JP2010026780A - Information processor, information processing method, and information processing program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a new and improved information processor for processing content without making users aware of the difference in protocol for the processing of content different due to external equipment or a service on the Internet. <P>SOLUTION: This information processor is provided with: a communication part communicatively connected to at least one external equipment or/and services using the Internet whose protocols for the processing of content are different from each other; a storage part for storing the content; a service management part for managing a plurality of service definition information defining information necessary for processing the content by different protocol; and a service control part for communicating with the external equipment or the service on the basis of the service definition information, and for executing the processing of the content stored in the storage part or the content in the external equipment or/and the service. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and an information processing program.

  In recent years, for example, digital networks such as music, photos, and videos are seamlessly shared between home appliances, personal computers (PCs), and mobile devices. For example, a home network protocol has been formulated by an organization called DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance), and according to this, for example, a server called a digital media server (DMS). Content (moving images, still images, music, etc.) that a device has is called a digital media controller (DMC: Digital Media Controller) The client device can be operated and viewed on a device called a digital media renderer (DMR) placed in another room.

  In addition, an electronic device having a communication means can use various services on the Internet not only through a home network but also through an external network. For example, an imaging apparatus such as a mobile phone, a digital camera, or a digital video camera can access a site that provides a content sharing service on the Internet. As a result, the user of the imaging device can publish the captured content on the Internet, and can acquire a photo or a video published on the Internet. The user can also attach content captured by the imaging device to an email and send it to a friend or family member or post it on a blog.

  As described above, an information processing apparatus that stores and manages digital contents such as music, photos, and videos transmits, browses, and acquires contents by connecting to a plurality of home devices and various services on the Internet. be able to. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-151867 discloses a technique that allows a file to be easily transferred by displaying an object indicating another connected PC on a PC display and transferring the file to be transferred to the object. It is disclosed.

JP 2002-132618 A

  However, there are various methods and protocols for transmitting, browsing, acquiring, and the like of contents, and it is usually different depending on connected devices and service contents. Therefore, when content is transmitted, viewed, acquired, etc., different processes are required for various devices and services, such as discovery of available devices and services, service details, and execution of content processing. As a result, when content is shared with a plurality of devices or services, the user needs to perform different complicated operations using applications according to the protocols of the devices and services. Further, the technique of Patent Document 1 simplifies the content sharing operation with a specific device, and cannot deal with a plurality of devices having different protocols or services on a network. Therefore, even when content is shared (transmitted, viewed, acquired, etc.) with a plurality of external devices having different protocols, the user can easily share content without being aware of any protocol differences. Possible methods, devices, applications, etc. are desired.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and the object of the present invention is to make the user aware of the difference in protocols related to content processing depending on external devices and services on the Internet. An object is to provide a new and improved information processing apparatus, information processing method, and information processing program capable of executing content processing.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, according to an aspect of the present invention, at least one external device having a different protocol related to content processing and / or a communication unit that communicates with a service using the Internet, and each of the different protocols In addition, a service management unit that manages service definition information that defines information necessary for processing the content, and a communication unit that communicates with the external device or the service based on the service definition information. An information processing apparatus is provided that includes a service control unit that executes processing of content that is stored, or content that the external device or / and the service has.

  With this configuration, the information processing apparatus can manage service definition information that defines information necessary for content processing for each different protocol related to content processing. Further, the information processing apparatus can be connected to a service using an external device or / and the Internet based on the service definition information. Furthermore, the information processing apparatus can execute processing of content stored in the storage unit and processing of content included in the external storage device and / or service based on the service definition information.

  In the service definition information, information related to the content of processing that the service control unit needs to execute when processing the content may be defined. In this case, the service control unit can process the content based on the content of the process defined in the service definition information.

  In addition, the service definition information may include discovery process information that defines content related to a discovery process for determining whether the external device or / and the service is currently communicable by the communication unit. In this case, the service control unit determines whether or not the external device and / or the service is currently communicable by the communication unit based on the contents related to the discovery process defined in the discovery process information. You can also

  Further, the service definition information defines contents related to capability processing for determining what kind of content processing can be executed by the external device or / and the service that are connected by the communication unit. Capability processing information may be included. In this case, the service control unit determines what the external device and / or the service connected by the communication unit is based on the content related to the capability processing defined in the capability processing information. It can also be determined whether content processing can be executed.

  The service definition information may include content processing information that defines the content processing content. In this case, the service control unit can execute the processing of the content by communicating with the external device or the service based on the content related to the processing of the content defined in the content processing information. .

  In addition, the content processing information includes transmission processing information that defines details of processing for transmitting the content to the external device or service, and browsing that defines details of processing for browsing the content of the external device or the service. Processing information and acquisition processing information defining details of processing for acquiring the content of the external device or the service may be included.

  In addition, the service definition information may include update processing information that defines content related to an update process for determining an update status of the external device or / and the service that is connected by the communication unit. In this case, the service control unit determines an update status of the external device or / and the service connected by the communication unit based on the content related to the update process defined in the update process information. You can also.

  In addition, the service control unit may transmit the content to the external device or the service based on the content related to the transmission of the content defined in the transmission processing information. Alternatively, if the service is not currently communicable by the communication unit, the content to be transmitted and the external device or service to be transmitted can be stored in the storage unit.

  When the content to be transmitted and the external device or service to be transmitted are stored in the storage unit, the service control unit communicates the external device or the service with the communication unit. After the connection becomes possible, the content to be transmitted can be transmitted to the external device or the service to be transmitted.

  The information processing apparatus further includes an object representing the storage unit, or a self-device display screen that displays the content stored in the storage unit, and the external device and / or the service that is connected by communication with the communication unit Or a counter service display screen that displays the content of the external device or / and the service.

  When the service control unit transmits the content to the external device or the service, the display unit displays the self-device display screen larger than the counter service display screen. Also good.

  Further, when the service control unit browses the content of the external device or the service and acquires the content of the external device or the service, the counter service display screen is displayed on the display unit. You may make it display larger than a self-device display screen.

  Further, when the user drags and drops the content displayed on the self-device display screen onto the external device or the object representing the service displayed on the counter service display screen, the service control unit May send the dragged content to an external device or service corresponding to the dropped object.

  Further, when the user drags and drops the content displayed on the opposite service display screen onto an object representing the storage unit displayed on the self-device display screen, the service control unit The acquired content may be acquired from the external device or the service and stored in a storage unit corresponding to the dropped object.

  As described above, according to the present invention, there is provided an information providing apparatus capable of executing content processing without making the user aware of the difference in protocol related to content processing depending on external devices and services on the Internet. Is done.

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, in this specification and drawing, about the component which has the substantially same function structure, duplication description is abbreviate | omitted by attaching | subjecting the same code | symbol. The description will be made in the following order.
1. Outline of Embodiments 2. 2. Configuration of digital camera 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention 2-1. System configuration using digital camera 100 2-2. Hardware configuration of digital camera 100 2-3. 2. Functional configuration of digital camera 100 Structure of service definition information Various processing flows of content 4-1. Discovery flow of external devices and services 4-2. Image data transmission flow 4-3. Image data reservation transmission flow 4-3. Image data browsing flow 4-4. Image data acquisition flow

(1. Overview of Embodiment)
In describing the details of an information processing apparatus according to one of the embodiments of the present invention, an outline of the present embodiment will be described first.

  As described above, by using a DLNA home network, a user can share various contents such as music, photos, and videos between a plurality of electronic devices in the home. However, with the recent increase in the number of devices installed in the home network, the user's burden required to select desired content and devices that can share (send, view, acquire, etc.) the content The burden on the user for discovering and selecting the network is increasing.

  In addition, electronic devices used in the home can access various sites on the Internet by using a wireless WAN (Wide Area Network) via a base station. As a result, for example, a user uses a photo sharing service, a video sharing service, or the like on the Internet to publish content stored in an electronic device, or to acquire or browse content published on the Internet. You can also Furthermore, it is possible to send an e-mail to a friend or family member by attaching content stored in the electronic device.

  In this way, an information processing apparatus having a communication function using a network can share content with a plurality of devices connected via the network, and can execute various processes of content using various services on the Internet. it can. However, in order to share content using connected devices and services, it is necessary to perform processing according to different protocols of the devices and services.

  In this way, the information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment allows content to be processed by a simple operation without making the user aware of the difference in protocol even when processing according to a plurality of different protocols is required when processing the content. Processing (transmission, browsing, acquisition, etc.) can be realized. Specifically, the information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment manages, as service definition information, protocol definition information related to content processing that can be performed using various connected devices and services on the Internet. The service definition information includes information that defines the contents of various processes required by the information processing apparatus when sharing content with various devices or using services on the Internet. The information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment executes processing such as content transmission, browsing, and acquisition according to the processing defined in the service definition information. As described above, a service and a processing method that can be used for each device connected to the information processing apparatus and each service on the Internet are different. Therefore, the information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment manages different service definition information for each device having a different protocol for content processing and for each service on the Internet. Therefore, for example, when a user designates a predetermined device or a service on the Internet, the information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment performs processing such as content transmission, browsing, and acquisition according to service definition information related to the designated device and service. Can be executed.

  In addition, the information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment manages the service definition information, so that not only the content is processed without making the user aware of the difference in the protocol, but also the user's own operation necessary for content processing. It is also possible to improve the convenience. Specifically, the information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment can share a common GUI (Graphic) even when content is shared with a plurality of different devices or when content is transmitted using a service on the Internet. User Interface) is used. That is, the user can easily operate a plurality of devices and services having different protocols related to content processing using a common GUI even when processing content (transmission, browsing, acquisition, etc.). .

  Details of the information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment having such characteristics will be described below. In the following description, the digital camera 100 is described as an example of the information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the present invention can also be applied to various information processing apparatuses such as a PC, a mobile phone, a music player, a hard disk recorder, and a video recorder that can manage various contents such as music, still images, and moving images. In the following description, image data of a still image is described as an example of shared content, but the present invention is not limited to this. The information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment can naturally process various contents such as moving images and music files in addition to still images.

(2. Configuration of the digital camera 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention)
(2-1. System Configuration Using Digital Camera 100)
First, an overall configuration of a system using a digital camera 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an overall configuration of a system using a digital camera 100 according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the digital camera 100 can access a wide area network such as the Internet 104 via the access point 102 by the communication unit 128. Here, FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing examples of various services that can be used on the Internet 104. As shown in FIG. 2, various types of services such as a mail service, a photo sharing service, and a moving image sharing service are provided on the Internet 104, for example. Further, like the photo sharing service A and the photo sharing service B shown in FIG. 2, even if the service content is the same, the service may be provided at different sites.

  The digital camera 100 can publish content managed by the digital camera 100 on the Internet 104 or acquire content published on the Internet 104 by accessing a site that provides these various services. it can. For example, the digital camera 100 can upload content stored in the storage unit 126 of the digital camera 100 onto the Internet 104 by accessing an address of a site that provides the photo sharing service A. Similarly, the digital camera 100 can download the content uploaded to the site providing the photo sharing service B to the digital camera 100 by accessing the address of the site providing the photo sharing service B. Furthermore, the digital camera 100 can send an e-mail attached with content stored in the storage unit 126 of the digital camera 100 to a friend or family member by accessing an address of a site that provides a mail service. it can.

  The digital camera 100 can use various other services available on the Internet 104 such as video acquisition, music file download, photo blog posting, and the like. It is not limited to the example shown. As described above, the digital camera 100 processes the content such as image data (transmission, browsing, acquisition, etc.) using various services available on the Internet 104 by accessing the Internet 104 through the communication unit 128. It can be performed.

  The digital camera 100 can be connected to an electronic device such as a television, a PC, a hard disk recorder, or a mobile phone in accordance with guidelines established by, for example, DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance).

  Here, DLNA is, for example, a highly compatible home network (home) that can seamlessly share digital content such as music, photos, and videos between home appliances, PCs, and mobile devices. Is a non-profit organization established with the aim of realizing a network. In addition, a guideline for home network connection established by such a non-profit organization may be referred to as DLNA. A device that complies with the DLNA guideline can easily connect to a network between different devices by following the guideline, and can realize sharing of digital contents between different devices. DLNA guideline specifications are generally a combination of existing standards and general-purpose protocols. As an example of DLNA guideline specifications, Ethernet (registered trademark) or IEEE802.11 wireless LAN is used as a transmission standard, and TCP / IP is used as a communication protocol between devices. In addition, HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol) is used for file transfer.

  In a home network defined by DLNA, for example, a content (video, still image, music, etc.) held by a server device called a DLNA media server is viewed and played on a client device called a DLNA media renderer placed in another room. can do. In the following description, the DLNA media server is referred to as DMS, the DLNA media controller is referred to as DMC, the DLNA media player is referred to as DMP, and the DLNA media renderer is referred to as DMR.

  In the example of the present embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a television 106 and a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as a PC) 105 that are wirelessly connected to the digital camera 100 via the access point 102 conform to the DLNA guidelines. Therefore, the digital camera 100 functions as a DMS and DMC that can be controlled to provide content to the television 106, and the television 106 functions as a DMR that reproduces content provided from the digital camera 100. That is, the user can display the content on the display of the television 106 by transmitting the content such as a photograph stored in the digital camera 100 to the television 106. The digital camera 100 can also function as a DMP that can acquire content from the PC 105, and the PC 105 functions as a DMS that provides content to the digital camera 100. That is, the user can acquire content such as a photograph stored in the PC 105 from the PC 105 and display / save the content on the digital camera 100.

  In the example illustrated in FIG. 1, the PC 105 and the television 106 are illustrated as devices connected to the digital camera 100 according to the DLNA guidelines, but the present embodiment is not limited to this. The digital camera 100 can be connected to various electronic devices such as a music player, a recording / playback apparatus, a game device, and a mobile phone based on the DLNA guidelines. Further, the connection method with various electronic devices is not limited to wireless connection, and can be wired.

  Thus, the digital camera 100 according to the present embodiment can share content with various devices connected in accordance with the DLNA guidelines. Further, the digital camera 100 according to the present embodiment can perform processing such as transmission and acquisition of content by using various services available on the Internet. That is, the digital camera 100 can process the content stored in the storage unit 126 by different methods depending on the type of connected device or service.

(2-2. Hardware Configuration of Digital Camera 100)
Next, a hardware configuration of the digital camera 100 that is an example of the information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the digital camera 100 according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the digital camera 100 mainly includes an operation unit 116, an imaging unit 118, a display unit 120, a RAM 122, a ROM 124, a storage unit 126, and a communication unit 128. The These components are connected by a bus 134 and controlled by a CPU (control unit) 132. Details of each component of the digital camera 100 will be described below.

(Operation unit 116)
The operation unit 116 includes, for example, a touch panel, buttons, switches, levers, dials, and the like. The user operates the operation unit 116 to perform processing operations on the digital camera 100 (shooting operation, adjustment operation of zoom / focus / aperture / exposure / shutter speed / image quality, recording operation, reproduction operation, etc.). Can be directed. Further, the user operates the operation unit 116 to instruct the digital camera 100 to transmit, delete, play back, and the like, contents such as photos and videos stored in the storage unit 126 of the digital camera 100. be able to.

(Imaging unit 118)
The imaging unit 104 captures a subject and generates an image signal. As shown in FIG. 3, the imaging unit 104 mainly includes an optical system 10, an imaging device 12, an A / D (Analog to Digital) conversion unit 14, and a signal processing unit 16.

  The optical system 10 includes a lens group that collects incident light from a subject as an optical image. The imaging device 12 is an imaging device that photoelectrically converts an optical image collected on the imaging surface by the optical system 10, and is, for example, a CCD (Charge Coupled Device), a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor), or the like. The A / D conversion unit 14 converts an analog signal generated by the imaging device 12 into a digital signal (image data), and includes, for example, an AGC (Automatic Gain Control) circuit and an ADC (Analog to Digital Converter). . The signal processing unit 16 is configured by a digital signal processing circuit (DSP) or the like, and performs, for example, white balance adjustment, color correction, edge enhancement, gamma on the image data converted into a digital signal by the A / D conversion unit 14. Various signal processing such as correction is performed. Here, the white balance adjustment, for example, applies a gain set in advance for each color of RGB (Red Green Blue) to RAW image data (image before signal processing) and corresponds to each pixel (pixel). This is a process of amplifying the pixel value to be performed. The tone correction process is a process for correcting the tone of an image, for example. The edge enhancement process is, for example, a process for enhancing the density of an image by detecting an edge part from the image and increasing the luminance of the detected edge part. The gamma correction processing is, for example, processing that performs nonlinear conversion on RGB signals to ensure visual linearity. The image signal processed by the signal processing unit 16 is displayed on the display unit 120 or output to an external device via an output interface such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus).

(Display unit 120)
The display unit 120 includes, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), an organic EL display (Organic ElectroLuminescence display), and the like, and is provided on the digital camera 100. The display unit 120 displays image data captured by the imaging unit 118, a notification message for the user (for example, a shooting mode, a free space notification, and an error notification). The display unit 120 preferably includes the function of the operation unit 116 described above by including a touch panel function. As will be described later, the digital camera 100 according to the present embodiment can execute the processing of the image data when the user drags and drops the image data displayed on the display unit 120. A display example of the display unit 120 will be described later.

(RAM 122)
A RAM (Random Access Memory) 122 is a volatile storage area that stores, for example, a program executed by the control unit 132, parameters that change as appropriate in the execution, and the like.

(ROM124)
The ROM 124 is a non-volatile storage area that stores system startup data, applications, image data, and the like. Examples of the ROM 124 include, but are not limited to, a magnetic recording medium such as a hard disk, a nonvolatile memory such as an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable and Programmable Read Only Memory), and a flash memory (Flash Memory). .

(Storage unit 126)
The storage unit 126 is a non-volatile storage area that stores image data captured by the imaging unit 118 and various data downloaded from other external devices or the Internet 104. The storage unit 126 can include, for example, a magnetic recording medium such as a hard disk or a flash memory included in the digital camera 100 as a non-volatile recording area. The recording unit 126 can also function by an external storage device such as an SD memory card or a Memory Stick (registered trademark) inserted into a removable external memory mounting unit (not shown). In the digital camera 100 according to the present embodiment, the image data stored in the storage unit 126 can be transmitted to a device connected in accordance with DLNA, and the image data is obtained using a service on the Internet 104. It can be published on the Internet 104. In addition, the digital camera 100 can acquire data from a device connected in accordance with DLNA and save the data in the storage unit 126, and can download data published on the Internet 104 to the storage unit 126. it can.

(Communication unit 128)
The communication unit 128 functions as a wireless communication unit that performs wireless communication with other devices. The communication unit 128 establishes a wireless LAN by performing wireless communication based on, for example, the access point 102 shown in FIG. 1 and IEEE802.11x (for example, IEEE802.11a, IEEE802.11b, or IEEE802.11g). . Then, the communication unit 128 connects to an external device via the access point 102, and transmits image data to the television 106 or acquires image data from the PC 105, for example. Note that the above-described wireless communication standards are examples for describing the present embodiment, and the present invention is not limited to these.

  The communication unit 128 mainly includes a MAC (Media Access Control) unit 20, a baseband processing unit 22, a high frequency processing unit 24, and an antenna 26.

  For example, when receiving data, the antenna 26 receives a modulated wave transmitted from another device (for example, the access point 102 shown in FIG. 1) as a radio wave by wireless communication. The antenna 26 then supplies the received modulated wave signal to the high frequency processing unit 24. Further, when transmitting data, the antenna 26 radiates the modulated signal supplied from the high frequency processing unit 24 as a radio wave. For example, in the system shown in FIG. 1, the radio wave radiated from the antenna 26 is received by the access point 102.

  When receiving the data, the high frequency processing unit 24 demodulates the modulated wave supplied from the antenna 26 by a predetermined demodulation method. Thereafter, the high frequency processing unit 24 supplies a signal obtained by demodulation to the baseband processing unit 22. In addition, when transmitting data, the high frequency processing unit 24 modulates the signal supplied from the baseband processing unit 22 by a predetermined modulation method. Thereafter, the high frequency processing unit 24 supplies the modulated signal (modulated wave) to the antenna 26.

  When receiving data, the baseband processing unit 22 converts the analog signal supplied from the high frequency processing unit 24 into digital signal data. Thereafter, the baseband processing unit 22 supplies the converted digital signal data to the MAC unit 20. In addition, when transmitting data, the baseband processing unit 22 converts the digital signal data supplied from the MAC unit 20 into an analog signal. Thereafter, the baseband processing unit 22 supplies the converted analog signal to the high frequency processing unit 22.

  When receiving the data, the MAC unit 20 converts the data supplied from the baseband processing unit 22 into a predetermined format. For example, the MAC unit 20 extracts a header, an error correction code, and the like included in the data supplied from the baseband processing unit 22, identifies a device that has transmitted the data based on the header, and the data error Is corrected. Thereafter, the MAC unit 20 converts the data supplied from the baseband processing unit 22 into data having a scheme in which a header, an error correction code, and the like are removed. The MAC unit 20 supplies the data converted into a predetermined format to the ROM 122, the RAM 124, the storage unit 126, and the like via the bus 134.

(CPU 132)
A CPU (Central Processing Unit) 132 is an arithmetic processing device and a control device that control the entire digital camera 100, and functions as a control unit that controls various functions of the digital camera 100. The CPU 132 executes each process of each component described above of the digital camera 100. The control unit 122 according to the present embodiment can also function as an imaging processing unit 150, a content management unit 152, a service management unit 154, a service control unit 156, a communication control unit 158, and the like, which will be described later. Each of the units 150 to 156 is realized by the CPU 132 operating according to a program stored in the ROM 122 or the like. Hereinafter, each of these functions realized by the CPU 132 will be described.

(2-3. Functional Configuration of Digital Camera 100)
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a functional configuration of the digital camera 100 executed by the CPU 132. As shown in FIG. 4, the CPU 132 mainly controls each process of the digital camera 100 as an imaging processing unit 150, a content management unit 152, a service management unit 154, a service control unit 156, and a communication control unit 158. To do. Hereinafter, details of each functional component executed by the CPU 132 will be described.

(Imaging processing unit 150)
The imaging processing unit 150 controls the operation of each unit of the imaging unit 118. For example, at the time of imaging, the imaging processing unit 150 controls the drive mechanism of the imaging unit 118 so that the subject is imaged with appropriate zoom, focus, and the like according to a user operation on the operation unit 116, Drive the focus lens. In addition, the imaging processing unit 150 starts imaging of a subject in response to a user operation on the operation unit 116 and generates image data by controlling the signal processing unit 16.

(Content Manager 152)
The content management unit 152 stores the image data captured by the imaging unit 118 in a storage area such as the RAM 122, the ROM 124, and the storage unit 126, and manages the image data. The content management unit 152 can delete stored image data or transfer the image data to a connected external device, for example, in response to a user operation on the operation unit 116. The content management unit 152 can also edit various types of information included in image data such as imaging date / time, imaging location, favorite degree, and genre, for example, in response to a user operation on the operation unit 116.

(Service management unit 154)
The service management unit 154 is one of the characteristic parts of the present embodiment, and in order to enable content processing without making the user aware of the difference in protocol, various services on the external device and the Internet are provided. Manages service definition information that defines protocols. As described above, the digital camera 100 can be connected to a plurality of external devices by connection based on DLNA. Therefore, the digital camera 100 transmits image data to the connected external device, acquires image data from the connected external device, and browses image data stored in the connected external device. be able to. Further, the digital camera 100 can access various service providing sites on the Internet 104 by the communication unit 128. Therefore, for example, the digital camera 100 can access a site that provides a photo sharing service and upload image data to the Internet 104, or can download a photo published on the Internet 104 as image data. it can. The digital camera 100 can also send image data to a friend or family member by attaching it to an e-mail by accessing a site that provides an e-mail service.

  In this way, the digital camera 100 can perform various processing of image data via external devices and services connected via a network. However, the required processing usually differs depending on the processing to be executed and the connected external device or service. That is, when transmitting image data to the TV 106 connected in accordance with DLNA, when acquiring image data from the PC 105, when downloading and acquiring image data from a photo sharing service on the Internet 104, Naturally, the necessary processing is different.

  As described above, the service definition information includes information regarding the contents of different processes required for each external device or service connected to the digital camera 100. Therefore, the service definition information is defined for each external device to which the digital camera 100 is connected and for each service that can be performed on the Internet 104.

  In this way, the service management unit 154 manages service definition information defined for each type of external device or service on the Internet 104. The service management unit 154 can store the service definition information in a nonvolatile storage area such as the ROM 124 or the storage unit 126, for example. Further, the service definition information can be set in advance, for example, at the time of manufacturing the digital camera 100, can be edited by an instruction from the user, and new service definition information is added when a new service is added. And so on. Details of the contents of the various service definition information will be described later.

(Service control unit 156)
The service control unit 156 executes various processes related to image data based on the service definition information managed by the service management unit 154 described above. That is, when there is an instruction to transmit image data from the user to the television 106 via the operation unit 116, the service control unit 156 manages the service related to image data transmission to the television 106 managed by the service management unit 154. Image data is transmitted to the television 106 based on the definition information. Similarly, when the user gives an instruction to upload image data using the photo sharing service on the Internet 104, the service control unit 156 manages the service definition related to the service managed by the service management unit 154. Upload image data on the Internet based on the information.

  In this way, the service control unit 156, in response to an instruction from the user, out of a plurality of service definition information managed by the service management unit 154, service definition information related to the external device or service corresponding to the instruction from the user Select. Thereafter, the service control unit 156 executes various processes of the image data based on the selected service definition information. Note that details of various processes performed by the service control unit 156 based on the service definition information will be described later.

(Communication control unit 158)
The communication control unit 158 controls the communication unit 128 to access various sites on the PC 105, the television 106, the Internet 104, and the like via the access point 102 in accordance with the instruction from the service control unit 156 described above. For example, when transmitting image data to the television 106, the communication control unit 158 transmits the image data stored in the digital camera 100 to the television 106 by controlling each component of the communication unit 128. Further, for example, when downloading image data using a photo sharing service on the Internet 104, by controlling each component of the communication unit 128, a site providing the service is accessed, and the image data is downloaded. to download.

  The main functional configuration of the digital camera 100 executed by the CPU 132 has been described above. However, these are examples for explaining the present embodiment, and the present invention is not limited to these. For example, the digital camera 100 according to the present embodiment is also a function that can be naturally executed by the CPU 132 with respect to various functions that a normal digital camera such as an activation control unit and an audio output unit can have.

(3. Structure of service definition information)
Next, details of the service definition information 200 managed by the service management unit 154 described above will be described. As described above, the service definition information 200 includes protocol information regarding the contents of image data processing that can be performed using various services on the PC 105, the television 106, and the Internet 104 connected to the digital camera 100. Has been. Therefore, a configuration example of the service definition information will be described below with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration example of the service definition information 200 managed by the service management unit 154. As shown in FIG. 5, the service definition information 200 mainly includes discovery processing information 202, capability processing information 204, authentication processing information 206, content processing information 208, and update processing information 216. . The content processing information 208 mainly includes transmission processing information 210, acquisition processing information 214, and browsing processing information 212. Details of each piece of information will be described below.

(Discovery process information 202)
The discovery processing information 202 is information related to discovery processing of a specific service on the external device connected to the digital camera 100 or the Internet 104. Here, the discovery process is, for example, capable of detecting an external device currently connected to the digital camera 100 or accessing a site that provides a specific service on the Internet 104 so that image data can be shared. It is to judge whether or not.

  For example, the discovery process of the television 106 connected in accordance with DLNA can be performed by detecting a device that provides a DMR function according to UPnP (Universal Plug and Play). Further, the discovery process of the photo sharing service on the Internet can be performed by determining whether or not the URL (Universal Resource Locator) of the site providing the service is accessible.

  As described above, the discovery process is a process that varies depending on the connected external device or service. Therefore, the plurality of service definition information 200 managed by the service management unit 154 includes discovery processing information 202 having different contents for each protocol related to content processing such as an external device and a service to be connected.

(Capability processing information 204)
The capability processing information 204 is information related to image data processing (capability processing) that can be executed by using an external device connected to the digital camera 100 or a specific service on the Internet 104. Here, capability processing is, for example, whether image data can be transmitted to an external device connected to the digital camera 100, or whether image data stored in the external device can be viewed. Determining whether or not the image data stored in the external device can be acquired. Capability processing also includes determining what processing can be performed on image data by using a photo sharing service on the Internet 104, for example.

  As described above, since the digital camera 100 can perform different processes depending on the connected external device or service, the digital camera 100 determines an executable process by the capability process. Accordingly, the plurality of service definition information 200 managed by the service management unit 154 includes capability processing information 204 having different contents for each protocol related to content processing such as an external device and a service to be connected.

(Authentication processing information 206)
The authentication processing information 206 is information related to authentication processing such as an external device connected to the digital camera 100 and an account and a password required when using a specific service on the Internet 104. When using a specific service on the Internet 104, authentication information such as user information (ID: Identification) and a password may be required. Therefore, processing of image data using the service requires processing such as inputting the authentication information. As described above, the authentication processing information 206 includes information on the necessity of authentication information when using a service or the like, information on the contents of the authentication information, and the like.

  Here, the necessity of authentication information and the content of authentication information differ depending on the external device to be used and the service content on the Internet 104. Therefore, the plurality of service definition information 200 managed by the service management unit 154 has different authentication processing information 206 for each protocol related to content processing such as connected external devices and services.

(Content processing information 208)
The content processing information 208 is information relating to processing performed using a connected external device or a service on the Internet 104 when a user requests content processing (transmission, browsing, acquisition, etc.). As shown in FIG. 5, the content processing information 208 mainly includes transmission processing information 210, browsing processing information 212, and acquisition processing information 214.

  The transmission processing information 210 is information related to processing of image data transmission to an external device connected to the digital camera 100 and image data transmission (upload) processing using a specific service on the Internet 104. For example, the transmission processing information 210 of the service definition information 200 related to a specific service on the Internet 104 can include information related to the URL of the transmission destination of the image data and various protocols related to transmission.

  Further, depending on transmission of image data to an external device connected to the digital camera 100 or a specific service on the Internet 104, only specific processing may be possible. For example, in the case of the television 106 as the DMR connected in conformity with DLNA, the image data stored in the digital camera 100 can be transmitted to the television 106, but the television 106 has no image data. Acquisition processing and browsing processing cannot be executed. In such a case, the content processing information 208 of the service definition information 200 includes only the transmission processing information 210, and does not include the browsing processing information 212 and the acquisition processing information 214.

  As described above, the digital camera 100 has different processes that can be performed depending on the connected external device or service. Therefore, the plurality of service definition information 200 managed by the service management unit 154 includes content processing information 208 having different contents for each protocol related to content processing such as an external device and a service to be connected.

(Update processing information 216)
The update process information 216 is an update process for confirming the update status of image data stored in an external device connected to the digital camera 100 and the update status of image data published by a specific service on the Internet 104. It is information about. The digital camera 100 can acquire connected external devices, image data published on the Internet 104, and the like. Therefore, it is desirable for the digital camera 100 to notify the user whether or not image data has been newly added in a connected external device or a specific service providing site on the Internet 104. Therefore, the service control unit 156 determines the update status of the image data based on the content of the update processing information 216.

  For example, whether or not the image data has been updated at a specific service providing site on the Internet 104 can be periodically confirmed by an RSS (RDF Site Summary / Rich Site Summary) feed with a time limit. If the external device connected to the digital camera 100 is a PC 105 as a DMS conforming to DLNA, the update status can be confirmed by receiving an update notification from the PC 105 using GENA (Generic Event Notification Architecture). .

  As described above, the service definition information 200 includes information related to the contents of various processes necessary for image data processing (transmission, browsing, acquisition, etc.). As described above, the service definition information 200 stores information on the contents of various processes performed by the service control unit 156 as a template. Further, as described above, each service definition information 200 has different information depending on the external device connected to the digital camera 100 and the content of the service on the Internet 104. For example, when the digital camera 100 is manufactured, the service management unit 154 can manage the service definition information 200 as an initial setting. Further, as described above, the digital camera 100 according to the present embodiment includes the service definition information according to the external device to be used and the service content, thereby executing processing according to each external device and the service content. Can do. Therefore, for example, even when a new external device or a new service is added, the service definition information 200 regarding content processing of the added external device or service can be added. As a result, the service control unit 156 can process content using the added external device or service based on the added service definition information. In such a case, the new service definition information 200 can be added by installing a program including the service definition information 200 or downloading it from the Internet.

  Next, a content example of service definition information corresponding to a content processing protocol in a typical external device or service will be described with reference to FIGS.

(Example of service definition information 300 of the photo sharing service)
FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration example of the service definition information 300 related to a predetermined photo sharing service on the Internet 104. The user can use the service by accessing a predetermined photo sharing service site on the Internet 104. For example, the user can transmit (upload) image data stored in the digital camera 100 and publish it on the Internet 104 by using the photo sharing service. Also, the user can acquire (download) or browse image data published on the Internet 104 by using the photo sharing service.

  In order to realize such processing, the service definition information 300 of the photo sharing service has definition information as shown in FIG.

  The service control unit 156 can determine whether or not the photo sharing service can be used based on the discovery processing information 302 included in the service definition information 300. For example, the discovery processing information 302 includes the URL of a site that provides the photo sharing service. Accordingly, the service control unit 156 can determine whether or not the photo sharing service can be used by determining whether or not the URL included in the discovery processing information 302 can be accessed. .

  The service control unit 156 can also check what processing is possible for the image data by using the photo sharing service based on the capability processing information 304 included in the service definition information 300. The capability processing information 304 includes, for example, a URL for transmitting image data, a URL for acquisition, a URL for browsing, and whether or not authentication processing is necessary. Therefore, the service control unit 156 can determine services that can be used in the photo sharing service by determining whether or not these URLs can be accessed.

  The service control unit 156 can also perform login processing to the photo sharing service based on the authentication processing information 306 included in the service definition information 300. Some predetermined sites on the Internet 104 cannot use the service unless a preset ID or password is input. The authentication processing information 306 includes user authentication information (for example, ID, password, etc.) necessary for using the photo sharing service. Therefore, even in such a case, the service control unit 156 can perform login processing to a site that provides the photo sharing service based on the user authentication information included in the authentication processing information 306.

  The service control unit 156 can also execute various processes of image data based on the content processing information 308 included in the service definition information 300. The transmission processing information 310 included in the content processing information 308 includes, for example, a URL for transmitting image data. Further, the acquisition processing information 314 included in the content processing information 308 includes, for example, a URL for acquiring image data. The browsing processing information 312 included in the content processing information 308 includes, for example, a URL for browsing image data. Therefore, the service control unit 156 can publish the image data on the site of the photo sharing service by transmitting the image data to the URL for transmission included in the transmission processing information 310. Further, the service control unit 156 can acquire predetermined image data disclosed in the URL by accessing the URL for acquisition included in the acquisition processing information 314. In addition, the service control unit 156 can browse predetermined image data disclosed in the URL by accessing the browsing URL included in the browsing processing information 312.

  The service control unit 156 can also check whether the image data published in the photo sharing service has been updated based on the update processing information 316 included in the service definition information 300. The update process information 316 includes, for example, process details for confirming content update. As the processing content for confirming the update of the content, for example, a method using an RSS feed with a time limit is assumed, but it is not limited to this.

  In this manner, the service control unit 156 can execute each process of image data using the photo sharing service based on the service definition information 300 corresponding to the content processing protocol in the photo sharing service.

(Example of service definition information 400 of DLNA MediaServer)
FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration example of the service definition information 400 related to the PC 105 connected in accordance with DLNA. The user browses / acquires predetermined image data stored in the PC 105 connected to the digital camera 100, or transmits image data stored in the digital camera 100 to the PC 105 connected to the digital camera 100. can do.

  The service control unit 156 can discover the DMS (PC 105) connected to the digital camera 100 based on the discovery processing information 402 included in the service definition information 400. The discovery process information 402 includes, for example, a protocol related to a process for discovering a device that provides a DMS function based on UPnP standardized in the DLNA guidelines. Therefore, the service control unit 156 can discover the PC 105 that is a device that provides the DMS function by performing processing according to UPnP.

  The service control unit 156 also uses the DMS (PC 105) connected to the digital camera 100 based on the capability processing information 404 included in the service definition information 400 to determine what processing can be performed on the image data. You can check whether or not. The capability processing information 404 includes, for example, a UPnP protocol standardized in the DLNA guidelines. Therefore, the service control unit 156 can confirm the processing provided by the PC using the DMS function according to UPnP. The PC 105 as a DMS connected in accordance with the normal DLNA can perform transmission processing, acquisition processing, browsing processing, update processing, and the like.

  The service control unit 156 can also execute various processes of image data based on the content processing information 406 included in the service definition information 400. The transmission processing information 408, the browsing processing information 410, and the acquisition processing information 412 included in the content processing information 406 include, for example, SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) that is a protocol for calling data and services in other computers. It is included. In communication by SOAP, an XML (eXtensible Markup Language) document is exchanged with a message with accompanying information called an envelope. Since both the client that uses the service and the server that provides the service have a SOAP generation / interpretation engine, objects can be called between different environments.

  Therefore, the service control unit 156 performs SOAP communication with the PC 105 based on the protocol information included in the transmission processing information 408. Thereafter, the service control unit 156 can receive a SOAP message from the PC 105 and transmit image data to a transmission URL included in the SOAP message. Similarly, the service control unit 156 can perform SOAP communication with the PC 105 to access the image data acquisition URL, browse the image data, and acquire the image data.

  The service control unit 156 can also check whether the image data stored in the PC 105 has been updated based on the update processing information 414 included in the service definition information 400. The update processing information 414 includes, for example, GENA (Generic Event Notification Architecture) which is a protocol standardized by UPnP. Here, GENA is a protocol defined by UPnP that defines a method for notifying that the service state of a device has changed. The notification of the state change by GENA is performed first by the subscriber (the device to be notified (digital camera 100)) to the publisher (the device having the state changing service (PC 105)) and the service target to be notified. Send a request message containing. This notification request has an expiration date. If the subscriber wants to continue receiving notification after the expiration date, the notification request must be repeated periodically. Thereafter, when there is a status change to be notified on the publisher side, the publisher sends an event message to the subscriber that the service status has changed.

  Therefore, the service control unit 156 can acquire an update notification from the PC 105 by performing processing according to the SOAP protocol included in the update processing information 414. That is, the service control unit 156 can confirm the update status of the image data in the PC 105.

  Note that the service definition information 400 related to the PC 105 connected to the digital camera 100 does not have authentication processing information 306, unlike the service definition information 300 related to the photo sharing service shown in FIG. This is because an authentication process based on user information is usually unnecessary when accessing the PC 105 connected in accordance with DLNA. Of course, this is an example in the present embodiment, and in the case where authentication processing based on user information is required, the service definition information 400 can also include authentication processing information regarding the contents of the authentication processing.

(Example of service definition information 500 of DLNA MediaRenderer)
FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration example of the service definition information 500 related to the television 106 connected in accordance with DLNA. The user can display the image data on the display of the television 106 by transmitting the image data stored in the digital camera 100 to the television 106 connected to the digital camera 100.

  Similar to the example of the PC 105 illustrated in FIG. 7, the service control unit 156 can discover the DMR (television 106) connected to the digital camera 100 based on the discovery processing information 502 included in the service definition information 500. it can. The discovery process information 502 includes, for example, a protocol related to a process for discovering a device that provides a DMR function based on UPnP standardized in the DLNA guidelines. Therefore, the service control unit 156 can discover the television 106 that is a device that provides the DMR function by performing processing according to UPnP.

  Similarly to the example of the PC 105 shown in FIG. 7, the service control unit 156 also uses the DMR (television 106) connected to the digital camera 100 based on the capability processing information 504 included in the service definition information 500. It is possible to check what kind of processing regarding data is possible. The capability processing information 504 includes, for example, a UPnP protocol standardized in the DLNA guidelines. Therefore, the service control unit 156 can confirm the processing provided by the television 106 using the DMR function according to UPnP. The television 106 as a DMR connected in accordance with the normal DLNA is compatible with transmission processing.

  Similarly to the example of the PC 105 shown in FIG. 7, the service control unit 156 can execute various processes of image data based on the content processing information 506 included in the service definition information 500. As described above, since the television 106 as a normal DMR only supports transmission processing, the content processing information 506 includes only transmission processing information 508. The transmission processing information 508 includes, for example, a protocol related to SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) as in the example of the PC 105 illustrated in FIG.

  Therefore, the service control unit 156 performs SOAP communication with the television 106 based on the protocol information included in the transmission processing information 508. Thereafter, the service control unit 156 can receive the SOAP message from the television 106 and transmit the image data to the transmission URL included in the SOAP message.

(4. Various processing flows by the service control unit 156)
In the digital camera 100 configured as described above, a flow of various processes performed by the service control unit 156 based on service definition information managed by the service management unit 154 will be described together with a display example of the display unit 120. In the present specification, the steps described in the flowcharts are executed in parallel or individually even if they are not necessarily processed in time series, as well as the processes performed in time series in the described order. Including processing to be performed. Further, it goes without saying that the order can be appropriately changed even in the steps processed in time series. The display examples of the display unit 120 shown below are examples for explaining the present embodiment, and the present invention is not limited to these examples.

(4-1. Flow of discovery of external devices and services)
First, the service control unit 156 finds external devices connected to the digital camera 100 and various services on the Internet 104, and the flow of processing for displaying the usage status of the services and the like on the display unit 120 for the user. explain. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing for displaying services and external devices that can be used by the user on the display unit 120 by the service control unit 156.

  As shown in FIG. 9, first, in step 900, the service control unit 156 displays external devices already registered by the user and services on the Internet 104 on the display unit 120. That is, the user can register in advance, for example, a favorite service providing site on the home PC 105, the TV 106, and the Internet 104. As a result, the service control unit 156 can always display the external device or service registered by the user on the display unit 120 in step 900. In addition, the service control unit 156 can perform the processing in step 900 immediately after the digital camera 100 is turned on or when a display request is received from the user.

  Here, a display example of the display unit 120 in the flow shown in FIG. 9 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a display example of the display unit 120 that displays image data stored in the storage unit 126, an external device discovered by the service control unit 156, and the like.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the display unit 120 mainly includes a counter service display screen 160 and a self device display screen 162. The counter service display screen 160 is a screen for displaying a list of external devices connected to the digital camera 100 and services on the Internet 104. That is, in step 900, the service control unit 156 displays an object indicating a registered device or service on the counter service display screen 160. In the example illustrated in FIG. 10, the opposite service display screen 160 corresponds to the TV 106 connected to the digital camera 100, the PC 105, “Klickr”, which is a photo sharing service on the Internet 104, and “My Tube”. The object to be displayed is displayed. On the other hand, the self-device display screen 162 is a screen that displays a list of image data stored in the storage unit 126 of the digital camera 100 or the like. As described above, the display unit of the digital camera 100 according to the present embodiment can display a list of image data and objects indicating external devices and services that can share the image data on one screen. As a result, the user can easily recognize the currently processable content, available services, and the like.

  The display example shown in FIG. 10 is an example for explaining the present embodiment, and the present invention is not limited to this. In the display example shown in FIG. 10, the opposite service display screen 160 is displayed on the upper side of the display unit 120, and the own device display screen 162 is displayed on the lower side of the display unit 120. However, for example, as shown in FIG. 11, the opposite service display screen 160 may be displayed on the right side of the display unit 120, and the self-device display screen 162 may be displayed on the left side of the display unit 120. For example, as shown in FIG. 12, the opposite service display screen 160 can be displayed on the left side of the display unit 120, and the self-device display screen 162 can be displayed on the right side of the display unit 120. Thus, the display positions of the opposing service display screen 160 and the self-device display screen 162 on the display unit 120 can be arbitrarily set by the user, for example.

  In addition, on the counter service display screen 160, for example, as shown in FIG. 13, external devices and services having the same protocol may be displayed automatically and superimposed. In the example illustrated in FIG. 13, for example, it can be seen that a plurality of televisions and PCs are connected to the digital camera 100, and E-Mails having a plurality of addresses are registered by the user. In this case, for example, when a user taps a predetermined external device or service, a list of external devices having the same protocol can be displayed.

  Further, by using the update process described above, for example, as shown in FIG. 14, a message indicating that is displayed on the updated external device or service, and the number of updated image data is displayed. You can also. In the example shown in FIG. 14, it can be seen that ten pieces of image data have been updated since the previous browsing on the PC 105. The counter service display screen can also display each object in order according to the update frequency, the number of times of browsing, and the like. As described above, the display unit 120 of the digital camera 100 according to the present embodiment provides the convenience of the operation by the user by displaying the opposing service display screen 160 and the self-device display screen 162 at the same time. Therefore, the display of the counter service display screen 160 and the self-device display screen 162 is not limited to a specific method as long as it is a display for providing easy operability for the user.

  Referring again to FIG. 9, in step 902, the service control unit 156 displays the external devices and services discovered when the digital camera 100 was last activated on the counter service display screen 160. Although details will be described later, the service control unit 156 discovers an external device connected to the digital camera 100 by the discovery process according to the above-described DLNA UPnP even if the external device is not registered by the user. be able to. Therefore, the service control unit 156 can display the external device or service previously discovered by the discovery process on the counter service display screen 160 even if the external device is not registered by the user.

  Next, in step 904, the service control unit 156 confirms whether or not the external device or service displayed on the counter service display screen 160 is currently available. At this time, as described above, the service control unit 156 determines whether or not the external device or service can be used based on the discovery processing information 202 of the service definition information 200 managed for each external device or service. Judgment can be made. In step 904, when the external devices and services are not available, the display of objects corresponding to these external devices and services can be grayed out. As a result, the user can visually recognize external devices and services that can be currently used.

  Next, in step 906, the service control unit 156 performs a discovery process for detecting external devices and services currently connected to the digital camera 100 in addition to the external devices and services displayed on the opposite service display screen 160. . For example, by using the DLNA protocol included in the discovery processing information 202 of the service definition information 200, the service control unit 156 can discover an external device that is currently connected to the digital camera 100 via the DLNA home network. .

  In step 908, the service control unit 156 determines whether there is an external device or service currently connected to the digital camera 100 in addition to the external device or service displayed on the opposite service display screen 160. When an external device or the like is found in step 908, the service control unit 156 displays an object corresponding to the found external device or the like on the counter service display screen 160 shown in FIG. 10 in step 910. .

  Thereafter, the service control unit 156 performs discovery processing based on the discovery processing information 202 of all service definition information 200 managed by the service management unit 154. In step 912, the service control unit 156 terminates the display on the display unit 120 when the discovery process for all external devices and the like is completed based on the discovery process information 202.

  As described above, the service control unit 156 displays the external device or service that the user can currently process the image data when the digital camera 100 is activated or when requested by the user. It can be displayed on the display screen 160.

(4-2. Image Data Transmission Flow)
Next, the flow of processing for transmitting the image data displayed on the self-device display screen 162 to the external device or service displayed on the counter service display screen 160 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing a flow in which a user transmits image data stored in the digital camera 100 to an external device connected to the digital camera 100 or a service destination on the Internet 104.

  In step 1500, the service control unit 156 determines image data to be transmitted from the digital camera 100. The service control unit 156 can determine, as image data to be transmitted, image data that the user is dragging on the self-device display screen 162 using, for example, a hand or a touch pen.

  In step 1502, the service control unit 156 further determines the transmission destination of the image data determined in step 1500. The service control unit 156 uses, for example, an external device or service displayed on the opposite service display screen 160 where the image data being dragged is dropped by the user using a hand or a touch pen, and the like. It can be determined as a transmission destination.

  FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram showing a display example of the display unit 120 in the determination of image data and the determination of the transmission destination in the above steps. As shown in FIG. 16, for example, the user drags arbitrary data among the image data displayed on the self-device display screen 162 and selects any of the external devices and services displayed on the opposite service display screen 160. The image data can be dropped on an external device. In other words, the user can instruct the digital camera 100 to perform transmission processing simply by dragging and dropping arbitrary image data to an arbitrary external device or the like. In response to this, the digital camera 100 determines the image data to be transmitted and the transmission destination of the image data in steps 1500 and 1502 described above, and executes the image data transmission process in the following steps.

  Referring to FIG. 15 again, in step 1504, the service control unit 156 determines whether or not the transmission destination determined in step 1502 is available. As described above, some of the external devices and services displayed on the counter service display screen 160 are determined to be currently unusable in the discovery process in step 904 in FIG. Moreover, although it was available when the discovery process was performed, it is assumed that it is not currently available. Therefore, the service control unit 156 determines whether or not the external device or service of the transmission destination is currently available based on the discovery processing information 202 included in the service definition information 200 corresponding to the protocol related to content processing such as the external device. to decide.

  If it is determined in step 1504 that the transmission destination is currently available, the service control unit 156 transmits the image data determined in step 1500 to the transmission destination determined in step 1502. At this time, as described above, the service control unit 156 executes the data transmission processing based on the transmission processing information 210 included in the content processing information 208 of the destination service definition information 200. For example, in the example illustrated in FIG. 16, the user selects the PC 105 connected in accordance with DLNA displayed on the opposite service display screen 160 as a transmission destination. Therefore, the service control unit 156 can transmit the image data based on the transmission processing information 408 included in the content processing information 406 of the service definition information 400 regarding the DMS shown in FIG. In this way, the service control unit 156 can transmit image data based on the service definition information 200 defined for each external device or service as a transmission destination. Therefore, the user simply drags the image data to be transmitted displayed on the self-device display screen 162 and drops the image data on the destination external device or service displayed on the counter service display screen 160. Can be sent to the destination.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step 1504 that the transmission destination is not available, or if the transmission process in step 1506 is not successful for some reason, the service control unit 156 makes a transmission reservation for the image data in step 1510. Process.

  Here, the transmission reservation process means that the transmission destination can be used by storing image data that cannot be currently transmitted and information on the transmission destination in a storage area such as the RAM 122, the ROM 124, and the storage unit 120, for example. This is a process of transmitting the data when it becomes. For example, when the destination is not available, for example, when the network connection with the destination is not possible, the service providing site of the destination cannot be accessed during maintenance, and the power of the connected external device is If it is blocked, etc. are assumed. In such a case, the digital camera 100 according to the present embodiment can accept an image data transmission reservation. Therefore, the user can perform image data transmission work even when an external device or service connected to the digital camera 100 cannot be used.

  Next, a flow of processing for transmitting image data reserved for transmission to a transmission destination will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing in which the service control unit 156 transmits image data reserved for transmission to a transmission destination. Note that the service control unit 156 can perform the transmission processing of the image data reserved for transmission shown in FIG. 17 at various timings. The service control unit 156, for example, when the power source of the digital camera 100 is restarted and connected to the network, when there is a transmission instruction request from the user at regular intervals after the transmission reservation is made, at various timings, etc. Transmission can be performed and is not limited to a specific timing.

  First, in step 1700, the service control unit 156 selects one arbitrary image data from the image data reserved for transmission. Thereafter, in step 1702, the service control unit 156 determines whether or not the transmission destination of the image data is currently available. At this time, as described above, the service control unit 156 determines whether or not the transmission destination is available based on the discovery processing information 202 included in the service definition information 200 regarding the external device or service of the transmission destination.

  If it is determined in step 1702 that the transmission destination of the reserved transmission is currently available, the service control unit 156 transmits the data to the transmission destination in step 1704. At this time, as described above, the service control unit 156, based on the transmission processing information 210 included in the content processing information 208 included in the service definition information 200 corresponding to the protocol related to the content processing, such as a destination external device, Send image data.

  Thereafter, in step 1708, the service control unit 156 deletes the transmission reservation for the image data that has been successfully transmitted. That is, the service control unit 156 erases the transmission reservation data and the information regarding the transmission destination stored in the storage unit 126 and the like. Further, the service control unit 156 determines in step 1710 whether or not all image data reserved for transmission has been transmitted. If it is determined in step 1710 that all image data reserved for transmission have not been transmitted, the service control unit 156 selects another transmission reservation data in step 1712 and again steps 1702 to 1708. Execute the transmission process.

  As described above, the digital camera 100 according to the present embodiment transmits the data even when the external device or the like of the transmission destination cannot be used when the user tries to transmit predetermined image data. It can be accepted as a transmission reservation. Further, the digital camera 100 can transmit the image data reserved for transmission to the transmission destination such as the reserved external device when the external device of the transmission destination becomes available thereafter. As a result, the digital camera 100 according to the present embodiment can significantly improve the convenience of the user's work related to image data transmission. As described above, the digital camera according to the present embodiment can execute content processing without making the user aware of the difference in protocol related to content processing that differs depending on the external device or the service on the Internet 104. .

(4-2. Flow of browsing processing of image data)
Next, refer to FIG. 18 for a flow of processing for browsing image data stored in an external device connected to the digital camera 100, image data published by various services on the Internet 104, and the like. I will explain.

  As illustrated in FIG. 18, the service control unit 156 determines a browsing destination of an external device or a service connected to the digital camera 100 in Step 1800. The service control unit 156 can determine, for example, an external device that the user is dragging on the counter service display screen 160 as a browsing destination using a hand or a touch pen.

  Next, in step 1802, the service control unit 156 determines whether or not the browsing destination determined in step 1800 is available. At this time, the service control unit 156 can determine whether or not the browsing destination is available based on the discovery processing information 202 included in the service definition information 200 corresponding to the protocol related to the browsing destination content processing. If it is determined in step 1802 that the browsing destination is available, the service control unit 156 performs browsing processing in step 1804. At this time, as described above, the service control unit 156 can perform browsing processing based on the browsing processing information 212 included in the content processing information 208 of the service definition information 200 regarding the browsing destination. Thereafter, in step 1806, the service control unit 156 displays the browsing destination image data and the like on the counter service display screen 160 of the display unit 120.

  FIG. 19 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a display example of the display unit 120 displayed by the browsing process. As shown in FIG. 19, the counter service display screen 160 displays a list of image data stored in the browsing destination. The self-device display screen 162 displays objects that can store image data, for example, an internal storage area such as a ROM 124, an external storage device such as a Memory Stick (registered trademark) or an SD card, and the like. . Further, unlike the display screen at the time of transmission shown in FIG. 10, the opposite service display screen 160 that displays the image data of the browsing destination is displayed larger than the self-device display screen 162. FIG. 20 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of display switching from the display unit 120 during the transmission process to the display unit 120 during the browsing process. As illustrated in FIG. 20, when the user taps the PC 105 displayed on the counter service display screen 160, the counter service display screen 160 is enlarged and a list of image data stored in the PC 105 is displayed. Along with this, the self-device display screen 162 displaying the list of image data stored in the digital camera 100 is reduced, and an object indicating each storage area included in the digital camera 100 is displayed. Thereby, the user can visually recognize the image data currently saved in the browsing destination and the saving destination of the digital camera 100 when the data is acquired.

  As described above, the digital camera 100 can also display a large screen for displaying image data that the user is expected to need more. Thereby, the digital camera 100 according to the present embodiment can significantly improve the operability by the user such as image selection and image browsing.

  Referring to FIG. 18 again, if it is determined in step 1802 that the browsing destination is not currently available, the service control unit 156 can display the image data of the browsing destination by using the cache memory. Specifically, in step 1808, the service control unit 156 determines whether the image data of the browsing destination is stored in the cache memory. That is, if the user has previously browsed the image data of the same browsing destination, the image data of the same browsing destination may be stored in the cache memory. In such a case, the service control unit 156 selects the image data of the browsing destination from the cache memory in Step 1810, executes the browsing process in Step 1810, and then displays the image data on the counter service display screen 160 in Step 1806. Is displayed. At this time, the display unit 120 can notify the user that the currently displayed image data is not the latest, for example, with a message, background color, icon, or the like. Whether or not to perform display using the cache memory is arbitrary, and the function may not be provided depending on performance required by the digital camera 100, setting by the user, and the like.

(4-3. Flow of Image Data Acquisition Process)
Next, FIG. 21 shows a processing flow for obtaining image data stored in an external device connected to the digital camera 100, image data published by various services on the Internet 104, and the like. The description will be given with reference.

  In step 1900, the service control unit 156 determines image data acquired from an external device connected to the digital camera 100 or the like. For example, the service control unit 156 can determine, as image data to be acquired, image data that the user is dragging on the counter service display screen 160 using a hand or a touch pen.

  In step 1902, the service control unit 156 further determines a storage destination in the digital camera 100 of the image data determined in step 1900. For example, the service control unit 156 uses the storage area displayed on the self-device display screen 162 where the image data being dragged is dropped by the user using a hand or a touch pen as a storage destination of the image data. Can be determined.

  FIG. 22 is an explanatory diagram showing a display example of the display unit 120 in the determination of the image data and the storage destination in the above steps. As shown in FIG. 22, the display unit 120 displays a list of image data of browsing destinations on the counter service display screen 160 by the browsing process described above. For example, the user drags arbitrary data from the image data displayed on the opposite service display screen 160 and stores the storage area (for example, the internal storage area, the SD card or the memory stick ( The image data can be dropped in an arbitrary storage area (eg, a folder in an external storage area such as a registered trademark). That is, the user can instruct the digital camera 100 to acquire image data simply by dragging and dropping arbitrary image data to an arbitrary storage area. In response to this, the digital camera 100 determines the image data to be acquired and the storage destination of the image data in Step 1900 and Step 1902 described above.

  Referring to FIG. 21 again, the service control unit 156 then executes an image data acquisition process in step 1904. At this time, as described above, the service control unit 156 includes the acquisition processing information 214 included in the service definition information 200 corresponding to the protocol related to the content processing of the image data acquisition source (such as an external device storing the image data). Based on this, the image data is acquired. For example, when acquiring image data from the PC 105 as the DMS connected in compliance with DLNA, the service control unit 156 acquires the acquisition process included in the content processing information 406 of the service definition information 400 illustrated in FIG. An acquisition process is executed based on the information 412.

  Also, in the image data acquisition flow shown in FIG. 19, it is also possible to make an image data acquisition reservation in the same manner as the transmission reservation described in the transmission process. This can be used, for example, when the browsing destination is not currently available in the browsing process described above, and image data stored in the cache memory is displayed on the counter service display screen 160. . For example, the user may select the cache memory image data displayed on the opposite service display screen 160 and select the storage area displayed on the self-device display screen 162 as a storage destination. In such a case, it is possible to acquire the reservation of the data by the same flow as the reservation transmission described above. That is, when the service control unit 156 becomes available after the acquisition source network or the like is restored, the service control unit 156 stores the acquisition processing information 214 included in the service definition information 200 corresponding to the protocol related to the content processing of the acquisition source. Based on this, it is possible to execute processing for acquiring reserved image data.

  As described above, the digital camera 100 according to one of the embodiments of the present invention can use the service definition information for each protocol for processing contents required for content processing in connected external devices and various services on the Internet 104. 200 can be managed. In addition, the digital camera 100 according to the present embodiment performs processing (transmission, viewing, transmission) of image data using the external device or the like based on the service definition information 200 corresponding to a protocol related to content processing such as a connected external device. Acquisition etc.). Therefore, even when the data transmission or reception protocol differs depending on the external device or service connected to the digital camera 100, the digital camera 100 processes the image data based on the service definition information defined for each protocol. Can do. As a result, the user can process (send, view, acquire, etc.) image data with a simple operation without being aware of the difference in protocols related to content processing such as external devices and services connected to the digital camera 100. Can do.

  In addition, the digital camera 100 according to the present embodiment can also include a display screen and a transmission reservation function in consideration of convenience for the user in order to further enhance the above characteristics. That is, the display unit 120 of the digital camera 100 has a counter service display screen 160 that displays external devices and services connected to the digital camera 100, and a self-device display that displays image data and storage areas of the digital camera 100. A screen 162 is displayed. Further, in consideration of user operability, it is possible to display a larger screen for displaying image data among the counter service display screen 160 and the self-device display screen 162. Since the digital camera 100 includes such a display screen, the user can easily transmit and acquire image data only by dragging and dropping the image data displayed on both display units. Further, the digital camera 100 can perform processing based on the above-described service definition information 200 in accordance with the drag & drop operation input by the user. Furthermore, even when the transmission destination of the image data is not currently available, the user can make the above-described transmission reservation. Therefore, the user can perform image data transmission reservation processing even when the network is not currently connected, such as when transmitting image data from the outside to the home PC 105. The digital camera 100 can transmit the image data when the connection between the digital camera 100 and the PC 105 is restored by receiving the transmission reservation process by the user.

  As described above, the digital camera 100 as an example of the information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment can process content without making the user aware of the difference in protocol related to content processing that varies depending on an external device or a service on the Internet 104. Can be performed.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to such examples. It is obvious that a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains can come up with various changes or modifications within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims. Of course, it is understood that these also belong to the technical scope of the present invention.

  For example, in the above embodiment, the digital camera 100 that mainly processes image data has been described as an example of the information processing apparatus, but the present invention is not limited to such an example. For example, the present invention can naturally be applied to various information processing apparatuses that process content such as personal computers, music players, mobile phones, PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants), video cameras, playback / recording apparatuses, televisions, game machines, and the like. It is. The content to be processed is not limited to image data, and may be various content data such as music data and moving image data.

  Further, the connection between the digital camera 100 and the external device or service is not limited to the above-mentioned mobile phone, but may be, for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark), mobile phone data communication, wired connection, or the like.

  Further, the protocol related to transmission, browsing, acquisition, etc. of the content is not limited to the one described in the above embodiment. In addition to those described in the above embodiment, for example, Web API (Application Programming Interface) based on REST, AtomPub protocol, Atom feed, RSS feed, e-mail (SMTP, POP, IMAP, etc.), DLNA server over the Internet, etc. It is applicable to various things. Even in such a case, it is possible to provide the features of the above-described embodiment by providing service definition information regarding these protocols.

It is explanatory drawing which shows the whole structure of the system using the digital camera 100 which concerns on this embodiment. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating examples of various services that can be used on the Internet 104. FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the hardware constitutions of the digital camera 100 concerning this embodiment. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the digital camera 100, which is executed by a CPU 132. FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structural example of the service definition information 200 managed by the service management part 154. FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structural example of the service definition information 300 regarding the predetermined photo sharing service on the internet. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structural example of the service definition information 400 regarding the PC connected based on DLNA. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structural example of the service definition information 500 regarding the television 106 connected based on DLNA. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing for displaying services and external devices that can be used by the user on the display unit 120 by the service control unit 156. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a display example of the display unit 120 that displays image data stored in a storage unit 126, an external device discovered by a service control unit 156, and the like. 12 is an explanatory diagram illustrating another display example of the display unit 120 that displays image data stored in the storage unit 126, an external device discovered by the service control unit 156, and the like. FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram illustrating another display example of the display unit 120 that displays image data stored in the storage unit 126, an external device discovered by the service control unit 156, and the like. FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram illustrating another display example of the display unit 120 that displays image data stored in the storage unit 126, an external device discovered by the service control unit 156, and the like. FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram illustrating another display example of the display unit 120 that displays image data stored in the storage unit 126, an external device discovered by the service control unit 156, and the like. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a flow of transmitting image data to an external device connected to the digital camera 100 or a service destination on the Internet 104. FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the example of a display of the display part 120 at the time of transmitting image data. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a process in which the service control part 156 transmits the image data by which transmission reservation was carried out to a transmission destination. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a process when the service control part 156 performs a browsing process. It is explanatory drawing which shows the example of a display of the display part 120 in a browsing process. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the switching of the display from the display part 120 at the time of a transmission process to the display part 120 at the time of a browsing process. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the process in which the service control part 156 acquires image data. It is explanatory drawing which shows the example of a display of the display part 120 in an acquisition process.

Explanation of symbols

100 Digital camera 100
102 Access Point 104 Internet 106 Television 116 Operation Unit 118 Imaging Unit 120 Display Unit 122 RAM
124 ROM
126 Storage Unit 128 Input / Output Unit 130 Communication Unit 132 CPU
134 Bus 150 Imaging Control Unit 152 Content Management Unit 154 Service Management Unit 156 Service Control Unit 158 Communication Control Unit 160 Opposite Service Display Screen 162 Self-Device Display Screen 200 Service Definition Information 202 Discovery Processing Information 204 Capability Processing Information 206 Authentication Processing Information 208 Content processing information 210 Transmission processing information 212 Acquisition processing information 214 Browsing processing information 216 Update processing information

Claims (16)

A communication unit that communicates and connects to at least one external device or / and a service using the Internet, which has a different protocol for processing content;
A storage unit for storing the content;
A service management unit that manages a plurality of service definition information that defines information necessary for processing the content for each of the different protocols;
A service control unit that executes processing of content stored in the storage unit or content of the external device or / and the service by communicating with the external device or the service based on the service definition information When,
An information processing apparatus comprising: In the service definition information, information related to the content of processing that the service control unit needs to execute when processing the content is defined,
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the service control unit processes the content based on a content of processing defined in the service definition information. The service definition information includes discovery processing information that defines the content related to the discovery processing for determining whether the external device or / and the service is currently communicable by the communication unit,
The service control unit determines whether or not the external device or / and the service is currently communicable by the communication unit based on the content related to the discovery process defined in the discovery process information. Item 3. The information processing device according to Item 2. In the service definition information, a capability that defines contents related to capability processing that determines what content processing can be executed by the external device or / and the service that are connected by the communication unit. Processing information included,
The service control unit determines what content processing is performed by the external device or / and the service connected by the communication unit based on the content related to the capability processing defined in the capability processing information. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the information processing apparatus determines whether it can be executed. The service definition information includes content processing information that defines the content processing content,
The said service control part performs the process of the said content by communicating with the said external apparatus or the said service based on the content regarding the process of the said content defined in the said content process information. Information processing device. The content processing information includes transmission processing information defining details of processing for transmitting the content to the external device or the service;
Browsing process information defining the contents of the process of browsing the content of the external device or the service;
Acquisition process information defining the content of the process of acquiring the content of the external device or the service;
The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, comprising: The service definition information includes update processing information that defines the content related to the update processing for determining the update status of the external device or / and the service that is connected by the communication unit,
The said service control part judges the update condition of the said external apparatus or / and the said service connected by the said communication part based on the content regarding the said update process defined in the said update process information. The information processing apparatus described in 1.   The service control unit, when transmitting the content to the external device or the service based on the content related to the transmission of the content defined in the transmission processing information, the external device or service of the transmission destination The information processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein when the communication unit is not currently capable of communication connection, the content to be transmitted and the external device or the service to be transmitted are stored in the storage unit. . When the content to be transmitted and the external device or the service to be transmitted are stored in the storage unit,
9. The service control unit transmits the content to be transmitted to the external device or the service to be transmitted after the external device or the service becomes capable of communication connection by the communication unit. The information processing apparatus described in 1. An object representing the storage unit, or a self-device display screen for displaying the content stored in the storage unit;
An object representing the external device or / and the service connected by the communication unit, or an opposing service display screen for displaying the content of the external device or / and the service;
The information processing apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising: a display unit including: When the service control unit transmits the content to the external device or the service,
The information processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the display unit displays the self-device display screen larger than the counter service display screen. When the service control unit browses the content of the external device or the service, and when acquiring the content of the external device or the service,
The information processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the opposite service display screen is displayed on the display unit larger than the self-device display screen. When the user drags and drops the content displayed on the self-device display screen onto the external device or the object representing the service displayed on the counter service display screen,
The information processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the service control unit transmits the dragged content to an external device or a service corresponding to the dropped object. When the user drags and drops the content displayed on the opposite service display screen onto an object representing the storage unit displayed on the self-device display screen,
The information processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the service control unit acquires the dragged content from the external device or the service and saves the content in a storage unit corresponding to the dropped object. Corresponding to the protocol of the service using the external device or the Internet that is the target of the content processing among the plurality of service definition information in which the information necessary for the processing of the content is defined for each protocol related to the processing of the content A service definition information selection step for selecting service definition information;
Based on the selected service definition information, a communication step for communication connection to the external device or the service that is a target of content processing;
A content processing step for executing content processing with the externally connected device or service connected based on the selected service definition information;
An information processing method including: Corresponding to the protocol of the service using the external device or the Internet that is the target of the content processing among the plurality of service definition information in which the information necessary for the processing of the content is defined for each protocol related to the processing of the content Service definition information selection processing for selecting service definition information;
Based on the selected service definition information, communication processing for communication connection to the external device or the service that is the target of content processing;
Content processing for executing content processing with the externally connected device or service based on the selected service definition information; and
An information processing program that causes a computer to execute.

Images