IMAGE EDITING SYSTEM, IMAGE MANAGEMENT APPARATUS, AND IMAGE EDITING PROGRAM

Abstract

When an image file is loaded into an electronic album, an electronic album editing apparatus displays images on a page by arranging a layout and performs editing of the images such as cropping and magnification and reduction. The electronic album editing apparatus displays the edited images on the page and determines whether the images that are already edited and displayed, overlap with each other for use in the album. When it is determined that the images overlap with each other, the electronic album editing apparatus issues a warning to that effect to the user.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate exemplary embodiments, features, and aspects of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

FIG. 1 illustrates a hardware configuration of an album creation apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a configuration of an image file according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates a flow chart showing a procedure for creating a new album that is performed by the album creation apparatus according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 schematically illustrates an album management table that is stored in a hard disk of the album creation apparatus according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 schematically illustrates an image management table that is stored in a hard disk of the album creation apparatus according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 illustrates an album editing screen displayed on a display device of the album creation apparatus according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 illustrates an image editing screen displayed on the display device of the album creation apparatus according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 illustrates a processing selection screen displayed on the display device of the album creation apparatus according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 schematically illustrates a warning management table that is stored in the hard disk of the album creation apparatus according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 illustrates one example of an environment setting screen that is displayed on the display device of the album creation apparatus according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 schematically illustrates a page management table that is stored in the hard disk of the album creation apparatus according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 schematically illustrates a page image management table that is stored in the hard disk of the album creation apparatus according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a flow chart that illustrates a procedure in which the album creation apparatus according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention determines whether the images in the album are used in an overlapping manner and issues a warning to that effect.

FIG. 14 illustrates one example of a warning screen that is displayed on the display device of the album creation apparatus according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 illustrates one example of an album editing screen that is displayed on the display device of the album creation apparatus according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 schematically illustrates the warning management table that is stored in the hard disk of the album creation apparatus according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a flow chart that illustrates a procedure in which the album creation apparatus according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention determines whether the images in the album are used in an overlapping manner and issues a warning to that effect.

FIG. 18 illustrates one example of an overall configuration of an album creation system according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 19 is a flow chart that illustrates a procedure for notification of the creation of the album to a participant sent from a user terminal, according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 20 schematically illustrates one example of a participant information management table according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 21 is a flow chart that illustrates a procedure for producing an album page performed in the user terminal, according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 22 illustrates one example of a page editing screen according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 23A and FIG. 23B are flow charts that respectively illustrate a procedure for uploading page data from the user terminal to the album management apparatus, according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 24 illustrates one example of a page selection screen according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 25 illustrates one example of verification data according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 26 illustrates one example of a content of an electronic mail according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 27 schematically illustrates one example of a page information management table according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 28 is a flow chart that illustrates a procedure for checking the images for overlapping within the album performed by the album management apparatus according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 29 illustrates one example of returned data according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 30 is a flow chart that illustrates a procedure for checking the images for overlapping within the album performed by the user terminal and the album management apparatus according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 31 illustrates one example of a warning screen according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 32 illustrates one example of an overlapping checking screen according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 33 illustrates one example in which plural portions of one image are cropped from the image.

FIG. 34 illustrates one example of the images having different magnifications that are obtained from one image.

Claims

1. An electronic album editing apparatus that edits an electronic album in which a plurality of images are arranged, the electronic album editing apparatus comprising: an editing unit configured to edit an image file;a storage unit configured to store editing information about the editing performed by the editing unit;a display control unit configured to control display so that the images are displayed in the electronic album based on the image file and the editing information that is stored in the storage unit;a determination unit configured to determine whether the images that are displayed by the display control unit overlap with each other based on the editing information stored in the storage unit; anda notification unit configured to notify a result of determination performed by the determination unit.

2. The electronic album editing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electronic album includes a plurality of pages, the storage unit stores the editing information by linking the editing information with the pages, andthe determination unit performs determination processing with respect to the images that are linked to different pages of the electronic album.

3. The electronic album editing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a completion instruction unit configured to instruct to complete the editing performed by the editing unit, whereinwhen the completion of the editing is instructed by the completion instruction unit, the determination unit performs the determination processing.

4. The electronic album editing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a print instruction unit configured to instruct to print the image that is displayed by the display control unit,wherein when the printing is instructed by the print instruction unit, the determination unit performs the determination processing.

5. The electronic album editing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the editing unit performs cropping processing or magnification and reduction processing to the image as the editing.

6. The electronic album editing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a management unit configured to manage attribute information of the image by linking the attribute information to the image; anda decision unit configured to decide the image to be subjected to the determination processing performed by the determination unit based on the attribute information that is managed by the management unit.

7. A method for editing an electronic album in which a plurality of images are arranged, the method comprising: editing an image file;storing editing information about editing performed on the image file;controlling the images to be displayed in the electronic album based on the image file and the stored editing information;determining whether the displayed images overlap each other based on the stored editing information; andnotifying a result of the determination of whether the displayed images overlap each other.

8. A computer-readable memory medium storing instructions which, when executed by an apparatus, causes the apparatus to perform operations comprising: editing an image file;storing editing information about editing performed on the image file;controlling display so that images are displayed in an electronic album based on the image file and the stored editing information;determining whether the displayed images overlap with each other based on the stored editing information; andnotifying a result of the determination of whether the displayed images overlap each other.

9. An electronic album editing system that edits an electronic album in which a plurality of images are arranged, and includes a server apparatus capable of communicating with a client apparatus via a network, the electronic album editing system comprising: the client apparatus includes:an editing unit configured to edit an image file;a display control unit configured to control display so that the images are displayed in the electronic album based on the image file and editing information about the editing performed by the editing unit; andan editing information sending unit configured to send the editing information to the server apparatus; and

10. A system according to claim 9, further comprising: a notification unit configured to notify a result of determination performed by the determination unit to the client apparatus.

11. A system according to claim 10, wherein the editing information receiving unit receives the editing information from another client apparatus also and the notification unit notifies the result of determination performed by the determination unit to another client apparatus also.