Abstract:
An object of this invention is to easily identify an image file transferred from an image input apparatus and saved in an image file management apparatus. In an image file management method of saving an image file transferred from an image input apparatus in a folder created in accordance with the photographing date information of the image file, when transferred image files include one kind of photographing date, one kind of folder to save the image files is displayed on a screen as a current folder. When a plurality of kinds of photographing dates are present, a folder of an upper hierarchy which includes a plurality of folders created in correspondence with the plurality of kinds of photographing dates is displayed on the screen as the current folder.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to a technique of fetching an image file from an image input apparatus and managing it.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Conventionally, when an image file is fetched from an image input apparatus into an image file management apparatus and saved, a folder (e.g., My Pictures) designated as a saving destination in advance is always displayed as a current folder. In this case, if a folder is to be automatically generated in accordance with the photographing date information (e.g., Jul. 26, 2004) of image data, a folder “My Pictures¥2004¥07¥2004 — 07 — 26” is automatically created, and an image file is saved in this folder. More specifically, a folder “2004” is created in a folder “My Pictures”. A folder “07” is created in the folder “2004”. In addition, a folder “2004 — 07 — 26” is created in the folder “07”. This operation is automatically executed, and the image file is saved in the folder “2004 — 07 — 26”. Since the folder “My Pictures” is designated as the current folder, all folders in “My Pictures” are displayed.  
         [0003]     When image files transferred from the image input apparatus and held in the image file management apparatus are classified into a plurality of folders (for example, when a plurality of image files with different photographing dates are present), a folder which holds the latest transferred image file is displayed as the current folder.  
         [0004]     In the former method of the prior arts, assume that a transferred image file is saved in a folder of a hierarchy deeper than the hierarchy including the folder (current folder) designated as the saving destination (in the above example, the hierarchy of the folder “2004” is present under the hierarchy of the folder “My Pictures” (current folder) designated as the saving destination. The hierarchy of the folder “07” is present under the hierarchy of the folder “2004”. In addition, the hierarchy of the folder “2004 — 07 — 26” is present under the hierarchy of the folder “07”). In this case, the selected image file (currently fetched image file) is displayed small, as shown in  FIG. 1 . For this reason, it is difficult for the user to determine which image file has been fetched.  
         [0005]     In the latter method of the prior arts, only one of the plurality of folders that hold images is displayed as the current folder. Hence, the user cannot determine which one of the remaining undisplayed folders holds the image file.  
         [0006]     Non-patent reference 1 (“Save Photos in PC with Windows XP”, [online], Feb. 21, 2003, Microsoft, [searched on Aug. 31, 2004], Internet &lt;URL: http://www.microsoft.com/japan/windowsxp/digitalphotogr aphy/videos/getphotos.asp&gt;) discloses opening a folder in which an image is fetched and selecting only a fetched image. However, the image fetch destination cannot be selected in accordance with a “given condition (e.g., photographing date)”.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-described problems, and has as its object to easily identify an image file transferred from an image input apparatus and saved in an image file management apparatus.  
         [0008]     In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image file management apparatus for saving an image file in a folder in accordance with information of the image file, wherein when one kind of image files are present, one kind of folder to save the image files is displayed on a screen as a current folder, and when a plurality of kinds of image files are present, a folder of an upper hierarchy which includes a plurality of folders corresponding to the plurality of kinds is displayed on the screen as the current folder.  
         [0009]     According to the second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image file management method of saving an image file in a folder in accordance with information of the image file, wherein when one kind of image files are present, one kind of folder to save the image files is displayed on a screen as a current folder, and when a plurality of kinds of image files are present, a folder of an upper hierarchy which includes a plurality of folders corresponding to the plurality of kinds is displayed on the screen as the current folder.  
         [0010]     According to the third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program causing a computer to execute the above image file management method.  
         [0011]     According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer-readable storage medium storing the above program.  
         [0012]     Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the figures thereof.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]      FIG. 1  is a view showing a window display example when an image is fetched in a deep hierarchy;  
         [0014]      FIG. 2  is a view showing a window display example when all image files to be transferred and held are held in a single folder;  
         [0015]      FIG. 3  is a view showing an example of a folder tree when all image files are held in a single folder;  
         [0016]      FIG. 4  is a view showing a window display example when a folder of an immediately upper hierarchy is used as a current folder;  
         [0017]      FIG. 5  is a view showing an example of a folder tree when a folder of an immediately upper hierarchy is used as a current folder;  
         [0018]      FIG. 6  is a view showing an example of a folder tree when a folder of a second upper hierarchy is used as a current folder;  
         [0019]      FIG. 7  is a view showing an example of a folder tree when a folder of a third upper hierarchy is used as a current folder;  
         [0020]      FIG. 8  is a flowchart showing an algorithm to determine a current folder; and  
         [0021]      FIG. 9  is a view showing an example of how to change the current folder by using the algorithm shown in  FIG. 8 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0022]     A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.  
         [0023]     In this embodiment, an image file to be transferred from an image input apparatus and held in an image file management system is held in a “photographing year¥photographing month¥photographing day” folder which is automatically created in accordance with photographing information. In addition, as the saving destination folder, a “My Pictures” folder is designated.  
         [0000]     [Display and Folder Tree When Image Files are Held in Single Folder] 
         [0024]     When all image files to be transferred and held are held in a single folder, the single folder is displayed as a current folder, as shown in  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 3  shows a folder tree in this case. Referring to  FIG. 3 , the selected folder is the current folder.  
         [0025]     When image files obtained on, e.g., Jul. 26, 2004 are transferred under a condition that image files are transferred to a “photographing year¥photographing month¥photographing day” folder based on the “My Pictures” folder, the folder to hold the image files is “My Pictures¥2004¥07¥2004 — 07 — 26”. The folder displayed as the current folder is also “My Pictures¥2004¥07¥2004 — 07 — 26”.  
         [0000]     [Display When Image Files are Held in Plurality of Folders] 
         [0000]     (Display Example and Folder Tree When Images Sensed on Same Month of Same Year are Fetched)  
         [0026]     When an image file group to be transferred and held include image files obtained on different days of the same month, a folder immediately above is displayed as the current folder, as shown in  FIG. 4 .  FIG. 5  shows a folder tree in this case. Referring to  FIG. 5 , the selected folder is the current folder.  
         [0027]     When an image file A obtained on, e.g., Jul. 20, 2004 and an image file B obtained on Jul. 26, 2004 are transferred under a condition that image files are transferred to a “photographing year¥photographing month¥photographing day” folder based on the “My Pictures” folder, the folder to hold the image file A is “My Pictures¥2004¥07¥2004 — 07 20”, and the folder to hold the image file B is “My Pictures¥2004¥07¥2004 — 07 — 26”. The folder displayed on the screen as the current folder is “My Pictures¥2004¥07” of the immediately upper hierarchy.  
         [0000]     (Display Example and Folder Tree When Images Sensed in Same Year are Fetched Simultaneously)  
         [0028]     When an image file group to be transferred and held include images sensed on different months of the same year, a folder of the second upper hierarchy is displayed as the current folder.  FIG. 6  shows a folder tree in this case. Referring to  FIG. 6 , the selected folder is the current folder.  
         [0029]     When the image file A obtained on, e.g., May 28, 2004 and the image file B obtained on Jul. 20, 2004 are transferred under a condition that image files are transferred to a “photographing year¥photographing month¥photographing day” folder based on the “My Pictures” folder, the folder to hold the image file A is “My Pictures¥2004¥05¥2004 — 05 — 28”, and the folder to hold the image file B is “My Pictures¥2004¥07¥2004 — 07 — 20”. The folder displayed on the screen as the current folder is “My Pictures¥2004” of the second upper hierarchy.  
         [0000]     (Display Example and Folder Tree When Images Sensed in Different Years are Fetched Simultaneously)  
         [0030]     When an image file group to be transferred and held include images sensed on different years, a folder of the third upper hierarchy is displayed as the current folder.  FIG. 7  shows a folder tree in this case. Referring to  FIG. 7 , the selected folder is the current folder.  
         [0031]     When the image file A obtained on, e.g., May 28, 2003 and the image file B obtained on Jul. 20, 2004 are transferred under a condition that image files are transferred to a “photographing year¥photographing month¥photographing day” folder based on the “My Pictures” folder, the folder to hold the image file A is “My Pictures¥2003¥05¥2003 — 05 — 28”, and the folder to hold the image file B is “My Pictures¥2004¥07¥2004 — 07 — 20”. The folder displayed on the screen as the current folder is “My Pictures” of the third upper hierarchy.  
         [0000]     (Algorithm to Determine Current Folder)  
         [0032]     An algorithm to determine the current folder will be described next with reference to  FIG. 8 .  
         [0033]     When image file transfer starts in step S 2 , a saving destination folder path is acquired from the photographing date of the image file to be transferred and held (step S 4 ).  
         [0034]     In step S 6 , it is determined whether the transfer file is the first file. If it is the first image file, its saving destination folder path is set as the current folder path (step S 13 ).  
         [0035]     If it is determined in step S 6  that the transfer file is not the first image file, the current set current folder path is compared with the saving destination folder path, and a portion where the paths match is extracted (step S 10 ).  
         [0036]     In step S 12 , the extracted path is set as the current folder path.  
         [0037]     In step S 14 , it is determined whether transfer of all image files is ended. Steps S 4  to S 14  are repeated until transfer of all image files to be transferred and held is ended.  
         [0038]      FIG. 9  is a view showing an example of how to change the current folder by using the algorithm shown in  FIG. 8 .  
         [0039]     The saving destination folder path of the first image file “My Pictures¥2004¥05¥2004 — 05 — 20¥IMG — 0001.JPG” is “My Pictures¥2004¥05¥2004 — 05 — 20”. For the first image file, the processing advances from step S 6  to step S 13  in  FIG. 8 . Hence, the saving destination folder path “My Pictures¥2004¥05¥2004 — 05 — 20” is directly used as the current folder path.  
         [0040]     The saving destination folder path of the second image file “My Pictures¥2004¥05¥2004 — 05 — 20¥IMG — 0002.JPG” is “My Pictures¥2004¥05¥2004 — 05 — 20”, like the first image file. For the second image file, the current folder path is compared with the saving destination folder path in steps S 8  and S 10  in  FIG. 8 . In this case, the current folder path matches the saving destination folder path. Hence, the present current folder path “My Pictures¥2004¥05¥2004 — 05 — 20” is directly set as the current folder path (step S 12  in  FIG. 8 ).  
         [0041]     The saving destination folder path of the third image file “My Pictures¥2004¥05¥2004 — 05 — 28¥IMG — 0003.JPG” is “My Pictures¥2004¥05¥2004 — 05 — 28”. This image file is obtained on a different day from but the same month as the second image file. For the third image file, the current folder path is compared with the saving destination folder path in steps S 8  and S 10  in  FIG. 8 . In this case, the portion where the current folder path “My Pictures¥2004¥05¥2004 — 05 — 20” matches the saving destination folder path “My Pictures¥2004¥05¥2004 — 05 — 28” is “My Pictures¥2004¥05”. Hence, the current folder path is set to “My Pictures¥2004¥05”. Both the contents of the folder “My Pictures¥2004¥05¥2004 — 05 — 20” and those of the folder “My Pictures¥2004¥05¥2004 — 05 — 28” are displayed on the screen (step S 12  in  FIG. 8 ).  
         [0042]     The saving destination folder path of the fourth image file “My Pictures¥2004¥07¥2004 — 07 — 26¥IMG — 0004.JPG” is “My Pictures¥2004¥07¥2004 — 07 — 26”. This image file is obtained on a different month from but the same year as the third image file. For the fourth image file, the current folder path is compared with the saving destination folder path in steps S 8  and S 10  in  FIG. 8 . In this case, the portion where the current folder path “My Pictures¥2004¥05” matches the saving destination folder path “My Pictures¥2004¥07¥2004 — 07 — 26” is “My Pictures¥2004”. Hence, the current folder path is set to “My Pictures¥2004” (step S 12  in  FIG. 8 ).  
         [0043]     The saving destination folder path of the fifth image file “My Pictures¥2003¥07¥2003 — 07 — 26¥IMG — 0005.JPG” is “My Pictures¥2003¥07¥2003 — 07 — 26”. This image file is obtained on a year different from that of the fourth image file. For the fifth image file, the current folder path is compared with the saving destination folder path in steps S 8  and S 10  in  FIG. 8 . In this case, the portion where the current folder path “My Pictures¥2004” matches the saving destination folder path “My Pictures¥2003¥07¥2003 — 07 — 26” is “My Pictures”. Hence, the current folder path is set to “My Pictures” (step S 12  in  FIG. 8 ).  
         [0044]     The current folder is set in the above-described way.  
         [0045]     As described above, according to this embodiment, even when a transferred image file is held in a folder of a hierarchy deeper than the hierarchy including the folder designated as the saving destination, the held image is displayed large. Hence, it is easy for the user to determine the folder in which the image file is fetched.  
         [0046]     All of the plurality of folders that hold images are displayed instantaneously as the transfer is ended. Hence, the user can easily discriminate the folder which holds the image files.  
         [0047]     In the above embodiment, folders are hierarchically managed in accordance with photographing date information. However, the present invention is not limited to this and can also be applied to a system for hierarchically managing folders in accordance with another management information such as the camera model (e.g., maker name, single-lens reflex type or compact type, and model name).  
         [0048]     As described above, according to the above embodiment, an image file transferred from an image input apparatus and saved in an image file management apparatus can easily be identified.  
       Other Embodiment  
       [0049]     The object of embodiment is achieved by supplying a storage medium (or recording medium) which stores software program codes for implementing the function of the above-described embodiment to a system or apparatus and causing the computer (or CPU or MPU) of the system or apparatus to read out and execute the program codes stored in the storage medium. In this case, the program codes read out from the storage medium implement the function of the above-described embodiment by themselves, and the storage medium which stores the program codes constitutes the present invention. The function of the above-described embodiment is implemented not only when the readout program codes are executed by the computer but also when the operating system (OS) running on the computer performs part or all of actual processing on the basis of the instructions of the program codes.  
         [0050]     The function of the above-described embodiment is also implemented when the program codes read out from the storage medium are written in the memory of a function expansion card inserted into the computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer, and the CPU of the function expansion card or function expansion unit performs part or all of actual processing on the basis of the instructions of the program codes.  
         [0051]     When the present invention is applied to the storage medium, it stores program codes corresponding to the above-described procedures.  
         [0052]     As many apparently widely different embodiments of the present invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments thereof except as defined in the appended claims.  
       CLAIM OF PRIORITY  
       [0053]     This application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-252895 filed Aug. 31, 2004, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.