Abstract: An apparatus which searches for an image containing an object requested from a distribution destination apparatus, and manages an object of an image and a user of a distribution destination apparatus by categories; a unit which receives information about the user of the distribution destination apparatus and information about the requested object; a unit which determines a distribution destination user category to which the user of the distribution destination apparatus belongs; a unit which determines an object category to which the object requested from the distribution destination apparatus belongs; a unit which decides a search condition of an image based on the distribution destination user category and the object category; and a unit which searches for an image based on the decided search condition.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus capable of preventing a user who uses another device from knowing the current location of a photographer based on shooting information about an image when an external apparatus distributes the image to the other device. A calculation unit calculates a distance from the shooting location of the image file to the current location of the image pickup apparatus. A distance determination unit determines whether the calculated distance is larger than a predetermined lower limit. A transmission control unit controls to transmit the image file to the external apparatus when the distance determination unit determines that the distance is larger than the lower limit, and not to transmit the image file to the external apparatus when the distance determination unit determines that the distance is not larger than the lower limit.

Abstract: An apparatus which searches for an image containing an object requested from a distribution destination apparatus, and manages an object of an image and a user of a distribution destination apparatus by categories; a unit which receives information about the user of the distribution destination apparatus and information about the requested object; a unit which determines a distribution destination user category to which the user of the distribution destination apparatus belongs; a unit which determines an object category to which the object requested from the distribution destination apparatus belongs; a unit which decides a search condition of an image based on the distribution destination user category and the object category; and a unit which searches for an image based on the decided search condition.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus capable of preventing a user who uses another device from knowing the current location of a photographer based on shooting information about an image when an external apparatus distributes the image to the other device. A calculation unit calculates a distance from the shooting location of the image file to the current location of the image pickup apparatus. A distance determination unit determines whether the calculated distance is larger than a predetermined lower limit. A transmission control unit controls to transmit the image file to the external apparatus when the distance determination unit determines that the distance is larger than the lower limit, and not to transmit the image file to the external apparatus when the distance determination unit determines that the distance is not larger than the lower limit.

Abstract: An image management apparatus which makes it possible to classify picked-up images according to the occasion of going-out without burdening a user. An information processing apparatus manages a plurality of image files obtained through shooting processing by an image pickup apparatus, and acquires GPS information indicative of a location of the image pickup apparatus and a time when the location was detected. The information processing apparatus sets one record of the GPS information as reference start time information, and retrieves a GPS information record indicative of a location identical to the location indicated by the reference start time information, as reference end information. The information processing apparatus classifies image files of respective shooting times occurring between a time indicated by the reference start time information and a time indicated by the reference end time information, into the same group.