Abstract:
An object of the present invention is to enable a storage location for data, such as a file, to be specified by a simple operation using an identifier such as a two-dimensional code. A data storage device of the present invention is provided with a selecting section which selects arbitrary data, a reading section which reads an identifier, a recognizing section which recognizes a storage destination for the data from a result of reading by the reading section, and a storing section which stores the data in the storage destination recognized by the recognizing section.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2012-053117, filed Mar. 9, 2012, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a data storage device and a computer-readable storage medium. Specifically, the present invention relates to a data storage device and a computer-readable storage medium by which a storage location for data, such as a file, can be specified by a simple operation. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     A block of data that can be processed by a computer is referred to as “file”, and a location where the file is stored is referred to as “folder”, although “folder” is a term used in certain operating systems and other operating systems use the term “directory” or the like. In the description below, this location where a file is stored is uniformly referred to as “folder” for convenience of explanation. 
     The number of folders is initially one per drive, and this folder is a special folder referred to as “root” or “root folder”. For example, in a setting where a drive letter is “C”, the route folder is expressed by a character string “C:¥”, and the user or the system manager can create a desired number of folders within the root folder as required. If necessary, they can also create a desired number of folders within these folders in the root folder. That is, the user or the system manager can create a group of folders having a hierarchical structure within the root folder. 
     As just described, in many cases, a desired number of folders are created in a hierarchical structure. Although the number of layers, or in other words, the depth of the structure varies, the structure can become very deep depending on the purpose and size of the system. 
     A disadvantage of these folders having a hierarchical structure is that a target file is difficult to find, which becomes more significant when the structure is deeper. For example, in an instance where a target file is stored in a folder in the n-th layer of the C drive, the character string specifying the file is very long, i.e., “C:¥[name of folder  1 ]¥[name of folder  2 ]¥[name of folder  3 ] . . . ¥[name of folder n]¥[name of target file]”. 
     As a method to easily retrieve a target file from folders having a hierarchical structure, for example, an identifier, such as a two-dimensional code, may be used. As a conventional technology related to two-dimensional codes, there is, for example, “QR CODE (registered trademark) GENERATION DEVICE AND GENERATION METHOD, AND QR CODE (registered trademark) GENERATION SYSTEM” described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open (Kokai) Publication No. 2006-252053. 
     The QR code (registered trademark) is a type of two-dimensional code that is an expansion of one-dimensional codes such as bar codes, which expresses numbers and characters by a pattern of dots arranged on a horizontal and vertical two-dimensional plane. This QR code (registered trademark) is capable of expressing information amounting to 7,089 numbers, or 1,800 characters including kanji characters. Other two-dimensional codes are PDF417, DataMatrix, MaxiCode (all of them are registered trademarks), etc. 
     By the use of the two-dimensional code, a target file can be easily retrieved from folders having a hierarchical structure. For example, in the case of the above-described long character string (“C:¥[name of folder  1 ]¥[name of folder  2 ]¥[name of folder  3 ] . . . ¥[name of folder n]¥[name of target file]”), the target file can be easily retrieved by a two-dimensional code expressing this character string being created and then printed or displayed on a display. 
     Having a function for reading two-dimensional codes, many modern mobile phones can correctly recognize the long character string and easily access the target file, by reading the two-dimensional code shown on printed material or displayed on a display, and analyzing the code information. 
     As described above, by the use of the conventionally-known two-dimensional code, a target file can be easily retrieved from folders having a hierarchical structure. However, the storing of an arbitrary file in a desired folder, which is the opposite of file retrieval from a folder, cannot be performed. 
     This is because, whereas “file retrieval” can be easily performed using a browser function that is a standard feature in network terminals such as mobile phones and personal computers, “file storage” cannot be performed solely by a browser function. 
     Demand for easy “file storage” is high especially among people using a mobile terminal such as a mobile phone in combination with cloud computing. This is because text input is not efficiently performed by mobile phones and therefore accessing folders located deep within the structure is cumbersome. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a data storage device and a program by which a storage location for data, such as a file, can be specified by a simple operation. 
     In order to achieve the above-described object, in accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a data storage device comprising: a selecting section which selects arbitrary data; a reading section which reads an identifier; a recognizing section which recognizes a storage destination for the data from a result of reading by the reading section; and a storing section which stores the data in the storage destination recognized by the recognizing section. 
     The above and further objects and novel features of the present invention will more fully appear from the following detailed description when the same is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration only and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an overall conceptual diagram showing data storage according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 2A  and  FIG. 2B  are diagrams showing a folder structure in a storage section  4 ; 
         FIG. 3A  to  FIG. 3C  are outer appearance views of a mobile phone  300 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a block diagram showing the mobile phone  300 ; and 
         FIG. 5  is a diagram showing a flowchart of operations that are performed by the mobile phone  300 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     An embodiment in which the present invention has been applied to a highly-functional mobile phone will hereinafter be described with reference to the drawings. 
       FIG. 1  is an overall conceptual diagram showing data storage according to the present embodiment. A server  2  in  FIG. 1  is constantly connected to a network  1 , such as the Internet. Also, a single or a plurality of mobile phones  3  are connected to this network  1  as required. 
     The server  2  is a common server-only machine having a well-known configuration and therefore will not be described in detail. In the present embodiment, the server  2  is only required to have at least a storage section  4  such as a hard disk, a control section  5  including a computer, a communication section  6  that transmits and receives data to and from the network  1 , and a two-dimensional code generating section  7 . Note that, although some or all of these components are functions virtually actualized by an organic coupling of a software resource, such as an operating system or an application program, and a hardware resource, such as a computer (i.e. they have no concrete form), the present invention is not limited thereto, and they may be configured by hardware logic or the like (i.e. they may have a concrete form and exist physically). 
     The two-dimensional code generating section  7  uses a two-dimensional code generating tool and generates a two-dimensional code  8  containing a character string indicating the location of a predetermined folder  4   a  created in advance (or newly created) in the storage section  4 , as an identifier. For example, “QR Code Editor” (http://freesoft-100.com/screen/qr-code-editor.html) can be used as the two-dimensional code generating tool. 
       FIG. 2A  and  FIG. 2B  are diagrams showing a folder structure in the storage section  4 . In  FIG. 2A , a folder named “GroupFolder” has been created in the root folder (“C: ¥”) in the storage section  4 , as an example. In addition, a folder named “Group_ 1 ” has been created in the layer below the “GroupFolder” folder, and a folder named “Document” has been created in the layer below the “Group_ 1 ” folder. When the “Document” folder in the lowest layer is the&#39;above-described predetermined folder  4   a , the character string indicating the location of the predetermined folder  4   a  is “C: ¥GroupFolder¥Group_ 1 ¥Document” as shown in  FIG. 2B , and the two-dimensional code generating section  7  generates the two-dimensional code  8  containing this character string as an identifier. 
     Returning to  FIG. 1 , the mobile phone  3  includes at least an imaging section  9  having a function for capturing an image of a two-dimensional code, a communication section  10  that transmits and receives data to and from the network  1 , a control section  11  including a computer, a file selecting section  13  that selects data to be stored (hereinafter referred to as “file  12 ” for convenience of explanation) in the server  2 , and a file holding section  14  that holds the file  12 . A specific configuration of the mobile phone  3  will be described in detail later. As in the case of the server  3 , although some or all of these components are functions virtually actualized by an organic coupling of a software resource, such as an operating system or an application program, and a hardware resource, such as a computer (i.e. they have no concrete form), the present invention is not limited thereto, and they may be configured by hardware logic or the like (i.e. they may have a concrete form and exist physically). 
     The two-dimensional code  8  generated by the two-dimensional code generating section  7  of the server  2  in the above-described configuration is outputted as printed material or displayed on a display (not shown) so that the imaging section  9  of the mobile phone  3  can capture an image of the printed material or the display. Then, the captured data is loaded into the control section  11  of the mobile phone  3 , and the control section  11  analyzes the two-dimensional code  8  and reproduces the above-described character string (the character string indicating the location of the predetermined folder  4   a : see the character string in  FIG. 2B ). In addition, the control section  11  reads out the file  12  selected by the file selecting section  13  from the file holding section  14 , and after designating the reproduced character string as a storage location, transmits the file  12  to the server  2  from the communication section  10 , via the network  1 . 
     As just described, by an easy operation to capture an image of the two-dimensional code  8  by the imaging section  9  of the mobile phone  3  and selecting the file  12 , the file  12  can be stored in a predetermined storage destination (the predetermined folder  4   a ) on the server  2 . Note that, although the data to be stored in this example is the file  12 , the data is not limited to this “file”, and can be any storable computer-processable data. 
     Next, a specific example of the mobile phone  3  in  FIG. 1  will be described in detail, using an actual mobile phone  300 . 
       FIG. 3A  to  FIG. 3C  are outer appearance views of the mobile phone  300 . This mobile phone  300  has a housing  15  shaped such that the mobile phone  300  can be held in a hand (a tablet shape), as shown in  FIG. 3A . On the main surface of the housing  15  which serves as an operation surface, a display section  17  on which a touch panel  16  is mounted, a receiver hole  18 , and a mouthpiece hole  19  are provided. In addition, on the bottom surface of the housing  15  on the lower end side of the main surface, a connector  20  is provided which is used to connect the mobile phone  300  to an external interface (I/F)  28  described hereafter or to charge a power supply section  29  described hereafter. Moreover, on the top surface of the housing  15  on the upper end side of the main surface, a power button  21  is provided. On the surface (back surface) opposite to the main surface, an imaging lens  22  for an imaging section  25  described hereafter is provided. 
     Note that, although the smartphone-type mobile phone  300  having the tablet-shaped housing  15  has been given as an example in this embodiment, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the mobile phone  300  may have a foldable-type housing, a sliding-type housing, or other types of housing. 
       FIG. 4  is a block diagram of the mobile phone  300 . The mobile phone  300  includes a wireless communication section  23  (equivalent to the communication section  10  in  FIG. 1 ), an audio processing section  24 , the imaging section  25  (equivalent to the imaging section  9  in  FIG. 1 ), the display section  17  including the touch panel  16 , a memory I/F  26 , a memory  27  (equivalent to the file holding section  14  in  FIG. 1 ), the external I/F  28 , the power supply section  29 , a central control section  30  (equivalent to the control section  11  and the file selecting section  13  in  FIG. 1 ), etc. 
     The wireless communication section  23  is a wireless communication section for mobile phones that wirelessly transmits and receives digital data to and from the nearest base station (not shown), via an antenna  23   a . The digital data herein includes data of incoming and outgoing phone calls and data of voice calls exchanged between the mobile phone  300  and a mobile phone network or a common public telephone network. Also, it includes data exchanged between the mobile phone  300  and a resource (such as the server  2  in  FIG. 1 ) on a network (such as the network  1  in  FIG. 1 ) as required. The wireless communication section  23  transmits and receives the above-described digital data under the control of the central control section  30 . 
     Note that, although the wireless communication section  23  herein is a wireless communication section for mobile phones, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the wireless communication section  23  may be, for example, a wireless communication section for a wireless Local Area Network (LAN). In this instance, the wireless communication section  23  establishes a connection with a nearby wireless LAN relay device (access point) via the antenna  23   a , and accesses a resource (such as the server  2  in  FIG. 1 ) on a network (such as the network  1  in  FIG. 1 ) connected to the access point, while wirelessly transmitting and receiving digital data. 
     The audio processing section  24  converts audio signals picked up by a microphone  24   a  into digital data, and outputs it to the central control section  30 , under the control of the central control section  30 . Also, the audio processing section  24  converts digital audio signals outputted from the central control section  30  into analog signals and emits amplified sound from a speaker  24   b . The microphone  24   a  and the speaker  24   b  are used for listening and speaking during phone calls. This speaker  24   b  is also used to emit ringtones for phone calls. 
     The imaging section  25  includes an imaging lens  22  shown in  FIG. 3 , and a two-dimensional imaging device such as a Charge-Coupled Device (CCD) or a Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS). This imaging section  25  captures a still image or a moving image of an arbitrary subject and outputs the image data to the central control section  30 , under the control of the central control section  30 . 
     The display section  17  is a flat-screen display device, such as a liquid crystal display, or an organic liquid crystal or Electroluminescent (EL) panel, and includes the touch panel  16  on the front surface. Note that, although the touch panel  16  is an independent component, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the touch panel  16  may be, for example, a built-in touch panel incorporated in the display section  17  (the touch panel layer is generally interposed between the protective glass and the display layer). 
     The memory I/F  26  is, for example, a general-purpose interface supporting the specification of the memory  27  (such as a Secure Digital [SD] card), which is positioned between the central control section  30  and the memory  27  and mediates their data exchange. 
     The memory  27  is a non-volatile and rewritable information storage component. A flash memory such as an SD card, a silicon disk, or a hard disk can be used as this memory  27 , and various user data (such as an electronic phone book, data of images captured by the imaging section  25 , and content data such as images and music downloaded from the Internet) are stored therein. 
     The external I/F  28  is a data interface between the mobile phone  300  and an external device, such as a personal computer. The external device is capable of accessing the memory  27 , via the external I/F  28  and the central control section  30 . User data stored in the memory  27  can be loaded into the external device, and user data in the external device can be loaded into the memory  27 , as required. 
     The power supply section  29 , which includes a battery composed of a primary cell or a rechargeable secondary cell, generates various power supply voltages required to operate the mobile phone  300 , using power from the battery, and supplies the voltage to each section. 
     The central control section  30  contains control components of a program control system including a computer or a microcomputer (hereinafter referred to as a Central Processing Unit [CPU]  30   a ), a read-only semiconductor memory (hereinafter referred to as a Read-Only Memory [ROM]  30   b ), a high-speed semiconductor memory (hereinafter referred to as a Random Access Memory [RAM]  30   c ), and peripheral circuits (not shown). This central control section  30  performs various processing successively and controls the entire operation of the mobile phone  300 , by loading a control program stored in advance in the ROM  30   b  into the RAM  30   c  and executing the program by the CPU  30   a . Note that the ROM  30   b  may be a rewritable and non-volatile semiconductor memory (such as a flash memory or a Programmable Read-Only Memory [PROM]). 
       FIG. 5  is a diagram showing a flowchart of operations that are performed the mobile phone  300 . This operational flow corresponds to the flow of the main portion of the control program that is executed by the CPU  30   a  of the mobile phone  300 , and therefore the component that executes the following steps is the CPU  30   a.    
     In this operational flow, the CPU  30   a  first activates the imaging section  25  (Step S 1 ). Subsequently, the CPU  30   a  captures an image of a two-dimensional code (see the two-dimensional code  8  in  FIG. 1 ) by the imaging section  25  (Step S 2 ) (reading section). Then, the CPU  30   a  analyzes the two-dimensional code (Step S 3 ) and reproduces a character string contained in the two-dimensional code (the character string indicating the location of the predetermined folder  4   a  in FIG. 
     Next, the CPU  30   a  selects a file (the file  12  in  FIG. 1 ) to be stored in the predetermined folder  4   a  (selecting section) and loads it from the memory  27  (Step S 4 ). Then, the CPU  30   a  transmits the file (the file  12  in  FIG. 1 ) to a storage location indicated by the above-described character string, via the wireless communication section  23  (Step S 5 ) (storing section). 
     As described above, in the present embodiment, a unique effect can be achieved in which, by a simple operation to capture an image of a two-dimensional code (the two-dimensional code  8  in  FIG. 1 : identifier) using the imaging section  25  of the mobile phone  300  and select a file (the file  12  in  FIG. 1 ), the file can be stored in a predetermined storage destination (the predetermined folder  4   a  in  FIG. 1 ) on the network. 
     Note that the file “selection” herein refers to the selection of a file based on the intent of the user, such as the user intentionally selecting a file from a file list. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the file may be selected by the system. For example, a configuration may be adopted in which the system selects a file including data (such as a photograph or a document) that is being displayed on the display section  17  as a file to be stored. 
     In the present embodiment, this file selection is performed after a two-dimensional code is analyzed. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the file selection may be performed before a two-dimensional code is analyzed. 
     Also, although the identifier in the present embodiment is a two-dimensional code, the present invention is not limited thereto, and it may be a one-dimensional code or the like. That is, any identifier that enables the recognition of a storage destination can be used. 
     Moreover, although the present invention has been applied to a mobile phone in the present embodiment, the present invention is not limited thereto, and can be applied to any computer-applied device having a camera function and a communication function, such as a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a personal computer, a gaming terminal, or a digital camera. 
     Furthermore, in the present embodiment, a storage destination for a file is the storage section  4  of the server  2  connected to the network  1 . However, this is merely a preferred example that takes into account present-day network environments, such as cloud computing, and the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the present invention may be applied to a stand-alone system. In this case, a folder (equivalent to the folder  4   a  in  FIG. 1 ) is created in an arbitrary location of the memory  27  of the mobile phone  300 , and a two-dimensional code indicating the location of this folder is created. Then, when data is required to be stored, this two-dimensional code is captured by the own imaging section  25 , and the relevant file is stored in the location (the folder created in the own memory  27 ) indicated by the two-dimensional code, according to the same procedures as those of the above-described embodiment. 
     While the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments, it is intended that the invention be not limited by any of the details of the description therein but includes all the embodiments which fall within the scope of the appended claims.