Information processing apparatus, information processing method and recording medium for electronic equipment including an electronic camera

Abstract

A personal computer to which electronic equipment, such as, an electronic camera is connected reads recording units that are recorded in the electronic camera and displays a table consisting of recording information. In recording information such as a main image, a sub image and sound in the electronic camera, data within the electronic camera are inter-related by an index which indicates that the information is part of a common recording unit. The date having the same index are output and displayed in a same thumbnail area. When a recording unit for deletion is designated from the table, check boxes are displayed according to information contained in the recording unit. For example, an “x” is displayed in the check box of the information to be deleted, indicating that the information is a target of deletion. After the selection of information is completed and an “OK” button is pressed, the personal computer sends a control command to the electronic camera and deletes the designated information. Rather than deletion, the designated information can be read from the electronic camera into the personal computer.

1 . An information processing apparatus that is electronically connectable to electronic equipment, the electronic equipment stores at least main image data, sub image data and sound data, each of the data having information including first information relating to types of said data and identical second information that identifies inter-relationships among said data, the apparatus executing a predetermined process for the main image data, the sub image data and the sound data stored in said electronic equipment, the apparatus comprising: 
 input means for inputting said information for each of the main image data, the sub image data and the sound data from the electronic equipment;    correlating means for correlating said first information into units based on said identical second information;    display information generation means for generating display information from the correlated first information which are correlated by said correlating means; and    output means for outputting the display information generated by said display information generation means for display on a display device.    
   
   
       2 . The information processing apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said electronic equipment is an electronic camera that stores recording units that include at least the main image data, the sub image data and the sound data, each of the data that is in the same recording unit having the identical second information.  
   
   
       3 . The information processing apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein said display information is generated for each said recording unit and comprises at least one first icon whose display format is changed based on the existence of each of the main image data, the sub image data and the sound data included in said recording unit.  
   
   
       4 . The information processing apparatus of  claim 3 , further comprising: 
 designation means for designating a second icon which is displayed on said display device; and    reading means for reading data from said electronic equipment corresponding to the data associated with the second icon when the second icon is designated by said designation means.    
   
   
       5 . The information processing apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein said second icon contains a thumbnail image of the main image data associated with the second icon, the thumbnail image being a reduction of said main image data by a predetermined ratio.  
   
   
       6 . The information processing apparatus of  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 designation means for designating one of the recording units and for designating one or more types of data to be deleted from the designated recording unit; and    deletion means for deleting the designated data from the designated recording unit.    
   
   
       7 . The information processing apparatus of  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 designation means for designating one of the recording units and for designating one or more types of data to be read from the designated recording unit; and    reading means for reading the designated data from the designated recording unit into the information processing apparatus.    
   
   
       8 . An information processing apparatus that is connectable to electronic equipment, the electronic equipment stores at least main image data, sub image data and sound data, each of the data having information including first information relating to types of said data and identical second information that identifies inter-relationships among said data, to execute data processing operations on the main image data, the sub image and the sound data stored in the electronic equipment, the apparatus comprising: 
 an interface through which said information for each of the main image data, the sub image data and the sound data from the electronic equipment is input to the apparatus; and    a controller that correlates the first information into units based on the identical second information and generates display information from the correlated first information for output to a display device.    
   
   
       9 . An information processing method, executed in an information processing apparatus when connected to electronic equipment, the electronic equipment stores at least main image data, sub image data and sound data, each of the data having information including first information relating to types of said data and identical second information that identifies inter-relationships among said data, the method executing a predetermined process for data including the main image data, the sub image data and the sound data stored in said electronic equipment, the method comprising the steps of: 
 inputting said information for each of the main image data, the sub image data and the sound data from the electronic equipment into the apparatus;    correlating said first information into units based on said identical second information;    generating display information from said correlated first information; and    outputting the display information for display on a display device.    
   
   
       10 . A recording medium that stores a control program to be used by an information processing apparatus that is connectable to electronic equipment the electronic equipment stores at least main image data, sub image data and sound data, each of the data having information including first information relating to types of said data and identical second information that identifies inter-relationships among said data, and which executes a predetermined process for data including the main image data, the sub image data and the sound data stored in said electronic equipment, said control program including: 
 an input routine for inputting said information for each of the main image data, the sub image data and the sound data from the electronic equipment to the information processing apparatus;    a correlation routine for correlating said first information into units based on said identical second information; and    a display information generation routine for generating display information from the correlated first information, the display information for output to a display device.    
   
   
       11 . The recording medium of  claim 10 , wherein said electronic equipment is an electronic camera that stores recording units that include at least the main image data, the sub image data and the sound data, each of the data that is in the same recording unit having the identical second information.  
   
   
       12 . The recording medium of  claim 11 , wherein said display information is generated for each said recording unit and comprises at least one first icon having a display format that is changed based on the existence of each of the main image data, the sub image data and the sound data included in said recording unit.  
   
   
       13 . The recording medium of  claim 12 , wherein said control program further includes a routine for reading data form said electronic equipment corresponding to the data associated with a second icon when the second icon is designated.  
   
   
       14 . The recording medium of  claim 13 , wherein said second icon contains a thumbnail image of the main image data associated with the second icon, the thumbnail image being a reduction of said main image data by a predetermined ratio.