# US 2019/0377484 A1 · Image processing apparatus, image processing method, image processing program, and recording medium storing program > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0377484 A1 - Document ID: US20190377484A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/433,067 - Filed: 2019-06-06 - Published: 2019-12-12 - Earliest claimed: 2018-06-08 - Assignees: FUJIFILM Corporation, Tokyo, JAPAN - Applicants: FUJIFILM Corporation - Inventors: Kei YAMAJI - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190377484A1 ## CPC - G06Q 30/0282: Rating or review of business operators or products - G06F 3/0482: Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus - G06F 3/04847: Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials - G06T 11/60: Creating or editing images; Combining images with text - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL ## Abstract Provided are an image processing apparatus, an image processing method, an image processing program, and a recording medium thereof, capable of performing output in accordance with an output format depending on a user's preference. A plurality of images are read, and a question relating to a user's preference is notified during analysis of the images. A user answers the question. On the basis of an image analysis result and a received answer to the question, an output format of an album in which images are laid out is determined. The album of the determined output format is preview-displayed, and the user performs change as necessary. In accordance with an order command from the user, the laid-out album is created. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image processing apparatus comprising: an image analysis device that analyzes a plurality of images; a question notification device that notifies a question about a user's preference during the image analysis in the image analysis device; an answer reception device that receives an answer to the question notified by the question notification device; and an output format determination device that determines an output format on the basis of an image analysis result in the image analysis device and the answer received in the answer reception device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: an output control device that controls an output device so that at least a part of the plurality of images is output in accordance with the output format determined in the output format determination device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the question notification device notifies a question about the user's preference of the output format. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the question notification device notifies a question about the user's preference excluding the output format. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the question notification device notifies the question by displaying a plurality of sample images of the plurality of images, and the answer reception device receives sample image selection from the plurality of displayed sample images. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The image processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of sample images are determined on the basis of the result of the image analysis already performed in the image analysis device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The image processing apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising: a first image selection device that selects an image from the plurality of images on the basis of the sample images received in the answer reception device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the question notification device notifies the question by displaying the plurality of images, and the answer reception device receives image selection from the plurality of displayed images. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The image processing apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising: a second image selection device that selects an image from the plurality of images on the basis of the image selection received in the answer reception device. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an expected time necessary from a time when the question is notified in the question notification device to a time when the answer is received in the answer reception device is set in advance for each question, and the question notification device determines the question to be notified on the basis of a time necessary for the image analysis in the image analysis device and the expected time. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image analysis device creates one image using a part of the plurality of images, the question notification device notifies the user of the one image in a state where the one image is editable as the question, the answer reception device receives editing of the one image as the answer, and the output format determination device determines the output format on the basis of the image analysis result in the image analysis device and the editing received in the answer reception device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The image processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the one image is one page of an album configured of a plurality of pages, the question notification device notifies the user of the one page in a state where the one page is editable as the question, and the answer reception device receives editing of the one page as the answer. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The image processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the one image is one piece of image merchandise among a plurality of pieces of image merchandise, the question notification device notifies the user of the one piece of image merchandise in a state where the one piece of image merchandise is editable as the question, and the answer reception device receives editing of the one piece of image merchandise as the answer. ### Claim 14 (depends on 2) The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the output control device controls the output device so that at least the part of the plurality of images is output in accordance with the output format determined on the basis of the image analysis result in the image analysis device, the answer received in the answer reception device, and information on user's previous image editing. ### Claim 15 (depends on 2) The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: a user satisfaction level input device that inputs a user satisfaction level for an image output from the output device under the control of the output control device; and a user satisfaction level transmission device that transmits data indicating the user satisfaction level input in the user satisfaction level input device to a server. ### Claim 16 An image processing method comprising: analyzing a plurality of images, using an image analysis device; notifying a question about a user's preference during the image analysis in the image analysis device, using a question notification device; receiving an answer to the question notified by the question notification device, using an answer reception device; and determining an output format on the basis of an image analysis result in the image analysis device and the answer received in the answer reception device, using an output format determination device. ### Claim 17 Non-transitory recording medium storing a computer-readable program for controlling a computer of an image processing apparatus, the program causing the computer to execute: analyzing a plurality of images; notifying a question about a user's preference during the image analysis; receiving an answer to the notified question; and determining an output format on the basis of an image analysis result and the received answer.