US 7,603,409 B2
Providing an album to a communication terminal via a network
Makoto Kobayashi, Tokyo (Japan); Kenji Maeda, Kanagawa (Japan); Kotaro Yamaguchi, Tokyo (Japan); and Jin Sunata, Kanagawa (Japan)
Assigned to Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo (Japan)
Filed on May 09, 2003, as Appl. No. 10/434,163.
Claims priority of application No. 2002-141622 (JP), filed on May 16, 2002.
Prior Publication US 2003/0217118 A1, Nov. 20, 2003
Int. Cl. G06F 15/16 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 709—203  [358/453; 358/462; 715/828; 715/838; 715/864] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An information providing system that communicates with a communication terminal via a network, comprising:
a storage unit configured to store a plurality of image files being linked to album data;
a receiving unit configured to receive a request from the communication terminal for acquiring the album data;
a detection unit configured to detect, based on the received request, whether the communication terminal is or is not a portable communication terminal;
a generation unit configured to generate, in a case where the detection unit detects tat the communication terminal is not a portable communication terminal, first screen information that includes all of the plurality of image files linked to the requested album data, and in a case where the detection unit detects that the communication terminal is a portable communication terminal, to generate second screen information that includes an image area and a display control area, wherein the image area includes one or more image files but fewer than all image files of the plurality of image files linked to the requested album data, and wherein the display control area includes a control for requesting remaining image files linked to the requested album data and a field for displaying a total number of image files linked to the requested album data;
a transmission unit configured to transmit either the first screen information or the second screen information generated by said generation unit, to the communication terminal;
a determination unit configured to determine whether or not a session ID is included in the request received by the receiving unit, in a case where the detection unit detects that the communication terminal is a portable communication terminal;
an issuing unit configured to issue a new session ID to the communication terminal, in a case where the determination unit determines that the session ID is not included in the request, wherein the issued new session ID is included in all requests from the communication terminal to the information providing system after the issuance of the new session ID; and
an album monitor updating unit configured to update the number of times the album data has been viewed when the receiving unit receives the request from the communication terminal,
wherein the album monitor updating unit does not update the number of times the album data has been viewed in a case where the communication terminal is detected to be a portable communication terminal and a session ID is also determined to be included in the request.