acquiring data relating to a display state (audio data) of an image. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of preferentially displaying an image based on display data. It is a conceptual diagram which shows an example of the display method of the selected image. It is a conceptual diagram which shows an example of the display method of the selected image. 5 is a flowchart showing a flow of an image viewer A that provides browsing data. 5 is a flowchart showing the flow of an image viewer B receiving browsing data. It is a figure which shows the early stage of the procedure which changes the weighting of data using a menu screen (selection items are white characters). It is a figure which shows the middle stage of the procedure which changes the weighting of data using a menu screen (selection items are white characters). It is a figure which shows the end stage of the procedure which changes the weighting of data using a menu screen (selection items are white characters).

Explanation of reference numerals

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... housing | casing, 12 ... image data acquisition means, 14 ... display data acquisition means, 16 ... point setting means, 18 ... point tally means, 20 ... image selection means, 22 ... data integration means, 24 ... data association means, 26 ... image display means, 28 ... communication means, 30 ... data storage means, 40 ... CPU, 41 ... RAM, 42 ... ROM, 43 ... auxiliary storage device, 44 ... output device, 45 ... input device, C ... memory card, R ... Memory slot, P ... speaker, D ... display unit, S ... operation button, E ... determination button, M ... voice microphone, N ... network, V ... image viewer.

Claims (13)

An image viewer having a display unit that forms and displays an image from image data,
Display data acquisition means for acquiring display data indicating a situation at the time of display of the image displayed on the display unit,
Point setting means for setting a point on the display data obtained by the display data obtaining means,
Point counting means for counting the total of the points set by the point setting means for each image,
Image selection means for selecting an image to be displayed based on the total points totaled by the point totalization means,
An image display unit for displaying an image selected by the image selection unit on the display unit. The image viewer according to claim 1,
The image viewer, wherein the image selecting means has a function of selecting images in descending order of the total points counted by the point counting means. The image viewer according to claim 1 or 2,
The image viewer, wherein the point setting means has a function of weighting points set in the display data. The image viewer according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The image viewer, wherein the display data obtaining means has a function of obtaining display data of another image viewer via a network. The image viewer according to claim 4,
An image viewer, characterized in that the display data obtaining means has a function of updating display data based on display data of another image viewer obtained via a network. The image viewer according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
An image viewer, comprising: a data integration unit that collectively stores the display data acquired by the display data acquisition unit and data on the total points counted by the point counting unit in image data of the image. The image viewer according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
An image viewer, comprising: a data association unit that saves display data acquired by the display data acquisition unit and data on the total points counted by the point counting unit in association with the image data. The image viewer according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
The image display means has a function of determining the size of an image to be displayed based on the total points totalized by the point totalization means when displaying the images selected by the image selection means collectively on the display unit. An image viewer, comprising: The image viewer according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
The image display means, when displaying the images selected by the image selection means on the display unit collectively, has a function of preferentially displaying an image having a high total point counted by the point counting means with a large size. An image viewer characterized by the following. The image viewer according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
The image display means, when displaying the images selected by the image selection means on the display unit in order, has a function of displaying the images with the total points counted by the point counting means in descending order. Image viewer. The image viewer according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
The image display means has a function of adjusting the display time based on the total points totalized by the point totalization means when displaying the images selected by the image selection means on the display unit in order. And an image viewer. An image display program used for an image viewer having a display unit for forming and displaying an image from image data, the display data being used to obtain display data indicating a situation at the time of displaying an image displayed on the display unit. Acquisition means;
Point setting means for setting a point on the display data obtained by the display data obtaining means,
Point counting means for counting the total of the points set by the point setting means for each image,
Image selection means for selecting an image to be displayed based on the total points totaled by the point totalization means,
Image display means for displaying the image selected by the image selection means on the display unit,
An image display program characterized by functioning as an image. An image display method for forming an image from image data and displaying the image on a display unit of an image viewer,
A display data acquisition step of acquiring display data indicating a situation at the time of display of the image displayed on the display unit,
A point setting step of setting a point on the display data obtained in the display data obtaining step,
A point counting step of counting the total of the points set in the point counting step for each image,
An image selecting step of selecting an image to be displayed based on the total points counted in the image counting step,
An image display step of displaying an image selected in the image selection step on the display unit.

Images