JP2006178743A - Net print system with recommended function, server apparatus, print order apparatus, and image selecting/presenting method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To select/present recommended images by referring to the order history of other users in a net print system. <P>SOLUTION: The net print system 1 is constituted of: a Web server 100; a user management apparatus 101 for managing user information such as user names and groups; an image storage apparatus 102 for storing image data; an order history management apparatus 103 for storing the order history of respective users; an image print order receiving apparatus 104 for receiving orders; and a plurality of print ordering apparatuses 200a, 200b. When a user transmits a recommended image request from the print ordering apparatus 200a, the Web server 100 specifies a group to which the user belongs from the user information stored in the user management apparatus 101, reads the order history of other users in the group from the order history management apparatus 103, selects a recommended image by referring to the order history, reads out image data corresponding to the image from the image storage apparatus 102, and transmits the image data to the print ordering apparatus 200a. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for automatically selecting and presenting an image that is recommended for printing from a plurality of image data.

  In recent years, the spread of digital cameras and the increase in the capacity of recording media for storing images have made it possible for users to hold many images in one medium. In addition, with the development of network technology, it becomes possible for multiple users to exchange / share data via a server or between each user's terminals directly, and the capacity of image data and moving image data is large. Many contents can be shared.

    On the other hand, there is a trouble of selecting an image to be processed such as print from a vast amount of image data / moving image data, and as an image to be finally printed by the user in order to select an image efficiently. There is a need for a function of narrowing down images under certain conditions before making a determination, and a function of selecting an image suitable for printing in accordance with a user's print order tendency.

  Patent Document 1 selects a digital photograph suitable for printing based on attribute data (image brightness, acceleration sensor, AF evaluation, etc.) obtained from the photograph when printing a photograph of a digital photograph, and A function that recommends printing is disclosed.

  In general, an online shopping site has a function of recommending purchase of related products from purchase history information of others.

  Patent Document 2 discloses a user for creating a specific group of users and sharing contents such as image data only within the group in a P2P (peer-to-peer) system that can be used by an unspecified number of users. And a technology such as a device authentication method.

  The importance and preference of the photograph depend on the circumstances of the individual, and it is difficult to determine the image to be printed according to the print tendency of the user only by paying attention to the image quality and shooting conditions as in Patent Document 1. is there. Further, as realized in an online shopping site, selecting a recommended image in consideration of the printing tendency of an unspecified number of others does not follow the user's printing tendency. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-228561 has been realized until image data is shared within a specific group, but does not disclose a technique for analyzing a print tendency of users in the same group.

Therefore, even if a user can select a photo (image data) to be printed from an image owned by another person, a technique for automatically estimating a recommended image from the order history of the other person has not been realized. Actually, it is necessary to select an image to be printed from a larger amount of image data, and the effort is not reduced.
JP 2002-10179 A JP 2004-5074 A

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that it provides a device that automatically selects and presents an image recommended for printing to a user based on the print order history of others in a group having a common print tendency. More specifically, a network printing system with a recommended function, a method, a server device, and a print in which a plurality of users select and present images recommended for printing to users via a server or directly in a network where information exchange is performed. An object is to provide an ordering device.

  A net print system of the present invention includes a server device that manages a network, an image data storage device that the server device has and stores image data, an order history storage device that the server device has and stores an order history, The server device has a user management device that manages a plurality of groups composed of users having a common order tendency and stores information indicating a group to which each user belongs, and is connected to the network, and the user Is capable of browsing the image data via the network, selecting arbitrary image data from the image data, and issuing an instruction to order a print of the selected image data. A print ordering device that has a print ordering device that can send image requests. The server device identifies a group to which a user who has transmitted the recommended image request from the print ordering device belongs, from the user management device, and stores the group stored in the order history storage device. The recommended image is determined with reference to the order history of the other users belonging, the image data corresponding to the determined recommended image is read from the image data storage device, and the request for the recommended image is transmitted with the read image data It is characterized by being transmitted as a recommended image to the print ordering apparatus.

  Here, “the server has” means a state built in the server device, a state connected to the server device as an external device, or a state accessible from the server device.

  In addition, a so-called peer-to-peer system composed of a plurality of print ordering apparatuses that can directly communicate with each other is used in a net print system in which a plurality of users who share contents with each other and a print ordering apparatus are specified in advance. Each print ordering device includes an image storage device for storing image data and an order history management device for managing the order history of print orders, and the image data of other image storage devices can be used with each other and directly to each other. The print ordering apparatus includes a plurality of communicable print ordering apparatuses. The print ordering apparatus acquires an order history of the other print ordering apparatus from another communicable print ordering apparatus, and refers to the acquired order history. A recommended image is determined, and image data corresponding to the determined recommended image is sent to the print ordering device or the Read from the image storing device of the print order system, it is characterized in that to display the read image data as a recommended image.

  In any net print system, when determining a recommended image, for example, an image with the highest order count in the referred order history may be used as a recommended image, or an image ordered recently may be selected. It is good also as a recommendation image, and it is good also considering the image ordered most frequently for a fixed period as a recommendation image.

  According to the net print system of the present invention, selection / presentation of a print recommendation image reflecting a user's print tendency is realized based on the order history of others in a group composed of users having a common print tendency. The

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described.

(Embodiment 1)
The configuration of the net print system according to the present embodiment is as shown in FIG. 1. The net print system 1 includes a Web server (server device) 100 and a user management device that manages user information such as a user name and a group to which the user belongs. 101, an image storage device 102 that holds a plurality of image data, an order history management device 103 that holds an order history such as an image and date / time when a user orders printing, and an image print order receiving device that accepts an order for printing an image 104, a plurality of print ordering apparatuses 200a and 200b.

 Here, the Web server 100 may include a user management device 101, an image storage device 102, an order history management device 103, and an image print order receiving device 104, or may be connected as an external device or a network. It may be accessible above.

 For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the user management apparatus 101 holds information about a user such as a user name, a user password, and a group to which the user belongs. Here, a group to which a user belongs is a group that shares the same memories and hobbies, such as a group of participants who participated in the same event such as an in-house circle or wedding / travel, and has a common print tendency. A group of users considered to be

 The image storage device 102 holds a plurality of image data, and more preferably holds an image group shared for each group separately.

 For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the order history management apparatus 103 holds information such as a user name, an order image, and an order time as an order history.

 The print order receiving device 104 is a device that receives a print order transmitted by each user from the print ordering device, and generates / transmits an instruction signal to a printer or the like to print an image after receiving an order. The order received by the print order receiving device is sent to the order history storage device 103, and the order history is updated.

 The print ordering apparatuses 200a and 200b are apparatuses for a user to log in and execute operations such as image browsing / selection / ordering. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the display screen displays recommended images recommended for printing as PHOTO A and PHOTO B below the image data PHOTO1 to PHOTO4 browsed by the user. For example, when the user selects an image to be printed from the displayed images and selects an icon “order”, a print order of the selected image is transmitted to the print order receiving apparatus 104. The print ordering apparatus transmits a signal requesting a recommended image to the Web server 100 automatically when displaying selectable image data (PHOTO1 to PHOTO4) or by a user operation.

 A procedure for selecting and presenting recommended images according to the above configuration will be described with reference to FIG.

 First, a series of operations in which the print ordering apparatus starts browsing images and orders image prints are mainly divided into three steps.

St. 1: requesting a list of images from the print ordering apparatus to the Web server, the Web server receiving the request reading the image data from the image storage apparatus and transmitting the image data to the print ordering apparatus, and displaying the transmitted image data; ,
St. 2: A signal requesting a recommended image is transmitted from the print ordering device to the Web server, the Web server that has received the request determines the recommended image, reads image data corresponding to the recommended image from the image storage device, and the print ordering device Displaying the transmitted image data, and
St. 3: In this step, the user selects an image from the displayed image list and recommended images, transmits a print order, and updates the print order history.

 St. When transmitting image data as a list in 1, it is more preferable to transmit thumbnail images instead of actual data because the data amount is small.

 In particular, the procedure from when a signal requesting a recommended image is transmitted until the recommended image is displayed will be described below.

 When a list of images is displayed on the print ordering apparatus, a recommended image request signal is transmitted to the Web server automatically or by a user operation (St. 201). Next, the Web server that has received the request signal reads the order history from the order history storage device, and recommends a recommended image based on the order history of other users to which the user to whom the user who transmitted the request signal from the print ordering device belongs. Select (St. 202). Further, the Web server reads image data corresponding to the selected recommended image from the image storage device (St. 203). Subsequently, the read image data is transmitted as a recommended image to the print ordering apparatus (St. 204). Upon receiving the image data of the recommended image, the print ordering apparatus displays the image data as a recommended image in a predetermined area of the display unit (St. 205).

 Here, when the recommended image is determined by the Web server, for example, an image with the highest number of orders is identified from the order history, and the recommended image may be used as the recommended image, or an image ordered recently is recommended. It may be an image. Alternatively, an image ordered most frequently within a certain period may be used as a recommended image.

  Using the above configuration and procedure, when selecting an image to be printed by the user, selecting a recommended image based on the order history of other users who have a common print tendency, the recommended image according to the print tendency of the user Can be automatically selected and displayed.

(Embodiment 2)
As shown in FIG. 6, the net print system 2 of the present embodiment uses a so-called peer-to-peer system, and the print ordering apparatuses 400a and 400b can directly communicate with each other, and content such as image data. Can be shared. In addition, the users who use 400a and 400b are specified in advance as users who share content with each other.

  The print ordering device 400a is a device for a user to log in and execute operations such as image browsing / selection / ordering. The image ordering device 400a stores a plurality of image data, and an image print performed by the user. And an order history management apparatus 402a for storing and updating the history as an order history. Similarly, the other print ordering apparatus includes at least means for storing an image and means for managing an order history. FIG. 7 is an example of the order history stored in the order history management devices 402a and 402b. The display screens of the print ordering apparatuses 400a and 400b are the same as the display screens of the print ordering apparatuses 200a and 200b of the first embodiment.

  The print order receiving device 304 is substantially the same as the print order receiving device 104 of the first embodiment, receives an image print from each print ordering device, and transmits an instruction to print the image to an external printing unit or the like. It has functions such as.

  The procedure from recommended image request to display in the net print system of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, the print ordering apparatus 400a transmits a request for a recommended image to the other print ordering apparatus 400b (St. 401). At this time, if there are a plurality of other print ordering apparatuses, a request is transmitted to each of them.

  Subsequently, the print ordering apparatus 400b that has received the request reads the order history from the order history management apparatus 402b (St. 402), and transmits it to the print ordering apparatus 400a (St. 403). The order history read by each of the other print ordering apparatuses is transmitted to the print ordering apparatus 400a.

  Upon receiving the order history, the print ordering apparatus 400a refers to the order history and selects a recommended image (St. 404). Next, the image data of the recommended image is requested to the print ordering apparatus (in this case, 400b) that owns the selected recommended image (St. 405).

  The print ordering device 400b requested for the image data reads the corresponding image data from the image storage device 401b (St. 406), and transmits the read image data as a recommended image to the print ordering device 400a (St. 407).

  The print ordering apparatus 400a displays the received image data as a recommended image (St. 408).

  Here, the procedure in which the print order image device 400a that transmitted the recommended image request determines the recommended image has been described. For example, the recommended image is determined on each print ordering device side that has received the recommendation request, and the image data is stored. The image data may be transmitted to the print ordering apparatus 400a that has read and transmitted the recommended image request.

  When determining recommended images from the order history, the image with the highest number of orders may be the recommended image, the recently ordered image may be the recommended image, or the most frequently ordered image within a certain period of time. The ordered image may be a recommended image.

  When the user selects an image after displaying the recommended image and transmits a print order to the print order receiving device 304, the order history management device 402a of the print ordering device 400a updates the order history.

  Using the above configuration and procedure, when selecting an image to be printed by the user, selecting a recommended image based on the order history of other users who have a common print tendency, the recommended image according to the print tendency of the user Can be automatically selected and displayed.

  As described above, according to the net print system of the first and second embodiments, it is possible to automatically select and present an image recommended for printing from the order history of other users having a common print tendency. However, it is possible to reduce the trouble of selecting a print image from a lot of image data.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a net print system according to a first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of user information held by the user management apparatus according to the first embodiment. The figure which shows the example of the order history which the order history management apparatus of Embodiment 1 hold | maintains. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of data held by the user management apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a print order procedure in the net print system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a net print system according to a second embodiment. The figure which shows the example of the order history which the order history management apparatus of Embodiment 2 hold | maintains. FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating a print order procedure in the net print system according to the second embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 2 Net print system 100 Web server 101 User management apparatus 102 Image storage apparatus 103 Order history management apparatus 104 Print order receiving apparatus
200a, 200b Print ordering device 304 Print order receiving device 400a, 400b Print ordering device 401a, 401b Image storage device 402a, 402b Order history management device

Claims (19)

A net print system,
A server device for managing the network;
An image data storage device that stores the image data of the server device;
An order history storage device for storing the order history of the server device;
A user management device that manages a plurality of groups configured by users having a common order tendency, and stores information indicating a group to which each user belongs;
An image print order receiving device for receiving an image print order, the server device;
An instruction for connecting to the network and for allowing the user to browse the image data via the network, select arbitrary image data from the image data, and order a print of the selected image data A plurality of print ordering devices capable of sending a request for recommended images,
With
The server device identifies a group to which the user who transmitted the request for the recommended image from the print ordering device belongs to the user management device, and other users belonging to the group stored in the order history storage device. The recommended image is determined with reference to the order history, the image data corresponding to the determined recommended image is read from the image data storage device, and the read image data is recommended to the print ordering device that has transmitted the recommended image request. Send as image,
Net print system characterized by that. The server device, when determining a recommended image with reference to the order history, specifies an image that has been recently ordered from the order history, and makes the specified image a recommended image;
The net print system according to claim 1. The server device, when determining a recommended image with reference to the order history, identifies an image with the highest number of orders from the order history, and makes the identified image a recommended image;
The net print system according to claim 1. When determining a recommended image with reference to the order history, the server device identifies an image that has been ordered most frequently within a certain period from the order history, and the identified image is referred to as a recommended image. To do,
The net print system according to claim 1. A method for selecting and presenting recommended images from a plurality of image data shared by a plurality of users via a network, the network having a plurality of groups having a plurality of users having a common print order tendency Because
Receiving a request for a recommended image sent by a user from a print ordering apparatus connected to the network;
Identify the group to which the user who sent the recommended image request belongs,
Read the order history of other users belonging to the specified group,
Referring to the order history, a recommended image is determined from the plurality of image data,
Read the image data corresponding to the determined recommended image,
A recommended image selection and presentation method, wherein the read image data is transmitted as a recommended image to the print ordering apparatus. 6. The recommended image presenting method according to claim 5, wherein when the recommended image is determined, an image recently ordered from the order history is used as a recommended image. 6. The recommended image presenting method according to claim 5, wherein when the recommended image is determined, an image having the largest number of orders is selected as a recommended image from the order history. 6. The recommended image presenting method according to claim 5, wherein when the recommended image is determined, an image having the largest number of orders within a certain period is set as a recommended image from the order history. A netprint system in a network that can be used by a specific user sharing content,
Each print ordering apparatus includes an image storage apparatus that stores image data and an order history management apparatus that manages the order history of print orders. The image data of other image storage apparatuses can be used with each other and can communicate directly with each other. A plurality of print ordering devices;
An image print ordering device for receiving image print orders;
With
The print ordering apparatus acquires an order history of the other print ordering apparatus from another print ordering apparatus that can communicate, determines a recommended image with reference to the acquired order history, and determines the determined recommended image Image data corresponding to the print ordering apparatus or the other print ordering apparatus is acquired from the image storage device, and the read image data is displayed as a recommended image.
Net print system characterized by that. When determining the recommended image, the print ordering device uses a recently ordered image from the acquired order history as a recommended image.
The net print system according to claim 9. When determining the recommended image, the print ordering apparatus sets the image that has been ordered most from the acquired order history as a recommended image.
The net print system according to claim 9. When determining the recommended image, the print ordering apparatus sets, as a recommended image, an image that has been ordered most frequently within a certain period from the acquired order history.
The net print system according to claim 9. In a network including a plurality of print ordering apparatuses that have a print order history and a plurality of image data of each user and can communicate with each other, a method for selecting and presenting a recommended image to the user,
A request for a recommended image is transmitted from the first print ordering apparatus to a plurality of other print ordering apparatuses,
The first print ordering device refers to the order history of the other plurality of print ordering devices;
The first print ordering device determines a recommended image based on the order history,
The first print ordering apparatus reads the image data from one print ordering apparatus that holds image data corresponding to the determined recommended image among the plurality of other printing apparatuses,
The recommended image selection and presentation method, wherein the first print ordering apparatus displays the image data as a recommended image. 14. The method for selecting and presenting recommended images according to claim 13, wherein when the recommended images are determined, an image recently ordered from the order history is used as a recommended image. The recommended image presentation method according to claim 13, wherein when determining the recommended image, an image having the largest number of orders is selected as a recommended image from the order history. 14. The recommended image presenting method according to claim 13, wherein when the recommended image is determined, an image having the largest number of orders within a certain period is set as a recommended image from the order history. A server device that manages a net print system to which a plurality of print ordering devices can be connected,
An image storage unit for storing a plurality of image data;
Managing a plurality of groups composed of users having a common order tendency, and storing information indicating the groups to which each user belongs; and
An order history storage unit for storing the order history of each user;
A control unit for controlling each unit;
With
The control unit identifies the user of the image printing apparatus that transmitted the request for the recommended image and the group to which the user belongs based on information stored by the user management unit, and the group stored in the order history storage unit The recommended image is determined with reference to the order history of other users belonging to the image data, the image data corresponding to the determined recommended image is read from the image data storage unit, and the read image data is transferred to the print that has transmitted the request. Send it as a recommended image to the ordering device,
The server apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. A print ordering device that can directly communicate with other print ordering devices and allows specific users who share image data to browse images, select print images, and order prints.
An image storage device for storing a plurality of image data;
An order history management device for storing and updating a user's print order history;
Have
Send a request for recommended images to other print ordering devices,
Receive order history from other print ordering devices,
Based on the received order history, a recommended image is determined,
A request for image data is sent to another print ordering apparatus that holds image data corresponding to the determined recommended image,
Receive image data corresponding to the recommended image,
A print ordering apparatus, wherein the received image data is displayed as a recommended image. Upon receiving a request for a recommended image from the other print ordering device, the order history is read from the order history management device,
The read order history is transmitted to the other print ordering device,
Upon receiving a request for image data corresponding to the recommended image from the other print ordering device, the image data is read from the image storage device,
Transmitting the read image data to the other printing device as a recommended image;
The print ordering apparatus according to claim 18, wherein:

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