Image providing apparatus, image display device, imaging system, image display system, and image providing method

An image display device that displays a shot image corresponding to shot image data generated by an imaging device, the image display device, comprising:

• a data recording unit that records therein the shot image data generated by the imaging device in association with transmission request information related to a shooting situation of the imaging device upon the generation of the shot image data;
• an operation reception unit that receives a user operation;
• a display unit;
• a display control unit that causes the display unit to display a shot image corresponding to the shot image data when the operation reception unit receives the user operation instructing the display of the shot image corresponding to the shot image data;
• a communication unit that performs communication with an external image providing apparatus having a plurality of auxiliary imaging units each of which images a subject to generate auxiliary image data;
• and
• a portable communication control unit that, when the operation reception unit receives the user operation, reads the transmission request information associated with the shot image data to be displayed, from the data recording unit, transmits the transmission request information to the image providing apparatus, and receives, from the image providing apparatus, composite image data in which two or more of the respective auxiliary image data have been combined by the image providing apparatus based on the transmission request information, via the communication unit.

An image providing method executed by an image providing apparatus that provides image data to a portable device carried by a user, the image providing method comprising:

• causing a plurality of auxiliary imaging units having shooting ranges partially overlapping one another to each image a subject to generate auxiliary image data;
• receiving, from the portable device, transmission request information requesting the image providing apparatus to transmit composite image data;
• generating, based on the transmission request information, composite image data by combining the auxiliary image data respectively generated by two or more of the plurality of auxiliary imaging units;
• and
• transmitting the composite image data to the portable device.