JP2005078332A - Image management device and image management method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image management device that can solve the problem that a conventional technology needs the registration of a category together with image information at a time of shooting, and that sorting is automatically done on a device side when producing names of subfolders to a group of which shooting dates are sequential by category thereafter, which makes it impossible to attain the arrangement to give different names to subfolders of the same date, perform more detailed settings with a user's intervention in a series of processings for classifying image files, and execute processings of deciding groups for the file classification with reduced burdens on the user. <P>SOLUTION: This invention allows the decision of a group name for classifying files based on title information selected by the user, and date information of the selected image file after the user has selected image files that the user desires to manage in a prescribed manner, so that the user can perform a proper sorting with small burdens. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an image management apparatus and an image management method for managing image files in a predetermined unit.

  As an apparatus for collectively managing image files taken with a digital camera or the like, there is an image management apparatus equipped with a storage medium for storing a large amount of image files. There are variations as a device such as a dedicated device or by installing and managing image management software on a personal computer.

  When managing image files with this type of image management apparatus, for example, a memory card is used as an image file storage medium of a digital camera, and image files shot with the digital camera are stored in the memory card. The image file is read by the image management apparatus, the image file list is displayed, and the image file is organized according to the title and date to which the image belongs by the user's manual operation. As the capacity of the memory card increases, the processing time for organizing image files in the image management apparatus also becomes longer, which is a burdensome work for the user.

As a method of reducing this, for example, there is a technique disclosed in Patent Document 1.
JP 2003-67722 A

  In the method disclosed in Patent Document 1, image information is divided into a plurality of groups (categories), and one or a plurality of consecutive shooting dates are grouped by taking a histogram of shooting dates of image information for each unit group divided into categories. Folder name was created.

  However, in the content described in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to register the category together with the image information at the time of shooting, and when creating a subfolder name for a group in which shooting dates are consecutive for each category thereafter. Since the classification is automatically performed on the device side, processing is not assumed when it is desired to make the subfolder name level names different even on the same date.

  According to the present invention, in a series of processes when classifying image files, a process for determining a group for file classification can be performed without difficulty while performing a finer setting with the intervention of a user. An object is to provide an image management apparatus.

  The image management apparatus according to the present invention determines means for selecting an arbitrary number of image files including at least date information and performs statistical processing on the date information of the selected image file to determine the most frequently used date as additional information. For classifying an image file based on: means for selecting a title for classifying the image file from predetermined candidates; and additional information relating to the selected title information and the determined date And a means for determining the group name.

  By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to determine a group name for classifying an appropriate file with less burden on the user.

  The present invention allows a user to select an image file to be managed in a predetermined group, and then determines a group name for classifying the file based on the title information selected by the user and the date information of the selected image file. Therefore, appropriate classification can be performed with a small burden on the user.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the main configuration of the image management apparatus. The image management apparatus 10 includes an image input / output unit 11 for inputting / outputting image files, a display unit 12 for displaying various data, an input unit 13 for inputting various data, and a storage unit 15 for storing various data. And a control unit 14 for controlling the entire apparatus.

  The image input / output unit 11 reads and writes data to and from a memory card 11a that can store image file data. In this embodiment, a memory card is used as an example of the data storage medium. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a disk-type storage medium may be used, and the image input / output device 11 also has a read / write function according to the medium. Anything is fine. Further, an image file may be taken into the image management apparatus 10 via a connection cable with an image photographing apparatus such as a digital camera. In this case, the image input / output device 11 may have an interface function between the image management device 10 and the image photographing device.

  The storage unit 15 includes an image file information table 151 for storing contents analyzed based on information read from the memory card 11a, a title table 152 for storing title information when organizing images, and an image file management for managing image files. Image information for storing image file data linked to a table 153, a shooting date table 154 for analyzing date information used as a part of a folder name for classifying files, and an image file management table 153 The storage area 155 is configured.

  Next, the configuration of the image file information table 151, the title table 152, the image file management table 153, and the shooting date table 154 will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the image file information table 151. The image file information table 151 is created by the control unit 14 analyzing additional information related to the image file from the contents read from the memory card 11 a via the image input / output device 11. An image file shot with a digital camera includes various additional information such as a file name, file size, shooting date and time, shooting model, and shooting conditions. Here, additional information in the image file is analyzed to extract information such as the file name, file size, and shooting date. The image file information table 151 includes number item 151a, file name item 151b, file size item 151c, shooting date / time item 151d, and classification flag item 151e. Here, the classification flag item 151e is information for discriminating whether or not the image file has been classified. When a value of the flag “1” is set, the classification flag item 151e indicates that the image file has been classified, and the flag “0”. If the value is set, it indicates that it is not classified. The classification flag is set to “0” as an initial value.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of the title table 152. Title information is prepared in advance. Title information may be added as necessary. The title table 152 includes number item 152a and title item 152b.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of the image file management table 153. The contents are updated after classification by creating a group name (folder name) for classifying files to be described later. The image file management table 153 includes items of a number item 153a, a file name item 153b, a folder name item 153c, a file size item 153d, a shooting date / time item 153e, and a link information item 153f.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of the shooting date table 154. This is used when determining “date” used as a part of a group name (folder name) for classifying files. The shooting date table 154 includes shooting date items 154a and count items 154b.

  Hereinafter, the operation of the first embodiment will be described.

  FIG. 6 is an overall flowchart regarding a process of creating a group name for classifying files. The control unit 14 reads out information on the file name, the file size, and the shooting date / time from the additional information of the image file through the image input / output unit 11 from the memory card 11a that stores the image file captured by the digital camera. Then, the control unit 14 creates an image file information table 151 (step S10). The state in which the additional information is read from the memory card 11a and the image file information table 151 is created is as shown in FIG. At this time, all the classification flags are “0” (unclassified). Next, the control unit 14 performs a folder name determination process (details will be described later) (step S11). Since the image files are formally classified for each folder name determined here, the image file data read from the memory card 11a at the end is stored in the image information storage area 155 and indicates in which area it is stored. The link information of the link item 153f in the image file information management table 153 is updated (step S12). FIG. 4 shows the state after the folder name is determined.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing details of the folder name determination process. The control unit 14 first refers to the classification flag item in the image file information table 151 to check whether there is data “0” indicating unclassification (step S20). If there is an unclassified image file, the process is performed. Proceeding to step S21, if all image files have been classified, the process ends.

  If the control unit 14 determines that an unclassified image file exists, the control unit 14 displays a list of unclassified image files on the display unit 12 (step S21). Specifically, for the image file information table 151 whose classification flag is “0”, a list of image file names and reduced image data of the image file is displayed as a list. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a state of a list display of classification targets. A list display as shown in FIG. 9 is performed on the display unit 12. On the list screen 20, a message field 21 indicating an operation to be performed next by the user and image data 22 are displayed. The image data to be displayed includes a file name 22b of the image file and reduced image data 22a created by reading the image data from the memory card.

  The user refers to this list screen and selects an image file to be processed using the input unit 13, and the control unit 14 specifies the image file selected by the user (step S22). The input unit 13 may be a pointing device such as a mouse or a direction key of a keyboard as long as it can specify an image file.

  The control unit 14 displays the title candidates on the display unit 12 together with the list of image files selected by the user (step S23). FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a list of selected image files and a display screen for selecting a title candidate. On the title determination screen 25, a message column 26, image data 27, and title candidates 28 indicating operations to be performed next by the user are displayed. The user selects one title to be assigned to the image data 27 displayed as a list from the candidate list using the input unit 13.

  The control unit 14 determines whether a title is selected from the title candidate list (step S24). If the title is not selected, the control unit 14 continues to display the title candidate selection display screen shown in FIG. When one of the titles is selected, the title name is temporarily stored in the storage unit 15 (step S25). In this case, a message 29 indicating whether or not the selected title is acceptable is displayed. If the selected title is confirmed, the “Yes” button is pressed, and if the title is selected again, the “No” button is pressed. It will be.

  Subsequently, the control unit 14 performs processing for determining additional information of the folder name (step S26). Details will be described with reference to a flowchart shown in FIG. FIG. 8 is a flowchart of processing for determining additional information of a folder name. Here, the data of the date part of the photographing date and time as additional information of the folder name is used. First, the control unit 14 initializes the contents of the shooting date table 154 (step S30). Subsequently, the image file management table 153 is examined based on the file name of the image file selected by the user, and the date information is extracted from the corresponding shooting date / time information, and already exists in the shooting date item 154a of the shooting date table 154. If it is a day, the count value of the corresponding day is incremented by 1, and if it does not exist, the date information is added to the shooting date item 154a to set the count value to 1. In this way, the shooting date table 154 is updated (step S31). This operation is repeated for the number of selected image files (step S32). After repeating the number of selected image files, the control unit 14 refers to the count item 154b of the shooting date table 154 and determines shooting date information corresponding to the highest count value from the shooting date item 154a. (Step S33). Here, date and time information is included as shooting date and time information attached to the image file, and information of the last two digits of the year, two digits of the month, and two digits of the day is extracted from this information as the date data. For example, if the shooting date / time information of the image file is “2002/10/10 09:10:25”, “021010” is used as the date data.

  Again, the process returns to FIG. The folder name is determined based on the date determined as the additional information of the folder name in step S26 and the previously selected title name (step S27). For example, if the selected title name is “athletic day” and the date as additional information of the folder is “021010”, these character strings are combined to become the folder name “athletic day 021010”.

  Subsequently, the control unit 14 updates the value of the classification flag item 151e in the image file information table 151 to “1” indicating the classification (step S28) in order to distinguish the classified image files. Further, the image file management table 153 is updated so that the selected image file can be managed under the determined folder name (step S29). Thereafter, the process returns to step S20 again. Here, the item of the classification flag item 151e in the image file management table 153 is confirmed, and if there is “0” image file data indicating unclassified, the processing from the processing steps S21 to S29 is repeated, and all the processing is performed. If the value of the classification flag item of the image file indicates “1”, the process ends.

  As a specific example, description will be made assuming that the image file to be classified is data of number items 1 to 10 in the image file information table 151 of FIG. First, it is assumed that image files having file names “00000001.jpg” to “00000005.jpg” are selected from the list screen 20 in FIG. 9, and “athletic meet” is selected from the title candidate list 28 in the title determination screen 25 in FIG. 10. When the title is selected, the date data of the file names “00000001.jpg” to “00000004.jpg” is “021010” and the count value is “4”, and the date data of the file name “00000005.jpg” Is “021011” and the count value is “1”. These date data are compared and the one with the larger count value is adopted as the date data. In this case, “021010” is used as the date data. Then, the folder name “Sports Day 021010” is determined by combining the character string of the title “Sports Day” and the date “021010”. In this way, the folder names of the file names “00000001.jpg” to “00000005.jpg” are managed as “athletic meet 021010”. Next, unclassified file names “0000000A.jpg” to “0000000E.jpg” are displayed on the list screen 20 of FIG. 9, and file names “0000000A.jpg” to “0000000E” are displayed as image files to be grouped. .Jpg, and when the title “entrance ceremony” is selected from the title candidate list 28 on the title determination screen 25 of FIG. 10, the date data of the file names “0000000A.jpg” to “0000000E.jpg” Is “030407”, the count value is “5”, and there is no other date data, so “030407” is the date data. The folder name “entrance ceremony 030407” is determined by combining the title “entrance ceremony” and the character string of the date “030407”. In this way, the folder names of the file names “0000000A.jpg” to “0000000E.jpg” are managed as “entrance ceremony 030407”. FIG. 11 shows the correspondence between folders for the image files “00000001.jpg” to “0000000E.jpg”. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the correspondence between image files and folder names.

  In this way, the selection of image files is performed by user operations, and after narrowing down to necessary information, the determination of additional information related to the determination of folder names and the process of combining folder names can be performed without the user being conscious. Therefore, appropriate classification can be performed with less burden on the user.

  Subsequently, a second embodiment will be described. Since the configuration of the apparatus may be the same as that of the first embodiment described above, description thereof is omitted. As a difference between the first embodiment and the second embodiment, in the first embodiment, a list screen 25 (FIG. 9) for selecting images to be classified is arranged and displayed. However, the second embodiment is different in that it is classified and displayed for each photographing date in advance.

  FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing details of the folder name determination process. Detailed description of the same processing as in the first embodiment will be omitted.

  The control unit 14 proceeds to the processing from step S41 to step S50 for an unclassified image file by looking at the classification flag item 151e of the image file information table 151.

  The control unit 14 displays a list of unclassified image files as a list display screen 35 of the display unit 12 with reference to the contents of the shooting date / time item 151d of the image file information table, divided into groups for each shooting date (step S41). ). FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a state of the list display screen. Unlike the previous embodiment, a list of image files is displayed grouped by shooting date. Here, it is divided into three groups 37a to 37c. The user selects an image file to be classified by group.

  Subsequently, the control unit 14 displays a title candidate list on the title determination screen 40 of the display unit 12 together with the list of selected image groups (step S43).

  The control unit 14 determines whether or not a title is selected from the title candidate list (step S44). If the title is not selected, the control unit 14 continues to display the title candidate selection display screen shown in FIG. FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a display screen of a list of image files selected by group and a title candidate selection. When one of the titles is selected, the title name is temporarily stored in the storage unit 15 (step S45).

  Next, the control unit 14 performs processing for determining additional information of the folder name (step S46). Since this process is the same as the process shown in FIG. 8 of the first embodiment, the description thereof is omitted. The folder name is determined based on the date determined as the additional information of the folder name in step S26 and the title name selected previously (step S47).

  Subsequently, the control unit 14 updates the value of the classification flag item 151e in the image file information table 151 to “1” indicating the classification (step S48) in order to distinguish the classified image files. Further, the image file management table 153 is updated so that the selected image file can be managed under the determined folder name (step S49). Thereafter, the process returns to step S40 again.

  In the second embodiment, when the user further selects an image file, the images are grouped by shooting date and the like, and appropriate classification can be performed with less burden on the user.

Block diagram showing the main configuration of the image management device The figure which shows the structure of an image file information table Diagram showing the structure of the title table The figure which shows the composition of the image file management table The figure which shows the composition of the photographing day table Overall flowchart for processing to create group names for classifying files Flow chart showing details of folder name determination processing Flowchart of processing for determining additional information of folder name The figure which shows the state of the list display of the classification object The figure which shows the state of the display screen of the list of selected image files and the title candidate selection Figure showing the correspondence between image files and folder names Flow chart showing details of folder name determination processing The figure which shows the state of the list display screen The figure which shows the state of the display screen of the list of image files selected by group and the title candidate selection

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Image management apparatus 11 Image input / output part 12 Display part 13 Input part 14 Control part 15 Storage part 151 Image file information table 152 Title table 153 Image file information management table 154 Shooting date table 155 Image information storage area

Claims (8)

Means for selecting any number of image files including at least date information;
Means for performing statistical processing on the date information of the selected image file and determining the most frequent date as additional information;
Means for selecting a title for classifying the image file from predetermined candidates;
An image management apparatus comprising: means for determining a group name for classifying image files based on the selected title information and additional information relating to the determined date. 2. The image management apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for managing the selected image file as an image file having the same attribute based on the determined group name. 3. The image management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image file selecting means further displays reduced image data indicating a file name relating to the image file and contents of the image file. 4. The image management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image file selection unit displays a list of image files grouped by date based on date information about the image file. Select any number of image files that contain at least date information,
Perform statistical processing on the date information of this selected image file to determine the most frequent date as additional information,
Select a title to classify the image file from the predetermined candidates,
An image management method comprising: determining a group name for classifying image files based on the selected title information and additional information related to the determined date. 6. The image management method according to claim 5, further comprising means for managing the selected image file as an image file having the same attribute based on the determined group name. 7. The image management method according to claim 5, wherein the image file selection unit further displays reduced image data indicating a file name and an image file content related to the image file. 8. The image management method according to claim 5, wherein said image file selecting means displays a list of image files grouped by date based on date information relating to the image file.