Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Hiroshi Satomi

Atsushi Inoue

Kosuke Ito

Akihiro Masukawa

Kenichiro Matsuura

Shinji Fukunaga

Satoshi Igeta

Kenji Kasai

Jiro Izumi

Satoshi Watanabe

Yosato Hitaka

Tomonobu Hiraishi

Koichiro Tanaka

Katsuhisa Ogawa

Shigeyuki Mitani

Kikuo Naito

Yoichi Matsuyama

Makoto Tamari

Yasushi Higuma

An image layout apparatus includes a cropping unit, a displaying unit, a checking unit, first and second computing units, a noticing unit, and a preventing unit. The cropping unit crops an image file image. The displaying unit displays and arranges cropped images on a page. The checking unit checks whether first and second image files are same. The first computing unit computes, in response to the first image file and the second image file being the same, an overlapping area between a first displayed image and a second displayed image. The second computing unit computes overlapping size ratio of the computed overlapping area. The noticing unit notices, in response to the first image file and the second image file being the same, information regarding duplication of image files. The preventing unit prevents, in response to the computed overlapping size ratio being smaller than a predetermined value, noticing the information.

Image editing system, image management apparatus, and image editing program

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.

A data storage system requires no special operation by owner users (who make data available) and provides guest users (who view the data) with ease of management of information required to access the data. For example, a URL providing access to data is issued in association with the combination of an owner user and a guest user. This provides ease of information management since only a single URL is required for a guest user to access a plurality of data made available by one owner user.

Data storage system, data storage server apparatus, control method, and program for storing data on a server apparatus on a network

Upon transferring image data stored in a first information processing apparatus (photo site) to a second information processing apparatus (print site), at least one of information that pertains to whether or not the image data is to be acquired by the second information processing apparatus, information that pertains to whether or not the image data has already been acquired by the second information processing apparatus, and information that pertains to the number of times of acquisition of the image data by the second information processing apparatus is managed, and whether or not unwanted image data is transferred to the second information processing apparatus, and whether or not image data illicitly leaks to the second information processing apparatus are monitored on the basis of the managed information. The first information processing apparatus (photo site) prepares required image data in accordance with the current state of a series of processes to be executed by the second information processing apparatus (print site), and passes it to the second information processing apparatus, thereby preventing the first information processing apparatus that saves image data from passing unwanted image data to the second information processing apparatus that processes image data.

Information processing system, information processing apparatus, information processing method, storage medium that stores program for implementing it to be readable by information processing apparatus and that program

A data edit method and apparatus for editing electronic album data requesting printing of the album. The method and apparatus comprise receiving data in a first format from a first apparatus, generating edited data by using the first-format data, converting the first-format edited data into a second format, and transmitting the second-format data to a second apparatus.

Data-edit apparatus for editing data by using data transmitted from server and transmitting edited data via network, program used therefor, and data-edit method

An authenticated user is provided with page information relating to a service to be provided, such as a service for ordering products. In the invention, the authenticated user is provided with page information in either a first or second form, wherein in the first form the page information includes an entry field for coupon information and in the second form the page information does not include the entry field for the coupon information. When coupon information input in the entry field is received, a determination is made whether or not the coupon information is valid. The number of times that the coupon information is determined to be invalid is counted and stored in association with the authenticated user. When the counted number does not exceed a predetermined value, the user is provided with the page information in the first form, while the page information is provided in the second form when the counted number exceeds the predetermined value.

Authentication system, control method and program thereof, and storage medium

The invention relates to printing print data and advertisement data and charging for the printing so that a printing fee is reduced in accordance with the printing of the advertisement data. A size of the advertisement data to be printed is input and the advertisement data and the input size are transmitted to a control apparatus. The control apparatus receives a print sheet size designation and output information, determines a layout which corresponds to a type of the output information, to secure an advertisement area for printing the advertisement data on the determined layout. The advertisement data is selected in accordance with the secured size in the layout, and at least one of a number of times of printing the advertisement data, a unit price of the advertisement data, print position settings of the advertisement data, a size adjusting method of the advertisement data, and an arrangement orientation of the advertisement data. Print data is then generated and a bar code indicating a print fee for printing of the output information, which is reduced in accordance with the advertisement data being printed, is added to the generated print data.

Information providing system and method therefor

This invention provides an information providing system which can easily update a price in accordance with data processing, an information providing apparatus, an information presenting method, a control program, and a storage medium. To accomplish this, a user accesses a Web server () in a photosite () by using a browser () of a user PC (), browses images, and selects an image which he/she wants to print out (S, S). A printsite () receives input data indicating a print form, print count, and the like for each selected image (S), calculates an estimated price by using a print information database () in which print unit prices are stored and the price calculation module (), and transfers the estimated price to the photosite () (S). The photosite () calculates a price while factoring personal information into the estimated price by using a personal information database () and a price calculation module (), and presents the price to the user (S).

Information presenting system for performing data processing in accordance with order from user

To accomplish speedy handling of user's requests, when a user gives a print order to a photo-site, an original image, thumbnail image, and display image are copied in step S, and a URL to access the copied original image, thumbnail image, and display image from a print-site is written in a Work file in step S. This Work file is merged with an order file in step Sand sent to the print-site. Since the print-site executes print processing by using the copies, the user can perform processing such as deletion of image data and withdrawal from membership with respect to the photo-site immediately after the print order is placed.

Information providing apparatus which performs data processing in accordance with order from user

This invention allows to control archive of data without any load on the operator of a service by automatically changing the archive condition in correspondence with product information related to the service. When data is to be archived in an apparatus connected to a network, the data archive period is changed on the basis of the information of a product related to the service, which is sent from the user. For example, when the archive condition is the archive period, control is executed to delete data that has expired.

Information processing system, information processing apparatus, archive information management method, storage medium which stores information-processing-apparatus-readable program that implements the method, and program

A server apparatus which retains a data file transferred from a predetermined user through a network and provides an access service for the data file through the network is disclosed, in which unauthorized access to the data file can be prevented with a low processing load. When the third party is permitted to access the data file, the server apparatus according to this invention encrypts and generates an access code required for access on the basis of information managed in the server apparatus to specify the data file.

Managing a data file with an access code

An information providing method, information providing system, terminal apparatus, and storage medium storing an information providing program, which enable to extract actually desired information and appropriately extract information desired next, are provided. A predetermined code is input from a P service terminal (). A P service server () searches the first database for first information corresponding to the code and extracts the information. When a predetermined condition is satisfied, second information is searched for from the second database and extracted. The extracted second information is attached to the first information. The first information or the first information having the second information is returned to the P service terminal ().

Information providing method, information providing system, terminal apparatus, and storage medium storing information providing program

A server apparatus which accepts the transfer of image data from a user who can access the apparatus through a network, and can limit image data whose transfer is accepted with various conditions is disclosed. The server apparatus according to this invention determines whether given image data is data that can be received, in accordance with the type of image input device contained in the additional information of the image data and the presence/absence of data such as photographing conditions and the like, thereby receiving only images photographed by specific input devices or rejecting images containing no information required for printing.

Server apparatus and control method therefor

Information to be distributed and a code representing the information are registered in correspondence with each other, and the valid dates of the registered information are set.

System for notifying when printable dates of registered information will expire to a communication terminal

A net database retains, for each user, information about a portable terminal and user information including designation of a destination of electronic mail. A determination module determines whether the contents of electronic mail received by a mail server are displayable at the portable terminal of a destination user. If it is determined that the contents are displayable, the electronic mail is sent to the portable terminal of the destination user. If it is determined that the contents are not displayable, the determination module determines the destination of the electronic mail in accordance with the user information. A conversion module converts the electronic mail data into a form outputtable at the destination. The converted data is provided to the destination apparatus, and a notification representing this is notified to the portable terminal.

Growing community of inventors

Kanagawa, Japan

Hiroshi Satomi