Abstract:
An image transfer apparatus for transferring image data files to an external device appends a common file attribute to a plurality of image data files having predetermined attributes when the image data files stored on a recording medium are transferred.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to an image transfer apparatus for transferring image data to the outside, a method of controlling the same, a program having a module to enable a computer to execute a predetermined control method, and a storage medium for storing the program. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   There has been conventionally a system capable of grouping and treating a plurality of image data as a set of “grouped images” in the case when one target is recorded to create a plurality of image data. In this system, for example, when one object is photographed several times by a camera, or when one object is photographed a plurality of times while changing photographic parameters such as image quality, such a plurality of image data can be treated as a set. 
   To realize the system, an image creation apparatus must be provided with means to specify whether or not a certain image is a grouped image. This image creation apparatus makes a record as an attribute in a part of image data concerning whether or not the image is a grouped image, according to a user&#39;s specification at the time of creating the image or after creating the image. In connection with this, there is an image creation apparatus which can identify a set of grouped images without mixing it with other sets of grouped images by a method of recording an identifier unique to each set of grouped images. 
   There is a digital camera which includes a “panorama photography mode.” According to this product, panorama photography information is recorded in an image which a user photographs by setting the camera to the “panorama photography mode,” thereby discriminating it from other images. 
   Further, a method may be employed by which the image creation apparatus records each set of grouped images in a respective directory. If image data created by this method is directly displayed including a directory structure, the grouped images are classified and displayed in respective folders. Accordingly, the user can instantly determine which image is included in the set of grouped images without checking contents of the image data. In other words, it is not necessary to analyze attributes of the grouped images in an image processing apparatus. Thus, an image processing apparatus which conforms to grouped images created by a plurality of image creation apparatus can be realized by a simple configuration. 
   However, the aforementioned methods of using a file name, to which a character string common among the grouped images is added, or creating another directory may not be realized or satisfactory effects can not be obtained in some image creation apparatus because of limitations of the file name or the directory structure. 
   For example, in the digital camera, a standard, Design rule for Camera File system (DCF), imposes limits on the directory structure and the number thereof. This standard attaches importance to compatibility in using a removable or exchangeable recording medium for various kinds of devices. 
   According to this standard, a directory name is used as a part of serial numbers indicating a photographing order of images. Thus, it is impossible to record images separating the grouped images in another folder and storing the other images in a normal folder all together. Besides, in the case of storing the grouped images separately in another folder, normal images must be recorded in a new folder each time grouped images are photographed, and as its result many folders are created. 
   In such method, satisfactory effects in recording the grouped images separately in another folder cannot be obtained. Accordingly, in the image creation apparatus, writing attributes of the grouped images in a specific area called a header in image data or describing grouped image information in a file different from an image file is used in place of creating a directory for each set of grouped images. 
   However, when such a method is used, the image processing apparatus must have means for analyzing grouped image information in the header or in another file of image data written by the image creation apparatus in order to treat the grouped images as intended by a user in the image processing apparatus. 
   Furthermore, there is a possibility that an information recording order of the grouped images will vary from one image creation apparatus to another. Accordingly, there is a problem that a complex configuration is required in order to implement an image processing apparatus which can deal with grouped images created by a plurality of image creation apparatus. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is directed to an image transfer apparatus and a control method thereof. According to one aspect of the present invention, an image transfer apparatus for transferring image data files to an external device includes a recording medium configured to store the image data files, and an attribute appending unit configured to append a common file attribute to a plurality of image data files having predetermined attributes. 
   Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. 
       FIG. 1  is a diagram showing a configuration of a grouped image transfer apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a diagram showing an example of data of an image file according to the first embodiment. 
       FIG. 3  is a diagram showing an example of a screen of image display software displayed on a display apparatus according to the first embodiment. 
       FIG. 4  is a flowchart showing a processing flow of an image transfer apparatus according to the first embodiment. 
       FIG. 5  is a diagram showing a configuration of a grouped image transfer system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 6  is a diagram showing an example of a file structure in a built-in flash memory according to the second embodiment. 
       FIG. 7  is a diagram showing a description example of a mark file according to the second embodiment. 
       FIG. 8  is a diagram showing an example of a screen of image display software displayed on a display apparatus according to the second embodiment. 
       FIG. 9  is a flowchart showing a processing flow of an image transfer apparatus according to the second embodiment. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
   First Embodiment 
     FIG. 1  is a diagram showing a configuration of an image transfer system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 
   A digital camera  101  and a computer apparatus  103  are connected to each other through a cable  102 . The digital camera  101  that functions as an image creation apparatus includes a photography apparatus  104 , a memory card  105 , and an image transfer apparatus  106  for transferring image data. A disk apparatus  107  and a display apparatus  108  are connected to the computer apparatus  103 , which functions as an image processing apparatus. Image display software  109  is operated on the computer apparatus  103 , and an image file recorded in the disk apparatus  107  is displayed on the display apparatus  108 . 
     FIG. 2  is a diagram showing an example of a data structure of the image file recorded by the digital camera  101 . 
   Data of the image file includes a header part  201  and an image data part  202 . In the header part  201 , a group number  203  and an intragroup serial number  204  are recorded as grouped image information. The intragroup serial number  204  is a unique number in grouped images having similar group numbers. 
   In the digital camera  101  of the first embodiment, a user must set operation in a grouped image photography mode before photographing images. In each of the images photographed in the grouped image photography mode, the aforementioned information is automatically written in the header part  201 . 
   The grouped images taken according to the first embodiment are those photographed by panorama photography, continuous photography, interval photography, auto-bracketing photography, and the like. Hereinafter, these images will be described as grouped images. 
     FIG. 3  shows a display example in which the image display software  109  is displayed on the display apparatus  108 . 
   The screen includes a menu  301 , a directory area  302 , and a thumbnail area  303 . In the directory area  302 , directories within the disk apparatus  107  are displayed in a hierarchical manner. 
   When one of the directories displayed in the directory area  302  is selected, a list of thumbnail images of reduced image files present within the directory of the disk apparatus  107  is displayed in the thumbnail area  303 . In  FIG. 3 , a directory 0001 is selected. 
   In the image display software  109 , grouped image information written in the header part of each of the image files present within the disk apparatus  107  is not analyzed, but the files present in the disk apparatus  107  are organized by using file names and directory names, and displayed. 
   For a file system installed in the computer apparatus  103 , for example, a general-purpose file system provided by an existing operation system can be used. 
     FIG. 4  is a flowchart showing a processing flow when the image transfer apparatus  106  transfers an image file recorded in the memory card  105  to the disk apparatus  107 . 
   Contents of the flowchart are stored as program codes in an optional storage medium (not shown) in the digital camera  101 , and read and executed by a CPU or the like of the digital camera  101 . 
   First, in a step S 401 , the image transfer apparatus  106  obtains a list of all images to be transferred which have been recorded in the memory card  105 . In the image list, at least file names of the images and serial numbers corresponding to the image file names are described. The process ends when there is no image to be transferred. 
   Next, in a step S 402 , the image transfer apparatus  106  decides a directory name D in the disk apparatus  107  for storing the images after their transfer. This directory name is decided based on setting made by user, a date, and the like. For example, the directory name D is DLImages. 
   Subsequently, in step S 403 , the image transfer apparatus  106  designates a first image as a current transfer target, i.e., an image whose serial number n is “1” in the image list. 
   The image transfer apparatus  106  obtains a file name F of the image of the current transfer target from the memory card  105  in step S 404 , and checks whether or not the image of the current transfer target has been photographed as a grouped image in step S 405 . If the image is a grouped image, the process proceeds to step S 406 . If the image is not a grouped image, the process proceeds to step S 408 . In the case of the image of the serial number “1, ” for example, a file name F is set to STA — 0234. JPG. 
   In step S 406 , the image transfer apparatus  106  obtains the group number  203  and the intragroup serial number  204  from the header part  201  of the image file of the current transfer target, and stores them as G and N respectively. In the case of the image of the serial number “1, ” a shown in  FIG. 2 , the group number G is 00001, and the intragroup serial number N is 001. 
   In a subsequent step  407 , the image transfer apparatus  106  decides a file name at a transfer destination when the grouped image is transferred. A file name including a directory in the disk apparatus  107  of the transfer destination is decided to be D¥G¥NF based on the G (group number  203 ) and the N (intragroup serial number  204 ), the image storing directory name D, and the file name F of the image in the memory card  105 . 
   Here, “¥” is a delimiter indicating a directory. In the case of the image of the serial number 1, the file name D¥G¥NF including the directory is DLImages¥00001¥001STA — 0234.JPG. 
   Similarly, in step S 408 , when an image other than the grouped image is transferred, the image transfer apparatus  106  decides that a file name including a directory is D¥F in the disk apparatus  107  of the transfer destination. 
   After the file name is decided in the disk apparatus  107  of the transfer destination through the aforementioned procedure, in step S 409 , the image transfer apparatus  106  transfers the image stored in the memory card  105  to the disk apparatus  107  with the decided name. 
   After the transfer processing ends, in step S 410 , the image transfer apparatus  106  checks whether or not the image of the current transfer target is a last image of transfer targets recorded in the memory card  105 . If transfer of the last image has been finished, the image transfer apparatus  106  ends the processing. If the last image is not yet transferred, a next image is specified as a current transfer target in a step S 411 , then the process returns to step S 404 . 
   The image transfer apparatus  106  transfers the images according to the aforementioned procedure, so that the grouped image information recorded in the header part  201  of the image file stored in the memory card  105  can be correlated to the directory name or the file name in the disk apparatus  107 . Accordingly, the image display software  109  can provide the grouped images in a classified state to the user without analyzing the grouped image information recorded in the header part  201  of the image file. This is shown in the display example of  FIG. 3 . 
   Second Embodiment 
     FIG. 5  is a diagram showing a configuration of an image transfer system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. 
   A digital camera  501  and a computer apparatus  503  are connected to each other through a cable  502 . 
   The digital camera  501  that functions as an image creation apparatus includes a photography apparatus  504 , a built-in flash memory  505 , and an image transfer apparatus  506  for transferring image data. 
   A disk apparatus  507  and a display apparatus  508  are connected to the computer apparatus  503 , which functions as an image processing apparatus. 
   Image display software  509  is operated on the computer apparatus  503 , and an image file recorded in the disk apparatus  507  is displayed on the display apparatus  508 . 
     FIG. 6  is a diagram showing an example of a file structure in the built-in flash memory  505  of the second embodiment. 
   In the flash memory  505 , there are a DCIM directory  601  and a MISC directory  602 , and there is a  100  CANON directory  603  as a subdirectory in the DCIM directory  601 . 
   In the  100  CANON directory  603 , an image photographed by the photography apparatus  504  is stored in a JPEG file form. 
   A mark file  604  having grouped information recorded therein is present in the MISC directory  602 . 
     FIG. 7  shows an example of contents of the mark file  604 . 
   In the mark file, one grouped image section  701  is present for each set of images, and a plurality of grouped image sections are present if there are plural sets of grouped images. At the top of the grouped image section, a group number  702  is described. Subsequently, file names  703  including directories of images belonging to the sets are described, images being arranged one by one. 
   According to the digital camera  501  of the second embodiment, after photographing images, a user can select a plurality of images present in the built-in flash memory  505 , and designate the selected images as a new set of grouped images. By this operation, a grouped section is added to the mark file  604 , and a designated image file name is described therein. In the grouped image section  704  thus added, a group number  705  is described, and file names  706  including directories of images belonging to the set are described, the images being arranged one by one. 
     FIG. 8  shows a display example of a screen in which the image display software  509  is displayed on the display apparatus  508 . 
   The screen includes a menu  801 , a directory area  802 , a sort button  803 , and a thumbnail area  804 . In the directory area  802 , directories in the disk apparatus  507  are displayed in a hierarchical manner. 
   When one of the directories displayed in the directory area  802  is selected, a list of thumbnail images of reduced image files present within the directory of the disk apparatus  507  is displayed in the thumbnail area  804 . In  FIG. 8 , a directory Trip is selected. 
   A plurality of sort buttons are arranged in the sort area  803 . By clicking the sort buttons  805  in order of file names, image files displayed in the thumbnail area  804  are sorted and displayed in ascending order of the file names. By clicking the sort buttons  805  in order of the file names again, the image files displayed in the thumbnail area  804  are sorted and displayed in a descending order. 
   Similarly, there are a date order sort button  806  and a type sort button  807  which can respectively sort thumbnails of the thumbnail area  804  in order of thumbnail updates or in order of types of image file forms. 
   In the image display software  509 , grouped image information written in the header part of each of the image files present in the disk apparatus  507  is not analyzed, but the files present in the disk apparatus  507  are organized and displayed using attributes of file names, directory names and the like. 
     FIG. 9  is a flowchart showing a processing flow when the image transfer apparatus  506  transfers an image file recorded on the memory card  505  to the disk apparatus  507 . 
   Contents of the flowchart are stored as program codes in an optional storage medium (not shown) in the digital camera  501 , and read and executed by a CPU or the like of the digital camera  501 . 
   First, in step S 901 , the image transfer apparatus  506  obtains a list of all images recorded in the built-in flash memory  505  to be transferred. In the image list, at least file names of the images and serial numbers corresponding to the image file names are described. The process ends when there is no image to be transferred. 
   Next, in step S 902 , the image transfer apparatus  506  decides on a directory name D in the disk apparatus  507  for storing the images after their transfer. This directory name is decided based on settings made by the user, a date, and the like. For example, the directory name D is Trip. 
   Subsequently, in step S 903 , the image transfer apparatus  506  designates a first image as a current transfer target, i.e., an image whose serial number n is “1” in the image list. 
   The image transfer apparatus  506  obtains a file name F and a file update T of the image of the current transfer target from the memory card  505  in step S 904 , and checks whether or not the file name F is included in the mark file  604  in step S 905 . 
   If in step S 905  it is determined that the file name F is included in the mark file  604 , the image transfer apparatus  506  obtains, in step S 906 , a file name L recorded in a head of a grouped image section which includes the file name F of the mark file  604 . Subsequently, in step S 907 , the image transfer apparatus  506  obtains an update of the file L, and replaces a value of the update T obtained in step S 904  with this value. Then, in step S 908 , the image transfer apparatus  506  obtains a group number G of the grouped image section including the file F from the mark file  604 . Subsequently, in step S 909 , the image transfer apparatus  506  adds a character string “ST” and group number to the head of the file name F obtained in step S 904 , rewrites the file name F in a form of &lt;group number&gt;_F, and then proceeds to step S 910 . 
   If it is determined in step S 905  that the file name F is not included in the mark file  604 , the image transfer apparatus  506  directly proceeds to step S 910 . 
   The image transfer apparatus  506  transfers a file from the built-in flash memory  505  to the disk apparatus  507  in step S 910 , then changes an update of the file transferred to the disk apparatus  507  to T in step S 911 . In step S 912 , the image transfer apparatus  506  changes the transferred file name to F. If an image regarding a serial number “1” is a file name IMG — 0001.JPG, a group number 001 within the built-in flash memory  505 , the transferred file name is set to ST001_IMG — 0001.JPG. 
   Subsequently, in step S 913 , the image transfer apparatus  506  checks whether or not the image of the current transfer target is a last image of transfer targets recorded in the built-in flash memory  505 . If transfer of the last image has been finished, the image transfer apparatus  506  ends the processing. If the last image is not yet transferred, in step S 914 , a next image is specified as a current transfer target, and then the process returns to step S 904 . 
   The image transfer apparatus  506  transfers the images according to the aforementioned procedure, so that the grouped image information recorded in the mark file  604  stored in the built-in flash memory  505  can be correlated to the file name and the file update in the disk apparatus  507 . The image display software  509  sorts files in order of file names or file updates, so that grouped images are always displayed in continuous positions. This is shown in the display example of  FIG. 8 . 
   In other words, the image display software  509  can provide the grouped images in a classified state to the user without analyzing the grouped image information recorded in the mark file  604 . 
   According to the second embodiment, the grouped image information recorded in the mark file  604  is correlated to the file name and the file update in the disk apparatus  507 . However, similar effects can be obtained only by adopting either the file name or the file update. 
   As described above, the present invention can be also achieved by providing a storage medium, which stores program codes of the software for realizing the functions of the embodiments, to the system or the apparatus, and causing a computer (CPU or MPU) of the system or the device to read and execute the program codes stored in the storage medium. In this case, the program codes read from the storage medium realize themselves the aforementioned functions of the embodiments, and the storage medium storing the program codes constitutes the present invention. As such storage medium for supplying program codes, for example, a floppy disk (registered trademark), a hard disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-ROM, a CD-R, a magnetic tape, a nonvolatile memory card, or a ROM can be used. 
   Further, the functions of the embodiment are realized not only by the execution of the program codes read by the computer, but also realized by an operating system (OS) or the like which is operated on the computer and executes real processing in part or in whole based on instructions of the program codes. This aspect is also within the invention. 
   Furthermore, the program codes read from the storage medium can be written in a memory installed in a function expansion board inserted into the computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer. Based on instructions of such program codes, a CPU or the like provided in the function expansion board or the function expansion unit executes real processing in part or in whole, thereby realizing the aforementioned functions of the embodiments, which is also within the invention. 
   While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all modifications and equivalent structures and functions. 
   This application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-220386 filed Jul. 28, 2004, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.