JP3482603B1 - Transmitter / receiver for newspaper production images - Google Patents

Abstract

A photographer can easily confirm whether an image transmitted by a photographer has been transmitted to a newspaper company after the image has been transmitted from a photographer's personal computer. In addition, the cameraman can easily confirm whether or not the transmitted image is scheduled to be published in a newspaper company and published on paper. When display software is started on a photographer's personal computer, image display screen data of a Web server can be accessed, and a received image list screen is displayed on the personal computer. On the editor's personal computer 1,
When an input operation to instruct that an image is to be submitted is performed, data of the operation content is transmitted to the Web server 9, and the data of the received image list screen 121 stored in the Web server 9 is the image 122 ' Image information display section 12
The background color of 3 'changes to a color (green) different from the ground color (white). By accessing the data of the received image list screen 121 of the Web server 9 from the photographer's personal computer 10,
The updated received image list screen 121 is displayed on the personal computer 1
It is displayed as 0.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention transmits data of an image photographed by a photographing means such as a camera from a terminal on the side of a photographer to a terminal on the side of an editor, and extracts the image data from the terminal on the side of the editor. The present invention relates to an image transmitting / receiving apparatus and a server for transmitting / receiving images used in the image transmitting / receiving apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Photographs are an important material for news gathering activities by newspaper publishers, magazine publishers, etc., and it is necessary to quickly send photos taken at the gathering locations to newspaper publishers at remote locations.

In recent years, since the performance of digital cameras has improved and communication costs have been reduced due to the development of communication lines, a system for transmitting image data taken by a digital camera to a newspaper company via the communication lines has been developed. Developed,
It's being used.

Hereinafter, description will be made assuming that a photograph is taken at an event such as the Olympics, soccer, baseball, etc. and is sent to a newspaper company.

Olympic Games, Soccer World Cup,
At a sports event such as professional baseball, a photographer who belongs to a newspaper company shoots a large number of images for high-impact photos and sends them to the newspaper company. In this case, the cameraman imports the image data taken by the digital camera into a personal computer for transmission (hereinafter referred to as a personal computer), activates the image transmission software installed on the personal computer, and opens the public line such as the Internet or a dedicated line. Send to newspapers via our network.

[0006] Just before the deadline of the newspaper, the cameraman cannot afford to send the image after confirming the photographed image or selecting from a plurality of images. In addition, even if there is time to spare, the cameraman must transmit the captured image as soon as possible and prepare for the next image in order not to miss a decisive moment. Especially in the coverage of sports events, a photographer may take hundreds of images in one game. Since a plurality of photographers, usually about three or four people, photograph one game, the number of images to be photographed becomes even larger.

Here, a host computer for paper production is provided in the newspaper company. The page production host computer is connected to the page production terminal by an in-house LAN. Here, it is said that the photograph is “submitted” when the image data is transmitted to the page production host computer and the image data is accumulated. In the paper surface production terminal, a process for producing a paper surface is performed using the image data stored in the paper surface production host computer.

The space on the newspaper page is limited, and at most 3 to 4 sheets are printed on a page per game. It is impossible to post all the hundreds of images taken.

Therefore, if a large amount of images are directly transmitted from the camera personal computer on the side of the newspaper to the host computer for newspaper production on the side of the newspaper company and "submitted", the transmission cost increases and the free space of the host computer is reduced. And not efficient. In addition, editing work is required to select several images to be published on the paper from a large number of images stored in the paper production host computer, which confuses the production site.

Therefore, conventionally, an image transmission / reception system is provided in front of a host computer for paper surface production, receives an image transmitted from a cameraman, selects an image to be "published" from the received images, and then displays the image on the paper surface. I am trying to send it to the host computer.

(Prior Art 1) FIG. 7 shows the configuration of a conventional image transmitting / receiving system. This prior art 1 is described in Non-Patent Document 1 (Newspaper Technology / 2002-3
No. 181, pp1 to pp7 "Development of Web-based new image receiving system (commonly known as Kim-chan) about photo coverage in Japan-Korea World Cup", published on September 25, 2002, Japan Newspaper Association, as "old system" ing.

That is, a photographer's personal computer 10 is provided at a shooting location, such as a soccer field or a baseball field. The personal computer 10 on the photographer side is, for example, "IEEE13
It is connected to the camera (digital camera) 1 via a data communication cable 20 of "94" standard. At the shooting location, the cameraman uses the camera 1 to take a picture of the event.

A relay server 21 is provided at the press center in the event venue. The press center has
A site desk (editor on site) is arranged to select dozens of images to be sent to the newspaper company from the large number of images sent from the cameraman.

The photographer's personal computer 10 and the relay server 21
Are connected to each other via a wireless communication 4 such as a wireless LAN.

Inside the newspaper, a material server 13 for storing image data, a host computer 15 for paper production for storing data of the submitted image, and an image to be selected and transmitted to the host computer 15 for paper production. An editor's personal computer 11 for processing is provided. A newspaper company desk (editor in the newspaper company) is arranged on the editor-side personal computer 11.

The relay server 21 and the material server 13 are
A communication line 22 such as an ISDN or a dedicated line is connected so that transmission and reception is possible. The material server 13, the page-creating host computer 15, and the editor-side personal computer 11 constitute a LAN within the newspaper.

The material server 13 and the page production host computer 15 are connected via a LAN communication line 14 so that data can be transmitted and received. The material server 13 and the editor's personal computer 11 are connected via a LAN communication line 23. It is connected for sending and receiving.

The data of the image taken by the camera 1 is taken into the personal computer 10 of the photographer via the cable 20.
When the cameraman operates the keyboard or the like of the photographer's personal computer 10 and inputs a command to “send” the image, the image captured by the photographer's personal computer 10 is displayed as wireless communication 4 as shown by the route D. It is transmitted to the relay server 21, is received by the relay server 21, and is transmitted to the relay server 21.
Stored in the storage device. When the on-site desk arranged in the press center operates the keyboard or the like of the relay server 21 to input a command to “select” an image and a command to “send” the selected image, the relay server 21 The image selected from the images stored in the storage device is transmitted to the material server 13 via the communication line 22 as shown by the route E, received by the material server 13, and stored in the material server 13. Stored in the device. Further, it is transmitted from the material server 13 to the editor's personal computer 11 via the communication line 23, and received by the editor's personal computer 11.

When the newspaper company's desk operates the keyboard or the like of the editor's personal computer 11 to input a command to "select" an image and a command to "publish" the image, it is stored in the storage device of the material server 13. An image selected from the stored images is transmitted to the page production host computer 15 via the communication line 14.

In addition, there are the following documents as documents showing the general technical level of the conventional image transmitting / receiving system.

(Prior Art 2) Non-Patent Document 2 (Newspaper Technology /
2002-3 No. 181, pp8 to pp13 "20
02 FIFA WORLD CUP Korea / J
Korean circuit situation in Apan, "September 25, 2002
(Published by Nihon Shimbun), the press center has a relay server as well as a terminal for editing, and the press center processes the images for publication before sending them to newspapers and news agencies. System is described. A part of the transmission route uses the Internet.

(Prior Art 3) Non-Patent Document 3 (Newspaper Technology /
2001-2 No. 176, pp46-pp51 "N
SK TIFF transmission / reception of all amount of baseball photos "Construction of dome system", published on June 25, 2001, Japan Newspaper Association), the relay server was abolished, and the newspaper publisher side from the terminal of the photographer side via a dedicated line. , A system for transmitting all captured images is described.

(Prior Art 4) Non-Patent Document 4 (Newspaper Technology /
1999-2 No. 168, pp47 to pp51
"" FTP receiving server "and" Web server "for distribution
"Building a Sankei Internet server" that has two functions, "Published June 25, 1999, The Japan Newspaper Association," eliminated the relay server and took pictures from the photographer's terminal via the Internet. A system for transmitting all images to a server of a newspaper company is described.

According to the prior art 1 and the prior art 2, not all the captured images should be transmitted to the newspaper company side, but should be transmitted to the newspaper company side by the relay server of the press center. Since the image is selected and then transmitted, the communication cost can be reduced and the labor of editing work performed by the newspaper company can be reduced.

However, it is necessary to arrange personnel such as on-site desks in the press center, install a relay server in advance of an event, and lay a communication line such as a private line or a public line in order for the relay server to function. Therefore, the human cost is increased, and preparation requires a lot of time and labor.

On the other hand, according to the prior art 3 and the prior art 4, since the relay server is abolished, the problem that the human cost increases and the preparation takes a lot of time and labor is solved to some extent. It However, since all the captured images are sent to the newspaper company side, communication costs increase and
Since the site of paper production is confused, the labor and burden required for editing work will be enormous.

Further, in any of the prior arts 1 to 4, the cameraman can confirm whether or not the image transmitted by himself is transmitted to the newspaper company after transmitting the image from the personal computer of the photographer. Can not. Further, the cameraman cannot confirm whether or not the transmitted image will be published by a newspaper company and will be published on the paper.

Therefore, the following problems occur.

1) The cameraman cannot confirm whether or not the image transmitted by himself / herself has been normally received by the relay server or the newspaper company. Therefore, when an important scene is photographed and the image is transmitted, it is necessary to confirm the transmission result by making a telephone contact or the like during the photographing. However, when shooting an event such as soccer or baseball that has almost no free time, it is practically impossible to contact by phone or the like, and it is often necessary to continue shooting in an uneasy state. In addition, by contacting by phone or the like, there is a risk that it may interfere with the coverage, such as missing a photo opportunity.

2) The cameraman knows what kind of image he has sent, but cannot know what kind of image another cameraman at the event venue sent. In this case as well, it is necessary to confirm the content of the shooting by making a telephone contact or the like during the shooting, but as described above, in the event that there is almost no free time, it is virtually impossible to check it, and other cameramen It is often necessary to continue shooting without knowing what was taken. If you can quickly know the shooting contents of other photographers without having to contact them by phone etc. here, you can support each other after that, and you can efficiently cover the shooting contents without duplication. It will be possible.

3) The photographer cannot confirm what kind of image the editor plans to post on the paper. It is virtually impossible to directly ask for a photo to be published on the paper by telephone or other means at an event where there is almost no free time, as mentioned above. If it is possible to check the images to be posted quickly and effortlessly without making contact by telephone or the like here, it will be useful for deciding on a subsequent interview policy, and efficient interviews will be possible. Also, if it is possible to know at the interview site that the image taken by oneself will be posted on the paper, it will be possible to carry out energetic interviews with motivation for subsequent shooting.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is possible to easily confirm whether or not the image transmitted by the photographer has been transmitted to the newspaper company after transmitting the image from the terminal on the photographer side. By making it possible to easily confirm whether or not the transmitted image is to be published by a newspaper company and published on the paper, the above-mentioned 1) to 3 which cannot be solved by the conventional techniques 1 to 4 ) Is intended to solve the problem.

[0032]

[Means for Solving the Problems and Effects] The first invention is
For newspaper production, the image data for newspaper production taken by the image capturing means is input from the terminal on the photographer side and transmitted via the communication means, and the received image data is taken out by the terminal on the editor side and submitted . In the image transmitting / receiving apparatus, the photographing means and the photographer side terminal are the same for each of the plural photographer sides.
The server provided in the vent site is communicatively connected to the plurality of photographer side terminals and the editor side terminal by a communication unit, and each of the photographings transmitted and received from the plurality of photographer side terminals to the server. Data of an image display screen for displaying an image for each person-side terminal is stored, and transmission software for transmitting image data to the server is installed in the photographer-side terminal, and the photographer side is installed. Display software for accessing the image display screen data of the server and displaying the image display screen on its own terminal is installed on the side terminal and the editor side terminal. By starting the software, image data is transmitted to the server, and at the photographer side terminal and the editor side terminal,
When the display software is started, an image display screen is displayed on the photographer side terminal and the editor side terminal.

According to the first invention, the terminal 10 on the photographer side
As shown in FIG. 2, when the transmission software is started,
The data of the image 110 is transmitted to the server 9. Data of the image display screen is stored in the server 9. The image display screen is updated every time the data of the image 110 is received, to the image display screen including the received image 110.

At the editor side terminal 11, as shown in FIG.
When the display software is activated, the image display screen data of the server 9 can be accessed, and the image display screen 121 is displayed on its own terminal 11, as shown in FIG.

Therefore, the editor can efficiently perform the editing work while looking at the image display screen 121.

At the photographer side terminal 10, as shown in FIG.
When the display software is activated, the image display screen data of the server 9 can be accessed, and the image display screen 121 is displayed on its own terminal 10, as shown in FIG. Therefore, the same image 1 as the image 110 (FIG. 2) already transmitted by the photographer
By confirming whether or not 22 '(FIG. 4) is present on the image display screen 121, it is possible to determine whether or not the transmission was successful.

Image 110 already transmitted by the photographer (FIG. 2)
If the same image 122 ′ (FIG. 4) as that of FIG. 4 can be confirmed on the image display screen 121, the photographer can correctly receive the image 110 transmitted by himself / herself by the server 9 and the editor side terminal 11 of the newspaper company.
It can be judged that it was received in. This confirmation work only needs to perform an operation of accessing the image display screen data of the server 9 from the terminal 10 on the photographer side, and does not require time or labor as compared with contact by telephone. Therefore, it does not hinder subsequent interviews. Moreover, it is also released from continuing shooting in an uneasy state without confirming the transmission result.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the photographer can confirm not only the image 122 ′ already transmitted by himself but also the image 122 ″ already transmitted by another photographer on the image display screen 121. This confirmation work is performed by the photographer side terminal 10.
Need only perform an operation to access the image display screen data of the server 9 and does not require time or labor as compared with contact by telephone. That is, since the photographed contents of other photographers can be known quickly and without any trouble, by supporting each other thereafter, it is possible to perform efficient coverage without duplicating the photographed contents.

A second invention is the image according to the first invention.
Images are displayed on the display screen in association with multiple photographers.
When an input operation for instructing that an image should be submitted is performed on the editor side terminal, data of the operation content is transmitted to the server, and the image display screen stored in the server is Images to be submitted and images to be submitted
It is characterized in that the image display screen for identifying the photographer associated with is updated.

When an input operation for instructing that an image should be submitted is performed on the editor side terminal 11, data of this operation content is transmitted to the server 9 and the image display screen 121 stored in the server 9 is displayed. As shown in FIG. 4, for example, the background color of the image information display portion 123 ′ of the image 122 ′ is changed to a color (green, for example) different from the ground color (white, for example), and the image 122 ′ is published. The image display screen 121 indicating that is updated. By accessing the image display screen data of the server 9 from the photographer side terminal 10,
As shown in FIG. 4, the updated image display screen 121 is displayed on its own terminal 10. For this reason, the photographer can know that the image 122 'taken by him / herself will be posted on the paper at the site of the news gathering more quickly and without any trouble than by telephone contact or the like. Further, it is possible to know whether or not an image transmitted by another photographer is scheduled to be submitted. By knowing what kind of images will be published, it will be useful for deciding the coverage policy after that and efficient coverage will be possible. Also, if it is possible to know at the interview site that the image taken by oneself will be posted, it will be possible to carry out energetic interviews with motivation for subsequent shooting.

[0041] The third invention is the first invention, the plurality
It is applied when a plurality of still images are transmitted from the photographer side terminal of, and the image display screen displays a plurality of still images .
A list is displayed in association with the photographer , and when an input operation is performed on the editor side terminal to select a still image to be published from a plurality of still images, the data of the operation content is stored in the server. The image display screen stored in the server and transmitted to the
It is characterized in that the photographer associated with the still image to be displayed is updated to the image display screen in a mode in which the photographer and the other still image are displayed to be distinguished from each other.

A plurality of still images are transmitted from the photographer side terminal 10 to the server 9. Upon receiving the plurality of still images, the server 9 generates an image display screen 121 listing the plurality of still images as shown in FIG.
It is stored as 21 data. Still image 12 to be submitted from a plurality of still images 122 on editor side terminal 11
When the input operation of selecting 2'is performed, the data of the operation content is transmitted to the server 9, and the image display screen 121 stored in the server 9 displays a still image to be submitted, as shown in FIG. 122 'of image information display section 123'
The background color of the still image 122 ′ is changed to a color (for example, green) different from the background color (for example, white) of the image information display unit 123 of the other still image 122 that is not so, and the still image 122 ′ that has been published is changed to another still image 122 ′. The image is displayed on the image display screen 121 in a mode in which the image 122 is displayed. Photographer's terminal 1
By accessing the image display screen data of the server 9 from 0, the updated image display screen 12 is displayed as shown in FIG.
1 is displayed on its own terminal 10. For this reason, as a photographer, it is possible to know that the image 122 'that he / she has taken will be posted on the paper at the site of the interview, more quickly and with less effort compared to telephone contact and the like. Similarly, it is possible to know whether or not an image sent by another photographer is scheduled to be posted, and as with the above-described second invention, efficient subsequent coverage is possible, and
Enhancing motivation enables energetic coverage.

A fourth invention is the same as the first invention, except that
Applied when transmitting a plurality of still images from the photographer side terminal of, when a plurality of still images are received by the server,
The server performs processing of generating thumbnail image data separately from actual image data for the plurality of received still images, and requests the plurality of still images received by the server at the editor side terminal. When an input operation is performed,
Data of this operation content is transmitted to the server, and in response to this, data of a plurality of thumbnail images is transmitted from the server to the editor side terminal, and the editor side terminal identifies from among the plurality of thumbnail images. When an input operation for selecting the thumbnail image is performed, the data of the operation content is transmitted to the server, and in response to this, the data of the actual image corresponding to the specific thumbnail image is transmitted to the editor side terminal. It is characterized by being transmitted.

When a plurality of still images are transmitted from the terminal 10 on the photographer side, the plurality of still images are received by the server 9, and the plurality of still images received by the server 9 are displayed as thumbnail images separately from the actual image data. The process of generating data is performed.

When the editor side terminal 11 performs an input operation requesting a plurality of still images received by the server 9, the data of the operation contents are transmitted to the server 9, and the server 9 receives the data. 4, the data of the plurality of thumbnail images 122 ... 122 ′, 122 ″ is transmitted to the editor side terminal 11. At the editor side terminal 11, as shown in FIG. ... 122 ', 12
When an input operation for selecting a specific thumbnail image 122 'from 2 "is performed, data of the operation content is transmitted to the server 9, and in response to this, the server 9 transmits a specific image as shown in FIG. The data of the real image 134 corresponding to the thumbnail image 122 'is transmitted to the editor side terminal 11. By displaying the real image 134 on the screen, details of the image, focus, blurring, etc. can be checked to confirm the true image quality. This makes it possible to determine on the screen whether or not the image should be submitted, and it is possible to perform on the screen processing and editing operations such as color adjustment of the actual image 134 and cutting of a part thereof. , Edit work can be performed efficiently.

The data volume of the actual image 134 is larger than that of the thumbnail image 122 '.
When displaying a list of a plurality of still images, thumbnail images having a small data capacity are transferred from the server 9 to the editor side terminal 1.
1 to check the true image quality to determine whether or not it should be submitted, or only when processing or editing an image, a real image having a large data volume is sent from the server 9 to the editor side terminal. Since it is transmitted to 11, the communication cost can be suppressed and the communication time can be shortened.

According to a fifth aspect of the invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, a portable storage medium for storing the data of the photographed image is detachably provided in the photographing means, and the portable storage medium is the photographing means. It is characterized in that the transmission software is activated in response to being attached to the person-side terminal, and the image data is automatically transmitted to the server.

As shown in FIG. 1, a camera 1, which is a photographing means, is detachably provided with a portable storage medium such as a memory card 2 for storing photographed image data. This memory card 2 is removed from the camera 1,
When the image data is inserted into the memory card reader 3 of the photographer side terminal 10, the transmission software of the photographer side terminal 10 is activated accordingly, and the image data is automatically transmitted to the server 9.

That is, as the photographer, the photographer side terminal 1
An image can be surely transmitted by a very simple operation without performing a troublesome operation such as a key operation and a click operation on the 0. As a result, the photographer can concentrate on the coverage.

In a sixth aspect based on the first aspect, the photographing means is provided with means for adding a tag to the data of the photographed image and stores the data of the photographed image and the data of the tag. A portable storage medium is detachably provided, and in response to the portable storage medium being attached to the terminal on the photographer side, the transmission software is activated and a tag is added to the server. It is characterized in that the attached image data is transmitted.

As shown in FIG. 1, the camera 1, which is a photographing means, is provided with a removable storage medium for storing the data of the photographed image, for example, a memory card 2 in a detachable manner. Means are provided for tagging the data. The memory card 2 stores captured image data and tag data. When this memory card 2 is taken out of the camera 1 and inserted into the memory card reader 3 of the photographer side terminal 10, the transmission software of the photographer side terminal 10 is activated accordingly, and the server 9 The image data given with is automatically transmitted.

Therefore, it becomes possible to reliably transmit an image by a very simple operation without performing a troublesome operation, and as in the fifth aspect of the invention described above, it is possible to concentrate on the coverage.

Further, according to the sixth aspect of the present invention, when selecting an image to be transmitted from the photographed images, the user releases the camera 1 and performs key operation, click operation, etc. on the photographer side terminal 10. There is no need to perform troublesome operations. Since the selection operation can be performed on the camera 1 which is held at the moment of photographing, the operation can be performed surely and instantly. Therefore, according to the sixth aspect of the invention, it is possible to obtain the effect of being able to concentrate more on the coverage.

[0054]

[0055]

[0056]

[0057]

In a seventh aspect based on the first aspect, the server is associated with each of a plurality of events,
Data of the image display screen is stored, and when an input operation for instructing a specific event from a plurality of events is performed on the photographer side terminal and the editor side terminal, the data of this operation content is The image display screen data corresponding to the instructed event is selected from the image display screen data stored in the server and transmitted to the server, and the photographer side terminal and the editor side terminal,
It is characterized in that an image display screen corresponding to the instructed event is displayed. A seventh invention technically limits the data on the image display screen of the image transmitting / receiving apparatus of the first invention .

[0059]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows the overall configuration of the image transmission / reception system of the embodiment. The embodiment will be described on the assumption that a photograph is transmitted from a shooting location such as a soccer field or a baseball field to a newspaper company.

As shown in FIG. 1, the photographer's personal computer 10
Is connected to the Web servers 9 and 19 via the Internet 8 so as to be able to send and receive mutually, and the editor's personal computer 11 is connected to the Web servers 9 and 19 so as to be able to send and receive to each other via the Internet 8. It is composed. Further, the other client terminals 16 and 17 are connected to the Internet 8 so that they can send and receive each other. W
The eb server 19 is a backup server, and the Web server 9 normally functions. Hereinafter, assuming that the Web server 19 has the same function as the Web server 9, W
The eb server 9 will be described as a representative.

The Internet 8 provides services such as WWW (World Wide Web: information search system on the Internet). On the Internet as a communication means, data is transmitted and received according to a predetermined communication protocol (TCP / IP). On the Internet 8, files are uploaded and downloaded according to the FTP transfer protocol which is an upper layer of TCP / IP. The web server 9 functions as an FTP receiving server.

The Web server 9 is a server that provides WWW services, and is the data of the "image display screen" as a Web page described as a linked data structure in the HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) format. The client device (personal computer 10 on the photographer side,
Editor's computer 11, client terminals 16 and 17)
Is displayed on the display screen of. The image display screen is described as linked data on the Web page. Web
The server 9 is provided in a newspaper company.

The Internet 8 is connected to the terrestrial base station 5 via a dedicated line 6. A personal computer 10 on the photographer side is provided at the photographing location. A wireless device capable of transmitting and receiving in a terrestrial frequency band is connected to or mounted on the photographer's side personal computer 10 in order to perform wireless communication 4 with the terrestrial base station 5. When the wireless communication 4 is performed in the frequency band of mobile phones and PHS, the existing "Internet connection service" can be used. Alternatively, the wireless communication 4 may be performed by a wireless LAN. In this case, a communication terminal is connected to the Internet 8 via the ADSL line 7, and the wireless communication 4 is performed between this communication terminal and the wireless device (for example, wireless LAN card) of the photographer's personal computer 10.

The personal computer 11 on the editor side and the material server 13
And the host computer 15 for paper production is L in the newspaper.
It constitutes AN. The editor's personal computer 11 is connected to the material server 13 via the LAN communication line 12, and the material server 13 is connected to the page production host computer 15 via the LAN communication line 14. The editor's personal computer 11 is connected to the Internet 8 via a private line or a public line.

A digital camera (hereinafter, simply referred to as a camera) 1 to which a portable storage medium such as a memory card 2 is attachable / detachable is provided at the photographing location.

The camera 1 is provided with a liquid crystal screen for displaying a photographed image and has a function of adding a tag to the photographed image. The memory card 2 stores tag data as well as captured image data. The photographer's personal computer 10 is provided with a memory card reader 3 that reads the stored data of the memory card 2 by inserting the memory card 2 into the card slot. As the memory card 2, a compact flash memory card of any standard can be used. It is also possible to use a portable storage medium other than the memory card.

Transmission software for transmitting image data to the Web server 9 is installed in the photographer's personal computer 10. This transmission software is activated in response to the memory card 2 being inserted into the card slot of the memory card reader 3, and the image data tagged with the image data of the memory card 2 is automatically displayed on the Web server 9. It has a program structure that is transmitted in an explicit manner.

The photographer's personal computer 10 accesses the image display screen data of the Web server 9 to display the image display screen on the display screen 10a of its own personal computer, that is, the Web page browsing software ( Web browser) is installed. At the shooting location, the cameraman uses the camera 1 to take a picture of the event.

When there are a plurality of cameramen, the camera 1 and the personal computer 10 on the photographer side are provided according to the number of persons, and are connected to the Internet 8 in the same connection mode.

On the editor's personal computer 11 in the newspaper company, as with the photographer's personal computer 10, a display for accessing the image display screen data of the Web server 9 and displaying the image display screen on its own personal computer display screen 11a is displayed. Software is installed. On the editor side personal computer 11,
The newspaper company desk (editor in the newspaper company) is located.

However, while the editor's personal computer 11 is given the access right to rewrite and update the data on the image display screen by changing the color of a part of the image display screen as described later. , Photographer's personal computer 1
0 has only access to screen information provision and retrieval, and is not given access authority to update image display screen data. The access authority is given in the terminal device according to the user ID number and the password (password) input by the user.

The material server 13 has a personal computer 1 on the editor side.
The image data is transmitted from 1 and the transmitted image is stored. Further, the page production host computer 15 takes in the image data from the material server 13 and stores it as the data of the submitted image. Host computer 15 for paper production
Is connected to a terminal for paper production (not shown). It is said that the photograph has been “submitted” when the image data is transmitted to the page production host computer 15 and the image data is accumulated. The paper production terminal performs a process of producing a paper surface using the image data stored in the paper production host computer 15.

The flow of processing performed by the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 will be described below with reference to FIGS.

When the cameraman takes a picture of an event with the camera 1 at the shooting location, he / she performs an operation of tagging the image to be transmitted among the images taken while looking at the liquid crystal screen. As a result, the data of the captured image and the data of the tag are stored in the memory card 2. When the photographing is completed, the memory card 2 is removed from the camera 1 and inserted into the memory card reader 3 of the photographer's personal computer 10. As a result, the transmission software is activated on the photographer's personal computer 10 to establish a communication connection with the Web server 9, and the image data tagged with the image stored in the memory card 2 will be described later. The process of automatically transmitting the “information” together with the “information” is executed, and the “transmission screen” 100 is displayed on the display screen 10a of the photographer's personal computer 10. The data is transmitted from the personal computer 10 on the photographer side to the Web server 9 through the route indicated by A or B in FIG.

FIG. 2 shows the photographer's personal computer 10 immediately after transmission.
The display contents of the display screen 10a of FIG.
A transmission screen 100 is displayed on 0a.

On the transmission screen 100, it is possible to input information about the destination and the sender. That is, the destination "FTP
The "server name" is entered in the box 101, the sender's "user ID" is entered in the box 102, the sender's "password" is entered in the box 103, and the "directory" indicating the type of image data is entered. Box 104
Will be entered in. The information about the destination and the sender is input to the personal computer 10 of the photographer in advance before the transmission. In the Web server 9, a directory is assigned for each event, and the type of image data (event) is specified by instructing and inputting the directory, and the image data for each type of event is stored in each directory. .

On the transmission screen 100, the photographing information attached to the image can be input. That is, the "service ID" is entered in the box 105, the "place of origin", which is the shooting location, is entered in the box 106, and the "photographer"
Is entered in the box 107, the “provisional finding” of the image is entered in the box 108, and the “depiction” of the image is entered in the box 109. These pieces of photographing information are input to the personal computer 10 of the photographer in advance before transmission. Although it is not displayed on the transmission screen 100,
The shooting information includes information on the date and time when the image was shot (shooting date and time) and the file name of the image.

On the transmission screen 100, the image 1 currently being transmitted is displayed.
10 is reduced and displayed, and the file name 111 of the image that has been transmitted or is being transmitted is also displayed.

If all the images tagged with the images stored in the memory card 2 have been transmitted, W
The process of releasing the communication connection with the eb server 9 is executed, and a message indicating that the transmission is completed is displayed on the display screen 10a.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the cameraman inserts the memory card 2 into the card slot of the personal computer 10 without performing any troublesome operation such as key operation or click operation on the personal computer 10 of the photographer. The image can be surely transmitted by a very simple operation. As a result, the photographer can concentrate on the coverage.

Moreover, when selecting an image to be transmitted from the taken images, the image selecting operation can be performed by attaching a tag on the camera 1 which is held at the moment of taking the image. It can be done reliably and instantly. When selecting an image to be transmitted from the captured images, it is not necessary to remove the hand from the camera 1 and perform a troublesome operation such as a key operation or a click operation on the photographer's personal computer 10. As a result, it is possible to obtain the effect that the cameraman can concentrate more on the coverage.

When a plurality of images are transmitted from the photographer's personal computer 10 to the Web server 9 as described above, the plurality of images are received by the Web server 9, and the plurality of images received by the Web server 9 are received. The process of generating thumbnail image data separately from the actual image data is performed. Note that the Web server 9 records the time when the image is received, and this reception time data is stored together with the shooting information.
It is stored in association with image data.

When the display software is started on the personal computer 10 on the photographer side and the personal computer 11 on the editor side, first, the user I
Perform the operation to enter the D number and password. On the condition that the entered user ID number and password match those registered in advance, the photographer's personal computer 1
An "initial screen" 112 shown in FIG. 3 is displayed on the display screen 10a of 0 and the display screen 11a of the editor-side personal computer 11.

On the initial screen 112, conditions for searching the image data stored in the Web server 9 can be input. That is, the reception date of the image received by the Web server 9 and the “reception date” indicating the reception time are input in the box 113, the “provisional finding” of the image is input in the box 114, and the “picture interpretation” of the image is in the box. 115, the “photographer” of the image is entered in box 116,
The “directory (Dir)” of the image is input in the box 117, and the “arrangement order” of the image is input and displayed in the box 118.

In the item of "reception date", it is designated how many hours ago or how many days ago the image data is from the present.

In the item of "Directory (Dir)",
The type of image is designated. For example, the directory "0
"1" is assigned to a baseball game, and "02" in the directory is assigned to a soccer game. Each directory "0
"1" or "02" is designated.

In the item of “arrangement order”, the order of the time when the cameraman took the image with the camera 1 (the order of the shooting time) or the order of the reception time when the image was received by the Web server 9 (the order of the reception time) was instructed. To be done.

When the input operation for checking the “only submitted” check box 119 is performed, a search condition is instructed that the image is only submitted.

When the search conditions are designated and input in this way,
By clicking the "Search" button 120, the We personal computer 10 and the editor personal computer 11
The command for requesting the data of the image display screen is transmitted to the server 9 together with the data of the search condition. The data is sent from the personal computer 10 on the photographer side via the route indicated by A or B in FIG.
It is transmitted to the eb server 9. Also, the personal computer on the editor side 11
From the Web server 9 through the route indicated by C in FIG.
Sent to.

In response to this, the Web server 9 executes the processing of transmitting the data of the corresponding image display screen to the photographer side personal computer 10 and the editor side personal computer 11. At this time,
The Web server 9 transmits not the actual image data but the thumbnail image data as the image data. Data is transmitted from the Web server 9 to the photographer's personal computer 10 through the route indicated by A or B in FIG. Data is transmitted from the Web server 9 to the editor's personal computer 11 through the route indicated by C in FIG.

The data of the image display screen transmitted from the Web server 9 is taken into the photographer's personal computer 10 and the editor's personal computer 11, and the display screen 10a of the photographer's personal computer 10 and the display of the editor's personal computer 11 are displayed. The "received image list screen" 121 shown in FIG. 4 is displayed on the screen 11a.

On the image display screen 121, a plurality of thumbnail images 122 ... 122 ′, 122 ″ are displayed in a list according to the search conditions. In FIG. 4, the initial screen 112 of FIG.
According to the search conditions specified and entered in, "Reception date" is "within 2 hours" and "Directory (Dir)" is "0".
Thumbnail images 122 ... 122 ', 122 "that meet the condition" 1 (baseball game) "are displayed in a list in the" arranged order "of" instructed reception time ". Since no “photographer” is specified in the search condition, images of a plurality of photographers are displayed in a list.

In the initial screen 112 of FIG. 3, "Reception date",
"Directory (Dir)", "Reception time order" instructions,
When the input content is changed, a plurality of thumbnail images corresponding to the instruction and the input content are displayed in a list in the instructed order. For example, the initial screen 112 of FIG.
When the "directory (Dir)" is instructed to be "02", only the images captured in the "soccer match" are displayed in a list on the received image list screen 121 of FIG.

Further, in the initial screen 112 shown in FIG. 3, when the search conditions of “provisional finding”, “picture solving”, and “photographer” are input, a plurality of thumbnails narrowed down by the input search conditions are input. The images are listed. For example, in the initial screen 112 of FIG. 3, when the “photographer” has the content of instructing a specific one cameraman, only the images captured by the specific cameraman are received image list screen 121 of FIG.
Is displayed in a list.

Further, when an input operation for checking the check box 119 of "only submitted" on the initial screen 112 of FIG. 3 is performed, only the images already submitted are listed on the received image list screen 121 of FIG. Is displayed.

In the received image list screen 121 of FIG. 4, the thumbnail images 122 ... 122 ', 122 "are attached to
The shooting information and the reception time data are displayed in the image information display unit 12.
3 ... 123 ', 123 "are displayed.

When it is desired to display only the information of a specific thumbnail image 122 'of the plurality of thumbnail images 122 ... 122', 122 "displayed on the received image list screen 121, on the received image list screen 121, The corresponding thumbnail image 122 ′ is clicked.In response to this input operation, the received image list screen 121 of FIG. 4 transits to the “photograph information display screen” 124 of FIG. The image is enlarged and displayed, and the shooting information attached to the specific thumbnail image 122 'is displayed in each of the boxes 126 to 131.

As described above, according to this embodiment, on the display screen 11a of the personal computer 11 on the editor side, the images photographed by the respective photographers are displayed in a list according to the search condition, and the photographed information is specified together with the photographed information according to the selection. Since the image can be enlarged and displayed, the newspaper company desk can efficiently perform editing work while looking at the screen.

The display screen 10 of the personal computer 10 of the photographer
Since the image transmitted by the cameraman and received by the Web server 9 can be displayed in a, the cameraman can determine whether or not the image has been normally transmitted. That is, on the received image list screen 121 of FIG. 4, the images captured and transmitted by itself, that is, the image 110 on the transmission screen 100 of FIG.
Then, by confirming whether or not the same image 122 'exists, it is possible to determine whether or not the image is normally transmitted.
If the same image 122 ′ (FIG. 4) as the image 110 already transmitted by the cameraman (FIG. 4) can be confirmed on the received image list screen 121, the cameraman can confirm that the image 110 transmitted by himself / herself has been normally received by the Web server 9. It can be judged that the personal computer 11 of the editor of the newspaper company has also received it. Moreover, this confirmation work is performed from the photographer's personal computer 10 through We.
b Only the operation of accessing the image display screen data of the server 9 needs to be performed, and time and labor are not required as compared with the case of contact by telephone. Therefore, it does not hinder subsequent interviews. Moreover, it is also released from continuing shooting in an uneasy state without confirming the transmission result.

Further, on the received image list screen 121 of FIG.
The cameraman can confirm not only the image 122 ′ already transmitted by himself but also the image 122 ″ already transmitted by another cameraman. This confirmation work is performed by the photographer's personal computer 10 from the image display screen of the Web server 9. You only have to access the data, and it does not take time or effort compared to contacting by phone, etc. That is, you can quickly know the shooting contents of other cameramen without any trouble, so after that, each other By supporting each other, it is possible to collect data efficiently without duplicating shooting contents.

On the photo information display screen 124 shown in FIG.
When it is determined that the thumbnail image 122 'should be submitted, the "submit" button 135 is clicked. The data of this operation content is transmitted to the Web server 9 and the We
The data of the image display screen (received image list screen 121) stored in the server 9 is, as shown in FIG. 4, an image display screen (received image list screen 121) indicating that the image 122 ′ has been submitted. Data will be updated. Specifically, the background color of the image information display portion 123 'of the thumbnail image 122' to be submitted is not the background color of the image information display portions 123 ... 123 "of the other thumbnail images 122 ... 122" (for example, white). The thumbnail image 122 ′ that has been submitted by changing to a different color (for example, green)
Image display screen (received image list screen 121) in a mode in which is displayed as being distinguished from other thumbnail images 122 ... 122 ″.
Data will be updated.

When the "Publishing" button 135 is clicked on the editor's personal computer 11, the real image data corresponding to the thumbnail image 122 'is correspondingly transmitted via the material server 13 to the page production host computer. 15 is sent to the host computer 15 for paper production.

The image may be submitted after being checked or edited in more detail.

That is, when confirming or editing the actual image of the thumbnail image 122 'on the photo information display screen 124 of FIG. 5, the thumbnail image 122' is clicked. In response to this input operation, the photograph information display screen 124 of FIG. 5 is changed to the “actual size display screen” 13 of FIG.
Transition to 3.

That is, when an input operation (click operation) for selecting a specific thumbnail image 122 'is performed on the editor's personal computer 11 as shown in FIG. 5, data of this operation content is transmitted to the Web server 9. , Receiving this, W
As shown in FIG. 6, the data of the real image 134 corresponding to the specific thumbnail image 122 ′ is transmitted from the eb server 9 to the editor side personal computer 11, and the editor side personal computer 1
1 and the full-scale actual image 1 is displayed on the display screen 11a.
It is displayed as 34.

By performing an input operation for selecting a particular thumbnail image 122 'on the received image list screen 121 of FIG. 4, the screen may be changed to the full size display screen 133 shown in FIG.

In this way, the screen 1 of the editor side personal computer 11
By displaying the actual image 134 on 1a, it is possible to check the details of the image, focus, blurring, etc., and to confirm the true image quality. This makes it possible to determine on the screen whether or not the image should be submitted.

Further, by preparing tools for processing and editing such as trimming, color adjustment, and cutting on the original size display screen 133 of FIG. 6, processing and editing operations such as color adjustment and cutting of the actual image 134 are performed. Can be done on screen. Therefore, editing work can be performed efficiently.

Here, the actual image data has a larger data capacity than the thumbnail image data. According to the present embodiment, when a plurality of images are displayed as a list, thumbnail images 122 ... 122 ′, 122 ″ having a small data capacity are transmitted from the Web server 9 to the editor's personal computer 11, and specific thumbnails are transmitted. Only when it is determined that the image 122 ′ should be submitted, when the true image quality is checked to determine whether it should be submitted, or when the image is processed or edited, the real image 134 having a large data capacity is to be displayed. Is transmitted from the Web server 9 to the editor's personal computer 11, communication cost can be suppressed, communication time can be shortened, and deterioration of an image due to an increase in the number of compressions can be suppressed. .

When it is determined that the actual image 134 should be submitted on the full-size display screen 133 shown in FIG. 6, the input operation for designating the actual image 134 on the editor side personal computer 11 is performed. Done. The data of this operation content is transmitted to the Web server 9, and the data of the image display screen (received image list screen 121) stored in the Web server 9 is the actual image 134 (thumbnail image 122 ') as shown in FIG. ) Is updated to the data of the image display screen (received image list screen 121) indicating that the advertisement has been submitted.
Specifically, the background color of the image information display section 123 'of the thumbnail image 122' to be submitted is not the image information display section 123 ... 1 of the other thumbnail images 122 ... 122 ".
The thumbnail image 122 ′ (actual image 134) that has been submitted is changed to a different color (for example, green) from the background color of 23 ″ (for example, white) and the other thumbnail image 122.
The image display screen (received image list screen 121) in the mode of being distinguished and displayed as "122" is updated.

When the editor's personal computer 11 performs an input operation for instructing printing, the data of the corresponding real image 134 is transmitted to the host computer 15 for paper production via the material server 13 in response to the input operation. It is taken in by the host computer 15 for paper production.

Note that, on the received image list screen 121 shown in FIG. 4, a thumbnail image 122 'to be submitted may be specified and an input operation for instructing submission may be performed.

From the photographer's personal computer 10 to the Web server 9
When the image display screen data is accessed, the updated received image list screen 121 is displayed on the display screen 10a of the personal computer 10 as shown in FIG. For this reason, the photographer with the image information display section 123 'displayed in an identified manner takes time and effort more quickly than telephone contact or the like at the interview site that the image 122' taken by him is to be posted. You can know without. In addition, the image information display portion 123 ″ of the image 122 ″ transmitted by another cameraman
Whether or not the image 122 ″ captured by the photographer is scheduled to be posted can be determined by whether or not the color of the image has changed. Knowing what image is scheduled to be posted. So, it will be useful for deciding on the interview policy after that, and it will be possible to do efficient interviews. Armpit energetic coverage becomes possible.

In the present embodiment, the images 122 ′ to be submitted are displayed differently from the images 122 ... 122 ″ that are not to be presented by using different colors, but this is an example and the images are submitted. The scheduled image 122 '(or its image information display portion 123') is blinked, enlarged, reduced, or the like, so that the image 122 which is not so is ...
It may be identified and displayed as 122 ″.
May have been displayed ”.

Various modifications and examples can be added to the above-described embodiment.

In FIG. 1, the image data taken by the camera 1 is loaded into the personal computer 10 on the photographer side via the memory card 2. However, as shown in FIG. Alternatively, it may be loaded into the personal computer 10 on the photographer side via 20.

In the present embodiment, a professional cameraman belonging to a newspaper company operates the personal computer 10 on the photographer side to transmit an image to the Web server 9 of the newspaper company or access the data stored in the Web server 9. It is supposed to do. However, for example, a W image is read from the client terminal 16 provided on the amateur photographer side such as a newspaper reader.
By transmitting to the eb server 9, the “posted photo” of the amateur together with the image taken by the professional photographer, as shown in FIG.
The received image list screen 121 may be displayed.

In FIG. 1, the editor-side personal computer 11 is provided in the newspaper company, but by giving the access right of the editor-side personal computer 11 to another client terminal 17,
From a place other than a newspaper company (home, for example), operations such as selecting an image to be submitted, processing and editing the image may be performed.

Further, in the embodiment, it is assumed that an image taken at an event such as baseball or soccer is transmitted to a newspaper company. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a case, accident, etc. It can be naturally applied to the case of transmitting a news photo, the case of transmitting to a magazine company, a news agency, etc.

Further, although the embodiment assumes a system for transmitting / receiving a still image, the present invention can be applied to a system for transmitting / receiving a moving image. For example, in the received image list screen 121 shown in FIG. 4, it is possible to display the still images 122 ... 122 ′, 122 ″ as a list instead of moving images.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of an image transmission / reception system according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a transmission screen.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an initial screen.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a received image list screen.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a photographic information display screen.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an original size display screen.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a conventional image transmitting / receiving system.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 camera 2 memory card 3 memory card reader 8 Internet 9, 19 Web server 10 Photographer's PC 11 Editor's computer

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (56) Reference JP-A-11-136612 (JP, A) JP-A-2001-331704 (JP, A) JP-A-2001-197422 (JP, A) JP-A-2001-197429 (JP , A) JP 2002-118835 (JP, A) JP 4-111151 (JP, A) JP 2001-282979 (JP, A) JP 2003-31376 (JP, A) JP 2000-232542 ( JP, A) JP 2000-232599 (JP, A) JP 2002-369069 (JP, A) JP 2002-165179 (JP, A) Above, another person, NSK TIFF Full amount transmission / reception of baseball photos Dome system Construction, Newspaper Technology / 2001-2 No. 176, Japan, Japan Shimbun Association, June 25, 2001, Volume 45, No. 2, pp46-51 (58) Fields investigated (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H04N 5/76-5 / 956,7 / 173 G06F 13 / 00,17 / 30,17 / 60

Claims (7)

(57) [Claims] 1. Data of an image for newspaper production photographed by a photographing means is input from a terminal on the side of a photographer and transmitted via a communication means, and the received image data is displayed on a terminal on the side of an editor. In a transmitter / receiver of images for newspaper production , which is designed to be taken out and submitted, a photographing means and a photographer-side terminal are provided for each of a plurality of photographers.
Provided in the same event field , the server is communicably connected to the plurality of photographer side terminals and the editor side terminal by a communication means, and the server receives and transmits from the plurality of photographer side terminals. Data of an image display screen for displaying an image for each photographer side terminal is stored, and transmission software for transmitting image data to the server is installed in the photographer side terminal, and Display software for accessing the image display screen data of the server and displaying the image display screen on its own terminal is installed on the photographer side terminal and the editor side terminal, and on the photographer side terminal, When the transmission software is started, image data is transmitted to the server, and the photographer side terminal and the editor side terminal By indicate software is activated, the shooting side terminal and the editor terminal, transceiver newspapers produced image, wherein the image display screen is displayed. 2. An image is displayed on the image display screen in association with a plurality of photographers, and when the editor side terminal performs an input operation for instructing that the image should be submitted, The operation content data is transmitted to the server, and the image display screen stored in the server is updated to an image display screen that identifies the image to be submitted and the photographer associated with the image to be submitted. An apparatus for transmitting and receiving an image for newspaper production according to claim 1, characterized in that. 3. This is applied when transmitting a plurality of still images from the plurality of photographer side terminals, and the image display screen displays a list of the plurality of still images in association with the plurality of photographers. When an input operation for selecting a still image to be submitted from a plurality of still images is performed on the editor side terminal, data of the operation content is transmitted to the server, and the image stored in the server The display screen is updated to an image display screen in which a still image to be submitted and a photographer associated with the still image to be submitted are displayed to be distinguished from other still images. Item 1 newspaper
A device for transmitting and receiving images for production . 4. The present invention is applied when transmitting a plurality of still images from the plurality of photographer side terminals, and when the plurality of still images are received by the server, the plurality of still images are actually received by the server. When a process of generating thumbnail image data is performed separately from the image data and an input operation requesting a plurality of still images received by the server is performed at the editor side terminal, the data of the operation content Is transmitted to the server, and in response thereto, data of a plurality of thumbnail images is transmitted from the server to the editor side terminal, and the editor side terminal selects a specific thumbnail image from the plurality of thumbnail images. When the input operation is performed, the data of the operation content is transmitted to the server, and in response to this, the data of the actual image corresponding to the specific thumbnail image is transmitted from the server. Transceiver newspaper production image according to claim 1, characterized in that it is sent to the editor terminal. 5. A portable storage medium for storing the data of a captured image is detachably provided in the photographing means, and the portable storage medium is attached to the photographer side terminal. According to, the transmission software is activated,
The image production newspaper transmitting / receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein image data is automatically transmitted to the server. 6. The photographing means is provided with means for attaching a tag to the data of the photographed image, and a removable storage medium for storing the data of the photographed image and the data of the tag is detachable. Is provided in, the transmission software is activated in response to the portable storage medium being attached to the photographer side terminal,
The newspaper system according to claim 1, wherein the image data to which the tag is added is automatically transmitted to the server.
Transmitter / receiver of working images. 7. The server stores data of the image display screen in association with each of a plurality of events, and the data of the image display screen is stored in the plurality of events at the photographer side terminal and the editor side terminal. When an input operation for instructing a specific event is performed from the, the data of the operation content is transmitted to the server, and the image display screen corresponding to the event instructed from the image display screen data stored in the server. 2. The newspaper production image transmitting / receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein data is selected and an image display screen corresponding to the instructed event is displayed on the photographer side terminal and the editor side terminal.